The bridge of the Triton was alive with activity. Liam was showing the crew members at each post how to access the documentation and training materials for their stations. It looked like he had already educated half the bridge staff already, and had just finished working with Frost when Stephanie walked in. He looked up at her only briefly, too distracted by the massive database associated with the tactical stations. Most of the crew knew the basics of operating their stations but the particulars, the fine tuning and more detailed instrumentation was difficult to access and seemed unwieldy at first. Sol Defence ships were developed in ways that were foreign to most of the galaxy and even though operating them seemed simple and user friendly on the surface, finer details were difficult to grasp without specific training.
Unknown to Jacob Valance, anyone on board, and even Lucius Wheeler, there was a database of tutorials and operation manuals buried in the core software. Knowing where they were, being able to reference them at a moment's notice was making a difference already. The tutorials would help later, when there was more time for the crew to learn independently.
The difference between a dedicated crew member and a jobber will be pretty obvious soon. I'm going to end up taking tutorials and running practice simulations for months but at least I have a place to start. Stephanie thought to herself as she walked to the right hand seat beside the command chair, it adjusted to her height and shape as she sat down. She listened in as she checked the ship status screen.
“Whenever you're looking at a system you enter in the code one, two, three and your name and the training directory will come up. Anyone with command access at their station can bring up the information at any time. Passengers and other non-crew will only be able to access the bare minimum. Like entertainment, materializers and how to operate different fixtures in quarters.” Liam was telling Ashley, Captain Valance and the navigator.
Stephanie saw a red line leading to one of the generators from the upper berth and brought up the explanation pertaining to the marking. After reading through the details of how to interpret what she was seeing her eyes went wide. “Captain, we have a critical power drain from our generators leading to the materializers on deck nineteen, sections G9 to M12. They're using the materializers for a lot more than food.”
Everyone at the helm turned to her. Liam walked across to the diagram she was examining. “Ever take an engineering program?” he asked.
Stephanie shook her head. “Good instructions.”
“You're a quick study. She's right Captain, our power reserves are gone and if they keep it up they'll start burning out power lines.”
“First Officer to deck nineteen security detail.”
“Aye, Leland March here.”
“What's going on down there? It looks like everyone is using the materializers all at once.”
“They are. Materializer usage isn't free where most of these people come from, so they're making everything from jewellery to toys.”
“It's not free here either. We're about to lose power in several sections if you don't stop them.”
“Hey, you try stopping eleven hundred people from scrambling for the materializers. Someone just finished making a quarter ounce of platinum and half the place went nuts.”
“Oh my God, that must have drawn a tenth of our reserve power,” Captain Valance commented as he followed Liam to the engineering station.
“God dammit, if you don't put a stop to it, the whole section will lose power!”
“Then get down here and stop them yourself Steph! I'm not mixing it up with this mob!”
Captain Valance joined the conversation. “Start stunning people if you have to, just break it up.”
Liam tried to cut the power to the materializers. The screen turned red, warning against a security violation. “Captain, I don't have access to your systems yet. You'll have to enter me into your systems as a crew member before I can do anything.”
Captain Valance hurriedly cleared the security violation. He went on to work at the problem and managed to cut all power to the affected sections. “Okay, now I'll enter you into the system so you can make the changes we need. Just cut materializer usage down to low density food and simple liquids.”
“Steph! What the hell did you do up there? All the power's gone and people are going nuts!” shouted Leland.
“Get control! Get their attention and tell them that we'll have the lights back on in a minute. Reassure them, that's all they need.”
“I'm getting the hell out of here. Take care of it yourself,” Leland retorted.
Stephanie looked to Captain Valance, who nodded. “Take care of it, we'll have the lights back on in a couple minutes.”
She started for the main entrance to the bridge and stopped as the massive doors parted. Trade Minister Lorne stood in the center flanked by four soldiers. He was fit, his hair trimmed square and he stood ready with his hand on his sidearm. “When I arranged for you to sign with us I never expected you'd do so well Captain. On behalf of my government and all Aucharians, I thank you. We'll see that you're fairly rewarded, now please transfer command to me.”
Everything on the bridge stopped dead except for Liam, who was quickly working to set up a power up sequence that would limit materializer use as soon as the lights, heat and air circulation came on in the darkened sections of the ship.
“Step away from the terminal sir,” one soldiers ordered, pointing his rifle at the engineer.
“I'm sorry, we have a riot underway and if I don't turn the lights on innocent people will be injured or killed.”
“Fire on him and you will have killed the only man with a solid understanding of these systems,” Captain Valance stated. “And then I'll kill you myself.”
“At ease Sergeant,” Lorne ordered haughtily. “Let the man finish his work.” He turned to Captain Valance. “I'll ask you politely, please surrender command to me.”
“I'm afraid not, and since when did you have a military rank?”
“I served five years when I was younger, as a high ranking member of the cabinet I carry the rank of General in an emergency. Now, if you would Captain?”
Jake ignored him. “Liam, are the lights back on?”
“Just now Captain.”
“Good. Computer; lock down all command functions, release only by senior command codes belonging to Captain Jacob Valance.”
“Please verify lockdown,” The monotone female computer persona replied.
“Don't do it Jake,” Minister Lorne said ominously.
“Lockdown verif-” two of the soldiers opened fire and everyone dove for cover. Captain Valance was shot several times, but there was nothing anyone could do.
Stephanie rolled to her feet and drew her pistol, firing two stun shots at the nearest soldier. They impacted on his armour and had no effect. She flicked the pistol's setting to lethal with her thumb and fired again, catching one soldier in the arm. It burned the surface of his armour, doing heat damage beneath and forcing him to drop his rifle.
The two security officers who were manning the bridge opened fire as well but were gunned down in short order.
The soldier to Lorne's left focused on Stephanie after finishing off the guard behind her. She ran for one of the console seats. The first burst of slim, white hot bolts missed her entirely. The second was closer and by the time the soldier opened up for a third round she was behind the nearest console seat.
The fabric on the chair burst open in a dozen places. Stephanie stared at the little smouldering holes for a moment, feeling like she had been run through by burning needles. Her attempts to breathe brought forth thick gurgles. She could taste the blood in the back of her throat and resisted the urge to cough. Looking down Stephanie saw her vacsuit had been punctured in many places, blood was running down from her throat.
Ashley ran to her from behind her console. “Oh God, Steph. Don't do this to us, hang in there!” she took her hand and gripped it tightly.
Stephanie tried to speak, tried to tell Ashley it was all right, not to worry, it didn't hurt much but nothing would come out.
Frost rushed into sight as well and put pressure on her wounds. The pain was beyond anything she'd known. “Hang on lass, there's a medic below who'll take care of you just fine. Just keep those eyes open.” He was so concerned, she had never seen him so desperate about anything.
After a moment she heard Jake's firearm go off several times and then he was grabbing her arm. Punching something into her Command and Control Unit.
“We'll put her in emergency stasis and get her down to a tube. She'll be fine as soon as we can get her to a medical center.”
“You've gotta save her,” Ashley shouted through tears as the world spun and faded away.