A Serene Escape: Discovering the Perfect Tropical Haven

Posted on Thu May 16th, 2024 @ 4:35am by Avalon [ADMIN NPC] & Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Captain Gary Taylor & Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Captain Samuel Woolheater & Lieutenant N'vok Holv & Lieutenant JG Damien Blackford & Senior Chief Petty Officer Fernando De La Rosa [Taylor] & Staff Sergeant Leilani Charles {Kelea-Salik} & Nicholas Mathias

Mission: Season 6 HIATUS
Location: Transporter Room 1 and New Planet Surface
Timeline: MD 1 - 03/03/2398 - 10h00
4571 words - 9.1 OF Standard Post Measure

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, amidst the twinkling stars and distant galaxies, a weary crew embarked on a quest for the ultimate sanctuary—a tropical planet where they could find solace and rejuvenation amidst nature's finest offerings. With their spacecraft navigating the endless void, they sought out a paradise adorned with white sandy beaches, vibrant coral reefs, crystal clear waters, lush rainforests, and majestic mountains crowned with cascading waterfalls. Their journey unfolded like a cosmic odyssey, each moment bringing them closer to the elusive haven they so desperately sought.

They found it, hidden deep in a nebular.

As the crew's spacecraft approached the chosen destination, anticipation hung thick in the air. Their eyes eagerly scanned the horizon, searching for the telltale signs of paradise. And then, like a mirage materializing from the depths of space, it appeared before them—a tropical planet of unparalleled beauty and serenity.

Their first glimpse of paradise came as the probes launched descended towards the coastline—a stretch of pristine white sands that seemed to stretch for eternity. The crew's hearts swelled with joy as they considered setting foot on the soft, powdery shores, feeling the warmth of the sun against their skin and the gentle kiss of the ocean breeze. Here, amidst the tranquil expanse of the beach, they found respite from the chaos of their interstellar journey, each grain of sand a testament to the timeless beauty of nature's embrace.

Venturing into the azure depths of the ocean, the scans discovered a world teeming with life and color. Beneath the surface, vibrant coral reefs flourished, their intricate formations providing a sanctuary for a dazzling array of marine creatures. With view the crew marveled at the kaleidoscope of colors that surrounded them—the iridescent scales of tropical fish, the graceful movements of sea turtles, and the delicate dance of coral polyps swaying in the current. Here, amidst the crystal clear waters, they found a sense of wonder and awe that transcended the boundaries of space and time.

Leaving the coastline behind, the probes ventured deeper into the heart of the island, where dense tropical rainforests awaited. Towering trees stretched towards the heavens, their lush canopies casting dappled shadows upon the forest floor. With each meter, the air grew thick with the scent of exotic blooms and the chorus of chirping birds filled their ears. Here, amidst the tranquil beauty of the rainforest, they found sanctuary amidst the embrace of nature's bounty, each leaf a testament to the resilience and vitality of life.

Ascending into the island's interior, the probe discovered a landscape transformed—a realm of towering mountains and cascading waterfalls that seemed to reach towards the sky. Crystalline streams wound their way through verdant valleys, their waters cascading over rocky cliffs with breathtaking force and beauty. At the summit, the crew stood in awe, gazing out over a panorama of natural splendor that stretched as far as the eye could see. Here, amidst the majestic beauty of the mountains, they found a sense of peace and tranquility that washed over them like a gentle breeze, each waterfall a reminder of the timeless power and grace of nature's hand.

These images were shown across the Elysium. And as it was moved into a stable orbit. Their limited Starfighters were launched in a CAP and scanning of the small system.

“Science and Security Teams to Transporter Room 1, for exploration.”

Warning sensors were launched to keep an eye out for incoming vessels.

N'vok arrived, carrying a heavy satchel, it had been sometime since he was last involved on a planetary survey.

Fernando entered the transporter room next. He was beaming from ear to ear. he and Heather were the proud parents of a baby girl. Born only a few hours earlier. He had a hand phaser and a phaser rifle along with a tricorder. Seeing N'vok he nodded and spoke. "Don't know about you but I am ready to have some solid ground under me." He jerked a thumb at the phaser rifle slung over his shoulder. "Sure hope I don't have to use this."

N'vok raised an eyebrow. "Agreed. To my knowledge, we have not detected any lifeforms on the planet likely to be a threat requiring such firepower."

"True enough sir." Fernando readily agreed. "Better to be safe than sorry." As he double checked the settings on his phaser.

Leilani was next to join the group, she was as excited as everyone else at being able to get down to the surface. Her skills as Archaeologist and Anthropologist would definitely be put to good use. “This is so exciting! It looks ideal from the surface scans so far.” She looked towards Fernando. “I believe Congratulations are in order Chief?”

