Tau Eridani I-IV
T'Pol contacted the El'toraya once she had been informed T'Sen and her team would break through to the cavern below within two hours. She deemed it efficient to have the science team already on hand when they finally accessed the mountain.
In the meantime Major Tucker had wandered away, after spending an agreeable and altogether pleasant time with her, lacking commentary on anything in particular. Or speaking at all, in fact.
His request to refrain from "picnicking" when he departed provoked her curiosity, however. So she spent the last hour awaiting the arrival of the science team researching that Human custom on her PADD. Once she felt she understood it well enough, she was forced to admit the activity seemed a reasonable and profitable social interaction. And considering the agreeable environment the planet offered, it did indeed present an excellent opportunity to participate in it.
She couldn't, then, understand why the Major was so concerned that she not do so. The dunes to the west presented the perfect spot for a "picnic".
She wondered then if he had developed an interest in her, as T'Sen seemed to think she had in him. And, so, was concerned she might participate in that moderately intimate activity with another male.
But that was currently irrelevant. With the science team on hand and the cavern soon to be accessed, she busied herself supervising their preparations. And when they were properly prepared, stood at ease to observe Major Tucker offering his aid with the excavation efforts.
It was an entertaining pastime, after all. Most of the gear he was relegated to maneuvering from here to there had been designed in accommodation to Vulcan strength. So he was forced to exert himself interacting with it. Even the manual controls on many of the implements required significant force for him to utilize…
"Captain." Commander Koss said, interrupting her musing.
She sighed sharply, to expel some frustration at the interruption and discourage it in the future.
"Yes, Commander?" She frowned.
"I question the inclusion of Major Tucker on the mission team. As you can see, his usefulness and ability are tenuous at best."
T'Pol adopted disapproval in her tone. "Bear in mind, Commander, that the MACO unit's presence aboard the El'toraya presents us with the opportunity to assess just that. The usefulness of mutual cooperation with Humans in such endeavors. And so they have been included here, so that we can make that assessment."
"Then I suggest we must conclude they present a marked loss of efficiency."
"Perhaps." T'Pol said. "But we will conclude that assessment when the mission is concluded. Would that not be logical?"
"Of course, Captain."
"Very well. Then go and report your ready status to Sub-Commander T'Sen."
"Yes, Captain."
Once the cavern had been breached and the air within forced to circulate for a while with that outside, T'Sen announced it ready for exploration. Which prompted the science team to start poking and scanning the entrance, to be sure the air was breathable and that the tunnel itself wouldn't collapse on top of them.
None of which pleased T'Sen, considering the lack of confidence in her team's abilities it suggested, but it did at least offer her an opportunity to interact with Major Tucker. Commander Koss was in attendance, after all, exhibiting every bit of the disapproval and latent hostility toward the Human that she had predicted he would. So it was logical to deflect that, removing Major Tucker as the perceived mate-rival he'd unintentionally become, before something uncomfortable and detrimental to the mission occurred.
Especially considering the Captain apparently had no interest in addressing the situation. Or even seemed to acknowledge it at all.
She approached the Human, smiling mildly to encourage his comfort with her presence, and stood beside him to wait.
"Major Tucker." She said, after a moment. "While the science team make their preparations, tell me about the Earth. I am curious about your home world."
Tucker was a little surprised at her request, she noted. And yet he answered easily enough.
"Well, you'd probably hate it." He grinned. "Most Vulcans do, from what I hear. Too cold in most places and the climate changes from even one hundred square mile area to the next."
"But you have deserts that I understand Vulcans who have visited find comfortable."
"Yeah, I could probably show you a couple you'd like." He nodded. "You've got to see our oceans first, though."
"We have oceans, of course. But they are shallow and not especially inviting."
"Well, if you ever get to Earth and you're feeling adventurous…which I reckon you'd have to be if you were there in the first place…you'd have to try deep sea diving in the Gulf of Mexico. Our oceans definitely are not shallow and you'd be amazed at the ecosystem there. That'd sure be something you could go back home and tell the folks about."
"You have done this? Deep sea diving?" She inquired.
"Oh, yeah. Just a few times but it really is something."
"That seems logical. I understand you have your home in that area, according to your service jacket."
"Texas, Ma'am. Born and bred. Wouldn't recommend visiting there, though. Had a real problem with Terra Prime in my neck of the woods. Don't ask me why. If I were going to show you folks around, I'd probably start in Florida. We don't really have 'clans' so much, but if we did I guess that's where you'd find most of mine. And the people there tend to be a bit more laid back."
"Laid back?" T'Sen asked, confused.
"Yeah, uh…easy going…more accepting of…well, aliens in this case, I guess."
"I see. Florida sounds interesting, Major."
"Well, Earth might make for a nice shore leave following this mission then. I know folks back home are sure interested in the El'toraya since she launched. I bet you'd make the papers."
"Make the papers?" T'Sen asked. Again not sure what he was trying to communicate.
"Uh…have news articles about you posted on the net. Interviews, reporters following you around. You'd be kind of famous."
T'Sen considered that.
"I do not think I would find that enjoyable." She concluded.
Tucker chuckled. "Well, yeah. Probably not."
The conversation ended comfortably then, as T'Sen found she couldn't determine anything else provocative to say. But it seemed to have had its intended effect. Commander Koss had returned his primary attention away from Major Tucker and back toward the excavation site. Having elicited Major Tucker's interest in her attention, she'd naturally lessened the perception that he threatened to attract the Captain's.
