away team 2- Field test

Posted on Tue Jan 7th, 2020 @ 2:49pm by Ensign Daniel Franklin & Lieutenant Helena Wells

3,108 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: The science of stars
Location: Goldilocks planet
Timeline: 12th March 2395- mid afternoon

ON:

"Are you nearly ready Helena?" Daniel asked as he picked up a Padd and a tricorder to put in his pocket, he was itching to get going down to the village while the weather was good.

"Oh yes, just checking the final bits here," HG nodded and turned to give him one of the bracelets. "Now the cloak will recognize these in phase so no more suddenly appearing and disappearing acts like we had. Press the button and you will be in a different quantum phase. We will scan as there might be a small ripple going through the cloak but hopefully the phasing will not affect that. Simple things like an inch thick door you can pass through but something like the temple with the stone walls are too much for the device to handle. People as well will pass through. There will be a little vibration if the device is starting to run low. Any questions?"

"Lt Edwards gave me a quick run down on these and I got to use it a little yesterday, I think I'll be alright with them." Daniel slipped the bracelet onto his arm.

HG nodded and put hers on. She shrugged and then checked the scanners to make sure no unwanted guests and then touched the button on the bracelet and faded away. She then stepped through to the outside taking in the bright sun, the green grass and the lake view. It was beautiful and the small shrine at the end of the lake had been built with stone with a fair amount of quartz in it. It picked up the sunshine and shone a bit like a beacon. She could appreciate why the natives had built it. Nestled in this peaceful place, in a beautiful setting and with rock with lots of crystal, it had the desired effect. She waited a moment and then turned to see if Daniel had followed her out.

"Right behind you." Daniel phased out and joined Helena outside of the hide. "Hell of a view isn't it."

"It is, any the effect from the rock with the sun just right, I can sort of see why this might have had some sort of shrine built." She tapped her wrist. "Well best be heading off, it is a bit of trek both down and back so to take advantage of our time?" She suggested.

There was not much more than the well worn trail going down to really see and they only encountered a couple of people talking toting a yoke like device with buckets heading upward. The two passed them without even a pause in their step or conversation. The slope flattened out and there was the village all spread out with people going about their lives, living and all the while children running and laughing through the various streets. Though it presented as a very low tech society, the people seemed well nourished, happy for the most part and living life.

HG paused and pointed out a few things. "Over that direction in that group of houses was one of the children I followed, over there in the middle is a market with food and wares and if you look just beyond is the stone building. I think a temple or some sort of religious building but then I am just guessing."

Daniel looked at the stone building HG was pointing at. "It looks like one of the biggest building in the village, it could be the villages coucil building or a religious centre, with it being the only building made entirely of stone I agree it's more likely to be the latter."

"If you want to examine it on the inside let me know. I will keep to the outside just in case they decide to shut the doors or something. Like I said, not sure that we could phase through something too thick." HG reminded him.

"Well we should have a good look around the the village itself first," Daniel replied. "Then we can check it out."

"Very well, you should be able to hear people talk and all, think if we talk we might not be heard, but I would suggest a cautious approach on that and out of the way or sotto voce. This is the really the first real field test for these things."

Daniel nodded. "So don't talk unless we really need to until we're sure we can't be heard, simple enough. Anything else I need to know before we head in?"

"Think that is about it, we can pass through people and all so do not worry about that. Just keep in mind this is the first real field test of these things so easy peasy is the rule for now. Shall we?"

"Let's." Daniel simply said as he headed down the path tears the village.

HG did as asked and after a bit got into the village. The path while clear was curiously void of a lot of traffic. They passed a few people but mostly working fields that lay around the village. The people in general looked well fed and happy enough in their lives.

Entering the village, HG guided Daniel to the marketplace so he could examine the food and wares being battered or sold. While she tried to dodge people best she could one could not avoid everyone in the crowded place and periodically would go through a few. So far, no seemed to react to such an event or to their presence except on bird that seemed to resemble a Terran bird about the size of a large parrot. When they stopped it hopped over on its ledge and bobbed and weaved its head peering at them.

"Hey now, Tilly, what has got your interest? Spy a meal grub some place?" A heavy set woman called to the bird. She shook her head and wiped her hands on her apron and went back to chatting about some neighbor with another woman.

The bird continued for a moment or so and then seemingly got bored and hopped back to preen itself.

