Carpathia IV: Episode 5 - Stone Age
Space, NCCS Shadowdancer
Clean and refreshed, Adell returned to his bridge, confident that his team had everything under control. Upon entering the bridge, Adell found everyone except Teren at their duty stations, including Amenaru and Kit, still dirty from the recent excursion. The atmosphere was calm, with nothing but the hum of the engines and the occasional bleep of a computer console to permeate the silence. Surveying the area as he headed for his chair, he glanced at various status screens, before having a seat next to Azrael. As he looked at his display, he noticed Kit casting furtive glances in his direction.
Adell: Azzy, current status.
Azrael, clearly waiting for the go-ahead, began delivering the information immediately.
Azrael: Port nacelle will need to be replaced with a spare at Polaris Deep. Loss of some ventral hull plating and minor structural damage. Damage did not encroach on oxygenated areas, but emergency doors are closed in that area as a precaution. Overall repairs shouldn't take more than a two weeks. Minnie has managed to increase maximum speed from Q4 to Q5.8.
Adell studied his console, tapping at the keypad as Azrael spoke, confirming everything he said. Kit continued glancing in his direction.
Adell: And that leaves me with the oh-so-fun task of the incident reports. "Tales of the Gluey, Squirty, Farty Monsters" I shall call it. Still, not as bad as it could have been. Anything else?
Adell leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.
Azrael: Dr. Frost believes that the sticky substance is exactly what they were looking for. She and her team have already collected Teren's fur clump and are now scraping the bits from the shuttle.
Adell nodded.
Adell: That's good. If we're going to come back damaged, better damaged and victorious.
Azrael: There's one more thing. Have you found a permanent first officer to replace me, yet?
Adell grinned and playfully elbowed Azrael in his side.
Adell: Oh, can't wait to get away from me?
Azrael was taken aback, recoiling suddenly from Adell.
Azrael: No, Captain, it's not that...
Adell raised his hand to his brow and shook his head.
Adell: Still need to work on that sense of humor. Anyway, I did find someone, yes. He'll be joining us at Polaris Deep. You may return to your security duties once we get back.
Azrael: In that case, it has been an honor serving with you again.
Adell sank a little further into his chair, allowing the ambient sounds and the view out of the windows relax him further. This was the best place to be after any sort of incident to avoid being accosted by the more grumpy, delicate scientists on the ship. While most accept that bumps are part of the package on a starship, some complain about every little shudder the ship makes.
Nevertheless, work beckoned. An incident report was something to behold indeed, requiring many details and corroborating official logs from all officers involved. He knew that the sooner he started, the easier it would be with the adventure still fresh in his mind. This, however, would have to wait, for just as he placed his hands on his armrests to push himself up, a mousy little voice came from his right.
Kit: Um... Mr. Captain, sir?
Adell paused where he was, eyebrows raised, and saw Kit sitting at his console with one hand sheepishly raised and clutching a tablet in the other. While the others on the bridge merely glanced, Teek turned all the way around in his chair and, upon seeing Kit, covered his mouth and let out a barely audible chortle. Adell, though he noticed this, kept his focus on Kit while Azrael began to cast a dagger-gaze at Teek.
Adell: You don't have to raise your hand, Kit. Just come on over and show me what you have.
Kit's hand lowered only slightly for a moment as he paused, seemingly not expecting this response. Suddenly, his hand dropped completely and he quickly scanned his console. As he started gathering up his other tablets, some of them fell to the floor, where he scrambled nervously to pick them up. Teek, still watching, covered his mouth and let forth a far more audible giggle. Azrael leaned over to Adell's ear and whispered.
Azrael: Captain, may I use your ready room for a few moments?
Without averting his attention from Kit, Adell answered.
Adell: Go right ahead.
Azrael stood and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. With his other hand, he jabbed his finger at Teek and then to the door to Adell's ready room. Immediately cowed, Teek lowered his head and proceeded as Azrael indicated.
Teek: Yes, Commander.
While Azrael and Teek together disappeared into Adell's office, Kit had managed to gather his tablets haphazardly into his arms and was now making his way to Adell. Nalma rushed to a chair from an empty console station and stepped a pedal, removing the anchors that held it to the floor. After positioning the chair directly in front of Adell, Nalma patted Kit's back and returned to his station with an ear trained in their direction. Adell waited patiently and expectantly as Kit took a seat and organized himself, figuring out which tablet to use first and placing the rest on his lap. Adell leaned forward, making it clear that Kit had his full attention.
Kit: Um... It's about those glue creatures...
Kit held up one of his tablets, which contained what looked to Adell to be a lot of gibberish in the form of something that looked like an audio EQ chart in full motion. Kit pointed the pointy lines that went through various points.
Kit: Just before Teren jumped in front of me, I took some audio of the noises they were making. Those weren't just random squirts and and farts that they were making. There was definitely a very complex pattern to all of it.
Kit drew his finger along the lines, pointing out what seemed to Adell to be random spikes and troughs in the data stream. At one point, Kit nearly dropped the tablet, but caught it just before it tumbled to the floor.
Kit: This line shows... um... possible cadence and emphasis structure...
Kit looked up from his tablet and tried to read Adell's face.
Kit: I'm sorry. Am I making sense?
Adell smiled.
Adell: You're the expert on this, not me. Just give me the basics. I'm sure I'll get the general idea.
Again, Kit seemed to freeze momentarily before hastily tucking the tablet to his side and picking up another one. On it, a video played of the creatures just before they started shooting, hopping and bouncing around.
Kit: I'm still analyzing this, but I think there is a good chance that their noises and movements were a form of communication.
Adell's eyes widened.
Adell: Are you saying all this was a language?
Kit nodded in two, spastic bursts sending his ears flopping forward adorably.
Kit: I'm not completely sure, but the evidence is pointing that way. Also...
Kit tucked away the second tablet and paused, leaving Adell hanging with anticipation. Finally, Kit turned to Nalma with panic in his voice.
Kit: Nalma, I can't do it!
Nalma's head swivelled to match the direction of his ear.
Nalma: It's okay. Tell the captain what he needs to know.
Adell was very curious now and watched expectantly as Kit lifted up a third tablet, this one with a photo of one of the strange, dried glue formations with a digital overlay on top, accenting key features.
Kit: Um... Those towers, like the one from which I took a sample... There's a definite pattern to their design. They could be totems, or...
Kit's voice trailed off while horrific comprehension began to dawn on Adell.
Adell: They could be those creatures graves, right?
Kit lowered his head and nodded.
Kit: It's possible. I need to do more work on this to say for sure.
Adell leaned back in his chair and rubbed his brow.
Adell: So you're saying there is a possibility that we have managed to stumble right into the middle of a stone-aged society and then I ordered you to desecrate one of their graves when I made you take that sample.
Kit said nothing and simply nodded, looking like he expected that Adell might hit him. Kit flinched when Adell finally reached forward and patted him on the shoulder. At the same time, the door to Adell's office slid open and Teek emerged with his head low, looking thoroughly chastised, followed by Azrael. Both returned to their stations.
Adell: Excellent work. I want to include your log on the matter in my report. I don't expect you to finish something this complicated in a short time, so just give me your preliminary findings tomorrow when your shift starts so we can share the data. You've made a discovery that we may have all overlooked.
Kit looked up and smiled, understanding now that he was not in trouble.
Kit: Yes, Captain.
Adell leaned in close and lowered his voice.
Adell: And I'm sorry that I might have ordered you to desecrate a grave.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
Jenova87
Zelbunnii
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
All city pictures from SimCity 4
