Naruto: Infinity Divide
Survival in the Desert
Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This chapter we get to see some (simulated) ship to ship combat. Enjoy!
Port = Left
Starboard = Right
Last time:
"You stay safe as well T'Lyra. I hope we speak again soon." said Naruto. With that T'Lyra's image faded and the transmission ended…
…
Tunisia, Desert Training Station 16
T'Lyra held her tablet close to her chest. 'How I miss you Naruto…'
"Our Vulcan babe looks lonely. Maybe she needs some tender loving care from yours truly." said Crewman Recruit Thomas Sullivan.
"I don't know Tommy; I think she was just talking to her boyfriend or something." said another.
"We'll see if she feels that way in the morning." said Sullivan with a greasy smile…
…
Chapter 12
Stardate 2271.317, Tunisia, Planet Earth
Training Station 16 was a typical barracks for new recruits. Given it was a survival course, cheap and prefabricated tents were all the trainees had for shelter. Most of them were miserable in the sweltering heat of day and the freezing temperatures at night. It was lights out at 20:00 and most of them were struggling to sleep. Not so for T'Lyra. With her Vulcan physiology she was quite comfortable and was sleeping like a baby. She was dreaming about the past…
Dream…
Vulcan Science Academy
T'Lyra was sitting in the crowd watching the hand-to-hand combat matches that were held every year. Naruto was one of the finalists in the Freestyle Category. He had won the Kareel-ifla Category two days ago and it had been a severe upset because the scholars at the Vulcan Science Academy traditionally weren't that good at the martial arts. T'Lyra was very excited seeing her mate in action. As Sovar proudly stated, "Naruto is extremely good at Kareel-ifla but combining the martial arts is where he truly shines."
As it was the fifteen-year-old Naruto was taking on a twenty-year-old Vulcan from the Vulcan School of Defensive Arts that Sovar taught at. T'Lyra didn't catch Naruto's opponent's name but she did hear that he used the martial art of Suus Mahna*① which was based on the concept of foresight and reaction. The art had a lot of side-to-side motion, and the man Naruto was facing had basically leveled every opponent he'd faced without taking a hit in return.
Naruto fell into an offensive V'Shan stance which would be easy to predict because V'Shan was somewhat based on dancing and rhythm. Naruto's friends were sitting with T'Lyra and Senva said, "That's highly illogical for Naruto to use V'Shan. It is very predictable, and his opponent is counting on predictability."
"Naruto probably is pulling a fast one knowing him." said Alison confidently. "You just watch."
The match began and Naruto immediately went for the classic V'Shan opening foot sweep that his opponent countered with laughable ease and caused Naruto to go spinning. The crowd seemed disappointed at such an obvious opening when Naruto landed in a handstand with his elbows bent. The blonde hybrid channeled chakra into his arms and launched himself above and behind his opponent into a right side up position in the air. T'Lyra recognized the stance Naruto was in. He called it the Toad Style which was from his ancestral memories.
The blonde landed a devastating kick to the unprotected back of his opponent's head and then landed another kick to the twenty-year old's spine which sent him crashing and tumbling across the ring. Naruto landed with the grace of a big cat and waited for his opponent to make a move.
The Suus Mahna practitioner stumbled back to his feet in a daze but before he could get back in his stance Naruto used another of his ancestral moves called the Leaf Whirlwind that the blonde used to slide under his opponent and kicked him skywards. As the man fell back under the effect of gravity, he saw Naruto's eyes crackle with chakra below him as the blonde assumed the Kareel-ifla stance for complete offense to assure maximum damage. '…This is going to hurt…' Were his last thoughts before Naruto hit him like a freight train…
T'Lyra remembered how Naruto kissed her passionately after he won. Naruto won an Achievement in the Martial Arts Medallion to wear with his matching Academy Medallion. It had been a great day but T'Lyra thought the best part was the kiss they shared…
Dream end…
T'Lyra awoke instantly to the feeling of a weight pinning her and a hand over her mouth. In the low light she saw Recruit Sullivan on top of her. He had one arm pinning her wrists above her head and her brown eyes where full of shock. Sullivan said, "Don't you worry baby; I know you are lonely. Big Daddy is going to take care of you all night long." Sullivan ground into her and nuzzled her breasts. She violently shook her head 'no' with fear in her eyes. He pressed his index finger to her lips and said, "You'd like that wouldn't you baby?" Then her eyes blazed with anger...
