Mission 3: Choices

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

[Caverns]

"Language, Ensign," Archangel admonished quietly as her eyes adjusted to the gloom and she spotted what Gavin had seen.  The sheer number of animals there, apparently nesting, boggled the mind.  She looked to the science officer, hoping that at least he knew what this had to do with the water source.  "Report."

[Caverns]

"Huh?" Gavin cocked an eyebrow, glancing at the Romulan. "Oh. Right. No, I mean, like, literally, crap." He suddenly realized what he was saying, and what she was getting at. "Sorry. Fecal excrement."

And excrement, there was. All over the place, streaking down the sides of the cave walls, hanging off the points of stalagmites. Everywhere. "I am not sure what exactly these birds are, captain, but they've nested here in this cave. I'm running a cross-reference on the tricorder, but the link to the main ship computer is tenuous down here on the surface."

Andrew found himself beamed along with the Captain just after relaxing at her words that his phaser was not yet needed.

When he reappeared in the cave...it was to begin listening to the exchange between Ensign Van Gelder and Captain T'Koris. Apparently, the lined walls of fecal excrement from the birds in the cave were causing the water to become contaminated. With that now as the very real possible cause for the troubles the colonists were experiencing; that made Andrew frown. What of the corrosion he had found on the connections for the bio filter unit? Was that a separate issue? Had someone already discovered the issues with the birds, and thus decided to sabotage the connections to the bio filters to allow the toxins to better affect the colony? If so, what was the purpose, or was there a natural reason for the corrosion that he wasn't aware of. The tricorder was a good device, but it didn't have a complete database of such compounds. Perhaps there was nothing truly out of place....maybe....

That would be nice for once, but Andrew Sheridan's suspicious mind wouldn't allow him that luxury....

A'Della continued to gather her samples. She made her way to more evidence of pollution. She walked along the murky water way and soon found what used to be a thriving water fall, now it was a ruddy reddish orange with green slime flowing over the ancient rocks, the ground smelled of death and decay.

She stopped and took samples, as she was making her way around the waterfall, she felt a hand reach out and grab her arm. She was pulled quickly behind the waterfall, her cry out, may not have been heard. She tapped her commbadge but it had been rendered useless by the electromagnetics of the rocks around her.

The cavern was large and deep, she was being carried, along down ancient steps into the darkness. Her Vulkhunsu eyesight adepting quickly to the lower lumens. The kidnappers, covered in Robes, and gloves, she had no sight of who or what had taken her from the work sight.

As they carried her along, she heard the sounds of old machines and also the nauseating smell of chemicals and bio-organisms. She heard chatter, her translator probably inactive had not picked up on the multiple dialects, spoken.

Soon, they strode with her on the shoulders of her captor into a room. She was placed on her feet, and she looked around the room a long stone table with stone chairs before her. The robed beings sat down and began to hum or chant. "Mmmeouuutao lownnnnn mmmmouutao lownnnne, wainaik ancki." A'Della listened to them, as a female without a robe walked up to her. The woman, long blonde hair, pale face eyes a dark brown. She, looked ill. She touched A'Della's hair and picked at her gear.

Soon, another being arrived. Tall with a rather large hat, he sat down in the largest stone chair and said. "We, sorry you here to help. Can show you the Mother bleeds, can show you the mother dies."

A'Della nodded and ask. "Mother?" The other's patted the walls. A'Della began to watch them closer, they were painting their bodies in some sort of ritual.

A child came to her and said in broken English. "We are the outers, we use plants to get well."

"Ahh, I see. And these plants could you show me?"

She continued to watch them, she knew that she was not in any danger, apparently these people were natives who chose to live a simple life off the Mother land and not with technology. She looked at the paintings on the cavern walls, it told a history of these people.


TBC



OFF:

OOC: Just adding a little mystery to the plot. These people live to simple a life to be a part of the contamination.

