07-06-2025, 09:38 AM
== NRC Radley, Bandit, and Stripe ==
Radley, leaning through the gap in the mangled doors, gave a sharp nod as the First Officer acknowledged them.
"The idea I'm getting is that we can use all the help we can get here," Jensen said, casting a look at the bay door like it had personally offended him.
“Good job,” the Commander added, and Radley dipped his head slightly in quiet thanks.
“We didn’t want to touch too much before Engineering had a chance to sweep it properly,” Radley replied.
At Jensen’s next question about accident or sabotage, Radley hesitated only a beat.
“The pump was torn apart. It looks more like a detonation than a slow burn, but if it was faulty wiring, it failed, violently. If it’s sabotage, well, we’ll find out. There’s no immediate signs of deliberate tampering from what we can see. But we’re not qualified to rule it out either. Stripe and Bandit both flagged scorch patterns that didn’t quite match what we expected. Could be nothing. Could be important. We’ll need time, better gear and probably someone a bit more qualified than us to be sure.”
Jensen nodded again, giving permission to regroup and gear up, and gestured for Ellis to scan the team.
Just then, from a step behind, Ian Elliot’s voice piped up.
“Uh, yes please.”
Radley turned slightly, still holding his small respirator just off of his face to speak a bit clearer when he raised his eyebrows. He blinked once, glanced at Bandit and Stripe to confirm he hadn’t missed anything, then looked back at Elliot.
“Uh… yes please to what Ensign?” he asked. “We weren’t offering cookies.”
There was a pause, just enough for the moment to linger awkwardly, before Radley chuckled lightly and tapped the field kit clipped to his side.
“We rushed down here as support” He began. “So if it's respirators you're after, I’ve got one spare. But if you're planning on joining us in here, could you ask Engineering to send something with more coverage. We’re gonna need it too. The air in that bay is not something you want soaking into your lungs. And some equipment to move and secure bits and pieces too please.”
Bandit took a half step closer to the wrecked doorway, casting a glance back through it again.
“If the structural heat shifts too fast,” he said quietly, “those walls are gonna pop like brittle ceramic. Better safe than sorry.”
Stripe, a few steps out of sight inside the bay, gave out a low whistle as he adjusted a setting on his portable scanner.
“Still reading hotspots. We should be using thermals, not just our eyes.”
Radley nodded once, turning back to Jensen.
“Understood, sir. We’ll get scanned, collect proper gear, and be back on-site as fast as the lockers allow. With your permission, we’ll take a closer look at the pump assembly once we're sealed up.”
He paused, looking into the scorched remains of the shuttle bay once more.
“If it was sabotage… someone either didn’t know what they were doing, or they knew exactly how much damage they wanted.”
He met Jensen’s gaze again before looking to Ellis.
“Can you scan us through this handy portal or do you need us to climb out again?” He asked, hoping not to have to leave some more patches of skin on the twisted metal.
== Open Tag ==
Radley, leaning through the gap in the mangled doors, gave a sharp nod as the First Officer acknowledged them.
"The idea I'm getting is that we can use all the help we can get here," Jensen said, casting a look at the bay door like it had personally offended him.
“Good job,” the Commander added, and Radley dipped his head slightly in quiet thanks.
“We didn’t want to touch too much before Engineering had a chance to sweep it properly,” Radley replied.
At Jensen’s next question about accident or sabotage, Radley hesitated only a beat.
“The pump was torn apart. It looks more like a detonation than a slow burn, but if it was faulty wiring, it failed, violently. If it’s sabotage, well, we’ll find out. There’s no immediate signs of deliberate tampering from what we can see. But we’re not qualified to rule it out either. Stripe and Bandit both flagged scorch patterns that didn’t quite match what we expected. Could be nothing. Could be important. We’ll need time, better gear and probably someone a bit more qualified than us to be sure.”
Jensen nodded again, giving permission to regroup and gear up, and gestured for Ellis to scan the team.
Just then, from a step behind, Ian Elliot’s voice piped up.
“Uh, yes please.”
Radley turned slightly, still holding his small respirator just off of his face to speak a bit clearer when he raised his eyebrows. He blinked once, glanced at Bandit and Stripe to confirm he hadn’t missed anything, then looked back at Elliot.
“Uh… yes please to what Ensign?” he asked. “We weren’t offering cookies.”
There was a pause, just enough for the moment to linger awkwardly, before Radley chuckled lightly and tapped the field kit clipped to his side.
“We rushed down here as support” He began. “So if it's respirators you're after, I’ve got one spare. But if you're planning on joining us in here, could you ask Engineering to send something with more coverage. We’re gonna need it too. The air in that bay is not something you want soaking into your lungs. And some equipment to move and secure bits and pieces too please.”
Bandit took a half step closer to the wrecked doorway, casting a glance back through it again.
“If the structural heat shifts too fast,” he said quietly, “those walls are gonna pop like brittle ceramic. Better safe than sorry.”
Stripe, a few steps out of sight inside the bay, gave out a low whistle as he adjusted a setting on his portable scanner.
“Still reading hotspots. We should be using thermals, not just our eyes.”
Radley nodded once, turning back to Jensen.
“Understood, sir. We’ll get scanned, collect proper gear, and be back on-site as fast as the lockers allow. With your permission, we’ll take a closer look at the pump assembly once we're sealed up.”
He paused, looking into the scorched remains of the shuttle bay once more.
“If it was sabotage… someone either didn’t know what they were doing, or they knew exactly how much damage they wanted.”
He met Jensen’s gaze again before looking to Ellis.
“Can you scan us through this handy portal or do you need us to climb out again?” He asked, hoping not to have to leave some more patches of skin on the twisted metal.
== Open Tag ==