Where Oh Where Has the Scientist Gone? (Part II)

Posted on Thu May 30th, 2024 @ 4:10am by Commodore Samantha York & Commander Joren Tal & Lieutenant Commander Damion Wolfe & Lieutenant Aenar Torek

1,139 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Broken Mirror

ON

The team beamed down a klick from the dome to make sure the place wasn't being watched by pirates. They had no idea if the inventor was alive or not and they didn't want to startle him--or any unwanted visitors. Then again, depending on how he viewed Starfleet, they might be considered unwanted visitors.

Alora turned to look at Alex. "You and the commander are in charge."

This was familiar terrain for Joren. While he had accepted his new role as Starfleet officer and, eventually, command, there was a certain comfort in just having your boots on the ground. Knowing your mission and just getting it done. He took his tricorder and did an initial scan of the area. "No life signs. Looks like our insertion went unnoticed." He said, before checking with Alex. "Anything we should look out for on our walk there?"

Alora stepped up to answer the question. "Traps, cameras or sensors, and especially people watching the woods."

Looking about the quiet clearing, Aenar enjoyed being in nature again. Adjusting his pack, he listened carefully and could hear the chittering of birds somewhere up in the trees. He spun around on the spot, tricorder out, taking as many readings as he could before they had to inevitably move on.

Alora noticed the scientist and smiled. "It would be a great place to live, wouldn't it?" She spoke soft enough to not disturb the birds--or anyone who might be nearby. She pulled out her tricorder and carefully scanned the area. "The woods look clear of humanoids, but that doesn't mean much."

'No,' Aenar replied with a smile, also looking down to his tricorder. 'As a farm boy, I'm not sure I'd have much luck out here - ground's too frozen to turnover and grow anything.'

"Let's go." Joren stated, as he slowly but steadily started moving towards the dome. "Keep an eye out, no need to be surprised." There was no well-defined path from where the team had beamed down, so Joren just started into the forest, carefully stepping and clearing a path for the others.

'We'll keep an eye out alright,' Aenar replied, adjusting the pack he was carrying, and looking closely at his tricorder, cycling it through various settings before falling in to line behind the Calypso's Executive Officer.

Alora felt a little out-of-place, being half Vulcan and half Orion, but she took the lead beside her husband as they carefully navigated the woods. As long as she could hear the birds and other insects around them, even when they quieted at their approach, she felt fairly safe. It was only as they got closer that she began to feel uneasy. "I think we should be more careful on our final approach. I've got an odd feeling I can't quite explain." She took her weapon out of its holster, just in case.

Raising an eyebrow, Aenar pulled his phaser out of its holster and held it at hip height as he moved his way through the thinning forest. The snow underfoot was fresh judging from the way it compacted under his steps. Breath fogged the air. 'Listen,' he said quietly.

'No bird call.'

Alora paused. "No," she replied quietly. "Let's spread out, but keep out of the open as much as possible."

Joren remained mostly quiet, keeping an eye on all other away members while picking out a path through the trees and bushes. Eventually, he raised his hand to stop the group momentarily as he checked his tricorder. "Vague energy signatures further ahead. Can't identify what it is, could be weapons or booby traps." Joren said quietly, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Alora nodded. Alex had slipped away earlier and she wasn't going to point that out to the rest. She was fairly certain he was going to scout out the dome, and that was best done alone. He'd let her know if he ran into any trouble. For now, she would stay with the rest and draw any unwanted attention. "Something made the insects go silent. It's worth taking extra precautions."

Straining his ears, the Bajoran tried to pick anything out. All he could detect were the sounds of the team trying to be quiet. The careful step of feet in the snow, a hiss of breath. Twigs snapping underfoot. Other than that, Aenar could hear only deathly silence.

Being half Vulcan, Alora's hearing was more acute than most. "Over there," she whispered, nodding in the direction. "Something is moving and trying to be stealthy. Lieutenant," she said, turning to Aenar, "See if your tricorder can give us any information."

Nodding, Aenar pulled out his tricorder once more and began flipping through the device's various settings. As he pointed it in the direction Alora indicated, Aenar paused and waited for it to calibrate. The tricorder returned a signal.

Making a hand signal, he whispered, 'humanoid, pretty close.'

Alora nodded as well. "Split into pairs and don't get killed." she whispered back.

Feeling some kinship towards the Bajoran, Joren shifted to Aenar. "Let's see who we got here, then." Tricorder affixed to his belt, Joren drew his phaser, allowing the Science officer to do the scans.

Running his device from side to side, Aenar pinpointed the life-sign. Getting Joren's attention, he pointed in the direction of some low-lying shrubbery. 'Right over there, sir.'

Alora watched them and then slipped over to a tree where she pulled out her own tricorder and listened to see if she could hear anything else before scanning in a full circle. She found six humanoids, besides the team. She hoped one of them was Alex.

Silent as a mouse, Joren snuck towards the shrubbery, making a wide arch as not to alert whoever was hidden. Before long, he found a man peeking around a tree, but importantly, not towards Joren. Sneaking towards him, Joren grabbed him, covering his mouth while placing the phaser to his lower back. "I hope, for your sake, this phaser is on stun, cause if you do any unexpected move you'd be forcing me to fire." as Joren slowly forced the unknown person towards Aenar and Alora.

Alora turned when she heard Joran. Where was Alex? "Good. Search him for anything of interest, but keep him alive. We'll want to talk to him."

Just then, someone fired at the group.

Joren immediately pushed the unknown man down to the ground, using this momentum to drop down himself as well. "Get down!" He shouted, before returning fire into the tree line, not yet able to look around whether anyone got hit with the initial shot.

(To be continued...)

Commander Alora Knight
First Officer
Prowler

Commander Alexander Knight
Commander
Prowler

Commander Joren Tal
Executive Officer
USS Calypso

Lieutenant Aenar Torek
Chief Science Officer
USS Calypso

 

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