Once the away team was on the planet below, Tajir looked around to get a look at what was going on. Though where they landed there was hardly any damage from the recent earthquake, but off in the distance he could begin to see. After a few moments an older gentleman ran up to the Captain and they began to talk about the current situation.

“Lieutenant Macomb, from what I was just informed that the hospital is overflowing with injuries and they are getting overwhelmed.” Tajir began looking at the doctor and his team. “I need you to head up there and assess the situation and report back once you have it,” Tajir ordered looking at the medical team.

“Understood, Captain,” Elisha replied, motioning for his team to follow as he lead the way towards the hospital they’d been directed to. Things didn’t look all that bad from here, but he had worked enough triage to know that sometimes looks can be deceiving. “Keep your eyes open, and your ears as well. If there was any residual damage that hasn’t been detected yet we might stumble upon some wounded in any rubble we find. Tricorders are your friend in an area like this,” He said, knowing that for many of them this was already common knowledge, and yet realizing that in high-stress situations it could sometimes help to have reassuring orders given that you knew were concrete, and doable.

Looking at Commander Hyden, “They are still unable to pinpoint when the next one might hit. There have been several very tiny earthquakes happening but they still think there is going to be a larger one coming.” Tajir said looking at him and his team, “Work with them to see if you can get a calculation of how much time we have. Report back your findings,” Tajir finished looking at him for his response.

Calum nodded and added some notes to his PADD. The fact that they did not know when the next one could occur put him and his team on a time crunch, which was normal for him, but still he didn’t like the uneasy feeling he had in his stomach. “Will do, Sir.” He replied.

After speaking with the Commander, he looked at Lieutenant Kyle. “I need you and your team to evaluate the control systems. He is sending down someone to show you where it is located.” He said looking at her, “I need a report on how bad, and how long it would take to repair.” Tajir finished looking at them.

“Yes,  sir,” she replied.  “I won’t know for sure until I look at it, but the worst-case scenario and we will have to rebuild the whole network…” she paused doing the math in her head, “we’re looking at twenty-five hours give or take.  For these earthquakes to happen there needs to be at least two down, and I’m that case we’re looking at three or four hours.”

Tajir nodded to Lieutenant Kyle then turned to the other two, “Commander Makoto and Lieutenant Bates, I need you to walk through these few areas that have been hit harder than the others to see how we can assist in the cleanup,” Tajir said pointing to the map that was given to him by the older gentleman. “Once your done report back to me of your findings.

Zane looked at the map and the spot that the Captain pointed to before nodding his head and voicing his acknowledgment. “Aye, sir.”

When Zane had finished with the map, Aki analyzed it in great detail, noting particular landmarks so she wouldn’t lose her bearings. It seemed as though the areas in the zone Tajir wanted them to check out were more residential, with a small market in the vicinity. Areas that wouldn’t necessarily have had the structural integrity of buildings similar to the weather control station. “I think if we concentrate on these key areas first, we can perhaps bring a sense of normalcy back to the people. That might put them at ease while the rest of the teams focus on the major repairs. I’ll handle the residential section. Bates, if you could take the market.” she said pointing at the specific points on the map she was referring to.

Bates took another look at the map where the Commander pointed to before nodding his head. “Aye, ma’am. I will head over there now.”

“Dismissed,” Tajir replied looking at them as they went off in their particular directions. He would stay where he was as sort of a command center.

Then he looked to Commander Makoto and waited for them to take the lead. “After you, sir.”

“We’ll get on the tectonic stabilizers,” Elizabeth said already pulling up a map that pinpointed the locations of the equipment.  She turned and led her small team of engineers down a paved path to the north.  After a short walk, they approached a concrete box poking out of the ground not much larger than a walk-in closet.  It had a blue door set into the front and was guarded by some sort of security officer that was available to the planet.

“Are you from the Aquarius?”  You could hear the tension in his voice.”

“I am,” Elizabeth responded. “Lieutenant Kyle, Ensign Peters, and Chief Petty Officer Leiston.”

“Just three?” He demanded incredulously.  “That’s all they sent?”

“It’s who I picked. Relax I have a whole engineering crew a transporter room away.  But, for right now without knowing what the issue is there’s no sense in mobilizing all of my officers so we can trip over each other.  Now, I understand the tectonic stabilizer 21-Alpha is located down here?”

He nodded and pulled open the door to reveal an industrial freight-type elevator. Elizabeth lead her team inside and the guard followed them inside. There were only two buttons, up and down and the guard pressed the down button and the lift whirred to life shooting deep into the crust of the planet.

After a ride that seemed to take forever, the lift slowed and the doors parted to reveal a completely manmade cavern roughly the size of a house  The floor was made of the natural stone around it, and in the center was the tectonic stabilizer.  “It’s not glowing,” the guard stated,  “Why is it not glowing?”

