Cantrell: The Early Years, Part Four
IDIC, a Cantrell: The Early Years, Part Four Update Brianna gazed out of the viewport, feeling the thrum of the engine beneath her booted feet. “It’s so dark,” she said as the space skiff landed ...
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Growing Vines and Weirdness, a Cantrell: The Early Years, Part Four, Update
=/\=SPOILER ALERT=/\=SPOILER ALERT=/\=SPOILER ALERT=/\=
The red dirt of the desert swirled, the wind groaning as it whipped things up. The morning was surprisingly cool. Surrounded by chain-link fencing, the lab itself was nondescript in structure, no outstanding architectural amenities. Boring. Brianna did notice, however, that surrounding this complex there were more of those blue with purple outer leaved plants spread around the outer yard. These were far more mature. Larger, fatter. She walked up to one, curious. “Who or what are you?” She half-expected it to answer, sensing sentience from it. Then she shivered. “No offense, but you give me the creeps.”
Spock walked over to her, ran his hand up and down her arm. “Everything all right?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said slowly, pointing to the tall plant, “It’s just not talking right now.” Walking through an unlocked door at the back of the lab, they each poked around. Opposite the front doors of the lab was a steel-enforced security door. Brianna spent a little time examining it. It, too, kept its secrets. She did write a few things down. “This is going to take a keycard, I’m afraid,” she spoke over her shoulder at Kirk who was standing nearby.
Once she was satisfied with her notes, she walked away looking around at the mess this place was left in, wondering if the staff had fled in haste? She decided it wouldn’t hurt to go through the papers that looked mostly cast off. She did find another partial note, similar to the one from the book, and another one that was heavily redacted. These she kept.
The room grew warm, and Brianna quickly changed her clothes to something suitable in this heat.
Seeing the various computers in the different alcoves she took to be ‘offices’ she settled herself down in the one nearest the pile of papers she just went through. “Okay, talk to me,” she said, as she ran her hands over the keyboard.
“Oh, you don’t say. Thank you.” She tapped away at the keyboard, rapidly making it through file after encrypted file.
She slipped in a portable drive to save this information. Making great headway, she sighed heavily once the smoke began to curl out of the back of the unit.
Too hot to attempt to repair it, she moved onto the next computer. Again, she was able to hack her way inward. More tidbits, clues, were her reward.
In a short time, she had amassed at least seven different bits of information regarding what went on in this place. She was on a roll. Then, like the other computer this one began spewing forth smoke. “I can see they didn’t spend a great deal of their allotment on equipment. Junk. This is pure junk. I could do better on the black market to be honest.” Do you always talk to yourself? By the way I found something. Came Spock’s thoughts to her.
Shaking her head, she got up, stretched and went into the kitchen. She found nothing in the fridge and didn’t trust the water from the tap. Sorely wishing they had canteens. . . Dr. McCoy ambled over to her and taking out his hyper spray unit, adjusting the ampule, injected her with a solution that would fully hydrate her body. “Got anything for my very dry tongue, by chance?”
“Just swallow a few times and it will be back to normal.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Leaving her behind, he set about administering to the other crew members. Spock held up his hand.
“Figures, you’re in your element in this heat.”
Nearing the days’ end, Brianna had hacked four computers, repaired two of them, while Spock took on the fifth one. The first one, gave up even more information, once repaired. She was very glad that first night she had purchased the listening devices from the Curiosity Shop. She had three separate recordings. Adding them to her ‘harvest; of today, along with what Spock pulled from the fifth computer, she now had fifteen clues enough to create a dossier. Planning to use it as a bargaining chip, if need be, she was satisfied with the days’ work. Things were starting to come together. Now, she just needed to get into that basement lab to see what wasn’t so interesting in there.
=/\=
Back to the bar they went. Brianna asked around. She approached one very nice young Drill Sergeant, and asked what he could tell her about the lab. He let it slip that he had a keycard, if she could impress him with her strength. Immediately, she dropped and proceeded to give him forty pushups. He was impressed. In fact, he had to get her to stop. “Hey, I’m impressed. If you want the card, it’s yours.”
