[2259.116] -- [Away Mission on Dayoumir VII] -- [Open Post]

[kirktastic]

(OOC: If you want to be a part of this away mission, please read the whole post including OOC comments at the end for all information, captains orders, etc.)

Kirk stared down at the ice planet on the forward view screen unhappily. He didn't have the best relationships with ice planets, and the idea of going down to this one had him less than pleased. The circumstances surrounding it he liked even less. The report he had gotten from Starfleet was complete - up until one week ago. The colony on the planet had vanished into silence, reminding him painfully of Juxta. The Enterprise happened to be the closest ship capable of handling something like this, and here they were.



The information started off basic. It wasn't a colony meant to spread humanity throughout the universe, but instead it was meant sheerly to be able to harvest a rare mineral that didn't get formed beneath the ground, but was actually contained in the ice itself. There were more detailed reports on that, but that was more Spock's area than his. A colony of more than two hundred that had been reporting well and good up until a week ago, but when their weekly report came, Starfleet got nothing at all.

The colony was spread out over a large area - Kirk had a good set of maps to work with - but the area was dangerous. The ice seemed to spread and move almost like a living thing, and Starfleet suggested that if something happened to, say, the colony's energy sources, it could have already started taking over buildings.

Jim stared down at the console in front of him, then stood up. Messages flew out to certain people quickly, Jim leaning over and typing, unable to sit still.

To: Spock, Bones

I need you to look over the attached information, find me the best people you think will be right for this. We'll need to be able to cover a large area to get all information required. Get back to me, quickly.

Captain Kirk

He set Communications on trying to reach anyone at all down on the planet. His father and Uhura in particular, knowing they above all others would be able to pull off a miracle while they got their away team together.

There was just something in his bones that wasn't settled right about this, and he didn't even know why.





Major Thread Starts (post new threads under the topic it matches to, please!)

All Sign Up Threads
All Transporter Room Threads
All Debriefing+Transport Threads
Beginning of the Away Mission/After Transport


(OOC: There's the beginning of it! Here's how this'll work - check the first comment below to 'sign up' for the away mission and to get orders for your character. This is meant to be a serious mission, not crack, so please take that in mind. We won't be waiting for people to post, this will be more like a 'party post' in the sense that things will be going on at different times to different people. Occasionally, and without warning (mwhahaha) the NPC_Aliens account will be posting on individual threads as to planet and/or outside influences will be occurring. If you have questions, want something specific to happen, or would like a particular thing to do, send me a PM/IM.)

Comments

AWAY MISSION SIGN UP

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

(OOC: Sign up here for the away mission!)

Private Communication to Jim

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Put me and M'Kriss down for this.

Private Comm to Cpt J. T. Kirk

[nawigator]

I would like to put myself forward for the away mission.

Private Communication to Captain Kirk

[lt-paula.livejournal.com]

I'd like to volunteer for the away mission.

Private to Captain Kirk

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

If you intend to transport down to the colony, then I shall accompany you in my professional capacity.

[hart-of-time.livejournal.com]

Sounds like fun! Sign me up!

Private Communication to Captain Kirk

[lt-hank.livejournal.com]

I'd like to go down, sir

Private Communication to Captain Kirk

[dilithiumwanted.livejournal.com]

Did it have to be an ice planet, Captain? I'm here, if you need me, I suppose.

Private to Commander Spock

[ltlbtovik.livejournal.com]

Sir, are you in need of another person for the away team? I volunteered for the away mission and was told to check with you.

TRANSPORTER ROOM

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim had piles of warm clothing for everyone, with crewman bringing more. Gloves, snow suits, thicker boots, goggles, hats, and everything else they could bring. Jim had something special tucked into his pocket for Spock, thinking the Vulcan specifically might need them more than the others.

Also on the floor were packs and belts set with tricorders and phasers. He thought it'd be better to be prepared.

Re: TRANSPORTER ROOM

[lt-paula.livejournal.com]

Paula secured her workstation and left immediately, glad she had opted for the practicality of the pants uniform that day. It saved her a trip back to her quarters to change. She arrived in the transporter room to find the captain waiting, along with several large piles of winter gear.

"Captain," she greeted Jim as she walked in, a warm smile flitting briefly across her face in spite of her professional tone.

TRANSPORTER ROOM

[nawigator]

Oh Lord, she'd better not be late. Chekov rushed through the halls quickly as ever, somebody jokingly calling after her to ask where the Klingon invasion was which caused her to roll her eyes. It wasn't her fault her replacement for the navigation station had dawdled their way up to the Bridge.

She skidded into the Transporter room with a hurried salute and "Keptain." Ai yi yi, maybe running all the way hadn't been such a smart idea after all although thankfully, due to all the running she did anyway, she wasn't out of breath.

