Changes, Part 1
Posted on February 10th, 2016 by Kymar Dremel

Chief Medical Officer, Kymar Dremel – Stardate 11602.03

Taking up the rearguard, although what could possibly attack them on this planet he didn’t know, Dremel tried to push down the small bubble of fear rising up from his gut as he pushed himself carefully through the narrow gap around the rockfall inside this alternate corridor deeper into the facility they’d found. It had been a sterile atmosphere once, and the words of doom that had been translated near the entrance made him think of a laboratory. But not even the idea of some as-yet unknown biological pathogen being locked away down here could prevent the mild hint of terror welling up inside him at being stuck underground, in a cave. It had been well over a decade since he’d set foot inside one, for good reason. Just after he’d made Commander, in fact…although he’d been wearing a red uniform then.

The wound on his thigh burned, he could still feel the punctures despite the hefty dose of painkillers he’d given himself. There wasn’t much else he could do, supplies were limited, he didn’t have his medical kit – Why the hell didn’t I insist on bringing it? – and nobody knew how long they were going to be stuck down here. The odd crystal formations which the rescued science team had been studying prevented transport, the shuttle was almost a mile above the surface, the cave-in had prevented them from going back the way they came and now he had to get them out or they were all going to die. Not just him…He could feel the venom coursing through his body, and he’d seen the tricorder readings. Whatever it was that lizard…thing had stuck him with, it was breaking him down at the genetic level. He’d probably be dead within a week without help.

Until they got back to the Pendragon, there was nothing he could do, so he tried to put it out of his mind and concentrate instead of filtering the readings he was getting that might point to a way up and out. So far they’d just been going further down. The caves were breathtakingly beautiful though, the odd crystal formations stuck out from the walls at odd angles, or broke up the flat, dark rock with long veins of glittering gems. As the cave opened up to a ledge around a huge, circular cavern, it looked like they were staring into the very depths of the planet. The smallest sounds rang out like cymbals in his ears, he could hear the small, scaly critters running along the walls in search of prey. Sometimes he thought he could see them.

“You still with us, Doc? Can’t see a thing in his dark, and the rock here muffles anything not spoken a foot away. I think we should take a break where it’s flat, get some guidelines clipped up to everyone and some food.”

Dremel nodded, letting the Lieutenant pass the word back as he checked the area then unpacked their provisions. A quick count gave him nine days worth of food and water, hopefully enough to give them time to find the exit. As he set the portable heater up on a nearby flat rock, his coat sleeve caught on something and pulled back to reveal his forearm, and the dark, scaly flesh standing out from the tanned skin around it. Carefully, he reached out with his other hand, his fingers barely touching the rough patch before pulling back in shock. He glanced around quickly to make sure nobody else had seen, tugged his sleeve back down to hide it, then carried on with his work while his mind raced.

He had to hold on. Just a few days and they’d be out of here…just a few days…

Shaking his head slightly, he shook off the memories and continued to move through the narrow passage, that tiny bubble of terror still simmering away in his gut. He kept his ears open to the sound of the other members of the away team, grounding himself in the chatter until the bubble popped and he slipped out into the open once more.