"Evening" - Third and final day of scouting mission

Posted on Mon Mar 27th, 2023 @ 9:42am by Captain Samuel Woolheater & Consul Andrinn Orin

Mission: Season 6: Episode 2: Survival
Location: Popsicle One - Blackford Caverns
Timeline: MD09 - The Third Day at last light
3257 words - 6.5 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

BLACKFORD CAVERNS

A spark.

The briefest of flash in a thick darkness.

Then another, a spark from something electrical being activated.

Another spark. Captain Woolheater could be heard cursing.

Another spark and the hoverbike came to life. The engine turned over and the bike started to lift off the ground.

“YES! Woo hoo!” Sam said.

He sat on the hoverbike, placed his foot on motivator and moved one meter when the bike promptly died again and sent Sam over the handlebars and onto the floor.

INSIDE A CAVE

The light from the hoverbike was still illuminated even though the engine had stalled again. Sam, on his back looking up at the bike was bathed in the light of the headlight. He looked back at the bike with disgust. Then he got to his feet and retracted the EVA suit helmet. Paced back and forth in front of the hoverbike. Outside of the cave, the darkness was deep and Samuel was far from the camp.

AN HOUR LATER

Woolheater made some more adjustments. He had detached the antenna from the bike and was trying to call back to camp. Because the comm equipment had tiny buttons and small parts, Sam had to use his ungloved fingers. And it was painfully cold.

Sam started talking to himself out loud. Just to keep his mind focused. He addressed himself to the hoverbike and said as he worked on it, "You know...it occurs to me that there's no reason why I couldn't...say...get my own recon scout bike. Something nice, y'know? I'm not saying that you're not a good hoverbike. You've pissed me off royally twice now. But, ok, you aren't designed for cold weather."

He worked as he continued talking to the hoverbike, "I mean...seems to me Starfleet could have gotten the 'all-weather' package when they outfitted the ship with hovercraft. But....y'know....what do I know? Cheap bastards. So...yeah...if I had any brains then I would get my own hover bike....no. Scratch that. I'd get a repulse powered motorbike. Awww...fuck yeah....I'd do it right too. Y'know? Get a good repulse engine...like...the 900 series? Yeah, lil' sumpin' like that. MMMM--hmmmm...Oooo! I'd get something either from...maybe...Puumja...or either Naussica...like the hurricane? Maybe? I'd prolly have to fly my ass out that far to get it. Huh. Yeah. Naussican Hurricane would be good." He stopped and tried starting the hoverbike again. The motivator came online but then wouldn't go into gear. He turned it off and tried something different.

"But, really, the kind of ride I like...is that Fontalan made one. Now that's a nice fuckin' repulse motorbike. Awww...hells yes. Riccordi, yeah....Interdictor series...yeah...not something you take through the drive-thru. MMM-hmm...something like that. The 'i' series. Fast, sleek, like riding a rocket sled. So I heard. Get this; it has a positive forward shield instead of a windscreen. Backup power plant. Of course it uses a different technology that anti-grav like you. It's got a bigger engine, quiet as fuck tho. When I was back on Titan I heard about it. Some of the other bush-wookies were telling me. Definitely not standard SFMC issue. 'Shitty and Green instead of Awesome and Mean' as they say on my side of the tracks. There. OK. Now please. Just start and stay in gear? I don't want to spend the night freezing my dumb ass out here."

He mounted the bike and it started. That was encouraging. "Yeah...that's right. Treat me right now...please?" He slowly turned the motivator to 'engage' and...

...it stayed open. Sam realized he had his eyes closed and he opened them. "Yes? You goin to be nice to me now? Oh? I get it. Now that you thought I was going to replace you with a younger, prettier model huh?"

He smiled and put his foot on the foot lever and, once again, the hoverbike moved an inch and then died.

The hoverbike dropped to the ground and Samfell off and into th snow. "Ugh! Was it something I said?"

Dragging the machine back into the cave, he decided to call for the cavalry. He tried several times over the next ten minutes.

