Posted by Captain Calvin Marius (Captain) in Let the games begin…El Capitan

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Vanessa Slade (CNS) in Let the games begin…El Capitan
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Arrival at First Event in the Games
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Stepping out of the transporter put Vanessa and Calvin at the first event. All they knew was that it was a showcase of skills Starfleet officers. Everyone knew that officers tended to be intelligent and physically fit however there was a difference in seeing it and knowing it. The location was breathtaking: Yosemite National Park. Towering mountain peaks surrounded the ancient caldera with lush forests all long the floor. El Capitan rose like a monolith of stone and dominated the vista.

“Are we camping,” Vanessa asked looking around at the masses of people who had gathered to witness the event. Most were in uniform but a few were in civilian attire. “God I hope we are not camping. I am more of a hotel vacationer than chase your dinner down wit a spear and roast it over a fire kinda girl.”

Vanessa Slade CNS

“I am not sure they brought us all the way out here to sleep under the stars. I mean what fun would that be?” Calvin had learned the art long ago of sleeping anywhere at any time from his years in the corp. That did not mean however he got a restful sleep.

Calvin CO

“Well why the hell would they have us here,” she rolled her eyes slightly. “The public expects us to be outdoorsy.” Her tone was vaguely condescending. The public had no idea what Starfleet actually did. “They tend to be either extremely patriotic or rabid wombats depending on what the news feeds tell them.”

Vanessa Slade CNS

“Rabid Wombats? Is that your professional opinion?” The voice was familiar to at least one of the Genesis team. Along with Calvin and Vanessa, two other teams had been shanghaied in this PR stunt by Starfleet command: Rinker and Bordeaux of the USS Atlantis and Diana Spencer and Henry Jones of the USS Indiana. “I don’t even know that’s even a thing.”

The voice was very familiar and not expected. There were a few times Vanessa was speechless but even without words spilling from her lips, her facial expressions produced the subtitles for the thoughts mulling around in her head. Her eyes widened as she looked at her former mentor showing shock but the smile spreading over her face indicated it was a pleasant shock. It had been years but not enough years that their interactions had faded into foggy memories.

Rinker had been Slade’s mentor in the early stages of clinicals of counseling. She still seemed to have a way with words and a penchant for getting herself tied up in situations that were out of her control.

“Lieutenant Vanessa Slade, as I live and breathe, I haven’t seen you since Betazed.”

“Commander Heathcliff Rinker,” she nodded chuckling, “It has been a minute hasn’t it.” She paused a minute taking in the familiar face. “Oh and yes that comment. It is my professional opinion and yes it is a thing. Besides rabid wombat sounds so much nicer than bat snot crazy.” Closing the space between them, Vanessa pulled him into an embrace. It had been a long time since she had encountered an old friend and probably the first time Calvin witnessed her overzealous greeting. It was not uncommon to hug someone, even if you were an officer; however, she was greeting Rinker as if he was a long-lost member of her family versus a colleague.

“‘In a minute,’ is that what you kids are saying.’” Vanessa was hardly a child being in her thirties, although Rinker was likely in his fifties, it was progressively harder to tell as people were living longer. He rubbed his beard that was splashed with grey as to emphasize the age difference.

“Gotta keep up with the lingo and you are not that old Heathcliff we both know that.” Her tone was softer and almost flirty but very subdued. Depending on your mental state the comment and tone could be taken as inside knowledge or a general statement. “It is so good to see you again.”

Calvin watched the greeting which seemed to be something more akin to greeting a relative. His counselor had a very hands-on approach to therapy, but it seemed that extended to greetings.

He glanced at Calvin. “Is this your Captain?”

“Yes,” she let Rinker go and took a step back. “This is the poor schmuck that drew my jacket to fill the open counseling spot on the Genesis.”

He extended a hand, “Heathcliff Rinker, Captain Bordeaux.” He introduced him and his partner.

Heathcliff Rinker guest spot CPO

Vanessa Slade CNS

“Calvin Marius,” he returned the greeting. “Is she always like this?”

