LtCmdr Jovenan – The snake by the tree of Genesis
Jovenan
((Ground Zero, Genesis Planet))
The team made way across the barren terrain towards the sole spot of colour in the crater. Each of them kept a close eye on their tricorders, attempting to map the underground roots, the veins and the nerves of the large tree that dominated the area and, perhaps in a way, the entire planet. Genkos especially seemed to take their intention seriously, avoiding placing too much weight on his cane so that he wouldn’t accidentally damage and hurt the sensitive roots further. While Jovenan, too, checked her steps twice before taking them, she was struggling with other emotions: the idea of a part of a person being imprisoned in the tree or the other plants disturbed her. Living, dead, aware. It was a horrible thought, but still, she couldn’t let those feelings sway her ability to work with the dedication of a scientist.
Jovenan: I’m seeing several vines converging by the tree. If they are analogous to nerves, that would make the tree… a brain, I suppose.
Gnai: And perhaps a center of communication for the other plants… Maybe it’s been directing us here, with the other plants.
That would be logical. The other plants had directed them here with an orderly, organized fashion. Unless it was a trap for them, the plants may have tried to herd the team here so that they could communicate. There was still the question, how.
Savel: Response
Jovenan: Any ideas if we can communicate with it?
Gnai: Perhaps with chemical means? Or… hm. Electrical signals might be easier to produce here, away from the ship. Nerves in humanoids carry messages with electric potential…
Adea: We need to make sure it’s low voltage - we don’t want to harm it.
Jovenan twisted her mouth. Sure, much of the animal brain and neural activity happened through electrical signals travelling along the nerve cells. In theory, they could devise a precise electrical shock that would grasp the tree’s attention, if not fully send an understandable message. That said, she wasn’t entirely certain if the tree operated that way. Some plants communicated with electrical signals, but much of it was chemical, through volatile organic compound or otherwise. Besides… there were other risks.
Savel: Response
Jovenan: If someone attached electrodes to any of us and sent electric shocks directly to the nerves, we wouldn’t see it as an attempt to communicate as much as torture. ::pause:: I hope that comparison makes sense even if we’re not talking about an animal.
Gnai: No, that makes sense. It would put this mission in jeopardy if the tree interpreted the communications as hostile… That’s been evident already.
Both Jovenan and Genkos nodded. It had been a good suggestion, but they had to be very selective of their methods. The plants had already used violent methods to get their message across, whether they knew of the possibly harmful effects of their chosen means or not, but the Starfleet team didn’t want to try the same. They were back to the drawing board.
Adea: Let’s keep it light, and airy, right?
Jovenan: Right. Chemical communication is also possible, but let’s consider our options before injecting anything in them.
Savel: Response
By their side, Gnai had crouched down to scan the roots further. Jovenan tried to look back to her education and experiences, but there was little that helped her now. The amount of biology she had taken hadn’t covered this subject extensively. The communications studies of her Com/Ops minor in the Academy had been short and focused on languages and diplomacy, taught with the assumption that the other party used a translatable language. Although as a CSO she was supposed to advise the command crew in every aspect of science they needed, she was a professional in only a narrow field of science. One lifetime wasn’t just long enough to study everything.
Luckily, she didn’t need to do any of it alone. Gnai was moving the tricorder around, and it seemed it had discovered something.
Gnai: Wait, this has an idea. ::getting up to show the tricorder readings to the others:: It’s vibrating. Could that signal, that one in the direction that we came from ::pointing it out on the screen:: perhaps be the signal for damage?
Adea: It could be a signal for… something.
Jovenan: Hmm. We could try to respond with the same ultrasonic frequency. Or… If they’re sensitive to vibrations, they might be able to detect us walking and maybe even talking nearby.
Savel/Gnai: Response
They got closer to the base of the tree. The roots were becoming more difficult to avoid as they were growing in a less predictable way on the hard and rocky ground. Jovenan stopped for a moment to look up at the canopy of the tree. She was trying to evaluate the purpose of its existence in the artificial world, but at the same time, she was just marvelling its beauty. The entire planet was unusual and full of scientific potential despite its programmed nature, but she hadn’t expected that they would make such a tremendous discovery. She felt curiosity and pride, almost forgetting that she was supposed to feel uneasy about the tree’s origin and worry about Vitor and her other friends negotiating with the Da’al and the Klingons at this very moment.
And then, Genkos withdrew rapidly from the tree and cried out.
Adea: Ahh!
Alarmed, Jovenan stepped closer to their new XO who had closed his eyes out of pain. Hesitating for a split second, she bent over closer and placed her hand on his shoulder.
Jovenan: Genkos! What is it?
Gnai/Savel/Adea: Response
Something happened. Jovenan turned her face from Genkos and towards the tree that had now gained a pair of what looked like eyes near its base. Rendered speechless, Jovenan could only observe as the tree emerged from the ground, revealing a form that vaguely resembled the shape of a humanoid body, covered in bark. Had she been able, she might have considered between reaching her weapon and gesturing good-will, but at that time, she was so overtaken by fear and awe that there was nothing she could have done but watch when the bark broke and bifurcated to a mouth.
Farrel: Aaaa-deeee-aaa?
Jovenan’s mind was stalling and could only process simple thoughts at that moment. What?
Jovenan: How? ::turns to Adea:: Who?
Gnai/Savel/Adea: Response
Maular: Is that… Some sort of speech?
The unfamiliar and unexpected voice startled Jovenan. She turned sharply towards the person that had appeared behind them, quickly recognizing him as a Suliban. A Klingon or a Da’al might have made some sense to her, but the sight of a Suliban confused her. Her hopes of him being an innocent and curious passer-by were quickly crushed as she noticed the weapon in his hands.
Jovenan: And what do you want?
Gnai/Savel/Adea: Response
The Suliban tipped his head towards them. Jovenan had never been face-to-face with a representative of his species, but she had nevertheless fought with their pirates, even abandoning her science consoles for the tactical station and firing their ship. This Suliban wasn’t one of the same pirates, but his methods were just as violent. Jovenan determined he would be able to shoot her first should she try to reach for her phaser. It wasn’t worth it to try and play a hero at gunpoint. She didn’t raise her hands, but spread them slightly so not to appear hostile.
Maular: Forgive my intrusion. But it appears you have found what we have been looking for.
They had been looking for… the tree? Why? She had a peek at Genkos, trying to see if he was doing okay despite the sudden emotional load and the threat of the Suliban. The look she gave to the Suliban was fearful but not without a hint of mild defiance.
Jovenan: W-what are you planning to do with it?
Gnai/Savel/Adea/Maular: Response
Jovenan’s eyes wandered to the weapon again. Despite her lack of knowledge with the arms of all the different civilizations, she realised there was something familiar with it. The Suliban, a species with some shapeshifting abilities, had been looking for something on this planet, meaning they had been here for a while, and he was carrying a disruptor.
Jovenan: That’s… that’s a Klingon weapon, isn’t it? ::pause:: Were there ever any Klingons here?
Gnai/Savel/Adea/Maular: Response
Alongside her fear, worry and the poor attempts of defiance, Jovenan found another feeling bubbling in her. She hadn’t heard anything of the other teams, yet one of the people the teams were going to meet stood before them, pointing a disruptor at them. He might have hurt her friends and colleagues. He might have hurt Vitor.
And she felt rage.
Jovenan: ::angry shriek mixed with crying:: What have you done to them!?
Gnai/Savel/Adea/Maular: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11