Inside the Asteroid (part 6)

Posted on Sat Nov 4th, 2017 @ 5:29am by Ensign Leslie Gallant III & Captain John Theisman & Lieutenant Commander Mira Jayde & Lieutenant JG Élan Val & Lieutenant Tristan Balor & Lieutenant JG Iona Csira & Lieutenant JG Miko Sato

2,005 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: The Genesis Legacy

[OLD]

When everyone had gathered he looked around again before looking up toward Jayde. "When we arrived, I took a moment to look around and noted the circumference of one the the tree's we passed. Just now, I did the same, with this one." He tapped the bark of the tree and continued. "This one was a lot bigger than the one from earlier, meaning this tree sprouted before the one I observed when we arrived. If this is a Genesis type facility, or a device similar to it was set off here, the tree's closest to where the terraforming began will be much older than the ones where we started. Could we use that to determine where this all began? It might lead us to a device or facility?"

"It would show where the terraforming began," Jayde agreed. "But there may or may not have been a device that started it. Or remnants of such."

[NEW]

-= Asteroid =-

"Something else?" Tristan said as he gestured to the spider web they observed earlier. "That web is in a unfamiliar pattern." He looked over to Jayde and the others and continued. "Spiders generally form a web which faces a particular direction, following a certain pattern as they do so. That web is in a pattern I haven't seen before." He crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow. "That tells me there is no magnetic poles to determine north and south."

Jayde nodded. "That would make sense, as we are in an asteroid."

Jayde turned to Élan. "Should we split into two groups and have a look for anything left over from the Romulan scientists? I'll let you choose a partner if you wish."

Élan shifted uncomfortably, not entirely liking the idea of splitting the away team up again. Silently, she ran through a list of the advantages and disadvantages of both, and in the end she sighed as she accepted the fact that if they wanted to cover more ground and spend less time on the asteroid, they would have to split the group up. “If we split up, I’d like to take the Master Chief with me,” the Trill answered.

Liang bowed to Élan. "I would be most honored."

"We will rendezvous in one hour," Jayde said. "If you find something, let us know." She had every intention of continuing through the middle of the cavern on her way to one of the tunnels. It should give her time to get a good look at both.

Élan bowed her head slightly towards Liang before she nodded once towards Commander Jayde. “We’ll contact you with a status report in half an hour,” she said. “Do you want to take Lieutenant Sato with you?”

"She is welcome to come with us," Jayde said, bowing to the lieutenant. She hoped this would satisfy Tristan.

Jayde and her team turned and headed back through the jungle. She was going to finish going through to the other side before she headed for one of the tunnels.

Élan nodded towards Liang before she turned and started off in a direction that would lead them to an area the away team hadn’t been to previously. Not for the first time, she hoped that they would discover the mysteries of this place. As much as the Trill enjoyed a challenge, this was starting to annoy her. Watching her tricorder and where she was going, Élan stepped through an open mossy area and suddenly found the ground give beneath her. Yelping a curse, she fell, frantically looking for anything to grab onto. Fortunately, it was a short fall and the Trill science officer landed hard in a room that looked more like a scientific research room.

"Lieutenant, are you okay?" Liang asked, carefully making her way to the opening.

“Ow,” Élan muttered under her breath as she slowly rolled over onto her back and looked up. The room she had fallen into looked like a research lab, with most of the ceiling covered in skylight panels. Most of the panels were cracked and covered with moss. Tapping her comm.-badge, she hailed Commander Jayde. “Found something,” she managed to say in a horse, pain filled voice.

Jayde stopped her progress and tapped her combadge. "Jayde here. What did you find and where are you?"

“I’m in a room under the floor,” Élan said, knowing that while it wouldn’t make sense, or at least not much, it would hopefully raise the first officer’s interest enough so that she would hurry as quickly as she could. If anything, the Trill didn’t want to be exploring by herself now that they had actually found something other than a terraformed rock.

"On our way." Jayde turned to the other two in her group, "Let's go see what she found."

Tristan nodded, turning to Jayde.

They arrived where Liang stood looking down into the hole. "Is it safe for us to join you? Do you require medical attention?"

"It looks safe enough, other than the fall it takes to get down here," Élan replied as she stood and slowly walked around a bit. Other than bumps and bruises, she seemed to be fine other than her Trill pride, but there was no doubt that she would have to suffer the medical care of Lieutenant Sato. That was a painful and chilling thought.

They carefully climbed down beside Val. "Sato, make sure she's okay," Jayde said.

Miko nodded and stepped over towards the Trill science officer with her tricorder in hand. Élan was still moving about, looking at things, so Miko hissed "Be still," as she started scanning the science officer with the tricorder probe. After a moment, she nodded. "She's not seriously injured. Just some scrapes and a few bruises. Val seems to be fine as well," she finally reported.

"Thank you," Jayde said to Miko. Then she turned to Élan. "It is always good to be sure. Now, let's see what you have discovered."