A second later Sullivan was in a world of hurt. T'Lyra kneed him in the groin hard enough to send him over her and ripping through the tent wall into the sand outside. She also bit off his index finger at the second knuckle. Between Sullivan's screaming in pain outside, part of the tent collapsing and an angry T'Lyra roaring, "HOW DARE YOU!" the camp was in utter pandemonium.
Sullivan was on the ground in the sand staring dumbly at the stump where his right index finger used to be when T'Lyra sprang on him in a V'Shan attack fueled by pure rage. When they finally managed to pull T'Lyra off her would be rapist he looked like a jigsaw puzzle missing a few pieces. The four Warrant Officers that managed to pull T'Lyra off Sullivan called for medics and took T'Lyra back to the Command tent. The young Vulcan woman had calmed herself somewhat by then and other than being completely disheveled and having Sullivan's blood all over her she was physically under control.
Seconds later; a stern looking woman in her mid-forties was looming over T'Lyra. Chief Warrant Officer Ellie Nelson roared at T'Lyra, "EXPLAIN yourself to me recruit! WHY did you attack Sullivan?! Give me one good reason to not dismiss you here and now!"
T'Lyra said plainly, "It was self-defense; he tried to force himself upon me when I was sleeping."
Nelson's anger vanished and she whispered, "What….?"
"He pinned me with his body and covered my mouth so I couldn't call for help." said T'Lyra in an emotionless tone. "He made several sexual innuendos as he touched me inappropriately. I reacted the only logical way I could; with extreme violence."
Another Warrant Officer poked his head in the tent and said to Nelson, "We found Sullivan's finger Chief. It was in the tent where she spit it out."
Nelson's eyes flashed angrily. "I don't give a damn. Give it to the medics and call a Counselor for recruit T'Lyra. We're locking up Sullivan for sexual assault."
The Warrant Officer jumped back and said, "Yes Ma'am!"
…
Starfleet Academy, Dorm F, Room 125-F
M'rella was lying on her stomach on her bed reading over her homework as she listened to her Caitian acapella music which was composed of the soft purrs of her native tongue. She was in her short off duty kimono with her slender tail swaying back and forth to the beat when Naruto raced in with a wild look in his blue eyes. He looked frantic.
The young Caitian woman asked, "Hmmm…Are you alright Naruto? You look very out of sorts."
Naruto grabbed his tablet and said, "I felt great fear and anger telepathically from my mate. I must contact T'Lyra immediately!" He grabbed his tablet and tried to signal her but got no response. After trying for about twenty minutes the blonde sat down and said to M'rella, "I'm going to try to contact her psychically. Neither one of us is as accomplished in psionics as we'd like but I must reach out to her." He immediately sat down in a meditative stance.
…
Training Station 16, Tunisia, Command Tent
Chief Warrant Officer Nelson handed T'Lyra a flask and said, "Drink girl, you are still shaking all over and I know it's not from the cold." Seeing T'Lyra sniff the flask delicately Ellie said, "It's Saurian Brandy." T'Lyra took a drink and coughed before Nelson said, "Just sip it and relax. You've had a long night recruit." Hearing her name called Ellie said. "Sit tight. I'll be back in a few minutes."
T'Lyra felt the alcohol sooth her nerves a bit but then she felt her mate's presence though their psychic bond. Naruto was worried for her and that brought a tiny smile to her face. They weren't used to long distance communication like this but both Naruto and T'Lyra's emotions served to soothe and calm each other for several minutes before Chief Nelson returned. The Chief saw her charge's face looked much calmer. "Did that brandy help? You looked like you were talking to somebody."
T"Lyra nodded and said, "My mate Naruto contacted me psychically. He was concerned for me. I feel much better now. Thank you for the drink, Ma'am."
Nelson looked intrigued. "So where is this man of yours?"
"Ah, he is in San Francisco here on Earth." said T'Lyra. "He is a Cadet Officer at the Starfleet Academy. He felt my distress through our bond and contacted me that way. I will have to call him on my tablet as soon as I am able."
Chief Nelson said, "Once we've recorded all your statements, I'm turning you over to a Counselor. They'll probably let you call your man."
…
Starfleet Academy, Dorm F, Room 125-F
Naruto relaxed and opened his eyes. He saw M'rella looking at him curiously, "Are you alright now Naruto? Is your mate alright?"
"She is safe." said Naruto with a long exhale. "I will await her call. I was very concerned."
M'rella smiled and said, "Yes, I could feel the worry radiating off of you. It seems that Vulcan possess emotions after all."
Naruto sighed and said, "All Vulcans possess strong emotions whether they realize it or not. It nearly destroyed us in ancient times. That is why we adopted the philosophy of Logic so that those same violent passions would not rule us."
The Caitian girl propped her chin in her hand and said, "Tell me about Vulcan. All I've ever heard is it's a hot desert world."
Naruto thought for a moment at said, "Let me tell you about The Forge. It is a most wondrous place for Vulcans who reach out to it…"
…
Starfleet Academy, Dorm F, Room 132-F
Cadet Samui Schrodinger set down her tablet. Her homework was done, and her Trill roommate Rafi was out having fun as usual. 'I'll never understand that girl. Are all Trills so flighty? This is the military.' The beautiful blonde's tablet chimed and Samui quickly answered it with a minimalist smile. "Mum? I wasn't expecting a call but I'm glad to hear from you… Yes, things are cool here with me."
Flashback…
Samui's adoptive parents were both astronomers that lived in England. The Schrodinger's were charged with the rather difficult duty of raising an Augment daughter who was genetically superior and twice as smart as all the other children around her. The girl was very self-sufficient having lived on Trialis IV for a year all by herself. The eleven-year-old was rather difficult to raise at first since two of her three favorite words were 'genetics' and 'superior.' (The other one was 'cool.') They imparted their own love of astronomy and cosmology on young Samui and soon their Augment daughter was eagerly learning all she could about the cosmos.
Samui also studied the horrors of the Eugenics Wars and concluded the Augments had it all wrong. While the scientists of the Earth's project to create augmented humans were successful in breeding a superior race; it led to the creation of genetically engineered madmen that sought to dominate their non modified brethren. According to the journal of one of the scientists that was responsible for the creation of the Augments, "Superior ability breeds superior ambition". This log was written shortly before he was killed by his own creations. Samui had grown to love her parents and the idea of turning on them because they weren't genetically modified abhorred the blonde girl.
Samui held that the place she should go was space to help all of humanity to grow and thrive and her parents wholeheartedly supported this. The blonde concluded that she was a human first and an Augment second. Samui admitted that she tended to be a bit too arrogant and judgmental of others but at the same time she was working on it…
Flashback end…
Samui was explaining the fast track students to her Mother. "They are all rather eccentric in some way or other but I'm cool with that. I think once we start planetary survival it's going to separate the kids from the grownups awfully fast…Yes Mum, I know I'm five times stronger than an average human but trust me; I haven't been showing off as much like I used to…No, most of the others have doctorates too. I'm very impressed although we have an Andorian that has a Doctorate in philosophy. I have no idea why he wants to be an officer in the military…Maybe his Grandpapa is an Admiral or something…"
"…Alright, I love you Mum. Tell Papa I love him too. Bye."