Fernando nodded excitedly, the smile growing even brighter. "Thank you Leilani. Yes, a beautiful baby girl."

“That’s wonderful Chief!” Leilani grinned. “When we get back I’ll pop and see Heather, I have a little gift.”

"Please do Leilani, Heather would love the company and I'll say thank you now for the gift." Fernando replied.

Gary entered the transporter room next. It felt good to be out of sickbay and out among the crew and active again. As he entered he saw Fernando's bright smile and thought. *I've never seen him not smiling* However, this smile was different it was a megawatt smile. "Why the big smile Fernando?"

"Ah! Hello Captain and welcome back! I am the proud father of a baby girl! She was born just a few hours ago."

"That is good news Fernando. Congratulations to you and Heather on the birth of your daughter."

"Thank you, Captain. I will be sure to tell Heather." Fernando replied still smiling.

Avalon appeared. "Captain, when your team is assembled, the Commodore has cleared the beam down location."

Gary nodded, "Thank you Avalon. The other members will be shortly." Gary replied acknowledging the AI's statement.

Nick came in carrying a few bits of science scanning equipment and said, "Sorry, I'm late. I just had to gather a few last minute things to do some detailed scans of the planet below. I heard there were some good digs down there, so I wanted to be ready."

Captain Woolheater walked briskly towards transporter room one. The sensor and drone data coming back was fantastic. What a jewel of a planet! Pristine white sandy beaches (the best kind!), clear water, tropical forests and tall mountains and waterfalls. This could very well be Circinus’ answer to Risa.

Dressed in his standard utility MARPAT uniform, sturdy, well-fitted boots designed for hiking and rugged terrain he walked into the transporter room. On his back was a durable backpack with multiple compartments for just so many activities. He had ration packs, packs of synthesized protein strips, water rations and other camping gear. He secreted away a pair of swimming trunks and flipitty-flops should they “somehow” end up on the beach. There was also a snorkel mask in one of those compartments on his back. His sleeping bag was stuffed in there as well. Excuse me, a ‘tactical sleeping system’ complete with sleep mat for rough surfaces to lie on.

In his magic bag on his back was also a portable, lightweight shelter, built for one or two persons but better than being eaten alive by ‘squitos’ or whatever this planet had to offer. Really not much more than a tarp and cords to hang it up. Stakes and cords and so on were in there. There was a quality SFMC water filtration kit and two water bottles made from transparent aluminum with the filter inside for easy stowage. Even came with Sgt. Hardass water purification tablets. One of the larger pouches was dedicated to lightweight, high-energy foods and three days’ worth of MRE’s (meals ready to eat). There were even ‘caveman approved’ emergency fire creation kits ‘Sparkies’ as they were called. Good for warming, cooking and signaling if somehow the other tech failed. Don’t say it can’t happen and jinx the whole deal. This time around they would be smarter than a neanderthal. He had his k-bar knife on his thigh and a small repair kit in a pouch on the backpack.

He carried an emergency med-kit on which he had written a long time ago “Ouchies”. There was an emergency transponder and transporter locater beacon when it was just better to bug out and even an old-timey compass. Only works if the planet you’re on has a magnetic field but, rest assured, if it didn’t this little gadget could be calibrated to other fields. On the outside pouch dangled in a net a flashlight and a camp light. A whistle for if one was trapped and happened to also be trapped with the backpack on. Hygiene crap like toothpaste and emergency Scotch and Vodka. Just the bare necessities. Total weight was a very manageable 45 pounds (approx. 18kg). Slung on his shoulder was his TR-116 and scope. Fully charged and ready.

Samuel looked at the assembled away team and didn’t recognize some of the faces. He did see the XO, Captain Taylor, the highest-ranking officer and nodded a greeting to him first, “Captain Taylor” followed by a visual scan of the fellow away team and a nod and a “Yut!”

"You look like you're planning on getting lost!" S'hib snorted as he walked in behind Samuel, staring at him up and down with a bemused smirk.

He in contrast was dressed in very little, wearing nothing but an ankle length skirt, deep honey in colour and barely thin enough to see a silhouette of his legs.

"It's ok though If you do..." He said as he clicked by, slapping a heavy cloven hand on his shoulder. "I'll come save you."

