[sb118-artemis] Ensign Tho'Bi - Satellite of Love (Go Boom) Part 2

[Tobi]

(( New Kehixa, Grunden Capital City - Kydon ))

Great towering structures of dark stone, decorated by arch and tracery, filled the red and black of the targeting screen.  The General’s voice echoed from the Grunt’s coms. 

Kexxin: =/\= Welcome to New Kehixa. The Grunden Capital City. =/\=

Their convey of two came to a halt in an open stone plaza, the Andorian waited for Lieutenant Gnai to exit the Grunt in a whir of mechanics; he crouched down, lifted his legs up and pivoted on his glutes, ninety degrees anti-clockwise; the young Ensign then stretched out his long, lean legs out of the open door; and, once his feet were planted firmly on the large, weather-worn stone slabs of the plaza, lifted his backside up and shifted the rest of his body out of the door.

The young Engineer had hardly had time to take in the monumental building; that, with its tall, elegant arches and ornate stained glass windows, dominated the ancient plaza; before he caught sight of Lieutenant Vailani striding towards them, with Ensign Cole following closely behind.

Vailani: Tho’Bi what was that drone? The General says it was a sensor, triggered when we got into the vicinity of the capital? 

The Andorian popped his engineering tricorder out its adaptive pocket on his utility belt and began scanning the left side of the Grunt.  As he did so, the Galadoran scientist made his way from around the back of the armored hulk and addressed Lieutenant Vailani’s question directly.

Gnai: This… did detect no weapons-fire or explosives. But there were elevated levels of hydrogen from approximately where the ::air quotes with the suit’s hands:: sensor impacted.

Cole/Sadar: Responses

The modular system of armor on the Grunt had, by inherent flaw of the design, small gaps between modular armored panels; the Tricorder was picking up evidence of intense burn marks, running the four lengths of a cross-section of small gaps.

Tho’Bi: ::nods in the direction of Gnai:: That ta-tallies with what I’m seeing (beat) hydrogen can burn at up to around two thousand degrees celsius..

As he continues to give his report; with one hand, the Andorian points at the cross-section and with the other, he flips the Tricorder so Lieutenant Vailani can see the display more easily. 

Tho’Bi: …the Tricorder is reading an intense burn pattern (beat) on the side of the Grunt where the impact hit.  ::points at the sky:: if the Grunden use Hydrogen Power Cells in their Sensor Drones (beat) the drone crashes ::finger drops to pointing at the ground:: hydrogen leaks ::points at side of Grunt:: debris from the initial impact triggers the Electric Reactive Armor.  

The Bajoran Lieutenant reached his conclusion before he needed to say it.

Vailani: So the electric charge ignited the hydrogen? 

Gnai: Possibly…? This is not an engineer. There could be any reason why the hydrogen might have ignited, it tends to like to do that… ::trailing off, realizing that this isn’t exactly the most important detail to mention::

Tho’Bi:  ::tilted his head one way and then the other:: The intense burn pattern suggests this is the case (beat) but as Lieutenant Gnai points out, hydrogen is ::swallows and nods:: it’s volatile.  And (beat) not ideal for military use (beat) Maybe the Grundens are short on energy?

Cole/Sadar: Response

The cool breeze moved across the ancient stone plaza, lifting dust up into the air, in loose waves of tiny grey particles; the Andorian could sense distant rainfall, from beyond the city limits and further along the valley.  The potential change in weather appeared to hasten the Bajoran Lieutenant; her green eyes glanced across the plaza at the two heavy set Grudens, standing deep in conversation, beside the other Grunt.    

Vailani: Let's not keep our hosts waiting. Let’s begin the investigation. Everyone, be alert. 

 

With that, the Bajoran Lieutenant turned on her heel and strode off in the direction of General Kexxin and Naru.  Tho’Bi grabbed his rucksack from the back of the Grunt, swung it over one shoulder and then next; his long legs making easy work of catching up with the rest of the Away Team.

Kexxin/Naru: Response

Cole/Sadar/Valiani: Response

A pair of guards, dressed in more refined military garb than that of the General, parted to allow them to pass; the Andorian offered them a solemn, polite bow of respect and gratitude.  A pointed arch rose upwards above them; before the space opened up into a grand hall of luminous, shifting colors, projected across the heavy stone surfaces by the tall stained glass windows; shimmering holographic displays, floated in midair.

Gnai: This is a… very old building. And in remarkable shape, for the war. Has it not reached the capital yet?

Kexxin/Naru: Response

Cole/Sadar/Valiani: Response

 

The Andorian’s senses traced across the heavy stone of the building, it remained static, unmoving; and yet, something shifted within the otherwise still structure.  The Engineer glanced down at his Tricorder; it was reading large amounts of organic matter, within the stonework.  He knelt down and traced his fingers across the smoove surface of the stone slabs; the gap between each slab was broken up by a coarse line of ridges and furrows.  His dark blue eyes followed the run of ridges and furrows along the length of the floor, up the opposite wall, and over and across the soaring ceiling; and back down the wall behind him.

Tho’Bi:  ::still kneeling:: The entire structure appears to be held in place ::looking up and around the hall:: by tree root and branch ::stands up and looks at Vailani:: readings indicate ::flips Tricorder for Vailani to see:: it’s one tree (beat) one living tree.

Vailani: Response

Kexxin/Naru: Response

Cole/Sadar/Gnai: Response

 

TAG/TBC

(( OOC: Part 2 of 2.  I like the idea of the Grunden being more in harmony with nature and being able to use living trees to grow the superstructure of their buildings, as they construct the additional materials within and around the tree.)) 

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Ensign Tho’Bi

Engineering

USS Artemis-A

A240203T11