A Little Field Trip
Posted on Sun Feb 28th, 2021 @ 3:13pm by Lieutenant Commander Payton Bray & Lieutenant Commander Sofia Nikedoros & Ieliene t'Leiya & Devora t'Leiya
1,586 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Frizzle
Location: Kocoa Caverns, 13 Clicks from Haumea Proper
Timeline: MD 01 : 0819 Hrs
It was early in the morning for the students of Haumea's twelve to fifteen year olds, all of whom were used to waking up at eight and arriving to school at nine. But there they gathered, excited at the prospect of getting out of the stuffy rooms that the colony's school administration offered.
To one side of the class sat Payton, a pair of tricorders and a small PaDD in her lap. As the teachers began to talk of safety procedures and pairing kids off into buddies. The scientist leaned over, where sat enough tiny tricorders for each student to hold onto, and two for the teachers who were leading the pack.
Happy with the results, she plucked a tricorder from her lap and handed it over to her own 'buddy'. "Let me know if that looks off somehow," she stated absent mindedly. "I've given us a more detailed version of what the rest of the group would have. It should tip us off if something unpredictable comes up. And, if we happen to stumble on something, it should all be sent to the centralized science database and we can give it a deeper look later."
Sofia nodded after examining the tricorder. It had been some time since she'd used one for scientific studies, but all seemed to be order. Her primary concern really was keeping track of the children. Two of them in particular, she thought, eyes darting briefly to the eldest t'Leiya girls. If anyone decided safety rules didn't apply to them, it would be tween Romulans. She almost regretted taking this so Gunnar wouldn't have to choose between saying 'no' or wrestling his claustrophobia, but realistically staying behind might saddle him with the harder job: helping to console (and contain and/or restrain) the youngest sister, who was not yet old enough to join the field trip group.
Raikael's fingers were playing across her own devices in concert with her sister's as both girls whispered back and forth in a tone so low you'd have needed hearing better than a human's to discern, probably either reprogramming them to function 'better' in some way, or downloading something they thought they might need for the trip that might not be on the list of approved additions.
Payton sprang up from her spot, tucking the PaDD into her bag and grinning at the group. The teacher involved turned toward the pair of Starfleet officers, with a similar smile, albeit tentatively.
"Are you ready?" Payton asked simply, both to the teacher and the students involved.
"Yep." Ieliene had been inventorying the contents of a pack and small side packs as well that she had, Devora doing similar; both seemingly going through their inventory with a seriousness and thoroughness more appropriate to a seasoned officer than a teenager...Unless the teenagers in question had years ago passed through the survival rites that Romulans still retained a version of from their ancient Vulcan forebearers.
"I am as well," Sofia affirmed, hoping she really was up to herding these enthusiastic young people.
At an affirmative from the group, Payton gestured toward the cavern entrance. "Shall we then?"
She was swift to lead the group into the caverns, waiting for them all to file in and their teachers to do the appropriate herding before whirling around on the group with a big grin. "Students, as you're all well aware by now, these caves were discovered on pure accident - most great scientific discoveries are - and now, they're ready for us all to discover! I'm sure your instructors have all given you lists of things to look for, but don't hesitate to ask about anything else you may find. Who knows, maybe you'll help us in the science labs discover more!"
"And be sure to stay with the person you've been paired with," Sofia added. "And don't wander too far from the group."
As other students dispersed in the aforementioned area, Payton took the moment to settle herself back down in the spot where the Chief Engineer very nearly face planted near. There was a small chunk of the root that had been taken, likely due to one of the various science teams moving in and out of the caverns. But it allowed Payton to see what exactly was inside the root. She waved her tricorder, eyes transfixed upon the screen.
Sofia moved out with the children, staying at a slight distance so as not to hover but positioning herself to keep in sight of the ones headed around an outcrop that would soon obscure them from the view of teachers in the main cavern. As she came around a bend, a faint luminescence in a mound of roots caught her eye - and apparently the eyes of young Romulans who were already heading toward it.
Ieliene had her tricorder out, starting to scan the formation of crystals glowing faintly periwinkle along the edge of the rocks. She knelt down to get a closer look, taking more detailed scans and images and motioning in the dimness to her Devora, who passed her a sample kit that she used to start to scrape the tiniest portion of shavings off into small container.
The glowing of the crystals may have started faintly, but the moment that the crystals were touched, energy pulsated through the caverns, and a deep, green glow emanated from them. The caverns changed instantly, walls seemingly moving with life, and the sounds of movement could be heard echoing further down the hall. One of the teachers looked up from helping some of the other students identify one of the various rock formations they had discovered, frowning. "... I thought you said these caves were without life."
"We didn't say that," Payton interjected, eyes on her own readings and a pair of children in another corner. "We cleared them for structural and hazard safety. But that's why we brought ourselves along, in case something cropped up. Why?" She looked up and over, eyes widening. "... Ah. Oh. That's... unexpected."
Rapid-fire conversation was passing back and forth between the two Romulan sisters, who had now backed a decent distance back from the crystals as the light flared and Ieliene stowed the sample case. Another scan with Liene's tricorder, and a perplexed expression at the drastically changed readings it recorded, led to another glance between the pair as they backed away a bit more, just in case.
Sofia, on the other hand, moved quickly forward to try to get between the children and whatever might been set off, or at the very least get within arms reach of them.
Between the now scrambling Starfleet officers and the panicked teachers, there was quite a bit of fuss made by the adults of the group. Payton quickly stood, eyes upon the walls with suspicion as the teachers that were leading the charge began to gather students together.
One child screamed as something wet and slimy fell from the ceiling and into her hair. By the time their instructor had reached them, the poor girl's partner had it knocked out of her hair and onto the ground, flashlight upon it in horror.
As panicked as everyone was, Payton had her hand on her commbadge. "Lieutenant Commander Bray to Science Control, we have a new dilemma. There seem to be some larval creatures that were hiding among the walls that we missed in our first scans. Please send a team out." There was a pause. "Science Control, confirm." Another pause, before Payton frowned, turning to Sofia. "Would you agree that the field trip may be over?"
"Yes. Absolutely," Sofia agreed, even as she drew the girls back behind her and away from the suddenly disturbing walls. What had formerly appeared to be normal rock was now pulsing, moving, even squirming in some places. "I suggest we get the group together and head for the exit."
"...Yeah." Ieliene was eying the same walls, one eye on them and one on the tricorder she still had out scanning; but the sisters had apparently now decided the danger outweighed the curiosity and moved even further from the scene, back the way they'd all come.
"Science Control, please respond," repeated Payton as she helped the teachers corral the rest of the students back into a small group. Her eyes narrowed as she cast her gaze back toward Sofia. "There seems to be interference. Any luck on your end?"
Sofia shook her head. "No response. Whatever this is must be interfering with transmission. We'll have to make for the entrance..." She stopped, staring ahead at what should have been the way out. The light from her flashlight showed not a passage but a mass of rock and shifting forms. Conscience of the children, she straightened and said as calmly as she could, "I believe we will need to find another way out."
Payton's gaze snapped over to where the entrance... was, and her brow furrowed. "How..." But there would be time to worry about the science of it later. Even she could agree that safety was more important, especially now. Her expression brightened, as she turned toward the group. "How about we go down one of these other hallways hm? I bet we can find ourselves a way out that way. These tunnels didn't make themselves after all. I'm sure we'll find another opening around here."
(We could keep going a bit or we could find a good place to end it)
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