ST: The Endurance of Jesse Yeager
- Thread starter TheLoneRedshirt
- Start date
I like the Salodi--nothing like a race no one has ever seen before to get the ol' exploratory blood flowing! One heck of a playground you've got there RedShirt.
Chapter Ten
USS Endurance
Stardate 54188.2
N'ilmuta System, Star cloud NGC 206, Andromeda Galaxy
The Endurance circled the outer perimeter of the N'ilmuta star system, running extensive long-range scans and mapping the orbits of the seven planets and their satellite moons. N'ilmuta was a white/yellow Class F star. Her planets ranged from a tiny, very hot Class B planet (N'ilmuta I) to a massive Class I gas super-giant (N'ilmuta VI) that was 100 times larger than Jupiter. The crew had nicknamed those two planets, "Hades" and "Big Boy," respectively. Their primary interest, though, lay with the third and fourth planets. The former was a rocky Class L with marginally breathable atmosphere but with possible silicon-based life forms, and the latter, was a lush M-Class planet with a cornucopia of varied eco-systems - oceans, deserts, glacier fields, mountains, dense forests and - sentient beings.
Even without signs of space craft or even rudimentary ground-based observatories, Captain Yeager was intentionally cautious and methodical in his approach to exploring these worlds. Though they were far from home, the Prime Directive was still very much in effect.
* * *
Captain Yeager woke up at 0600, ship's time. He rolled out of bed, dropped to the carpeted deck and did 50 push-ups. Max regarded him with somber eyes from his dog bed.
Yeager put on running shorts and shoes and a faded blue tank-top shirt. He threw an old ball cap over his tousled, wavy hair, making a mental note to visit the ship's barber before the day ended.
"Come on, Max! Time for some exercise!" The big Lab sprung from his bed, tail swishing in anticipation.
The Captain and Max made their way to holo-deck four. "Computer, run fitness program, 'sand and surf one.'"
"Acknowledged - program activated," replied the computer and the large door to the holo-deck slid open.
Yeager and Max stepped onto a beach of fine, white sand. A mild breeze blew in off of an azure ocean as breakers rolled in, chasing tiny seabirds that ran with quick, staccato steps. Gulls wheeled overhead, screeching in the salt air.
The Captain began to stretch, taking special care with his bio-synthetic leg, while Max chased the birds, barking and leaping after them. Yeager began to trot up the beach, warming up slowly until he developed an easy, fluid pace. His new leg felt good this morning, so he increased the pace. Max loped along beside him, occasionally veering into the surf, once stopping to lift his leg on a clump of sea oats.
After five kilometers, Yeager slowed to a stop and resumed stretching. He stripped off his shirt and shoes and tossed his cap on top. Wading into the pounding surf, he dove into an incoming wave before surfacing and swimming away from shore with powerful strokes. He went about 50 meters before turning parallel with the shore and alternating between a crawl, breaststroke, then sidestroke. The cool water was refreshing, his pace steady. He was in his zone.
In his younger days, he had competed in several triathlons - never winning, but always improving. He tended to compete against himself to best personal goals, usually tuning out and ignoring his competitors.
After the destruction of the Axanar and his subsequent hospitalization and rehab, he had taken up swimming and running again - partially to rebuild his physical strength, partially because it brought a sense of peace and serenity he had lost. He looked forward to his early morning work-outs which he varied day-by-day. Tomorrow, he would cycle through a recreation of the Appalachian foothills.
Suddenly, the clear blue sky opened before him as an archway formed less than a meter above the water. Commander Tamura squatted down and grinned at Yeager.
"How's the water, Jess?"
Yeager splashed a handful toward the First Officer. The water disappeared as it crossed the threshold of the archway. "Come in and see for yourself!"
Tamura shook his head. "No way! The last time you invited me for a swim, you programmed in that damn shark! I had nightmares for a week!"
"Yeah, but I helped you increase your swimming speed, didn't I? What's up, Osamu?"
"Nothing urgent. T'Vel says she's done all she can with long-range sensors and probes. She'd never admit it, but I think she's anxious for us to go dirt-side on those planets."
Yeager wiped salty water from his face as he tread water. "Okay. Take us on in to the third planet - standard orbit. Let me finish my swim, then I'll grab a shower and breakfast. I'll see you shortly on the bridge."
* * *
"Koptan on de britch!" bellowed Senior Chief Hilda Odegaard from the tactical station, causing the rest of the bridge crew to jump (with the exception of T'Vel) and Yeager to wince. He appreciated Odegaard's enthusiasm, but would have Pralax speak to her about being less formal.
"As you were," said Yeager as he took center seat. "Status, XO?"
"We're achieved standard orbit around N'ilmuta III. All systems, normal, Captain."
Yeager turned to T'Vel at the science station. "Commander T'Vel? Tell me a bit about this planet."
T'Vel turned toward Yeager, hands clasped behind her back. "N'ilmuta III is a nominal Class L planet. Atmosphere and gravity are within survival tolerances, for short durations. No signs of carbon-based life, but I am getting intermittent readings of silicon-based life, mostly deep beneath the surface. Temperatures vary from just below 0 degrees, Celsius at the poles to 130 degrees Celsius at the equator and in some areas of geo-thermal activity."
"Sounds like a real vacation spot," remarked Tamura.
T'Vel ignored the sarcasm. "I have plotted several possible beam-down points in more temperate regions. Also, I would recommend that any non-Vulcan members of the landing party receive a dosage of Tri-ox compound to offset the high concentrations of carbon dioxide."
"Non-Vulcans? . . ." prodded Yeager.
She lifted a regal eyebrow. "Vulcan physiology is adapted to the thinner atmosphere and the more rugged conditions. I do not require Tri-ox to efficiently function on the surface of this planet."
Tamura rolled his eyes. Yeager maintained a neutral expression. "Very well. Commander Tamura - assemble the senior staff in the observation room in ten minutes.
* * *
"Because it's protocol you silly woman! You simply don't beam down to a potentially hostile planet without a security detail!" said Pralax heatedly.
"And from what do you propose to protect us?" replied T'Vel, calmly. "I doubt seriously if your security personnel could intervene if someone fell into a lava tube or encountered a pocket of methane gas. This is a mission for scientists, not soldiers!"
"Alright, boys and girls!" intervened Yeager. "Thank you for your candid opinions. Here's how it's going to be. Mr. Pralax, you will send down . . ." The Trill beamed in triumph, " one, and only one, security officer." Pralax's face fell.
"Captain! . . ." protested Pralax. Yeager cut him off with an uplifted hand. "And Commander T'Vel, all of the landing party will be issued side-arms."
"I don't see why . . ." began T'Vel. Yeager raised his other hand.
"I'm glad we could reach an amicable compromise. Commander T'Vel - your recommendations for the landing party, please."
T'Vel maintained a wary gaze at Pralax as she spoke. "I would like to lead the mission. In addition, I would like Lt. D'Sheer of xenopology, Lt. Randall of geo-physics, and Lt. Commander O'Reilley of meteorology."
"Fine," replied Yeager with a nod. "Mr. Pralax - your choice for security detail?"
"You're looking at him," said Pralax, still staring stonily at T'Vel. "I also recommend we bring along a corpsman. Never know when we'll run into a bleedin' lava tube, right?"
Yeager nodded. "Very well. T'Vel, assemble your science team and have them ready for beam down in one hour. Dr. Menendez, please assign a corpsman to accompany the landing party."
"Captain, if it's alright, I'd like to go along myself," said Menendez.
Yeager raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised. "I suppose we can spare you for that long, Doctor. Very well, request approved." He looked around the table. T'Vel and Pralax were still eying each other warily. No one else spoke.
"Alright, any other comments?" asked Yeager. "No? Good! Dismissed - oh, Commander T'Vel? Commander Pralax? Just one more moment of your time please.
As the other officers filed out, T'Vel approached from one side of the table, her expression unreadable. Pralax looked like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Yeager steepled his fingers and looked from the Trill to the Vulcan and back. "Commanders - I know you both have strong opinions on how we proceed with our exploration mission. And I know, you're still getting to know one another, but do me a favor, huh? Try to get along! Or at least fake it for the landing party's sake!"
"I will endeavor to do so," said T'Vel.
Pralax mumbled something under his breath.
"Pardon, Commander Pralax? I didn't catch that."
"Yes sir! Right you are sir! I shall be the picture of egalitarian cooperation."
Yeager gave him a withering look. "I just bet you will. Dammit, I'm serious, Pralax! - We're too far from home to allow personality clashes to affect our mission. I can't very well call for a replacement from the nearest starbase, can I?"
