[End act I] LtCmdr Jovenan – Some languages have a word for ice swimming. In my language, it’s called “idiocy”.
Jovenan
((Underground lake, inside the cliffs, Callis I))
The creature stood by the shore and observed the group of officers rush deeper into the lake, spraying water in all directions as they struggled to push through. Although sprinting while partially submerged helped her feel some warmth within her, Jovenan knew that they were fighting against the inevitable if they were to remain in the pool for much longer; death by hypothermia if they stayed, death by the creature if they didn’t. The predator was demonstrating its intelligence by keeping watch on them by the shore, since for as long as it forced them to stand in the water and remained patient, it would eventually get all of them. Jovenan didn’t know which scared her more, its prominent muscles, rows and rows of sharp teeth, or the wit it employed to hunt them.
Luckily, despite their rather poor standing right now, the Starfleet team weren’t entirely stupid themselves either. When she reached Doctor Bancroft, Jovenan looked if he had found what he had been searching for. He had: the chemlight’s dim light came through the water and showed them from where the water flowed out. The small channel at the bottom of the pool wouldn’t be usable as an escape route itself, but it might provide them one. If the creature hadn’t just fooled them into thinking it was afraid of cold water, flooding the cavern would drive it out and give them some room to breath for now. It was just the matter of figuring out how to do so. Blocking the outflow with the tarpaulin would have been so, so easy if it hadn’t actually been across the cavern, behind the creature, and shredded to pieces. All of their other equipment were out of reach, too. What else did they have?
Jovenan: Are there any loose rocks around here? ::looks to the camp:: I don’t think we can drag any of the tents in here either.
Bergmen: I… I have a tarp in my backpack, near my tent…
K’Wara: ::rubs hands together:: We’ve also got inflatable lifevests in the c-camp, but- ::glowers at the beastie:: I-I don’t think it’ll let us f-fetch them.
Those would be useful to regulate the water level once they got out of there, but for now, something more on the crude side needed to do. The creature’s gaze alternated between them and their stuff on the shore. Judging by how strong yet agile it seemed, Jovenan was going to assume it was also fast. Running past it was out of the question.
Bancroft: ::coughing:: N-no cha-a-ance.
That’s it. Their only hope now was just trying to find a few loose rocks from the bottom of the pool. Anything else and they were good as dead. When grasping for the last few straws, taking a personal risk seemed reasonable. Jovenan lowered herself deeper into the pool. The all-encompassing and nigh overwhelming pain burned her skin as the cold water reached higher to her body. Just before diving in, she stopped and hesitated. Keeping your head above the cold water was one of the key axioms of survival training. Hypothermia would strike her much faster down in the water.
((Flashback))
Jevan: Last in the water loses!
Jovenan: Not fair! Wait for me!
She kicked her slippers off next to the tree while Jevan, Sirot and Velajos, three of her older siblings, were already rushing across the beach. Despite having lost all chances at winning the race, she still joined them in sprinting across the hot sand. Jovenan didn’t hesitate but ran through the water until it was deep enough for her to dive.
Jevan: Come! Look what I found!
Jevan was shouting her over not too far deeper into the lake. She followed her bigger brother, inhaled and dived with him. He had found a rock at the bottom. It was a big rock, at least to a six-year-old girl, but not one of the large boulders that had stood in their places since forever. Jevan couldn’t lift it on his own, so she grasped it from the other side. Together, they resurfaced with the rock. The air felt chillier, but the sun’s rays danced on their skin.
He liked finding rocks and moving them; she always tried to figure out the deal with the rocks. Some of the rocks and stones were smooth and pale, others edgy and grey. Had the rock been in the lake since the birth of the planet, or did someone throw it in there? Were they the first ones to ever move it?
Jovenan: Keep it underwater. That way it’s easier to carry.
Jevan: Really? ::lowers the rock entirely back under the water:: Huh.
((End flashback))
She dived. Fear and panic were in a constant battle against her quickly vanishing determination. The coldness seeped in, no, it burst through, it invaded her, struck her. Turning around and looking for something, her long hair followed lazily her every move. Her brain screamed, but she swam a little further away from the rest of the team. There were rocks closer to the waterfall. She grasped one of them. It moved a little; if she could get it nudged that much, then they could get them carried and block the outflow. She pushed her head back to the surface.
Jovenan: H-h-here! He-he-help m-m-m… mo-ve!
Speaking was almost impossible. Thinking didn’t come much easier. The violent shivers and convulsion made the physical efforts difficult.
Bergmen: What is it? How can we help?
Bancroft: ::terrified:: G-get her–!
The roar of the waterfall, the water in her ears and the terrified determination kept her from making out what the others were shouting. She tried moving the rock again. The air felt so much colder than the water after coming out of it, but she resisted the urge to dive again. It was just… didn’t matter what it was, she needed to get the rock to the centre of the pool. If the water of the lake hadn’t washed them away, she would have been tasting the salt of her tears.
Bancroft: H-h-help h-her!
Jovenan: R-r-r-rocks… t-t-t-… fl-fl-fl-ood…
K’Wara: J-Just, ::teeth chattering:: d-don’t fill it up ::breathes:: too much. J-Just enough to staunch it.
