Mission of Mercy (poetlore and dunruffle)

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Kirst took the rifle and looked it over. "Lets see, flashlight, heartbeat sensor, recoil dampening stock. Looks good to me. Simple is just as good as fancy, sometimes better. Less stuff to take care of. If you wanna test it out feel free to set up some more targets. Its almost dinner time so we are about to finish up here."
 
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Cassandra was glad to know she'd put the thing together properly. She did set up a few more targets and tested out the light and the recoil dampener. happy with both she walked over to Erik and pointed the sensor at him, "Well, you ahve a heartbeat," she grinned as she lowered the weapon. "Guess that means you're alive." I'll have to ask for one of these if I ever get sent out with you guys again." she said as she set the weapon down. "Do they go back as they came?" she asked, "Or do we have to haul this all back?"

She'd never used such a sophisticated shooting range. She was used to hauling everything herself, which generally meant she didn't try anything new. This had been a lot of fun, using all the different weapons. Her shoulder would be sore tomorrow no doubt, but it was still fun.
 
Erik nodded and put his weapons on the rack. "Just put them on the rack and it will be returned." Dante put away his things and nudged Cassandra, "Hey doc, is that cute assistant of yours gonna be joining us for dinner? I get a kick out of her reactions, its like she thinks I am a superhuman or something."
 
Cassandra put her weapon back on the rack and almost bumped into the table when Dante 'gently' nudged her. "Cute assistant?' she asked with a grin, "You men Harrison? Or maybe Graves?" she asked and her smile was really big then, "I'm sure Jen will be there, and I think she might think you are a wall of muscles and perfection...or something along those lines." She said knowing if Jen heard her say that, she'd probably wake up with a lizard in her bunk. Luckily Jen wasn't there to hear, 'And if you tell her I said that...I will deny I ever even knew your name." She said with a lifted brow, a serious glare and a wiggling finger.

She gathered her few things and started out with the group. "How long til dinner?' she asked, "Do I ahve time to go clean up?"
 
The men got onto the tram with Cassandra and relaxed as it glided off to the medical lab. "We have about an hour till dinner. So if you just want to meet us there that is fine. We all should probably clean up as well seeing as how we smell like gunpowder."
 
Cassandra nodded, "Among other things," she grinned looking at Dante. He was sweating a bit more than the others because of the size of the weapons he'd been using. "I will meet you all there in an hour then. Thank you for reminding me about the testing today. It was interesting to watch." She leaned toward them all and whispered, "But I enjoyed the shooting more."

They rode the short ride and she got out and waved to them all as she reentered the hospital one of the few places you didn't have to swipe a badge to gain entrance. She sat at the console to look over the charts for Mr. Otranto's progress while she'd been gone. She peeked in and scanned him, adding those findings to her charts through the direct link she had from her eye to her consoles. She smiled, "Everything is looking good so far," She said and then dismissed herself and went to her room for a shower and a change of clothes.

She came back out and smiled at Jen, "Coming to dinner?' she asked, "Someone was asking if my cute assistant was coming to dinner tonight."

Graves poked his head out of his caged in area, "Oh really? who was asking about me?"

Point pfted at him, "No one you mangy dog," She said with a huff. "Did he really? He said cute?"

Cassandra nodded, "He did."

Harrison stayed behind that time to keep watch over Ray and graves actually ventured out for the first time. She wasn't sure if Harrison agreed to stay to avoid the floor issue or not. But Graves took his order and said he would bring it back for him. The group made their way via the tram and the elevator to the dining room. Graves was whistling at the place, "This whole place is high class isn't it?" he asked and beelined it for the buffet line.

Cassandra went for an actual meal this time, instead of salad. She'd had a long day and she needed some meat and potatoes. She joined the guys at the table and smiled as she sat down next to Erik, "You all clean up rather nicely," she said with a smile. "Handsome group of guys ..."

Point got her food and took a seat hoping that Dante would CHOOSE to sit next to her since he hadn't returned from getting his food yet. She made sure to leave chairs on both sides of her so he had two choices. and less ones that were not next to her. Yeah, she had it bad.
 
