<USS Avalon> Log-The Next Watch

The Next Watch

-Engineering Staff (and some other guy at the end)

 

 

Engineering was practically empty, save the two new ensigns: Sirius Black and 
Hobbes Harvey.

"Do you think he'll get here soon?" Sirius asked quietly.

Hobbes was too absorbed by the conversation going on inside his head to pay any 
attention to Sirius.

Sirius swallowed hard and looked at the warp core. It was beautiful, so complex 
yet so simple.

The doors to Engineering parted and Dodge Thomas walked in, flanked by two more 
new ensigns. "Gentlemen, allow me to introduce Leila Criswell and Anilla 
Aguatequa.

Two well-proportioned young women smiled at the two male ensigns. 

Dodge continued. "I'd like to thank all of you for coming to the Avalon. As you 
may well know, the Engineering staff here on the Avalon has undergone severe 
changes. This engineering rotation is taking place on several ships throughout 
the Federation, in hopes that a large number of cadets will be educated in a 
short period of time. As such, many of those people, myself included, lack the 
familiarity required to properly maintain a ship's engines. So," Dodge smiled 
openly, "let the tour begin."

For the next twenty minutes or so, Dodge showed the new crew members around the 
room. Occasionally, he would quiz one of them on the function of a certain 
panel, or the procedure for a certain action.

Ensign Criswell was in the middle of demonstrating how to run a bypass on the 
plasma feed conduits when the red alert klaxons sounded. She jumped back, a 
look of terror creeping onto her face. "I--I didn't do it!"

"Engineering." Dodge's combadge beeped. "This is the bridge. Implement 
emergency startup procedure four-four-nine immediately!"

The communication cut out, replaced by static.

"Four-four-nine?" Sirius sounded afraid. "That's emergency starship evacuation. 
It's a starbase procedure." He ran to one of the engineering panels. "Look!"

Dodge leaned over to see. "It looks like the Station's power grid is 
destabilizing. We have to bring the engines online before the feedback 
overloads them!"

The ship shook violently, throwing everyone to the floor. Steam and sparks 
began to spray out of various ruptured conduits.

"Ensigns Criswell and Black! Get a stabilizer on that coolant tank! Ensign 
Aguatequa, I need you to run a bypass on those plasma feeds. We can't have them 
blowing up on us!" The ship shook again, and one of the coolant tanks cracked 
free of it's moors. "Look out!"

The tank hit the floor and exploded, but thankfully emergency force fields held 
and no one was seriously injured.

"Criswell! Black! I told you to stabilize that tank!"

Murmured apologies sounded from the dismal Ensigns.

The sound of groaning metal silence them all. The second floor catwalk wrenched 
loose in sickening slow motion.

Lights flickered and went out for a moment. There was another explosion.

"Ensign Harvey! Stop talking to yourself and start rerouting power to the 
emergency force fields! Bridge:" He tapped his combadge. "We could really use 
some help right about now!"

Static was the only response.

Dodge ran over to the main engineering console. Red lights flashed at him 
everywhere. His only chance was to bypass the security controls and eject the 
warp core, a serious breech in regulations since they were probably still in 
near proximity to the station. "Harvey! Criswell! I need you to--" He was cut 
short when the panel before him exploded. He flew backwards, striking the wall 
behind him and crumpling to the floor in a heap. He did not move.

"Oh my god! He's dead!" Sirius shouted, as he was closest to Dodge. 

"Warp core overload in five seconds." The computer informed them coldly.

"Get to an evac pod! It's our only chance!"

"Engineering is sealed off! Try to eject the core!"

The ship rocked again, throwing them all off their feet. All except Dodge, who 
just rolled around on the floor.

"Warp core overload in four. Three. Two. One."

A silver-white slit appeared in the middle of the warp core. Light flooded the 
smashed room. The slit widened quickly. Soon, all four of the Ensigns were 
bathed in light. 

Dodge Thomas sat up, rubbing a bruised shoulder. "Well done. Computer, end 
program."

The false engineering vanished, replaced by the holo-grid. 

"You all performed excellently."

"What are you talking about?" Ensign Aguatequa asked hotly. "We all died!"

"True, but given the circumstances, there was no right answer. The system would 
have continued to crash until the warp core signaled breech, or conditions 
became too dangerous and the holodeck shut us down. The station officials don't 
want us dying in their holodecks."

"Oh."

"Now then. I believe you are all free to go, that is, unless you'd like to blow 
up engineering again?" He smiled broadly. "Didn't think so. I'll see you all 
later."

The four ensigns left, talking amongst themselves. Dodge smiled again.


"Hey, aren't you supposed to be dead?" A familiar voice asked from behind him.

"Keegan! What a pleasant surprise. I knew the Pollox was docked here too, but I 
hadn't expected to run into you here."

Ryan Keegan perked an eyebrow. "Huh?" 

"Nothing." Ryan was a great guy, but none to fast when it came to thinking. 
"How?s the Pollox?"

"Security's tough, but fun. Heard you got to be chief engineer. Way to go!"

Dodge grinned. "Thanks. How long till you get to be chief?"

Ryan hunched his shoulders, jutted his lower jaw and grunted. 

Dodge laughed at the gorilla impression. "That soon eh?"

Ryan returned to normal. "No doubt. Our chief is a lug head if I ever met one."

"I've only met mine for a few minutes, and despite what I've heard of him, 
well, let's just say he's not living up to his reputation as far as I know."

"Hey Dodge," Ryan said excitedly, quickly changing the subject and indicating 
the holodeck. "Wanna go blow up engineering again?"


"Right on!"



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