Tiptoe Through The Tulips

Posted on Sat Mar 15th, 2014 @ 8:01pm by Lieutenant Commander Leto & Lieutenant Nick Marcinko

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: Charu

* * * Charu * * *

Nick and Leto beamed down from the Hammond to a way station established by the Ozum as an access point on the main continent. According to the scans provided, and Lt. Sukotav’s reports, this was the largest land mass and the most favorable site for the future colony. As they stepped off the teleporter pad, Leto checked her phaser, then looked to Nick.

“Ready to venture forth?”

Nick had also checked his weapons once again, phaser, a boot knife and his Mek’leth situated firmly in a small scabbard in the small of his back. While it was normal for Starfleet personnel to wear their normal uniforms during most away missions, he and Leto had opted for something more befitting their environment, a planet scattered with grassy plains, dense wooded areas, streams and a few mountainous areas, despite the planet’s small size. In lieu of this, they wore civilian clothing in earth tones in case they ran into something undesirable and needed to blend in.

“Let’s do it,” he said as he pulled out a tricorder and began scanning the area.

The air was balmy and clear as they stepped outside and Leto stopped a moment to take a deep breath and turn her face up to the sun.

“This is glorious,” she murmured. “The perfect day to stretch out on a warm rock by the water.” She grinned and looked over to Nick. “No lizard comments. Picking up anything?”

He looked up from the tricorder and over toward a bushy area. “Just local wildlife, it seems. Nothing big yet, just some decent sized lizard-like creatures and something I would say closely resembles one of Earth’s meerkats.”

His eyes turned to Leto who was looking into the sky with her eyes closed, soaking up the rays from the local sun. She was definitely a sight, beautiful in anything, possibly even when caked in mud. “So, what do you think, maybe a good kilometer perimeter on foot then we break out the ATVs for a wider search?”

“Sounds good. A meerkat? Sounds like Jorge.” She grinned at Nick. “Okay, ready for a short hike. Stretching our legs after the trip sounds good. Then we can track down those lizards, see if they are willing to share their rock.” Leto pulled her hair up into a ponytail and secured it. “I’m ready.”

“Maybe see if the lizards are tasty,” he said with a waggle of his eyebrows. And it wouldn’t be beyond him to eat some crazy things, being half-Klingon. Considering the cuisine he’d been raised on living with his mother on Qo’noS, a lizard or two would be tame. “You lead, I’ll follow, unless you’d rather spread out and cover more area?” he asked as they had started walking what would be northerly from their landing zone.

“Not a good idea, given we know nothing about this place. A few yards maybe but I don’t want us out of sight range.” They crossed the waving grass and finally entered the edge of the forest. It was cooler here and the light a soft green. The deep, primal wet smell of the forest rose to meet them, along with the quiet. “I never realized how much I missed green stuff,” Leto commented. “Or the lack of noise. Anything weird yet?”

“Nope,” he said. “Of course, it’s going crazy getting readings on all of the flora and fauna to store in the database. I guess we should have asked the Dendrians for a complete listing of known vegetation and what creatures they knew of. That we we’re not brushing up against ‘leaves of death’ or something.”

They walked a bit further and he stopped to look around. “I hear Admiral Wegener enjoyed his time down on the planet. Stayed in a cabin in the woods, or something? I can see why he’d enjoy that. I’m kinda’ digging it myself. Besides the obvious look of the place, you can have some real privacy. Probably the best part.”

“Is that a hint Nicky?” She stepped around a stump, examining the flora around her as they went. “And what do you mean leaves of death? Everything’s so pretty. Look at that.” She pointed to a tall purple and yellow flower that swayed just ahead.

“Yeah, but wait until we get near it. The damn thing might come alive and try to eat us whole!” He laughed. “Natural camouflage, helping it lure victims to their deaths and its survival.”

They walked up to the flower and waited. Nothing. Not a flower of pain, or a flower of decapitation...just a flower.

He shrugged. “Oh well,” then turned to her with a smile and a cocked brow. “And hint about what? You know me better than that. I just blurt out things.”

“The cabin.” She paused as the flower leaned closer to Nick. “Apparently your magnetism is more than animal. I think it likes you.”

He turned and the flower’s petals were opening up as it came closer in. His eyes went wide and he pulled his Mek’leth as he jumped back. “See! I told you! Flowers of death!”

As he stood ready to hack it to pieces, it only discharged a wonderful smell toward them both then bent back to its original position.