The Captain, however, seemed to have been provoked. Which T'Sen had, admittedly, failed to consider. As she'd failed to register that she'd come to stand beside her at some point during the conversation.
"If we have concluded discussing explorations of Earth and Humanity…" T'Pol said, irritably. "Then there remains the cavern before us to explore."
"Of course, Captain." T'Sen said, quickly. And with appropriate deference and appeasement.
Tucker, however, just turned his head and whistled. Which startled every Vulcan on the mountain, having never experienced such a thing before.
His unit was on hand quickly, however, and he barked orders at them, assigning them their positions and duties. Loudly enough that T'Pol and T'Sen were encouraged to put some distance between themselves and the noise.
The chamber proved disappointingly…empty. There didn't seem to be anything beyond the stone walls, floor and ceiling to discover or examine there.
And the dust. There was quite a lot of that on hand. Not that it was especially interesting, but it did cause the majority of the Vulcans to resort to filtered respirators until it could be cleared. The Humans proved outrageously unaffected, with only some mild coughing to suggest they'd even noticed.
The science team busied themselves scanning and examining everything anyway. That was, after all, what they'd come to do. And after several minutes of in-depth examination and investigation the most interesting fact they were able to uncover was that the chamber was comprised of stone. That was all.
"Well, no." Clemmons spoke up behind the team, his MACO scanner working as diligently as the Vulcan's. "Looks like…we've got another chamber underneath here. About fifty meters straight down. Nothing connecting to it, though. Looks like the corridor leading into it collapsed a long time ago."
The Vulcan scientists were not pleased with the illustration of Human technological superiority, but the Humans themselves didn't seem to notice.
"What else you got, Clemmons?" Tucker asked.
"It's cluttered. I'm seeing what might be some really old electronics…a lot fabricated glass and metal, pretty badly corroded…some pretty advanced materials there in the middle, a lot of it…no power signatures at all. I'm a little surprised I'm reading anything in there after all this time, though. You realize most of the dust in this room could have been furniture or…well, anything, after fifty thousand years."
"Are we going to have a problem when we open it up?"
"I wouldn't recommend poking your head in there right away, but if we stand back and keep the ventilation going it should be fine after a few minutes."
"Alright, let's get one of those laser drills over here and get it done, Corporal."
"Excuse me, Major Tucker." Koss said, disapproving. "I believe Sub-Commander T'Sen should supervise the excavation."
Tucker looked back and forth between Koss and T'Sen for a moment, then grinned shyly. "Right. Sorry, you go ahead, Sub-Commander. Didn't mean to get ahead of myself."
"It is understandable, Major." T'Sen offered. "I find I am excited with the prospect as well."
The contents of the chamber proved not merely interesting…but absolutely astounding.
To one side of the room a lone dais sat, featuring what Corporal Clemmons declared to be a gilded, thick glass coffin. Gilded in pure gold, no less. Clearly indicating significant respect and veneration for whomever had once occupied it. The contents now long since reduced to little more than a vague layer of dust on the bottom.
Opposite that, on the other side of the room, another gilded, glass display. This one containing three books, apparently printed on paper or some other similar material. All three were small in size, seemingly intended to be easily portable, yet the display presented them as if they dominated the room.
The covers of the books had long since cracked and, in fact, collapsed in upon themselves, so that determining the subject matter was impossible visually. Violating the thick glass of the display in order to handle the material directly seemed impossible as well, as they had long since deteriorated to the point that the slightest touch or breeze would likely destroy them completely.
The remains of the shuttle occupying the center of the room provided the shocking discovery that currently stunned the Vulcans in attendance, however. As they had already noticed what the Humans were only just beginning to.
"What do you make of this, Clemmons?" Tucker asked, examining the corroded surface of the ship…without actually touching anything or so much as breathing directly on it.
"Well, that would be the advanced material I picked up on earlier." Clemmons said, scanning the shuttle busily. "And it's pretty advanced considering how old it…uh…wait a minute…"
That got Tucker's attention. He was still keyed up and prepared for some as yet undetermined threat to jump out of the shadows, after all.
"What, Clemmons?" He frowned, after a far too long delay of nearly three seconds.
"Uh…sir…the writing here. On the bow. It's faint but…that's Vulcan, sir. Golic Vulcan, actually. Which is a pretty recent…"
"I thought you said this thing was old." Tucker interrupted. "How long's it been here?"
"Uh…from the beginning, I guess, sir." Clemmons said.
"Like 'fifty thousand years', you mean? Because there wasn't any such thing as Vulcans back then, Corporal."
"Well…sir, I…that's what my scanner says, sir."
"There were, of course, Vulcans at that time, Major." Koss said, having recovered from the shock somewhat. "As there were Humans. Did your Starfleet happen to misplace a shuttle fifty thousand years ago?"
Tucker scowled and took a step back to reexamine the thing. Which…
"Wait a damned minute…" He said, vaguely. "Corporal…am I crazy or is this an old NX-class shuttle pod frame?"
"It…well, it could be…" Clemmons said, uncertainly.
"It is." Tucker said. "I'll be damned if it isn't. Refurbished and modified but…it sure is."
"This is extremely unusual." T'Pol declared, stepping forward to inspect the shuttle herself.
"Unusual as hell." Tucker said, mystified.
He snorted then, shaking his head and amused at what they'd discovered. Then he noticed most of the Vulcans in the chamber were still staring in shock.
So he smirked, naturally all the more amused at their reaction.
"Well, you folks wanted to explore the universe." He said. "I guess this is the sort of thing you'd better get used to. There's a lot of it out here."