Vacation [prt 4] Old New Artifact?

Posted on Wed May 25th, 2011 @ 10:59am by Samanthia Akiashiro

Mission: In Defiance Of Orders
Location: Archa IV :: New Discovery

Samanthia looked at the granite falcade of the anciet building in stark relief from the halogeon floodlights aimed at the front of the building. Bringing each detail into sharp relief of light and shadowopun the richly decorated face. Statues towering up with arms, hands holding the balconies of the second floor, entrapped in place by the snaking stair case winding up the sinewy bodies of the ancient Natives of Archia in very little dress without thought for the modesty of the physique of the male facing the female, trapped and frozen through time. Columns towering past them to hold curved roof extending out to proudly show the daily life of the Archa IV Natives serving their Ritorian Master lounging, playing, studying and doing their thing. In the center of the roof showing two Ritorians, in regal regelia, looking concerned over the rest of those that served their whims with children playing at their feet.

Samanthia moved carefully over the rubble and between the earthmovers and workers towards the enterance of the building set into the granite cliffside. Followed by The Professers and Ben to get a closer look at the newest find.

She was excited and happy to be getting dirty as she was drawn closer to the building falcade, accepted by the Archain as part of an expedition to search out new things, whether it was from the past or in the present. It was a moment where all that was here were witnessing Archa history being exposed to those that was present, Archians, Sol-3'er. It didn't matter as all expressed a desire to see what this had in store for them.

She could spend days tramping around archeological digs for days on end, hoping to make an important discovery or be part of an extrordinary find like today. She was all giddy and excited as she scampered nimble footed towards the newly uncovered enterance way.

Samanthia paused at the enterance as the other came up beside her with flashlight lit to show the way inside. "There is no time like now!" As the three of them stepped across the threshhold into the perserved past.

She aimed her flashlight around, not remembering that someone pressed one into her hand. She heard orders that everyone should pair up or stay in groups. Moving deeper into the main enterance which looked like a well preserved open market that people would find anywhere in a ancient city. Towering urns of various sizes stood in groups, along the sides of the main passage way, wide enough for two vehicles to traverse side by side with room to spare. There were tons of passages branching off the main corridor among single sized doorways open to exposed room furnished with stone furniture waiting to be used again.

Soft shout of discovery brought everyone rushing to the source, gathering around the first of many skeletons. "Alpha!" The one who found it, giving it a reference name scince it was the first. Everyone murmered their agreement as Archeological students got busy marking the area and laying out a grid to give the reference point of the first find.

Deeper and deeper they went along the main path, up and down well worn stairs with ramps in between them to allow for wheeled vehicles drawn by beast of burden. Ocassionaly passing by a well preserved wagon within a forming stilagmite reaching upward towards it's counter part from the ceiling.

Finally Professer Heidleburg called the group foward exploration to a stop and carefully setting up two stands with a sign stating none may progress from this point without approvial. The group and Samanthia turned back the way they had came.

Samanthia began her pace count to see how far they had traveled. In during the excitement, they had covered at least several kilometers with ease.

"Professer?" Samanthia moved up to him, "Would it be okay if I spent a few days here?" Looking hopeful at the wirey Professer with a soft smile and getting one in return.

"Of course, Miss Akiashiro," Professer Heidleburg nodded, "I'd be delighted. Come let us retire for the evening meal and discuss what we've seen so far!" Which was whole heartedly agreed upon. "It would be a pleasure to have a well knowledgeable citizen from the United Federation to have around."

Samanthia smiled warmily, "Thanks," smiled widely as they piled onto ATV Cart of Professer's for the ride back to the site's offices, living quarters, maintianance sheds for the vehicles and equipment being used. The hum of power generators increased as the new site gained it set of generators to keep it lit at night for the night crews.

******

The sun was peeking over the distance mountain, when a door to a Single Housing Unit opened and out stepped Samanthia into the cool morning air. She smiled as she stretched and moved along the walkway after locking the door behind her.

She waved to Ben upon seeing him at his vehicle. "Morning! You-you leaving?" Coming to stand next to him.

"Yeah, Business calls," Ben looked at her. "I'll be back in a week. So enjoy yourself!"

Samanthia nodded, spoke softly, "Thanks for showing me this. You take care." Watching him smile and hop into his vehicle and drive off in a cloud of dust.

Soon she was riding with Professer to the new site, "... We'll be driving into the new site. This way we'll be able to cover more ground into the underground metropolis. I hope you dont mind me sending an inquirey about your background to the Federation Embassy here."

"I'd do the same for any Off Worlder that came to my site. Especially a new and important one as this one!" Samanthia smiled as she spoke. Seeing the relief on the Heidleburg's face.

"Great! Tonight we'll get you all the proper badges and clearances then!" causing the vehicle to bounce over the ruts in the road to the cafeteria to pick up food and the rest of the team.

Samanthia ate as they made their way to the site and drove right up to the enterance and into the underground city. Quickly covering the ground they covered by foot last night to the marked stopping point. Minor helmets were passed around to all and the lamps were turned on as two of the team removed the makeshift barrier and hopped back in.

