by TC Blane and Zanh Liis
91107.00
Following Tastes Like Dirt
-=Base Camp on Sibalt=-
91107.00
Following Tastes Like Dirt
-=Base Camp on Sibalt=-
TC had made three rotations checking on both teams to make sure everyone‘s shelters had been set up correctly. He was impressed in how well everyone had been jumping in to assist their team mates as well as their opponents.
Satisfied that no one would be left in the rain due to a poorly constructed shelter he had turned his attention to getting a fire going so that the team could be at least wet and warm. With any luck the weather would have been programmed to let up or even stop and everyone could at least get their socks dried out before the next days events started.
Having collected wood from the surrounding forest he neatly stacked it in the somewhat dry confines of his tent. He then picked a central location nearby and began to dig a wide shallow hole, tossing aside the wet grass and leaves. He took the muddy soil from the hole and stacked it neatly around the parameter of his new fire pit to form a sort of low wall.
Taking small rocks that he had scavenged, he formed two rings, a small one in the center made with the smallest of the rocks and a larger one that ringed the edge of the fire pit by setting them into the mud ring.
“Playing in the dirt, Thomas?” Zanh’s voice sounded from behind him.
TC looked up. “You could say that.” He stood and walked over to the tent and retrieved three pieces of relatively old wood and returned to his project. Kneeling back down in the wet ground he broke the wood into smaller pieces and stacked them neatly on top of the smaller ring of rocks.
“Anything I can do to help?” She asked.
TC looked back and noticed that she was holding one of the emergency food rations that she had wisely brought with her. “Yeah, give me your food ration.” He held out his hand.
Liis paused and pursed her lips as if she was really considering whether or not she should. But he knew her well enough to know she was only teasing him. "Hmmm, I don't know. I had my heart set on the dessicated mac and cheese." Finally, she grinned as she handed over the bright yellow packet. "Hungry?"
"Yes." He ripped open the packet with his teeth. "But not for a cold meal." He reached in and pulled out the individual packet that contained the entree and desert packs and handed them back to his captain.
He kept the accessory packet that contained salt, pepper, a small chemical heater bag, matches, a small packet of coffee, creamer, hand cleaner, matches and toilet paper.
"Hey, I want something in trade for that pasta." Zanh demanded.
"Such as?"
"Gimme your coffee."
"I think I've just been swindled." Blane laughed, before he tossed the packets more at her than to her. She caught them and tucked them into the pocket of her vest before putting her hands together and tilting them toward him in a gesture of thanks. "Though if you really wanted a good deal, I'd have advised that you shop our health and beauty aids section."
"Thanks but need I remind you who I'm married to?" Zanh asked. "The man packed enough hand sanitizer and kleenex to disinfect and wipe the noses of an entire army."
He smiled as he separated out the meal's chemical heater bag and the matches. The heater bag was used to heat up the main entree by adding water to the powered chemical in the bag which caused a reaction generating heat. He handed the remaining contents to Liis. "It's not noses that concern me." Blane's ice blue eyes flashed mischievously. "Well you can add the rest of this to your collection. Don't lose the TP. You'll thank me later."
"I think that may be the best tactical advice for this sort of thing anyone's ever given me." Zanh answered dryly.
Pulling a rather wicked looking knife from his boot he cut open the heater bags the dumped the powered contents onto the wet wood and let it dissolve. It immediately started to warm up. He then stuck the match off of his boot and touched it to the log and the chemical flashed into flame. The wet log sputtered and crackled but eventually caught and began to burn in spite of the wet conditions.
TC stood and tossed the spent match into the slowly growing flames. "Modern chemistry defeats Mother Nature."
"Hail the conquering chemists." Zanh joked. "Enjoy your dinner, I've got to go. Oh, wait. I came here for a reason actually." Zanh paused. "That control panel that you found, and thank you by the way I know the Alchemy crew is very grateful for the chance to wash the mud off."
"I live to serve." Blane replied, poking at the food and looking for steam. Finding none, he frowned. "Maybe I should just use my phaser on this. What about the panel?"
"Do you think that it could be hijacked?"
"To what end?"
"To shut off the freaking rain."
"If anyone could do it, Samson could." Blane said after a moment's consideration.
"Damn, I gave him to the other guys." Zanh frowned.
"Well, we're still one camp tonight...maybe he can be persuaded."
"Persuaded, huh? What do you suggest?"
"Well there are generally two major types of persuasion in the universe, my kind and your kind, which do you think he is most likely to react to?" He smiled.
"We should probably try mine first," Zanh grinned, "then resort to yours if all else fails. After all...we don't want to scare him to death when..."
"...only half to death will do the job." Blane concluded.
Zanh nodded her approval. "Yes. You see, Thomas? This is why we work so well together."
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Commander TC Blane
Second Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
-=/\=- Zanh Liis O'Sullivan
Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
Commander TC Blane
Second Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
-=/\=- Zanh Liis O'Sullivan
Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012