[End Act One] Lt. JG Natasha Cole - Close Enough to Feel

[Natasha Schell]

(( Forest’s Edge, Callis I ))

Brexis: I think our big bad creature friends are lurking. Not very close, but close enough to make my head feel off.

Syn: ::faster than they can put two and two together; in a hushed and sincere tone:: Don't worry, it's still on.

Natasha closed her eyes briefly.

Right, Literal.

That was going to make things… interesting.

Syn: ::sentence slowing as they continue speaking:: Maybe we should get to that... sanctuary you... mentioned?

MacKenzie: I agree. We can have something to eat, come up with a plan for tomorrow, and try to get some sleep.

Storm: The sooner the better.  

Cole: We’d be able to survey the area better too. Might find a better idea of what happened to the people that lived here before our untimely visit.

Brexis: ::Shrugging but keeping a neutral tone:: Are we sure we want to know. So far from what I’ve seen I'm not impressed.

Syn: Well, alright the pod did come in for a pretty rough landing. Maybe I am a little more beat up than I thought at first. I still think I can make a trip without issue, but I won't refuse treatment if you have any ideas off the top of your head.

MacKenzie: I'm not sure what I can do for you immediately... ::pointing at a place to sit:: I can take a look at you if you don't feel you can carry on right now...

Storm: My head is feeling worse.  I feel off-kilter, and if that is any indication of…

Cole: Lets hope its residual from our arrival

Brexis: ::Shaking her head:: It’s not. Or I wouldn’t be feeling the exact same thing.

The ensign stepped to the side for a quick once over if they needed any immediate medical attention. Once the Captain gave them a satisfied nod that they were well enough to travel, they rejoined the group.

Syn: ::in a panicked, urgent whisper:: Alright, I'm back to plan A: Let's get to the Sanctuary first!

MacKenzie: I agree. ::pointing to the pile of materials:: Grab what you can. Food and blankets are the priority.

Storm: I’ll …  take point.  oO  That way, if I go down, it’s obvious, and hopefully no one trips over me.  Oo

Cole:  I’ll hang toward the rear again. ::checking Ensign Syn once more:: If anything follows, it’ll find me first.

Brexis: I’ll be right behind you Storm.

The now quintet of Starfleet officers made their way in a more direct path towards their improvised safe harbor.

Syn: ::gasping in air between words:: How far did you say... that this sanctuary was... again?

MacKenzie: It's just up here.

As they made their way closer towards the hatch that deposited them on the edge of the wilderness, Natasha remembered more of her involuntary camping trip. That deep seated frustration helped push through the ache she was starting to feel coming from her.

oO What kind of father abandons their kid in the woods for over a week? Oo

The kind who teaches you how to survive it.

Storm: Almost there, everyone! oO  Maybe that could be a heat and a light source. Oo

Alex’s voice snapped Nat out of her self reflection.

Cole: Looks like nature left a light on for us. ::smirk:: Wonder if it still glows off the tree’s?

The team continued to run until the passageway from which they'd emerged came into sight, and the familiar tower also appeared in the distance.

MacKenzie: Inside!

Storm: I’ve got the door.

((Monastery Basement - Callis 1))

Cole: The fire should still be going, might need stoking though.

Brexis: ::To Cole:: We better get back so you can take care of that.

Syn: ::With excitement:: Fire? Compared to an escape pod, that sounds like a vacation home on the Risian beach.

The team made their way single-file back through the stone-walled passageway until they emerged in the large room with the cages.

MacKenzie: Home, sweet home.

Storm: I feel better down here.  The creatures are either more telepathic than we thought or they were rather close.

Cole: ::furrowing her brow:: Both those possibilities sound horrible.

Brexis: It’s hard to tell for sure. Maybe they heard us running and started to follow. ::shaking her head slightly:: It’s just good we are back here.

Syn: ::assessing the entry way:: I feel better here as well, but do we know if any of the creatures are small enough to get through the cracks in our wall here? It's no vacuum-tight bulkhead.

The Captain gestured towards the mangled door.

MacKenzie: We should secure that. I think it's too small for them to make it through, but I don't want to take any chances.

Storm: Shouldn’t we get some of the firewood from upstairs first, then secure the door, Ma’am?

Cole: At the very least it might help provide leverage.

Brexis: ::holding her hands up to her sides:: Sure.

