Quell’ish - Away Team - Day 2

Posted on Wed Feb 17th, 2021 @ 2:15am by Avalon [ADMIN NPC] & Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Lieutenant Baeryn Whavi-Tonelly & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Ensign Ethal Luen & Captain David Tonelly [Reece] & Lieutenant Tonya King ( Barclay de Tolly ) & Lieutenant JG T'Kek [Naxea] & Senior Chief Petty Officer Fernando De La Rosa [Taylor]

Mission: Season 5: Episode 1: No Exit
Location: Quell’ish
Timeline: -MD4 - 05h00
3218 words - 6.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Sunrise on Quell'ish was not really normal. It rose in the West. Not the East like on Earth. The away team, snug in their tents were unaware that the sunrise was an omen. They thought it was pretty.

The Runabout's computer chimed in their ears "It is o-five Hundred"

Tonya was sleeping soundly. She really enjoyed the comraderie from last night. Hearing the computer chimed, she slowly rose. Tonya wore flannel pajamas. She grabbed what she had for the day, so she could change. Cleaning herself like she was taught in the Girl Scouts, she managed to ready in eleven minutes. Same time she was given at the Academy. She emerged from her tent as she was the first one. She walked over to the shuttle so she can gather the readings like the force fields and all other Engineering tasks for her morning report.

David, who had been up since zero-four-thirty, had just finished his morning patrol of the entire perimeter, when he noticed one of the away team, he thought it was Lieutenant King, he felt odd about referring to the officers by their first names, emerge from her tent and beam away. He watched her as she made her way to the runabout. He started another patrol. He'd give Christian a few more minutes to show some sign of life, before he'd go and pull the young private from his tent.

Miraj refused to sleep in a tent when there was a perfectly good space ship going, so when Acheron put out wake up call, her first reaction was a loud groan. "I knew I forgot to check the alarm." Then she pulled the pillow over her head and tried to get back to sleep. When she heard someone moving around in the back, she knew she was out of luck. "Urgh." she said again, and stumbled out of her bunk to look for breakfast and think about flight plans for the aerial scans and surveys.

T'Kek, like Miraj had chosen to sleep in the runabout as it allowed him to stay closer to the mobile sickbay he had set up in the rear of the ship and potentially any patients. Getting out of his bunk several minutes before the alarm went off, T'Kek stretched and donned his uniform before hearing Miraj rise. "Not a morning person I take it? Oh, and good morning."

"There are no mornings in space." She pointed out. "I like space. Curse all planets to old hob. And their mornings too." She moved to the replicator. "But I do like breakfast. Orange juice?" She made herself a giant glass of the stuff.

"Yes, thank you. And while that may be true in space, the rising sun of this planet says it's morning," T'Kek grinned as the sun began to cast it's rays into the runabout.

Miraj brought him his glass and stood in the sunbeam with him, basking in the sunlight. "I'll admit, I quite like this part. But It really needs to wait a bit. Like gone nine at least. Maybe ten."

Baeryn had a fretful time sleeping on the unknown planet. There wasn’t much noise but every little pop and creak had her on edge and wide awake the majority of the night. She tossed and turned until she saw the colors changing outside the tent. When the wake up alarm sounded she sighed and got up from her bedroll quietly not to wake the other sleeping crew. Donning her jacket and boots she emerged from the tent, scanning the immediate campsite for anything out of the ordinary before sleepily making her way to the runabout for coffee.

Tonya was drinking a cup of coffee as she was reviewing the scans. There seemed to be an area south by southwest from the runabout where it was not picking anything up about ten minutes ago which corresponded with the sun coming up. "Lt. Commander S'hib. There is a dark territory the long range scan is not picking up. It is located south by southwest. I will stay at my post to monitor until we pick something up. Other than that, everything looks great."

"A sensor hole?" S'hib snorted as he continued to run sonic pads into his thick coat while inside the Archerons lone sonic shower. "Try a tight beam scan, if we can't detect anything inside we might as well get a more detailed look around its perimeter, remember to scan above and below the surface..." He suggested, lifting his head up high as he ran a pad over his neck. "Something tells me it's not supposed to be there."