He tried calling again, =A= Woolheater to base. Hello? Woolheater to base…..anybody? Hello? Anybody copy me? =A=

There was only silence and a few static pops. The desire to throw it against the wall was very real. He was tired, cold, hungry, and felt ever more alone. Sam got up and resisted the urge to smash the comm and kick the bike.

He looked out of the cave entrance. It had stopped snowing. The wind was light. It was going to be a clear, cold night. He was irritated that the technology had failed him again when he was so far from camp. He realized as he looked around at his situation that tonight he would be spending it right here.

AN HOUR LATER – EXPLORING THE CAVES

Lieutenant JG Damien Blackford was a private person. In all the interactions that Sam had with Damien he still knew very little about the man. He knew this, Damien was a survivor of any Starfleet field exercise that they threw at him.

And so, as Sam explored these caverns, passageways, cliffs and walkways…each one not revealing much more of the cave. As is they were trying to remain as private and as reserved as Mister Blackford. Sam decided that this system of caves would be named after Damien.

Climbing around in ice caves, so far from camp. From light and anybody else, Sam knew that he could not go far. And that he needed to keep each passage recorded and not become confused or lost. There was no one going to come and rescue him. They had no idea where he was. And with the hoverbike dead. There was no power for a marker beacon.

Sam proceeded slowly and cautiously through the cave system. Most of his exploration was short lived. There were many dead ends. For light, he used his EVA suit. And the sensors in it to help guide him.

He needed to find shelter soon. Save his strength and find a way to stay warm and alive. There was another passage that led off from the main cavern where the hoverbike was. Sam Aimed the headlight down the passage. As he walked over to get to it, he noticed, above the entrance to the cave the rock formation looked like a horse head. Clearly. There were the ears, the long nose, the eyes and the mane. Sam nodded to it and took it for a good sign.

It was low here and Sam had to stoop over and then on hands and knees. The light from the hoverbike seemed so far away now. Up ahead, there was no more rock. No more ice. The sensors in his suit said that there was a large opening.

SEQUUS STARLIGHT ROOM

Sam crawled out onto a wide and easy ledge. He had a sense that he had just stepped into something…marvelous. His sensors were reading a huge cavern made of crystalline rock. Everywhere he shone his lamp, it met only a standard rock wall. He had to look….UP.

Retracting his helmet again, Sam lifted his hand and the light on his forearm. And high above his head, in a huge dome, were crystals of every size and shape. And when the light hit them, they lit up and the light scattered. It was like, looking up at the night sky on a perfectly clear night. His voice echoed in the massive chamber. All along the sides ran the ledge, and a few meters below the ledge was the floor of the cave. Littered with crystals that had fallen ages ago. There were rocks of every type here. And after some exploring, Sam realized this room was his shelter for the night.

Later, after warming a pile of rocks with his hand phaser and resting his back against the ledge, he fell asleep looking up at the ‘night sky’. Trying to identify the ‘constellations’. The light from the heated rocks cast a yellow and red glow. High above his head, the ancient magma chamber was now a crystal palace. And this must be the observatory. The crystal twinkled, just like the night skies. And Sam imagined himself on the much warmer beaches of Pacifica. Relaxing in shorts and no shirt. On a beach towel on a recliner. The waves of the western sea, the Charpentier Islands. On a clear and moonless night, the canopy of stars was briliant. The memory warmed him up. As the rocks cooled, he warmed them again with his hand phaser.

