Star Trek Voyager: VX

"Basics, Part II"

Stardate 50032.7

Zariel's ponytail and T'Lin's patent leather bob were ruffled by the breeze as Voyager took off under the control of the Kazon Nistrim, marooning them here. Wherever here even was. The crew of Voyager was painfully aware of that reality, and the emanations from the group around her were almost too much for Zariel to bear.

Wally stepped closer to Zariel and T'Lin, as if to offer comfort. Zariel turned and slid an arm behind Samantha's waist, and looked down with her into Baby Naomi's tiny face.

"Sam, you and lil miss sweetness ought to stay with the larger group when we split off, it'll be safer. We'll see you when we meet back up."

Samantha nodded and moved toward Chakotay, as the other three members of Xeno split off ninety degrees from the group to see what they could find to live on.

They were walking alongside a narrow ridge of hills when Wally swatted her arm and pointed off to their right. Zariel and T'Lin stopped to look where he was pointing. "See how the bushes are a different color on the edge of that ridge over there? Could indicate water on the other side."

Zariel checked the lay of the land, then turned to the others. "Y'all stay here, I'll climb up and check it out."

She could feel they were about to protest, and said, "We'll be line of sight from each other the whole time. Y'all get in the shade."

Zariel took the climb slowly, knowing that everyone's biggest danger right now was dehydration, and hers particularly, having spent the last few weeks replacing increasingly short rations with the Vulcan spice tea that T'Lin left at her station each day without comment. As she ascended, she felt Wally's emotions drop slowly behind her. She became aware that she could sense less from the whole group as well, and it felt like a weight dropping off her shoulders. When she straightened to her feet at the top of the ridge, it seemed like the straightest she'd stood in a year.

However, now that she stood among the vegetation that had seemed a different color from the ground, it was evident that it was not caused by the presence of water. The other side of the ridge looked just the same as this side, volcanic hills saved from being desert only by a few sparse scrubby bushes.

She took the descent slowly as well, and was glad to see that Wally and T'Lin had indeed moved into whatever thin shade was available, keeping out of the sun and conserving water. When she reached them, she shook her head. They shrugged in answer, and the three of them continued across the plain.