Act I Scene II: Minus Thirteen Hours to Planetfall

[ManWithDoor]

Alik expertly puts on and reseals his helmet. Lastly he straps himself into his seat, and turns to the console to back up Campeador as needed. "Ready!"

[Orvost]

Campeador wastes no time proceeding with the plan. The cabin lights switch to emergency red as safety systems are bypassed and the cargo bay door is opened mid-flight.

The rush and roar of wind is muffled inside Alik’s helmet and he suffers no effects from the change in atmosphere in the cabin. However, he is violently tugged to the side as the G forces from the shuttle free-falling on its side immediately hit him. He hears an expletive of surprise and effort from Serao. Their shared comm link is still operating. Alik cannot pull himself forward far enough to look behind and see what Serao is doing, due to the forces pressing upon him. She seems to quickly recover, as she starts giving updates and directions:

”We’re on target. Steady. Almost. Wait, recorrect left. We’re veering off! What are you doing!”

Alik cranes his head the opposite way toward Campeador. Campeador’s body is pressed back into the seat, his head lolls toward Alik and Alik sees his eyes have rolled back into the top of his head and his hands are no longer on the controls. Without an e-suit, Campeador has succumbed to the forces now operating in the shuttle and is unconscious. He had anticipated this (which is why he insisted on a co-pilot), yet he went forward with the plan without hesitation. If this plan is now to succeed, Alik will have to right the shuttle’s course and see this rescue through.

[ManWithDoor]

The engineer takes charge and pulls hard against the air rushing out. Luckily that will be short-lived as there is only so much air to vent before there are no further forces to act upon the shuttle and it stabilizes. Unfortunately, the longer that is true the greater the danger Campeador is in.

Alik instead turns to the shuttlecraft controls and swiftly compensates for what just occurred, taking in Serao's instructions to get back on course for their rescue.

OOC

Rolled a 19. I believe my target would have been under 40 (Shuttlecraft Pilot 10, Dexterity 70).

[Orvost]

The panel in front of Alik lights up as he takes control of the shuttle. With almost supernatural intuition, Alik is immediately aware of the shuttle’s orientation and instinctively knows how to correct course based on Serao’s vague instructions.

Alik senses motion behind him and hears an ‘Oof’ on the comm line as Serao rebounds off the wall opposite the open cargo bay door. She exclaims:

”We got her! Close the door and lets get out of here!”

Alik levels out the shuttle from its freefall as the cargo door closes. The red emergency lights dim in the cabin as life support systems come back online. There is an audible hissing sound as the cabin repressurizes. Serao calls forward:

”She’s unconscious.”

Alik looks over at Campeador, who also is unconscious and probably needs medical assistance. Just then the shuttle receives a hail. Hoping it’s from the Pas-de-Calais Alik has it play over the intercom:

”Starfleet shuttle:
Calsa is a Vulcan protectorate and closed to outsiders. Please leave our airspace immediately.”

[ManWithDoor]

"Calsa, this is the Starfleet shuttle in orbit. Our ship, the Pas-de-Calais, has suffered an explosive malfunction which jettisoned crew into the void. We have just performed a rescue to prevent re-entry into your atmosphere." He keeps on the controls and sets course back to their ship.

"Any medical or technical aid would be appreciated. Our deflector dish has been severely damaged, and interstellar comms are down for the foreseeable future. We would greatly appreciate it if you could send a message to Starfleet Command as to our situation." Alik thinks for a moment on a different approach, if they don't like outsiders. "If that is not possible, I urge you to file a compliant about our presence to the Vulcan High Command." Either way, their position would be reported.

[Orvost]

There is a pause on the line as they consider your message before they respond:

“We can relay a message, but we lack facilities to affect repairs.”

Alik guides the shuttle out of atmosphere into open space. He plots a course back toward the ship and can release the controls.

[ManWithDoor]

Alik maintains course, the computer handling the simple instruction without him having to babysit it. "Alright, how's everyone? Breathing? Anyone need any medical attention? Everyone have all their limbs?" He ends with a rather feeble joke, given his own partial dismemberment.

[Orvost]

Campeador is slumped over in the seat next to Alik, still unconscious. Someone should probably check on him. Serao is tending to Weathers, who is also unconscious, and could probably use some help too.

[ManWithDoor]

As Serao is tending to Weathers, it looks like Campeador is the only one without someone checking up on them. So Alik shifts over as far as he can and starts examining the unconscious pilot.

[Orvost]

Alik heaves himself up onto his remaining foot and lurches to the seat next to him to check on Compeador. Campeador seems to be coming around on his own, and Alik doesn’t see anything else wrong with him. After Alik gives a few encouraging taps to his cheeks, Campeador is awake. They both turn their attention to the back of the shuttle, where Serao is administering to Weathers.

Despite Serao’s unfamiliarity with human anatomy and first aid practices, she is able to awaken Weathers. Weathers suddenly sits upright and grabs the nearest helmet to her, which she falsely assumes is her own, and begins retching into it. The ordeal of the past eight hours (and the past few minutes in particular) has taken its toll on her health and her body is expressing its displeasure. Having had nothing to eat since their dinner at the Commodore’s table, Weathers is expelling yellow bile.

As Weathers fills Serao’s helmet with vomit, a look of concern crosses Serao’s face as she responds:
”I hope we don’t need to repressurize our suits again any time soon. I would be distressed if I had to put that helmet on in its current state.”

Serao’s deadpan delivery is too much for Weathers and the convulsions wracking her body from sickness are replaced by convulsions of mirth as she starts laughing heartily. She gently puts the puke bucket helmet down and gives Serao a hug. Next to Alik, Campeador is chuckling at the situation as well.

Hearing Campeador’s chuckle, and seemingly noticing him and Alik for the first time, Weathers starts staggering towards the front of the shuttle to embrace them too. By the time she reaches them, her laughter has turned to sobbing as the full weight of her emotions overcome her. Moments earlier she had come to terms with her imminent death. Now she was rescued, among friends, and going home.

Serao comes forward to join in the group hug, but faced with the prospect of embracing Alik, she suddenly becomes self-conscious about her recent display of affection towards him and instead gives him a slap on the back and awkwardly offers a hand to shake.

After a few moments together laughing, crying, whatever, Campeador speaks up:
“Alright. Alright. Enough. No offense, but you all smell like an unventilated gym.”

Weathers is gasping as she responds too:
”Stop making me laugh. Stop making me cry. Stop making me sick. I’ve got broken ribs and I can feel the fragments grinding together whenever you make me do those things!”