Down the road

Posted on Sat Apr 27th, 2019 @ 3:33am by Commodore Jane Saulitis & Commander Dominic Aldrich & Chief Petty Officer Noble Cravens

Mission: The Fool's Odyssey
Location: Marga III
Timeline: MD 03 1000 Hours
1066 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Shev led the away team down the road, in the direction indicated by the "plant lady". His mind couldn't help but wander as they walked along. But he couldn't tell if it was idle curiosity or something else. The turned to his team. "Impressions?" He asked. "I got the feeling that Stef has joined the community somehow. Could be just me."

"It looks very...low tech here," Shelley observed, "I mean...I don't really see anything like well..modern technology? Just look at the woman we just met..she thought her plant was gone, but Commander Aldrich was able to tell her otherwise." She paused. "I don't know crewman Stef all that well, why would he join the community? Not all that much time passed since we lost his signal, right?"

"A hour, maybe more." Shev replied. "Just the impression I had. Call it a gut feeling " he shrugged as he walked along. He couldn't help but get that feeling. "And, yeah. Keen observation though. Very low tech. Maybe refreshing for him, I don't know."

"In only an hour, sir?" Shelley questioned while peering down at her tricorder.

"Could be longer. At least a couple days. I know I'd try to blend in." Shev said. "Would be hard though. Blue tends to stick out, don't you think?" He laughed.

Shelley shrugged. "I thought, at least I heard through the grapevine, that it's been about two days sir. But, why did it take us two days to do this? Why didn't we go look for him the moment he disappeared?" She twirled her finger through one of her curls, though she didn't seem to be aware of doing it. She was nervous, and felt bad for questioning a superior officer like that. "You're blue, he's green, wouldn't he stand out?"

"Excellent point." Which was officer for "uhh". He cleared his throat. "Well, we tried. We couldn't get a lock due to interference. Don't ask me, I'm not an engineer." Shev began. "But long story short, this was our first window."

Razmi was walking to town when she saw the outsiders approach. She stopped dead in her tracks and dropped the bag she was carrying. They were wearing clothes like Stef when he'e nearly been eaten by the pusa plant. But that was five years ago. They had come back for him? Were they different people? "Stef!" Razmi screamed as she sprinted back towards his cabin.

Hearing his best friend scream his name, Stef appeared from the little cabin he'd been living in for the past two years. "What is it Razmi?" He asked as he approached her. "What has you so upset?"

"Come," she said, very out of breath from having run all the way back to him. She took his arm and pulled him along until they were on the main road again she could see the officers. She pointed in their direction. "Starfleet," she managed to huff out.

Stef froze as he saw the group approaching. He wasn't sure how to feel now, why had it taken them so long?

Shev saw Stef and waved. To him he looked older. "Hmm?" He thought as he walked up.

"Commander?" the Vulcan queried as the group approached, "what are you doing here?" It seemed the logical question to ask, since he'd given up hope so long ago now. To come back now, it seemed strange to him.

"To get you back to the ship of course." Shev replied, slightly puzzled. "This is the first window we've had in the past couple of days. Is everything ok?" He motioned for medical, just in case.

"Days, sir?" The Vulcan's astonishment only seemed to rise. "What do you mean...days?" He glanced back at Razmi, almost feeling panicked. He had a life here now, what was he going to do? "I have not been here for days sir. I have been here for years."

"The atmosphere?" Razmi said, she gripped Stef's arm looking a little frightened. She did not believe the blue man was lying, he looked just as confused and worried as Stef although Stef looked angry also, that was what frightened her for some reason.

"It was the anomaly," Cravens spoke up from the back as he waved a tricorder around. "So in addition to removing all civilization from the planet for a couple o'days, it also did something with the time. There are unusual neutrino readings all over the place."

Shev nodded. "That certainly explains the comms issue."

Dominic took out some of the more sensitive equipment he had packed in his field bag. He measured the inherent radiation of the star as it permeated the team. He then took a scan of the crewman and then restarted the process thinking he had found an error. Upon repeating the scans three more times he addressed the XO. "Commander, Chief Cravens' theory seems to be right. I am detecting baseline radiation levels in the Crewman that can only be accounted for by years of exposure to this environment."

"Five years," Stef clarified, "I have been here for five years. I made a life for myself here, and became a respected member of the community." He looked over at Razmi, casting her a reassuring smile. "Mostly thanks to Razmi because if not for her, I would not even be here today."

She squeezed Stef's arm. There was no need to thank her, it was a long time ago. "So . . . maybe we should go back with them and talk to the Captain." Razmi urged Stef.

"Yes..but if I go up, provided I am given the all clear, I doubt I will be coming back." Stef frowned. "Though this is my home, I do not belong here... I need to go back, but I want my books and notes, and my photos..." He gave them all a pleading look. "And Alecx...we need to get him..."

"Don't fret." Razmi replied. "I will help you."

"Go get what you need, Stef." Shev said. He tapped his commbadge. "Shev to Majestic. Prepare for beam out. On my signal." He said.

Stef nodded and hurried off, not knowing how much time they had to pack up his belongings.

---

Stef
lost crewman
pnpc Lhaes

Lt.Cmdr. Dominic Aldrich
CSO

Razmi
Farmer
Marga III Resident
pncp by Saulitis

Chief Petty Officer Noble Cravens
Engineering Officer

PO Shelley Doodle
Science Officer
npc Lhaes