Lost

Prologue

There were six members of the team in all, and at fifty years of age, Ana had earned her reputation and position as head of the expedition. The group consisted of two geologists, two xenobiologists, and two xenobotanists. They had been sent to Beta Arcida IV as part of an advance scouting mission to determine its suitability for colonization. The planet had proven to be a veritable treasure trove of valuable minerals and was blessed with uncommonly fertile soil, which would be able to support a wide variety of Terran plants. Combined with a moderate climate and no sentient species present, it represented a most promising prospect. As a matter of fact, with the exception of a few small animals resembling Terran moles, there were no mammals at all, the predominant species being birds and insects. It was rare to find a class M planet that was not already home to an intelligent, indigenous population, and plans were currently underway to start clearing the planet for habitation, based on the information the team had gleaned so far on their month-long mission. Two weeks into the task, based on their preliminary findings, they had found no reason to alter the scheduled timetable for colonization. The team members had done a thorough assessment of the surface; all that remained was a cursory exploration of the subterranean caverns that seemed to be in abundance on this continent, before settlement of the planet by various species within the Federation could begin.

The sky overhead was crystal clear, the morning dew sparkling on the grass and trees, the sun working to evaporate the condensation rapidly, leaving a slight haze in its wake. Ana Lucia Cruz finished stuffing the last of their cool weather gear, along with their other spelunking tools, into her field pack, distractedly tucking a wisp of long, chestnut brown hair that had escaped from her ponytail behind her ear. It was temperate enough here on the surface, but would be a constant, 8 degrees Celsius down in the catacombs. Securing the contents snugly, she called out, "Ready, Watson?"

"Just gimme a minute to collect the rest of the gear and then we can go," Stefan said, favoring her with a youthful smile. At the tender age of twenty-three, he was the youngest member of the group. This was his first mission as a geologic specialist, and he was trying desperately to make a good impression. He loped toward one of the temporary structures and disappeared inside, emerging a few minutes later with an overstuffed pack slung over his shoulders. "Got the LED lanterns, geologic tricorders, holo camera and sample kits, as well as a day's rations in case we decide to stay in there overnight." His grin was enthusiastic and infectious, and she couldn't help but return it.

"Okay, let's get moving then. Stiffler," she called. A red head and bespeckled face poked out of one of the doors to the prefab buildings that comprised the team's base camp.

"Yeah, chief?"

"Watson and I are heading off to begin explorations of the underground cave system. The deeper we go, the less chance there'll be that we'll be able to maintain radio contact, so don't be alarmed if you don't hear from us for a while. Depending on what we find there, we may spend the night, so don't the rest of you hold dinner for us, and don't wait up," she remarked.

"Gotcha Chief." And just as suddenly as it had appeared, the head was withdrawn.

"Ready?" she asked her companion.

"Do Tribbles hate Klingons?" he replied, mischief dancing in his clear, blue eyes.

She laughed in spite of herself, and was instantly sure she had never been that young, or that enthusiastic.

The two of them set off at a brisk pace for the nearest entrance to the underground cave system, located approximately two kilometers to the northeast.

***

"Wow! I can't believe the precious minerals present down here," Watson commented, the unrestrained awe evident in his voice, "and these natural formations are just awesome! "It musta been the perdantium that prevented our detecting them earlier. This planet will be a true Eden for the Federation," he finished breathlessly, fumbling to retrieve the holo camera from his pack.

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing," Ana Lucia concurred, waving her tricorder over the stunning scene before her. They had traveled about a kilometer below the surface, donning their cold weather gear at the entrance. The tunnels were unremarkable, but the caverns they led to were absolutely beautiful. Stalactites and stalagmites adorned almost every surface, much as they did in Terran caves, or those on other Federation worlds. Here they were made all the more beautiful by the plentitude of bioluminescent organisms, clinging to just about every surface, bathing the catacomb's interior in a soft, eerie light. All the various forms were represented: cave pearls, bacon or curtain formations, soda straws, and Aragonite and Anthodite crystals were all present in abundance, as well as numerous other types, some of which they had never encountered before. The two geologists were having a field day, so much so that they were completely absorbed in photographing and cataloguing all that they saw, and were totally unaware they were being observed. Watson was capturing a 3D digital rendition of a particularly impressive bacon formation when Ana screamed. He turned abruptly at the sound, the holo camera slipping from his nerveless fingers, startled and sickened at the sight that met his eyes. He turned to run, but the creature was upon him before he had taken more than a few steps.

***

These were larger and tastier than her usual fare, their outsides soft and pliant, unlike the brittle or downy texture she was familiar with. But the sounds emanating from them were somewhat jarring, indeed. They were a bit more vocal than she was accustomed to, their high-pitched whines and cries an assault to her sensitive ears. No matter, she found with the second one that if she ate the portion responsible for the offensive racket first, she could then enjoy the rest of her meal in silence. Yes, these were delicious, indeed. Wondering why they had not been included amongst her daily rations before, she found them much to her liking, and instructed her soldiers to secure more of them as quickly as possible.