Lets Go On A Mystery Tour Part Two

Posted on Wed Aug 12th, 2020 @ 6:55pm by Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor & Legate Imik S'Niohun [Lia Taylor] & Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Avalon [ADMIN NPC]

Mission: Season 3: Episode 4: Cause and Effect
Location: Various
Timeline: Current
2701 words - 5.4 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Seeing everyone all belted in and ready to go, Anje began lift off procedures, once she called docking control, "Elysium docking control, this is Rogue One, requesting permission for take off." She said, laughing as she closed the channel at the name she'd chosen for their shuttle's designation, mainly since she wasn't sure what shuttle they were on, the damned things all looked exactly alike.

Imik sat and watched everyone, her mind drifted to just what was on the surface of the moon. This was her chance to show her people in a good light, so obeying orders would be uppermost in her mindset.

=Elysium Control to Rogue One, you are cleared for departure, be careful out there.=

"Understood, Control, Rogue One out." Anje replied with a smile as she began lift off procedures, in seconds the shuttle was off the deck and headed for the bay doors.

*Arrival On The Lunar Surface*

"Alright, ladies an gentlesteeds, we are here." Anje informed as they touched down on the lunar surface, she'd been here before, many times, especially when the theme park had been there, but this was different, there was nothing here now.

As if almost able to hear her thoughts River said "It's so... empty. I didn't realize the moon could look so, well its kinda beautiful" She said looking at the cratered surface, River wasn't an eco-warrior but she did wonder why Humans felt the need to colonize every single rock in the alpha quadrant.

“Everyone recheck your suit pressure before we depressurise,” S’hib remarked as he clanked down the length of the shuttle in a hunched over crouch, his featureless helmet denying anyone a view of his eyes as they read over the data on his holoscreen. “It wont be pleasant if you depressurise with the shuttle.” he added as he took up position by the rear hatch, ready to leave first.

Lia looked at S'hib, anyone would think he was in charge of the away team. She glanced at Imik, the Ojnas female seemed a little out of place. She now tapped Anje on the shoulder, "So, how far to the object?" Looking out at the surface, she now doubted having to walk to far before her people would suffer.

"Not going to be very far for us to walk." Anje replied happily, "There's a nice clear landing area less than a hundred meters away. We can be in and out before we realize we're even there."

Serenity stood silent behind Anje, her job was to protect the commander. Nothing more.

"Right people, this isn't going to be a cake walk. Keep your eye's peeled and stay alert, we have to ensure our own safety as the Elysium isn't match fit yet". Lia sounded like some kind of sports coach, but she knew all of the away team would understand her. She checked herself one more time and waited for Anje to clear them to exit the shuttle, this was the time she hated the most. Waiting.

Imik watch her fellow away team members, already she could see them falling into certain groups. *Strange how other beings do that*, she thought to herself.

Remaining motionless at the end of the shuttle, S’hib listened to the chatter of those around him being droned out by his own breathing echoing inside the airtight confines of his helmet. “No cover...” He said to himself after eye flicking off his own microphone. “I don't like this...” He said before flicking his mic back on and turning. “Commander, I’ll take point... only exit the shuttle when it's clear.” He said before turning to face the door again, his comms turning off completely as he shouldered his rifle and once more listened to his breathing.

Anje decided to stay close to Lia, for both of their safety, she applauded S'hib's courage to take point, even if there was probably not much chance of them running into anyone hostile.

As Anje stepped close, she turned and looked at her. "How far to the object? And which direction to we travel?" She then raised her fist and put up her thumb, S'hib's willingness to take point made her happy in a way.

"About sixty four meters north west." Anje replied, pointing the way, "We can be there in under a minute."

Lia looked at the surface, "Ok S'hib, you have your direction and distance. Lets get going before I change my mind". Lia stepped down and moved sideways to let S'hib through, *That boy is just too big, but he certainly knows his job* she thought.

S'hib nodded in silence, his suit barely able to replicate his motion. "Depressurise the shuttle..." He said, his dated comms unit giving his voice a slight grain than the smoother Starfleet models.

"Be careful, S'hib." Anje warned in a caring tone, the energy readings coming off of that thing were ridiculous.

The hiss of air was hardly noticeable inside his suit, the only indication he was now in as close a vacuum as the shuttle could manage was the small display on his helmet telling him so.