Re: TRANSPORTER ROOM

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

He had spared a few more seconds staring at the console in his office when Jim had mentioned something "special" before he started his usual procedure of tasks before leaving the office: arrange projects that would extend through his absence, notify his laboratory managers, and leave a note with his yeoman about where he was going to be.

While walking through the corridors and waiting in the turbolift, Spock focused on a strange resonance and mixture of Jim-annoyance, Leonard-annoyance, and general all-around exasperation. Though when he entered the transporter room (and nodded to Paula and Chekov), Jim didn't look anything but professional (the gold shirt was welcome, too), and that made the mystery stranger.

"Captain." He said politely to Jim, and then began to peruse the piles of equipment. The assortment implied he would find this mission...rather uncomfortable.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Bones entered the transporter room, his Catian nurse following him. Both were silent, despite the nurses' attempt to figure out his mood shift.

His med kit was well-packed, given the information that Jim had sent him that morning. He nodded at those already gathered, and went to stand over by himself.

Re: TRANSPORTER ROOM

[lt-hank.livejournal.com]

Hank was not exactly pleased with the idea of an ice planet, but it wasn't like the Captain could turn it into a proper type planet, and they did need security so Hank was going to go down, and do his duty. Even if he was pretty sure ice belonged in a glass of iced tea, not covering the planet. He smiled a little to see Paula suiting up. Maybe they'd get paired for some exploration. He wiped the smile off to report to the Captain.

"Reporting for duty, sir."

TRANSPORTER ROOM - Scotty

[dilithiumwanted.livejournal.com]

Scotty was fucking ecstatic that he did not have to go down there. In fact, when he learned that he was, in fact, not going down there...

...Let's just say that jumping on your bed in your skivvies works better when you don't hit your head on the ceiling. Fortunately, he didn't hit his head hard or anything (He was silly, he was an idiot, but he wasn't a silly idiot).

After putting clothes on (and showering, since jumping brings around a lot of sweat), the only thing to do was to go to work.

DEBRIEFING + TRANSPORT

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

(OOC: This is Jim's debriefing for the away mission as well as transport/immediate reactions after transport. All related comments stay here.)

DEBRIEFING

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim looked over the people gathered in the room with him. Spock stood with Pasha, Nora, and Paula. His mind labeled them 'Team Science'. M'Kriss and Bones stood with Hank who would be their protection. They were 'Team Medics'. Jim was with two members of Security, and they'd be taking lead. Team Command, maybe?

He cleared his throat and looked to everyone, a little hint of pride as they stood still and calm except for the Catian's tail.

"A colony of nearly two hundred and fifty people has not only stopped their weekly communications, but has not communicated with us on ship. Our top two communications expects will remain and focus on getting any information they can while we go down to the planet.

The planet is nothing but ice and stone and heavy winds. The ice is a strange phenomenon to this planet alone - it builds at a fantastic rate on any stationary object. Any exposed skin will get frostbite in about ten minutes, and you'll need to keep moving to stay warm.

We don't know what happened, but I'm not taking any chances. Everyone stay together in groups of no less than two. Security, keep your eyes peeled. Everyone has a phaser, don't hesitate to use it if need be.

Our main goal is to discover what happened to the colonists. Our secondary goal is to find what happened to the mineral they were digging up, as there should be a stockpile of thousands that was due to be picked up in seven days from when they went silent. It'll take two rounds of transports to get everyone down, so don't move from the beam down site until everyone is there."

He looked to Spock and his team. "I need you to focus on finding any abnormalities that might be out there, as well as keeping track of the conditions around us."

Then Bones and his team. "If the colonists are injured, or there was a disease, whatever there might be, I need you to find out."

The rest was obvious. Protection and scouting, and Jim said as much. "Everyone understand? Good. Suit up." He looked to his two members of security. "You two with me. Bones, M'Kriss, Hank, you too." Six people could go on one transport, Spock and his team would follow.

Jim started to pull on his heavy ice clothing, then paused. He pulled something out of his pocket and walked over to Spock, nudging him before pushing a pair of packets into his hands. "These go in your gloves, and these stick to your toes," point to each packet in turn, "give them a good shake before you put them on." And he went back to his pile of stuff to finish.

AWAY MISSION - AFTER TRANSPORT

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

(OOC: The beginning of the mission itself!)

THE TRANSPORT SITE

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Even through very thick layers of specially designed material against the cold, the instant that the transport finished and reality stabilized itself in Jim's mind, he felt the cold. It burned through him, a wind already tearing at him and howling its rage against an empty world. He was glad that the goggles were lightly tinted because even with them the utter blue-white of the world was blinding.