Samui had turned out to be a good human after all…
…
Stardate 2271.318, Casablanca, Morocco
Crewman Recruit Thomas Sullivan found himself in a hospital under the watch of four Federation Security guards of a less than friendly disposition. He remembered he was going to get lucky with the beautiful Vulcan girl and was holding her down so she couldn't struggle…Then he remembered the gentle girl turned into a violent hellcat and ripped him to shreds. "What the hell went wrong…?" he wondered aloud. "I had her and-"
"You'd best shut your mouth recruit." growled one of the female guards. "You're already up on charges and your chatter is incriminating."
Sullivan's eyes widened. "I'm up on charges?! Charges for what? I didn't do anything!"
A male guard said, "Shut up and wait for the Officers to arrive. You are in deep shit."
Sullivan shrank down in his hospital bed. He'd always considered himself a ladies' man but was starting to realize that he may have gone a little too far this time…
…
Training Station 16, Tunisia, Command Tent
T'Lyra had a good shower to get the blood off her and was in fresh desert combat fatigues. The Counselor had arrived a few minutes before and now Counselor Janet Hope was talking with T'Lyra about her experience. "It was obviously very frightening for you. It would be for any female regardless of race." said Hope. "Had you interacted with Sullivan before? Had he ever talked to you?"
T'Lyra shook her head and said, "He and I exchanged greetings once and I handed him a jerry can with water in it when we were setting up the camp. We had no other interactions before he assaulted me."
Hope nodded and took some notes down. "Did he ever indicate he was attracted to you in a non-verbal way?"
The Vulcan girl shrugged, "If he did, I never noticed. I never associated with him or his friends."
"Do you think his friends were involved?" asked the Counselor.
"It's not logical to speculate." stated T'Lyra. "It would be best to ask them."
Janet had a smile on her face. 'A very Vulcan way to handle the situation.' "Why don't you indulge me with a little speculation Crewman Recruit T'Lyra?"
T'Lyra's eyes flickered with irritation. "I have no evidence that any of his friends were involved. I would tend to think Sullivan acted alone."
…
Four of Thomas Sullivan's buddies were being questioned one after the other in a separate tent. Chris Copper looked exhausted as he was questioned. "Tommy always was a womanizer but I can't believe he went that far. I mean; that Vulcan woman is incredibly sexy but Jesus…I guess Tommy lost all his sense in the heat of the moment."
The investigation Officer nodded and asked, "Do you know of anyone who might have aided Sullivan?"
Recruit Copper shook his head 'no.' "No one helped him. We all thought it was a bad idea and Grossman even said so. Tommy didn't listen."
"Recruit Grossman said as much." said the Officer as he took a notation. "We're done here Recruit Copper. Report back to your commanding officer."
…
Back in the Command tent, T'lyra had her tablet out and was talking to Naruto. It was the middle of the night in San Francisco, but Naruto was wide awake. T'Lyra said, "I'm really alright Naruto. The situation is under control and my attacker is elsewhere under guard pending charges."
She saw Naruto's eyes blazing with chakra. It reminded her of the time he obliterated a boulder with an oodama rasengan. She could only imagine what it would do to a human like Sullivan. He asked her, "Do you want me to come there?"
"There would be no logic in it Naruto." said T'Lyra. "Though it would be comforting to have you here we both have our assigned duties."
Naruto's body relaxed a bit. "You are correct of course. Still, I would like to be close to you during this time."
"I love you Naruto." said T'Lyra. "Know that I am fine and get some sleep."
Naruto's eyes stopped crackling with chakra. "And I love you T'Lyra. Goodnight my mate."
T'Lyra deactivated her tablet and looked over her shoulder. "Do you always eavesdrop on the private conversations of others Counselor Hope?"
Hope looked embarrassed. "Forgive me recruit; I came in and you were talking. I've never heard a Vulcan say, 'I love you' before."
The Vulcan girl said, "My mate and I are very open to one another. I suppose it is unusual, but it works for us. Besides, I had to put his mind at ease. He would hunt Sullivan to the ends of the galaxy given the chance."
"Your mate sounds like an unusual Vulcan." said the Counselor humorously.
T'Lyra nodded with a tiny smile and said, "My mate is quite exceptional."
…
Stardate 2271.318, Starfleet Academy
"Personal Log: My mate T'Lyra has gone through a trial she should never have had to go through. I am looking into the regulations regarding the situation. I spoke with Lieutenant Cross about the matter because he knows Starfleet regulations better than anyone else teaching me. He assured me that the case would be dealt with swiftly and that T'Lyra's attacker would be dismissed from service at least and incarcerated at the most. I was put at ease by his reassurance on the matter. Today the fast track students are learning starship navigation, helm and other controls in the full simulator for the first time…"
…
Naruto was at the helm station of a simulated Burke class frigate for the first time. He was given fifteen minutes of free maneuvering to get used to the way the simulated 'ship' handled. At the navigator's station was the Female Trill Rafi and in the Command chair was Samui Schrodinger. M'rella was at the sciences station and the Andorian Shar was at the communications station. (He was disgruntled that he wasn't in the command position).
'This isn't that different from handling my speeder bike.' thought Naruto. 'It takes care but the ship responds smoothly with about a five second lag. It is simple matter of anticipating the flight path.'
Their instructor, Commander Triella Jackson from the Mars Colonies soon called them to attention. "Alright Cadets; you've had your fifteen minutes of playtime. Let's reset the simulator to zero. For the next hour you are taking NCC-300 U.S.S. Burke on a mission near…Well, you'll figure it out."
The screen reset and showed them in space clipping along at warp factor four. Samui immediately said, "What is our location Rafi?"
"We're in the Verex System in the Borderlands Area near the Klingon Empire." answered the Trill. "Verex III is a former Orion Syndicate World. According to our information it is still pretty lawless."
"Give me wide sensor scan at maximum range M'rella." said Samui. "I want know if any other vessels are in the system, hostile or otherwise."
M'rella looked at her sensor screen at the sciences station. "Hmmm…I don't see anything at this point Samui. I'm going to look for ion trails in case someone is hiding in the system."
"I'm picking up a distress call Samui." said Shar. "A freighter named the Pollux in distress off Verex VII. It's on the far side of the gas giant planet being attacked by pirates."
Samui said, "Red alert. We are going to rescue the freighter. Put us on course for Verex VII Naruto, warp factor six. Try to get a lock on the freighter M'rella. Shar, contact the Pollux and inform them we're on our way."
M'rella said, "The freighter is throwing of a ton of jamming ECM*②. It looks like the pirate's shots are going wide. They are moving at warp three towards us."
Rafi focused on the screen and her eyes narrowed. "The pirates are coming into our visual range. I've identified the Orion ship as the Light Raider Ersatz."
"On screen; magnify." said Samui. A small, sleek Orion ship was shooting wildly as it pursued the larger freighter. "The Ersatz is no bigger than us. We can take her on. Hail the Orions and tell them to cease and desist Shar."
"No reply from the Ersatz." said Shar. "The Pollux says her rear shields just collapsed."
Naruto said, "The Pollux is throwing off way too much ECM for a freighter; something is amiss Samui. A standard freighter shouldn't have those kinds of electronics."
Samui's brain started whirring at warp speed. "M'rella, scan the Pollux closely. Naruto, angle us towards the Light Raider."
M'rella's amber eyes widened. "The freighter doesn't match the warp signature of the Pollux. I'm showing no damage to the freighter at all."
"It's a trap. That freighter is Orion as well." said Rafi.
"Naruto, hard starboard!" ordered Samui. "Reinforce our facing shields!"
The Burke veered to starboard and narrowly missed the arc of phasers that lit up from the false Pollux and the Ersatz. The Burke shuddered as the phasers grazed the ship's bow and port forward shields.
"Damage report!" said Samui.
"Shields one and six are holding at 75% and 71%" said M'rella. "We can still fight."
"Naruto, give us some distance, we can't take both ships at once." said Samui. "Shar, signal Starfleet Command and inform them of the enemy vessels in the area. After that we need to neutralize this threat. Give me options people."
"We could withdraw. Winning this battle isn't crucial." said Shar. That earned him a sharp glare from Samui.
"They are a threat to Federation shipping in the area." said Rafi. "We can't ignore that."
"We are in a position to hit and fade as long as the Light Raider stays with that freighter." said Naruto. "If they want us the Ersatz is the only one that can keep up with us. The fake Pollux we can take apart after we've dealt with the Ersatz."
Samui nodded. "Then we have to bait them. Put us on a parallel course Naruto."
"The Ersatz is transmitting encrypted codes to the freighter Samui." said Shar.
"Try to decrypt them Shar." said Samui.
"The false Pollux is withdrawing Samui." said M'rella. "The Ersatz is charging us -at warp factor six."
"They are really pushing it then." said Naruto.
Samui commanded, "Bring us about to face them Naruto. Rafi, prepare a full salvo and fire on my mark. Battery reinforcement to front shields."
The U.S.S. Burke pivoted neatly around in a tight turn to face the Light Raider Ersatz. '30,000km, 20,000km, 10,000km….' Samui's ice blue eyes seemed to flash. "Fire!"
…Three phasers and two photon torpedoes lanced into the speeding Orion ship a second before the Ersatz could fire their own weapons. The results were spectacular as the demolished Orion ship careened by out of control. The Ersatz was only able to answer with one phaser which did minor shield damage to the Burke.
"Excellent shooting Rafi." complimented Samui as she watched the left engine separate from the Orion ship. "M'rella, get me a scan of the Light Raider. Shar, hail the Ersatz and inform them-"
M'Rella said, "The Ersatz just went critical. They've self-destructed." The crew watched as the wrecked pirate ship blew up on screen. The Burke shook a bit at the shockwave from the explosion but suffered no further damage.
…The lights suddenly switched back to normal from red alert and the view screen said in all capital letters, 'SIMULATION ENDED.'
…
The 'crew' of the Burke all exhaled. "That was exhausting." said Shar.
"I'm more concerned with our grades." said Rafi.
M'rella nodded. "Hmmm…It seemed very realistic and frightening."
They soon filed into their classroom where the five of them were to receive their grades. Commander Jackson was there waiting and said, "You kids didn't do too badly for your first time out. There is an 85% fail rate for that scenario and given the fact you deliberately weren't given clear objectives it was even more likely that you would fail. "Very nicely done. You will get your performance evaluations next time. Class is dismissed."
…
Jackson was filing her report for her superiors and made a notation for later. 'Note on fast track group A: They acclimated quickly and though they are very rough around the edges they show great promise. As a group they have superb instincts. Need to toughen up the Andorian.'
…
Mess Hall
"Almost all Vulcans are vegetarians." explained Naruto as he picked at/ate his lunch. "I'm becoming acclimated to Terran foods. The food here they pass off as Vulcan cuisine here is quite unpalatable."
Shar said, "You should complain to the faculty. Surely we fast track students deserve better fare."
Naruto shook his head, "There are enough issues without making waves as my human friends always said back at Vulcan Science Academy. There is a certain animosity towards our group getting special treatment and drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves would not be in our best interests."
"Hmmm…. Cooperation with others is paramount in our situation." said M'rella.
Rafi grinned. "Your people get along with everybody M'rella." The Trill dug into her lunch. "I find human foods to be pretty good but I'm not a vegetarian like you and Naruto."
"Vegetarianism always struck me as odd for a felinoid race personally." said Shar bluntly. "Aren't Kzinti's and Lyrans almost exclusively carnivorous?"
M'rella smiled and said in her soft purring voice, "Hmmm…They are also warlike and violent unlike we Caitians. My people sometimes eat fish but that is all the meat we eat. Even then it is rare we consume meat of any type."
Samui was eating liver and onions and beginning to wonder if she should be eating it in front of her new vegetarian comrades….
Naruto said, "Navy food is something to adjust to just like everything else. You seem to be adjusting well to it Shar."
"That's because he's eating Andorian fast food from Shrenk'yar's restaurant on campus." said Rafi. Then she added with a grin, "I somehow never would have guessed a cultured philosopher such as yourself would lower himself to fast food Shar."
The Andorian huffed, "At least it's genuine cuisine from my home world. Besides, Tuber Root Pops are a delight to the palette. So are their Redbat Sandwiches."
"Redbat?" asked Naruto.
"Yes, the redbat is a small mammal that is native to Andor's Moon." said the philosopher. "It's used to make the Impararay Redbat dish….and Redbat Sandwiches at Shrenk'yar's."
As the small group of fast track cadets discussed food another group sat down a table over. They were Fourth year upperclassman and were discussing a defeat they'd suffered earlier that day…
The first Fourth year said, "…Whoever was in the Frigate Burke played us for complete fools. I'd like to know who it was. They zipped away and totally avoided our ambush with the Pollux. On top of that they had to have known we had plasma torpedoes, so they blew us away an impulse before we opened fire. They were probably graduates instead of cadets. I'd love to punch whoever was in command of that frigate."
Shar was about to say something when Samui covered his mouth and shook her head 'no.'
"…All I know is they were supervised by Commander Jackson and she's the toughest instructor when it comes to simulations and grading." said a second Fourth year. "She isn't nicknamed 'The Meat Grinder' for nothing."
'That's just great.' thought the five fast track students. 'Commander Jackson is our regular instructor…'
Another Fourth year said, "Well, I think that our Commander lost a bet with Commander Jackson. "He was really pissed at us for dying."
The first Fourth year said, "Yeah, he gave us a royal ass chewing for not even blowing down the shields of the Burke. What were we supposed to do? We were using textbook Orion tactics."
As the Fourth year Cadets griped in the background about killing those responsible for their disgraceful defeat; the fast track students ate their meals as quietly as possible and slipped away as soon as they were finished…
…
Stardate 2271.320, The Dasht-e Lut Desert, Iran
"This little trip to Iran will enlighten you to the joys of desert Planetary Survival." said Lieutenant Franz in a way too cheery voice. "In old Persian this place was known as The Emptiness Desert. The temperatures here can reach up to 70 degrees Celsius and it is considered among the driest and hottest places on the planet Earth. I hope you read your chapters on desert survival class; bwahaha!"
Their shuttles soon landed at a remote spot where there were huge sand dunes that were nearly 300 meters tall. Down in a basin was a setup that looked like a camp of sorts laid out like a wrecked ship. Lieutenant Franz said, "This is where your ship 'crashed' and your job is to keep each other alive for one week. Your ship is named the 'Queen of the Desert' haha! There are a few supplies here and there but if you packed your backpacks correctly then you have everything you should need. Outside of that each of you has a wrist communicator that will monitor your health. You can call to be picked up at any time but remember if we extract you then you fail and you'll have to take the test all over again."
…
As the last of the twenty fast track students got off the shuttles into the searing heat Franz said, "One last thing to remember; cannibalism is a sure way to get a demerit so if you think your teammates look tasty then consider your grades! Bwahaha! Aloha kiddies!"
"Aloha?" asked Naruto.
Samui explained, "It's an informal Hawaiian greeting that can mean hello or goodbye. Lieutenant Franz was saying it in a jaunty way to be obnoxious."
