Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen - Water is not only thing we all need (part 1)
CPT Arianus
(( Inside the Cliffs - Callis I ))
The faintly etched double-circled star, barely visible against the rough stone of the tunnel's entrance, exuded an unsettling aura. Just gazing at it sent a wave of reluctance coursing through Bergmen, anchoring him in place, though he couldn’t quite grasp why. The star didn’t whisper its secrets to him; it was merely a symbol.
Yet he recalled the same symbol etched on another cave ceiling. A symbol accompanied an elongated inscription that loomed larger in his mind, evoking fear, danger, and certainty far beyond mere description. It was far more than a casual note; its length and gravity felt like a portent meant for those who would follow in the author's footsteps, urging them to heed the caution if exploring those caves.
Bergmen: ::points to the star on the parallel entrance:: That one I saw before, and I didn’t feel it right even before. Not that way…
K’Wara: Are stars ominous symbols to Gideon?
Bancroft: Sometimes stars mean hope. Sometimes they mean home. And sometimes they mean ‘hey, I really like drawing stars.’
Jovenan: Or achievement, sovereignty, honour, divinity, exploration, imagination, distance. It could be more literal, like a place where you can see the stars. Or it might not even be a star to begin with. Not all cultures mark their stars like that. It could be a stylised shape of a body, or a room that has corners like that.
Ollie shook his head dismissively. They tried to give it a deeper meaning that required thought. But if what was found on that ceiling was a map, the “you need to think about it” approach was everything a map should not be. The map should convey a simple message with simple symbols. And the more Bergmen thought about it, the more he considered it to be something much simpler: a warning sign.
Bergmen: No, Commander. If what we found were a map of these caves, it would be something simple meant to convey a simple message. What are stars really if you get close to one? Radiation. Heat. Danger. Things you don’t want to meet…
K’Wara: Well, if you don’t want us to go that way, then let’s go another. What we have to do doesn’t change. Find more maps, learn more symbols and hopefully, find an abandoned campsite of some sort. ::to Jovenan:: If we get that lucky.
Bancroft: ::dryly:: Luck’s overrated. I’ll settle for ‘less immediately lethal’ right now.
Jovenan: ::attempt of a smile:: “Beggars can’t be choosers”. An awful saying, but it’s true. Any little would help us maintain our resources.
Bergmen: Okay, three are out, leaving us with only one to go. No protests about that one, ma’am. Let’s go.
The group seemed to have settled on a different route than the tunnel marked with that foreboding carving, and Ollie was glad for it.
They could certainly retrace their steps the way they had come, but about that one, they knew one thing for sure: there was no food, no water, and that tunnel offered only limited shelter or protection… all of which definitely played against their limited supplies and need for rest. The new tunnel, at least, offered the hope of finding something more—whatever that hope was based on—the simple belief that there would be something, anything, waiting for them.
The others sensed it before he did. The wind, which had been a constant whisper in the background—a high-pitched murmur that seemed to press against their subconscious like a press bench weight—had suddenly fallen silent.
K’Wara: Wait... Do you hear-
Not fall silent. Became different. Only then did Ollie understand what was happening, and it was too late.
The wind screamed.
The fierce air current battered against his shield and body, pushing him as he struggled to stay on his feet. As he fought to maintain his stance, he realized resistance was futile. Yielding to the merciless wind, he sank to one knee, his muscles straining to withstand the onslaught. Drawing his shield close, he braced himself behind, taking cover behind it, hoping that an inhuman scream of terror would pass soon.
Bancroft: ::shouting over the wind:: This way!
K’Wara: ::loudly:: Are you sure? The other way seems very inviting!
Ollie heard the others and allowed himself a brief glance back. As he turned his head, he immediately felt a rush of regret. The slightest shift in his stance betrayed him to the fierce wind, which seized the opportunity with an eager howl, exploiting the gap as Bergmen leaned again into his only protection, shifting him step by step and taking what was offered.
He had no other choice but the one he chose. In a swift motion, he unfastened the safety line that secured the shield to his wrist and let it slip from his grip, watching it careen away as the harsh sound of plastic slamming against the jagged tunnel walls echoed in his ears—a stark reminder of his decision. Gritting his teeth, Ollie rolled toward the wall, feeling the rough texture under his fingertips as he grasped the exposed ridge eroded by time, pulling himself closer to safety.
Jovenan: ::extending hand to the others:: Keep on!
Bergmen nodded as he maneuvered past the commander to get back on his feet with K’Wara’s help. Once upright, he braced himself against the buffeting winds, fighting the forces of nature as he struggled to move forward through the bending tunnel, while following the doctor and his chief. And then… then the wind ceased.
But the roar didn't.
Just beyond the bend, he stumbled upon an astonishing sight that seemed pulled from a dream. A waterfall tumbled over the edge of an underground cliff, mirroring the sound of a fierce storm raging outside. For a fleeting moment, hope surged through him; they had found water. Water!
But as Ollie's awe began to settle like dust, a wave of caution washed over him.
oO Is it even drinkable? Oo
He glanced at the others with a silent question, hoping they could provide the answer.
Bancroft: ::claps once, projecting over the roar:: This might be good news, but nobody drink yet. Give me a minute to be sure it’s actually water and not something that dissolves kidneys on contact.
Jovenan: Carry on then, Doctor. Our lives depend on your assessment.
Bergmen watched intently as the doctor dipped his fingers into the shimmering water, half expecting Bancroft to flinch as the liquid, almost alive in its movement, would begin to dissolve the very tips of his fingers... but he didn't, which was the first good sign.
But then the rest of the captivating performance was suddenly disrupted by Lieutenant K'Wara's voice. Ollie, momentarily entranced by the doctor’s work, turned sharply to focus on the source of the interruption.
K’Wara: This may have been our elusive artiste's main campsite.
Ollie glanced at the place the Lieutenant pointed to and shrugged his shoulders. It looked as good as any other, so... why not?
Bancroft: ::half shrug:: Unless the three of you are a particularly vivid hallucination, by the powers vested in me by Starfleet Medical, I hereby pronounce this fluid both ‘water’ and ‘safe to drink.’
The voice from behind confirmed to Bergmen the water was more or less safe and that it had not yet dissolved JG Bancroft or harmed him in any way if he drank it... yet. One way or another, this was a rare positive development amid everything else happening.
Jovenan: That’s good enough for me. We’ll stay here for a while. Doctor, Mister Bergmen, find a dry and shielded spot in here for us to rest. Check your injuries, keep yourselves hydrated, start putting up a camp if you find it suitable, check the inventories. Me and Lieutenant K’Wara will check the entrances of these other tunnels for dangers and will return to you. ::beat:: We won’t go deep into them, promise.
Bancroft: Aye, Commander. ::grinning slightly:: Y’all want the turn-down service when you get back? We’ve got some little chocolates here somewhere, I’m sure.
Bergmen: Aye, ma’am. Be safe.
Bergmen gave the commander a sharp nod, signaling he understood the order. He stayed still, watching the pair disappear into the shadows as the chemlight's faint glow slowly dimmed, then was swallowed by the twisting darkness behind the tunnel's bend. He turned and walked back to the thunderous cascade of the waterfall, where Bancroft stood waiting.
Jovenan and K'Wara had their mission, and now it was time for him and Bancroft to focus on theirs. It was time to get down to business.
TBC
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Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1