Lieutenant JG Vesela Pace - Tricorder Bomb?
C Souers
(( The Vineknot, Gateside Dimension ))
Pace: It might take me a minute to figure this out, sirs. Anyone better with the suits?
Tahna: I think I can get it, but the other tricorder is on the move. Keep an eye on it, Doctor.
Vesela looked at her own tricorder, watching as the tricorder began to move. Ever so slowly, the ping seemed to be approaching the other ping on her screen.
V’Lar: Acknowledged, Commander. Please pass me your tricorder.
There was a pull on the tether. Vesela stayed still since she didn’t want to interfere with the tricorder hand-off. She decided to announce where she was, forgetting that sound was piped through the helmets so the two commanders probably wouldn’t be able to calibrate with voice.
Pace: I’m - uh - here… if that’s helpful, sirs.
The first officer pulled on the tether, using it to locate the doctor. Vesela couldn’t tell what exactly was happening due to the darkness, but she could imagine Commander Tahna working away on her suit’s wrist panel.
Tahna: Who’s next?
Vesela waited in the darkness, trying to gauge whether the rumbling was getting worse or just staying the same.
V’Lar: Logically, Lieutenant Pace should be next, while I continue to monitor.
Pace: I’m still here, sir! ::She held out her suit arm panel for Tahna.::
The Commander began working on Vesela’s suit, which she finished far faster than Vesela would have, and moved on to Commander V’Lar. Vesela looked around in an attempt to gauge her surroundings, but came up empty in the all-consuming dark as the ground continued to shake.
Tahna: Did we get anything else useful?
There was a pause before the doctor turned on her modified light. Vesela cringed momentarily, expecting the worst. But the tremors just stayed the same. The forest didn’t come tumbling down on them, no horrific plant creature jumped out to attack. Vesela sighed in relief.
V’Lar: The device is in motion, Commander. It is being pulled directly toward the elevated transponder signal we are currently tracking.
Pace: Wow, it’s moving pretty fast too… It could be a fluke, right?
Tahna: Response
V’Lar: The probability of it being a coincidence is negligible.
Pace: Why is this dimension so creepy, sirs?
Tahna: Response
V’Lar: I would theorise that since we know the xenoflora in this dimension pre-digests live prey, it transports subdued subjects to a central feeding ground or digestive node for consumption. If I am correct and if anything remains of the scientists, recovery will be hazardous. Perhaps we could weaponise the xenoflora's extreme photosensitivity?
Pace: Hmmm, not a bad idea if worse comes to worse…
Tahna / V’Lar: Response
Pace: Would we be using the tricorder that the forest has now? Or I could ::She cleared her throat.:: creatively engineer one of our remaining tricorders to be a kind of light grenade?
Vesela tried not to sound too excited about that.
Tahna / V’Lar: Response
Vesela almost lost her balance as the ground shook slightly more violently, then subsided almost altogether.
Pace: That’s… odd?
Tahna / V’Lar: Response
———
Lieutenant JG Vesela Pace
Science Officer
USS Gorkon (NCC-82293)
G240106VP4