When The Tower Fell

Posted on Sat Jan 15th, 2022 @ 5:34pm by Captain Bethsabée Leroux & Lieutenant Avira zh'Kenarh M.D.

Mission: Mission 5 - Babel
Location: Unknown Planet
Timeline: Day 275 10:00
2101 words - 4.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Beth stood on the top of the tower looking down at the fire that was below and the noise that was reaching her from the group. It was a happy and boisterous sound and it made her heart happy to hear it. That was what she wanted for her crew, they were far from home and moments like this were needed for them to thrive. She moved from the brightness that she could see to looking up at the stars. She should have brought Leah’s telescope down to look at them as it would have been beautiful in the darkness to be able to see it all. There was so much they did not know about the tower but in the darkness, it was impossible to keep looking for clues. The strange day and night compared to them was allowing a lot more people nights down on the planet and nights on the ship.

With two drinks in her hands, Avira approached the Commander that was standing at the edge of the tower looking down. "We shouldn't be alone out here. Commander's orders." She offered the drink she was holding to the ship's highest-ranking officer. After the last couple of days in the oppressive humidity and heat Avi actually appreciated the fact that with the sundown it was getting a bit colder now. "You picked a nice view, though."

Beth smiled as she stepped back from the edge and she looked at the Andorian. It had been her order but it had not overly applied to hers of much. She was just enjoying not having someone constantly within meters of herself. It was draining always having someone so close.

“Thank you.” She took the drink gazing at it for a moment before looking back at the view that was so unfamiliar to her but familiar at the same time. “The stars are so foreign. The formations do not match any that I remember.” It had made her panic at first but now it was soothing trying to create new star constellations.

"When I first got to Earth for my training I had the same feeling." The Andorian doctor remembered feeling out of place. The fact that she was surrounded by millions of non-Andorian people didn't help. "I think it wasn't until some local harvesting tradition that I felt part of the group." Her antennae curled up as they tended to do when she was trying to think of something. "Something to do with appreciation day or something." She took a sip from the drink. "We went around the table and recounted the things we had been appreciative of in the past year."

Beth looked at the woman carefully trying to think on what the gradation could be when she remembered a Unit States of America tradition. “Thanksgiving.” She surmised. “Not a tradition I do my self as my country celebrates old Catholic holidays but I guess it is a nice tradition to have.” Beth mused thoughtfully for a moment that it might be something to discuss with people to try and weave everyone’s holidays into something they could all appreciate.

"What kind of holidays would those be? I was only on Earth for a short while." Avira wasn't quite familiar with the different regions' customs her orientation had mostly focused on a general overview. She took a sip of the drink she had brought up to the Commander, it went down well.

“Well my favourite was Bastille Day. In French, it is formally called it Fête nationale. It basically commemorates the Storming of the Bastille on the 14th July 1789, and the unity of the French people. It is celebrated all over Earth where French ventured to. It has a military parade and streets filled with music and dancing but I just love the remembrance of a time where my country stood up to oppression and United.” She did not need to go into the delicious food and celebrations locally but that was implied for any celebration.

Avira nodded in agreement, "It's a good reason to celebrate." She sipped her drink. "There's plenty to celebrate out here as well, the local fauna is an absolute goldmine for herbs and spices." Most of them were edibles, only a few were actually of added value medicinally. They had found a plant that seemed suitable for the aftercare of burn wounds. Something that especially the engineering department seemed to encounter more than she would've expected. "Andor is a bit too tribal, most celebrations are around the solstices or the birth of some long-dead warrior."

"I almost feel like we need to start creating our own holidays but for some, it does not feel like it is real to them," Beth said sadly. She was at peace with what she knew about their trip how and the unlikelihood that she would ever see home again but she knew that some were not at that stage. "Maybe one day we can have a holiday that celebrates the day we found the fuel or the day we found the algae but I think it is too soon." She said sadly taking another slurp of the drink.

"Perhaps we could celebrate the day our governments signed the treaty. A reminder of what has brought this crew together, and something hopeful for us to focus on." Avira finished her drink and wondered if it was indeed too early for stuff like that. People needed things to take their minds off of their predicament, the festivities at the base of the tower were clear proof of that. "Perhaps there's also to be said for a remembrance day."

“We have a Remembrance Day on Earth on the 11th November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany but maybe we could have something on the day we got lost.” It was less than a 100 days until it would be a year since they got lost. It would be a good day to mark the day their own story started. “What could we call the day that our treaty was signed?” She wondered trying to find a word in the many languages that covered it all.

