Post Number 13 Surprise Encounter

Posted on Sun Aug 21st, 2022 @ 10:55pm by Lieutenant Tara Herculoid PhD

Mission: Zaris Three
Location: Planet Surface
Timeline: Current

ON:

After a long meeting with the commodore and Kyron, it was now time for Tara to get to work being a scientist while she pondered the conversation that she’d been in on with Cyndi and Kyron. She’d declined the suggestion and offer of a guide. Tara wanted to explore the planet on her own without being shown things.

Tara walked from the city and soon found a stream, kneeling down she opened her field kit and took several samples of the water, spotting some small fish swimming in it Tara took out a glass jar and scooped up enough water and several of the small fish it. She followed it up with several of the small pebbles in the stream and a couple of the water plants that she’d seen.

Labeling her samples as to where she’d gotten them from, Tara placed them into her field kit and continued on her way. Over the next two hours Tara explored and collected various plants, soil, rocks, even a small piece of bark from one of the trees. She was just to request to beam back to the ship when she spotted a small opening between two large rocks. Puzzled as to what she was seeing Tara pulled out her tri-coder again and scanned the area. Frowning at the readings she scanned it again and it came up with the same readings.

Drawing her phaser Tara walked through the opening and stepped into a totally different area. Instead of the sky being blue, this sky had a pink hue to it, the clouds that floated over head were a deep rose color, the air smelled fresh and woodsy. Insects buzzed around and there were quickly darting things that flew past her, paused to look at her and darted away again.

She’d not gone far when a small orange being stopped in front of her and eyed her carefully.

“Who are you?” it asked, it’s voice had a watery sound to it “You don’t live here.”

“I don’t, my name is Tara, I’m from the ship that’s in orbit.”

“I’m Mala, why have you come here? Are you going to hurt us too?”

“Hurt you? No, I have no reason to hurt you,” Tara said “Has someone hurt you?”

Mala nodded “The others have come here and stepped on our houses, walked on our fields and killed the very things we ride on,”

“You mean the things that dart around?” Tara asked

“Yes, we can’t walk long distances and we want to live in peace but the others don’t want us here. We ride on moths, and because of their beauty the others take them from us and we never see them again,” Mala said

“My commanding officer and I met a while ago with Kyron, do you mind if I tell her what you’ve told me? She’s wise and will know what to do,” Tara replied

Mala nodded “Kyron does not know of this place, I sense you’re wise as well. I ask you not to tell him or any of the others,”

“I’ll tell my commanding officer and a couple other officers on my ship but I will not tell Kyron,” Tara assured her. “It may take us a few days.”

“That is fine, the others have not found this new passage in here,” Mala said “Can you leave from this place?”

“I can,” Tara said tapping her com-badge “This is Herculoid beam me aboard,” in seconds Tara had beamed back to the Amandora, her first stop was to the science lab to secure her samples.

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