Haven Campsite
5:30 PM
As L'Naym, Davis and Ceron drew near the camp they saw Doctors Vumor and Travis busily going
over readings of the small stream the group had discovered. Travis was a well known microbiologist
on her home, the Federation colony at the Planet Q. And although Vumor's main focus was physics
he also had an intense interest in hydrology.
"Find anything useful?" Davis asked as they drew near.
Travis looked up from her readings. "We certainly have. The water is drinkable. It has bacteria that will
need to be treated, but we can manage that with our equipment."
"We were discussing how to create some type of pump or hydraulic system," Vumor put in.
"I might be able to help," L'Naym said. "The task of Water Guardian is one of the most highly esteemed
on my world." She paused. "My mother was one. Although I chose a different path then her, botany and
water are closely entwined and I've studied some ways of irrigation."
Travis smiled "We'll certainly welcome your input." Her smile faded. "I'm sure everyone will if we
have to stay here for a long time."
The trio continued on. The group campsite was in the foothills of a chain of large hills which had a series
of natural caves. It was in the largest of these that the refugees had settled. The cave mouth faced south,
which ensured that the cave faced sunlight most of the day.
As they approached the cave they saw it was busy with movement. Several had gone out with the
second survey team but there were still plenty at camp. One of them when she saw approach,
broke into a run.
"Mrs. L'Naym!" Trisha ran up and threw her arms around the Nlian. "You're back! I didn't like it
when you had to leave and they wouldn't let me go too. What if something bad happened?"
"I'm fine, Trisha," L'Naym reassured the little girl.
"Is the baby, ok?"
"The baby's just fine. Lieutenant Davis and Crewman Ceron were fine protectors to us both."
"Well now that you're back I'm going to protect you!" Trisha said imperiously as she took
her hand.
"I think we're out of a job," Davis chuckled.
"Don't I get a hello?" Ceron asked with a wounded expression.
Trisha give him a bright smile. "Hi, Ceron. How was your day?"
"It was fine. But it's even better now that I get to do…this!" He grabbed the little girl and tossed
her in the air to her shrieks of delight.
With a chuckle he lifted her up and placed her atop his massive shoulders.
She clutched at his hair. "You're my giant bear-horse!" she teased.
Another young figure joined them as they got closer. "Hi, Lieutenant," Elizabeth said quietly.
The fourteen year old had formed a friendship with Davis since her transfer to the Saratoga
and the two were often seen together.
The five of them entered the cave. The interior comprised of a large main chamber with a high
vaulted four story ceiling with enough room to contain well over fifty people. In the back was
a passage which branched into three smaller chambers
L'Naym's destination now was the one chamber which had been designated, for now, as a lab.
As she walked she greeted the rest of her fellow exiles and carefully made her way around the
engineers. The planet was warm during the day but chilly at night and they didn't know yet what
the temperature would be during other seasons. The engineers: Robert Mayberry, Brandon
Holster and the McDowells had been busy, first by putting up shelters and then by working on
small portable generators. Young Anna was hovering nearby. The imaginative thireteen year old
was never happier than when she was around machines.
Upon entering the smaller chamber, L'Naym greeted its occupants, Belzoni, Silvia Mayberry
and Srinel and Nelena, all of whom were busy going over PADDs and data.
"Shylea!" Mayberry said when she noticed her. "Glad to see you're back. Find any potential
resources during your excursion?" As head of Ship's Resources, Mayberry had always known
down to the atom's weight what resources and supplies, the Saratoga had and how much.
Now she was the New Monarch of the bases' supplies.
L'Naym nodded. "I believe so." She brought out one of her PADDs and for the next several
minutes the women all conferred.
Kevin Park entered the room carrying a PADD. "Mrs. Mayberry, I just finished…" He smiled
when he saw L'Naym. "Mrs. L'Naym. Hi."
"Hello, Kevin" she said. Since leaving the Saratoga she had taken the quiet boy under her wing.
Doing all she could to comfort him during his worry about the ship and adoptive father.
Mayberry had been keeping and close eye on him too. "Kevin's been a big help to me," she said.
"He's helping to tally up all of our supplies. Maybe he'll be in charge of our resources before long."
Kevin blushed slightly. The quiet, thoughtful twelve year old always thrived on responsibility.
Ceron abruptly entered the chamber. "The second team's just got back."
L'Naym quickly put down her PADD and hurried out.
In the main cavern she saw the survey team entering. She spotted her lifemate and hurried over
to embrace him.
The Joined Souls embraced.
*I missed you, my Beloved.*
*I know.*
*I was worried; I don't like being separated from you. Certainly not now.*
*As was I. I kept reaching for our Bond to feel you. But our work is crucial now. We need to find
out as much about this planet as possible and what can help us survive here. For the crew's sake
and our baby's.*
*How is he?*
*Fine and active.*
The Joined Souls gently reached out to their unborn child and reassured themselves with
its tiny touch.
