Lt Alex Storm - Ruins Don't Sleep
Karen Morris
((Unknown City - Callis 1))
As she jogged toward the city, Alex’s jaw tightened. Pain blossomed in her shoulder, and she tucked her left arm close, only pumping her right. Her eyes fixed on the grey structures in the distance. A heaviness settled low in her chest, and her gaze swept the field in front of them for movement. All she saw was the grass swaying violently in the wind kicked up by the storm at their back. As they jogged along, she felt her boot come down into a pile of something soft. A warning tickled the back of her mind, but with more pressing issues, she dismissed it.
Before long, the group made their way up to the entrance to the city - a gateway devoid of a gate. The city, at one time long ago, had walls - high walls. In some places they were still intact, but in many others, there were piles cascading inward, like a dam that had sprung a leak and fallen under the weight of the water behind it.
Storm: Over there, Do you see those buildings? ::pointing toward one side of the city.:: They look like they might be at least partially intact.
Every turn she took, Alex would slow and glance around it before taking off at a jog again. But now, it felt like an obstacle course. Ancient debris littered the streets, and stones and wood from partially collapsed buildings cluttered their path. Alex came to a stop in front of a larger building than most, inclining her head in that direction.
MacKenzie: As good a place to start as any. Let’s go.
Cole: Looks promising.
MacKenzie gave the door a push, but it seemed to hold a grudge from another life, refusing to move.
MacKenzie: Cole, give me a hand with this. Brexis, Storm, you stand ready.
Alex repositioned her knife in her hand and stood on the balls of her feet.
Cole: ::nodding:: Aye Captain
Brexis: Aye.
Storm: Hopefully, something is just wedged behind the door.
The Captain and Nat stood side by side palms flat against the door, one knee each bent. As they strained against the solid wood, Alex heard it groan until the hinges finally released their grasp on the door itself.
MacKenzie: By all means, after you.
Cole: ::gentle shrug:: Always prepared.
As soon as it was open, Alex slipped inside. She went right - behind the door. A large solid table had been turned on its side and wedged into position, but there were no people and no animals in sight.
At one end of the main room, behind what she guessed was an altar, was a raised dais - reminding Alex of some religious buildings she had seen on Earth. To each side of the dias were two smaller rooms. The door to one gave way easily. It contained what used to be a cot, a heavily barred window with some sort of clear, transparent metal over it … and the skeletal remains of three humanoids.
She made her way over to the other room, when she pushed that door open, she found shelves full of various implements, three sharp knives, several staves, bowls, and what looked like disintegrated towels, and another similarly barred window.
Brexis: ::Calling from the inside:: All clear captain.
Storm: There are some skeletons in the other room, but in this one, I’ve found some religious tools - like for sacrifices. We’ve got some knives, some staves, some bowls, and a few other containers. A couple of them feel full of something. These could be really helpful.
MacKenzie: I wonder if this is a monastery of some kind… What do you think about this as a possibility for shelter?
Cole: It’s our best option at the moment.
Cole: ::looking up:: Roof looks solid, so at least we’ll be dry.
Brexis: We are going to run out of light soon. I’ll look around for something to start a fire with. We have to stay warm. Hypothermia is no joke.
Still inside a back room, looking through its contents, Alex called out.
Storm: I bet there’s something like that in here. There are some jugs with liquid in them. Maybe there’s an oil we can use.
MacKenzie: Response
Cole: ::rapping her free hand on the furniture:: It sounds like it could be wood. ::Pointing upwards:: It looks like those might be vents.
Brexis: ::To Nat:: Think you can get one of those vents open? And if it’s not a vent… Make it one?
Storm: If you open up those vents, we’ll get rain in here, too. Not that in one location that’s necessarily a bad thing - if the rain is drinkable. Speaking of which, we should get some of these bowls outside and gather as much liquid as we can.
Alex grabbed four bowls, and made her way through the main room to the outer door. One by one, she set them outside to collect (hopefully) potable water. Once they were set out, she took a moment sheltered by the doorway and scanned the areas she could see. She couldn’t make out any movement, but she hadn't expected to with the force that the rain was now descending. As she turned to go back inside, she caught sight of her boot. Kneeling down to examine it further, she realized that it was partially covered in excrement - nearly three inches deep near the heel. Scraping off as much as she could on the grass in the small yard outside, she returned inside.
MacKenzie: Response
Cole: What do you think, ::gesturing towards the statue:: Some kind of deity maybe?
Brexis: Could be. ::Turning to MacKenzie:: I am going to grab a couple rocks from that pathway outside.
Alex put her hand on Brexis’s arm.
Storm: I didn’t catch any movement outside, but I apparently stepped in a large mound of scat on our way up here. Whatever left it had to be pretty big to leave that much. ::to Brexis:: Keep your eyes open.
MacKenzie: Response
Charlotte dashed out, and Alex’s shoulders tightened. They refused to fully release even after she was back inside. As the Strat Ops specialist started working on the fire, Alex walked over and leaned her back against the wall. She closed her eyes and mentally reached out, trying to see if she could sense any of the rest of their crew. She felt for one voice in particular. She couldn’t sense anything, and her throat constricted.
Brexis: Nat how’s it going with those vents?
Storm: ::Under hear breath:: Focus, Alex.
Cole/MacKenzie: Response
Turning around and leaning her head and one palm against the stone. Shutting out any other stimuli, she listened again. She felt it, just a tickle at the edge of her senses, but latching onto it, she honed her focus. Roy was alive. Her shoulders lost some of their tightness. She closed her eyes once more, and using Roy as a jumping-off point, Alex reached out for others who might be with him. Her eyes popping open a moment later. She sensed them, K’Wara, Jovenan, Bergman.
Brexis: ::Standing up with excitement and pointing to the tiny flame:: My mom taught me that!
Storm: I can sense some of our crew. I found Commander Jovenan, and Lieutenants K’Wara, Bergman, and Bancroft. I don’t know if they are hurt or not, but they are all alive.
Cole/MacKenzie: Response
Storm: Give me a minute. I’ll see if I can find the other group.
MacKenzie/Cole/Brexis: Response
Alex closed her eyes again and placed the heels of her hands over them, blocking out any light. She reached out for Sil, him being the one that she knew best, she listened intently. A minute passed, two.
Storm: I found them! Commanders Munro and Silveira and Lieutenant Imril, and Ensign Jaran. Everyone’s alive! oO Roy’s alive. Oo
MacKenzie/Cole/Brexis: Response
Alex looked over at Brexis.
Storm: Can you sense anything more than that they are alive?
MacKenzie/Cole/Brexis: Response
~*~
Tags / TBC!
~*~
Lt Alex Storm
Tactical Officer
USS Artemis
O240103SK2