Soldier: 76 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
personalwar) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
nysalogs2018-09-26 10:54 am
personalwar) wrote in nysalogs2018-09-26 10:54 am
alone we traveled on [ closed ]
Who: James T. Kirk (1701) & Soldier: 76 (personalwar)
What: Lullaby for the Dragons quest
When: September
Where: Wyver, the Undergrowth
Warning(s): Nothing in particular!
[ Back during Ysevrai's attack, 76 had assisted Gamora in leading one stray dragon back to the stables, but that had involved Gamora almost getting her arm gnawed in half. Tracking down each restless dragon to get them back to where they belong isn't going to be an easy task, so if this fabled flower will actually make the job easier, then it's worth investigating.
It doesn't hurt there's silver to be had for it too. Though 76 is quick to get restless when he doesn't have some sort of assignment to focus on, so that's not the only reason that he's here.
There's not usually much reason to enter the Undergrowth, but 76 has explored it a handful of times precisely so that he would be ready in a situation like this. All the same, it's a disorienting place, almost pitch black and filled with all kinds of unsettling sounds.
When he hears footsteps behind him, 76 whirls around. He's actually got his pulse rifle with him this time, and while he doesn't put his finger near the trigger just yet, he's still got it pointed at the source of the noise, just in case. ]
Who's there?
1701) & Soldier: 76 (personalwar) What: Lullaby for the Dragons quest
When: September
Where: Wyver, the Undergrowth
Warning(s): Nothing in particular!
[ Back during Ysevrai's attack, 76 had assisted Gamora in leading one stray dragon back to the stables, but that had involved Gamora almost getting her arm gnawed in half. Tracking down each restless dragon to get them back to where they belong isn't going to be an easy task, so if this fabled flower will actually make the job easier, then it's worth investigating.
It doesn't hurt there's silver to be had for it too. Though 76 is quick to get restless when he doesn't have some sort of assignment to focus on, so that's not the only reason that he's here.
There's not usually much reason to enter the Undergrowth, but 76 has explored it a handful of times precisely so that he would be ready in a situation like this. All the same, it's a disorienting place, almost pitch black and filled with all kinds of unsettling sounds.
When he hears footsteps behind him, 76 whirls around. He's actually got his pulse rifle with him this time, and while he doesn't put his finger near the trigger just yet, he's still got it pointed at the source of the noise, just in case. ]
Who's there?
no subject
Not somebody who needs his head blown off, [ he calls, sounding a bit wry. ] Hey.
[ He doesn't quite begrudge the jumpiness, considering the sort of shit that goes down on this planet. ]
Thali said one of 'my people' was up ahead, thought I'd catch up. If you don't mind the company.
no subject
He doesn't mind company from someone he considers to be competent. It hadn't been the smartest move to come out here on his own in the first place, so he nods and gestures for Kirk to come closer. ]
Not sure how we're gonna find this flower. I was just gonna try and cover as much ground as possible.
[ This is really going to come down to luck. That's not something 76 likes to rely on, but he doesn't have much choice. ]
no subject
[ Jim fishes into a pocket and pulls out a... thing. It's not actually a tri-corder, it's a makeshift clone of a tri-corder, and probably only works half as well and has a garbage-by-comparison power source, but whatever. Sure, he could have just asked to borrow Scotty's real one, but then how would he ever field test this?? ]
Less lucky is that this is a knockoff we made with local scrap parts, and we have no starting sample to scan, but I figure I can calibrate it to an approximation.
no subject
Then again, he has to remember that Kirk once commanded a crew on a spaceship, and everything makes a little more sense. ]
Well, it's better than what I had going for me, so let's give it a shot.
[ Curiosity has him moving closer toward Kirk so that he can get a better look at the device to see how it all works. It's always a novel thing to see something that reminds him more of home around this place, and doubly so when they're deep into a monster-ridden jungle. ]
no subject
[ It beeps and protests, but after a moment, the screen blinks to life with a sort-of-passable terrain map and dozens of indicator dots scattered on it.
