CHAPTER 5: IC - At Sea > Panama to Australia

[Mr. Handy]

"Okay, I'll let him know," says Katie. "You get some rest, Commander." She turns to the doctor. "Doctor Greene, do you know where I can find Professor Moore?"

[royya]

Adam Henning looks at the priest and nods, saying, "Yes Father, I am a ship steward." Adam's oxygen mask muffles his voice, but Father Rucker is able to understand the man's words without much trouble. Father Rucker takes note of Adam's black hair and that the man is thin and likely over six-feet tall.

Please be honest with me Mr. Henning.
The priest says and takes a seat beside him
A member of the crew confessed before me that you believe that the commander is a risk to the crew. Please share your thoughts with me and let me ease the burden you carry.

[Anatomist]

7:45 p.m. (ship time) – Monday 25th September, 1933
U.S.S. Gabrielle's Tweendeck Hold Number Four

Professor Moore reminds Øyvind and Peter Sykes of the exact location of the electrical switch, claps them on the back and says, "Be quick, gentlemen, and keep your wits about you."

The two men then descend the ladder into the pale green fog.

Øyvind noticed that the ammonia gas seemed less dense than it was during his last trip down into the hold, so he felt relieved that the pumping of air into the hold was beginning to help, but the gas remained thick enough to irritate his eyes and to obscure the hatchway into the refrigerated compartment. The two men moved around the aeroplane towards the reefer's entryway and each began to cough.

They moved past the tail of the plane, carefully stepping over the canvas hose carrying fresh air from above, and the black rectangle of the reefer's open hatch became visible. A fine mist flowed forth from the opening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (the tortured one)

Øyvind looks up and indicated qith his arm 'there' ' there's the leak' 'now, where is that damn switch' Øystein start looking around and not quite seeing anything .

[Job]

8:05 p.m. (ship time) – Monday 25th September, 1933
U.S.S. Gabrielle's Medical Facility]

"Okay, I'll let him know," says Katie. "You get some rest, Commander." She turns to the doctor. "Doctor Greene, do you know where I can find Professor Moore?"

While working on Doug Orgelfinger, Doctor Greene looked over his shoulder at Katie and said, "I last saw our Professor on the main deck, alongside that hellish hatchway. Oh, and Miss Wright, thank you for your assistance." He smiled at Katie, then turned back to Doug who seemed to be breathing much easier with the oxygen.

As she exited the medical room, Katie looked over to see that James Starkweather had closed his eyes and apparently had fallen asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (the tortured one)

[Job]

7:35 p.m. (ship time) – Monday 25th September, 1933
U.S.S. Gabrielle's Main Deck

OOC,Please note that a few of these posts are out of synch in terms of time because of occasional lags in player and Keeper postings. I'm being careful to note the time of day at the top of many posts where I think that it'll help sort out the timing. --Job.

Please be honest with me Mr. Henning.
The priest says and takes a seat beside him
A member of the crew confessed before me that you believe that the commander is a risk to the crew. Please share your thoughts with me and let me ease the burden you carry.

Adam looks at the priest for a long moment, then looks over at Doctor Greene treating Doug, and then his eyes flash over to peer at Katie Wright preparing Commander Starkweather. His gaze returns to Father Rucker and he nods shakily, then says in a low voice, "Y-Yes Father. I do believe that. I c-can't talk right now. Later, Oh-k-kay?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (the tortued one)

[Mr. Handy]

"You're welcome, Doctor," says Katie. "I'd better bring an oxygen mask with me, in case he went down there." Once she has a mask, she hurries towards the hatchway entrance to look for Professor Moore.

[royya]

Father Rucker nods in agreement to Mr. Henning and goes to check what is happening with the commander and Katie.
Are you all right ?

[Job]

Øyvind looks up and indicated qith his arm 'there' ' there's the leak' 'now, where is that damn switch' Øyvind start looking around and not quite seeing anything .

As the two men move through the hatch into the thick cold mist, Øyvind immediately pushes past the hanging meat carcasses towards the refrigeration equipment in the back. Meanwhile, Peter Sykes turns down the aisle on the left, towards the hazy glow from the electric torch that was dropped by Doug Orgelfinger.

Oyvind felt his way through the deep shadows, running his hands along the frosty wall searching for the on/off switch, then began to hear harsh coughs behind him, from the area where Peter Sykes had gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (the tortured one)

[Job]

"You're welcome, Doctor," says Katie. "I'd better bring an oxygen mask with me, in case he went down there." Once she has a mask, she hurries towards the hatchway entrance to look for Professor Moore.

Katie emerges from the Gabrielle's superstructure hatch into a riot of color from the setting sun, carrying a mask and rolling a large oxygen tank behind her. She finds William Moore just beyond the corner of the main structure, urging his sweating and tired-looking men to keep pumping furiously.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (the tortured one)

[Mr. Handy]

"Professor Moore," says Katie, "I think Commander Starkweather is going to pull through. He told me to warn you about contimation of the food in the reefer hold."