"Will do Sir," Tonya replied. A few minutes go by. She did as he suggested. Finally the reason why this was happening. “Sir, the tight beam scan revealed Kelbonite. This area also has caverns. Should we go on security alert?”

"Kelbonite?" S'hib replied, pausing as his hands slowed to a near stop over his chest. "And we haven't detected it anywhere else?" he added, placing the sonic scrubbers down on a shelf to his right.

"Kelbonite is hard to detect at first," Tonya answers, "This location has a major deposit of it."

"Start a slow tight beam sweep, if we can't find any more deposits get everyone back to the Archeron... until then, don't mention it, I don't want anyone panicking... S'hib out." His fingers traced over his comm badge, ending the transmission before letting out a long sigh, the responsibility was weighing down on him more than he anticipated.

Tonya firmed a tight beam sweep. She did find more as well as other minerals. "Lt. Commander S'hib. There are more deposits of it as well as deposits of pergium. Before you ask, I do not see any of the latinum crystals but who to say if it is in the caverns. I do not detect humanoids but there seems to be a trace someone was once there by scorch marks on the ground."

Steaming cup in hand Baeryn approached Tonya from behind. Catching the last of the engineers communication to S'hib perked her curiosity. She didn't intend to eavesdrop but she had questions of her own now regarding the evidence of markings. "Lieutenant, are you able to identify what could have caused the scorch marks? A ship of some kind possibly?" By now Baeryn was standing side by side with Tonya trying to make sense of the readings herself.

"We will figure that out when we go there, until then... keep scanning and let me finish my shower." He snorted abruptly, once again tapping the comm badge as it sat on the shower shelf. "Red sands, I just want five minutes." He muttered to himself.

"The proximity of the scorch marks to the batwing impression in the dirt, my guess would be a Ferengi shuttle," Tonya says to Baeryn. "They look recent as in within a day."

S'hib's comm badge chirped again. "Commander S'hib, this is Corporal Tonelly, Sir, please respond."

His head slowly thumped against the wall of the sonic shower, hands falling to his side with the scrubbers still buzzing. “Yes Corporal, go ahead...”

David's voice was a bit muffled, as if he was moving as he spoke. =/\=Sir, sorry if I'm disturbing you, but, Private Laknema is missing.=/\=

"Come again, Corporal?" S'hib remarked, unsure if he had heard him correctly as he waved off the sonic shower.

David's voice came in clearer now, as if he stopped moving and was speaking a little louder. =/\=Private Laknema is missing, Sir. He was supposed to be up and on his patrol thirty minutes ago. After he didn't respond to my comms, I went to his tent to check on him. He wasn't there. Neither were his armor or weapon, Sir.=/\=

"Red sands, when was he last seen?" S'hib asked as he hastily wrapped his duty skirt around his waist, buckling it together on one hip and left the shower.

=/\=I last saw him around twenty-three-thirty hours, when he went to bed, Sir. I have been trying to raise him on comms and also trying to locate his suit and weapon with my suit's sensors. Thus far, no luck, Sir.=/\=

"Alright, I'll be out in a minute... do a headcount and get everyone back to the Acheron, we'll go from there... S'hib out." He snorted, hurrying the rest of his uniform on, as uncomfortable as it was this was no time to be going against regulations.

Fernando was outside the shuttle looking over the area when he saw S'hib approaching still wrenching at his uniform. By his determined walk, Fernando could tell something wasn't right. "Problem Commander?" He asked.

Before S'hib could reply, his commbadge beeped again. =/\=Commander S'hib, this is Corporal Tonelly again, Sir. I have an update.=/\=

"It better be a good one." S'hib huffed, adjusting his mask as he held a lone stubby digit up at Fernando, mouthing silently for a moment.

Fernando nodded and stood silently as he waited for S'hib to finish his conversation with the corporal.

=/\=Sir, I believe I have found Private Laknema's tracks, heading out of the camp, roughly south, southeast from the aft of the runabout. Should I continue tracking him?=/\=

"Negative, I'm on my way..." He paused for a moment, rubbing his hands over his face before grabbing his lance, propped up against a crate instead of the Runabout, no dought moved by Miraj.

