JL by Rangi, Jass, Harry & Mumacik ===== Deck 3, USS Chimera ===== Rangi stood outside the turbo lift on deck 3 waiting for Shane. He was only ten minutes late but she tapped her foot and watched the corridor eagerly. A wide smile spread across her face as she saw him round the corner. Shane speeded to rangi's quarters. He knew he was late ... and to let a lady wait was NEVER a good idea and especially after 4 months beeing parted. He was now just few corridors away from her. Changing to run, the distance between him and her quarteers decreased quite fast. He passed by several crewman who were quite surprised to see the XO speeding away like the wind. "Hello Milacik" he said, "I am very sorry for beeing late, i was held up in main engineering. Will we?" he asked and montioned into the turbo lift. Smiling at his love he let her go fist and stepped inside the list just after her. Athena was hoping that the new anouncement of the replicators in the mess hall being fixed was true as it was getting montonous having to take every meal on the base. It was also time consuming. Athena came upon the turbo lift and gave it a doubtful look. She decided to use the jefferies tube it wasn't that far after all. Storok looked up from her padd and put it down on her floor. She looked around her room, which aside from the candles she had placed earlier, was still as empty as a cave. She stood up feeling a bit hungry and marched into the corridor heading toards the turbolift. "It's alright..you're not that late." she smiled at him as he entered the lift after her."Are you very hungry?" she reached up and kissed his cheek gently. Shane beamed a smile at the beautiful woman besides him. With a grin he replied: "Aye, i am VERY hungry ... but i think i have still to wait a bit for that." He hughed her tightly: "I missed you VERY much my love. But i am up for food as well. I hope that the announcement of the replicators beeing onle in the mess hall was correct. Will we try?" he asked. As Rangi noded to him he said: "Deck 2, Mess hall" Athena made short work of the jefferies tubes and took a couple of deep breaths as she pulled herself out. She took the few steps and that brought her to the turbo lift where it seemed to be stuck as the door was openned a crack but seemed to refuse to open any further. Storok came to the turbolift and saw Athena standing infront of it. She walked on up to her and said. "Is something wrong?" She looked at her eyes and followed her gaze to the turbolift door. "That is not to our advantage". The door shuddered shut as the XO began to make up a little for lost time. Rangi, at first seeming quite eager to make up time too suddenly stiffened in his arms and whispered "Shane..stop it!...look.." and stared at a set of fingers curled arounf the lift door. SHane turned his head away from Rangi's and looke at the lift door and only then realised that the lift stoped. Slipping off Rangi's embrance he looked curiously at the several fingers in the crack between the turbo lift door. "WHat the heck?" he said quietly. He looked at Rangi and back to the door. "Computer, open the door" he commanded. No reply. "Coputer, open the door" he repeated. No reply. Shaking his head and thinking about the engineering corps ... Shane went to the door and said: "Here is Lt. Guzman, who is out there?" Athena grabbed a hlod of one side of the doors and pulled toward herself while Storok did the same to the other side. "It's Athena," she said with a strained vioce of using a lot of muscle to move the stuck door. Storok pulled on the door and it screeched loudly, but slowly began to open. He looked at the other door which was slowly doing the same. "Are you two ok in there?" Storok enquired. Rangi exchanged a look with Shane and smiled at him."Yes...we're fine. " she called. Shrugging her shoulders at him she moved to the door, siezed hold and pulled too. With joined effort of all four officers present ... the door finally openend. Shane wiped a single tear of sweat from his face and stepped back. As both ladies walked inside the lift Shane grinned and said: "Hi ladies, that was just an another fine example of our full functional ship. Well, lets just hope we dont have to push the lift to move." He looked back to Rangi and said: "We are on the way to deck 2, where are you going?" "Maybe we should just climb," Athena asked not sure she trusted the lift. She gave a small smile as she began to walk back out of the lift, "or maybe I should leave getting stuck in a lift to those who might want to be in that position." Rangi smiled at Athena and looked at Shane."Its alright isnt it?" she asked him though meaning the lift working od other passengers was not quite clear. Shane thought about Athena's remark. "Well, to say the truth, i am a bit tired after today's shift and the last think i desiree is crawling through some Jeffries tubes. You may call me lazy, but I would try the lift ... i would bet that it will bring us safe the one deck up." turning to both ladies: "Going too?" Not really wanting to climb anymore, Athena shrugged her shoulders saying, "I'm game." She turned to see what the vulcan would reply. {maybe she could even collect a little bit of an evaluation with having to conduct a full blown interview.