SD 241401.24 JL | "Making Camp" Part II | CO, CTO, CEO, CCO | Capt Neyes, LtCmdr Dahe'el, LtCmdr Caldwell, Lt Larel

Posted on Fri Jan 24th, 2014 @ 9:28pm by Captain Landon Neyes & Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Lieutenant Commander Mathew Caldwell & Lieutenant JG Saia Roswell
Edited on on Mon Jan 27th, 2014 @ 12:04am

1,546 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: In the Dark
Location: Vindicator Camp
Timeline: After Part One

=/\= Starfleet Camp, Notura =/\=

Slightly away from the main group, Almar had fashioned himself a makeshift desk from his tool cases and the assorted equipment crates, his tricorder, comm badge and a phaser sat before him in parts, each separated so he could put them back together quickly, he was muttering away under his breath as he worked, the cold climate was giving him more trouble than anyone realised, his tools were downed for a few moments as he thrust his hands under his arms in a vain attempt to warm them up.

One of the scientists had called for Saia, so she left the other stargazers to return to camp. She frowned when it turned out to be someone just panicking over something. She sighed, shook her head, pressed a few buttons on the tool and handed it back. "Take it easy. A broken calibrator isn't going to cause any deaths. Read over the manual again before turning in tonight so you know when it IS broken." She then smiled and patted him on the shoulder and went to make sure other logistics were taken care of for spending the night out of doors.

Landon had watched the edges of the cloudy sky begin to vanish into a dark haze as night began to fall over their part of the world. He had wanted to get the camp well-lit before nightfall, and the crew had managed to get a good deal of the mag-lights up and running. Satisfied the shadows would be on the run at least, Neyes approached his team. They all stood in the center of the camp, which comprised roughly 50 square meters of small collapsable structures, some cargo containers, and the lights he had fussed over already.

The Noturan delegation was still nowhere to be seen.

Another call and Saia rolled her eyes, "Press the..." The ensign pointing to the scanner screen told her it wasn't the calibrator this time. She walked over and took another look. She swallowed, "Let's hope it's just nocturnal herbivores. I'll inform Captain Neyes. Don't get riled up." Saia made her way and spoke softly to him so as not to be overheard and causing a panic, "There are creatures out beyond the camp... About 20 meters at least... The scanners can't reach farther than that due to the gravity fields."

Neyes didn't like thinking about the things looming in the unlit sections of the area. It was one thing to worry about a random insect crawling out of the shadows, or tripping over an unseen tool lying on the ground. It was quite another to know what kinds of people could be in the darkened shadows cast by their camp, and Landon knew all too well what kind of people liked to tuck themselves away like that. It certainly didn't help that their equipment simply wasn't able to operate at full capacity within the gravity fields emanating from the planet. Crud aside, this planet was one technological disaster after another.

Thankfully someone had the foresight to bring actual food rather than a replicator.

"What's for dinner?" Neyes said cheerfully, as he approached the ever-brightening starfleet-issue fire pit they all seemed to be around.

Saia nodded to herself. He had the same idea. No need to cause panic. She looked back to make sure her nervous ensign was staying calm and decided that if the fellow didn't get stronger nerves by the end of the mission, she'd have to make a note of it in his file. Seeing he was calm, for now, she went toward the fire pit a well, realizing that she actually did feel hungry. For the first time in a very long while. She smiled feeling the proof that planetside fresh air would do her good.

Cody smiled, trying to lighten the mood, sensing his crewmate's slight unease. Picking up a pack of food, he passed it over to Neyes "I have some Earth Asian Noodles with sweet and sour sauce sir? What else would you like?" Shifting slightly, he tried to keep the plate on his lap steady, and not lose his chicken salad in the fire.

Landon accepted the small portion of food as it was passed to him. The shadows from the fire dancing on the surfaces around them. An abstract lumpy mess with a reddish, thick sauce adorned his plate, and the Trill lit up for a moment. It was almost spaghetti, his favorite, and all at once it was nothing similar. It only took one bite for the sweet/sour taste to shatter his expectations of spicy tomatoes and the noodles he was familiar with.

He chewed for a moment, his self-control holding strong as he finished the first mouthful. It was...

"Delicious." He lied through his teeth. "Humans always have had a sweet-tooth. It's an interesting change.

Saia smirked and silently chuckled at the attempt of diplomacy. She decided to see what else was to be had. She wanted something warm and creamy. Something for the cool night. Naranda used to make her macaroni and cheese. It was Nara's rare moments of attempting to cook from scratch. It took until Saia was a year from the Academy before it didn't taste horrid, but she craved it right now.

Caldwell could still feel the bite of the cold wind rushing through the camp. He huddled near the heat source. "You know, away missions like this make me miss basic cadet training at the Academy. Sure, the flies would bite as we stood at attention, but at least it was warm."

Neyes laughed, choking down a piece of noodle as he did. "Was Commander Darys in charge of your survival team?" He asked expectantly.

"Yes, sir. How did you know? She always seemed to like to test whether that region in the Southwest of the North American continent was correctly named Death Valley."

Landon bundled up under his thermal coat a little tighter, wiggling a little down into the warm neckline, and edging closer to the fire. "I was told, by a reliable source,..." he teased, "that she was undoubtedly the only professor who taught the survival class at the end of the year. It always interfered with her plans, so she'd intentionally make the trip more agonizing for the cadets." Neyes chuckled a little. Basic training for cadets was somewhat similar to what he could remember some of his earlier hosts going through when they were young. It wasn't training then of course... it was just life.

Saia smiled remembering her training. It wasn't under that professor. She was considering if her experience was worth sharing when she heard something. She froze and being too frightened to turn, listened for the others.

A snap in the forest made Landon's hair stand up on the back of his neck for moment. He took a deep breath, calming his nerve.

Matt heard the same noise and he reached for a tricorder, not willing to simply dismiss it as the sound of a tree branch snapping. He checked the readings: "Captain, I can't ascertain the source of that sound. I'm not detecting anything."

"I'm not surprised. The Chief is still working on a way to clear up our tricorder readings." Setting the plate down, Landon stood up and joined the Security Chief as they moved towards the edge of camp. He hadn't put too much thought into the sound, really, but it was worth a look. Perhaps they would get the chance to observe the local wildlife up close. There was only about 30 meters from them and the edge of the forest now, and Landon strained to try and see into the dark.

Saia took a glance at the scanner they had brought several yards off. It was more powerful than the tricorders and the ensign was laughing with someone, so didn't seem to hear the snap. She tried to call out for him to check the readings, but her voice choked.

"I don't think it's anything to worry too much about." Neyes sighed, almost disappointed.

Ice had begun forming over the Cardassian Chief Engineer, his species were naturally cold blooded and this meant that he found himself becoming more and more sluggish as time went by, grabbing the tricorder and his toolkit quickly, he stormed over to the heat and sat as close to it as was possible, "I don't know if it is possible at the moment," he growled in frustration as he set about the components.

Another larger crack echoed throughout the forest just as the two were about to move back to the warmth of the fire. The sound of a crashing tree, unseen beyond the forest's illuminated edge, quickly followed. The unmistakeable rushing moan of wood bending and snapping as branches gave way to the fall roared in the distance.

"Ensign!" Saia managed to cough out, but he had already heard that for certain and looked at her. Saia finally got her courage and yelled as she move, "Check the readings!"

"Or..." Landon said, standing a little more straight, more aware. "Still nothing, Commander?"

"I think it might be something."

=/\= TBC... =/\=

Captain Landon Neyes
Commanding Officer

Lt. Commander Almar Dahe'el
Chief Engineering Officer

Lt. Commander Mat Caldwell
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

Lieutenant Cody Larel
Chief Counselor

USS VINDICATOR

 

RSS Feed