Warp Core Breech in 10..9..8

[Webmaster 20]

Subject: Warp Core Breech in 10..9..8

Date: Sun, Apr 6, 1997 4:16 PM

From: CmdrChell

 

 

 

Stardate 9703.31

Aboard the USS Republic.......

 

 

".....  Warp Core Breech imminent.   Time to containment failure, three minutes......."  Holly's uncharacteristically deadpan warnings echoed through the ship, over the din of the red alert klaxon and the turmoil of over a thousand officers, crew and civilians heading for any means of evacuation available.

 

Heading towards the Bridge, Commander Chell directs as many people as possible to nearby escape pods, finally making his way to a turbolift.  "Bridge, emergency priority Chell Alpha 2-2-3."  The turbolift responds and heads directly to the bridge of the Republic.

 

"Warp core breech in 90 seconds....." the ship's computer continued it's countdown as the doors of the turbolift open onto the bridge of the Republic.  As he steps out, Cdr. Chell looks around to see the last of the bridge crew depart by the port forward turbolift, having waited as long as they could.  Save for himself, the bridge is deserted, silent, except for Holly's periodic warnings and the flash of the red alert lights in the wall panels. Chell moves over to the center seat and starts pulling up

status indicators as fast as his hands can move across the arm consoles,   Warp Core Containment status, power systems, internal scanners.  

 

"Computer, tactical evacuation display on main viewer.  Show all personnel not on escape pods, shuttles or evacuation craft.  Continuous visual update."  The main viewer switches from the forward starfield view to be replaced with a 3-d graphic representation of the Republic.  Hundreds of small dots appear throughout the image, rapidly clustering in the representations of escape pods and shuttles.  " Now highlight all escape vehicles and plot their departure courses."   The computer beeped in response.

 

" Warp Core Breech in 45 seconds."  Holly continued the countdown.

 

Faster and faster, the small and medium clusters of dots on the main viewer vanished as pod after pod and shuttle after shuttle launched from the ship.  The remaining red blips on the screen, each representing one of over a thousand lives that called the Republic home, became fewer and fewer.   "Computer, estimated time to complete evacuation?"  

 

" Estimated completion of Evacuation is two minutes. Warp core Breech in 30 seconds."  The computer droned on.