Whisky Hunting Part 1

Posted on Sat May 2nd, 2020 @ 8:11am by Captain Sebastian Deauvuex (*) & Chief Helmsman Eden Bowers & Lieutenant Junior Grade David Jameson & Lieutenant Commander Carter Morrison

Mission: Ishimura
Location: Didrora IV
Timeline: 2246
1193 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

"Ladies and Gentleman, we have now landed on the planet in one piece. Please watch your footing as you disembark. Don't eat the local cuisine or drink the water and otherwise . . . . go nuts." Eden said as she smiled at Sebastian. "I'm thinking about climbing on top of the shuttle and working on my tan. And since I have no tan and have never had one, this might take a while."

Sebastian could not believe he was going on an away mission but with no Science Officer, he was the only one competent to lead an away mission. He had been watching out the window what was around them and they were looking like that landed right in the middle of the planets former residents. From what he had seen on the descent the landscape of the planet looked dangerous; rushing rivers, murky lakes and then the opposite extreme of drying rivers. It was just a sliver of what could have been offered but it was enough for the Captain to warn the away team. “No one goes far and no one ventures past the shuttle going that way.” He pointed towards the forest that looked dense but he had seen that barely three meters in, it went to sharp drop into one of the rushing rivers.

David hopped out of the shuttle with a bounce in his step and looked around eagerly. It had been some time since he'd had a chance to use his expertise to examine a site, and while the remains of the colony might not be quite as ancient most archaeological sites, it was still a place to put his training to use. He pulled out a tricorder and began turning in a slow circle to take readings before disturbing anything beyond the immediate vicinty of the shuttle. "Please, remember to be careful," he cautioned, not in warning of potential danger, but to remind them not to just poking around. "Think of it like a crime scene, and take care not to contaminate scientific evidence."

Carter peered over the Lieutenant's shoulder at the tricorder readings. "No bodies, no signs of life." He clipped his medical kit closed. Probably wouldn't be needing that after all. "A real shame," he remarked. "It's a nice looking planet for a colony."

"Yeah, well it appears it was one at one time. And they all died," Eden replied cheerfully. "Eventually. But I'm sure nothing will happen to us," she said as she realized all faces were turned toward her. "Probably a natural disaster or something."

Sebastian looked back at Eden and raised an eyebrow at the woman and her kookiness that had slipped out. "Let us hope for a natural disaster." He commented on with a small smile before he started to head towards the structures that were still standing.

"Not to be pessimistic or anything," she replied just as cheerfully as she gathered things she thought she might need to climb up on top of the shuttle and make herself comfortable.

Though he found Eden's cheerful attitude toward an entire colony's demise rather creepy, David had to admit - at least to himself, that he was excited by the prospect of investigating it. Unlike most ruins, this was not so long abandoned or removed from his own cultural framework so it was different from all of the other archaeological projects he'd been on. And yet those factors might not make it easier; familiarity bred assumptions, which could easily lead to overlooking evidence. "No bodies seems odd," he remarked. "If everyone died suddenly there should be bodies, and if they died gradually, even if they cremated their dead, there should be one or two who died with no one left to perform that service. So where did they go?"

"I do not know but I do not like it," Sebastian said looking around himself. He did not like it at all but the intrigue over the fear of the unknown that was slipping out. "No bodies do not normally bode well but let us go further in and see more of the ruins."

"Plenty of reasons why there might not be bodies," Carter murmured. He looked at Eden. "Neutron radiation ... abductions ... forty years in space you see things, you know. Creepy stuff."

Sebastian could relate to the man up until the time frame he had been out in space. "Certainly lots of options as to why they disappeared. Can anyone date this so far?" He wondered smiling at Eden for a moment before returning to his scans with his tricorder.

"The colony itself is barely a century old, so carbon dating would be too inexact, and with no bodies there's no way to look at other isotope decay rates to say when the colony was abandoned," David explained. He walked over to a building and scanned what appeared to have been a flower box but was now over run with grass and weeds. "At best, I can say it's been over twenty years since this area was cultivated to grow something other than the local fauna in it now."

"What's to say they didn't just pack up and leave?" Eden asked from her spot on top of the shuttle.

"The planet has too many supplies for that just to happen. It was an archaeological dig that led to the colony. They found remains of an older civilization and wanted to stay." Sebastian frowned and looked around. "I am going to explore a little see what I can find the old Science Officer in me wants to find something."

"Aye, if things have just been left, I imagine they'll have plenty of supplies lying round. Been meaning to top up the old whisky stocks, if you know what I mean!" Carter nudged the young Lieutenant next to him.

"Um..." David shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to offended an older and higher ranked officer, but that seemed almost as inappropriate as the pilot's blithe sunbathing. "Actually, if they left things behind, I'd like to find the head quarters for the dig. There should be notes and a mission log, which might help us discover what happened."

"Let's go then," Sebastian said seeing the young man and his discomfort at Carter's suggestion of finding the whisky stocks. That could wait a little bit longer but the thought of some aged stuff piped his interest but he could not possibly agree to it. "Come on Ensign you are coming along too as communicators are useless down here due to atmosphere." he was not leaving the woman behind on a strange world even if she wanted to work on her sun tan.

"Aww," she said softly, actually hoping that no one heard her. He was the Captain, she had to follow an order. Eden hopped down from the top of the shuttle and put her uniform jacket back on to follow along behind them.


OFF::

Captain Sebastian Deauvuex
Commanding Officer
USS Ishimura
(PNPC Gregnol)

Lt Commander Carter Morrison
CMO
USS Ishimura
(PNPC Ford)

Ensign Eden Bowers
Chief Helmsmen
USS Ishimura

LT JG David Jameson
A&A Officer
USS Ishimura
(PNPC Burnstein)