This Building Is Done

[Ritah Lowen 0]

From the moment they materialized on the planet, Ritah was struck by the quaint and peaceful atmosphere of this small town. And that's all it was really....just a small, rural town complete with dirt roads and surrounded by kilometers of farmland and pastures. In a strange way, the place reminded her of home. The town itself was far more old fashioned but the open fields that lay beyond brought back memories of the countryside where she'd grown up.

 

Ritah quickly dismissed such thoughts and forced herself to focus on her mission. She was a last minute addition to the away team, arriving just seconds before the beam down. The samples she was to gather were essential to the success of the project. But she could tell the others were less than pleased by her presence. They tolerated her but they considered her a handicap. She was determined to prove them wrong.

 

It was Commander Precip who first spotted the building of interest. It was the only one around with communication antennae perched on the roof. Ritah was a little surprised when Mr. McFly scanned the two story structure and found most of the occupants on the ground floor were carrying rifles. Since their arrival, they'd seen several dozen people scurrying about but she hadn't noticed anyone with a weapon. Undoubtedly, this was an important place if those inside were armed.

 

But that wasn't the only surprise. Mr. McFly seemed to think the building was rigged to explode. He was confident the away team could disable the occupants before anyone had time to activate the detonator. No one considered the possibility the flash grenade would save them the trouble.

 

The entire building exploded within seconds after the grenade was tossed in. Doors and windows blew out, raining glass and debris on whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the street.

 

Ritah was kneeling down at the time. She immediately hit the dirt and covered her head as best she could while the shock wave and it's contents passed over her. A moment later, she was back on her knees, looking up and down the street. She saw no one but the other members of the away team. Considering how close they were to the explosion, everyone appeared to have faired remarkably well. There were a few cuts from flying glass but nothing serious enough to warrant emergency medical treatment.

 

The building, on the other hand, was a total loss. Flames shot through every window and door. The Commander moved forward slightly, attempting to enter the building but the roaring inferno quickly forced him back. Soon, there would be nothing left but charred bone fragments and maybe a few teeth....all buried underneath a smoldering pile of rubble.

 

They were all disappointed but none more so than Ritah. This particular building suited their needs perfectly. The Commander was looking for important documents and other evidence of rebel activity. What better place to search for such trophies? And Lowen was convinced she would have found ideal specimens among the human occupants.

 

She stood in the narrow dirt road, watching silently as the structure and it's contents burned....her dismay quickly morphing into anger. Ritah was fairly certain nobody expected this to happen. Still, the building's destruction was an atrocious mistake. She would bite her tongue for now but quietly vowed to make note of the blunder in her report to Dr. Mele.

 

A sarcastic remark from a member of the security team only added to her irritation. The officer, a Caitian female, displayed an arrogant and disrespectful attitude. However, she made no overt threat so Ritah choose to let it slide...this time. If it happened again, she already knew how she would handle the situation.

 

She didn't waste much time stewing over the Caitian. Right now, there were far more important concerns to focus on. Looking up and down the deserted street with its wood frame structures, Ritah remarked to no on in particular. "There must be other samples hiding in some of these buildings."

 

She hadn't noticed the Commander's approach. He stepped up beside her and followed her gaze down the street. "This building is done," he conceded.

 

Ritah looked up at him as he continued to inspect their surroundings. She gently patted her medkit with its precious cargo and waited....waited for the order to move out and continue the hunt.

Edited March 1, 2008 by Ritah Lowen