Axeline stepped from the runabout onto the planet’s surface, took out his tricorder and started to scan the area.
"The radiation levels are still high, but we can counter-act any effects with inoculations. It’s still highest close to the old colony, no-one’s to go there without adequate protection," he announced to the rest of the crew.
One by one they exited the runabout and looked around at the surroundings. In the distance, they could just make out the remains of the original colony. Almost every living thing was dead, either scorched by the initial burst of energy or killed by the radiation.
The colonists had brought with them fresh soil to replace the radioactive surface soil around the new colony site. That would allow the colonists to re-planet enough new radiation resistant vegetation to at least start to balance the planet’s biosphere.
"Can someone give me a hand with this?" McAllister announced trying to push a large crate. Even with the anti-grav units, he was obviously having problems. Chee and Axeline both returned inside and helped to push the crate out onto the surface.
Next out was James Adama, the colony leader, driving a small vehicle. An hour later and after unloading several more crates, the runabout was empty.
"Time to go get the next load," McAllister announced.
"We’ll see you in about an hour," Chee replied, walking away from the runabout.
The runabout lifted off the surface and headed back towards the upper atmosphere.
"Anything we can help you with Mister Adama?" Chee asked.
"You can help get these crates open, one should have the prefab accommodation unit, the rest are air scubbers. We’re going to use the radioactive particles in the atmosphere to power the scubbers, cleaning the atmosphere and giving us power at the same time," Adama replied.
As McAllister returned with the second load, the accommodation unit was already up and the first of the scubbers was operating, clearing the air of radiation and providing power for the small building.
The second load aboard the Runabout was more scubbers, plus an industrial replicator and a decontamination unit.
Four hours later and after another three cargo runs, all the colonists' cargo was on the surface.
"How much light do you think we have left?" Adama asked.
"Why?" Chee asked.
"I’d like to take a quick look at the old colony. There maybe something that can be salvaged, or at least we can see where we will place the second phase of scubbers," Adama replied.
"I’d say we have a couple of hours, if we take the buggy we can have about half an hour looking around the colony. Doctor, what sort of protection would we need?" Chee asked.
"The radiation suits we brought with us should be adequate," Axeline replied. "I’ll get three from the decontamination unit."
"Three?" Chee inquired.
"I’m coming along, I’d like to double check the radiation levels," Axeline replied.
"Okay," Chee announced. "Let’s go take a look."
Half an hour later, they reached the old colony. There wasn’t much left, the core breach had destroyed most of the buildings, just the foundations were left. Axeline started scanning the area, taking readings. Then he hit his tricorder and then reached into his backpack, taking out a medical tricorder.
"Mister Adama," Axeline said. "If I remember the reports about this colony, there were a labyrinth of caves discovered close by."
"Yes, it’s about a hundred and fifty metres over there, on the outskirts of the colony," Adama replied, pointing in the general direction of a group of hills.
"What is it?" Chee asked, realising that the Doctor was puzzled over something.
"I’m picking up some biological readings," The Doctor explained, walking in the direction Adama had pointed. "And they’re in this direction. The report said that no-one was found in the colony, but what if the colonists were hiding somewhere and got trapped. The caves would be the obvious choice and it’s on the other side of the colony, the initial core detonation wouldn’t have caused too much damage. If I remember rightly, the colonists reported that they’d only just started to explore the caves."
The Doctor walked around the far side of the hillside that was in front of him. A large pile of rocks were blocking what appeared to be an entrance.
"They’re all dead now of course," he said. "But it would be nice to say that we’d found the colonists, even if it’s just a group of bodies."
Axeline took his phaser and setting it to the highest setting, fired at the rubble. The rubble blocking the entrance disappeared.
"There’s definitely some kind of biological matter inside and not too deep," Axeline stated, stepping inside. Chee rushed over to the cave entrance hoping to stop the Doctor, but he was too late. He went inside and around a corner, then came to a stop.
"I’m reading sixty-three bodies: forty adult males, thirteen adult females and ten children," Axeline announced. "Cause of death unknown, but I think we’ve found our missing colonists."
"Doctor, it’s probably not safe here," Chee stated looking around. "We should go back and report to Wallace."
"I’d like to take some samples before we leave; give me five minutes," Axeline asked. "I’d like to know how these people died."
"Okay. Five minutes, then we head back," Chee replied.
Axeline started taking skin samples from each of the bodies.
"Your five minutes are up," Chee announced. "Time to go."
Axeline stood up and took one last look at the group of dead bodies. Taking a big sigh, he left the cave. Something in the back of his mind was bugging him, there was something about the bodies that didn’t seem right. Hopefully, the tissue samples would give him the answers.
Fifty minutes later, they were back on the runabout and heading back to the Hornet. So far, they’d not reported their findings to Commodore Wallace, they wanted to do that in person.
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