Cam glanced around at the scrubby sparse land and let her boot grind in the rocky soil. She tugged at her collar and felt sweat start building under her uniform. She looked at the makeshift camp stretching to the rather dismal slow moving river that stretched across the plain. A whisper more vegetation could be seen clinging to the banks.

"Oh great," she muttered to herself. "This is worse then the prelim reports. What a pit."

She turned her back to the marginal existence of the refugees and heat mirages. She walked into the collection of white buildings so familiar to many an expedition.

"Well, an outsider in our midst," A voice said.

Cam peered over the frame of her glasses at the scruffy nondescript human before her as he walked passed the security station manned by a big Bajoran who looked rather efficiently large. In fact, she looked like she could go toe to toe with Sanchez, if not take Fletcher in a heartbeat. It made the rat of a man regarding her look even smaller.

"Lt. Cmdr. Cam MacLaughlin," she introduced herself in a wary tone.

"Another MacLaughlin? What do you do populate Starfleet?" he asked sharply.

"Excuse me?" Cam wondered.

"Are all Starfleet officers named MacLaughlin?" he wondered.

Cam sputtered for a moment caught completely off guard. "No of course not." She peered at his lieutenant pip tacked to his tee-shirt. She sighed for a moment wondering if they all were this lax.

"I'm only kidding, lighten up. I'm Allistair Beers?" He prompted with a lift of his eyebrows.

"Oh," she nodded biting her tongue. His reports had been sketchy at best and she was a little disturbed by what she had read. Evidently there was going to be a lot more work then first intended.

"Lt Russells in the mess." he mentioned, walking off.

Cam frowned at his attitude. She suddenly felt deflated and utterly awkward. Then she met Russell and her discomfort was raised to new heights.

Personal Log: CML SDT:47907.22

I have been on the planet for what constitutes a day (15 hrs daylight) and what I've seen has left me appalled. Dr. M has no doubt done an extraordinary job just to get things on an even keel.

As for the 'performance' of Lt Russell I could take him to the Outback and leave him! Humanitarian aid my foot! The guy wouldn't know courtesy if it bit him. I hate his cynical attitude. He let these people crash here, but has offered them no aid, which if I recall is a broach of SF procedures. We render aid without question and see to it that people get along their way. But he's not even offered them clean water to drink! (This according to sis-in-laws account of what they found when the Nightingale assumed orbit) Its like some family member or sort of friend borrowing a couch to sleep. He doesn't care, and he isn't going out of his way for anything,

I'm attempting to organize the surveys identifying arable land and sites for desalinization plants. After talking with Montgomery, it seems that getting a footing under these people is the place to start.

Then there is the question of what makes Allistair Beers tick. He's rude and flippant. I don't care for his method or attitude. I think he's merely biding time here. It seems like every time I turn around I'm clashing with him or Russell. 'I don't know' has became a rather common phrase around here.

Needless to say I'm exhausted and Ill be glad when the Pathfinder begins transporting the equipment down to Tranquillity Base. It will be a relief to be away from them and from the camp.

I have two Engineering Techs that are assigned to us. Both are competent and polite. Eager to get work done, as am I. Ill be a lot happier when I get teams working.

I've got some preliminary soil reports I need to discuss with Hiakowa. Besides cataloging the indigenous plant life, I need to have him find some grain crops that will do well in this soil and climate. I'm hoping that the improved strain of Vulcan tri-rye can do it. I just received the reports form the Ag research station that I requested. Hi can make a better call on this then I, I'm hoping this new data is what we needed. If it is then Ill get an order in pronto. Gee, I never thought of myself as a farmer...but here I am. A science officer in this type of assignment must wear many hats, I guess.

Pathfinder is doing a similar job to that of Nightingale. She will be here a week until we get the gear in place and the pre-fabs up.

I just checked surface conditions and Tranquility site is being hit by a costal low. The weather is going to keep George in hog heaven. He loves to write weather predictions, and he's usually right on the mark. I am bothered some by being so far from the main center, I'm away from the communications center and Sec. But where we are going, its just us. No refugees, even though the thrust of our first studies is to get these people established. End.

Cam looked around the glade, watching people moving supplies. All seemed to be going smoothly.

That was except for her stomach. Cam fought off another bout of queasiness and rubbed her forehead.

"Umm excuse me, commander, " Beers said tapping her shoulder.

Cam turned to glare at him when her stomach suddenly churned. She dashed off for the nearest tree fighting the churning and subsequent heaving.

She was sweating profusely when Beers caught up to her. She was bent at the waist coughing. He rubbed her back and offered her his canteen. She looked at him with a pained expression.

"I wont tell, if you don't. Didn't they tell you not to drink the water?" he wondered.

"I didn't. I think its the altitude or something." she whispered rinsing her mouth.

"I did it too, don't feel bad." He leaned against another tree. "This place does it to you. We got off on the wrong foot, Id like to correct that."

Cam stared at him. She felt drained and this wasn't the conversation she was expecting.

"First things first, drink as much as you can. If you're not going, you're not drinking enough. Second, you reminded me of what this is all about. I let myself get jaded by Russell. If he didn't want me to , I didn't. I think Ill like being here far better. You were an archeologist."

"Yeah, so?"

"I just find that interesting that's all." he shrugged. "Look maybe I didn't cover enough in my reports but I hardly thought that anyone would pay them any attention when I filed them."

"Xanor is not exactly a founding member of the Federation." Cam said wanly.

