Command is passed
The rescue crews wore breathing gear due to the hull breach. Automatic doors had shut when the nuke hit. Automated systems had closed blast doors to try and minimize the loss of life. The weapon had been carefully aimed to do the maximum damage and cause the highest possible casualties.
The Cylons had of course had of course stolen the plans for the mercury class Battlestar while installing CNP in the colonial defense mainframe. The strike had been devastating depressurizing most of the starboard flight pod.
The rescue crews came upon a sealed room. It was really a utility closet. It was designed to store various emergency supplies used by repair crews. The room has been designed as an emergency shelter in the event of a catastrophic breach of the hull.
The teams became excited because this was exactly where one would expect to find someone sheltered under such circumstances. It was only 20 meters from the LSO control station. It has been known that the Admiral and the XO have been at that control station when the nuke had hit.
Everyone who served in this part of the ship have been taught to use the emergency closets as a place of shelter. The crew leader pressed the button to open the door. As expected it did not open. Next he enter a four digit code which was supposed to override electronic door locks.
This was expected to work but it did not. The crew chief then with the panel off-the-wall. He pulled a tool out of his tool kit and plugged it into the locking mechanism. This provided emergency power that should’ve open the door.
This also failed to open the door. The crews were getting noisy and shouting out suggestions.
The chief step back and look at the walls. They were scorched with secondary damage that probably did not come from the nuclear blast. Most of the blast energy was absorbed and deflected by the ships very thick armor.
The actual breaches have been very small, son the size of a coin. Ammunition have been set off by shrapnel, dislodged by the force of the blast on the outer hull.
The only way through the door was the pry it open with a crowbar. Two large, dark skinned Tauron’s stepped forward with a specially modified crowbar and a sledge hammer. They immediately began slamming the crowbar into the door jam with powerful swings of the sledgehammer. It took several minutes it took so the time the door started to move both men were drenched in sweat.
When the crowbar finally penetrated the man grabbed it and started pushing on the end from the handle. This leverage also failed. The larger of the two men hand signal everybody to stand back. He pulled the sludge back and slammed it into the crowbar handle with mighty blows.
With a screech every hammer blow, the door finally gave way. Lying on the floor of the nail jumbled closet was Admiral Mueller and Martha Rogers. They were holding hands, and appeared to be looking at each other.
Flashback:
When the nuke had hit the LSO control station, the LSO had been near the glass window that overlooks the flight deck. The two superior officers have been trying to speak with the man to warn him that his fit of temper had to stop.
Shards of glass had hit the captain and killed him instantly. The concussion of the blast had thrown the Admiral and Colonel into the doorway. As air rushed out of the room, they gripped the door jam and press the emergency button to open the door.
The pair clawed their way down the hallway gripping onto handgrips and phones is the air washed pass them.
The lights were flickering and secondary explosions could be heard. Men and women were screaming as they died a horrible, fiery death. Both officers knew that the shelter was only 20 meters away.
The air was thinning as the flight pod continued to depressurize. It was getting cold. Still the pair struggled and found the utility closet. They both pressed the control panel at the same time and the door opened.
A red button with emergency lighting was powered by battery inside the shelter. Admiral Mueller pressed it and the door shut. The room was rocked by more secondary explosions. They could feel the heat coming from above and below.
“Well Martha,” Mueller said “if this room holds we have three or four hours of air in it.”
“We should lie down and conserve energy and oxygen,” Colonel Roger’s suggested.
“I’ve been meaning to have a talk with you because at the end of this tour you’re going to have your own Battlestar command. The toasters may have changed your plans. If we can have this I have to train the crew up to fight in this war.”
The room was completely dark. Another blast rocked the ship. It felt like an earthquake.
There was a sound, like a bullet had hit. The sound of air rushing out of the shelter was distinct.
No they could not see each other the two officers knew each other’s habits well. In complete darkness do you want to do each other’s eyes and said goodbye to this life.
At first they faced the end silently and bravely. As breathing became difficult, Colonel Rogers thought of something to say. “I will see you on the other side Admiral.”
Admiral Mueller nodded and took two more breaths before expiring.