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Chapter Fifty Two
Stardate 2265.332
Once she had rematerialized on the surface of the M class planet S'nell looked around at the arid landscape. The sensors had indicated that there was a wide variety of animal and planet life but it was almost all underground. That was why she was accompanied on this away mission by Ensign Wong, Captain Kirk, and Ensign Pandev.
"All right. Ensign Pandev remain alert and take up the rear. Ensign Wong you go in front with a tricorder. I'll walk beside Crewman S'nell. Let's go." Captain Kirk replied. Ensign Wong took a moment to scan the area with his tricorder then led the group forward. When Captain Kirk didn't immediately talk to her Crewman S'nell took in the surrounding landscape. She clutched a sample kit in her right hand.
"Well this is nice." remarked Captain Kirk. She raised her antenna and turned her head to look at him.
"Permission to speak freely Captain Kirk?" S'nell wondered. He nodded.
"With all due respect sir I suspect you say that about all the planets you visit on an away mission. Or at least you do until things don't go according to plan." remarked S'nell. Captain Kirk shook his head.
"Here I thought Bones was a pessimist. But perhaps you could match his complaints about away missions Crewman S'nell." Captain Kirk remarked.
"I prefer to be regarded as a realist. Space is dangerous because so much of it is unexplored. With the unknown danger is always a possibility." replied S'nell.
"Well, that's why we're out here Crewman S'nell. Ensign Wong how much further to the underground caverns?" answered Captain Kirk.
"The area is just ahead. As our communicators will be ineffective due to the anorthosite rock, I suggest we should contact the ship before we enter the system of caverns." Ensign Wong said. Kirk nodded in agreement and then took out his communicator.
"Kirk to Enterprise." he said. A few moments later there was a response.
"Commander Spock here. Is everything all right Captain?" came the voice of the first officer. He had been left in temporary command of the Enterprise.
"Yes Spock. I'm just checking in before we enter the caverns." Captain Kirk stated.
"Understood. Spock out." the communication concluded.
A moment later Captain Kirk put away his communicator. The four of them made their way inside the caverns. The walls were humid and they soon came to a small waterfall. S'nell took a sample of the water, labelled the vial, then placed it in her sample kit. Then the group moved on. After they had walked for what seemed what seemed at least half an hour they were stopped by the path abruptly ending. Below them was a vast plain of grass with insects and several herbivores who were eating the grass.
"So how do we get down there?" wondered Captain Kirk.
"Captain, may I suggest that you remain here with Ensign Pandev. Meanwhile Crewman S'nell and myself will repel down the rock face to the bottom to collect samples." Ensign Wong answered.
"With all due respect Ensign Wong I'm not sure if I could make it safely down there. After all, I've never been rock climbing before." protested S'nell as she examined the height of the smooth rock face.
"I think that the possibility of finding new scientific discoveries far outweighs the minor risk of injury." Ensign Wong assured her.
"If you say so sir." S'nell replied.
"Don't worry Crewman S'nell. It'll be fine." assured Captain Kirk.
Given his own thrill seeking tendencies she was not entirely reassured to hear that, S'nell admitted to herself. But she was here to explore so she would do so, she resolved. Much to her relief both herself and Ensign Wong made their way down to the bottom without any incident. Ensign Wong left the anchor and rope so that they could climb back up later. The two of them began to systematically collect samples. S'nell had worked with Ensign Wong before now. She appreciated that he was someone who focused on the task at hand without excess talking and she suspected that he felt the same way about her work. Getting back up to where Captain Kirk and Ensign Pandev were waiting took a little bit longer then she would have liked. Ensign Wong packed away the anchor and rope and then the four of them began to walk back out of the caverns. Captain Kirk led the way. After they had walked for some time S'nell paused then frowned. He stopped to look at her.
"What's wrong Crewman S'nell?" Captain Kirk asked.
"Don't take this personally sir, but I think you went the wrong way. We should have turned left instead of right at that last intersection." she told him.
"How do you know?" he wondered. S'nell closed her eyes and concentrated for a long moment.
"The air from the west is fresher which indicates that an exit from the caverns lies in that direction." she informed him after a long moment.
"All right, you can take the lead then Crewman S'nell." ordered Captain Kirk.