[Anatomist]

Øyvind looks up and indicated qith his arm 'there' ' there's the leak' 'now, where is that damn switch' Øyvind start looking around and not quite seeing anything .

As the two men move through the hatch into the thick cold mist, Øyvind immediately pushes past the hanging meat carcasses towards the refrigeration equipment in the back. Meanwhile, Peter Sykes turns down the aisle on the left, towards the hazy glow from the electric torch that was dropped by Doug Orgelfinger.

Oyvind felt his way through the deep shadows, running his hands along the frosty wall searching for the on/off switch, then began to hear harsh coughs behind him, from the area where Peter Sykes had gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (the tortured one)

Øyvind turn his head in the direction of the sound and mutters 'God how hard can this really be?' 'you ok Sykes?!' He then tries to see the switch again.

ooc gm,rolled 15 for spot against 50%

[Job]

8:10 p.m. (ship time) – Monday 25th September, 1933
U.S.S. Gabrielle's Medical Facility

"Professor Moore," says Katie, "I think Commander Starkweather is going to pull through. He told me to warn you about contimation of the food in the reefer hold."

Professor Moore looks up from his work with the crewmen and smiles at Katie, "Thank you, Miss Wright. That is excellent news! Our commander is a tough old bird.

"And what of Mr. Orgelfinger? Is he alright?

"As for our food, I'm aware of the situation and am also aware that we haven't much time to save our provisions. But I am awaiting word from misters Raknes and Sykes that they've shut off refrigeration equipment. I must know that the ammonia leak is stopped before I'll send any more men down below."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (the tortured one)

[Mr. Handy]

"You're welcome," says Katie. "Mr. Orgelfinger is recovering. He didn't get it as bad as the Commander. I brought this oxygen mask from sickbay in case someone needs it. If you do need someone else to go down there, I think I'm well enough to give it another try."

[Job]

Øyvind turn his head in the direction of the sound and mutters 'God how hard can this really be?' 'you ok Sykes?!' He then tries to see the switch again.

ooc gm,rolled 15 for spot against 50%

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Øyvind spots the outline of a small box affixed to the equipment room's wall, about ten feet from his current location. Just as he began running towards the box, he hears a crash behind him that sounds like a number of crates toppling over followed by a moan and weak coughing, obviously from Sykes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (the tortured one)

[Job]

"You're welcome," says Katie. "Mr. Orgelfinger is recovering. He didn't get it as bad as the Commander. I brought this oxygen mask from sickbay in case someone needs it. If you do need someone else to go down there, I think I'm well enough to give it another try."

"Excellent, Miss Wright! Thank you.

A look of concern crosses Moore's face as he says, "I have not heard back from Mr. Raknes who went down below with Peter Sykes a number of minutes ago. I would appreciate a status update. But please, no heroics."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (the tortured one)

[Mr. Handy]

"Well, I can't promise no heroics," says Katie with a smile. "If the situation down there calls for them, then that's what I have to do. But hopefully that won't be necessary, and this time I'll go in better prepared, with something to cover my mouth and nose. I don't suppose you have any gas masks? If not, I'll just have to dip some cloth in alcohol and cover my face with it."

[Anatomist]

Shit

Øyvind runs to the switch and turn it off, turning and runs towards the sound off Sykes.

[Job]

"Well, I can't promise no heroics," says Katie with a smile. "If the situation down there calls for them, then that's what I have to do. But hopefully that won't be necessary, and this time I'll go in better prepared, with something to cover my mouth and nose. I don't suppose you have any gas masks? If not, I'll just have to dip some cloth in alcohol and cover my face with it."

Professor Moore removed his eyeglasses and rubbed his forehead, saying, "No, I'm afraid that we did not bring along any gas masks."

Then he stopped and looked up at Katie with a hopeful expression, "However we did bring along oxygen equipment for use in high altitude climbing. The equipment consists of a noseclip and breathing tube that is attached to an oxygen cylinder, but it theoretically will work in this situation to reduce exposure to ammonia gas. I'll send a seaman to fetch us four units, but I expect that it will take fifteen minutes for him to locate the items and return."



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (the tortured one)

[Mr. Handy]

"That's a brilliant idea!" says Katie. "But are you sure we can wait that long before someone goes down to check? They could be in trouble, and if they are, fifteen minutes could be fatal. I can head down there now."

[Job]

Shit

Øyvind runs to the switch and turn it off, turning and runs towards the sound off Sykes.

In the dark misty hold, Øyvind reached for the box on the wall and groped along its surface until he felt small protruding lever. He flipped it downwards and a bright spark popped from within, causing him to jump, but he was relieved to hear the chug of the motor begin to slowly expire.

Immediately he turned away from the equipment room and quickly moved down the aisle towards the dim glow of the dying electric torch and his comrade. Turning left as he reached the hold's corner, he spied an unmoving form lying prone near the light.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (the tortured one)