"Day of Unity?" Avira suggested out loud, she wasn't much of a linguist and it had been referred to as a union by the people on Earth when she was in orientation. "Treatise day, I guess could work as well?"

“I like both those suggestions. You and O’Connery should get together and discuss morale options. She has been trying to take some of those duties on.” Beth wondered if the young officer was taking too much on and Avira getting involved would be a good way to check on her property.

It was weird to hear the Commander suggest taking up Morale matters with someone other than Lieutenant Davis, "I'll be sure to reach out to her." She wondered if she wanted to mention anything about Aurelius. "Is there anything else you'd like me to pick up, Commander?"

Beth downed the rest of the booze that had been brought to her and smiled at the woman shaking her head. Beth wanted her to pick up many things but she wanted an unbiased opinion of it if anyone else was picking up on things. “Not really other than us picking up some more of this hooch.” Beth said brightly.

"Now there's an idea, any idea what they put in this?" Avira wasn't too familiar with the intoxicating substances from Earth. That particular part of Andorian cuisine centred around berries, but this was clearly not a berry beverage.

“Oh.” Beth realised with a grin as she gathered up herself and headed for the door down as if she had not ever let on to the chief medical officer something. “I pretend I have no idea this stuff exists and King makes sure I get some as do the crew. I believe that it is a collaborative effort between Engineering and the Marines. Strong enough to be between them.” She laughed. “But the taste reminds me of something like mint and gooseberries. Definitely worth asking King or finding out the supplier.”

"Perhaps they can start experimenting with new recipes after we've been able to catalogue everything we've found planetside." Avira realised that it was all happening unofficially, but it was something that the Marines and the Engineers needed to stay sane. A project in their spare time to keep them from going stir crazy on the ship. "Are there any other extracurricular activities I'm not aware of?"

"I am sure you can get that suggestion across to the correct person," Beth said amused. It would be a lot easier to get the point to the right person than her. She was the Captain and meant to know nothing but obviously, she knew everything and sampled it. It met her approval as long as it was limited and everyone was able to perform their duties at the level they usually did. "What do you mean by extracurricular activities exactly?" Beth indicated the door and started down the long stairs making sure to take a tight grip of the bannister to stop herself from falling.

"Well, inebriating beverages can have an unforeseen effect on people, especially in times of stress. Previous to this day I was not aware of this, which means I was ill-prepared to deal with any repercussions following from it." Avira knew why they hadn't told her or shared it with her, it was a human thing, perhaps even tradition, that was difficult to understand for someone not in the in-group. She might've blabbed to the wrong person, it might've gotten the operation shut down. "It's good for the Chief Medical Officer on the ship to know these kinds of things."

Beth nodded suitably chastised from the conversation. She had assumed that the woman knew as she was the one who was not meant to know but it made sense. “I will make sure in future I make you fully aware of everything.” Beth promised.

Avira's antennae drooped slightly from their more stern upright position, "thank you, Commander." She carefully navigated the steps in the darkness, but still felt her foot slip on an uneven step. She managed to recover without falling, cussing an Andorian expletive under her breath.

“Make sure you hold on tight doctor. Need you if I fall.” Beth said lightly as she took a few steps using the flashlight to guide them as none of the lights inside the tower had been put on as no one was working.

A small smile crept through at that comment. Avira kept her distance from Beth so that if either of them fell they wouldn't immediately sweep the other one off the stairs. "Andorians have impeccable balance." She left a beat of silence, "most of them anyway."

Beth laughed but the laughter stopped as she heard a rumbling from below and she let out a warning in french to move closer to the wall, they would not make it down so it was safer to stay against the wall hopefully. She moved flat against the tower wall as she could feel the vibrations through it and a cloud of dust moved over them.

Avira immediately grabbed onto the railing and stepped up to make sure she could protect the Commander if it came to it. "Careful, Commander." She felt the dust roll over them and started coughing, arm in front of her face. She felt a bit anxious without her rifle on her, she was assured she wouldn't need it but now they were headed into an unknown situation and she didn't have her weapon with her for protection.

Beth did not move holding on to the rail for dear life. “I am good.” Beth assured despite taking deep breaths to clear her lungs but it was impossible to do. “Are you good?” She stood up straight and looked down as the dust started to fall back down to the ground and paled as she saw that from the next landing down was missing making it impossible for them to get to the ground.

"We're going to need to sanitise our lungs when we get back on the ship, but I'm good." Avira wanted to step in front of the Commander but the steps were narrow and clearly not stable. Sticking to the wall was the right call. She stepped up to within arm length of Beth. The fact that the Starfleet uniforms didn't have belts was sorely missed in this instance. "Let's get to the ground floor."