LT JG Josh Herrick: Contact

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Mark P

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Nov 6, 2023, 9:15:49 PM11/6/23

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(( Underground, Alpha Brenkelvi II ))

The away team ventured further into the complex, undeterred by the dangers that had been posed so far. They were now in a chamber that seemed to have contained more precious metals and gems than the total peak of the British and Aztec empires combined. Josh wondered what the room’s purpose had been, perhaps ceremonial or a show of the leadership’s power and influence. In one of the off-shooting ‘halls’, there was a pair of bodies slumped against the base of a plinth.

Etan: I wonder what they wanted here. ::he muttered to himself, turning his attention back to the gargantuan chamber. :: Has everyone else noticed how much more ornate this place is compared to everything else we have seen here?

Arlill: I did, I wonder if this was a temple of sorts?

Maxwell: Aye, could well be. Any ae you ever been tae Barcelona? La Sagrada Familia is something tae behold.

The engineer was familiar enough with Barcelonian architecture to see the comparison; the grandiose designs and magnificent style was fitting.

Etan: This part of the complex seems to be completely separate from the rest of it. If it wasn’t for that explosion, this might have remained undiscovered. I’m detecting traces of kelbonite and fistrium. And I- :: he stopped as a spike in the readings drew his attention. His tricorder was pointing at one of the large statues. He scanned it. And then again. And then a third time. :: According to quantum dating, these statues are almost 100,000 years old.

Arlill: So, can we assume they moved these here? And if so, from where?

Maxwell: Or already here. Then sealed in or lost?

Herrick: I hadn’t thought about it that way; but it would make sense given the degree of ceremonial symbols; building around what you worship.

Etan: It might suggest that there have been multiple civilisations on this planet over the millenia. :: beat :: Perhaps the temporal containment breach we witnessed when Lieutenant Herrick touched that sphere showed us individuals from the culture that built this structure- and the tunnels we have been encountering so far were some attempts to find this very place- perhaps as a result of the sphere!

Etan: Fan out, :: he breathed, unable to tear his eyes from the smorgasboard of antiquity. :: See what you can find out about these people.

Arlill: Yes sir.

Herrick: Aye Commander.

Each member took a moment to look around before they decided on which direction they would take. He elected not to go back to the path with spooky bones; and elected to take the corridor directly on his left. He took slow and deliberate steps, testing his weight gently on it before committing, hoping he could avoid triggering another disaster.

When he was younger, he’d gone to several corn mazes and his dad had taught him to always cling to the right-hand stalks. Even if you hit dead ends, you’d eventually get to the centre or back out the entrance. While he hadn’t gotten advice for maneuvering potentially lethal mazes on foreign planets (distaste for corn aside); the concept should hold true here.

As he continued down the halls, his VRD taking in all the data and highlighting carvings in the stone, the ‘writing’ gave way to pictograms. He stopped at one, looking between the wall and the ceiling. It was obvious that one of the carvings on the wall represented a moon, but there was a larger object below it, was it the planet? There also seemed to be squiggles coming out of the moon (˜£™). Did that have some relevance; was there some celestial event the moon was part of?

Arlill: Umm, sir, I may have unintentionally discovered something.

As he heard Toxin’s voice, he put interpreting the engraving in front of him on hold. It didn't take long to rejoin the team; they hadn’t much time to wander too far. He looked at the ops officer, who was looking downward at a tile that had sunk slightly into the floor.

Arlill: My foot appears to have depressed another switch.

Maxwell: It’s no your day, is it?

Etan: Are you able to scan the mechanism? :: he asked. ::

Arlill: ::scanning:: I can’t say for sure, but I think something is going to happen.

Maxwell: Hopefully an avalanche ae puppies or something, and no a lake ae lava or something.

Josh made an audible chuckle; a subconscious reaction to the stress accumulating in his system. He didn’t mean to make light of the ops officer’s situation; it’s just that Maxwell had a way of reducing the seriousness of the situation. It was a good trait for the officer to have, and not one he’d expected based on the man’s appearance. Don’t judge a book by its cover, he thought to himself.

The commander spoke, in a calm, low and deliberate manner.

Etan: We’re all here, Toxin. We won’t let anything harm you. :: beat :: Now, lift your foot off the switch. Slowly.

Arlill: Ummm ok (beat) Yes sir.

The man of the hour gently lifted his foot, and the chamber responded with several echoing clicks as if it was gearing up for something big. Josh felt the floor rumble and a nearby statue shook, moving sideways to reveal yet another path for them to take — this time a stairwell.

Arlill: I’m not sure this was meant to be found easily (beat) not by the way the stone was hidden.

Maxwell: I’ll take point, sir.

The commander nodded, and the Marine again led the pack. The air from the stairwell felt old, not just stale but as if time had forgotten it existed. As they descended the stairwell, the illumination faded away. Just the sterile white lights of their VRDs lit the way ahead of them.

