Posted by Ensign Kalani Kāne (Science Officer) in Vespa V - A Need to get Away

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Jarred Alindor (Chief Engineer) in Vespa V - A Need to get Away

Posted by Ensign Kalani Kāne (Science Officer) in Vespa V - A Need to get Away
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Jarred came to the campsite as he put down from his arms piles of rocks, branches, and vines at her feet as he looked at her. “Yes, baby… what is you need… how may I serve you?” he asked her with an eye roll as he couldn’t help but feel like he was about to hear more complaints regarding how this was just not working or it’s too wet or too dry or whatever new excuse.

Alindor, CE

“This stick thing isn’t working,” she demonstrated by clumsily rubbing the two sticks together. Her demonstration was bad and meant to be that way. It was to just state a point of how futile the action was. “I mean I know you love your friction and gravity and other physical stuff but this is ridiculous. It can’t be done so how do we get a fire going?”

Her expression spoke volumes about her blind belief in him. There was no snark or sarcasm in her words or expression. Jarred has told her about how his father taught him all sorts of survival skills. Making a fire had to be within the top three things you learned. Kalani knew what to do once the fire got started. It was just getting it started.

Kalani Kane

“You went through basic survival training in the academy for crying out loud, this is 101… they take you in a dark corner in Kirk Meadow and you have to do it to pass… did you just forget all the steps in the years since baby?” Jarred asked as he knelt down with her as he took the sticks as he began to rub them together while blowing to try and get the spark to ignite. While certainly not easy in a few mins they did begin to have some smoke bellow from the brush as a small spark began to form.

“No and I cheated,” she shrugged. “I smuggled a set of matches. I mean who does that. The rubbing and blowing thing,” she looked at him dumbfounded. No one did it with sticks. There was this girl named Kate who was all into chemistry and brought in coffee creamer. That went up like lighter fluid oh and this chick Lexi,” Kalani watched Jarred work, “sprinkled some acetone on it. Paris had some gel made from isopropyl alcohol and calcium acetate. I heard the rumor there was this Kelly chick that was bold enough to just bring lighter fluid or it might have been vodka. She wasn’t there but the point is we all had a bit o’ something something to get it going. I mean whoever goes into the woods without a portable replicator and a lighter,” Kalani looked a bit dismayed at Jarred as he got it up and running.

“The class was basic survival, not let’s go camping… SURVIVAL , you know like what we are having to do right now. I refuse to think everyone you know assumed there was never a chance you might get marooned or deserted, that’s why this class is one of the first we ever have for Pete sake.” Jarred said as he shook his head at the idea as he began to get some more traction as the flames began to become brighter.

“Baby I never joined the Frontier Folk. I joined Starfleet sciences,” she traced a finger along the top of her chest. Realizing she was not in uniform and only drawing attention to her north forty, Kalani broke out laughing. “Well Monday through Friday I am in science blue,” she looked down a second shaking her head in embarrassment. Regardless of what they were doing, Kalani could not help laughing and having a good time with Jarred Alindor. If there was one thing she did right this year, it was sharing a jelly donut with a stranger. “And besides when does anyone in Starfleet rough it. I mean every ship is a veritable space yacht. We have pools, holodecks, bars, and gyms. The science department does get dirty but we can wash off the day’s grime of wading through swamps, bogs, and jungles in the modules that set down that have our labs and equipment. Even if the worst happens and they have to send a shuttle, the biggest risk we get roughing it is the loss of climate control for an hour. ” Crossing her arms over her chest, Kalani raised an eyebrow at Jarred. “And what are you talking about roughing it. You are an engineer and the whole fleet,” she made the wax on wax off gesture as she spoke, “knows you get the best toys to test so don’t tell me you are S.U.R.V.I.V.A.L,” she did a little cheer spelling it out.

“I don’t think you understand what the word survival means love, I am not talking about camping… I am talking about this.” Jarred said as he gestured around them to make a point. “You know stranded, no tech, no way home… you need to survive you silly goose. Don’t act like camping and surviving are the same thing.” Jarred said pointedly.

