Excursion "
By: Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]
Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.16 1355

The Klingon gravely looked at Hunter who was still mentally reviewing the controls of the snow speeder. "Are you certain you wish to risk this? There are no worthy adversaries out there."

Hunter stepped out of the vehicle and nodded. Even in the equipment bay it was freezing cold. His breath was visible as he replied to the Klingon, "Yes, sometimes our greatest adversary are questions unanswered.

The warrior did not quite understand but looked at Hunter approvingly.

Hunter picked up the container of survival supplies and loaded it into the back of the rig. Climbing back down he stepped off the unit and looked at Teilani, "After you."

As Teilani settled herself in, Hunter regarded the vehicle one last time. It was a crude piece of machinery. It could well have been over 50 years old. It was an internal reactant engine. As long as the reactor was charged it could run on almost anything, especially ice. The engine compartment took up much of the area in the rear of the vehicle.

Large oversized tracks contained long spikes which meant it could easily climb steep grades.

The vehicle's cab was set somewhat high on the machine and was fairly spacious, two seats and cargo room.

Hunter patted the Klingon on the back, "Thanks for your help."

The Klingon nodded, "Qa'pla!"

Hunter climbed inside and sat down in the driver's seat. He fastened the safety harness and nodded for Dane to do the same.

"Alright, let's see..." he muttered.

Hunter pulled a lever back which ignited the reactor. Next he turned a nob around which started the reactant flowing into the engine. The machine sputtered to life and its instrumentation began to glow. Then doing what the Klingon had rehearsed with him, he moved the steering levers forward. The machine lurched forward roughly.

Outside, the klingon laughed.

Hunter moved the levers forward more and the machine rolled smoothly out of the equipment bay. "I hope this thing has heat."

"Which way?" asked Hunter.

Teilani looked at the controls. "Heading 44.5 east, Sir." she replied, her voice making little clouds in the cold air. She settled in a little deeper in her thick coat, although the glider was somewhat heated she felt the cold cling to her bones. The surrounding was white, nothing but ice, wind and blizzards. Visibility was close to zero and she had to rely on the gliders sensors and navigational array.

After about 20 minutes, according to the console 12.5 klicks, she said. " Now turn west, 23degrees."

Hunter made the course adjustment and accelerated the old machine a little more. A cloud of snow and ice followed in the speeders wake as it sped across the frozen wasteland.

After about 15 minutes the speeder slowed to a stop. A large crevasse lay in their path. The gaping chasm was at least a kilometer across and extended for several kilometers in both directions. Hunter turned the vehicle and followed the crevasse. It took another 10 minutes to detour around the giant fissure.

They continued along the course toward the coordinates. Hunter was concerned about all the strange noises and groans the old vehicle made, but didn't say anything to alarm the doctor.

"Slow down Captain." Teilani said. "I think we are there."

Hunter pulled the vehicle to a halt in front of a cavernous opening. He zipped up his coat, "yeah, this looks like it could be the place."

Teilani too zipped up her coat and put on her gloves before opening the hatch. Immediately she was attacked by the cold wind and sharp slivers of snow and ice hit her face.

They climbed up the side of a small embankment to reach the entrances.

"This way Sir," she yelled through the wind at Hunter. As they entered the cave, it was or less a natural opening in a cliff, they noticed the silence, the howling of the wind subsided and Teilani pulled out a tricorder.

Scanning the area there were no readings. "There is nobody here Sir," she said. Hunter looked around at the large open cavern. A small passage way led from it. "Over here" said Hunter as he lit a flash light.

They walk in a little further, the passage way opened into another cavern, much smaller than the first one. She noticed the remnants of a fire. Pieces of clothing were scattered around it, some metal tins. There were some hand written notes and maps written on a piece of hide.

They meticulously combed the recesses of the cave. It stretched on for quite a distance. Looking further they found hidden in the back on a natural ledge, a Klingon PADD.

