Signals (Part 2)

Posted on 22 Jul 2016 @ 8:30pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Captain Jonathan Holliday & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant Commander Evelyn Coleman & Commander Luke Wyatt & Ensign Ibrahim Qureshi M.D. & Seleya Qellar Ph.D.

2,979 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Episode 11 - Divinum Mundi
Location: Celes III - Arid Desert Grid 924-20-1009-20
Timeline: MD 14 - 0615 local

[ON]

Galileo's large ventral ramp began to slowly deploy and expose the confined secondary airlock on Deck 8 to the atmosphere of the planet. It was not especially cold at the moment but the wind instantly blew a large cloud of dust in towards the away teams faces. The ion storm had just subsided but the clouds overhead were determined to obfuscate the beautiful morning sky for many more hours to come. A few bright rays of sunlight peeked through the scattered ceiling and shone magnificently against the sandy, rocky terrain. It was almost a beautiful world to step foot on...almost.

Clad in their civilian colonist clothing, the away team prepared to depart upon their long journey. Handheld tricorders and specialized scientific instruments had been issued to each of then, and covert commbadge microchips had been attached to the sides of their vocal cords inside of the epidermal layer.

Holliday felt more uneasy now than he had at any other point of this mission. Stripped of his uniform, and even worse, without a phaser anywhere near him, the Martian felt positively outside of Starfleet for the first time in many years. The civillian clothing was far more drab and loose fitting than the uniform that he had been used to, although the various pockets in the overcoat and in the trousers would probably come in handy at some point.

Reaching into one of the larger pockets to remove the tricorder held therein, he called up the map to their destination and pointed towards the horizon.

"That way....let's move out."

Following behind the XO Luke eyed his reflection off of a metallic surface, so used to wearing military uniform and when not in that sweat pants and a t-shirt was his usual attire the clothes he wore now looked foreign and felt it. What made the situation worst was the team had not one weapon between them which worried him.

Qureshi was quick to follow behind Luke. The young physician was visibly nervous to be venturing out on his first away mission. He knew his training well, and relied heavily on it, but he couldn't shake the anxious feeling he felt in the deep hollow of his belly. He figured he'd be safest sticking to the larger and more experienced officers, but found himself cautiously eyeing the sky as if something were going to suddenly drop down on them. He seemed more at ease in the civilian clothing than the others, and he was thankful for the small pack he wore containing medical supplies as the straps gave him something to grip to steady his shaking hands.

Seleya looked confident, even if she felt hideous. Gray. Gray, gray, gray. Everything in the Federation was this muted shade of gray that sucked all the life out of everything - starships, starbases, corridors, laboratories, colonists' clothing. Worse it wasn't just gray but a matte gray that seemed to suck up any light that struck it as if the color was offended by the mere existence of energy and vitality.

The outfit did have its usefulness though. Much like Captain Holliday, she'd found the many pockets to be a welcome addition. In the short time they had before departure she managed to fill them with things she considered essential to any expedition: one Romulan data spike disguised as a hair pin capable of either decrypting or disabling most computer networks; two vials of nanites (one each for the destruction of inorganic and organic materials); and one felodesine chip to be used in the event of capture, either on herself or, preferably, her captor.

Evelyn stepped down the ramp, hair tied back in a ponytail, her outfit was less traditional for a colonist. A black shirt and pants, with matching boots. She kept quiet, following the group.

Several kilometers away from Galileo, the terrain suddenly changed as it often did on such worlds. A small oasis in a savanna location came into view which sprouted signs of rare plant life. Celes III was unique in that its elliptical orbit and resulting variable surface temperatures often prohibited the development of life forms. Those few that were present had undoubtedly evolved over a long period of time under the harshest evolutionary circumstances, and were very hardy and adaptable specimens.

In this case, it was a cluster of bulbous blue magnoliophyta, each surrounded by grass-like sprouts in the nearby vicinity. Each flowering plant contained its own enclosed pod of seeds encased in a thin, transparent-type of membrane that allowed the away team to to see inside but not touch the sensitive seeds without disrupting the protective layer. The approaching footsteps that the away team's boots made in the terrain caused the alien life forms to begin to slowly pulse with alternating glowing hues.

Luke in awe of the bulbous plants than anything continued to scan the area for any threats or any sign of them being watched, followed or hunted but thankfully against his concerns they seemed to be alone in this beautifully odd environment "If only Abbey could see this" He found himself saying unconsciously.

"Well, that's either a warning or an invitation," Seleya said, speaking up as the expedition's agricultural biotechnologist and the closest thing they had to an expert on plant life. She smiled at Ensign Qureshi and motioned to the plants as if encouraging him to approach. "So it's likely to either spray you with an unpleasant substance or just outright consume you. Either way, it's bound to be corrosive."

