AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Just show me.”
Fires were deadly when they had oxygen to feed them. Ships could close off vents, clear out a room of oxygen, but it depended on the location. He shot off towards the engines… it was never a good sign.
Following with haste, several others were on their way but they made room for the two. Kira’s designation clipped onto her shoulders, the thin black lapel bars on the dark navy giving her first mate status.
The bulkhead doors slammed shut, small viewing windows gave them but a small glimpse of what happened inside. The engineer could be seen. He held an extinguisher, flinging the spray back and forth over a roaring flame larger than the man. It surrounded the center console for the engine.
“Ipson!” She tried the doors. They were immovable, but the comm remained open. “Give me your code to override so I can help you.”
Ipson looked back, face painted black with smoke. He wasn’t the one that answered.
“Can’t do that, Ma’am.” Another voice came through. She swiveled, trying to get a better view. She knew that voice, Watson.
The ensign stood at her shoulder. The boy, not having his full growth, Kira growled at him. “Go to the communications officer. Get out an SOS. Get us a nearby ship for aid.”
“Belay that ensign.” Inside the engine room came the voice of Hues. “Do the SOS, but on the private line, we’ve got precious cargo.”
“Captain-“ Kira protested.
“Don’t Captain me Missie. Just do as I say. We’re getting this under control.”
Her foot hit the bottom of the metal hard enough to make her swear, but she got the boy underway. Hitting off the comms, she turned to one of the engineering officers. “I need these doors open. Now.”
“Ma’am, I can’t do that. If I open them, it’ll make it impossible to vent the room.”
“NO ONE IS GOING TO VENT THE DAMN ROOM!”
The line opened back up with a click. “Kira, drop the oxygen levels,” Watson sent through. “We’ve gotta get this under control.”
Spinning about, ready to refuse that order until Hues came over. “That’s an order from the Captain as well.”
“Do it,” she told the other officer. Touching her implanted communicator, she spoke again, “First Mate to Ensign Bordov.”
“Ma’am.” He spoke with half a breath in the word. The boy couldn’t hide his fear.
“Is Maxim on the bridge?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Good, she thought, the weapons specialist could run things in her stead for however long was necessary. Rising onto her toes to get a better view, she could hear the computer system reacting to the touch of the engineering officer as it gave verbal feedback… “Levels dropping to twenty percent, levels dropping to eighteen percent…”
It became a steady hum in her ear, drowned out by the scene before her.
Ipson still focused on the main flame. It diminished downward. His cheeks puffed out as if he were holding air in his mouth. Watson came up beside him, hauling a large fireproof tarp. On the other side, she could see Hues.
“Smother it,” she whispered.
“Levels rising, twenty-five percent.”
Rising!
“What are you doing?!”
Drawn away from the door towards the console, she froze in place.
The officer had stepped back, hands in the air. A blaster pointed towards him. It was too far to reach easily and the hand holding it…
“Yaris, have you lost your mind?!”