[Shuttlecraft Lin]

Squeezing past the cargo-netted crates and into his seat, Derek waited for Pardek to board before closing the rear hatch and bringing the shuttle's engines online. The heavily ladened craft felt sluggish over the gravity plating, even with it's anti-grav system running at full strength. Checking his total weight to ensure that Lin's thrusters were dialed into the right setting for atmospheric entry, Derek requested and was promptly granted approval to depart the bay.

As soon as they left the Phoenix's interior, the ride instantly smoothed out, Derek increasing their angle of descent and speed. Dropping clear, he nodded at Pardek. "Just enjoy the trip, we'll be making landfall in about ten minutes."

Adjusting the inertial dampeners as the view outside the cockpit glowed a fiery red, Derek managed to keep their ride relatively stable, allowing the computer's automated guidance system to fly on a predesignated course to the landing platform. It wasn't long before the red faded to a clear blue. "Keep an eye out for any company." Derek requested Pardek while bringing up the comms. "Should be quiet but I don't feel like surprises today."

=/\="Shuttlecraft Lin to Lieutenant Sheridan, we're in atmo, five minutes out from the primary LZ."=/\=

Gavin Van Gelder wrote:

[Caverns]

"Huh?"  Gavin cocked an eyebrow, glancing at the Romulan.  "Oh.  Right.  No, I mean, like, literally, crap."  He suddenly realized what he was saying, and what she was getting at.  "Sorry.  Fecal excrement."

And excrement, there was.  All over the place, streaking down the sides of the cave walls, hanging off the points of stalagmites.  Everywhere.  "I am not sure what exactly these birds are, captain, but they've nested here in this cave.  I'm running a cross-reference on the tricorder, but the link to the main ship computer is tenuous down here on the surface."

Andrew Sheridan wrote:

Andrew found himself beamed along with the Captain just after relaxing at her words that his phaser was not yet needed.

When he reappeared in the cave...it was to begin listening to the exchange between Ensign Van Gelder and Captain T'Koris. Apparently, the lined walls of fecal excrement from the birds in the cave were causing the water to become contaminated. With that now as the very real possible cause for the troubles the colonists were experiencing; that made Andrew frown. What of the corrosion he had found on the connections for the bio filter unit? Was that a separate issue? Had someone already discovered the issues with the birds, and thus decided to sabotage the connections to the bio filters to allow the toxins to better affect the colony? If so, what was the purpose, or was there a natural reason for the corrosion that he wasn't aware of. The tricorder was a good device, but it didn't have a complete database of such compounds. Perhaps there was nothing truly out of place....maybe....

That would be nice for once, but Andrew Sheridan's suspicious mind wouldn't allow him that luxury....

[Planetside - Cavern]

Archangel surveyed the cave, looking at the birds nesting there. If one looked closely enough, one could see that there was evidence of previous occupation as well. This wasn't the first time that they had nested here, not by a long shot. And that made things difficult.

"So, this is the cause of the contamination, correct?"

[Cavern of Infinite Grossness]

Mills' eyes seemed to want to bug right out of his head.  First, they discover that the source of the colony's life had become a veritiable sewage pond.  And then...the purple girl had found people living in the caves?  "Bloody rutting Hells," he breathed, his voice thick with incredulity.  Posts like his were supposed to be quiet, bureaucratic appointments with nice benefits.  Not...well, whatever the hell this was.  Starfleet problems.

"I swear," Nile said, raking his fingers through his just-greying brown hair, "there were survey teams sent to scout this world before the colonization process.  Even had 'Fleet people with them!  Whatever...these are..." he said, pointing to the chittering masses of avians, "they weren't ruddy here!"

NPC wrote:

[Cavern of Infinite Grossness]

Mills' eyes seemed to want to bug right out of his head.  First, they discover that the source of the colony's life had become a veritiable sewage pond.  And then...the purple girl had found people living in the caves?  "Bloody rutting Hells," he breathed, his voice thick with incredulity.  Posts like his were supposed to be quiet, bureaucratic appointments with nice benefits.  Not...well, whatever the hell this was.  Starfleet problems.

"I swear," Nile said, raking his fingers through his just-greying brown hair, "there were survey teams sent to scout this world before the colonization process.  Even had 'Fleet people with them!  Whatever...these are..." he said, pointing to the chittering masses of avians, "they weren't ruddy here!"

[Caverns]

Turning to look at the Administrator, Archangel stifled a sigh. A lot of work had gone into the colony, that was for sure. But the survey teams had obviously missed something when they did their scans to see whether the planet was suitable for human colonisation.

"Both of the indigenous species apparently are cave dwelling. It's possible that the scans didn't adequately penetrate through the rock." She sighed heavily. "We may have to evacuate the colony and try to relocate you somewhere else."

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

Turning to look at the Administrator, Archangel stifled a sigh.  A lot of work had gone into the colony, that was for sure.  But the survey teams had obviously missed something when they did their scans to see whether the planet was suitable for human colonisation.

"Both of the indigenous species apparently are cave dwelling.  It's possible that the scans didn't adequately penetrate through the rock."  She sighed heavily.  "We may have to evacuate the colony and try to relocate you somewhere else."

[Caverns]

The nod that Nile gave Captain T'Koris was that of a defeated man.

"I...I see," the administrator said, looking around at the cave walls as if they were going to come alive and try to eat him.  He wanted to run his fingers through his hair again, but thought better of it, and wished that he'd not done so a short bit ago.  "Evacuation.  Is there no other way, Captain?  Can we just move the birds somewhere else?  There are years of work that have been put into this colony!"

NPC wrote:

[Caverns]

The nod that Nile gave Captain T'Koris was that of a defeated man.

"I...I see," the administrator said, looking around at the cave walls as if they were going to come alive and try to eat him.  He wanted to run his fingers through his hair again, but thought better of it, and wished that he'd not done so a short bit ago.  "Evacuation.  Is there no other way, Captain?  Can we just move the birds somewhere else?  There are years of work that have been put into this colony!"

[Caverns]

As much as Archangel wished that she could give the head of the colony any other solution than evacuation, she couldn't think of any that were inkeeping with the laws governing the settlement of colonists.

"If it was just the birds, maybe we could have encouraged them to nest elsewhere, but the discovery of another sentient race already inhabiting this planet... I'm sorry. I don't think there are any other solutions."

A'Della continued to observe the information these cave dwellers were showing her. She followed them along a narrow pathway, they took her deeper into the cavern, she noticed that bat like creatures were in this big room, and they looked sick. She scanned them and took some samples. She walked onwards, she felt her boots being bogged down with a sickening sticky bog. She took samples and one of the natives, pulled her to a dry place.

She walked onwards, gathering samples and more information. She knew that she had a lot of samples to process, she pointed up, and ask. "Back to where I was?" One of the motioned and she followed, soon she was exiting the cavern on the back side of it. She noted this higher expanse, the plant life was rich and lush, and the water clear and clean. She took samples and looked around. One of the natives brought a bucket and scrubbed down her boot area. Then took the dirty water to a special container and poured it inside.

She noticed that on this peak of the mountain, they utilized eco-friendly system to clean contaminates out of their water and sewer systems.

She took notes and readings, she noted that this side of the mountain was not suffering the same contamination as the Southern side.

[Caverns]

Gavin listened to the conversation going on between the captain and Mills, only half-way paying any attention to them. Whatever had to be worked out, it was way above his rank grade. And will be for a long time, he thought, knowing that refusing to play along with Starfleet Medical's plan for Zero Alpha had pretty much condemned him to a career as a junior officer for the rest of his life.

He glanced up just in time to see a flash of dark purple hair slip around a corridor...seemingly by herself. Gavin gave a little grunt and followed quickly along, his lanky legs eating up distance. His sea-green eyes widened as he saw one of the natives trying to communicate...or something...with Ensign Es'Starla. "We probably shouldn't slip away too far," he said to her, warily watching the small creature. "They appear to have a rudimentary intelligence, which means that we've boned the PD already. Well, we didn't, Starfleet did, but whatever, I'm sure it won't matter that much when they start counting the beans."

Gavin Van Gelder wrote:

[Caverns]

Gavin listened to the conversation going on between the captain and Mills, only half-way paying any attention to them.  Whatever had to be worked out, it was way above his rank grade.  And will be for a long time, he thought, knowing that refusing to play along with Starfleet Medical's plan for Zero Alpha had pretty much condemned him to a career as a junior officer for the rest of his life.

He glanced up just in time to see a flash of dark purple hair slip around a corridor...seemingly by herself.  Gavin gave a little grunt and followed quickly along, his lanky legs eating up distance.  His sea-green eyes widened as he saw one of the natives trying to communicate...or something...with Ensign Es'Starla.  "We probably shouldn't slip away too far," he said to her, warily watching the small creature.  "They appear to have a rudimentary intelligence, which means that we've boned the PD already.  Well, we didn't, Starfleet did, but whatever, I'm sure it won't matter that much when they start counting the beans."

A'Della, still investigating the Natives on the Northern side peak, she noted that their ecological processes, had saved their part of what they called The Mother! Referring to their planet as Mother, they in their simple ways, might have a solution to the pollutions on the other side of the peak.

She looked around and noted that Van Gelder had followed her. Raising an eyebrow she said. "We seem to have found a possible solution to some of the pollution problem. These Natives have herbal and other items that have kept their side of this mountain peak and their valley cleaner. It is, of course only a matter of time before the pollution on the Southern side of the Peak will entrench itself into their water table as well."

A'Della M. Es'Starla wrote:

A'Della, still investigating the Natives on the Northern side peak, she noted that their ecological processes, had saved their part of what they called The Mother!  Referring to their planet as Mother, they in their simple ways, might have a solution to the pollutions on the other side of the peak.  

She looked around and noted that Van Gelder had followed her.  Raising an eyebrow she said.  "We seem to have found a possible solution to some of the pollution problem.  These Natives have herbal and other items that have kept their side of this mountain peak and their valley cleaner.  It is, of course only a matter of time before the pollution on the Southern side of the Peak will entrench itself into their water table as well."

[Caverns]

Gavin nodded, the motion causing his headlamp to flash up and down the walls of the cave, making him feel a bit dizzy. His brain was already engaged to the problem, though, and promptly ignored the sensations. "So...okay, let me see. The natives appear to have a symbiotic relationship to the creatures, or a way, at least, to mitigate the gastrointestinal nightmare that their scat causes. Can we apply that to the whole colony, or...?" He shook his head. "I think we should get the captain over here before we get any further into this," he said, tapping his comm.

=^="Van Gelder to Captain T'Koris...can you come to our location, please?"=^=

Gavin Van Gelder wrote:

[Caverns]

Gavin nodded, the motion causing his headlamp to flash up and down the walls of the cave, making him feel a bit dizzy.  His brain was already engaged to the problem, though, and promptly ignored the sensations.  "So...okay, let me see.  The natives appear to have a symbiotic relationship to the creatures, or a way, at least, to mitigate the gastrointestinal nightmare that their scat causes.  Can we apply that to the whole colony, or...?"  He shook his head.  "I think we should get the captain over here before we get any further into this," he said, tapping his comm.  

=^="Van Gelder to Captain T'Koris...can you come to our location, please?"=^=

[Caverns]

Hearing the communication come through, Archangel left Administrator Mills to consider the implications and complete change of life that would accompany an evacuation of the colony It took a tricorder scan to find her two officers, but when she did, her eyes grew large at what they had found. The level of how much they had screwed up truly hit her.

Grabbing the shoulders of their uniforms, she pushed them back toward the bird cave, the anger she felt at their disregard of one of Starfleet's most important rules searing in her mind.

"Get out of here! Just letting them see you is a violation of the Prime Directive! Whether or not it's already been broken, we do not compound it!"

Once they were all safely out of sight of the natives, she hit her commbadge. "T'Koris to Phoenix. Prepare for colony evacuation as soon as possible. Liaise with Doctor Abols to get an update on how to treat the infection. We need to get everyone out of here as soon as possible. We have a violation of the Prime Directive in effect."

Closing the channel to the ship, she glared at Van Gelder and E'Starla. "I will deal with you two later."