Welcome to the Jungle

Posted on Sun Jun 21, 2015 @ 2:05am by

985 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Eye of the Beholder
Location: Fae Planet
Timeline: MD 03 - 1600

[ON]

Despite everything that had gone wrong the escape capsule's retro-rockets had worked right. The destroyed fighter's cockpit section came to rest under the dense canopy of trees with the nose section partially embedded in the ground. The impact had knocked the wind out of Graham. He waited in his seat for several long minutes afterward, catching his breath and marveling that he was still alive. He had never been in a crash before, and to have survived one was strangely exhilarating.

In the front cockpit his pilot, Ensign Shoni Muuhi, was slumped over in her seat. "Shoni? Are you alright?" Quickly he undid his straps and leaned forward, laying a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder. "Shoni?"

There was no response from the pilot.

Panic rising, Crackers toggled the emergency canopy release. It depressurized with a hiss. He pushed it up the rest of the way and scrambled out on hands and knees. "Shoni!" He leaned into the front cockpit. He was about to lift her head but reconsidered it. What if her neck was broken? How could he tell? There was a survival kit behind Shoni's seat. It included a tricorder with some medical functions. He searched for it in its designated compartment, leaning farther in until only the lower half of his body was visible outside the cockpit.

Meanwhile Shoni lifted her head on her own and groaned. Her eyes fluttered open. "Crackers," she said almost inaudibly. She turned her head in a slow, deliberate movement, trying to gauge how badly she was hurt. That's when she first noticed the abundance of foliage around her. They were in a jungle. Albeit not like any she had seen before. Most everything looked dead and was covered with a light sheen of frost. It reminded her of the haunted forests she used to read about as a girl.

She turned her head the other way and saw the pair of legs sticking out of the utility compartment behind her. "Crackers," she said. This time louder.

"Yeah, I hear you," he replied. He hauled himself out of the awkward position holding a small, metal case. "You were out for a few minutes. How do you feel?" He asked. He flipped open the case to reveal a tricoder resting in protective foam.

"I'm alright," Shoni said. "A bit sore from the impact. Kind of dizzy. It'll pass." She released her straps and tried to move. A jolt of pain shot upwards from her lower abdomen. "AAGH!" Suddenly it was hard to take a breath.

Crackers instinctively put a comforting grip on her forearm. "Wait, don't move!" With his other hand he flipped open the tricorder. It automatically began making its distinctive chirping and whirring sounds as it took readings.

Shoni protested. "I want to get out of here! It's not comfortable!" She winced again and took sharp, shallow breaths.

"Wait!" Crackers snapped. As he read the display his face turned grim. "It says you're bleeding from the serous membrane lining the thorax and have a perforated liver."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. I'm only telling you what it says here."

"It doesn't sound good."

"I agree."

Shoni took more rapid, shallow breaths. She wanted to get out very badly but big movements hurt. "Is our emergency locator transmitting?"

Crackers nodded. "Yeah, it is. Hang in there, okay? They'll be here any minute." He looked up through an opening in the trees. The sky was reddish-orange with only a few thin clouds. Perfect flying weather. A shuttle craft would not have any trouble getting down here.

"Why aren't they here yet, Crackers?"

"I don't know."

"What's taking them so long?!"

"I don't know, Shoni!" Crackers snapped. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, willing himself to be calm. "I'm sorry. Let's keep it together, alright?" He released the latch on his helmet and pulled it off. The air on this planet was breathable but had an odd, electrical smell. It was also surprisingly chilly despite the sun overhead.

Next he helped Shoni get her helmet off. It helped her to feel less confined. "I don't want to die in this place," the Betelgeusian confessed. "Don't let me die here, Crackers."

Crackers grasped her hand in his. "Hey, what kind of talk is that? You're gonna be fine. Got it? We'll get you back to the station, get you patched up, and then we'll get you a date with that fella you've had your eye on. What's his name again?"

Shoni rolled her eyes. "He doesn't like me. Probably thinks I'm ugly."

"Well, we'll just see about that," Crackers replied. He pulled the zipper down on his flight suit, just enough to reach in and tap his commbadge. "Prowler One-One-Five to station ops. Do you read? Over." The little device hadn't chirped when he touched it, suggesting that his signal wasn't getting through. Maybe some residual interference from that inter-dimensional phenomenon? He wondered if it was also affecting their emergency locator, and cast a worried glance at his pilot.

"What do you think they'll name this planet?" Shoni asked.

Crackers thought for a moment then shrugged. "I think they should name it after us. I'd be surprised to find out anyone lives here." He turned in a slow circle, taking in their surroundings. The frost was beginning to melt now. Tiny droplets of water pelted them from above. This planet, whatever it was called, was slowly coming alive again.

A short distance away something rustled the bushes and skittered away unseen. Crackers froze and waited, but nothing else happened. The bushes were still again. Slowly he raised the tricorder and pointed it in that direction. The little machine whirred. When Crackers looked at the readouts he shook his head. "Well isn't that just my luck," he said bleakly.

[OFF]

Ens. Shoni Muuhi
Fighter Pilot
(NPC Bert)

Lt. (JG) Mitchell Graham
TSO
(NPC Bert)

 

RSS Feed