Survival - next bit
Posted on Sat Oct 1st, 2022 @ 1:22am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Commander Dean House & Lieutenant JG Blake Leone & Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell & Patin
Mission:
*CD*
Location: Holodeck
Dean stood, not really engaging in the little exercise at the moment. It was amusing to watch. Though not pleased that this wasn’t cleared with him and certainly that this Patin had decided to turn safeties off. He’d question just how she managed to even get them off. However, Rhenora mentioned the resistance so hacking the holodeck wasn’t off much in those abilities.
"I left the main ones on!" Patin retorted from the scene nearby flashing a wicked smile."The minor ones not so much. It's gotta be real you know."
Bonnie moved over next to Blake, a bundle of sticks in her arms, yet she reached out from under with one hand. “Hi, I’m Bonnie. Are you new on the Sunfire?”
Blake smiled. “Yes, I am. I’m Blake Leone. A pleasure to meet you”, she said as she took the other woman’s hand. Looking around, she felt a bit lost. Patin seemed to have thrown her into the midst of a training exercise.
"Nice to meet you. Looks like we are on jungle terrain shelter." She huffed, "the humidity alone is going to be murder on my hair." She dropped the sticks and pulled her hair back and up in order to keep her neck cool.
“Seems like it”, Blake agreed. “Where do you need me? I just arrived, and to be honest, I feel like I have been dumped into a situation before I’ve even said hi to everyone”, she admitted.
While Bonnie worked on making makeshift ropes, she pointed "can you work on getting a small fire going?" She understood being thrown into a situation with no explanation. Some of her Academy instructors thought that was the best way for their students to learn, through the experience.
"And I wouldn't worry too much about introductions, that will come with time. You're in medical right, so eventually you will meet everyone on the ship anyway. But, for what it's worth, I'm glad to have met you, just watch out for that one over there." She said while nodding and pointing in Dean's direction. She smiled, "he'll win your heart with food if you let him."
Blake smiled gratefully. I’ll keep that in mind”, she said. “I’ll get to the bonfire. My mother took me camping now and then. Said it was healthy to be away from the civilized warzone I lived in after she adopted me”. She paused, remembering the fond memories of sleeping in shelters or tents with the woman who had taken her in without a second though.
Meanwhile the Captain's shelter yielded under the weight of somewhat dodgy construction and collapsed, burying her in a torrent of sand that promised to end up where the sun would never shine.
Dean almost chuckled a little bit, seeing Rhenora like that. Without hesitation though, he moved over to help get her out of it. Letting her pat herself down, get sand out where she could without a shower. “Would you like some help with that, Nora?”
There was a glare and a blush deeper than Bajoran beetroot as she flicked off her jacket and turtleneck, shaking the sand out of her tank with aggressive movements. "You could have warned me the struts were too loose," she grumbled.
Dean had to at least appreciate the view for a moment. Never any harm with looking and appreciation. “I don’t think it was the struts actually.”
Clad only in her regulation issue black trousers and tank, sans boots she turned to challenge him. "Oh really now?"
Hence given what she was in, is why Dean took the appreciation look for a moment. That was secondary. “Weight. What happens to loose sand when you pile it up on something with any kind of place to give? Just like water. It’ll wiggle its way. What happens when you add water to sand and build a sand castle though? It stays solid, forms in a different manner because of the combination.”
"Are you saying my mix is too dry?" There was a raised eyebrow and a hand on the hip. There was wounded pride, uncomfortable sand, and a pending sunburn all battling for her ire.
Choices choices…take the opening to possibly ease tensions by making a joke. Or leave it alone. That was kind of a hard one for Dean to make. Reaching up to brush his hand over the lower part of his lips/chin as if he was brushing down a beard, if he had one. Options A and B. “I mean…I would hope not,” Dean grinned. Motioning a little, “The struts were right, but it needs a fanned brace system under the top. Holds each section with less stress and the struts to hold ground to top horizontal.”
‘Wise choice,’ she thought to herself as she considered his analysis. He was right in that the bracing system was inadequate, the moisture content of the sand was negligible in her opinion. They were here to learn however not debate what they may or may not know.
“You know. Come to think of it. If it were a different biome or more time. Just the skeletal structure and slathered with mud. That mud drying would be perfect.” Dean glanced about at the other areas.
Patin had started making her rounds. While the jungle and arctic biomes were on par, the temperate biome needed some work. She made her way over to where Dean and Rhenora were working and knelt down. "Not a bad start Nozzie, but I'm not certain more than two people are going to fit in there. Looking to be cozy with your number two I trust?"
As she finished speaking a large clump of sand broke loose and started pouring onto Rhenora's head and down her back like an hourglass. "Oy, that'll set you back a bit I imagine." She smiled knowing they had been there before. Many years before.
There were no words to save her from the humiliation of it all. Hot, sandy, tired and now humiliated she simply ran out of words, or quips and one liners to rescue herself. With a sigh she turned around and looked at the now lopsided shelter, berating herself that she should know better. It'd been far too long since she'd had to build a shelter, hence why the training had been organized, not that she had actually considered taking part in it. With dogged determination the Captain returned diligently to the task of fixing the shelter and reclaiming her pride.