Erik smiled and winked at Cassandra, "you aren't so bad yourself doc. I bet you look amazing in something other than scrubs or a lab coat." Kirst rolled his eyes as Xanders snorted in amusement. Dante came back from the buffet and sat down next to Jen. "Hey Jen, how are you liking the place so far?"
 
Cassandra smirked, "And you might find out, or you could if I owned anything other than scrubs." Sad but true. She'd packed what she had, and all of it was scrubs. She didn't really see she had a need for anything else, unless she was going out with them again, she'd ask for their kind of uniform maybe. Theirs had lots more pockets to carry stuff. She shrugged though and smiled at everyone, "I'm a workaholic..."

Jen watched him sit down and smiled. he spoke as she was so busy WATCHING him that she almost forgot to answer, "OH...yes..pretty much," she said, "Rooms here are really big. I don't have enough stuff to fill it." She smiled, "How long do you usually get off to hang around here?' she asked.

Cassandra lifted a brow, "There seems to be everything else here," she said casually, "IS there a shopping area?"
 
Dante grinned at Jen and shrugged, "it varies. Somedays are free days while others are full of training and such. I think the day after tomorrow we have off. If ya'll are feeling adventurous we could go explore the deep caves with the locals. That is always a good time. Especially if we run into a cave crawler, best fried insect I ever tasted. Sorta like chicken."

Xanders snorted and put down his fork, "sorry doc. There isnt a PX here. It being a secret base and all. Best you can do is order something off the net and get it delivered. But it takes awhile since it has to go through security checks and such."
 
Jen blinked, "fried insect...sounds...well ok it sounds terrifying, but Maybe if I didn't know that's what it was...I could try it." She scrunched up her nose and squeezed her eyes shut, "I am a bit of a food coward sometimes..." She admitted reluctantly and then peeked to see what he thought of what she'd just said. "It would be fun to go exploring though....wouldn't it..." She looked at Cassandra and Graves. "Oh come on Doc...you know you want to go..."

Graves shook his head, "Insects big enough to fry?" he said shaking his head still, "Not interested at all....I'll hold down the fort at the hospital if you two want to go though."

Cassandra grinned at Jen. The girl really was a food phobic kind of person. Should be fun to watch her attempt to eat something to please Dante, which she knew Jen would attempt to do. "I'd love to go exploring. Might even help me find the cause of that lung issue the locals seem to be having."

She looked at Xanders then, "Online will do. I've never been one to enjoy shopping." She left that topic and went back to the exploring, "Will we need any special gear for this excursion?" she asked.
 
Xanders finished his plate of food and set down his tableware. "Well all you would really need are some clothes to get dirty. The quartermaster will give us the helmets and harnesses and such. So its a go then? Tomorrow at 1200 we meet here for lunch then go off on our spelunking adventure!"
 
Cassandra nodded, "I'm up for some adventure," she replied, "And I'm curious about this planet too, so it's a great idea! I'll be here."

Point nodded, "Me too!' she said looking at Graves, "How about you?'

Graves shook his head, "Um no," he said without any emotion whatsoever. "I meant what I said. Not interested." Truth be told, he wasn't interested in anything really. He was there to do a job, nothing more nothing less. he was just trying to do his time, and get home to his family. "Never know...big man may want to go...he's an odd one. Never can tell what he will be interested in."

Cassandra rolled her eyes at Graves, "Don't mind him," she said, "He's anti-social on a professional level."
 
The next day at noon Cassandra, Harrison and Point arrived for lunch. Graves true to his statements stayed behind to watch over the patient, not that the woman in there with him let anyone else do much, but someone needed to mind the machines and the doctor's note taking orders. He much preferred to do that than risk his neck out exploring this God-forsaken excuse for a planet.

The group enjoyed a heavier than normal lunch, all of them carb loading for the extra activity of the afternoon. Cassandra and Point had actually started carb loading yesterday. She grabbed a few extra pieces of fruit, and a few cookies as well and wrapped them in napkins to stow in her small backpack she was carrying. She had a few little tools in there too, because she planned on this being both a pleasure and business outing. They all made their way to the elevator and down to the main level. "So...have you explored anywhere yet?' she asked Erik, "I can't believe you guys would be here any length of time without venturing out of the main complex to see what was going on."