Pralax sagged. "Right. Sorry." He looked at T'Vel. "My apologies, T'Vel. I get my stubborn nature from my second host, Elian. He was a bit of a bastard, but a nice enough chap once you got to know him."
T'Vel fixed him with one of those maddening, serene Vulcan gazes. "Apology accepted, Mr. Pralax. I'm sure you can keep your inner Elian in check." She turned gracefully and left the room.
Pralax raised an eyebrow in an almost Vulcan manner. He looked at Yeager. "Did she just make a joke?"
* * *
The six members of the landing party materialized safely in a hazy, barren escarpment overlooking a rocky plain. T'Vel and the science team activated tricorders and began setting out seismic detectors and other sensing devices. Pralax wrinked his nose.
"Smells like rotten eggs," he observed, a note of distaste in his voice.
"There's a very high sulfur content in the atmosphere," said T'Vel, "though the concentration should not be harmful."
"Your Tri-ox injections should last a bit over an hour," said Dr. Menendez. "If any of you began to get dizzy or light-headed, let me know so I can boost the dosage."
"It's like a bloody swamp here," groused Pralax, "Well, of course, a swamp without the stagnant water, or vegetation or alligators and such - with an excessive amount of bloody rocks!"
"It reminds me of Monument Valley on Earth," remarked Menendez, smiling in spite of herself. "Look over there." She pointed to tall, rock columns in the near distance, shrouded in the haze. "Even the colors of the rock are similar."
"An astute observation," commented Lt. Randall, the geologist. "You've got a good eye for rocks."
The lovely Spanish physician grinned at the odd compliment. "Thanks - I think."
At that moment, the rock beneath their feet suddenly trembled violently. No one lost their balance, but they all looked around at each other.
"What the Hell?" Pralax said, surprised.
"Ground quake?" asked T'Vel of Lt. Randall.
Randall was studying his seismograph intently. "Maybe - but that was pretty sudden - a 4.3 on the Richter scale with no warning tremors. Very unusual seismic behavior."
"Commander T'Vel!" Lt. D'Sheer, the Andorian xenopologist looked up, alarmed. "I'm getting a massive increase in silicon-based life form readings!"
"Where?" asked T'Vel and Pralax, simultaneously.
"Right below us! Whatever it is, it's heading our way - fast!"
Pralax was about to tap his commbadge for emergency beam-out, when another quake - much more violent and intense than the first, shook the ground. This time, all of the landing party lost their balance. Pralax watched in horror as Lt. Commander O'Reilley disappeared over the edge of the escarpment.
"O'Reilley!" Pralax shouted over the din and tried to move toward the edge, but the quake continued to grow in intensity, throwing him forcefully back to the stony ground. His skull ricocheted off the rock and his vision went momentarily gray as he struggled to remain conscious.
The surrounding rocks began to groan and creak, as if under tremendous pressure. Suddenly, with a horrific noise and a cloud of dust and rock, the escarpment began to split, separating the remaining members of the landing party. A plume of crushed stone, dirt and cinders blew high into the air and began to shower down, painfully peppering the landing party with debris.
With an ear-splitting, high-pitched screech, a creature of living rock began to emerge from the newly created fissure, throwing out more rocky detritus and emitting vast plumes of noxious vapor. The nightmarish rock-creature loomed over the members of the landing party, swaying like a thousand-ton stone Cobra. It's fiery red maw opened, and molten lava began to spew forth, flowing ominously toward the shocked officers of the Endurance.
* * *
USS Endurance
Stardate 54188.2
N'ilmuta System, Star cloud NGC 206, Andromeda Galaxy
The Endurance circled the outer perimeter of the N'ilmuta star system, running extensive long-range scans and mapping the orbits of the seven planets and their satellite moons. N'ilmuta was a white/yellow Class F star. Her planets ranged from a tiny, very hot Class B planet (N'ilmuta I) to a massive Class I gas super-giant (N'ilmuta VI) that was 100 times larger than Jupiter. The crew had nicknamed those two planets, "Hades" and "Big Boy," respectively. Their primary interest, though, lay with the third and fourth planets. The former was a rocky Class L with marginally breathable atmosphere but with possible silicon-based life forms, and the latter, was a lush M-Class planet with a cornucopia of varied eco-systems - oceans, deserts, glacier fields, mountains, dense forests and - sentient beings.
Even without signs of space craft or even rudimentary ground-based observatories, Captain Yeager was intentionally cautious and methodical in his approach to exploring these worlds. Though they were far from home, the Prime Directive was still very much in effect.
* * *
Captain Yeager woke up at 0600, ship's time. He rolled out of bed, dropped to the carpeted deck and did 50 push-ups. Max regarded him with somber eyes from his dog bed.
Yeager put on running shorts and shoes and a faded blue tank-top shirt. He threw an old ball cap over his tousled, wavy hair, making a mental note to visit the ship's barber before the day ended.
"Come on, Max! Time for some exercise!" The big Lab sprung from his bed, tail swishing in anticipation.
The Captain and Max made their way to holo-deck four. "Computer, run fitness program, 'sand and surf one.'"
"Acknowledged - program activated," replied the computer and the large door to the holo-deck slid open.
Yeager and Max stepped onto a beach of fine, white sand. A mild breeze blew in off of an azure ocean as breakers rolled in, chasing tiny seabirds that ran with quick, staccato steps. Gulls wheeled overhead, screeching in the salt air.
The Captain began to stretch, taking special care with his bio-synthetic leg, while Max chased the birds, barking and leaping after them. Yeager began to trot up the beach, warming up slowly until he developed an easy, fluid pace. His new leg felt good this morning, so he increased the pace. Max loped along beside him, occasionally veering into the surf, once stopping to lift his leg on a clump of sea oats.
After five kilometers, Yeager slowed to a stop and resumed stretching. He stripped off his shirt and shoes and tossed his cap on top. Wading into the pounding surf, he dove into an incoming wave before surfacing and swimming away from shore with powerful strokes. He went about 50 meters before turning parallel with the shore and alternating between a crawl, breaststroke, then sidestroke. The cool water was refreshing, his pace steady. He was in his zone.
In his younger days, he had competed in several triathlons - never winning, but always improving. He tended to compete against himself to best personal goals, usually tuning out and ignoring his competitors.
After the destruction of the Axanar and his subsequent hospitalization and rehab, he had taken up swimming and running again - partially to rebuild his physical strength, partially because it brought a sense of peace and serenity he had lost. He looked forward to his early morning work-outs which he varied day-by-day. Tomorrow, he would cycle through a recreation of the Appalachian foothills.
Suddenly, the clear blue sky opened before him as an archway formed less than a meter above the water. Commander Tamura squatted down and grinned at Yeager.
"How's the water, Jess?"
Yeager splashed a handful toward the First Officer. The water disappeared as it crossed the threshold of the archway. "Come in and see for yourself!"
Tamura shook his head. "No way! The last time you invited me for a swim, you programmed in that damn shark! I had nightmares for a week!"
"Yeah, but I helped you increase your swimming speed, didn't I? What's up, Osamu?"
"Nothing urgent. T'Vel says she's done all she can with long-range sensors and probes. She'd never admit it, but I think she's anxious for us to go dirt-side on those planets."
Yeager wiped salty water from his face as he tread water. "Okay. Take us on in to the third planet - standard orbit. Let me finish my swim, then I'll grab a shower and breakfast. I'll see you shortly on the bridge."
* * *
"Koptan on de britch!" bellowed Senior Chief Hilda Odegaard from the tactical station, causing the rest of the bridge crew to jump (with the exception of T'Vel) and Yeager to wince. He appreciated Odegaard's enthusiasm, but would have Pralax speak to her about being less formal.
"As you were," said Yeager as he took center seat. "Status, XO?"
"We're achieved standard orbit around N'ilmuta III. All systems, normal, Captain."
Yeager turned to T'Vel at the science station. "Commander T'Vel? Tell me a bit about this planet."
T'Vel turned toward Yeager, hands clasped behind her back. "N'ilmuta III is a nominal Class L planet. Atmosphere and gravity are within survival tolerances, for short durations. No signs of carbon-based life, but I am getting intermittent readings of silicon-based life, mostly deep beneath the surface. Temperatures vary from just below 0 degrees, Celsius at the poles to 130 degrees Celsius at the equator and in some areas of geo-thermal activity."
"Sounds like a real vacation spot," remarked Tamura.
T'Vel ignored the sarcasm. "I have plotted several possible beam-down points in more temperate regions. Also, I would recommend that any non-Vulcan members of the landing party receive a dosage of Tri-ox compound to offset the high concentrations of carbon dioxide."
"Non-Vulcans? . . ." prodded Yeager.
