Lt. Commander Foster - Watched
Jamie LeBlanc
(Planet Peekaboo, Southern Hemisphere, near Iaonaiae Runabout)
S’Jenes: Stability appears sufficient… I prefer not to become a secondary Geyser Rider. ::smiles at Mec and then reading from the tricorder display:: Soil composition is layered but coherent. Upper stratum consists of silicate-rich loam with high organic content. Beneath that—basaltic substrate with sulfur inclusions and trace metals. Thermal gradient remains elevated but controlled. Moisture content is optimal for dense plant growth. ::a beat:: This hill appears resilient.
Mec: ?
S’Jenes: I am considering a hypothesis and would value your perspectives. ::measured, almost careful:: Is it logical to assume we are merely reacting to the planet… or is it possible the planet is reacting to us?
Foster: Anything is possible…
Probable was another story.
S’Jenes: Given the pattern of geothermal vents, the timing of energy releases, and the plant distribution, the behavior is unusual for a planet of this classification. I am interested in your assessment—both from exploratory command and engineering standpoints.
Mec: Response
Foster: Thus far I think that we have a bunch of signals that could be organic development, but if they are then this planet is extraordinarily lucky in its development. The probability of each of these fortunate coincidences raises my suspicions that this is not organic and makes me wonder if there is outside action at work.
S’Jenes: For completeness, atmospheric particulates remain unchanged at this elevation. No increase in toxic compounds. ::a pause, dry:: The planet has not objected to our presence up here. Yet. Should we attempt to contact the other runabout? Perhaps they are experiencing similar… enthusiasm.
Cade nodded, pleased at the Vulcan logic.
Foster: If we can get through the planetary interference, yes.
Mec: ?
But it seemed the other runabout got through to them first. The connection was not great, but it was readable. Or hearable.
Perax: =/\= Perax to Doctor Foster, Have you ever been to Gloucester in a shower of rain? =/\=
He stepped in a puddle up to his middle and never went there again… he knew that rhyme well from his youth.
S'Jenes: Ensign Mec, what can we do to increase the signal on that transmission?
Mec: Response
Slowly, whatever they were doing the signal started to clear.
Foster: =/\= I can read you Lieutenant. Hopefully you’re not waist deep in primordial puddles. =/\=
S'jenes: =/\= We seem to have an abundance of static in regards to your signal, suggestions to clear it? =/\=
Perax: =/\= If you set up your signal enhancer and lock onto this signal, we might eliminate the static. =/\=
With every tweak and enhancement the signal cleared fractionally. Still not great but workable.
Foster: =/\= How is your team doing? Find anything interesting? =/\=
Lystra: =/\= Oh, you know the usual. Getting stampeded by wildlife and dodging lightning bolts. This place is terrible. We’ve found some fauna has Chrondite in their physiology, bioluminescence and we think they use the metal in their antlers as lightning rods for protection or possibly a source of energy? What about you guys? =/\=
Foster: =/\=Chrondite? That’s peculiar. We’ve been dodging exploding steam geysers and marvelling at how unusually fertile the land is. =/\=
Yirah: =/\= I have to disagree with Lystra’s assessment that this place is terrible. =/\=
Mec: =/\= Response =/\=
Foster: =/\= Sure, why not make it a resort? You could go geyser surfing and ride magnetic elk. It’ll be the next Risa… =/\=
Perax: =/\=Geyser surfing? I’m not that adventurous=/\=
Yirah: =/\= We landed in a valley full of geysers. We haven't been able to get a clear read on atmospheric composition, but during our descent, even before the geyser field, we did pick up on high amounts of water vapour and what could be volcanic ash or perhaps a major dust storm. =/\=
Foster: =/\= With the stage of development this planet is at, it’s likely that the crust is not well developed. So trapped gases want to explode. =/\=
S'jenes: =/\= From here, earlier tests showed oxygen at 20.9 percent, nitrogen at 78 percent, argon at 0.9 percent. Trace elements include neon, methane at negligible levels, and elevated water vapor consistent with regional storm activity, perhaps cross referencing our findings may answer some of your phenomena as well. =/\=
Mec: =/\=Response=/\=
Lystra: =/\= Is it recent or more like a ruin? In either case should we treat this like a Prime Directive, First Contact situation? =/\=
Foster: =/\= I don’t think this planet is developed enough to have sentient native life. That said, what we’ve found is consistent with the preparations for a focused farming operation. Maybe someone else found this place before us> =/\=
It was possible the lan could be that fertile on its own, but unlikely. And if someone had been directing areas in preparation for growing something they had been careful about it, not leaving many traces.
