Out of the Shadows - Part 5 (Finale)

Posted on Wed Sep 26th, 2018 @ 8:36pm by Splendora Sage & Tom Vercetti

2,330 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 96 - A Visitor From the Past
Location: In Orbit of Alarin
Timeline: MD1 - 1400 hours

ON:

The jagged peaks of the rock formations on the class M planet of Alarin were bathed in the hot and humid heat of the midday sun. The mountains seemed to sparkle in the light. This was due to the deposits of terinore that was rich in the mountainous region of this world.

The friends soon beamed down to the entrance of the caverns, where it was hoped the stash of the smuggler Zando would be found. No one knew if it was even still there, after all, it had been well over 250 years.

"Oh my, its hot down here. Did anyone bring some suncream? " Vox asked with a smirk on his face.

Tom shook his head. "No, but I do have a dermal regenerator. If anyone does get sunburned, it can treat, but not prevent."

"Sounds good Tom. I tend not to burn easily in the sun anyway, its all down to the skin complexion of the Trill species. " Vox replied.

Splendora missed the conversation between the two. She was already delving into the cave's entrance. There was an eeriness here. Something she hadn't experienced in a long time. It was like stepping into a void. "Do you all feel that?" She asked.

Vox approached the entrance to the cave. As he got closer to Splendora, the hairs on his body stud up, his skin covered in goosebumps. "What is that?" he exclaimed. He switched on his torch as he moved further into the cave as the light began to fade. The various minerals in the rocks sparkled in the torchlight.

"Something is off. It feels... wrong." She shook her head. "We need to be careful. I almost want to say something is in there but...I can't confirm that yet." She looked at Tom. She was worried that he was here. If it all went south he could be hurt. She let Tomarn and Vox chat while she moved over to Tom. "Tom maybe you should stay with the ship. This could get dangerous."

"Umm, if you think that's best," Tom replied.

Vox, with Tomarn next to him, moved into the cave. Vox pulled out his personal tricorder and started to scan the environment.

"Hmm, I am getting some odd readings in this cave, it seems the mineral in the rocks around us are giving off low-level infrasound. If memory serves me correctly, infrasound is sound waves with frequencies below the lower limit of human audibility. Hearing becomes gradually less sensitive as frequency decreases, so for humans to perceive infrasound, the sound pressure must be sufficiently high. The ear is the primary organ for sensing infrasound, but at higher intensities, it is possible to feel infrasound vibrations in various parts of the body. So that strange feeling we are experiencing could be the infrasound. I could be wrong so let's be careful as we venture further in. "

He turned to the rest of the team. "The clues on painting suggest we have a 2-mile walk ahead of us and we are looking for red crystals in the rocks at a fork-like junction. Let's get moving"

Splendora have given a nod. "Alright." She turned to Tom. She was a bit surprised he wasn't fighting her on that. She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "We'll be back soon. Up to the ship, we'll keep an open frequency. I don't want you hurt."

Tom made his way back aboard the ship. He thought about making a scene and going along with Splendora and Vox, but he thought better of it. He made sure the ship's transporters were activated then checked his tricorder. The viridium patch he'd put in Splendora's pocket when she had kissed him was showing up well on sensors. If something happened, he'd beam her back in an instance. For now, though, he sat back in the seat at the helm and waited.


Vox, leading the group, continued further into the caves. He stopped suddenly as a large multi-legged creature scuttled across the floor in front of him from one side to the other. "Oh man, big spider-like things. Not something I wanted to encounter. Watch your step people, there could be anything in these caves. "

He moved onward with more caution than before.

Splendora resisted the urge to squeal at the creatures. What worried her was what she was sensing. There was something here and it wasn't friendly nor was it dumb. It was almost as if it was trying to mask itself. Could it be telepathic? She kept her eyes out. She would wait a bit longer before stressing out her friends. She was glad Tom had seen sense to stay on the ship. She didn't want him hurt.

The team continued into the darkness of the caves. Their torches lighting the way forward down narrow and some slightly wider passageways. Other than the feelings of Splendora, the team seemed unaware they were being watched. A creature that could change its colour to match its surroundings was peering out at them from the darkness. As the team moved forwards and the once lit area behind them went back to darkness, the creature, crawling along the walls, moved with them.

Suddenly, Vox stopped. "Everyone, stay still. I think we are being watched. " He said. He adjusted his torchlight to a lower setting and carefully moved around to face in the direction they had just come from. As he did so, the light of his torch glinted in the large eyes of something in the darkness. The eyes moved closer into the light. Soon its appearance became apparent. The creature walked forward on all fours, it has six brightly coloured, almost luminescent tendrils on the top of its head. Its appearance was somewhat similar to an axolotl, a neotenic salamander related to the tiger salamander on Earth, only this creature was much larger than the 18 inches of the axolotl, it appeared to be at least 8 feet long.

As the creature moved towards them, Vox ushered the teamed to slowly and gently move away from it. They moved around a corner. Suddenly the ambient light seemed warmer. They turned around to discover they were in a larger open chamber that had openings in its roof to the outside which let in both the light and the water as next to them was a large lake surrounded by green moss-covered rocks and boulders. They had almost forgotten about the creature until it appeared from around the corner. Once again they were face to face. "Anyone got any ideas? " Vox asked.