Jumping up to her feet again, showing she had energy to spare, she took the card he proffered, “Thank you.” I got it. She silently signaled to Spock. Approaching another young military fellow, she asked, "What can you tell me about all these spores in the air?” Without having to bargain with him, he gave up a small handheld device by which to gather up the pods of spores. “Thank you.” she smiled sweetly at him. Do not forget you are betrothed. Glancing toward the First Officer, she saluted him and fired back, Jealous, much. To which he raised an eyebrow at her.
The crew went back to their home base. Brianna took a swim to cool off, then returned to prepare an evening meal for the crew.
After they ate dinner, she and Spock went back to see the local Curiosity Broker by the airplane wreck.
“I have a keycard to get in, but I’m a little worried about the spores I see floating in the air. Got anything that could help? Besides a device to vacuum them up? May I see your Secret list?”
“Well, sure, sweet cheeks. I do have a couple of H-A-Z-M-A-T suits but mind you they’re incomplete. You’ll have to have one of them scientists craft a filter for you.”
I’ll take it,” she said. She and Spock returned to their home base.
“I don’t much like the look of that sky.”
“No, it would seem the powers that be, this mother, the infected ones refer to, has stepped up her game.” Spock agreed.
“She may very well sense our poking around into things.”
“Hm.” he said. “Do remember to shield your thoughts when communicating with it.” I will.
=/\=
The next morning Kirk and crew headed back to the crater. Brianna was eager to get into the basement. She stood before the sealed metal doors, took out the keycard and waved it before the lock. With a squeal, the doors popped apart. “We’re in.” She sounded a bit surprised. Kirk and Spock shared glances, doing their best not to chuckle. She was energetic, exuberant in her youth.
Leading the group inward, Brianna stepped ahead of the others. Kirk stopped to notice the spores whizzing about in the air. Hesitating for only a moment.
Taking the immediate set of stairs, the light was dim. As the tunnel veered to the left, they all noticed the foggy like purple cloud, blocking another metal door. Brianna stood still. “I don’t recommend going any further at this time, Captain.
“Me, either,” Doctor McCoy groused. “Not breathable in the least,” he said, snapping his little medi-scanner shut. Disappointed the Landing Party headed back to the home base, since there was precious little they could do at the lab.
=/\=
Deciding to take a nice bath with soaks, since this house had bathtubs, Brianna added roses and settled in to help ease her sense of unease, and frustration.
The changing sky worried her. She was finally settling into the fragrant, tepid water, allowing her tense muscles to relax, when she felt something scrape passed her leg. “Ah!” She screamed, jumping out. There in the tub was a couple of long, purple vines. “Holy cow, what on this God-forsaken planet is that!”
Covering herself in a towel, Brianna ran into the adjacent room to dry off and dress. Everything all right?
I am uninjured. Those vines just startled me, I guess. I wasn’t expecting to share my bath with them!
More to come . . .
I love how you combine Starfleet missions with Strangerville story 😊
Thank you. I was excited when we got the other pack, but I found controlling the entire bridge crew while one hacked through the overgrown vegetation wasn't as fulfilling as StrangerVille, where you actually get to have your Sims do stuff. You know?
It is great that they were able to hack information from the computer and get the keycard into the basement. I hope that their investigations will go well and that they can solve the mystery 🙂
This was my third time playing through this pack. My Sims were never able to find anything in the stacks of papers, let alone be able to do anything with the computers. That is why I asked if StrangerVille had been refreshed. I'm enjoying it way more than the other two times.
Brianna is gathering information like the pro she is! Even so, the situation is ramping up. I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Thank you. Well, despite the huge set back I had yesterday, I will have something to post in just a bit. I need to grab a bite to eat before I get hangry (yeah, it's in my DNA, as it turns out). Been up since just before 6Am I really, really need to eat.
Yikes, that bathtub scene! they're making progress though
She jumped out of that tub so fast, I'm lucky I caught an image of it. LOL
Haha, I don’t think I ever caught that, well done
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