She lifted a regal eyebrow. "Vulcan physiology is adapted to the thinner atmosphere and the more rugged conditions. I do not require Tri-ox to efficiently function on the surface of this planet."
Tamura rolled his eyes. Yeager maintained a neutral expression. "Very well. Commander Tamura - assemble the senior staff in the observation room in ten minutes.
* * *
"Because it's protocol you silly woman! You simply don't beam down to a potentially hostile planet without a security detail!" said Pralax heatedly.
"And from what do you propose to protect us?" replied T'Vel, calmly. "I doubt seriously if your security personnel could intervene if someone fell into a lava tube or encountered a pocket of methane gas. This is a mission for scientists, not soldiers!"
"Alright, boys and girls!" intervened Yeager. "Thank you for your candid opinions. Here's how it's going to be. Mr. Pralax, you will send down . . ." The Trill beamed in triumph, " one, and only one, security officer." Pralax's face fell.
"Captain! . . ." protested Pralax. Yeager cut him off with an uplifted hand. "And Commander T'Vel, all of the landing party will be issued side-arms."
"I don't see why . . ." began T'Vel. Yeager raised his other hand.
"I'm glad we could reach an amicable compromise. Commander T'Vel - your recommendations for the landing party, please."
T'Vel maintained a wary gaze at Pralax as she spoke. "I would like to lead the mission. In addition, I would like Lt. D'Sheer of xenopology, Lt. Randall of geo-physics, and Lt. Commander O'Reilley of meteorology."
"Fine," replied Yeager with a nod. "Mr. Pralax - your choice for security detail?"
"You're looking at him," said Pralax, still staring stonily at T'Vel. "I also recommend we bring along a corpsman. Never know when we'll run into a bleedin' lava tube, right?"
Yeager nodded. "Very well. T'Vel, assemble your science team and have them ready for beam down in one hour. Dr. Menendez, please assign a corpsman to accompany the landing party."
"Captain, if it's alright, I'd like to go along myself," said Menendez.
Yeager raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised. "I suppose we can spare you for that long, Doctor. Very well, request approved." He looked around the table. T'Vel and Pralax were still eying each other warily. No one else spoke.
"Alright, any other comments?" asked Yeager. "No? Good! Dismissed - oh, Commander T'Vel? Commander Pralax? Just one more moment of your time please.
As the other officers filed out, T'Vel approached from one side of the table, her expression unreadable. Pralax looked like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Yeager steepled his fingers and looked from the Trill to the Vulcan and back. "Commanders - I know you both have strong opinions on how we proceed with our exploration mission. And I know, you're still getting to know one another, but do me a favor, huh? Try to get along! Or at least fake it for the landing party's sake!"
"I will endeavor to do so," said T'Vel.
Pralax mumbled something under his breath.
"Pardon, Commander Pralax? I didn't catch that."
"Yes sir! Right you are sir! I shall be the picture of egalitarian cooperation."
Yeager gave him a withering look. "I just bet you will. Dammit, I'm serious, Pralax! - We're too far from home to allow personality clashes to affect our mission. I can't very well call for a replacement from the nearest starbase, can I?"
Pralax sagged. "Right. Sorry." He looked at T'Vel. "My apologies, T'Vel. I get my stubborn nature from my second host, Elian. He was a bit of a bastard, but a nice enough chap once you got to know him."
T'Vel fixed him with one of those maddening, serene Vulcan gazes. "Apology accepted, Mr. Pralax. I'm sure you can keep your inner Elian in check." She turned gracefully and left the room.
Pralax raised an eyebrow in an almost Vulcan manner. He looked at Yeager. "Did she just make a joke?"
* * *
The six members of the landing party materialized safely in a hazy, barren escarpment overlooking a rocky plain. T'Vel and the science team activated tricorders and began setting out seismic detectors and other sensing devices. Pralax wrinked his nose.
"Smells like rotten eggs," he observed, a note of distaste in his voice.
"There's a very high sulfur content in the atmosphere," said T'Vel, "though the concentration should not be harmful."
"Your Tri-ox injections should last a bit over an hour," said Dr. Menendez. "If any of you began to get dizzy or light-headed, let me know so I can boost the dosage."
"It's like a bloody swamp here," groused Pralax, "Well, of course, a swamp without the stagnant water, or vegetation or alligators and such - with an excessive amount of bloody rocks!"
"It reminds me of Monument Valley on Earth," remarked Menendez, smiling in spite of herself. "Look over there." She pointed to tall, rock columns in the near distance, shrouded in the haze. "Even the colors of the rock are similar."
"An astute observation," commented Lt. Randall, the geologist. "You've got a good eye for rocks."
The lovely Spanish physician grinned at the odd compliment. "Thanks - I think."
At that moment, the rock beneath their feet suddenly trembled violently. No one lost their balance, but they all looked around at each other.
"What the Hell?" Pralax said, surprised.
"Ground quake?" asked T'Vel of Lt. Randall.
Randall was studying his seismograph intently. "Maybe - but that was pretty sudden - a 4.3 on the Richter scale with no warning tremors. Very unusual seismic behavior."
"Commander T'Vel!" Lt. D'Sheer, the Andorian xenopologist looked up, alarmed. "I'm getting a massive increase in silicon-based life form readings!"
"Where?" asked T'Vel and Pralax, simultaneously.
"Right below us! Whatever it is, it's heading our way - fast!"
Pralax was about to tap his commbadge for emergency beam-out, when another quake - much more violent and intense than the first, shook the ground. This time, all of the landing party lost their balance. Pralax watched in horror as Lt. Commander O'Reilley disappeared over the edge of the escarpment.
"O'Reilley!" Pralax shouted over the din and tried to move toward the edge, but the quake continued to grow in intensity, throwing him forcefully back to the stony ground. His skull ricocheted off the rock and his vision went momentarily gray as he struggled to remain conscious.
The surrounding rocks began to groan and creak, as if under tremendous pressure. Suddenly, with a horrific noise and a cloud of dust and rock, the escarpment began to split, separating the remaining members of the landing party. A plume of crushed stone, dirt and cinders blew high into the air and began to shower down, painfully peppering the landing party with debris.
With an ear-splitting, high-pitched screech, a creature of living rock began to emerge from the newly created fissure, throwing out more rocky detritus and emitting vast plumes of noxious vapor. The nightmarish rock-creature loomed over the members of the landing party, swaying like a thousand-ton stone Cobra. It's fiery red maw opened, and molten lava began to spew forth, flowing ominously toward the shocked officers of the Endurance.
* * *
I've heard of fire breathing dragons, but lava spewing trolls? that's great. I love this galaxy, it stinks.
Gah! 
As that creature broke the surface, I couldn't help but have that line from Galaxy Quest pop into my head: "We've got to get out of here before one of those things kills Guy!"
Oh, and Odegaard reminds me of a buff version of Frau Farbissina from the Austin Powers movies. You just need to have her interrogating a prisoner, and responding to his statments by shrieking, "LIES! All lies!"
Wow, this galaxy appears to have some rather exotic life forms. Here's hoping T'Vel lives to regret her decision about being so cavalier about the away team's safety.
As that creature broke the surface, I couldn't help but have that line from Galaxy Quest pop into my head: "We've got to get out of here before one of those things kills Guy!"
Oh, and Odegaard reminds me of a buff version of Frau Farbissina from the Austin Powers movies. You just need to have her interrogating a prisoner, and responding to his statments by shrieking, "LIES! All lies!" Wow, this galaxy appears to have some rather exotic life forms. Here's hoping T'Vel lives to regret her decision about being so cavalier about the away team's safety.
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Still lovin' the story, though I have to admit your description of the giant rock creature reminded me of a Pokemon.. Onix is the name, I think. Great characterization.. more specifically, the great characterization continues. I was hooked from the start, and you continue to keep me emotionally invested in the characters, and that's key in a good story.
Please sir, can I have some more?
Please sir, can I have some more?
OMG, they've landed on Dune.
Well obviously your underground creature as evoked a lot of different imagery (don't you just love the written medium?)
In any case it's going to be a big pile of problems, especially considering that rocks don't have vulnerable spots. (hmm, where's that from?)
Awesome stuff, right here!
Well obviously your underground creature as evoked a lot of different imagery (don't you just love the written medium?)
In any case it's going to be a big pile of problems, especially considering that rocks don't have vulnerable spots. (hmm, where's that from?)
Awesome stuff, right here!
OMG, they've landed on Dune.
Well obviously your underground creature as evoked a lot of different imagery (don't you just love the written medium?)
In any case it's going to be a big pile of problems, especially considering that rocks don't have vulnerable spots. (hmm, where's that from?)
Awesome stuff, right here!
