[Vimy]<br>
<br>
"I see, what we really need to know is the situation down there? Has anyone<br>
been able to convince the locals to be transported off the planet to safety?<br>
Saladin mentioned they weren't wanting to be moved." Toby sighed, and pushed<br>
down the less than polite or kind thought he had about Cait trying to save<br>
the life of someone who may not really want saving.<br>
<br>
[shuttle]<br>
<br>
"No idea Commander." Justin looked over at Cait "Doc? Do you have an<br>
answer?"<br>
<br>
"I hadn't heard anything new." Cait replied as she worked on the woman. "But<br>
something seemed...odd. When I was taken over to those who were ill, Xoron,<br>
who appeared to be one of the leaders, told me that the first person who had<br>
taken sick, was better. In actuallity, she was nearly dead." Cait rechecked<br>
the scans and sighed, motioning for the tech to stop. "There's complete<br>
organ failure. Its like she's dissolving from the inside. There's nothing we<br>
can do except make her comfortable." The Doc's voice sounded weary and<br>
depressed.<br>
<br>
<br>
[Vimy]<br>
<br>
"Try not to take it personal Doc, it isn't your fault that she was shown to<br>
you too late. If the innoculations are done, try to see if you can get any<br>
of them to agree to being evacuated, if not, it just might be time to come<br>
home." He worked very hard to keep his voice firm, with just enough<br>
compassion to show he wasn't unfeeling of what they were going through down<br>
there, but time for the team was starting to run out if Nix didn't find an<br>
external cause to the flares soon, they'd have to abandon them to their<br>
fate.<br>
<br>
"I know its not my fault and we can't save everyone. It frustrates me<br>
because I<br>
just can't figure out why she didn't get any care. There are things any<br>
doctor<br>
could do to slow things down and there had to be doctors here." Cait ran her<br>
fingers through her short hair.<br>
<br>
"Captain," said a blueshirt at the science console, "Sensors have picked up<br>
seismic activity about one hundred kilometres south west but I was not<br>
able to determine the severity."<br>
<br>
Vilqa's brow furrowed, "Lox did you pick that up? Seismic activity has been<br>
picked up. The cave structures; do you see weaknesses? And confirm if you<br>
pick up the activity at your location."<br>
<br>
[Surface]<br>
<br>
"Detected activity, it is really deep. By the time it reached the surface<br>
it was a minor tremor. For the moment, not something to worry about.. by<br>
itself." Lox replied. "The caves are showing no signs of weakness.. they<br>
are volcanic though. If there is a magma pool under that mountain<br>
still... it could start to get really hot in there if it decided to start<br>
making its way to the surface."<br>
<br>
[Vimy]<br>
<br>
"Lox," Vilqa had no qualms, "Monitor the situation however the moment you<br>
detect possible danger to the team recall everybody and take them out. We<br>
have no room for heroism." The part klingon knew she had the majority of<br>
her senior team members on the surface and the Ridge could not afford to<br>
lose her whole senior staff team. She hoped Cait heard her words as well.<br>
<br>
After a look at the Captain Toby spoke, "Commanders, we really need to know<br>
what is going on with the locals, and get you people out of there before its<br>
no longer safe to do so. Please return to the others and let us know as soon<br>
as possible what is going on."<br>
<br>
<br>
[Shuttle]<br>
<br>
Lox nodded, though nobody could hear him do so, "Understood Captain,<br>
Commander. I request that you have engineering prep a seismic probe and<br>
fire it into the valley on the far side of the mountains from where we are<br>
located. It will assist in the detection, without causing additional risk<br>
to those in the caves from it's impact. I will also relay to Commander<br>
Saladin that we need to get those people off the planet right away, and<br>
that their alternative is death here from the radiation." He turned and<br>
did a quick scan of Cait's suit, and the suit of the Med tech that came<br>
back with her.<br>
<br>
<br>
[Vimy Ridge]<br>
<br>
"Understood Commander," then Vilqa warned, "However we cannot force anybody<br>
off the planet against their will."<br>
<br>
Toby shook his head and sighed, glancing at the captain, then rolled his<br>
eyes.<br>
<br>
[Shuttle]<br>
<br>
Justin then reset his comm. to change contactees "Lox to Salidan, I need to<br>
speak with you privately if possible." He frowned as the readings showed up<br>
from his scans.<br>
<br>
Saladin was with Wilkinson, about to help the medical officers with some of<br>
the extra work when Justin's comm came in. He nodded to Wilkinson and<br>
stepped aside, "Saladin here. I hear you." He paused, "I'll make my way back<br>
to the caves entrance, should be maybe five minutes or so. That quick<br>
enough?" If he only went half way back the caves might echo his words and<br>
others might overhear.<br>
<br>
"Fair enough." Lox replied. He tapped him comm to close the connection and<br>
wait.<br>
<br>
"Doctor Blake, I recommend full EVA suits, at all time if we are here for<br>
much longer. Radiation levels are increasing faster than anticipated.<br>
The metaphasic shields are holding, but the ground is still soaking up<br>
Mega-rads of of radiation, and conveying that into the caves via the air<br>
and water, and along mineral veins. I suspect they were giving that woman<br>
water that was heavily contaminated. " Lox said while he waited for<br>
Saladin to contact him back.<br>
<br>
[Caves]<br>
<br>
Kat looked over as she'd overheard Saladin's com. And then grew concerned<br>
as she saw him step away. She paused her work in dealing with the group of<br>
people next to her and turned to scan the area around them. The tricorder<br>
revealed slight increases in the radiation. She swallowed hard as she<br>
looked again hoping she was just seeing things. She tapped her com trying<br>
not to add panic to her voice though any empath around would sense her<br>
worry. "Wilkinson to Doctor Blake" she said. She'd felt slight vibrations<br>
under her feet and thought nothing of it though now it was a different<br>
matter.<br>
<br>
"Blake here. How are things progressing with the inoculations?" Cait replied<br>
back.<br>
<br>
"Things are pretty well wrapped up as far as the inoculations go." she told<br>
her.<br>
Kat's voice seemed to quiver a bit as worry or was it fatigue that was<br>
catching<br>
up with her. "I've run across a few severe cases of radiation poisoning, I<br>
gave<br>
them enough meds to keep them comfortable." she told her. "I'm not sure how<br>
much<br>
more we can do for these people if they're determined to remain in these<br>
caves."<br>
she added with a frown. It would be evident that the doctor was growing<br>
weary of<br>
being in the caves. "I've made a few scans of the caves and the results have<br>
me<br>
a little worried , is there anything new I should be aware of?" she asked.<br>
<br>
"Radiation levels are increasing. The rest I'd rather tell you in person. We<br>
have to find some way of getting through to these people or they're all<br>
going to be dead....and in a most unpleasant way. I'm bringing the scans of<br>
the woman we brought to the shuttle. I also want everyone back in full EVA.<br>
Helmets and all." Cait sounded as weary as Kat.<br>
<br>
<br>
Kat sighed heavily as she adjusted her helmet making her rounds with the<br>
team running a quick scan over the suits to ensure they were holding up.<br>
"The only way I can think of to reason with them at this point<br>
.....is...........I suppose we just need to be blunt and tell them how<br>
important it is that they evacuate with us now." she said as she had stepped<br>
a few feet away from the people so as not to cause alarm just yet. "other<br>
than that I'm open to suggestions Cait." she added.<br>
<br><<TBC>><br>