ten_fwd | [Away Mission:] Arrivals Post, Alemar III (Party Post!)

"Welcome, everyone, to geothermal field two-nine-one," Dr. Johanna Sk'Amor says, once everyone has gathered in the entryway.

The shuttlebay the group has just left is behind them, while the large entrance to the facility is directly ahead. The building is quite spacious, and despite the high volume of visitors no one is cramped for space while standing here. It's like a museum lobby, with fixtures in the center of the room and wings on either side. While the design is not as bright and clean as the Enterprise, the high ceilings and white walls give a feeling of spaciousness. To the right is the main observation room, where the convex wall making up one full corner of the drilling facility is primarily floor-to-ceiling windows. The vistas beyond are stunning: tall, grey mountains and low valleys, all covered with snow. To the left is a winding staircase that leads to an upper level, and beyond that are several labs.

"This is one of five scientific outposts located on Alemar III," the doctor continues. "At one time we had seven, but two have been destroyed by earthquakes. Alemar III is highly geologically active, so our remaining facilities have been reinforced to withstand even the most devastating natural disasters. There's nothing to worry about, our engineers are some of the best in the quadrant, but if you feel some tremors while you look around just keep in mind that this is normal.

"Two of our outposts are at the polar north and south of the planet, while the other three, this one included, are evenly spread across the globe. Our staff is small, only about ten scientists and five archaeologists, and enough engineers to keep everything in working order. In all, the entire planet only has about ninety occupants at any given time. It's rare that we're able to entertain guests.

"If you'll follow me, I'll show you some of the work we accomplish here."

[ooc: This post is open to those who signed up for our game plot only! As it's being run party post style, all characters are encouraged to tag in and mingle; since teams have not been divided yet, any participating character can tag anyone else, you don't have to stick only to those on your teams. You may also tag in as many top level threads as you choose if you're doing the full tour, just be sure your character ends up in the room where their team will be positioned for the rest of the plot (for those who will be divided in the mines due to cave-ins, the main mine connects to many other rooms and alcoves, so simply tag in under the Main Mine subheading and have your characters move around the different passageways to explore. Wherever rocks fall, that's where the rooms will be divided). Threadhopping and backtagging are encouraged! This post will remain open for as long as it takes all characters to tag in.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ziyal was not about to go anywhere near the entrance to the mines. She'd spent six years mostly underground, doing back-breaking work, seeing people collapse from exhaustion and illness. The Breen didn't exactly believe in medical treatment, anyone from the Ravinok who'd succumbed got shortly put out of their misery, whether they were Cardassian or Bajoran.

Once she'd survived, been rescued, she'd sworn to herself that she would never go back underground if she could help it. She didn't even feel safe in basements. And the earthquake made her knuckles go pale silver-grey as she held onto the railing for dear life. She felt the unease deep in her bones. Earthquakes held nothing good for people forced to live and work underground.

At the sight of someone who didn't look all that happy to be on the tour, Billy pulled his attention from their guide and slipped into step nearby.

"Are you all right?" he asked, a worried frown crossing his expression.

"Oh, yes...I just don't like being underground very much. And earthquakes make me nervous," Ziyal admits softly, with a small nervous smile.

She lived underground for far too long to be at ease with it.

"The artifacts are fascinating, though--I really wanted to see them." She thinks some of the iconography would make a good addition to a painting.

"They are. I would've loved more time to study everything here." But there were other things the crew needed to do, so he resigned himself to a quick tour. Still a good one, though!

"Though I worry about the earthquakes too, especially in a place like this." He swallowed. "But surely they prepared for that possibility, right?"

"They must have." Ziyal hoped they had. The Breen hadn't, but all the crew and passengers of the Ravinok they'd forced into service were considered to be expendable by them. They didn't care if the ceiling collapsed on any workers--it had, more than once, no matter what they tried to do to stop it.

"Are you going down? Into the excavation area?" She's asking out of polite interest, because she sure isn't.

"I think my curiosity will get the better of me, but I won't be tempted to stay too long," Billy admitted, squinting down the corridor with a cross between fascination and apprehension.

