Mount Tarin (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on 29 Jul 2022 @ 5:33pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Lieutenant Aria Rice & Ensign Mimi & Petty Officer 1st Class Ember Locksley
Edited on on 29 Jul 2022 @ 5:34pm

3,624 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 5, Holodeck 1
Timeline: MD 08, 1815 hrs

Previously, on Mount Tarin (Part 1)...

Mimi looked back at Tarin for a moment, just walking with the extra weight on her light frame was proving to be an interesting challenge but jogging with it was going to be hard, she tightened the packs straps a little more and accelerated her pace.

Aria frowned as she let out a shaky breath. Yes, but she wouldn't break her neck walking, but jogging...yes, well. That was safe. But she picked up speed, eyes forward, jaw clenched. Her neck was staring to hurt, as well as her shoulders.

Tarin turned around and performed a final scan behind the group out of habit, as if to identify any possible holographic combatants which she never remembered programming into the simulation. She turned back then transitioned to a light run to catch up with Rice before settling into a comfortable marching pace. Rucking wasn't easy; especially on an incline with the added pounds each of them were carrying. Morgan leaned her torso forward to combat gravity and steadily started the march up towards Hill 873's summit.

And Now, the Conclusion...

[ON]

4.1 Miles Later...

One-and-a-half hours into the ruck and the acting captain's body was now completely drenched in sweat. Throughout the past hour, perspiration seemed to drip from every one of her orifices at a rapid pace with no respite. The holographic atmosphere was thick, hot and humid with barely any airflow conductive to evaporation and cooling. Tarin's legs burned from the exertion but her breathing was methodical and calculated for maximum endurance. She could feel some chafing forming on her shoulders where her ruck sack straps were digging into her Starfleet vest. It was a mild inconvenience compared to the rest of the unpleasantness the small team was experiencing. Morgan pushed her hydration tube into her mouth and quickly sucked a couple small gulps of water from the bladder on her back. "Mimi, Rice...keep moving..." she said between sips. "Less than a mile to the summit..."

Having led from the front at the pace Tarin had wanted for the majority of the ruck Mimi now languished at the back of the group, her pace considerably more laboured and slow than when they started, without the higher natural endurance humans had she was running on fumes and while she had long since stripped down to the more althletic clothing under her uniform to help with cooling, without as many sweat glands as them she was bordering on over heating and her heavy panting could be heard far and wide.

Aria wasn't in any better position at the point, in the middle, her body's aches becoming an insistent burning. She hurt, and there had been several times she had almost fallen. But while her own breaths were loud in her ears, none were as loud as Mimi's. She slowed down, finally stopping, letting Mimi catch up to her. She had stopped really caring what Tarin might say, for now she just needed to make sure Mimi was alright. And to do that... "You go in front of me," she said, breathing hard. "I'm not leaving you behind..." she forced a smile she didn't feel, and now she had stopped, her feet were so painful. She reached for her canteen, opening it, watching Mimi with some concern. "You need to drink as well..."

"Thank you Lt." Mimi said, she rested some of the weight of her pack on a conveniently sized rock before taking a mouthful from Aria's canteen though she took her time swallowing it knowing forcing it down could cause trouble in its own way. "I am going to demolish another big juicy steak when we are done here." She told her.

"Chocolate ice cream for me," Aria said, her eyes shining at that. "Not the replicator balanced rubbish, proper ice cream that you need to override the standard protocols for..." she chuckled softly.

Tarin observed the halt in pace and quickly walked back down the steep slope towards the other two officers. She could visibly see both of them struggling but they were all close to the summit. "Let's keep moving," she instructed. "Take small sips or else you'll start cramping up." They were performing extreme physical exertion and less than halfway through their exercise -- if not handled properly, they could inadvertently make things worse. "Don't quit. Either of you."

Aria looked over at Tarin, her eyes dark. She wasn't sure she was going to last much longer, or that Mimi would last. But she wasn't going to put words in her fellow officer's mouth, so she kept her own shut, but looked away from Tarin. She gave Mimi a gentle squeeze on the arm. "I'll be right behind you," she said, her voice quiet, pitched low on purpose. "Every step."

"Do not worry about me." Mimi said, taking the weight of her pack again she began walking. Li akan naysi etswa, li akan tragen dampris jebura astun, bateroso, burukna diril, karolo ya kaska ireki dampris aldap harritsa cojugu iwala si den jebura bolai saya She murmured in her native tongue as she slowly progressed up the hill.

Aria smiled to herself, hearing some sort of sound in a language she didn't know. But what it did was to regulate breathing, so she allowed herself to sing quietly to herself as she moved.


The Summit

Heavy footsteps from the three Starfleet officers crunched against the large hill's rocky terrain. The elevation at its peak wasn't tall enough to be consequential for oxygen, but the simmering heat from within the dormant volcano was radiating upwards at its highest concentration along the summit. Morgan slowed her jog to a slower pace and was the first to the top. A large, flat and barren sward came into view approximately a hundred meters in diameter. Tarin stopped then looked back down behind her towards Mimi and Rice. She extended a hand to assist them through the final steps.

Though she had slightly overtaken Aria, Mimi's pace was still labourious and slow but she gradually reached Tarin's spot and after missing her hand on the first attempt grabbed it and pulled herself up the last few steps.

Aria pulled herself up with Tarin's help as well, breathing hard as she unclipped her pack and let it drop...she needed it off her back, this second, no hesitation. Her body ached and throbbed with it and she moved her arms awkwardly.

"That is quite the view." Mimi said moments before she went dizzy and weak at the knees. She staggered for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

"Mimi!" Aria rushed to her, frowning as she touched her cheek before she unclipped the pack, getting it off her. "Mimi? Mimi, open your eyes..." she touched her chin, then her side to make sure she was breathing.

Mimi stirred slightly but didn't open her eyes, her once heavy panting was slower and shallower but still heavily present.

Aria frowned, touching her neck. She felt burning to the touch and Aria shook her head, opening her canteen. "We need a medic," she said, firmly, looking at Tarin before she poured the water on Mimi, wanting to try and cool her down. It could be heat stroke, or just exhaustion. Either needed medical attention.

The audible thud from the ensign collapsing on the summit's rocky surface snapped Tarin from her scenic view and personal thoughts. Unstrapping her own heavy ruck pack and dropping it in her wake, she quickly walked close to the Nekomi and knelt down next to Rice. "Put the water on her neck," she instructed. If the ensign was indeed overheating, providing cooling along the major arteries was the immediate solution.

"Ensign..." Tarin put a hand on the furry woman's cheek and squeezed it to hopefully elicit a visceral response. "Mimi. Are you with us?"

Aria reached for Mimi's pack, opening it and rummaging until she found some clothing. She got it wet with her canteen, putting it on her neck. But with the heat of the place and the fur, she was unsure how good it well.

Mimi opened her eyes for a couple of seconds and her body twitched slightly as the water hit her skin but they were glazed over and far off.

"We should get a doctor, Commander. Or get her to sickbay," Aria said, looking at Tarin for a moment before back at Mimi, frowning.

The ensign didn't appear to be in good shape. Morgan wiped a cascade of sweat from her own forehead then shook her head at the developing situation. Part of her wanted to yell at the furred officer to suck it up and get back to her feet, but the reality was more dire. "Computer, end program." The holographic simulation shimmered then dematerialized from view, presenting the holodeck's barren form and exit door.

"Rice, get down to sickbay and let them know we have an incoming medical emergency. Get yourself checked out too," Tarin ordered. She spread Mimi's legs then moved between them and pulled the young woman's torso upright by her forearms. "I'll carry her and meet you there." With a grunt and heavy push from her thighs, the acting captain hauled Mimi's limp upper body over her shoulders then stood in the proper carrying position for a wounded crew member.

Aria nodded, taking a deeper breath before she forced herself to run, to get to sickbay. She entered, letting out a shaky breath, before telling the medical officer on duty what was going on with Mimi.


Deck 3, Sickbay

"Collapsed?" Ember Locksley looked back over her shoulder to Rice with concern, pulling over a cart to the biobed, readying a hypo. She ran her eyes down over Rice, taking in her state. "You don't look so good yourself..." she reached for the tricorder, running it over her with a frown. "More holodeck misadventures?" she asked with a slight zing of disapproval to her clipped English accent.

"Organised exercise with the CO," Aria said and let out a breath, shaking her head. "I'm okay, the Commander will be here with Mimi any moment now, you should focus on her." She was consciously slowing her breathing, her body hurting from the hike and the weight of the pack.

Ember shook her head with a cynically arched eyebrow, already reaching to load a hypo for her. "You are on my watch list, Lieutenant Rice," she half teased, but in a tone of warning as she pressed the hypo to her neck. "Get some water into you, please," she motioned to the replicator.

Aria gave a small smile, nodding at that. "Yes, Doctor," she said, heading to the replicator.

The door to sickbay swished open. Commander Tarin's tall form appeared and was multiplied by the addition of a limp Starfleet officer slung over her torso. Morgan was drenched in sweat and quickly looked around to find the nearest available biobed upon which to deposit the Nekomi woman. She reached up with a free hand and slapped the back of Mimi's butt atop her shoulders. "Wake up, ensign. You're not dying on my watch," she motivated.

"Over here please," Ember called across to her, shaking her head with a frown at the sight of the limp officer. She reached to help her, steadying her head with careful hands as they laid her out. "She collapsed on a hike, yes? Nothing else I should know?"

Tarin walked over to where the blue-collared medical officer indicated then slowly bent over to deposit Mimi on one of the only three biobeds in sickbay. "A ruck," clarified the acting CO who wiped more sweat from her face. "Five miles traversing a large hill at moderate pace with full combat loads. Atmospheric conditions were...warm. She passed out after we summited."

"60 pound packs," Aria chipped in, undoing her uniform jacket. It felt sticky to her with sweat and the shirt underneath had white marks with the sweat. "We were carrying 60 pound packs." Because it mattered. Full combat loads was, if anything, the vaguest description she had ever heard. Could mean anything for any branch, depending on department.

"60 pounds?" Ember repeated with surprise, shaking her head as she brought the arch up around the Nekomi woman. She pressed a hypo to her neck to help with recovery before checking for signs of reaction with Mimi's eyes and face as the bed scanned her. "Mimi, can you hear me?"

Mimi's eyes flickered open and closed several times as she tried to keep them open, she made the smallest of nods and tried to speak only managing to slur the word 'hot'.

Ember looked to the readouts with a slight frown, watching the information scrolling up the screen. "You're going to be just fine, Mimi," she assured firmly, starting to administer fluids to her. "Let me do the hard work, okay?" she pressed a hypo to her neck to bring her temperature down, followed by another to get her blood pressure back under control. "Just relax now."

Nearby in sickbay, Morgan paced to the nearest replicator and ordered herself a robust, overdue beverage. "Two waters with extra ice. Large." The machine chirped then materialized the tall transparent glasses full of H2O and frozen cubes. She clasped one in each hand then headed back to the biobed area where she offered one to Rice. "Drink. It'll help you cool down." She took a half-seat on the footend of the adjacent bed across from Mimi while observing the medical officer's treatment and the ensign's response. "You both did well to make it up the summit with your loads," Tarin complimented.

Aria looked at her, taking it before she took a sip. "You knew we'd never complete it," she said, her voice soft. "So why risk the injury?" she met her eyes, holding them easily. There was no accusation, just curiosity.

Tarin drank long gulps from her glass then tilted it back to allow several ice cubes to enter her mouth. She started to chew on them with loud crunches while savoring their frozen nature and the cooling effect it produced in her mouth. She looked Rice directly in her pale blue eyes then answered the lieutenant's question with sincerity. "The goal of the exercise wasn't to complete the full trek. Not many have, on the first attempt," she revealed. "I wanted to see that you and Mimi could meet a challenge even if you both thought it was impossible. And most importantly, not give up along the way. It was never about your physical capabilities. I wanted to test your mental fortitude. You both performed admirably." She presented a small, rare smile to Rice accompanied by an appreciative nod of approval for her effort and resolve. "You're not the first group of officers I've run the simulation with. Bigger, stronger individuals have tapped out well before the summit."

Aria nodded, considering it for a long moment. "It was impossible. You are lucky that this is the only thing that happened. From a risk assessment point of view," she said softly, but there was no malice behind it. She was tired. Bone tired. "If you weren't the Captain of this vessel, I would call it reckless, considering we have no idea what we are flying towards."

Lucky. Reckless. Morgan resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the criticism leveled against her recent decisions. "Risk assessment is the job of every commanding officer." She had no intention of lecturing the young Lunan but Rice was entitled to at least some insight. "I'm not Captain Saalm so don't expect me to treat you like her. I can't replicate her synergy with each of you and the bonds you built together as a crew." Chewing on more ice, she hopped off the end of the biobed and stood tall in front of the security chief. "What I can do...is make you all better Starfleet officers. And that starts by putting each of you outside your comfort zones and challenging you. Here," she pointed to Aria's head, "and here," then pointed at her body.

Aria looked at her, taking a slow step back at her standing over her. "I get you are tough on me," she said, her voice quiet, so no one else would hear her. "I'm your Chief of Security, and you find me lacking. I get it. But...this isn't a combat ship...and you can't expect the crew to undergo the same stresses that the Marines could do, or people during a war, without any regard of their species. Mimi could have gotten seriously hurt," she kept her voice low and lowered her eyes, her courage leaving her. You are so demoted. She'll think you worthless. "I am not expecting you to be Saalm. I don't expect you to gel with us. But...it feels like you are constantly going out of your way to find us lacking. Which is your prerogative, it is your ship. Just..." she exhaled and finally met her eyes. "Please don't get anyone hurt just to prove a point of getting us outside of our comfort zones? They're good people. They're scientists and...and young people who have been on a science ship for the majority of their careers. This is a lot of change, very fast, and they are trying as well as they can."

More methodical crunches of ice could be heard within Morgan's mouth while she observed Aria and listened to her speak. After the lieutenant finished, there was short pause of reflection. "Petty officer," she suddenly addressed the ginger doctor. "Is Ensign Mimi stable? Has she suffered any permanent injury?"

"Permanent? No," Ember lowered the arch, taking a step back to take a last look at the readouts before looking down to Mimi with a small but reassuring smile. "We've got your temperature back under control and fluids and electrolytes are looking more normal now. Take it easy tomorrow though, light duty only, your body's been through a lot of strain." She looked to Morgan, shaking her head lightly. "I wouldn't recommend a repeat of this exercise, Captain, extreme exercise can be dangerous and even fatal."

Morgan nodded an acknowledgement to the doctor, satisfied with the Nekomi ensign's diagnosis. She quickly returned her attention to Aria and the candid sentiment the Lunan expressed just moments ago. "Mimi will be fine, she's not injured," she rebutted to the security chief. "None of us can know our limits if we don't test them and try to push boundaries." She finished chewing on her ice then swallowed, now feeling sufficiently cooled down from the grueling ruck. "Get back to your quarters and stretch then shower. Meet me in the mess hall in an hour. We'll talk about this more."

"Yes Commander," Aria said, knowing a dismissed when she heard it. She left, glancing to Ember before down, frowning as she left sickbay.

Watching Rice leave, Tarin then deposited her empty water glass in the replicator and regarded the patient and her medical officer one last time. "I want Mimi ready for bridge duty tomorrow at zero-eight-hundred. She'll be skipping morning PT," she acquiesced. "Acceptable?"

"We shall see how she is then. If she's well enough, then yes," Ember nodded lightly, idly collecting up the instruments onto a tray. She looked back to Mimi with a small smile, taking her in. "How are you doing? You're certainly looking more yourself now."

The acting captain narrowed her eyes at Lockley but didn't speak. If the Nekomi wasn't at her station on time and in uniform the following day, she would follow up with sickbay and demand an answer. But for now, she was sweaty and hungry. A sonic shower was her immediate priority. "Send me an update on her condition by zero-six-hundred," were Morgan's final words before departing the sickbay.

"I do not like her." Mimi said after Tarin had left, her voice was still a little weak.

Ember just chuckled, shaking her head as she reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "What you need to concentrate on is getting your strength back, okay?"

"Daai" Mimi said nodding slightly. "Can I have something to eat?"

"Absolutely," Ember assured, taking her hand to help her sit up. "Although, stick to something light, you don't want your body having to work harder than necessary right now. And have a fortified drink while you're at it. Would you prefer to stay here for a while, or would you like to try heading back to your quarters?"

"I think I will stay here just in case." Mimi replied. Very gingerly she got off of the biobed her legs feeling quite weird after the exertion and her tail maneuvering to find her balance. She slowly made her way towards the replicator "A bacon and egg sandwich, hot."

Ember moved with her, letting her do it and carry it herself, but staying at hand just in case. "Well, you're most welcome. You can provide justifiable distraction from my very dull to-do list. Make yourself comfortable, and just let me know if you start to feel worse again, okay?"

"I can definitely be distracting if you want me to." Mimi said as she slowly headed back to the bio bed sat down and began to tuck into her sandwich.

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Acting Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Saalm]

Lt. Aria Rice
Chief of Security
USS Galileo-A

Ensign Mimi
Deputy Operations Manager
USS Galileo-A

Dr. Ember Locksley
Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

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