Commander S'hib's heavy cloven hand was expertly placed on Sam's shoulder. Just in a spot where he could land it heavily on the meaty part of his upper arm and not on a nerve cluster that would have sent tingly sensations down his arm and neck. Standing tall, the Chief of Security ribbed him with a barb. Sam nodded, "Commander" he answered. Sam had read the reports from the away mission and it had been an ordeal. Including the rescue of so many. It was good to see the away team back safely. Sam answered, "Yes sir, don't come too quickly though? If I get lost, I'll be sure to leave a trail of clues behind for you to follow."

S'hib gave a little chuckle at the comment, moving his way through the room and up onto the transporter, his hooves rattling against the transparent aluminium panels as he did so. "Who we missing?" he said to nobody in particular as he turned and stretched his shoulders, a dull ache persisting from the previous days.

Sam looked over at the XO and saw CPO De La Rosa and went over to him, "Chief. Good to see you."

Gary saw Captain Woolheater enter and returned the man's nod. Commander S'hib entered behind Woolheater. S'hib engaged in a brief conversation before moving tothe transporter pad. Woolheater meanwhile was talking to Fernando.

"Ah! Hello Captain Woolheater sir. It is good to see you as well. Are you ready to visit this planet? It sounds almost too good to be true." Fernando replied.

"Just Lieutenant Blackford, S'hib." Gary replied to the Security's Chief's question.

Sam setting the backpack down near the transporter platform but keeping the rifle slung over his shoulder drew nearer and inclined his head to Fernando, "Yeah Chief, breathe some fresh air, not recycled? Fresh water too. The drones are discovering some new and exciting everytime a sensor batch comes back. I'm hoping to get some beach time and some hiking ime inthe mountains right here baby." He indicated to a PaDD with a live map. "Catch from real sunlight, get some nice vitamin D, y'know? Sign me up." He was all smiles and put away the PaDD, "Hey? The Lance Corporal Underground has been busy lately. I heard about the newest addition to your family! Offer my congrats on the wonderful news and couldn't be happier for you. Wishing you Heather all endless joy and love for your new kiddo."

Fernando looked at the PaDD and the map it contained. "That looks good sir. S you said, it will be good to breathe some genuine fresh air. Feel the wind in your face and the sun on your skin. I'd even settle for some rain. I'm hoping to take Heather and the kids down, soak up some sun on a beach. I don't think Heather will want to do much walking." He beamed as Sam congratulated him on the birth of Heather and his daughter. "Thank you very much sir for the well wishes. I will pass them on to Heather as well."

Leilani offered a hopeful glance. “Hopefully we’ll all be able to get our kids down onto the planet, it’ll be good for them to get some fresh air and run around in real grass for a while.”

"I know Cody would be one amazed and trilled beyond happy little boy to crawl around on grass and breathe fresh air. Being on the ship is all he knows." Fernando added.

"Oh hell yeah, kids need to get outside and see the natural world. And this place looks like it fits the bill." Sam nodded to Lelani, "Staff Sergeant. How's George doing these days?"

Leilani offered a smile. “He’s doing great thank you, we’re hoping to get him back up to full fitness soon, he’s itching to get back flying again.”

Sam nodded, "Good to hear"

Stepping around to greet the Science uniformed crew member, "I don't believe we have met Lieutenant?" Military protocol regulated how junior officers interacted with senior officers. In this case, Samuel and Lieutenant Holv were on equal par as far as rates went. "What area of the Sciences is your specialty?"

The Vulcan offered his hand. "A pleasure, sir. I have taken all knowledge to be my province. But at the moment, Thi'lean studies dominate my work."

It was not common for a Vulcan to initiate a handshake. Not unheard of either but surprising none the less. In a good way too. The man had a firm handshake and looked him in the eye. This Vulcan had character. Clasping his hand and returning the handshake Sam considered his answer. "Good to hear that. 'Know your enemy and know yourself'. I got a chance to read the away team report concerning the arena you all witnessed. And, quite honestly, I'm still irritated about the probe and its ability to induce nightmares. You all got to see the 'Tee-H's' up close. Closer than you probably wanted. I think we're going to have to get even closer if we're going to beat these people. Science the hell out of them if we can ay?" He released the handshake.

N'vok nodded. "They are an interesting puzzle but one I think we finally have all of their pieces to solve. Though there will still be some unanswered questions at the end. Though in science it is always good to have more to look for. Such as this lovely planet we are about to explore."

"Yup" Sam said with a nod. "I believe we're going to be the first footprints on the surface? Well, first from the Milky Way galaxy at any rate."

"That seems a logical statement," said N'vok.

"Indeed" he answered. "See you planetside". Sam excused himself a moment to call Andrinn, =A= Woolheater to Consul Orin? =A=

Andrinn was sipping a bit of a new coffee blend that he found in the computers known as a Caribbean blend when his combadge chirped for a moment before he heard Sam's voice calling him. Andrinn replied, "What's up, Sam? Everything alright?"

