Cold Snap
Episode Name: Cold Snap
Written By: Shaft/Fortunae
Cast: Duncan, Fortunae, Javits, Medes, Nolte, Park, Roxsati, Shaft, Sharei,
Spect and Vimes.
Produced By: Starfleet
Directed By: Shaft
Aired On: Thu May 15 19:59:16 2003
Stardate: 53216.7
Time: Sun May 11 19:27:49 2003
Stardate: 53207.1
The Bridge of the Thomas Paine is well staffed at present, ripe with personnel. Which is a good thing, indeed, given the current concerns regarding Commander Kasa's late report from the Fimdari surface. Kasa, the Chief Science Officer aboard the USS Merimac, is a meticulous Bolian. Somewhat renowned for his off-kilter manner and eccentricities, but rock solid and dependable in a crisis and in matters of protocol. Such as calling in on the hour, every hour. His continued lack of contact is fast becoming a point of increasing concern.
Sensor sweeps have turned up nothing, and the blizzard fast overtaking the K'lia region of Fimdari is playing hell on all manner of surface to ground contact. Time is, officially, short.
The viewscreens, currently overtaken with the massive planet, wink out to reveal the commanding officer of the Merimac, Captain Davenport. She cuts straight to the matter at hand, as is her own reputation. No nonsense. "Davenport to Park. Listen, Aaron, we need to get my away-team out of there. Form an away-team and hit the surface. We can offer you the use of one of our shuttles. At least you'll have a beacon on the surface with a shuttle on the ground. And if you have to call no joy and get back to your base, you can hold out there until the blizzard passes. But Kasa's people can't survive in the open in this sort of situation. How long do you need?"
Park stands from the command chair. "I'll need about 5 minutes to prep the team and gear up. If you could forward the last location you have and any pertinent mission data to us, Captain, we'll review it once we're underway."
Javits is seated back at the engineering console, attempting as usual to maintain a close watch on his duties while peering over one shoulder at the activity on the viewscreen.
Medes is at her console, waiting patiently and, while doing so, checking something on a side display.
Spect sits at Mission Operations. He keeps his eye on the viewscreen trying to discern as much information as he can.
Sitting at the tactical console, Ensign Vimes keeps trying to get a lifesign sensor reading on the missing team.
And down in sickbay, the medical staff is hard at work. "Got any threes?" asks the nurse's aid. Sharei shakes his head. "Go fish." At that moment, the computer chirps. "The Thomas Paine has arrived at Fimdari." Dax gets to his feet. "That's our cue, folks. Let's look alive. Get ready to receive hypothermia patients." And with that, the Betazoid starts to pack the Bag of Nursely Goodness.
"Five minutes it is. We'll put the Shuttle out on autopilot. You can beam aboard from the Thomas Paine. They've been operating out of the ADF relief base in K'lia. They were heading to do a geothermal study of the mountains beyond the glacier, apparently Kasa suspected a sub-strata water source was feeding much of the glacier its water. And that that water was heated. Something about mineral contents or other. We've got their last location, about fifteen kilometers northwest of the valley. It's the best we can do." Davenport pauses, glancing aside to catch a report from her first officer. She frowns. "The weather patterns are shifting. They're going to get buried down there. Good luck Thomas Paine. Merimac out." The chocolate toned face of the Captain is replaced with the view of Fimdari below.
Park looks around at the assembled bridge crew. "OK, let's get geared up for extreme cold, folks." He glances over to Spect and says, "David, I need you to get me an estimate on how far they could have travelled since their last check in, based on the distances they covered between check ins."
Javits turns back to his console as the communication ends, only to be interrupted by an engineering crewman arriving to take over. Closing out his display, he stands, offering a somewhat apprehensive smile to the crewman as she takes his place. After all, his last, first, away mission involved weapons fire. Poor weather conditions seem a bit more tolerable.
"Sir, I'd like to volunteer to pilot the shuttle. Without being conceited, I'm probably the best qualified to handle a shuttle in adverse conditions," Medes offers, rising from her chair before moving toward the transporters and gathering up her equipment on the way.
Spect looks over the information and replies calmly, "4 kilometers is the estimate sir." after a few more seconds he adds just a bit more information. "The direction they went in is unknown sir. They could be 4 kilometers in any direction."
Nolte wrings her hands. She -knows- Fimdari blizzards, knows they've been getting bitterly worse. The young officer can't hide her aprehension about the crew as she does her best at the station she was posted at. Jaw set in firm resolve, now. She moves to the transporters, gearing up with rapid efficency. She speaks up to Park, "Sir, I grew up on Fimdari. I'm more than familiar with its tempers, when we get to the ground I have the experience to make a strong scout."
Sharei hails the bridge at this moment. "Ensign Sharei to bridge. Aaron, we're ready to receive patients in sickbay. I've got containment fields around the biobeds with the internal temps upped to 38 degrees. I'm heading down to transporter room one now. I've got thermal blankets, IV core warmers, and adrenaline packed and ready to go. When we find the away team, we'd best have them beamed directly to their biobeds, if we can. Sharei out." As the Betazoid fastens his parka, and slings his Nursely Bag, he performs a final task at the medical replicator. "Hydrochloroparasine, 20 ccs, two units." He loads the cartridges into airhypos and stowes them in his parka's inner parker before heading out the door.
Park waits until he's got his gear together, essentially a second version of the medical kit that Sharei is taking down, plus some field surgical gear and assorted meds. He slings that over a shoulder and heads to the transporter room to make duty assignments. "OK, Thea, you're going to pilot the shuttle. If you can safely handle it, make a sweep of the search area before we set down. Hopefully they'll be able to pick up the beacon. Femke, once we hit the ground, you'll be in the lead. Everyone make sure that you're tethered to the line so no one gets lost. Any questions?"
Javits shakes his head as he gathers his gear and makes his way to the transporter along with the rest of the team.
Medes nods her head once, following along after and getting into the transporter.
Spect logs off of his station and heads towards the transporter as well but a slight pause and a side step to speak to Park are first on his agenda, "Lieutenant Park, sir. As 'Captain'," he says making the quotation thingie with his fingers he states, " You should," he pauses how to phrase this, "Stay on the ship sir." he raises both eyebrows skillfully, "We don't want to lose our CO in the field or anything. This is my gig. My thing." he smiles, "This is what I get paid for." Ofcourse he doesn't walk away, he stands there and waits for Park's response.
Nolte waits, dressed and ready.
Vimes nods at the mission leader as he rises from the tactical console, "Sir, should we take the extra pre-caution of bringing environmental suits, in case the weather proves to be even more hostile than we anticipate?" while double-checking the charges on both of his sidearms before holstering them, and then pulling his parka over-top his uniform.
Park claps the younger man on the shoulder, a smile on his face. "David, I'm as much a Starship Captain as mother.", he says quietly. "I'm going down as a medical officer, since there's a good possibility that there's going to be more than one person can handle."
Sharei nods to Medes as she files into the transporter room. "Here we go again, huh Lieutenant?" he asks, trying to keep his spirits high.
From his place on the transporter pad, Javits casts a sidelong glance in Park and Spect's direction, a small smile coming to his lips.
The Transporter Chief grins aside at Javits, giving him a poke with the elbow. "I'll get you to the shuttle, Sir. You hop on the pads, there." Once the team is all filed up on their discs, the Chief offers the group a wink and wishes them well. "Good luck, Away Team." Without further ado, the transporters engage and the view of the transporter room is replaed with the interior of the Type VI shuttle's crew cabin. Fore is the cockpit, of course. Room for two. EVA suits are stored in cargo holds, as well as a modest armory and a single emergency biobed. Can't be too prepared, can you?
Park moves to take a seat, saying nothing, as everyone knows where to go.
Spect smiles and nods, "Yes Sir." Then he begins to do his job. He moves to the Mission Operations position and takes a deep breath. "Everyone should wear a parka." he reminds looking everyone over then after looking over his console he goes to the back to check out supplies.
Javits heads forward to take a seat, rechecking his gear as he settles in.
Medes heads directly for the cockpit, hanging her parka on the back of the pilot's chair and dropping into it. "Sir," she calls back over her shoulder, "I could use an extra pair of hands up here, just in case. Can I have Lt. Javits in the co-pilot's chair? Just two of us up here, so." She slides into one of the only two seats available up in the cockpit, given that this is only a Type VI shuttle, and glances back toward the crew area before sliding her hands over her console and gearing up to go.
Park gives a nod to Javits from his seat in the rear.
. o O Javits thinks "I'm never going to live it down with the Chief, losing my PADD on Occa like that. Heh."
Nolte offers Park a broad, confident smile just before transport. Whether or not she's confident about the results of a lost team in a blizzard. She's got her game face on, shoulders, back, winter gear just a bit less covering of flesh than most human would tend to appreciate in the conditions ahead.
Vimes straps himself into the tactical ops chair, keying up the sensor read-out and making sure all other tactical systems are on-line and ready.
Sharei sets up shop by the biobed. He checks up on the stock of medical supplies, while issuing orders to the computer. "Computer, activate a Level One containment field around Biobed 1. Now, increase the temperature inside the field to 38 degrees Centigrade." That being done, he takes his seat and watches the planetfall.
Park straps in and takes a look around to make sure everyone else has done the same. "Ok, Thea. Let's go.", he says.
