Ensign Vylaa zh'Tisav: Whispers on the Wind

[Andrew B]

(( Floating Island - Rogue Planet ))

They were essentially lost in the woods. They knew the general direction they were traveling, but the trees here were pretty thick, preventing them from seeing more than a handful of meters in either direction. Not exactly helpful in finding their destination.

zh’Tisav: What if one of us climbed one of the shorter trees, just until they can see one of those big buildings?

She wouldn’t be volunteering. She’d already admitted her inability to climb them. She looked back and forth between her three companions. One of them had to be a tree climber.

Stoyer: I could give it a try. I climbed my share of trees as a child.

That seemed to be a semi-common childhood experience among human children, at least among the ones she’d met so far. Where an Andorian child learned to handle an Ushaan-tor they were climbing their trees. But it was a skill that seemed to be coming into it’s usefulness as Cory started looking for a climbable tree.

Neathler: Bryce?

They looked behind themselves. Bryce had collapsed to the ground, his PADD lying forgotten on the ground a bit away. Commander Neathler was the first to reach him and was helping leaning the doctor against a nearby tree, with Lieutenant Stoyer quickly helping. Even Vylaa with her bare minimum of medical knowledge, particularly that of other species, could tell he was suffering. After supplying him with provisions, they both stood. It was a kind gesture, although in his condition Vylaa wasn’t sure if he’d even noticed.

Neathler: Change of plans. Something in the meds is working against him. ::She paused and looked at Bryce.:: I don’t like it, but we’ll move faster if we leave him behind and return for him later on. There‘s no sign of anyone nearby, so you should be safe.

Vylaa frowned. She really didn’t like the idea of leaving a man behind. It was… pretty anti-Andorian. However, she understood that they would need to move quickly, as every minute brought this planet closer to Palanon, but she didn’t have to like it. The transporter tag the helmsman clipped to Bryces uniform was a good idea, provided either the Gorkon could punch through the interference, or they could do so from the surface.

Stoyer: On my first away mission onboard the Gorkon, The away team leader was the XO, Commander Chen. He was injured and was too heavy for us to move. So, I made the decision to leave him in a closet with a transporter tag that one of the other team members carried. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. So, I decided to carry one in my tool pouch on every mission, just in case. I don’t think it will help much. But it can’t hurt.

zh’Tisav: Good thought.

They moved out. Vylaa pushed aside the branches that would give way, and duck the ones less supple. She was going to be glad to get away from this planet, and hoped to not see another tree for a long while.

Neathler: We should reach a line of buildings soon. ::She swapped the PADD for her tricorder.:: No life signs ahead of us.

Stoyer: That helps things a bit.

zh’Tisav: True. The people on this island do seem much more hostile to visitors. I’d like to avoid them.

She began to see more clear sky through the tree tops, and before long they reached a clearing of sorts dotted with tall buildings. They looked to be made of a type of stone or concrete.

Neathler: That one looks easier to climb.

Vylaa followed the point of her finger to a fairly tall building where nearly one whole side had collapsed forming a rough slope of rubble they could climb to what was left of the upper floors..

Stoyer: Yeah, Commander. As long as nothing shifts, we should be able to reach the top.

zh’Tisav: I think it will hold up fine. Look at the plants that are holding it together. ::She indicated red grasses that had taken a foot hold in the rubble pile, lacing their roots deep into the slope, lacing it together.:: It should be pretty solid.

They approached the building fairly cautiously. They’d been fooled before, and were understandably a little gun shy. But if they did find people squatting in these ruins, would they be in any condition to give them trouble? She thought of the battle survivors and their children and thought yes.

Stoyer: We made it this far.

The Andorian craned her neck back to look at the building.

zh’Tisav: Quite a different building style than on the other island. Maybe… A different nation-state? Or clan? That would explain the different reaction to our presence.

She could certainly understand differing clan politics. Things were more tame on Andoria now, but long ago her people had nearly torn themselves apart. Inter-clan violence still broke out from time to time, but was usually quickly squashed to maintain the peace.

Neathler Response

Stoyer: It looks like a good place to take a look.

Vylaa kicked at one of the stones to test it’s stability. Now that they were at the foot of the slope she could see the rocks were fairly large and semi-uniform. Like bricks The building was made of shaped stone, not naturally formed rocks. The size of the stones lent a bit of stability to the pile and created an almost stair-like effect, not like a loose scree slope that might have resulted from the collapse of a natural stone wall.

zh’Tisav: Steep, but climbable. If we zig-zag it shouldn’t be as hard.

Neathler: Response

Vylaa held back to take up the rear. She followed the trail her companions made, planting her feet on the same rocks and using the same handholds. If she didn’t know this were an artificial structure, she could almost imagine she were climbing a grassy mountain slope.

She paused and looked back. They seemed to be making good time, having almost reached the level of the surrounding treetops. She turned her gaze back to the shorter buildings around this one.

zh’Tisav: ::Off-handedly.:: I wonder where they all went…

Neathler / Stoyer: response

zh’Tisav: Well, I mean, it’s a big place. People don’t just disappear. Did they die?

She took another step up, as if that would reveal any invisible people.

zh’Tisav: No insects, no animals of any kind, and no people, except in the past. Maybe it’s just my Andorian nature, but it’s making me nervous. ::She looked past her companions to the top.:: Let’s just find that lake...

Neathler / Stoyer: response

She picked up her pace. The sooner they reached the top, the sooner they could find the lake, fix whatever they’d been sent here to fix, and get this planet away from the moon.

She stopped, and looked back. She could have sworn she’d heard whispers carried on the breeze. Her eyes narrowed, antennae pointing straight at the trees.

zh’Tisav: oO I heard you… Oo

Ensign Vylaa zh'Tisav

Engineering Officer

USS Gorkon

C238601TB0