round 20 Doctor Saveron - The Quick And The Dead/May Day/Loss of Faith/Some Fai

[Alora DeVeau]

OT: A sim that was sent in several parts, so I put them together because I thought it was really awesome. I hope what I did was okay.

((Major Settlement, 83 Leonis))

::He materialised in what was definitely an agricultural area, adjacent to a significant settlement, larger than the village overlooked by the Observation Post. Plants of different types were arrayed in geometrical patterns, spiney leaves of green-brown next to broad crimson ones, a brown grass with purple flower-heads nearby. Neat, tended and largely deserted.::

::Largely but not entirely. The erupting volcano dominated the skyline but did not overwhelm it as it had at the now distant Observation Post, yet no one could have missed its presence. Clearly the small group of beings huddled together near a hut that bordered the field had not. There were three individuals that Saveron judged to be fully grown, and five juveniles of the same apparent stage of development. A litter perhaps?::

::The beings had six long limbs each ending in a structure not dissimilar to his own hand. As he approached it was apparent that the knuckles of the hands were covered in hard keratin, and for locomotion the hand was rolled into a fist and knuckles contacted the ground. The juveniles locomoted rapidly on all six limbs, milling about the adults’ feet. Two of the adults stood on four limbs with their backs curved and forward section of their bodies raised, front two limbs touching each other or the wall of the hut. The third had risen up entirely on its two hind limbs, middle right hand holding the wall of the hut for support as it shaded two dark, bulbous eyes with its foremost left hand and sought a better view.::

::They did not appear to be insectoid; Saveron could discern no obvious exoskeleton, but plainly their DNA had not been seeded with that of the humanoid species.::

::One of the juveniles uttered a high-pitched alert tone and the three adults turned to look at him, twisting their flexible spines through angles uncomfortable for most Federation species. They made no sudden movement towards or away from him, and the Vulcan wondered whether perhaps they were not as surprised to see him as they should have been. One of them made a short, sharp sound.::

Alien: Who/what/why? ::The Universal Translator rendered.::

::There was, of course, no guarantee that any language would be analogous.::

Saveron: I am Saveron, I have travelled a long way. I intent no harm. ::He endeavoured to assure them.::

::His words were met with unblinking, stoic silence. Uncertain reception or a failure of the translator?::

Saveron: I have a gift for you.

::The was a frozen moment, then the individual who had stood on two limbs dropped down onto four, took a step closer and [...]ed it’s head.::

::Moving slowly, Saveron unpinned the IDIC symbol that served as his communicator and carefully laid it on the ground before taking several slow steps backward.::

::The alien ambulated forward and unfurled its middle right hand to pick up the pin, passing it up to its forward right hand for examination by those large, dark eyes. The pin was shiney and set with a sparkling crystal; if these beings had a sense of aesthetic that was in any way comparable to his own, they might find it appealing.::

::Saveron bowed politely to the little group and stepped further back to take his leave. As he turned away the being that had collected the IDIC pin was affixing it to the garment that it wore. Satisfied, Saveron headed away across the fields in the direction of the settlement. He was of course now without a universal translator but it was a calculated risk. If anyone tried to beam him out they were going to get a surprise. They would have to use the Mercury’s sensors to search for a Vulcan life signature from orbit – no mean feat – before they could pull him out.::

::That too was a calculated risk; he didn’t want to be interrupted before he’d had a chance to do what needed to be done. Commander Ross was correct in that there was a far firmer case for intervention, but it was not guaranteed. Captain Kells had been adamant about their not interfering; it was always possible that he would not be swayed.::

::He judged that the Aron he had known would be compassionate, but the older Kells personality was an unknown, and what he had seen of it seemed uncompromising. It was a difficult thought, the idea that one no longer knew one’s friend. When time permitted he would meditate on it, and on the personal difficulty in going against his friend’s request. Aron had asked him, as a measure of his respect for him, not to counteract his orders. And Saveron had evaded the request, asked in turn what, exactly, one man could do?::

