Turbo Lift Trials
Posted on Monday, 26 April 2021 - 12:33pm by Ensign Oriana Skye Sety & Lieutenant JG Hayashi Hamura
Mission:
Operation: Peace or P'Jem
Location: Starbase 21 | Turbo lift
Timeline: 2394
ON:
Oriana stood staring at the door. This was horrible. The trip up had nearly killed her heart. It hammered wildly in her chest all the way up to the Ready Room of the Station CO. Now she had to go into the turbo lift again to get back to the habitat ring. She groaned “How am I going to do this again?”
Even now, as she stared at the lift, her heart slammed in her chest. She felt an odd pain, not like her usual pains but almost like a dull ache. She rubbed the spot above her heart. “Okay, come on now Ori, you can do this. You went up to the bridge area now you can get back down and then you don’t have to go into a lift until your ship arrives.”
She stood there a further five minutes glad that one had to actually exit the bridge to use the lift so nobody could see her fear.
“Okay, I can do this.” She pressed the button to the lift summoning it and feeling quite cross that it took mere seconds. She sighed and entered the lift. “Habitat Ring.”
As the doors closed and the lift jerked to life, she let out a squeal and was glad that nobody was there to see her or hear her. Oriana held onto the waist level grip bar as if for dear life.
The lift had barely been in motion when it stopped. There were a few seconds of deadness that felt like hours to Oriana. Just as she was about to scream the door hissed open. She could swear her legs had turned to rubber.
“Ah!”
She heard the sounds but it felt like it was getting through the roar in her ears. She looked up and her fear momentarily left. “You,” It was weak and all she could manage.
Hayashi stepped into the lift surprised to see Oriana. She looked pale and was holding onto the grip bar. “Are you alright?”
The doors closed and the lift began again. “Amai Gyoza,” Hayashi said using the pet-name since she hadn’t revealed her real name yet. “Are you alright?”
“I…” She attempted to let go of the bar just as the lift jerked wildly and stopped. Oriana let out a scream as she collapsed to the floor holding her ears. “No! We can’t be trapped! We’re going to die!”
Hayashi’s eyes widened. She’s terrified, I can sense her fear. “It’s alright,” Hayashi said kneeling beside the panicked woman. “This happens here. We’re refitting he lifts. We’ll be going in no time. Engineering will get a notification that a lift is stuck.”
“No! We have to get out!”
Hayashi gently pried her hands from her ears. “It’s going to be alright. Amai Gyoza look at me.”
Oriana raised her eyes tears filling them. “I…I have a fear of lifts.”
Hayashi gasped, “And you’re in Starfleet?” Even as the question was asked Hayashi was worried about her. She was shaking like a leaf. “Hey,” Hayashi cupped her face “Look at me. You have to breath.”
“I…I can’t!”
Hayashi sat down pulling the woman into his arms. “Hamura to Engineering. We have lift A77-5 stuck and a potential MedEM.”
“Engineering here. Copy. We’re working on the lift.”
“Can you transport us out?”
“No can do, transporters are offline for an hour for re-cal. Sit tight.”
Her shaking grew worse.
“It’s going to be alright. I won’t leave you. You hear they’re working on it,” But sadly Hayashi recognized the signs of a panic episode, Gods knew it was a familiar sight.
Oriana held onto Hamura like a life line. “I’m sorry…”
“Shhh. It’s alright. I promise you.”
The hand gently rubbing her back was soothing. The pain in her chest eased a little but was still present. She couldn’t believe that she was falling to bits like this.
“So, listen, I love mystery as much as the next person but why don’t you tell me about yourself a little?” Hayashi said trying to get the woman’s mind off her fear. “You still owe me a name.”
“O…Oriana Skye Sety.”
Hayashi smiled, “Unusual but beautiful. I’m Hamura, Hayashi. In Japan we …”
“Use the last names first, much like the Bajorans. So should I call you Hamura-San or Hamura-Kun?”
Surprised Hayashi said, “You know about Japan.”
She smiled a little her shaking seeming to ebb but she still held on tight to Hayashi. “It’s a fascination of mine like galactic history. A hobby.”
“Well, you know your Japan well. And you were right I am Betazoid but my adoptive parents were human, from Japan.” Hayashi laughed, “As for what you call me I kind of liked what you called me at the arboretum.”
She smiled a little adjusting herself. As she spoke her breath tickled Hayashi’s neck. “We’re trapped and probably going to die and you’re flirting.”
Hayashi laughed again; what a wonder that this woman could elicit so much laughter in Hayashi. “We’re not going to die. I promise you.”
As if in response to Hayashi’s words the lift jerked and started moving. Within seconds they arrived at the Habitat area. Hayashi helped Oriana stand and they stepped off the lift.
Oriana’s legs gave way and she let out a grunt of pain.
Hayashi felt her pain. “Oriana?”
“It hurts!!!”
“What hurts?”
“My heart…I have these pains but this is different. It feels like it’s going to stop beating.” Just as she finished speaking her body began to shake.
“Chikusho!” Lifting Oriana easily Hayashi hurried back into the lift. She had to get to sickbay or Hayashi feared it would be bad. Why did the transporters have to be offline now?!
As the doors closed Hayashi yelled, “Medical emergency Sickbay deck no stops.”
The lift hummed to life.
To be continued…
OFF:
