A First Look at the Forest, part 3

Posted on Sat Feb 5th, 2011 @ 12:49pm by Lieutenant JG Elizabeth Jackson & Lieutenant Serena "Seren" Jones & Lieutenant JG Erin Tal & Major Leroy Mangalia & Lieutenant JG Marek Lovok [Lynx] & Ensign Daniel Daniels & Lieutenant JG Jason Hart & Staff Sergeant Allen Riley & Petty Officer 2nd Class Yvette Jaynes & Ensign Stran

1,406 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Forests of Mythraeli
Location: Mythraeli
Timeline: Current

[Mythraeli]

[Erin and Leo]

Leo smiled as he dropped his small ruck, and the weapon, leaning the weapon against the ruck with the butt of it against the ground. Then he took off his uniform jacket, showing the black form fitting shirt under neath. "And when did that ever stop anyone that was exploring ever?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. Turning he winked at Erin then ran and launched himself off the cliff, doing an almost perfect swan dive into the pool of water. After several seconds, his head broke surface and he looked up. "Waters perfect!"


Erin grinned and quickly pulled off her own rucksack and boots, hurling herself off the cliff edge with a whoop.
Her dive was much less than Leo's perfect swan dive and she hit the water with a huge splash, surfacing a few seconds later gasping for breathing and laughing.
''Oh its been way too long since I've did that.'' She treaded the water, pushing her braids from her eyes. ''This planet may just be idyllic!''

Smiling and laughing, Leo swam for the bank, then looked up the side of the cliff. "Our com badges are up there... and I don't feel like climbing right now." Stepping out of the water, and dripping he shook his head, getting the water out of his hair. "I'm more than willing to tell the Captain that this place is good for some shore leave."

Erin swan to the bank, pulling herself unto the shore and doing her best to wring the water out of her braids.
''I for one wouldn't object.'' She agreed, staring back up the waterfall. ''On second thoughts, probably wasn't a good idea to leave our badges up there but... it was so worth it.''

Leo sighed and looked at the cliff. "I doubt that the Calypso will try to get a hold of us, do you want to look around see if there isn't a shear cliff we have to climb?"

Erin nodded, eyeing up the cliff. She could have probably climbed it, due to her daily excersise in the holodecks, but continued on around.
''There.'' She said a few minutes later, pointing to a jagged slope hewn naturally into the cliff face.
''If it wasn't for the natural erosion and uneven slope I would have said this was man-made. Where are the people here, anyways.'' She wondered as she started towards it. ''Its odd to have a planet this fertile and thriving with no life on it.''

Leo shrugged and looked at the cliff. "Another swim across the pool then huh?" he said with a chuckle. Walking towards the water he looked at it again. "Then we'll have to cross the river to get to our gear. One bridge at a time eh?"

''Well at least this isn't as lethal as our last mission, huh?''
Erin nodded, wading into the water untill it lapped around her waist before splashing into a swim, making her way happily across the pool.
''I'm glad these suits are durable, otherwise we'd be freezing.'' She commented, pulling herself up on the other bank and shaking her head, making drops of water fly everywhere.
''If more away teams had chances to swim I'd never be on the ship.''

Leo laughed and dove in after her. Truth be told, he was freezing, but he wasn't going to let her know that. "If they allowed for more peaceful missions, you'd never have Marines around either." Walking around her as he came on the bank he smiled. "And fleeter suits must be made of sterner stuff than Marine uniforms. I can feel everything." Looking at the rock wall he sighed and began to climb, wondering if there was any way he was going to get to his gear before they started wondering what happened to him and Erin.

Erin shrugged and laughed, hopping up on the rock face, worming her fingers and toes into cracks into the rock and pulling herself up after him.
''Well maybe its something to do with Kazon physiology. Maybe I'm not as averse to the cold?'' She climbed up further, forcing herself not the look down.
''At any rate, the climb is bound to warm you up!''

It was a good 20 minutes before she reached the top of the cliff, having to stop on a crevasse half-way up for a breather.
''Tal, back online.'' She signed in, tapping her commbadge. ''Sorry if you were looking for us, guys. We went explor- Hello? Tal to Calypso. Can you hear us? Tal to Lovok. You guys okay?''
She sat back, breathing hard from the climb. ''My comms gone dead, what about yours?''

*****

[Lizzy, Allen and Marek]

Lizzy walked briskly to the first cluster of trees and gently placed her hand on one to feel the bark. It even felt old. She gently caressed it before pulling off a leaf and carefully examining it. Then she picked up a leaf from the ground and compared it to the one in her hand. "This is a very old forest. The trees are remarkably healthy." Her tone was both hushed and excited. "I want to go in about fifty yards to see what we can find." Without waiting for a reply she brushed past a thick bush and headed in a more-or-less direct line.

Allen followed behind her, careful not to disturb the environment around him. Noticing the actions of the Lieutenant, he stopped where she did a moment before and picked up the same leaf. He carefully scrutinised it, taking time to note every aspect of what he held. "It looks...like a leaf..." He dropped it to the ground with little care and shook his head with a bemused smile. "Really? This is what excites you?" He asked as he followed after her again.

Lizzie looked at the Marine and grinned. "Well, one of the things, anyway." She saw a large clump of fern and rushed over to take a closer look, adding a cutting to her bag before pulling out her scanner and doing a careful scan of the planet. It was taller than she was and soft as goose down. "Fascinating," she whispered before moving on.

"I don't get it." He said as he looked at the large fern. "I really don't." He looked over to Marek who was close behind them. "Please tell me that you will be the voice of reason on this trip."

Marek eyed the fern, Lizzie then Allen and laughed. "Oh give her some slack, it's a new world and new flora... Well I'm not botanist I'm an engineer, it all looks the same to me." He came over to Lizzie's side. "Hey! Ma'am, is it the same as the ones on Earth?" He had a feeling he might regret asking that but he was kind of, and using those words loosely, curious about the answer.

"Yes and no," Lizzie replied. "It's more like a cousin in some ways. Taller. Softer. Heartier. At least from what I can see so far. I'll need to do some tests back on the Calypso." She took a clipping to reproduce and put it in her bag along with a soil sample.

She felt like a kid in a candy store. Everything here was familiar but... older. Bigger. More like what a fantasy forest would look like than a forest she was familiar with. Lizzie loved it. She grinned at the other two and plunged farther into the heart of the woods.

When she reached the 50 meter mark -- more or less -- she took her last clipping and turned to the other two and sighed. "Okay. Let's head back." She turned around to look at the way they'd come and paused. "Umm... That doesn't look familiar." She pulled out her scanner, but couldn't find the shuttle.

Lizzie tapped her commbadge. Jackson to Tal. I think we're lost." There was no response. "Jackson to Calypso." Again, nothing. Now she was getting concerned. She looked from Allen to Marek. "I think we're in trouble."

OFF

1st Lieutenant Leroy Mangalia
Marine XO

Lieutenant JG Erin Tal
Chief Counselor

Lieutenant JG Elizabeth Jackson (PNPC)
Botanist

Staff Sergeant Allen Riley (PNPC)
Marine

Ensign Marek Lovok
Assistant Chief Engineer

Ensign Jason Hart (PNPC)
Medic

Ensign Stran (PNPC)
Security Officer

Petty Officer 3rd Class Yvette Jaynes (PNPC)
Nurse

 

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