::Quite a lot, if that man was determined, and he had known that then. So he had refrained from giving Aron the promise that he had sought. He spoke the truth but he lied by omission, and that was a heavy burden. But be that as it may, if Captain Kells stood by his earlier decision to refrain from interfering then those on the planet were doomed to die, their species with them. Saveron could not stand by and permit that. Not even he had that much self control, not when everything he stood for said that lives must be saved.::

::And if Captain Kells changed his mind, then what he did would only assist their efforts. So he saw the situation. So he tested and checked and reconfirmed his logic as he approached his desination.::

::The settlement was much larger than the collection of grass huts near the Observation Post. Many of the outlying buildings were grass but there were sturdier ones of mud daub further in, structures intended to last. The irony was not lost on him.::

::Saveron passed amongst the outer buildings, sighting the hexapodal aliens here and there but avoiding them as much as possible; those that saw him seemed disinclined to approach, preferring to move away or ignore him in favour of watching their impending doom as the volcano began to spew hot magma and clouds of ash.::

::One he was satisfied that he was well within the township Saveron set the sampling case that he’d carried with him the entire time onto the ground. Unlatched, the open lid revealed not the usual samplers, vials and preservatives, but a cache of Transport Signal Boosters. Removing the first one he set it carefully on the ground. It wasn’t active yet, he had no desire to give himself away. According to the Mercury’s sensors which would be tracking his comm. badge, he was still out in the field. Presumably collecting the samples he had wanted, so he hoped they would assume.::

::Removing several more, he shouldered the box again and moved on, describing a circuit around the inside of the perimeter of the settlement, pausing at regular intervals to deposit another signal booster.::

::He trusted that Crewman Leana would be ready to prove that her transporters were up to her quoted figures.::

::The aliens were watching him but keeping out of his way as he worked, dividing their attention between his activities and the growing eruption on the horizon. As he moved on from his latest deposit he glanced back and saw one gently touching the Transport Signal Booster he’d set up, but it did not seem intent on disturbing the device. They were robust items, even if the alien knocked it over it would still function.::

::He worked quickly and with an economy of movement, knowing that as soon as those aboard the Mercury realised that he was still down on the planet they would likely attempt to contact him, if not beam him aboard outright. And when they tried that they would realise his ruse and his time would become very limited indeed. So he had to move rapidly.::

::The boom of a distant explosion rolled over the land as the volcano belched another great cloud of ash and rocks glowing cherry-red began to rise from its maw to spread out across the land in a rain of destruction. The settlement was distant enough that it wasn’t in imminent danger of impact, but there was no indication as to how violent the eruption would become.::

::His long legs covering ground rapidly, Saveron found himself in sight of the first signal booster he’d set up, having completed the circuit of the settlement. Turning then he headed inwards towards the centre of the settlement, where he found a dirt square, an open space perhaps used for gatherings or some such. There were more of the aliens here and they watched him with an unreadable air; he knew too little about them and there was too little analogous with humanoid species for him to judge their thoughts. They were, at least, not attempting to interrupt him.::

::There were two Transport Signal Boosters left in the case that he carried. He set one up at either side of the square, pausing in his step as a juvenile scurried out of his path. Ignoring the looks that he was getting he made his way to the exact centre of the square and paused to look over at the volcano. As if on cue there was a particularly violent explosion from it and another cloud of ejecta – ash, rocks and magma – filled the air. Some of the rocks landed rather closer to the settlement this time. Looking away he took the last object, the emergency beacon, from the case and keyed it’s activation.::

::As the Transport Signal Boosters received the emergency signal they activated, lighting up and generating the signal boost field that would encompass the entirety of the settlement and be easily locked onto from orbit, allowing the mass capture and evacuation of life form signals. Meanwhile the emergency beacon sent out it’s distress call on all available frequencies, as powerfully as it’s battery pack could manage.::

::There was the option with these devices to include a voice message and Saveron took that option, button firmly depressed beneath his thumb.::

SAVERON: =/\= MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY! To all Federation vessels, this is a sentient settlement on 83 Leonis II. Destruction due to eruption of supervolcano is imminent, mass endangerment of sentient life. Immediate evacuation required. MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY! =/\=

