Jungle Search

Lieutenant Commander J'Ross awoke early the next morning, partly by the sounds of others stirring in their sleep and partly due to the sounds of the last survey team arriving back at the camp.

Half an hour past before she finally got up, took a quick shower and put on her uniform jacket. She then headed for the mess hall, where she found most of the Federation Marines already tucking into their breakfasts. The last survey team were all sat at one table in deep discussion with each other. They all looked somewhat tired and in need of some rest and their uniforms were covered in small twigs and leaves from the jungle foliage. M'eko took some food from the replicator and walked towards the group.

As she sat down, the team leader acknowledged the Commander presence and they all made room for her to sit. As M'eko listened, she heard the team speak of the buildings they had found. From what M'eko could make out, it appeared to be similar to the settlement Colonel Phanan had described. What was different was the fact that this settlement had been build around the obelisk. From the survey scans, the settlement would appear to have been abandoned for at least a century.

The rest of the morning, J'Ross kept busy examining the results of the various survey teams and those taken by the four probes M'eko and Lieutenant Lloyd had launched the previous day. Amy had been working hard on the results, looking at the surface of the planet itself as well as the space around it. She still couldn't pinpoint the position of the planet, but she was able to narrow the area of its most likely to be.

The planetary scans had yielded more success and they now had a very good map of over eighty percent of the shielded area. Beyond that there was noting but empty desert, as if the shield was created to maintain a habitat suitable for life.

Examining the locations that the survey teams had visited and comparing them to the map, a pattern emerged. Each of the obelisks were placed about ten kilometres from the edge of the shield and were placed equidistant from each other, forming a circle. In total there were sixteen obelisks, each situated at a compass point.

As M'eko examined the map on her tricorder, she noticed that there were sixteen small clearings which appeared to be in another circle. As she examined these clearings further, she realised that these clearings lined up with the obelisks and if you drew a line from each obelisk, they would pass through the clearings and interact in the centre of the jungle.

This area was one of the places where the probes had not been able to scan and this was something that M'eko could not understand. It was like there was something that had blocked the probes scanners. Just then her comm. badge beeped. Tapping her badge, she heard the voice of Lieutenant Rahel Kahfre.

"J'Ross here." M'eko announced.

[Commander, I have just spoken with Captain Taybar and she's now in orbit above us.] Rahel stated. [I've apprised her of the situation and she wants the Saucer section back in orbit as soon as the survey teams are back.]

"The survey teams will be with you in about an hour." J'Ross reported. "I'm going to remain here and take a look at the data on the obelisk Colonel Phanan examined."

[Commander, the Captain informed me that they believe that the rogue Jem'Hadar vessel is heading back here.] Rahel continued. [They will be in orbit in about a day, I think we should start to think about evacuating the site and have everyone back on the Leviathan.]

"We still have another day." J'Ross commented. "I'd like to try and find any answers here."

[Understood.] Rahel confirmed. [One last request. The Captain has asked to speak to Goran'Agar and have him bring the best ten pilots he has in his group.]

"Understood, I'll go and speak with him now." J'Ross said. "He should be back with the survey team. I'll speak to you later."

The comm link closed and Rahel took a deep sigh.

She switched off the tricorder and headed into the mess hall, finding the survey teams and ordering them back to the Saucer section. She then headed off and found the Jem'Hadar group leader Goran'Agar and explained what Captain Taybar had requested.

An hour later, the survey teams along with Lieutenant Lloyd, Goran'Agar and several of the Jem'Hadar. Most of the Marines were still on the planet, patrolling the camp just in case. J'Ross however had a mission to undertake, she wanted to know what was at the centre of the jungle. Something about the missing data from the probes wasn't right and she wanted to find the answers.

Colonel Phanan, the commanding Marine had shown great doubts about exploring the interior, but had soon realised that the Lieutenant Commander was serious about investigating. She'd also denied the Marine's request to accompany her. She said that she could travel much faster through the jungle alone.

Of course this was true, her Caitan physiology did allow her to run much faster than the average human and her keen eyesight and hearing would aid her in the darkness of the thick jungle. And in a fight she was more than capable of defending herself.

So half an hour later, she set off into the jungle, alone.