“Impulsive and effervescent? Yes,” Rinker replied as if giving a diagnosis. “To the point of being annoying.”

Calvin Marius CO

“Shut up,” Vanessa rolled her eyes and waved off the comment like a bad smell. “You adore me. We both know that.”

The air suddenly erupted into voices as a man began to speak to the crowds. “Welcome welcome everyone to the first event of this competition. We are your hosts. I am John Smith and this is my co host Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberger. We are so excited to be here with you over the next week.” His tone dripped with sarcasm and matched the forced smile of his co-host. John and Gail were well know OMAP announcers who tended to deliver all commentary with large doses of sarcasm and criticism in whatever event they were MCing. The larger the mess-up or catastrophe the more likely you were to be splattered all over their Ric Rok reels for the universe to marvel at your misfortune.

“Before we start I know I would love to extend a warm and hearty thank you to Admiral Perkins for allowing us the honor of being with you for these games. “Now all three teams need to board the hover sleds which will take you to the top of El Capitan.” The MC’s chucked with a large expression of glee.”

“Well this is going to be a problem,” Calvin muttered under his breath seeing Vanessa moving without question towards the hover sleds. It was not that she was a dumb girl but right now Calvin could not imagine why his highly observant counselor had not put two and two together. He was not going to start the situation as he was terming it in his mind until she did.

“Well I know why we are here,” Kelly let out a disgusted sigh and glared at the MC’s.

Kelly’s comment piqued his interest. He had been blaming Vanessa for this fiasco for the past week and a half, but the blonde captain appeared very sure she knew the answer as to why they were about to climb a 3,000-foot rock in the middle of nowhere. “Due tell,” he pushed the conversation forward.

“This apparently is going to be a vendetta thing and not because of that bar fight on Black Rock Station.” Looking directly at Heathcliff she re-stated her statement with more confidence. “See, I told you that fight was not the reason we got dragged into this.”

“Well it could not have helped in anyway,” Heathcliff let out a chuckle. “That generated a lot of paperwork for the both of us and no one was thrilled on either side about that.”

Moving towards the hover sleds, Kelly continued the conversation. “A couple of weeks back we had a first contact situation with a murdery group of aliens. They tried to take over the ship. We killed them all. Perkins led a court-martial against the senior staff but we were acquitted of the charges. I think this is his way to get back at us for not being guests at the penal colony in New Zealand.”

Vanessa Slade CNS, Kelly Bordeaux CO

Calvin’s forehead wrinkled up. “Your entire senior staff?” Marius was not the type to get caught up in gossip. Things happened and there were consequences however an entire crew getting charged with court-martials in a flubbed up first contact was information everyone tended to hear about. That was unless there was a reason it stayed hush hush SInce she and her counselor were attending here as senior members of the staff there had to be a story behind it. Glancing up, at Admiral Perkins sitting like a stuffed peacock on stage, Calvin began to piece together why he was here.

“Well, I didn’t piss off Perkins,” Calvin grumbled as he moved to his hover sled. “So why am I here?”

“I still have no idea why you think I had anything to do with this,” Vanessa grumbled as she followed Calvin into the hover sled. “I am a no-body. You are a Captain. If anyone did anything to piss off an Admiral it had to be you. I only got us doing community service in a paint ball game for kids at the VA.”

“Fair enough, except I know when I piss off an Admiral because I do it on purpose, not by accident.” He stared at her for a moment, “If someone F’ed up… ” and he left it at that.

“The one where some teens got trounced by some elementary kids?” Kelly added with a knowing smirk just lingering at the corners of her mouth. “One of those kids was Jaxon Perkins. He is a cousin to Skeletor up there but even if he wasn’t Jaxon with a X just screams douche.”

“It’s not my fault,” Vanessa started to protest now putting two and two together. Those teens were merciless a hats and needed a comeuppance however Vanessa thought it would be in the form of a rematch not this.

Not waiting for a response, “If we get stuck on an ice flow, I’m cutting you open and staying warm inside your body Empire Strikes Back style.”

