Hostile Reception (Part 7)

Posted on Fri Apr 30th, 2021 @ 4:39pm by Lieutenant Mira Jayna & Commander Hans Munich & Lieutenant Dwight McCabe & Lieutenant Bela Swain & Ensign Satt

1,092 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Eye of the Storm
Location: Planaetside
Timeline: MD 01

[PREVIOUSLY]

"Yo ho, Peteron, who's with you? They're not from here," a voice called.

"Starfleet, they say. Here to help."

The voice laughed. "About damn time."

[CONTINUED]

Trying to peer into the darkness ahead to see the source of the voice, Satt eventually gave up and looked at Bella, still holding his hand beside him, and McCabe the other side, and the other assembled officers 'what do you think?'

"I think it's too dark," Kayhill said. "Up or down, we need to get somewhere light to talk."

"I agree," Jayna said from the back.

"Fine. Come on down," the voice said. "Peteron knows the way."

'Can't they just switch on the light here,' muttered Satt to himself, unable to shake the uneasiness he felt at the situation. Taking several deep calming breathes once more, he reflected it could just be the dark he was reacting to. He hadn't been in a place as dark as this for ... years really. Not since the War.

Bela whispered back at Satt, while playfully swatting his hand. "Be good. They probably have no power down there. They had no time to set things up, likely, with the storm."

'True,' he whispered in return, slightly chastened. It didn't make much sense to the Bolian to construct underground shelters without making adequate provision for lighting. 'I ... just don't like the dark,' he muttered hesitantly.

"You don't like the dark?" Bela turned towards Satt, more than a little surprised. "Perhaps we should chat about that after all of this is over."

Satt smiled in the dark, 'I already have a weekly session booked in with one of the Counsellors, but you're welcome to take the next one, Counsellor.'

Bela took Satt's hand and replied, "If that is what you want, I will be more than happy to assist you."

The Bolian nodded, 'that would be perfectly acceptable,' he said gently, 'the next session is scheduled for a few days' time. I'll send you the details when we're back aboard.' Satt reckoned that Bela lived to help others, and she could catch a break from being down here with all the intractable problems that were beyond one person's help.

"I'll look forward to seeing the details then." She gave Satt's hand another comforting squeeze. "But for now, these poor people need our assistance."

He nodded in acknowledgment, 'indeed.'

"Can you tell us what happened?" Jayna asked, stepping up to talk to the survivors.

"We don't know," a man replied. "The storm started, and when we asked for help, no one came."

'And you've been down here, in the dark, ever since?' asked Satt curiously.

"We tried to go back to the surface once," the man said. "The storms got worse."

Doctor McCabe was starting to lose his patience being in the glum underground and the slight smell of mold and metal. It is not something that most people can tolerate. It is not the fear that's bothering him but not being able to see. "How much longer?"

The woman turned to the doctor. "How long for what?"

Jayna intervened before there was an argument. "If you can all come up to the surface, we can get you to the starship for food and medical treatment."

"We're not going outside until that storm is gone. Is it?" the man from below said.

"No, but we landed a shuttle and came here with little trouble. The storm is still in the system, but the surface is clear," Jayna said.

"It is until we step outside," he insisted.

"Then just come to the upper floors where the ship can get a transporter lock on you," the intel officer said. "Barring that, we can transport you to the shuttle a few at a time and then to the ship. That way you won't be outside but you won't have to stay underground, either."

There was a murmur from further back. "As long as we don't have to go outside."

"You won't go outside," Jayna assured him. "How many are you?"

"Three hundred and two."

"Okay. That'll take some time, but we can beam down food and supplies while we wait," Jayna said.

"Good enough. We'll be up in half an hour. We'll need time to pack."

I am useless in a dungeon, the doctor thought, not planning to say anything to stir up an argument. He is not an irritable person but this darkness is starting to mess with his emotions. This was not the kind of mission he expected to be in. "302 is a lot," he wondered if he said that to Satt, assuming the Bolian is close by.

"It may be a lot for our ship, but should there be more?" Bela wondered aloud. "Do we have any records on how many people should be here? Some may have lost people and will need time to mourn. Gee! I mean, they all be mourning the loss of their homes. These poor people!" Bela looked absolutely devastated at the pains that these people must have suffered.

'Three-hundred-two is well within our evacuation capacity,' Satt told Bela reassuringly, 'they'll be much more comfortable aboard the Calypso than down in these tunnels.' He paused before continuing, not being able to help himself, 'but you're right, shouldn't there be more colonists?'

Bela nodded, her concern that a great deal more had died. "We should make sure to reduce the lighting on wherever these people are housed for some time and adjust it slowly. They have been living in darkness for too long."

He grunted, 'I hadn't thought of that,' Satt replied honestly. 'Perhaps Doctor McCabe can be of help there?'

Bela patted Satt on the back reassuringly when he admitted not having thought of the survivor's vision.

"Of course, I can create a holodeck program to create an almost dark environment and I can adjust the light according to their needs," the Irish accent was heard in his voice as he spoke. The doctor paused for a moment when something appeared to be different about the group that he was with, but continued, "incrementally."

When they got back to the basement where there was light, Jayna realized that Munich and Shan were no longer with them. She didn't recall hearing either of them speak, either. Not recently, anyway.

(To be continued...)

Ensign Satt,
Security Officer

Lieutenant Bela Swain
Chief Counselor

Lieutenant JG Mira Jayna
Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer

Lieutenant Dwight McCabe
Chief Medical Officer

Colonists
NPCs by York and Munich

 

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