Javits glances up from checking his gear with an expression of abject horror, or at least an attenuated version of it. With an apprehensive smile to Medes, he reseats himself in the co-pilots chair, giving the co-pilot's console a cursory examination, then taps a set of symbols to change it to his preferred configuration. Glancing about as if to better acclimate himself, he then straps in.
. o O Javits thinks "I'm just the co-pilot, that's all. No problems here."
GAME: Medes spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Vehicle Operations (Shuttlecraft) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Succeeds!
The ride, it should be said, is not an easy one by a long stretch. Flying through a blizzard never is. All throughout, however, Medes is calm, her fingers dancing over the controls in front of herself. "Reduced sensor range... I'm flying practically blind up here. You all hold on... " And even as she's saying that, the turbulence begins. "... tight, back there." The shuttlecraft, ice forming on the hull, moves with all the grace and subtlety of a drunken and pregnant yak, but it is ever under the Lieutenant's control. "Nick, see if you can run a sensor pass while we're coming down. I don't think we've got a snowball's chance in the Fire Caves, but it's worth a shot." Within the enclosed shuttle cockpit, the small woman's arms reach and stretch, she turns in her chair as the craft jerks suddenly downward, hit by a strong gust of wind, muttering to herself in a combination of languages that glosses from one to the other and is often too low to be picked up by translators. She grabs onto the arm of her pilot's chair to steady herself for a moment, the other hand still working over the side displays. Turbulence is a very mild way of putting it. Another way to put it might be that someone ought to check underneath the shuttle once they land. You never know, there might be stocking feet rolling up and leaving ruby slippers behind.
Spect checks on the standard rations supply and medkits. You never know what could happen. "Sir, if we cannot accomplish a fly over of the terrain we may have to split up. The team could have gone in any direction." after the first attack of weather. He gets quiet really fast and dives into his own sensors.
GAME: Javits spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Javits (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Impossible and Fails!
Nolte holds on well duriing the turbulence, and landing. She listens intently to the details as they come, eager and getitng mentally prepared.
Vimes tries to keep himself steady while monitor the tactical read-outs, making sure the systems hold together during the flight through the planet's atmosphere and for the landing itself.
Sharei bites his lip as he looks out the windows. "Fana be merciful," he says quietly. "I hope we find them in time." He tightens his fingers down on the armrests of his chair, keeping himself from getting tossed about unduly by the turbulence.
Park exits the shuttle, pulling his hood up once the wind hits him. "OK, let's set up base camp here. Thea, set the shuttle to emit a homing beacon so that we can find our way back. Let's take a quick look around here and then we'll move out."
Javits pulls his straps a little tighter as the shuttle is buffeted about, his eyes going a bit wide, perhaps in a vain attempt to peer through the forward viewport into the swirling white blanket outside. At Medes request, he nods in acknowledgment, tapping several symbols on his half of the console as he shifts his attention to a console mounted display. Shaking his head, he replies with a frown, "Nothing. The storm is affecting us just as bad at this altitude as it is in orbit."
"Yeah, I thought so. Still, it was worth a try. Thanks anyway." The landing is as smooth as can be expected under the circumstances, which is to say: not very. "Right. I'm going to prep the transporters, here, so we can get quick transport back if we need it, Aaron," Medes replies after settling down. Apparently she was concentrating so hard that she forgot her propriety, and left her 'sir' back on the console of the shuttle. "Er. Sir."
Spect sets up becaon enhancers as he exits the shuttle as well. Squinting against the wind he says under his breath, "Wow." Spect hops back into the shuttle to grab some transport enhancers and comes back out to Park, "So. Sir? We sticking together?"
Nolte offers a "Chin up, Sharei. We've a saying. Storms take only those whi are solitary in their heart. They're all good officers, we'll get them back. One just has to depend on the strength of friends." She tosses a stortsmanly wink, and ears up with bold confidence. "Bloody sensors. I suppose we'll just have to rough it. The storm will respect it."
Nolte continues very rapidly. "They've likely gone for shelter. They'll have enough training for that. I'd suspect that's the best place to look for them.
Pulling his hood up over his head, Vimes fastens his goggles over his eyes and starts digging through the snow, building up drifts around the immediate area from the shuttle's access port to provide some sort of buffer against the wind.
GAME: Sharei spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Sharei (claiming advantage) contests his Receptive Empathy skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Fails!
Sharei's eyes glaze over as he looks out the door. Slowly, he scans the horizon, looking from right to left. Then, he sucks in his breath, and fumbles for one of his airhypos. He doses himself quickly, then gets his hood and goggles up, trundling out into the snow afterward, muttering under his breath in Klingon. The translators pick up 'damned brain-weakness' as the closest fit.
GAME: Park spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Planetary Sciences (Planetology) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
Snow, wind, and ice combine into a driving wall of needle sharp pain to the faces of the away team. Parkas, insulated pants, and insulated boots provide a good deal of comfort. But extreminities are going to get a beating out in the middle of all of this. Visibility is thirty yards at best. Navigation difficult. And there is no end in sight. Just the howl of the storm and the covering of snow accumulating around the shuttle.
Park gathers the team around him. "Ok, here's the plan. They were roughly here,", he points to the PADD, "when the storm hit. Along their path of travel, there's three likely spots that they'd have sought shelter. We'll check the caves first and then the other two sites. Let's get hooked up and move out."
Javits seems lost in thought for a moment as he dons his goggles and pulls his hood up, rechecking his gear as he heads for the open hatch while pulling on his gloves. Turning to Park, he shouts to be heard over the wind, "Sir, would it be possible to set our sensors to detect energy emissions, particularly those from emergency heaters and phasers!? Those might be stronger out here than lifesigns or even communicator beacons!"
Medes pulls down an extra skull-cap sort of thing she had replicated for herself before they left, thinsulate-style material, over her skull before she pulls her hood up over that. It's the sort of thing they usually issue to Bolians. She hasn't got hair, after all, and one loses so much body heat. Once she sets up the sensor beacon as Park ordered her to do, and tromps out into the snow, the smallest of the dark gray blobs on white that comprise the Away Team.
Spect jumps back into the shuttle and brings out rope! Yes Rope! He straps the rope to Nolte..who is in the lead then waits for the positions of everyone else. As he waits however he hands a transport enhancer to everyone, "Just in case we get seperated." he says wit ha grin.
Nolte mves out of the shuttle steady on her foot. She is quite confident in the conditions. Or good at making like she is. Holding out strong against the cold with a defiant eye. Double checks that the rest of the team is on the rope, and calls a loud, firm,"Ready!" above the howl of wind.
Vimes loops himself in behind Nolte, taking the advance guard position for the trek through the snow in case any trouble should pop up along the way. One can only thank the gods he's not wearing a bright red shirt for this one. Nodding at Nolte's call, "Ready." and sets his shoulders for the move to begin.
Sharei gets tied on, lashing the Bag of Nursely Goodness to him, so he won't lose his hold on it, just in case. "Sacred _Riix_, and I thought Mars was cold!" he says to nobody in particular.
Park checks the line and makes sure everyone is securely attatched. He grins at sharei and says, "I must have forgot to mention how much I hate the cold when I volunteered for this." He moves back to his position, second in line and yells to Nolte, "OK, let's go."
Javits grins back at Sharei as he activates his transport enhancer and safely pockets it. While tying himself into the line on the rope, he looks back to Park expectantly.
Medes hooks herself into place right in the middle. Yep. She's small, and easy to lose, like a dime is easier to lose in your pocket than a quarter. Thus, she stays in the middle. "Hooked to a line... " she mumbles, her voice probably getting lost in the wind. "... shades of the Hernes. Here we go."
Spect attaches himself to the back. "I guess I will anchor. Ready." he says.
Nolte checks directions with quick assurance. On the way, and through a paticularly tenaciously cruel gust at the beginning she shouts at it in Andorian, teasing the wind with a sneer. Always good to get off to a right start. "You push and I push harder! You have no feet!" She pushes forth towards those caves, leading in a steady march. Long enough to keep ground on the terrain, short enough to accomidate the various size of the team.
Trudging along through the snow, Vimes places one hand on the rope in front of him, and the other under his parka, making sure to keep a firm grip on ten inches of the Federation's finest.
Sharei hustles through the snow, doing his best to keep up despite his somewhat heavier load.
<CONTEST> Nolte contests her Planetside Survival (Arctic) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
GAME: Spect spends a courage point.
GAME: Park spends a courage point.
GAME: Javits spends a courage point.
GAME: Medes spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Spect contests his Planetside Survival (Artic) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Park contests his Planetside Survival (Arctic) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Planetside Survival (Arctic) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Javits (claiming advantage) contests his Planetside Survival (Arctic) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!
GAME: Vimes spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Vimes (claiming advantage) contests his Planetside Survival (Arctic) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!
<CONTEST> Sharei (claiming advantage) contests his Planetside Survival (Arctic) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
The Away Team begins their hump towards the destination only Park knows for certain. Caves, apparently. Somewhere out there in the distant snowy wastes of Fimdari. A few yards out, the shuttle is gone. Behind them is a blur of white, the shuttle easily lost in it all. The sensory deprivation of the storm begins to set in. The dullness of all noise, the whiteness of a lack of vision. The cold that begins to work its way into toes and fingers. Noses. Cheeks. Time is immesurable and distance meaningless, but Nolte is able to guide the party well and at a pace that challenges the fitness of even the fittest of Security Officers. They come, eventually, to a narrow split in the ice. Nolte deftly navigates its edge, attempting to find its terminus and avoid a crossing. It is at this point that the ice begins to crack further, and both Vimes and Javits slide over the lip and into the ravine, sucking up the line's slack as they drop, dragging the officers tethered to them along for the ride. Hopefully not quite as far.
