software, and I can't fix it out here," the
Admiral said suddenly.
Molly looked over to him and
nodded grimly. "So, what do we do? Brave the furnace?" She waved to
the door.
"I have an idea," he
said as he turned to the guard.
"Get someone to get me my
suit and another for Molly fast. Mine is in Molly's office." The guard,
Tara obeyed, calling in on the communicator. "Molly stay clear of the
door. Doc, get your patients out of here." He turned to Tara. "Tara,
get everyone out who is not important." She nodded and began to make
calls. "Molly, get someone in life support to reroute the cool air to this
deck, it may help."
She scowled. "That's like
putting a band aid on a broken leg!" she said. He nodded.
"Every little bit helps
though." He turned to Tara. "I'm going in, when the suits get here
have Molly suit up." He rushed past Molly into the room before she could
protest. He shut the door behind him. "Okay..." The heat was
stifling, over one hundred fifty degrees on his HUD...and climbing a few
degrees every second. "Ideas Proteus? Anyone?"
Proteus highlighted the heat
exchange. He checked it over. "Well, this is not good. Every single one is
in backward!" He sighed and reached for the first.
"Careful hot!" Sprite
warned. He paused, then clenched his left fist and brought it to his side.
"Thanks." He concentrated and sent a neural command to cut his right
hand's pain receptors. "Okay, let’s try this again."
Beads of sweat were on his face,
his coverall was soaked. Salt stung his eyes. "Next time head band or
suit." He pulled the retaining clips off, and then pulled at the exchange.
"No good, they jammed it in." He turned and used his left hand to get
the rubber mallet out of a nearby kit. "Damn, hot." There was no use,
he had to use it. He tapped the exchanger, then harder and harder until it
dislodged. "That's one," he said.
"Admiral, your core temp is
one oh three and rising; you’re in risk of overheating," Proteus reported.
He sighed. "Yeah, I
know." He removed the retaining clips for the next two exchangers, and
then whacked them out. "Whack the heat exchange. Beats whack a mole,”
Sprite commented. "We can't use shields; you need to use your hands after
all. Temperature is rising fast. "
He slammed the next one.
"Don't you think I know that? I can read my own HUD!" He unclipped a
stubborn retaining clip then tried again. He noted the shredded coolant lines
on the deck. The door opened and Molly came in in a patched suit. "How bad
is it?" she asked.
He grunted. "Just about as
bad as it could be. They hot wired a few things backwards, burning them out,
and put these in all backward," he explained. He pulled at another clip.
"Admiral, let me do that,
you go get a drink and get into your suit." She took the hammer from him.
"Okay, but watch it, it's
hot." He stepped back and out the hatch.
"Here Admiral," Tara
said as she handed him a drink. He realized the temperature was only twenty
degrees cooler out in the corridor.
"Damn." He took a long
swig then looked around. "Where's my suit?"
“Right here Admiral.” He looked
over to Tara who held it up. “I was going to try to use it, but I think it is
damaged.” She fingered the right shoulder hole.
“Give it here.” She tossed it to
him. He chugged the water, tossed the cup to Tara then shucked the coverall and
tried to make a record getting into the suit. He ignored the gasps and blushing
girls.
As he stood he could feel the
seam closing around his right shoulder. He pulled the hood up and watched the
visor close.
“You’re good Admiral,” Sprite
reported. He nodded.
“Good luck,” Tara said as he
thumbed the door open. She grimaced and backpedaled. The heat must be
blistering.
“Okay, let's see,” he said. He
noticed Molly had managed to remove all the heat exchanges and even get one in
properly. “Sprite, get me a link to main engineering, tell them to back flush
the heat exchange system with fresh coolant in two
Admiral said suddenly.
Molly looked over to him and
nodded grimly. "So, what do we do? Brave the furnace?" She waved to
the door.
"I have an idea," he
said as he turned to the guard.
"Get someone to get me my
suit and another for Molly fast. Mine is in Molly's office." The guard,
Tara obeyed, calling in on the communicator. "Molly stay clear of the
door. Doc, get your patients out of here." He turned to Tara. "Tara,
get everyone out who is not important." She nodded and began to make
calls. "Molly, get someone in life support to reroute the cool air to this
deck, it may help."
She scowled. "That's like
putting a band aid on a broken leg!" she said. He nodded.
"Every little bit helps
though." He turned to Tara. "I'm going in, when the suits get here
have Molly suit up." He rushed past Molly into the room before she could
protest. He shut the door behind him. "Okay..." The heat was
stifling, over one hundred fifty degrees on his HUD...and climbing a few
degrees every second. "Ideas Proteus? Anyone?"
Proteus highlighted the heat
exchange. He checked it over. "Well, this is not good. Every single one is
in backward!" He sighed and reached for the first.
"Careful hot!" Sprite
warned. He paused, then clenched his left fist and brought it to his side.
"Thanks." He concentrated and sent a neural command to cut his right
hand's pain receptors. "Okay, let’s try this again."
Beads of sweat were on his face,
his coverall was soaked. Salt stung his eyes. "Next time head band or
suit." He pulled the retaining clips off, and then pulled at the exchange.
"No good, they jammed it in." He turned and used his left hand to get
the rubber mallet out of a nearby kit. "Damn, hot." There was no use,
he had to use it. He tapped the exchanger, then harder and harder until it
dislodged. "That's one," he said.
"Admiral, your core temp is
one oh three and rising; you’re in risk of overheating," Proteus reported.
He sighed. "Yeah, I
know." He removed the retaining clips for the next two exchangers, and
then whacked them out. "Whack the heat exchange. Beats whack a mole,”
Sprite commented. "We can't use shields; you need to use your hands after
all. Temperature is rising fast. "
He slammed the next one.
"Don't you think I know that? I can read my own HUD!" He unclipped a
stubborn retaining clip then tried again. He noted the shredded coolant lines
on the deck. The door opened and Molly came in in a patched suit. "How bad
is it?" she asked.
He grunted. "Just about as
bad as it could be. They hot wired a few things backwards, burning them out,
and put these in all backward," he explained. He pulled at another clip.
"Admiral, let me do that,
you go get a drink and get into your suit." She took the hammer from him.
"Okay, but watch it, it's
hot." He stepped back and out the hatch.
"Here Admiral," Tara
said as she handed him a drink. He realized the temperature was only twenty
degrees cooler out in the corridor.
"Damn." He took a long
swig then looked around. "Where's my suit?"
“Right here Admiral.” He looked
over to Tara who held it up. “I was going to try to use it, but I think it is
damaged.” She fingered the right shoulder hole.
“Give it here.” She tossed it to
him. He chugged the water, tossed the cup to Tara then shucked the coverall and
tried to make a record getting into the suit. He ignored the gasps and blushing
girls.
As he stood he could feel the
seam closing around his right shoulder. He pulled the hood up and watched the
visor close.
“You’re good Admiral,” Sprite
reported. He nodded.
“Good luck,” Tara said as he
thumbed the door open. She grimaced and backpedaled. The heat must be
blistering.
“Okay, let's see,” he said. He
noticed Molly had managed to remove all the heat exchanges and even get one in
properly. “Sprite, get me a link to main engineering, tell them to back flush
the heat exchange system with fresh coolant in two
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