Damage Control

Posted on 21 Nov 2022 @ 12:53am by Lieutenant George Huxley
Edited on 21 Nov 2022 @ 12:58am

It is shortly after two in the morning, and Sickbay is quiet. Doctor Drakkar Moq’Dar is on duty, working in his office. Alarms go off. A patient is dying. The duty nurse calls to Drakkar. “Doctor, Huxley is coding!”
Drakkar’s head snaps up at the call. He leaps out of his chair and rushes over to George’s bedside. Snapping into action, the doctor performs immediate actions on the patient, clearing airways and performing chest compressions. Looking at the vital signs, Drakkar quickly deduces that the patient is suffering from a pulmonary embolism. The doctor turns to the staff at his side. “Donnelly, administer three CC’s of the anticoagulant. MacDonald, continue the compressions. Averies, bring the cardio-stimulator. We’ll have it out here just in case it’s necessary.” Drakkar continues the compressions as the staff immediately carries out their orders. He maintains a stern focus on the task at hand, his sharp gaze occasionally glancing back and forth between Huxley’s chest and the medical interface as he eagerly looks for any changes.

********************
George and Elaine materialize in a Main Engineering of a type neither were familiar with. Alarms blared and the ship rocked. George turned to Elaine. “This the Horatio?”

Elaine shook her head. “Nope. I’m guessing it’s not Boston either. Let’s check the MSD, see what it says.” The two run over to the Main Status Display, and start conducting a damage assessment. “Looks like an Excelsior layout, U.S.S….”

“Oh you have GOT to be kidding me.” George rolls his eyes as he reads the ship name: U.S.S. George Huxley. “Great. My body is a Federation starship.”

Elaine starts looking over the damage assessment. “Shields offline, hull integrity is critical. Main computer is offline, and…we’re minutes away from a warp core breach.”

“Even better, I’m a Federation starship with no shields, a shot up hull, and I’m about to die. Come on, warp alcove.” The two sprint over the alcove and attempt to repair the damaged warp core. George brings up the warp controls. “Elaine, divert coolant through the starboard manifold, left side is obstructed. I’m going to try to isolate the blockage.”

“On it.” She taps away on the LACARS interface. “Okay, that should do it. And…I’m showing…something…traveling through the system. Looks like it’s going towards the obstruction.”

George frowns. “Crew? Robots?”

“Could be either. This isn’t exactly a real system, after all. It’s not like I can just get an internal scan.”
Huxley looks at the display readouts. “Pressure is dropping to nominal, and…yep, obstruction is clearing. Coolant flow returning to normal.” George looks up as the alarms silence. “Okay, that’s one issue. What’s next?”

Elaine frowns. “Main computer is offline, but I think it’s because of the EPS grid. Take a look.” She pulls up the EPS readout.

“It’s the plasma. Look here, about two weeks ago there was a massive loss of plasma. There wasn’t enough, and it’s starved the main computer…oh shit.” George takes a step back, running his hands through his hair.

“What is it?”

“Elaine…I’m brain dead. Think of it, this ship is a cosmic metaphor for my body. If the Main Computer is offline because there’s not enough plasma in the EPS grid, then, and I’m speculating here, then that means there isn’t or wasn’t enough blood to get to my brain after I was shot. And, if the main computer is a metaphor for my brain, and it’s offline, then I’m braindead.”

Elaine considers this for a moment. “Well, I’ve always said you were braindead. Okay, let’s go reboot your computer then.”

“Elaine, did you not just hear what I said? I’m braindead!”

She rolls her eyes. “And we’re engineers, and we’ve already metaphorically fixed your metaphorical warp core. So, let’s go metaphorically fix your metaphorical Main Computer! God, you’re so dense some days, George.”

Huxley blinks. “Oh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Okay, you lead. But I wish like hell Motown was here.”

Elaine looks at George with a suspicious expression. “Motown? Who’s Motown?”

“Moi’ra Kilrai, she’s the computer expert on the Boston.”

“’She?’”

Hux rolls his eyes. “Yes, ‘she.’ We have a lot in common, namely that we’ve dated the same women.”

“Oh. Ohhhhh. Well then…wait, not Jane?”

“Yes, Jane.”

“I see. So, she’s braindead, too.”

“Hardeehar. Okay, I’m guessing this is it.” George points to the door marked ‘Main Computer.’ “Why are you so interested in who Mo is, anyway?”

Elaine shrugs, booting up the computer access terminal. “We were close before you left for Boston. I guess I hoped that you’d find someone. Rebooting main computer.”

“Running diagnostics.” George glances over at Elaine. “No, there’s been no one else. A really good friend at one point, but that was it. Huh. Looks like the computer is getting power. Begin restart.” George frowns as he notices Elaine staring at him. “What? What’s wrong?”

She looks at him with a sad expression. “If this works the way we think it will, then it’s going to be a long time before we see each other again.”

He stops, taking in what she just said. “I’m not ready to lose you again, Elaine.”

She smiles, tears starting to form. “You won’t lose me, George. I’m always going to be with you. Besides, someone has to look out for you, you braindead dunce. Just do me a favor, please?”

“Anything.”

“Make sure it’s a long time before we meet again.”

George chokes back tears of his own. “I…no promises. I’m kind of braindead, ya know.” He walks over and pulls Elaine into a tight embrace. They share a passionate kiss, and for a brief moment George forgets when and where he is. The two slowly separate. Wiping a tear from her eye, George ignores his own and turns to the computer terminal. “Bringing the main computer online now.” The computer hums to life. George grins and turns to Elaine as everything disappears into a blinding white light…