Replicating Help (Part I)
Posted on Wed Jun 30th, 2021 @ 3:33pm by Lieutenant JG Ronnie Wolfe & Lieutenant Dwight McCabe & Lieutenant Bela Swain & Ensign Satt
1,082 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission: Eye of the Storm
ON
The shuttle landed without any trouble--once it got through the upper atmosphere. Ronnie let Satt pilot as she was more interested in getting a good look at the planet as they came in and scanning for insect populations.
Letting out a breath, Satt locked down the shuttle controls. Only a person with Starfleet codes could reactivate the small craft. Piloting through the atmosphere had been an experience. Satt wasn't the best pilot. He glanced over at the equipment, then Ronnie. 'Get a good look at the surface?' he asked in a voice like stones grinding across one another.
"Sort of. I need to look at the ground and test the soil," she said. "But first I'll help you get the supplies inside."
'No problem,' replied Satt, pulling a loaded rucksack onto his back, then picking up two more of the cases. 'May not be much of a pilot,' he rasped with a puckered smile, 'but I'm a good ... mule, is that it?' He chuckled.
"Yes. That's a good word for it, although I'd hardly call you a mule." She smiled as she grabbed some gear and followed him into the building.
'Ah, of course, we don't serve in the same department,' replied Satt reassuringly, knowing his own reputation for being a stickler when it came to his team's work. 'Stick around long enough and you might be more prepared to call me one,' he concluded with no trace of self-pity.
"I'm a scientist," Ronnie reminded him. "We tend to focus on our work more than most. Then again, most other departments don't make hobbies of their work." She smiled at the Bolian. "We earn our reputation."
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In the underground, Dwight McCabe was glad to see some of the team members of Calypso walking through the group of colonists either standing, sitting in chairs or laying down on cots. He was surprised that they didn't waste much time to leave and come back. In ear range, "Did you retrieved the parts for the replicator?" He pulled off his gloves and disposed it in a hazmat container inside his bag.
Bela called back to Dwight and said, "Don't push them so hard. They're exhausted." She put a comforting hand on one of the colonist's shoulders.
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The medical supplies came in first. Ronnie went over to the doctor and counselor and set the bags she had next to them. "We'll bring in the replicators next."
Smiling as he set the two cases down, then eased the backpack off his shoulders, Satt glanced in the direction of Bela and Dwight, waggling his scarred hands, 'only a biped unfortunately,' he chuckled phlegmily, 'be back with the parts now.'
He jogged a little to catch up with Ronnie, 'they're eager to get going,' he remarked.
"I don't blame them," she said. "I wonder how many other buildings have people who need food and medical attention?" She shook her head. "Let's get teh supplies and then I'll look around and see how the insect population is faring. Most will find a place to hide, wheterh underground or in trees. I'm hoping there are enough to come back. Otherwise, Starfleet will have to send in new ones to help repopulate the planet. Without the right insects, they'll never get the crops back." She was most concerned about the bees.
Shaking his head, Satt looked about as they walked back over to the shuttle. 'Any idea what actually happened to the bugs from looking about? Gone to ground?' He passed a case of supplies over to the scientist, 'got it?'
"Some will go underground, some will hide in trees. Some will leave the area. I won't know for sure until I walk around and scan for signs. We haven't looked at most of the planet, either. Perhaps there are areas that have less damage." She hoped so. It was far too quiet here.
She pulled out a grav cart for the heavier equipment.
Placing the quartet of heavier cases on the cart one by one, Satt grew more and more purple before he let out a long, loud breath and breathed in again. His skin became bluer. 'Sorry, Bolians don't sweat. Cooling gland in the necks. Hopefully your bugs are underground,' he offered as he picked up two more packs and balanced them on top of the cases. 'I think we're good to go.'
"If they weren't before, the noise will drive them underground," Ronnie said. She checked that they had everything and nodded. "We should be good to go." The more time she spent on the planet, the more curious she became to learn how the insect population wwas doing.
The Bolian nodded. 'I can take these down if you want to set-up up here,' he said quietly, 'just hand me a flashlight, just in case.'
"Thank you." She gave him a grateful smile. "I'd appreciate that." She pulled out her tricorder and headed for the nearest field to take readings and dig holes.
She spent an hour walking around, looking in trees, under vegetation, in detritus. She even dug small holes, but found no sign of any insects. Ronnie would have to go farther out, but first, she wanted to check on the rest of the away team, so she went back to the building to see how the others were doing.
In the meantime Satt had maneuvered the grav cart into the building and had managed to get it down to the floor with the colonists, and was busy unpacking the equipment ready to install. He called down to the main floor, 'anyone mind lending a hand?'
Bela's ears perked at the word help. She had just been soothing some of the colonists when the word was uttered. Telling the colonist, "I will be right back," she looked over to Satt and asked, "What can I do for you?"
'It's a two person job - the industrial replicators aren't exactly difficult,' Satt paused a moment, uncharacteristically careful of his next question. 'How confident are you in hooking up the power cables to the machines while I hold them in the casing? I don't have enough hands to do both at the same time, and ... your hands might be better suited for tight spaces.'
(To be continued...)
Lieutenant JG Ronnie Lancaster
Assistant Chief Science Officer
Ensign Satt
Security Officer
Lieutenant Bela Swain
Chief Counselor
Lieutenant Dwight McCabe
Chief Medical Officer
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