Water Grid Sector 9 The Water Is Fine

[Crash Calestorm 0]

Stardate 2261.14 (January 14, 2261)

Aquarius Major

Water Grid Sector 9

Designation: Off Limits

 

Calestorm kept a wary eye on the KaiSo snakes that did a flyby of the shuttle or fluttered on the afternoon breeze, but most of her attention was on the tracking monitor.

This was the second area she and her team had covered this week, and they had one more to check out. So far, they'd uncovered bits and pieces of what seemed to be a larger mystery.

 

The area was off limits to tourists and the Aquarius population aside from the local patrols who kept the grid clear. The local teenaged population however, or off-world tourists interested in that next big adventure? All you had to do was send out a mandatory decree to ‘not go there’ and the young thrill seekers would come. Sector Nine’s underwater caves in particular had been an attraction these past months since the tsunami had ripped across the planet. Then there were anonymous tips randomly called into the Starfleet Border Patrol when abandoned cargo containers were located in the watery caves abandoned by smugglers. The kids didn’t want to get caught, but the containers were not where they were supposed to be and an anonymous communication report served the purpose.

 

She had suited up in dive gear, but hadn’t gone in the water yet. She was a pilot, dammit, not a combat diver and water operations had never really been her thing. Lieutenant Jagrissa Honor-Scar* and Sergeant Joseph Vega* had gone under two hours ago.

 

The two green blips on the screen had been steadily moving upward through the ocean water for the last thirty minutes. The cave access took an hour round trip; one hour down and back and one hour to explore the caves. The ‘Creeks hydro shuttle could have made the trip in a quarter of the time, but they were keeping this afternoon expedition by the numbers for right now.

 

Honor-Scar had been asked by the Commander to come along on today’s little jaunt due to her mercenary roots. Crash didn’t know whether to be downright scared or admire the Caitian’s inside knowledge of the smuggling underworld at large across the galaxy. And since the Redjac mission, Vega had never quite gotten out of being an unofficial bodyguard for Calestorm. Like Honor-Scar, he was willing to be a point man for anything that she asked of him.

 

….and she still couldn’t get anyone to talk about who had assigned Sergeant Vega to her.

 

In fact, the two made a good team. Both had been cleared per Academy regulations on diving and had the updated clearances in their dossiers, so Crash had grabbed them for a little sightseeing cruise.

 

When they were just under the surface, Cale walked out of the control cockpit of the hydro shuttle and onto the boarding ramp. The waves gently rocked the vessel and she adjusted her stance to account for the movement. The Human and Caitian bobbed up to the surface break, disengaged their oxygen filters and flipped open the front of their scuba helmets.

 

She nodded and smiled in greeting. “Good job you two, the helmet camera feeds came in crystal clear. What’s the official word Folks?”

 

Vega and Honor-Scar glanced at one another. The enlisted Marine nodded to his superior officer and the felinoid lieutenant answered Cale. “Commander, we located cargo containers, Starfleet issue. The tracking numbers have been scratched off, but we have a partial number match on a tricorder scan.”

 

Calestorm jerked a thumb over her shoulder to indicate the interior cockpit. “The data feed link indicated the crates were shipped from the New Topeka orbitals. Not sure if the supplies were taken on board the USS Walking Bear or the SS Hard Six due to the partial.” She glanced towards the distant horizon. “How long they been down there?”

 

Vega spoke up. “Tricorder scans track the algae and salt buildup on the outer shell at about five months, Sir. The crates are really banged up as well. In my opinion, these guys aren’t a professional smuggler crew.” His voice held a positive tone. “We dealt with smugglers when I served with the 121^st Minesweepers, out of New Saturn. Those guys were professionals and it took us weeks to get the mine patterns down around the stash areas.”

 

“Assessment? Do we have enough with the visual scans and recordings or should I Mark One Eyeball the containers and these caves?”

 

It was Vega who answered. “Sir, I recommend that you go under as a third investigator so we can say we had a command officer on site.”

 

Crash hung her head. “Aw, Hell. I was afraid you’d say that.”

 

Jumper chimed in, a definite note of amusement in her purring tone. “Sir? Hey, I’m of a feline species and I’m in this great ocean. You being an adventurous Human and all, I don’t think it’d hurt you to dive in the water for a little bit.”

 

“I agree with the El Tee. The time in the water will do you good, Commander. And the caves are pretty if I say so myself. I’m sure the additional scans for Sciences of the caves and flora would be beneficial as well.” Vega managed to keep a straight face, but one eye twitched in amusement with the effort.

 

“Oh, yes! You cannot pass up seeing the plant configurations in the cave system, Sir.” The purring amusement was more evident.

 

Her attention lanced to the ground pounder and vacuum rider. “….y’all are determined to get me in the water today, aren’t ya?”

 

Two matching sets of evil gleaming white teeth – one fanged, one human – blazed brilliantly in the sunlight.

 

(TBC in 01.28.13 Sim)

 

* Lieutenant Jagrissa ‘Jumper’ Honor-Scar, Acting Commander, Aero Group

* Sergeant James Vega, Heavy Weapons Expert, Marine Detachment