A Trip to the Tropics

Posted on Wed Oct 14th, 2020 @ 2:39pm by Commander Temperance Zachary & Captain Aviram Drell & Lieutenant Commander Cor Cordale & Lieutenant JG Zerin Rolfe

Mission: Episode 04: "Tempest"
Location: Xiu IIId
Timeline: Day 1 at 0000

The designated transport site was at the top of a rise, overlooking a valley surrounded by other mountains and peaks. The environment was lush, densely tropical and humid.

In fact, the humidity was the first thing that became obvious once they materialized on the surface. Within moments Temperance could already feel the sweat prickling her skin as she unsheathed her tricorder. "Everyone in one piece?" she asked with a laugh designed to cover her own anxiety had the use of the transporters. "No one missing fingers, toes, ears or anything?"

"Let's see, fingers.... one two, three four five, six.... seven. All here." the cobalt-blue furred engineer reported. Cor offered Temperance a smirk, as he held up his hands for inspection. His living hand had three fingers, plus a thumb. His ancient relic of a prosthetic, however, had two digits plus a thumb. Seven in total.

"Makes it a pain when someone says Gimme Five. I have to ask for change." he chuckled. Whether he caught onto her nervousness or not, no one knows. All that happened there, was a Thux told a terrible joke on company time. "So, is this what it feels like in all them tropical resorts? Cause, not a fan." the furred engineer cited.

"They left that out of the tourist brochure," Temperance quipped dryly as she pulled out her tricorder. "I think we need to head down into the valley. I'm estimating about three miles, but the terrain looks pretty uneven so it may take us a bit of extra time. Everyone good to go?"

Horis listened to the other team members chat amongst themselves as they became accustomed to their surroundings. It wasn’t the most ideal environment, sure, especially having just come from the well-regulated, climate-controlled interior of a starship. But it could have been worse. They could have been sent down to search an ice shelf or something and that would have been uncomfortable.

“Marines present and accounted for,” she said after a moment. As she spoke, Horis lifted her left arm and consulted the field tricorder unit attached to her forearm. “I’m getting plenty of lifeform readings,” she continued, “mostly vegetation and smaller animals. We’re good for now, commander.”

“Good? I’d be good if I had a ice cold margarita right now. But I guess this is acceptable,” Zerin piped up. He flipped open his tricorder and looked at the scans out of curiosity, and not for any intention.

"Never got a taste for margaritas. Though, I won't say no to a root beer in a frosty mug." Cordale turned to glance towards Temperance, "Ma'am, ain't never been a Thux who let a little hard work or a long walk discourage them. Not about to set that trend now." he offered with a smirk. "Anyone want to blaze the trail, or is everyone following this blue?" he chuckled, a little competitiveness, and a little pride in his people, made the tropical conditions slightly more bearable.

Temperance nodded slightly before she started walking down what may have once been a path toward the valley that now seemed overgrown and precarious to anyone who wasn't taking care with hidden divots and difficult to see holes in the ground. More than once she came close to losing her footing as they wound their way downward, the vegetation becoming more dense the closer they came to the bottom. "Be careful," she warned as they walked. "We don't know if the flora is toxic and there could be wildlife we can't see," her tone was softly spoken, almost as if she were concerned about startling said possible wildlife. "I don't feel like carrying any of you back up the hill," she quipped, the humor in the statement obvious given her slight size compared to the rest of them.

"And who knows if the meds in the kit will even stop said possible toxins," Zerin quipped with a smirk.

"Well then, I'll take the point." Cor said with a little more pride in his voice, leading with his left arm in front.

Finally, having reached the center of the valley, the small away team stood in front of the ruins of something that looked like it may have once been a temple of some sort. It was clear there were a great many years of overgrowth and decay across the area, but something in particular caught Temperance's eye. "It looks like someone else has been through here recently," she said quietly, indicating toward a tree near the corner of the building ruins. "Some of the lower branches are broken, the grass around the base of the tree is trampled and it looks like there's scrapes along the wall."

"Let's go this way." Ducking under a branch, Temperance walked toward an opening into the ruins that may have once been a door or an entry way.

"Careful." Cordale pointed out. "I'll head in first. Could be trouble." he said in something of a hush, as though the tree that was pointed out was a conspirator.

Temperance stepped back just long enough for Cor to step through the entry way, turning her attention back to Zerin and Horis. "Stay close," she said quietly. "We don't know what's going to be..."

There was a sudden crashing sound and Temperance rushed through the door, phaser and tricorder both drawn, glancing around the inside of the broken down building. "Where'd Lieutenant Cordale go?"

:: dun dun duuuuuuuun ::

:: cut to commercial ::