*****On the planet's surface*****
The team of four materialized on a grassy hillside not unlike a park on Earth. Looking around, Kathryn could see many trees and unfamiliar plants growing all around. Smiling slightly, she realized that she had been looking forward to this away mission more than she would admit to anyone, especially Chakotay. The away team she had chosen to take consisted of Neelix, the Bajoran Tal Celes, and Jason Sai, a young ensign wearing a red command uniform.
"Captain," Ensign Jason Sai pointed behind her, where the rest of the team was gazing. Turning around quickly, she saw a huge monument that looked to be made of rock, surrounded by the dark brown she had spotted from Voyager's earlier scans. Kathryn smiled to herself. This was exactly the kind of puzzle she was looking for to take her mind off work. Too bad Chakotay wasn't here, he would have loved to study it.
"All right, Neelix and Tal, I want you to work on finding any plants that Neelix thinks could be helpful to the ship. Jason, you're with me."
As Ensign Celes and Neelix went off to gather plant samples, she started towards the rock sculpture, with Ensign Sai trailing closely behind. When they were about 50 meters from the statue, a sudden wind kicked up. Struggling against the air whizzing by them, Kathryn and Sai worked their way close to the brownish-black area near it. Taking out his tricorder, Ensign Sai scanned the area as the sky started to darken.
"It's a liquid!" he exclaimed, "and it's really deep. I'd say it goes down nearly to the planet's core. It's also extremely hot."
"What about the rock?" Janeway asked, showing the Ensign that she trusted his scans by not taking out her own tricorder.
"I'm not reading much about it," Sai said, concentrating on his tricorder as the wind wildly whipped his hair around his face. "It's just a normal mineral rock. I'll convey my readings to Voyager."
"Good idea." Kathryn walked a few yards closer to the pool of liquid, leaving Sai behind her to finish his scans.
"I've finished the transfer Capt-" Sai's words were cut off as a line of light came from the sky and made directly for his active tricorder.
"Ahhh!" he yelled as the thing resembling a lightning bolt went through him. He collapsed to the ground.
"Ensign!" Kathryn yelled hurrying back to him. "Janeway to Voyager, two to beam directly to sickbay!"
The team of four materialized on a grassy hillside not unlike a park on Earth. Looking around, Kathryn could see many trees and unfamiliar plants growing all around. Smiling slightly, she realized that she had been looking forward to this away mission more than she would admit to anyone, especially Chakotay. The away team she had chosen to take consisted of Neelix, the Bajoran Tal Celes, and Jason Sai, a young ensign wearing a red command uniform.
"Captain," Ensign Jason Sai pointed behind her, where the rest of the team was gazing. Turning around quickly, she saw a huge monument that looked to be made of rock, surrounded by the dark brown she had spotted from Voyager's earlier scans. Kathryn smiled to herself. This was exactly the kind of puzzle she was looking for to take her mind off work. Too bad Chakotay wasn't here, he would have loved to study it.
"All right, Neelix and Tal, I want you to work on finding any plants that Neelix thinks could be helpful to the ship. Jason, you're with me."
As Ensign Celes and Neelix went off to gather plant samples, she started towards the rock sculpture, with Ensign Sai trailing closely behind. When they were about 50 meters from the statue, a sudden wind kicked up. Struggling against the air whizzing by them, Kathryn and Sai worked their way close to the brownish-black area near it. Taking out his tricorder, Ensign Sai scanned the area as the sky started to darken.
"It's a liquid!" he exclaimed, "and it's really deep. I'd say it goes down nearly to the planet's core. It's also extremely hot."
"What about the rock?" Janeway asked, showing the Ensign that she trusted his scans by not taking out her own tricorder.
"I'm not reading much about it," Sai said, concentrating on his tricorder as the wind wildly whipped his hair around his face. "It's just a normal mineral rock. I'll convey my readings to Voyager."
"Good idea." Kathryn walked a few yards closer to the pool of liquid, leaving Sai behind her to finish his scans.
"I've finished the transfer Capt-" Sai's words were cut off as a line of light came from the sky and made directly for his active tricorder.
"Ahhh!" he yelled as the thing resembling a lightning bolt went through him. He collapsed to the ground.
"Ensign!" Kathryn yelled hurrying back to him. "Janeway to Voyager, two to beam directly to sickbay!"
