Part 3.5
Planetside, part 3 continued
Before I continue I have a question.
In part 2 I used the word "daggit" instead of dog (though I may have spelled it wrong). In the orignal BSG series, daggits were canine like animals that all died out in the cylon attack. In the new BSG I don't think we've heard them use this word, but I can't remember if they used dog either. If anyone can tell me one way or the other, I'd appreciate it. Also, if you like one better than the other, let me know. Consider it a poll -- whichever you like best, that's the one I'll go with.
I used dog in this episode, so it's one use for each word so far.
And now, .
Planetside, part 3.5
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.
"That was a great shot, by the way, when you took the head off that bird. Where'd you learn to do that?"
She got a shrug from the specialist. "No where. Lucky shot. I haven't used a gun since basic."
Starbuck stared at her. "What about Kobol?"
Cally stared straight ahead. "I shot, but I don't think I hit anything."
"Oh." Bad things had happened on Kobol, Kara knew, but she wasn't sure exactly what those things were. People died. If Cally didn't want to talk about it, she could accept that.
After all, she had her own experiences she didn't want to talk about.
While they rested, the Lieutenant decided it was a good idea to get some nourishment in them. The previous day, before the disastrous trip up the hillside, Therin had gathered roots and a few other items to supplement their diet while on the planet. Starbuck had made sure to pack some before they left, and now she pulled both the roots and some Colonial packaged foods. A few swallows of water from their canteens completed the the meal.
Once finished, Kara stood.
"Okay, here's the deal. I don't know if any of those bird thing are out there, but if they are, I'm betting they'll be able to spot us from high in the air." She took a sip from her canteen before continuing. "Eagles on Caprica could spot their prey from several hundred feet. These things can probably see as well or better."
"Does that mean we run?" Cally stood, brushing dirt and leaves from her legs. "Or crawl through the grass?"
"Neither. Running will tire us too fast, and we don't know what's out there. Crawling's too slow and will draw as much attention as walking. So," Starbuck snapper her canteen back on her belt and brought her rifle around. "We walk. Carefully and quickly, but we walk. Keep your rifle ready and your eyes on the sky."
Cally nodded. "No way we can go around? Stay in the woods?"
"Nope." Standing at the very edge of the trees, Kara motioned for the younger woman to join her. "Take a good look left and right. You see any trees?"
After a moment to look, Cally bit her lip and shook her head.
"Right. See how the ground slopes down from here a bit? I'm thinking this might be an ancient river bed, or maybe a lake. Something like that. Which means we don't know what we'll find when we get out in the middle of that field. Could be another climb." She eyed her companion. "Ready for this?"
Cally nodded. "As long as it's not birds, dogs, or snakes, I can handle it."
"Snakes?"
She shivered. "I hate snakes."
Starbuck grinned. "I kinda like them." She took another look across the field. "Okay, we're going to kind of hopscotch across this thing. Move from shelter to shelter." Pointing, she continued. "Those bushes will be our first goal, then that stand of short trees. After that we'll choose as we go." Cocking her rifle, and looked her young companion square in the eye. "You hear me yell 'Go', and you go, as hard as you can. If I say drop, you drop to the ground, on your back, with your rifle pointed in the air. Is that clear?"
Nodding, Cally stepped up beside her. "Clear. Are we ready?"
"Let's go."
The Lieutenant tried to keep the pace faster than a normal walk, without making it too demanding. Even though the tree line was clear in the distance, it was, in her estimates, at least three quarters of a mile. Jogging, she could have done that in about twelve or fifteen minutes, but she wasn't sure if Cally could keep up with her. Besides, that estimate didn't take into account whatever they might encounter in the way of rocks, or slopes, or wildlife. Nor did it include having to watch for those damn birds. That in itself was a challenge.
Though the ground continued to slope down, they hadn't run into any sudden descents, like Starbuck had been afraid of. The terrain was rough; mainly grass, but with a lot of rocks. It was hard to keep an eye on the sky and not twist an ankle, but they made it to the first shelter without any mishaps. There, they took a moment to examine the air, then started for the copse of trees.
It turned out they weren't really trees, but tall stalks of some corn like plant. Even though there weren't any obvious cobs, Cally could see in her minds eye the acres of corn and wheat on Caprica, and she sighed just a little, missing her home planet.
Kara ignored the stalks. She wasn't happy, however, to see the sudden drop off just twenty feet past their shelter
"Stay here. Keep an eye turned up, and if you spot anything yell."
"Where are you going?"
Starbuck pointed. "There. I wanna see what we're getting into."
Cally nodded and turned her face upwards. Her rifle was gripped firmly in her hands.
