Carpathia IV: Episode 94 - Hot Rock
Somewhere on an Icy World
Once inside the cave, the crew gently laid the litter down on the rocky floor where Tamati set about continuing his examination of Commander Joust. Meanwhile, Teren explored deeper into the cave and returned within only a few minutes.
Teren: No threats back there. It's more of a nook than a cave. How is Joust, Tamati?
Tamati spoke while continuing scanning and doing other things that Teren did not understand.
Tamati: I'm going to keep the commander unconscious until we can get him back to the ship. I can manage some of the most critical problems now, like the internal bleeding. Because he's a bat and had a pneumatized bone structure, we need the Shadowdancer's resources to repair them. For now, we need to get him warm. Did you say this cave doesn't go deep?
Teren: Only another 15 meters.
Tamati: That's too exposed, for all of us, but mostly Commander Joust.
While Teren and Joust talked, Sylvar, stirred by the need to get Joust warm, frantically scurried about the cave scanning all the rocks.
Sylvar: This is a good one. Can someone help me get this rock between Joust and the entrance?
Ramei: What's a rock going to do?
Sylvar: I can show you as soon as we get this rock over there.
It would take at least three people, Sylvar reckoned. The rock was about a meter at its widest but fortunately relatively round, so it could be rolled. Ramei joined and when Phobos joined to assist as well, the rock rolled surprisingly easily. Within a minute, they had the rock in position, resting solidly on its flattest side.
Sylvar: Okay, stand back.
Sylvar stepped back with the rest and started to fiddle with the settings on the same tool that he used to cut the tree earlier. Finally, he pointed it at the rock and fired. A steady beam emitted from the device struck the rock. It didn't cut, like it had previously, but soon the rock began to glow, getting hotter and hotter with each passing moment. When Sylvar stopped firing, the cave, though still afflicted by the wind outside, now felt considerably more comfortable.
Ramei: What is that thing?
Sylvar held up his device for all to see and glanced at it.
Sylvar: This is a phased particle weapon. I say "weapon," but it is a useful tool besides that. You've seen it cut wood and heat rocks. You can use it to cut open doors or pick certain kinds of locks. Depending on the setting, you can stun a person or kill them. It's basically a survival tool. The Vashtari ships have a lot of these, but nearly all of ours were destroyed with our ship. It took me awhile to build one using your technology, but it's working well so far.
Phobos: That's very useful. Mind if I have a look at it when we're back on the ship?
Sylvar: Of course.
Teren: Now that we're safe for the moment, I'll contact the ship.
Teren took out his communicator and tapped at the controls.
Teren: Commander Unas to Shadowdancer.
The response was poor indeed, with only a few intelligible words interspersed with mostly static.
Kit: Having... reading... Please... control...
Teren adjusted his communicator and tried again.
Teren: Commander Unas to Shadowdancer. Can you read me?
This continued for several minutes, with Teren calling Shadowdancer and getting a garbled response in return, regardless of how much he fiddled with the settings.
Phobos: Maybe text will get through, Commander. It is a much simpler data stream.
Teren nodded at Phobos and began tapping his message into the keypad. It seemed to be working, for the frustration from Teren's face subsided, if only for a moment, while he sent several messages to the Shadowdancer. Finally, he put his communicator away and addressed the crew.
Teren: Atmospheric turbulence means that it's going to take at least an hour to get a shuttle down here and because our signal is so spotty, they're not sure if they're going to be able to find us right away even then.
Tamati: That's not good. The sooner we get Commander Joust back to the ship, the better.
Teren: In that case, it would be best to retrieve our own shuttle. I can get there in less than ten minutes.
Tamati: Begging your pardon, Commander, but I believe it would be best if Phobos went. If your scanner fails and you get lost, we could lose you too and we don't know what the condition of the shuttle is. Phobos is better able to repair the tech on the fly and I happen to know that he's unusually well-suited to the cold. Equal to you, Commander.
