Inspection

Posted on Sun Feb 7, 2021 @ 3:37am by Second Lieutenant Sh'Zera & Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Means III & Master Sergeant Miranda Schultz

2,156 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Si vis pacem, para bellum
Location: The Portal Complex, Pangaea
Timeline: MD 2 0800

[ON]

Second Lieutenant Sh'Zera and Master Sergeant Schultz were waiting at the gate when Means and Stone arrived to view their new domain. Once they had emerged from the shuttlecraft, she saluted. "Welcome to Pangaea, sir."

Schultz saluted at the same time. With all the scuttlebutt flying around, she was curious about the new CO.

Travis was definitely looking around now, and took a deep breath of the fresh planetary air. Rumors and all had reached the far corners of the quadrant, and the material in the briefing only fueled his desire to learn more. At the moment, he was waiting on Nick to go through the procedures while assessing the potential nightmare this place presented in terms of security.

"Welcome to Deep Space 5, sir," Schultz said.

Pulling the unlit cigar from his lips Means returned the salute. "Thank you." Off to the side he saw their new vehicles and other equipment had been staged for use and he nodded in its direction. "How do you like your new toys?"

SH'zera gave him an gleeful little smile. "We like them very much. Shame there's not much call for them really. But I'm sure we can find an excuse or two."

"Good. Make sure everyone is up to speed on them. With this planets atmospheric issues ground transport may be needed, even more practical, than shuttles. Besides, better to have and not need than to need and not have.

"So what kind of details on this place can you give me that weren't included in the official brief?"

"Nothing down here is official, sir," Schultz said. "It's a little muddled. Captain Soran is over the planet, but Lieutenant Wells is over the portal complex and the ruins on the planet. They're under Federation Sciences. However, Wells is under Soran, too and the sentinels take orders from Soran. We're the security force in the portal complex and keep the scientists safe." She nodded in the direction they needed to walk as she spoke. "We also do some exploring of the portals themselves to see where the portals lead. Some go to the same place each time. Some change location, and some just don't work. We aren't sure why. Then there's the problems with some of the colonists to add to the mix."

Means arched a brow as they walked. "What kind of problems?"

"Mostly curious locals just coming for a look. We're a couple of hundred clicks from the main settlement, its supposed to be just us, but you know people, especially humans. IS there something there? I must look at it. But..."

"And there was an attempt to breach the facility a few months back by the Raddon Corporation," Schultz added. "They failed and Captain Soran kicked them off the planet. And some creature. But it couldn't breach the force field."

Means was lighting his cigar during the run down and after a few puffs to get things going he drew in, lifting his head, and blew out a ring. "I had half expected that report to have had Ferengi causing the trouble. What other measures are in place in addition to the force field?"

"Just that." Sh'zera told him, "Plus regular patrols and occasional fly overs from the air group. Scanners aren't always reliable, though we've allegedly got blanket coverage. But we haven't needed more so far. And doing anything inside the caves is counter productive. Too many of the transits are random, we'd be walking into our own traps more times than not."

"And Wells did something to the defense systems to alert us and the station when someone enters our airspace," Schultz added. "I know she caught someone once when a shuttle got through the Starfleet sensors."

"'Did something'? Unless you know what was done you don't know what coverage you actually have nor what vulnerabilities remain." Glancing to Travis, "Let's get some proper defense in depth established. Double and randomize the patrols, set up some OPs (observation posts), and with the sensor interference setup some old school thermal detectors. We can leave the Stryker near the entrance for use and as a visible display of defensive capability, but let's get a couple BTVs (Bandit Tactical Vehicles) deployed and concealed for defensive cover."

"That's a bit overkill for a single unknown entity and a couple of drunks isn't it?" The Andorian officer asked doubtfully.

"No." Taking a draw on his cigar and letting the smoke out slowly. "Single unknowns have a tendency to become multiple, there was a Federation Starship attacked and destroyed not long ago, there are have been multiple incidents on the station, and there was a Breen attack on a joint Federation-Klingon mining operation not far from here. But more importantly, answer me this. Is is easier to establish defense in depth before or after the shit happens?"

Taking another draw and blowing it out he waited for his answer.

"Point taken sir." Sh'zera indicated the cave entrance. "Shall we?"

"Just clear it with Wells first. We're not in charge here," Schultz reminded him.

Means thought for a moment. "Wells...Wells??? Oh yes the stations Chief Science Officer. Well the portals are a science project, however the defenses outside are not. Besides...last I checked a Lieutenant Colonel out ranked a Lieutenant."

"It's not the rank, sir," Miranda said. "The planet is under the jurisdiction of Captain Soran. The portal complex is under Federation Sciences, and Lieutenant Wells is the person in charge. We handle defense and support. We go through the portals under the direction of science. Any changes you want to make without permission will have to happen outside the complex." She had a feeling he was going to do what he felt best regardless of permission.

"Well it's a good thing that the majority of the defesive placements are outside the portal than isn't it? Although, we will need to know what last resort measure the Captain will want taken. That will require their appoval and I will get you that. In the mean time you have your orders."

>>tag Shulz

Nodding as he smiled and gestured towards the opening. "Absolutely. I must admit I've been curious to see what's been found here."

