Lt. JG. Gnai - Crumbling Caverns?
Lich
(( Outskirts of the Bantlox Colony - Laoi III ))
Nothing was ever easy in Starfleet, was it? On top of an impending colony evacuation (which, needless to say, Gnai was displeased to have to be a part of), the colonists had just run up with yet another problem. Some of their children were missing, likely playing inside caves along the coast. Gnai kept any commentary it might have had on the general intelligence of these children to itself, instead relaying a possible solution to its superior officers.
Gnai: Sirs, the Galaktoboureko can likely transport the children out to safety, this thinks, if they can be found… but it might be difficult if they’re deep underground in an extensive cave system.
Sadar: A-Absolutely not! I don’t want us transporting those kids out before we’ve got the Ship-situation under control. ::wrings her hands:: Though given the cave composition, even once the Ship isn’t fritzing up our equipment anymore, we have no guarantee that we can beam through it.
That was a fair concern, something that Gnai had overlooked. The ship kept throwing wrenches into their plans, frustratingly.
Vailani: If not, we can probably use portable transporter devices to boost the signal. Of course, we need to find them. Can you tell us where you last saw them
Bim Pend: It’s this way.
Gnai followed the others, and the colonists, as they picked their way towards where the children were most likely to have gone. Its tricorder continued to scan the ground as they went, trying to gather as much information as possible about the subterranean system of caves that snaked underfoot.
Vailani: Tricorder isn't picking up any children but I'm not sure if that's because they aren't there or the ship is still impacting the tricorder readings.
Sadar: =/\= Sil-net? =/\= ::static:: =/\= Ensign Imril? Assistant Chief Morgan? =/\= ::more static:: By the Wheel, what’s going on up there?
Comms being out for the other team was worrisome, but there were slightly more pressing issues for this team at that very moment. Gnai trusted Lt. Silveira to get them out of there, if anything was to go in the direction of “chaos”. Anyone that Lt. Cmdr. Jovenan and Lt. Sadar trusted was trusted in its book, even if it didn’t know him very well personally.
Gnai: This doesn’t know… Hopefully all is well?
Male Colonist: Wait, there!
There was a small grassy knoll ahead, where the colonist pointed out to the others. At the base, there was an opening, concealed by rocks, where a humanoid could squeeze itself through. Certainly not the suit that it wore though, if they were really going to be delving into the system to retrieve the children by hand.
Vailani: We're going to have to go in there :: to Bim Pend :: I'll leave it to you to begin coordinating the evacuation while we retrieve the children. What are their names?
Female Colonist: Iruh, Ahran and Nimo. P-Please, we have to get them out of there! I, I can’t evacuate without Iruh! I won’t!
As the others worked with the colonists, Gnai pulled out its PADD, intent on finishing the work it had started on determining a suitable location for the colony evacuation. It had narrowed it down to two possible spaces, both which had similar merits, and it just needed to choose one, before they left to save the children.
Sadar: Administrator, please, do as Chief Vailani asked of you. We’ll get the children out. ::to the parents:: Are all of them able of hearing? Do they have any medical conditions?
Male Colonist: N-No, they’re all in perfect health. Please, let me come with you! Nimo’s my daughter!
Gnai flashed with alarm. One of the colonists coming with them, and one so driven by emotion, as this one was, would not be conducive to actually finishing this rescue mission.
Gnai: You… you can’t. Time may be of the essence in finding the children, and more bodies in tight spaces will just increase the time spent.
Plus, they might have to rescue him should things go south. If it was just Starfleet officers in danger, they could take riskier moves, without worrying about backlash from the colony afterwards.
Vailani: Response
Sadar: Besides, you need to keep yourselves safe. They will all be very scared when they come back out, and will need familiar faces. ::to the Administrator:: Please, get the evacuation started as soon as possible.
Bim Pend: ... Of course… And thank you.
Gnai: Yes, please do. ::handing PADD to Bim Pend before he left with the other colonists:: This has identified a suitable muster point for the evacuees, which can also serve as an Emergency Operations station when the children have been returned.
It had been a bit of a “coin flip” at the end, to use the old Earther saying, but Gnai was confident that the area it had chosen would be suitable to keep the rest out of danger.
Vailani: Response
Sadar: ::to Vailani and Gnai:: We won’t be able to fit Lieutenant Gnai’s suit through that, but we don’t have time to search for an alternate entrance. What are our options?
She’d noted that too, thankfully. It hadn’t been excited to explain that fact to the others, as its mobility once again became a hindrance to a mission.
Gnai: This could always ride around on your back again.
A light pattern of humor traced up and down its tendrils, as it tried to bring the mood up with a bit of a joke. Humanoids seemed to enjoy those, or at least employ them often on the Artemis in times of stress.
Vailani/Sadar: Response
Gnai: ::bobbing in its tank:: That could work, but this isn’t certain…
Vailani/Sadar: Response
As they spoke, there was a sudden loud cracking sound that emanated from the cave. More rocks fell from the roof of the entrance, and further clattering echoed down from inside, ranging from small clinks of pebbles to deeper thuds that could imply boulders.
Gnai: What was that??
It pulled its tricorder towards the cave, scanning the ground again, trying to understand what had happened - what had shifted, and how stable the caves were still. Were they just in time to witness a collapse?
Vailani/Sadar: Response
Tags/TBC :)