"Interesting," HG commented.

"You reckon it can see us, or at least has an inkling something is there?" Daniel said, he was about to ask another question when he was walked through by a rather large man sending a strange feeling across his skin. "That's such a strange feeling."

"Well to the later, the bigger the mass the more reaction. The phase build up and dissipation is more. You can try a door if you wish or walking through the stalls to get high effect. As to the creature? I am not sure, some animals are able to sense certain fields and perhaps we caused a disturbance in that. It seems to have gotten bored or decided that we are not a threat or lost us." She jerked her head in a direction. "This way to the temple, or whatever it is."

"Let's go," Daniel said enthusiastically and followed HG towards the potential temple. As it came into view he smiled, it was a very nicely built stone building painted with all kinds of colours and unusual pictures and carvings and that was just the outside, he wondered what mysteries would await inside If they could get in. "Impressive."

"Yes indeed," HG replied as they got to the building. "I wonder if built with the village or not. The construction seems different and older. Right now I think if you want to enter, appears the place is open during the day time. I will remain outside in case something goes wrong or they shut the doors." She waved at the heavy wooden doors. "I would say that these are too thick and dense for us to phase through, and the rock work definitely is."

"It looks a lot older than the buildings around it." Daniel remarked. "I reckon this was built quite a while before the village. Maybe it was originally a rest stop for people visiting the shrine at the lake, then a few pilgrims decided to settle around here and eventually a whole village sprang up."

"You are the expert," HG replied looking over the building. "The weathering certainly would indicate it has been here awhile. Unfortunately I cannot do a scan without being in phase again. I could possibly find a secluded place phase and then do a quick scan."

"Don't always need a tricorder to see how old something is, often the mark one eyeball is good enough." Daniel smiled as he looked over the walls some more. "Though it certainly helps."

A bell rang several times and the few people inside began to file out. Two others dressed in something that looked ceremonial came to the front and stood by the doors in such a fashion as to pull them closed rather than to push them closed.

HG cocked her head and said, "Not sure but here is a good time to pop in. If the place is empty you can phase back in and do scans and explore to your hearts content. I can stay here and keep watch if things go on too long." She nodded her chin, "Best to go now!"

Seeing the people Hg motioned to Daniel quickly dashed towards the entrance of the temple and before the doors were closed fully managed to phase through them and the people closing them.

Inside the building any arguement about it being a temple or a government building was ended by the scene before Daniel; large carvings of a small family of humanoids wreathed in flowers and surrounded by countless candles upon silver and golden candlesticks, several were lit casting light shadows against the whitewashed walls

He tapped his combadge and quietly spoke to Hg. "This is incredible, it's definitely a temple."

"Well looks like everyone else is going about their village. I would say almost a siesta but not quite that much. So if you want to phase back into normal to scan, record, touch or whatever should have some time. I will keep you apprised if you need to pull a disappearing act."

"Alright, I'm going to un-phase for a bit." Closing the channel Daniel tapped the bracelet and returned to normal phase. Pulling his tricorder he started to scan the temple, as well as the visual information he set it to record anything he said.

"The building is definitely a temple, not a town hall esque building as we thought it may be, it's older than the other buildings around it, possibly the village was built around this temple as people decided to settle around here, I think the good water source and fertile land from the nearby lake was a primary reason for settling around here."

"The large carvings against the far wall must represent the cultures family of deities, they are similar to the much small representations we saw on a small shrine to a god called Moorr at the lake, what is striking is that one of the statues has cleary had iconoclastic damage done to it, the face of the statue has been destroyed. It's highly likely that this is Moorr who the shrine seemed to show was outcast from the family for reasons we haven't discovered yet. Worship of Moorr amongst the general population may be frowned upon or even heretical or illegal but he clearly still has worshippers as we encountered a priest at the shrine."

HG moved off just a little ways so she was not quite by the front door but could keep a good eye on it. The activity level dropped and the stalls shut up as people settled down or drifted off. She got to a stall that was shuttered but the front part underneath was open and she wiggled in. She worked on the device on her wrist. She could not quite phase out without being noticed but she could bring it down to phase transition. If someone really looked they might sometimes see a ghostly figure that was there and not, hence why she found a bit a cover but then it allowed her to communicate and record if need be.