Mec: =/\=Response=/\=
S'Jenes: =/\= We have been experiencing tectonic fluctuations in intervals here, seemingly timed intervals =/\=
Yirah: =/\= And you're sure that these fluctuations couldn't have been organic? =/\=
S'Jenes: =/\= In theory, they could be. Rerouting power from my tricorder to attempt to stabilize our signal =/\=
Mec: =/\=Response=/\=
Foster: =/\= Again, it’s always possible. But as we collect improbably organic coincidences, it all points towards outside interference. The energy signals, the unusually fertile soil, the isolated patches without tectonic activity… either parts of this planet are extremely lucky or someone’s working here. =/\=
Not that he was saying it was necessarily nefarious if someone was working it. Farming operations came in all shapes and sizes. That was generally not considered hostile or inappropriate.
Mec: =/\=Response=/\=
Lystra: =/\= We just tried. We were able to get a very garbled response from the ship. I’m not sure we’re going to get better than that audibly, but I suggested we could try narrow band data bursts to see if that might work. Or, if you guys have a signal enhancer maybe we could link them together and focus on the same coordinates? =/\=
Foster: =/\= We dropped signal buoys on our way in. If we return to the runabout we can calibrate them and share the signal frequency with you. =/\=
Mec: =/\= Response =/\=
Perax: =/\= Wait! Did you say you dropped a beacon probe in orbit on the edge of the atmosphere? We might be able to use it as a signal repeater. It will still be distorted, but we might get more of their message. =/\=
Foster =/\= That we did! =/\=
S'Jenes: =/\=The planet's storms may be bending the signal from the beacon =/\=
Mec: =/\= Response =/\=
Perax: =/\= Perax to Constitution, we are at N36°14’ by W16°7’. We have discovered geothermal heat sources and an interesting life form that has bioluminescence and lightning rod antlers. The weather is horrible. Could you point us in the direction of a sunny beach? Perax out. =/\=
For a moment Leran almost got Cade, and he almost wondered if the lieutenant had actually managed to calibrate the buoys and use them on the spot. And then the humor sunk in and he grinned. Good one.
Foster: =/\= Don’t forget to request they beam down drinks… =/\=
Yirah: =/\= But about these fluctuations you all picked up on. Have you seen anything else that might suggest intelligent life? =/\=
S’Jenes: ::He lowered his tricorder slightly, eyes thoughtful as he reviewed the data again...=/\=the balance, the timing, the restraint. No signals to indicate it, but the planet seems to respond… politely, almost as if it were designed to host life. =/\=
Mec: =/\= Response =/\=
Foster: =/\= Animal life, yes. Intelligent life… not yet. At least not native. =/\=
Yirah: =/\= Just let us know if you find anything else. =/\=
Mec: =/\= Response =/\=
At that moment there was a shrill chime from their tricorders as another energy surge was register and the ground started to rumble quietly.
Foster: What was that?
He turned to look at S’Jenes for an answer on the scans.
S’Jenes: ?
Foster: =/\= oh you know, just some sort of mild seismic event as we’re out here talking. Nothing possible suspicious about that… =/\=
Little Crow Crew: =/\= ?
S’Jenes/Mec: ?
Foster: =/\= Let’s keep the commlines as open as possible, but we’re going to let you go and poke around a bit more. I feel like we’re missing some pieces of this puzzle =/\=
Little Crow Crew: =/\= ?
S’Jenes/Mec: ?
They started to move upwards on the ridge, where the land flattened out boasting thick vegetation in brilliant shades of green and yellow. Cade narrowed his eyes for a moment at the shadows in the plants and then turned back towards S’jenes and Mec.
Foster: We said that the planet seems to have a personality… but now I’m just feeling like we’re being watched.
Not by the planet anymore, but by someone or something.
S’Jenes/Mec: ?
~*~
tags/tbc
~*~
Lt. Commander Cade Foster
Chief Medical officer
~Julian Beck
E239010ST0