Hearing Andrinn's voice, Sam grinned, turning away from the group for just a moment he said, =A= Hey. I'm heading down to the surface. I'll be back soon. See you later? =A=

"Okay, just let me know if you're going to be late or anything and I hope that you have fun down there. Andrinn out," Andrinn replied before closing out the channel.

It was then that Sam noticed the quiet six-foot tall other Science crewman, "Sam Woolheater. I don't think I've met you yet" he said extending a handshake to the man with the dark hair.

Nicholas extended a free hand and shook Sam's as he replied, "Yeah, I'm one of the A/A officers onboard. My name is Nicholas Mathies. It's nice to meet you!"

Damien walked briskly through the halls of the Elysium, having heard the call for the teams to assemble, he'd quickly made sure someone was available to take over from him in the Brig, before quickly making his way out. It had been some time since he'd last been on an Away Team and wasn't quite sure what equipment he'd need. Eventually, he'd come to the conclusion that any specialised equipment would have been relayed to him, so instead opted to simply take his Phaser and a basic tricorder. Of course, in typical fashion, this had taken him much longer than he'd anticipated and was now stressing he was late and holding the team up. Stopping outside the doors to the Transporter Room, he took a deep breath, made sure his uniform was smoothed and presentable, and stepped through the doors.

"Apologies for my tardiness." He said, attempting to address both Captain Taylor and Commander S'hib at the same time. "I was unsure of what equipment was needed for the Planet's surface, and lost track of time."

The transporter chief cleared their throat. "Um.. can you all get on the Padd? I need to beam you down. Commodores orders"

Picking up his backpack again and putting it over his shoulders, Sam stepped up to the rear of the transporter pad as the others took their places.

==

The away team beamed down into a small clearing just a few hundred meters from a white sandy beach. They could glimpse it through the trees, and beyond the beach, crystal clear blue water. There were various sounds of birds, and the sound of wind rustling the branches and leaves in the tropical canopy above them.

N'vok paused to just look around for almost a full minute,simpy absorbing the sense of the place, before snapping open his tricorder and begining a standard scan.

Sam took a deep breath and smelled the ocean. It was bright here and the white sands of the beach shone brillantly. The sky was richly blue and he could hear the ocean in the distance. He exhaled and loved it. He looked around at the others and smiled, "Awww...I could get used to this!"

Damien couldn't help himself. Stepping up next to the Marine Captain, a grin spread across his face as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Opening then, he nodded his agreement. "Ain't that the truth of it."

Leilani was completely in awe of the sight before them, it was a tropical paradise that she would happily give up everything to live in. “Wow! This is....incredible!”

Standing next to Leilani, Fernando let out a low whistle. "Wow!" He exclaimed. If the scans are as good as this looks, this is an answer to a lot of people's dreams."

N'vok nodded idly and began walking out in an expanding spiral following standard protocols.

Nicholas got out his tricorder from its holster and began taking a few readings, where he found several locations of ancient civilizations. "Looks like there might be some ruins nearby Lt. Holv. Might be something left here by a former civilization."

"Direction?" asked N'vok.

Nicholas looked down at his tricorder and replied, "Depends on which one you want to take a look at. There's at least a dozen in the nearby area, but the closest one is about a kilometer NNW of here, sir and it looks like to be close to the center of what used to be one of their biggest towns."

"I need everyone with tricorders to spread out in a line and move forward in the direction that Nicholas indicates." This was science territory and N'vok knew what needed to be done. "We are looking for ruins and other sophont-created items and also anything that might be a danger. If you encounter anything odd, stop and give a shout and everyone else will converge. But we are primarily gathering information and mapping the extent of the ruins at the moment as long as nothing seems dangerous."

Sam surveilled the area and looked around as he listened to the sounds of the distant ocean waves. The sounds of clean, fragrant and cooling air breezed through a spartan canopy of trees. He heard, at the moment, a most delightful little cooing. Something akin to a kitty in tone and urgency, timbre and qaulity. And yet still alien with a hiss like that of a small pocket-sized steam engine. There, up in the tree, sat a purple hued, winged little dragon. It eyed them from its perch above them with a curious look on its wee little head. About a meter in length, it was resting on a branch with a cluster of green bulbs and red, fruity flesh inside. It blinked at Sam, making eye contact and unafraid. The kind of lack of fear or agression from never having seen a human before. It's wings were relaxed and folded when they suddenly opened and it alighted from the branch. Flittering, wings incredibly slowly did they beat that one for a moment was puzzeled by how such a creature could stay aloft with such a slow beat of its wings? It seemed to take an interest in Captain Taylor and with effortless conviviality hovered just above his head looking for a place to land before deciding that his shoulder was best. Sam said, "Uhhhh...Captain?"

