From: V. Rahul Chandra (vrccan_at_gmail.com)
Date: Wed Jan 24 2007 - 00:10:01 PST
=========== “The Cavalry Also Happens to Be Lost” Con’t from Naomi/My “Troubled Hearts” =========== Location: ESPERION Stardate: 2422 [2.7] 0124.0246 Scene: Caves <Note: This continues directly from my last individual post, entitled “the set up”> “Well…” Mel said hesitantly, as he looked at each of the three tunnels that led away from the antechamber they’d just entered. “Maybe it’s not that bad.” “Don’t kid yourself,” Daniel answered grimly. “We were pretty screwed when we were forced to come in here with no food, no water and limited equipment – and that was assuming this took a straight path somewhere. Now that there’s a good chance we could get lost down here, we’re probably going to end up wandering around until we either die of thirst or get crushed by a cave in.” He sighed, shaking his head and glancing at the priest. “I don’t suppose you happen to know which one of those to take?” he asked. “As I previously mentioned, where we are right now…” “Is farther then you’ve traveled before. Right, I think it’s finally starting to sink in now,” Daniel shook his head. He looked over at Mel, who’d just opened his tricorder. “Is it working?” he asked. Seeing the security officer nod, he let out a sigh of relief. “Well, let’s hope you can find us a way out with that thing.” “I’ll try sir,” Mel said. “We’ll stay here while you take your scans,” Daniel said. “It’s a less confined space, so the recycled carbon dioxide level will be less on each breath we take.” He lowered his rifle, putting the safety on and leaning it against part of the cave wall. Mel was busy taking his scans, and Palthainon had sunk to a sitting position, his eyes closed and unintelligible mutterings coming out of his mouth, making Daniel suspect that he was praying. While he waited for Harris to report, he paced around the perimeter of the antechamber, every now and then feeling along the wall with his hand. He shook his head at the predicament they were in, and began to wonder if it reflected on his leadership abilities, before he caught himself and shook the thought away. That was something he could think about after the situation was over, but right now his mind needed to be in the here and now. He stopped in front of each of the three exiting tunnels, peering down and squinting in the vain hope that just by the mere act of observation that he’d be able to divine their course. It was hopeless of course, as each tunnel quickly faded into a black that could only be explored with flashlights and physical presence. “Sir!” Harris said. “I’m picking up a Starfleet signal.” Daniel looked at him, surprised. “Are you sure?” he asked. “The carrier wave is unmistakeable sir,” Harris said, holding out the device for Daniel to look at. The marine took the tricorder, looking over the readouts and nodding his head in agreement. “That’s definitely a Starfleet signature,” he agreed. “If I’m not mistaken, it comes from a comm. badge.” “That’s what it looks like sir,” Harris said, taking the device back and tapping a few buttons on it. “I was able to map out a path using the leftmost tunnel that gets us near the signal, but doesn’t go right into it.” “What’s the obstacle blocking us from it?” Daniel asked. “As far as I can tell sir, it’s the cave wall,” Mel replied. “The area appears to be what remains of a similar tunnel system that collapsed in on itself.” Something in Daniel’s mind clicked at that statement and he regarded Harris intently. “Any idea to find out how recently that happened?” he asked. “We could examine the residual dust particles in the air,” Mel said. “But we’d need to be closer to do it.” “Would being on the other side of the wall be close enough?” “I think so,” Mel said with a nod of his head. “What’re you thinking?” “I’m thinking that could be Cindy and Kyle,” Daniel said. “They were sent into that cave that’s supposed to lead to the Nearly Perfect One – when the explosion happened at the Rashas compound, chances are some of the caves lost structural integrity, and if Cindy and Kyle were in one of those, then they might need our help fast.” While they’d been talking, Palthainon had finished his prayer and wandered over to them, listening intently. “It is possible then,” he said. “That all of these caves lead to the same place, and that it was the nearly perfect one’s intention that a priest should flee to her in times of dire need.” Daniel smiled slightly. “It’s possible,” he agreed. “But we shouldn’t be too hasty to jump to assumptions – with our situation right now, one decision, one turn could be the difference between making it out of here alive and dying a slow death far away from everyone.” “What should we do then sir?” Harris asked. “We try to get to that signal,” Daniel said. “If it’s Cindy and Kyle, then we can find out what they know and form a plan based on that – if it’s not, well at least we know that there’s one piece of technology in that area. We might be able to find something to help us.” ========== NRPG: Just nudging things along slightly…very slightly. ========== ========== V. Rahul Chandra <vrccan_at_gmail.com> Playing... Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey Gorman, MD Chief Medical Officer/2nd Officer GATEWAY STATION, GS-2 & Captain Daniel Clarkson, MD Executive Officer - Marine Contingent USS PATRIOT, NCC 5781-A & Lieutenant Sevlock Junior ACT Instructor Starfleet Academy, EARTH -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.8/648 - Release Date: 23/01/2007 11:04 AM From HyperNews_at_youth.net
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