Away Team Pt 1 - landing
Posted on 27 Jun 2020 @ 1:35pm by Commander Kristiana Petrova & Lieutenant Alex Sexton & Lieutenant Cole Dering M.D., M.S. & Lieutenant Rosine Deschamps
1,989 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Ab Intra
Location: Planetside
Timeline: MD01 - 1145 hours
=/\= Begin Log =/\=
Once again, Quinn's piloting skills had been called upon to take a shuttle down to a planetary surface. With how slim the helm department was, the pilots were running double duty. He didn't really mind, but he did hope things this time turned out better than the last away mission he'd been on. One he never really wanted to think about again. This time, he wasn't really sure what they were expecting...but the upside was, they knew it wasn't literal hell going in.
He--among the other members of the away team--had been called by Commander Petrova and told to report to the shuttlebay. It looked like he was the first one there, so he opened the shuttle's hatch and began his visual pre-launch checks...
Alex made his way to the shuttle. The hatch was open so he entered and began stowing his gear. Two of his security personnel were also present. Alex set them to the task of making sure the security equipment for the trip was in place and properly stored.
Petrova was the next to walk in. A Type II phaser holstered on her belt, a utility knife on her other hip. She gave a nod to the assembled, Quinn and Alex in particular. "Lieutenants," she offered in greet. "How're we looking, Romanov?"
Hearing the other officers talking to each other and busy rummaging through the equipment, Rosine slipped in through the side and started her own final pre launch check. She was still a bit disgruntled at the failed attempt just before, so instead of engaging in conversation, she kept to the task at hand. After all, they were here to launch an away mission, not to swap stories.
Quinn was still Quinn however. As he ducked out from under the hatch, he saw the folks who were gathering and he nodded with a smile. "Hey, folks. Shuttle is good and getting ready to launch, Commander," he said to Petrova.
Just then Cole came rushing in. "Uh...sorry, Commander." he said over to Petrova as he passed by her, heading towards the shuttle where he immediately went inside. Although he was wearing the standard away team medkit, he wanted to double check the contents of the medkit already on there.
"Alright, that's everyone. Let's take our seats and get this bird launched," Kris called out, slapping the side of the shuttle as she ducked inside to take the co-pilot's seat next to Quinn.
Satisfied with the medkit, Cole took his seat and strapping himself, observed everyone else as they settled in.
Quinn glanced over his shoulder to check that everyone was in their seats. "Closing the hatch," he announced as he hit the button. The back door shut, sealing everyone inside the shuttle for their trip down to the planet. "There's some storms in the atmosphere, so the ride might get a little bumpy."
As the shuttle was good and well underway and heading into atmosphere Kristiana spoke up, using her best everyone-listen-the-hell-up voice. "Alright, people. We're heading down to a science colony that went silent about five years ago. Our job is to learn all that we can while staying safe. Nobody go off on your own without notifying me and you will be assigned a security officer. We don't know what happened or why they went silent. Lieutenant Deschamps, you're in the lead."
Alex knew they were stepping into the unknown. He looked at his team. He motioned for the security personnel to pay attention. Once they were all focused on him, using hand signals he assigned each security team member to a member of the away team and he never said a word. When he was done, each security officer reached for his or her respective phaser and they all changed the setting. Then they all simultaneously reached for their rifles and did the same thing. After that they checked thier tricorders and set them and then put them away. The uniformity of the security team was on point. Alex gave a little smile and sat back in his chair and close his eyes in thought.
Rosine eyed the display of the Security people warily. When they were requested and required to go along, it never bode well for most members of the away team. She'd preferred the XO put Security in the lead with her just behind it, but she could guess what the woman meant. Of course they wanted her to see things first. They were heading to a science colony. Science was her Thing. It was up to her to point out the important stuff. When Alex flicked his hand towards her from one of his team, she nodded to the woman. She'd seen her in the Enlisted rec room a couple of times, but didn't know her name. She looked tough enough, so she'd do. She'd also take the lead, but she'd tell her that much once they'd landed.
For now, the Science office focused on the descent. Which wasn't hard because just as she thought things weren't that bad, the shuttle rocked heavily - first to one side then immediately to the other. Rosine groaned and pulled the straps holding her, somewhat tighter.
Watching security, Cole had fought the urge to check his tricorder or the medkit again instead of being their audience. He acknowledged the security guard assigned to him too, and then took a deep breath as he looked away.
The rest of the descent was turbulent, the weather not quite cooperating though it cleared up a bit as they neared the ground. The shuttle made landfall just outside a population center. As the shuttle doors opened Kris unbuckled from her seat and rose to her feet. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, Deschamps has the lead."