Give CeJay a cigar!
I have to admit, I did have the sandworms of Dune in mind when I came up with this creature. That and Hortas, so it is at least somewhat vulnerable.And no, the crew of the Endurance won't run into Paul Atreides or any spice merchants (although that would be a cool crossover! Hmmm.)
Chapter Eleven
USS Endurance
Stardate 54188.6
Standard Orbit around N'ilmuta III
"Gragnar's mangy balls!" exclaimed Lt. Gormun, the Tellarite Ops officer from his station.
"What's wrong, Gormun?" asked Yeager, sharply.
"I'm reading a massive surge in seismic activity, right where the landing party beamed down!"
"Open a channel, Lieutenant," ordered Yeager. A cold trickle ran down his back.
Gormun, attempted to open a communications link with the landing party. He muttered Tellarite oaths and shook his head in frustration. "No good, sir - something's interfering with our transmission."
Yeager tapped his commbadge. "Bridge to transporter room one."
"Transporter room - Chief Jones here, go ahead."
"Boats, it's the Captain - lock onto the landing party and beam them out of there - now!"
Yeager waited impatiently as he could hear Master Chief Jones muttering over the open channel. Finally Jones, replied, "Sir - I can't get a lock on them. Something in the atmosphere is interfereing."
"Understood - Yeager, out." He turned to Lt. Philippe Pascal at the science station. "Mr. Pascal - scan the landing zone. I want to know what's happening down there!"
Without hesitation, Pascal activated the main sensors of the Endurance. He frowned as he peered at the monitors. "I'm reading five strong life signs, the sixth is weak and fading." He adjusted the instruments. "Captain! I'm getting a huge spike on the silicon-based life readings - something massive and alive is right in the middle of the landing party."
Yeager's eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. "Why can't we get a lock on them?"
"Whatever happened down there, a significant amount of Magnesite was thrown up into the atmosphere. Until it disipates, we can't beam them out!"
Yeager turned to his first officer. "Osamu . . ."
Commander Tamura was already out of his chair. "I'm on it, Jesse." He and Yeager had served together a long time. Sometimes, words weren't necessary. "Chief Odegaard, you're with me."
Yeager tapped his commbadge again. "Bridge to Flight Ops - prep a shuttle for a rescue mission. Commander Tamura is on his way and he's gathering his team."
"Flight Ops, we acknowledge sir. We'll have a shuttle ready in two minutes."
As the channel closed, Yeager stared at the viewscreen and rubbed his mustache in frustration. "Hold it together down there," he murmured.
* * *
Pralax tried to shake his head to clear the cobwebs, but the effort caused spots to flash before his eyes and a wave of nausea caused his stomach to lurch, ominously. He blinked hard, partly to regain awareness, partly to clear his eyes from the heavy dust cloud that enveloped the area. He reached to his head and winced as he touched the back of his skull. Drawing back his hand, he saw a smear of blood on his fingers.
"Commander Pralax! Over here!"
He turned and saw Lt. D'Sheer and Lt. Randall huddled under an outcrop of rock. Pralax became aware of intense heat to his right and he rolled away, just as molten rock splattered less than a meter from where he had been. Still dizzy, but slowly regaining his senses, he made his way to the meager shelter. He stumbled, but D'Sheer caught him before he hit the stony ground.
"What is that thing?" wheezed Randall, his voice shaky with fear.
"Some sort of rock-worm," ventured D'Sheer. "It must be sensitive to vibration in the rock - our movement must have attracted it."
Pralax began to access the situation. "Never mind that! Where are the others?"
D'Sheer pointed beyond the still thrashing rock creature. "When that thing erupted from the ground, we were separated. They're somewhere behind it."
"Damn and blast!" muttered Pralax. "Have you contacted the ship for beam-out?" he pressed.
"It's no use!" said Randall. He sounded close to panic. "We can't get through to the ship! We're going to die out here!"
Pralax grabbed Randall by the tunic and shook him roughly. "Get ahold of yourself, man! Don't lose your nerve now and we might just get through this. Stiff upper lip, and all that!"
Randall looked startled and blinked with wide eyes at the Trill security officer. "I . . . Yes sir. . . Sorry, I'm okay now."
Pralax thought Randall did look better. Though still scared, that wild look in his eyes was gone. He smiled and patted Randall on the shoulder. "Lad, I'm scared, too. But I plan on living through this so I can tell T'Vel 'I told you so!'" He looked around, trying to get his bearings through the sulfurous atmosphere, the steady shower of rocks and occasional showers of lava.
He pointed to his left. "You two try to make your way around the edge of the escarpment toward T'Vel and Dr. Menendez. I'm going to move right and see if I can distract our friend there."
Lt. D'Sheer frowned. "Sir - be careful! You won't have any cover in that direction."
"Yeah, I noticed. I'll have to rely on my charm and wits then, won't I?" Pralax winked and pulled out his phaser. D'Sheer looked doubtful.
"Begging your pardon sir, but that thing eats rock and spits lava. It's unlikely that a phaser will kill it."
"I don't want to kill it, Lieutenant, just piss it off a bit. Now - off with you both!"
* * *
The Type-8 shuttlecraft Shackleton began to shake as it passed through the heavy atmosphere of N'ilmuta III. Commander Tamura piloted the ship while Senior Chief Odegaard sat to his right. They were accompanied by two corpsmen who held on tightly in the aft compartment.
"Zis atmosphere iz zo thick!" muttered Odegaard. "Ve might not get a gud visual on ze landing party."
"We'll do the best we can, Senior Chief," replied Tamura. His attention was on the rolling and bucking shuttlecraft. She was right, though. Visibility was nearly zero.
"Got zem!" exclaimed Odegaard. "Bearing 38 mark 10, range is yust under 100 kilometers. Five strong life-signs."
"What about the sixth?" queried Tamura.
Odegaard frowned, her expression a mask of concern. "Weak."
"Stand by back there!" shouted Tamura. "This may be a rough landing!" He advanced the throttles and the shuttlecraft flashed through the murky skies, a sonic boom trailing in its wake.
* * *
Pralax zigged and zagged his way over the uneven terrain, agilely dodging huge droplets of molten rock, which, he supposed, was the creature's saliva.
The creature apparently had no eyes, at least nothing that was recognizable as such. But what senses it had were acute. As Pralax ran into the open, it turned toward him, thundering out another ear-splitting shriek. It whipped the forward part of its worm-like body around with alarming speed and slammed its head down onto the stony ground, sending up jagged splinters of rock.
Pralax gasped in pain as he felt the sting of the stony shrapnel strike his back and shoulders, but he maintained his footing. He came up to a large boulder, crouched behind it and fired his phaser at the living nightmare.
The tight red beam struck true, impacting the creature in its "head." The results were disappointing, however. Only a small, rocky chunk, was dislodged from the creature.
The phaser beam must have stung, however. The rock-worm raised its maw and bellowed, once again spewing more red, molten liquid.
"Mission accomplished," muttered Pralax to himself. "I think he's definitely pissed. Sure wish I had another bright idea."
* * *
D'Sheer and Randall, aided by the distraction provided by Pralax, worked their way to where they had last seen T'Vel and Dr. Menendez. They darted around boulders and debris until they found the two women.
Dr. Menendez was holding T'Vel's head in her lap, applying a pressure bandage to the Vulcan's forehead. T'Vel's normally olive complexion was gray and ashen. Menendez looked up at the two officers.
"Where's Pralax?" she demanded.
"He ran into the open to create a diversion. I heard his phaser fire . . ." said Randall, his voice trailing off.
D'Sheer knelt down by the CMO. "How is Commander T'Vel?"
Menendez wore a concerned expression. "A rock hit her in the head and she went down pretty hard. Unfortunately, most of my med-kit is gone, smashed by that huge rock over there." She patted a small pouch on her hip. "At least I had a few bandages in here. I've got the bleeding under control, but we need to get her back to the ship right away!"
"I'm sure the Captain is sending a rescue party," said D'Sheer, calmly.
The Doctor frowned, "Where's Lt. Commander O'Reilley?"
"He . . . went over the edge," said Randall, his voice distant.
"Where?" queried D'Sheer, sharply.
Randall lifted a hand, weakly and gestured vaguely. "I was watching him when the second quake hit . . . he just . . . fell."
Quickly, Lt. D'Sheer scurried toward the escarpment's edge. He could hear the creature roaring behind him, but it seemed to be preoccupied. The Andorian moved forward on his elbows and knees until he was able to peer over the edge.
At first, D'Sheer couldn't see anything through the gloom except the indistinct outline of more rocks. His sensitive antennae picked up a slight sound - a moan of pain. He looked down and to his right.