The young man laughed at what he assumed was a joke. He was already in the process of leaning in to inspect the plant based on her welcoming smile. "Wait, what?" Qureshi said with his eyes wide. "Corrosi--

The loose fabric of the medical officer's arm brushed against the outer membrane of one of the pods. The fabric from his garments instantly became stuck to a sticky biological gel which began to tear as he moved his arm to speak.

The insides of the seed plantation were suddenly exposed to the raw atmosphere and the liquid-filled interior burst open to eject its contents with supreme force. Warm and foreign ejecta splattered all over Qureshi's exposed face and neck, as well as on the civilian uniforms of Qellar and Wyatt. Interspersed within the fluid were tiny seedlings which began to bury within the away team members' bodies.

The plant -- evolved under millions of years of extreme environmental circumstances -- had adapted a relatively clever technique of delivering its offspring. The biological chemicals contained within each bulbous pod acted as a corrosive mechanism that enabled the associated seeds to penetrate deep within whatever soil (or in this case flesh) layer that surrounded the mother plant. Through the process of acidic corrosion, the seedlings were able to bury themselves deep underground before the next surface storm could blow their tiny masses away from their location.

Luke eyes wide as the plant life seemed to attacked, he tried to block most of the gel or sticky like substance by flinging himself in the way of the others. Instantly regretting himself he could feel the air nipping at several places on his skin as the clothes he wore shredded from contact with the corrosive gel like substance from the plant before a new sensation hit him as tiny seedlings hit him "Stay back" He said to those who had not been touched by the plants attack. It was a mix between total euphoria and pain as if the plant didn't want the victim to feel pain as the spores buried itself. Luke's world began spinning as the euphoric sense was driven away by pure delirium consumed his body and thoughts.

Thankfully for Doctor Qureshi, Luke had taken most of the ejecta. Some of the substance had hit the side of his face and along his neck but he had immediately knelt down upon feeling the initial burning sensation and began rummaging through his well-stocked medkit. He grabbed a spray applicator and proceeded to load it with a cartridge cocktail containing a coagulant, numbing anesthetic and an antibiotic. He was about to apply the flesh-coloured suspension but hesitated when he too felt the euphoric feeling. His eyes grew a bit wide before he reached down and grabbed up a hypospray. He loaded it with a bluish liquid and proceeded to inject himself with Lectrazine to stabilize his renal and cardiovascular systems which were about to become affected. Once that was done he sprayed his face down with the gooey stuff from the spray applicator to neutralize the acidic nature of the ejecta and stop the burning. Dermal regeneration would have to wait.

Qureshi tossed the spray applicator to Seleya without an explanation. He figured she'd get the hint. No one here was really in a position to lecture him on his bedside manner -- which so far was deemed horrible. "Hold still, Lieutenant." The young doctor knelt down beside Luke. "In addition to the burns, you're suffering from anoxia. This is a serious matter, Lieutenant and I'm taking your consent as implied." Qureshi calmly applied a hypospray to Luke's neck. He could still feel the residual effects of the burn on his own neck where he'd missed applying the suspension but it was manageable. Thankfully the seeds that had hit him were washed off during the process. "Anoxia means your organs and tissues are not getting oxygen and it's going to cause euphoria," Qureshi swapped out the cartridge and applied a different medication to the man's neck, "delusion, renal failure and cardiopulmonary complications." He applied one final hypospray before taking out his medical tricorder.

"Hey does any one have a Phoretic analyzer? This stuff is pretty fascinating." Qureshi didn't take his eyes off the medical tricorder. His tone was unusually business-like for being in the middle of a medical emergency. Almost as an afterthought he looked down at Luke like he'd momentarily forgot he was there, "Oh and you should start to feel better in a moment," he said dismissing the obvious seriousness of the situation. "Let's gel you down and irrigate these seeds away." Qureshi returned to his medkit to find another spray applicator.

Dr. Qellar had expertly taken the spray applicator from the air despite the pain in her right arm. She followed Dr. Qureshi's routine as closely as she could even as her attention was clouded from the effects of the ejecta. With the first application finished, she took up the hypospray of lectrazine, injected herself, and, without permission, set about rummaging through the opened medkit looking for something to remove the seeds buried within her skin. Their presence was painful, but she was more alarmed by the unpleasant sensation of having something burrowing into her body.

With a tweezer-like instrument in her hands, she sat very unflatteringly on her backside in the dirt and began looking for the holes in her skin to remove the foreign matter. She could wait on the doctor, but she had no patience for that. She could pluck things as well as anyone. And it gave her excuse to turn her face downward, to hide the look of horrifying pain.

