Wetworks

Posted on Thu Aug 5th, 2021 @ 9:25pm by Lieutenant Haruna Mizuhara & Commander Grace Vetur & Lieutenant Percival Bálor Ph.D

1,399 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Out of Time
Location: USS Ontario | Hydroponics

ON

Grace was making one of her early-morning visits to hydroponics to see how the plants were growing. She was interested in what was growing and how well the plants were doing. She also liked to keep an eye on Percival's activities.

Today, however, as she wandered through one of the less-accessed areas she noticed that the floor was wet. Not only that, the water was slowly spreading. She tapped her combadge. "Lieutenants Mizuhara and Bálor, please report to hydroponics immediately."

A few minutes later a hatch in a nearby wall opened, out came Haruna along with quite a bit of water. She was soaked through. "Who installed the water feature in my tubes?" she asked as she took off her yellow tunic and began to wring it out. "I'm and engineer not a fish..."

"I did not do it," commented Percy as he appeared after being summoned. "Commander, this is supposed to be hydroponics not the swimming pool."

"Indeed," Grace replied.

Percy glanced over at the Chief Engineer. "Mizuharachan, can you find where all this water is coming from?"

Haruna rose to her feet. "Hmm..." she said as she looked around. "Did you install water tanks in this area? I don't remember seeing any Onii-chan?" she asked Percy as she produced an engineering tricorder from somewhere in her uniform, suprisingly it seemed to be water proof.

Grace almost smiled. "As you have clearly ascertained, there is a water leak."

"There's some tanks in the back corner," Percy said gesturing. "But I did not have any attentions of turning this section into a river or swamp."

"Good. I do not relish finding a swamp monster or The Creature from the Black Lagoon in residence." The water had risen several inches since the arrival of Mizuhara, threatening to turn the entire room into a swamp. Grace turned to the engineer. "Do you need any help fixing this?"

"Its not that deep..." Haruna replied as she scanned the room looking for the source of the leak. "I don't need my armbands yet, I'm pretty sure I can find the... wait..." she paused and raised an eyebrow.

"Onii-chan... are you 'borrowing' water from the old disused dolphin tanks?" Haruna turned and seemed to look elsewhere as if looking at the camera. "Yes, we have dolphin tanks, because we're cool like that. Complete with hoops and colourful inflatable balls"

Percy shook his head. "Save the damn whales they said...it will be fun they said" Percy muttered and sighed. "Mizuharachan, prepare the beware of kappa sign" the Chief Science Officer added.

"They also had dolphin as crew." She smiled. "You could say they did it on porpoise."

Percy crossed his arms and sighed. "Dolphins are the perverts of the aquatic world. The Captain's spirit animal is probably a dolphin and as part of the crew? No thank you, Commander, no thank you at all. I would not want one even if you named it Darwin."

"I don't know. I hear one member of the crew actually has killer plomeek as a spirit plant," she countered.

"Point taken," he replied. "Though it isn't me. I have many of plants that as that I am close to. That was simply an abomination, and definitely not my spirit plant."

Grace raised an eyebrow. "If you say so, Lieutenant. Although if not that particular plant, definitely one of your other...hybrids."

Percy blushed. "Oh Commander, you should know that my love extends far beyond that of hybrid plants. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" the Chief Science Officer added. "Many of them speak to me" he noted.

"And quote Shakespeare?" she asked, trying not to smile. He did have a glib tongue--probably cultivated to help him get out of trouble.

Percy scoffed. "Of course," he replied placing a hand defensively upon his hip. "You thought me unread? No, no, the Bard and others were excellent substitute nannies while I kept my actual nannies running about putting out my small fires. Believe me, one does not get the name Percy coming from a household without the classics."

She considered him for a moment. "Shelley or Blakeney? I cannot see you in either role."

"Shelley," he replied. "Though my parents wanted something more elaborate and posh. So, Percival it was. I hope you weren't expecting lightening thief out if this" he added in jest.

"Not another Percy, another Shelley. Mary Shelley. I think she's more your style," Grace quipped.

"Oh she is. I practically adore Doctor Frankenstein," he noted. "The British Romantic period is my favourite of Earth's literature, but The American Beat Generation runs a close second."

"You're a fan of beatnik poetry?" she asked. "That does seem to suit you. I prefer Shakespeare, Dickens, Stevenson, and Twain."

"That all sounds great, but you lost me at the river boat Captain" he replied shaking his head. "However, apropos considering we may soon need a river boat if the lieutenant cannot fix this soon."

"Leaving you behind is probably for the best," Grace said, privately enjoying the double entendre. "For the other," she turned to Haruna. "That would be up to our engineer."

Haruna hadn't been listening, however she had in the middle of their conversation somehow managed to disappear completely into a nearby wall hatch with her tools. A faint muttering and talking could be heard from inside the wall as the tiny engineer crawled around looking for the source of the water.

"I found it" she called. "Wait... a minute".

The wall started to buldge slightly as more and more water began to build up behind it, the groaning of the wall panels grew louder and louder. Haruna popped out of a nearby hatch and slammed it shut quickly behind her. "Erm... We should probably get out of here. This entire room... maybe this section is about to get very wet..."

"Computer," Grace said loud enough to be heard over the noise, "Level ten containment field around this lab, the source of the leak, and the water."

She turned to Haruna. "I hope you can swim."

Percy grumbled. "This is not my idea of a good time," he said squealing and grunting. "Not at all," he added sharply. The half-Tellarite could swim, but it was not an activity he particularly enjoyed.

"Nor mine," Grace replied.

She turned to Haruna. "I suggest you stop the water before the pressure builds up in the pipes and causes a leak somewhere else."

"Otherwise I'm going to bringing my water lillies down here," quipped Percy. "Stop the water pressure, Lieutenant, and make sure we don't have a repeat of this problem."

Haruna simply sighed as she started to remove her yellow tunic stripping down to her under shirt and shorts. "Well, this should make it easier for me to find the source. Plus, uniforms get heavy if I need to swim through this" she said as she left her discarded uniform on the floor and walked back to the hatch.

She pulled it open to be greeted with more flowing water that poured into the room like a mini-waterfall. "Right, lets go find Nemo. P Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney... P Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney. Lets hope that I don't spot a rich mouse in here who likes to sue people..."

"It might be a good idea for us to vacate the lab until she gets the water shut off," Grace said to Percy.

He nodded in agreement. "Ya needn't say it twice, Commander" Percy replied. "This little half piggy is going to cry wee all the way to the lounge where it is dry."

"I suggest you dry off first. A wet Telurite might give off the wrong scent."

Grace raised her voice. "Computer, beam Lieutenant Bálor and myself to the corridor outside main science."

A moment later they materialized. "Good luck, Lieutenant," she said. "I think I'll go dry out before I do any more wandering." She turned to head for her quarters to change.

Percy nodded. He had thought about asking the First Officer if she wanted to head to the lounge with him, but he thought it best to just let her be. "Thanks," he simply replied and went off on his own.

____

OFF

Lieutenant Commander Grace Vetur
Executive Officer
USS Ontario

Lieutenant Percival Bálor, Ph.D
Chief Science Officer
USS Ontario

Lieutenant Haruna Mizuhara
Chief Engineer
USS Ontario

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