About a dozen meters below, on a narrow ledge, D'Sheer could just make out the form of O'Reilley, partially obscured by debris.
"Commander!" D'Sheer called down. "Can you hear me? Are you injured?"
No response. D'Sheer looked around, desperately searching for a path to the ledge, but he saw none.
A new sound tickled his antennae. He turned them eastward, and a smile of relief formed on his face. The distinctive howl of a shuttlecraft's engines was growing in intensity.
* * *
"Ko-mander! Luk at that!" exclaimed Odegaard, pointing through the forward viewport.
"Son of a . . ." breathed Tamura, a note of awe in his voice.
The writhing rock-creature, the visible portion at least, appeared to be about 20 meters tall and 10 meters in circumference. As it thrashed its head, glowing lava splashed from its gaping orifice.
"Arm phasers," Tamura said, tightly. Odegaard obeyed without hesitation.
"Phasers armed und locked," she replied tersely.
"Try to get an eyeball on the landing party," he ordered. Turning to the rear, he shouted. "We've got a hot LZ. You're going to have to use the lines to bring up our people."
The two corpsmen nodded and hooked their harnesses to two smart-lines - computer controlled cables that allowed rapid but safe descent, then equally rapid ascent. The smart-lines were used for rescue operations and to insert special forces teams. Corpsman Zhiang opened the rear hatch of the shuttle. Ash and stale air swirled into the cabin.
* * *
Pralax continued to pepper the monstrous creature with phaser fire. While he was doing minimal harm to the creature, it seemed to confuse the rock-worm.
Bright spot-lights dazzled him momentarily and the roar of the shuttlecraft's engine competed with the shrieks of the creature in sheer volume. He saw the smallcraft pivot, then twin beams of phased energy erupted from the dual emitters, impacting the rock-worm.
This time, the creature reacted in genuine pain as larger chunks of its exo-shell were blasted away, revealing softer, more vulnerable tissue. A second salvo from the Shackleton caused the creature to retreat back into the crevice from which it emerged.
Pralax wasted no time in running toward the shuttle as two corpsmen dropped quickly on their smart-lines. The Trill grabbed the closer corpsman, a petite Asian woman. He gestured in the direction of the rest of the landing party, trying to make himself understood over the din of the shuttlecraft's engines.
Corpsman Zhiang detached herself from the smart-line and tried to get Pralax in the harness. He shook his head violently in protest and pointed again. He shouted in the small woman's ear. "The others are over there. Commander O'Reilley went over the edge - we've got to find him, too!"
She nodded. "Go on aboard, Commander and tell Commander Tamura. I'll go check on the others." She trotted away before Pralax could protest. He slipped into the harness and activated the control. The smart-line hauled him up quickly, slowing at the last moment and allowing him to step gingerly through the hatch. He quickly got out of the harness and sent it back groundward before moving forward.
Tamura turned, a concerned expression on his face. "Pralax! Are you okay?"
"Just lovely!" Pralax said, "Swing the shuttle around 20 degrees to port, then ahead about 40 meters and we can pick up the rest. O'Reilley went over the edge . . . I don't know if he's alive."
"We're still picking up his bio-sign, but it's weak. We'll get him out!"
The rescue team extracted the other four ambulatory officers in short order. But as they attempted to extract Commander O'Reilley from the ledge, the ground began to vibrate ominously.
"Hurry up, Zhiang!" shouted Corpsman Reza, "That worm may be coming back!"
Zhiang worked quickly, but carefully to remove pieces of stone from the battered form of Commander O'Reilley. She placed a cervical collar around O'Reilley's neck and activated a collapsible gurney that formed around the injured officer. Attaching the smart-line to four cables, she gave Reza the thumbs up signal. As the gurney rapidly ascended, the ground again shook - this time much more violently and the rock-creature again emerged from the fissure, a geyser of molten rock erupting from its maw.
Reza activated his smart-line, barely avoiding immolation by the super-heated liquid rock. He deftly maneuvered into the hovering Shuttlecraft, stripping out of his harness to send it back down to his comrade and friend.
Corpsman Zhiang was not so lucky. The violent tremor caused her to lose her tenuous footing on the narrow ledge. Desperately grasping for unreachable hand-holds, the young corpsman fell to her death in the deep chasm.
* * *
USS Endurance
Stardate 54188.6
Standard Orbit around N'ilmuta III
"Gragnar's mangy balls!" exclaimed Lt. Gormun, the Tellarite Ops officer from his station.
"What's wrong, Gormun?" asked Yeager, sharply.
"I'm reading a massive surge in seismic activity, right where the landing party beamed down!"
"Open a channel, Lieutenant," ordered Yeager. A cold trickle ran down his back.
Gormun, attempted to open a communications link with the landing party. He muttered Tellarite oaths and shook his head in frustration. "No good, sir - something's interfering with our transmission."
Yeager tapped his commbadge. "Bridge to transporter room one."
"Transporter room - Chief Jones here, go ahead."
"Boats, it's the Captain - lock onto the landing party and beam them out of there - now!"
Yeager waited impatiently as he could hear Master Chief Jones muttering over the open channel. Finally Jones, replied, "Sir - I can't get a lock on them. Something in the atmosphere is interfereing."
"Understood - Yeager, out." He turned to Lt. Philippe Pascal at the science station. "Mr. Pascal - scan the landing zone. I want to know what's happening down there!"
Without hesitation, Pascal activated the main sensors of the Endurance. He frowned as he peered at the monitors. "I'm reading five strong life signs, the sixth is weak and fading." He adjusted the instruments. "Captain! I'm getting a huge spike on the silicon-based life readings - something massive and alive is right in the middle of the landing party."
Yeager's eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. "Why can't we get a lock on them?"
"Whatever happened down there, a significant amount of Magnesite was thrown up into the atmosphere. Until it disipates, we can't beam them out!"
Yeager turned to his first officer. "Osamu . . ."
Commander Tamura was already out of his chair. "I'm on it, Jesse." He and Yeager had served together a long time. Sometimes, words weren't necessary. "Chief Odegaard, you're with me."
Yeager tapped his commbadge again. "Bridge to Flight Ops - prep a shuttle for a rescue mission. Commander Tamura is on his way and he's gathering his team."
"Flight Ops, we acknowledge sir. We'll have a shuttle ready in two minutes."
As the channel closed, Yeager stared at the viewscreen and rubbed his mustache in frustration. "Hold it together down there," he murmured.
* * *
Pralax tried to shake his head to clear the cobwebs, but the effort caused spots to flash before his eyes and a wave of nausea caused his stomach to lurch, ominously. He blinked hard, partly to regain awareness, partly to clear his eyes from the heavy dust cloud that enveloped the area. He reached to his head and winced as he touched the back of his skull. Drawing back his hand, he saw a smear of blood on his fingers.
"Commander Pralax! Over here!"
He turned and saw Lt. D'Sheer and Lt. Randall huddled under an outcrop of rock. Pralax became aware of intense heat to his right and he rolled away, just as molten rock splattered less than a meter from where he had been. Still dizzy, but slowly regaining his senses, he made his way to the meager shelter. He stumbled, but D'Sheer caught him before he hit the stony ground.
"What is that thing?" wheezed Randall, his voice shaky with fear.
"Some sort of rock-worm," ventured D'Sheer. "It must be sensitive to vibration in the rock - our movement must have attracted it."
Pralax began to access the situation. "Never mind that! Where are the others?"
D'Sheer pointed beyond the still thrashing rock creature. "When that thing erupted from the ground, we were separated. They're somewhere behind it."
"Damn and blast!" muttered Pralax. "Have you contacted the ship for beam-out?" he pressed.
"It's no use!" said Randall. He sounded close to panic. "We can't get through to the ship! We're going to die out here!"
Pralax grabbed Randall by the tunic and shook him roughly. "Get ahold of yourself, man! Don't lose your nerve now and we might just get through this. Stiff upper lip, and all that!"
Randall looked startled and blinked with wide eyes at the Trill security officer. "I . . . Yes sir. . . Sorry, I'm okay now."
Pralax thought Randall did look better. Though still scared, that wild look in his eyes was gone. He smiled and patted Randall on the shoulder. "Lad, I'm scared, too. But I plan on living through this so I can tell T'Vel 'I told you so!'" He looked around, trying to get his bearings through the sulfurous atmosphere, the steady shower of rocks and occasional showers of lava.
He pointed to his left. "You two try to make your way around the edge of the escarpment toward T'Vel and Dr. Menendez. I'm going to move right and see if I can distract our friend there."
Lt. D'Sheer frowned. "Sir - be careful! You won't have any cover in that direction."