Luke laid on the floor, most of what the doctor had said was cancelled out by the fact Luke was fighting of hoards of ducks as they attempted to peck and eat him alive, using the flat beaks and their clawed webbed feet. His surrounding were an ever changing spiral of colour and noise adding to the stresses of the environment. As the effects of the dose he had been given done its job the real world came into focus and Luke now looked up at the sky. "New rule" He injected through gritted teeth. "No one touches the plant life, hell no one goes near the plant life" He sat himself up resting his elbows on his knee as a bit of fluid dripped from his nose and his mouth leaving a foul taste, his skin however where the seeds had settled under the surface now gave a light glowing blue hue and his eyes were a spiral of green, purples, orange and blues. The world around himself seemed brighter as if he'd been hit with the largest dose of adrenaline and some illegal narcotics.

Holliday didn't need to repeat what had already been said. There was already enough risk on this mission without having to worry about the plant life trying to eat his crew before they even got there.

"I suggest we all heed that warning very carefully. The last thing I need is to have to explain to the Admiral why our overtaxed Sickbay is now even more stretched because we got into a fight with the local flora."

"Well ya'll are welcome." Qureshi chuckled and said to himself in a different voice, "Oh Doctor Qureshi, what quick thinking." Then in his normal voice he said with mirth, "It was my pleasure sirs and ma'ams." He packed the last of his supplies back into his kit and stood. "All part of the job folks, no need for thanks. Right, which way?" He asked shielding his burnt face from the sun to survey their surroundings.

Holliday once again reached into his pocket for the tricorder, taking a moment to punch up the interface back to the Galileo's computer core, before downloading the most up to date topography for this section of the planet.

"Not far - about a kilometre or so in that direction. Shall we?"

Dr. Qellar had her hand on Dr. Qureshi's upper arm both for stability as she brought herself upright and to draw his attention to thank him. However, she was interrupted before she could actually say anything to him by the captain's announcement. The hand dropped and her face turned very stern as she raised her voice.

"Have you gone mad? A moment's field treatment and you're marching us on? I demand to be returned to the ship immediately," Seleya said, straightening her back to show her resolve.

She wasn't one to shy away from pain or trauma, but her whole idea of this away mission had been turned upside down. It was less like a miniature holiday, a bit of theater to brighten up an otherwise droll existence, and more like a holodeck adventure that had entirely lost her interest. She had no desire to carry on, possibly tripping over a root that would amputate her foot or getting bitten by an insect that induced rapid necrosis or whatever other sort of nonsense might be lurking on the planet.

Qureshi had just finished taking a sample of both seed and the goo it came with when Seleya went off on the captain. He secured the samples for later study, straightening up to survey their surroundings. "Our injuries are not life threatening, but we do require extensive dermal repair." The intern wanted to diffuse any heightened emotional outbursts that might occur posttrauma as best he could. "Perhaps you, Commander Coleman and Ensign Langley can carry on while I look to Doctor Qellar and Lieutenant Wyatt's injuries? We can catch up."

Luke walked up to the group still feeling the affects of the drugs and the lingering effect of the plants attack, "I am fine, you heard the commander let's keep going" he said leaving them quickly after that towards the front now feeling energised!

"Fine?" Qureshi said in half disbelief. "Well of course he's fine, Captain, I dosed him with 5mg of Lectrazine. He's probably ready to run a half-marathon." The young man sighed heavily before remembering to add, "sir. I mean--" Qureshi dropped his medical kit and retrieved a dermal regenerator. "At least give us time for me to repair the burns and burrow holes from our faces and neck? It'll decrease the chance of infection. Ten minutes? Maybe twelve at most?"

"Very well...ten minutes." Holliday replied, taking a note of the somewhat combative attitude of his subordinates in response to an order to move out. Field treatment was usually sufficient to complete what was going to be a small mission with a simple objective, the fact that such vehement resistance was being given did not sit well with the military-minded XO.



Twenty-five Minutes Later...

The allotted ten minutes had come and gone and the away team had continued to move toward their destination. Now, they approached a rather flat plain devoid of any describable vegetation and covered in a checkered layer of metallic rocks. It appeared to be a rather desolate section of landscape with nothing of interest nearby, but the team's tricorder readings gave a different interpretation.

Qureshi managed to stay with the group easy enough despite the injuries they had sustained. He still found himself near the rear of the group as he stopped to take samples and to scan down insects. "Oh, is anyone else getting that?" He stopped and spun on the spot trying to ascertain the direction he was getting his readings.

Barely detectable to the naked eye, a slight shimmer rippled across a small section of nearby rocks -- almost as if it were a section of bent lightwaves. The phenomena quickly disappeared, but then reappeared a short moment later.

Qureshi blinked then squinted. For a moment he thought there was something wrong with his vision. He crouched lower and shielded his eyes. After a moment the phenomena rippled and disappeared again. "Lieutenant Wyatt, what do you make of that?"

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

RADM Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

CAPT Jonathan Holliday
First Officer
USS Galileo

LT Luke Wyatt
Strategic Operations Officer
USS Galileo

ENS Ibrahim Qureshi
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Seleya Qellar
Biotechnologist
USS Galileo
[PNPC Mott]

LCDR Evelyn Coleman
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

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