And then it beeps again. Dozens become hundreds. Beep. The screen is practically one solid dot. ]
... Well.
no subject
That's what I was worried might happen.
[ Even with just a quick glance around the immediate area, he picks out three different types of flowers. ]
Guess we'll just have to go with process of elimination. How do you add things to its database?
no subject
[ Which he does with the samples 76 brings, one at a time. Beep-boop. The readout becomes less totally overwhelming, especially with the second flower recorded, apparently being a very populous presence. ]
How have things been? All good in the Ryders? [ It's gonna be a long day, might as well catch up. ]
no subject
Still, they have a game plan, and that's better off than where he'd been a few minutes ago. He leads them through the underbrush, on the lookout for other flowers. ]
I don't know if I'd say all good, but... [ A pause, and he shrugs. ] Right now they're trying to track down whoever's left of Rasyc's followers.
[ That's a job they honestly wouldn't even have to pay him to do, but he keeps that thought to himself. ]
no subject
Sounds like the thing to do, [ he says wryly. ] It's an unfortunate pattern for the place, though. Tracking down shamans, now tracking down these loons.
[ Oh, Wyver. ]
At least the blame's largely assigned to the perpetrators. I'm going to be honest, I thought there'd be more blowback against refugees.
no subject
Yeah, guess that's one good thing in all of this. [ No one's calling for their heads -- he'll take it.
He continues to point out different flowers as they pass them, and soon enough they can actually use the blips on the scanner to track down new ones. It's tedious work, but not as bad as it could have been, if Kirk hadn't joined him. ]
So how've things been with you? [ May as well catch up while they work. ]
no subject
The building my apartment was in got flattened by Ysverai, [ he says lightly. ] So my chief engineer and I are fixing up a place further on the outskirts. We may head back up to Nadril soon and see about lifting some more derelict parts, cart some work back. [ Shrug. ]
Curious about the state of the Coalition. I'd been on that, before things went to shit.
[ Beepboop, scanscan. Jim narrows the display field so that they can catalog some new, finite clusters of this and that. A little alert tells him it's got an animal, though, and he pauses, staring at the patch of flowers and moss, gaze traveling past it and towards the tangle of vines and roots. ]
no subject
Then again, he's still young. There hasn't been as much time for the world to weigh down on him.
There's a lot that 76 could ask, about this chief engineer or if there's been any attempts to rebuild the Coalition, but all of that seems unimportant when he picks up on a sudden change in Kirk's body language.
Between the strange blip on his scanner and the way he's staring out into the brush, 76 has no doubt that they've got some sort of unwelcome company. When he speaks up, it's quiet -- he doesn't want to tip anything off to their presence, more than it already has been. Probably a lost cause. ]
What is it?
no subject
Not what he's thinking of now, though. He tilts his head at the display and the flora beyond it before carefully passing the tri-corder over to 76, so that he can see the odd blank-space pattern on the display. It looks like a giant... something? A snake? Perfectly cut out of the dotted flowers, being identified as clusters of animal life. A hive snake? ]
I dunno. [ SOME EXPLORER. ] We should probably leave it alone, considering I can't even make it ouAUGH!
[ The dirt and grass beneath their feat suddenly heaves, erupting in a giant, squirming, multi-hinged tail. ]
no subject
There's no reason for 76 to disagree with Kirk's assessment that they leave the creature alone, but the decision isn't up to them. He should have noticed if there was something literally at their feet (as the saying goes, if it were a snake...), but it must have camouflaged.
Kirk's yell is more than enough to make 76 spring into action as he grabs him by the arm and jerks him back, though even then they're not entirely out of the snake's range. The brush and grass continues to shift as the snake moves through it, which at least gives them some idea of where it's head is at any given time.
The head that is probably packed with venomous fangs. ]
We can probably outrun it.
[ It just might jeopardize their search. He also isn't opposed to shooting it, and his free hand's already reaching for his sidearm, just in case. ]
no subject
That said, he's going for his own phaser even as he backs up, tucking the makeshift tricorder into his belt. ]
Really? How fast can you run?