Syn: Unless we need more hands on something else, I think I'll be the most use seeing if I can help reinforce our position with the supplies we have collected.

Storm:  I’m happy to go get some while you all go through the supplies we were able to bring.  Brexis, you wanna come with me?  I think if we go anywhere, we should go in pairs.

Cole: I was just about to suggest that

Brexis: Yeah, I’ll go with you.

Syn: Good luck, Lieutenants.

Alex stepped to the door and waited for Charlotte to join her.  

Storm:  We’ll be right back.

Cole: ::calling after:: Check the other door while you're up there!

Charlotte offered a thumbs up as her and Alex disappeared into the stairwell.

((OOC: dropping Storm and Brexis tags until they return from their side quest.))

Ensign Syn appeared to be surveying the spoils of the supplies.

Syn: ::to themselves:: Alright, how did the survival instructor put it? Food, Heat, Shelter...

Mackenzie:  ::pointing to the stairwell:: Assuming the fire is still going, we've secured the second and third. And judging by what we took from the escape pods, we have enough rations to last the five of us about a week....

Natasha looked around the area. It might not be the most accommodating, but it was definitely more secure than other options at the moment.

Cole: Ensign Syn …

Natasha looked at them to make sure she pronounced their name correctly.

Cole: How difficult do you think it would be to loosen some of these bars? It might make it easier to secure the mangled door.

Syn let out a prolonged breath and crossed their arms in thought.

Syn: With any of my normal tooling, no problem. Unfortunately, all of it is powered in some way. With what I have...

Syn gestured towards the piles of assorted supplies and shrugged.

Mackenzie: Looks like we'll have to do things the old-fashioned way, Ensign.

Cole: ::setting her sack down:: Looks like I have a mix of rations and the med kit. ::to MacKenzie:: Any chance you can MacGyver a use for any of this?

Lifting the med kit up to offer it to the Captain, revealing a ration pack number 7, her favorite.

Cole: ::looking down:: Oh my favorite.

Natasha picked up the ration pack, she didn’t know why but it reminded her of cherry cobbler.

The Captain sat on the floor cross-legged and placed the medkit in her lap and proceeded to go through its contents.

Syn: You have incredible taste, then! I've always enjoyed these as well. They were some of the first food I had that wasn't nutrition slop from a replicator.

Cole: It beats the alternative at the moment.

Before Cole could activate the ration's heating kit, Syn held up their hand.

Syn: Wait wait wait- Cole, you haven't activated that ration heater yet, right? Can I see it?

The Captain’s brow furrowed as she looked up from the medkit, likely wondering what Ensign Syn was thinking.

Cole: ::inquisitive look:: Not yet, here.

Natasha retrieved the small heating packet out and placed it in Syn’s waiting hand. They inspected it carefully. While they examined it a smile started to form on their face.

Syn: ::returning their attention to Cole:: You don't happen to know how to identify mineral deposits, do you? ::to the room now:: Anyone? Because if we can find more of the core ingredients to this reaction, I think we can turn this ration heating pack into a small thermite charge.

The Captain’s lips pursed slightly. While Nat’s eye’s widened as a smile formed on her face.

MacKenzie: A grenade?

Cole: ::smiling:: That potentially gives us an advantage, but let's not play with that someplace we could get buried alive.

Syn: Response

The low rumble of a growl made its way down the staircase into the quiet of their safe harbor. Natasha tensed waiting to spring to action as she turned her head and narrowed her eyes focusing, listening, and expecting either Charlotte or Alex to call for backup

MacKenzie: I'd rather not turn our food into ammunition if we don't have to...

Cole: It wouldn’t be my first option … contrary to my track record.

Natasha shuttered for a moment, she could feel the looks she’d have gotten had Alex and Charlotte still been downstairs.

Cole: I know, I heard what I said.

Natasha took a breath to ground herself, and process what information they knew about their situation.

Cole: Right now all we know about the locals. Their large, likely pack mentality, intelligent enough to know when something has changed in their environment and some kind of awareness of telepaths.

Syn: Response

Just then, the building shuddered.

A low, rolling tremor that traveled down through the stone and into Natasha’s boots, settling in her bones like a warning.

Her head snapped up as she rose to her feet.

Tag, and End Scene for Cole!
----- ◌● -----
Lt. JG Natasha Cole
Security Officer
USS Artemis-A
Writer ID A240205NC4