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"My ability?"

Jiseth could not help but chuckle and held her hand over her own face as rubbed her ridges with her middle finger and thumb.

"I distinctly remember going out to dinner to treat myself to a splendid evening for getting commissioned. Had a solid and hollow pip to show for it. Then this cadet in a teal uniform comes barging into the restaurant, goes straight to the bar, and starts hammering whiskey like she's got a contest to win by doing so. The rank went to my head of course and I thought I might set this young lady straight, but she wasn't going to have any of it. Didn't once refer to me as ma'am or sir or even lieutenant... Nope. I was Pointy to her and somehow the rest of that night became one of the best of my life. Tonight I think topped it though." 

away team tag

It's slowly getting better, but we have such a long way to go. Like I don't get how my partner and I holding hands in public is an invitation for other people to tell us what they think about our lifestyle choices.

The gay agenda is a simple one: survive.

"Lieutenant Nevir, I believe this is your mission.  I will do whatever I can to aid the team, but as this began as an exploration of a scientific nature...it would be logical for it to be you," Sukal stated to his counterpart.

He stumbled for a moment as he made his way to the where the suits were contained, and handed one to Tekin while taking another for himself and laying the other out for Jiseth.  His head was throbbing madly, and a moment of dizziness washed over him causing new spots before his eyes.  Again, the Vulcan/Betazoid's eyes narrowed in concentration as he steadied himself and began putting the suit on.

"We're short.... I should have guessed we wouldn't make it all the way to our initial landing site.  We should be lucky Jiseth was able to keep us airborne as long as she did.  But we have some bad news... worse than the fact that we're in a seismically unstable area." he said, closing the tricorder.

"The volcano is disrupting our sensors, communication won't be possible with our current equipment.  And on top of that, the large storm we were hoping to avoid is expected to make landfall here within a day.  Top priority is shelter.  The shuttle is not a safe location.  Sukal, see if you can activate the distress beacon on the shuttle... it probably won't do much good, but if the signal can slip through the volcanic disturbance, it may help us.  Jiseth, I'll help you load the buggy.  We leave as soon as the beacon is taken care of.

Moving to the back of the buggy, Jiseth extended rear cannon from its stored position. There were two clamps on either side of its actuator that she reached for and unlocked. Bless the Federation for their obsession with modular designs. The weapon itself was heavier than expected. She had to climb up the rear bumper and lift with her rather enhance legs before gingerly stepping down with a thud followed by another.

The vehicle looked a touch front heavy without the weight in the back, but that would soon be filled with all the things they would need to survive. As for the gun, the Romulan hefted it into the rear bay of the shuttle and unceremoniously dropped it into the storage locker where the suits had been kept. She knew time was growing short and found herself between a rock and a hard place when it came to recommending a route they take.

High ground would keep them above flooding, but in danger of landslides. Higher altitudes meant better chance of catching a signal from the Discovery, but also greater winds and colder temperatures. The volcano erupts and they get corned by lava: they die. The buggy gets tipped over by wind or water: they die. Their CO2 filters fail: they die. The heaters in their shelter fail: they die slower. So many options that do not involve living, which she hated. Her training only made her more apt to not succumb to the odds, or lack thereof, when it came to pondering their survival.

She took a large container bag normally used for rock collection and simply used her whole other arm to rake in the ration packs. Three meals a day for three people meant they could live of these for 45 Sols. Ration them to a meal twice a day and they would have enough food to last a little over 9 weeks which was more than enough time for either the statistical likelihood of rescue or rocks to fall from the sky and kill all three of them. With this in mind she tossed the bag into the rear of the buggy and pushed it into a corner.

"We have plenty of food, but hydration is going to be an issue. The air too dry in this area to capture enough moisture to sustain three people. There's enough bottled liquid for about a week tops. Collecting rain water from that storm might actually keep us going."

Loading a second bag with all the aforementioned bottled nourishment, she placed this one on the opposite corner in the rear behind the forward passenger seat. Stepping around to the driver's side, Jiseth looked over the display panel.

"Just over half way charged... Any ideas as what killed power to the Theseus?"

Anger was perhaps the emotion she was feeling the least of. Regret. Horror. Mostly the latter. There were too many things that Zero had been through that Jiseth could never seem to be able to talk about outside of the two of them. Sure there were issues of classified nature and so forth, privacy too, but for all the help they had gotten over the years there always seemed to be a lack of justice served. By this point she was convinced they both deserved new identities if nothing else.

She was taking deep breaths now as her face tinged green from the blood rushing to her capillaries. A hug would be the normal response, perhaps, but neither were normal women and their togetherness hardly a normal situation. Enough boundaries had been crossed by others and the Romulan cared not to do the same.

"...I think that is a goal we can accomplish together. You're the strongest person I've ever known. That alone gives me hope. As does our daughter. She won't have our scars, that much we can be certain of. She'll grow to be better than either of us and if all I can do is bring a smile to that girl's face and a warmth in her heart, that would be a life worth living."

