"It doesn't work that way", said lieutenant commander Simba. "In order for the activation codes to work, my thumb print is required".
"This is an emergency, is there no other way to override that requirement", asked acting captain Lucinda.
"There is only way, only the captain can override the requirement", replied lieutenant commander Simba. "I hate to point it out but he has to be on the bridge to insert his thumb print".
"And he is not on board", observed acting captain Lucinda.
"Ok come aboard, you can activate the codes from the bridge, we need the power generation unit's up and running before another Drachalian attack. Otherwise we 'll become a sitting duck".
"I 'm on my way", said lieutenant commander Simba making his way to the crashed starship. "Oh one more thing, I can only activate the codes from Engineering".
"Ok just get onboard fast", said acting captain Lucinda.
Captain Maguire wiped out his communicator from the utility on his waist.
"Sandawana are you alright?", asked captain Maguire.
"We are fine for now, but we won't be for longer if lieutenant commander Simba does not get back to Engineering soon to activate the power generation units as we are fast losing power and will soon not even be able open doors".
"Then you have a crisis", said captain Maguire.
"I know", admitted acting captain Lucinda's voice coming over the communicator.
"You don't understand", said capacity Maguire. "Once there is no power all doors will lock automatically. This a fail safe measure meant to protect the ship's sensitivity equipment and crew in the face of the ship be taken over by hostile forces".
"What are you say, captain?" asked acting captain Lucinda.
"I 'm saying one of us needs to get onboard and bring those units online before it is too late. I 'm on my way. Captain Maguire out", he said, walking quickly towards the downed starship.
"Open all hatch doors", acting captain Lucinda ordered. "How much power do we still have".
"Barely enough to keep basic life support systems operational", replied lieutenant Tashinga at flight control.
Captain Lucinda was beginning to feel exhausted and guessed it was probably due to the thinning oxygen content in the atmosphere. She noticed the bridge crew were beginning to look extremely exhausted. One by one they were beginning to fall asleep at their posts.
She only managed to utter weakly, "Com...", before she too gave in to the insufficient level of oxygen in the atmosphere and collapsed in the commander's chair.
Captain Maguire decided to use the shadow of the wall of the massive depression where he and the away team were sheltering as cover. He quietly slipped away from the rest of the team and was making his around to the side of the starship from where he knew he would find a hatch through which he could enter. He was gropping blindly in the dark along the wall of the opening when an entire section gave way under his hand. It was so sudden that he fell forward in a cloud of dust.
Getting up he lit the flashlight of communicator. He was surprised to see that he had fallen into what appeared to be a spacious passage of a starship. Alien inscriptions which he recognised as being Bydanian covered sections of the buildings pricking his curiosity with his natural curiosity urging him to investigate further. The communicator came alive with notification of an incoming transmission.
He touched the answer icon and lieutenant commander Simba's voice came over the device sounding urgent.
"I am inside the Sandawana", lieutenant commander Simba reported.
"Good, have activated the power generator units?"
"No that is why I called you. The oxygen level left on the Sandawana and power is almost completely gone. Whatever is available is too insignificant to even power the elevator doors.Asa result I have not been able to access Engineering. The situation is therefore still remains critical", reported lieutenant commander Simba.
"I 'm on my way", said captain Maguire. But his curiosity wouldn't let him leave the Bydanian ship without looking around a little more. He guessed it must have been the ship carrying princess Elantra's parents. He proceeded a little bit further into along the passage stepping over a couple of Bydanian crewmen's bodies prostrate bodies.
He guessed the life switch controlling all the Bydanians on the ship must have somehow been dislodged from his majesty, princess Elantra's father the king.
Coming to a pair of elevator doors with what he guessed was insignia of royalty. He was convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that he had found princess Elantra's parents.
He had seen enough and turning back to where he had entered the ship from he made his way out of the Bydanian ship. It was with a sense of urgency that he resumed with his mission to get back aboard the starship.
"He was concerned about the fate of his crew, and was in a race against time. The crew unlike the Bydanians who would instantly revive once the life switch was reinserted into a leader who was within reach even after a lengthy period of time. Humans tendered to be a bit more fragile and could not endure extended periods of time without oxygen.
And once dead could not be revived at all. Arriving at the elevator doors which opened up to the bridge, he was beginning to pant. He realised that it wasn't just out of exhaustion. It was getting difficult to breath forcing his lungs to work extra heard to compensate for the limited oxygen in the air.
He placed one hand against a panel on one side of the elevator doors, allowing it to be scared.
"Captain Sydney Maguire, access confirmed said a female computer generated voice, unlocking the elevator doors which only slightly parted, leaving him no other option but to have to push them open sufficiently to allow him to enter the bridge.
As he walked over to the commander's to place his thumb print on a small panel inserted on arm rest, he was struggling to keep himself awake. His limbs were becoming heavier with each step he was taking.