Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side-sim: The Study of Kelmao

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

(snip)

Rand watched Roman, Harvey and Morgan slip into their tents. Valos was going around collecting plant samples, and Franks was collecting plant and everything else samples. Rand didn’t talk much unless she needed clarification for a label. When she was done helping Franks, she went to help Valos. Franks slipped off back to where the camp heater was and started it. The breeze was picking up and the air was chilled coming off the river and lake. Rand wasn’t sure why but she was very grateful that Franks hadn’t totally left her alone with Valos. Valos wasn’t inappropriate but he was passive aggressive, and she wasn’t sure why. When she joined him to lend a hand he simply muttered, “about time.”

Rand just quietly went about helping to label and organize the samples back into the case. When he was done collected he set the last of his samples in front of her, “Finish and store those.” and walked away. She hoped he’d have a better attitude after he’d slept some. Luckily the questions she had about his samples were covered by his tricorder readings and the commentary it picked up while he worked. The finished sample cases were secured and stacked inside what was best described as a storage tent. Too small for a person, but protected the cases. Rand spent another hour or so transferring data from everyone’s tricorders to data disks, and then labelling and storing the data disks. She finally realized that she’d been sitting out there too long, and alone, when she opened her eyes and realized she’d fallen asleep staring at the tricorder. She was chilled. The wind seemed to be picking up more, or it could just be the temperature dropped. The difference in the day cycle was a bit disorienting. She knew she’d been working for awhile, but the sun hadn’t moved but maybe an hour. She made sure the data had transferred and then quietly returned the tricorders. Then she carefully slipped into the tent. If Roman was asleep she didn’t want to wake him.

Yeoman Rand

Roman was asleep when she entered the tent. His empty thermos sat off to the side, and he lay on his back in his sleeping bag, as spread out as the bag would allow him to be. He was using his overnight bag as a pillow. He moved slightly when she came in, but when he could sleep he was actually a fairly heavy sleeper and he showed no sign of waking up. He’d been asleep forty five minutes or so. Not long enough to fall into a deep sleep yet. The tent was neat inside, leaving a little extra space to move around. A nightstand clock showing the time aboard the sentinel was there, too. Roman’s sleeping bag was pushed to the right of the tent to leave space for Rand.

Rand couldn’t help but smile at the clock on the nightstand as she pulled her own out. She set the alarm - just a few hours. The planet had longer days, but that also meant longer nights. So far they had seen no animals, but that could mean several things, one of those being those around here were nocturnal. Human evolution did not make them fit for nocturnal living. Not without a lot of technology. And to really get a feel of the planet, didn’t they need both diurnal and nocturnal samples and data? Rand shook her head, giving up trying to anticipate what the team needed, she was tired and would probably guess wrong.

She quietly organized her pack, put the empty thermos by the door and removed her boots. At one point a few things in her pack clanked together and she glanced at Roman, afraid the noise might have woken him up, but he was well and truly asleep. She set her bag neatly to the side of the tent flap and then crawled inside the sleeping bag.

Occasionally, a strong gust of wind rustled the outside of the tents. But for the time being the weather seemed to be staying as it was. The tents did not block out much light, but they were water and windproof… so long as the wind wasn’t strong enough to blow them over. It would take powerful sustained winds to do that.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

The tents were more than secure. She and Harvey had double checked, but when the wind whipped around she did stick her head back out the flap to make sure there was nothing light or loose enough to be picked up by the wind. Satisfied everything was secure she secured the tent flap and moved over to her sleeping bag. It was probably stress and the illusion from the occasional wind that made her feel cold, but she was happy to curl up in the warmth of the sleeping bag. Rolling to her side she pillowed her head on her folded arm and closed her eyes, and was out in no time.

---

Harvey and Morgan were up before everyone else on the team. The wind had seemed to die down at some point, and Harvey was taking advantage to send drones up to take atmospheric, air, moisture, composition, etc samples. Morgan was helping as best she could but she wasn’t Rand. They ventured about five feet into the woods, staying together and just getting a feel for the area around them, but always within sight of the camp. About the time that Valos and Franks were up the wind had really started, much more forcefully than it had before. Harvey, with a lot of skill and patience, managed to land a drone on a tree top and the readings she was getting back didn’t look safe. She called Franks over to her and showed him. He shook his head, “Valos, Morgan, Take the empty sample containers and any equipment too heavy to carry in a hurry and move about five feet into the tree line. Cover it in one of the weather tarps and secure it to a tree. Harvey, get your packs and gear secured.” He took out his own tricorder and turned slowly in place, about 800 meters (1/2 mile) northeast, following the river upstream there was a cave system. It should give them cover from the storm.

“Commander! Alden!” Franks called over the wind outside their tent flap. Rand’s eyes snapped open, but she wasn’t totally alone. At some point they had managed to end up next to each other in the middle of the tent. Oh no.... A quick glance told her the tent flap was still closed as Franks called again. Softly, no need for Franks to hear her. “Roman…wake up.” and she nudged him a little harder than she probably needed to.

Yeoman Rand

Franks’ voice caused Roman to stir slightly but he did not wake. When Rand nudged him however, he shot up. “What? What’s wrong?” He asked tiredly with a quick look around the tent. He was way further over than where he knew he’d put his sleeping bag. In fact, he was just about in the middle of the tent, right next to Rand. He looked at her for a moment before he crawled out of his sleeping bag, hearing Franks call a third time. It sounded like he was right outside the tent now.

Roman had slept in his uniform. He’d rather change, but Franks sounded urgent so he decided against it. Instead he unzipped the flap and exited the tent. Immediately he could assume what the problem was. The wind pushed against him in powerful gusts, blowing leaves and branches across the area. He could see they had already begun securing the equipment. Turning to Harvey, and raising his voice to make it over the wind, he said, “How much worse is it going to get?”

The question was rewarded with heavy raindrops beginning to fall. The wind picked up. The trees around them began to creak from the force of the wind. Roman changed his question. “Where can we take cover?”

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO