McCoy took a seat in the briefing room, PADD in hand. He was a few minutes early for the department head meeting. The Enterprise was a little over four hours away from assuming orbit at Aminta II. He had already checked and approved the requisition from the clinic and the supplies were crated and ready to beam down. His own medikit was always packed and ready, now modified for thin atmosphere conditions and loaded with extra tri-ox.
There were archeologists, scientists, and other support personnel stationed there who would need physicals. He did not know how advanced their medical facility was. It could encompass anything from a fully equipped mini hospital to a room in a tent where they kept bandages and antibiotic ointment. Judging from their supply list, it was somewhere in-between.
He leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes briefly. He had walked T'Phol back to her quarters just before heading to Sickbay. Cassady had just come on duty and signed her in on the log without comment or question. They shared a kiss inside her door and then he left her to finish packing for going planetside. He smiled faintly just as Uhura walked in. She sat next to him and rested her elbow on his chair, looking at him thoughtfully
"You look very satisfied this morning. Anything you want to tell me?"
He sat up straight and turned to her. "Not really."
"I think I see a twinkle in your eye."
"Do you?"He sipped his coffee.
"Don't be enigmatic. You're mysterious enough as it is."
"Keep 'em guessing, I say."
"Well, you certainly added to your mystique last night. I think Scotty was the only person on board who already knew you can sing. He said he'd only heard you when you two were drunk. Something about a bar on Alpha V..."
McCoy blushed. "Shhh. That story doesn't need to see the light of day again."
"What story is that, Bones?" Kirk entered the briefing room, followed closely by Chekov, Scott, and Security Chief Freeman..
"It's one about you, Jim. Want me to tell it now?"
"Later." Kirk made a slicing motion with his hand.
McCoy smirked behind his coffee while Uhura ducked her head to hide a smile.
Kirk sat with his own coffee. "Let's get started," he said, glancing around the table. "You all know we're assisting the archeological team stationed on Aminta with regular medical care and supplies. We're transporting a team of scientists to the site. In addition, Uhura will be working with that team for a few days. We expect to be here about a week. Science report please, Mister Chekov."
Chekov put a tape in the viewing screen and clicked through graphs as he spoke. "We are approaching the Nu Pheonicis system. Nu Pheonicis is an aging F type main sequence star, approximately one point four times the mass of Sol. The system consists of five planets, a rocky inner planetoid, Aminta II, orbiting just inside the Circumstellar Habitable Zone at approximately one point nine five four AU. The others are gas giants, the most distal is over twenty-one AU from the center. This system has an interesting dust cloud extending ten AU to almost twenty-three AU, and elevated amounts of orbital dust and comets within the inner system.
"Nu Aminta II is the second planet in the system. It is slightly bigger than Earth, at fourteen thousand, six hundred forty kilometers in diameter,. In most ways, a typical rocky class M planet, molten core, moderate tectonic plate activity, and liquid and frozen water covering approximately thirty-nine percent of the surface. The gravity is one point two times that of Earth. There are areas of considerable magnesite deposits, which will interfere with sensors and transporters, but they are not near the main station. The atmosphere is oxygen nitrogen, effective oxygen content is thirteen point four percent. The air is also thinner, the atmospheric pressure is sixty-one point nine kilopascal at the main research station."
Kirk frowned. "That's what, comparable to about fifteen thousand feet elevation on Earth?"
"More like thirteen thousand. Three point nine kilometers," Chekov said. "At the equator, Nu Aminta II is characteristic of a subarctic climate. The planet's rotation is slightly slower than Earth's. One rotation takes twenty-eight point eight hours, with daylight and dark evenly divided. There is essentially no axial tilt. Cloud cover will help moderate the temperature while we're here. Daytime temperatures will be near or above freezing, two to six degrees or so. At night expect minus twelve. About like Moscow on a mild winter day. Perfectly tolerable."
Scott snorted. "Aye, if yer a yak" he muttered.
"Yaks were first domesticated in Russia," Chekov added helpfully.
McCoy sighed. "Indigenous life forms? What's gonna try to kill us down there?"
"Dere are several cervidae type species on the surface, the largest is the size of a Terran roe deer. Rodent types from the size of a mole to a rabbit. The predators are carnivora, reminiscent of hyena, but smaller. They move in packs, but no reported attacks on the colony. Also large flying hot bloods, big talons, sharp teeth. A big handful of insectoids. The oceans have fish and exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates. Most fauna and flora species are extinct. In the region where our team will be, dere are trees, both evergreen and quasi-deciduous, which periodically drop leaves for reasons other than seasonal changes. Lots of lichen and mossy type growth, and tough succulents. Some caryopses type grass. The oceans contain several types of algae, the major oxygen producers." He took the tape from the viewer.
"Thank you, Mister Chekov. Medical report, Doctor McCoy."
"The supplies are ready for delivery. There are about thirty scientists and personnel, Human, Andorian, and a few Vulcans and Rigelians who will get mandated routine physicals. I'll handle that with an assistant. The main colony does have an acclimation building for new arrivals. That's where the clinic is and where most of our activity will occur. Still, any of the Enterprise people who go down will need to observe thin atmosphere protocol, including tri-ox injections, and possibly enriched oxygen therapy. It will be harder to breathe, easier to get dehydrated. Headaches are common, nausea, dizziness, respiratory alkalosis, sleep difficulties. The heart has to work harder at the expense of other systems. Pulmonary and cerebral edema are concerns, especially for the first several days. We won't be here long enough to become fully acclimated, that would take weeks. There are drugs to treat all of those complications, but the best course is to remove the patient from the environment, which is what I'll do if necessary. Some people handle thin air marginally better than others, but none of us will be running a marathon down there. And everyone better pack their long-johns and a cold climate emergency kit. Except for the limited team, I recommend our crew doesn't visit planet-side, certainly not for shore leave. I'll monitor our folks closely and send 'em back if there's a problem."
"So our team won't be exposed to the harshest conditions while they're in the acclimation building?" Kirk leaned forward.
"That's right," McCoy nodded. "I'm not sure how much work would have to be outside that confine, though. I need to stay dirtside as long as we have people there."
Kirk tapped a finger on the table, unhappy but somewhat mollified. "All right. Scotty, any concerns from your end?"
"Aye, the magnesite will play devil wi' the transporter and sensors. The closest deposit is over four kilometers from base station, but I dinnae like it."
"Will it interfere with safe transporting at that distance?"
"Well, no. But our people need to keep away from it." Scott exhaled forcefully. "There is no way to locate someone through magnesite interference."
"I don't think that will be a problem, Scotty," McCoy said. "I doubt any of us will be making a three mile hike under those conditions."
"They do use vehicles and crawler pods on the surface to get from place to place," Uhura said. "Some of the ruins are too far apart to walk, even without the thin air."
Kirk was frowning again, his intuition stirring uneasily. "Superimpose a site map over the magnesite areas."
"Aye, Sir." Chekov quickly had the map on the screen. There were five working ruins. Three sites were clear. Two were in the highlighted zone.
"Avoid installations number four and five," Kirk said. "I want my crew in the clear." He turned to Uhura. "Tell us about the archeological work going on down there."
"The Aminta project is overseen by the Federation Science Bureau. There are five working sites with thirty-one workers in various capacities currently stationed on Nu Aminta. The teams at the actual digs are mostly Andorian with a few Rigelian and a Vulcan or two, species adapted to the thin atmosphere and lower oxygen conditions.
"The oldest ruins are five thousand years old. They do not know the reason, but there is irrefutable evidence that Aminta must have been a hub in this sector for space faring races. This is despite the fact that no sentient lifeforms ever evolved here. The planet was abruptly abandoned about two thousand years ago, again, they do not know why. It was discovered by an Andorian ship working with the FSB almost two years ago. There has been a scientific contingent here since then.
"There are other artifacts, but the most intriguing are the items that link to dead civilizations, and perhaps even beings like the Organians and the Seeders. A lot of this material includes languages that are extinct, and some that may be roots of modern dialects. There is some dissension concerning who has rights to what in academia which may carry over in other relations as well. As a result, few papers have been published and much of what has been discovered needs research and remains un-collaborated, and largely unknown."
"Are you saying that I'm sending people down into a hostile situation?" Kirk rubbed his chin, frowning at the headache that was beginning to throb at his temple.
"Hostile may be overstating it, this is the academic world after all, but some scientists stationed there may be less than friendly to each other. As temporary specialists, I don't see why they would have issue with us, at least not with me or T'Phol because we'll be gone in a week. But how the two Andorians we have with us will fare..." She shrugged. "I understand they will stay on Aminta permanently."
Kirk's mouth tightened. "How they fare is not my problem once they're off my ship," he said, brusquely. "And I am ready to have them off my ship." He looked at Freeman, who nodded.
"Yes, Sir. Security and engineering are ready with the biohazard scan Doctor McCoy ordered. Both Kelan and Vartheb have been notified of our arrival time and confirm they will be ready." Freeman paused. "Kelan also requested their equipment be beamed down using the main transporter and not the cargo beam. I thought that was unusual enough to mention."
"They beamed it to the ship that way, too. He said the equipment is very delicate," McCoy mused. He looked at Scott. "What is the difference between the personnel and cargo transporters, other than additional filters and safeguards?"
"Personnel transporters are quantum level. The phase coils are different. Multiplex pattern buffers and biofilters are different. The cargo transporters could be modified to quantum level, but it'd take a bit o' time. For non-living material, the differences make no difference."
"It makes no difference to me, either, Gentlemen," Kirk said. "Just get them out." He looked around the table. "If there is nothing else, you are dismissed. Doctor McCoy, Uhura, please stay."
Kirk waited until the room cleared before continuing.
"This is off the record. Whatever Spock is doing is the real mission here. In my opinion, this trip is just busy work to occupy our time waiting for him to return. But my gut is screaming that this might not be the milk run that it was supposed to be. There are mysteries here. I don't like mysteries." His gaze lingered first on Uhura, then McCoy.
"There will be no shore leave authorized on Aminta. I will implement a partial stand down aboard ship, light duty rotation, special maintenance tasks. Uhura, are there other crew you will need down there?"
"We probably could use someone from records to correlate our results and do basic research. Yeoman Cassady would be a good choice. I believe he worked with R and D analysis before being assigned here, and he certainly has the computer skills."
"All right, Cassady it is." He turned to McCoy. "What about you, Bones? Who are you taking from medical?"
"Nurse Chapel. The two of us can easily knock out thirty physicals in two days."
Kirk nodded. "Doctor McCoy, you are in command down there. I'm sending a security guard with you. If any of you leave the compound at the main base, you will be accompanied by the guard. No travel to areas affected by magnesite interference. Normal protocol for check-in, unless you're in the field, then every hour."
"Yes, Sir." McCoy scowled. He did not like being in command of anything outside his own sickbay.
Kirk stood and stretched, flexing his shoulders. "I''m beaming down with you when we arrive. I want to see the place for myself."
"I think that's a good idea," McCoy said. "If it's OK, you'll rest easier."
"And if it's not, I want to know that, too." He looked at Uhura. "I won't hesitate to pull our people out, valuable scientific research or not."
"I understand," Uhura said.
"We'll meet in the transporter room at fourteen hundred hours." He turned on his heel and stalked out.
McCoy shook his head. "Here we go," he said.
