Dead in open space

Posted on Wed Oct 9th, 2024 @ 8:46am by Lieutenant David Montgomery

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Lieutenant David Montgomery leaned over the engine console of the USS Amandora, his brow furrowed in concentration. The ship was on its shakedown cruise, a critical test of its systems before officially entering service. Everything had been running smoothly—until now, inside the engine room, tension was palpable.

Suddenly, the engines sputtered and went silent, a shocking contrast to the steady hum that had filled the compartment just moments before. David's heart raced as he quickly checked the control panels. Alarms blared, and warning lights flashed like angry fireflies, illuminating the metallic surfaces with an eerie glow. Every instinct in him screamed that something was terribly wrong.

"Come on, come on!" he muttered to himself, tapping the console as if willing it to respond. Each flick of a switch felt futile, as he scanned the displays, searching for any sign of what had gone awry. The crew had been thoroughly briefed on the USS Amandora's state-of-the-art systems, but nothing prepared him for this abrupt failure. The ship, a marvel of modern engineering, had been touted as nearly foolproof.

After several frantic minutes, David’s eyes landed on a small, unassuming gauge that had dropped to zero. His breath caught in his throat as he leaned in closer, his pulse quickening as he traced the readings. The fuel regulator was offline. Without it, the engines were dead in the water, stranded in the vast expanse of the ocean.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed, disbelief washing over him. The regulator was supposed to be brand new, recently installed during the final checks. There was no justification for its failure. He grabbed a toolkit and scrambled down to the engine bay, where the massive turbines loomed like sleeping giants, their power dormant.

As he inspected the regulator, he noticed a faint smell of burning plastic wafting through the air. With a sinking feeling, he removed the panel, revealing a tangled mess of wires. To his horror, he found the wiring frayed and charred, an ominous indication of malfunction. "This needs to be replaced," he thought, a mix of frustration and urgency flooding through him.

He quickly communicated with engineering, requesting an emergency replacement part while his mind raced. Was it merely a manufacturing defect, or was something more sinister at play? As he worked, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the Amandora, a ship equipped with cutting-edge technology, shouldn’t have these issues. Rumors of sabotage had circulated during the ship’s construction, whispers that someone might want to see the Amandora fail. David shook his head and grinned, it was easy to look for something dark and sinister. The truth was, even brand new, sometimes parts failed. This was why they had shakedown cruises. To work out any bugs they may have.

With the clock ticking and the ship’s reputation on the line, David tightened his jaw, determined to get the engines back online. The success of the shakedown cruise depended on him now, and he wouldn't let the USS Amandora down. He could almost hear the voices of his crew, their hopes resting on his shoulders.

Just as he finished removing the damaged regulator, the intercom crackled to life. "Lieutenant Montgomery, we need engines operational ASAP!" Their life support systems would not last forever.

The urgency in the voice of Captain Song spurred him into action. With a newfound resolve, David worked swiftly to install the replacement part, his hands moving with a blend of precision and desperation. After working quietly and steady, carefully making certain the job was done correctly this time, he replaced the cover and headed over to start the engines once more.

"Lieutenant Montgomery to the bridge." David said with a grin as the engines hummed and ship was once again online. "We are up and running."

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