Creepy Crawlies, Part 2

Posted on Tue May 3, 2016 @ 10:34pm by Lieutenant Annora Tessaro & Lieutenant Liam Reynolds

1,477 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Pangaea (Wrap up)
Location: Pangaea, Then somewhere else...
Timeline: MD13/1145/Planetside evening rolling in

[Continued from Part 1...]

They hadn't walked more than a couple of meters past the sentinel when they suddenly found themselves no longer in the cave. It was as if they had been under a blanket and the blanket had been pulled off their heads. Now they were in a grassy meadow. A line of tall trees stood in the distance to their right. The sky was blue and sunny. There were no caves and no signs of civilization anywhere, except for the circular stone marker upon which they stood. It had Fae hieroglyphics inscribed on it.

Suddenly there was lots more light and it took a moment to acclimatize. "I guess we don't need the lantern any more," Liam said stepping forward to get a closer look at the symbols. "Anyone seen any of these before?"

Ambassador Voskene skittered aside to read the inscriptions. "Fae markings. They are similar to the marker inscriptions you found in the first cave. The one where two of your people were killed."

Crewman Nakada nodded is agreement. He holstered his phaser and flipped open his tricorder. "Yes. Some markings are exactly the same. This is good. With more information to work with the UT might be able to figure out the language." The little machine whirred and beeped as it worked. Nakada studied the readings with interest.

From somewhere inside the tree line came the sounds of howls and screams. Loud enough to get their attention.

In a flash Nakada drew his phaser again. "What was that?"

"I don't know but it sounds like its getting closer," Liam said darkly. He couldn't sense anything though, apart from the party by the stone.

"Perhaps we should make ourselves less visible," Voskene suggested. They were standing in an open meadow.

"Tactical assessment Lieutenant?" Liam asked Annora. "Should we head for the trees?"

"It's that or stay out here in the open. Let's at least approach the edge of the tree line and see what things looks like."

It was really a toss up. The open ground provided no cover, but at least they could see if anything was approaching. On the other hand, the forest provided cover but worked both ways.

As they talked three humanoid figures burst from the treeline. They were running from something, obviously panicked. All were wearing primitive clothing and had the look of people who had lived all their lives in the wild. Two were men and one was a woman.

As they ran a blast of green plasma-like energy came from behind them and hit one of the men in the back. He cried out in pain, then tumbled to the ground in convulsions. His companions didn't stop for him.

Annora was sure the prime directive somehow applied, but at the moment the safety of the away team took priority. Activating her stun baton, she was pleased to hear the electricity crackle. Swapping it for her phaser, she crouched down with the weapon pointed towards the woods. At the same time, she motioned for the rest of the group to do the same. The stone marker would hopefully provide enough cover from whatever, or whoever was shooting from the woods.

"You know there's an extra pair of hands here, if you want to pass over the baton thing," Liam suggested to the other woman as he crouched down beside her. He might be a diplomat but he had been in his fair share of dangerous situations and fights.

"The odd thing is I cannot sense them. Either something is blocking my abilities, there not real or its something we have never encountered before."

Another group of individuals emerged from the tree line. Eight of them. Presumably these were the ones who had fired that shot. Indeed, as they came fully into view it was apparent that they were carrying weapons of some sort. It was also apparent that they were not humanoid at all, but insectoid. Each had six legs although they were walking upright on two. Their antennae swayed involuntarily in the gentle breeze, sensing the environment around them. Their mandibles made clicking sounds as they spoke to one another. They seemed relaxed. They did not see the away team hiding nearby.

The injured humanoid was still on the ground, convulsing. He had been stunned and was immobile, but alive. The insectoids approached him carefully, forming a circle around him with weapons drawn. One gave the humanoid a kick in the ribs, then clicked excitedly at his companions. They clicked excitedly back at him.

Another insectoid drew a long, serrated blade from his belt. Then he knelt by the humanoid, prodding the man's torso along several points. The man grunted and groaned as he struggled to move. Whatever had immobilized him was still in effect. There was no escape for him.

The blade momentarily glinted in the sun as the insectoid raised it above his head. Then with a fast, downward motion he plunged it into the man's chest. The scream carried over a long distance among the rolling blades of grass.

Liam gasped. He couldn't sense any pain, well any life at all from any of them but what they had just witnessed was brutal.

Annora was no stranger to death, but even she had to admit the horror of what they had witnessed. Reaching around to the right side of her equipment belt, she grabbed her backup phaser and handed it to Liam.

"I'm still getting used to current rules of engagement. What's the protocol for a situation like this?"

"Well we can't interfere with a less developed civilization due to the prime directive," Liam said grateful for the phaser "And we really don't want to end up like that poor chap. So I think the best bet is to try get out of here. Out of sight from either of those species and that guys sword."

Still observing the insectoids Crewman Nakada muttered a curse in his native language, then said, "Look! What are they doing?"

"They are eating their victim," Voskene observed neutrally. Sure enough, the insectoid with the knife was handing out grisly pieces of flesh and tissue to the others, who chewed eagerly with their mandibles.

"Okay I am still on the its the best bet to try get out of here," Liam stated dryly. "I don't think any of us want to be the next course."

"Works for me. Strategic withdrawal it is. But if they get took close, all bets are off. "

Even without the Prime Directive, Annora had to agree with the decision from a strategic standpoint. There was only a handful of them, and an unknown number of the hostiles. Best to avoid an armed conflict in the present circumstances except for self defense.

Nakada chanced a look over his shoulder at the flat stone tablet. "Mister Reynolds, I'm going to scan those markings with my tricorder. If we can translate them then maybe it can tell us how to get back to Pangaea."

"Good idea," Liam agreed.

With approval granted, Nakada turned and crawled back to the stone marker. He hoped the grass was tall enough to conceal him.

Ambassador Voskene asked the next logical question. "If there is no way back then what are we to do?" It was directed inwardly as much as it was to the others. If they were stranded here for the rest of their lives then the implications were far more bleak for the Tholian. He/she could not survive in an M-class environment, and the environmental gear wasn't meant to be worn indefinitely.

"If there's a way to get here, there's a way back," Liam stated. "That," what was it? A guardian he mused. "That artificial life form thing said we had to return after 1 rotation of the planet. Nakada have you got what you need? Because I think we should head in the other direction into those trees."

Crewman Nakada closed his tricorder, slowly so as not to make noise, then nodded to Liam. "Let's go."

Liam led them through the grasses slowly as they made their retreat. Lieutenant Tessaro took point to bring up the rear. Everyone was nervous. It grated on Liam like course sand but there was nothing he could do to make the situation any better. The alien bugs keep eating their prey and didn't give them a glance. People were just beginning to relax again and they had just got to the trees when there was another almighty flash. Suddenly they were somewhere else.

It was a spaceship in orbit of the planet. They had been beamed up. Quickly they realized two more insectoids were nearby pointing their weapons at them. A third came out of the shadows. This one was holding an electronic device near its mouth. "Why are you trespassing here? This hunting ground belongs to the F'Aulan Imperium."

[TBC...]

 

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