Taking the short distance at a jog, Kara then knelt by the edge of the drop off. The ravine she was looking over seemed to have a decent slope which they could get down. Across the valley she could see another up slope, and that one she hoped they could climb as well. There were only two problems: first, there was a lot of brush and debris on the valley floor that could hinder them. Second, there was little in the way of shelter. If the birds attacked, there'd be little to stop them.
There was no choice, though. Going around could waste the rest of the day, and Starbuck had no wish to get caught out if they could avoid it. Her estimate was that, if they could get across this ravine in decent time, they'd reach the village in about forty minutes. A short examination, and then they'd be turning back. If nothing held them up, they'd get back well before sunset.
A wave brought Cally to her side, and she pointed to where she wanted them to go. The specialist nodded and started down. Starbuck took one more look at the sky, then followed her companion.
After some slipping and sliding, they made it to the bottom, which was littered with rocks both large and small. Starbuck was becoming more and more certain of her theory; this had been a river until something changed its course. Now there were just the remains, rocks brought here centuries before by the water. Plant life had found roots in the rich river silt.
Tough plant life, too. There seemed to be an abundance to two particular kinds here. First was a vine which could easily catch your leg and trip you. The material was difficult to break free from, and they began avoiding patches when they saw it. The second looked like a fern, but had thorny tips on each leaf. These tips would catch on their pants, holding tight till the leaves pulled off the plant. The first time she tried to pull one off, Kara got a tiny thorn in her fingertip. After that, they used their knives to separate the leaves from their clothes. The two of them learned quickly to avoid patches of this cactus like fern.
They came to a small stream in the middle of the valley. It was think enough for them to walk across it without a problem. It was the first running water they'd found, but Starbuck wasn't sure about drinking from it. Both canteens were still mostly full, and she decided that it would be better if they waited. On the way back they'd refill at least one canteen, then take it to the ship for examination. If it was clean, then they had a water source, even if it was a bit of a hike.
On the far side of the valley they found their first sign that intelligent life had existed here. The remains of a boat was stuck among some rocks. It wasn't quite like a rowboat and it did appear to have an engine like contraption on one end. It was more circular than most small crafts Cally had seen. The hole in the side near the bottom told them why it was abandoned.
The climb up the other side wasn't as difficult as they feared. On this end there were so many large boulders that they only had to climb on top of one before they could leap frog from one to another to get closer to the shore. Then they climbed about ten feet in the soft, sand like dirt, and they were out of the river bed.
What they found on that far side was a surprise.
Before I continue I have a question.
In part 2 I used the word "daggit" instead of dog (though I may have spelled it wrong). In the orignal BSG series, daggits were canine like animals that all died out in the cylon attack. In the new BSG I don't think we've heard them use this word, but I can't remember if they used dog either. If anyone can tell me one way or the other, I'd appreciate it. Also, if you like one better than the other, let me know. Consider it a poll -- whichever you like best, that's the one I'll go with.
I used dog in this episode, so it's one use for each word so far.
And now, .
Planetside, part 3.5
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.
"That was a great shot, by the way, when you took the head off that bird. Where'd you learn to do that?"
She got a shrug from the specialist. "No where. Lucky shot. I haven't used a gun since basic."
Starbuck stared at her. "What about Kobol?"
Cally stared straight ahead. "I shot, but I don't think I hit anything."
"Oh." Bad things had happened on Kobol, Kara knew, but she wasn't sure exactly what those things were. People died. If Cally didn't want to talk about it, she could accept that.
After all, she had her own experiences she didn't want to talk about.
While they rested, the Lieutenant decided it was a good idea to get some nourishment in them. The previous day, before the disastrous trip up the hillside, Therin had gathered roots and a few other items to supplement their diet while on the planet. Starbuck had made sure to pack some before they left, and now she pulled both the roots and some Colonial packaged foods. A few swallows of water from their canteens completed the the meal.
Once finished, Kara stood.
"Okay, here's the deal. I don't know if any of those bird thing are out there, but if they are, I'm betting they'll be able to spot us from high in the air." She took a sip from her canteen before continuing. "Eagles on Caprica could spot their prey from several hundred feet. These things can probably see as well or better."
"Does that mean we run?" Cally stood, brushing dirt and leaves from her legs. "Or crawl through the grass?"
"Neither. Running will tire us too fast, and we don't know what's out there. Crawling's too slow and will draw as much attention as walking. So," Starbuck snapper her canteen back on her belt and brought her rifle around. "We walk. Carefully and quickly, but we walk. Keep your rifle ready and your eyes on the sky."
Cally nodded. "No way we can go around? Stay in the woods?"
"Nope." Standing at the very edge of the trees, Kara motioned for the younger woman to join her. "Take a good look left and right. You see any trees?"
After a moment to look, Cally bit her lip and shook her head.
