Start up sequence

Posted on Sunday April 25th, 2021 @ 3:37am by Niyahra Riohn & Milinda Frost Malley & Cleo Ortega

Mission: Marauder's Map
Location: Engineering
Timeline: Right after 'Hidden Gem'
898 words - 1.8 OF Standard Post Measure

"Luckily this is not Brain Surgery but Engineering." frost said. "And a Medic's steady hand is something I can use." Frost grinned and motioned Cleo over to the console. "I need to have your left hand to hold the #1 and #3 buttons while your other hand holds the #2 and #4 buttons open until I tell you so I can build up a pre-ignition for the Warp Core." She smiled. "If you mess up we just start again, but it saves me going back and forth if you do not mind helping?"

"I can do that." Cleo said, the instructions sounding simple enough. She made it a point to memorize the locations of the buttons as soon as Milinda pointed them out, using points of reference to try and help distinguish them from the many other buttons on the busy console, just in case something interrupted the process and made her have to find them again. Learning anatomy hadn't been that much different, really, just lots and lots of memorization, and learning where things were relative to one another. In fact, her first steps into the field of medicine had been taken in almost the exact same way. You there, come here and put pressure on the wound right here until one of us tells you to stop.

In position, Cleo waited for the cue from Milinda to press the buttons.

Saving a few steps was not the concern so much as the having a person at the controls is a major help. In truth Frost could have open the valves but rushing back to control them is better with two. The main thing was the test of the core; she had registered crystals in the chamber, a new twist is the question of degradation over time; normal glass crystals and other ornamental ones only became brittle after use so these should be fine?

"Sequence start ... press them now." Frost instructed. "The ignition sequence is mostly automated and with the Fusion Reactors running there should not be a problem."

"Okay... done." Cleo said as she pressed the four buttons. She fought the urge to close her eyes as she waited for something to explode. It wasn't that she doubted Milinda, who seemed very knowledgeable, but she was only one person. They were dangerously short on crew, aboard a ship that looked like it hadn't been well maintained... if it had seen any maintenance at all. She reasoned that if anyone knew or cared about the ship, they would've found a use for it before now.

Sometimes death-by-explosion is a quick way to go. Cleo thought, even though it really wasn't very reassuring.

The flow of electrons to the Ignition system had the even flow Frost needed; thank God someone listens to instructions and follows them. Moving to the main console she began routing the specific levels of the flow until the monitoring gauges began to fall into the Green.

"Release," She ordered just before the Core lit in a slight brilliance.

Cleo released the buttons, as instructed. She'd been pretty tense, still expecting something loud and frightening. Her mouth went slightly agape as the opposite happened. She looked at the now-glowing intermix chamber, then to the buttons where her fingers had been, then back to the chamber. I did that? Cleo thought, clearly overestimating her own contributions.

Frost moved to stand near Cleo.

"You were perfect." Frost winked. "The Ignition has taken and now all I need to do is work the power slowly through the various systems." She chuckled. Just eight hours of trickling the power through the connections to warm them and make sure all the welds seat."

Looking at the Master Panel, Frost ran a finger along the dark lines and dots, these will eventually get the power flowing through the ship and bringing life to the ship.

=^= Frost in Engineering. =^= She began over the channel. =^= Give me eight hours to warm up the Power grid fully and you will have a vessel ready to move.=^= Continuing. =^= The Impulse engines will be charged and ready in four hours and Warp capability inside of eight hours, minimal warp until we get the Engines settled into Operations.=^=

Glancing to Cleo.

"Do you want to run a stylus along the power schematic to aid the flow initially for star up?" Frost asked . "That would really help or I could just let the computer do it at a slower pace?"

"Sure." Cleo said with a nod, a little eager to do more and continue to be useful. She knew she would not be up to the task of dealing with complex engineering problems, but navigating a power grid? Seemed simple enough, in theory anyway. A ship's power grid seemed little different from a person's circulatory or central nervous system. Whatever needed to be working needed to be connected to the control center. Surely Cleo could do that. After all, the control panel had lots of glowing lines and blinking lights. So long as the sensors were accurately telling her what parts of the grid were and weren't working. She tried hard not to think too hard on that. That, and whether she would actually be at it for the next several hours.

No matter what the two women decided the ship would be charged and operational enough to begin the voyage inside of 8 hours from now.