Lt. Commander Ayiana Sevo - Just Vine Things

[Aaron Schimmel]

((Corridor, Gibaria Outpost))

The otherworldly (literally) environment in the corridor kept Ayiana on edge. The creeping, black vines spread everywhere, giving off a pungent smell. The whole area was cold to the point she could see her breath, and everything felt *wrong.* They were trying to find a way to open the doors fully which the alien flora (or fauna?) had burst through like wet paper.

Sevo: My tricorder can’t make heads or tails of the things. They seem to be heavily organic, but also have traces of metallic or possibly technological components as well; assuming such terms even apply to things from a different dimension. There’s some sort of energy flowing through them, but nothing even remotely familiar. For all we know, this sort of…technobiology is natural where it comes from.

Naledi: Chirp Snap Pop Hiss Pew… < Is it possible that the scans are being confused with the technological development of the local area? Or the plants are extracting minerals from the computers? >

Finch: What do you think, Commander?

Sevo: They could be plants or animals. Both? Neither? We’re talking about a completely unique ecology here. Best thing we can do is experiment and test. Why not try cutting the ones coming through the door, first? See if we can even get it open.

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop… < Is it possible that the plants may react and see our experimentation as hostile? >

There was no way to know without trying, but there were numerous examples of such defensive mechanisms in nature, so it was possible the same applied to these.

Finch: I’m no expert loveys, but I do know that there are varieties of plants with an aggressive instinct to stay alive. No brains needed. Just triggers and mechanisms.

Neathler: Who says these plants aren’t sentient? If they’re not purely organic as Sevo mentioned.

Sevo: Again, no way to know. At least not without extensive testing. But who’s to say? Maybe they’re connected to something bigger.

That was a terrifying thought; that these tendrils were but motes of a much larger organism. Or maybe they were just their biome’s equivalent of grass or mold.

Naledi: Pop Crack Pew Chirp… < It’s possible that the plants just grow of their own accord and they are not doing so with hostile intent. >

The Xindi and Ayiana seemed to think along the same tracks, their words mirroring Ayiana’s thoughts. Naledi moved closer to the door; as it did so, the vines visibly shook as it approached.

Neathler: Is this place already getting to me, or are those things reacting to our presence?

Sevo: Oh good, it’s not just me feeling weird. It certainly looked like they didn’t like Naledi’s presence.

Naledi: Crack Pop Pew Chirp… < If we can verify these plants are non-hostile here, we have the opportunity to escape. >

Doz twisted her neck, looking up into the furthest corners of the doors.

Neathler: It’s not a matter of escaping, we need a clear path to the gate.

Sevo: And I bet these vines are just the vanguards.

Finch was the first to try physical contact with the vines. As the woman touched one, the vines around her and the door shivered and tensed, like muscles contracting. This had the benefit of pulling the doors open with noticeable scraping noise. Well, that was one way to pry the doors open and confirmed the strength of the vines. Peering through the partially-open door, Ayiana saw the maze of labs beyond; darkened except for a few flickering lights which added to the eeriness. Finch’s eager chuckling broke the din.

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.

Again, it made Ayiana consider if they were all connected to one source. What happened to one, happened to the others. It was only a theory at this point. A ping from Sami’s tricorder caught the woman’s attention, who tapped on it for a minute.

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. >

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.

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

Now that they entered the next corridor proper, Ayiana could see it was more of a mess than it looked from outside. More bloody handprints were on the walls, like someone was trying to prop themselves up as they walked. Lights flickered in random places, momentarily illuminating areas and casting concerning shadows.

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

Finch: Response

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

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

Finch / Neathler: Response

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.

Finch / Neathler: Response

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.

Finch / Neathler: Response

Ayiana focused on her tricorder, inputting the program criteria. She had something similar that worked with EM and subspace signals, much like a radar. All she had to do was change the carrier signal to sound waves. It was also programmed to detect life signs, but those might be muddied by the flora permeating the area. On the other hand, it might give them a rough map of the vine network.

 

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. 

The idea was to use it to quickly “map” the area, like sonar underwater. It was a good idea from Naledi.

Finch / Neathler: Response

Sevo: Okay, here we go.

Ayiana tapped on her tricorder and began the program, which would send out subsonic pulses hundreds of times a second. Almost immediately, her screen began to fill with a diagram built up from the bounces of the sound waves returning to her device. It was very fuzzy at first, but would refine itself as more pulses were sent.

There was one immediate response, however. The vines all began wriggling and moving, and making weird, organic sloshing sounds.

Sevo: Oh…s---.

Finch / Neathler / Naledi: Response

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

Finch / Neathler / Naledi: Response

One of the nearer vines whipped out towards the group; Ayiana barely managed to dodge it. 

Sevo: Sh-shutting it off!

She tapped at her tricorder, and the pulses stopped. Soon after, the vines stopped wriggling and moving as well, returning to their placid state.

Finch / Neathler / Naledi: Response

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Lt. Commander Ayiana Sevo
Mission Specialist

U.S.S. Gorkon

V239109AS0

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