He stepped just out of the way of the transport site and looked to bear-bundled Bones beside him, swallowing. It seemed like there was nothing on this world but the small group of them. When he turned around though, he could see what they had been aiming for - a monster of a building built into the cliff itself. No lights, no movement he could see, just silent metal and plastics that were already starting to get covered in ice. There was a bank that went up to the colonists other buildings to the left, and in every other direction, nothing at all.

AWAY MISSION - Reseach and Living Quarters

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim looked to Bones, Hank, and Tyler and gave a quick nod. "We need to check out the other areas. We go carefully." He looked to the others, giving a longer look to Spock, then walked back out the door and towards the buildings in the distance. If anyone was alive, they had to find them.

Re: AWAY MISSION - Reseach and Living Quarters

[lt-hank.livejournal.com]

Hank had out his phaser and was shadowing Bones, as were his initial orders. He nodded towards Tyler to take point, ahead of the Captain if possible. No point getting either of their high ranking officers killed.

Tyler nodded in agreement, splitting the guarding duties equitably and headed ahead, phaser also ready. Who knew what was going on and all this ice just made things seem more...sinister. At least they were moving. He was starting to feel like he was freezing in place.

AWAY MISSION - Spock goes outside, sucks to be him.

[npc-aliens.livejournal.com]

Spock would get only halfway to the living quarters before something changed. It was like a great pressure on the air, and all around him, the howling wind suddenly died. The snow drifted down, slow scatterings that made his ears hum in the silence. Twenty feet in front of him, to either side, he could see that the snow was still racing by, leaving him in a pocket of nothing. The pressure beat on the air like a drum.

Re: AWAY MISSION - Yes, yes it does.

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

This was...unexpected. (surprise)

His first instinct was to go for the tricorder, turning at the knobs until the screen could give him the information he wanted--energy readings within a twenty foot radius. Everything else seemed to remain normal, as he turned in a slow circle to examine the pocket...but it was still cold.

He couldn't linger, so he took a step towards the edge, wondering if he could pass by this mysterious barrier that kept the snow out.

AWAY MISSION - The Search For Spock

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Bones was laying flat on his face. Something had hit Jim and him (http://kirktastic.livejournal.com/49863.html?thread=3007943#t3007943), knocked them off their feet and onto the ground with the force of a hurricane wind. Lifting his head, it was blowing so hard he almost couldn't make out the body not five feet away from him.

"Jim!" he called out, crawling on his stomach toward the bump in the snow that he hoped was Jim. His gloved hands reached out and felt Jim's body, and Bones sighed with relief.

Re: AWAY MISSION - The Search For Spock

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim forced his head up with a groan, looking around. Where was the truck that'd hit them? He shook his head to clear it, and looked at Bones. "Where the hell is Sybok!? Or Hank and Tyler?!" He couldn't see a damn thing. How hard had they been thrown by that hit??

AWAY MISSION - It be cold, Vulcan.

[npc-aliens.livejournal.com]

Spock would wake to silence. A silence that was almost a sound, a constant far off impossible sound. It was cold, but not nearly as cold as it had been. It was somewhere in stone, a brilliant blue stone that gave off a faint light. No snow. In the distance, something gleamed white.

The pressure was diminished, but not gone, and it was close. Something was waiting for him.

Re: AWAY MISSION - It be cold, Vulcan.

[cso-spock.livejournal.com]

It was, by far, the worst place he had ever woken up in, not that his life experiences had been as extreme as many other individuals. Spock sat up at once, the rush of which had him grabbing at his head the next moment, trying to ease the headache that had snapped forward because of the movement. Eyes squinting through the ache, he glanced around, and then got to his feet (more slowly this time).

The phaser was still at his hip, though it seemed he had dropped his communicator somewhere. Taking it from his belt, he approached the white gleam, curious, but also wanting to walk away from the source of the lingering pressure, if there was one.

AWAY MISSION - Solo Mission Impossible

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim had dressed quickly and moved away from the only warmth on the whole damn planet. One of them had to do this, to at least try this, and it only made sense that it was him. Spock was still in danger, not only from having been exposed and hurt but the sheer fact he was Vulcan, and Bones had to be there to watch over him. They'd survive together. It gave him time to think, working with each step to make sure his shields were up. It gave him something to do other than concentrate on the cold.

What had Sybok done with Bones? Bones wasn't the type to just share his problems, specially not with a total stranger. Had Spock done something in his head, more than what Jim knew, that Sybok could heal? He'd have a few damn words with Sybok when they got back to the ship -- fuck. Was Sybok okay? He had seen Sybok transport but not what happened after... this was all going so wrong.

These creatures, the tam'a Spock had seen, had killed the colonists. Jim had no doubt about that as he muscled through the tunnel, trying to remember exactly which way they had gone each time. If they went after energy and had such a vengeance, it was the only thing that made sense. If they got off this rock, the only thing he could do was tell Starfleet that they couldn't let anyone else on this planet, too dangerous.

