Beautifying Engineering

Posted on Sun Aug 2nd, 2020 @ 5:36pm by Ensign Duncan McManus & Major Samuel King & Ensign Kathryn Bell
Edited on on Sun Aug 2nd, 2020 @ 5:37pm

Mission: Mission 3 - 100
Location: Deck E - Main Engineering
Timeline: Day 35, Month 2, Year 0 03:00
2310 words - 4.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Duncan hated night duty and the silence that came with it but that was not happening that night and he found himself missing it. Within seconds of the intruder alert happening the engineering, doors had opened with Vrav sending him and the two crewmen scurrying for cover. He stayed silent listening to the sounds and winced as he heard noises that sounded like a scuffle. The man held his breath as he heard steps coming closer making him pick up a pipe nearby ready to knock out at who was coming in his direction.

The alarm had set him in motion as he and some MACO's ran towards Engineering at what felt like warp speed. Sam turned the corner to see the back of the Vrav entering Engineering and signalled his men to approached quietly so as to take them by surprise. They approached but as the final step was to be taken Corporal Newman kicked something on the ground that caused the Vrav to turn. "Damn it!" King shouted as he dived at the lead Vrav and the MACO's the others.

The lead Vrav knocked Sam's rifle away forcing him to release the combat knife he kept in a holster on his thigh. The Vrav was unusually stronger than he expected and a fight ensued. The Vrav caught him with shot to the left arm, a flesh wound as he had moved quickly, causing Sam to wince but still move forward. The enemy did not expect this quick movement and as such when Sam stuck the knife through the base of its head and into the skull the surprise was evident to see quickly followed by the limpness and subsequent drop of the body. Turning around he saw the MACO's had dealt with the other two. This was too small to be a boarding team, more like a scout and more was to come.

Sam headed towards the back of engineering looking for the crew that were supposed to be there and a pipe flew at him. Samuel caught it and smiled, "Easy now. All Human here." he said as the man relaxed, "We will get more visitors soon though. How are you all holding up? How many of you are on duty?" he asked.

Duncan let out a relieved sound and stood to his feet the pipe a little looser in his grip now as he took in the familiar Marine Commanding Officer. "Three." There were only three on duty at night. One watch leader, one second and one motorman who did the running around checking things. "Do we know how many are onboard?" He wondered thinking back to the console the second before everything had started. Nothing had alerted him to anything out of the ordinary.

"Good, and bad." Sam began. "3 is an easy number to protect, but not ideal when the Vrav return. They will head here as it is an important part of our ship but we will protect it to the last." Sam said confidently. "As for enemy numbers I don't know." he signalled the other MACO's to stagger their positions around the room. He had only brought 3 others with him, two set up at strategic points near the warp core, a higher level so to see from above and protect that vital system. Sam and the other remained near Duncan and collected the other two people for safety.

"With Engineering, they control the ship without needing to spill any blood or lose any life. We need to contact the Bridge and find out what they need from us," Duncan said scrambling over to the communication system hoping that things were okay up there. "No one is answering up there." He muttered worriedly. he knew what to do but he also knew that eventually, he would need orders from the bridge.

"Just stay calm son. There is a good chance they have engaged the enemy up there as well." Samuel said calmly as if it was common place. "We need to secure this area of the ship. Can you and your people lock down any hatches and such so that the only way in to this room is through the main doors?" he asked the man. That kind of thing was a little out of his expertise. "The more secure we are, the safer we are."

Without warning, a ceiling hatch opened, and a light shown down into the dimly-lit engineering room. "Anyone alive?" A thin figure dropped out of the tube above, then turned to the MACO commander and engineer. "Ensign Bell, Sickbay... We got word that we had invaders, and Doc asked me to get down here. Anyone injured?"

"Not my crew. Any of yours hurt?" Duncan asked the gunnery sergeant lowering his quickly raised pipe again at the hatch opening. He shook his head and moved to seal the hatch again quickly. He did not want anyone climbing through anything and getting there.

"Nice of the good Doctor to send us another capable of handling a weapon." Samuel smiled. One of his MACO's had set up a defensive barricade by the door for cover should any Vrav enter that way. "Now, I'm no engineer so if there are any open panels, access points, really anything that will protect this core from weapons fire then I want them active now."

Bell raised the phase pistol she'd brought with clear distaste. "Hate using this thing, but needs must... Where do you want me, Major?"

"Needs must luv." Sam nodded at the woman and scanning the room. "Two of my MACO's are watching the main door. You stick with me at the moment, set up a small triage area in case injuries arise should we be attacked."

"Yes, Sir." Bell moved to over by the major, then checked her bag of medical supplies, meagre as they were.

Duncan ran around the Engine room like his life quite literally depended on being fast with the other two engineers sealing up access panels as requested. It was easy to remember things now that he was not as concerned about defending the core now that more people had appeared, he might not die on that hill after all. "Sealed Major." He called from above somewhere.

"Good job mate!" Sam shouted to the younger man. "Now get back down here! The waiting game now begins..." he said ominously.

It didn't take too long as when Duncan came closer to them there was a small thudding noise outside of engineering. Sam frowned at the noise, one wondering what it was and two if it was the Vrav. "Eyes forward people! We may have some uninvited guests paying us a visit!"