The remainder of the hour passed while each team worked diligently on their separate shelters. When the time was up Patin called out, "Alright, time's up! I'll come around individually to see each shelter and grade you based on structure, comfort, and survivability. Best shelter can have a duty-free day, or something." She glanced at Rhenora for confirmation since they hadn't really talked about it first.
“ Oi, no-one approved that little pearl” Rhenora remarked, quickly racking her brain for a suitable alternative “ Extra holodeck privileges” She finally came up with.
Starting at the jungle zone she scrutinized, took some notes, asked some questions, and pointed out a few flaws. "Overall, not bad. With a little more time or practice this would make a good place to rest for the night. Good work."
Blake looked around. It seemed to her that the woman in charge of the exercise and the inspection clearly knew what she spoke about. She drew in a breath as a sharp pain ran through her head. Again, she thought. She had been dealing with headaches for what felt like an eternity. She rubbed her temples.
She then entered the Arctic Zone and smiled. They had built a snow dome with the loose snow and had carved out places on the interior for sleeping, and sitting. In the center there was a small fire flickering, keeping the interior warm but not hot enough to melt. "Nice!" She commented out loud after inspecting the dome's interior.
"This would work for structure and comfort but without more structure here… and here… this will likely collapse on you while you sleep. Trust me, it's not a pleasant way to wake up in the morning." She finished making notes before walking over to the temperate zone, saving Rhenora and Dean's team for last.
Bonnie had finished stringing together her portion of the shelter when Patin proclaimed time was up. They had made a decently hidden shelter that appeared on the surface as just another fallen tree. There were added fronds and rope to hold it together and Blake's fire was burning within.
Patin walked up, took down some notes, and then proceeded to inspect the site. "Hmm, not bad, the tree was cut by hand yet at first glance it looks natural. Very good, in a forest surrounded by undergrowth you've managed to hide the equivalent of your entire team. I'd be careful using wet wood or leaves as they create more smoke than heat, but overall not bad."
"So who did what here?" She asked.
"I cut the tree with Cory's help." Jamell announced. "Blake built the fire and I worked on the rope and camouflage." Bonnie finished.
"And your name?" Patin asked simply as she took notes. She had potentially made her winners choice and was taking names.
Bonnie took a step forward. She felt it first before she realized it. The end of her rope was wrapped around her left foot. It tugged, and the house of cards came tumbling after. In the time it took her to open her mouth to say her name, the shelter had collapsed in on itself, smothering the fire into a billow of smoke.
Patin watched the scene unfold in silence before marking something on her notes. She then made one comment to the group before turning and walking away. "Always secure your rope."
Finally she walked into the desert biome and stopped in front of Rhenora's hole in the sand.
“ Don’t comment” Rhenora lamented as her shelter shuddered ominously behind her, a small trickle of sand breaking through and threatening to bring the whole structure down.
Motions a little bit with his hand, Dean tried to not say anything, and accomplished it. Besides, technically he wasn’t part of this. Also wasn’t said he couldn’t have given suggestions, while not actually touching anything.
As Patin began to inspect the structure, it did indeed collapse, sending a spoof of sand into the air and coating the lot of them in the fine granules. As the class gathered around to see and hear the final results, the group dusted themselves off and Patin stood.
She hid her own personal disappointment and tried not to fan Nozzies shame knowing as the Captain she needed the respect of her crew. Instead she addressed the bigger picture. "Class, this is an example of how even the most experienced of us can struggle. While the foxhole in the sand was a worthwhile idea, it didn't hold its weight well."
She continued while moving around the water hole. "not only did the structure fail, but the whole team failed to work together. We have a scenario where one person worked while the others stood around coming up with ideas. Not helpful when the night is upon you."
Dean just simply shrugged, not particularly looking one way or the other about it. Maybe he should have actually helped. Who knows in this particular situation?
"And last. A five-minute recon would have told you there was a cave system just on the other side of the watering hole. One suitable for cool comfortable shelter for a small army. Instead, our focus was elsewhere." She stopped walking at the edge of the hole and offered Rhenora a hand up.
“Thank you” Rhenora whispered out of the range of everyone else's hearing, not for the hand up but for redirecting the humiliation.
"Everyone give our Captain a round of applause for helping to demonstrate some problems that come from working in one of the harshest environments." Patin offered with a side glance to Nozzie.
“ Goes to show we all need practice” Rhenora replied with humility as she tried to shake the errant sand from her clothing, there were granules lodged in places where the sun never shone. “Now, I believe Patin has another exercise planned for tomorrow, provided the appropriate safety consideration are met, I’m sure you will all learn plenty from it”
There was a half-hearted golf clap given from Dean while he listened to the little speel. Giving a bit of a sigh. This is really continuing again? Now he’s probably going to be compelled to participate.
“Of course. Plenty of safety. No need to worry.” Patin said slyly while giving the Captain a nudge. “Now, class is dismissed, off you go. We’ll see you all back at the same time tomorrow.”
The crew filed out of the holodeck, excited murmurings going on between them about what tomorrow may entail.
Rhenora sidled up to Patin “ You did good” She said simply, patting her friend on the back as they headed for the doors.
The idea of teaching an old pony new tricks trotted through Patins mind, causing her to smirk. As the holodeck, the sand, snow and tears all washed away she only commented back with, "Thanks Noz." It was quiet and enduring considering the life they had lived together so long ago, and what each had taught the other in their shared lives.
TBC