"I'd feel much safer out in the snow, really," he joked.

"Not me--we don't do well in the cold." Meaning her species, obviously. It was slightly easier for Ziyal--her Bajoran heritage granted her a tolerance for lower temperatures than the average Cardassian. But she could still scarcely imagine how cold it would be, or how harsh the stark white would be on her eyes--also adapted by nature for lower light.

"You'll have to tell me what it's like." She wouldn't be able to stand going underground. Not even for a moment.

"To tell the truth, I don't have much experience with it," Billy admitted with a little laugh. "I come from a much warmer climate. I saw snow once as a child, then not again until a sorcerer cast a magic snowfall."

His gaze drifted up. "The snow felt like...it's hard to describe. If you didn't stay long enough for the temperature shock to become painful, the little spots of cold were cleansing. Like my whole arm was electrified, but not painfully so."

He smiled wistfully. "But I'll let you know if we find anything interesting."

"Hey."

Jonas' voice is gentle as he approaches the alien woman. He doesn't know her, or her species, but some things reach across the boundaries of cultures, worlds, and races, and anxiety is one of them.

He's holding out a hand, palm outward in a gesture intended to be reassuring, calming.

He smiles.

"Are you okay?" She looks terrified, the way she's clutching the railing, like she's about to be swept away if she loosens her grip for a moment.

Ziyal hasn't quite relinquished her hold on the railing, though the shaking has stopped. She knows that doesn't mean much--there could be aftershocks, the roof could still come down on them. She'd been interested in seeing the artifacts here, but now she's wondering if she should have left the Enterprise at all. She felt safer there.

The human that approaches her is kind enough, she can tell. She doesn't have the best grasp on reading people--but she's good enough.

She lets go of the bar, nervously smoothing her hands against her skirt.

"Yes, I'm fine--thank you." She flashes a smile--still unsettled, but not evidently ready to bolt.

It doesn't take Jonas' abnormally good observational skills to tell that she's not really okay. At least, not until some time after the tremor has faded. It's only then, only after he's spoken to her, that she lets go of the tight grip she has on the railing, fidgeting instead with her clothing, her eyes wary.

Not, he thinks, of him, but he keeps smiling, anyway.

"It's a little unsettling, isn't it?"

He doesn't look bothered by it, but that's less because of his feelings about the tremors -- and he's felt tremors before -- than it is the delight of being on an alien world, one completely unknown to the SGC.

An alien world in another time.

Yeah, he's still smiling.

Henry noted the woman because of her facial features. She had the same spot as the man he'd met in Ten Forward but her nose was like another of the aliens.

So he stared at her. Trying to wonder if she was another species that exhibited those traits or some mixture of both. And he not very good at hiding.

Once the shaking stops, Ziyal stays close to the railing--but she lets go of it, letting out a breath, shaking her hands slightly and then running them down the front of her skirt.

Then she turns around and sees Henry staring at her.

Well. That's awkward.

"Um. Hello?"

Oops. Caught. He swallows and takes a step or two towards her.

"Um...Hi. I was just wondering...I saw a man earlier with that...thing..." He pointed to her forehead and then pressed the finger to his own. "Are you the same?"

He's not sure how polite it is to ask Hi, what's your species? but he's too curious for his own good.

Oh. Her chufa would seem strange to someone who'd never seen a Cardassian before, she supposed. This boy must be one of the others brought here by Q from a different time--she's fairly sure a child from even this year would know what her species looked like.

"Mostly, yes. You met my father. I'm also part Bajoran--that's why my nose is different."

Honestly, she doesn't mind the curiosity. It's infinitely better than the disgust she's used to.

Henry nodded and smiled. That explained a lot. "Must be nice to have your father here too." He wasn't too bitter about it. Even aliens had parents. But he still wishes his own father was here instead of what he liked to call the imposter.

"Seems like you have all the traits of both races. I like it."

[Away Mission:] Arrivals Post, Alemar III (Party Post!)

Ziyal

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