Orville endeavours of bigger proportion…
Alex Shaw is part of their crew now but is concerned about the warning she had received. More questions are asked when an issue arises at Outpost Nine, when another crew member reveals secrets of this district. Will they survive? Kelly, Alara and Ensign Charles are in more trouble than they can handle what will Ed do? Part 2 of Orville series.
Chapter 1
Ed looked around his officers as they stood around the room each having a drink, they had just completed a delivery of much needed aide in the Halunic district. He favored his own drink as he listened to Gordon go on about something he missed the beginning of. He found his gaze drifting to Kelly who was next to Alara and Claire she ended up laughing something Alara had said and he could hear her laughter over the other noise in the room, it wasn't that she was laughing loudly but his ears were a tuned to it he couldn't stop the smile from coming on his lips. The night wore on and he told Gordon and John to take it easy with their drinking before returning to the ship. He went up to the bridge finding those on watch sitting there.
"Captain?" Ensign Peter asked looking up from his screen
"Relax just checking in." Ed stated to which the younger man nodded he notic d the three other crew members looking at him one was a female the other two were males.
"Nothing to report sir." Peter replied
"Right well I will be in my office." Ed stated leaving the bridge and heading down to his office when he walked into someone.
"Sorry sir." She said as he looked her over he couldn't think of her name.
"No my fault I wasn't watching where I was going. Did you enjoy the part ensign..."
"Charles, I didn't go Sir."
"It was an open invite to the whole crew." He stated
"I know, I have been working sir."
"Isn't it only the skeleton crew on tonight?" He asked and he knew all the names of those on the skeleton crew she was not one of them, was she?
"I'm not part of the skeleton crew." She stated as if she was reading his mind. "I was just wanting to get a start on my work, it was quiet. Good night sir." She said walking away from him that was when he noticed she was carrying something he shook his head before heading back to his office.
In the morning he was back on the bridge with Kelly, Bortus and Isaac they were waiting for Gordon.
"Did you enjoy your night?" Ed asked Kelly as he pretended to be really interested in his station.
"Yes I did, I saw you left early."
"Hm oh yeah I had reports to do." Ed replied smiling to himself at the thought of her noticing him leaving.
"Can we turn the lights down on here?" Gordon stated as he moved to his station and making his presence known.
"Are you alright to pilot?" Kelly asked him
"Me of course this little hangover I've flown on worse." He stated sitting at his station
"Right well let's get going." Ed stated after getting the all clear from Alta that all crew is back and accounted for. Gordon took them out of the dockyard. They had been moving for an hour when Alara received a message giving them their next mission. They were heading to outpost nine and to the planet Carlasiarc seeming there was a distress signal coming from the surface and a transmission that something odd was going on. As they made their way to outpost nine Ed and Kelly agreed on who the boarding art would be.
"Wait I get you want to take Alara but why Charles? I thought you would want Shaw?" Ed asked Kelly they were currently in his office.
"Charles is from outpost nine she knows the area. She is also a medic."
"You know her?" He asked
"I know most of the crew." Kelly replied
"I bumped into her last night and she seemed as though she prefers the lab over field work." He stated
"She is qualified."
"Fine, it's just we don't know what is going on there."
"Alara is capable."
"Your right I would feel better if you take Shaw."
"I already talked with her, she said it is best if she doesn't revel herself in outpost nine. I think there is a story behind it but she wouldn't tell me."
"Right fine just be careful." He replied as they were called back to the bridge as they would be arriving in outpost nine soon. Kelly and Ed went down to the shuttle bay with Alara and that was where they met Charles.
"You got the briefing ensign Charles?"
"Yes sir, will it just be the three of us?"
"Yes." Kelly replied as she nodded her head in agreement.
"Do we have any new information?"
"We don't know what we will going into, there is a cloud bank surrounding the planet." Kelly replied
"Yes it has been there for years."
"You do know where you are going right? You know how to get to the distress signal?" Ed asked
"Yes sir, I know where we can land. It is best we make the way to the distress signal by foot."
"Alright, you know how to use one of these?" Alara asked handing her a phaser
"I don't like guns."
"It is set on stun." Alar replied handing it to her.
"We should get going." Kelly states indicating the shuttle they will take
"Yes Commander."
"While we are working you should call me Kelly."
"Ariel." Was Kelly's reply to which she smiled, Ariel made herself comfy in the pilot chair looking back at Alara and Kelly who gave her the nod she then left the Orville heading for the planet below. The shuttle shook as they went through the cloud bank and Ariel ended up putting the cloaking on. Kelly was beside her and as they broke through the bank she couldn't help but gasp.
"Oh my god what happened?"
"This is what it usually looks like, this isn't earth." Ariel replied as they looked around at the dirt ridden planet filled with rubbish, debris and smog. Several of the places looked to be in ruin.
"What did this?"
"War, if you go by the history. But that over there was the council."
"The council bombed half the city?"
"They said there was a terriost faction."
"But you didn't believe them?"
"My friend was there, it happened when I was younger, to me that was the good part of the city."
"What do you mean?"
"You should know that this city… Hell this country not like any of your planets...this planet was ravaged by war and the bad guys won."
"None of our reports say anything about this."
"Now you know the planets secret, the council covers it very well not to mention the games."
"Games?"
"Let's hope we won't be near it, just keep your head down and don't seem too interested in what is going around you, but before we leave in my bag I have some clothes for you to get dressed in."
"What's wrong with our uniform?"
"Best to go incognito if the council know we are here we won't get the answers about the distress signal."
"Are you saying it's a conspiracy?"
