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

Stardate: 58205.17 1333

Hunter and Dane sat in front of a thermal flare which was radiating heat and would continue to do so another hour. They had only one flare left. Furthermore, Hunter was out of luminaries. They had just consumed the rest of the rations. Ian had only one working light source which the energy pack was nearly depleted. "We have to get out of here," he said, "that ice isn't going to melt by itself."

Teilani nodded. "Question is only Sir, How??"

Hunter stood up went to the snow speeder. He walked around it and then climbed up on the deck of it. He opened several access panels and examined the machinery with his tricorder to understand how it worked. There was nothing that he could adapt to help this situation. Fortunately, he now knew how the speeder could be refueled.

He jumped down from the tracks and continued walking around the speeder. On the other side there was an storage locker. He opened it and found some mining supplies. He pulled out a rock pick and a shovel. There was also some sort of hand held boring tool. He slung the pack on his shoulder and picked up the bore, looking at the controls as he walked toward the cave's entrance.

He turned the device on, it emitted cold red distruptor beams with pulverized the ice beneath it. "This will get us out of here in no time." said Ian.

Looking at Hunter, Teilani doubted it. The ice was so thick. She hoped that at least some efforts could be made or otherwise they would be found here as ice mummies.

Ian looked at his chronometer, it was now after 1600 hours. He new it would take him 3 to 4 hours at best to blast away the ice.

Ian worked feverishly blasting and shoveling away the ice debris. He took a break after two hours of work. He scooped up ice and placed as much as he could inside the reactant fuel cell of the speeder. He climbed into the cockpit of it and ignited the reactor. He wanted to make sure it was ready to go when the entrance was cleared. He waited a couple minutes, he realized he was shivering from the cold. Looking at his chronometer it was now 1820. He went to the inner cavern and found Teilani inside the sleeping bag. The last thermal flare had faded. "Let's go, I'm just about through."

Teilani had curled up in a foetal position to conserve her body heat as the last flare died. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could hear Ian working the ice. She was so sleepy.

She shook her head vigorously as she hear Hunters voice and he bruskly helped her up. He took her to the cab and helped her in.

He resumed his efforts. After 45 minutes of work he had broken through. It was dark out and the bitter winds now blew through the cave. His only illumination was from the speeder. By the time he finished making removing enough ice from the cavern entrance, he could barely move.

He painfully climbed back into the cab and rested from exhaustion.

Slumped in her chair Teilani looked at Hunter's face. He was not looking that good. Frostbite marks were clearly visible at this face and hands. She shook him. "Captain, don't doodle we gotta go now!!" She took his hands in hers and blew on them trying to give him back some feeling in it.

"I said. MOVE!!!" Teilani yelled at him grabbing him at the collar of his jacket. "Please Captain we need to go now!!."

Hunter nodded and engaged the vehicle and it lurched forward. The tracks sparked against the ice and rock as it made its way through to the outside. He eased the machine down the embankment and started out across the frozen wasteland. He looked at his chronometer. It was now almost 2100 hours.

They traveled for more than an hour and finally made it to where the crevasse was. The terrain was much more rugged than before the storm, making the way more difficult. The speeder would get bogged down on dunes of ice. Hunter looked at the fuel indicator. It was low on fuel again. The ice didn't work as well as the deuturium that was in there before. He looked at Teilani, "we're not going to make it back in time, Barlok will be upset, but I'm going to call the Zion and have them pick us up."

She nodded as she tried to keep her eyes on the navigational sensors.

Hunter reached into his coat and tried to activate his combadge. His link was dead. "Wonderful." muttered Hunter.

Teilani glared at him. She noticed that no call back came from the Zion. She tapped hers. There is no response Captain,' she said with a shivering voice.

The lights from the speeder shined into the crevasse. Hunter noticed that the crevasse had nearly filled with snow and ice. Hunter gingerly took out his tricorder, he could barely move. It felt like his joints where made of concrete. He knew they were both suffering from severe hypothermia. The crevasse had a bridge of ice, and now resembled a large bowl. "If we don't try to cross here I don't think we'll make it." he said.

Teilani bearly registered Hunter's words she was soo sleepy. Everything in her body acked from the cold. "Just....... just try it Ian." she said softly. She could not care less what happend now, he had to try.

Hunter threw the controls forward and the vehicle lurched and picked up speed. It sped down the embankment and crossed to the other side. Four minutes of tense driving passed. Hunter was very nervous about breaking through an ice pocket. At last they emerged from the other side and were on solid ground.

Hunter gunned it and headed into the direction of Barlok's compound. It was 2305.

They arrived at the equipment bay at 2345. Hunter helped Dane from the vehicle. Barlok was standing there. "You don't look so good Hunter." Hunter smiled as he dragged Dane, who was slumped against him up closer to Barlok. "We're just fine. We had a little too much fun infact." Hunter faltered, "Enjoy your brandy."

Barlok laughed. He nodded to two of his sentries, "get them to the transport," he said pointing. The two big klingons picked up Hunter and Dane and carried them to the transport just as they were loading up the last of the mined dilythium.

With the last effort both Hunter and Teilani managed to get on the transport which took them back to the Zion.