Planetary Trek
Posted on Thu Apr 9th, 2026 @ 7:54am by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Lieutenant JG Kate Kono & Lieutenant JG James Phoenix & Ensign Janelle Barett
1,506 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
The Shuttle Incident
Location: Planet
The night had passed without incident. Viviana had prepared a simple breakfast for everyone in the aft compartment; a variety of fruits, granola, and tropical juices. She sat with everyone around the table, looking over her medical scans.
"Everything alright doctor?" Shran questioned.
"Yes sir. Just doing a comparitive analysis. Everyone seems fine, though I would ask that you and Lt Kono keep a close eye on your hydration today" Viviana replied.
"Noted doctor" Shran answered simply.
Kate stumbled out of the Roundabout, her boots immediately surrendering to the sand's gravitational pull. Ugh, why is everything on this planet trying to eat me? The sun blasted her face like someone had just opened an oven door. At least she'd gotten some decent Z's—lookout duty after seven hours, then she'd managed to squeeze in two more hours of unconsciousness. Small victories! She snuck a quick scratch below her belly button. Note to self: packing list for next away mission MUST include razor. Or, like, whatever was good to take on trips where you got stuck in shuttlecraft’ with your alien friends. Dermal follicle disintegrator? Her eyes drifted to Shran as she cracked open her water bottle. Wait… do Andorians even NEED to shave? Her gaze locked onto his blue face like she was scanning for contraband. If he grew a beard, would it be blue? White? BOTH? OMG, what about his antennae? Do those things need grooming too? And does he have, you know, hair... down THERE? This is the REAL stuff they should teach at the Academy! "Xenobiology 101: Hair Where No One Expects It." The final frontier of awkward alien grooming!
Kate's brain felt annoyingly alert from oversleeping; a cosmic joke considering she was marooned on this glorified sand dune masquerading as an island. She drained the last lukewarm drops from her bottle, then weighed it in her palm like a grenade. The ocean beckoned: no eco-warriors would emerge from the waves to lecture her about sea turtles mistaking it for jellyfish. Still, Q’s influx of forced Starfleet conditioning flickered to life like an old TV set from the era she was actually from, and she lobbed the bottle through the runabout's open door with the resigned sigh of someone who couldn't even properly rebel against regulations when absolutely no one was watching.
Kate, lost in the labyrinth of her own thoughts, had somehow migrated across the plank from the ship and the sand like a sleepwalking penguin and was now hovering uncomfortably close to Shran. Her dark almond eyes laser-focused on his skin with the intensity of someone trying to decode hieroglyphics, she squinted dramatically while vacuum-sealing her lips around the bottle. Each contemplative sip made a small *glunk* sound as she maintained unblinking eye contact, looking like a scientist who'd just discovered a particularly fascinating specimen of blue mold.
Janelle glanced briefly toward Kate, then back to the table, choosing not to comment. She reached for a drink, her posture easing slightly. “I’ll try the comms again after breakfast,” she said. “Maybe we’ll get something this time… or did you want us taking a look around the planet first?”
"We'll carry a comm unit with us as we explore. Link it to the runabout, that way if anyone does attempt to contact us, we'll be able to answer" Shran replied. His antennae were flailing a bit and he looked to Kate, "Something got your attention lieutenant?" He used her rank rather than her name, never a good sign.
Viviana began clearing the table and then checked her portable medkit. Everything she would need just in case something happens. She really hoped nothing was going to happen though.
"Mr. Phoenix, scan the vicinity, and once you determine nothing dangerous is outside lurking about, you can lower the shields, let the system begin to rebuild the power reserves, and then do a quick perimeter check. Keep an eye out for the creature I encountered yesterday. If you spot one, remember that it has the ability to project a false image of itself of superior holographic nature, and the real version of the creature will be at the edge of you peripheral." Shran looked around, "Alright, make final preparations, our little trek into the woods begins in 20 minutes."
