Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen - Fly, the wind it will take me
CPT Arianus
(( Fohledi Nature Reserve, Rylor ))
Ollie glanced at his wrist navigator, weighing all the possible trails they could take. And that they had quite a selection.
Bergmen: So what trail should we choose?
Roy's smile didn't seem to promise anything good.
Bancroft: I think we’ve established that these things can move. ::looking up at the other two:: Let’s see what they can do. Something slightly more ambitious?
He gestured in the direction of the mountain trail.
Imril: ::Putting the bottle away:: Sounds good to me.
Ollie excitedly revved the motorbike engine.
Bergmen: Trail B then?
Roy shrugged, his grin widening.
Bancroft: I mean, if that’s what y’all can handle…
Imril: I’m pretty sure we can handle whatever this mountain has.
Bergmen chuckled and put on his helmet.
Bergmen: =/\= You gave us a choice, so if you don't feel up to it, say it now or forever remain silent, doctor. =/\=
Imril and Bancroft followed Ollie, slipped on their helmets, and, since it was their plan, Imril took the lead and signaled with the finger to go forward – and then came the spray of dust and grit as they launched.
Roy gave a shrug to departing Imril and rolled on the throttle, falling in behind.
Bancroft: =/\= Alright then. =/\=
Ollie followed suit and set off behind Roy.
Bergmen: =/\= A little excitement, doctor, it'll be fun! =/\=
The trail warned them sooner than they expected about their abilities as it steepened, then tightened, curved, and gripped them with trees stacking into one another as the ground shifted unpredictably beneath them. Firm soil shifted to uneven patches and then back again, demanding constant adjustments. Roy, in front of Ollie, complied, if not elegantly, then at least dependably. Unlike Bergman, he was more cautious, choosing to be more controlled and less showy… until he wasn’t. Roy shifted to the left, leaning into the air to enjoy the freedom, engine revving, only to be pulled back down by gravity.
The doctor's bike surged into the turn. Roy adjusted—though delayed—he stayed on course, leaning just enough to keep his balance as the trail carried him forward.
Bancroft: =/\= That… seemed like a good idea at the time. =/\=
Bergmen slowed next to the doctor with the side slid, tapping the side of his helmet to turn off a warning on his heads-up display, then actually glanced at the doctor.
Bergmen: =/\= Not bad, Roy, not bad! =/\=
Imril: =/\= Looks like part of the mountain has collapsed up ahead. Can anybody confirm? =/\=
Bancroft: =/\= Yeah, I see it. Throttle back for a sec, let’s take stock here. =/\=
Ollie glanced at his wrist to check the warning against the data on his navigator.
Bergmen: =/\= Yeah, agree. There is nothing on the navigator, so whatever it is, it’s recent. =/\=
Whatever it was, it made sense to take it easy and slow down. The group eased their pace and fell into line as they approached the area that the HUD had alerted them about. What they all saw wasn’t a welcomed discovery—the trail seemed less like it had reached its conclusion and more like it was having second thoughts about continuing to exist. What was previously a smooth stretch of compacted soil suddenly became a newly formed gap, with its borders still rough and jagged. Their displays processed the information swiftly: the gap measured just over two meters wide, with a slight incline leading up to it—enough to help a jump over the gap, as long as the ground was stable... if anything here was stable.
Bancroft: =/\= I’m reading just over two meters on that gap, slight incline on the approach. In theory, that’s helpful. In practice… I have questions. =/\=
Bergmen: =/\= Like why? How? Et cetra? Science would have Hogday seeing this. (beat) Don’t worry, doctor, with the speed and a leap of faith, we should be able to jump over it. =/\=
Imril: Response
A cloud of dust suddenly erupting from a gap in the trail brought home to them the realization that whatever was happening wasn't over yet.
Bancroft: =/\= I’m sorry, you said how fast? =/\=
Bergmen: =/\= Yeah, that’s about right. (beat) Maybe we should back off a bit and aim for more, just to be in a safe margin. =/\=
Imril: Response
The sound somewhere ahead—sharp, dry, and quickly gone—could hardly be interpreted in any way other than what their minds suggested, especially given the HUD jitter as one of the trail markers dropped slightly lower.
Bancroft: =/\= Fair warning – the mountain’s still shifting. If we’re going to do something, we probably shouldn’t take too long deciding. =/\=
Bergmen: =/\= Okay, time for a leap of fate - if I make it, follow me! =/\=
Imril: Response
Ollie revved the engine and pushed it to full throttle. The bike immediately surged forward, and Gideon chose to trust the HUD for once to decide where to lift off. He regretted it a couple of seconds later when the HUD assessed the landing spot—just a heartbeat before he took off from the ground.
Bergmen: =/\= Bad idea. It was a bad idea! =/\=
Imril/Bancroft: Response
He quickly shifted his weight forward and leaned slightly to one side in the air to lessen the impact, but even that wasn't enough - not quite. The back wheel had sunk deep into the deteriorating dirt, and in that moment, he leaned on the handlebars and revved the engine, hoping to break free - ignoring the machine’s desperate cry whom was trying to free itself from the drive before the crumbling edge would swallow him and the rider into its abyss.
But then the wheel finally struck a rock or perhaps a firmer patch of ground and pushed forward, causing Ollie Kimmi Bergmen to nearly fly over the handlebars as the bike jolted beneath him. He ended up flipping himself and the bike aside, sliding down into the safety of the trail’s roadside.
Bergmen: =/\= Go, go, ok’am ok, just go! =/\=
Bancroft/Imril: Response
TAG/TBC
–
Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1