"The obnoxious part I ascertained." said Naruto. "I simply did not know the term aloha."
Day One
Naruto found himself some time alone after the initial organization of the group and decided to make a log entry…
"Personal Log of Naruto M'Fau: We've thoroughly explored the wreckage of our 'ship' and found a shield generator that Cadet Kloene and Cadet Simmons are converting it to use solar power to tie into the communications array that we are converting into a solar absorption panel. I've been put in charge of keeping everyone abreast of the rules of desert survival. If all goes according to plan, then by day three we will not only have a shield to protect us from temperature extremes and winds; we will also be protected from the harmful UV rays that cause sunburn."
"It is fair to say this is a group effort because only with all of our advanced degrees would we have been able to construct the apparatus necessary to protect ourselves. On a personal note, I believe we are completely undermining the point of this test in the process…"
Day Two
"Personal Log of M'rella, supplemental: Our 'Sand shield' generator is working perfectly and was done twelve hours ahead of schedule so our second night here in the desert will not be uncomfortable at all. The rations we carry are unappetizing but sufficient for our needs. As overheating or freezing is no longer an issue, we are no longer going through our supplies at the rate we initially estimated. After a thorough reassessment by our medics, we have concluded that our supplies will last us ten days if necessary."
"It seems that boredom is a bigger enemy than the elements at this point. To this end we have been teaching each other about the environments we grew up in. Everyone seemed particularly interested about living in the desert on Vulcan and there was a large question and answer session after Naruto's description. This is starting to seem more like a seminar than a survival trip…"
Day Four
"Personal Log of Samui Schrodinger: It seems that this training that Lieutenant Franz set up as a torture session has turned into a meeting of the minds. As our group is bored, we set about modifying the 'Queen of the Desert' to be a bit more comfortable. Since we all brought our tablets with us, we are catching up on all of our homework and reading up on our next section in Planetary Survival which is Underwater Survival. Our biologists have been studying the native flora and fauna so we can eat something aside from rations."
"As it turns out, Cadet Brisco is quite gifted in the culinary arts and has prepared a virtual feast using the bare utensils we have. Our entire crew is quite pleased to have food to eat that doesn't taste like sawdust bricks (or rations as Starfleet calls them). I have this feeling that Lieutenant Franz is going to blow a gasket when he finds out…"
Day Seven
Lieutenant Franz got off the shuttle expecting to find a bunch of exhausted, starving Cadets glaring at him with pure hatred in their eyes at the horrors they'd endured and maybe bordering on dehydration. Instead, he found a climate-controlled area surrounding the 'Queen of the Desert' and the smell of something delicious cooking. "W-w-wh-what in the hell is going on here?!" he screeched red in the face.
"This is supposed to be desert survival, not a vacation damn it!" echoed across the landscape…
…
POSTSCRIPT
*①: Suus Mahna is the name given to a Vulcan martial art that takes many years of training to learn. Suus mahna is a basic-level martial art taught to most Vulcan children that resembles yoga or tai chi. The concept of suus mahna is to teach offensive and defensive maneuvers in very slow motion, so that the body may instinctively learn to react in the proper ways. It involves a lot of flexibility. Within the art, there is a special move known as the Navorkot which teaches the practitioner a way to evade incoming blades. This is done by jumping to the side and rolling based on reading the movement of the enemy and to foresee when, as well as where, they intend to strike.
*②: Electronic Counter Measures to jam enemy sensors.
My initial draft was all about the suffering of a bunch of geniuses out in the heat of the desert by a simulated crashed small freighter. Then I thought to myself, a bunch of people with doctorates would probably look for a solution instead of coping with the problem. So poor Lieutenant Franz who is a bit of a not-so-closeted sadist really had his day ruined instead. We also got to see the generally shy and gentle T'Lyra kick some ass. See you next time. Blue out. 9/20/23