Harrison also had a small pack full of radiation sensitive equipment. A few small weapons and a lot of bottles for collecting samples. He had only agreed to come after Cassandra had mentioned finding samples for testing. He had to believe she was right about the natives being poisoned in some way, for their lungs to deteriorate like they had witnessed in that one patient. He was always interested in finding what caused things for preventative measures. He was a problem solver, and this was a problem that in his mind, needed solving.

Point for her part, was on this trek for one reason and one reason only, Dante. She wasn't as concerned about finding samples as the others were. She was good at her job, but research and development were not part of her repertoire. She was a skilled nurse, and operating assistant, but making their devices work better? Or find a new technique for a smoother joints and less scarring, not so much. She cared about people, but she knew her limits. her brain just did not operate on the same wavelength as Cassandra and Harrison, not even close. She'd come to accept that and admire them. She did have a pack with test bottles just in case she saw something noteworthy, or in case one of them did and asked her to collect it, but that was as far as she was equipped to help in their pursuit of the answers to questions she wasn't even sure she knew.

Cassandra stretched a bit, "Where do we go for the equipment you mentioned?"
 
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Erik, Dante, and Xanders were all dressed in regular black and grey outfits as they walked toward the tram. Erik shrugged in response to Cassandra, "a little. Maybe about...five times total? First three times were just mucking around looking at the cool crystals and such. Fourth time we actually went with an expedition team into the unmapped areas. Apparently those big insects Dante mentioned are sorta like a mix of mantis and earthworm. They are always burrowing around making tunnels and such. The locals use them as sort of a big game hunt. The average size of them is about seven or eight feet tall. Last time we went was actually for one of the coming of age hunts. Sorta like a rite of passage for becoming an adult. They send the kid out by himself with just a spear and other gear and he cant come back until he has one of the bug heads. That was pretty cool to watch, this kid took on a bug that must have been almost nine feet tall. One thing that the bugs hate is fire, so this kid shoves a torch in one of it's eyes and the climbs on it and spears it through the head. Talk about badass." Dante nodded, "hell yeah! The locals may be dumb but they are some hardcore people. After that we had bug barbeque! Tasted pretty good, coulda used some hotsauce though.

They arrived at the entrance to the old mining tunnels, the entrance was barred by several layers of thick barred gates. A small building sat outside and the group walked in. Inside was a single older man reading a datapad. Looking up he smiled and waved, "hello! Here to do some caving?" Erik nodded and the man pointed over to a wall lined with helmets, jumpsuits, and boots. "Standard caving gear, helmet with headlights, reinforced overalls, and grip boots. While you all get ready I will get a guide over." Erik thanked the man and he and his friends started putting on the gear. The overalls fit over all but the bulkiest clothing and the boots had a wide variety of sizes.
 
Cassandra listened and her brows lifted as he told her about the child going up against a nine foot tall creature. "That would be considered abuse in a lot of places, but I can see how here it is proper parenting. You have to be able to protect yourself and others to function in this harsh environment." She nodded at Dante, "They are very loyal and dutiful." she commented.

Point was following along listening admiring Dante's everything as they went. It was sad really, and she wasn't very good at disguising her adoration. She tugged the special gear on and slipped her arms abck into the backpack and waited for everyone else to get suited up as well.

Harrison was his normal stoic quiet self, listening and looking around. He wasn't one to talk much, unless it was necessary. He nodded to the old guy when they entered the tunnel and pulled on some overalls like everyone else. He had a hard time finding boots big enough but he figured he could endure a little bit of a tight squeeze.

Cassandra pulled on the gear as well and found a small enough pair of boots that she wasn't swimming in them and as she stood the old man was returning with a what? Tour guide? She'd never thought of cave exploring as a tour of that there was need of a guide. Hopefully he wouldn't interfere with their gather of samples. They might have to get sneaky. "Are we allowed to take samples of the crystal?" she asked Erik, knowing full well she wasn't looking for crystals.
 
