Emerald Flight: Flotsam (continued)

She found the intercom switch and tapped it.

"Devereux to bridge. Report."

No even a background sigh of digital static answered her. She tried again.

"Devereux to Main Engineering."

Again, there was nothing.

She tried again using the connection on her tablet, but achieved no better results. Holding the tablet out for light, she headed for the hatch, realizing that she would most likely have to open it manually.

She had taken only a few steps before she stopped, feeling a warm flush fill her cheeks. While she was dressed in a suitable tunic, below she wore only her panties.

Probably not the best image for the Captain to project in a crisis situation.

Without too much fumbling around she managed to locate a pair of long workout pants. Not exactly regulation on-duty wear, she decided, but they at least sported the Fleet Academy logo.

Feeling a bit less conspicuously undressed now, she lifted the tablet again and headed for the hatchway. She checked its time display, frowned, and then checked that of the main clock in her cabin. There were synchronized.

Devereux's frown deepened. In her groggy state upon reawakening, she had misread the clock. It had not been only an hour since she had lost consciousness—it had been thirteen. That explained the cold, she realized. If there had been a ship-wide power outage, thirteen hours was plenty of time for the temperature to dip to chilling levels. The outer compartments, closest to the hull, had probably already dipped well below zero.

She dug into her closet and retrieved a hooded sweatshirt that matched the pants. That was merely coincidence, as warmth was her primary concern, not fashionable correctness. She shrugged into the sweatshirt, gritting her teeth against the pain in her right forearm as she slid it up and into the sleeve. Feeling warmer now, and mildly more protected, she worked the manual override lever for the hatch.

Devereux breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the sound of the locking mechanism disengage. She pulled the hatch aside and paused. There was no audible hiss of escaping atmosphere. The hull in this section of the ship did not appear to have been compromised. The air outside felt no colder than it had in her cabin.

Cautiously, Devereux moved out into the corridor.