[snip]

“Do you agree William?” Glen asked the CSO. “Should we turn out all our lights and use night-glasses?”

“I’m not certain if it’s necessary. Although these bugs and the eggs seem to have some sort of symbiosis going on We can’t be certain of the effect. And if they learn to freese when light arrives it might be safer to have lights at the ready” He looked at his scan “I’d be more concerned about these eggs and the connection. Creatures of this size shouldn’t be capable of anything like this, maybe the change in the Laws of Physics makes them intelligent, and if so how do they communicate this intelligence? Pheremones, Smart vomiting?” He asked himself out loud “Whatever it is the bugs take the heat from the eggs to ‘power’ their city and then feed the eggs. Perhaps making a mother unnecessary.” He theorized “Or at least having her around, perhaps allowing her to continue laying eggs elsewhere.”

It was certainly an interesting theory, though more longer term study on such would need to be performed to prove or disprove this, sadly such wasnt the time for such things right now.

‘’A female unnecessary?’’ Cross whispered ‘’Is this the question as who came first.... the egg or the hen’’ the doctor at this point wondered if she was making any sense.

Tia listened as the others postulated where things were coming from, how things were going and to what they could give credit for what they were seeing. As she realized their steps were disturbing the ‘city’ she did her best (in the fewest amount of steps) to place herself outside the small sand structure filled area. If possible, she would walk completely around the outer rim of it.

At each point she encountered a stash of eggs, she took a power reading with her tricorder and then moved on. “I would agree on the light issue. If that’s what keeps them at bay, we may have need of that if things get dicey.” She paused a the last batch of eggs and squatted down to get a closer look. Using the tricorder to get readings, she made sure it was safe and reached out to lightly touch one of the irregular shaped objects. Her own curiosity overtaking her like a science officer on a ‘first contact’ mission. “First contact....” she half murmured with a huge smile at the idea as her finger lightly traced over the surface just long enough to see what it felt like. “I wonder what is in here and if we could ‘impress’ on it if it hatched?” Her idea of becoming ‘mommy’ to whatever was inside made her grin larger as she looked up at the others.

As they continued to talk more chinks in the egg shells were seen, and more of the little bugs moved to do their mysterious work, the eggs to various degrees were very close to fully hatching!

‘’Lt I do not think touching the eggs would be a good idea’’ Cross told Tia ‘’If they are like the ducklings back home then if they hatch right now they would consider you their ‘mommy’ if that’s what your implying.’‘

Cross stood still making sure she was at a safe distance from the eggs ‘’What about the Cuckoo’s nest ?’’ she did not elaborate expecting that they all knew what a Cuckoo bird did.

No sooner had the group been confiding on different ideas/thoughts when just left of Cross’s left foot there was a faint cracking sound, this was echoed by three more similar sounds elsewhere, then 5 more shortly after. All the sounds were originating among the pile of the eggs, faint slivers of what might be energy or light peeking out in bits and pieces from the eggs.

“I think they’re waking up… or hatching out!” announced Captain Glen. “This can’t be good!”

Nearby at the same time the activity of the small tiny city around them seemed to come alive, the bugs formerly more leisurely moving about when no light was on them seemed to move at almost a flurry of activity! Bugs were seen going up or down the buildings, others chewing away at the small 3ft tall building foundations, and yet more swarming past the away team or over their boots to began to burrow under the egg cluster! Cross’s scans would show that to what she might make out the eggs were ‘hatching’ for lack of a better term.

Also at this time from one of the largest tunnels south (actually north), of their position opposite that which they came in from, a quite towering snake like creature silently slithered from the 8ft round tunnel, how it moved so silently or quietly was anyone’s guess! However, it quickly took note of the team and paused a quarter way out of the tunnel to peer at the seeming invaders to its ‘nest’. The raven black scaled snake creature, hissed with an echoing loud quality that surely didnt sound ‘happy’ or ‘pleased’. As if to answer this the creatures pair of 1ft round eyes glowed a deep red and suddenly shot out what seemed some kind of lancing energy beam! One of which struck NE Tu’young who had but a second to scream in pain before being vaporized!

