Ignoring the chief's immediate order, your eyes dart to a young engineer who had been thrown hard against a console during the ship's violent lurch. They lay crumpled on the grated floor, their blue engineering jumpsuit torn at the shoulder. Without hesitation, you rush to their side, kneeling amid the still-clattering tools.

'Can you stand?' you ask, gently helping them into a sitting position. Their dark hair is matted with sweat, and you notice a nasty burn across their left forearm where they must have contacted a live conduit. They grip your forearm tightly as you pull them up, their hazel eyes wide with pain and gratitude.

Chief Oren watches this unfold, his initial scowl softening slightly. 'Damn idealistic apprentices,' he mutters, but there's no real heat behind it. The injured engineer gives you a quick nod before hurrying back to their station, favoring one leg.

The ship shudders again as more of those eerie violet tendrils wrap around the viewport. Warning lights flash across multiple consoles, bathing the engineering bay in pulsing crimson. Chief Oren grabs your shoulder and points to a glowing panel near the reactor core. 'Alright, humanitarian moment over - those coolant levels won't check themselves!'

As you move toward the indicated station, you notice the injured engineer watching you from their post. They give you a subtle thumbs-up before returning to their frantic work, their burned arm clearly paining them as they type commands into a flickering console.