"Aye Captain" James said as he slid back into the tactical seat to use the shuttle's scanners. Even at low power they were still much more effective than a tricorder. The scans showed nothing of danger at the moment in the direct vicinity. He then proceeded to lower the shields and grab his phaser pistol and clear the perimeter the same way he did when he first exited the other day, albeit a bit faster. Again, nothing in the vicinity of the crash site.
He entered the runabout again. "Scans show the vicinity is clear. I cleared the perimeter as well. Shields are recharging" Phoenix reported.
Kate's daydream popped like a bubble. She snorted mid-sip, nearly sending water up her nose.
"Oh, my brain's running on all two nacelles now. Nothing mission-critical though unless crew hygiene counts? Hey, quick alien question! Do Andorian's sprout face-fuzz? Everyone's getting that castaway look, but your mug's still smooth as a Pakled’s brain. It's like a science experiment watching everyone get progressively shaggier. By the time we dock, Phoenix is gonna need a weed-whacker for that face!" Kate cackled at her own joke before cupping her hands around her mouth.
"HEY, HYPOGIRL!” Kate yelled to Viviana, “Has your downtown stubble achieved sentience yet, or what? I can’t wait to go home to a real bathroom. We’re too civilized for this situation.” Kate lingered by the runabout's open door, watching Viviana thoughtfully. The humid air of the alien island clung to her skin as she weighed her options. Perhaps it was time for a truce. …Not forgiveness exactly, but enough civility to survive this crash together. After all, she was stockpiling her real fury for a special young Ensign waiting light-years away, the one who may have been responsible for putting them in this predicament in the first place.
Shran looked at Kate and then over at Viviana. "Doctor, I believe Kate may be suffering a stroke" he said deadpan.
Viviana took out her tricorder and began scanning Kate. "I believe you are right captain" she replied, her voice laced with sarcasm.
Kate adjusted the settings on her tricorder, the device's soft blue glow illuminating her furrowed brow. "We need to get moving before the guys start talking about strokes again. What exactly are we searching for on this island? Our inventory shows we have adequate supplies, minus one critical component." She sighed, clicking the device's protective cover shut. "Always the rum that's missing." Kate grinned.
Viviana chuckled. "Hey, I get that reference!" she exclaimed. "Early 21st century film character. Captain...captain...Captain America, right?"
Janelle didn’t join in the banter about facial hair or 21st-century cinema. While Kate and Viviana traded barbs, Janelle was already at the small equipment locker, moving with a quiet, practiced motion. She pulled a standard issue field pack from the rack and began a manual inventory. Replicators were fine for convenience, but she’d learned early on that in a crash scenario, you trusted what you could physically touch. She checked the seal on the thermal insulation blankets, swapped out a depleted power cell in a handheld searchlight, and secured a collapsible signal dampener to the side of her pack.
“Comms slaved to the runabout’s main processor,” she reported, her voice cutting through the laughter with professional neutrality. She tapped the small device clipped to her shoulder strap. “Range is limited by the canopy density, but it’ll trigger a wide band burst if the buoy pings us."
She adjusted the straps of her pack, the weight settling familiarly against her shoulders. For a brief second, her hand drifted to the pocket where her personal PADD, and Natalie’s unanswered messages lay dormant. She hesitated, then zipped the pocket shut. The Academy training was screaming at her to stay focused on the geometry of the room, even when the room was a tropical jungle filled with six-legged cats. “Ready when you are, sir,” she added, stepping out onto the sand.
Shran strapped his pack on and then pulled a phaser rifle from the weapons locker. He checked the weapon, ensuring it was fully charged and set to stun and then slung it onto his shoulder. "Mr Phoenix, make sure the door is closed upon our exit, bring up the rear. Everyone have a phaser and a tricorder. We know at least one large predator lives on this planet, no telling what else we might find."
James nodded as he collected his own gear. "Aye sir." He stepped to the side to give room for the remainder of his colleagues to exit the craft. As he waited, he did a final check of his gear to make sure everything was in working order.
TBC
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