#36 Home on the Range

Posted on Thu Jul 7th, 2022 @ 6:33pm by

Mission: A Patrol and Supply mission
Location: Tython/Hidden Valley
Timeline: current/somewhere in between

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The first night under the stars in this strange little valley within an old caldera, Zenni Kahn had constructed a quick lean-to and slept under it. Cosmo had stood guard with his sensors and Zenni had used the Core to maintain her own danger sense. The critters she had seen here, from a multitude of classifications, seemed all to be rather neutral towards her presence. Some showed curiosity at what she was, flittering and running about to catch looks at her from several angles. None of them attacked her nor seemed overly violent. All she could detect from their base emotions was curiosity and...want?

Did they expect something from her, especially the small mammals that reminded her of Earth squirrels? As those animals did, these would get up in trees around her and chitter to her and each other, always moving to get a better look or to show that this was their territory and she was the invader. But, as she began to focus her Sense on them, to reach out with her feelings, it became clear that they were trying to get her attention. As if they expected a treat to be given for saying hello. Curious, she thought. She was in her full Meji robes now (bio pics), her Starfleet rank pips and combadge placed appropriately where they should be. Behind a rise of boulders that had crumbled and fallen together in a pile beneath a pressure crack in the high canyon walls she had found a large pond and river flowing out of the valley. This pressure crack had been opened by the ancient volcanic activity and a natural fresh water spring had opened because of it. She had climbed up there and seen for herself all that had transpired, recording it all for the scientific logs of Amandora. And, of course, her own personal logs. If it was Meji business then it would remain Meji business, as Master Ro had instructed her.

As her day progressed Zenni removed the cloak from over her shoulders, the garment attaching at certain spots with toggles and clasps, not buttons. The day had grown hot, the sun overhead at noon-day for this world and she reveled in it. All around her Zenni could feel the exuberance of life and that fed her own positive emotions and feelings. The valley was woodland and glens with the trees spread apart far enough for driving and walking, but close enough together to maintain the forest. The glens and clearings were all supple green grasses, flowers and soft undergrowth, perfect for gatherings. Going back to her camp Zenni opened her frame pack and brought out the entrenching tool and hatchet. Changing out of her robes Zenni got back into her hiking outfit. Once that was done she began to dig as she called on the Core for endurance as she set to work like a machine. She and Cosmo had already found a pathway to get the Argo back into this hidden valley, and it was now parked under this very large tree that provided quite the protective canopy from the sun and other elements.

With a ten by ten feet square hole now dug into the turf four feet deep, Zenni tossed the entrenching tool aside and hopped up and out of the hole. Taking up the hatchet and hooking the scabbard to her belt on the opposite side of her lightsaber she headed for a thicker portion of the woodlands. Within those woods she cut down saplings and hacked branches from trees with her saber, clean cuts that would do as little damage as possible. Each piece was cut for a certain length, providing her with posts that were four inches thick each, using her hatchet to trim the small branches away from the body. Bundle after bundle of these sticks/posts she brought to her camp and then plopped them down next to the sub-level she had created. Sitting down on a large rock she had moved over for a chair, Zenni began the arduous task of removing the bark from the posts in long, thin strips. Using those strips as twine she then lashed together three posts each so that their shape was roughly traingular when viewed from the ends. Using her axe, which had the hammer end opposite the blade, she set the posts in each corner of her basement and pounded them into the ground. Slowly, over time, with Cosmo's advice here and there Zenni Kahn had created a small cabin made of earth and wood.

Using clay and mud from the surrounding terrain Zenni had even built her own fireplace with a chimney going up and out of the roof. To harden her clay and mud mixture she had lit a fire within it to set the materials while she continued on other things. A few flat topped rocks made for her steps up and out of the side door, and outside she had built a small retainer wall with rocks she had gathered from the local river and bound together with her mud and clay mortar. Now, it looked like a wall from any number of hedgerow countries, horseshoe shaped with the open end facing the valley and the back of the horseshoe behind the cabin where the entrance to the caverns was. She had yet to venture within as she had decided to make a decent camp before disappearing underground. Standing with her hands on her hips and blowing a lock of hair away from her left eye, Zenni was proud of what she had accomplished, all done from the memories of her past hosts. Cosmo was at her right side and he spoke.

"Yes, I would agree," she smiled as she looked over at her companion. "We do good work." That's when she cast her eyes downward at her own person, covered from head to foot with dust, mud, grime and sweat. Zenni was so glad she had removed her robes. Normally, she wouldn't worry about them but in this case she really didn't need to wear them to do simple labor. "Bath time."

Taking up her robes and leaving the cloak in the cabin/hut, Zenni and Cosmo went around the hill of boulders and to the pond, smooth as glass as there was very little breeze. The sight of it made Zenni quicken her pace, setting her clothing aside and taking off her equipment and soiled garments. Standing naked in the sun, which made her realize just how badly she needed a tan on certain parts of her body, Kahn took up the dirty laundry and waded into the pond. The Core gave no hint of danger and Cosmo had scanned the area several times and determined the same thing. Nothing dangerous lived within the waters. Again, Zenni found that curious. Finding a good little rock shelf jutting from the bottom of the pond she swiped away the silt, seeing it slowly meander away in the current. Sitting lotus upon the rock put the surface just about where her navel should have been. Once set in place, her clothing now soaking in her hands, little Miss Kahn scrubbed them together and washed what she could from them without soap. Finishing that task she left the water long enough to set them out on rocks to dry before turning and going back. This time she waded into the tepid water and slid beneath the surface, swimming beneath and allowing the Core to correct her eyes for underwater vision. Several species of fish swam around, avoiding her like any animal would, and there were even some crustacean types far at the bottom. Angling upwards Zenni ascended and her head broke the surface, head back so her long hair would smooth back along her skull even as she molded it back with her hands. A good hour was spent simply relaxing, swimming and cleaning herself by all-natural means.

After drying in the sun while she checked her damp clothing, Zenni put her robes back on, minus the cloak. At her camp she set up seven tree stumps for sitting on around her fire pit. There was a pyramid of small kindling stacked in the fire pit, ready to be lit when needed, her wood shavings from her twine down under the pyramid ready to be sparked and lit. Standing and spinning slowly around in a circle Zenni was quite pleased with her little hut and the yard, or garden, she had created to contain it. She could definitely call this place home. No technology except Cosmo, no crowds, no politics, just a woman living simply and off the grid. It would provide a wonderous place to come and meditate on the Core, to bring herself enlightenment and understanding of the energy field and the powers it provided. To have visions in a calm, peaceful place free from the violence, corruption and oppression too often found amongst her fellow humanoids around the galaxy.

But, as a Starfleet officer she did stick to her duties and regulations, one of which was to report in every so often. So, not to get herself in trouble as the Chief Counselor, Lieutenant JG Zenni Kahn had sent word to the Amandora that she was fine in her explorations and sample gathering. She asked Amandora to pass it all on to the Commodore, and others, if asked. Also, that she was ready for further subterranean explorations in her region, with Cosmo showing the entryway he had discovered. Once that report was finished she closed down the comm and went to the Argo, opening the equipment locker in the back and grabbing a headband headlamp. The saber was nice as a light but the constant thrum would get old after a while.

Having done all she could for now, Zenni Went and sat on a stump/stool, leaning her back onto the side of the Argo, her feet kicked up and crossed at the ankles on another stump. This was the life, she thought as she grinned to herself.

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