From: Erik (felldoh_at_voyager.net)
Date: Sat Nov 03 2007 - 16:28:59 PDT
"Ambush?" continued from "More Arrival" Location: RESTIIN II Stardate: 2.71103.1719 Scene: Iconian Room Ben stuck his head out the hole in the wall he'd just created, and tried unsuccessfully to wipe the dirt and sweat off his face. The chamber he now saw was massive compared to the one they'd left, and filled with strange devices and consoles. The cables they'd followed had come out at the ceiling, and followed along it to the center of the room, where they attached to one of the larger machines. He had made the hole below the cables, but it still left him with a twenty foot drop to the floor, with smooth metal walls. He called down the passage for the others to follow him and turned back to the room. Rather than try to make holds below the ledge he slid his legs over the side and allowed himself to hang by his fully out stretched arms, almost halving the distance between his feet and the ground, then dropped. He had forgotten to account for the higher gravity, and the impact was more jarring then he expected, but he knew how to absorb it with his legs and sustained no injury. Though they would make quicker progress then he had with the passage already clear, Ben knew he would be waiting a while before his team joined him, so he started to look at the machines around the room. He wasn't much of an engineer when it came to repair, but he understood design. One important thing he had learned was that even when there were thousands of equally plausible ways to build something, a given group would almost always build it the same way. That was why it was so easy to tell Federation technology from Romulan, Klingon, or Cardassian with just a look. For Ben it was often easier to tell who built a machine, than what the machine did. Like his fellow officers, he had studied all of Starfleet's files on Iconian technology, and had seen many pictures from the two known sites. He had no doubt that the machinery in this room was built by Iconians. When the others had finally emerged from the tunnel, looking as dirty if not so sweaty as Ben, they began to discuss their next course of action. "Well this is obviously Iconian technology," Stephens began, obviously thinking the same way Ben had, "but I don't see anything that could be a gateway." "There might not even be a gateway on this planet," Kel added. "Not an intact one anyway." "So, what? We just pick another wire to follow and cave our way through the whole planet?" Tanith blurted sarcastically. Ben was about to reprimand her, but he was cut off by Daniel. He had wandered away from the others and now called from the center of the room. "The cable we followed goes to this machine." He said indicating a twenty foot tall pylon. "So this is were the energy from our equipment went, right. So why isn't it powered up?" "It's possible the cylinder didn't drain enough energy to power it." Stephens answered, moving to join the marine. "Of course, it could *be* powered up for all I know without a tricorder. Just because there are no blinking lights or beeping sounds doesn't mean it isn't doing anything." The ensign sounded frustrated. By now the others had followed, and they all stood around the machine, not quite sure what their next step should be. Before they could begin discussing it again the familiar swirl of a transporter sounded behind them. Ben whirled around to see a white energy pattern coalesce into a humanoid form that was definitely not Restiinian. Before he could react a dozen more beams appeared, and then more. [[Sterling to Kenta. ]] The static filled voice from him combadge shocked him almost as much as the aliens that were now surrounding them. [[Your position is being surrounded by a dozen…no two dozen…more lift signs.]] "When did our combadges start working again?" Kel asked. "I don't know." Ben replied and he tapped the device to respond. Stephens already had his tricorder out, and Ben could tell by the beeping that it too was inexplicably working again. "We know." He responded to Catherine, wondering how she could be scanning them, and if it meant the other away team was near. "Stand down, Lieutenant." If they were close by, he didn't want them caught in the same trap his team now seemed to be, as a hundred of the alien figures now completely surrounded them. "Their composition indicates they are not native to this planet." Stephens whispered as the last of the transporter beams deposited it's load. Ben noticed Clarkson was gripping his phaser under his clothing, and resisted the urge to do the same. He debated the proper course of action. The aliens had transporter technology, and if they were not from RESTIIN they were probably warp capable or equivalent, which meant the Prime Directive didn't apply, and this was instead, a first contact situation. A peaceful one he hoped. The aliens didn't seem keen on starting a dialogue, so he decided it was up to him. "I am Commander Benjamin Kenta of the United Federation of Planets. We come in peace." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NRPG: Who are these new aliens? What do they want, and are they hostile? What's the other away team up too? Nai: I liked your last post, but you really had me stymied as to how our communicators started working again. So I just left it a mystery :) Leigh & Katie: You guys still around? Haven't heard from either of you for awhile. Beth & Alix: I know you guys are busy, and that's fine as long as you keep us updated. Is there anything we can do to help? Erik Walz Commander Benjamin Kenta Commanding Officer USS PATRIOT 5781-A & Lt. Seloron Junior ACT Instructor Starfleet Academy, Earth From HyperNews_at_youth.net
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sun Feb 17 2008 - 03:10:48 PST