Ethal was working inside the runabout with some science equipment making the innoculent for the fungal spores. Both her and Baeryn went and collected the spores yesterday and Ethal was now making sure there was enough for everyone to take so that they no longer needed the masks when outside of the camp perimeter.

A quizzical look colored Baeryns face. “A day?” Her voice dropped off as she recounted the events of the previous day. “There were no sighs of humanoid life present upon our entrance into the atmosphere....let along ferangi. We would have picked up something....” She fought the urge to take off and investigate, knowing better then to jump so quickly and endanger her crew.

She looked around the immediate camp site looking Ensign Luen. Not spotting her she turned to Tonya. “I want you to monitor all sensors, if you pick up anything alert me or Lt S’hib immediately.” Her voice was stern and she held eye contact with Tonya hoping to stress her concern.

"I will stay at my post," Tonya says, "Remember I have extra tricorders in the Engineering tent."

Baeryn headed back into the runabout in search of the Ensign. Attempting to slow her pace in order to not alarm anyone. She wasn’t sure yet if her assumptions were valid. It took her only second to locate her. “Ensign, what’s the status of that inoculant?”

Ethal stopped what she was doing to turn and reply to Baeryn. "I have made enough for everyone par one person as I'm finishing that one as we speak, then we give everyone a dose via a hypospray and masks will no longer be needed" Ethal said proudly about her contribution.

“Excellent work Ensign.” Baeryn lightly patted Ensign Luens shoulder in a way to go motion. “It’s looking more eminent that we’ll need to start scouting farther from camp. I’m going to inform Lt S’hib of your progress, the moment your finished start administering doses.”

"Thank you ma'am, I will do just that" she said feeling happy that her work was recognised. Now she needed to finnish quickly so she could help administering the doses to everyone.

Baeryn gave the Ensign a grateful smile before exiting the runabout to locate Lt, S’hib. She slowed her pace upon viewing the expression on the Lieutenant. She caught the tail end of the corporals communication. Her eyes widened in worry and confusion but waited patiently for S’hib to explain further what information she had missed.

"Lieutenant," He snorted as he tapped his comm badge, ending the comms with Corporal Tonelly. "Find everyone, do a headcount and stay here... Private Laknema is missing, I'm going to help find him with Corporal Tonelly..." He snorted, his words rushed and hot, straining the universal translator as he turned to leave, stopping halfway before looking back around with a scratch of his hoof. "Nobody else follows me."

His mask by now was completely clouded over, hiding his gritted teeth and quivering upper lip. "If you don't hear from me or Tonelly in five minutes, everyone gets on the Acheron and you get to orbit... that's an order."


Baeryn nodded fiercely, her lips forming a thin line. She felt confident S’hib would share the details when he returned, because she was confident he would. She almost stopped him to notify him of Ensign Luens inoculant but didn’t. The matter at hand seemed far more dire then the inconvenience of the masks.

“Will do Lieutenant.” Baeryn waited for S’hib to reach the campsites barrier before tapping her comm badge.

“Computer, set a five minute timer and notify all crew to report to me immediately aboard the runabout.” The order came out rushed. Her voice void of any softness. She wasn’t taking any chances given the privates disappearance.

Her black eyes scanned the surrounding area before turning to lay them on Fernando, “De La Rosa, stay here and stay on high alert while I gather the rest of the crew and conduct the head count.” She paused briefly before continuing “ Whatever you do, do not leave the campsite and inform me of any activity other then the Lieutenant or Corporal.”

"Understood Lieutenant." Fernando replied crisply as he unslung his phaser rifle, checked the sights and made sure the setting was set to stun for now. However he was ready to change it if the situation warrantied it.

With that she made her way back into the runabout nodding to Lt King to follow.

It did not take long until the Ensign had finished her work. She gathered up the vials and a couple spare hyposprays and set them to be able to administer the spore innoculents. Once that was done and put into a case for safety, Ethal needed to find everyone to give them a dose. She had the idea that anyone planning or was more likely to leave the camp should get a dose first as they would be the most likely ones to need it.