Sprawling her arms out along the top of the cushion, Jiseth slouched in her seat and leaned her head back to stare towards the ceiling into nothingness. It was absurd how humans could talk of inclusiveness and then a moment later merely want domination. She had no high ground herself being Romulan, but if anyone could understand Zero's predicament it was probably the pointy-eared adrenaline junky sitting next to her.

"They only wanted me to confess some asinine plot to sabotage Starfleet... Different group, though still human. Similar goals. Cadets even... Spent most of my life living among them on Earth and you would think they could get used to someone like me, or us, but no. We're not superior because of our flesh and blood. We've lived through what they haven't. They will never understand the damage the do because it does not happen to them and they refuse to see it as wrong. Everyone, and I mean everyone, thinks they're the good guys. That our ideals are somehow justification for harm. Or murder..."

She slowly drew in a breath and held it for about ten seconds before letting it go in a long sigh.

"Look at us... They clipped my wings to keep me tame, and kept you in a cage to do the same. It's probably stupid to ask if you're alright, but all the same... I'm willing to listen when you need or want it. At least for me, I still have nightmares..."

I grew up there. Flying back tomorrow to donate blood.

Dragging her chin from the top of the cushion, Jiseth sat up. Her reputation generally contained two things: unquestionable skill in her profession and, perhaps more immediately noticed, her righteous fury. Normally she strode down the middle of the corridor and people parted to get out of the way. Nowadays she hugged the bulkheads in case she lost balance. Her eyes could still shoot gazes as baleful as a Warbird's disruptor beam.

This however, was not something she wanted to bring home. Though technically this was not her home. Well, blatantly. She was still adjusting to being a well-known stranger to just about everyone. Callion had just met her, a simple enough adjustment. Zero's case was... complicated.

"...I can keep a lid on my temper. Besides, I wouldn't want to wake Callion so, please, tell me what happened."

The Romulan's eyebrows furrowed slightly. Something was not quite right. There was a quick glance around the room. The first idea to meet the logical guillotine was Zero having a significant other walk in the quarters suddenly. It did not seem to make sense either that she would fear her reaction to something that on the scale of things was rather trivial. Callion was alive and well and you did not get more optimum than that.

Jiseth's attention went down to their hands. Something she felt through Zero's. A vibration that she did not feel through the seat or her foot on the floor. It was not the ship so it had to be Zero herself. Her face relaxed and she leaned toward the pale woman resting her chin on the back cushion of the couch. Though her face was aimed toward a viewport with starts streaking by, her eyes were turned about as much as they could go.

"Is that why you seem so... nervous? I'm not angry, if that's what it's about. Far from it actually. Maybe I'm just being paranoid... Something else happen to you while I was gone? Sadly don't have your knowledge of the physical needs to sustain a human body, but I'd be a near useless partner if I couldn't do something to help."

Finally ground side, Nevir stood up and tapped his badge.

"Theseus to Bridge..... Theseus to Captain Briggs.... Theseus to Endeavor..."=/\=

There was no answer... it just wasn't getting through.

"Well, this trip just took a crappy turn.  Status?"

"This is fine."

She lied. Leaving the cockpit, she moved to the rear of the craft and pulled the manual release to lower the boarding ramp. That much at least worked as light poured in from the outside. There was a hastiness in her efforts, one by one freeing each wheel of the buggy. At this moment she needed the catharsis to keep from feeling so damn helpless. Stepping to the front of the vehicle and pushing it slowly backward, the buggy's austere comforts were now their lifeline.

"Get a suit on and helmet, both of you. One good gas cloud coming down the volcano and we all suffocate. Grab the rations, med kits, shelter canvas, whatever we can stuff into that thing or strap to the side. I'll let you two discuss who should take command since we're all the same rank. Just tell me where to drive."

Fortunately, her search and rescue training would pay off today. Unfortunately, it meant they would have to wait for the buggy to charge up. Starfleet did at least go well out of their way to consider all the things that would be required to sustain a crew when stranded. After strapping on a atmospheric filter box to her chest and connecting the hose to her helmet, Jiseth began moving in and out of the shuttle to retrieve and set up the four solar arrays that would recharge the buggy.

The second part of her task was taking the spare fuel cells for it and securing them to the side of the vehicle. There were small clips that extended out for her to place them on their side along it, but each was quite heavy even for her Romulan strength. It would be far worse if she were alone in this as three heads were better than one, but three stomachs certainly were not. Hopefully, they would find some native plant that had fruit which was edible.

As the console in the buggy lit up, Jiseth felt a bit relieved. Once these ones charged, she could do the same to the others as they went along, though for maximum range their speed would be at most 30 kilometers per hour. Slow, but at least purposeful. The sooner they got away from the volcano the better.

"What should we do about the rear gun? It's just excess weight at the moment since we can charge a hand phaser from the buggy console if we need something to clear an obstacle. Can I ditch it?"