*We're both here, our precious little one.* they whispered. * We love you and we will keep you safe.*
A loud voice brought their attention back outward.
"The Waverider's coming," someone announced. And indeed they could all here the hum of the craft's
engines.
L'Naym found herself exhaling. *We're back together.* she whispered to her lifemate.
Alyen squeezed her gently. He knew that since coming to this planet his lifemate felt most at ease
when the entire group was together. Not just for herself but for everyone. Their strength came from
each other after all.
The Waverider landed a few meters from the cave entrance and the officers onboard disembarked
and entered the cave. Everyone gathered together in a great circle to share reports and stories
of the day's expeditions.
Akari began. "We took the Waverider on a sweep of the entire system. We all know that there are
eleven planets in this system. The first two are B class: Geomoteus. Small, close to the sun, very hot
with surfaces that are highly unstable and partially molten.
"The third planet is also rocky and has oceans of liquid methane. We think that the planet was M class:
Earthlike, long ago, but something happened to ignite the methane, resulting in anything and everything
organic igniting."
"Methane is definitely a potential fuel source," Fergus McDowell pointed out.
Akari nodded. "That's something that we'll be looking into. This planet is the fourth and we all know
that it's L Class: Marginal. Rocky and barren but with a breathable atmosphere and fortunately for us,
suitable for humanoid colonization.
"Beyond this planet is an asteroid field. Meteorites fall on this planet. A lot. In fact we witnessed a shower
in the lower hemisphere. On Earth, meteorites fall about five to ten times a year. From our readings and
projections this planet has meteor showers five or ten times a month. So we'll need to develop a monitoring
system to watch for danger and focus on additional methods of safety."
He glanced at L'Naym and she knew that she would not likely be going on any more long excursions
in the immediate future. Alyen knew it too and felt grateful.
"The fifth planet is Class K: Adaptable. Small, weak gravity, thin atmosphere, barren surface.
Think Mars.
"The sixth planet is Class P: Glaciated. It's completely covered in ice and snow. We didn't detect any signs
of life, but the ice and snow are potential sources of water.
"The seventh through ninth planets are all Class J: Gas giants. The tenth and eleventh are both Class C:
Geoninactive. Tiny frozen rocks with no atmosphere."
The Helmsman paused. "This system is our home for now and we all need to pool our resources to find
the best ways to survive."
7:30 PM
After everyone had given their reports for the day they had all eaten. However someone might eat
during the day it had been unofficially decided that in the evening everyone would eat together.
It silently reaffirmed their bonds.
L'Naym took Kevin and Trisha just outside the cave where, along with her lifemate, they all sat on some
boulders "Why don't we all do some stargazing for awhile?" she suggested.
Outside it was night, but thinks to the planet's rings and three other moons, nights were quite bright.
On most worlds the night would be filled with the sounds of insects, but nights here were silent.
"The rings are pretty," Trisha said as she gazed upwards.
"They are." L'Naym said. "And they effect the planet too. Depending on where you are on this world,
the rings can shade the sun and lower the temperature– or magnify sunlight and raise the temperature.
They're still trying to figure out how the seasons turn here. That's why Lieutenant Akari chose a site
near the equator. It will be warmer here than anywhere else on the planet, but at the same time there
will be a less dramatic change between the seasons."
"It's so bright, you can't really see the stars very well," Kevin frowned. Both Nlians knew he was wondering
where out there the Saratoga was.
"That means that we can do some ring gazing then," Alyen said with a smile.
9:30 PM
Gradually nearly everyone had withdrawn to their tents. The exiles had situated their shelters near the front
of the cave. Six tents for families were further back. Closer to the front and on one side were two large tents
for the single males and on the other side two for the females. If their stay became longer they would prepare
more durable ones.
Almost everyone. A subspace communications device had been set up in one of the smaller cavern chambers.
It constantly broadcasted a distress signal and at the same time listened for any outside signals. Kri'siya had
volunteered to stay by it throughout the night in case anyone tried to signal them. Lieutenant Maxwell would
be sleeping on the Waverider for the same reason and also to move the craft if need be.
K'lik sat by the mouth of the cave in order to keep watch for danger. This world was supposedly uninhabited
but in case they were wrong, the Celite could see in the dark and his ears and antennae could detect sounds
and signals long before a human could. In addition he was nearly twice as strong as a human and could also
eject poisonous spines
Lieutenant Akari placed his bed roll beside K'lik's. He would sleep, but very lightly.
Alyen and L'Naym snuggled close to each other in their bedroll. Not far from them they could hear Kevin
stirring; they had insisted that he share their tent.
Kevin stirred again and sat up. "Mrs. L'Naym?" he whispered.
She raised her head. "Yes, Kevin?"
"Do you think that everyone back on the Saratoga's ok? That my dad's ok?
"I think so, Kevin. I know that the Captain's still alive; if he had died Tuskaro and I would have felt it.
And if he's alive I've no doubt that the rest of our crew is." Because he would die before letting anything
happen to them. "I'm sure right now they're all worrying about us."