"Yeah, I noticed. I'll have to rely on my charm and wits then, won't I?" Pralax winked and pulled out his phaser. D'Sheer looked doubtful.
"Begging your pardon sir, but that thing eats rock and spits lava. It's unlikely that a phaser will kill it."
"I don't want to kill it, Lieutenant, just piss it off a bit. Now - off with you both!"
* * *
The Type-8 shuttlecraft Shackleton began to shake as it passed through the heavy atmosphere of N'ilmuta III. Commander Tamura piloted the ship while Senior Chief Odegaard sat to his right. They were accompanied by two corpsmen who held on tightly in the aft compartment.
"Zis atmosphere iz zo thick!" muttered Odegaard. "Ve might not get a gud visual on ze landing party."
"We'll do the best we can, Senior Chief," replied Tamura. His attention was on the rolling and bucking shuttlecraft. She was right, though. Visibility was nearly zero.
"Got zem!" exclaimed Odegaard. "Bearing 38 mark 10, range is yust under 100 kilometers. Five strong life-signs."
"What about the sixth?" queried Tamura.
Odegaard frowned, her expression a mask of concern. "Weak."
"Stand by back there!" shouted Tamura. "This may be a rough landing!" He advanced the throttles and the shuttlecraft flashed through the murky skies, a sonic boom trailing in its wake.
* * *
Pralax zigged and zagged his way over the uneven terrain, agilely dodging huge droplets of molten rock, which, he supposed, was the creature's saliva.
The creature apparently had no eyes, at least nothing that was recognizable as such. But what senses it had were acute. As Pralax ran into the open, it turned toward him, thundering out another ear-splitting shriek. It whipped the forward part of its worm-like body around with alarming speed and slammed its head down onto the stony ground, sending up jagged splinters of rock.
Pralax gasped in pain as he felt the sting of the stony shrapnel strike his back and shoulders, but he maintained his footing. He came up to a large boulder, crouched behind it and fired his phaser at the living nightmare.
The tight red beam struck true, impacting the creature in its "head." The results were disappointing, however. Only a small, rocky chunk, was dislodged from the creature.
The phaser beam must have stung, however. The rock-worm raised its maw and bellowed, once again spewing more red, molten liquid.
"Mission accomplished," muttered Pralax to himself. "I think he's definitely pissed. Sure wish I had another bright idea."
* * *
D'Sheer and Randall, aided by the distraction provided by Pralax, worked their way to where they had last seen T'Vel and Dr. Menendez. They darted around boulders and debris until they found the two women.
Dr. Menendez was holding T'Vel's head in her lap, applying a pressure bandage to the Vulcan's forehead. T'Vel's normally olive complexion was gray and ashen. Menendez looked up at the two officers.
"Where's Pralax?" she demanded.
"He ran into the open to create a diversion. I heard his phaser fire . . ." said Randall, his voice trailing off.
D'Sheer knelt down by the CMO. "How is Commander T'Vel?"
Menendez wore a concerned expression. "A rock hit her in the head and she went down pretty hard. Unfortunately, most of my med-kit is gone, smashed by that huge rock over there." She patted a small pouch on her hip. "At least I had a few bandages in here. I've got the bleeding under control, but we need to get her back to the ship right away!"
"I'm sure the Captain is sending a rescue party," said D'Sheer, calmly.
The Doctor frowned, "Where's Lt. Commander O'Reilley?"
"He . . . went over the edge," said Randall, his voice distant.
"Where?" queried D'Sheer, sharply.
Randall lifted a hand, weakly and gestured vaguely. "I was watching him when the second quake hit . . . he just . . . fell."
Quickly, Lt. D'Sheer scurried toward the escarpment's edge. He could hear the creature roaring behind him, but it seemed to be preoccupied. The Andorian moved forward on his elbows and knees until he was able to peer over the edge.
At first, D'Sheer couldn't see anything through the gloom except the indistinct outline of more rocks. His sensitive antennae picked up a slight sound - a moan of pain. He looked down and to his right.
About a dozen meters below, on a narrow ledge, D'Sheer could just make out the form of O'Reilley, partially obscured by debris.
"Commander!" D'Sheer called down. "Can you hear me? Are you injured?"
No response. D'Sheer looked around, desperately searching for a path to the ledge, but he saw none.
A new sound tickled his antennae. He turned them eastward, and a smile of relief formed on his face. The distinctive howl of a shuttlecraft's engines was growing in intensity.
* * *
"Ko-mander! Luk at that!" exclaimed Odegaard, pointing through the forward viewport.
"Son of a . . ." breathed Tamura, a note of awe in his voice.
The writhing rock-creature, the visible portion at least, appeared to be about 20 meters tall and 10 meters in circumference. As it thrashed its head, glowing lava splashed from its gaping orifice.
"Arm phasers," Tamura said, tightly. Odegaard obeyed without hesitation.
"Phasers armed und locked," she replied tersely.
"Try to get an eyeball on the landing party," he ordered. Turning to the rear, he shouted. "We've got a hot LZ. You're going to have to use the lines to bring up our people."
The two corpsmen nodded and hooked their harnesses to two smart-lines - computer controlled cables that allowed rapid but safe descent, then equally rapid ascent. The smart-lines were used for rescue operations and to insert special forces teams. Corpsman Zhiang opened the rear hatch of the shuttle. Ash and stale air swirled into the cabin.
* * *
Pralax continued to pepper the monstrous creature with phaser fire. While he was doing minimal harm to the creature, it seemed to confuse the rock-worm.
Bright spot-lights dazzled him momentarily and the roar of the shuttlecraft's engine competed with the shrieks of the creature in sheer volume. He saw the smallcraft pivot, then twin beams of phased energy erupted from the dual emitters, impacting the rock-worm.
This time, the creature reacted in genuine pain as larger chunks of its exo-shell were blasted away, revealing softer, more vulnerable tissue. A second salvo from the Shackleton caused the creature to retreat back into the crevice from which it emerged.
Pralax wasted no time in running toward the shuttle as two corpsmen dropped quickly on their smart-lines. The Trill grabbed the closer corpsman, a petite Asian woman. He gestured in the direction of the rest of the landing party, trying to make himself understood over the din of the shuttlecraft's engines.
Corpsman Zhiang detached herself from the smart-line and tried to get Pralax in the harness. He shook his head violently in protest and pointed again. He shouted in the small woman's ear. "The others are over there. Commander O'Reilley went over the edge - we've got to find him, too!"
She nodded. "Go on aboard, Commander and tell Commander Tamura. I'll go check on the others." She trotted away before Pralax could protest. He slipped into the harness and activated the control. The smart-line hauled him up quickly, slowing at the last moment and allowing him to step gingerly through the hatch. He quickly got out of the harness and sent it back groundward before moving forward.
Tamura turned, a concerned expression on his face. "Pralax! Are you okay?"
"Just lovely!" Pralax said, "Swing the shuttle around 20 degrees to port, then ahead about 40 meters and we can pick up the rest. O'Reilley went over the edge . . . I don't know if he's alive."
"We're still picking up his bio-sign, but it's weak. We'll get him out!"
The rescue team extracted the other four ambulatory officers in short order. But as they attempted to extract Commander O'Reilley from the ledge, the ground began to vibrate ominously.
"Hurry up, Zhiang!" shouted Corpsman Reza, "That worm may be coming back!"
Zhiang worked quickly, but carefully to remove pieces of stone from the battered form of Commander O'Reilley. She placed a cervical collar around O'Reilley's neck and activated a collapsible gurney that formed around the injured officer. Attaching the smart-line to four cables, she gave Reza the thumbs up signal. As the gurney rapidly ascended, the ground again shook - this time much more violently and the rock-creature again emerged from the fissure, a geyser of molten rock erupting from its maw.
Reza activated his smart-line, barely avoiding immolation by the super-heated liquid rock. He deftly maneuvered into the hovering Shuttlecraft, stripping out of his harness to send it back down to his comrade and friend.
Corpsman Zhiang was not so lucky. The violent tremor caused her to lose her tenuous footing on the narrow ledge. Desperately grasping for unreachable hand-holds, the young corpsman fell to her death in the deep chasm.
* * *
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A lot of tension in this segment. Very well delivered too, I had a very intense mental image of the rescue mission.
Zhiang's loss is tragic and surely will be felt in a mission so far from home. Alas nobody ever suggested exploring is a particularly safe occupation. A damn shame its always the rescuers who bite it (or red shirts).
Excellent writing all around.
Zhiang's loss is tragic and surely will be felt in a mission so far from home. Alas nobody ever suggested exploring is a particularly safe occupation. A damn shame its always the rescuers who bite it (or red shirts).
Excellent writing all around.
