[Columbia] Haunted?

Posted on Mon Oct 22nd, 2012 @ 3:54pm by Commander Raven Adams & Colonel Wilhelm Baron von Hackleberg & Captain Cressidia Lane
Edited on on Mon Oct 22nd, 2012 @ 3:56pm

1,172 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: The Enemy Within: Typhon is Missing!
Location: Tiberius IV

ON

(Marines can do a quick check before we head down.)

Amarylis began working the action on her high-powered shotgun ensuring it was functional prior to the decent. She found it had a slight grind and was not the smooth motion she had become accustomed to in her years of service, an obvious lack of attention to the fundamentals. She would have to speak with the master-at-arms once the mission was over.

"Y'all might want to check your arms before we go down. Misfires are just as much an enemy as numbers." she said addressing the team.

"I've had nothing to do but clean weapons in my spare time Sergeant, though on second thought." Wilhelm put his hand behind his back and pulled out a handle. Clicking a button a three foot long Calvalry saber unfolded. Making a quick check he clicked the button again and put the handle back where it came from. "Everyone weapon check then we'll continue the advance."

Ronnie pulled out her phaser, turned it down to its lowest setting, fired a shot. "All set." Her other weapon needed no testing.

Peters had checked his weapon only that morning and felt no need to check it again. "I'm ready."

Cam unslung his phaser rifle, pulled out its energy pack and gave it a quick look over before shoving it back into place and slinging it back over his shoulder again, "I'm good"

"Well then, let's not keep them waiting." Amarylis said with a smile as she turned and began her descent.

Ronnie practically chomped at the bit being forced to stay in the back. She wanted to be in the front, wanted to find what was down in the caves. She didn't like to be behind the Marines. Especially now after spending so many weeks in the mines, having to fight to survive. But she saw the need for them to go first, just in case whatever caused most of the crew of the Columbia to disappear.

She pulled out her tricorder and followed the others.

Cam lead the group, using the light on his helmet to light a short distance ahead. He felt a little apprehensive about taking more than three people down into the caves, but he was sure he'd be gratefull for the extra firepower by the end of this trip

The tunnel was oppressively dark. The little light they had light the way in front of them, but it did little to help with the way the dark felt. As if it weighed down on them heavily.

Ronnie, in the back, felt it keenly. She kept turning back to look behind her, just in case something was creeping down the tunnel. She felt like she was being watched, but no one was there.

"Now don't tell me you're afraid of the dark dear." Amarylis said smirking.

"Not in the least. I've been in these caves before," Ronnie said, shaking her head. "There's just a feeling of ... I don't know."

After a while they turned a bend in the tunnel. Far ahead they could see what appeared to be a light of some sort. It wasn't bright, like a lantern or torch, but it seemed to shimmer and glow as if it wasn't at full strength.

"Hold up" Cam said quietly to the group. Although this little light didn't seem to be that much of a threat, Cam wanted to air on the side of caution. Levelling his rifle in the direction of the flickering light, he called out to it, "Starfleet Marines!! Who's there!?!"

The light paused, turned to face Cam. It wasn't humanoid, but it looked like some sort of creature. Then it turned and disappeared into the rock.

"That looked ominous." Wilhelm said quite seriously.

Cam looked around, "well, we should set up a camp here"

"Shouldn't we go deeper first?" Ronnie asked. "If we're fortunate, we can find a cave that ends at an underground lake."

"If we're fortunate? Have you noticed something about the kind of luck on this planet?" Cam said, turning to Ronnie, "we should set up camp here so we have somewhere to fall back to if anything happens further down"

"I've been on this planet before, Master Sergeant. And we all got out alive. There were no spiders then, either. Or ghosts. Something has changed in the last two years and I'd like to find out what it is. If you're more comfortable here, then let's at least find a wider space that's a little more defensible."

After a moment of thought, Cam nodded, "alright, we'll push on for now. Lieutenant, what do you know about the layout of these caves? Anything would help"

"They appear to be volcanic in nature. Or were," she said. "The planet has no water on the surface but many of the larger rock formations, like this one, go down to underground lakes. If you go up, sometimes you can find plateaus that are good for shuttle landings and thus can help you avoid the sand. What, specifically, do you wnat to know?"

"Did you find any evidence of prior habitation?"

"No. Not here, anyway. Other planets in the system, but not this one." She looked at where the image had disappeared. "What do you suspect?"

"I'm sure it's nothing" Cam said, shaking his head, "we should focus on the task at hand. Do you know where we could find a source of water?"

Wilhelm was looking through his thermal sights through his HUD. "This tunnel keeps getting cooler up ahead and temperatures readings indicate a possible body of water up ahead. Or, it could just be a whole lot of condensation."

Ronnie turned to Wilhelm. "So, where do you want to camp? Here or farther down?"

"Lets go farther down. Camping out in the middle of a tunnel is not a sound move." Wilhelm said.

Ronnie nodded. She agreed with him. It was far better to camp near the water, or in a larger cavern farther down, than in a wide part of the tunnel. "Okay. Lead on, MacDuff."

Mandy followed rather quietly the entire time, constantly scanning the corners for danger, though she knew that with her luck she would be the last to spot it. She felt a bit awkward not knowing anybody here, but figured that everyone would be too focused on what they were doing now for small talk. Cave exploring definetly took priority here.

The group headed deeper into the caves, following the tunnel until it opened into a wide cavern. At the far end was a dark lake. "We'll set up camp here," Ronnie said, looking to Wilhelm for affirmation. "Once we're set, we can look around." And hopefully find out what that ghost-like apparition was.

OFF

Colonel Baron Wilhelm von Hackleberg
Marine CO
Starbase Typhon

Sergeant Amarylis Beresford
Marine
USS Calypso

Lieutenant JG Ronnie Lancaster
Chief Science Officer

Corporal Dave Peters
Marine
USS Calypso

Master Sergeant Cameron Bourne
Delta Squadron Leader
USS Calypso
USS Calypso

Ensign Mandy Lane
Medic
USS Calypso

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