} Storok tilted her head slightly. "it would probably be logical to go in the turbolift as if it does fail. we will have no option BUT to use the jefferiestubes". Rangi moved back to make room for the two others to enter. her fingers entwined with Shanes and she squeezed his hand. Shane grinned at the always logical vulcan woman. "Ill take that as a yes then ..." After all four persons were inside the lift, the lifts door closed with a loud his. Shane straigned himself and said: "Deck 2, mess hall" A faint hum of the lift revealed it was moving. Noone said a word untill the turbo lift stopped after some seconds. Shane looked at Athena like he wanted to say: {DO you see? ... Nothing happend} He went to the door to demonstrate him exiting the lift ... only to bump into closed lift's door. "Dopekla!" he cursed. Shane stroked his bumped head and grinned at the door. "You wont get open?" he asked. [unable to comply, please repeat request] replied the computer. "AH" Shane sighed and looked at the three ladies who looked at his expectantly, "why are you looking at ME now?" "You get one guess, Lazy," Athena said as she smiled at Shane's attempt at boyish innocence. She took a deep breath and blew the hair out of her eyes as she released the breath. Rangi looked expectantly at shane and grinned at him as he gave her a 'who me?' look. "I dont know about you" she said "But I'm getting really hungry." Shane grinned at the ladies again in the way : {Hey! I am innocent, its the lift!} and tapped his commbadge: "Lt. Guzman to transporter room 1, i need a site to site transport of four person direct into the mess hall". After three seconds a male voice replied: "I am sorry sir, the transporter is off line due maintanance for 4 hours" Athena raised and eyebrow and leaned against the wall. "Well, if was going to trap us all in here I think he should have been prepared to at least provide some chocolate." She slide down the wall and sat on the floor making herself comfortable. Rangi bent her head, covered her face with her hands and began to laugh."Oh Shane" she managed to say."Do something." She moved next to him and buried her head in his shoulder overcome with laughter. Shane grinned again: "Like what Rangi? Shout for help?" He looked at Storok standing nearby: "Right Lieutenant, there must be some sort of an emergrncy exit on the roof of floor, lets check for it" Storok nodded and looked up at the ceiling. "Theres a access tunnel there. But its only designed to be access from the outside. If the lift reactivates itself while were out there." She looked back at shane. Athena watched the two look for an escape hatch as Rangi continued to take things stride. Athena closed her eyes, but said "let me know if there is something I can do to help?" Rangi sat down in the corner of the lift and patted the place next to her, looking at Athena."Might as well be comfortable.." she said "..while the XO works out what to do." She grinned up at Shane. Shane pointed at Storok: "Look at the brave CTAC, she is a model officer, she dont lets all the work up to the poor XO ..." Shane said with a smile. He stared at the ceiling. It was quite high ... but there was definitely something remebering to an kvadrat area." he turned around: "Any lady wanna play an explorer?" he asked and pointed to the ceiling. Athena raised her hand. {Anything was better than sitting around getting hot.} she slide back up the wal and opened her eyes ready for action. "What do you need me to do?" Rangi stood up too and tried to suppress a grin as she saw Shane prepare to hoist Athena towards the roof. She looked at him enquiringly. Shane beamed a smile at Athena: "Well ... you have to climb on my shoulders and try to open the emergency exit on the ceiling, Storok you could please hold Athena's feets to give her more stability and you my love please watch out if Athena would be about to fall. All ready?" Athena took a deep breath, "Yep." She took another deep breath as she climbed on to shane's shoulders. She took on more deep breath and hit the trapp door hard. Athena stiffled a wince as the door fell open. She bit her lip against the sudden shot of pain and swallowed down a feeling of nausea. "Now, what," she asked. Rangi grimaced in sympathy."Shane.." she ventured staring up at Athena "is this really wise?" Shane would turn to Rangi and shrug, but with Athena on his shoulders he cound do none of that. "I hope so Rangi ..." he said and tried to straighten him up. Shane was no athletics budy ... and Athena was heavier then she looked like ... and by the thought of doing it three times, some cold sweat appeared on his face. "Athena" he said, "pull yourself up the exit, there is an ladder on the wall, you can use it to come to teh nearest jeffries tube exit, it should be somewhere on deck 1. Then will go Rangi and then Storok, you all will crawle out the tubes and eventually send some technicians to open the dammed door for me? Agreed?" ====== End of part I ====== LtJg. Rangi Summers CMO USS Chimera & LT. Athena Wellington Counselor USS Chimera & LT. Storok CTAC USS Chimera & LT. Shane Guzman XO USS Chimera