"No and I should have opened my eyes when the refugee began trickling in. But Brock dismissed it, so..."

"Look, we are going to need help, you seem to know a lot about, well a lot more then we do, about this land." Cam pointed out. "Why for instance did you insist that the science base be established here and not where I had originally targeted?"

"First--polar orbit. Second, this peninsula seems to have the highest concentration of and diversity of life. I don't see why this was your third choice."

"I agree with that. But wouldn't it be better if our efforts were concentrated in one area? In other words, in conjunction with other SF projects? I was going to use the support of the other--"

"What other projects? " Beers interrupted. "Don't delude yourself Mac. This way you wont be having to run and get Russell's approval to sneeze, or throw up for that matter. I tell you he's a petty dictator and --"

"I out rank him." Cam said in a firm, yet soft voice.

"But he'll make you dot your I's and cross your T's to get anything done. In triplicate. He will hold you up more then you realize." Beers scoffed, "He's a big roadblock for anything."

"Ill bear that in mind." Cam said handing him the canteen and heading off to where they were clearing to begin putting up the housing.

The heat was oppressive at best, she realized. It was hampering efforts and slowing people down. The first aide shelter was becoming a popular place and the poor tech in her cadet uniform looked a little put upon. Her dark hair and pretty face were starting to look faded and worn.

Cam wandered in at picked up a cool water bottle out of a cooler that was perched on the back of one of the Jeeps that made a shelf in the back of the shelter.

"Why don't you take a break there," Cam urged softly as the girl pulled a bottle out and handed it to one of the science techs.

"You'd better listen to her Barbara," the tech warned, glancing at Cam with a tired yet mischievous twinkle.

Barbara glanced between the two of them, "Ill take a break when I lack water 'ole customers."

"I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon." Cam sat down on the jeeps fender. "In fact, Why don't you pass the word that everyone needs to take a siesta, Jan. The crates and junk can wait a bit."

"Didn't I see you toss yer cookies?" the med tech admonished her.

Cam peered over her glasses at her for a moment, "Yeah. Why do you think I ordered a break?"

The tech picked up her tricorder and passed it over her. Cam studied her, she was sick of tricorders and techs telling her what was wrong. It made her grouchy, and she had no qualms in breading Kate about the efficiency of the med personal.

"Dehydration. Keep drinking." the tech concluded.

"Hey how is it they sent a cadet to do this job?" Cam wondered.

"I volunteered." she replied crisply. "I heard 'bout the refugees and.."

"I see," Cam grunted, studying her. She looked vaguely familiar with frizzy dark brown hair and green eyes, she had a heart shaped face. She was rather large framed and walked with a slight limp. A strong looking young lady.

"You look familiar," the girl said her eyes lowering with some modesty.

"I don't think we ever met, but, I mean anything's possible." Cam shrugged. She had that feeling as well but choose not to express it.

"Hey Mac, where do you want the spectrum analyzer put for now?" Someone yelled.

"Over with the sensor table, Gordo." Cam replied.

"Are ya any relation to Capt. MacLaughlin? " she suddenly wondered.

"My brother," Cam smiled. "You sound Australian."

"Raised in Melbourne." She smiled sheepishly.

Cam snapped her fingers, "You look like a Sanchez. That's what it is!"

Barbara blinked as Cam laughed. "How did..? My brother's in security."

"Your brother is a friend. Good grief its a small universe." Cam took a sip of water, "I didn't realize Jesse had a younger sister in the Academy."

Barbara blushed and smiled, "Its a small universe."

"Well," cam sighed. "Id better go see what Gordo is breaking. Your right, it seems as if the more we push exploration the smaller this place gets. "

Cam shivered. After the heat of the day, and a change into a lighter uniform, the cool of the evening was both welcome and bothersome at the same time. She had changed into warmer clothes already. Now she was considering exhaustion and hunger the cause of her shivering.

"So your telling me that this is a typical weather pattern?" she wondered to George Fishbeck the meteorologist.

He smile behind his moustache, "That it is, but its not as pronounced as on the plain where the Main settlement is."

Cam shook her head, "No wonder Beers suggested this. But still. What am I going to do? Order people to work at night to keep warm? This is going to raise heck with peoples bodies."

"How are you feeling you looked rather peeked this afternoon."

"Better. I think the only way to get through the heat is knowing its going to cool down. We've lived too long with environment control, George. We've lost our adaptive ability."

George studied his maps and readouts, "There's going to be a lot of weather over the plains."

"What do you mean?"

"With the amount of solar energy in the atmosphere, and the amount of humidity that the atmosphere can hold--"

"You mean," she wondered.

"It means that when storms brew, they brew. I'm going to have to set up a series of tornado detectors and train some techs to keep an eye on systems that have tornadic potential. I think we should establish some weather stations and an early warning system. I have a feeling that until we understand the dynamics of this planet that we are going to have to be vigilant to avoid any tragedies."

"Can you run some models and have some suggestions ready for the AM staff meeting? This sounds like a potential problem, and something that we should address." Cam stretched and excused herself.

As she wandered through the camp, past a campfire and towards the clearing for the Ranger, she watched her people. Sure they were tired, but their spirits seemed good. She found her small shelter and sat on her cot. Somehow she felt good, and lonely all at the same time. She settled into a restless sleep. About midnight local time, she woke to the spattering of big fat raindrops. She groaned and pulled her sleeping bag over her head. "George! Why didn't you warn me about this? Welcome to Xanor!!!!"