Finally, after what seemed to be like half a kilometer, the tunnel seemed to increase in width — transitioning to a small room. As each team member entered, their VRD lights caught each reflective surface and lit the room brightly. Serving royal eleganza, each reflective piece of metal had swirls of etching and the whole room seemed to put the last grandiose area to shame.

Josh froze as he caught another one of those spheres, but breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was inactive. Each of the away team stepped towards the sphere, Josh and Arlill opposite each other. As they got closer, there was a pulse of warmth that irradiated from it, and it seemed to begin activating.

Arlill: Should we stop and take some readings before we go much further?

Maxwell: Might be a good dea. Probably more wonky floor tiles in here.

The Marine took a knee and rolled his shoulders.

Etan: I think that would be a good idea. :: he uttered, his attention fixed on the bewitching object.::

Nodding, Josh pulled out his own tricorder. The silence would have been deafening, if it hadn’t been for the small beeps from their scanning devices. As they conducted their scans, Josh hadn’t seen anything register much different from the first orb. Chronitons and lots of them. From what he saw, this orb seemed older or at least less well maintained. He looked up and across at Arlill, who didn’t really return eye contact.

Josh wasn’t sure if he was imaging it, but it seemed like there was something in the Bolian/Tellerite’s eyes. It seemed brighter than the reflection of the orb; almost like the whites of his eyes were shining. Had be been getting paranoid down here?

Arlill: ::looking at Etan and the other:: Did I just go anywhere?

Maxwell: Sir?

Etan: Lieutenant? :: he said, brow furrowing in bewilderment. ::

Arlill: I mean, did I disappear or have I been here???

Etan: ::tilting his head:: I didn’t see you move at all, Lieutenant. :: he looked across at Maxwell.:: Did you see anything untoward?

Maxwell: I’ve had my eye on you the whole time. You’ve no moved an inch, sir.

Arlill: I was just pulled away to somewhere, I don’t know where. They said we were meant to be here.

In reply, Maxwell let go of his weapon and pulled free his tricorder. He tapped a string of enquiries into the screen and then looked up at Arlill.

Maxwell: Airs fine. Bit musty, but nothing that’s going take cause hallucinations and the like.

Etan: Can you describe any sensations, Lieutenant? :: he looked back at Arlill. :: Did you feel a physical force pull you? Did it feel like a visio, or a dream?

Arlill: Response

Herrick: You’re eyes seemed to have a light of their own for a few moments, but I’m not sure if that was my VRD.

Arlill: Response

Herrick: ::shaking his head:: I don’t think we saw anything like that.

The commander turned back to the sphere to run more scans.

Etan: There’s some interference, but I am not detecting any of the damage to this Sphere that I did on the first. :: beat :: This seems to be… intact. :: he heaved a puzzled sigh and regarded the Marine again.:: Maxwell, are you scans detecting anything that might account for what Mr. Arlill experienced?

Maxwell: Nothing, sir. Apart from the must, the airs as healthy as back aboard ship. Cleaner even.

Another pulse of warmth emanated from the sphere as it glowed a fraction brighter, and Josh had a small shock of surprise when Arlill’s combadge chirped. Josh strained to hear the full transmission; it was heavily broken up but recognized the voice immediately as Lhandon’s.

Nilsen: =/\= Nilsen to awa….lpha….ill, I’ve been able to….a connection, please resp…. =/\=

Arlill: =/\= Response. =/\=

Sherlock: =/\= Lieut…ve you ex..ienced anythin…the ordinary d…there? =/\=

Arlill: =/\= Response. =/\=

Etan: ::turning to Herrick and whispering:: Can you clear the signal up?

Herrick: ::holding his tricorder up toward the ceiling:: Honestly sir, I’m not even sure how they’d made it through in the first place. Between the low energy field, chronitons and our depth, it’s a miracle we can even hear this much.

He wondered if Nilsen had been rotating his hail to each of the combadges, maybe Arlill’s had been better manufactured. If not, why had it come to the Ops Chief and not the away team leader?

Maxwell: Response.

Sherlock: =/\= We were think..g someth..g more like :: beat :: ..isions. :: beat :: Elaborate ..lease. =/\=

Nilsen: =/\= …ere have been at least….encounters with some kind of being, sort of like visions. Erm, Toz was the first, then mys… Dr Toz’s was sort of wondering the..if, where as mine, seemed to be …ping, he did someth… to my console. I’m su…it was…papa. I think. It’s kinda why I’m able to tal…you now. =/\=

Herrick: oO Great, more ghosts! Oo

Arlill: =/\= Response. =/\=

Nilsen: =/\= I ca..get into contac…the other…am yet, but if you can bri…this this sig…through an AM b…to the other shutt…we might just be able to get some kind of commas cir… going. It’s cru…it will be abl…to cut… ough everything down the…. =/\=

Etan: Is that possible?