JP: Lt Cmdr Alieth, Lt Luxa Lorana & Ensign T'Fearne - There’s Maleconite In That Nebula Part 2
Alieth
((Un-named Class-L Planetoid, Jintara Nebula, Alpha Isles))
It hadn't taken long for them to prepare the EVA suits, and then subsequently materialize on the surface. Luxa's eyes went wide at the sheer explosion of colour around her.
They were situated on a ridge, that overlooked a vast and colourful forest. Tall trees reached upwards to the pink and purple clouds in the sky, branches appeared to glisten as if made of crystals and leaves sparkled and reflected the light.
Strange birds of an equal variety of wonderful colours took flight above them, swooping down and around. Cutting a path between the forest was a torrent of water, rapids rushed and splashed against glistening rocks.
A gust of wind brought wet smells through the filters of their suits, slightly acidic and fruity, almost like a mixture of grapefruit and battery acid with something surprisingly sweet in the background. An aroma that was equal parts exotic and unnatural, but seemed appropriate for the place.
Lorana: I can hear a waterfall.
As she turned to the others, she could see that they had found the source of the rapids … a brilliant flow of water that emerged from a rockface and fell down along the side of the ridge they now stood on…
T'Fearne::: Looking around, scanning the environment:: The ecosystem here appears thriving. oO And possibly teaming with those unknown dangers I need to consider. Oo The scans show an atmosphere that reads like an ingredients list for a cocktail. If we could breathe this for longer than a few seconds, it would probably taste like a Risen mai tai.
The security officer felt a thrill run up her spine as she gazed around at the vibrant landscape, unseen by any sentient eyes since its forming. It was exotic, unnatural, and she had never seen anything more wondrous.
The waterfall’s spray hit the rough surface of their transport site, and each cascade caused a ripple of luminescence to radiate over the pale pink moss-like substance that clung to the rocks as it reacted to the water…
Alieth: The cellular development system is comparable to the Devonian period of the Earth. :: She studied her tricorder for a few more moments:: However, the chemical composition of these living beings is unlike anything I had ever seen before.
The petite Vulcan took a couple of steps forward and crouched down to scan a creature that was rolling on the rock on which they had been transported. It looked like some sort of many-segmented, many-legged arthropod, with no distinct head or tail. Or perhaps the problem was that both ends of the creature looked the same, three stalks or peduncles protruding from each end, surrounding a multifaceted dark gem. The rest of the multiple sections of the animal possessed two pairs of legs and two pairs of protruding spines, ending in a kind of delicate feathers. The creature moved independently forward and backward, demonstrating no further dexterity with either movement. When Alieth poked it, the critter curled into a sort of ring, the feathers spread out, and the strange arthropod floated away like some sort of strange seed of iridescent gold.
The lieutenant commander watched it blow away in a new gust of wind, mesmerized, until the Caitian pulled her out of her reverie.
Lorana: I'm reading Maleconite deposits in the centre of that forest. Commander?
The petite Vulcan blinked a couple of times, recalibrated her tricorder, and oriented it to where her lieutenant indicated. For a minute, she remained silent, staring at the small screen.
Alieth: Yes, there is an important deposit, apparently arranged in a structure of hexagonal cavities. ::for herself:: Very interesting....
Lorana: You see it too, the pattern … this doesn't appear to be a natural formation. A sign of sentient life … perhaps?
T'Fearne::: walking forward, continuing scanning the area:: There is a range of... maybe silicon-based lifeforms in the immediate vicinity, but nothing that is indicating sentience or larger than a tribble right now.
T’Fearne gestured toward a small, crystalline creature resting on a protruding rock. Its four razor-sharp wings occasionally blurred with movement as it hovered, its slender head darting back and forth, beak-like appendage tapping rhythmically against the rock with a soft resonating chime.
Luxa smiled as she observed the delicate creature, it resembled a piece of art as its exoskeleton glistened against the colours around it, the refraction of the light cast a strange multi-coloured hue all around it.
Alieth: Sentient life would be a fascinating encounter, but with the data we have we cannot rule out a social animal conformation, or an exceptional natural formation.
She paused.
Alieth: We should explore it more closely
Lorana: Agree. Most importantly, we need to learn as much as we can about the natural formation of Maleconite deposits :: look at her wrist chronometer:: And we need to go about it quickly.
T'Fearne::: Determinedly:: With your permission, Sir, I’d like to take point.
The small group descended from the hill on which they had appeared, into the thinner parts of the forest. The trees - .... if they could be called such - had scaly bark arranged in a spiral, and the leaves looked more like tiny hairs, opening and closing, trapping microscopic particles. When one of them brushed against one of the branches, all the leaves withdrew, like coral polyps in the presence of a fish.
The Vulcan stopped for a moment to take some samples and holopics, and record the curious behaviour.
Alieth: Take samples and images of everything you consider unusual, it is very rare to find a newly formed planet with silicon-based creatures, we could spend years studying the data we get today.
Lorana: I'll leave probes. If Starfleet chooses to send a team, they can use them to have real time data.
Luxa opened her prepared kit and removed 6 probes, they bobbed in the air above her gently before they moved off into this strange environment.
A few meters ahead of the team, striding along the landscape, the young security officer froze, then hastily took a step back, vigorously scraping the heel of her EVA boot on a patch of pink spongey moss, leaving behind a black slimy smear. She quickly glanced over her shoulder to see if the senior officers had noticed, saw the probs scanning overhead, and continued cautiously around the pile of goo, ear tips hot with embarrassment. Some substances were clear on a universal level.
The Vulcan suppressed a smile, but somehow it was reflected in the helmet of her Eva. Then she turned to watch as a familiar group of flat, multi-lobed spindle-like creatures meandered along the small path they followed, grazing on the magenta-coloured filamentous moss that covered the ground. Alieth was keeping an eye on them when something made her turn her head, and narrow her eyes, trying to make out something in the depths of the forest.
Alieth: Did you hear that?
It was a low grinding noise, Luxa felt the ground vibrate underneath, only slightly. Not enough for her colleagues to feel it.
Lorana: Yes.
T'Fearne::: Glancing alertly:: Every sound on this planet is unusual, Commander. Can you be more specific?
The air of the planet they couldn't breathe hung heavy with tension as they exchanged glances and then focused outward. The forest pulsed with vibrant energy, the colours around them becoming increasingly vivid. Over their EVA suits’ audio pickup, a low resonant hum rose softly from the forest, gradually intensifying until it filled the air with an otherworldly tone.
T'Fearne: I can hear that. It sounds like some sort of resonance…:: raising her voice:: I’ve never heard anything like this. It’s coming from deeper in the forest.
The petite Vulcan narrowed her eyes, barely able to hear her own thoughts over the disturbing noise. She raised an arm, pointing in one of the directions they had surveyed from the ridge near their landing place.
Alieth: It seems to originate in that direction…
Her minion seemed to read her mind and completed her sentence when her voice failed, just before she needed to mute her helmet's external speakers, maintaining only communication with the other EVA suits.
Lorana: From the formations we found. I think it's …
TBC in Part 3
Chief Science Officer & 2O
USS Ronin USS-34523
E239702A10
&
Lieutenant Luxa Lorana
Science Officer
USS Ronin
A240004LL2
&
Ensign T'Fearne
Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14