He missed the company of others and he felt lonely. He was far from home. Far from anything familar. Far from camp. Far from someone he cared about; Andrinn. Far from someone who cared about him. He drew himself closer and laid himself down again and turned the heat down on his EVA. He had to save power for tomorrow. He looked up at the night "sky" in the cave dome. Trying to look for 'constellations'. He coughed and the room echoed. He whistled and the room echoed again. It was like his own sound stage. He found himself singing softly himself. A solo guitar he imagined he could hear. He hummed along to it. It was from the Lalor-Richardson wedding. A solo guitarist was playing. And Sam listened to him play. Now, it came back to him. A memory of happier times. Of warmth and love. The day that Andrinn looked so handsome. So studly. The day Sam asked him to go hiking to San Luis Peak. When the musician finished playing, Sam asked him, "What was that beautiful melody?" The man answered, "That last one? Yeah, its a favorite of mine. My own arrangement I do just for weddings. It's from the Anna Magdalena Notebook. By Bach, 'Bist di bei mir', 'If you are with me'."

Sam watched the sky, hummed that sonorous tune and wished he wasn't so lonely. His voice was warm and the chamber made a blanket of sound that wrapped around him. And, having the company of Bach was not so bad at all.

Remembering all of the days events. And hoping that he would make it back to camp. Looking forward to the morning. It was warm here. The heated rocks glowed red with warmth and thawed him out. His stomach growled and he ate the last of a protein bar. He tried to rest and thought of Andrinn and the others.

It was fitful sleep. He imagined that the caves, the really deep ones, had large living creatures. He dreamt that they could see him. And he dreamed that they wondered what kind of creature was Sam. It would be light again in six hours.

Early, the next morning, Sam left the massive cavern, marking it after the Sequus. Because the horses head led him to its discovery.

Leaving the caves behind, Sam tried to start the hoverbike again. It started, but he could not ride it. At least he didn’t have to drag it back without the anti-grav on. It was hours, and he felt frozen solid. He found his way back to camp and weary and feeling like he couldn’t take another step, stumbled into the camp.

Sam's EVA armor was frozen shut. He could barely move in it. The frozen hoverbike was also going to need more repairs. He was lucky to have survived outside in the Blackford caverns for as long as he did. As the radiant heaters thawed the EVA out, the helmet finally retracted open and Sam's frosty face appeared. There were ice flakes in his beard and on his nose. His cheeks were flush. He took deep breaths of the warmer air. He asked for Andrinn.

Andrinn came running into what was made into the mobile sickbay on the planet. He couldn't believe that he was seeing Sam laying there and looked like he was a human popsicle. The helmet was off of his face and a few of the technicians were slowly getting the rest of the suit off of him.

By now, more of the EVA was thawed and a few technicians were helping get Sam out of the suit. Underneath the armor was a medium thick insulation suit. designed to keep body heat as close to the skin as possible. It was black in color but looked ashy white; Sam had lost so much salt from sweat and exertion hauling the hover bike and sample crates back to camp. He was shivering cold as the EVA was slowly peeled away. His teeth were chattering and he was stuttering when answering questions.

Trills were naturally more warm-blooded than several of the species of the known galaxy. While it wasn't by much, it was noticeable enough for people to see that. Once the rest of the suit was off and he was being looked over by the doctor on duty, Andrinn climbed into the bed with Sam and laid with him, allowing for some of his body heat to rub off onto Sam, so it could naturally help him to warm up a bit quicker.

While they laid there together, Andrinn asked, "What happened?"

Sam was happy to see Andrinn. His lips were split and the blood was frozen. He couldn't stop shaking. He was given lukewarm water - just a few sips - that's it - to drink. When Andrinn laid down with him, the warmth of his body was such a relief. "I'm s-s-s-s-sorry. I....I....broke....d...down. Laaaaast n-n-n-night." A foil blanket arrived; its all that they had. Other blankets were being used. Sam reached for Andrinn's hand and held it. He was calming down. He was told to breathe slower. Let the air warm up a bit. He nodded. He had frostbite on his fingertips and the tip of his nose. Nothing a healing gel wouldn't solve. He was injected with something that hissed as the medicine entered his jugular vein. A portable heater was placed near the bedside and Sam thought it was heavenly.

