The Emerald City (part 2)

Posted on Sat Oct 5, 2019 @ 3:35am by Lieutenant Alanna Wells & Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca & Lieutenant Annora Tessaro & Lieutenant Jason Haines & Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin & Lieutenant Commander River Morgan & Ensign Jessica Mayhew & Ensign Tizo Criteser
Edited on on Thu Oct 10, 2019 @ 5:55am

1,205 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: Somewhere
Timeline: MD 8, 2200 Hrs

Previously in Emerald City (part 1)

"You're right, and it's not even subtle, nor in the early stages." She hurried to catch up with Brianthe and agree with her conclusion about the radiation poisoning.

"All the more reason for us to stop this," Brianthe said to River.

River nodded seriously and with heartfelt agreement.

And now, the continuation

After walking about some, investigating, and getting turned away from people when they asked about the Prophet, the group ran into two individuals who look similar to the ones they first met. One of them has an ocular device like many Borg, and they both have what looked to be the weapons from earlier.

"We hear you are asking about the Prophet," the one with the ocular device said. "Not necessarily a wise idea. Put those weapons down and maybe we can bring you to him."

"We'd like information first," Brianthe said. She wasn't about to put down her weapons until she knew she wasn't going to be attacked.

"We're not looking to threaten him or become his prisoners either. We just want to know more about him and how this all works here," River asked, gesturing around herself to hopefully include whatever "here" would encompass.

"So, you want to do this the hard way," the one with the ocular device said, and a whine started to come from the wrist weapons.

"Oh, no, you don't," Brianthe said, cocking an arrow and shooting at the man’s wrist. "We've played this game before, and I don't like it."

River jumped, startled at the speed with which Brianthe had been able to react, but impressed at the same time.

The wounded man grasped his wrist and howled in pain, but the whining noise stopped, which was the most important outcome.

"You're going to regret that!" growled one of the other men, lunging forward to grab Brianthe, only to suddenly find himself knocked to ground as River came up and caught him from his blind side as he focused on his own intended target. With one man on the ground and another shouting out in pain, there was a roar of anger and confusion from the others.

"Oh shit," River muttered as she scrambled up to her feet.

"Thanks," Brianthe said to River.

She cocked another arrow and looked around. "We don't want trouble. Just let us go on our way and we'll leave you alone."

"You might not want trouble," the man said, "but you got it. The Prophet has been waiting for you all to come see him since you all got here. You ain't welcome here in the town, and I don't know why, but the Prophet wants to see you all, so you might want to scamper up the mountain."

Brianthe looked at the others, not sure what to make of this bit of news. "Can you give us directions to find him?"

"Look up the mountain, girl, or are you blind?" the man said. "That's the temple."

Brianthe chuckled. "I've never been to a temple where I'm threatened one minute and told to walk in the front door the next. I expected some sort of directions so we don't get shot on arrival, but if you say we don't, then we'll be on our way." She nodded to the others. Might as well get going before they decided to stop the group again.

"I didn't say you wouldn't get shot on arrival", the man said laughing.

River fell in beside Brianthe. "Should we proceed up there? Aren't we just supposed to be scouting the town and reporting back?" she asked.

"I think if we stay any longer, we'll get a more hostile reception," Brianthe admitted. "It might be best to go up there and let the others know the prophet already knows we're here." She looked at the doctor. "What do you think?"

River looked back at the hostile, angry townsfolk. She still felt instinctively as if she ought to offer to help the wounded men now, but then again, it was clear that would be as unwelcome as their even being there in the first instance had been.

Nodding to Brianthe in acknowledgement of hers being the best plan after all, River kept walking up the side of the rocky outcrop ahead of them, keeping pace alongside the plucky ensign.

It was called a mountain by the lowlanders, but to River it looked like a big pile of gouged up rock that could well have been the final stopping place where the crash-landing of a huge spacecube had finally come to rest, having scooped up the rocks beneath it until it eventually stuck fast in an uprooting of its own making. Perhaps most mountains happened that way, only natural ones were more likely pushed up or together by tectonics, but what did it matter? Up they had to climb, and they soon became slightly breathless as they were hurrying away from the scene they had just left below, and the slope was pretty steep and demanding.


The Borg Wreck

Jessica picked out what looked like a good trail that circled around the village and to the back of the Borg cube and headed off into the trees.

Alanna followed Jessica, letting the security officer take the lead, while she studied the area around them.

Yolanthe walked with the science officer, relaxed and ready. she had a machete in a sheath on her back, and a small axe hanging from a loop on her belt, next to several coiled bola made from braided rawhide and lead weights. Her skin was a pretty periwinkle, her braided hair a shade or two darker. "Can their friends really be saved? I mean, it’s Borg."

"It was Borg. I think it's more quasi-Borg now," Alanna said. "Whatever it has become, he, she, it doesn't have the technology to make Borg minions. You saw the men at the saloon. I think it's more a case of either wanting power, or being afraid to resist. So, without the prophet, or whatever, I think most will return."

"Kind of hard to bring people in alive without phasers set to stun." Yolanthe frowned. "Not if they're fighting back. Easy to get hurt. Easy to kill."

"We can always knock them out, or make them surrender," Alanna said. "If they won't fight back, we don't have to kill them."

The tall woman gave a little shake of the head. "You've not tried knocking people out much, have you?"

"No," Alanna admitted. "I generally chase them off or stun them." She looked down at her weapon. "And I don't have a frying pan."

The Bokkai's blue shading got a bit less saturated. "Well, let’s hope you don't need one."

Alanna grinned. "Yes. I don't think I want to face a Borg with a frying pan."

(To be continued...)

[OFF]

Alien Villagers
APB Lieutenant JG Jason Haines

Lieutenant JG Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space Five

Ensign Brianthe Oaxaca
Botanist
Deep Space Five

Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner,
The Box of Delights

Lt Cmdr River Morgan
Acting CMO - DS5

Lt Annora Tessaro
Chief Security Officer
DS5

Ensign Tizo Criteser
Security Officer
DS5

 

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