Erik and the other two soldiers finished putting on their gear and Erik shrugged. "I dunno. I assume you can." Suddenly the door opened and one of the local guards walked in. This guard was even more bulky and muscular than the regular guards. Almost eight feet tall, even Dante looked intimidated. Clad in armor that looked more suited for a heavy siege than a spelunking expedition, the guard nodded to the old man and approached the group. "My name Nog, be guide for you." Going over to a large locker, Nog opened the door and pulled out a menacing looking flamethrower. The weapon appeared well used, mostly due to the fact it had the word BUGS scratched into the side followed by an impressive set of tally marks. Hefting the incendiary weapon up, Nog checked the fuel tanks and once satisfied they were full he pulled the attached sling over his shoulder and let the weapon hang. "We go now?" Erik looked over to Cassandra, "my guys are ready, you all good to go?"
 
Cassandra watched as the really BIG native walked through the door. She was trying really hard not to stare but that was the biggest person she had ever seen. She looked at their overalls in comparison to his armor and wondered if they were not perhaps a bit under dressed. Maybe he was meant to take all the brunt of any danger, which seemed a bit crazy.

Erik spoke to her and she looked at the rest of her guys who nodded, "We are ready," she said and then looked at Nog, "Lead one, Nog," she said with a big smile. She actually liked the natives of this planet. They were simple, humble, loyal and decent stock. She was determined to find a way to help them by eradicating this lung sickness that they were contracting. "Hopefully you're right about the samples, because I intend to get some whether I am allowed or not." There was a determination in her eyes that he'd recognize from other times he was in her company. She could be very stubborn and unyielding when dealing with matters of disease and sickness.

Harrison had those same thoughts and watched Nog carefully as he checked the weapon and then made ready to escort them into the caves. He would ask to see that weapon before they left, he made a mental note. He wondered if perhaps the weapons they used were not part of the issue. he would check to make sure. No sense overlooking the obvious, to search for the obscure.

Jen followed along staying close to all the big guys. Seeing that guide's armor and huge weapon with BUGS written on it had her more than a little creeped out. She did NOT like bugs. Not one little bit and she was now watching for bugs more than watching for the things she'd been told to watch for, but it could not be helped. She made her way closer to Dante, "I really don't like bugs..." She confided.
 
Following Nog, the group stopped at the entrance to the caves. Pulling out a large keyring with several thick keys, Nog unlocked the first gate and ushered everyone inside. Locking the gate behind them, Nog opened the second gate then locked it behind them once everyone was through. Hitting a switch on the wall, a large generator roared to life. The caves became illuminated as strings of lights attached to the ceilings flickered on. There was a low hum as Nog turned on the flamethrower, the small pilot light on the end of the nozzle burning a bright blue.

Nog turned to the group and nodded towards an intersection where several caves split off. "You go where you want. Oh! Forgot!" Nog pulled out a thick dirty datapad and handed it to Cassandra. The pad was reinforced with a metal casing and what looked suspiciously like large claw marks adorned the back. "Map for caves. But only go so far." Erik nodded, "yeah, the old mining tunnels go real deep so they only mapped the closest portion. After that is all abandoned mine shafts and bug tunnels. So lead the way Cassandra you wanted samples right?"
 
Cassandra took the data pad and examined it for a moment. She looked up at Erik, "Have you been in this section of tunnels before?" she asked, "If so...where did you find crystals? Were they glowing? Did you smell anything odd?" she was asking so they would not duplicate the same path if there was nothing to be found. And if there was....then that would save time.

Harrison was looking at the pad over her shoulder and tipped his head a bit. He glanced up at the path to the right and could see if was a clean looking tunnel with fairly smooth walls, but the path to the left was less honed. It seemed wise to him to try that less traveled path. "The left has more to show..." He said and then straightened.

Jen was looking at their two options and hoping for the right tunnel, "but this one looks...cleaner..."

Cassandra looked at them both and then back to Erik waiting for his reply.
 
Erik shrugged, "I dont really remember the last time we were here. It's up to you guys." Nog looked around and tilted his head as if listening to something far away. "Noise down there. Dunno what." He pointed to the tunnel on the right.
 
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