Cmdr. Tess t'Lhoell[Katra Station - Deck 11 - Dord Embassy] -
DAY FOUR, beginning of alpha shift
[Katra Station - Deck 11 - Dord Embassy]
Director Boz stood in the Dord Embassy conference room, regarding Commander t'Lhoell and Ensign Zex. Xir powered suit had been recently given a bronze finish, it seemed. This had been done while meticulously preserving every scratch, dent, and degradation of the suit's outer appearance. The guests in attendance could not possibly know this, but 'bronze' had been recently deemed to be the utmost fashion for Dord of high rank, or in command positions. The Totality's new Chief Executive had set the trend upon assuming the color for xir own suit just last week. Now, every Dord of worth was adapting their family suits to the new fashion.
"I am gratified that you are taking the matter of this planetary illness so seriously," Boz said, seeming to be genuinely pleased. "Our medical science is quite advanced, but my diplomatic cruiser is still days away on a special assignment, and I would appreciate your fairly competent examinations."
When Tess came face to face with the ambassador, she immediately noticed xir new suit. The bronze look gave the suit and also the Dord an antique touch, as it reminded her of the bronze breastplates of Roman generals. The way Director Boz wore the new suit - remarkably with all its scuffs and scratches worked in - told Tess it was something to compliment. It was a good opportunity, because she needed the ambassador in high spirits.
"I've never seen a suit like you're wearing on any Dord, Director. It looks excellent on you, if I may say so. Really something special."It seemed that her efforts were unnecessary, for Boz consented all too readily to the examination. If she had thought nothing of the cruiser remark earlier, Tess now knew why he was so awaiting it so desperately.
"I thank you for your cooperation, Director."Tess took a step closer and slowly moved the sensor along the face and down to the chest. The tricorder beeped eagerly as it took in and processed all the data. Her eyes were fixed on the device's display, which showed biological units. Tess had previously given the data of the bacterium and bacteriophage she had found as reference data, which she was now looking for. And bingo. There it was! Tess looked over at Zex, giving the faintest of nods to her and then she looked over to Boz.
"Director", she said slowly, trying to choose her words carefully. She didn't know how Boz would react.
"Our research on the illness on Meridian showed that there is a quite uniqe biological agent, a bacteriophage, that we have never seen before and that has never been described in medical history. Now, the medical scans we have just taken from you show that you're carrying that same bacteriophage. I'm glad it doesn't seem to harm you. But it possibility seems likely now that you have not been infected by Meridian, but that you accidentially infected the Meridian fauna when you visited the Peninsula."Tess looked at him friendly and let that sink it.
NPC Juraan Ren[Wonderland]
SS Wonderland - On approach to uncharted planet
Odelot nodded, and the other Pakleds followed suit. "It is being true," Odelot said, "If we are being alive, then we can be making things again."
Asile reached out to put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "We will be finding things to make us go."
Aldo pointed at the cockpit window, "Right now we are going down to the planet, I think."
Odelot nodded, "I will be trying to make the ship not break when we crash."
Asile looked up, "We are crashing?"
Odelod nodded again, "The landing things are being broken from where the Dominion ship was being crashed into us, and we can not be using the go-fastest engines on the planet, and the go-fast engines are being hurt a bit, and the go-slow engines are being hurt even more. And so we are going to be crashing. I am glad I am not having to fly us down."
Odelot looked around, wondering who would have that honor, and then shuffled off to the structural integrity control panel to see if he could coax the ship to stay together during the upcoming emergency landing.
As the ship descended into the atmosphere, their eyes would soon enough report what their sensors had told them. The world was habitable, but only just. It was a rocky, inhospitable landscape, with few smooth areas in which to make a safe landing.
As they came down to 2,000 meters of altitude, an aberrant signal briefly flashed on the sensors, but there was little time to study it now. They were in the final stages of their descent, and every iota of attention would be needed to keep the ship from becoming a smear on the surface of the world.
[Wonderland]
The ship was hard to controll because of the broken stabilizers and dyfunctional systems. It took a lot of concentration for Finn and his crew to get it to the planet but he was exhausted and tired and the worst was still ahead. He hadn't been able to get away from the controls long enough to have his own back looked at, so by now he was in quite a bit of pain. Every now and then he pressed his hand against his back but that didn't help. He had even asked Juraan for whatever painkiller he could find.
The smile that was usually on his lips had been replaced by a deep, worried frown.
As the planet was right ahead and it became clear that its surface was littered with sharp ridges, Finn became really nervous. Oh shit. I can't see anywhere to land. We need a long, clear patch because we're going to be skidding if we're lucky.
The ridges below came close and closer on their uneven descent.
"Cathy, help me. I need you to get us down. You have to land while I try to keep the ship level."
To the Paklets he shouted. "Send out a mayday - quick!"
The Wonderland was sinking towards the surface much faster than it should. In front of them a ridge with edges as sharp as predator teeth was rising up. If they didn't get over it, they'd be history anyway.
"C'mon, c'mon!" He shouted at the ship while it bucked up one more time, nose pointing upwards and almost scraping its bottom over it.
"Cathy!"
After what he had seen from the Pakleds, Odelot in particular, Juraan trusted him fully to save the ship as best as he could. Odelot was a trained Engineer while Juraan just had picked up a frew tricks in his time in the Bajoran underground. That time seemed so far away now. A lifetime apart. When the ship broke through the atmosphere the planet's gravity gripped them and it tugged hard on his bones. He stared at the rough landscape and knew instantly, if they survived, they could call themselves luckiest men in the universe. While Juraan was tense in the face of quite likely death, he felt strangely calm. No panic, no numbing fear. What did he lose, anyways? The only woman he had ever loved had left. He had no children. His parents died a long time ago in the labour camp. And the only persons he would call friends would die with him.
Finn's shouts and the violent rattling as the ship fought against outside forces that wanted to tear it apart brought him back a little bit. Just im time to catch a singal that blinked at one of the consoles, but he couldn't find out what it was right now as the planet's surface came closer and closer.
Both Cathy and Finn were doing a good job together and they even had found a relatively even spot to crash land, only time would tell if it was even enough. His fingers gripped the armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white, the muscles in his jaw beginning to ache as he tried to brace himself for the impact.
"I hope all of your are strapped!""Before we impact, pull your hands away from the consoles or they will break, protect your heads!" He did the same, wrapping his arms around himself to cover his head.
The impact was brutal. Juraan had the feeling to be torn apart - over and over again, as the ship that miraculously had not fallen apart, skittered over the rough surface.
Eventually, there was no movement anymore. No pulling, no skittering.