<CONTEST> Sharei contests his Fitness (Strength) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
<CONTEST> Medes contests her Fitness (Strength) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
. o O Javits thinks "BLOODY EFFIN' HELL!!!"
<CONTEST> Spect contests his Fitness (Strength) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
<CONTEST> Park contests his Fitness (Strength) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
. o O Medes thinks "Oh Prophetsoprophetsoprophetsoprophetsoprophetsoprophets not like this..."
GAME: Nolte spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Nolte (claiming advantage) contests her Fitness (Strength) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Fails!
Unfirtunately for Vimes, instead of gripping his standard issue so tightly, he should have been watching where he was going. A booted foot pushes through the snow and even deeper, with nothing firm underneath for support as his weight shifts and his balance goes. Letting out a loud expletive, the young dispatcher starts tumbling down the ravine, with his rope pulling at everyone else tied to him...
Javits clings tot he rope for dear life as he slips and tumbles over the edge, letting loose with a warning yell.
Medes digs her heels in as Javits and Vimes begin to slide, the much bigger security officer starting to pull her down. "VIMES!" she yells into the wind, then sucks in a deep breath of air. That was a mistake. The cold air sears her lungs and the momentary loss of concentration that gives her is enough that the little strength she has is not sufficient, and she, too, begins to fall.
. o O Medes thinks "I hate Fimdari. I'm glad I can't be pregnant yet. Oh, Kusto. ... No. I'm not going to die like this. I saw. I /saw./ I'm not going to die like this. Medes Nar. ... I hate Fimdari."
Park is trudging along steadily through the snow, checking their direction and making slight adjustments with Nolte. He suddenly feels the tug on the line behind him as Vimes slips and falls. Unfortuanely, he's standing on a sheet of ice and as he tries to plant, his feet just slide out from underneath him. Just like the rest, he slides toward the crevice, trying in vain to grab onto SOMETHING to keep himself and his party from sliding into the abyss....
Sharei lets loose a shriek as he comes down hard on the ice. "RIIIIIX!" is all that gets torn from his mouth as he scrabbles at the ice, trying to find any kind of purchase to keep himself from going down.
Spect playing anchorman sees it all happening. It all goes in slow motion to the Operations Officer who porbably should have made the team take more precautions. He also plants his feet but gets tugged and realizes the ice isn't going to help him. He pulls out his transport in enhancer and tries to digg it deep into the snow and ice as he goes down and calls out to everyone, "Your enhancers! Use them!" he tries again and again to get a firm hold in the ice as he is the last one going down.
Nolte tried. She did. She's very fit. Her efforts are desperate. Femke hangs on to the weight of many of her fellow officers, you know, for about ten minutes, ten years, eons, whatever, of thugging it out, trying to pull people out, all that while just barely keeping herself on the ledge. This is what is referred to commonly as dramatic pause. Because she's thugging it out long enough to give some hope. Hope, sure. Until she comes ass-over-teakettle in the drink, crashing in finally with a howl. "Everyone! Make sure your neighbour is and stays afloat! We're getting out of here." She screams out, in line-seargent barks. We're getting out. That's a goddamn order.
Nolte tried. She did. She's very fit. Her efforts are desperate. Femke hangs on to the weight of many of her fellow officers, you know, for about ten minutes, ten years, eons, whatever, of thugging it out, trying to pull people out, all that while just barely keeping herself on the ledge. This is what is referred to commonly as dramatic pause. Because she's thugging it out long enough to give some hope. Hope, sure. Until she comes ass-over-teakettle down the ledge. One of her eyes freezing shut in a tear of pain. Being the last one, she's either going to catch a good grip on the edge of the ice be the final dead weight. Nice.
Nolte's final valiant struggles delay the inevitable, but it remains inevitable. Nolte slips over the edge and the team falls through the narrow crevasse of ice, slamming against the walls and bouncing like pebbles down a steep hillside. Oddly, the way widens after it seems certain they'd all become wedged between walls of cold, and the bouncing -- while painful and life-threatening in and of itself -- serves to decellerate them enough to make that final twenty meter drop not as perilous as it might have been. One at a time and in pairs, the team impacts with the hard ice and stone of the ground with bone breaking force.
GAME: Sharei spends a courage point.
GAME: Medes spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Sharei contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
GAME: Javits spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
GAME: Vimes spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Javits (claiming advantage) contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Nolte contests her Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
GAME: Spect spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Vimes (claiming advantage) contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
GAME: Park spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Spect (claiming advantage) contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
Park slams to the ground, thankfully the cold has served to numb him or that would have REALLY hurt. He lays there for a few seconds, taking an unconscious audit of his limbs, he sits up and looks around. "Everyone OK?", he asks. Well, at least they're out of the wind.
Javits lands in a heap with the rest of the team, the breath getting forcibly knocked out of him with a painful grunt. He lays there for the moment, catching his breath, then proceeds to check himself by carefully moving each limb. Responding to Park from his prone position, he raises his fist, thumb out.
Limb check. Arm #1? Yep. Arm #2? Yep. Leg #1? Leg #2? Yep, yep. Medes lies on her side on the ice, running through her inventory. Fingers? Toes? "Oh Prophets." Pause. "I shoulda brought my helmet," she mumbles under her breath. "The Boss is gonna /yell at meeee... /" Oi. "I'm... alive, yes."
Spect desperately tries to pick at the sided of the ravine on his way down. Stab. Pick. Pierce. But nothing seems to happen until he tries it with his head. well, that is what it would look like anyway. His head has even less effect, go figure. As his head jerks back from the impact with frozen solid ice his body seems to go limp as he is pulled down by the weight of the majority of the group. He lands -badly- on his legs, flops to the side, and then he doesn't move.
Nolte wiggles fingers, toes. Rolls her head to one side, slowly. She rolls over stiffly. Looking at the howling mess above. "I'm clear. Well. I'd always wondered what a crevass was like on the inside." She flicks her light on, and checks bearings. "Doctor Park, nurse Sharei. I think we have an injury." And she casts the light over Spect. Everyone." She climbs to her knees, now. "We've two options. Climbing out here, or travelling the crevass and hoping for a more generous ledge, and climbing out there."
When he first went over, Vimes actually thought for a split-second that the others might be able to hoist him and Javits back up again. But then the rope fell past him...again, and again. Muttering out, "..aww, nuts..", the security officer's plunge renewed itself. His mass plummeting him down into the ravine faster, on account of having fallen first. The impact drives the wind out of his lungs, leaving him laying there fighting for breath as his mind tries to register the fact that he and his team likely just set a new record for free-falling and making it out alive. At Park's call, he lets out a low groan and rolls onto his side, still trying to take stock of his injuries, "I'm good...no, really. God.." and rolls onto his back again.
Sharei's scream is cut short by the thud of impact. Fana must be looking out for him, since She saw fit to put a nice, soft snowdrift for the Betazoid to land in. He fumbles his way out of it after getting over his stun shock. "Oh, Riix, my head," he mutters, looking around. He frees himself from his cable so he can go to check up on Spect, digging with numbed fingers into his Nursely Bag for his medical tricorder.
The cavern in which they have landed does not bode well for escape. The ice walls are sheer and rise inward towards the narrow gap above. A trickle of water pours through this place, the likely reason for the cavern in the first place. Kasa was right. Somewhere, there's probably a hot spring. Somewhere. Far away from this place, that is. Some one hundred and fifty meters below the surface ice pack, the team has no hope of communications, transport, or sensor detection. Not in the storm, at least. Without climbing gear or rope enough to make good use of a climb if they did, that option seems right out the window. This is a case of sit, wait, hope, and pray.
Park allows Sharei to tend to Spect and begins to survey their options. He scans as far as he can down the crevice, seeing no other options available to them.
Park sees nothing. "OK, let's go ahead and erect shelters and settle in for the duration. Once the storm passes, we'll try to get a signal out so they know where to look for us.
Javits sits up and dusts himself off, checking his gear as he slowly, carefully stands, then glances about to the others, concentrating for a moment on Spect with a concerned expression. Turning away, he first peers one way down the length of the ravine, then the other, a decided frown on his face.
Medes crawls back up to her feet and nods slightly, scanning up and down the ravine as Javits does. Engineers, you see. They think the same. She peers up at the ice, down at the snow beneath her feet, bites her lips, shakes out her limbs.
Nolte bites her lip. She looks down the line. Unlatching herself, and coming to Park for a word.
GAME: Medes spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Regaining his feet, Vimes shakes his head a few times and then blinks to get the spots from his vision. Looking at the spot his screw-up got the team in, he then peels his lips back from his teeth, clucking his tongue as he scans the narrow slip that leads out of this impromptu set-back...namely the ice itself, before walking over to the two engineers, "What is the likelihood of a concentrated phaser blast being able to bring down enough of this ice to pile up high enough for us to start climbing and then able to get some better hand-holds and get ourselves out of here?"
