Post 227: Darkening

Stardate: 70617.2200
Title: Darkening
Author: Salvek
Scene: Bajor
Time: After "Sunshine" by TC Blane

"Everyone, this is Sunshine. Sunshine this is everyone."

Salvek looked the animal over. Its coat was filthy and its eyes weary with sadness and exhaustion.

"We cannot just leave him, sir."

"Of course not." Salvek's priority was to the Bajorans, but logic allowed room for compassion for the dog.

The animal would not slow them down and would more then likely provide a little joy to the away team, something that they needed so desperately to continue on with their work.

As time wore on the process of cataloging the dead became all too efficient and impersonal, even for Salvek's taste. Many collapsed buildings had been inundated with flood water eliminating the possibility of someone being trapped in the rubble being able to survive.

The faces blurred together and it became easy to forget that there was a story behind each of them. A person with a life and a family that deserved better then an electronic tag and a transport to the morgue.

Salvek wished he could try to understand a bit about each person by looking at their belongings, so someone would at least remember who they were, but time was so short and the fatigue on his crew mates was excruciating. Captain Zanh had found them 8 hours to sleep and bathe but then it was right back to the grind.

Sunshine kept a faithful place alongside the away team. Salvek, Blane, Biggs, K'Pajek and Samson all took turns watching over the dog making sure it didn't run off on them. It was K'Pajek's turn to tow the leash when Sunshine suddenly burst from his grasp and ran down a water logged dirt road.

"I am sorry, Lt. Blane. The animal's speed caught me off guard."

Blane looked to Salvek for permission to pursue. Salvek understood what the dog meant to TC, and to himself as well. He merely nodded and Blane was gone.

"Keep and eye on him, Biggs." Salvek ordered, and Biggs was off running behind Blane. The rest of the team continued their scans of the area. It had been 12 hours since the last time they had actually found a survivor and Salvek expected the rest of the mission would simply be recovery of the dead.

[Blane to Salvek!]

"Go ahead."

[Half a kilometer northeast, we need you here!]

Salvek, K'Pajek and Samson stopped their search for the moment and went in search of Blane. A few roads over were the remains of a cottage. A wooden structure of the simplest design. The ferocity of the storm had torn it to pieces. Sunshine was circling the remains, barking loudly.

"She's on to something sir. Biggs and I can't find it though."

Each man flipped his tricorder open and scanned the entire structure.

"No life signs, living or dead Mr. Blane." Salvek shook his head. The others concurred with his assessment.

"Whoever lived here probably wasn't home when the storm hit." Said Samson.

"The dog probably smells some food in the rubble. We should continue on." ordered Salvek.

"Wait sir, please. We should at least look. Sunshine's never had a reaction like this since we've been here."

Salvek found himself questioning the logic of Blane's reasoning to trust the animal when their tricorders told them otherwise, but the man had more then earned this indulgence over the last few days or heartbreaking work.

Using their bare hands and a few laser cutters, they set to work peeling away pieces of rubble. All the while Sunshine circled the away team, barking louder and louder as if to stir them on.

"Look at this!" Came K'Pajek's voice. Salvek followed his point through the wood, to see an upside down metal bathing tub. K'Pajek turned his wrist beacon on and shined it around the tub. There was a small stain of blood seeping from beneath it.

The entire away team freed the rest of the wood surrounding the tub. Salvek could now see the slender fingers of a female hand laying on the ground protruding from the tub. It took all five of them to heft the tub from the rubble. Sunshine leaped into the pile and licked the woman's face. She was not moving.

Samson turned his tricorder to the tub, as the other four lifted the woman and carried her body out to the yard. As they lowered her to the ground, Salvek turned her face up. He placed his hand in her hair to gently place her down, and froze as he saw her face.

Salvek stood and walked away from the team, as Blane scanned the woman.

He heard Biggs voice over his shoulder. "Wow, she looks a lot like Commander Lair."

"She's going to be ok," said Blane. "Bad blow to the head but higher level functions are all ok. We should get her to the ship."

Salvek could almost feel his heart break as he heard Biggs' words. Of course it was not her, but what if it had been? Salvek had quickly dismissed the insistence of Sunshine and Blane that they search, and this woman had almost died because of it.

It was simply all too easy to write off the possibility of life when all that surrounds you for days is death. Would he have been more eager to search if he knew Kellyn was down here somewhere? Did this woman deserve any less? Where did one draw the line between logic and basic human decency? Was there a line to draw?

"SIR!" Blane's shout broke him out of his silent reverie. "We need to get her up!"

"Yes, of course."

Samson stepped up beside Salvek and thrust the tricorder display in his line of vision.

"Carbon neutronium. Extremely rare, there are small pockets in this area. Looks like this woman used it to make her tub. Our tricorders can't penetrate it, but I guess a dog's nose can."

"Thank you Lieutenant. Dismissed."

Salvek heard the hum of the transporter beam behind him and said a silent vow to himself, that the slip he had had here would not happen again. Every Bajoran down here had someone who loved them, somewhere.

The families of these victims deserved their every effort because Salvek knew if he were the one, helpless and awaiting news of his Kellyn or his Arie, that he would expect nothing less then the very best of those searching for them. He owed these people the same. It had been so easy amongst the dead the lose site of the living, and how every life was precious regardless of species, age, or gender.

"It's getting dark Commander. Do you want us to make camp?"

Salvek looked into the distance at the sun as it crept towards the horizon.

Before them were more decimated structures. . .the streets they had already searched seemed to stretch on forever behind them, and the streets ahead of them seemed to stretch on forever as well.

Salvek looked over his men. All looking patiently at him, even the dog stood next to them, waiting with an expression that seemed to say "order sir?"

"Negative."

Salvek once again unholstered his tricorder and headed into the darkening distance. Tonight, they would not rest.

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Commander Salvek
Acting First Officer
USS Independence