Whisky Hunting Part 2

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: 2243
1470 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Sebastian led the way properly into the main colony and eventually stopped at a house that from the information they had on the colony was the director’s home. From outside this house looked snug and comfortable if not a little worn down from twenty years of neglect. It had been built with blue stones and had red brick decorations like the rest. Tall, wide windows added to the overall look of the house and making a fairly symmetrical pattern. “This was the director’s home from the information Starfleet has on this colony.”

"Should we knock?" Carter remarked with a trademark grin as he followed up behind the Captain. "If a giant lumbering brute with a vacant stare answers, I'm heading back to the ship."

"We'll all be right behind you," David remarked, running his tricorder. "Especially since there's no life signs in there." Having recorded details of the exterior, he gingerly opened the door. Lights came on and he nearly jumped before recalling that they were probably automatic, keyed to the door or to motion. "Heh, looks like the power cells are still good," he said, clearing his throat as he entered and peered around cautiously. "Whatever happened to them, they don't seem to have rushed out in a hurry. Everything here looks neat and tidy - like the owners only left for a long weekend."

Sebastian stepped into the room and stood around. It looked just like a typical interior of a colony building. "It looks almost too tidy, too normal. People do not just disappear." The Captain mused as he moved through the living area to where the sleeping and offices were.

"I'm inclined to agree with you, Captain," Carter nodded, his hand on his medical tricorder almost out of habit. "We should check the perishables; that's usually an indicator of whether their exit was planned or not. Folks tend to take food with them if they're going somewhere."

"Actually, that's an excellent idea," David said. "Kitchens and waste disposal areas are often rich sources for archaeological investigations."

"You check them I want to check the offices." The Captain said knowing no one could come and go without them noticing so the house was safe enough for them to split up enough. He ventured further into the house looking over everything until he found the home office and stopped dead as the door refused to budge.

"It's very pretty . . . . for an abandon civilization where we don't know how they disappeared. Very romantic, in a creepy sort of way." Eden wasn't paying any attention to any of the looks the landing party was giving her.

"Emphasis on 'creepy'," David said under his breath as he made his way to the kitchen. It also was neat, if not entirely clean. A bowl that had once probably held fruit now held only stains and hardened husks from contents that long ago rotted and solidified. He ran his tricorder over it, and around the kitchen, recording everything before disturbing it with further examination. "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, Doctor," he called back. "I'm not reading any liquor in here."

"Plenty more houses to search, Lieutenant," Carter noted with a faint grin.

"I found something that I need help with," Sebastian called scanning the door way surprised that the power was out in this area of the building.

Eden let the others move forward as she scanned a particular part of the structure, wondering where it led.

"Let me try, sir," David said as he came to assist the Captain. Sealed doors were hardly unusual in archaeology, so his normal kit had various tools to handle that issue. "I guess it makes sense that the governor would keep his office locked when he's not home," he remarked as he pried open the panel beside the door and began 'picking the lock'.

Sebastian stepped back and allowed the man to do his work. "Just seems an odd locking system." The Captain mused to himself in french as he watched the young man work away.

"Does anyone else smell something?" Carter wondered out loud. He'd just uttered the words when the door suddenly opened-up from the Lieutenant's lockpicking, and the whole group was assailed by an intense and overwhelming smell. Enough to make the eyes water. "What...is that...?" the old doctor growled.

The Captain covered his nose and shook his head. "I have no idea but it is strong." He said a lot more calmer than the doctor had growled. It was a lot more intense than the man had ever smelt before.

David made a face, but he had an idea of what it was and opened his tricorder to confirm. "Stagnant water," he explained, pointing to what was left of what had probably been an aquarium. "Molds plus waste and decomp from the fish that died when it was left untended."

Sebastian moved through the room to a window and forced it open. They needed to have a look around the colony leaders office properly and to do that they needed air and quickly. "This is why I do not have an aquarium." He pointed out.

Eden practically pouted over what she saw. "The poor babies." She said as she caught up to them.

"At least we know what happened to them," Carter noted, still covering half of his face with one sleeve. "Guess it really has been a long time since anyone was in here. What timescales does that old scan think we're looking at since anyone tended them?" he asked the scientist.

"Around three months, give or take, depending on temperature."

"Roughly about right with the last report." Sebastian said sitting heavily at the console and started going through the procedure of starting the thing up.

"Old civvie tech," Carter noted, perching by the Captain's shoulder. "Could take a little while. Tends to need some time to warm up."

"Reminds me of being a child," The Captain commented leaning back in the chair and hitting Carter in the side as he had not realised the man was so close. "Not like we have anywhere to be now is it?"

Although Sebastian seemed happy with the project in front of him, Eden was very uneasy about this place. She hated to see anything suffer and was a huge animal lover no matter the kind of animal. "I'm just going to step this way and get a breath of fresh air," she said, not stopping to look at anyone.

Since the Captain was investigating what was in the logs, David had decided to check the rest of the office. it seemed pretty standard - other than the former fish tank, the shelves where filled with pictures and memorabilia. He was absorbed in recording and identifying those items, some of which obviously came from previous archaeological studies, when he noticed a seam behind one a collection of ceramic tiles. "Hey, I think I've found something," he said, after confirming gut instinct with the tricorder. "It looks like there's some kind of hidden compartment, maybe a safe, back here."

The Captain had just gotten the console online when he heard the young officers voice. Sebastian moved to stand up but found Carter still close enough that the chair bounced against him making the man frowned a little as he followed out to where David was moving tiles from the wall. As the last tile was placed down Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Any idea what is inside from your tricorder?” He wondered.

David shook his head. "There's some sort of shielding. That's why I thought it might be a safe - I can't get readings on anything back there."

"Morrison? Bowers? Thoughts on this?" The Captain paused and looked around. "Where is Ensign Bowers?" He wondered not able to hear any other sound than what was being made by them.

"Eh?" Carter glanced around. The young woman was so petite he'd barely registered that she was no longer there. "These Ensigns. Don't they know that there's about a million things that can kill you on a planet like this?"

David looked from the Doctor to the Captain, and back again. "...maybe we should find her then?" he suggested.

Sebastian frowned. An abandoned colony was just not the place to go running off on an adventure. What was it with this woman and away missions? "Let's come back to this once we have found her." He was not going to leave the safe untouched like the rest of the colony. He wanted to know why everyone had just disappeared.

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)