“Mother Serpent at nine o’clock!” Glen announced, if anyone hadn’t heard and seen it yet.

Jasper was going over his readings and was about to speak as he heard the dying yell of the officer. Jasper dove for cover hitting the area near him so hard he almost lost his breath. Hoping he did not hurt himself in the process as he barely got out the words. Please stop we don’t mean you any harm to you or your offspring. As Jasper thought in hopes that his message was understood by the snake creature verbally or mentally with images of peace. He knew he was not a Vulcan but never hurt to try he thought.

Interestingly there was a slight pause where the Serpent mother looked with deadly red laser ready eyes at Jasper perhaps there was something there to his random theory of ‘happy thoughts’. But the pause was fleeting and the lancing pair of red laser eye beams from the Mother scored just shy of where he stood, maybe it was a warning? Or maybe it had just misjudged its aim? Either way taking better cover probably would be wise.

Meanwhile the closest egg clutch near Tia happened to finish it seems its hatching process. Six of the large eggs came apart, with the tiny bug Guardians swarming away into darker shadows as their work was seemingly completed. As the faint light of energy hue faded the six eggs showed 4-5 inch long deep black colored Serpent like snake babies. No sooner had the last of the shells been shaken from their little bodies when collectively as if by one mind they slithered with quite frankly rapid movement and wrapped themselves up along the left pants of her leg! The whole distance of 10 inches was covered by them in less then 3 seconds with the chaos of battle going on around her, showing that even freshly newborn they had very fast reflexes and agility of movement. Thankfully they didnt seem to be harming Tia just clinging onto her leg, but one noticable effect of this was another pause in the much larger and now even angrier looking serpent mother, which after its pause seemed to for now at least ignore Tia. Perhaps it didnt want to hurt its young?

“It wants to protect its young,” said Glen. “It might stop attacking us, if we show we are no longer a threat to them?” Which was easier said than done, since they were standing in the middle of a field of eggs, with no place to run except back up the cliff.

Cross did not know whether to laugh or faint at the sight of the baby snakes wrapped around Tia’s legs. “Lt I did warn you about the ducklings!”

Meanwhile too NE All’ins one of the other security NE’s dove for cover as a lance of red laser beam eye shots came his way, the clipping of the energy though caught his left foot searing off his black boots but thankfully nothing else. Crying out in pain and under the cover and over hang of rock for now at least he was out of the line of fire, “..Argh damnit one of you doctor’s able to get to me?!” he cried out asking for help to tend his injury.

‘’Ssh..ssh stop shouting lets all be quite ‘’Cross suggested as she made her way to the injured man ,herself moving pretty much like a slithering snake in the hope of not being the second one to be vaporized.Taking a look at his injured foot the female doctor rolled her eyes ‘’Why all the screaming its not as if your leg has been sliced of your body’‘ she mumbled while taking the medical kit off her back and started rummaging through it.

The Serpent Mother had now landed across the cavern out in mostly the open on the ‘floor’ (actually the ceiling like the rest of them) only partly here and there hid by nearby hanging rocks or the like.

“While she is partly hidden, we have a chance to get away! We might not get a chance like this again,” said Glen.

Cross gave a quick glance over the rocks that was shielding her and the man from view’‘Oh dear that’s one hell of a big serpent’‘ she stated ‘’Say its your boots I should medicate here’‘ her tone dead neutral as usual.

Jasper tried again to convey his wishes to the mother snake as he attempted to get better coverage. We are not here to hurt your young. He stated again.

Ensign Jasper Ericson Jo Engineer

“Our best way to demonstrate that we mean it no harm would be to get away from it’s eggs and young,” said Glen. “Can we please try to to stand on anymore of them too?”

“Mthunzi!” said Glen, “Now is the point where you tell us how to combat disintegration rays shot out from the head of a giant mythical serpent… And if that isn’t on the syllabus at Starfleet Academy, well then it damn well should be!”

Glen, CO