Lt Jovenan – I told you to be careful!
Jovenan
((Rakantha Province, Bajor))
Gnai: =/\= Thank you, sir. Utmost care and concern will be taken towards safety. Do not worry. =/\=
Jovenan: =/\= I expect nothing less. See you in a bit. =/\=
Jovenan ended the communication link between her and Gnai. Two dots, representing the Ensign and Crewman Renirs, had moved across the map along the river she had ordered them to investigate and were now approaching a hill. Caverns or cavities were not atypical in the region, even unmapped ones due to their generally small size, so without further information, she assumed they had found a space not larger than a shuttlepod. Caves always posed risks, but due to the region’s low danger evaluation by the authorities and the field safety training they had received, she wasn’t too cautious.
Still, better see how they’re doing. Caves had potential to be scientifically interesting, and she wanted to help them with their scanning mission should they need it.
She stepped closer to the two Ensigns she had been instructing previously.
Jovenan: Gnai and Renirs have found a cave they want to study, so I’ll be joining them now. You can carry on with your plan.
Savel: Very well, Lieutenant. ::short pause:: I have no doubt you and Ensign Gnai will take precautions, but I am worried about the reckless nature I have observed in the crewman who wished to eat the dirt. Please, do be careful.
Chevalier: If she does - based on the toxic measurements we made - we will have a couple of hours still to get her into the hospital before her biological function ceases due to the poisoning. A hospital and our shuttle are closer than that. I am not worried about her.
Jovenan smiled a little as she waved goodbye to the two junior officers. It was obvious that they didn’t hold Renirs in particularly high regards, at least when it came to her diligence. Jovenan considered discussing the appropriateness of talking about a fellow crewmember behind their backs after the training ― provided the Crewman didn’t cause an incident before that.
Departing from the pair of Ensigns, Jovenan started her run towards the location Gnai and Renirs had found the cave. Despite the barren, toxic plateau around her, she took joy in the opportunity to stretch her legs, so to speak, after months spent on the ship. The track in the Fitness Centre was…
Jovenan stopped. Had she imagined it?
She could swear the ground had shaken a little. She turned her head around, looking for if there was any indication of what she thought she had felt. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she shrugged and continued her way towards the hill.
Eventually, she reached the hill. Having a look on the PADD, she could locate the hidden entrance, where she looked in. Except for a few specks of light, she had trouble seeing much, though from the slightly illuminated silhouettes of a few speleothems – had they been cut in pieces? – she could draw conclusions about the nature of the cave: solutional cave, likely naturally formed by the acids in groundwater dissolving the limestone or similar material after seeping though cracks. Those kinds of caves were often below the water table, so there might be some groundwater at the bottom of the cave as well, or the floods might have left over water in there. She had to give it to Gnai and Renirs, they had found a great place to study the local water.
Renirs: Response
The voices she heard from within the cave gave Jovenan a reason to raise an eyebrow. Had something happened?
She took a few careful steps into the cave, trying to see the two crewmembers within.
Jovenan: Gnai? Renirs?
Gnai: Lieutenant Jovenan, there is some sort of defensive mechanism in here it seems! Caution is advised. ::extending a mechanical hand to Renirs:: Perhaps leaving might be wise.
Renirs: Response
Jovenan’s hand covered her mouth in shock before she could stop it. Caves were dangerous, though when she had considered the risks for the two crewmembers, she had only considered cave-ins, slipping or getting stuck. Artificial traps had not been covered extensively in the planetary sciences programme.
Jovenan: What kind of defence mechanism? Are you injured?
Gnai/Renirs: Response
Jovenan shook her head. She had allowed the crewmembers to wander into the cave and had placed them into this danger. She felt bad, she should have inspected every inch of this plateau herself before bringing people down there under her care.
It was not time for self-pity, not even for the regular kind of pity. She needed to make sure she got the crewmembers safely out of there.
Jovenan: Don’t move. If there was one of these traps, there might be more of them, and I don’t want you to trigger more of them by accident. Was there any indication of the trap, like a tripwire?
Gnai/Renirs: Response
She tapped her combadge. The safety of the trainee team was paramount. After such an incident, it was obvious that there was no reason to carry on with the exercise, so she decided to call the team together.
Jovenan: =/\= Jovenan to Savel and Chevalier. Terminate the exercise. There’s been a small explosion in the cave, likely some old trap. I need your help in here. =/\=
Savel/Chevalier/Gnai/Renirs: Response
TAG/TBC
----
Lieutenant Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11