A phase pistol went off and then the sound of grunting was heard as the sound of thudding was heard before a flashlight beamed at the cracks of the entrance of the engineering. There was a long pause, but it was obvious someone there. "Marco!"

Of all the things that Duncan heard someone to tell it was not that and he found a big grin breaking out across his face. "Seems that the Vrav were surprised themselves." He murmured knowing that the beings had no idea how to speak their language let alone use a term as human as Marco.

The light from the hall shook slightly before the source of the light came into view and flashed over the areas of engineering room before moving forward ever so slightly. "Don't shoot... DON'T SHOOT!"

"Lieutenant Harper--thank God you're alive... Are you injured?" Bell moved forward to check him over, genuinely relieved. She liked the man, and would have been saddened at his loss.

"Oh I'm fine. Nothing like waking up mid air and slamming into the floor in your quarters. But could be better. I will admit, not happy with all the work that we have to deal with," he shrugged. "Maybe we can get a raise. How about you ..." he paused and looked at the group of Macos and engineers. "... fine people. Seems like we are hunkering down here. Maybe we can have a camp fire and have smores!"

"If you've brought the stuff to make them I'm not going to say no." Sam smiled. "Wonder if we can solve all our Vrav problems with smores... think they'll go for it?" he asked half joking.

Duncan looked at the group and rolled his eyes. If they had ingredients left after everything with food issues to make s’ mores he was going to get a bit annoyed when he had been hankering after something sweet for weeks. Not even the chocolate bar left on his bed had helped relieved him at all the scratch that he needed to itch. Harper knew this as it was a conversation at least once a shift. “I swear if you have marshmallows, Sir…” The idle threat was abandoned when they could hear rifle fire in the distance.

All of them spun around to the large hatch for the main engineering as the weapons fire was off and on. "Well, Major. I am not sure or not, but I do believe that is for you," Harper simply stated as he held his phase pistol in that direction all the while slowly stepping back. It wasn't as though he were afraid, but he wasn't the most skilled fighter either. That didn't mean he wasn't the type to go into battle, but he knew to not expect others to be surprised at his unique way of handling a fight. As he came closer to Ensign McManus, he winked slightly trying to reassure the young man. "Don't worry, as soon as we get back to Earth, I'll personally get you marshmallows. So that means we stay alive. Fair?"

"When we get back to earth?" Duncan demanded incredulously that the man was even saying that when they were so far from home and going the way they were they were 150 years from home. He would never have them again. He could not carry on when the noise was getting closer and closer.

"And they didn't even knock," Sam replied as he took a more assured stance. Signalling the MACO's he had brought into a more triangular position at varying positions within the engineering department. That way they could focus fire on the door should whoever enter be hostile. The weapons fire was frantic but followed a pattern. The noise of Starfleet weapons firing at a distinctly different sounding enemy weapon. Then nothing. "Hold the position and no firing until I give the order," Sam said calmly.

Kate gripped her phase pistol with white knuckles. She hated this part... Hated it.

The quiet was almost as bad as the fighting. In a way, Sam preferred the chaotic nature of a fire fight. He knew what he had to do in those moments.

BOOM!

The doors burst open and Vrav began to appear through the smoke. "FIRE!" Sam shouted over the ringing of his ears. He popped his head over the cover and began to fire.

Weapons fire went back and forth for a bit as Harper quickly started firing at the new arrivals before finally finding an area to cover in while he was being targeted. There was some yelling of orders, from the Vrav and from the MACOs between weapons fire and the thudding sounds of some of the bodies dropping to the floor. It took a couple moments before he caught a glimpse of a power conduit and sighed before taking a shot. Once he did, the explosion was focused at the Vrav and cleared the remainder of the attackers that had came into the engineering section. "Guess I just added more work to my exciting evening," he muttered to himself as he waited for the maco's to make their move.

Duncan winced at the damage that they had inflicted on engineering in order to secure the place. It was painful to think about all the days and nights of lack of sleep that was to come. "Did you really have to do that Sir." The man said getting reminded of an old film as he stuck his head above the cover to see that the remaining Vrav had backed off.

"Now's not the time to cast stones of blame." Kate let out a disgusted noise as she popped up, drilled an enemy surgically, and ducked back down. "God, I hated marksmanship classes, but guess they paid off."

Duncan frowned at the Nurse. Did she not know ill-timed humour and teasing were how Engineers thrived and survived when the world went wrong around them and required so much fixing. It was common among Engineers across the universe he had come to realise, whether they were boomers. colonists or born on the home worlds.

Sam held up his hand to cease fire, the noises from the entrance had died down and the bright bursts of weapons fire had stopped. It seemed the blowing of the conduit had taken out a fair few of the attacking team and they had mopped up the rest. The Vrav seemed to operate in smaller teams, 5 or 6 at the most he had noticed. "Well looks like we have a little respite guys, and girls." Same said as he surveyed the area. "I think the conduit looks better that way, adds character to the room." Sam joked.

"At least somebody enjoys the beauty of my own work," Chris shrugged slightly as he looked around the engineering room. He then looked at his team and took in a deep breath before looking at the macos and nurse. "I don't know about y'all good people but it looks like we got some cleaning to do after this party. We will get working on communication. Hopefully, it isn't too much."

"As long as we don't have any more dead bodies, that's fine with me," was Bell's response.