David was crouching at the edge of the camp perimeter, investigating the tracks as far as he could see them move away from the camp. The warrior in him was screaming to get out into the bush and find his junior team member. However, orders were orders, and he waited, a little impatiently, for Commander S'hib to show up

“Corporal!” S’hib shouted as he approached the vast mushroom forest, the Acheron still visible just over his shoulder, hooves thumping loudly as he slowed his pace. “Just gonna be us, lead the way.”

Hearing S'hib approaching, David stood and turned to face him. He nodded in greeting. "Roger that, Sir. The tracks head off this way," he lifted his arm in the direction he was speaking of. "They look to be careful, measured steps so far. Like he was heading out to investigate something." He turned and started on the path, his suit's sensors displaying a holographic image of the steps on his faceplate, allowing him to see where to go. "I don't know why he went off on his own, Sir." As the senior Marine present, he was feeling responsible for the situation. "I'm sorry, Sir. I should have ensured that no one could break the perimeter with me knowing."

“Enough of that Corporal, I don't need you second guessing yourself right now, especially since we are going in blind,” He snorted, flicking his phase lance forward as the power cell ignited, rippling the tip to life with yellow energy. “Eyes front, lead the way as quick as you can, understood?”

Hearing the command tone in S'hib's voice, David(though a much more seasoned warrior, due to his age and experience) quickly locked it up and headed deeper into the mushroom forest.

Spores danced in the thick air as mildew formed over his body, despite the lack of sunlight it was relatively warm beneath the fungal canopy S'hib noted, moist with a strange amalgamation of life and decay all around.

If he wasn't for the seriousness of the situation, he may have found the view oddly beautiful.

About ten minutes later, David stopped dead in his tracks. "Freeze!" He barked with authority. Slowly, he panned his head left and right. "Sir, what ever you do, do. Not. Move."

“Corporal...” He said softly, feeling the ground beneath his right hoof subsiding slowly like wet sponge. “Give me good news.” S’hib huffed as his tail lashed out nervously behind him.

Continuing to scan the area, David replied in a whisper. "Good and bad, Sir. Two things. One, I found Laknema. Two, we need to step back, very, very slowly. The ground we are standing on appears to be the roof of an underground cavern. I am already seeing stress fractures forming by our combined weight."

"Try and lay down, spread the weight-" He started as he watched the thick brownish-white trunk of a massive fungal tree shift and sink somewhat, the hollow sound of debris hitting the cavern floor and echoing pricking his ears and panicking him even more.

"S'hib to Acheron," He snorted as he slapped his comm badge, feeling his hooves sink further into the sponge-like earth beneath him. "Emergency transport! Now!" S'hib bellowed as he reached forward and grabbed Corporal Tonelly, his hoofed digits wrapping around whatever strap or buckle he could find.

Moments later and the floor gave way beneath them both, fungal trees on either side subsided with wet thumps as their wide flat caps shifted atop of each other, stopping the majority of the cavern roof from falling into the depths below.

Not about to be outdone by some oversized mushrooms, S'hib also had stubbornly refused to fall, though for how much longer he was unsure as he looked at the murky canopy above, his phase lance somehow bridging the gap they had fallen into was already starting to bow from their combined weight.

"Red... sands..." He strained while glancing down at the Corporal swinging between his legs, his iron grip on the lance above was already on the cusp of breaking, and every subtle movement or shift in weight made his muscles and tendons burn in protest.

Tonya staying at her post, she was monitoring the chatter since she was near the Teleporter. Hearing S'hib trademark words which could indicate he needed help, she messages him, "Lt. Cmdr S'hib, do you require assistance or help?"

"Transport! now!" He pleaded, feeling his fingers slipping free from their purchase.

"Wait!" David shouted. Quickly, yet carefully, he typed a few quick commands into his left gauntlet. Then, aim his left hand at Laknema's body, a small puff was heard and a tiny transponder shot out from the gauntlet and securely attached to the private's armor. "Ready to transport, any time now!"

Tonya did as order as she hope it was in time.

=/\= TBC=/\=