Lt. Cmdr. DeVeau - "Through The Doom And Gloom"

[Amanda Nordstrom]

((Day 130, Far side of Limbo, Camp Nickson))


DeVeau: Don’t underestimate the feline.  She’s actually made me aware of
danger before I could tell that it was on the way.  Be careful though -
we’re in their territory, and they just recently had mittens.

Ukinix: ::Puzzled:: Sachiko’s wearing mittens?

Nickson/G’var/Maxwell/Hext/del Vedova: Responses

DeVeau: No, mittens.  That’s what I’m calling them.  Mantilion mittens.

Petras: Our Dr. DeVeau is a great namer of things.


::Alora beamed a smile over at Petras.::

DeVeau: Not doctor. ::Yet.  She’d been working on that, but not in the
medical field.:: And call me Alora!

Ukinix: We might to have to go the long way around where the mantilon
attacked us near the escape pod.  Not only for obvious reasons, but that
immediate area is lower lying and could be soaked by now.

Petras: Logically, that would be very likely. Staying to high ground
would be preferable.

G’var/Maxwell: Responses


DeVeau: Yes, verily, though be careful, we don’t want to run into a
mudslide either.  Some of the higher ground isn’t stable when it rains -
at least, not the path to get up to it.

Nickson/Hext/del Vedova: Responses

Ukinix: Maybe the ravine the four of us encountered on our way to your
camp is some sort of boundary for the mantilons.

Nickson: Response

Petras: We have no way of knowing if that is true.

DeVeau:  Possibly, though they seem to have a pretty wide territory.  I
ran into a pair breeding, and it might be the same pair that I saw not
too far from the camp.  I could be wrong though - could simply be the
season and I saw multiple mantilions that aren’t related.

G’var/Maxwell/Hext/del Vedova: Responses

((Approximately 4.5 hours later))

::Several tricorders, and of course Sachiko, had picked up the body of
the mantilion.  It was on its side leaning against a large fallen tree. 
It had several burn marks, and a gaping gash in its neck.  The stench
from the 10 or 11 day old body was overpowering, even in the heavy rain.
It was a wonder that no carrion eaters had come to deal with it.::

DeVeau:  Oh...oh poor thing.

/G’var: Responses

Ukinix: Well, ::cough:: it looks like you won.

Petras: ::brushing back her wet hair. :: And made it inedible.


DeVeau: Predators don’t usually make for a good meal anyway.

::Had the mantilion died more recently, Alora might have petted the poor
thing, sort of a farewell.  They were gorgeous creatures.  Actually,
this did afford her one opportunity.  Taking one of the leaf pouches she
had made to carry samples, she elected to cut some fur off and stash it
in, then wiped her hand into a pool of water.  It wasn’t much, but it
would allow for further analysis, along with the claw shell she had.  
That thought also made Alora pause.  Would it be worthwhile to take a
full claw?  If the shell was strong, how much stronger than the one left
behind?

Nickson/G’var/Maxwell/Ukinix/Hext/del Vedova: Responses

Petras: I don’t think we should stick around much longer.

::Probably just as well.  The shedded claw was still stronger than
anything she’d found, even able to scratch rocks.  Alora wondered if
she’d be able to cut the claw off anyway.  Besides, she had one, it just
would have been useful for others to have, even if some phasers were
available.  They didn’t know if the plan was going to work, how long
they’d have to be there.  Well, no use worrying about it at that
particular moment.::

Nickson/G’var/Maxwell/Ukinix/Hext/del Vedova: Responses

Petras: ::shifting her gear on her back.:: We should also consider where
we can camp for the night… we’re going to have to put up some kind of
shelter…

Nickson/G’var/Maxwell/Ukinix/Hext/del Vedova: Responses

DeVeau: That’s simple enough, the forest provides plenty of material.  I
had to learn to improvise.

Petras: ::looking at the ‘rescue’ party:: Where did you camp?

Ukinix/G’Var/Maxwell: Response

Petras: Any chance it’s above water? ::faint smirk::

Ukinix/G’Var/Maxwell: Response

Nickson//Hext/del Vedova: Responses

::They lingered a few moments, catching their breath, then gathered
their things and continued.  Alora hummed softly as she stalked in the
midst of her companions, then began to sing.::

DeVeau: Roads go ever, ever on, over rock and under tree, by caves where
never sun has shone, by streams that never find the sea; Over snow by
winter sown, and through the merry flowers of June, over grass and over
stone, and under mountains of the moon.  Roads go ever ever on, under
cloud and under star…

::Alora was then rather rudely interrupted.::

Petras: Alora, one more walking song and I swear I’m going to gag you
with a hairball from your cat.

::Tough crowd.  Alora eyed Petras, quirking her mouth to the side.::

DeVeau: You’d have to catch her - and trust me, she’s a slippery little
thing.

::The scientist peered up at the sky, blinking against the water, then
looked forward.::

DeVeau: Am I off key?

::Alora knew, of course, she was not.::

Petras: Response?

DeVeau: I see.

DeVeau:  This is not paradise.  This is far from it.  ::Alora inhaled,
then let it out slowly.::  And it’s easy to fall into the doldrums of
our situation.  This is doom and gloom, but music can shed light even in
the darkest of circumstances. Do you know any songs?  Perhaps you’d like
to share one.  Or anyone else.

Petras/Nickson/G’var/Maxwell/Ukinix/Hext/del Vedova: Responses


--

Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau
Science Officer
USS Veritas
M239008AD0