<CONTEST> Sharei contests his Personal Equipment (Medical Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
Sharei's eyes widen a bit as he reads his tricorder, and he bites his lip. He thrusts it back into his bag, then starts fumbling out Stuff. Y'know--Nursely Stuff. A full-body wrap to keep off hypothermia. A couple of splints. And airhypos. "Hey, Aaron!" he hollers. "You'd better get over here! This is pretty bad."
Dim light from field torches, the cold, the noise of rippling water. The howl of the wind above.
The waiting.
Time: Mon May 12 15:50:09 2003
Stardate: 53209.1
GAME: Golden spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Golden (claiming advantage) contests his Planetary Tactics (Small-unit) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
The wink of blue light deposits Duncan and Roxsati within the confines of an emergency supply bunker on Fimdari, the very one where late the year before Am Tal collaborators tried to scare Golden into backing off Dakin's bombing investigation by trapping him into a meat processing freezer. Following the layout provided by Golden the two quick arrive at the appropriate supply storage and swap out the newly replicated replacement gear for the appropriately aged gear already in storage. This accomplished, and Roxsati carrying the bulk of the extra backpacks of gear, Duncan adjusts his Timecorder and the blue light swallows them again ---
--- and after a moment of disorientation they find themselves in a violent winter storm elsewhere on Fimdari, about a half a K from ravine that has become the current home of their missing officers. According to the land nav data they have stored they need to trek overland the distance and then prepare to deliver the gear as per their mission plan. Appropriate equipped duo sholder the extra packs over their own gear and head out....
GAME: Duncan spends a courage point.
GAME: Roxsati spends a courage point.
Duncan comes out of the habitual crouch he enters every time he makes a transit, and takes a quick passive scan of the area before commenting to Roxsati, "This weather should cover our approach pretty well."
Staring out at the blowing snow through his goggles, Roxsati nods in agreement to Duncan while he checks the equipment strapped to his body. "If it doesn't then we have no business being here." He says in a raised tone so his words will carry over the blowing of the wind.
<CONTEST> Duncan (claiming advantage) contests his Personal Equipment (Temporal Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Roxsati (claiming advantage) contests his Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
<CONTEST> Duncan (claiming advantage) contests his Planetside Survival (Arctic) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Roxsati (claiming advantage) contests his Planetside Survival skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Duncan contests his Athletics (Running) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
<CONTEST> Roxsati contests his Athletics (Running) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
GAME: Duncan spends a courage point.
GAME: Roxsati spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Duncan (claiming advantage) contests his Stealth (Stealthy Movement) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Roxsati (claiming advantage) contests his Stealth (Stealthy Movement) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
Roxsati brings out his tricorder and begins punching in the jamming commands. Once satisfied that their signals are properly masked, he gives his gear a quick once over, making sure that everything is in it's proper place and that no snow will get in. Quickly growing accustomed to the cold environment, Roxsati gives Duncan a thumbs up to show he is ready for the journey ahead.
The quiet tones of Duncan's temporal tricorder are lost in the wind and since he's doing a passive scan, he risks very little if any chance of discovery by the questing scans of the trapped starfleeters. Closing his temporal tricorder, he puts it away and adjusts his goggles and gear to prep for what promises to be a long and arduous one kilometer journey through deep snow and driving storm. Giving Roxsati a nod and thumbs up in response, he begins making his way through the mountainous terrain, having to stop several times due to the weight of his pack and equipment until he makes it to the first cover position mapped out and waits to catch his breath a bit before going on.
following Duncan through the deep snow and blizzard conditions proves to be harder than Roxsati had thought possible. He quickly finds himself growing tired as his strength is sapped away by the combined might of his equipment's weight and the sicky, wet snow that tugs at his legs with every step. Luckily, Duncan is having just as many problems as he is. The first stop is a welcome one. At least the burning in his legs will let up a bit. After re-adjusting his packs and catching his breath, Roxsati waits for Duncan to give the go ahead to press on.
After a brief respite, Duncan looks to Roxsati and says. "Now for the hard part." and begins making his way from cover to cover as quietly and carefully as possible, trying not to dislodge any ice or rocks to avoid starting an accidental avalanche instead of the "incidental" one that they have all intent of causing. Eventually after avoiding a crevasse and ducking during some very high gusts of wind, He makes it to the blast point, where he crouches down and waits for Roxsati decide how he wants to place the charges.
<CONTEST> Roxsati (claiming advantage) contests his Material Engineering (Civil) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!
<CONTEST> Roxsati (claiming advantage) contests his Demolitions (Military Explosives) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
GAME: Duncan spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Duncan (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
After looking at the terrain features, and the depth of the snow and the varius layers that it is in, Roxsati determines that the charge placement that was planned will simply not work. To place them here would create far too big of a slide than the one that is wanted. Turning to Duncan he says over the wind "This isn't going to work. If we put them here we'll bury the entire gorge in ten meters of snow. We are going to have to set up some sort of rigging on the other side of the slope." Pointing accross a large rock face he continues, "Right over there, I should think."
GAME: Roxsati spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Roxsati (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
At Roxsati's comment and instruction, Duncan makes his way over to the rock and begins setting pitons and a belaying line to work his way around said rock. After making sure the lines are secure he precedes to his first charge placement point and while Roxsati does his magic, Duncan sets up the next traverse. Slowly, carefully and above all quietly.
Hooking on to the rigging Duncan sets up, Roxsati makes his way across the vertical rock face. Once across, he checks the terrain over, deciding where and how he will place the charges. Once satisfied with a plan, he places the first charge under a small crag and follows Duncan to the next placement point.
Duncan moving to the next spot involves a little more work, traversing across a sheer rock face to the next point is accomplished with no small amount of work, setting pitons and eventually moving across the face itself. While dangling over the ravine, Duncan risks a glance downward and almost shrugs when all there is to see is more blowing snow, as the bottom is not visible at all from this hight.
While traversing across Duncan's great rigging work, Roxsati thinks back to his survival training and wishes that he would have been a bit more interested in mountain climbing. It would have made this much easier. Well, that and if it wasn't in the middle of a blizzard. Getting across and setting the next charge proves to be difficult. Between the wind rushing across the side of the cliff and Duncan suspending him at the proper placement angle, he's lucky he wasn't blown off the cliff or accidentally detonated the explosives. Roxsati feels a great pressure lift off of his shoulders when the final charge is placed. Signaling to Duncan to pull him up, Roxsati begins climbing the rope.
Duncan, having dug in a bit with his crampons, and fused in a few extra pitons is quite ready when the signal comes for retrieval, and begins pulling the rope attached to Roxsati, and eventually hauls him over the lip and back to safety.
Once he is back with Duncan, and not hanging at the mercy of the wind, Roxsati climbs to what he thinks will be the top edge of the slide zone and places the relief supplies where they will be carried on top of the 'avalanche'. Hopefully they will arrive at the gorge floor in good shape and not too buried. Turning back to Duncan and waving across the short distance to get his attention, the axanarian gives another thumbs-up, signalling that he is ready to go back to the extraction point.
Duncan glances up at the pile of "lost" provisions, his grin is lost behind the cold weather mask he's wearing but just a bit of a twinkle in his eye as he returns the gesture to Roxsiti and begins removing the pitons and coiling up rope as he makes his way back to the last traverse and soon hopefully to somewhere warm with a cup of hot coffee.
Returning to Duncan, Roxsati helps coil rope and get the remaining equipment secured. When everything is ready, he waits for Duncan to give the order to return to the extraction point. When that comes he follows the Trill back across the snow covered landscape.
Once they are at a safe distance from the slide zone, Roxsati stops, turns back towards the charges and says to Duncan, "Now for the fun part." With a smile under his mask, he thumbs the detonator and watches as a small part of the mountainside, and the supplies, begins sliding down into the depths of the gorge.
<CONTEST> Roxsati (claiming advantage) contests his Planetside Survival skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
Duncan watches the relief package gently descend into the ravine, then nods to Roxsati and begins making his way towards the extraction point.
<CONTEST> Duncan (claiming advantage) contests his Planetside Survival (Arctic) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
<CONTEST> Roxsati contests his Athletics (Running) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
GAME: Duncan spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Duncan (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics (Running) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
<PROVE> Roxsati has the merit of Indomitable at 2.
<CONTEST> Roxsati (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics (Running) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
<CONTEST> Duncan contests his Athletics (Lifting) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
During the trek back to the extraction point the storm came on even stronger, if that was even possible. Roxsati, following Duncan through the deep snow, didn't see the large boulder that barely jutted out of the drifting white. The instant that his foot came down, he heard a pop and felt the rush of pain burst from his boot. A small cry of pain was carried away by the wind as he pressed on for two or three more steps. That was it though, the ankle was either severely sprained or worse.
Duncan turns to check on his partner, and when he sees that he has fallen several meters behind, he trudges his way back through the snow and puts his arm around the fallen comrade. "Just like DTI. Always saving Timefleet's back side," he jests, trying to lighten the mood in face of the cold, blowing death. He slips his arm around Roxsati and lifts him. "Just a few more meters and then it's a warm bed and hot cocoa for you." He gives the man the support he requires and together they begin to make their way (even more slowly) toward the extraction point.