Marius

“It’s not my fault,” she repeated again. The second the hover sled began to zip up the face of the mountain Vanessa no longer cared about why she was here. She cared more about what she was doing. Her hands gripped the sides of the sled and her face went white. “Why are we going up? There is absolutely no reason for up when we are camping.”

“Camping?” The tone was slightly incredulous from Heathcliff. “First off, why do you think we would be camping to show our skills and second did you both not raise holy hell before you got here to get the facts about what these next few days were supposed to be about.”

“Why would we not go camping? That is what you outdoorsy folk do in the middle of nowhere. You camp, build a fire, cook some food over the open flame, protect your site against bears and moose and shit like that.” Vanessa had spent pretty much all her life in the concrete jungle of Boston. The closest she ever came to camping was bonfires at the beach or tents in a living room. Sure she did a stint in the wilderness during basic training but that was more booze and making out with other cadets than survival-type things.

“Did you just call me outdoorsy Slade? When have you heard me say “oh let’s go spend the day hiking with granola in our pocket and drink from a stream? And why do you think moose just randomly roam about ready to attack campsites?” Counselors tended to be more indoorsy folk and he was a Marine well-versed in survival skills but that was not the point. “I work in an office… and that’s how I like it.”

Rinker and Kelly seemed to know far more than them so he turned his attention to Rinker for some answers. “So why a counselor and not my XO?”

“Because the spirit of this little adventure is to show the general public how we work as a team. How Captains lead and counselor’s advise to get us through,” Rinker replied. He was not thrilled with this event but rappelling wasn’t the hardest thing he ever had to do.

“Oh,” Vanessa seemed to relax slightly. “Well, you are used to this sort of thing. You are gonna be just fine.” Vanessa’s words were meant to sound encouraging but she had little confidence behind them and was focusing her attention on his chest instead of the empty space around her. “Just pop on down and get us out of here and we will be just dandy.”

Vanessa Slade CNS

Calvin might have been late to the information party but he was a quick study. This event was meant for revenge. If Kelly was correct, the events were designed for the teams to look like fools. Calvin had rappelled so many times he could do it blindfolded with one hand tied behind his back. His counselor on the other hand could not. “Of course we will,” Calvin stated putting a hand on the small of her back as the sled came to a stop at the top of the peak.

He had been in charge long enough to know what his people needed and what he needed to get the job done. Barking orders would not get Slade to throw herself bodily off the cliff and scale down. Well at least not yet. He had to get her harnessed up and with all the camera’s on them he could not stuff her into the harness.

Moving her to the equipment space he picked up a harness as Vanessa jabbered away. Glancing to his right and left, he could see at least one of the other two pairs was struggling with the task at hand. This was going to be a test of phobias on some level. Holding out the harness he motioned for Vanessa to step in.

Calvin Mairus CO

Vanessa gave him a questioning look but kept most of her attention focused on how irritated she was that Perkin’s had gotten them into this mess. “I mean seriously. If Kelly is right that means Perkins was so petty over a kids paintball game that he drug us into this as payback.”

“Yep,” he responded in a neutral tone. The more she yammered the less work it would be to stuff her into the suit. There was a time for gentle words and that time might still be around the corner. He could not just shove her off the side of the cliff like he would a Marine. This was about trust and he would have to deal with her after the challenge was over.

A momentary look of contemplation washed over her face as Calvin adjusted her straps and belts.

“This is not my fault.” Her proclamation was louder than it needed to be as if she had an eureka moment and discovered something new and exciting.

“Sixty-forty,” Calvin teased her slightly. It was not technically her fault but time and history tended to cloud details. “If you were Dolly do-gooder we would not technically be in this mess.”

“No this is not my fault,” she repeated with a broad smile on her face. “You were apparently too good at your job. If you were just a little more inept then we,” she stressed the pronoun, “would not be be in this mess.” Part of Vanessa could not hide her happiness at the turn of events. “I had no idea that Perkin’s third cousin’s kid was one of those park punks they took out in the paintball game. Not that it would have made a difference in how we approached the game but it would have been nice to know we had a vendetta against us.”