"Conspiracy is when you plan to go against something or plan to do something harmful, here it just the way it is. No conspiracy needed they are already in charge."
"What are you saying?" Kelly asked
"Let's get in and out. I already told you about this back on the Orville." Ariel replied and she had when Ed learnt that she was from the planet he called her to his office where he asked many questions and she had at first tried convincing them not to go but it being clear they were going she sighed and agreed to be their guide. She landed the shuttle on the outskirts of the city where they got changed into the clothes she supplied them. They consisted of leggings and a blouse covered with a cloak, before Ariel led them off the shuttle. They walked with urgency and Kelly could tell that both Ariel and Alara were on alert especially when they reached the city. They pulled out their map to where the distress becon was coming from and Ariel had a route in mind to take. They were walking up a side street when someone called out to them making them stop.
"Hey you..." he shouted moving over to them there was three of them together all tall and muscular covered in dirt. Ariel seemed to step in front of Kelly and Alara.
"What do you want?" She growled out
"That is no way to talk to us pip squeak." The front man grunted placing a hand on her shoulder to which she shoved it off.
"Yeah what business you bring?" a second one asked
"I talk how I want and my business is my own now leave us." Ariel stated pulling down her collar revealing something to them that had all three men raising their hands in surrender and walking off muttering apologies.
"What was that?" Kelly asked as Ariel got them moving again.
"They saw three females." Ariel replied shrugging
"So?" Alara asked
"This isn't Xyelaya. Most people out on the streets are not nice people."
"What did you show them? That made them run off like that?" Kelly asked causing Ariel to sigh before turning to face them she once again pulled down her collar revealing he collar bone where a weird mark was revealed.
"Is that a brand?" Alara asked
"Yip."
"They were scared of it." Alara pointed out
"Who did that to you?" Kelly asked at the same time but Ariel didn't reply to either of them.
"We want to be back on the Orville before dark." Ariel stated making them move on Kelly shared a look with Alara but followed Ariel down the muddy road. It took them an hour to reach the coordinates of the distress signal it was in a bell tower and they entered with caution Alara taking the lead. They searched the entire area but found no one.
"Someone was here." Ariel stated
"Gone now." Alara pointed out
"Not by choice," Ariel pointed out as she noticed evidence of a struggle.
"How can you tell?" Kelly asked seeming that the entire room looked very messy and wrecked.
"A fight broke out here...like I said they aren't really big on outside help. Not in this section." Ariel stated but noticed something on the floor moving over to the floor board she lifted up the secret cove.
"What is that?" Kelly asked looking inside the hole in the floor.
"Is that a..."
"Bomb? Yes and not just any bomb this thing will take out this whole section of the city... but why? This is the only entrance into the mines." She asked speaking more to herself then the others.
"Can you disarm it?" Kelly asked
"This one sure but we will need to find its counterpart."
"There is another bomb?"
"It is how it is designed."
"What do you need?" Kelly asked but it seemed that Ariel knew what to do she pulled out her communicator.
"I'm going to break this." Ariel replied as she started fiddling with it Kelly had no idea what she was doing she became concerned when she did something to the bomb using the communicator. "Damn it, I can't disarm this one without setting the other off...maybe yes it will have to do." She said as she once again fiddled with it. Ten minutes passed before she stood up once again and headed for the door. In that time Kelly had wanted to get in contact with the Orville but Ariel stopped her pointing out they will be monitoring communications leaving the planet.
"What did you just do?" Alara asked
"I synced this bomb with this so that when we get to the other one we will be able to disarm both." Ariel replied
"Right, now can we fill in Ed if we are leaving?" Kelly asked
"Yes make it short and fast." Ariel replied handing back Kelly's communicator seeming she took it from her when she first tried. "I disguised the frequency so they shouldn't be able to trace it." Ariel pointed out and watched as Kelly filled Ed in on what was happening. His first response was to order them back to the Orville but Kelly convinced him they could finish it so he reluctantly agreed to it.
"Kelly what is happening?" Alara asked noting that the device was blinking.
"Looks like they are trying to arm the device." Ariel stated
"Trying?"
"They can't I have blocked them. We really should go they will send someone to inspect it as to why they aren't getting a green light."
"They won't be able to fix it?"
"No, let us go." Ariel stated making them leave the bell tower and head in the direction that made the most logical sense of where they would put the other bomb.
"You say it is up there wouldn't it be easier to just go straight?" Alara asked as Ariel pointed out a complicated path she wanted to take.
"I don't feel comfortable going that way."
"But it will be faster, you said time was an issue."
"More people are that way." Ariel pointed out.
"But you said they won't disturb us that most stick to their own business and that if they do you could just show them the mark." Alara stated Kelly saw a flash of pain cross her eyes before they hardened.
"It is up to you Commander." Ariel replied looking at Kelly.
"We will go this way, time is of an issue we only have an hour before we need to head back to the shuttle." As that was why Ed agreed to let them stay he gave them an hour before he was ordering them back.
"Fine, stay close and don't look anyone in the eyes." Ariel instructed leading them down the street she wished never to return to. They had made it through the street without nay confrontation and had made it to the crossroads that would lead them up to the temple. Ariel was on edge as she looked over to the giant fence running parallel to the road they needed.
"What is that fence for? Is it to keep people out or in?" Kelly asked
"I hope you never find out what is on the other side of that fence." Ariel replied when she yanked Kelly towards her.
"What?" She was about to ask when she saw the arrow lodged in the ground. Ariel looked around widely and fear gripped her chest when she saw who it was that surrounded them. She didn't have any time to tell them anything as she and the others were knocked out.