Teren cocked his head, considering Tamati's proposal. It did not take him long to reach a decision.
Teren: You must have some Northerner in you, Ensign. It would explain the hair. Go retrieve the shuttle and bring it here.
Phobos: Understood, Commander. I'll be ready in a couple of minutes.
Phobos wasn't away from the cave for long before the weather turned even worse again, wind kicking up and the temperature dropping further. Teren couldn't have made it in this cold and the raging, needle-like snow began to lacerate even Phobos's hardy skin.
First he tried his rocket feet, but all they did was give a pathetic sputter, likely from electromagnetic interference. The rest of his body was more heavily shielded than his feet and he had to hope that it would be enough. His scanner failed soon after, forcing to him to rely on his own internal sensors to point him in the right direction. It was slow going as the wind and snow pelted him relentlessly, the first time he'd ever had his limits challenged outside of a controlled test.
A sprint that should have taken Phobos ten minutes took more than twenty. The shuttle wasn't buried when he found it, which was good because he wouldn't have to dig his way to the door, but also left it more exposed to the needle-like snow and frigid cold. These things shouldn't be an issue, for the shuttle was designed to operate in space, after all. More concerning was the extreme levels of interference, which continued to worsen. Even Phobos himself started feeling stiff, a sensation entirely new to him. When Phobos pressed the door control, it only slid open halfway. Not a good sign, but at least it opened enough for him to slide inside.
Once inside, Phobos rushed to the cockpit, past blinking consoles and flickering lights, more bad signs. In the cockpit, the systems should have been on standby, ready for immediate departure, but something was wrong. As he rushed to the engine room, he tapped out a quick message to Teren on his communicator. Hopefully, it still worked.
In the engine room he could see with his own cybernetic eyes what others could not. No coolant flowed through the injectors. Rather than waste time fiddling with tools to diagnose and then later repair the seized injectors, he removed his hand and plugged himself in so that he could diagnose and repair at the same time.
It worked. At least, that's what his internal sensors told him, but it was enough for him to go to the cockpit and try again. On the way back, he checked his communicator for a reply. There was none. Hopefully, it was just interference. When he tried to start the engines again, this time the shuttle lurched to life with the sudden injection of coolant into the system. With time running short, Phobos skipped the pre-flight test and took off for the cave.
The flight back to the cave took less than a minute. Phobos did a quick circle around the cave so they knew he was there and found the closest flat spot nearby to land. With the shuttle safely on the ground, Phobos bolted to the door to see if they needed help. They didn't, as by the time he opened the shuttle door, the others, minus Teren, were already rushing to him.
Ramei: We're almost ready, but we need to find Commander Unas. He went looking for you a few minutes ago when all our communications failed.
Phobos scrambled to the top of the shuttle and peered out into the distance. Far into the distance, he saw a speck of a heat signature. It was likely covered in snow with one thin spot in the cover just big enough for him to spot, but only just. If it were on a monitor screen, it would be little more than a teeny cluster of four or five pixels.
While Phobos was scanning the distance, the others had already climbed aboard. Phobos rushed in and took the controls, flying the shuttle to the heat speck, landing again nearby.
Phobos: I'll be right back!
Phobos rushed outside and brushed away the snow mound, finding a lump of grey fur inside. Teren was alive, having burrowed himself into the snow to protect himself, but woozy. As he was barely conscious, Phobos had to drag Teren into the shuttle, where the others helped him get their commander on board.
Ramei: Are the engines okay, Phobos?
Phobos: There was a problem with the coolant injectors and I've fixed that, but I didn't have time to run a diagnostic test.
Ramei: Okay, Phobos, you're with me. I'll fly and you keep watch on the engines.
Phobos: Understood. How's Commander Joust?
Ramei: Hanging in there, but we need to get him back to the ship quickly.
Moments later, the shuttle lifted off and pointed itself back home to the Shadowdancer.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
