The Mystery Deepens

Posted on Fri Feb 25, 2022 @ 3:43pm by Lieutenant Commander Kaedon Draesni & Lieutenant Rei Yamashi & Lieutenant Penny Mc Taggard & Lieutenant Calista Aereen MD & Captain Larisna Koralova

Mission: Mission 2 - A World With A Bluer Sun
Location: Unknown Debris Field, Planet’s Surface

The first thing Draesni noticed as soon as the transporter effect faded away was humidity. It was higher than it had been aboard ship, so much so that the stickiness in the air was palpable. While there was no doubt in his mind that it was still within tolerable levels (this being an M-class planet and all), he wasn’t exactly thrilled about his having to be in it. Nor was he looking forward to the possibility of having to deal with it long-term.

However, he quickly set those thoughts aside and turned his attention to more important matters - the rest of his team. His first concern was making sure they’d all gotten there in one piece. While it was not usual for away teams to be split up during transport, it wasn’t entirely unheard of, either. One never knew what sort of interference they might find, especially where wormholes and temporal distortions might be involved.

“Everybody here,” he asked, calling out to the others.

Penny looked around at the rough terrain. Hearing Draesni she followed the sound.

" Lieutenant Penny McTaggard here and in one piece." She called out.

"Aereen here." She said already having her tricorder out, "Nothing on scans we didn't expect. You'll probably want a long shower after we're back aboard but not risk to our health."

"Yamashi reporting in. Paws to Ears, all here." the resident rabbitess replied in the affirmative. The jingle at the end seemed to be something cultural, perhaps. Something added at the end of a roll call to indicate everything was intact. It sounded business enough.

“Draesni to Hornet,” Draesni said, tapping his combadge to signal the ship, “we’ve made it to the surface.”

"Acknowledged. We'll try to keep you informed of any changes. Be careful - we don't exactly have a lot of information on what unstable wormholes do to planets." Larisna's voice came back, "Hornet out."

Aereen entered a few commands into her tricorder. "I'm not detecting any humanoid life within 2 kilometers." The Doctor reported.

Animals were scurrying about, none larger than small mammalian lifeforms akin to squirrels or raccoons. There were some beetle-like creatures that were about as large as that, when compared to insects on more familiar ground, but that was it. The creatures seemed more invested in the fact their home was undergoing a lot of chaos rather than the new arrivals. Those that noticed the away team gave them a wide berth.

The signal source came from a boxy craft with a pointed nose and bulbous canopy at the front. It had two stubby winglets, though one was clearly crushed as if the craft had rolled onto that side. The two sets of two engines also were the same effect - the set on the side as the damaged winglet were also damaged. A sort of blue algae had leeched into several of the access ports, and a mass seemed to be trying to grow over the hatch. Next to the hatch though were a pair of well worn copper colored gloves - their bulky size and design suggested they were EVA in nature. They had blue residue on the fingers and palms - perhaps used to clear away the algae.

There were also three mounds not far from the landing site, crudely tied together sticks at the end of each one.

It looked like the crew were on a beach for a moment with the mass of blue before them, but it became clear on approach that this was a giant mass of that algae that was on the shuttlepod. It was also trying to consume pieces of wreckage in its mass, the green coloration of the wreckage was familiar almost at once - whatever it was now, it had been Romulan in origin.

Aereen turned her attention to the blue mass, "It's alive whatever it is, and I'm detecting high levels of neuraletic energyl." She said, leaving it to the Chief Science Officer to provide a more thorough assessment. She turned her attention to the mound, confirming two Humans and one Vulcan. Deceased several years.

Penny moved in towards the blue algae. Lucky the tricorder gave her a warning before she could touch it.

“ This is a form of Chlorophyta. It has some similarities to the green algae we find on Earth. Possibly our late friends brought it here unintentionally. But it’s mutated way past its original state. This stuff takes part of its sustenance from the sun. Which explains the blue colouring. However I am also picking up high acidity toxicity levels and also electrogenic tissue that produces electric discharges. Like in the Electrophorus electricus or electric eel. Just as you said Lieutenant. It must also feed on energy. Whatever you do, don't touch it.” Penny warned. “ It is spreading out consuming anything in its path. By breaking it down into a form of energy so it can feed off it. Even us if we are fall into its path.”

