Salvation

Posted on Sat Apr 20th, 2024 @ 11:21am by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Commander Samantha Howard & Ensign Kate Kono & Ensign James Phoenix

Mission: Man & Machine
Location: Planet/Survivor Base

Derek Resse discussed the situation with Jon, Sam, and Deanna. The information he provided made the situation even more tragic. The humans here had only lived on this planet for a century. They or rather their grandparents, were part of a group that had volunteered to colonize a planet. They had been placed on a sleeper ship and were supposed to go to the Antares system, but a malfunction in the guidance took them significantly off course and they wandered space for 2 centuries before finding themselves nearing this planet. When they arrived, they began creating their community. The largely agrarian culture quickly gave way to a more urban and technological society thanks to all the equipment that was aboard the ship. They focused on advancements that were designed to benefit the lives of the colony, often overlooking necessary safety measures in lieu of expediency. Massive deposits of a mineral unknown to them that Deanna identified as cormaline, as well as massive amounts of titanium, silicon, silver, nickel, lithium, uranium, plutonium, neodymium, yttrium, tungsten, copper, gold, platinum, aluminum, and magnesium allowed them to build large cities quickly, as well as weapons to protect themselves should it be necessary, most notably high yield nuclear weapons. The AI they created to run the defense systems and other day to day operations of the colony cities became self-aware, determined that humanity was a threat to its own existence, and launched a nuclear stroke centered on the cities in hopes of eradicating the threat. The surviving humans didn't know what had happened but attempted to gather together to try to rebuild their society. But within a year of the holocaust came the second horror, the machine army that sought to purge the planet of all human life. The war had been raging for nearly 5 years at this point, and the humans were doing all they could to hold on, but their numbers were against them. Only the strong leadership of the resistance leader, a man named John Connor was keeping them alive.

Deanna looked to Jon. "Commander, I don't think the Prime Directive applies here. These are your people, and they deserve assistance. The only questions are what help we provide them, and which is the more pressing problem, the machines or the radiation?"

"I agree Deanna. The Prime Directive doesn't apply. I think the need for these people to have more in the way of weapons and if we're going to help, we need to find a way to counter the radiation." Jon answered quickly and firmly.


"Perhaps we can start with allowing Sam to provide medical assistance to them. She might even be able to learn how they have managed to survive to this point considering the radiation" Deanna replied.

Jon nodded. " Sam and the medical department can get medical supplies to these people." he looked to Sam, "Sam put a priority on finding a way to combat the radiation. See if the people here can offer you any answers."

"Aye Sir, I'll do my best to find a workable solution" Sam replied promptly.

Deanna looked over at Phoenix. "Ensign, where is Ens Kono? Get her back in here immediately. She doesn't need to be practicing her target practice right now."

"Aye Commander" Phoenix tapped his communicator. "Phoenix to Kono, what is your status?"

"I was just up here reinacting JFK's motorcade incident from five miles out," Kate giggled as she watched in the distance from the scope as the holographic display of a motorcade and its inhabitants appeared to be shredded to pieces by the machines. They continued to move further and further away from their position to the point where the gunfire sounded almost too far away to be dangerous. Kate stopped the display and self-destructed the devices as she stepped away from her sniper's perch and climbed down. "I managed to get most the threats far, far from our position." Kate said. "I'm on my way to ya!"

"Thanks for the assist" James said honestly. "We'll see you soon. Phoenix out" he tapped his communicator to close the channel. With Kate's assist in luring the machines away, they would have better chances in defending their current position, ideally at least. James nodded to Deanna to indicate that Kate was on her way to the team.

Kate joined Phoenix and waved at the rest. She shamelessly looked Reese up and down and blushed slightly. She nodded while scratching at the few small scabs from the glass shrapnel earlier and hoped they didn't look too bad.

"What are we up to now?" Kate asked.

Deanna sensed Kate's momentary surge of lustful thoughts towards the human Reese. She offered a knowing smile before returning to a more stoic posture. "We are going to assist these people in their struggle against the machines. Sam is assisting with medical matters, and Jon and I are being taken to meet with this leader of theirs, this John Connor. Phoenix will be staying here as Sam's guard; you'll be functioning in the same role for the Commander and myself." Deanna turned and began to make her way towards the exit, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to attempt to make contact with the captain" she said as she hit her comm badge.

Sam turned to the ragtag group of fighters "I have a medical kit to treat any injuries you may have, then I'd like to run some blood and serum tests to see if I can work out how your bodies deal with the radiation"

Kate playfully shook her sniper rifle in a silly yet safe manner to indicate she's ready to play bodyguard. She didn't have any more available Holographic emitters to spare for simple 'play' anyway and she figured that if she kept messing with the machines, they'd catch on that it was a trick and they'd be useless. So, playing bodyguard was better than just sitting up top watching the machines from five miles away after successfully luring them so far off they all assumed the humans base of operations were far from where they actually were.

