A Departmental Matter, Part 2

Posted on Thu 1st Oct, 2020 @ 11:33pm by Lieutenant Commander Alora Baro

902 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Resolution
Location: Space Walk, Operations Dept.
Timeline: MD 13, 0915

Previously, as our young petty officer was given a chance at a space walk ...

Alora glanced over and smiled encouragingly at the petty officer, "I think us and doctors have the hardest times admitting when we can't fix something. I guess that's one of the more important lessons. Knowing when to walk away." Then she paused and shrugged, "Or run if whatever it is, is somewhat volatile." She continued to work the controls bringing them near an area that looked like a small panel had blown outward. She locked the craft into a hover position. "Ready?"

And now to see if either of them is ready.

*****
"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," Quinn laughed nervously. "What do we do first?"

"First thing is to suit up." She smiled reassuringly before getting up and heading to the back.

Taking a deep breath, Jin Kyung followed her boss back into the back of the pod to see if she could remember all the steps to getting properly attired for a walk outside. It took a few minutes, and she was no where near as fast as Baro, but she did manage to get safely ensconced inside the suit.

Each of them did a check of the other's suit, as per safety regulations, and then the petty officer said, "Well, that takes care of the first thing. What's next?" Her stomach was filled with butterflies, part excitement and part dread to be outside without anything around her. It made her feel alive as only a chance of death can, even when the chance is very low.

"Now we go to the hatch and we'll turn on our mag boots while we attach to the hull." She replied mentally nodding approval at the petty officer's thoroughness in checking her suit. She lead the way and then activated her boots, locking her to the deck unless she choose to move. She waited until Jin-Kyung indicated she was ready before closing the inner hatch and opening the outer. The beauty of space was just outside and Alora leaned attaching a knob thing with a cord to the worker bee then to her suit.

For a moment, Quinn stood behind her boss, looking out at space. When she'd been on a ship, she rarely saw this view. Either they were in hyperspace, or speeding up to get there. Speeding up had it's own sort of beauty as the stars stretched into streaks, but this was awe-inspiring. Even though she knew SB109 was in a relative backwater of space, there were a lot of bright lights visible. "Wow," she said. "That's amazing. I didn't expect to see so many stars here! I wonder if people have named constellations of them from the base."

Alora smiled, also impressed with the view. It helped to take a minute to truly appreciate the galaxy they lived in. It was an amazing place that could often be taken for granted. "Could be, one thing we can't resist is finding and naming things. Not sure they gotten to them all, so if you've any ideas you should get them in." She grinned and glanced over her shoulder before moving to let Quinn hook herself in. She hovered next to the craft, enjoying the view.

"Maybe after we finish the repair, I'll check that out," Jin-Kyung laughed. "Or next day off." She hooked her tether to the side of the small work ship, and added, "Now to find the problem and solve it!"

Alora smiled through her face shield, "Good attitude," she commended and, carefully using her guiding jets, puffed herself toward the area of repair. She went slowly, knowing rushing was dangerous and unneeded. Besides, she really did like the sensation out here; all she she hear was her own breathing, voice and Jin-Kyung's voice when she spoke. It was so silent otherwise. She clamped on to the hull, her hand grabbing the bar nearby and she put a second carabiner there and latched it on a smaller cord to herself. Thus doubly secured, she turned and gestured for the PO to come over.

Cautiously walking, as if expecting to go flying off any minute, Quinn moved over to her boss. She laughed at her own clumsiness. "Takes some getting used to in order to be graceful, doesn't it?"

"It does." Alora replied with a laugh, "and a lot more practice than we usually have time for. Alas." Then she prepared to remove the cover, "Do you have the Feck Replacement Inhibitor?" She asked pulling out a tool made for bulky hands that was attached to her belt.

"Yes, Ma'am, and on a magnet, too. I don't want to go swimming around out here retrieving it!" Jin-Kyung said. "I don't think that would impress my boss much." She didn't actually smile, but it lurked in her eyes. She liked her easy-going boss, though this was the first time she'd had a chance to work closely with her.

Alora laughed, "Fair enough. You know, I have academy friends who delight in making sure I never get a big head by reminding me of where I came from. We all start somewhere, and you can never be too safe out there." She appreciated the younger woman, and she saw a lot of herself in the eager petty officer. Maybe she she should review Kyung's record, meaning to keep an eye on this one.

 

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