Placing his weight on his comrade, Roxsati says through chattering teeth "Next time we don't leave rescue supplies, lets 'not leave them' on a warm planet. Maybe one where the only white stuff is sand?" With that they trudge through the growing depths.
Duncan continues supporting his comrade on the way back to their extraction point. "Yes, warm planet next time, perhaps the starfleeters will be a little more considerate about where, next time they get into trouble."
Finally they return to their initial insertion point, the hungry storm and cold of Fimdari almost seems to increase in fervor as if the storm is alive and can sense they are about to escape... and escape they do, the blue light of their exit building like a star, casting pools of blue reflection about the snow... and then they are gone leaving only the wind, the cold, the dark .. and their fellow officers, behind.
Time: Tue May 13 00:41:33 2003
Stardate: 53210
Park looks at Nolte and Medes in turn. "I think that will help Dax in the long run.", he says.
Meanwhile... Femke Nolte has ventured from the close environs of the emergency camp, the storm and cold still fierce in what would be early mid-morning if they were back on S419, but it is still quite dark and cold local time. As she clears the sheltering lip of the side of the gorge they have found themselves in, there is a crack from far above... a sound that many humans would not immediately recognize but to one raised on this planet it means something particular -- the snow of the shelf rim has taken as much storm abuse as it intends to and now something from a small snow slide to a full avalanche is going to be coming down on her head...
<CONTEST> Nolte contests her Athletics (Running) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Nolte contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
Nolte knowsthat sound. She and Rishin faced an avalanche on a long trip together as children. She knows the creaking. It sends a surge of adrenaline and memory shock through the brown body which behaves as if it were blue, with the handicap of human frailty. She would not have gone this far, had she antennae. She would have felt it from far beyond. But such handicaps are learned around .Femke moves fast. That adrenaline works for her. She runs like hell. And she makes it. Fighting herself not to scream, it is a silent streak to evade the crushing weight of snow and ice.
<CONTEST> Nolte contests her Search skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
After reaching the safety of the lip of crevice, and having a moment to assess the situation, the bold young training officer realizes, perhaps with some relief, that the onrush of snow and ice that tumbled down was comparatively a small snow slide -- likely from very far up the gorge that she and her comrades tumbled down. As the last cloudy particles of snow come to rest she spies something out of place among the newly tumbled down debris -- something silvery and metallic, something with grey canvas-like material attached to it...
Nolte approaches this much very cautiously. Who knows what devices the Dominion sowed into the face of her beloved home. She calibrates her tricorder to scan for belligerant materials, ballistics. She does not move from her spon, until the space in front of her feet is scanned. She begins a slow and steady intent to that bizzare addition.
The energy scan on the Tricorder begins it's sequencing -- it immediately identifies multiple sources of Sarium Kelleride energy cells.
Nolte promptly looks up sarium Kelleride.
Nolte clears her head a bit. Sarium kelleride. Not enough sleep, too much worry. Like the momentary lapse when your braid wants to spell 'of' 'ov'. She tilts her head. Intrigued. Still caitious, she calibrates for Chemical.
The Chemical scan identifies alloys and polymer synthetics matching Federation manufacturing as well as complex chemical compounds typically of a pharmaceutical nature, and baseline common elements.
Nolte shakes her frizzy head. Good Lord. She scrambles the snow, grabs the package. Sits with a heavy butt into the snow. Flop.
Pulling on the metal, it takes some effort to pull it free, but even before it is complete taken out she realizes that it seems to be an Expedition Pack, the kind used for field expeditions of cross-country hiking -- and the style and design is clearly a civilian Andorian design not unfamiliar to her considering her background. The pack, though somewhat wet on the outside and dinged up, is heavy and obviously full of ... whatever it's contents are.
Nolte is thrilled. Taking a quick enventory of that which is available, laying it all out before her on the snow, like a kid with a deck of cards set out to play memory. Like each of them is a jewel on it's own. "Cor!" She hisses, stage whisper if there ever was one.
Taking a quick inventory she notices not only what is within the bag, but another banged up pack seems to have landed beneath the one she is unpacking. Within she finds neatly compressed and ready to deploy survival shelter tents, batter packs, thermal blankets, changes of clothes in sealed bag that are of a heavy Andorian style wool nature, freeze dried and self-heating foil wrapped foods, water purification canteens, a two burner chemical stove, an Andorian style survival knife, a compass, a climbing harness and two coils of rope as well as the accompanying rings and pitons. Moving on to other bag she finds more of the same, but in place of the stove is a field medical kit, a PADD which is configured in Graalen and seems to be a Fimdari survival guide with a map about three years old which is consistant since all the labels are in Graalen.
Nolte packs it all away rapidly, neatly. Her hands are practically shaking. She keeps the PADD out, and shoulders the two packs. Starts to r-u-unnnn for the camp. And yet again she stifles a few hoots and cries.
Shortly the youthful human is back to the camp...
Her little skullcap tight down over her shaved head, Medes is quietly packing snow around their makeshift shelter. It's something to do. It keeps her busy. She's humming a little song to herself under her throat, a ballad of some sort, keeping her spirits up. Trying not to feel anything too strongly, so as not to hurt Dax.
Park is watching over Spect, scans and checking vitals to make sure he's stable.
And so the camp is greeted with Femke's running feet. She with a camelback of things. She with the goods from mother fate. Or, well. Wendy Tyler. And so it is Femke then who has to tie a knot in her vocal choreds to keep them from exploding a holler. "I found some packs. I found.. they have -everything-. Real outfitter packs, like we used to keep.
Park jumps up and moves over to Nolte. He's.........stunned, to say the least. "You're kidding? What is in them?", he asks.
Medes's head pops up, and she lets out a little whoop. "----ing brilliant, Femke! Where'd you find... never mind, it doesn't matter." She stops off with the packing of the snow and hurries to meet the Andorian-trapped-in-a-human's-body as she comes back into the camp.
Nolte unpacks the manna from heaven. She explains what needs explaining, alien objects to human eyes. Gesticulating with the PADD, she begins to blabber to Medes in Graalek-- no-oo, wait. Stops herself. wincing. "It's a guide. Survival giude and-- clinging dear."
"I have a translator, Femke, it's all right. My... " Medes's eyes widen, and she practically /shrieks/ with joy. "Mister NOLTE! Why didn't you TELL ME!" She points, babbling, and then grabs up a chunk of machinery. "Look!" She turns it over in her hands. "It's an EMERGENCY TRACKING BEACON! Just like we put in the shuttles, we pack them under the floor with the emergency gear, oh, oh." Manna from Heaven, indeed. "/PROPHETS,/ THANK YOU!" And so she goes to turn it on, set it to hard ping. Please. Please let it work.
Park rifles through the packs, grinning broadly when he pulls out a large med kit. He goes through it. "I think I might be able to synthesize something for Dax will all this.", he says under his breath.
Nolte says, "Why I say we declare it Christmas day, all of us."
Park chuckles and says, "I"m surprised that this didn't have a ribbon around it."
. o O Medes thinks "You'll find us, now."
Nolte stands up, she smiles broadly at the parephenaila lain out hthere. "Oh, it's wonderful. I'm going to get to studying to this manual, to see if I can get more information on possible escape routes."
Medes's hands slide over the little bit of machinery, and she's practically in tears as the diagnostic runs and it turns on. "It's not new, but... it'll work. The battery checks out, this thing will run for /three months/ at hard ping, and longer at passive, but, Prophets, that's enough. That's enough." She hugs the beacon to her parka-clad chest for a moment before setting it down in the snow for the time being. "Let's get the shelters set up first, Femke, and then you can study inside." A pause, and she glances aside at Park. "Er. Really, it's his call. But that's my suggestion."
Park doesn't really pay much attention to the goings on. He's packing up the medkit and moving into the current shelter to treat Spect with his new set of toys.
Nolte sets the Padd down with a touch of relictance. But she'll go with the chain of command. "Yes, sir." Habitually officerial, she is. She begins to unpack the tents. Again, more or less familiar with the little details. Like how an Andorian folds his tent. She is quick, moving quietly, efficently.
And so with a sudden window of renewed hope and good fortune, the officers begin to put their providence provided bounty to good use -- despite the storm raging above, it's almost like a sliver of sunshine has fallen upon them.
Time: Tue May 13 20:35:46 2003
Stardate: 53212
Time: Tue May 13 20:36:14 2003
Stardate: 53212
The Away Team, trapped beneath the ice of Fimdari in a deep ravine from which there is no escape is granted a literal windfall -- or snowfall, if you will. Having somehow come upon a cache of equipment uncovered in a fall of snow and ice from the wall of the ravine, they have acquired a new hope of escape. More than that, a new hope of mission success taken from the jaws of certain failure and possible death in a cold, harsh Fimdari blizzard. The team has worked to assemble a pair of snowshoes and a makeshift shovel from their meager equipment. A tent and its poles having become sufficient materiel for the snowshoes they require. A medkit's lid and another pole having been phaser welded into a servicable shovel. Makeshift and possibly fragile as it all is, it represents the hope and desperate innovation of the survivors.
This and dim as the strip of light shed from above. But present, even in the darkness and the cold.
Park and Medes have agreed to make the journey to the surface in the hopes of finding the shuttle and managing the escape of the rest of their team. All that stand between them is forty meters of overhanging smoothworn ice and another one-hundred and ten meters of sheer jagged glacier.
