The Flaw In The Plan

Posted on Wed May 29th, 2019 @ 8:12pm by Commodore Jane Saulitis & Commander Dominic Aldrich & Lieutenant Sandra Adamson

Mission: The Fool's Odyssey
Location: Marga III
Timeline: MD 03 10:20 Hours
961 words - 1.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Zeria looked up at the sky. it was happening again, what exactly it was, she didn't know. It seemed, as with most things, that none of the experts could agree. Another dark time in their history, after only a short respite. Some wouldn't make it of course but she would, she always had. She worried about her plants and no one else, that was the key to survival here. She stretched her back, brought her mind back down to the soil and dug her hands once more into the promise of the land.

Shev had expected to see the transporter room of the Majestic. His heart sank when he didn't, and he assumed the worst. He tapped his commbadge. "Zzzzt" was the reply. He muffled an Andorian curse.

Shelley followed suit but got only static. "Sir?" she queried, alarm in her voice, "did that thing happen just now? The thing that made us think crewman Stef was gone?"

"It certainly seems that way." Shev began. "Anyone else having any luck?"

Dominic began to take in more readings and, for the first time in a long time,felt an uneasiness he could not hide behind his normally stoic expression. "The tachyon levels around us and through us have spiked within the last few moments. I am afraid," he said after a hesitant sigh, "we have been caught in a time phase event."

Zeria came up behind the people who had earlier landed in her garden and rolled her eyes. "You're stuck here with us now," she said. "Come on, I'll find you some food and shelter. It's like I've adopted a litter of Yaruvian puffs." Then she cackled a little madly and waved her arms for them to follow her.

"Great," Shelley muttered, "what are we going to do now? We can't just barge in anywhere can we... And aside from her, we don't know anyone. If this is going to take us five years too, what are we going to do in that time?"

"Plant a garden?" Zeria suggested. "Survive." She led them on. "Stef's house is empty now, as is Razmi's. You can stay there since they had no family living on the planet."

To say Dominic was uneasy at the prospect of losing five years of his life stuck in a temporal shift was putting it lightly. In order to calm himself, he needed to start solving the problem of getting them home at the next available opportunity. With his mind racing he waked quickly to catch up to Zeria and asked, "Does this event happen at regular intervals or is it more randomized in nature?"

"This is only the second time it's happened though if my memory is correct I recall reading about our ancestors being contacted by aliens every few years, trading for supplies before we advanced and built our own ships. It had to have been several hundred years ago though, before most of us went back to the old ways. Shelter first," Zeria said patting him on the arm, then I'll show you the library." He was cute, she wouldn't mind him helping her in the garden.

"So why did you stop using ships? And what happens if the planet phases out permanently?" Shelley looked concerned. "What if we'll never get home?"

"I'm not really sure, our elders decided we weren't being true to ourselves. And I don't know anymore about this phenomenon than you do. But I trust that the universe knows what it's doing and will return us when the five years are over." Zeria shrugged. "It does no good to worry over it for the moment, if there is a way to reverse it, and if you must discover what it is then we will discover it through learning. But now, it's time to eat and rest."

Ensign Doctor Sisi Vel had been standing around the whole time. She was fresh out of the acadamy and only recently received her symbiont and this assignment. Doctor Adamson thought it would be a good idea for her to go out in the field. Gain some field experience. One of Vel's previous host was a doctor as well. And he worked as a field medic. Sisi was very nervous to get her symbiont. But somehow not so nervous to get this assignment. But now she was nervous again. Five years. She didn't know what to say to that. Maybe she should just follow orders. It looked like some seasoned people were here and she would just do what she could do best. Be a doctor.

Shevs head was spinning, but he couldn't show it. He nodded. "I agree with the notion that there isn't really much we can do about it right now. And I'm sure that we'll get back to the ship sometime. But yeah, the bigger issue at least right now is shelter." Shev began. "We eat, rest. Then we'll form a plan in the morning."

"Exactly," Zeria said. "Food, drink, sleep." She nodded her head as if that were the end of the discussion and grabbed the blue man's arm, pulling him along so that the rest would follow.

Shelley chuckled as the XO was bodily dragged along. "Maybe we could use our crewman's residence, since he's not needing it anymore?" she suggested quietly, "or would that be too much?" After all it had been his home for five years.

Stef would not mind." Zeria said firmly. "I will make you all a meal," she said decidedly. "Come along."

---

Zeria
Local Flower Grower and Pain in the Butt
Marga III resident
pnpc by Saulitis

Crewman Shelley
Science Officer
npc Lhaes

Ensign Sisi Vel
Medical Officer
npc Sandra Adamson]

Lt.Cmdr. Dominic Aldrich
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant Commander Shev Th'aziavak
Executive Officer