Down to The Planet we Go!

Posted on Fri Oct 3rd, 2025 @ 11:19pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Lieutenant JG Kate Kono & Chief Petty Officer Aaron Geiger

1,509 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Wild Wild West
Location: Transporter Room 1
Timeline: Current

Jon entered the transporter room looking every bit a cowboy. He had on boots with spurs, pants, a long sleeve tan colored shirt with a matching vest and a hat that had a rattlesnake skin on it. Oh and his gun belt and 'gun' actually a heavily modified phaser and if one looked closely they would see the image of a cobra on the butt of the gun, He nodded to the tech on duty and waited for the others to show up.

"You like a real cowboy Commander." The tech called out.

"Thanks Mike, that's the look I'm going for."

Kate walked into the transporter room wearing a predominantly black Japanese Samue style shirt tucked into period specific black pants, all silk fabric, which consisted of long sleeves, form-fitting pants, and a turtleneck below her ear where the blue highlighted Japanese Dragon designs started. She was strapped with a Colt 45 tightly at her hip on one side, and a Tanto knife just behind the handle of the phaser that cleverly looked like that Colt. Another strap around her back held the Winchester Rifle. With her, she had a bag she used to store the bullets for that rifle; some were lethal, most were stunning rounds.

Her hair was still too short to style in a traditional Japanese bun, so she kept it spiked as she usually did. She walked forward in a way to signify that she was still getting used to the boots that her pants were tucked into. As she waved, anyone could see that she had a chain-like armor mesh under her clothes but it was designed in a way to where it almost looked ornimental like it was a style that belonged on her body.

"Hope I wasn't too late. I had a lot to put on," Kate said as she bowed mockingly toward the rest of the away-team. It was such an absurd move that she couldn't help but giggle.

The door opened once more, and Deanna walked in. It was like seeing a cowgirl from ancient Earth. She was wearing laced-up dark leather pants that were form fitting, a color matching Victorian-inspired embroidered bustle jacket that looked just roomy enough to have something concealed inside, a white linen shirt, tooled leather boots that had a slight shine to them and the spurs clanged with each step ever so softly, and a turquoise and silver belt with gun buckles which hung a pair of ivory handled Colt pistols, along with a Winchester rifle slung over her shoulder against her back. Her long hair hung free against her back and draped over both shoulders, capped only by the black cowboy hat with silver trim she wore, which somehow made her look quite menacing. She looked at Jon, "I told you I aimed to misbehave" a mischievous smile creeping onto her face as she spoke.

Aaron entered the transporter room with a sheepish grin. He was dressed in the overalls of a typical railroad engineer with a simple blue and white linen shirt. Over which there was a utilitarian leather duster and a bowler hat. His well worn work boots clomping on the deck. "Well isn't this a stylish group."


Jon let out a low whistle of approval at seeing Deanna and Kate's outfits and nodded in approval at Aaron's. "The original Wild Bunch." He said looking the groups over. "Great job with the outfits. He looked to Kate, "Kate, are you sure you aren't going to overheat in that outfit?"

Kate shook her head and held her hand out at him so he could feel the fabric.

"It's super thin, breathable, and all I got on underneath is a sports bra, the other unmentionable, and a tritanium mesh to protect me from getting sliced, stabbed, or shot." Kate pulled her long sleeves back to reveal the grid-like pattern wrapped tightly around her skin. "I have bad luck on away missions so I figured I couldn't be too cautious. I only have so many original parts," She joked even though she kind of meant it when it came to internal organs.

Deanna chuckled. "We have Viviana on standby in case you decide to get into a bar fight." She looked over Kate's outfit, "Lucky for you we aren't beaming down into the Arizona desert. The locale we are transporting to is more like the California coast, a lot like being back at StarFleet Command. Sunny, breezy, and a feel of the ocean in the air. The settlement we will be visiting is called Durango, the second largest settlement in size and population, but perhaps the most important as it appears to be the center of governance. Handful of farms and ranches litter the outskirts of the settlement. If anyone asks, we from tenant farms near the Wastelands. That should give us all a proper cover."

As Deanna finished, Jon spoke up. "Good report Deanna. Are there any life forms the people from the settlement are in conflict with?" He grinned as he said his next, "Darn I wanted us to be Rangers or some law enforcement group, but your cover story is probably for the best."

"Here is what you all need to know. This planet is much like Earth, though not all of the lifeforms are the same. They apparently have cattle and horses that appear to be identical to what is on Earth, though I'll need a closer scan to be certain of that. The only snake seems to be something referred to as a sand viper which seems to be a cross between a rattlesnake and a cobra and is highly venomous. They have a variety of birds as well, but nothing we need to be concerned with. As for actual people, I will put forward that they are somewhat segmented. Most of these humans appear to be from the North American continent, what was the United States, but also from Mexico, and seemingly the Outback of Australia. The one other thing is that we seem to have a group of Native Americans that have their own lands out near the Wastelands in the south, appear to be a mix of Apache and Navajo. It doesn't appear that there is conflict, they seem to give each other a wide berth, but they do have contact with each other it seems, and they trade with the settlements in the south, though we shouldn't deal with them. If we have to be concerned about anything, it is things that were common in Earth's ancient west that gave it the name Wild West. You have outlaws, rustlers, and gunslingers, so be aware of your surroundings at all times."


"Well, I hope they've seen Asians before," Kate said. "If this planet doesn't have an Asian continent I may as well be an alien eeek!" Kate stepped onto the transporter pad despite her outward musings. "Oh! Do you think they have dogs?"

"Thanks for the further information Deanna. I want you to have a link with Callie so she can monitor and know instantly if something goes wrong

Aaron absently went through the pockets of his duster, confirming all his usual tools were hidden and not showing any discernable shapes from the outside. "I'd like to confirm the locals are using coal as an energy source or if there's something out of place Commander."

"Good idea Chief." Jon answered, "Take a look and see if you find anything out of the ordinary."

"I think it is a near absolute Chief, considering coal is one of their biggest mining industries. But I agree, a full investigation regarding power sources and other technology is in order. I suspect you and I will be focusing on that while the Commander and Kate deal with the mystery of how these people got here" Deanna replied. She looked over at Kate, "And yes Kate, they do have a very small Asian population, though they have a term for them that was unfamiliar to me."

"What kind of a term was it?" Kate asked Deanna. "I'm sure it's not too terrible," She giggled and hopped up and down. "Probably just a really nice term of endearment."

"Um Kate, I'm reminded of an old Earth saying. Be careful what you wish for, you may get it. Are you sure you want to know this term?" Jon questioned.

"The term isn't important. They have Asians though, and that makes you good to go down to the planet. Enough talk, time to move. Our transport window opens in 45 seconds" Deanna replied. "You have the coordinates?" she questioned, looking to the transporter chief.

"Ready ma'am" the transporter chief replied.

"Aye aye ma'am." Geiger responded to the implied order, stepping onto the transporter pad and settling on the furthest spot to let the officers have plenty of room. This was his first actual away mission in many years, and he was feeling a surprising level of excitement and anticipation. Journey, always, before destination.

They dematerialized in the standard blue hue, on their way to solve a mystery.

TBC

 

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