She nodded and did so. Captain Kirk and Ensign Wong walked beside her while Ensign Pandev took up the rear. The cavern soon narrowed enough that they had to walk single file behind each other. S'nell didn't talk as she concentrated on her footing though Captain Kirk kept up a quiet conversation with Ensign Pandev. There was a narrow ledge of rock over a deep gorge that she navigated carefully. Once she was on the other side S'nell moved away and waited for the others to cross. Ensign Wong soon joined her.
Captain Kirk set a foot wrong and was swiftly helped to the other side by Ensign Wong's outstretched hand and Ensign Pandev's hand on his back. He made it safely across but the motion of the security officer's hand caused Ensign Pandev to pitch forward. He tried to grab the rock for traction but the humidity of the cavern made it impossible for him to grab onto the rock. Before any of them could react Ensign Pandev had fallen to the bottom of the gorge.
"Ensign Pandev! Ensign Wong, give me that anchor and rope. I'm going down there." declared Captain Kirk as he looked down into the darkness of the gorge.
"With all due respect sir I wouldn't advise that." Ensign Wong said.
"That was an order Ensign Wong." insisted Captain Kirk.
"Ensign Wong, is that even necessary?" asked Crewman S'nell quietly. Without a word Ensign Wong handed her the tricorder. She carefully walked closer to the edge then aimed the tricorder down into the gorge. S'nell scanned the bottom twice but the reading on the tricorder didn't change. There was no life signs, not even faint ones.
"Give me that tricorder Crewman S'nell." Captain Kirk ordered. She handed it over to Captain Kirk just as she met Ensign Wong's anxious face and shook her head. He sighed and bowed his head in understanding.
"No. This must be wrong. Did you charge this tricorder properly? Ensign Pandev can't be dead." he proclaimed. Ensign Wong carefully took the tricorder back.
"The tricorder is working properly. I'm sorry sir. There's nothing any of us could have done." Ensign Wong told Captain Kirk. The Captain turned an angry glare on Ensign Wong.
"Bullshit. I don't believe in no win scenarios." he snapped.
"Ensign Wong is right sir. We should return to the ship." S'nell replied. Now Captain Kirk turned to her.
"A fellow crew member just died! How can you be so unfeeling Crewman S'nell?" he demanded.
"On the contrary, I will not forget this incident easily. But it is in situations like this when etiquette must be maintained." she told him.
"Etiquette! You sound like Spock when he talks about logic." snapped Captain Kirk.
"Speaking of Commander Spock, he will be awaiting our return to the ship." Ensign Wong reminded them.
"Very well. But I'm leading the recovery effort. I'm not leaving orbit without the body of Ensign Pandev." Captain Kirk declared. Ensign Wong nodded in agreement. The three of them made their way out of the caverns in silence. Once they had arrived at the beam in site Captain Kirk pulled out his communicator.
"Kirk to transporter room. Three to beam up." he ordered.
"Three sir?" came the question of Ensign Dennis.
"Yes. Energize." was all Captain Kirk would say. A moment later they dematerialized. They were met by Commander Spock and Doctor McCoy in the transporter room.
"Ensign Wong, Crewman S'nell, I'll expect a mission report from you both by the end of alpha shift tomorrow. Ensign Wong, leave the climbing equipment. You're dismissed." Captain Kirk ordered. Ensign Wong left his backpack and then the two of them left the transporter room. S'nell didn't feel that she needed medical attention so she made her way to the biology lab instead.
Jim had insisted that he be a part of the recovery team that returned to the surface of the planet to retrieve Ensign Pandev's body. McCoy didn't object as he was still reeling at the news of the security officer's death. Once he, Jim, and Nurse White returned to the ship with Ensign Pandev's body, Jim had ordered him to perform an autopsy. The results confirmed McCoy's initial suspicions when he had first found the body. The impact of the rock floor of the cavern combined with the height of the fall had meant that Ensign Pandev had died upon impact. At least his death had been fast enough that it wasn't that painful, McCoy thought. He heard the noise of someone clearing their throat and turned his head to see Nurse Dominique who stood on the other side of the bio bed.
"Permission to speak freely Doctor McCoy?" she asked. He wearily nodded as he moved to discard his gloves, mask, and hairnet in the biohazard waste area.
"While Ensign Wong and Captain Kirk have been scanned after their return from the planet, you should check on Crewman S'nell. She never showed up to get a post mission checkup after returning to the ship." Nurse Dominique noted.