Liang had already started poking around to see what the Romulans had left behind. "They took most of the equipment with them."

"That would make sense if what they were doing here seemed to be a failure. The equipment may have been classified or specially built for this facility as well. Most likely, we'll find built in equipment or anything that would have been too hard for them to take with them. Also, we don't know how quickly they had to leave, either," Élan said as she looked around the room. There were a few doors leading out of the room. "There may be computers or other equipment in an another room."

"Evidence rarely makes sense until you have all the pieces," Jayde said. "It is just as logical to assume they remove the equipment from the asteroid and monitored from a distance. Why would they move the equipment to another room and yet leave a body?" More information needed to be gathered.

"Perhaps they were moving the equipment and something attacked them, or maybe the Romulan whose remains we found died after they abandoned the facility. Perhaps we'll never know," Val said through Élan. The symbiont had a way of speaking that often made it clear that it was her and not her host.

"Indeed. But we can find what is still here." Liang bowed to the others and continued looking.

-= USS Hyperion =-

When the diagnostic was completed, Iona turned to the captain and grinned. "All systems are back and working properly, sir."

"Very well," John said with a nod as he made himself sit down again. "Contact the Helios and see if we can get an update please."

"Aye, sir." Iona turned back to her comms. "The shuttle is trying to contact us, sir. Putting it onscreen."

The screen came to life with the image of Ensign Gallant. John nodded slowly. "Ensign, we've been having some technical difficulties with a few systems. Can you give me status update?"

Gallant returned his gaze to the screen with his perfect smile. Captain." He greet. "It is good to finally have comms established." He tapped a few buttons on his console to assure the maintaining of the channel. We have the away team in the Asteroid; there is an artificial environment inside. Lt. Commander Jayde has been reporting in at regular intervals. Doctor Velah and t'Dhvael have reported back to the Runabout. The team has some interesting readings and life signs they are logging but nothing much above a standard Survey. I will relay that Communications has been established and act as relay from landing party if you give me a second here.?" Gallant muted the Captain.

"Standing by for relay, Helios," John said with an absent nod as they waited.

"Commander Jayde, this is Gallant, I have communications established with the Hyperion, Captain on the other line you want me to patch them through?" He asked.

"Go ahead," Jayde said. She was relieved to hear that the ship's comm systems were again working.

"Commander Jayde, we've had a few issues here but everything seems to be back online," John said before he gave his XO a quick run down on what had progressed on the Hyperion. "I was hoping you could spare either Commander Velah or Lieutenant Sato to return to the ship. The Helios will be out of position for several minutes, but since the mission is under your command, so it's your call," he finished.

"Commander Velah is on the runabout. She would be able to return." Jayde gave him a quick rundown of what they'd discovered. "We should be done here before too long."

"Very well," John said. "We'll recall the Helios long enough for Commander Velah to return to the ship, then Mister Gallant can return to his current position. Do you think Miss Dhvael would be of any further assistance to you?"

Jayde chuckled. "No. She and Velah have an aversion to large spiders. They can both return to the Hyperion if you need them."

John chuckled softly at that. So the mighty Romulan was afraid of spiders? He'd have to keep that in mind. "Alright. Continue your search. I'll have the Helios bring Commander Velah and Miss Dhvael back to the Hyperion and return to orbit as quickly as possible. Good luck, and stay safe Commander."

"Thank you, captain. Mira out."

"Ensign Gallant, I want you to return Commander Velah and Miss Dhvael to the Hyperion as quickly as you can as safely as you can," John said after communications had returned to the ship to ship channel. "After they're back on board, you're to return to your current position."

"I am starting the engines and will be returning to the ship." Galant III said with a near perfect grin. "I will taxi them home and be back in a Flash> He informed while fingers were moving over the controls in an almost automated fashion. "Commander Jayde, I will keep the line open if you suddenly need extract."

"Thank you, Mr. Gallant," Jayde said. "May your journey be uneventful."

[Asteroid]

For an hour, they searched the room and three more attached to it, but found nothing. Then they split back into two teams and searched the side caverns. All they found was where the equipment used to be. Everything of interest, except the skeleton, had been removed.

"Mira to Gallant. Please beam up the away team," Jayde said when they were once again together.

"Give me a couple of seconds." Gallant said as he made the final targeting of all personnel, a few seconds later the Party arrived. "Welcome to your luxury ride home." Gallant said as he angled the small craft towards the Hyperion.

TAG

____
OFF

Lieutenant Commander Mira Jayde
Executive Officer

Lieutenant Commander Tristan Balor
Chief Intelligence Officer

Lieutenant Élan Val
Chief Science Officer

Master Chief Petty Officer Liang Shao
Master-at-Arms

Lieutenant JG Miko Sato
Medical Officer

Ensign Leslie Gallant III
Pilot

Captain John Theisman
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant JG Iona Csira
Communications Officer

 

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