"So what you're saying, Mr Worf, is that there is absolutely no edible vegetation whatsoever."
"Yes sir, the plant life has no nutritional content."
Frustrated and a little confused Riker looked round at the grass growing in clumps over the ground, by rights they shouldn't even be there.
"I don't see any sign of water, but it must be present in order for these plants to grow. Mr D'Amato, have you seen any evidence of rainfall?"
"No Sir," D'Amato replied "in fact there's nothing to show that there ever been any rain on this planet."
"And yet there is plant life here."
"Could it possible they absorb moisture from the air?" Ro interrupted "Or perhaps there's a subterranean supply. If we could find that it would give us a better chance of survival."
"Tell me about this organism you've detected."
"Well it's almost like a virus, possibly some kind of plant parasite, my readings aren't too accurate but it's the only biological life I can find."
"Well we're going to need to know more if we want to stay alive. D'Amato, see if you find underground water. Worf, run an atmospheric analysis. Ro, see what else you can find out about the vegetation and this parasite. I want to know how they get their water, if you can discover how they survive then hopefully we can too."
OoOoOoO
Worf, had spent almost an hour on the analysis, the warrior in him found scientific surveys to be tedious, but he knew his duty. Everything on his tricorder looked normal when all of a sudden a new reading appeared, one that Worf could barely believe. He tapped his combadge.
"Worf to Commander Riker."
"Go ahead, Worf."
"Sir, I was making a standard magnetic sweep, from zero I suddenly got a reading that went off the scale, then a reverse of polarity, now I get nothing. It's like a door opened and then closed again. I've never seen anything like it "
"Understood, lieutenant, keep me advised. Riker out."
OoOoOoO
D'Amato was beginning to find his survey equally tedious, he could find nothing but the same extrusive igneous rock with relatively few crystals, he could see no sign of water erosion and very little wind erosion, even the soil, which was little more than dust, was unremarkable. There was no indication of underground water. He turned round to begin a survey on a small outcrop that he had seen earlier in the hope that he would find something more interesting when he found himself staring into the face of a quite possibly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
"Do not be afraid." Her voice was quite lovely.
"I'm not afraid, you startled me. Who are you?"
"That's not important. You are Lieutenant D'Amato, you are a geologist, you come from the planet Earth"
"That's right. How do you know about me?"
"You came here aboard the spaceship Enterprise."
"Yes, we're explorers, we came here to learn about your planet and we're stranded here."
"Do not be afraid."
"I'm not."
The woman suddenly started walking towards him, her hand outstretched, D'Amato backed away.
"I am for you, Lieutenant D'Amato."
"Well aren't I the lucky one."
"I am only for D'Amato."
"Wait, you're the woman on the Enterprise, in the transporter room." He reached for his combadge.
"No, do not call the others."
"I need to call Commander Riker, we'd like to discuss the possibility of sharing your food and water."
"Please."
OoOoOoO
"Ro to Commander Riker."
"Go ahead, ensign."
"I suddenly got a life-form reading of tremendous intensity, it just appeared out of nowhere."
"What do you mean?"
"Just that, Sir. All levels were normal and then I got this biological surge of life-form registering."
"Hold your position, I'll be right there." Will started to jog to Ro's position when she called back.
"Wait, it's gone."
"As though a door opened and closed?"
"Yes."
"What direction?"
"083."
That was where D'Amato was surveying.
"Stand by, ensign. Riker to D'Amato."
He waited a second but there was no reply.
"Riker to Lieutenant D'Amato, respond."
But there was still no reply. That could only mean one thing, trouble.
"Worf, Ro, D'Amato isn't answering, meet me at his location on the double."
Will turned on his heels and began to run towards D'Amato's position, he saw Worf join him from the left, quickly followed by Ro. He headed between to outcrops of rock, as he came round the other side he saw D'Amato lying crumpled on the ground, he turned him over checked for a pulse but there was none. D'Amato was dead. Ro knelt beside him and ran her tricorder over his body.
"I've never seen anything like this. Commander, every cell in his body has been disrupted."
