Posted by Commodore Drudoc Andone (Commanding Officer) in Main sim - Forest Area - Wolf Hunting
[snip]

Heading up the rough trail through the moderately thick woods, the sounds of natural wild life was present as mentioned before. Scans confirmed the location of the caves ahead, now about 800 feet off. Around them no obvious signs of the wolves were present, that was until they came nearer the smaller of the streams coming down from the hill. Imprints in the soft dirt near it showed about 5 of such creatures had come and gone by here in the past few days. A scan showed the most recent set of tracks was likely less then a few hours old heading back up the hill to the nearest of the cave mouths. This was likely the pack that had attacked them a few hours ago down on the edge of the farms by the colony. One thing that only reinforced that this pack’s travel was not natural was each member of the pack stepped precisely in the tracks of the one ahead in an orderly precise line in both coming and going to this point, before splitting off in one direction or another probably to go on hunts or go elsewhere.

GM CockRoach

T’Mor knelt down to one knee to closer examine the tracks with her tricorder. Adjusting the settings for a more precise scan, if there was any material remains in the track she wanted to know.

“In appears to be a pack of five wolves. They likely rely on this stream as a water source. Scans show these newest tracks to be less than a few hours old.” she noted out loud.

She looked at the patterns with interest. During a research trip to Yellowstone, she learned a few things about wolf tracks. While walking single file was common for wolves, the precision with which each one stepped in the previous’ tracks was unique.

T’Mor looked back toward Ensign Raith, “These new tracks are curious. See how one precisely follows the other?”

Ensign T’Mor, Science

Raith knelt down next to T’Mor to examine the tracks, “These were probably made by the ones who attacked us. The precision is remarkable. Makes me wonder how much wolf is left in these creatures, and how much has been surrendered to machine.” Raith stood and took a look through the woods, more to think than to try and spy the wolves. “Who would torture these animals so?” He wondered aloud, “To create such unnatural things.” He pursed his lips and then jerked his head as a signal for them to continue to follow their tracks.

Ensign Rath, Security.

” Section 31 or some one like them” Luna said.

Continuing up the trail the group came to a natural split in the hill side. The rough crude trail seemed to split, one to the left, leading about 80ft later into a cave mouth, the other to the right where higher up after 200 or so feet signs of a few month or so old landside was noted leaving what seemed a slight sinkhole in the ground.

GM CockRoach

One emotional, gut-feeling thought flashed in T’Mor’s mind, trap.

She chose to keep it to herself, at least initially. There was little evidence for that idea, except that it was a possibility given the intelligence they were dealing with. Instead, she focused on finding evidence to the contrary, if the wolves had occupied this cave. What traces would they leave behind?

Scent trails. These where still wolves after all. They would still leave scent marks wherever their tails or paws touched. She quietly recalibrated the tricorder to scan for pheromones, though she only had a rough idea which ones she was looked for.

-€> T’Mor, Science

” Is there anything on sencers. ” Luna asked she lisioned intently if the other animals in the foras went quiet it would be there first warning.

Ensign Luna

Luna’s attempt to listen she and the others could pinpoint a few small birds and such in the area chirping or such lightly. So it did not seem they were feeling threatened by anything wolf or not at present.

Raith looked suspiciously at the two paths and at the rockslide covering the one. They seemed to be being herded towards the cave. When Luna asked for anything from the sensors, Raith looked to T’Mor who seemed to be recalibrating her tricorder. “Find anything?” He asked her, phaser out and pointed in the direction of the cave. He looked down at the ground trying to see if there were any further trace of the wolves that he could pick up by sight.

Ensign Raith, Security

Scans for anyone on sensors for pheremones picked up a few trees nearby with aged droppings and such, the most recent being about 6 or so hours ago either just before or just after the attack. Some biological droppings also were picked up around that same time frame near the same point just about 10 feet or so to their left, the interesting bit though was some of the droppings showed signs of decayed inactive nano-technology present. Though again nothing that stood out as being of known nature, Borg or otherwise.

GM CockRoach

“I am picking up traces of the wolves’ pheromones.” T’Mor finally responded to Raith’s question. She took particular note of the signs of the decaying nano-technology.

“That’s curious,” she noted out loud. Following the scan she stepped closer until the correct collection of droppings was identified,

“I’m picking up traces of nano-technology, inactive, in the wolves’ feces. I would recommend collecting a sample for further analysis.”

-€> T’Mor, Science