In the ice caves.

Posted on Thu Apr 6th, 2023 @ 1:14am by Lieutenant Commander Rin & Commander Sthilg

Mission: Season 6: Episode 2: Survival
Location: Ice caves.
Timeline: MD1 (Before "Loss of Power")
1373 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Sthilg had done many things that had scared him in his life. Lowering himself on two ropes down into the ice caves was one of them. Bad enough he was a cold-blooded lizard on a planet that was frozen solid, but lowing his bulk down a small ice wall was something he'd rather not do.

Even still he slowly lowered himself down much to the amusement of some of the crew at the cave entrance. He missed the last few steps and landed on the ground with a thump. Grumbling he stood up giving a wave of I'm okay to the crew who were carving a ramp down to the caves.

Hopefully, he wouldn't need to use the rope to climb back up. Switching his arm into flashlight mode he started into the caves. It felt good to be out of the wind. He could see why some crew were down here. Following one passage he found who he was looking for.

"You're a difficult woman to find my friend." He said as he found Rin down one of the side passages.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Rin asked, looking up from where she was crouched, examining something in the ice.

" I was hoping to give you your medical checkup." The gorn said as he walked over. " Have you found sssomething?" He enquired.

"This smooth passageway used to be liquid water until it froze solid. You can see how it formed in layers. Mostly amusing myself," she explained. "And...you were hoping to give me a check up down here as opposed to, say, the medical shelter?" She raised a quizzical eyebrow at the doctor's unlikely explanation.

" I'm trying to give a personnel call to everyone on the ssship my dear." The old doctor explained. " Ssso if thisss was liquid water wasss the planet warmer sssometime in it'sss passst?" He added.

"Not necessarily," Rin answered. "There has to be liquid water somewhere. Animals need something to drink. Plants need it to grow. Maybe geothermal energy keeping pools liquid? It seeps into the caves, eventually freezes back over. Layers and layers."

"Now, unless you're planning on examining me here, in an ice cave, rather than, say, in medical, where you could have asked me via badge to meet you, how about you tell me why you really tracked me all the way down here?"

The gorn paused before letting out a sigh. " You know me all too well Rin."

Running his gloved hand over his head. " Could I have done better Rin?" He finally let out.

"Why is everyone surprised when the Chief of Intel can sniff out bullshit?" Rin said in mock offense. Then, more kindly, "Seriously, what's this about?"

" Could we have done better Rin. Could the crew have gotten more people out of this messss alive if we had done something differently?" the gorn asked.

Oh. Rin hadn't understood his question the first time around. She wasn't sure why she of all people was being asked. But the question was out there now, waiting for an answer.

"The theoretical answer might be 'yes,' but the practical answer is 'no'," Rin replied, choosing her words carefully. "We are imperfect beings. And because there might be a theoretical perfect answer out there, we feel we have failed because we did not find it."

"Everyone did their best under the most trying of circumstances. I'm surprised we saved as many as we did, considering the damage. The Elysium was dying. Its bones were broken. Its organs were failing, and it was hemorrhaging... everything. Communication is a key part of formulating responses, and most of us had none of it for hours, so we did our best with what we had."

Rin took a seat on an outcroping of ice. "You know why I climbed seven decks to get to the battle bridge? Because without communication with the bridge, and considering the extensive damage we had taken, It was entirely possible that everyone above me in the chain of command was dead or incapacitated. It was possible that responsibility for the entire ship had just landed on me, and all I had to work with at first was two doctors, a helmsman, and a broken AI."

"And I can pick apart my choices a hundred different ways in retrospect, but I didn't have that luxury at the time," Rin continued. "I don't know much about what happened in main Medical, other than you were out of communication for a long time. You had limited information and resources to work with, you did the best with what you had, and I'm confident you saved a lot of people doing just that."

" I hope your right, but I jussst can't ssstop thinking that I could have done more. Perhapssse if i'd left sssickbay I could have sssaved sssome of the wounded out on the ssship. At leassst they wouldn't have died alone and ssscared." the old doctor replied as he stared at a swirl patter on the wall ice.

"And, perhaps, if you had left sickbay, more would have died there without the expertise of the Chief Medical Officer. You were overflowing with patients. Holding the hand of the dying is not a luxury we have in triage situations."

" I know your right, but sssomething up here keeepsss assaying otherwise. " The gorn said as he tapped the side of his head. He let out a sigh as he stared at the ice wall. " I had to wrap children I helped bring into thisss world in foil and leave them in an airlessss cargo bay as the mourge full."

"You've probably said this a hundred times to others, but have you talked with a counselor?" Rin asked.

" The counselling ssstaff have more than enough casssesss to deal with without me adding to their load." The old doctor replied.

Rin folded her arms and gave him a stern glare, albeit wit the corners of her mouth turned upward. "Insert your reply every time a patient says the exact same thing to you."

" I know I know." The gorn said running his hands over his head. His artificial one clugged and stayed in one position for several seconds before finally turning back.

"Is your arm malfunctioning?" Rin asked, happy to get onto a topic other than people's feelings.

" Oddly enough, it's over heating." The lizard said looking at his arm. " The weather here keepsss freezing it'sss coolant."

"I...have no idea how to help you with that one. Sorry." An awkward silence descended, until Rin finally asked, "If I may ask, why did you come to me of all people?"

" You were next on my lissst." Sthilg replied calmly. " I'm sssorry it'sss wrong for me to trouble you with my problemsss."

"The only way we're going to all get through this is by sharing our 'problems' with one another," Rin stated. "But I also think a counselor can provide far better guidance than I can."

" I will asss sssoon asss I have sssome free...." The gorn began before a noise made him weel around. What sounded like something scraping the tunnel ahead of them quietly echoed through the tunnels.

Rin swung her flashlight in the direction the doctor was looking. "Don't worry. There's nothing of note down here. Not this close to the camp, anyway. Let's get you back topside, shall we?"

" You'd better go firssst. You woudn't want me to fall on you." The gorn joked though he kept his flashlight looking down the tunnel.

"Tougher than I look," Rin quipped as she nevertheless took the lead up the steep slope toward there the camp was.

Sthilg waited for a few seconds before he started the climb himself. It took him far longer to climb then Rin but he managed to pull hill bulk to the top. " Nice talking with you Rin. " he said as he undid his gear.

"It was...nice talk with you as well. It's not the sort of thing I'm normally asked. Thank you for trusting me with with your feelings."

" No problem Rin. Look after yourssself. " The doc said as he pulled up his hood and began heading of on his rounds.