"Straight on towards the mountains then," D'rala replied. She hoped Zogoyah was right that it was survivors. Either way, it might be a safe place to land.

"Straight on to the mountains, Aye," the Gorn's fingers moved more confidentially across the controls.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:22, Tue 07 Dec 2021.

Trainor did respond to the calming demeanour of the your med-tech, and was able to get himself into one of the many vacated seats ... and strap himself in.  He looked pretty uncertain still, and embarrassed.

But he was resolved to calming himself and proving himself more competent as the mission went on.

Kezik's attempts to lock on to the Federation signal was successful.  The magnetic anomalies seemed to be higher in altitude, and while their influence was still felt... it was much less severe.

The coordinates jibe with the colony's shelter, north of the settlement per the shuttle's downloaded data files. By shuttle, it's only a few minutes away.

The power signals are minimal, operated by primitive backup systems.  According to the database, the shelter is a thermal concrete building set into the side of a mountain.

Zogoyah suggested a comms attempt, and T'Lara obliged, doing her best with the shuttle's COMMS.  D'rala ordered them straight on to the mountains, and Zogoyah obliged, while Trainor recovered his composure thanks to Amamiya.

In response to T'Lara's hail, a staticky reply crackles through the Sacajawea's cabin.

"Sacajawea... is Assistant... Russell.  Admin... dead... attacked by... creatures.  Please help."

Focusing on the controls, P.O. Zogoyah didn't waste the breath to comment, but the message received was grim indeed.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:51, Tue 07 Dec 2021.

The ASO gave a sign of relief and relaxed a bit in his seat as the shuttle settled down some, and contact was made. "Well, at least there are some survivors. This little trip wasn't all for naught. And that was some good flying, Petty Officer!"

As the shuttle moved closer, he kept a sharp eye on the sensors for any anomalies ahead or a change in the magnetic flux above them.

With Trainor back in his seat - no need for the tranq - Azami navigates her way back into a seat of her own.  There's a great deal of back-and-forth occurring in the cabin, but all of the important chairs are full and she doesn't have anything of value to add. Rather than inserting herself - pointlessly - into the middle of the discussion, the young woman instead chooses to carefully seat-hop (skipping any occupied places) until she reaches her original place...and her gear.

Then it's just a matter of strapping herself in, the hypo slid into one of her jacket pockets.  After that, Amamiya closes her eyes and fights to calm her breathing; she's so far from her zone of comfort at the moment, she couldn't make it out with a giant space telescope.

She needs to get her feet on the ground.

"Great work, everyone." The situation seemed to be stabilizing, if only for the moment.

The news coming over the comms was grim, but D'rala had been expecting worse. Survivors in need of rescue was best case scenario, considering the barrage of highly lethal lifeforms.

"T'Lara, ascertain as much you can about their circumstances. We need to know what we're about to drop into."

T'Lara nodded, and opened the channel once again.  The electromagnetic interference made communication difficult, but it was prudent to try again and again rather than fly directly into the unknown;

"This is the Sacajawea, we are on our way.  Are there any hostiles in your area?  What is your situation?"

"This is Deputy Administrator Elyse Russel," came a static-filled, but decipherable voice over the comms.  "No immediate hostiles... many injured.  Please hurry."

The Sacajawea skimmed the earth at high velocity, fast approaching the emergency shelter of the colony survivors.

The shelter is a thermal concrete building set into the side of a mountain. It has a fortified door large enough for a shuttlecraft to fly through easily. Two turrets with medium-powered phasers sit just outside. The dilithium mine is a natural target for hostile governments or criminals, so Starfleet made sure that the colonists have at least some means to defend themselves.

Clinging to his seat, Daniel did his best to slow his breathing, and remain calm.

As the shuttle approaches the shelter, assuming that the magnetic flux in the sky, Kezik will shift his attention forward checking for anything anomalous at or near the shelter.

"Many injuries, hm? I wonder if we'll be able to establish a safe means of transport back to the ship? It sounds like we'll need more resources down here. Or maybe just the means to get these people to Independence. Or if we can find a way to use our shuttles safely given those hazards..."

He continues talking, apparently to himself, as he works his console.

At the aft of the shuttle, Harada winced.  "If we need more than one trip, we're gonna need more shuttles," she commented.  She'd had to jury-rig this one just to get through.

Azami grimaces at the painfully direct and desperate reply to T'Lara's question from the comms.  'Many injured'.  She stares - somewhat blankly - at her bag of supplies; it's large for a landing party, but too small for any kind of colony. Lt. Kezik is the first to voice his concerns regarding the injured, with Lt. Harada replying in the negative for shipping people back and forth.  Sensibly, so; Azami doesn't know a whole lot about shuttle repair, but what she saw in the back didn't look at all good.

Unfortunately, that means their resources are limited to a damaged shuttle, her bag, and whatever the ground situation is vis-à-vis medical supplies and equipment.

"Of how many injured do we speak?" she calls out when there's a break in the back-and-forth between officers.  "And how critical is the situation for medical supplies, personnel, and systems?"  It's a bit of a faux pas, given her rank, but at the same time...she's actually the ranking medical personnel, so Azumi needs to speak up when the questions arise.