::He keyed the message to repeat, betting his life and those of the sentients around him on the fact that while the Prime Directive was a Starfleet regulation, the right to call for emergency rescue was enshrined in Federation law. The signal from that beacon wouldn’t stop at this system; it would continue out across subspace, eventually reaching Federation outposts. Any Federation ship within range that failed to answer such a call would have to answer for their actions in a Federation court. Thus he hoped to override any other considerations going on above him.::

::If he was wrong, he could die for his cause, along with the aliens around him.::

::It was an archaic law, yet one which had parallels in the history of almost every Federation species; that right to call for assistance in emergency situations. The term used – chosen for its ease of pronounciation - was drawn from Terran history; an ancient language called ‘French’. ‘Mayday’ derived from the term ‘m’aider’ which meant, quite simply, ‘help me’.::

::The emergency transponder in Saveron’s hands showed a steady indicator light; it was repeating his message over and over, along with its powerful sub-space emergency signal. It would reach Mercury and the Aquitania within moments, and travel beyond them to Federation space.::

::Every so often the aliens peered at him and at the devices he had placed in the square, their powerful field just waiting to be tapped into. The Transport Signal Boosters would cause the life forms within their field to light up like a Terran Christmas Tree to the sensors of the ships above, enabling them to rapidly extract them in large numbers. That was their design and his intent.::

::The first whine of a transporter beam-out seemed to confirm that his plan had indeed come to fruition, until he realised that the only thing affected by the beam was the emergency transponder that he held. He started to release his grip as it shimmered, but rather than disappear it suffered a critical dissolution, a contained explosion that badly burned the sensitive palms of his hands and scorched the front of his blue tunic.::

::Not even his Vulcan mental control was prepared for the agony of burns to his highly enervated hands and the doctor dropped like a stone, severe shock momentarily turning his joints to jelly. He lay curled on his side, injured hands tucked against his chest, his shoulders curved to shield them.::

::Even as he registered the damage he fought for the physiological control that he had wielded over a lifetime, shutting down the pain signals and the false sensations from the complex network of nerves that gave him extremely detailed touch perception, and also facilitated his touch telepathy. Gradually the pain receded and he was slowly able to assess the damage and direct his body to begin healing; without a dermal regenerator it would be a slow and painful process. Instinctively his mind sank into the deep healing trance that his people used to focus and direct their body’s healing; largely oblivious to all else around him.::

::On one level he micromanaged his body’s response to the damage, but on another he attempted to determine what, exactly had happened. The transport had initiated, but it had failed. And it had failed to lock onto him. That was illogical. Federation transporters were very precise, and with the Transport Signal Boosters active they should easily be able to lock into every life-signal within the field. No, the transporters had specifically locked onto the emergency signal transponder. And like a flash of light in the darkness he suddenly knew.::

Saveron: oO Code 14. Oo

::It was a cold light, and a harsh one. He knew with a sudden certainty that the transponder had been deliberately destroyed; no accident could be so precise. And as he accessed his external senses for a moment he perceived that he still lay within the square of the settlement, volcanic ash beginning to settle on his prone form, soft and suffocating.::

::The message had gone out, the beacon’s powerful subspace signal had already been sent, and there was no way of stopping it. It would reach Federation space. The Federation would know of the emergency, and if the ships above failed to act to save the lives that were subject to the emergency, her legal entities would want to know why. That was the bind that Saveron had deliberately sought to put the Captains into; failing to respond to an emergency beacon when one was within range was a Federation offence.::

::Yet the signaller had been destroyed, and the transport had not commenced. The only logical conclusion was that his gambit had failed; that Captain Kells, regardless of the situation, had ordered that there be no intervention. The aliens of 83 Leonis II were to be allowed to die, and he would die with them. If that was what Starfleet had come to, if it valued secrecy over life, then he wanted no part of it. The Federation’s courts would deal with those responsible.::

::There seemed little point in observing his own death, so he dove deeper into the trance, slowing his metabolism and focusing on his thoughts. He still believed in his cause, could find no fault in his logic. He held only one regret; Saavok::

