Junction 23A Part 2

[Lerak trPexil 0]

Junction 23A Part 2

 

An expected voice came from t’Liss, “Um, tr’Pexil. I am getting warnings all over the ship. The problem relays are spreading.”

 

Tapping to reply, “Ie… damn. Elements be all!” Lerak stood there in silence for a moment. “Wait. I have a solution, but they might not like it.”

 

“What would that be,” asked Koga.

 

“I am heading to the main computer core and I will be taking the main and secondary cores offline. I need to carry out a fix.”

 

“Hold on there, that means au and au alone will have core access for, what, a few minutes?” continued Koga.

 

Lerak had already gathered up his ISDs and kits and making a hasty climb down the service ladder. “Idealy the kernel patch will take a few minutes. Program is ready to go. I’m already near the junction service exit. I will arrive at the core in about three minutes.”

 

He could hear Koga sigh over the t’Liss, “This better work or someone will have aur backside, Koga out."

 

Lerak now ran down the corridor toward the nearest lift. The doors opened with three coming out. “Move, out of my way please. Go, go!” Seeing them gone and the door closing, “Computer core desk, priority override.” The lift moved in slow motion. The doors opened. Looking exactly like engineering’ the main doors to the primary computer core lay ahead. He went through.

 

“Au want to do what?” asked one of the computer technicians.

 

Lerak expected the question. “I need to take the primary and secondary cores offline for a kernel patch. Ie, it will log everyone off and systems will shudder while going to backups.” The technician just stood there. “Follow my orders and take both cores offline.”

 

“Ie rekkhai.”

 

Daise’Engineer tr’Pexil took the nearest console while the technician took another against a far wall.

 

“Commencing logoffs and placing the cores in a safe mode..” His voice trailed off as Lerak began to write another routine to properly patch the operating kernel. Writing that bit of code was simple by comparison to the rewrite of the relays earlier. Even so he had never typed so fast or so hard against the console in his life. For it was his life at stake from all appearances.

 

“Rekkhai, communications are coming in from all over the shift once the cores went down. Every department, the Enarrain himself now, what do I tell them?”

 

“Tell them to stand by, the patch installs and core reboot are nearly complete,” was Lerak’s only reply.

 

“But…”

 

Lerak held up a finger for nearly half a minute to cut off more prattling by the technician.

 

Time stopped.

 

“Now… cores have rebooted and I will bring power back in once minutes once services come up,” Lerak said, panting visibly. The darkness here was even more haunting than in the corridors.

 

“They will have aur head if this fails,” commented the obvious tech.

 

“Ie, they…”

 

Lights turn on. His ISD reported other power systems coming back online. His t’Liss chirped.

 

“Au are one lucky bastard,” Koga calmly said.

 

“Ie, I will be in my office, tr’Pexil out.”

Edited January 14, 2011 by Lerak trPexil