Andrinn gently slapped Sam's arm, teasing him slowly before whispering to him as the blanket was wrapped around both of them, "This is why I keep telling you to WEAR YOUR COMBADGE! I know it was heavy underneath your Marine Corp stuff, but it could have helped save you! I was....worried about you last night after you left me with the medical supplies. All I could get was that you had the rounds for the night and were going to scout ahead for stuff. I wanted to be around you. I'm just glad you're safe."

Sam said, "I missed you....s-s-so much! You kept me going. Y'know? I wanted to see you again. Be n-n-near....y-you...". They talked for a while. And Sam told Andy about all of the wonders he had seen yesterday, the ice flats, the mountains, the underground cave and the samples h had collected. A marine medic attended to him while Sam talked with Andrinn. Healing balm was placed on places where Sam had gotten frostbite. And during this time Sam's body temperature came back up thanks to Andrinn.

The marine medic returned and said to both of them, "The Captain should sleep now. Now that his temperture is closder to normal. The first hypo was to get your vitals stabalised. You were dehydrated. But you're getting better now. We're rationing pain killers. What I can do is give you a mild sedative. Should make you drowsy and allow you to nod off. But, we're also short on beds. And since you're stable....The sedative is very mild...15-20 minutes before he'll feel anything. And this gel needs to go on his hands, his ears, tip of his nose and fingertips and his toes. He's got 48 hour medical pass."

Sam nodded, "thank you". The medic placed a hypo to Sam's eck again and the medicine hissed into his bloodstream. "There. Do you have a tent to stay in? Are you able to look after him?"

"Yeah, I can watch after him and he's staying with me in my tent, if that's alright?" Andrinn said, looking towards the marine medic who was taking care of Sam at that moment. Before the medic could reply, Andrinn thought of a question he had and wanted answers for before he took Sam, where Andrinn said, "Does he need any medicine or need to come back to the medical tent for any sort of treatment?"

The medic nodded, "That'll be just fine. He's lucky to have someone like you to look after him. Normally, I'd administer a hypo for the pain as he heals up. But, those are being rationed. I'm sure you understand. No, time is the medicine here. Get some rest Captain. We'll see you again the three days to check on your hands, nose and feet." Finishing typing into a PaDD the medic said, "There...your CO has been notified and you're off for 48 hours. If you'll excuse me?"

Sam nodded and said, "I am lucky to have him."

Andrinn smiled as he helped get Sam back up to his feet before guiding him down to their new place for a few days. He made sure that Sam was well taken care of and tucked in before kissing him on his head. Andrinn played with what hair that Sam had before whispering to him, "Are you doing okay? I don't want to leave you. Never, ever again."

Andrinn was very kind. Very thoughtful. Andrinn made a comfy bedding. Helping Sam get ready to lie down. Sam thought about how lucky he was that his training was so good that it kept him alive. That he had people who cared about him and he had Andrinn who loved him. Andrinn's touch was gentle and light. Gently tracing his face, his nose and his brow. The lightness of his fingers was soothing and comforting. The shivering subsided as he warmed. He was so tired. The medicine and relaxant he was given was slowly starting to take hold of. Sam responded to Andrinn's question by opening his eyes. "Everything is right with the world...now...because you're here. I don't want to leave you either. How is it that I am so lucky to have you?" He said as he gazed at Andrinn and kissed his hand. Playing with Sam's short hair was also relaxing. He was so touch starved that he just soaked it all up.

Sam snuggled closer to Andrinn. Sam laid close to him, his head on Andrinn's chest. Listening to the heartbeat of the man he loved. The rise and fall of his breathing. Sleepier and sleepier he got. Until....he dropped off. Asleep in Andrinn's arms. Safely asleep. Sam's muscle tone relaxed and he lost consciousness. Falling asleep on Andrinn. Totally trusting that he was home and he was safe. The active thoughts falling away. The pain of the cold gnawing at his flesh gone. Warmth and love surrounded him. Asleep and relaxed, Sam was dead weight. His breathing slowed and he was fast asleep.



[OFF:]

Consul Andrinn Orin
(signed off by Woolheater)

and

Captain Samuel Woolheater
(thawing out)

 

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