“That’s what we’re going to find out.  Chief you have the micro-fusion reactor. Peters and I will examine the stabilizer.”

The veteran engineer nodded and crossed to the far wall and started looking over the reactor while Elizabeth kneeled giving the device a visual inspection. There was a rather large piece of rock lying atop it partially crushing the outer housing.  “Help me with this will you,” she said to the ensign. They both put their shoulders into the boulder and pushed it off the device.

“You think that’s what caused the malfunction?” Peters asked.

“I guess we’ll find out.”  Elizabeth pulled out her tricorder and started scanning the device frowning.  “Half the circuitry is burned out.”

“Fusion reactor is functioning normally ma’am,” Leiston said as he approached them and whistled.  “She took a beating.”

“Yeah, we’re going to need to replace it one way or another. See if you can download the diagnostic logs so we can identify what caused this.”

“Aye, ma’am.”

Elizabeth tapped her combadge, “Lieutenant Kyle to Captain Derohl, “We made it to one of the stabilizers,  and it needs a complete replacement.   We’re downloading the diagnostic logs. That will take a bit to sift through the data, but the preliminary evidence suggests a power surge which burned out the circuitry.”

“Is that the only one that you found not working?” Tajir asked over the comm channel as he was not looking in any one direction.

Elizabeth paused as she accessed a nearby terminal.   Her fingers danced over the controls. “It’s going to take a bit to inspect them personally but diagnostics are showing five of the eleven are off-line so I have no diagnostic data.  There’s damage to 22-Bravo, but it’s still functioning. Damage is probably due to the earthquakes. We’re looking at least six hours maybe even ten or twelve.”

“Understood, keep me informed,” Tajir replied before ending the comm channel he sat there and waited for the others to report in.

Down at the hospital district, Elisha finished talking to the chief administrator of the hospital less than half an hour after they arrived. The man who had run up to them at the beam down site had made it seem like it was an absolute disaster, but then, after being through an event that wasn’t even supposed to be possible, he imagined he would have been a little too shaken up to keep from exaggerating as well.

“I have several teams standing by to beam down to assist, and we have plenty of medical supplies. Don’t worry, we are going to do everything we can to help. If any of your facilities were damaged in the quake and you need us to we can even perform any necessary procedures in our sickbay,” he said with a reassuring smile. The administrator gave him a thankful smile and nodded her head.

“Thank you so much, Dr. Macomb, I will make sure if that becomes necessary to let any other medic know to contact you directly,” she replied.

Stepping to the side, so as not to be in anyone’s way, Elisha reached up and tapped his combadge. “Macomb to Derohl, I’m going to call down the medical teams and supplies, I’m done assessing the situation here at the medical facilities. It’s nowhere near as bad as we were worried it would be, but I’d still very much like to stay and get them fully set up, and help as possible. I hope you don’t mind, but I have offered sickbay for any procedures that are needed that may involve equipment that was damaged, or even just in areas they are sorely overburdened in.”

“Understood, keep me, updated Lieutenant,” Tajir replied as he ended the comm channel and waited for others to report.

There seemed to be some time between reports, he kept busy looking over everything making sure there was nothing else going on or happening, things seemed to be quiet for the most part other than the few he saw running here and there throughout the town. Just then his commbadge went off with the sound of his first officer.

“Makoto to Derohl.” Came Aki’s voice through the comms.

“Go ahead,” he replied after tapping his combadge.

“I’ve completed a preliminary assessment of the residential sector. Damage does not appear to be as bad as was anticipated. Within the first hour or two of clean up, we should be able to start bringing in relief supplies and if all goes well, within seven or eight hours have everything back to a near-normal state. I’ve not heard from Bates yet but judging from the look of things here, I anticipate a similar situation where he is.” Aki reported.

“Understood keep me updated,” Tajir replied before ending the comm channel.

Calum had quickly made his way to where the reading could accurately be read or so he thought. The team began setting up the equipment so they could try to determine when the next earthquake would occur. It took his team a good thirty minutes to get all the equipment set up and calibrated. Once he was pleased with the calibration of the equipment he began testing. Calum never trusted equipment, but he had to try and trust the reading in this case. He looked and saw eight hours, though that seemed generous he shrugged and tapped his combadge.

“Hyden to Derohl, the information says we have eight hours before the next earthquake should occur. I do not recommend that we take that long to get things resolved though because the weather can always change its mind.”

“Understood,” Tajir replied as everyone reported in. Tajir began to walk towards the area where Commander Makoto was located to help with the cleanup while the others worked on repairs, healing wounded, and kept an eye on the upcoming earthquake.