She listened in on what Franklin was saying. "Interesting," she replied, "can you pick me up? I am at phase transition so we can continue to communicate. No worries out of direct sight and should be mostly not there. So the shrine up by the lake is this Moorr? Bad boy of the clan?"

"Helena?" Daniel said rather surprised at hearing Hg's voice "I thought we couldn't communicate like this if one of us is phased and the other isn't."

"Fully yes. I changed mine to the point that I almost am phased back in. Technically it is called phase transition, think of it sort of like ice melting to water. There is a point on the quantum level where it is not quite ice and not quite water but sort of alternates. If I where directly in the open I might look like a bit of a sort of there not there ghost hence out of sight. We can record and communicate. I will send you the settings just in case someone walks in and you wish to record it all just try not to be very obvious."

Daniel scoffed ever so slightly. "I could never get my head around quantum physics." He told her. "To answer your question though, the shrine up at the lake seems to show he was cast out for some reason, it does not give any details though. They beleive the force of his fall from the sky formed the lake."

HG was not really interested in too much mythology though she knew Earth's fairly well having had to learn it. "Right, well natter about if you wish, everything is still clear and quiet for now."

"Alright Helena." Daniel went back to looking around the temple. "There don't appear to be any religious books, at least I can't see any, they could be locked away somewhere safe rather than kept on display or what information that isn't displayed in shrines and temples is kept orally."

"There are some inscriptions on various plaques embedded into the walls and at the foot of the statues. I'll be recording footage to run through the universal translator when we get back to the hide."

"Best make a bit of haste then, I think afternoon nap time is over. A lot more activity starting up here. I am going to try to keep my hide but might need to go into full phase."

"I'll finish up quickly, can you see any other way out from your end? I can't phase through those doors." Daniel asked, hopefully someone would come back and open them but he could be stuck there for a while.

"Alright let me phase fully and then I will take a look," HG replied and then did just that. She would be out of touch unless Daniel fully phased or she went back to transition.

She got up from under the stall and noted that the activity was definitely picking up, not only that but it seemed a group was forming that was heading for the temple building or whatever it was. She recognized the one individual all dressed up. That made her pick up her pace and she circled the building inspecting the place for another entrance.

She did not find anything and headed toward her hiding spot which would not last too long either and went back into transition. "Out of luck I am afraid and there is a group heading you way. You might just have to transition and wait out whatever service or ritual or whatever. A lot of activity out here now. I can not keep as I am or someone might think they are seeing an odd ghost. If you want you can full transition and wait by the door and go through the people but it is an odd sensation."

"Ok, I'm going to phase and wait and see what happens." Putting his tricorder away Daniel tapped the bracelet on his wrist to phase again.

"Very good, I will go into full phase as well so we will be in communication. Best of luck." HG replied.

Daniel waited by the door of the temple until the heard the telltale sound of a key entering a lock and moments later both doors opened together and the party began to enter, trying not to walk through any of them he slipped out of the temple. As he did he caught sight of a woman in the middle of the group; her face partially obscured by a veil but not enough that he couldn't see pallid she was and the burns across almost all of it, her hands were in much the same way and he guessed that under the heavy robes she wore the rest of her body was possibly the same.

"Helena, I'm out, where are you?" He asked.

HG emerged fully phased from under the stall and waved, "over here. I just needed a spot where I could not be spotted while nearly out of transition. Did you get some information on the place?" She nodded her chin toward the building.

"It's an amazing temple that's for sure, I can't wait to get back and run this all through the translator and see what the plaques translate to." Daniel said with an excited smile on his face.

While listening to Daniel a couple of people walked right through them. There was just a slight odd sensation and the people themselves stopped talking a moment and made a sign and then went on their way. HG shook it off and tossed her head, "Sounds fascinating but perhaps we should move on. It is starting to get crowded now. Well looks like the bracelets managed a good first real field test, going to have to ponder what to do to handle phase to non-phase communication."

"Best have a chat with Debbie or Jason when we get back, do you want to head back now or stay around here a bit longer?" Daniel asked.

"Think best head on back. A good first test, but best not to push our luck or new technology too far the first out of the gate. Come on," and with that HG tossed her head and turned to start out of the village.

Daniel took one last look at the village before he followed Helena towards the outskirts of the village.

OFF:


Ensign Daniel Franklin
Alien Archaeologist/Anthropologist
[npc Taliserra]

HG Wells
Civilian Scientist

 

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