Exploring Campor City - Part I

Posted on Thu Dec 14th, 2023 @ 3:35pm by Captain Ryhl th'Zeles & Lieutenant Commander Johanna Lyngstad
Edited on on Thu Dec 14th, 2023 @ 3:36pm

1,556 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Campor III - Resupply
Location: Campor III - Campor City
Timeline: MD C14, 1100 hours

=/\= On =/\=

---Ready Room---

Captain th'Zeles sat at the edge of the long table at the opposite end of his desk. The sofa and chair which sat against the wall from it were also some distance away. Illumination beacons gave the khaki walls a soft glow.

Lieutenant Commander Lyngstad, Lieutenant Soros and Lieutenant Junior Grade Drylo sat close to Ryhl as he spoke.

"You might be wondering what we're up to today. Simple. We're going to visit the capital.. Campor City. Our plan is to explore, talk to some locals and see what information we can gather."

He looked each officer from eye to eye as he spoke, moving his gaze from officer to officer. Hints of warmth tugged at his upturned lips and lowered eyelids. "I think we should study the market. There's sure to be interesting people and things to see there."

"We're supposed to be meeting up with a contact from the local security forces", Ryhl continued. "Each of you has your area of expertise. Miss Drylo.. I'd like you to keep an eye out for an erratic behaviors or suspicious responses to our presence. Miss Lyngstad, we'll be looking for interesting samples.. Anything that stands out.. The same goes for Ops, Miss Soros."

"This is the largest market on Campor. Our contact says they have a few vendors they want us to check up on." Ryhl paused for a moment. "Any questions?"

Feeva nodded her understanding. "Is it...safe? I remember the other team that the Commander lead faced a bit of safety problem? I could be misremembering. It's been a busy week," she said. Adding Commander Razka's child's care to her schedule hadn't been in the plan but she didn't really mind TOO badly, it was just an extra few minutes of work each day she hadn't anticipated, and others were high-needs at the moment, as often was the case in tense fights like these. She hadn't had time to recall anyone for sessions-required or requested-either. "Perhaps breaking up into teams of two? We could cover more ground that way," she said. She looked down. Perhaps her going out in her uniform was best-sometimes, she didn't wear it in her official duties as ship's Counselor, but for more Diplomatic facing duties, it might be a better idea. The teal tunic was freshly pressed, pristine. She always was, though.

"This should be in a much safer area", said Ryhl. "It should be no different than a city on Bolarus IX.. Or even Earth. I want us to stick together just so I can ask you all for advice. At least at first.. Maybe we can split up later. We're also stronger together.. Just in case anything should occur."

Feeva nodded her understanding. "Thank you, sir, I understand," she said. "Earth is a scary place sometimes," she remarked absently. Her late husband had taken her there. She hated it.

Rhyl looked to Johanna next.

"No questions, sounds good, Skipper." The words came out before she could stop herself. She didn't know if the Captain would be offended by the casual term. "No disrespect intended, Captain." Johanna hoped that they knew each other well enough where he would be cool with the term.

He smiled, warmed at Johanna's use of the colloquial term. "None taken. I know I can be formal, but those are just my old Andorian ways. I appreciate that." He glance moved to Lt. Soros.

Rachel followed suit and gave a nod. "Sounds good Captain. I'll make sure to be on the lookout and I'll have a passive scan set on my tricorder so I can keep it closed and in it's holster. If it picks up any odd signatures it'll let us know. I'm not expecting much but who knows what may be hidden down there."

"That will prove useful. Okay.. I think we're about ready to go. I'm bringing a phaser. If anyone else has room to bring one, feel free." Ryhl often wore his jacket to double holster a phaser and tricorder. "I think I'll trust your tricorder readings for this op, Miss Soros", he said with an excitement in his eyes.

"Okay, I think we're ready to start heading out. Meet me in the transporter room in twenty minutes. If you need more time, just let me know."

While Rachel didn't exactly prefer the outward look of being armed with a phaser, especially since they were on more of what she considered a survey mission, she didn't like the idea of going down empty handed either. As such she decided she's take a smaller hand phaser that she could tuck the holster inside of her waistband for and hide under he jacket. Better to be prepared in case.

