PNPC Crewman Jozial Renirs – I see the light! Turn it off!

[Jovenan]

((Cave, Rakantha Province, Bajor))

 

Jozial would never again complain about the lamp maintenance duty.

Or, rather, she’d never again go to take any other assignments besides that. Complaining was her god-given right, and oh boy, would she be using that right once they got back to the ship.

Renirs: I might have lost mine. Mine, my tricorder, not like ::stops, grimaces in pain::

She had to stop talking (unusual and awful in itself) as pain from her legs radiated across her entire body. She was leaning against the tender tendril tube, trying to hold her entire weight on her less-shredded right leg while the left one was there more for balance.

Gnai: The mine wasn't detected by you with your tricorder earlier, what is to say that they would be detected now? You are injured, reading a tricorder will be far harder.

Renirs: Okay, but can’t we just walk out the same way we came? And watch out for the slippery parts as well.

Had the jelly not been there to stop her from leaving, she might have crawled out of the cave already. However, now that it was with her in here, she might as well make it carry her out, if it weren’t for its and the Nerd Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary caring about “safety” and “not getting hurt further”.

Savel: That would depend on the nature of the device you have triggered. The Lieutenant advised there was an explosion. Was it a mine, and if so, how far are you from where you initially triggered it?

Great, the cavalry was there. She could only hear the anti-dirty dude’s voice, though she suspected the borgy-horgy was there too… Despite her efforts, the pain was hindering Jozial’s ability to make up new nicknames for them that weren’t cringe-inducingly poor. She would have referred to them by their real names, if she only actually remembered any of them. One of them was Cheval, that was horse in French, right?

Gnai: Renirs stepped on something, which then exploded. She said it was a mine. ::directed at Renirs:: The chance that either you or this remember the path taken in here is practically zero.

Jovenan: Could you also describe the explosion? How large was it, how badly are you injured?

Jozial raised her head a bit towards the light at the end of the tunnel and shouted her response.

Renirs: I stepped on something! It clicked and then I was in the air and then eating dirt and now my legs hurt like ::bleep::!

Chevalier: Those wounds do not correspond with open space explosion, plus they mentioned a click sound, so we can discard some kind of wired booby trap. They both are alive, so we can cross out the directional mine as well. Given the fact she still has two functional legs, we can exclude standard land mines. ::smile apologetically:: There is still quite a list of what remains on the menu, but I would go with a pressure plate IED.

Ugh. Not only were there two dedicated nerds, but she was also surrounded by specialized nerds. Jozial didn’t care about a lecture on mines or pressure plate I-eat-teas or any other type of click-boom-devices. She wanted to get the heck away from there.

Savel: Before putting them at further risk, we should evaluate the possibility of the Artemis being able to just beam them away. ::walking back over to Jaseb and Jovenan:: Are either of you aware of any of these minerals being able to prevent a transporter lock on their combadges?

Chevalier: That cave wasn’t on our briefing for this training, Savel. So our orbital sensors did not detect it. If the sensors cannot detect the cave, I doubt they will be able to detect the badges inside it. We will need to go in with the transporter boosters. We can do it. We use ground-penetrating scans to detect IEDs. You, me, we know what to look for. If the boosters will work, that's the best option. ::turns to Jovenan:: Lieutenant, what do you see? You know the science side the best; you are the one in blue. Will transporter boosters help, or will the cavern minerals make this hopeless?

Gnai: ::louder:: Transport to the shuttle, maybe? Isn't the Artemis far away?

Jozial couldn’t really hear much of the discussion by the cave’s mouth, and she really didn’t care either. If the officers wanted to make an unnecessarily complicated plan to get the out of there, be her guest. She just didn’t like it when the jelly shouted in her ear.

Jovenan: ::louder, to Gnai:: Yes, shuttle’s transporters, we can’t wait for the Artemis come pick us up! ::normal voice:: There’s a miniscule amount of magnesite in the ceiling. It’s not quite bad as in La’kso Canyon, for example ::look to Savel::, so I think the transporter boosters are sufficient to amplify the signal, though we’d need to get them in a pattern around Gnai and Renirs, which we can’t do without going in ourselves.

Renirs: Just get me outta here already!

Savel: If I am correct, then this cave functions as a storage area for illicit goods of some sort. It is likely that there are additional mines, though they are probably arranged in a pattern that would allow someone with knowledge of their layout to safely navigate the cave in order to retrieve what was stored here. We only need to discover this pattern to give you a safe route to the exit.

Oh dear dog, stop analysing already and start doing something! It was like this with officers, always. She could be bleeding to death – was she bleeding? she didn’t know – and the officers would go, hmm, what a fascinating cave painting, must be late Quin Dynasty, oh no, not at all my dear Doctor, it’s actually from the Ptolemaian era.

Chevalier: We may not have time to get them out. I will take the transport boosters. Some backup solutions are always better than having none. They can work; if they don't, we leave them there.

Jovenan: Okay. Get the transporter boosters. Savel, Chevalier, you’ll try to find the route to Renirs and Gnai and place the boosters around your entire group. I’ll patch you up to the shuttle transporter from here. When the boosters are in place, we’ll beam you all out. ::look to all:: Execute.

Great, more waiting. Jozial considered how nice it would be just fall asleep while waiting. It seemed like a good idea as well; her eyelids were feeling heavy and her mind foggy, and maybe that way the pain would reside. It was an awful bed, but hey, so was her own bed on the Artemis, and at least the roommates here weren’t quite as big morons…

She felt the jelly nudging her. Take that comment about roommates back.

Gnai: ::just to Renirs:: Renirs, are you doing okay? Is this position fine?

Renirs: A bit bumpy, particularly in the torso area.