He was quite embarrassed and began mumbling as he sheathed the knife. “Well...hmph.” And he didn’t like it that Leto was giggling at him.

Walking on he said, “I wouldn’t mind spending some time in a cabin like Rick did. Especially with you. Imagine it! No interruptions, minimal machinery, a good fire in the fireplace and, from what I heard, some good hunting! Then nothing better to do after all of that but to keep each other company.” He had a big, goofy grin on his face by this point, imagining it all, especially the last bit.

“It does sound really good.” Leto cast a glance sideways at Nick. His grin was infectious and she smiled in return. She was feeling pretty relaxed now herself and she slipped her hand into Nick’s. “This seems like a pretty quiet area. Nothing to fear here.”

Looking down at their hands, then up to see her gorgeous eyes, he stood in closer. “Unless you’re counting me,” he said. “By the way, have we ever made love on a strange planet out in the woods with untold creatures lurking around us? Because if we haven’t...I think it’s about time.”

“We are on duty, remember.” She leaned in closer and sniffed. “You smell wonderful….” There was a faint sprinkling of pink dust on his shoulder. She touched it, then held it to her nose. The smell was stronger and realization drifted into her somewhat addled brain. “The flower.”

“And when has being on duty stopped--huh?” he asked, now confused. “The flower?” He sniffed the air and realized whatever the flower had put on him was now stronger. “Did we just--? Was that actually a flower of death?”

The question got a laugh from Leto. “I don’t think it’s death so much as the flower of happiness. Not a bad thing in small doses but it could be an issue. Better scan it closer and flag it. I’ll wait over here in case you overdose.”

“Wh-what?” he said in surprise. “I see how it is. Sending the pig to slaughter.” He took his time getting back over to the flower, his tricorder banging away at it specifically now for evidence of any airborne particles that could cause what they were feeling, or possibly something worse.

“How am I supposed to flag it? We didn’t bring any, well, flags! And I sure as hell don’t want it touch me. This fucker’s lucky I didn’t lop it’s head right off.” He glared at it. “Might still do it.”

“Coordinates, Nick.” Leto slipped closer, watching Nick and the flower. She stopped a few yards away and tapped her comm badge. “Leto to Riley. We have something you should check into from a science standpoint. Nick will send the coordinates. I suggest you wear a gas mask. Leto out.” She closed the channel. “That should do it. Let’s move on and see if other air clears it up for you.”

Walking away the turned and growled at the flower, desperately wanting to crush it into the ground. But when he turned back around, he took Leto’s hand again. “Sure we don’t have time for a quickie?” He chuckled. “That plant did help give me some grand ideas.”

She laughed once more, then shook her head. “Later. But can you imagine if these things are all over? It’ll be the colony of peace and free love and nothing would ever get done. Let’s hope that whatever else we find is just as benign and not actual leaves of death.”

“Dirty hippies,” he muttered. “I would not be happy with that. No matter what the damn plant says.”

“That might explain why this place seems to be an oasis of calm in the center of a rebel uprising. Interesting thought isn’t it? I want to see what the Betazoids get from that flower too.” They passed on through the trees and soon reached a wide, gently flowing stream.

“Maybe we could bottle the flower’s shmutz and make a Happy Gun from it,” he said jokingly. Then, “Huh. I wonder if that would actually work?”

He looked at the tricorder to see if there were any life forms in the water. “Hmm. Some sort of aquatic life, smallish. And some sort of worm species.” He stepped down closer to the stream to get a better read on the worm that was lounging half in the water. “Decidedly not dangerous, as far as I can see. No teeth to speak of and it doesn’t have any weird mucous that might cause me to think I’m seeing dragons or something.” He looked back up to Leto. “Seriously. Why didn’t we get some of this from the Dendrians before we arrived? Would have saved us quite a bit of work, and silliness, or happiness. Whatever.” He looked back at the worm thing expecting it to begin burrowing into his boot or skin soon.

They both watched the worm for several minutes, then Leto shrugged. “We can. At least we’ve not seen any hidden rebel bases or barbarians waving knives. Other than you of course.”

He looked up and squinted an eye, giving her his best pirate impression. “Arrr!”

“Alright, let’s get going, Captain Hook.” Leto smiled and bumped against him. “Lead on.”

****************
Lt. Leto
Hippie (But Not Dirty)

Lt. Nick Marcinko
Just a Happy Half Klingon