Leilani was completely smitten by what appeared to be a cute little dragon. “Oh my...what a gorgeous creature.” She moved a little closer but not close enough to alarm the dragon. She slowly raised her tricorder taking what scans of the dragon she could, this definitely came under her area as ship’s anthropologist. “This is amazing!”

N'vok raised an eyebrow. "Sargent Charles," he said, "unless said piece of alien fauna is a threat, it can wait until we have made sure these potential ruins pose no danger to the away team."

“With all due respect Lieutenant” Leilani offered N’vok a respectful smile. “I am the ship’s Archaeologist & Anthropologist both fall under my job description. However, I will get to work looking around the ruins for any possible information on what civilisation lived here.”

Gary listened to the back-and-forth volleying between Leilani and N'vok. "Okay enough you two," He said pleasantly. "N'vok is the science chief however Leilani is correct in her statement of checking the ruins over." He looked to Leilani, "When do you plan to check over the ruins Leilani? I'll get either myself or Fernando go with you. Just to be on the safe side."

“I’ll do that now Captain” Leilani smiled. “Lieutenant N’vok is correct, the wildlife can wait. From what I’m sensing from my own senses there’s no massive population here, animal life definitely. I’ll get some scans of the ruins and see what they tell us.”

"in that case, I will accompany you. Mr. N'vok, if you require Fernando to accompany you, he is at your disposal." Gary told the science chief.

"I do not expect the ruins to present any danger," said N'vok, "as we are not getting any energy or even metallic signatures from them. But we were instructed to ensure that the site is safe for shore leave so that we will do,"

He looks to Gary. "Thank you, sir, but that should not be needed."

Nicholas couldn't help but chuckle a little bit of Leilani and N'Vok. It reminded him of his parents when he was younger, who used to bicker like an old married couple over just about anything. "If anything, we can always come back with Captain Taylor and Lt. Holv's permission. For now, we can take a quick scan and come back to catalog it hopefully later on," Nicholas said as he hope he wasn't intruding on the conversation.

"As you wish Mr. N'vok though the offer still stands if you wish to take Fernando." Gary offered the science officer.

N'vok waved off the offer. "Let him enjoy the beach. We are only scanning to make certain there is no danger and to make sure the area of the ruins are clearly marked off so they will not be disturbed. We can get a proper archaeological dig team down later."

“I’ll volunteer to be a part of that, inbetween time with my family on the surface of course” Leilani smiled warmly. “Right now I’m just fascinated to see what we find.”

"As am I," agreed N'vok.

"As we all are. Mr. N'vok." Gary replied, "This place looks like the answer to a lot of peoples dreams. Go and get some more detailed scans and then we can hopefully relay good news back to the ship."

===

S'hib could still hear everyone as he wandered off, somehow escaping their notice even as he reached the beach, squinting slightly as his eyes adjusted.

Glancing down he stared at his hooves, watching as he pushed them into pale sand and forgetting himself for a while. He missed his birth home, missed Sequella, missed its red sand.

A sigh left his lips as he closed his eyes, listening to the sea, the gentle crashing of waves along the shore, the call of birds in the trees and the sky... imagining for just a moment that he was home.

But he wasn't, and blinking the sea back into view only made things worse, with his expression growing glum as he trod forward, even the sand sounded wrong somehow.

This was it he thought, this was as close as he or Sle'anna would get to being home... at least it had sand he said to himself as he sat down, even if it was the wrong colour.

And so there he sat, with not but his thoughts for company... watching the waves and wanting to go home.

===


[Elysium to away team. Report please] The commodore's voice came over the comms.

Gary tapped his combadge, "Taylor here Commodore. Initial scans show this planet to be a tropical haven. Air and water samples have come back clean and safe. No signs of any humanoid life. We have detected animal life though no large predators. We have also detected ruins close by which we will investigate. However, based on our preliminary scans, I think the crew in small numbers can begin to beam down."

[["Very well. I will send down two shuttle's as well in case we find things we want to bring up. Ask your science team to also look for food stuffs that we can grow."]]

"We'll be on the lookout for the shuttles. I'll tell Mr. N'vok and his team to keep a sharp eye out for food sources, especially ones we can grow back on ship." Gary replied crisply.

The commodore acknowledged and cut the connection.

===