Ongoing Repairs

Posted on Thu Jan 19th, 2023 @ 2:04am by Senior Chief Petty Officer Ronson Mitchell & Lieutenant Commander Thriss Kla'ren & Ensign Kitiuas Thenis & Lieutenant Thomas Haldeman & Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell

Mission: Planet of the Dinosaurs
Location: USS Sunfire
Timeline: Day 2 - Dusk

With the warp core now running Ronson, Thriss' and Bonnie headed back to the Mess Hall where the others were cooking dinner, Thriss' giving an update to the Captain via comm as he went. Ronson's stomach rumbled as they neared, his nose picking up the delicious scent of something cooking away. It appeared Kit was indeed the Chef.

There was supposed to be a celebratory hoorah, or high fives all around or something happy. But there was nothing of the sort. Just an elated sigh of relief as step one was done and step two could begin. They were all tired. Exhausted really, from the heat and the climbing. Bonnie knew it could be worse, they could of been outside in the storm or dealing with dinos. Then she entered the makeshift mess area and saw what looked like fresh meat and immediately wondered what she had missed while below decks.

Tom looked up as Bonnie, Ronson and Thriss entered the area where he and Kit were cooking/preparing the evening meal. He saw her glance at the meat and answered her unasked question. "Velociraptor steaks. Kit and I had a run in with a pack of them and bagged two of them." He took the three of them in with his gaze as he said his next. "Congratulations on getting the core restarted. Good work all of you."

"Lemme guess - tastes like chicken right?" Ronson piped up as they plonked themselves wearily in the chairs that hadn't been broken. It felt good not to be on his feet. "Actually, to be truthful I don't care what it tastes like, so long as its food." He amended.

Bonnies stomach twisted as she sat in her hunched position off to the side. "Isn't there some rule of ethics about eating native species or something? I mean, this just, I don't know, just feels wrong." She sat her tricorder with it's scans next to her and began studying the data she had collected. She simply couldnt' wait until the main computer was online.

Tom chuckled at Ronson's comment, "Can't say. we haven't tried any, yet we were waiting for the three of you to rejoin us and have a meal together." He looked over at Bonnie. "Bonnie, there are no rules, this survival pure and simple. We need meat to survive, to repair the ship and get off this planet."

She frowned. There were always rules as a Starfleet officer. Weather they be moral or ethical rules, they were there for a reason. Do no harm was a prime example. "You do not NEED meat to survive. Protein maybe, not, well, whatever that is." She retorted with a disgusted wave of her hand.

"I see." Tom said coolly. "He looked at the others,
If you'll forgive me, I've lost my appetite and i don't wish to ruin anyone else's." As he got up and left the area. Leaving the others to their meal.

After leaving the others, Tom went back to the shattered bridge and walked over to the Ops console. Sighing, he knelt down and moving debris away with his hand as the emergency lights had kicked off as the warp was restarted and the bridge was now bathed in normal lighting, he slid under it and began working on getting power back to it.

Ronson looked over to Bonnie with a concerned expression. "Are you a vegetarian Bon? Or just not feeling it today? It's okay, high stress does crazy things to people" he scooted over and gave her a hug.

The hug was appreciated if not really warranted and as she released she replied, "I eat meat. Specifically the none caught, shot or killed kind. The replicators make meat not killed against it's will, removed from it's mother or had it's life shortened just because it was seeking food." She looked around the room at those staring at her like she was the weird one.

"I don't know, I guess I feel we are the aliens on this planet. We weren't invited and maybe they are just hungry, curious or defending themselves? Did we stop and think maybe before dicing them up into steaks?" Her appetite was also now gone and spoiled. "Sorry Kit, thanks anyways." And she turned back to her tricorder data, but not before whispering "Thanks Ronnie."

Ronson cast his eyes downwards, having felt somewhat responsible for the fractures starting to appear within the team. Everyone was starting to feel the pressure and they were far from their usual operating parameters. However they had managed to cold start the warp core, something only very few could claim to have done, and virtually Noone had accomplished it whilst crashed on a planet. Still, stress was high and he didn't know how to make it better. He finished his meal and took the dishes, cleaning them before returning them to the stack on the bench.

