Salvage and Rescue

[Sorehl 0]

A joint log with Admiran, Segami, and Eagle, playing out the conclusion of Reliant’s post-battle mission…

 

The five members of the Reliant away team stood outside the Klingon bridge, magnetized boots holding their EVA suits firmly to the deck. With fading lifesigns beyond, an impassive bulkhead prevented both transit and beam-out. Silent plumes of atmosphere vented into the near-vacuum.

 

“We detected environmental leaking,” came the Vulcan captain’s cool baritone over the link. “Admiran, is your team in any danger?”

 

Lt. Tandaris Admiran spoke into the comm unit in his helmet. “No, sir, but any Klingon survivors don't have much time left.”

 

Lieutenant (j.g) Eagle leveled his tricorder. “The atmosphere levels are almost at zero on the other side of that door .”

 

Admiran raised a gloved hand. “Okay, you and Segami stay here,” he ordered. “My techs and I will get down to engineering and equalize the pressure between the two areas. We’ll open the bulkhead - then you two can go in.”

 

Segami nodded to his fellow Trill. “Be careful. And hurry, sir. “

 

“I’ll have the transporter room and sickaby standing by,” Sorehl advised over the link.

 

Admiran and his two crewman, Mord and Trebek, clomped down the damaged corridor using their mag boots. “Wow,” the Trill engineer said to himself, “this ship is even more of a mess than Reliant.”

 

* * * * *

 

Eagle continued his scans, speaking into the open link. “Captain, Tandaris is enroute to engineering to attempt to open the doors. Equalizing the atmosphere at this point may be moot; there’s very little in place on the bridge side.” He looked toward Segami. “If we can force the doors, tag the survivors, and get them outta there, they may survive.”

 

* * * * *

 

Admiran drifted down into the darkened engineering area, noting the blinking conduit cable everywhere. “Segami,” he reported, “I just reached engineering. Moving to the life support console now.”

 

He gestured toward one of the least damaged consoles. “Mord, access their C&C systems and get into the bulkhead controls. Trebek, go to their power systems and see if they have that flux capacitor we need.” He clamped his own boots down beside a life support console. It didn’t take long to see lifepods had been deployed, bulkheads were in place, and environmental control had been severed to the upper decks.

 

* * * * *

 

Eagle checked his tricorder readings again. “Admiran, forget the life support. Just get the blasted doors open. This is turning into a medical emergency, so please do it... now.”

 

“Life support isn't functional anyway,” Admiran acknowledged. “we'll open the bulkhead.”

 

* * * * *

 

Crewman Mord was struggling with the controls. “I've got a little power to the bulkheads,” he reported.

 

Admiran moved beside him. “All right, close the bulkhead behind them and then open the one between them and the bridge.” He spoke into the comm link. “Segami, Eagle, when you see that bulkhead open, go for it.”

 

The response from Eagle was quick. “We’re on it like an Alabama tick.”

 

* * * * *

 

Behind Segami and Eagle, a corridor bulkhead groaned shut. Moments later, the bridge bulkhead started to lift. Atmosphere surged into the makeshift airlock, but the door jerked to a stop only halfway up.

 

Eagle set down his tricorder. “C’mon, give me a hand:” He squeezed under the door and pushed. Segami reached down and lifted. The door proved nearly immobile, but there was room to crawl under.

 

Eagle stopped his efforts. “OK, if we have to squeeze them through let’s do it. With pressure this low, we may have only seconds.”

 

Segami nodded, getting to the floor. “Looks like we're crawling, doc!” He moved awkwardly into position under the bulkhead. Once through, he righted himself and scanned the room with his eyes. The Klingon bridge was nearly empty, with only a single fallen figure beside the helm. “There’s one!” he shouted. He lurged forward as fast as he could with the mag boots.

 

“Reliant, standby for emergency beamout,” Eagle ordered, moving forward.

 

“We’re locked onto you, Lieutenant,” came the response from Chief “Beamer” Staso.

 

Segami crouched, hefting the sizable Klingon over one shoulder as Eagle slapped a transport tag on him.

 

* * * * *

 

Back in the broken engineering section, Admiran directed his team. “Okay, Trebek, the faster we get this installed on Reliant, the faster we can get home.” He watched a display of the bridge status. “C’mon, guys. We can do this....”

 

“Got one!” he heard Segami report over the link.

 

“One!” he heard himself mutter, “We did all this for one?! The Klingons better be grateful.”

 

* * * * *

 

Eagle went first, as Segami lowered the Klingon to move under the bulkhead that had blocked their transport. “Captain,” the security officer announced, “One Klingon, tagged and bagged, sir. Ready for beamout.”

 

“Energizing,” came Staso’s reply.

 

* * * * *

 

Instead of materializing on Reliant’s smaller-scaled pad, the three figures arrived inside the modest sickbay. Segami and Eagle eased the Klingon onto one of the four beds. Sorehl was just entering “Is he…?”

 

Eagle nodded, “Hypoxic, but alive.” He reached for a medkit. “He needs a tri-ox compound, but he should recover.”

 

“Captain,” came the voice of the Andorian transporter chief, “the engineering team is aboard and ready to resume repairs.”

 

“Have them see to it,” he ordered. The Vulcan captain watched the doctor administer the hypo. Segami stepped back and removed his EVA helmet with a mild gasp of air.

 

Sorehl nodded. It would seem both Reliant and Governor K’Vorlag had survived until their next battle.

Edited June 13, 2006 by Sorehl