“Because there is not a ship coming somewhere in the vicinity of twenty-four to thirty six hours from the Saracen,” she winked at him. “Again. Hhhhh ooooww is this not camping?”

“To make you feel better, I will say you got it started so you can feel like you accomplished something too.” Jarred as said as he leaned over and kissed her as he began to place some wood and more brush on top to help fan and fuel the flame.

“I am one of the easiest girls you are ever going to have to handle. I don’t have an issue saying Jarred of the Jungle kept me warm all night,” she reached up kissing him as he continued to fan the flames. Seeing him getting all prehistoric was a huge turn on. Maybe not for some but Kalani was definitely the type that liked to know her guy could do more than just yell out “I need” to the ship’s computer. A man with a brain was so sexy. Her simple kiss was getting more passionate as she debates the need to eat. The shuttle was going to be back in a day. Right now there was something else she needed to feed. “Jarred,” she whispered in his ear. “After the fire what should we do next?”

“Next we need to make some pallets, you don’t want to sleep on the hard floor, from there we can try and fish and maybe get some food for us… I imagine there has to be some kind of fish in the lake area… if not we are going to need to find some berries of some sort…” Jarred said as he looked around, he needed to get a nice firm branch with some twine to try and create a makeshift rod.

Alindor, CE

Kalani fell forward some as Jarred began surveying the area. “You’re soft,” she pointed out shrugging. Standing up she brushed her hands off on her pants. “Okay, so you make the bed I am going to go sample some of the berries and bugs I saw by the waters edge over there. If I start to choke up or make these gasping sounds I probably ate something poisonous so I assume you paid as much attention in the first aid class as you did in the fire making class,” she winked at him.

“I’m soft? You won’t travel without a portable replicator.” Jarred shot back as he grabbed a pile of dirt and threw it at her as he couldn’t help but find her amusing.

“Not soft like oh oh oh I got a boo boo but like cuddling soft. You Jarred Alindor are an electric blanket and soft pillow all in one. I slept like a baby last night and I am pretty sure I am gonna be nice and warm tonight sucking your body heat like a leech.” As she finished talking, Kalani took a long look at Jarred. He definitely wasn’t built like the normal engineer or science guys that filled those ranks. He wasn’t bulked out like many of the security ranks but definitely was beach oogling material with nice guns and a stomach worthy of trailing an ice cube down. Turning red at being caught staring at him, Kalani s[un around.

“Just teasing,” she laughed moving to an area by the sheer stone walls. Flipping over a few rocks with a stick, Kalani began talking. “Strange flora is not your friend but generally speaking bugs are. You can eat anything with a crunchy shell-like ants, termites or crickets. Incidentally, crickets are like roasted peanuts only smaller…and if you close your eyes. Bright is not right. Hair then beware,” Kalani gave Jarred her mnemonic device as she noticed something, “but the water is our best…beh tah,” she bent down crawling towards what looked like a mound of leaves.

The mound of leaves and sticks seemed to be hiding a small face of some sort. Large amber-colored eyes blinked back at her. In the midst of the moss and twigs, it was hard to tell about the color of the creature or if it were covered in skin or hair. “Hey you,” Kalani rocked back oh her heels talking to what looked like a pile of vines. “Wanna come out? I am not going to hurt you,” she stuck out her hand wiggling her fingers slightly. “Jarred,” Kalani called out, “you should see this.”

Kalani Kane science

“We are not bringing that back home, I love you… a lot… but I can’t put anything new in your zoo you keep.” Jarred said as he stood to come over to her, wondering exactly what she had found.

“I am more worried about the mama critter. He seems like a baby or minimally a juvenile. See the eyes,” she pointed out. “Babies have bigger eyes than their adult counterparts. That’s true for humans and animals alike. Same goes for fur and feathers. they are proportionally larger than the adult counterpart will have. It makes us think they are cute. Stops carnivores from eating them because even animals find these attributes endearing. Yes, we do,” she reached out trying to touch his arm.

“What… is it?” he asked as he knelt next to her as he wondered how safe it was to mess with the creature. He knew so little about this world, and now these strange creatures where they landed made him wonder what else he should be concerned about. Something did steal their items and smash their generator, could this be a child version he wondered.

Alindor, CE

“Well based on his coloring and the features I would say,” she reached out stroking the soft brown and black mottled fur, “he is a ma’am.....ullllllll,” Kalani screamed at the creature appeared to jettison itself from the safety of the nitch and onto her body. He latched on tightly holding Kalani’s neck and wrapping his legs around her midsection.

“Kalani!” Jarred shouted as he bolted up to grab onto her.

As fast as Jarred could reach forward to help her, Kalani seemed to be yanked as if on a rope back the way the animal came. Kalani’s face was buried in the soft fur so the only thing scratched as she moved forward was the tops of her leg and knees. Kalani couldn’t free herself as she felt her body fall on the small creature and start to be drug into the brush he was hiding in. “Air Id,” she yelled through muffled fur. Spitting several times to get her mouth free of it she felt her forward momentum stopping due to a pair of hands grabbing her ankle. It wasn’t until she felt Jarred’s hand grip her and start to pull her back to him did she realize she was prone on her tummy. Moving her head to the side all she found was more fur as suddenly it felt like hands were under her armpit tugging her the other way. If she knew what was happening it might have been comical.

“Hold on I got you!” Jarred said grabbing her feet as he held onto her. He wasn’t going to lose her twice, he couldn’t lose someone he loved again. He had lost too many as it was.

“Ah id,” she spat his name out again through a mouthful of fur.

Suddenly, like a clog in a pipe, Kalani felt a sharp tug and she was out on the other side of the stone wall. Looking up she could not believe what she saw. The creatures ranged from seven feet to one foot standing around her. The one that was wrapped about her head and chest let go and rolled over to what probably his parent. They had the same fur but looked far more humanoid as the stood bipedal. Their expressions could only be described as happy with a dark button nose and hands with fingers more than claws.

“Quokka,” she said looking over at Jarred. “They are definitely quokka like. Quokka throws their young at predators. I think they threw their baby at me but to save us,” she turned her gaze back to the animals. “You hurt,” she eventually asked him.

Kalani Kane

“A what?” Jarred said as he looked up at the creatures around them, unsure exactly what a Quokka was as he looked back and forth between the creatures. “Is that some Harry Potter thing again? I told you I haven’t read those yet,” he said as he stood up placing himself in front of her as he tried to gauge just what they had gotten themselves into.

“No, they are mammals indigenous Australia. They are insanely friendly and love to snuggle with people. Turned into a tourist thing actually were you take a cruise to their island and frolic with them all day. These guys are acting like quokka as close as I can guess. Super friendly, happy, and used their kids to help defend the colony. I think they used him as a grappling hook to save us though rather than eat us. Hello,” she pulled her attention off Jarred and towards the large adult with a smaller version of itself. “Kah Lah knee,” she said putting a hand towards her chest as she rolled to her knees.

The largest one walked up with a lumbering gait more akin to a sasquatch than human. Placing his hand on his chest he let out a larger growling snarl. A second later he looked at Jarred and pointed.

“I’m not sure about you… but I didn’t get any of that.” Jarred said as he nodded at the large beast as he seemed to smile with a wide-eyed stare.

“Okay if that is his name it’s gonna be hard to reproduce in an introduction,” Kalani licked her lips. Pointing to Jarred she said a single sound, “J,” she cut back to her and then shortended her name. “K,” she said. “J”, she pointed at Jarred and repeated, “K” pointing to herself.

“You sure we should be talking and not running, you assume they are quakkas but… what if they turn into something else from Australia, they could be more like drop bears for all we know…” he said as he looked back over at her wondering if she knew he was teasing. Drop bears were an old saying on Earth for Koloas. Seldom if ever did the ‘attack’ people and it was often used as a joke for everything on the continent wanting to kill you.

Pacing a bit Jarred cocked his head as he looked over at the creatures then back to Kalani. “They… aren’t they the ones that blew up the generator?” he asked in a soft tone to her as he turned slightly to glance at her. If these were the same creatures they indeed had come full circle.

“Not sure but I think we should not bring that up for now,” she said in a sing song voice. It was then her face got more serious. “This isn’t considered first contact is it,” she looked at Jarred confused. “I mean I am pretty sure they are not like sentient sentient but you are the department head here. Should you take it over?”

Kalani

“It depends on how much intelligence they show… but the thing is we have contaminated them already if they do grow into more intelligent creatures… we may have officially become the ‘alien’ people you often rant and rave about in all the Ancient Alien shows you watch on the Galactic History channel… and if that is the case I don’t want to be remembered too much and become gods to these people,” he said as Jarred opened his hands and approached, hoping the sign would be one of friendliness and not seen as he was trying to be aggressive.

“J… friend,” he said softly, unsure if any of this was even connecting as he waited to see what move next these creatures would do.

Alindor, CE

The large creature opened his arms too approaching Jarred mimicking his movements. Kalani watched with wide eyes as his pace was slow and methodical like Jarred’s. Nothing about the creature seemed menacing except his size and the length of his teeth. They were clearly a carnivorous species with the length of the sharp incisors and even longer canines. As the steps lessened between them Kalani opened her mouth to speak only she had no idea what to say. Typically it was something like don’t make eye contact or back away slowly. This time she felt like it should be the opposite.

Before Jarred could react the creature embraced him pinning Jarred to his chest in what could only be a hug. “I think he thinks this is how we say hello because your arms were open. Just go with it Jarred,” she yelled out standing up and approaching him and the creature.

“Jus ‘ go wif ‘t?” Jarred said muffled as he tried to not scare the creature but certainly wanted to gag on the hair that he was feeling lodged in his throat in the tuft that he was now pressed firmly into.

Suddenly the group began to growl and shake their hands. Kalani not knowing what to do lifted her arms but instead of growling belted out a deep “hello”. A smaller female started to approach Kalani with her hands spread as the male had done with Jarred. The moment the female creature was close enough, Kalani reached out taking her hand. Clasping her other hand over it, Kalani shook the woman’s hand trying to avoid the hug. The female looked briefly confused but imitated Kalani’s gesture.

Kalani Kane

Feeling his creature let go Jarred looked up as his hand was taking as he began to shake it hard. “This isn’t better he is gonna take my arm out of my socket!” Jarred said as he looked up and smiled as he tried to appear as friendly as he could but beginning to think they were better with the snakes. “You are nature lady Kalani love… nature something… now,” he said as he looked back as he got his hand free from the creature as he patted it gently on the arm with a smile as he tried to seem cordial.

Alindor, CE

As Jarred moved back the creatures seemed to also separate and indicate a path for the two of them to follow. Smaller versions of the adults came up on either side of Jarred and Kalani taking one of their hands each. The adults stood growling and barking in soft tones between each other as Kalani smiled down at the tiny, fuzzy hand now in hers. “Well they don’t seem to be carnivorous even though there canines and incisors are pronounded. My guess it they are more onmivorous but leans heavily on the meat side of things for protein,” she spoke in a happy sing song voice as to not scare the children of the species as she and Jarred walked along the path with them.

As they walked along the dirt path, Kalani stared a the lush vegetation around her. Thick fonds from palms and ferns overlapped in numerous colors reminding her of a garden. “While this was not a typical romantic weekender, I can say it is one I will never forget,” Kalani said to Jarred leaning her head on his arm as they walked.

Five minutes of walking later, the small group stopped at a grove of trees that resembled sequoias on crack growing against a large granite type wall. The trunks were at least fifty feet wide with dark brown-black trunks. Looking up one could only see the large fat branches blotting out the rays from the sun above. Two small furry hands tugged Jarred and Kalani back as one of the adults that was following behind let out a blood-curdling yell. Instantly at least three dozen more of the creatures emerged from seemingly out of nowhere as nets began to tumble down the sides of the slick granite wall. It was obvious that they were meant to climb it the question was would they.

Kalani Kane

Kalani looked up as the small child-sized creature chattered and pointed up.

“I am fairly certain the ability to creat nets indicates sentience… or at the very least advanced intelligence… very seldom to species learn to make tools like this that don’t become sentient at some point…” Jarred said as he began to inspect the rope carefully.

“So are we discussing this because it is turning into a First Contact thing ooooooooorrrrr are you expecting us to climb up this thing,” Kalani looked at Jarred skeptically.

“Seems… sturdy, I mean it carries their weight… I don’t think you and I combined even weigh as much as one of them… think of it as rock climbing, you like rock climbing right?” he asked her as he turned back to see what she was feeling in this moment of choice to climb giant ropes up a tree.

Alindor, CE

“And yet when I suggested this you looked at me like I was crazy,” she crossed her arms and look at him.

“You said I make a rope out of seaweed and wet twigs! This is twine, a process… you have to work to do this… the Blue Lagoon had beauty and not much else… you try making a rope with soggy timber next time,” he said as he looked at her with a stern glance. These creatures clearly had time, time he hadn’t been giving.

“I think I used the word engineer a way out of the cenote and you acted like it was impossible yet the fuzzball next to me drops it down from the tree and suddenly you are ready to scamper up the thing and embrace your inner Tarzan.” She might sound angry but her face was fighting back the smile trying to form on it. Jarred was such a mystery to her. One moment he was pure Starfleet where he barked out orders and was the consummate officer. An hour later he was on the couch in a pair of sweatpants eating a pizza with his feet propped up on the coffee table watching a game with one of his junior officers. Here Jarred flip-flopped between mountain man and glamper. Well, the glamping was totally for her benefit but it was a weird situation where she felt like there were two Jarred’s here and instead of good Jarred and evil Jarred it was Tarzan Jarred and Glamper Jarred.

Kalani Kane Science

“Woman… twine and rope… rope! That’s it when we get back I am going to make you watch ‘Travels With Rick’ staring Rick Erins. He will show your sorry ass just how to do these processes and why dry timber is a must-have… and just be grateful we had a freshwater lagoon, I didn’t try to get you to drink my pee as he has!” Jarred countered as he began putting some weight on the rope.

Kalani broke out laughing. “I am following the rules of three on that one baby. Three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food,” she ticked them off. “Since we are at the start of our rela…friendship,” she blushed slightly realizing her punch line veered one hundred and eighty degrees from body humor jokes to slipping out her inner thoughts. Putting a hand up to her eyes like a sun visor she averted her gaze to look back up at the tree trunks towards the sky. There wasn’t an ounce of sunlight but it allowed her to slightly obscure her face.

“It’s awfully high,” she commented as the first of the tribe as she would soon refer to their hosts began to scamper up them.

“Come on…” he said as he turned around, and like that he was going to be back in control as he offered her his hand. He knew she still had a head injury, and he wasn’t going to let his love try this without a steady hand guiding her. “It’s just one foot in front of the other… like that old Christmas song you like.... bout Santa and the dancing penguins.”

Alindor, CE

Gripping the rope she stuck one foot in the net and reached up with her hand pulling her body off the ground. “The penguin song is about Peter and Penelope Penguin calling the North Pole from the South Pole. Penguins are not indigenous to the North Pole,” she began to lecture him about the ancient and little known Christmas Carole. “Put one foot in front of the other is that stop anima,” she froze climbing and looked down. Jarred was only about two feet below her climbing up. “Are you staring at my butt,” she asked him playfully.

“Did you not want me to? I mean of all the beauty on this island… that is the best thing. Side note, there is a penguin in that film… he has that penguin with the scarf… he got lost okay… really lost.” Jarred said in a teasing tone as he kept pace behind her as the pair climbed to the top.

As she focused down on his face she began to see more than she liked. Mainly how incredibly high they had gotten and how incredibly far they still had to go. Her complexion faded to a slightly grayer tone as the blood began to rush from her face. Kalani licked her lips and then blew out a calming breath through pursed lips. “You…um…sure this it like…engineeringily....sound?” Kalani doubted there was such a enginerringly but right now she was trying to stop the sensation of vertigo creeping into her body. The minor chit chat Jarred had engaged her in to get her moving evaporated from her mind like acetone poured into a beaker to dry up bits of water. A nervous laugh escaped her lips as her hands instinctively gripped the twine more securely. “I shouldn’t have looked down,” she admitted through bits of nervous laughter. “How hhhhh…hhhh…high,” she couldn’t control the laughing as she talked betraying how calm she wasn’t. “Phew....fifty feet?” Right now she was not in danger of falling but she was also frozen to her twine like a marble statue with only her lips moving as her eyes focused on the ground below and nothing else.

Kalani Kane

“Hey, baby just focus on my voice… these creatures climb up and down these ropes all the time. It’s not gonna break easily I suspect… you can do this love....” Jarred said as he shifted as he climbed to the left so he could get up next to her. There was enough room for them on either side, and he knew his hand on her would help calm her down.

“Just breath, I’m right here love… you don’t have anything to fear baby,” he said softly as he tried to coax her from her spot.

Alindor, CE

“Only your engineering assessment. Suspect? Suspect,” she looked at him now that he was next to her instead of below her. “Is that your standard way to report to the captain that the warp core is broken beyond belief and that we are all going to die. Sir,” she imitated the deeper tone of a man when she spoke trying to be a bit playful even though she could feel her temperature rising. “I suspect the warp core is gonna make it but whhhhheeeeelll,” she released her grip slightly to give a slight hand wiggle indicating that she was not sure of the assessment. Now that her hand was released she moved it up not at far as she could have but there was forward motion. “Where exactly did you graduate in your class?” The banter was helping her focus on him and not the possible imminent death from a knot unraveling.

“Baby 90% of my job is eyeballing it and going ‘Yep that’ll hold’ and then running a diagnostic to see if I was right. Engineering isn’t an exact science… science is science… engineering is like some kind of black magic with rules that change every other week.” Jarred said as he took a deep breath as he looked over at her. He could tell she wasn’t going to do well here. She wasn’t the height adventure type, she liked firm feet planted. He was often surprised she even wanted to be on space ships. Yes, they had artificial gravity, but all that was under the bulkheads was black and darkness.

The more they talked the higher they climbed. As long as Jarred continued to ramble about things she was both interested in and topics she care less about, it allowed her to put one foot in front of the other just like the song. “So babe, how um....further you think we got. I am not sure looking up or daaaahhh owwwwn,” she squealed as a small juvenile form scampered up next to her like they were running on the ground. The rope ladder swung slightly like a towel on a clothesline during a gentle summer breeze. One hundred feet off the jungle floor however, the motion felt like a nine-point earthquake.

“Hey baby, don’t look up okay? Listen to my voice keep focusing on me.” Jarred said as he took his hand and placed it against her lower back as he tried to give her a sense of support. This was made tricky by him trying to keep all his weight on his left arm but he needed to keep her focused or else there was never going to be a second away mission date.

“Uooo kay mean oh ray,” he said to Jarred hooking his feet into the hemp squares and leaning back like he was on a metal monkey bars three inches above Jarred’s head. Digging in his pocket he pulled out a large red fruit of some sort and handed it towards the engineering chief.

“Thank you…” Jarred said as he moved his hand off Kalani’s back as he took it as he looked over at Kalani with a shrug. “Hungry?” he said with a small smirk as he put his arm back around her waist again.

“Bah diggah me tah,” a second juvenile of the species scampered up between Jarred and Kalani wiggling the rope even more. She smiled at Jarred and blinked her eyes several times pointing up with her hand.

The squeeze was tight as they shot between them like some tunnel as he looked up shaking his head at the sight. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe at some of this.

“Ah honey can you tell our new friends we are fiiieeennnnn,” she shook her head as three more of them scampered up around the climbing couple.

Kalani.

“I think they want to help us get up faster… maybe if you put some pep in your ass…” Jarred said as he slapped her ass with his fisted palm still holding the fruit firmly. “Come on love you can make it… just a few extra feet baby,” he said softly as he got to the top as he pulled himself up at the landing as he looked down at her. “Grab my hand he said as he took a bite of the fruit as he laid it down before leaning over the side for her to grab his arm so he could pull her the rest of the way up.”

Alindor, CE