Ensign S’Jenes - Subtlety Ends
James hassell
S'Jenes: I detect no immediate change in intent... only observation. ::The lower path stretched onward, stable and quiet, carrying them away from the convergence zone.:: This route continues to minimize exposure. Do you want to proceed to the ruins, Commander? or would you rather retreat back to the runabout?
S’Jenes watched the faint shift in Foster’s expression, the subtle decision forming before it was spoken. Retreat would have reduced variables, preserved safety. Advancing would increase risk—and knowledge. The choice, predictably, favored the latter.
Foster: We’ve come this far. We’re heading towards those ruins.
S’Jenes: ::a slight inclination of his head:: Understood, Commander. Advancing toward the ruins will register as purposeful movement. ::dryly:: I will assume curiosity outweighs self-preservation—within acceptable Starfleet parameters.
S’Jenes adjusted his position as Foster prepared to move, recalibrating the tricorder’s orientation to maintain coverage without active emission. He matched Foster’s pace precisely, maintaining spacing that minimized their combined profile.
Foster: You keep your eye on the scans. I’ll keep watch. ::He kept his phaser low, not prominent, but at the ready.:: I’m not a security officer by any stretch, but you don’t get through the Dominion War without being able to use this thing.
S’Jenes registered the weapon without comment, more interested in Foster’s posture than the phaser itself. There was nothing tentative about the way he carried it. Experience had rewritten doctrine where theory once lived.
S’Jenes: ::already reviewing data:: I will prioritize scans and threat indicators. ::a brief glance toward Foster:: Your continued survival suggests the training was effective.
They advanced without interference, the terrain rising gently before them. S’Jenes slowed instinctively as they reached the crest, dropping his profile and shifting to the side to avoid silhouetting against the sky. From this position, the valley ahead resolved into clearer geometry—lines too regular, angles too deliberate.
Foster: Over there. In the distance. I think we found our ruins. Can you get any clear scans?
S’Jenes brought the tricorder up, adjusting frequency bands and sensor harmonics. The display returned fragmented data—interference consistent with dense mineral composition layered in deliberate arrangement.
S’Jenes: ::frowning slightly at the display:: Partial readings only. The stone density and composition are interfering with sensor penetration. Whatever is down there is well-shielded—intentionally or otherwise.
Foster: Well, that’s frustrating. But if the natural stone partially blocks out scanners then I suppose it’s a perfectly intelligent place to hide … whatever these people want to hide.
S’Jenes logged the comment as confirmation of prior hypotheses. Intelligence was no longer speculative. The environment itself was being used as infrastructure.
S’Jenes: Agreed. ::a trace of humor:: If one wished to discourage tricorder dependency, this would be an elegant solution.
As Foster assessed the valley, S’Jenes mapped potential routes mentally—cover, elevation changes, likely sightlines. The forest thinned ahead. Concealment would soon give way to exposure.
Foster: Moving forward we will lose the cover of the forest. We’ll have to be very careful, because we will be exposed.
S’Jenes nodded once, already tracking how the observers’ attention might shift once concealment was removed.
S’Jenes: Exposure will increase, but so will available data. ::eyes lifting toward the valley:: If observation continues, this is where subtlety is likely to end.
S’Jenes advanced first into the clearing, pace steady, posture deliberately unthreatening. The vegetation thinned quickly here, giving way to open stone and mineral-packed soil that bore faint, repeating patterns…not quite pathways, but worn enough to suggest long-term use. He kept the tricorder low and passive, letting it drink in ambient data without announcing itself.
S’Jenes: The ground composition has changed. Compacted, layered…this area has seen sustained traffic. ::a glance toward the ruins:: We are no longer approaching a natural formation.
Foster: ?
A faint shift rippled across S’Jenes’ awareness subtle, coordinated attention realigning toward them. Not alarm. Not hostility. Simply… focus. He adjusted his path a few degrees left, choosing a line that avoided the most exposed stretch of open ground.
S’Jenes: We are being observed from multiple positions now. Elevated, but not converging. ::calmly:: This feels procedural.
Foster: ?
As they moved deeper, the clearing widened, revealing low stone structures half-sunk into the terrain. Their edges were softened by time but unmistakably shaped. S’Jenes slowed, eyes tracing angles that didn’t belong to erosion.
S’Jenes: Structural integrity remains high despite apparent age. ::dryly:: Whoever built this understood both geology and patience.
Foster: ?
His tricorder flickered again…this time with clearer returns. Metallic traces embedded within the stone, fused rather than attached. Energy signatures dormant, but coherent.
S’Jenes: I am detecting integrated materials within the rock itself. Not added…grown together. ::a faint note of approval:: Efficient. Difficult to dismantle. And very inconvenient for archaeologists.
Foster: ?
They reached the center of the clearing, where the ground dipped slightly, forming a shallow basin. S’Jenes paused, lifting his gaze slowly rather than scanning too quickly…an intentional signal of awareness without challenge.
S’Jenes: This appears to be a transitional space. Neither defensive nor ceremonial. ::after a beat:: If contact occurs, it is statistically most likely to happen here.
Foster: ?
The air felt still, expectant rather than tense. S’Jenes held position, senses divided between data, terrain, and the disciplined mental presence that now felt… closer.
S’Jenes: Whatever happens next, Commander, it will be intentional.
Foster: ?
Science Officer
USS Constitution-B
C240209S12