Zhiang's death took me by surprise and I'm sure it will affect the rest of the crew--being so far away from home, every loss is going to be felt keenly. But, like Q said, it's dangerous out there with treasures both subtle and gross, but it's not for the timid.
I usually don't like fan fic, but this is a great story. Keep em comin.
That was a breathtaking rescue! Very well paced action with plenty of vivid description. I loved Pralax’s line: “Stiff upper lip, and all that!" Nice job by the chief of security in getting the survivors calm, focused, and on task.
The ship’s taken its first casualty barely a day into their five-year mission. In Andromeda, there will be no replacements, no transfers, no fresh blood. I wonder how many will remain if and when Endurance returns to the Milky Way?
Nice job by the chief of security in getting the survivors calm, focused, and on task.The ship’s taken its first casualty barely a day into their five-year mission. In Andromeda, there will be no replacements, no transfers, no fresh blood. I wonder how many will remain if and when Endurance returns to the Milky Way?
I haven't had the internet for three days, and this is what I come back to???
Damn, that was a nice piece of writing. You've got some good characters and some equally good exploration. I'm looking forward to more.
Damn, that was a nice piece of writing. You've got some good characters and some equally good exploration. I'm looking forward to more.
Chapter Twelve
USS Endurance
Stardate 54188.9
Standard Orbit around N'ilmuta III
Captain Yeager wordlessly stared at the main viewscreen for a long time, watching the brownish-gray planet turn below. He suddenly realized that Lt. Pascal was trying to get his attention.
"Excuse me, sir?" Pascal said from the science station.
Yeager turned toward the young Frenchman. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, what was that?"
"The Magnesite readings around the landing zone have dropped to a point that we can transport Corpsman Zhiang's . . . " he stopped before he said, body. He swallowed before continuing. "We can transport her now, Captain."
Yeager nodded. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Please notify transporter room four - they can lock in on her commbadge. And tell them that Dr. Verok asked that she be transported directly to the morgue.
"Aye, sir," replied Pascal, solemnly.
Yeager stood from the command chair. He suddenly felt very tired, as if all the energy had been drained from his body. He moved toward the turbo-lift.
"You have the conn, Mr. Gormun. I'll be in sickbay."
* * *
Captain Yeager strode into the large sickbay, which was a hum of activity. He saw Dr. Menendez, still covered with a gray coating of rock dust, tending to Pralax, who was fidgeting on the edge of a bio-bed.
"Doctor . . .?" Yeager began, but stopped when Menendez turned, revealing a smear of dark green blood on her tunic.
"Yes, Captain? We're kind of busy at the moment." She wasn't cross, just intent on her job.
"I . . . just wanted to check on the landing party."
The Doctor turned back to Pralax. "Hold still, Commander - I know this stings." She moved the dermal regenerator over the lacerations on his back. "The Commander, here, received some nasty cuts and bruises, plus a bump on his head. Fortunately, his head was harder than the rock, so he suffered no significant head trauma."
"Charming . . . " muttered Pralax, through clenched teeth.
"Commander T'Vel received a nasty scalp laceration and concussion. Dr. Verok is seeing to her," continued Menendez
"May I see her?"
"Sure, she's in bed six - but keep it brief."
Yeager hesitated. "How are you, Doctor?"
"I've had better days."
* * *
Yeager found T'Vel in cubicle six, lying on a bio-bed. Her eyes were closed, but her chest rose and fell rhythmically. The monitor above her bed flashed and beeped softly in a reassuring manner.
Dr. Verok, the silver-haired Vulcan healer entered the cubicle. He raised an eyebrow upon spotting the Captain.
"She's in a healing trance, Captain. She won't be able to talk with you for some time."
Yeager nodded. "What's her condition?"
"Stable. We've cleaned and repaired the scalp wound, but she has suffered a significant concussion. I've facilitated a healing trance to speed her recovery time. As to how long she will be in the trance, I cannot say. It may be a few hours, possibly several days."
"What's your prognosis, Doctor?"
"T'Vel is in good over-all physical health. Her injuries have been properly treated and the healing trance should assist her neurological recuperation. I anticipate that she will recover fully."
"Good." Yeager stood quietly for a few moments, staring down at the sleeping science officer. "We were able to beam Zhiang back on board," he said, quietly.
Verok nodded. "I just came from the morgue. We have placed her body in stasis for now. Do you require a post-mortem?"
Yeager shook his head, sadly. "No . . . no, that won't be necessary."
Verok frowned, considering. "I do not believe she suffered, Captain. It is apparent that death was instantaneous."
Yeager nodded, sadly. "Thank you, Doctor. I'll let you get back to your duties."
* * *
"I deeply regret the death of Corpsman Zhiang, Captain," said K'Lnthra. She, Yeager and Tamura were seated in the Captain's ready room.
Yeager nodded. "Thank you. It would be wishful thinking to believe that we could conduct a five-year mission without casualties. Still, to lose someone on the first away mission . . . well, it's not a great way to start."
"Did you ever encounter these rock creatures when your people explored this world?" asked Tamura. His voice was even, but Yeager recognized a barely concealed edge to his friend's tone.
"We knew of their existence, through deep scans of the planet. We never actually encountered one." If K'Lnthra took offense to Tamura's question, she did not show it.
"So you didn't know they were dangerous?" pressed Tamura.
She gazed at the Japanese first officer, her golden glow steady. "Commander, I will not intentionally withhold information that might endanger your crew. However, this is a vast galaxy and our knowledge of its wonders and dangers is finite. I'm sure the same is true of you in your own galaxy."
Tamura didn't answered, but his expression remained hard. Yeager spoke up.
"We knew there were risks when we agreed to accompany you, K'Lnthra. I'm the one responsible for sending down the landing party, so Zhiang's death is on my hands. No one else is responsible."
"Jesse . . ." began Tamura.
Yeager cut him off. "No, Commander. I don't want you or any one else on this ship shifting blame to K'Lnthra. We're here of our own accord and I'm the one giving the orders." He leaned back in his chair and sighed. "At the same time, we can't get overly-cautious. We've got a job to do over here, and all of us have to accept the risks involved." He turned to K'Lnthra. "I do have one question for you - when will we meet these 'Dark' friends of yours?"
"While I cannot give you an exact time, Captain, I anticipate we won't have much longer to wait. It's obvious they know you're here. At some point, their curiosity will become strong enough for them to make contact." She paused. "I do need to remind you of one fact."
"What's that?"
"The Dark H'lranthians are not my friends."
* * *
At 2200 hours, Counselor Shain stopped by the Captain's quarters and pressed the annunciator. At first there was no response. She pressed the button again, waited, then was about to leave when she heard . . .
"Come!"
The door to Yeager's quarters slid open. Shain entered, surprised that the lights were off.
"Captain?"
She caught an acrid scent - cigar smoke, she supposed, and noticed a sudden glow across the room - a red dot of light that faded, then increased in intensity. It dawned on her that it was the end of Yeager's cigar.
"Come on in, Counsellor. I figured you would show up sooner or later."
"Um, sir? Could we turn on the lights?"
"Sure. Sorry - lights, one quarter."
The lights in Yeager's den came up to a low-level, still gloomy but bright enough to see the Captain. He was sitting at his desk, feet propped on his desk. A large cigar was between his teeth. He held a tumbler containing an amber liquid in his left hand. On the desk was a bottle, nearly empty, with the same colored liquid.
Yeager gestured vaguely to an over-stuffed chair near the desk. "Have a seat, Counselor."
She complied. "Captain, I just wanted to see how you were doing."
Yeager took the cigar from his mouth and exhaled a plume of smoke. He regarded his cigar, as if noticing it for the first time. He spoke, ignoring her statement.
"I'm thinking of a number, Counselor Shain. Can you tell me what it is?"
She frowned. "Sir, that's not really appropriate for me . . ."
He waved dismissively. "I know all about your damn ethics, Counselor. But I'm giving you permission to read my mind - now, humor me - what's the number in my head?"
Shain noticed the slight slur of inebriation in Yeager's voice. She sighed inwardly, then shrugged. Closing her eyes, she concentrated. After a moment, she saw the number.
"733," she said.
Yeager nodded, then took a sip of whiskey. "Correct. Give the Counselor a prize, Max."
In the corner, the big Lab's tail began to thump at the mention of his name.
"Hmmm. Seems we're out of prizes today. Betcha can't guess the significance of that number, Counselor Shain."
"Sir, why don't you . . ."
"It's the number of people who have died under my command, Counselor Shain. 733. Yesterday, it was just 732." He took a drag on his cigar and blew smoke rings into the air. "I know every name, Counselor. Every last one. Now, I can add Zhaing to the list."
