Ensign D'Cyra Varati - Somewhere beneath Uropal
D'Cyra Varati
((Hospital Room, Oparis Regional Hospital, North Oparis Branch Settlement, Uwe II))
Stros: Pale, pink man. Now that we have that out of the way, we must figure out our avenue of escape. You said you could lead us along roots where no questions would be asked?
Moore: Yeah, it might get a little awkward with his pinky paleness. You really need to photosynthesize more, Commander.
Elarrapal: Where others will not swarm us with curiosity and whispers, yes. I make no such promises for myself.
Ukinix: You can ask as many questions as you like, we owe you that much.
((OOC: The following scene takes place in the corridor outside Elarrapal's room and thus outside the perception of the other participants. ))
((Meanwhile on the Corridor, Oparis Regional Hospital – North Oparis Branch Settlement, Uwe II))
D’Cyra continued to pull at the guard until he finally gave in, annoyed, and walked out with her into the now empty corridor.
The door behind them slammed shut again, and she could only hope that the team would somehow manage to get the situation under control. With an empty bin, they could have taken Elarrapal away – but then where would they put Wil, who was not wearing any disguise?
The nurses had turned left with the patient earlier – now, from her perspective, right. In front of them was the corridor they had come from. But she had no idea what lay behind the other doors, and no time to find out.
D’Cyra had to get rid of the guard somehow. She had to do it until they got Elarrapal out of here. Worst case, they'd have to go twice if Wil had to hide here.
But first things first. Without a phaser or a dagger, she couldn't knock the guard out. So the poor guy had to do it himself…
Varati: ::to Guard:: Ah! Thank you... where's the nearest restroom? I really shouldn't have eaten so many of those roasted insects.
They were actually quite crispy and delicious. But the thought of Klingon Gagh immediately made her nausea real again.
Guard: ::to Varati:: You should be more careful, this is not suitable for expectant mothers!
Leaning slightly forward, she continued to let the guard support her as she pushed further and further away from the room.
Varati: ::to Guard:: Yes, you're probably right... But you should also be careful!
Guard: …??
D’Cyra shamelessly took advantage of the situation because the security guard couldn't think quickly and didn't know what was happening.
She paused briefly, deliberately placed her right foot in his path, and before the poor man knew what she meant, he tripped over her outstretched leg and fell sprawling. His forehead slammed into a doorframe, instantly opening a laceration. This resulted in immediate fainting.
Varati: ::quiet:: Shit! You didn't have to follow the instructions in such detail...
She couldn't leave him lying there like that; perhaps, unfortunately; he might seriously injured himself.
Another sour note: Leaving him lying there wasn't an option, especially if they really had to come back here. Or if someone just happened to be passing by. And from an ethical point of view, she couldn't leave an injured person (even if they were in a hospital) to fend for themselves.
She had no choice but to rush excitedly into the other treatment room, waving something around and asking the nurses for help.
Varati: oO What must be done must be done! Close your eyes and go for it! Oo ::to the nurses:: Please help me! The security guard wanted to help me but unfortunately tripped and injured his forehead... Oh dear, what a unfortunate branch! …
A few minutes later, the nurses, who were also unaware of what had happened, had helped the poor security guard, who was still unconscious, to his feet and taken him to another room for first aid. By the time the poor man woke up and recovered from his shock, they would hopefully already be long gone.
But now the coast was clear for an escape.
Varati: ::quiet:: Phew! Now quickly back to the others. Hopefully they've managed to calm and convince Elarrapal. And hopefully everything's okay with Wil!
Completely unnecessarily, she tiptoed back to the other room, her heart pounding loudly like a drum roll because she didn't know what had happened in the meantime.
Moore: Ah, there you are. You didn’t lose your seedling on that poor guard, did you?
Yes, yes, the rumour mill... that trip to the Alpha Quadrant and the stories that came from DS9, which could apparently cross the galaxy faster than light...
Varati: ::rolls her eyes:: By the leaves of Uropal! May Imeris guide you to righteousness! No, I haven't... and no, I'm not... ::pause:: Oh my goodness! By a stroke of luck, we got rid of the guard for a while, which should give us enough time to escape. No... He stumbled over his own stupidity.
Elarrapal: I am to be rooted to this place for surgery, soon, and they will come for me. You will have more to explain if we are not gone by then.
Ukinix: ::To Stros, Moore, Varati:: Then we need to get the crap out of here, pronto. ::Looking at Elarappal’s arm:: And then Elarrapal to medical on the Indy. Suggestions.
Moore: They’ll be looking for us once we break out of here. We could seal the door and have Indy warp in and beam us out, but it’s safer to find a hiding spot and call for help.
Stros: Response
Time was of the essence, and sitting here any longer would only complicate the situation.
Varati: Yes, we can't walk around here so openly much longer. The doctor, the security guard, and the other staff will recognize us.
Ukinix: ::Finally stepping out of bin:: Let’s head. Elarrapal, come with us.
((Basement, Oparis Regional Hospital – North Oparis Branch Settlement, Uwe II))
The trip to the basement had been relatively painless—except Kaito and Stros had to shove Wil back into the waste bin, carrying him to safety. All while avoiding nurses and guards, with the one-armed wounded tree person trying to sneak out too. Luckily, once in the basement, and much to Kaito’s relief, they were able to release Wil into the wild.
Luckily, the doctors were still having their consultation hours, because the corridors were mostly empty. Stros and Kaito had to carry the trash can with Wil again, while Elarrapal and D'Cyra walked behind them. She had draped her tunic around Elarrapal, so that the injury and missing arm weren't so obvious. Unmolested but purposefully, they shuffled through the corridors and down the stairs to the basement.
Elarrapal: These are of Uropal, still.
D’Cyra herself would have preferred to escape through the typical back exit on the ground floor rather than go into the basement... but Elarrapal seemed to know what she was doing, despite her injury and the medication.
But what followed left her speechless: Elarrapal knelt down, placed her hands on the large roots of the foundation, and began to speak to them (the roots!) in a prayerful manner.
Like a holo-movie, the roots began to open like doors, revealing a kind of old mine shaft. oO Isn't all this true? Oo
Ukinix: ::Hands on hips:: Well um.... ::gesturing:: we go that way?
Moore: Alright, Basket, sir… ::He smirked a little.:: Kidding, kidding. But we should take the basket with us—just in case.
What on earth did Kaito want with the trash can anymore?
Varati: That... that was unexpected. But what's normal on this mission? What else are we supposed to do with it? ::looks to the can:: But we have to move on now; Robin and her team are probably still in danger.
Stros: Response
Elarrapal: If you can track your friends from here, we can travel along the roots quite some way. It seems Procla has no desire to stop us.
Elarrapal was a grab bag, always good for a surprise. And yet she still liked this woman, who had just sacrificed half her arm for her beliefs. And the mystical connection to her world was real, not just prophetic rhetoric.
Ukinix: You’re gonna have to tell us about this Procla person. ::To away team:: Tricorders gang, let’s find Robin’s team.
Moore: Aye aye, sir.
D’Cyra briefly recapitulated to herself: Wil was hopping around without a disguise and openly demanding that the team use their tricorders. Okay, so the Prime Directive regarding first contact missions was probably just a legal text on a PADD.
She'd only been outside for a few minutes and everything had already turned upside down. She couldn't possibly be playing governess to a full-grown Starfleet commander... Well, in the broadest sense, they were still on assignment for the FDC, as members of the diplomatic corps (and the regulations there were pretty vague).
She carefully pulled out her classic tricorder, still wrapped in a cloth case.
Varati: Aye… Hopefully we will have more success this time.
Stros: Response
Wil supported Elarrapal by placing his arm through hers, her good arm, to support her and lead her into the tunnel.
Ukinix: We need to move before people come looking for us.
Kaito was probably scanning for Combadge- and other typical Starfleet signals. But judging by his frown, with little success.
Varati: Any success yet? My display just spits out error messages...
Stros/Elarrapal: Response
Ukinix: Commander Stros, any way to close this tunnel... root... thing behind us?
Didn't the roots close again on their own? Did you have to gently stroke them or recite a poem?
Stros: Response
Ukinix: Kaito, any sign of the away team?
Kaito shook his head grumpily, which probably meant another "no."
Moore: Negative, sir. Even a deep pen scan isn’t finding anything.
Ukinix: Ensign Varati, what’s interfering with our tricorder readings? Is it the mining operations?
Her tricorder was acting up just as badly. So she took out the traditional probe and switched to external geological scanners. Perhaps the devices were simply too sensitive, or there was a massive source of interference.
Since D’Cyra had always been more interested in extraordinary things than ordinary, it was relatively easy for her to search outside this spectrum.
Varati: Meklinite or Magnesite!? I would tend towards Meklinite. So far, this substance has only been found in asteroids, as far as I know. It's known that, depending on the concentration, it can interfere quite severely with our scanners. And since we only have the vague scans from a few years ago and have never conducted any scientific studies down here... Perhaps we should request access to Uwezo equipment if we can't find the team otherwise? Apparently, there's too large a deposit of Meklinite here.
Ukinix: Elarrapal, what are they mining for? Is this related to your warp program?
Elarrapal: Response
Ukinix: I need to explain. I am a species named “human”. Well, mostly. I’m also part “Betazoid”. All the stars in the sky that you see, many of them inhabit people. Different species, different cultures. All of us, including my colleagues here, are not from your world. They have disguised themselves to look like your people. We come from the other side of the nebula you see in your night sky. Well, we’re based there. Sorry, that’s a lot isn’t it.
Elarrapal: Response
Was this explanation necessary now? Elarrapal had surely realized long ago that the entire group was unlikely to have come from Uwe II. At least they had been friendly and helpful the whole time, so they were pleasant "ghosts" from the sky above the trees. Well, a species on the brink of warp technology was surely aware that there were more inhabitants of other planets out there...
Moore: I’m El-Aurian. Well, like my Commander, partly—I am also half-human—but my species are long-lived, nomadic listeners and explorers. We’re here because we are curious creatures, and it is not just humanity, but most species seem to look up at the stars and wonder. That is why we are out here—to seek out new life and civilizations, so that we may learn from them.