She handed him a small block the size of a hockey puck. "Signal booster for scanners and transporters. The signal isn't great down there, the ypical interference of the planet is even worse. On a good day, if you get lost, one of these can find you, and beam you out. On a medium day, we can still take a good guess at where you are, and come get you."

He was curious if they knew what was causing the fluctuations but that question was probably better suited for the science types. "And on a bad day?"

"On a bad day, walk and hope."

They passed under the over hang towards the cleft into the read of the entrance cave, with the red line neatly painted across it. "transits in the cave are non-linear. We used to think that the different types we've come up with are fairly stable. Now we're not so sure. So its not as strong a system as we thought, but in the abscence of anything better..." Sh'zera trailed off and turned on her torch. "Red is utterly random. As long as we stay close, we won't get separated. But a gap of more than a minute after the person before you crossing a line will split the party." She crossed the line into the tunnel.

Following closely he took in the details. "I take it the science teams have been unable to stabilize these transits?"

Sh'zera shook her head. "Not to my knowledge. The problem is the transits themselves have so far proved undetectable."

They stepped out of the narrow stone channel, that seemed only seven or eight meters long into a cavern approximately ten meters square. "Oh," Sh'zera said, "Well this is helpful."

The cave was not natural, or even roughly carved. This one was not only worked, but tiled in an a cream marble with gold and beige veins. There were four openings, one in each wall, each marked with a portico supported by elegant doric columns. On one wall had been painted a large "57" and in front of each portico was a painted line, one green, one red, one yellow, and as they entered, they stepped across and orange line. In the centre of the room were two more Doric columns, 2.5 meters tall and half a meter across. The were perpendicular to their arrival, and just beyond was a statue faceing away to the green lined door, standing at attention, holding a spear to one side, and a long ovoid shield on the other.

"We number the chambers when we find them." Sh'zera explained. "Fifty Seven is about 800 meters from the front entrance, and about forty meters down. Its also unusual in that's its one of only a handful of caves we've found that are so decorated. Most are just natural caves."

"Do any of these chambers lead to anyplace else? How many have been found so far?"

"Yes, sir. The portals lead to other places, other times, and other realities. Some lead nowhere at all, and some are forbidden," Schultz said. "As to the number, it depends on how many were checked today. Sometimes we explore, and sometimes we have to focus on something else."

"For example, at least one of these doors goes both ways." Sh'zera said. "And the statues have a party piece." She walked up to the statue and looked at the angular face. "I serve as you serve. Long Live the Queen!"

The statue remained statue like for a moment, and then with the grate and rasp of granite on basalt, the statue stepped aside. "I stand vigilant. The way is open, until the moon sets rises and sets again."

Sh'zera steps back. "They don't have any brain waves, so its taken months to get enough data to get the UT to work. Its still only 60% functional. But its enough that we've got as far as understanding the basics. Like how to get them to open up, how long the door stays open. "

"Makes things a lot easier now," Schultz said, remembering how hard it was before. "We're making better headway now."

"I understand the was an issue with some from one of these alternative realms."

"We had visitors." Sh'zera confirmed. "We're not sure how. Its how we found out the transitions shift. They came out in a cave where we thought we knew the exits, and they ended up going round in a circle between their portal cave, and cave twenty four."

"The portal they came from was destroyed," Schultz added. "It also brought about tighter security and more monitoring."

Nodding approvingly. "Good. Well you may have been short handed before but now we have plenty of people to put to work. How big of a detachment would be needed to get the job done right?"

"It depends on what job you're referring to, sir. Inside the portal complex, you have to talk to Lieutenant Wells. If it involves the colony, talk to Captain Soran," Schultz replied. "We're occasionally called to do both."

"I see. Then what do you need to do both without one compromising the other?"

Sh'zera thought about it. "We could do with probably three times what we have now. That will let us run more scouting runs inside the caverns as well as getting extra boots on the perimeter. And it will let us double patrols around the colony. With the cardassians being kicked off the station a few weeks ago, I trust that lot about as far as I can throw a nausicaan."

The brow over his patch raise as he took another draw on his cigar. "Nor do I. I'd probably still have my eye if it wasn't for them. I'll have reinforcements down here before lunch. I also noticed a clearing on the way in. I'm going to schedule some training drills and have the Marines I brought from Falkirk bring everyone, previously on the station, up to speed on the new gear."

"I agree," Schultz said. "The Cardassians and the Raddon Group aren't to be trusted. A bigger Marine presence on the planet itself would be a good idea. Especially as we do security for the colony, too." And seeing Marines around the portal complex would be a big deterrent as well.

"Have you enough down here, or would you like to see more sir?" Sh'zera asked.

"I think I'm good here. Let's set things up for a surprise deployment drill tomorrow evening at 1730. Once on the surface we can set up camp, mobile command, and begin the equipment orientation."

"Yes sir, with any luck it will only take 4 transits to get back topside."

[OFF]

Lt. Colonel Nicholas Means
MCO 21st MEU

2nd Lt Sh'Zera
Marine

Master Sergeant Miranda Schultz
Marine

 

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