Lt Cmdr Naledi - A Miraculous Mirage

[Naledi]

((Corridor, Gibaria Outpost))

The old woman touched the vine. Upon contact, the vine cringed, a wave bubbling through its external membrane. Like a network of fungi twinging over long distances to send a message, the surrounding vines acted as if they had been touched also.

After a moment of vine stretching and an ever-growing metallic clang, the doors pulled apart like two large stones being pushed apart.

The labyrinth of labs now bore itself to the party.  

Finch: The good news is, we're in! And the bad news is, we're in.

Neathler: As long as they don’t trap us in when we need to get out again.

Sevo: You just had to say it, didn’t you?

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Pew… Why an escape plan is always desirable.

Finch: They seemed to contract, almost by connection and if not, then at least by communication. ::She turned to the area ahead of them, tongue resting on her bottom lip.:: Looks like they're everywhere.

 

A pinging noise came from Lt Commander Neather’s tricorder, a noise which was swiftly dealt with.

 

Neathler: As long as they’ll leave us alone, we’ll be safe. 

Naledi: Pew Crick Snap Pop… Even if there’s no way their silence can be assured.

 

If they can cut through the bases plating like a high-setting phaser on metal, the same metal would not defend them.

Sevo: I hope you’re right.

Neathler: Traversing this corridor will take us closer to the gate but we have all the labs to check.

 

The same conditions as the initial corridor presented themselves. Vines coating the walls and doors, bloody handprints scattered which only the brightness coming from the now opened doorway revealed as the light reflected on the wet liquid.

 

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss Crick… The blood is new, this happened recently.

 

Sevo: Schematics indicate eight labs in this section, and some looked blocked off by this…flora.

Finch: Eight labs. That’s a bit of an undertaking! ::Her hands found her hips.:: We’ll need ideas.

Neathler: What about that subsonic pulse Naledi suggested earlier? It’ll make us work easier than having to check every room manually.

 

Spinning on their bare tarsi, Naledi faced the team leader, Commander Finch.

 

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Pew… It is possible commander, although it will take a moment to perform the necessary adjustments.

Finch: Talk me through the adjustments and I can help you make them.

 

Looking at their phaser, and then at the damp dingy corridor, they knew with no uncertainty that it would be quicker and safer to clear the path by scanning and not manually searching every room.

 

Naledi: Crick Pew Snap Pop… It agrees with Lt Commander Neather. From a tactical viewpoint, scanning the rooms remotely is safer and more efficient than using its eyes.

Sevo: I can set it up on my tricorder. Give me a minute.

 

An interesting proposition. Upon hearing the suggestion, Naledi knew that cross-training was a valid approach to strengthen the skills of higher ranking officers.

 

Naledi: Pew Pop Snap Hiss… Intriguing, How often have you performed the procedure?

 

Sevo: I’ve written or installed similar programs on my tricorder over the years. It shouldn’t be too difficult to adapt one to a subsonic pulse.

Naledi became conscious of where they were standing. As an officer on the taller side of the spectrum, they did not want to be in the way. In many ways they were on the Gorkon to learn through interaction, but also by observing how the crew proceeded towards an objective.

 

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss… Where would it be best placed?

Sevo: ::Smiling.:: No need to be in a specific location. Unless the flora completely absorbs the sound waves, we should be able to get a relatively clear reading. 

Finch: Ideally it’ll help us to determine the distance, size and density of whatever we may be dealing with.

 

Hairs were like a forest, but as always, the cool air was a stalking predator as along it’s setae, Naledi felt the chilly rustle of cool air coming from the door’s threshold.

Sevo: Okay, here we go.

 

Lt Commander Sevo utilized their tricorder as Lt Commander Neathler stared at the floor. Although it wasn’t fruitless staring that came from confused ensigns unsure of where to look. As Naledi followed their eyesight, the clear sign of snake-like vines slithered around their feet.

 

Sevo: Oh…s---.

 

A chirping noise came from Naledi’s universal translator. They hadn’t heard the noise before. Casting their mind back to the manual that came with the device, it appeared an expletive had been censored.

 

Finch: Now why are they doing that?

Sevo: Those things are responding to the pulses! Maybe they’re aggravating them somehow? 

Neathler: Or it’s their way of dancing?

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop… Dare to dream.

 

As Commander Neather stepped back, Naledi followed. The strength of the plants was unverified, but evidence suggested that they were strong enough to burst through duranium over a shorter period of time than other plants. Alongside the moving pattern, getting pulled into a sea of the plants would not have been an ideal situation for the team to find themselves in.

Finch: Shut it off, Ayiana!