Calvin could harness someone up in his sleep. It was almost as routine as loading his pulse rifle. Too many evacs of those he rescued or unconscious Marines needing to get out of the middle of a firefight. He pulled down on the straps but then tightened them a second time. Vanessa was becoming more amusing to him. The last thing he wanted was for her to go splat due to a momentary lapse of judgment.

As Calvin pulled and tightened her harness, Vanessa focused on her surroundings. To her left Kelly and Rinker seemed to be taking a rather long sip of some beverage in a silver bottle. To her right, she blinked and noticed Diana had stepped over the side of the cliff as Captain Jones held the rope and began shouting encouraging words to her. “Uh Calvin....,” she licked her lips. “Why are we not taking the sled down and where is your harness?”

Vanessa Slade.

“Well there goes one,” John commented from his comm booth 3000 feet below them. Speakers placed on the top of El Captian however sent his words into the participant’s ears as if he was next to them.

“And it seems one has no clue what is about to happen,” Gail’s voice twittered gleefully. “At least we will see some action in the Marius Slade pair.”

“Vanessa,” Calvin used her first name in a soft but firm tone as he took her hand and moved her closer to the jump-off point. “Remember when you came to me and said you had a problem? What did I do? I stepped up and helped you take out those punks with paint and tactics. Now I need you to do the same.” Taking a step back he picked up the slack on her rope and swung it around his arm once. It was not necessary. The equipment was already mounted into the granite. It was just for show but sometimes people needed optics. “I need you to just pop over the side of the cliff and lower yourself to the ground.”

Calvin Marius CO

“Pop over the side. No,” she flatly denied his request without hesitation. “You just pop over the side. This is crazy. I can’t do this.”

“I am going over the side and so are you because you can do this.” Cheerleader was not his normal mode of motivating. His more common response would have been yelling.

“Oh Gail this is looking good,” John sounded almost giddy. “Do you think he is going to just pick her up and toss her over the edge wresting style or bark some orders?”

Marius looked out of the corner of his eye in the direction of the announcer. That was his second most common response. Whoever this guy was he was all the way inside Marius’ head.

“He is a gentleman. He is not just going to throw her off like some virgin into a volcano,” Gail mused. “Although I am sure everyone can bet she is not a virgin.” The comments amused not only the reporter but the crowd.

Vanessa Slade CNS

Calvin gritted his teeth. “Slade, they are laughing at us. Now get your six over that cliff,” he stated with a smile.

Calvin Marius CO

“Okay,” she spat more out of frustration than anger with him. The only saving grace Vanessa had was she did not have to look down. All she had to do was step over the side.

“Vanessa, it is not that hard. Come here.” he moved to the edge of the rock face, taking up the proper position to prepare for a descent. “Just stand like I am and then step over the edge,” His voice worked to be calm and supportive.

Moving over to the edge she felt her entire body freeze. “We just step off the edge.” A few seconds went by before Vanessa repeated, “step over the edge.”

“Exactly. Just step over the edge and we will down in about a minute.” At three thousand feet, his team had made the descent in 25 to 30 seconds during combat. Since neither of the other teams were attempting to achievi free fall like the Marines did in combat so it should take several minutes to get down. They were still in the running if he could get Vanessa started.

“Well for a counselor, it seems she does not follow the advice she gives,” Gail chuckled causing a bout of laughter from the group.

“Lieutenant, ignore them and focus on the task. Lean back and step off,” Calvin’s voice was tinged with his frustration.

“I would not participate in a trust fall with her Gail,” John added causing another bout of laughter.

“Now just a minute,” Vanessa stopped worrying about falling to her death and focused on the two heckling commentators. Shifting her weight, Vanessa intended to march over and throttle the both of them. Instead, her foot slipped causing her to free fall the face of the cliff and she did not go quietly.

“Aww shit,” Calvin watched Vanessa plummeting to the ground. He was not worried about her going splat at the bottom. The safety sensors would prevent death but unless Calvin could ensure Vanessa was successful in the task, he would probably struggle to get her to climb a step ladder after this. Unlike Vanessa, Calvin hopped off the cliff with the grace and ease of a professional. While this was not the first time Calvin performed this maneuver, it did not deny him a rush from his earlier days in the corp.

