LtJG Jocelyn Marshall - She's ALIVE!
Jo Marshall
((Leutra IV, Leutra System))
:: They had descended further into the belly of the save and found the spiders that were on their tail were herding them like sheep further into the depths. Jo and her makeshift lantern gazed up at the semblance of writing that cascaded over the archway and sparkled in the light. It looked like the scrawlings of spiders, not a language she had ever encountered before. She turned briefly in the dark at the sound of the Doctor speaking.::
Soyinka: It’s pointing down the hill towards Marshall. Maybe if we point towards the text we can communicate our interest?
Marshall: You mean point at the text we like the sound of?
MacMorna: In either case, I'd reckon we'd best ta move b'fore they get impatient. In fact ... oh, hell's bells. Let's cut ta the bleedin' chase an' no charades.
:: Jo looked back up the scrawls, and her eyes narrowed as she searched her brain for any recollection of this kind of writing anywhere at all in her career so far, but alas turned up nothing from the memory banks.::
MacMorna: If they swarm an' eat me, tell my Da I died doin' somethin' less bleedin' stupid. But feel free ta tell my Mother all about it. She shan't be surprised.
Reynolds: Whether she'd be surprised or not, I've no intention of writing to her or your father any time soon.
Soyinka: And if anyone can charm a spider it’s surely you.
Marshall: Your mum sounds like she knows you w--
:: The rest of the sentence didn’t make it past her lips as the Bringlodi marched past her, the Captain, and the Doctor, making his way for the archway with a strange eight eyed and legged creature nestled delightfully in the palm of his hand.::
MacMorna: Pardon me, comin' through, hot soup...
Marshall: Funny looking soup. Are you ok? Just hold still...
MacMorna: S'fine, we're fine, no sudden movements so he don't panic an' squeak fer his big brothers ta come devour me. Awwwwwriiiight, mate. Lookit here.
:: The spider swarm followed and for a brief moment it looked as though the wall, black and green glistening under the lamplight, was moving. It was more than slightly unnerving. Jo swallowed down the very human instinct to run in the other direction and have a very hot shower.::
MacMorna: What is this here, attercop? A warnin'? An omen? A safety announcement about magnetar storms? A memorial? Where are ya bleedin' takin' us?
Soyinka: Even if they wanted to tell us, I’m not sure they can - unless they somehow know Federation Standard.
MacMorna: They gotta know SOMETHIN', ain't they? They took us here, yeah? C'mon, mate, we're bleedin' lost. We got friends somewhere out there, an' they might worse off'n we are! Help us out, like!
::This time, he went further than gesturing, and tapped the sigils glowing placidly on the door. Like a child copying a parent, the spider reached out a thin, spindled leg and did the same.
::It was beautiful. The glyphs flared again, spreading out from the archway in a sapphire blaze of light and arcane symbols. Blue raced along the walls, back up toward the river, illuminating the path they had travelled down. Beyond the gateway, magnificent structures began to light up, one by one, an alien marvel the likes of which she'd never seen before.::
Reynolds: ::Awestruck, she whispered,:: ...would you look at that.
:: Dwarfed by the magnificence of the moment, Jo’s hand dropped down to her side as the expanse opened up in front of them. To say she was taken aback would be a dramatic understatement; it was like nothing she’d ever seen before, sitting there underneath the planet’s crust. Her heart fluttered just a little faster to be part of the group to find this marvel hidden for all this time.::
:: She was brought back down to the deck from her reverent musings by MacMorna and his spider friend.::
MacMorna: Awright, then.
Marshall: Did he impart some ancient spider wisdom into your hand?
MacMorna: Nope, sorry. No bleedin' idea what it means.
Soyinka: Ummm. I don’t like this. Something’s coming.
:: The shadow their light cast on the floor started to dim and Jo turned, seeing the patch of black starting to flow toward them. The rhythmic pulse in Jo’s chest suddenly kicked up a notch or seven. It grew closer, and closer, and closer, until finally the dim light finally illuminated a blue-skinned being, with Ensign pips on the collar and the distinct bodily capabilities of someone who was very much alive.::
Soyinka: Hold on a second. zh'Aella? Is that you?
:: The Andorian whipped around to the members of the descended team, as though she was quite confused as to the nature of her being there, underground, riding in on a wave of spiders of all things. It was quite impressive, to say the least, not least of which was the coming back from the dead part. The spiders’ eyes had ceased the red pulsating and instead replaced it with a hue of blue similar to that of the writing around the archway.
:: And, judging by the stains of what could only be something spidery on the female, she had put up quite a fight to get down to them. Perhaps the spindly legs had tried to carry her away into the dark.::
zh'Aella: I… I may have misjudged the situation.
Soyinka: Are you okay? How are you feeling?
zh'Aella: I…. I have some bumps and cuts.
:: Jo went to help her to her feet, however the woman had it in hand, relinquishing the old Starfleet spirit back under her wings to see her right on her two once more.::
zh'Aella: I'm sorry.
MacMorna: Don't worry yer head about it, miss. Ya fought a proper donnybrook while ya was lost in a rad-storm an' beset by creepy-crawlies. Couldn't ask fer more'n that!
:: The spider on his palm seemed to look askance at him. ::
MacMorna: No 'fense, mate. S'just a term of endearment, like.
:: It had no response, which was probably for the best. ::
:: Jo fell short of wondering about Connan’s mental health, having stumbled across the answer that it was a bit too late for questions of that nature now, and instead went to the now suddenly quite safe and alive Andorian crewmate they had become separated from.::
Marshall: Between the spider-rider and the spider-whisperer, I think we’ve got most angles covered here. We’ve only just got to a point where we sort of understand what’s going on down here.
Reynolds: What happened to you? We would have come back for you when we got separated, but…
:: No explanation was necessary, as the Captain gestured to the horde of eyes surrounding them, blinking in unison. It was only just starting to be less unnerving.::
TBC
Lieutenant (JG) Jocelyn Marshall
Operations Officer
USS Gorkon