[ As is it can hear him, the massive snake snaps around lightning-quick, dislodging the earth and sending a wave of debris towards them. ]
no subject
There isn't much in the way of time to think about it when the massive snake is still on the offensive. When the debris sails toward them, 76 places himself between it and Kirk, turning his back to it and bowing his head so that he can absorb most of the blow.
The impact causes him to double over for a few seconds, and his jaw tightens with the pain, but that won't be enough to put him down. ]
Pretty fast. You'd rather fight it?
[ He could go either way, so he's not making a break for it yet. He'll carry Kirk with him if need be; otherwise he'd slow them down. ]
no subject
[ Which he does, shooting over 76's shoulder, his phaser on a high setting. He knows by now not to start small, this whole planet apparently having evolved to shrug off most technology. Maybe in response to the Natha's meddling.
It doesn't drop the snake, but it shoos it back several meters, giving them an opening to bolt. Or, hopefully, giving Jim an opportunity to bolt after 76 already has. ]
no subject
It's only after he's sure that Kirk has an opening to get away himself that he picks up the pace. Even then, he has to make sure not to run too fast or he'll completely outstrip Kirk.
Granted, it's dark and he keeps having to dart around trees or wade through thick brush, so that's already slowing him down more than he'd like. ]
no subject
Hopefully getting the heck out of its territory is enough to calm it down-- the rumbling being them casts doubt on that possibility, though. Even as Jim careens through undergrowth he keeps half an ear on what's going on back there, practiced at this sort of insanity. It's sheer nerve and experience with mad dashes through alien terrain that allows him to nearly keep up with 76. ]
Ah, hell, [ is exasperated as he skitters around the edge of an oozing puddle, doing an admiral job of not accidentally tripping face first into it. Of course there's going to be tendrils of the psychedelic acid swamp down here. ]
no subject
The acid puddles are new, though. 76 has to take a long leap over one of them, and he has to admit he's impressed with Kirk's ability to keep pace.
Eventually the snake seems to give up on the chase, probably because they moved far enough out of its territory. 76 only stops running once he's sure he no longer hears it pursuing them, and then he turns back toward Kirk as he catches his breath.
It doesn't take him long at all. He's infuriating that way. ]
How's that looking? [ -- he asks with a nod toward the scanner. It's a little jarring how quickly he brushes off what just happened. ]
no subject
Uuhh? [ He pulls it out, angles it so they can both see it. The scanner is still orienting itself, having tried feebly to scan while they were running, and it beeps sadly for a moment as it tries to sort out where it is before, at last, a map appears.
In the distance behind them, something sounds slithery - not encroaching, but still. Slithery. Jim looks over his shoulder, peeved, but there's no further noise.
(Yet?) ]
no subject
Especially when there's still a sound of something in the grass. 76 grunts under his breath and then reaches up to hit a button on the side of his visor. ]
I'm turning on the thermal function. It won't sneak up on us again.
[ He probably should have done that to start with, but hindsight is always 20/20. ]
no subject
The options slim down as they adjust to their current locale, having to navigate around Wyver's less pleasant natural features. A rumble in the distance suggests A Heckin Dragon, but it gets no closer. ]
I think we're onto something, [ Jim says after a while. The scanner is now only showing a few things. A bit of a hike away, but still. ]
no subject
It takes some time, but Kirk eventually does speak up, prompting 76 to draw near to him again to get another look at the screen. They've definitely narrowed things down, and while the jungle is large, he can only hope that they're homing in on something and all this work hasn't been for nothing. ]
I'm starting to think this was more trouble than it was worth, but let's get it done.
[ He presses on, hardly slowing in his pace despite all the hiking (and running) around that they've been doing. ]
no subject
We might be on the right track. I recognize some of these as medicinal herbs.
[ Or things that are used as medicinal herbs. ]
no subject
Since when do you know anything about medicinal herbs?
[ It seems strange for someone who'd operated on a spaceship to have that kind of knowledge, but 76 isn't going to question it too much. Mainly because he wants to believe that Kirk is right and this wild goose chase is almost over. ]