They continued on their way deeper into the city, stopping to hop out to explore an interesting building or a cluster of skeletons, or to take samples of the smaller pottery peices or interesting items that could be easily transported. Each item taken was marked on a map and the place where they was taken from.

The road ended in a vast courtyard of a palace or a very important looking building. They climbed out and moved about stretching, looking this way and that, lights shining on portions off the side in the stygian darkness. Catching glimps of statues as light passed over them. They made their way up the broad steps towards the building.

Samanthia hugged herself briefly, shivers lightly as old horror movies filtered through her mind of unseen monsters of the deep lurking in the stygian darkness waiting to prey on the unsuspecting who ventured deep into their territory.

She paired up with Professer and entered the building. They began to place activated chemlight all over the place to light the area up as they progressed deeper into the building. She glanced to the right into an open room displaying all sorts of dusty items.

"Chirp"

Both paused and looked at each other and then entered the room together to investigate the chirp like sound that eminated from it. Both moved through the room as they got close to a dust covered box it gave another "chirp".

Professer and Samanthia looked at each other and then to dust covered black box that was several feet in length, one foot in height and width. "What do we have here..." Professer murmered softly, pulling out a whisk brush and gently began to brush the dirt off of it.

-=Click=-

Female 1 voice: "Report!"

Male 1 voice: "Commander, the computer has suffered some damage. I'm unsure as to the specifics, however I believe we've lost some portions of the ship's onboard database."

female 2 voice: "Long range sensors are down." pause "Star plots show us to still be within the Archanis Sector."

male 2: "What the hell happened?"

Mechincal voice : "Engineering to Bridge, this is Ensign Fisk. We don't seem to have taken any dam..." the comm channel crackled "...tems should be coming back online."

Male 2: "My tac sensors are coming back to bear, Captain."

female 1: "Assess our situation, Lieutenant. Any thing on sensors?"

Male 2: "I'm not getting anything of note, Ma'am." long pause "There's no other vessels in our vicinity- the only thing I can detect is the anomaly."

female 2: "Commander..."

female 1: "What is it, Nilani? What have you found?"

female 2: "The station... I'm not detecting it on our short-range sensors."

male 2: "Confirmed." pause "I don't have it on mine either." longer pause "You should really get to sickbay, Nilani."


male 1: "Commander, based on my analysis of the stellar patterns in this sector, I believe it's not a question of where we are, but when. We've traveled back in time; however due to data deficencies, I'm unable to ascertain the exact stardate right now."

Soft static

male 2 : "Captain!" "I have a strong signal on scanners. There's some kind of activity in the nebula."

female 1: "On screen,"

Samanthia and the Professer eyes widened at hearing the brief conversation. It seamed one of the females was named Nilani. "Can we take this back to camp?" Samanthia spoke, looking at it, taking note of the dented handles and looking at it, showed the casing was badly dented as if it had fallen along ways "I don't think this was part of this society.

Professer was just as as shocked. "What? How?" nodding to Samanthia question. "Maybe Star Aliens had visited in the past. This site is over three millenums old!" Looking at Samanthia.

Samanthia shrugged, putting on workgloves to grasp the handle as the Professer did the same. "Could the Ritorians, during their occupancy of your planet hid it here?"

"No No! We'd known about it after we kicked them off the planet with Federation help!" Professer exclaimed as he helped Samanthia remove the Black Box from the shelf. "It probaly came to rest here after falling from the sky. This place must be riddled with caverns."

"Then who would've placed it here then?" Samanthia frown puzzled, leading the way back to the vehicle to store the blackbox.

"Good question," Professer spoke thoughtful as he followed Samanthia with the box between them. "Ritorians invaded our planet back in your time frame of 2250. We did have an rebel forces that used such places as this to use as bases of operation."

"Then your rebels would have known about this place?" Samanthia slowed as they came to the vehicle and loaded the box in the cargo area and covered it up. "Alot of years have passed and you're just discovering your ancient cultural heritege."

Professer looked abit sheepish, "True. Our heroes weren't to good about keeping records of their activites in fear of the Ritorians finding out about them or their bases of operation either."

"Has any Federation Fleet ships been out this far in both your's and Ritorian's records?" Samanthia leaned against the vehicle, picking up the canteen of water to drink.

"USS Excellency or .." Professer looked thoughtful scrunching up his face abit. "Exocisor." Getting a snicker from Samanthia. He looking sheepishly at her, "I deal with the very ancient stuff, Sammy! Not the 22nd century era! But 2290 was the first of Alien Spaceships in the area and Ritorians were quite agitated that there was another spacefaring species that could ally themselves with us Archian and their fears were proven when Federation joined in our cause for our freedom from them."

Samanthia finished her drink and handed over the canteen to the Professor. He spoke again, "But that was around the turn of the century though. When Federation finaly answered our call for help and freedom."

Samanthia nodded, watching the others appear to join them.

TBC...