Problem Solving

Posted on Sat Feb 22nd, 2025 @ 2:25am by Lieutenant Commander David Wallace

Mission: THE LAST CRY FOR HELP
Location: Various
Timeline: Various

On:

===During the crisis===

"Fire!" David called out.

As the torpedoes launched there was a shudder throughout the Athena. "We have a main power drain in weapons control!" a crewman called out.

"Power down weapons systems, lets' get out of here!" David called out "Full about one eight zero get us back too the station!"

The bridge lights flickered too the emergency red lighting, David looked around the bridge "Report!"

"Looks like the isolinear control core failure, attempting to bypass." the crewman at the engineering station called out.

David jumped up and took the few steps over too the engineering control station "Engineering report!"

"We've bypassed the control, power management should reset any moment." the engineer said.

Moments later the lights flipped back too normal lighting, but slightly dimmed. David looked at the readouts, "it looks like we blew out more than the control core, helm best speed back too the station."

===Thirty hours later===

The standby lighting aboard the Athena was the only lights in most of the ship, the corridor that lead in and out of engineering was littered with discarded components and tool kits as the engineers attempted to rectify the system failures that had been plaguing the ship for the last day. David stood next too the main console as he looked at the readouts, "Try that." someone called out.

"That's got it I think." David replied "Yeah hold it there, looks like those control circuits are holding."

The tech popped his head out of the access hatch "That module wasn't connected properly, or something."

David turned too the tech "That's another one added too the list."

"We've really gone beyond the life span of this design." the tech said as he slid out of the hatchway "Three burnt out control modules, two more that look like they were rushed installs."

"these have been in service since my Dad was a field officer, but yeah it's an old bird now." David said as he leaned back "It's a twenty plus year old design, they're not exactly a bad design chief but it's not intended for the abuse we inflict on it every day, it's sad really."

"Too bad we couldn't get our hands on one of those intrepid variations they're building these days." the technician said

"There are four these days and I doubt the Commodore is going to allow me to have a ship that requires a large crew." David said as the computer chirped "Looks like that repair is holding."

The tech stood up and moved over to a nearby console, "Want to start the test program?"

"Yeah we should...." David was interrupted by the comm system. "Sir this is Collins over in section C can you come here, I have something too show you."

"Sure thing Mr Collins I'll be right there." David said as stood too leave. He made his way down the corridor he found various maintenance covers and access panels opened and removed, he found the technician with a tricorder scanning several severely damaged sections of the ship, "What have you got?"

"I think we got hit by something during the last mission." the crewman said as he moved a computer subsystem revealing an inward bulge about the size of a melon, Jason kneeled down looing at the impact point "Let me guess the impact damaged that control module?"

The tech turned the unit revealing it's shattered housing and burned and broken circuitry, "What's the timeline for repairs?" David asked.

"It took me two hours to just remove this control module, judging by the damage this has caused maybe a couple of days to do the teardown, three more too get the fabrication done, this isn't exactly like we're a galaxy class or something." the tech said

"Alright, start with this mess, we'll deal with the rest after I talk with the station C-O." David said as he took a half step back "What was the other thing you mentioned?"

"The impact damage along with the surge damage raised havoc with several relays on this circuit path, which may have caused the system disruptions we had during the mission."

"That's not good, so we could be chasing more than one system problem?" David said his mind was spinning from this news.

"That's the problem sir." the tech said

"Alright, I'll set up a meeting with the Commodore with this assessment, let's go under the plans we'll be doing the repairs." David said as he started too debate his options.

David started to walk down the main corridor towards the bridge, What the hell did I get myself into this time?"

End