Ice and Snow

Posted on Tue Oct 11th, 2022 @ 4:14pm by Lieutenant Cassia Cavendish

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Unknown Location
Timeline: 2390 - August
732 words - 1.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Ice and snow. As far as the eye can see. Tying a stip of cloth across her eyes, Cassia Cavendish, gritted her teeth. She had to climb up the cliffs to get to the food packs that their captors had left disdainfully for them. It was her turn. Not that it mattered that much, she was one of the few currently able to do so.

They currently number 239, they had lost two people in the last 6 months. And with the injuries they still had among the personnel, they would loose more she prediicted. Climbing up the cliff face was horrible and she had a small window to get to the food for the crew. But she would not be able to carry the whole lot. But she had an idea that she hopped would work.

Turning Cassia faced the two men behind her and held out her hands. They carfully looped rope and scavanged timber to her arms and back. She would commence building a winch that if it remained and was allowed to remain, would allow them to lower more food to their comrades.

"Three hours" One man said softly. "CC you have to go."

"I know Jac."

Rank had gone with the Jean Luc. Turning from them, she began the arduous climb.

They had timed her once, she knew it would take her 40 minutes to climb normally unburdened. This would take longer.

Sure enough just over an hour later she made it to the top, the wide expanse of ledge where their food, if it could be called that, was deposited. It was bland and mimimal but still not enough for them to still the hunger pains.

Catching her breath she looked around. A glance at the sky, she knew she had under two hours to make it back down with the food before the sun vanished and she froze to death. As bad as things were, she was not ready to die just yet.

So she got to work. She managed to make the tripod in minimal time and then gathered up the containers of food, and using the length of rope she had carried up the cliff on her person, began to lower the food down to their prision's ledge. with 30 minutes left before sunset, she finished the last parcle and felt the tug of all done from Jac and the others. Quickly she dismantled the tripod and burried it in the snow with a gray rock to mark its spot. Then she made the long trek back down the cliff.

She made it, just. The sun was vanishing as Jac bundled her into the cave and to a small fire to warm up. She pulled the cloth off her eyes.

Cassia looked up at him. "How much?"

"More than last time. You did good CC."

"I hid the tripod, up there and brought the rope back." she uncoiled it from her jacket. "Next person will just need to reassemble as discussed and use the rope to lower the food. Its under a gray rock, 3 feet back from the cliff face."

Jac nodded. He knew that there were only a few of them able to make that climb, and one was sitting exhausted by the small fire. She would be making the climb again in two days he was sure.

A slim female Vulcan handed Cassia a tin bowl with a small amount of watery soup in it. "Heated Cassia."

"my thanks T'Val."

The Vulcan nodded and slipped away to feed others.

Cassia ate slowly as she dared, she felt ill most days after weeks of such meager fare. Everyone was feeling it she was sure. So she didn't complain or say a word. At least she was not pregnant. She was glad that extra food was given to those who needed it and she often went without to provide that to the young children and those who needed it to heal.

Jac watched his unoffical XO and sighed. Stubborn and quiet. He wondered if she would survive this. He knew they were all dying a little bit each day, but the Betazoid/Human female seemed to be folding in on herself more and more each day.

Tomorrow would be another day, he knew, and they would go on.

Cassia unaware of the thoughts of Jac, stared in silence into the fire as she sipped her meager meal.

 

Comments (1)