The jelly readjusted its tank to better hold Jozial. She had earlier suggested equipping the mecha suit with weapons, though now she thought pillows would make more sense. Granted, then she would mock the jelly for being such a softie.

Gnai: This was a mistake to come in here and split up. Sorry for that.

Renirs: Nah, no need to say that. I’m not blaming you alone for this. ::pained groan:: I’m blaming everyone.

She heard sounds and voices coming in closer. The cavalry had apparently entered the cave and making their way somewhere near them. Better try and stay awake for a moment. She couldn’t let them do all the work and find out she had been sleeping the entire time.

Chevalier: Savel? We have continuous connection to the shuttle. It works.

Savel: Response

Chevalier: Wait! Stay back!

Now what?

Savel: Response

Chevalier: ::breathing raggedly:: Savel, you need to continue. I’m okay. I think as long as I keep my feet on it, it will not explode. Go and save Gnai and Renirs. I will analyze that IED and the lieutenant will call support from Artemis...and they will get me out. Okay, Savel? Go!

Gnai: What's going on? Did Ensign Chevalier step on a mine?

Oh dear Kahless, not this! Jozial tried to concentrate on thinking of a joke on how the officers couldn’t do anything right even with actual equipment and information what to look for. But having suffered the same thing as him and being in pain, Jozial felt a curious feeling seeping through from her subconsciousness. Why did she feel bad for him?

Jovenan: What happened? Report!

Chevalier: Laid mines two. Starfleet zero. Good news - the ground-penetrating scans worked, and we marked a safe path through the IEDs on our way to my position. Bad news - I tripped and accidentally stepped on one of them. ::looks on Savel:: Savel has boosters and will continue over on Gnai's and Renirs' position.

No, no. What was wrong with these officers? Renirs wouldn’t have come here voluntarily to get anyone out, yet here they were working despite knowing it could get them killed or maimed. Their best course of action would have been to get the officer who had stepped on the mine out and make Jozial and the jelly come out on their own. Academy did some great brainwashing… though right now, Jozial was immensely grateful for it.

Savel: Response

Gnai: Be careful, Ensign Savel!

Jovenan: Savel, can you complete the transporter booster perimeter alone?

Savel: Response

A few more seconds – or were they minutes? – later Jozial noticed she was being moved. The jelly was lowering her to the ground. It was hard and cold, more so than the tank, though it was also more comfortable to lie on. She could really fall asleep on this bed.

Renirs: Hey, I just…

Gnai: ::to Renirs:: This is just for a moment, sorry.

Jozial observed as the mecha suit, as she could barely see in the poor light, stood still but took its tricorder out and began scanning something ahead. She was curious what it was supposed to accomplish through that.

Renirs: ::meek:: Yeah, sure, whatever…

The jelly continued working on the tricorder as Jozial observed it from the beside. She couldn’t really see anything else, either, but she presumed that the Vulcan was still making a round around them, while the Human was trapped by the mine. Were they not trying to do anything about that?

Gnai: ::louder, to Lt. Jovenan:: Lieutenant, is there anything anomalous in the vicinity of this tricorder?

Jovenan: Yes! It’s not as close as Savel’s, but if you could keep it pointed just ahead of his route, I can try triangulating the mines with that data. Savel, I’m sending you as much as I can!

Savel: Response

Everyone kept working for longer, though Jozial couldn’t tell what they were doing. The sounds were the only indication of the events around her, so Jozial focused on those, though the entire cave suddenly began to feel more alien and incomprehensible, as in a dream. Someone talking got her out of that state.

Jovenan: Okay, once the transporter amplifiers are in place, I’ll transport you to the shuttle, where you will tend to Renirs wounds and contact the Artemis and the Bajoran authorities. Chevalier, um, you’re not quite inside the perimeter, so try to stand by. I’ll help you once the others are safely out. Try to come with something we can do to prevent the mine from going off.

Savel/Gnai: Response

Renirs: ::quietly:: I’m just gonna lie here for a moment…

Chevalier: Understood, Lieutenant. Staying still obediently on mine. No explosion, no spasm. Think about a solution. Got it. Save Gnai and Renirs; I'll wait!

Jozial waited for more, focusing on sounds. There were the beeps and boops of the tricorders, gentle, slow steps of the Vulcan, occasional sounds caused by the transporter boosters and water dripping somewhere in the cave. Then, she could just barely separate two voices talking. She couldn’t tell apart all the words. Was she hearing the voices of the dead, was she slowly slipping into the afterlife? No, she recognized the Human officer. He was talking with someone.

Chevalier: ::sighs:: =/\= Yeah… You are right. I miss you… =/\=

Oh. Jozial wondered who the other person was. She considered if she, too, should have called someone. Maybe Kliss would have wanted to hear how she was doing…

Jovenan: Everyone ready? Energizing.

 

((Shuttle Kerynitis, Rakantha Province, Bajor))

 

The blue mist taking over Jozial’s body had been unexpected. It was in itself very bright, but soon the mist and the darkness of the cave were replaced by the full lights within the shuttle. Jozial covered her eyes with her arm until they could cope with the much more intense luminescence.

Renirs: Huh? What happened?

Savel/Gnai: Response

Jozial raised her head. The Vulcan was there, as was the jelly, though the human and whatever species the leading officer had been. Had they stayed behind in the cave? Before she could admit that her tired brain was feeling worried for them, she looked at her own legs.

Her uniform trousers were shredded all the way to her thighs, and she could see the lower parts of her legs. They weren’t their typical fair colour with darker spots going down them, but mostly red with occasional black burn marks. The spots were either scrapped or covered in dirt or bodily stuff.

Renirs: Um, hey, jelly. I don’t think I feel so good…

Savel/Gnai: Response

 

TAG/TBC
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Crewman Third Class Jozial Renirs
Enlisted technician
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11