Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side-sim: The Study of Kelmao

(snip)

What Rand didn’t have done was her prep for the landing party. She had no idea what she was personally supposed to bring. The only person she could think to ask was Chief Helpful. So down to the cargo bay she went and found him. “Rand you look like a child who was just asked to invent warp drive and doesn’t even know what that is.”

Rand grimaced, “That’s how I feel. I’ve been assigned to the landing party, but…” Helpful nodded and led her over to a supply locker, “But you’ve never been on a landing party or a multi-day one. Well most of your gear has already been req’ed by Cmdr Alden. Shelter, food, scientific equipment, emergency medical kits, hazmat gear. You’re job will be mostly the same as you do on board. So a tricorder and a PaDD. I would suggest extra power packs for both, and a box of blank data disks. They are going to collect a lot of data and it will need to be dumped out of their tricorders. A spare communicator just in case, and a change of clothes for yourself.” He pulled out the power packs, data disks, and a nap sack and gave it to her. Helpful had been doing this a very long time, before Rand ever joined the Academy, and he knew from experience the small things that people forgot. “Thanks Helpful.” He nodded with a grin and Rand left. After taking care of that, Rand decided on sleep and setting an early alarm.

Yeoman Rand

For Roman, there were too many last minute things to do for him to get any sleep before leaving. Between finishing up preparations and making sure the labs were ready for three days without himself and three of his officers, picking shift leads to be in charge while he was away, he didn’t have time no matter how tired he was getting. He’d dealt with minimal sleep before. He figured he’d be fine.

Finally, it was 0300, and the lab looked more like it normally did as the supplies had been organised and moved to the transporter room. Everything was ready to go when they arrived and assumed standard orbit around Kelmao. The science team on shift immediately began the necessary scans while others began a final check of equipment and supplies for the landing party.

When the equipment was moved to the transporter room, Rand was already there waiting and began to inventory the equipment against what Roman had requested. This gave the rest of the team a few minutes to gather their personal packs, hit the head, it get something to eat. It was too late now to run diagnostics so it was only a matter of making sure it was all there. She was monitoring the reports of the scans and the ship’s comma for information. Just to make sure she didn’t miss any changes or requests.

But a sudden and abrupt change of orders came down the chain of command. Roman’s worries only amplified when he found out. There had been an attack on a mining colony somewhere a distance away. Probably pirates but Starfleet wanted to be sure. It would take about three days - the same three days the landing party was studying the planet here. The Sentinel was to drop off the landing party and leave, way out of the contact zone for the entire time Roman’s team would be on the surface. He made sure that final equipment check was thorough - if they forgot anything, there would be no coming back for it.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand heard and immediately slipped out of transporter room 1, which was on Deck 3. She knew the change was going to stress him out, make him worry more. A quick stop down the corridor to her quarters added black tea and coffee for everyone. Mostly it was for Roman because she knew he wasn’t going to rest at all now.

Returning she had protein bars and thermoses for everyone. How did she do it? She’d already anticipated the early morning and had it standing by. She passed them out while they waited for Alden, then she handed him a bar and a thermos with black tea, honey, and heavy cream. She didn’t ask or offer. She simply handed it to him, expecting him to consume it. Just like she had everyone else.

Yeoman Rand

Roman could picture someone getting hurt and there being absolutely nothing he could do about it because the ship was out of reach. The mental image and idea stressed him out more than he’d ever admit. He tried to put it out of his mind. Worrying himself did no one any good.

He was quietly grateful for the protein bar - he’d accidentally skipped both lunch and dinner because of the preparations. There was no arguments from him as he attempted not to scarf down the bar too quickly, washing it back with the tea.

The information took about as long as he expected to come in and by 0400 when the landing party was meeting in the transporter room, he had their landing site picked out. There was nothing overtly dangerous, no poison swamps, no angry giants or animals larger than what would be present on Earth. There was always the chance that they could get attacked by something similar to a mountain lion or a bear or something but that wasn’t particularly likely.

Their landing site was in the southern forests where Starfleet wanted them to investigate, a mountainous area near a river feeding into a large lake. The forest was thick, but definitely traversible, and there would be space to set up the tents and everything. Atmospheric scans showed some weather moving about, but it didn’t seem to be anything serious, at least not yet. If all went well, it would be relaxing in a way. Like a scientific work-y vacation. The briefing took about a half an hour.

But there was one worry Roman had been hiding from everyone. Even Rand. Even, perhaps, himself. For the past several days, the old injury to his right leg had been continuously bothering him. It was unusual for the pain not to go away on its own. Roman had continued to hold the belief that it would in an effort to avoid going to Sickbay over it. It had been acting up more in recent weeks, but now it seemed not to be going away at all, getting worse even.

But Roman had convinced himself it wouldn’t be a problem, that it would still resolve itself as it always did. And so, besides a subconscious shift of weight off the right leg and onto the left, he made an effort not to show any sign of the problem. There was no reason for others to be worried about it.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand watched fascinated as everyone moved about. Getting things ready. She helped stack the equipment in the order they wanted it sent down. Science equipment and survival gear. En Morgan and Cmdr Alden went first, phasers drawn and facing away from each other. In theory Rand understood. They were going down to an unknown planet and didn’t know what dangers might be in the immediate area. It was still unnerving to watch, but she was still excited about getting to go. Rand stood, hands behind her back, twisting nervously as she waited.

It was several long minutes before Cmdr Alden called up to the ship, giving the all clear to beam down. Rand didn’t realize she had been slightly holding her breath. She let it out slowly and helped the rest stack the survival equipment next. Franks ordered Valos and Harvey to beam down with that set of equipment. Franks though Rand looked a little edgy, and it occurred to him that this was probably the first landing team she’d been on. And he’d heard her, many times, qualify her observations with the statement ‘I’m not a scientist…’ He for one had been, almost relieved, when he saw Cmdr Alden had managed to snag Rand for the study. Having actually worked with her off and on for awhile, he appreciated her insight and different point of view. And she was going to be amazing at keeping them organized. Franks had been on assignments like this before, and he knew how enthusiastic and involved scientists could get and the mess they left behind. Rand, despite ‘not being a scientist’ had a way of understanding what they needed and how to organize their things.

While they waited, Randy walked in and over to Rand. They talked quietly for a moment, Randy looking very stern and serious, then he dropped something into Rand’s pack and then hugged her. Franks really couldn’t blame him. If his sister was on board, he might have to protest very loudly to the captain about sending his sister on a landing party of an uncharted world. Randy helped them load the science equipment onto the transporter pad. Then the call came through, Randy hugged Rand again and left. Franks patted her on the shoulder, he wasn’t sure she needed it, but watching Randy with her, reminded him of his sister. They stepped on to the pad and Rand tucked nervous hands behind her back and waited for the transport sequence to finish.

Yeoman Rand