 

A vine snake vibrated as it shot towards Commander Sevo. Naledi braced their phaser but withheld the fire. They weren’t sure what the impact of using a phaser on the vines would be yet, for all they knew it would make the situation far worse than it needed to be.

Sevo: Sh-shutting it off!

In a display of synchronicity between humanoid and planetary flora, the moment Commander Sevo tapped their tricorder, ceasing the subsonic-scanner, the vines equally ceased their rhythmic dance.

At that moment, Naledi noticed that Commander Finch had drawn their rifle, pointing it straight at the plants. Although they were the team leader, Naledi sought the drive to stop them.

The plants so far had only responded to stimulus from the team, as soon as the stimulus had ceased, as had the movement. If something was fired at it, who knew what the result would be?

They certainly didn’t want to find out in this already messy environment.

Finch: Everyone in one piece?

Sevo: Yea.

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop… It is.

Finch: They’re not keen on being touched, and they’re really not keen on subsonic pulses. What does that tell us?

Sevo: Could be an instinctual defensive mechanism. Or maybe the pulses really were hurting it. Hard to tell without more tests.

Naledi: Chirp Crick Snap Pop Hiss… Thus far, it has only responded with identical magnitude to our stimulus. It would advise against further tests until we are in a suitable environment.

Neathler: Just so you know, those vines are growing at a rapid speed. I had my eyes on one over there. ::She pointed towards a point near the group.:: And now its end is half a meter further. But maybe the pulse had something to do with it.

 

A good observation, perhaps there was a way to utilise it in their favour? Not that Naledi had any ideas on how to do such a thing.

 

Finch: We’re going to have to either modify it, or consider another approach.

Sevo: We could try various levels of phaser fire on them; see if we can cut through the vines. 

Neathler: Before we try that, can’t we change the frequency of that pulse you emitted? Perhaps they only react on a certain frequency?

Naledi: Crick Chirp Snap Pop Pew… It advises against it. Stimulus appears to engage the vines. We must ensure their destruction. Leaving them partially alive may mean they only grow stronger in fear of us.

 

It may have been an unneeded personification of the vines, but these were no ordinary vines…

 

 

Sevo: It’s risky. If they have a fight-or-flight response they might try and fight back.

Neathler: We already know they react on touch.

Finch: Response

Sevo: Alternatively, we can take some time to analyze them; see what makes them tick. Maybe we can find a more scientific way to stop these things.

Neathler: Or we’ll find some answers in those labs, we have to clear them anyway.

Naledi: Pew Pop Crack Snap… It would prefer analysing the data that already lies in the labs. It is sure another team can analyse better than us. None of us are scientists.

 

Whilst obtaining more primary data would help them, they were not in the best position to collect it. However, the outpost scientists were sure to have left them something.

 

Finch: Response

Sevo: Well, we’re kind of on a time limit here, so as loath as I am to skip a fascinating scientific study, I’d say we try the phasers first. See if we can just cut through them.

Although Naledi loathed the idea of using phasers on the vines, it seemed there were few options available to them.

Neathler: How about we clear the first two labs, see if there’s anything in there we can use. We can fire at those things when they’re really blocking us.

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss.. A sound suggestion. It recommends a fine penetration beam as a phaser setting.

 

Finch / Sevo: Response

Commander Neather looked as if they were going to reach for the glossy display that Naledi only assumed would open the door that laid before them. But they stopped.

Neathler: There’s bloody fingerprints on there.

 

Their observation was correct, but not uncommon for the environment.

 

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop… We have seen this before, why stop now?

Finch / Sevo: Response

Neathler: These bloodprints are all from the same person. 

 

Naledi unholstered their tricorder as they had done before. The trace elements in the blood in addition to the print markings showed that these were identical prints.

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss… Confirmed, these are identical.

Finch / Sevo / Neathler: Response

 

Naledi accessed their miniature PADD. On the Thor they were able to access outpost computers. They assumed that the protocols on the Gorkon wouldn’t be too different. Being the Director of Strategic Operations did allow them to pull certain strings with sector intelligence.

Naledi: Pop Pew Snap… These prints belong to outpost scientist “Klair Novau”, a Kantare.

 

Finch / Sevo / Neathler: Response

Naledi: Crick Chirp Snap Pop… Kantare are well known for creating holographic imagery. Perhaps they used those skills to create a defence against the vines?

 

As far as Naledi was aware, plants couldn’t eat through illusions. Perhaps that was the advantage they were looking for?

 

Finch / Sevo / Neathler: Response

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TBC

 

Lieutenant Commander Naledi

Director of Strategic Operations

USS Thor (NCC-85852)

R240107AS3