---Campor City - The Gosbene Markets---

Four sets of blue and white lights sparkled until they materialized into the four Starfleet officers. They were whisked away from Transporter Room 1 and surrounded by the warm, golden light of Campor City. Tall buildings formed a canyon of wide pathways.

It was in this urban valley, flanked by exotic trees and manicured grasses, that the market stood. The vibrant bazaar was a cacophony of color, species, and exotic wares, with its melange of stalls stretching beneath a canopy of fluttering alien fabrics. A symphony of voices filled the air as merchants from various corners of the galaxy offered their unique wares.

Ryhl's keen Andorian antennae twitched amidst the lively atmosphere. A vibrant cascade of exotic alien species from Bajoran to Bolian and Ferengi to Trill hawked their goods. Their fervor reverberated through the multicolored canopies.

Shimmering fabrics, intricate jewelry, rare flora, and alien artifacts glistened under the amber sunlight. The aromatic scents of sweet and spicy alien cuisines wafted through the humid air. Amidst this kaleidoscope of culture, the officers prepared to navigate this sea of commerce.

"Let's stay close", Ryhl said as he turned to the officers. "Does anybody see anything interesting?"

Johanna saw some very pretty fabric. ~ That would make a very elegant nightgown. Comfortable too. ~ Something in the air had a very pungent odor. ~ Like classic Indian cooking. ~ But these were things one could find at any market. "We could follow our noses and check out the food stalls." Johanna suggested.

Feeva's well-trained senses were on alert. Her eyes shifted from left to right, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells all at once. She was able to relax after a moment-the Captain had proven correct-it was safe here, at least so far. Nothing was piquing her sense of danger too badly. She really needed to contact some friends back on Vissia and figure out how they could tap into any sort of telepathy they may have in their genomes. "It resembles a curry from Earth. Ginger..." she said. "My late husband was a fan of Indian cuisine from that planet." She said. "I agree, food stalls will have any number of people, from all classes and parts of society-food is a great unifier. That's a good place to start," she said.

"I like your advice. People will likely gather there.. And speak. Might be a good place to approach people", Ryhl said as they set off walking. Ryhl looked to Rachel. "I'm sure your tricorder will hit on interesting signatures along the way. Any interesting readings yet?" He realized her tricorder was on passive scan mode, but was curious.

"Nothing significant yet, definitely some larger power sources but those are to be expected. I'm more worried about possible weapons signatures or high levels of radiation, things that stick out. I'll stay sharp Sir." She glanced down at the top of her tricorder but the blue lights indicating operation remained blinking in their usual pattern. She also brushed her elbow against her waist to double check her phaser still being in place, even tho she knew it was.

"If there's one thing I've learned.. The best food stalls are usually buried deep within the shops. I'm sure we'll run into.."

Ryhl was distracted, cutting off to pause mid-sentence. His eyes and antennae focused on a modern looking stall wedged between a metal shop and a jeweler. Small cages contained live creatures. The small wildlife were being sold as pets. They squeaked and skittered. "...all sorts of interesting things", Ryhl finally continued.

Some creatures were slimy and scaly, climbing along the walls of the cage, or basking in the sun. Other furry pets hummed and chattered, one sandy colored creature possessing an ivory-colored horn extending from the top of its forehead. It purred and moved towards the officers as they approached.

As Ryhl led the officers towards the pet stand, the Tellarite shopkeeper snorted. "Welcome! Captain... Lieutenants", he shouted with open arms across the distance. "Could any of you use a new pal for your travels? Looking for anything in particular?"

Feeva recoiled slightly. The idea of pets was foreign to her-it wasn't a practice on Vissia and she had her own views on the moral and ethical keeping of other beings for one's own entertainment. She kept these thoughts to herself. "My daughter would enjoy this," she remarked. "Commander Razka's child, as well, I am sure." She said.

OFF:

Captain Ryhl th'Zeles 
Commanding Officer 
USS Columbia 

Lt. Commander Johanna Lyngstad
Chief Science Officer 
USS Columbia 

Lieutenant Rachel Soros 
Chief Operations Officer
USS Columbia 

Lieutenant JG Feeva Drylo
Counselor
USS Columbia

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