The first rock flipped over. Soon, it was rolling across the bottom towards the spot where the water was leaving. She wasn’t sure how long it had taken them, if she was alone or if she was already passed out, but the rock fell down. Not stopping, she returned to where the others were already fetching new rocks. The water had become murkier with all the sediments they were disturbing – or maybe it was her vision? Her muscles ached, and she also ignored the possibility that she might have scraped her skin with the hard and sharp edges.
Bancroft: A f-f-ew m-more?
Jovenan: L-l-l-l-lia...v-v-v-v-ikin...
K’Wara: ::shudders:: It’s r-remaining calm... I-Is it working?
Jovenan didn’t stop. Water and air didn’t make a difference any more, there was just cold and darkness. She had to dive deeper for the rocks. A few more rocks. A few. More. Rocks. No. Stop. Must. Keep. A few. More.
Bancroft: ::chattering and slurring:: f-flow’s ssssslowing!
Bergmen: Response
K’Wara: E-E- ::deep breath:: E-Everyone okay? ::shivers:: R-Roy, h-how long until- ::shudders::
Bancroft: ::attempted lightness:: C-c-couple miniths– ::correcting:: minutesss.
Bergmen: Response
((Flashback))
Jovenan sat by the beach and ate the telojas sweets they had brought with them. She was wrapped in a towel on the sand, her knees bent. The air had felt chilly at first, making her shiver, but the sun had already dried the water from her skin. The summer day felt so farm again. They had played in the water until their fingertips had become all pruny. Velajos and Jevan had wanted to see how large waves they could make, so they had thrown the rock back into the water. They had been big waves indeed, almost reaching the halfway from the shoreline to the nearest tree.
The sun was still high up and warming her. Jovenan laid back and closed her eyes. She listened to the birds sing and the light breeze rustle the leaves. She could have fallen asleep in there. However, something poked her and she jumped back up.
Sirot: Race you back home!
((End flashback))
K’Wara: I-It’s working! It’s working!
Jovenan tried keeping her head above water now. She felt like swaying with the waves the waterfall send across the surface of the lake. Her energy was almost depleted, and she felt sleepy. But this was no time for a nap; reaching the bottom had become noticeably harder, and the dry area in the cavern had become smaller. The creature seemed to realise it as well, gnarling and whipping the air and ground with its tail. If they were wrong that the creature couldn’t stand the cold water at all, now was the golden opportunity for it to just jump in and take one of them with it. Jovenan for certain wasn’t able to fight back.
Bancroft: ::delirious laugh at the beast:: N-no w-water? Th-that’s… h-h-hygiene’s i-important th-though…
Jovenan: Y-y-y-y-ou h-h-h-h-h-hear t-t-t-t-that? G-g-g-g-go, y-y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-little…
Bergmen/K’Wara: Response
The creature didn’t approach them nor the lake, keeping the distance from the rising surface. Before the sense of victory could cross Jovenan’s mind, the creature reacted to their plan. The growl that it released into the cavern was filled with rage; it vibrated in the water, it echoed in the tunnels. Jovenan watched helplessly as it walked away from the shore and to their campsite. Shreds of fabric flew around the cavern as it tore into one of the tents, and soon after, it found their resources, throwing and scattering tools, plastics and ration packs everywhere.
Bancroft: ::disbelief, to the creature:: R-r-really, b-bud?
Bergmen/K’Wara: Response
The water continued to rise. Eventually, it seemed the creature had had enough of making their lives even more miserable than they already were, and it jumped away and escaped to the tunnels. Although Jovenan was aware that it could still come back to hunt them – and it likely would, seeing how persistent it had been on the shore – she felt intense relief. Not quite the victory or salvation yet, though, as her droopiness started to become even more severe.
Bancroft: O-o-out of water… n-n-ow now n-ow!
That was not an order she needed to hear twice. They were rushing to the shore that kept creeping higher. Jovenan’s movements were lethargic and slow, but the promise of the fire and warmth kept her moving. She looked around, seeing that some of her colleagues were faster. Jovenan wasn’t yet ready to declare that losing a teammate was an acceptable outcome.
Jovenan: H-h-h-h-help… B-b-b-b-berg… t-t-t-to… f-f-f-f-fire...
Bergmen/K’Wara/Bancroft: Response
Walking out of the lake and to the fire was demanding and exhausting without the assistance from the buoyancy of the water. However, she eventually got back to the campsite and almost collapsed by the fire. She smelled the burning moss as the flames’ radiating heat licked her face. When the warmth was returning to her vital organs, she cumbersomely turned on her spot and removed her boots and opened her uniform. As uncomfortable as it was and as cold it made her feel herself first, getting out of the soaked clothes was a crucial step for survival. She reached out for a piece the creature had ripped out of the tent it had destroyed.
Jovenan: Ch-change cl-clothes. G-get so-something dry on you.
Bergmen/K’Wara/Bancroft: Response
The immediate risk of hypothermia was slowly subsiding. When the shivers weren’t stopping, Jovenan reached out to one of the surviving water bottles and placed it closer to the fire. The idea of a cup of hot chocolate popped into her mind, but warm water was better than nothing. Besides, they weren’t lacking water now – unlike food. The cavern’s floor was almost entirely filled with water, but it was not rising as quickly any more, as some of it was spilling to the nearby tunnels.
Jovenan: W-we’ll have to figure out how to c-control the water level. And get a moat around the campsite.
Bergmen/K’Wara/Bancroft: Response
----
Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11