“All security personnel get with your assigned officer. I’ve got you all on my tricorder. If you encounter trouble. Bunker down and repell any attack until we can back you up. Not get going.” They did as told. And everyone was watching their six.
Rosine was first out of the hatch. Well. Second. Her assigned security officer went first.
As soon as they entered the open air, it was clear they'd landed close to a city. It wouldn't take them very long to reach it on foot. As it was their obvious destination, the science officer didn't waste any time in starting to walk towards it. She had her tricorder out and was having it on scan for all frequencies, but so far, it wasn't picking up on anything worth looking at. That made her frown, because she'd expected more readings coming from a science colony.
Alex had his tricorder on s an as well. But he was scanning for life signs of anyone or anything other than his team.
Following Petrova's orders, Romanov stayed in the shuttle but watched as everyone moved out. His job was to keep an eye on their ticket off-planet and on the sensors, which were better able to penetrate around them now that they were below the worst of the storms. He just hoped things would go smoothly...
"I don't like this ... " Kristiana muttered quietly. Her hand involuntarily went towards her holster, though she caught herself before it unhooked the Type II hand phaser there. Her hair was blowing a bit in the wind and she coughed once from the dust in the air, the uneasy feeling crawling up her spine. She approached Rosine. "Anything?" She asked. "Feel free to move forward, we're right behind you."
Whenever a heavily populated area is left vacant. Indigenous creatures move in to see what’s been left behind.
Walking along with the others, Cole had started scanning too, looking up from the tricorder to the scenery around them. As the view of the city grew, an ominous feeling surrounded him.
Alex took a deep breath from where he stood near the rear of the shuttle. Something wasn't right. What he was feeling was not man made but natural. A swoon came over him as he reached up and tapped his communicator.. "STOP, AND MASK UP," he yelled. "THERES SOMETHING IN THE AIR." He hoped the filters on his mask would stop whatever it was and he would be able to function normally.
Alex began to breath normally. He reached down and unsheathed his tricorder. As he flipped it open and switched the controls to environmental, he began to scan the area. The substance was coming from a bush that was part of an area covered by trees. It’s probably a good thing it was raining and I little bad weather or the substance would have been stronger.
According to the readings it was not indigenous to this planet. Must have come from a meteor strike, thought Alex.
Just then he noticed something else and this was no plant. He moved quickly back into the shuttle and performed an emergency close. The hatch sealed just as whatever it was hit the bulkhead. He tapped his Commbadge.
+tap+”All security personnel. Weapons to full power. There’s an animal close to the shuttle and I think it’s Vulcan. “ yelled The chief of security
As she heard the commotion behind her - being in the lead, meant everyone was behind her - Rosine spun around on her heels and faced a couple of weapons trained on... something. She frowned and looked down at her tricorder. It didn't register anything out of the ordinary. The closing hatch of the shuttle drew her attention and she quickly took notice of those around her. The XO being one of them, she quickly back stepped to be next to the woman. "My tricorder isn't registering anything, Commander. Whatever it is that's got them spooked, it's not real."
Kristiana had her phaser out as well, at the low ready. As Rosine spoke up she listened, her mind torn for a moment. Alex was an experienced and trustworthy officer, but so was Rosine, and the latter had the benefit of a scientific tricorder that was more fine tuned to pick things up. Plus, Rosine was trained in analysing anything it would. That clinched it.
"Everyone. Stand down weapons. That's an order," as if to emphasize she powered down her Type II hand phaser and holstered it. "Emergency masks on, in case there's something in the air we're not picking up." A beat of a moment passed as she considered, before adding "Everyone return to the shuttle. We need to be better prepared for this!"
Quinn was sitting in the shuttle with the hatches all closed, just in case someone should happen to appear and be hostile, though the sensors so far said that the coast was clear. He was in the pilot's seat when he happened to look up and see...the away team hurrying toward the shuttle and wearing masks?
He keyed the communicator.
Kris tapped her commbadge, replying. "Something's fucky. We're heading back. Contact the ship, have them prepare decontamination."
"What the hell," he murmured, but then said aloud, "On it, sir!" He swapped over the somewhat staticky channel and moved to communicate with the ship. "Lieutenant Romanov to the Odin." He paused, waiting for the reply, but nothing came back except an odd, loud tone. Frowning, her tried again...and again... He kept trying till they were almost to the shuttle. "Commander, I can't get through to them."
Cole had rushed ahead of the others, determined to do a medical scan on the security chief. When he got to the shuttle, the hatch didn't open. He tapped his badge and demanded, "Open the damn hatch, Lieutenant!"
Kris soon caught up with Cole. This was going from bad to worse, she thought, as the rest of the party caught up as well. First things first though she replied to Quinn. "Door isn't responding, something's affecting the mechanics. Can you override from inside? Can we take off?"
=/\= To Be Continued...