Hunter watched as Teilani tried to activate it. It was dead. "We can take it back and charge it up. We'll see what's on it. There isn't anything else here. Lets go."

Teilani nodded and with a last glance in the cave she followed Hunter outside.

They climbed into the snow speeder and Hunter started it up. They turned into the direction they came from and started to head back. After about 4 minutes Hunter slowed the vehicle, "What's that?" he asked.

He watched as Dane adjusted the scanner. Hunter looked up at Dane before she could speak and said: "Its a storm. Winds are 80 kilometers an hour." He watched the wall of white get closer and closer. "We can't navigate around that crevasse in that and its too dangerous to stay out here. We'll have to go back to the cave and wait out the storm."

Teilani was scared, growing up on Mars ment that they never had snow,occasional sand storms but they were not to compare with snowstorms.

Hunter turned the old machine around and accelerated as fast as he could trying to stay in front of it. The storm started overtaking them. Suddenly the low fuel indicator flashed and the machine began to faulter. As they reached the cave opening he tracked the vehicle up to the opening of the cave and managed to drive it through the cave opening. Just inside the cave was enough room to turn the machine around.

Razor sharp ice pellets began to pepper the ground near the inside of the cave, blown in by the high winds. Hunter reached in back and pulled the survival kit forward. "Lets go."

They walked back down the narrow passage way to the smaller cavern. Hunter opened the survival kit. It contained 10 thermoflares, a thermal sleeping bag and dried food rations. Hunter ignited one of the flares and stacked rocks on it to radiate heat.

"These won't last through the night." said Hunter gravely.

"You think we'll make it Sir?" Teilani said softly as she shivered. She huddled closer to the fire. "What if we have used all of them. We need heat."

Hunter shook his head, "I don't know Teilani.

"Perhaps we can use our phasers to heat up the rocks." she said. "Otherwise we freeze to death here. The temperature has already dropped 10 degrees in the last 2 minutes."

Hunter instinctively reached for his phaser, not finding it he reminded Dane, "The Klingons confiscated it. Outsiders are not permited to carry weapons."

Hunter evaluated the situation, "We'll be alright if we can both fit in this." he said unfolding the thermal sleeping bag.

Teilani nodded. "We need to keep eachother warm then and we can not fall asleep, hy......hypothermia will k.........get us." she said with a shivering voice, her teeth shattered.

Hunter was feeling extremely cold as well. The thermal flare was not radiating enough heat to help feel warm it was a helpless, desparte feeling. He pulled a large tarp tent from the survival kit, there wasn't enough room to set it up inside the small cavern. He took out a knife and sliced it into two sections. Using rocks and water from the canteen he used the tarp to seal the enterance to the small cavern they were in. He took the second piece and did the same with the small passage at the rear. It would be warmer to sleep in here than in the cab of the snow speeder.

He took the third flare from the bag and ignited it. The warmth it radiated made his cheeks feel like they had pins sticking in them. He realied it was a symptom of frostbite. "Come on, we need to get into the sleeping bag until this storm blows over."

Normally Teilani would have declined sharing a sleeping bag but in this case, surviving in this extreme cold was only possible if they cuddled up together. She stood up and walked over to Hunter, placing her long legs into the sleeping bag and sat down.

It was a tight squeeze. Hunter felt a little warmer his feet and hands were stilll bitterly cold.

"Oh Captain this does not work if we stay so reserved," she said softly. "I don't bite so put your left arm around my shoulders and use the right to hold the sleeping bag in place."

Teilani huddled closer to Hunter and put both arms around his waist. There that was much better, now if only she could stop shivering.

Hunter felt sorry for Teilani. He held her tight, he sensed she was worried for them. He might have been wrong but he wouldn't ask.

After about 20 minutes it seemed to be working. They both stopped shivering. It was going to be a long, dark wait. Hunter felt tired. He began to drift off to sleep.