Regardless of how uncomfortable it makes her.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:48, Mon 13 Feb 2023.

The ship is where Daniel should be, he would be no help in this situation. They needed more medical personnel, something he wasn't. He certainly couldn't fight whatever... that was out there. Like trying to Greco-Roman wrestle a lighting bolt.

"That creature that chased us down might still be around.  And there could be others like it" T'Lara didn't much like the option of ferrying people back and forth to the Independence - at least not until they had a better grasp of the situation  "I think we need to get to the shelter first.  They need our help, whatever it is we can provide"
she looked sideways at commander Vex as she talked, waiting on her to make the call and to provide them with their orders.

D'rala frowned as she nudged the shuttle faster, heading for the shelter at best speed.

"There were 200 colonists and workers," she replied to Amamiya.  "We'll have to see how many are still alive, and how many are injured. You're right, T'Lara.  We need boots on the ground, now."

The shelter is a thermal concrete building set into the side of a mountain. It has a fortified door large enough for a shuttlecraft to fly through easily. Two turrets with medium-powered phasers sit just outside. The dilithium mine is a natural target for hostile governments or criminals, so Starfleet made sure that the colonists have at least some means to defend themselves.

Eyeing the phaser turrets carefully, D'rala brought the shuttle in.  There was still no sign of the alien creatures.

As the shuttle entered the massive doors, a small crowd of colonists and miners could be seen milling at the landing pad, obviously awaiting the team.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:59, Tue 14 Feb 2023.

As they hit the ground, Daniel make himself useful, helping unload medical supplies and the sort, the the direction of PO Azami, if she offers any.

Azami digests the information.  She had been hoping for some answers from the comms, but this will have to do for now...and it's grim.  'Many' casualties in two hundred might be twenty.  It might be forty.  It might be more.  Her carry-bag likely won't be enough, even with the remarkably compact Starfleet medical supplies, and certainly she can't give serious injuries any kind of lasting treatment.

Problematic, she decides; hopefully the mining buildings will have at least a partly functional medlab.  Even then, it's clearly incapable of handling the wounded...assuming any medical personnel remain uninjured, themselves.  I could be alone in that, outside of a few others with some basic training.

Her lips tighten at the thought as the shuttle passes through the enormous maw of the mining shelter.

PO Zogoyah appears to be hovering; they've had some open discussion on the shuttle - if brief - and Azami could use the assistance.  "Mr. Zogoyah," Azami quietly begins as the shuttle touches down.  "My own medical supplies are limited to my bag."  She pats it.  "I am concerned with what we will find; anything, anything at all would be of assistance.  If the shuttle has a first aid kit -" it should, it's regulations "- could you locate and secure it for use in the shelter?"

Her lips twist ever so slightly; for Azami, it's a full-fledged grimace of tension.  "Should you stumble across any more...serious medical supplies that a helpful hand threw aboard, they would also be appreciated."

Closing her eyes, she waits for the door to open, breathing evenly.  It's not the first time Azami has found herself at the scene of a tragedy, but it's the first time those involved will be depending on her.  Her hands tighten on the bag for a long moment.

Remember your training.  All of it.

With that thought, her heartrate drops.  Azami's eyelids rise to expose her customary, oddly unfocused gaze, and her hands relax as her breathing deepens.

Starfleet taught Azami most of her medical skills.  As for calmness, efficiency, and razor-edged purpose?  Well...those she learned before.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:12, Thu 16 Feb 2023.

Pleased to have instruction, the Gorn nodded, and began the search.


PPC Curious, what kind of medical supplies can a replicator make?

As the shuttle entered the shelter, Kezik powered down the shuttle's sensors. He unbuckled himself once the ship had touched down, but kept his seat and stayed out of the way, checking over his gear while the Petty Officers gathered their supplies.

"Commander, I'm afraid my medical skills are extremely rudimentary. I could try and help with the wounded, but perhaps my skills would be better used working with anyone out there who knows something to figure out....that?" He waves vaguely in the direction back outside.

Azumi was able to easily find the shuttle's medical kit.  Standard practice to have one capable of treating the entire shuttle crew, plus more.  Depending on the number and nature of the injured, she may have enough...

OOC: Unfortunately, 'replicators' as seen on TNG are a few decades away.  'Fabricators' as seen on TOS and the movies do exist, but are too big to fit on the shuttle.  So other than purifying water and air, there's not much it can provide other than warmth and the existing med kit.

In reply to LT Kezik (msg # 76):

D'rala nodded to Kezik.  "We'll assess the situation, but try to coordinate with any surviving scientific personnel from the Starfleet team," she said.  "Files say the CSO is a woman named Naruhita, assuming she survived."

"Zogoyah, Trainor, keep eyes out," she said.  "Assumption is there are no hostiles here in the shelter, but... let's stay frosty."

Nodding at the warning, Dan was glad to have guidance, not that being suspicious wasn't always on his docket.

OOC As to the Fabricator, I was more thinking there would be one in the shelter.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 19:27, Fri 17 Feb 2023.