No problem.
Park makes some final adjustments to his equipment. He's taking the lead, being the literal anchor of the pair, he moves over to Medes. "You about ready?", he asks. His usual easy and confident manner has been replaced with something else. Pure determination.
Medes tugs her little extra-insulation skullcap down over her head, tucks the hood on her parka up, makes a couple last adjustments to her equipment, and nods her head once. "I'm about ready." She's in full-on Wolf Mode, now, and she breathes out once, sharply. "Yes. I'm ready. Make me useful, Prophets. Make me useful." It's a prayer, in its own way.
Park nods once and tosses his PADD into the remaining medkit. He shuts the lid without a word, picking up the icepick and moving over toward the face, surveying it as he goes.
A smooth and glassy surface of ice stares back at Park with two hollow eyes and a haggard, unshaven face.
No. That's just Park's reflection. A ghostly image floating in the blue-white of pure glacier. Half-dead. Half-alive. Symbolic, after a fashion.
The curve of that wall reaches far overhead and sharply so. Straight towards the narrow gap through which dim light shines.
Park takes a couple of deep breathes, decides on his course, and digs his ice picks in, beginning his ascent.
Park takes a couple of deep breathes, decides on his course, and hammers in his first crampon. The ascent has begun.
Medes waits for the word from Park, literally quadruple and quintuple-checking every fastening, every knot, every piece of equipment. She gives a last glance at the makeshift camp and then /forces/ herself not to look back.
. o O Medes thinks "They'll be all right. Even if we fail, they can sit tight until the calvary comes."
The climb is increadibly slow. Park hangs from the lines, reaches as far as he can and hammers in the next crampoon. The progress, from the ground, seems to be about the same speed as an ant moving up the wall. Although this might be a tad slower.
GAME: Park spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Park contests his Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!
Somewhere in the middle of it all, Park misses a crucial clamping and after ten minutes of work, drops back to his harness point with a crash and jerk of his body.
<CONTEST> Park contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
Park grunts as he jerks, hard, as his harness catches him. He takes a second to get his wind back and then starts to move back up the rope.
Medes, still on the ground at this point, involuntarily winces. Once she sees Park starting up again, though, she just nods her head and checks the fastenings on her rope for the seventh time.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
The handoff of crampons is efficient this time. Park falls into a bit of a groove. After a half hour he's all of one third of the way up the face of the cavern and Medes is now dangling a few feet from the ground, spinning awkwardly and swaying slowly at the ascent. Park has, at this point, cycled his line. It's time to clamp in and rethread. And start the whole damn business over again.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!
<CONTEST> Park contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Medes contests her Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!
Park is breathing hard, but moving steadily, if slowly. Unforunately, the clamp is stuck and he doesn't wait to make sure the rope is actually hooked. He drops once again, jarring harder than before, considering the extra weight. Taking a couple of breaths, he looks down to make sure that Medes is OK before continuing.
Medes hangs her limbs as loosely as she possibly can, trying not to move or cause herself to swing back and forth in any way. She's as limp as a wolf pup being carried about by the scruff of its neck, and this serves to mitigate the jarring force of the fall and the stop. Park is given the okay in the form of a nod and a, "I'm fine, Aaron, keep going."
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
The next leg of the climb passes in a similar, hand cramping, body exhausting series of crampon ties and clamp climbs. By the end of it, Medes dangles several meters from the floor below Park, and Park swings from his last crampon a little over ten meters from the lip of the overhang. Just one leg more.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
Javits stands at the foot of the ravine, active tricorder in hand. He makes an occasional nervous upwards glance at the climbing Park and his dangling passenger as he monitors their ascent.
Nolte has more or less let go of the monitor job to let Javits do what his job is. She is pacing. She is grim. She does not want them to be alone in the storm on the land she knows. Excecuting a plan she made. Femke will be a stressball all day..
Medes continues to hang in mid-air. She is loose, limp-limbed. If Medes knows anything at this point, she knows how to fall, and she's putting that knowledge to good use.
Looking straight up at the progress being made by both Park and Medes, Vimes can only stand there helpless to help if the worst should happen. Unless he and Javits can somehow come up with a safety net of sorts...that would hold up to a hundred plus pounds coming down, after accelerating from a twenty meter fall...
After nearly two hours of climbing, Park reaches the lip of the overhang and feels the first, miraculous flake of snow which managed, beyond all reason, to reach that far down. The change in light takes some adjustment, as does the transfer to overhang to incline. One final transfer is required before Medes can be hauled up to begin her own climb to the top.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Javits tenses as he continues to watch Park and Medes' ascent, breaking away long enough to examine the display on his tricorder. "Almost there, good show.." He mutters, more to himself then to the two climbers, as if afraid loud noises will disturb the ice.
Park is looking only one direction, and that is up. He moves painfully slow, dangling precariously from the face. Finally, after what has seemed like an eternity, at least to him, he disappears over to top of the lip.
Nolte's hands are shaking. She watches with a squint.She sits. She wrings her hands. Gnaws the inside of her kcheeks raw. She won't look up anymore.
Medes continues to hang, loose and limp, until Park makes the transfer and she can start her own climb. She is patient almost beyond reasoning, keeping herself calm by leaving her eyes half-closed. And then, finally, she is hooked in and can start her own climb over the lip's top.
. o O Medes thinks "Exo-matter fluctuation calibrator pipes into the cyclic pattern deflector... results run through the di-phasic quantum buffer... sub-metric power deflector links up with the di-phasic positron coil..."
GAME: Medes spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Medes starts her own slow climb up over the lip's top, and soon disappears from sight. She continues, slowly, in the path that Park is trailblazing. The great thing about having climbing as a hobby is that all the time you spend climbing up junkyards in the holodeck with your cousin /does/ come in handy upon occasion.
At long last, the two man team of Medes and Park disappear over the lip of the ravine to begin the perilous climb back to the surface. The worst is behind them. The price of failure, however, grows steadily more costly with every inch of verticle they gain. The smooth ice of the overhang is replaced with jagged, sharp ice, frequent outcroppings and cracks. In short, a good many holds. None of which are certain for strength. Many of which threaten the bodies of those willing to risk their sharp edges. It's going to be a fun climb.
Javits exhales with a sigh as both climbers disappear over the lip of the ledge, then glances to the rest of the team as if the gauge their reactions.
Park takes a minute to pause once he reaches secures himself. Taking out the water, he takes a sip and looks up. Damn, it's a LONG way.
Medes reaches a gloved hand up for the water, edging up until she can reach for it. Thirsty. She's trying not to look up /or/ down, instead focusing on the moment. It's sort of an Engineer Zen.
Park hands the water down to Medes. He chuckles quite unexpectedly and asks, "Did I ever tell you how much I hate the cold?"
Medes takes a drink, clinging tenaciously to the ice face -- she's good at this tenaciousness thing -- and then hands the canteen back. "No. Did I ever tell you how much I'm starting to hate Fimdari?"
It's offered good-naturedly, mind, but with a note of seriousness to it.
GAME: Javits spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Javits (claiming advantage) contests his Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!
Did Fimdari ever tell you people how much it hates you? The light overhead is beginning to fade. It'll be night time once you get to the surface. Enjoy kids!
Park secures the water, takes another deep breath and begins to move forward again.
Javits peers at his tricorder as he taps a set of symbols on its display, then grumbles to himself as the device emits a rather negative sounding double buzz. Looking up to the ledge, he shakes his head with a frown, "Some sort of interference around here is limiting the tricorder's functions."
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Dramatically Fails!
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Medes contests her Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!
GAME: Vimes spends a courage point.
GAME: Javits spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Vimes (claiming advantage) contests his Coordination (Reaction) skill vs Medes's Fitness (Vitality) skill and Succeeds!
<CONTEST> Javits (claiming advantage) contests his Coordination (Reaction) skill vs Medes's Fitness Vitality skill and Succeeds!
Park begins his climb without much difficulty at all, picking what seem to be safe holds and having his assumptions hold true. It is Medes whose ice instincts need some polish. Her first hold has a hairline crack. Which, with the addition of her body's weight, turns into a wholesale fissure. When the ice gives way, her palm is cut deep and to the bone and her body drops to the full length of her rope. The rope jars Park above as it snaps, and Medes below when her fall abruptly ends. The rope she's on, however, tears through the clamp of Park's harness and Medes continues her fall to the ground below.
The first thing Medes screams when her hand is cut through would give censors seizures. Havaris Jiasha, however, would be proud to hear the way in which Thea manages the /proper/ Dakhura accent for her Bajoran ephithets. She finds herself dangling for a moment, and relaxes. When the rope tears, however, she screams, "AARON!" ... and then? She goes limp. Entirely so. She can't do anything but fall, and so she closes her eyes and lets herself go into it, whispering prayers as she drops down through the ravine.
Javits cringes as Medes looses her grip, tensing as the rope plays out, then gasps when it snaps and she begins to fall. Gripping his tricorder tightly, he sprints forward and dives for the point of impact.
Vimes's breath stops as he sees the engineer begin her plummet. When her rope causes her a brief moment's respite, he tenses and waits. Then the rope snaps, and down she comes. Baring his teeth with his jaw clenched, he shakes with nervous energy and adrenaline as he tries to time this just right...and then he moves. Spring just as she comes within reach, with Javits running alongside, they both takle into her, breaking her fall, and rolling into the hard-packed snow of the crevisse they've all been stuck in for the past few days now.
