LTJG Josh Herrick: What's that smell?
Mark P
((Grove of Trees above Glyrshar Canyon, Bajor))
At the sound of sloshing, Josh instinctively took a step backwards to get more cover from the wilderness. When the Lieutenant Commander had called out ‘anyone’ it hadn’t seemed like it was for high tea. She sounded at risk.
Herrick: ::taking a step back into the woods to get a bit more cover::
What do we do?
Promontory: I think our efforts should be two-fold: 1) Find Peri, and 2)
Find our own way out of here.
Sherlock: We need something more definitive. Sounds in the wilderness
won't cut it.
Promontory: Josh, you’re an engineer, do you think you could… (waving
hands towards the tac box) engineer something to help us punch through the
interference?
The first idea that came to Josh, rather unhelpfully,
was that he better come up with a good idea should that sloshing be anything
but the Chief Science Officer. Then, rubbing his two Bateret-incensed brain cells
together, he warmed up to one possible avenue.
Herrick: ::pulling the casing off his tricorder:: I’m not going to
promise anything, but it seems like the ‘dampening field’ could be the tricorder
getting overloaded from reflective material in the rock face... if it’s
natural. Typically, 25th century tech can compensate, but ::fiddling
more, with light sparking:: if we go a bit more low-tech…
His finger received a sharp shock, but this was in fact a good sign.
Herrick: I think I got it now ::checking the screen, and then handing it to
Avander:: We can make this into an infrared compass of sorts. Point it in a direction,
and if something with humanoid mass is casting off heat, it should show up. Let’s
just hope there aren’t a bunch of Bajor’s version of gorillas nearby.
Promontory: Scanning now. (beat) Nothing yet. (beat) Let me try a
different setting.
Sherlock: Are you seeing anything?
Herrick: ::starting work on a second tricorder:: Try adjusting the field
to a range of 8 to 15 microns. Maybe narrowing the band will cut out more
interference.
Promontory: That’s better. (beat) But I still don’t see… Oh! There! I
think that’s a Bajoran on the far side of the ridge.
Josh squinted into the distance and saw a small blot of colour.
Sherlock: Then that's where we go. On me.
They started walking on a well-worn trail as Sherlock took the commanding lead of their vacation turned mission. They were making good distance, progressing towards where they’d first heard the sounds, but unfortunately no Katsim.The area around the path was starting to clear out and the security officer halted the team.
Sherlock: Move up on either side of the trail, keep cover near the bushes. We need to get a positive ID.
Herrick: Aye Lieutenant.
Promontory: response
Josh looked in the direction Aine was, wondering what her concern was with the shallow riverbed. But, as he followed her eye line, he saw the decent vantage point someone could have on the ridge.
Sherlock: If it's Peri, we get her and fall back. If it's someone else, well, don't shoot first, but if you need to shoot, don't miss. We don't have any back-up out here.
Promontory: response
The obviously less tried and tested officer followed Avander to the side of the trail, into denser coverage. It didn’t offer invisibility but would likely make it harder to get a decent target lock.
Just as Josh thought they might be worried about an animal rather than a man, he caught the sight of someone sopping wet but well armed. Herrick and Promontory looked back to Sherlock, who gave them a nod.
Sherlock: (calling out) Stop! Starfleet Security, identify yourself!
Herrick: oO Does that work? Oo
The thought was resoundingly answered no as the man spun and fired in their direction. Drawing quickly from the hip, his aim sailed over and above them. Sherlock dove out of Josh’s view, likely in self-defence.
The engineer popped up like a gopher in a field and tried to run off a quick shot before ducking down, it was clear his shot hadn’t landed any better.
Herrick: Damn!
Promontory: response
Sherlock: Move! Get across the river and flank him! I've got you covered!
Streams of brilliant red flashed out from Aine’s location toward the man, who was now hiding behind a rock of his own. She was trying to keep him pinned down. The intelligence and engineering officers bolted on a strafing round, splitting apart at the last moment to round the rock, and the man.
Tuv (goon): ::turning to see Avander, raising both his voice and weapon:: You and that abomination are going to pay!
At that moment, Josh didn’t think, he just reacted. His thumb depressed the stun and the beam hit the man for a few seconds until a short cooldown kicked in; the man now collapsed face down in the river.
Promontory/Sherlock: Response
Herrick: I figured shoot first, die later?
Promontory/Sherlock: Response
Given the unknown assailant would be unconscious for a while, Josh realized he had jeopardized Katsim’s life. He stood up, trying to get any clue as to the location of the missing officer. Squinted at a shining object in the far distance, almost blinding himself, he saw something he thought he recognized — a wing from the Gamma Glider.
Herrick: I think I see part of her transport ::cupping his hands around his mouth:: Commander Peri, are you there?
Josh heard weapons fire, suspiciously similar to the one held by the stunned man. Then, he smelt hair burning. His head warm, he realized he was the target! Looking around, he realized there was no clear escape route for the team.
Calamir (goon): You will hand both to us… now!. ::firing out several rounds in succession between Avander and Josh’s feet, significantly more deftly than his companion:: Or, you will die.
Promontory/Sherlock: response
Tags/TBC!
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Lieutenant JG Josh Herrick
(Slightly Trigger Happy) Acting Chief Engineer
USS ‘Oumuamua
O240005JH3
he/him/his (player/character)