Genesis

Posted on Sun Aug 10th, 2025 @ 9:55am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Commander Jenna Ramthorne

1,044 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: For Bajor!
Location: Bajor

It had been a dry summer, the landscape conserving its energy by limiting growth and turning a parched shade of brown. It hadn't rained for months and the good folk of Bajor were looking to the autumn, where there traditionally was rain, and in the later months snow that could be melted for water. The baking heat of the summer blew away with the autumn winds, taking whatever precious moisture that was left in the soil with it. Trees shed their leaves and went dormant, and all but the hardiest crops didn't even emerge from the dusty soil.

Times were tough, but as a planet they had been through tougher, given the nature of the occupation they had survived a few decades earlier. Food however was getting scarce. Yes they had replicators, but the aging power grid, decimated by the Cardassians and now barely maintained by starfleet engineers, was failing. The hydro power plants no longer produced the masses of energy due to the abject lack of water. Several concerning calls had been placed with the Federation, but they seemed to be more concerned with rebuilding the quadrant after the war. What was a few months of dry weather to them?

Deep in the mountains Zio was concerned. Never in her many years had she seen Bajor like this. It was as though the Prophets themselves had turned their backs on the planet. The news net offered no glimmer of hope, only more wind and more dry. Soon winter would be upon them. Gone were the days of storing and preserving food for the cold times, with the modern conve ience of replicators and transporters taking over. With the power grid failing, both of those essentials were restricted. Each family had a particular number of energy units they could use, depending on how many people lived there. With the weather declining, Zio began to prepare for winter. Her two older children helped her cut wood, plentiful due to the dry times and stack it next to their house. She cleaned out the wood stove, long since unused from the years of the occupation. They foraged for what they could, berries, edible leaves, roots and stems were gathered and fermented into old fashioned glass jars. It wasn't alot, but it would keep them alive.

"We need protein" the eldest, Jina announced, already thinner than he should be from the food rationing. Zio smiled at his resourcefulness. "You would have done well in the occupation, young one. You preserve the greens first, before the snow falls, then you begin the hunt. The hides we can use for clothing, the meat we can use for soups and jerky."

"This is how it used to be, back in the old times?" The younger one Kerlew enquired inquisitively.

"Back in the far old times, before we had replicators and transporters, Bajorans used to be farmers. We grew our food, harvested our own vegetables and animals. Something we went back to during the occupation when the Carsassians took all our food." Zio explained as she went ferreting through a cupboard at the back of the kitchen. Behind the shovels, hoes and mattocks, were spears, hunting arrows, and a long curved hunting blade.

"I never thought I'd need these again" Zio breathed as she dusted the decades of fine dirt from the implements. Things were indeed getting grim. All calls for planetary aid has been met with mediocre responses. People were starving, fights were beginning to break out, thieves were looting for food.

"What of your friend? The one in the stars whom you helped late last year?" Kerlew asked as the mewger meal of plant soup was served.

"Yeah, why don't you see if she can pull a few favours?"Jina added. "Didn't you say she was a Captain?"

"I will call Rhen, but her hands may be tied by those above her. We can but ask. Besides, I would dearly like to see little Patina again. She must have grown terribly since I last saw her" Zio smiled, and made a promise to call in the morning.


Drakkar Province Reservoir Damn

Under the cover of darkness the small team moved unseen. There's was not a mission of mercy, but one of subterfuge and sabotage. "Shh." The leader pressed of her fellow clad underground group after spotting a guard patrolling the outskirts.

In a hushed but angry voice, one man pulled his mask down, "I swear to the Prophets themselves if you tell me to hush one more time I will personally throw your body over the side."

The group as a whole looked over the edge at the sheer drop measuring 300 meters. To fall from that height would no doubt kill a person before they even reached the bottom. The reservoir damn held back the precious water flow of the entire Drakkar valley and was instrumental in creating the province Drakkar Sea basin. Taking it out would not only expose the government who were conserving water from the farmers, but it would send an environmental message. It would also likely kill thousands as it spilled into the valley.

"The satellites were easy but just the start. Now shut up and stick to the mission." The leader prodded in a hushed, albeit louder voice than she had intended.

A bright light shone in their direction, "Oy, who goes there? Show yourselves and no one gets hurt." The guard was on to their position, which was now compromised.

They scattered, as was their want, and most of them vanished into the dry woodland. One however made a rookie error in his hiding place and was easily uncovered by the guard. Dragged back to the local village he was thrown in a cell and charged, the story ringing out across the news services that someone had tried to destroy the little remaining water left that they had. The next morning he was dead.

Desperate people do desperate things, and making it known any attempt of public infrastructure would lead to death, was one of those desperate things. The local officers still don't know how he died.

Deep within a nearby mountain, an ancient device began to pulse with new life. Its power signature so minimal it was barely detectable.

TBC

 

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