Ensign Sera - Looks like we've got another mystery on our hands (PART 2)
Hope Forster
<<Main Filtration/Water Reservoir>>
Sera considered her padd thoughtfully as they finally reached the main water source for Denali Station. It had said it was less than 1km away; however, she had failed to take into account how many meters of their journey was vertical in nature. Getting down here was the simple part…getting back up to the surface? Well…it was leg day according to her PT schedule…
The doors to main filtration hissed open, and lights automatically started to blink on with a loud popping sound. As the cavernous space started to become illuminated, Sera scanned the space. Nothing appeared to be overtly out of place, but there was something about this location that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Knowing it was an unconscious physiological response, Sera took a slow deep breath through her nose and slowly exhaled through her mouth. Normally such a maneuver would bring herself back into equilibrium, but this time it was only nominally successful.
It made her wish she had a weapon, and that was not logical at all.
It was a large cavern that was illuminated directly around the entrance and walkways that made their way out over what looked like a large underground lake. The lights did not illuminate the entire cavern however, so the over-all feeling of the place could be described poetically as…murky.
Sera walked up to the railing overlooking the still, black water. Her limbic system activated yet again, causing a noticeable increase in heartrate and respirations.
Sera: It is completely illogical…but I feel as if we are being watched.
She wasn’t certain why she said that, but if there was something physiological going on within her, expressing it to the CMO was probably the most logical choice.
Indobri: Response
Soft whisperings were picked up by her hearing, and Sera tilted her head slightly in a manner that denoted intense focus, but the subtle murmurings never solidified into anything cogent, so she dismissed it as her brain trying to make sense of the subtle sounds within the cavern due to her heightened alertness.
She made her way over to the main filtration unit, and the sound of the large machine blotted out any phantom whisperings. Pulling up the main screen, Sera began a level 3 diagnostic.
Sera: It will take approximately 13 minutes to complete the diagnostic on the filtration unit.
Indobri: Response
Sera: ::raising a brow in a Vulcan version of ‘amusement’:: I could tell you it would take exactly 12 minutes 47 seconds, however I have found that the majority of non-Vulcans I have engaged with do not appreciate that level of precision.
Indobri: Response
~Stop!~
Sera’s head whipped up from the computer panel. She opened her mouth to say something to Indobri, but suddenly it felt as if her head were being squeezed in a vice. It wasn’t painful…just so intense it overrode her ability to speak.
~Come!~
It wasn’t really speech more than forceful intention. Sera stepped away from the filter unit, leaving the panel she was attempting to open so she could inspect the main filters askew. Like a marionette puppet being controlled by their strings, Sera was pulled to the railing that overlooked the reservoir.
Her hands gripped the railing, forearms trembling and knuckles whitening due to a frantic attempt to stop her forward momentum. With no conscious consent to the act, Sera quickly used her arms and vaulted over the railing and with a splash entered the formerly smooth waters.
Sera sank like a rock. Vulcans were not generally known as being good ‘swimmers.’ There wasn’t much need of it on a desert planet. She flailed within the inky blackness, quickly losing the ability to tell up from down. Her heart thrummed in an ever-increasing rate and her lungs burned from the need for air.
~Open!~
The order hammered her mind. Panic set in as her body struggled frantically for air. Sera clenched her jaw shut to keep from taking in a breath that would mean her end, but eventually she couldn’t fight the urge anymore. Cold water filled her lungs, and her panic-stricken struggles lessened and then ceased, and the pressing darkness consumed her.
--
Sera’s drenched form broke through the still waters. Her hand reached up and grabbed at the walkway and slowly she pulled herself up out of the water.
Indobri: Response
Sera haltingly stood. She did not answer Indobri, but slowly shuffled over to the main filtration unit and fumblingly ripped the panel off that just a moment ago she was meticulously removing mag bolts from to not damage the thing.
Indobri: Response
<TAG/TBC>
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Ensign Sera
Engineering Officer
USS Juneau, NX-99801
J239812S14