There were a few nods as Jiseth listened. As much as she hated Corinth, she could stand on the sidelines so long as Zero remained unharmed though there were definitely dreams she had of putting a disruptor to his head and pulling the trigger. That and letting Ghost use his remains in place of the sand-like grains of a doggy litter box. She did have to concede that this particular canine did far more protecting than she ever did. Such a good pup.

Her gaze focused on Ghost for a few moments before shifting back to Zero. If anyone could figure out her walking predicament, it was this pale Augment. In fact, she had probably been spoiled rotten by her superior skills and a regular old doctor who graduated at the top of their class simply would not due. Besides, Zero had far more of a vested interest in her well-being and Jiseth allowed herself some small comfort in this fact.

The reason behind it mattered little. Maybe it was to show off her talents. Or so enough longevity could be provided so she could fulfill her role as a parent. Maybe it was out of love. Or all of the above. Zero had to date never let her down and there was no reason to think otherwise.

"I don't want to overstay my welcome, but would it be too much to ask to see a recording of Callion's birth?"

There was an almost stern look on Jiseth's face when Zero mentioned the reports. Then came a shrug and a shake of her head.

"I read the reports as well. They were rather convincing though not specific in regards to the manner in which I died. Sanitized for the average reader I suppose. You and Callion are the only family I have who knows I'm still alive. Not sure I can tell my mother or my siblings... They already have a grave and performed a funeral after all..."

She slowly mustered as smile as well.

"Guess you have two ghosts here... I don't want to take you away from your research, but at the same time, you are technically my doctor and I would prefer to keep flying. Speaking of, what have you been up to since my disappearance?"

Her eyes opened slowly feeling Zero's hand on her own. For a moment she questioned what was motivating the contact. Queer girls always seem to overestimate such things and she was no exception. Probably the stereotype. Ever so slowly she turned her hand around so their palms touched and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry I did not reach out sooner. I was... afraid. There was a time I thought it best I never come back, no matter how much it hurt. I could not endure that path. It felt... wrong. At the very least I had to know you were alright."

Her attention shifted to their hands together.

"...I missed this. I still do. Suppose I should learn how to walk better anything. Can't have Ghost catching her all the time because I can't keep up. He's too easily bribed. Anything you could do would be vastly better than these things they stuck on me."

Slipping away, Jiseth took one last look at Callion as she tried to commit this moment to a lasting memory. If nothing else, a further motivation to better herself for the child's sake if not her own. It seemed to go by too fast, however. Not just the time since she walked into their quarters, but ever since she first met Zero. It tore her up that in total she had spent more months in a coma than living with the woman who she wanted as a partner.

Reemerging from the bedroom, she made her way step by step to the couch and sat down. Coming down a touch faster than she would have liked, Jiseth quickly sat up straight though her posture was always far from Zero's perfect one. With her hands in her lap, she tried to look the Augment in the eye, but it was not long before hers drifted to the floor.

"...Do you recall the project Admiral Brown gave me? That shuttle I had been working on? Well, I don't think I did a good enough of a job. Took it to the Gamma Quadrant for a test flight. The deuterium cryofuel tank exploded. The cockpit was smashed when I hit the ground and the nerves in my legs were too badly damaged for the biosynthetic ones to function. So I went through a second double amputation and they gave me these things. Crude, but functional. Probably more than someone like me deserves."

Putting her index finger and thumb to the bridge of her nose, Jiseth closed her eyes trying to contain her emotions.

"I have a vague idea of how long I was in a coma, but I definitely remember waking up. They had me immobile in traction for months. Plenty of people specializing in Vulcan care and not a damn soul who had a clue about Romulans for several sectors. Hell, my court martial was done in the hospital room. Had to record my eye moments as a means to have me sign documents. Took a year of physical therapy just to get a jog going in these stupid things. They used Borg-like nano probes to build the neural bridges which give me locomotion and little else. Probably no good as a dance partner anymore."

"Discovery activated an alert status. I'll try to see what's going on up there-" he started, before the lights dimmed and the engine sounded like it was shutting down.  Nevir sat back up immediately, looking back at the two for a moment.  "That wasn't my doing... we're losing power!"

The shuttle was suddenly offline... only just gliding inside the atmosphere.

[Shuttle Theseus]

"We're what!"

Jiseth tried to shout through her helmet before everything went dark. The hum of the engines, even the warp core, were gone and the steady floor began to vibrate from the shifting air currents outside as they descended. A loud but low-pitched whistling accompanied the shaking. There were many things to trouble shoot, though none of them were as dire as the issue of gravity.

Reaching to the far left of her console, she pulled at a small lever on the bulkhead. From it extended the manual controls, but while she could regain control of the attitude, that did not change the fact it was a dire emergency. Speaking of, she was currently flying a brick with modest wings at best. It was becoming more like the Romulan was directing which way they were falling than flying as the low-level clouds started to grow in the main viewport.

Oh come on, I just meet my kid and now I'm gonna die in another bloody shuttle accident!

"I can set her down in the shallow part on the far end of that lake up ahead. Not perfect, but my maneuvering options are nil at the moment. Any other suggestions?"