"You didn't kill them, Captain. They died in the line of duty - most because of the war."
He looked at the end of his cigar for a moment, then placed it back in his mouth. "Yeah. That's what I keep telling myself. But there's one thing that still bothers me, Counselor Shain."
"What's that?"
"How high's that number going to go before my number is up?"
* * *
USS Endurance
Stardate 54188.9
Standard Orbit around N'ilmuta III
Captain Yeager wordlessly stared at the main viewscreen for a long time, watching the brownish-gray planet turn below. He suddenly realized that Lt. Pascal was trying to get his attention.
"Excuse me, sir?" Pascal said from the science station.
Yeager turned toward the young Frenchman. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, what was that?"
"The Magnesite readings around the landing zone have dropped to a point that we can transport Corpsman Zhiang's . . . " he stopped before he said, body. He swallowed before continuing. "We can transport her now, Captain."
Yeager nodded. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Please notify transporter room four - they can lock in on her commbadge. And tell them that Dr. Verok asked that she be transported directly to the morgue.
"Aye, sir," replied Pascal, solemnly.
Yeager stood from the command chair. He suddenly felt very tired, as if all the energy had been drained from his body. He moved toward the turbo-lift.
"You have the conn, Mr. Gormun. I'll be in sickbay."
* * *
Captain Yeager strode into the large sickbay, which was a hum of activity. He saw Dr. Menendez, still covered with a gray coating of rock dust, tending to Pralax, who was fidgeting on the edge of a bio-bed.
"Doctor . . .?" Yeager began, but stopped when Menendez turned, revealing a smear of dark green blood on her tunic.
"Yes, Captain? We're kind of busy at the moment." She wasn't cross, just intent on her job.
"I . . . just wanted to check on the landing party."
The Doctor turned back to Pralax. "Hold still, Commander - I know this stings." She moved the dermal regenerator over the lacerations on his back. "The Commander, here, received some nasty cuts and bruises, plus a bump on his head. Fortunately, his head was harder than the rock, so he suffered no significant head trauma."
"Charming . . . " muttered Pralax, through clenched teeth.
"Commander T'Vel received a nasty scalp laceration and concussion. Dr. Verok is seeing to her," continued Menendez
"May I see her?"
"Sure, she's in bed six - but keep it brief."
Yeager hesitated. "How are you, Doctor?"
"I've had better days."
* * *
Yeager found T'Vel in cubicle six, lying on a bio-bed. Her eyes were closed, but her chest rose and fell rhythmically. The monitor above her bed flashed and beeped softly in a reassuring manner.
Dr. Verok, the silver-haired Vulcan healer entered the cubicle. He raised an eyebrow upon spotting the Captain.
"She's in a healing trance, Captain. She won't be able to talk with you for some time."
Yeager nodded. "What's her condition?"
"Stable. We've cleaned and repaired the scalp wound, but she has suffered a significant concussion. I've facilitated a healing trance to speed her recovery time. As to how long she will be in the trance, I cannot say. It may be a few hours, possibly several days."
"What's your prognosis, Doctor?"
"T'Vel is in good over-all physical health. Her injuries have been properly treated and the healing trance should assist her neurological recuperation. I anticipate that she will recover fully."
"Good." Yeager stood quietly for a few moments, staring down at the sleeping science officer. "We were able to beam Zhiang back on board," he said, quietly.
Verok nodded. "I just came from the morgue. We have placed her body in stasis for now. Do you require a post-mortem?"
Yeager shook his head, sadly. "No . . . no, that won't be necessary."
Verok frowned, considering. "I do not believe she suffered, Captain. It is apparent that death was instantaneous."
Yeager nodded, sadly. "Thank you, Doctor. I'll let you get back to your duties."
* * *
"I deeply regret the death of Corpsman Zhiang, Captain," said K'Lnthra. She, Yeager and Tamura were seated in the Captain's ready room.
Yeager nodded. "Thank you. It would be wishful thinking to believe that we could conduct a five-year mission without casualties. Still, to lose someone on the first away mission . . . well, it's not a great way to start."
"Did you ever encounter these rock creatures when your people explored this world?" asked Tamura. His voice was even, but Yeager recognized a barely concealed edge to his friend's tone.
"We knew of their existence, through deep scans of the planet. We never actually encountered one." If K'Lnthra took offense to Tamura's question, she did not show it.
"So you didn't know they were dangerous?" pressed Tamura.
She gazed at the Japanese first officer, her golden glow steady. "Commander, I will not intentionally withhold information that might endanger your crew. However, this is a vast galaxy and our knowledge of its wonders and dangers is finite. I'm sure the same is true of you in your own galaxy."
Tamura didn't answered, but his expression remained hard. Yeager spoke up.
"We knew there were risks when we agreed to accompany you, K'Lnthra. I'm the one responsible for sending down the landing party, so Zhiang's death is on my hands. No one else is responsible."
"Jesse . . ." began Tamura.
Yeager cut him off. "No, Commander. I don't want you or any one else on this ship shifting blame to K'Lnthra. We're here of our own accord and I'm the one giving the orders." He leaned back in his chair and sighed. "At the same time, we can't get overly-cautious. We've got a job to do over here, and all of us have to accept the risks involved." He turned to K'Lnthra. "I do have one question for you - when will we meet these 'Dark' friends of yours?"
"While I cannot give you an exact time, Captain, I anticipate we won't have much longer to wait. It's obvious they know you're here. At some point, their curiosity will become strong enough for them to make contact." She paused. "I do need to remind you of one fact."
"What's that?"
"The Dark H'lranthians are not my friends."
* * *
At 2200 hours, Counselor Shain stopped by the Captain's quarters and pressed the annunciator. At first there was no response. She pressed the button again, waited, then was about to leave when she heard . . .
"Come!"
The door to Yeager's quarters slid open. Shain entered, surprised that the lights were off.
"Captain?"
She caught an acrid scent - cigar smoke, she supposed, and noticed a sudden glow across the room - a red dot of light that faded, then increased in intensity. It dawned on her that it was the end of Yeager's cigar.
"Come on in, Counsellor. I figured you would show up sooner or later."
"Um, sir? Could we turn on the lights?"
"Sure. Sorry - lights, one quarter."
The lights in Yeager's den came up to a low-level, still gloomy but bright enough to see the Captain. He was sitting at his desk, feet propped on his desk. A large cigar was between his teeth. He held a tumbler containing an amber liquid in his left hand. On the desk was a bottle, nearly empty, with the same colored liquid.
Yeager gestured vaguely to an over-stuffed chair near the desk. "Have a seat, Counselor."
She complied. "Captain, I just wanted to see how you were doing."
Yeager took the cigar from his mouth and exhaled a plume of smoke. He regarded his cigar, as if noticing it for the first time. He spoke, ignoring her statement.
"I'm thinking of a number, Counselor Shain. Can you tell me what it is?"
She frowned. "Sir, that's not really appropriate for me . . ."
He waved dismissively. "I know all about your damn ethics, Counselor. But I'm giving you permission to read my mind - now, humor me - what's the number in my head?"
Shain noticed the slight slur of inebriation in Yeager's voice. She sighed inwardly, then shrugged. Closing her eyes, she concentrated. After a moment, she saw the number.
"733," she said.
Yeager nodded, then took a sip of whiskey. "Correct. Give the Counselor a prize, Max."
In the corner, the big Lab's tail began to thump at the mention of his name.
"Hmmm. Seems we're out of prizes today. Betcha can't guess the significance of that number, Counselor Shain."
"Sir, why don't you . . ."
"It's the number of people who have died under my command, Counselor Shain. 733. Yesterday, it was just 732." He took a drag on his cigar and blew smoke rings into the air. "I know every name, Counselor. Every last one. Now, I can add Zhaing to the list."
"You didn't kill them, Captain. They died in the line of duty - most because of the war."
He looked at the end of his cigar for a moment, then placed it back in his mouth. "Yeah. That's what I keep telling myself. But there's one thing that still bothers me, Counselor Shain."
"What's that?"
"How high's that number going to go before my number is up?"
* * *
That is the best line so far.
733..."how high's that number going to go before my number is up?"
Fantastic.
Keep it coming.
733..."how high's that number going to go before my number is up?"
Fantastic.
Keep it coming.
You gotta love characters with a bit of a cynical side to them. Yeager is clearly not perfect and he keeps his own share of skeletons in that closet. (Also he smokes and drinks ... always a bad indicator)
I like how much time you dedicate to Zhiang's death. It won't be the last but as they say ... the first cut is always the deepest.
I like how much time you dedicate to Zhiang's death. It won't be the last but as they say ... the first cut is always the deepest.