Nolte screams. It's something she can't help. It is half a sob. She buries her mouth into her parkasleeve. There are tears leaping to Femke's eyes as she watches the tiny body sail into freefall. There are stones in her lungs. Thea is falling. Femke does the only thing that seems right. She goes for the medkit, scrambling for supplies, with tears streaming now down her face. And her bones are rattling in her skin. Fear, fear. She grabs a PADD as an afterthought, in case she should have somethign to say, in case she should be able to say it. In case she never reaches Kusto to say it. In case.
"THEA!!!!!!!" Aaron cries out as he feels the rope jerk and then go slack. He winces, knowing full well how far down that fall is and what that is going to do to her. After a moment, with nothing else to do, he turns his attention back to the climb. Park moves more quickly now, not knowing how badly Medes is hurt, but expecting that she'll need more care than their meager camp can provide.
GAME: Javits spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Javits (claiming advantage) contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
GAME: Vimes spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Vimes (claiming advantage) contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
The impact is brutal, of course. Sheared from the side, Medes' body buckles even as it smacks onto the ground. The impact sends the trio tumbling in a knot of bodies, sliding across the icy stones, slamming into the wall with a crack and a thud. Nobody escapes without some sort of injury. They all wear the pain Medes would have worn in full, likely to her brief and brutal end. But Medes is alive. When she should be dead. And that's something. When the smoke clears, Vimes lies on the ground with a twisted knee. Not as bad as it could have been, but painful. Javits, similarly, has a few bruised ribs. But it could have been much worse. It's Medes who, in the end, lies on the ground of the cavern, still and unconscious, but breathing. Her hand bloody and coloring the ice in a steady dribble, her body bent awkwardly but not dangerously. Her left leg, on the other hand, does.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Athletics (Climbing) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Park continues on toward the summit with renewed vigor. He MUST reach the top. There is no other choice now. After a painstaking ascent, Aaron sees the top and, ever so slowly, pulls himself up.
Nolte stumbles to her knees. She stays beside Medes, she tries to suck it up. At least she's only crying, at least there's no sobbing in her face. "Thea, Thea. Bloody hell." She chants, looking her over, running the tricorder over the woman's small bones. She tears some bandage, applies deep pressure to Medes' hand. It's the best she can do. Checks pupils. Everyone else is conscious, they can wait. "Sir wake up. Please."
Gritting his teeth from the pain, Vimes takes hold of his knee with both of his hands, wincing as he pokes around for any signs of worse injury than might be readily apparent. Reaching for something to anchor himself with, he struggles to pull himself to his feet, leaning his weight against a rock and favoring his injured leg as he watches the medics move on Medes.
Javits struggles to his knees, holding his side as he drags himself over to Medes to make the preliminary airway, breathing , and pulse checks. Looking up, he gives Dovoro an firm nod and extends a fist, thumb out. He then turns back to regard Medes' left leg with a decided frown, gingerly moving to retrieve his tricorder before running a self-diagnostic, then using it to scan Medes, concentrating on monitoring her vital signs for the moment.
Javits struggles to his knees, holding his side as he drags himself over to Medes to make the preliminary airway, breathing , and pulse checks. Looking up, he gives Nolte an firm nod and extends a fist, thumb out. He then turns back to regard Medes' left leg with a decided frown, gingerly moving to retrieve his tricorder before running a self-diagnostic, then using it to scan Medes, concentrating on monitoring her vital signs for the moment.
<CONTEST> Nolte contests her First Aid (Combat Medic) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!
<CONTEST> Javits contests his First Aid (Combat Medic) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!
The wind howls mercilessly as Park crests the ravine mouth and flops into powder and snow. The only issue is that Medes, below, held the majority of the gear, acting as the deadweight for the first leg. Park has his phaser and his medical supplies -- oh the irony -- and two candybars on his person. The rest is climb supplies. Now very much pointless. Barren white waste as far as the eye can see.
That's 30 feet, by the way.
GAME: Park spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Communications) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Medes's leg is broken, and messily. Her hand is, in fact, cut to the bone, gashed and dribbling blood out over the ice. She's just not responding to Nolte's pleas that she wake. The little Engineer is, for the moment, out cold.
Nolte says, "For all bloody hell and this planet. I'm going up."
Javits looks to Nolte with a shake of his head, his jaw set firmly, "Ill advised. We don't have the additional climbing equipment required for such an endeavour. It's best that we do what we can to stabilize Lieutenant Medes and await the Doctor's return.
Nolte suits up fast. She knows Park won't get far. She also steals Medes' equipment. Steals her tricorder. Anf does for the rope. She betins to set about the strckly task of getting up on the still-imbeded crampons, with a look of utmst, feirce determination on her face. "Court marshal me. I encourage it. But he's dead in the water without a tricroder to find that shuttle. I'm going up."
Park doesn't bother to stand, since he's completely exhaused anyway. He pulls out his PADD from within the folds of his parka. Dusting off the screen, Aaron activates the device, tapping at the keys in an attempt to lonk with the shuttlecraft. After a few moments, the link is complete and he has acceess to the shuttle's systems.
Park's PADD glows with an almost painful brightness in the dark and gloom of the blizzard. His body, as he lies still in the snows, is already accumulating a coating of nice, warm, comfortable snow. Cozy, isn't it? Yes. It is. Still, the PADD cycles and eventually shows a miniaturized default LCARS display with the footnote: NCC-28190 Stockhart Type VI Shuttle. Awaiting command.
Javits stand slowly, wincing as he does. Looking to Nolte, he frown sternly, speaking with a calm, determined tone, "Ensign Nolte, I will make a formal report regarding your actions, if necessary. Operational Risk Management dictates that further attempts to climb will go beyond safe limits. Lieutenant Medes' fall is a testament to how unsafe the action was to begin with. We already have two injured officers and a further one out of commission due to illness. The Doctor knows the hazards of his location and I trust he'll handle himself well. Our best option is to remain here."
Nolte says, "He does -not- know this planet. He's no good to us -dead-. Sir."
If Medes were awake, she'd probably applaud that little speech. As it is, she remains still on the ground. Breathing? Yes. Heartbeat? Check. Leg? Still broken. Hand? Still bleeding. Chances are she won't be applauding anyone for a little bit yet.
Javits sets his jaw firmly, he frown deepening, "Ensign, stay here. He knows enough about Fimdari to not take unnecessary risks. I'd prefer that he not return to see three injured officers. Two is more then enough."
Nolte says, "That's the issue, sir. It's going to want him to stop moving. It's going to want him to take a little rest, sand soon he'll be so buried he can't move. He doesn't even have snow shoes."
Javits shakes his head, "Doctor Park took a calculated risk and succeeded. By continuing he's already breaking regulations." Pointing to Medes, he continues, "This is what happens when one fails in taking a calculated risk. I would prefer not to have you lying beside her. See if you can contact the Doctor via compin."
Park taps his communicator. "Park to Away Team."
There's a bit of a crackling over the feed, but the signal carries. That, with the resful and lulling sounds of Fimdari's winter.
Nolte's heart does tend to jump in her chest. She tapsher com. "Doctor Park. Sir. Have you a means of tracking the shuttle?"
Park says, "I have a link up with the shuttle's systems. I have a transporter lock on myself but I can't get on one you. I'm having the shuttle's computer record the exact coordinates of where my linkup occurred so that I can find you again. I"m going to transport on board and then try to move the shuttle closer. How is Thea doing?"
Javits seems to relax considerably at Park's report, slumping a bit as he kneels next to Medes for another tricorder scan.
Medes bleeds.
Nolte shakes her head. "She has a pulse. She's unconcscious, several severe fractures. What should we do? Keep moving, sir. Please. Don't stop moving. The snow will catch you faster than you realize."
Park drags himself to his feet and starts walking around small circles with baby steps so that he doesn't fall again. "Understood. Monitor her circulation below the breaks. Splint the fracutres if you can, but if you're not sure how to do it, don't move her. Try to get some blankets underneath her as best you can to keep her warm. Right now the biggest danger is shock, which will kill her in this cold. I'll contact you again soon. Park out."
Javits frowns at the cut on Medes' hand, shaking his head as he pores through the medical kit. Looking back to Nolte, he speaks with a hint of desperation, "Tell him to hurry."
Nolte blurts, "Hurry, sir. " Respectfully as she can get. Right. "Nolte out."
GAME: Park spends a courage point.
Nolte does as the doctor and Javits have said. She is fumbing and upset and over-worried for over-thinking.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Planetside Survival (Arctic) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Javits continues to monitor Medes' vital signs and assist Nolte as best he can in following Park's orders.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Transporter) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Nolte gets some stabilizers around Medes, for the hell of it. She is moving in nervous adrenaline. Medes seems to be in a far worse mess than Spect, at this point.
Park continues walking in circles, trying to stay warm as best be can. He links into the shuttle's transporter systems and, after a few seconds, manages to get a lock on himself. Aaron, signs deeply as he hits the 'energize' key and gets himself back on board.
Hearing Park's voice, amidst the static of the unstable environment, over the compin, Vimes can't help but grin. Peeling his lip back from his teeth again, he moves over towards Javits and Medes, "Anything I can do to help here? Just tell me what to do."