"Right. See how the ground slopes down from here a bit? I'm thinking this might be an ancient river bed, or maybe a lake. Something like that. Which means we don't know what we'll find when we get out in the middle of that field. Could be another climb." She eyed her companion. "Ready for this?"
Cally nodded. "As long as it's not birds, dogs, or snakes, I can handle it."
"Snakes?"
She shivered. "I hate snakes."
Starbuck grinned. "I kinda like them." She took another look across the field. "Okay, we're going to kind of hopscotch across this thing. Move from shelter to shelter." Pointing, she continued. "Those bushes will be our first goal, then that stand of short trees. After that we'll choose as we go." Cocking her rifle, and looked her young companion square in the eye. "You hear me yell 'Go', and you go, as hard as you can. If I say drop, you drop to the ground, on your back, with your rifle pointed in the air. Is that clear?"
Nodding, Cally stepped up beside her. "Clear. Are we ready?"
"Let's go."
The Lieutenant tried to keep the pace faster than a normal walk, without making it too demanding. Even though the tree line was clear in the distance, it was, in her estimates, at least three quarters of a mile. Jogging, she could have done that in about twelve or fifteen minutes, but she wasn't sure if Cally could keep up with her. Besides, that estimate didn't take into account whatever they might encounter in the way of rocks, or slopes, or wildlife. Nor did it include having to watch for those damn birds. That in itself was a challenge.
Though the ground continued to slope down, they hadn't run into any sudden descents, like Starbuck had been afraid of. The terrain was rough; mainly grass, but with a lot of rocks. It was hard to keep an eye on the sky and not twist an ankle, but they made it to the first shelter without any mishaps. There, they took a moment to examine the air, then started for the copse of trees.
It turned out they weren't really trees, but tall stalks of some corn like plant. Even though there weren't any obvious cobs, Cally could see in her minds eye the acres of corn and wheat on Caprica, and she sighed just a little, missing her home planet.
Kara ignored the stalks. She wasn't happy, however, to see the sudden drop off just twenty feet past their shelter
"Stay here. Keep an eye turned up, and if you spot anything yell."
"Where are you going?"
Starbuck pointed. "There. I wanna see what we're getting into."
Cally nodded and turned her face upwards. Her rifle was gripped firmly in her hands.
Taking the short distance at a jog, Kara then knelt by the edge of the drop off. The ravine she was looking over seemed to have a decent slope which they could get down. Across the valley she could see another up slope, and that one she hoped they could climb as well. There were only two problems: first, there was a lot of brush and debris on the valley floor that could hinder them. Second, there was little in the way of shelter. If the birds attacked, there'd be little to stop them.
There was no choice, though. Going around could waste the rest of the day, and Starbuck had no wish to get caught out if they could avoid it. Her estimate was that, if they could get across this ravine in decent time, they'd reach the village in about forty minutes. A short examination, and then they'd be turning back. If nothing held them up, they'd get back well before sunset.
A wave brought Cally to her side, and she pointed to where she wanted them to go. The specialist nodded and started down. Starbuck took one more look at the sky, then followed her companion.
After some slipping and sliding, they made it to the bottom, which was littered with rocks both large and small. Starbuck was becoming more and more certain of her theory; this had been a river until something changed its course. Now there were just the remains, rocks brought here centuries before by the water. Plant life had found roots in the rich river silt.
Tough plant life, too. There seemed to be an abundance to two particular kinds here. First was a vine which could easily catch your leg and trip you. The material was difficult to break free from, and they began avoiding patches when they saw it. The second looked like a fern, but had thorny tips on each leaf. These tips would catch on their pants, holding tight till the leaves pulled off the plant. The first time she tried to pull one off, Kara got a tiny thorn in her fingertip. After that, they used their knives to separate the leaves from their clothes. The two of them learned quickly to avoid patches of this cactus like fern.
They came to a small stream in the middle of the valley. It was think enough for them to walk across it without a problem. It was the first running water they'd found, but Starbuck wasn't sure about drinking from it. Both canteens were still mostly full, and she decided that it would be better if they waited. On the way back they'd refill at least one canteen, then take it to the ship for examination. If it was clean, then they had a water source, even if it was a bit of a hike.
On the far side of the valley they found their first sign that intelligent life had existed here. The remains of a boat was stuck among some rocks. It wasn't quite like a rowboat and it did appear to have an engine like contraption on one end. It was more circular than most small crafts Cally had seen. The hole in the side near the bottom told them why it was abandoned.
The climb up the other side wasn't as difficult as they feared. On this end there were so many large boulders that they only had to climb on top of one before they could leap frog from one to another to get closer to the shore. Then they climbed about ten feet in the soft, sand like dirt, and they were out of the river bed.
What they found on that far side was a surprise.