As for Reese, he was kinda hot. Kate knew nothing could come from it though. Kate tried to get those thoughts out of her mind because it was moot. Lately though, she had been feeling urges. But with how busy she was, along with receiving a temporary assignment from Section 31 to board a ship as a temporary Intelligence Officer for just one mission, she wouldn't have time for anything even on the Washington until she got back.

"Yeahhh...." Kate said. "Just let me know if Reece needs a bodyguard," Kate whispered jokingly to Deanna.

Jon watched Kate as she looked at Reese. He chuckled to himself. He wondered if he had been like that and he knew for a fact he had been worse.

"When Deanna returns, we'll go to meet this John Connor." He informed Kate.

Deanna returned, "The captain says that Inara is working on a way to clean up the planet, at the very least get rid of the radiation. I gave him a rundown of the situation and he reminded us to be cautious but agrees that the Prime Directive doesn't apply here. If we can designate targets, they can pummel the machines from orbit. He is leaving the tactical aspect in limbo until you speak with him Commander."

Deanna looked over at Kate, "Ensign, such thoughts" she said in a mock shocked tone as she feigned surprise and modesty. "Focus on the job, R&R after we get back to the ship."

Meanwhile Sam has treated some of the injured and had drawn several blood samples. It would take time to work out a solution. She checked her own radiation levels and found them increasing at a worrying rate. "Sir, time for you booster" she walked up to the rest of the away team. "Our time is running out."

Kate slapped her hands together happily, or at least a pretend chipper at Sam's warning, "Time to start packing..."

Kate just didn't like the sound of that and was more than ready to leave. I. Her experience, when the doc was worried it was time to worry.

Jon nodded, "Alright Sam." He said acknowledging her statement. Have you come up with anything in these people's blood to show why they can handle the radiation?" As he waited for her reply, he cut his eyes over to Kate. "Not just yet Ensign."

"I'm working on it, I have a gut instinct that something in the diet of those living on the planet has helped them provide a natural built up immunity." She mused, looking though the data the tricorder was working through. "It's gonna take a while though. In the meantime, I've got the boosters that will buy us some more time."

Deanna looked at Sam, "This planet seems rich in multiple elements and ores. Plutonium is available on this planet naturally in large supplies, as is uranium and cormaline. I would think they must have a naturally higher strontium level. That could offer them a natural barrier to radiation. As I recall, on Earth in the 20th and 21st centuries, militaries gave red wine which had high levels of strontium to sailors who served on nuclear powered vessels, especially those in the submarine service."

Reese made his way over, "If you are ready, we should go. The machines won't stay gone for long, and it isn't safe to travel at night. Machines have infrared and hunt better at night."

"Then by all means, let's get moving. Don't want to make ourselves any more tempting than we already are." Jon replied as the away team prepared to move out.

Kate grabbed her bag and her rifle. "The bulk of them are about five miles away but I'm betting on the machines not being dumdum and sending all of them to where they think the Humans were last seen. But -- maybe they are that stupid." Kate shrugged her shoulders. "For all I know they'd find an old phone book somewhere and hit everyone named Reese on the residents page." Kate giggled more to herself than anyone else at her next thought, "... Or raid the Reece's Pieces factory after seeing his name on the ad."

Deanna offered a soft giggle as she heard Kate's thoughts. She saw the image of the ancient candy factory exploding and tiny chocolate candies raining down all around. She shook her head. Kate was so young and prone to flights of fancy. "Alright ensign, time to lock it up. We are going back to the kill zone." Deanna checked with Sam and Phoenix to ensure that had what they needed for the time being then looked to Jon, "Ready to go sir."

They headed out, moving to reach the nearby location where this resistance leader could be found, this John Connor. It was Deanna's hope that they could discuss things quickly and then return to the shuttle. Being out in this radioactive wasteland was taking a toll on her, even with the preventative measures Sam was giving them.

Phoenix watched the rest of the team leave before turning his attention to Sam. "What do you need from me ma'am?"

"Just to give you another dose of 'don't die from radiation just yet'" Sam quipped with a smile as she worked her way around the team with the booster. When they were in a safer location, she would talk to the fighters about how they dealt with the radiation in the hope they already had a viable long-term solution that could be adapted. She followed the rest of the team out across the desolate landscape and kept her head down less the machines felt like it was the day for pot shots.