One of Our Scientists Is Missing (part 7)

Posted on Wed Feb 24, 2021 @ 5:38am by Lieutenant Alanna Wells & Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca & Lieutenant JG Ace Cannon & Ensign Jessica Mayhew

1,176 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Si vis pacem, para bellum
Location: Up the Beanstalk
Timeline: MD -01

[PREVIOUSLY]

Ace growled at Travis. "First things first! We have to figure out what's wrong with Brianthe. I thought the safety of the crew was first." What a hypocrite! Moving to Brianthe, he touched her hand on her head lightly. "What's wrong? Tell me what's going on, if you can," he asked in a concerned voice.

[CONTINUED]

Travis scowled, but took the officer’s undeserved berating like a soldier. He peered into the mist, trying to discern anything. They were just floating there, and he tried to estimate how much time they might have before their boots failed and they went into a long trip to a hard landing on Pangea.

"I don't sense anything--or anyone." She shook her head, but it made the ringing worse. "Not even you two. And the beanstalk is gone."

“I always forget you’re part Betazoid,” Ace replied, somewhat amused. “First things first. Let’s see if this is like Jack’s beanstalk and we can walk on these clouds. I’m going to shut off my anti-grav boots. The rope should hold me if I’m wrong.” With that, he shut off his boots and stepped onto a cloud ground.

Travis turned back and frowned. “You don’t sense us?” he asked with surprise. “How is that--”

"I have no idea," she said. "I could sense you both, then we got...here...and now...nothing."

And then Ace did the stupidest thing imaginable and turned off his boots. Travis braced for the inevitable plummet that could pull all of them toward their deaths.

Bri held her breath. As annoying as Ace was, usually, she didn't want him to fall to his death, or, since they were still roped together, pull them with him. And then, nothing happened.

Ace held out his hands to Bri and said, "See! Just like Jack and the Beanstalk. Now, just in case not everything is the same, I might suggest that we be sure that each step on this cloud is solid. I have no issue taking calculated risks, but I'm not stupid!" He laughed hard in Travis' direction. He then looked over at Bri and wondered if that hurt her head. Concerned, he asked, "Are you feeling any better?"

She shook her head, then stopped, as it made it hurt more. "I've never experienced this before. No. One of my senses is gone." She carefully bent over, wavering just a bit, and turned off her own anti-grav boots. "Might need these later."

"Lean on me if you need it." Ace looked at Travis and then back at Bri and asked, "None of you might have considered bringing up some anti-inflammatories? I could help you by giving you a massage.” Oh, yeah, I could! Ace considered, imagining doing it with Bri's clothing all removed. However, Travis was here, and Ace was not into others watching.

He held his thumbs out towards the bridge of Bri's nose. "If you will allow me, I can push some of that pressure off to the sides. It might give you some temporary relief."

She considered that for a moment. "Just a little. We need to find Alanna and the beanstalk."

"I'm aware," Ace replied soothingly. He brought his thumbs to the bridge of Bri's nose. He then slowly, steadily, softly, but firmly pressed upwards towards her forehead, moving his thumbs slowly upwards and over each eyebrow, pushing the pressure away from her head's center. He repeated the process from a position slightly above where he started last time. Approximately ten times, Ace repeated this process until he was near the top of Bri's head. He then withdrew his hands and asked, "How's that?"

She took a moment before answering. "Better. Thank you." She looked for Travis. "Let's find Alanna."

“I have the emergency medical kit,” Travis stated, turning off his own boots to preserve the power cell. “It should have an analgesic in it.”

"Thank you," Bri said to Travis. "With this silence, I may need it."

Looking at Travis with disdain, Ace thought to himself, Travis clearly does not understand 'dibs.' He has no sense of how the brotherhood functions. What a moron! "Let's get moving. We can't find Alanna staying here." He looked out both ways, hoping that something would attract his attention to start moving in a direction.

Travis nodded and fell back, letting the officers lead the way, keeping an eye on the thick mist around them.

Bri sighed. Even without her empathy she could tell Ace was acting proprietorial. She was not a prize to be won, and she doubted Ace was even in contention.

After several minutes, they heard whistling. Bri altered course to where she thought the sound was coming from.

"What do you suppose that whistling sound was?" Ace asked curiously.

"I have no idea, but I'm going to find out," Bri said cheerfully. She occasionally corrected her direction as the whistling seemed to echo around them. She felt it was their best hope of finding Alanna.

Still tethered, Ace found himself following Bri whether she wanted it or not. The tether was probably a wise idea because who knew whether the cloud floor would suddenly disappear. That being said, the thrill of the chase was something that he enjoyed, as well. If it annoyed Travis, all the better.

Occasionally the whistling would stop for a few minutes, then start up again. As they got closer, Brianthe began to sing so that whoever it was would know they were coming.

Ace looked at Bri questioningly. "What are you doing? I mean, I know what you're doing, but why are you doing it? I'm not usually the cautious type, but we are in unknown territory.”

"Because I don't want to wander around for days trying to find Alanna. I can't sense her, and I can't call her, so maybe whoever or whatever is whistling is going to be friendly and help us. And if not, I'll leave it to you two to protect us." She shrugged. "Either way, we'll have more information, and that will help us find Alanna."

A stick-like grey creature came out of the mist, walking stiffly on its stubby legs. Behind it came Alanna. "I recognized your voice." She looked at Travis and Ace. "Hi. I assume you came up the beanstalk, too?"

"Indeed, grasshopper," Ace replied amused. "So, you know where Alanna is. Can you take us to her?"

Travis blinked as Alanna wandered out of the mist with some kind of alien creature. Well, that had been easier than he’d anticipated. “Are you okay, Lieutenant?” Travis asked, one hand slipping to his phaser, the other to the release of the tether at his waist in case he needed to move rapidly -- or tug Brianthe and Ace down and out of the way of any trouble. He eyed the stick figure warily.

(To be continued...)

PO3 Travis Nottingham
Security Officer

Lieutenant JG Ace Cannon
Assistant Chief Operations Officer

Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca
Assistant Chief Science Officer & Botanist

Lieutenant Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer

 

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