Splendora kept her eyes on the creature. She was sensing it more now. "It's ... telepathic, intelligence. It's reading us." She said to the two.

Vox turned to Splendora. "We are not far from the location of the stash if it still exists of course. Any way we could distract or reason with this creature so that we can get moving?" he asked.

Splendora had been thinking along those lines too. "Alright. Stay still I will try and lead it away." She stepped forward and heard an eerie hiss. "Hello." She said with outstretched arms and hands facing palm up. "I'm Splendora."

She sensed the creature's focus was on her. It was curious. She slowly walked over to another opening in the cave and was happy to see the creature followed leaving her friends free to go after the treasure.

Vox noticed what Splendora was doing. He was worried about her but knew she could handle herself. He turned to Tomarn and the rest of the team. "Lets move, the map suggests the stash, if it's still here, is through there. "

The team moved quickly around the next bend in the caves. At first, there was no sign of any stash but then Vox noticed a wall in the cave that was not natural. It was made to look so but it clearly wasn't. Luckily, he had remembered his personal phaser. It was very old but still worked. He fired a shot to take out the wall carefully as not to cause a cave in or bury what might be behind it. The wall crumbled and, stepping over the rubble, the sight in front of them was a surprise. There, in the chamber was a large wooden chest. The team stood around it. Vox turned to Tomarn.

"You own the map now so you get to open it" he said.

Tomarn, lift the lid of the chest. Everyone took in a deep breath as the lid opened to reveal....

Books, at least 50 different books, based on their covers. "Books?" Tomarn uttered in both shock and disappointment.

Vox looked into the chest. He noticed how old the books looked. He carefully lifted one out. This one was more a manuscript tied with string. He gently blew the dust off of it. "Hold on minute Tomarn, this isn't a book it's an original manuscript. These could be original works by great authors from many different worlds. If so, this treasure is priceless. " He stated.

Splendora stared at the creature as it got closer. There was a difference to it. It had shifted colour to a light lavender and its eyes were looking into her own. As the creature got closer she sensed its curiosity about her. She would try communicating with it out loud, if not she could always try telepathically but the chances of the creature understanding her were small.

"Hi little guy, I won't hurt you." She talked to it as she would a pet. "Can you communicate?"

She watched as the creature tilted its head and studied her. It didn't move she took that as a good sign. "My friends will be back but they won't hurt you..." Before she could get the words out the creature lashed out at her with its tail connecting with her rib cage. She flew back slamming into the wall with an ump knocking the breath out of her. The creature turned and headed towards Tomran and Vox.

She tried to call out but couldn't make a sound. She tried to shake it off to go after the creature.

The two we examining the contents of the chest when Vox heard a noise and turned. He first saw Splendora looking worse for ware up against a wall and then saw the creature approaching them. "Erm Tomarn, we have company, namely the creature we saw earlier. " Vox stated.

Tomarn turned. "Ah, that's a problem. Use your phaser. Stun it so we can have a chance to get away with the chest. " he replied.

Vox took out his antiquated phaser. He noted it was low on power so he wasn't sure if there was enough left to even stun an animal of that size. Setting it to the right setting, he took aim and fired.

He hit the animal with one shot. The creature stopped and rested itself on the floor looking rather dazed. "Ok Tomarn, grab the chest with me, quickly, I don't think that shot will last for long.

The two grabbed the chest between them and moved passed the creature and reached Splendora. "Are you ok?" Vox asked.

Splendora gave a nod. "I think you two should go back to the ship. I want to communicate with the creature. I sense...distress this might be a great way to communicate with a new species."

"No offence Splendora but you know exactly what Tom would say and perhaps do if we turned up at the ship without you and then told him you wanted to chat to an alien creature. Its following us now so if you want to do this, we stay with you. " Vox replied.

Splendora looked over at the creature. "I have to try. I recommend going but if you want to stay, try to stay back.

She stopped in her tracks and turned towards the creature who stopped and stared. Splendora tried a little telepathic communication ~I won't hurt you. Can you understand me?~ She repeated the message a few times before she heard a faint response. It was hard to make out and it made no sense but then images flooded her mind. This creature was not only intelligent but it communicated in pictures so that made it easy. She slowly started to approach. The creature stepped back but then held its ground as she approached.

Splendora stood now directly across the creature. She sighed as she reached out her hand. This time it didn't shy away or react. It came forward. she spoke now to the two companions. "Do either of you have something like tweezers?" She asked in an even and low voice.

Tom was still on the ship, waiting. He tapped his foot, he didn't like waiting like this. He stood up and headed for the door, then shook his head and sat back down and waiting some more.

Vox reached into his tool kit he kept on his belt He handed a small set of tweezers to Splendora. "These ok? he asked.

She gave a nod and then stared intently at the creature the communication between the two silent. She then pulled out her blade and slowly approached the creature. Slowly she began to work and within minutes she pulled something away from the creature. Using what she could from the first aid kit she had with her she managed to bandage it up. The creature watched her ever move and accept for a growl here or there it stayed still. She stood and stepped back.

The creature looked the three over and then bounded out of the little cave. Splendora turned to the other two on shaky legs. Let's get out of here before it changes its mind.

" Sounds like a good plan. Let's go. " Vox replied. The team soon were back aboard the ship with the chest and were soon on their way back to Starbase 400. They soon began to discuss what to do with the loot.

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