“And there she goes. That woman is traveling like a missile but with all the grace and poise of a toddler being dragged from the toy aisle in a store,” John guffawed like a donkey. “What do you think she is hitting speed-wise, Gail?”

“Well, it would be easier to tell if she wasn’t being so distracting with her arms and legs flying all about. Now take her partner,” Gail let out a small sultry growl in her throat. “That man is a solid six feet of pure muscle and stamina driving down with all the power of a piston plunging into,”

“Gail, you slut,” John cut her off, knowing where her imagery was headed.

“Hopefully when this event is over,” she chuckled back.

The sounds of her going down perfectly imitated a 1950s teen scream queen. The sharp rock features of the landmark let her voice echo off making it appear more than one person went over the edge. She made the descent in about 20 seconds stopping abruptly at the fifty-foot mark before her hand closed tight enough on the safety harnesses to end her plummet. The position she ended up in was not a position suitable for landing. Her body was horizontal to the ground instead of perpendicular with her hands and feet splayed out like a starfish.

The laws of physics could not be broken so with Vanessa and Calvin both in free fall, she should have ended up on the ground several seconds before him. Luckily Calvin could catch up by essentially making his body a missle. Vanessa’s wildly pinwheeling arms caused enough drag for her to slow down enough that Calvin closed the distance between them with relatively little effort. That was until he saw her come to a screeching halt about 50 feet from the ground. Gripping the harness ropes, Calvin stopped his descent in a far more professional manner than his counselor. Placing his feet against the wall, he looked over at Vanessa. “Slade,” he called her name seeing her just hanging and no longer speaking. “Vanessa,” he repeated her first name sounding a bit more concerned. If she had passed out, her descent would be more tricky. “Vanessa, are you okay?”

Vanessa felt light headed as if she had drank a bottle of booze and was now having to walk out of a bar. She blinked a few times and looked at the direction the voice. Seeing Calvin made her instantly relax. The man had a calming effect when he chose to show it.

Looking to her left, she said in an oddly calm voice, “Calvin I think I died on the way down.”

Vanessa Slade CNS

“You are an angel but not the ethereal one yet.” Glancing up, Calvin realized their free-fall approach had them in the running for first place. This position would not remain theirs forever unless he got her moving. “Okay, we only got 50 feet. Easy peasy. Put your feet on the rock like this and just push off.” Calvin demonstrated the action and dropped five feet waiting for her to follow.

Calvin Marius CO

“Wait we are not on the ground yet,” she began to flail slightly. The effect righted her so that she was not perpendicular to the rock face instead of horizontally. Her hands found the rope but she began to move her feet as if she could run down thin air.

Vanessa Slade CNS

“What the hell are you doing? Stop trying to run.” Contrary to common belief you could run down a wall, it just was a practiced skill that she definitely didn’t have. ” You are going nowhere, and you are going to hurt yourself or me,” Calvin took a step over to give her some room.

Glancing up, Calvin needed to speed this up. “Okay listen up. We are here. We are stuck doing this. We are not going to lose so put your damn feet on this wall. Grab the rope with this hand and hold the loose rope with this hand. When you push off, you will drop. Like this.” Calvin immediately dropped and bounced off the wall three times, and was now standing on the ground. He wasn’t completely surprised to see that she was not standing next to him but hovering over his head.

Calvin Marius CO

Vanessa attempted to follow his directions but it had been years since she rappelled off anything in the real world. Pushing off she did not retain her proper body positioning. She tumbled more like a crazed acrobat falling off one of those rope swings in the circus. She let out a yelp on the way down that sounded almost comical. “Didn’t work,” she responded.

“And before you tell me that I did it wrong I did exactly what you said. I put my feet on the wall and pushed like this,” Vanessa stated demonstrating the action causing her to fall another ten feet before the rope tightened. The sudden stop in acceleration caused her to let out a small yelp.

Vanessa Slade CNS