"Opening the door." S'hib snorted as his padded gloved finger clicked the controls above the shuttle hatch, the last remnants of artificial atmosphere being sucked out onto the surface of the moon, kicking up a small cloud as it did so.

Then he was out, bounding forward before the hatch had even hit the lunar surface, padded hooves leaving hexagonal shaped shoe prints on the fine grey powder. "Sector one to three clear..." He called out, his rifle firmly shouldered as he rotated around, all the while hoping and floating along the surface. "Four and five clear... six, clear," S'hib said as he lowered his rifle briefly, careful not to point at the shuttle or his team.

"All clear, Commander." S'hib called out as he came to a stop, taking the time to look up at the horizon and focus on his breathing.

Stepping down onto the surface, Lia looked around. The lunar surface seemed even more alien to her, than some of the planets she'd walked upon. "Ok guy's lets get this thing found and identified, And watch where your stepping, these bloody rocks look razor sharp". She now checked S'hib and the rest of her away team, everyone seemed ok for now.

River stepped out behind Lia, being the closest to the door after the commander. In front of her Lia left boot prints in the moons dusty and craterous surface, looking behind her she saw that her own boots were doing the same. "This is so weird." She said to no one particular, every step was like swimming in the air, and though she had done zero gravity she had never done it somewhere that once was a bustling society. "Who even though about building here?" was her second non-specific thought.

Anje's tricorder picked up a strong buildup of energy from the location of... whatever it was, "Okay, let's keep our distance for a bit, got a huge buildup of energy coming from the device?"

Turning to face Anje, Lia pointed. "What sort of energy?" She turned and faced S'hib, "Stand fast S'hib, looks like this thing has proximity sensors". Raising her own tricorder she now scanned the device, she too noted a spike in radiation readings. "Anje, could our tricorders be causing this thing to react?"

"I don't know, but residual radiation scans of the area give the indication that it's possibly something that happens at regular intervals." Anje replied, "But I think we should get eyes on it from here, for safety."

"It's in a crater, partially buried from its impact with the surface." S'hib replied, glancing around his view of the lunar surface covered in topographic grids, watching them grew ever more complex as his suit sent out sensor sweeps every few seconds, revealing ancient caverns and lava tubes deep beneath them, but most importantly, the device itself.

"It would appear to be rather damaged." He concluded, noting a small trail of metallic debris inside the crater before once more bounding forward, deciding to investigate the wreckage before everyone else got to close.

River continued behind them not having anything to add however in her mind however she couldn't help but thought that instead of four security officers they should have brought some science officers as well, but she didn't make the calls and was still on probation after having beaten Devin, it wasn't her fault.

Lia now shouted, "S'hib!, I told you to standfast. Now get your butt back over here, before you disappear in a puff of bloody smoke". She strained to see just what the damn thing looked like, from what she could see it was about 5 foot high. *Not a small thing* she thought. "River, you ever seen anything like this?" Lia was asking because River just might have come across something similar, "S'hib, what about you? You ever seen anything like this before?"

S'hib turned, unable to understand what had just been said over the comms. "Commander, the radiation seems to be affecting communications... Can you repeat?" He asked before turning quickly and raising his rifle towards the crater, his visors display flaring with proximity alarms.

"Get your sorry butt back over here now, S'hib", Lia repeated. The slightest chance of loosing anyone on an away mission, wasn't in her agenda. She watched and waited to see if S'hib would obey her order, if he didn't then she would have to put him on report. Not something she wanted to do, but she couldn't let him just get away with reckless behaviour.

S’hib threw up a large gloved hand, trying to get everyone else to stop while he looked around for whatever was setting off his suits proximity alarm. “Red sands, what is going on...” S’hib snorted, rifled still shouldered with one hand around the grip while trying to signal to the others that he could not hear them. “Comms are down!” he shouted, turning his ire towards the object inside the crater, the streak of glistening metallic debris laid strewn at his hooves indicated he was now stood in the path of its violent reentry. “Bloody thing, you’re gonna get me in trouble.” he scowled before lowering his aim, unable to see whatever his suit was claiming was right in front of him.

“Commander!” He repeated in frustration, eye flicking his communication signal to different frequencies in an attempt to get through to his team.

As she watched S'hib, Lia felt more than saw River collapse in a heap. Turning she looked at Anje, "Help me get her back into the shuttle, then we can see what's happened".

Imik also now moved forwards to aide both Anje and Lia, she waited until all three were ready.

"Okay, I got her." Anje stated confidently, draping River's arm over her shoulder and lifting the Ensign from the ground, "Let's do this."

Between the three of them, they placed River into the shuttle. Imik looked at the other two, "Please continue the mission Commander, I will remain here to watch over her".

Lia looked towards Anje, "I think that's a good idea, so we had better catch S'hib up before he gets himself into trouble". She eased herself towards the door, "Anje, keep your eye's on our life signs. I don't want this happening to anyone else".

"Of course." Anje nodded, setting her tricorder to do just that.

S'hib meanwhile had stubbornly pushed on, moving to the edge of the crater, the large scar sliced out of one side allowing him to easily walk down into the shade of the ancient meteorite impact.

"Well, that's definitely not supposed to be here..." He muttered to himself, his eyes following along the shallow trench that had scared the inside of the crater, debris glistened, untouched for who knows how long.

"Still... doesn't explain why my proximity alarm is still going off." He questioned, moving towards the cylindrical object, its battered and dented surface wedged into the far side of the crater with too much of it buried to really tell what it was.

"Commander if you're reading me, I've found the object... it appears to be from our time, but I can't tell what it is... possible a long range probe." He said before kneeling down and removing his tricorder from his side, attempting to scan the rest of the object that was buried under lunar soil.

As she exited the shuttle, she heard S'hibs communication. "S'hib, River is down. We've placed her back in the shuttle, and Console Imik is going to stay with her. Now get your arse back here, I don't want you exposed without back up. What happened to River, might affect you as well". Glancing back at Anje Lia just smiled, "Typical bloody S'hib, bet that horse just did what he wanted. I'm gonna skin the bugger alive on day, you ready to continue?"

"Who's down? how?" S'hib replied with his voice full of worry, unable to fully understand what Lia has said. "Commander, I'm coming back." He added in a hurry, turning to face the way he came, unaware the object was reactivating to his presence.

"I need to get a look at this thing, Lia, find out what it is." Anje said, though she knew Lia already knew this, "Can you give me a few minutes to do that?"

Nodding her head, Lia just pointed. "Go find that damn horse, and the pair of you can check the bloody thing out". She turned to head towards the object, "I'll just bring up the rear, as usual".

"Commander?" S'hib called out, his padded hooves digging deep into the shallow incline that was carved through the edge of the crater. "Guys come on, are you doing this on purpose?" He whined as his view of the surrounding moon returned, seeing the rest of the team approach when his suits alarm triggered, his internal helmet light changing to a dark foreboding red.

Warning - X2 class solar flare detected - defensive countermeasures deployed. flashed across his helmet display as he turned towards the half buried satellite, his wide eyes briefly seeing the yellow hexagonal shielding of his suit flickering to life moments before being hit, the intense green light briefly lighting up the lunar surface as he was sent hurtling backwards.

War**ng - Sui* power co**romis*d flashed briefly across the fractured screen of his helmet display, his internal and external lights stuttering as he skidded across the pale grey dust of the surface, his panicked breathing echoing inside the eerie silence of his suit as he came to a stop.

"Would have been safer..." He groaned while moving onto his side, watching his rifle silently spinning off in the distance. "If I went to earth."

Lia had followed Anje towards the device, and had seen S'hib bouncing off the surface. She quickly scanned the device and then moved to help S'hib, but Anje reached him first. So she resumed her scanning, her result were somewhat confusing.

Anje saw S'hib skidding across the lunar surface and ran to his side, so much as one could run in these conditions. Helping him to his feet she spoke quickly, "Lieutenant, double time it back to the shuttle, your suit is in bad shape, that's an order, move out." With S'hib issued his orders and, doubtless, on his way back to the shuttle, she began to scan the satellite in the crater, taking it's energy readings and design schematics with her tricorder, along with a few pictures, before double timing it back to the shuttle as well, "Okay, if nobody has any pressing need to stay here and hang out on the moon, shall we go?"

Lia looked at S'hib, "You and I will be having a little talk when we get back, then we're going to assess these readings". Shaking her head she glanced at Anje, "Get us the hell outta here, and see what we have".

"Best idea I've heard all day." S'hib snorted painfully, dragging himself into a solitary corner of the shuttle to sulk.

OFF