SD241807.25 JDL De'Lenn and Grey - "Answering a Call for Help"

Posted on Tue Jul 31st, 2018 @ 4:27pm by Lieutenant Commander Ky'La De'Lenn & Brigadier General Jonathan Grey

1,414 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Tremor Trouble
Location: Office of Brigadier General Grey
Timeline: Current

ON:

Ky'La had been scanning the incoming reports when she spotted the one about the underwater problem. "Oh my gods of Ke'den!", she said to her next in command, Lt. Jonathan Williams.

"What has happened?", he asked quickly. Jonathan, who was engaged to De'Lenn, leaned over her shoulder to read what she had already read. "Ky'La, we need to help them and quickly. Pull up the specs of the underwater problem tubes. Let's see what has happened and then we go to the General", he finished saying as De' Lean had the specs and saw what had happened. Several bulk heads had collapsed trapping people. "De'Len, bring up the ocean bed layout of the area right under the tubes", he said. As she did what he said, he shook his head quickly. "Download all this to a PAD and lets go. The next time that area is hit with a quake, the whole damn thing will fall apart killing everyone down there. We have to hurry", he said, as he started for the door.

Downloading it quickly, she caught up to him as he entered the lift. Telling the lift where to go, they traveled without speaking. Both of them were thinking of ways to get those people out. Getting off the lift, they walked a short few steps to the Generals office and hit the door chime, and waited.

"Enter!" shouted the General, adding a padd to the stack in his yeoman's arms. The swell of reports and approvals triggered by his promotion to CO had slowed to a more achievable pace, and there were even patches of his desk where you could see all the way through to the desk itself.

Still, more reports were trickling in, and it seemed that this would be the new norm. Which was why the yeoman had been given strict instructions to reject any non-emergency paperwork coming from below the department heads. Red tape was neccessary, yes, but he was meant to be a leader here, not a bureaucrat. Some people had tried to define his role to him, trying to infer that refusing menial busywork was a personal failing on his part.

He had responded to these manipulations with shouting, and felt much better now.

"At ease." The General told his guests as they walked in, looking up from the padd in his hands.

"Sir, we have to speak with you about the situation of the underwater tunnels. Jonathan and I have downloaded what we found out and how we might go about getting them out, however it would help if we could transport them out", she said, handing the PADD to the General.

Cocking an eyebrow at the newcomer, the General considered making a pointed comment about how department heads were meant to *report in* before making requests, but then decided to keep that thought to himself. Her priorities were in order, and it wasn't as if she was requesting permission to have a house pet.

"Yes, it would. However, according to this report," said the general, sliding over a padd of his own, "the underwater bases were completely evacuated of all personnel. Apparently these sites, which are are almost all privately owned and operated, have an average of two people per base. And the private companies that own these sites genuinely think we believe that number because, and I'm quoting the governor's liaison here, ''those damn guppies think we have the combined IQ of a bruised watermelon''. Basically their lawyers are insisting we stay clear, probably because their undisclosed staff are working on illegal things. Ideas?" he ranted, recalling how annoyed he'd gotten when those white-collar cretins had had the gall to call him from one of *his* ships to insist his people stay clear of the bases.

Apparently saving a lawyer was like rescuing a scorpion; "it's my nature" indeed.

"Well in the first place it makes no difference to us what his lawyers think, but the fact that there are people down there is part of our concern", she said.

"Sir, with all due respect, both of us feel that if something isn't done fast, the next shake will quite literally tear the tubes apart and all the souls will be lost for good. It would help if we could get a good look first hand at what is going on down there in regards to the underwater walkways or tunnels or what ever they are *calling* them", Johnathan added.

D'Lenn looked at the General, "Sir forgive us for not reporting in first but this hit us in the faces as we walked into the engineering section of the station and we just couldn't ignore it. Neither of us expected this but it is something that won't go away without it being addressed. We are going to need help in finding out what is making these quakes and shifts on the planet. if we can't figure out what is stressing out the faults, then this planet could very well tear itself to pieces in a matter of days, not just weeks", she said, looking at Johnathan, who was nodding in agreement.

"The USS Timmis is already en-route to the planet, and I understand that they are well equipped to handle the science of the situation." asserted the General, having already spoken to the newly-minted CO of that vessel over subspace.

"As for the lawyers, unfortunately they have direct lines to the judiciary. If we push them too hard, they can and will push us back, and then I will have Admirals on the phone. They won't call me, though. They'll call the larger ships helping with the evacuation, and the number of people we can save will drop. We need to save as many people as we can, and right now that means letting the lawyers have their way."

The General's mouth twisted up at this, his lips pursed in distaste for the situation. He didn't want to leave those people down there, but it was for the greater good. If Starfleet ignored local law, the government might even threaten to throw up defence nets, or deny access to certain airspaces. His people needed to help the Yadallans on the latter's terms, or else they might not be permitted to help at all.

Still...

"Look," he sighed, passing another padd. "Here's the comm codes of the lawyers in question, and the name of the ship they're on. I'm up to my neck getting all this nonsense handled before the first wave of refugees arrive," he gestured at the padds scattered across his desk, "so I'm swamped, but you should absolutely feel free to try and drill some sense into them. Just try not to get their backs up. Our lives are hard enough without the locals deciding we're the enemy." he added, pointedly.

Ky'La looked at Johnathan and then back to the General, "Well sir, we could give it a very good try. Maybe we both can make them see reason why they need the Federations help and not see us as an enemy", she said. Hopefully both could speak to these lawyers who questioned the help and get them to see that all their bull is only making the matters worse for their people.

Taking the PADD from the General, "Well sir with your permission we will contact each of these lawyers and get all into one place and show them just what they are stopping and how it will affect their people and maybe they will see to reason with the Federation. Also sir can we contact the Timmis and their captain or maybe their CEO and see if they can come up with ways to get some help to these people who are trapped?" she said, hoping he would say yes.

"Sure, why not." Grey replied, not seeing any harm in it. "Let me know how it goes. Dismissed." he concluded, seeing his yeoman pull another padd from somewhere and threaten to add it to the pile on his desk. He snatched the padd from the man's hand before his pile could grow again, and scowled at another wall of dense text.

Almost jumping up and down at the General, she took the PADD and looked at Johnathan, grabbed his shoulder, "Come on....let's go we got work to do!!", she said, pulling him behind her out the door into the corridor.

OFF:

Brigadier General Jonathan Grey
Commanding Officer
Versailles

Lt. Cmdr. Ky'La De'Lenn
Chief Engineering Officer
Versailles

 

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