Plumbing Problems

Posted on Sun Nov 5th, 2023 @ 11:52am by Lieutenant JG Anton Zakharov & Commander William Gerhard

Mission: Contagion
Location: Deck C: Waste / Water Recycling Systems
Timeline: Before Reporting for further Duty
679 words - 1.4 OF Standard Post Measure

It stank. It more than stank. Hell's arm pit, probably smelt better than this room. To put a finer point on it, it stank like crap. The water recycling systems were not treating the water and breaking down the waste in the fluids. It did this using a series of tanks, filters, chemical and bacterial treatments. It was a stupid problem, but an serious problem none the less. If the engineering team could not get it working again, they would have to ration their water supplies and limit themselves to the water they had and not the recycled stuff. Anton was swearing in Russian and his, sleeves rolled up and his arm in one of the tanks when the Commander entered.

William had just left the engineering spaces looking for Lieutenant Zakharov. He'd been told he was working in the waste recycling plant, not one of the places he visited frequently. With Sloan opting the stay behind on Relea, Captain Leroux and he had been discussing who would be the proper replacement to fill the Chief Engineer role. With Jameson still insisting that he just wanted to be an engineer, Zakharov had been the next choice. What he lacked for in space experience, he made up for in knowledge. Of course given their current situation, there were no more rookies aboard ship anymore.

"Mr. Zakharov," William called out as he entered the room, the smell hitting him like a brick wall.

"Ow!" came Anton's response as he banged his head in surprise against the wall of the extraction tank. He ducked his head out and stepped down the step ladder he was on. Instinctively he rubbed his head where he had bumped it. Unfortunately he rubbed it with the gloved hand he had had covered in muck, which he then promptly smeared over his head. Anton cringed and swore in Russian

William gave the man a sympathetic look as he winced slightly while he held his hands up in mock surrender. "I'm sorry about that, Lieutenant. I suppose I should've knocked before entering here," he offered by way of apology.

Anton gestured away the apology we a little wave of his hand "It is ok Commander" responded the Engineer in his thick Russian accent. "As you can see we have a little bit of a plumbing situation." He banged one of the tanks with his sonic spanner to emphasize the point

"Nothing to serious i hope," he asked as he looked at the tank that the engineer had indicated. He could tell by the sound it made that it was nearly full, but then again William was not an engineer so he would defer to the man's diagnosis.

"Actually this is more of a Biological issue than a mechanical one." Anton banged the tank again with his sonic spanner "The issue seems to be the enzymes and bacteria in the tanks that feed and break down the waste"

"Have you spoken with Lieutenant Darru? I'm sure he'd be able to whip something up in the bio lab," William said offering what little information he could. He knew less about the biological aspects of waste reclamation than he did about the mechanical side, which wasn't a lot to begin with.

"hmmmmm" said Anton thoughtfully. "No I had not. Perhaps he could use the bio lab to synthesizer a chemical replacement or some sort of perhaps a self replicating enzyme that could break down the chemical waste at a more efficient rate..." realising he was now thinking out loed more than answering the commanders question Anton shut his mouth.

"The captain wanted me to tell you she needs to speak to you in her ready room," William said after nodding his head. He noticed the man give him a puzzled look before offering an explanation, "Lieutenant Diaz is updating the comm system, otherwise she would've called down here."

"I am sure the captain would not mind if i took a quick shower and changed uniforms quickly i am rather un-presentable" responded the engineer in his thick Russian accent. "Thank you Sir"