General introductions? Okay, it didn't matter anymore anyway.
Varati: I’m Orion. My skin is actually green like yours. My home planet is similar to yours in many ways. But we've also managed to practically blow up our main planet in our history... so it's worth helping other species before they do something like that.
Stros: Response
Wil tapped his combadge, hidden underneath his clothing.
Ukinix: =/\= Ukinix to Hopper, do you read? Can you tell us your location? =/\=
Nothing but static came back through Wil’s combadge before it cut out.
Ukinix: ::To Elarrapal:: Can you lead us to where they might be?
If Elarrapal was so connected to her nature, then she should be able to find the answer. Or contact her friends.
Elarrapal: Response
Moore: Thank you, Elarrapal. ::He then looked back at Wil.:: So, back in the basket, sir.
Wil was the only one no one here knew or had seen before... that had to be an advantage, not a disadvantage.
Varati: There's no point in driving Commander Ukinix around in the can again, is there? You can't possibly carry it down here.
Stros/Elarrapal: Response
Ukinix: Ensign, looks like I’m going to need your skin paint. ::Big inhale, before sighing:: Ready when you are.
It was a good thing she'd brought the oxide paste with her. D’Cyra remembered a seminar paper her sister had written about historical paints and how they were made. And verdigris had been the means to an end.
Once again, extraordinary instead of ordinary.
Varati: Well, that's probably our only reasonable alternative at the moment. Let's get started.
She rummaged through the contents of her bag until she found the small tin and the neutral first aid kit.
There was the powder. She pulled up her left sleeve, spread the powder on her forearm, and rubbed it in gently. The powder blended with the oily film on her skin. With the fingers of her right hand, she dabbed the mixture onto Wil's face, neck, and hands, then smoothed it into an even, thin layer.
She examined the result and then opened the little jar containing the verdigris.
Varati: I think this could work...
Ukinix: Response?
As quickly as she could, D’Cyra spread the verdigris over the powder foundation with two fingers, then smoothed it into a cohesive green surface with her slightly oily fingers. Like an artist before her bust, she moved her head back and forth to examine the makeup, curled her lips when she didn't like something, and adjusted the masking with more dabs. When she was finished, she leaned back.
D'Cyra scowled, wrinkled her nose, and made a few more small adjustments.
Varati: Okay, not a work of art... but at least a solid green skin with dark spots, like the Trill-like patterns on the Uwezos. It looks a little wild, but it should hold up at first glance. oO Luckily, I don't have a mirror with me... Oo
Stros/Elarrapal/Ukinix(?): Response
She turned to the others, and Kaito at least couldn't help but grin.
((OOC Mack: Open the Back Sim, but jumping ahead. ))
((A little bit later - Uwe Mines – North Oparis Branch Settlement, Uwe II))
Yes, with Wil she wouldn't win any makeup artist awards, except at a Halloween parade. The main thing was that it worked and he could move freely. If necessary, he'd have to touch it up again, but the paste was moist and sticky enough from the skin oil that it should last for several hours and withstand movements.
When they were finished, they followed Elarrapal further through the underground passages of Uropal.
Varati: Where exactly does this path lead?
Stros/Elarrapal/Ukinix: Response
Moore: I think it’s safe to say they are looking for us. There are a lot of biosignatures above ground from back toward the hospital and the surrounding area. I don’t think they’ve found the tunnels yet. ::He aimed his tricorder behind them, the way they came.:: I’m fairly certain, at least—but it might only be a matter of time.
Yes, at some point the guard would surely have woken up again, and Elarrapal's disappearance would have been noticed. They could only hope that the search would continue and that they wouldn't be caught too quickly, or that this secret passage would be discovered.
Varati: Yeah, right… We should quickly get out of the search radius, and who knows how branched these underground passages are.
Stros/Elarrapal/Ukinix: Response
While walking through caves, she had scanned everywhere with her probe and largely switched off the tricorder so that it only picked up the probe's signals.
Varati: The concentration of Meklinite is really high here and seems to be present in some of the tree roots, too. It's no wonder we can barely receive any signals without our unadapted devices. The interference is simply too great over such a distance. ::to Elarrapal:: I hope you know where you are leading us, Elarrapal?
D’Cyra barely knew this woman, and everything that had happened recently must have completely turned her life upside down. Nevertheless, she trusted her.
Elarrapal/Moore/Stros/Ukinix: Response
But there were probably many other substances and ores down here that they couldn't scan properly. Perhaps some other group had recognized the value of these resources – or there was something far more valuable down here...
Varati: We should get up another floor... we should be at Norsel’s buildings soon, right? Or am I misunderstanding how far we've already walked?
Elarrapal/Moore/Stros/Ukinix: Response
While they paused for a moment, knocking sounds and scattered voices suddenly emerged from not too far away. Miners? Norsel's men?
Varati: Quiet! I hear stomping and voices somewhere up ahead... can't you hear that?
Elarrapal/Moore/Stros/Ukinix: Response
Tag/TBC
--