Rei wasted little time getting to work on the shuttlecraft analysis. Tricorder at the ready, she began her scan. "Whatever that substance is, it's doing a number on the scans." she announced, "I'll be able to do a more thorough scan once we can account for the ... whatever it is, and compensate for the readings. What I can tell you without the tricorder, though, is that she's gonna need more than what we can do here to get off the ground. No saving her." she regarded the mounds, and the significance wasn't lost on her. She moved over to the three mounds, and crouched down to be a little closer to them. Softly, she muttered something over them. A prayer, perhaps, or at least a well-wish for their post-mortem wellbeing. "Be in their graces." she said softly, "And safeguard the way for the rest of us."

She stood once she heard the science advisory, "Acknowledged. Algae is a contact hazard." and she continued her scan of the shuttlepod from a much safer distance. "Hmm, there's a sizable crack in the hull over here, and the stuff managed to find a way in." she ran her tricorder over the vicinity of the crack, now that she knew what to account for. "There's a reading of the stuff in some of the power conduits. Looks like it ate through the casing and is just siphoning off residual heat and power. I should be able to remote into the systems that don't need a lot of power and get the logs and final moments, but anything needing real power is going to have to compete with this stuff, and it looks like that's a fight we won't win." and with that, she started to head near the nose of the shuttle, to be closer to the sensor ports and internal data storage.

"Be careful, lieutenant," Draesni cautioned, "I don't want to have to file a report on how our chief engineer was eaten by algae." He watched as the Ts'usugi made her way around to the bow of the shuttlepod. Once she was stabilized and had started working, he allowed himself to look away.

While the others continued to survey their surroundings, Draesni's gaze came to rest on the three shallow graves nearby. Something about the fact that three people (possibly more) had died on this planet, far, far away from home struck him. He felt sympathy for them and the families that never knew what happened to their loved ones. It was hard to imagine what that must have been like. Had they seen the end coming? Or did it all happen so fast there wasn't really any time to think about it?

As he stood there looking down at the graves, a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Doctor," he called out, addressing Aereen, "scan for humanoid life signs again."

"I'm detecting no humanoid life signs besides the away team in the area." The Doctor said.

Draesni pointed to the mounds. "Someone had to have dug these graves and buried their comrades here," he explained, "So, either the body was carried off by something, eaten by the algae, or..."

"The bodies have been here for several years the survivors could have moved for a better location." Aereen added.

As if on cue, something struck the shuttlepod and splintered. It was a crudely made arrow, made in the most primitive manner possible. The source became clear, a man popping up from behind one of the bushes with an equally primitive bow. He was human, his hair disheveled and ratty with a long beard, and his clothing torn enough that it seemed to barely function as such. But what made it unusual was that it wasn't animal skins or furs, it was blue and parts had red trim to it. He shouted incoherently at the away team and readied another arrow.

Rei gave a start. Every ambush she ever lived through just flashed back in her mind like a hot needle. Her first instinct was to reach for her phaser, but this human had the drop on her, and he was already set to fire. No. No, escalation was not the answer here. No this was something that required a more diplomatic approach. She put her hands up, a universal sign that she wasn't a threat.

"We're not your enemy." she started, figuring he'd recognize the words of Federation standard judging by the hodge-podge of his attire. Federation Red, Federation Blue. Now they knew who buried the others. Question is, did he kill them?

"We're explorers, like you." she hoped. Truth be told, she was a soldier like him too. Worst case, she was a killer like him too. Difference is, he was armed.

Picking up on what Yamashi was doing, Draesni also raised his hands slowly into the air, palms open so he could see that they were empty. He did not want to startle the new arrival. And yet, at the same time, he was mindful of how quickly the situation could turn. For that reason, Draesni kept a very close eye on the fingers the man had wrapped around the string of the bow. He was watching for any little movement, any change that would indicate trouble.

"We just want to talk," Draesni said, his voice low and steady.

"The tricorder isn't detecting them, but I can't think of why the radiation would be masking their life signs like this. Unless there are effects from it we can't detect with the tricorder." The Doctor reported quitely.

"I... don't think we need the tricorder's verification on this." Rei mentioned.

Penny considered the doctors words. She began to fiddle with her own tricorder. Shaking her head as she also noticed the missing readings. McTaggart looked at the algae then at the sun.

“ I think we should re-examine this phenomenon. It seems the wormhole maybe having more of effect on this planet. Then just causing tectonic instability. It effected the algae I’d say it’s also effected them. That may be why we can’t read them.I wonder what effect it could have on us. If we stay here to long. What do you think doctor?” Penny asked Aereen.

"I'm not detecting any sort of radiation that would explain this, I'm not detecting any unusual radiation at all. So either it's something we can't detect, it's another phenomena besides something we typically scan for, or it's some sort of biologic agent, but again we can't detect anything." The Doctor turned her tricorder to Penny, "I'm not detecting anything unusual in us though, not yet anyway."

