SD241711.05 - Duty Log - Sails - "Confined Spaces"
Posted on Sun Nov 5th, 2017 @ 7:02pm by Sails-at-Dawn Mr
681 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
Test Mission
Location: USS Versailles
Timeline: Current
Packed into a small space no larger than a closet, five men watched a light intently. It glowed a dull red above the door; reducing these rugged, minimalist types to a set of anonymous, crimson outlines.
"How long?" asked the first in line, leaning slightly against the man behind him to prevent his nose rubbing against the door. The sudden noise caused the second in line to shift slightly, driving the first man forward two inches. A faint click came from the first's nose, followed by muffled cursing. The fourth chuckled, the fifth nudged him, the motion rippled to the front of the queue, and the cursing got louder.
"Hour ago." grunted the third in line, speaking loud to quieten the noise, and flexing his toes to relieve cramp.
"We were beamed *in* an hour ago." the first said, squeezing a hand up his chest, despite the press of bodies, to check his nose. Slightly bruised it seemed, but no lasting damage.
"The scanner confirms everybody left an hour ago. No clue why the ready light isn't green yet." the fifth reported, his eyes watching the screen to the right of his head. Having managed to get the screen up there, moving his arm back down had proved problematic. His sleeve was caught on a snag or something, trapping his hand in the raised position for the last thirty minutes.
The fourth had noticed.
"Question at the back?"
"Shaddup."
"Alright, cut the chatter." said the third.
Rolling his eyes, the first in line ran out of patience and hit the door control.
The fourth opened his mouth to mouth off again, but got cut off by a sudden noise from the door; a loud grinding noise that felt like nails on a chalkboard, and caused the group to grit their teeth in shared discomfort.
"Backup gears fighting the primaries?" the fourth opined, shedding a little light on how he still got jobs despite his asocial wit.
"Yeah." replied the first, close enough to see how the door was fighting itself. Back and forth, back and forth, moving no more than a millimeter each way.
Then the light went out.
"Oh hullnuts." cursed the second, feeling his claustrophobia rise in the darkness.
"Be calm. We're fine." instructed the third, dropping an octave to sound calm and controlled.
"We are not fine!" shouted the third, not buying it.
"Hold on!" came a muffled voice from behind the door.
A few moments later, the door ground open a centimeter, and fingers came through. Curling around the side of the door, the fingers tensed as their owner tried to force the reticent door open. The first man in line got his hands in the gap as well, and both men brute-forced the door open to a cacophony of grinding squeals.
Without pausing, the queue of men surged out through the door into the open hall, breathing deeply.
"Oh man, that stinks!" cried the man who was formerly third in line, still riding the tail end of the claustrophobia adrenaline.
"That's me. Sorry. I've been cleaning the bathrooms in the next hall over." Sails apologised, shaking some life into his fingers from forcing that door open. "Oh," he added, "Nonesuch Entertainment Company wanted me to tell you guys they beamed you into the wrong room. That's not the waiting area for this hall, it's the storage cupboard."
The five turned around, and peered back into their cramped hell; the light of the hall revealing various shelves and supplies that the darkness had concealed.
"But what about the ready light?" queried the former first-in-line.
"Hmm?"
"Above the door. The red ready light. We're meant to stay inside until it turns green, yeah?"
Sails ventured into the cupboard, keeping a wary eye on the broken door, and peered up above the frame. Though cutting power to the door had dimmed the light, there was still enough residual juice for him to make out a faint red glow.
"It's a display. Small words." Sails reported, peering closely.
"What words?"
"Door Failure. Call Maintenance."
=^= End of Log =^=
Sails-at-Dawn
Handyman
Versailles
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