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

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side-sim: The Study of Kelmao
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(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.

Rand smiled up at him as she extricated herself from the sleeping bag. She had slept in her uniform. There was no way she was going to change with someone else in the tent…she’d over thought the whole thing and just went in to sleep. The urgency in Frank’s voice stopped her from considering a fresh uniform as she pulled on her boots.

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 force of the wind crashed inside the tent as Roman opened the flap. Rand had lived through enough storm seasons in Scotland to know they couldn’t stay here. She grabbed both clocks and tossed them in their respective bags. Roman, like her, was neat and organized so it was quick to pack both bags. Then she rolled both sleeping bags and attached them to their packs and set them outside the flap. A quick look told her Harvey was doing the same. Rand spun and dropped the support poles of the tent and yelled for Harvey to come help. They took those poles and crossed them over the flattened tens and secured them in the stake loops. It would, hopefully, stop the tents from being ripped away in the storm. They did the same for the girls tent and then entering Valos and Franks’ tent, they made quick work of packing their things and dismantling their tent.

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

Franks nodded to the northeast, “800 meters that way, caves.” He had to tell over the wind. In the forest, Morgan showed Vallos how to refold the weather tarp to keep the water from dripping in, and then they were back.

“Then let’s go.” Roman was also shouting to be heard over the wind. The wind had quickly picked up considerably, and the creaking of the trees had intensified, turning into cracking. A branch flew past them as they packed.

Harvey and Rand made quick work of dividing the rations equally among the six packs. “Can anyone grab the stove?” Harvey asked checking the reasons again, “The temperature is really going to drop!” Valos was a big guy and fit, “I’ll take it.” Franks grabbed the chemical analysis kit and a small sample case, incase they ran out of rations.

Shouldering packs and settling them securely the group headed towards the trees. There was some confusion though and finally Rand pipped up, “I’ll go first. I’m fastest and I run cross country. If there is a problem in the trail I’ll notice first and can find a way around.” She knew Roman wouldn’t like it, but it was the best option. Morgan could take up the rear incase anyone got hurt, with Valos in the middle to set the pace. Rand was the best choice to scout ahead.

Yeoman Rand

Roman had been about to say forget the stove, but Valos offered to carry it so he let it be. They needed to get moving, before the wind got any stronger. Or it got any rainier. By then, the large drops were falling fast, a downpour that was quickly leaving everything soaked. It was wet and cold and the last thing he needed was someone to get clubbed with a branch or something. Then Rand spoke up and Roman immediately shook his head. “No, no. No way. That sounds like a good way to fall into one of the hazards you’re talking about. We go together.” It also broke his rule, that everyone travel with at least one partner.

Morgan shook her head. “Ensign Farquharson is right. It’s best if she scout ahead. I’ll stay back and protect us from the rear. It’s the best way to go.” Roman was ready to argue but Franks spoke up as well, “It’s the most strategic way, commander.” Roman didn’t seem happy about it but he nodded. “Alright. But stay close enough we can see you.”

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

She knew he wasn’t happy, and once he said no she’d dropped it, but they had to get moving. The storm was going to get worse and the forest was unknown terrain. But then they convinced him, and with a nod she took off. She wasn’t going to wait to see if he changed his mind. He was going to worry no matter what. Once under the cover of the trees things settled. The forest was so dense that the canopy layer blocked a good portion of the rain, for now. She started at a reasonable jog, just to warm up a bit.
The very last thing that they needed to happen was someone get a muscle cramp and get hurt. It was quicker moving, and out of a lot of years of experience, Rand was able to spot the easiest way through the underbrush. But after a couple minutes she pulled ahead, but was careful to stay within sight. Roman would know she could move much faster than the pace she was setting. They’d covered about half the distance when she paused and pointed off to their right and she disappeared from view as she turned only to reappear and head left. After another minute she returned, jogging toward the group.

“There’s a downed tree ahead. It’s large, to get over it we’ll actually have to climb. To the right the underbrush gets worse and it’s mostly thorns. The bush is mostly black and the thorns are red tipped. The left is clear but we’ll have to go down hill and then climb back up once we get past the tree.” Rand didn’t even look like she was breathing hard.

Yeoman Rand

The rest of the party kept up with her, except when she ran ahead to look at something. Roman still didn’t like this plan but at the time, all that was important was to keep moving. There were five officers here to keep safe and the storm made that rather difficult. Rand disappeared for a moment, And Roman tensed slightly, unable to control his worry for her. But she was back within view quickly. About half the distance was behind them, and he hoped the second half went as easily.

“I wouldn’t take chances with the thorns. We’ve no time to see whether they’re poisonous or what the poison would do.” Valos, the team’s botanist, said, “and climbing a tree lugging the stove would be a challenge.” Roman considered the options briefly. “Uphill will be easier than trying to climb over the downed trees. Let’s go left.” The pace seemed easy for Morgan, she remained just slightly behind the rest of the crew. Harvey on the other hand, already looked like she was out of breath, but she was trying to keep up. The guys had no trouble keeping up with Rand’s pace, either, though Roman knew she could go faster. She was making sure everyone could keep up.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO