Post 217: Dead in the Water

Stardate:706 11.16 00
Title: Dead in the Water
Author: N’Dura and Fox Margolis
Scene: Bajor
Time: Following "Consequences" and "After the Rain"

The two officers casted long shadows over the land as they headed back to base camp in the early hours of the morning.

The sun was rising and the temperatures began to rise with it.

Muck and debris hindered their progress and they refrained from small talk as the women concentrated on not missing a step.

“He came, you know.” Fox’s remark came completely out of the blue.

N’Dura stopped in her tracks. “Who… is he?” she asked rather irritably.

“You know… I told you about him. Xander T. Corbinsky?”

“You’re time traveling lover?” N’Dura asked, sarcasm creeping into her voice.

“Yes, but he’s not my lover … and, if I may say so, you could be a little less grumpy.”
“I have more important tasks than to concern myself over your phantom boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Fox protested. “And I have proof this time.”

N'Dura quickly cast a doubtful look in Fox's direction before returning her attention to the task at hand. Although the rising sun was partially drying out the terrain, there were still some deep and muddy land to walk through.

Not receiving a verbal response, Fox continued by pulling the singerstone out of her pocket; as it had before, the stone started to hum its song.

The music caught N'Dura's attention. She stopped and turned to face Fox. "What is that?"

"The computer says it is an Alaynan Singerstone" Fox extended her hand an the stone out to the Klingon.

N'Dura grabbed hold of it, and both women were surprised when the song the stone emitted suddenly changed. While the first melody had been light and airy, the second was more somber and reverent, and there was something in the tone that made N'Dura briefly reminisce about her favorite religious hymn.

"How did it do that?" Fox blurted.

"I don't know." N'Dura used her thumb to flip the stone over. The song continued unabated. "Hold out your hand."

Fox did as she was asked. N'Dura dropped the stone into Fox's hand, and coming as no surprise to either woman, the stone returned to playing its original song.

"Alright, I'll look into it personally when we return to the ship. How far our we from base?" N'Dura asked, bringing both women to the situation at hand.

Fox activated her tricorder. "About four point seven kilometres." she said matter of factly.

N'Dura pulled out her canteen and poured water into her mouth, swishing it around before spitting onto the ground. Then she gulped a few mouthfuls, the tepid water running down her chin.

Fox grimaced as she witnessed the unladylike behaviour. Pulling out her sensorscope, she placed the optical device to her eye and scanned the terrain between them and the camp. "I think it will be easier going if we walk along the shoreline." she recommended.

"I'm all for that." N'Dura commented handing the canteen over to Fox.

Fox stared at the beat up, dented and stained metal container. "Pass, I don't want to have to use the outdoor facilities," she commented.

They continued from their brief respite towards the shoreline. Packed sand was easier to walk on than slippery mud. Their thoughts gloomy as the clouds on the horizon.

N'Dura walked several paces ahead of Margolis... keeping her eye out for victims of the cyclone.

Suddenly a piercing feminine shriek came from behind her.

Turning slowly, as though any quick movement might invite danger, N'Dura looked at Fox, the source of the scream. Then she looked in the same direction as the ops officer. A body, a female, rolled in the surf, obviously dead, was being heaved from the waves. The water had filled the body of the corpse, leaving the body bloated and slightly disfigured. Still shaken by the body, Fox took a few breaths and tried to calm herself. It was working, but barely."One more victim," N'Dura reverently commented. "There are so many things we can fix and we can prevent," Fox muttered, her voice soft, "yet, even we cannot save everyone."

They walked towards the body which the waves had now parked in the sand. The least the Starfleet officers could do, was protect the remains from the scavengers until a recovery team could make it out into the outskirts of the village.
"There are some things that remain out of our hands to control," N'Dura said in agreement.

"It shouldn't still be that way," Fox idealistically stated.

"But it is," N'Dura replied, pausing slightly between each word. It was N’Dura who bent down to turn the body face up.

Only then did they recognize the face of Lt. Kathleen Baux, Independence’s up and coming and upstart engineering officer. Fox gasped. “Oh my God… “ her words sailed off into the gusting wind.

N’Dura and Fox simultaneously looked up at the cliffs soaring above and realized the officer was killed by the fall.

“Who could have done this?” Fox asked, immediately considering foul play.

“She jumped.” N’ Dura said matter of factly.

“How can you know for sure?” Margolis demanded, kneeling beside the body.

“She’s not wearing her uniform.” N’Dura said carefully hoisting the body onto her shoulder. Tapping her combadge.

“N’Dura to Engineering. 3 to beam up.”

The voice of Lt. Quinlan responded.

“Dead certain.” Lieutenant.

Gil Quinlan looked through the transparent pane of aluminium into the engineering bay. One empty seat caught his attention. He swallowed hard, sweat beading from his temples.

“Understood, Commander.’ He replied solemnly as he activated the transporter beam.

Lt Commander N’Dura
Chief Security Officer

And

Lt. “Fox” Margolis
Operations Officer
USS Independence