(no subject)
Planetside, part 3
Cally and Starbuck had left the ship around 0800 hours, and by the time they reached the far edge of the forest it was just past midday. They had expected to make better time, but the forest had been overgrown with rotted logs sometimes lying on top of one another. Twice they'd had to find their way around large masses of downed trees, and even when they'd gotten through, it had been difficult.
Now they faced the edge of a large clearing. With yesterday's bird attack still fresh in her mind, Kara didn't want them to charge out into the open while still tired. If they had to run for cover, she wanted them as fresh as possible.
Cally was still sitting against the log, her rifle next to her on the ground.
"Make sure you can get to that rifle quickly. The last thing we need right now is to not be ready for another surprise."
The specialist moved a hand down onto the gun and nodded without lifting her head.
Kara paced. Normally, silence was something she didn't mind, but the stillness of this forest seemed abnormal to her, and she stayed on her feet, her eyes constantly shifting, trying to see between the trees.
"LT?"
"Yeah?"
"You wanna sit down? You're kind of making me nervous."
The Lieutenant could hear the slight tremor in the younger woman's voice, and with one last look at the surrounding trees, she sat down next to her.
"What do you hear, Cally?"
"Huh?" She raised her head. "I don't hear anything."
Starbuck shook her head. "The proper response, Specialist, is 'nothing but the rain.'" She peeked at Cally and let a grin cross her face. "It's just an old jogging refrain from Officer training. Never mind." Looking around at the forest, she nodded. "I know, it's creepy in here, huh?"
"Yeah." The younger woman took a deep breath. "Creepy. Did you notice how those trees were down?"
"What do you mean?" Kara couldn't think of anything unique about downed trees in an old forest.
"I mean, they still had roots on the ends. Some of them were blown, and some just fell cause they were rotted, but some almost seemed to be pushed over by hand." Cally shook her head. "Or maybe it was my imagination. It probably was."
Starbuck stayed quiet for a moment. She remembered seeing what Cally described, but not having spent a lot of time outside, she didn't know it would mean anything. "Are you telling me you think there's something here, Specialist?"
Cally shook her head. "No. No, I'm not." She bit her lip. "Gods, I hope I'm not telling you that."
Taking a deep breath, the Lieutenant tightened her grip on her rifle. "I hope so too."
Carefully, Kara flexed her bad knee to keep it from stiffening. She'd been using it too much, in ways Doc Cottle would never have agreed with. But it was necessary. She just hoped he wouldn't give her too much crap about it. After all, this was a mission, and it was necessary.
She noticed Cally rubbing her upper arm, where the tear in her jacket was.
"You okay? I thought Jodi said you weren't hurt."
"I wasn't. There's a tiny scratch and a bruise. It just aches a little, that's all."
"Not gonna be a hindrance if you have to fire, will it?"
Cally shook her head. "No. It won't." That won't be the hindrance, no.
Cally and Starbuck had left the ship around 0800 hours, and by the time they reached the far edge of the forest it was just past midday. They had expected to make better time, but the forest had been overgrown with rotted logs sometimes lying on top of one another. Twice they'd had to find their way around large masses of downed trees, and even when they'd gotten through, it had been difficult.
Now they faced the edge of a large clearing. With yesterday's bird attack still fresh in her mind, Kara didn't want them to charge out into the open while still tired. If they had to run for cover, she wanted them as fresh as possible.
Cally was still sitting against the log, her rifle next to her on the ground.
"Make sure you can get to that rifle quickly. The last thing we need right now is to not be ready for another surprise."
The specialist moved a hand down onto the gun and nodded without lifting her head.
Kara paced. Normally, silence was something she didn't mind, but the stillness of this forest seemed abnormal to her, and she stayed on her feet, her eyes constantly shifting, trying to see between the trees.
"LT?"
"Yeah?"
"You wanna sit down? You're kind of making me nervous."
The Lieutenant could hear the slight tremor in the younger woman's voice, and with one last look at the surrounding trees, she sat down next to her.
"What do you hear, Cally?"
"Huh?" She raised her head. "I don't hear anything."
Starbuck shook her head. "The proper response, Specialist, is 'nothing but the rain.'" She peeked at Cally and let a grin cross her face. "It's just an old jogging refrain from Officer training. Never mind." Looking around at the forest, she nodded. "I know, it's creepy in here, huh?"
"Yeah." The younger woman took a deep breath. "Creepy. Did you notice how those trees were down?"
"What do you mean?" Kara couldn't think of anything unique about downed trees in an old forest.
"I mean, they still had roots on the ends. Some of them were blown, and some just fell cause they were rotted, but some almost seemed to be pushed over by hand." Cally shook her head. "Or maybe it was my imagination. It probably was."
Starbuck stayed quiet for a moment. She remembered seeing what Cally described, but not having spent a lot of time outside, she didn't know it would mean anything. "Are you telling me you think there's something here, Specialist?"
Cally shook her head. "No. No, I'm not." She bit her lip. "Gods, I hope I'm not telling you that."
Taking a deep breath, the Lieutenant tightened her grip on her rifle. "I hope so too."
Carefully, Kara flexed her bad knee to keep it from stiffening. She'd been using it too much, in ways Doc Cottle would never have agreed with. But it was necessary. She just hoped he wouldn't give her too much crap about it. After all, this was a mission, and it was necessary.
She noticed Cally rubbing her upper arm, where the tear in her jacket was.
"You okay? I thought Jodi said you weren't hurt."
"I wasn't. There's a tiny scratch and a bruise. It just aches a little, that's all."
"Not gonna be a hindrance if you have to fire, will it?"
Cally shook her head. "No. It won't." That won't be the hindrance, no.