Javits speaks quietly to Nolte as he continues to monitor Medes and do what he can to help her render first aid, "I understand how you feel at the moment with us all down here, at least a little. Let's just pretend the climbing idea never took place." He offers a brief smile, then turns his attention back to the tricorder as he taps a symbol on its display.
Nolte is just. Quiet. She's certainly not up to, you know, chuckling it off. Whatever part of the situation made Femke want so badly to climb, the not climbing has rather deeply disturbed her.
Park appears on the pad of the Shuttle's transporter, appearing into the dimly lit cabin of the shuttlecraft. It's on idle, of course, saving its power for when it's needed. The interior is a warm seventy two degrees. Which, to the frozen Park, is a painful, needling wash of heat. It causes his skin to itch. It causes his nose to run. Then bleed, in fact. It's /dry/ in here. And /hot/. And though he's frozen, the clothes he wears are actually painful for their presence. And to think, to some people, this is sweater weather.
The only active system apart from the transporters and life support is the communications array. He activated that in getting here. Cycling repetitively is the following message.
"Captain Davenport to Thomas Paine Mission Operations Rescue Team. No Joy. I repeat. No Joy. Return to your base of operations and wait for extraction. This is an automated message."
Other than that, all else is silence. No wind. No breathing but his own. Nothing but the sound of Davenport telling them all hope is lost.
Outside, there is only snow. Feet of it. Covering the shuttle.
Javits looks up from his intense scrutiny of his tricorder, focusing on Vimes, "Absolutely. What sort of first aid training do you have?" He indicates Medes with a look of concern. "We could definitely use anything and everything we can get here."
Park moves into the driver's seat and activates the hailing frequencies with one hand. He uses whatever article of clothing he has handy to stop the blood from getting onto the console.
Vimes purses his lips as he nods, looking at Medes and then back to Javits, "Not a single lick of any, sir. If you want me to arrest someone or kick the bejeezus out of them, or stand guard by a door for six hours, then I'm your guy. Other than that, I'm utterly useless to you, sir."
The cycling message ends, replaced with the coffee skin of Davenport in her chair. "Lieutenant Commander Park. Report." Nice to see you, too.
Park cuts to the chase. "Approximately 2 hours after our arrival, the entire away team slipped into a ravine at the coordinates I"m uploading to you now.", he begins, sending the information as promised. "At this time I have 2 severely injured crewmembers with limited supplies. All the shuttle systems are operational. I will be attempting to pilot the shuttle closer to the ravine in order to get a transporter lock on the away team and beam them on board."
"Understood, Commander. When you get your team aboard, you stay there. Nobody leaves. Nobody goes /anywhere/. We have a solid enough lock on your shuttle, and we can dig you out of two miles of snow if we have to." Davenport shifts a bit before asking, "Have you heard from Kasa?" She tries to hide her concern. And she does it admirably well, considering.
Park shakes his head. "Negative, Captain. We were on our way to a probable location for them to be weathering the storm. I'll upload those locations as well. Once I get my team on board, I'll attempt to hail them from here. I might have better luck with the shuttles transmitter.", he says.
"Let me know, Park. Kasa was a friend." Davenport nods her head slightly. "The Thomas Paine is returning with a crew from 419 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Poole and Lieutenant Havaris. I though you might like to know. Once your team is on board, we can start relaying messages for them. I'm told one or more of the officers down there has a loved one on that ship." Another pause. "The storm will be breaking sometime in the next seventy-two hours, so we'll send in the ADF and the Thomas Paine's new Mission Operations crew to retrieve you. You've done one bang up job, under the circumstances. Davenport out." The viewscreen returns to its view of... snow.
Park turns his attention to the flight controls, locating the weapons systems.
Nolte comes to wait by Medes. She does, well. The only thing she can, really. Lays one hand over Medes not-cut-to-the-bone-one, andcloses her eyes.
Javits kneels by Medes' shoulder, opposite Nolte, maintaining a watch on his tricorder, doing all he can for the moment, and patiently awaits the Doctor's return.
Medes continues to bleed slowly onto the snow. She's lying there with a cut hand, her breath puffing upwards in little clouds, her leg bent at an angle which would be comical if it weren't so brutal. Nothing much has changed in the world of the little Engineer.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Weapon Systems) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
Nolte of all things takes to singing. It is a Lullabye, in Tswana. But it's one she knows, one she remembers. She sings it to Medes. It's a nice sound. There are clicks in the words. Like the Gods must be crazy.
Park locates the weapon controls and adjusts the emitters to fire a field. The snowpack is deep and he needs to melt it all if he's going to have any hope of getting to his people. Well, the setting look pretty good. He crosses his fingers and hits the flashing red button to fire.
Energy builds in the arrays, heating the points of the Type IV phasers until the snow withdraws into water and ice. Space is achieved, the energy continues to collect, and is then unleashed upwards at a neat 45 degree angle in a wide-beam. Ice turns to vapor as it is superheated, steam pours and bubbles against the hull, and in a few short moments warning lights begin to flash on the terminal of the shuttle. Warning lights that begin to wink out as quickly as they winked on. From outside, there is the howling of wind and the falling of snow. And then, without warning, there is a lance of red-pink light and an explosion of snow, ice, and steam. From here to the K'lia settlement and the ADF camps waiting out the storm, a brief and angled pillar of light shows briefly in the skies and then fades away, followed by a roll of exquisite thunder.
Park jumps immediately onto the flight controls, since he's seeing daylight. Or snowfall at least. As gently as he learned in the open space flight simulations at the academy, he eases the shuttle off the ground and into the storm.
GAME: Park spends a courage point.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Vehicle Operations (Shuttlecraft) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
The Shuttle pulls its way free of its icy prison and lifts through the channel of snow and ice up to the surface not far above. The shuttle skims low over the surface, moving at a leisurely pace. A bit of an anticlimax after the light show. But miracles tend to come in unassuming packages. Of course, he still has to land the thing.
Park couldn't be more tense if he was doing open heart surgery in the dark. Piloting a ship is not his forte, but he manages to get close to the coordinates for the ravine. He activates the landing cycle and tries to ease the shuttle down.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Vehicle Operations (Shuttlecraft) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!
The shuttle eases to the surface of the snow on its landing pads. And promptly sinks down to its belly. Which compresses the snowpack a bit. And sends a drift falling down the ravine in a bit of a small snowslide. Which lands with a huff of noise on the cavern below, spraying cold snow on just about everyone. But Park's here. And he brough the Shuttle with him.
Nolte looks up, bright-eyed. Holy. Crap. She taps her combadge.
Park blows out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He settles back into seat a little more and activates the shuttle's communications system.
Javits jumps at the cold spray of snow, snapping a quick glance upwards, then giving Nolte and Vimes an odd look, "I hope that's what I think it is."
Nolte says, "It's not my aunt Mdele."
A flutter of eyelids and a low groan herald the awaking of Sleeping Baldie, aka Medes. She coughs roughly, then starts her internal self-assessment. Torso? Check. Legs? OW. Arms? OW. Right. "O... ow."
. o O Medes thinks "----ing .... I'm /alive?/"
Nolte speaks, to her boob. "Left-tenant Park? Ensign Nolte to left-tenant Park."
Javits nods with a slight smile as he does his best to lightly brush the snow off Medes' face, "Stay still, Lieutenant. The cavalry has arrived."
Park can be heard chuckling over the comm. "I think with all we've been through, you can call me Aaron. Activate everyone's transport enhancers. I'm in position. Prepare for transport.", he says.
Nolte nods, She scoots about to do what needs doing on the incapacitated. "With pleasure, sir."
Vimes gives Medes a thumbs-up as he smiles before looking up to see the shuttle overhead. Focusing on the injured engineer again, he slips his hand into hers, "We're going home, Lieutenant. I'll buy the first round once we're out of the infirmary. I understand you have a standing reservation in biobed three?"
Nolte says, "We're all clear here, sir."
Medes closes her eyes, letting the woozy haze of pain kind of float around her. It's a familiar feeling, this. On an Away Mission, and hurt. Yep. Javits brushing the snow off of her face earns him a brief mumble of what might be considered thanks, and Vimes's statement is barely responded to. "... namepluh... " No, the talking thing just isn't working so well right now. Not trying it.
Park says, "Energizing."
Javits all but bolts up at Park's order, quickly heading over to the unconscious forms of Spect and Sharei and activating their transport enhancers, then checking the devices to ensure they're functioning. Lastly, he activates his own.
<CONTEST> Park (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Transporter) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!
Vimes reaches over Medes' prone body, switching on her enhancer, followed by his own before gathering up any stray equipment near them.
And so it was that with a little help from a friend, the Away Team managed to get the heck out of their icy hole in the ground. One by one the team begins to fade away, appearing variously upring on the transporter pads or on the floor of the shuttle for the less mobile of the team's members. Fittingly, the storm's intensity chooses this moment to increase, and it isn't long at all before the shuttle once more disappears beneath a blanket of snow. Only this time, its warmth is real. The comfort it provides an actuality. While smaller than even the most humble of quarters, the Shuttle provides a few things they desperately needed. Medical supplies, constant and regular heat, dry uniforms, food, and shelter.
The storm may howl without, but it does not blow their house in.