Saveron: oO Forgive me, my son. Oo

*****

::Sensation disturbed his healing trance and Saveron bestirred his consciousness enough to receive external input and determine what, at their hour of doom, was touching him. He was being shifted and then lifted, and he opened grey eyes to a far closer view of a alien visage than many might wish. Middle arms held him whilst upper arms dusted a thick layer of ash off him and the being walked deliberately on it's hind legs towards one of the mud-walled buildings. He was acutely aware of the heavy irony of the situation; he had come to rescue them, and one of them in turn was rescuing him.::

::But only for the moment. Everything on this world was doomed, whilst the ships hung above as silent witness, refusing to act. The alien tried to lie him down in the lee of the builing but he made an effort to get his feet under himself, careful not to use his blackened and blistered palms, the burnt skin cracked and oozing green blood. He managed to stand and received a look from large, dark eyes as the alien who'd moved him made a series of piping whistles and low, moaning sounds. Talking, he knew, but without his universal translator he had no idea what it was saying. Maybe it was asking what was happening, or what he was doing. Perhaps it was demanding to know who he was, or why he was here. It could even be acusing him of creating their current strife, he had no way of knowing.::

::That wasn't entirely true. He had no way of knowing what it was saying, but he could know what it was thinking. Reaching out he carefully laid a burned palm on a bare alien forearm as the being steadied him, activating the nerves again and suppressing a sense of relief as, through the pain, he sensed the thoughts of the other. Surface thoughts only, he sought no deeper connection with so different a mind, but it was more than enough. Concern, fear, hope, desparation; nothing unexpected. Sudden surprise, but that too was expected. Saveron wanted to project reassurance but it would be a lie; he could give the creature only gratitude, and grief. They shared a fate, and there was nothing further that he could do about it.::

::Convinced that they had been abandoned, he was unaware of the activites aboard the USS Mercury; the DNA matching, the dithering over transport, the rescue of Commander Rahman. He couldn't know about conversations between senior personnel aboard both ships, about changing of plans and minds. He was deaf and blind on the surface to what went on up above. Not to what went on on the surface however. There was a louder, ominous booming from the direction of the volcano, as the destructive processes underway there ramped up. A whistling noise and a sudden whump as a building across the square was demolished by a hot boulder, spraying the surrounding buildings with fragments of baked mud. Around them there were high-pitched shrieks of what he could only assume was terror.::

::This was it. Some of the planet's inhabitants would last until the atmosphere began to cool, but not them. They were too close to the volcano's fury.::

::He looked into the unfathomable eyes of the alien who'd carried him from the ash.:: oO I am sorry; I tried. Oo

::More rocks landed, stirring up the fallen ash into great billowing, choking clouds that made breathing impossible. He started to cough, and heard sounds around him that could only be the alien equivalent. He might last longer than most, he was adapted to low-oxygen environments, but it would not be a pleasant survival. He was condering whether to opt for a trance, unobserving of his own end, when he heard a familiar whine, felt the familiar tingle. Transporters! Someone, up there, chose to put lives first. The alien before him glowed blue in the transporter's beam, and there was the familiar moment of disorientation, before everything changed.::

((USS Aquitania ))

::The air was clear, the ground was stable, bright lights illuminated them. The decor however was pastel, soothing and eerily unfamiliar. It took a moment to come to the logical conclusion: they were aboard the Aquitania. He didn't get any further in his observations as the need to breath bent him double in a fit of coughing. Around him he could hear people of varying descriptions moving, and a sudden voice.::

Crewman: Sir! One of them's not an alien!

Officer: What do you mean Crewman?

Crewman: We've got a Vulcan, or ::taking a second look:: could be a Romulan.

::Saveron was busy coughing ash from his lungs, but he straightened part-way up and found his voice, however croaky.::

Saveron: Vulcan. ::Cough.:: Doctor Saveron, USS Mercury.

Edited August 28, 2013 by aikoheiwa

[Alora DeVeau]

Saveron is awesome.

Edited August 28, 2013 by aikoheiwa