After reporting about the incoming solar storm, Eshel returned to going through calculations on the time needed to extract the requested amount of Li-6, taking into account the hardness of the asteroid rock, mineral quantities and other factors, reviewing a few most likely models and simulations, something that she had been working on for a few days now. However, as minutes later the electromagnetic pulses hit the station and knocked down its power, she was forced to turn to a flashlight and paper, cursing in the language of her ancestors this setback and eventually the fact that getting the power up seemed to take far too long. Ten minutes later, as integration by hand was already starting to taste sour like the canteen’s apple juice, she radioed the bridge. It wasn’t exactly her field of expertise, but without power there was no processes for her to run.
"Captain, do my colleagues need a helping hand in getting their things in order?"
Before the reply came, she was already collecting her notebook full of practically incomprehensible calculations, the station reactor’s plans and other items useful for the expected task, before setting the few metal samples loitering around on the table to their respective boxes in the lab's corner. Acting orderly was the core of engineering thought after all. And because having too pure lithium metal in an oxygen-rich atmosphere wasn't the brightest idea. She didn't want her precious samples ruined by oxidation after all. However it also reminded her about something, and the engineer decided to check something just in case first.
"Captain, actually... I will first go check the lithium storage areas, in order to see if the outage has caused any destabilization there. We wouldn't want that causing us unnecessary headaches once we get production ongoing."
She did know they were still empty, but precaution was a virtue. Humming some catchy tune she had learned from the Indian, Eshel left the room to go inspect the cargo area.