"I'm sorry Kit, I'm sure this wasn't how you thought dinner would turn out" he sat next to the young Ensign.

“No need to worry Chief, to each their own.” She said flashing her most charming smile at those in the room. “Life is cyclical, So I do not fear judgement from the Thousand Gods or Kismet. If those who do not wish to have what I prepared want I can arrange a simple vegetarian meal?” she offered. “Otherwise I need to get the science stations back up.”

"They'll eat when they're hungry, there's still some MREs so they won't starve. Just do t take it personally." Ronson advised. He helped Kit tidy up for a short while. "So...science stations next?"

On the bridge, Tom continued to work on repairing the Ops console. Five minutes turned to ten, ten to twenty and still he worked. Until finally a beep sounded from the console, and he slid out from underneath and rose his knees to have a look. The console was active. He just needed to reboot it and they would be back in business. He stood and stretched, and his back complained at the movement. He walked to the center seat and sat down, his hands running along the arms of the chair. He wondered if he would ever sit in the chair as a captain again. It has been the greatest experience of his life, and he was good at it. He had kept his crew alive on that jungle planet. He shook his head. Command had felt differently and demoted him. He closed his eyes for a moment and opened them a few seconds later. Determination in his eyes. This was not the time for self-pity. It was the time to work together, repair the ship, save the crew and get off this rock of a planet before they all became dino chow.

Some time later Ronson arrived on the bridge, having left Bonnie and Thriss to finish the diagnostic in Engineering and wanting to give Lot a head start on the science station.

"Need a hand?" He asked the sole occupant of the bridge.

Tom was under the Ops console when he heard a voice. Sliding out, he raised his head and smiled at Ronson. "Hello Chief. A hand is definitely welcome, two hands are even better." He joked. "Can you slide under the tactical console and bring me some of the gel packs? I think I can get this console operational again."

"Sure" Ronson retrieved the gel packs and slithered under the console to hand them to Tom who was elbow deep in console.
"Do you think we're ever gonna get off this rock? It's been a few days now - surely they're missing us" He mentioned in a moment of insecurity. He was tired, the sun was setting and although they had achieved a monumental win with the warp core - there was still a LOT of ship to repair.

Tom took the gel packs but didn't install them, stopping as Ronson asked his question. He slid back out from beneath the console and sat up to face the other man. "Chief." Tom began and stopped. "Ronson." He began again. "You are correct, they are missing us, and a search is ongoing." He took a breath, "As for getting off this game preserve, I am convinced we will for a couple of reasons. The first being Rhenora Kaylen. She has an iron will and an indominable spirit. She will move mountains to get this crew off this rock."

"The second is this crew itself. They really are like a big family. They are close knit and work well together. Oh, there is the occasional disagreement but nothing serious and they have absolute faith in Captain Kaylen along with Commanders Savar and House." He paused before he said his next. "The biggest thing you can do, is not to lose faith in yourself and Rhenora and the others as we continue to repair the ship."

" You have great faith in the Captain" Ronson said simply before turning his attention back to the console in question. As a team they would get out of this mess - they always did.



The more Bonnie studied the data, the more confused she got. She was leaning towards the idea of sabotage as a cause for the explosion. But without the main computer there was little she could do to extrapolate the information and cross check it with camera fottage or a DNA scan. The best she could do was enter the info into a metallurgical scanner and have it spit out more information about the DNA she had collected. The more she studied it, the more frustrated with it and herself she got.

That is until she closed her eyes and reflected on her frustration and decided to do what she did best. She stood up with determination, stepped forward and promptly stumbled over a broken table. Collecting herself she walked over to the nearest PADD storage locker and opened an new series of cells and began making a list. If she couldn't organize the ship, at least she could organize her thoughts. And she would begin by prioritizing the repair work that needed to happen, the bare minimum it would take, for the Sunfire to fly again.

OFF