Rei rolled her eyes, "Could we put the tricorders down and deal with the human pointing a weapon at me, please?" she paused, "He's pointing... a WEAPON... at ME..."

If it was possible for a human to literally change the colour of their face to deep embarrassment red. McTaggard managed to do that as she realised Rei was having a weapon pointed at her. Suddenly the reasons or reason behind the tricorder not detecting what it should or why seemed to tip toe away. Slowly Penny also lifted her hands.

“ Oh dear,” She said

The engineer spoke and the science officer raised her arms, but Draesni's eyes were fixed on the stranger opposite. He was looking for some sign...anything...that might indicate they were getting through. At first, there was nothing. Then, he saw movement. It was subtle, but clear enough that even at a distance, the Zami knew exactly what was going to come next.

"Get down," he shouted.

No sooner had the words left his lips than the arrow shot off in Yamashi’s direction. Draesni didn't even bother watching it fly. Instead, he focused on getting himself moving, drawing himself down so as to make less of a target. He reached for the holster on his belt. As he did so, a second arrow went flying through the air, this one narrowly missing McTaggart. They were quickly running out of options.

Draesni drew his weapon and fired. The beam crossed the open distance in a fraction of a second, catching the stranger full in the chest, and causing him to glow slightly. A moment later, he dropped to the ground, stunned.

The shot sailed out, and struck Rei in the arm. A glancing blow, though the sharp nature of the arrowhead ensured that it left a nasty gash as it cut through her uniform and found flesh. It looked worse than it was, is how it would be described, but it still was a nasty deep cut that drew blood. Ts'usugi bleed red, like a proper organism. "Ahhhh! Ffffff..." she spit out a word or two in her native tongue that didn't quite translate, but obscenities were universal.

Calista moved to the stunned person and took a reading. A moment later she reached down and checked the neck for a pulse. "They're alive, but our tircorders still aren't registering them, it's as if something about the environment is masking humanoid life signs of the living, but not us recent arrivals or the deceased." She said.

"Then I guess we'll have to PAY ATTENTION and use our eyes!" Rei nearly growled, holding her arm before she muttered, "Civilians..."

Penny examined the arrow.

“ It’s got to be the wormhole that’s causing this. It’s vicinity to the planet is causing a kind of damping field it must be…. This is amazing…..the arrow head has been forged….incredible.” Penny said

Satisfied that the immediate threat had been neutralized, Draesni lowered his weapon and returned it to his holster. “Give us a check on Yamashi, doctor,” he said, nodding his head in the direction of the engineer. Even though it appeared the injury wasn’t serious, one could never be too cautious, especially with so many unknown factors involved. What if the arrow tip had been toxic somehow? “We can worry about figuring out why he’s not showing up on our scans later.”

The Doctor moved towards the Engineer, she carefully checked the wound before pulling a dermal regenerator out of the medkit over her shoulder. A few passes of the device and the wound was healed fur and all. "How's that?" She asked the Chief Engineer.

Rei have a nod, and have the arm a few slow motions, "Tender but much better, thank you Doctor." She stood back up on her own two feet, "Good to know there wasn't anything foreign on the arrow."

“The rest of you, gather whatever you can about the pod and this debris,” Draesni continued, “It’s time to start putting the pieces of this puzzle together.”

Penny nodded and carefully moved over to the wreckage of the pod. To her it looked like this had only happened most recently. Obviously by just looking at what remained of the wreckage. It was clear that this design had been phased out a long time ago. So why had it not turned to dust now? Was the wormholes vicinity a clue or maybe the algae?

“This is quite a head-scratcher.” Penny replied looking at her tricorder.

As far as she could see the readings or lack of them were not only a puzzle. But a hindrance.

Rei returned to the pod to resume her download of the craft's logs before the power failed. With each log, the rabbitess became further and further intrigued. "Fascinating..." but she opted to save it for the post mission brief. Sharing her discovery now would only further create chaos.

As the team started moving again, Draesni turned and made his way over toward unconscious stranger on the ground. He looked down and took in what he could of the man’s condition. Now that Draesni could see up close, it was even more apparent that the tattered clothing he wore was (most likely) the remains of a uniform - United Earth Starfleet. Perhaps, once they had him back on the Hornet he would be able to shed some light on what was going on.

“Draesni to Hornet,” Draesni said, tapping his combadge, “We’ve had a development…”

"Is everyone alright?" Larisna's voice came back through.

“We’re fine, captain, but…” Draesni paused. He looked down once more at the unconscious form before him, the tattered remains of a uniform, and then continued. “…we found a survivor.”