He stopped, looking around, and had to listen and feel for the wind in the distance before he could continue.

...Children. Spock and Bones had both been thinking about them. He knew someday, Nyota and Spock would leave the ship and go and make some damn pretty pointy eared kids. They'd be good parents, probably fight over just what the kids should know and do and be because Nyota wouldn't put up for every bit of Vulcan bullshit... the kids would be 3/4s human, if she could get pregnant. They'd have that big home that started off stained in blood and sex and make it a home.

There had always been a part of him that wanted that. To raise a few kids and treat them right, long side of some beautiful woman who had as much fire as he did in him. When he was younger, traveling alone, he had thought about those things.

Bones was wrong; he wanted children of his own. Wanted some little boy or girl to call him Dad and watch them grow up and believe in him and all the stuff that came with having them. Unfortunately, he wanted to be a Starship captain. Pike didn't have any kids yet, and going back through history, most captains either had children before they became captain, didn't have them until they were retired, or never did at all. Starfleet, still military in many aspects for how advanced it was, didn't allow children on its starships. They weren't designed for families, but for exploration and danger and battles.

He had been born, almost killed, because of that danger, those battles. The idea of a child being exposed to that... cut him to the quick. He wanted a child that, if he wanted to stay captain for his long life, have those adventures and do the impossible, he couldn't have. It was easier to lie than it was to explain it all. People asked less questions, then. Expected less.

He made it to the entrance, breathing hard and shivering. His body had grown too use to the warmth, however short it had been, and putting it back out in this felt like murder. Jim sat down hard on a rock and pulled out his communicator, flexing his fingers and beating his hand against his leg until he had enough feeling in them to work it.

"Enterprise! This is Captain Kirk! Respond!" But there was nothing but static and hiss. "Come on, respond... Nyota, please..." He whispered aloud. "Get us out of here."

He folded the communicator after more silence and started to climb out. Had to get a better look at the storm. He barely managed to poke his head up into the wind and snow when a rock gave out under his left foot.

...that ground hurt when his back connected to it, and he laid there dazed. We need to get out of here.

It was a long, long walk back to Spock and Bones and safety.

Re: AWAY MISSION - Solo Mission Impossible

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Everything in him hurt. Jim just kept going step by step, half remembering the way and feeling out occasionally. There was a good side effect to the cold - it made him stop thinking. Thinking about things he couldn't have and still do what he wanted with his life.

He got back to the bags, thumping down hard, and realized he couldn't feel his fingers that much anymore. "Bones!"

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Getting out to keep from thinking had been both a good idea and a bad idea. Good, because it worked. Bad, because it immediately worked due to the fact he could think of nothing else beside the cold. It was like his bones still had ice in them and as soon as they were exposed back to it in any form, his whole body wanted to shatter.

So he kept moving, almost running towards the entrance of the cave. Had to keep up the heat in his body or, despite his mind telling him logically it was impossible, he'd freeze in place. There might have even been a little prayer in his heart.

He was worried about his crew that was on the planet with them, but separated out. They had to be safe, had to make it home. If what Spock knew was right, the children of the creature were out there, hunting down his crewman. The mother could come home any minute to the pile of bones they were tucked away under...

When he scrambled to the entrance, his eyes went wide when he didn't see swirling snow and screaming wind. The wind was lighter, the snow less violent. Jim forced himself to climb up the rocks, grabbing through glove and cold numb fingers and pulling himself up by sheer force of will, until he flopped down on the endless snow outside.

He rolled onto his back and pulled out his communicator. "KIRK TO ENTERPRISE!" Come on, pick up, pick UP...

[its-uhura.livejournal.com]

Finally, finally. Nyota had been hard at work for the past hour, trying to hail anyone on the away team as soon as the storm on the planet had shown the least sign of starting to abate, her ears alert for the least hint of attempted contact. Just when she was going to change to a different frequency, Jim's voice had her flying to respond and send a message to the transporter room at the same time.

"This is Enterprise, Captain Kirk -- Jim, what's going on?" The strain of the past few hours bled through just a little, though she tried to keep her tone as professional as always.

SICKBAY

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Bones entered Sickbay to find Geoff already working on one of the security people. He stepped over to take a look - this one was hurt bad.

"I got it," M'Benga told him, waving him off. "Go check out the other. The girls over there, they're hurt too." Bones turned, facing the bio beds, and went to look at their injuries.

Sickbay - Paula

[lt-paula.livejournal.com]

She had started shivering again on the walk to Sickbay. Even now in the warmth of the ship Paula's teeth were chattering as the nurse peeled off her gear layer by layer, starting with her goggles and the remaining glove before moving on to the jacket.