"Survival Guide to P338451, Chapter 3 - Mammals"
(Previous Post: "Silenced Screams")
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Stardate: 62232.1520
The journey had been a long a perilous one but the simple fact that the Shillian Scientist had not been along had made the trek back to the settlement almost enjoyable. After 282 days of solitude it had made perfect sense for anyone to be exhilarated by having company, someone to speak to, someone to listen to, and someone to just be with to vanquish the lingering feelings of loneliness.
Ensign Thomas had quickly opted to take point since this gave him the perfect excuse not to look at the scantily clad Chief Science Officer; of course the official statement of the Chief of Operations had been that he would be in a better position to protect the Shillian by being in front. Through numerous obstacles and dangers, many of which had been countered by simple wish of not taking any chances, the two Starfleet officers had carefully reached the outskirts of the settlement where they had beamed down so long ago.
Elliot motioned for the Shillian Scientist to stop and drop closer to the ground as the Chief of Operations noted a sentry near one of the small buildings on the outer edge of the settlement. At first glance the patroller appeared a humanoid but the initial encounter of these people by the away team had quickly identified that there had been more then had meet the eye. The speed and strength that had been demonstrated by these individuals had been anything but human, a discovery that had forced everyone to run for cover as they tried to avoid capture.
The Chief of Operations had been ready to attempt to sneak by the sentry when the sound of muffled screams were heard emanating from somewhere within the settlement. Despite the barely audible sounds it had been clear beyond doubt that someone had been in the midst of unthinkable pain, the officers having been left to imagine just how loud the original screams had been to pass through the walls and cross the distance between them and the settlement.
"We have to do something," Elliot whispered with despair as he glanced back at the Shillian woman, the current attire of the Chief Science Officer having been completely ignored thanks to the blood chilling screams that filled the air.
"And what would you have us do?' The Shillian scientist inquired, here eyes never having left the sentry as it patrolled the out edge of the settlement without having displayed any reaction to the screams that could not be heard. "I mean the last time we went up against these people it only took a few of them to send all of us scrambling for our lives. I strongly doubt that the two of us will be able to overpower any of them and manage to do so without alerting the others as to our presence. Beyond that we have no idea who is being tortured this way and where they are being held," the Chief Science Officer offered before Maya suddenly stopped and tilted her head in amazement, a sight that prompted Ensign Thomas to turn around once more.
Instead of the humanoid sentry that the Chief of Operations had seen earlier, a four-legged beast now stood watch at the edge of the settlement, its nose clearly sampling the air as if in search for something.
"Where did the patroller go to?" Elliot asked, his eyes having scrutinized the entire visible edge of the settlement without having discovered the whereabouts of the guard in question.
"That beast *is* the sentry," the Shillian gulped in a whispered and troubled voice. "It just transformed, I mean it shape-shifted."
"What?" The Chief of Operations queried out of confusion. "How is that possible? Are these people related to your race?" The Ensign asked sure that the Shillian had indicated at one point or another that she had been the last and only surviving member of the Shillian race.
Maya remained speechless as the Scientist continued to observe the movements of the shape-shifted sentry, its nose still carefully sampling the air in search of something. Time passed while the two Starfleet officers watched the sentry continue its patrol with the occasional sniff of the air all of this while the muffled screams continued to be heard. When the sentry vanished behind one of the building the Chief of Operations saw an opportunity that they could not ignore.
"We have to go," the Ensign informed as he began to move towards the settlement, "we may not get another chance and at this rate whoever is screaming is likely not going to last much longer."
Still under the shock of having witnessed the earlier transformation, the Shillian woman offered nothing to counter or support the choice of actions dictated by the Chief of Operations, instead Maya simply followed, her thoughts filled with unanswered questions.
The movements of the two Starfleet officers were brought to a sudden halt when the sentry returned with two others by its side, all three in beast form and all three apparently in search for something.
"Maybe they know we are here," the Shillian theorised with fear as she clearly recalled the last time her and the rest of the away team had encountered these beings which they obviously knew very little on. "We have no way of knowing how sensitive their sense of smell is, also there is no way to know just how sensitive their eyesight and hearing are."
"Relax," the Ensign offered in an attempt to ease the tension, "there is no way these *things* would have been able to smell, hear or see us from where they are." Just as the Chief of Operations spoke those words the three beasts burst into a dashing run in the direction of the two Starfleet Officer who had thought themselves safe. "This is not good," Elliot sighed as the officer quickly calculated that there had been no way for either one of them to outrun these speedy beasts.
"We have to get out of here," Maya gasped in fear.
"Two for emergency beam up at these coordinates," the Chief of Operations said as he tapped his communicator.
"You cannot be serious?" The Shillian questions out of disbelief as the scientist watched the three beasts move closer at an amazing speed. "I mean you have not been able to contact anyone on the HATHOR since this mess began and on top of it the systems onboard the HATHOR are likely inoperative after having been neglected for so long."
True it had been a long-shot but given the speed of the beasts Ensign Thomas had figured that this had been their one and only hope for salvation as it had been clear that the two of them would not be able to outrun their pursuers or defeat them in hand-to-hand combat.
Seconds away from having the three creatures leap onto their position the Chief of Operations and Chief Science Officer felt the all too familiar tingle of a transporter as the two officers were plucked out of harms way.
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"To see the world in a grain of sand, 2008 post #013
Setting: P338451, Forest outside settlement
Jessica Solarik
Lieutenant Commander Maya
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