"Nurse Dominique wouldn't it be better for you to check on her? Not only are you a good nurse you're also one of the few friends that Crewman S'nell has on board." McCoy suggested.
"True enough Doctor McCoy. Even so Crewman S'nell has rarely talked about anything personal with me. When I asked her why Crewman S'nell told me that she takes a long time to trust people and that after many of her colleagues at the Omega Research Station died in that Klingon attack she was wary of making new friends. But it's clear that Crewman S'nell has a great deal of affection for you. So maybe you could reach her where I couldn't." Nurse Dominique explained.
"Well I'll certainly try." McCoy decided. It wasn't long before he stood in front of Crewman S'nell's quarters with a med kit. After he pressed the door chime he heard her voice tell him to come in. He entered to find her alone in the room with the lights dimmed.
"Lights full." he ordered the computer. The full lights of the room revealed that Crewman S'nell sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the desk and chair in the room. She was dressed in a long sleeved ankle length black robe with bare feet. As he walked closer she turned her head to look at him.
"Hello Doctor McCoy. I'm fine. But you can scan me if you wish." Crewman S'nell said. McCoy pulled out a medical scanner from his med kit and did so.
"What exactly were you doing when I came in?" he asked.
"I was attempting to practice a Vulcan mediation technique that Commander Spock taught me. Often I find such mediation relaxing but on this occasion I found my thoughts wandering. Vulcans rely on logic to live their lives. But I personally find reason without emotion to be sterile and without joy. Though please do not tell Commander Spock that I said that." she explained as she stood.
"My lips are sealed Crewman S'nell. Were you thinking about this recent away mission?" he clarified as he put away the medical scanner. She sighed and looked at the floor.
"Yes. Ensign Pandev fell to his death so fast that I felt helpless." she recalled quietly. McCoy paused before he replied.
"Look Crewman S'nell, you're an exobiologist not a miracle worker. Accidents happen." he advised her.
"You're right. Captain Kirk was annoyed that I seemed to not care about what happened on this away mission. But I do feel sadness. I didn't know Ensign Pandev but I certainly didn't want him to die. You know, after N'elini died I was so angry at the circumstances of his death that I didn't want to accept that any accident could ever happen again. So ever since then I've tried very hard to solve everything on my own so that I could be in control of the circumstances. But this away mission has reminded me I can't always do that. Sometimes I should ask for help or trust other people even though doing so doesn't come naturally to me." Crewman S'nell replied. McCoy hesitated for a moment then placed a hand on her shoulder. Crewman S'nell turned her head to look at him.
"Sometimes it's hard to ask for help or trust other people but often it is essential. As for what Jim had to say about your reaction on the planet, everyone grieves differently Crewman S'nell. I'm sorry about Ensign Pandev too. But unfortunately not everyone survives a career in Starfleet. Space is far too dangerous for my liking." he answered.
"Likewise Doctor McCoy." agreed Crewman S'nell. McCoy raised an eyebrow when he heard that.
"If you think that then why did you ask Jim to stay on the ship instead of on that moon where we left the rest of your fellow crew from the Omega Research Station?" he wondered.
"I asked to join the crew of the Enterprise both because I didn't belong amongst that crew any longer and because I knew that I would be able to do research here on the Enterprise that I would not have been able to do otherwise." Crewman S'nell informed him.
"Fair enough. Speaking of work I don't want you to report for duty this gamma shift Crewman S'nell." McCoy proclaimed as he let go of her shoulder.
"But…" protested Crewman S"nell. She didn't say anything further when he gave her a stern look.
"That isn't a suggestion. It's doctor's orders Crewman S'nell." he warned her.
"Yes Doctor McCoy." she reluctantly conceded.
"Good. Now try and get some rest Crewman S'nell." McCoy told her before he left her quarters.
"Thank you for coming to my quarters." replied Crewman S'nell.
"I don't normally make house calls but there's no need to thank me. I was just doing my job Crewman S'nell." McCoy told her. She nodded. Without another word McCoy left Crewman S'nell's quarters.
Tonight he intended to have a drink with Jim in his quarters. McCoy didn't think that Jim would blame himself for what had happened on this away mission but he wanted to be sure that Jim knew that there was nothing he could have done to prevent the young security officer's death. Ensign Pandev wasn't the first crew member to die on this five year mission but that didn't make his death any easier then anyone else who had died so far, McCoy thought.
