Progress [Bajor - monastery, cave; this universe, 2259]
[OOC - So it occurred to me that I had meant to write some account of Julian getting back home, and I never did, so...]
"Sssshhhhh!"
Julian flinched slightly, trying to move away from the hissing Bajoran without looking like he was trying to move away. He lowered his voice and tried again. "Er, so if you have any information--"
The old monk made a violent gesture. "Don't! Don't speak of it! The Cardassians have ears everywhere."
His paranoia was infectious. Nervously, Julian glanced over his shoulder. "Right. Okay. Only, it's really rather important. Believe me, Vedek Lotan, I understand how much you don't want the Cardassians to know about, er, them. I swear in the name of the Prophets, I won't betray you."
"Hmm." The vedek peered suspiciously into Julian's face a moment longer, his brow furrowed, then reached out to seize the doctor's ear. Julian winced at the strength of the man's grip. "Very well. I do not know how you know so much, human, but your pah is honest. Follow." He turned away and shuffled back toward the monastery, his walking stick clacking on the flagstones of the garden path.
Julian was led to a dusty office, lit by ancient wrought-iron lamps and the late afternoon sunlight streaming through the window, illuminating the swarms of dust motes that flowed lazily from the sheaf of papers that Lotan laid upon the desk. Gnarled hands shifted through the pages, then pulled one from the stack. It was a map, Julian saw.
"Here," the Bajoran said, pointing. "This river valley. There is a waterfall at the north end, and a cave beneath. There you will find what you need." He tilted his head to scrutinize Julian. "Do humans swim?"
"Er, yes," Julian answered. "Some of us. I do. I mean, it's not my best sport, I'm much more skilled at tennis than swimming, but..." He trailed off. The vedek was looking at him strangely. Julian coughed.
"The cave is not unguarded," Vedek Lotan told him. "Should you be challenged, tell them 'I walk on the path the Prophets have laid.' The phrase is only used by those who guard the Tears. Do you understand?"
"I walk on the path the Prophets have laid," Julian repeated. "Got it. Thank you."
It was dark when he reached the waterfall. The rented hovercar's headlights reflected off the dark river, shimmering on the rushing water. He had encountered none of the guards of which Vedek Lotan had warned him, a fact which, combined with the unfamiliar territory and darkness, set him on edge. The roar of the cascading river drowned out the telltale signs of danger he ordinarily would have listened for.
The spot where the cave must be was evident: the hillside dropped away, letting the water fall vertically. There was no easy way to reach that point on land. Julian swallowed hard, steeling himself. The cold, churning water pounding unseen rocks at the base of the falls was not what he'd had in mind when he assured the vedek that he could swim.
He removed his commbadge and put it in his pocket before removing both shirts and his boots. Taking a deep breath, he dived into the river.
It was surprisingly warmer than the evening air. He opened his eyes under the water, peering toward the cascade, its noise a persistent rumble beneath the surface. The light from his vehicle did not penetrate far into the water; his destination was shrouded in darkness. Julian began to swim toward that unknown place, hoping it held the promised salvation.
Under the waterfall he was pushed downward by the weight of the falling water. His fingertips brushed the riverbed for a moment until the current pushed him through to the other side. He surfaced, shaking wet hair out of his eyes, to find himself in a deep but calm pool inside the cave.
He shivered in the cool air as he climbed out of the water. The roar of the waterfall was even louder here, echoing off the stone walls. He could not even hear his own breath, heavy with exertion, over the noise. He pulled his tricorder from his belt and set its screen to shine white light, an impromptu torch.
There were no Bajorans to be seen. Julian began to wonder why Lotan had mentioned guards if there were none. Further into the cave, a passageway curved out of sight; Julian headed in that direction, holding the light to shine on the ground in case of uneven footing.
As the tunnel twisted and curved, the noise of the waterfall faded, replaced by echoes of his own soft footfalls and the drip of water on stone from his damp trousers. The color of the stone floor began to vary as he progressed; it had been mostly pale grey, but now here and there patches of dark red began to appear.
He became aware of the voices at the same moment he noticed one of the red splotches, faintly glistening, was shaped like a handprint. He bit back a curse and froze, listening carefully. The voices were distorted by echoes, but Julian could make out a few words. He shut the tricorder and resumed moving forward, stepping as silently as possible. With his light extinguished, he could see a dim glow reflecting off the walls of the tunnel ahead.
"This deep in, we'll need to use the transporter relays," a voice said.
"I'll get it," answered another. "Leave the hard work to the young men, eh?"
"You watch it! I'm only 47, I haven't even hit my prime yet. And what are you, 39?"
"Yes, sir," the second voice answered. "Hey, you really think the ridge-snouts could have created something like this?"
"It's not our place to speculate," said the other in an admonishing tone. "We'll take it back to Cardassia Prime and let the Order sort it out."
Julian approached the last bend in the tunnel slowly and peered around it. The Orb in its case sat on a pedestal, around which two grey-skinned aliens were erecting transporter relay projectors. Against the cave wall lay a pile of bodies, the guardians that Vedek Lotan had promised would be there. Julian ducked back around the corner, tears stinging his eyes. The old Bajoran had been right to be concerned, and Julian was too late to help any of the Cardassians' victims. He bit his tongue, stifling a sob of anguish.
"Did you say something?"
"What?"
"I heard--" A bright light blinded Julian and he threw up an arm to shield his eyes from the Cardassian's torch. "Looks like we missed one!"
"Hang on," said the second. "He's not Bajoran. What the hell are you doing here, human?"
Julian glared up at them, blinking away the tears of grief for the slain Bajorans even as the first Cardassian continued shining the light directly in his eyes. "I walk on the path the Prophets have laid," he bit out.
~TO BE CONTINUED~
"Sssshhhhh!"
Julian flinched slightly, trying to move away from the hissing Bajoran without looking like he was trying to move away. He lowered his voice and tried again. "Er, so if you have any information--"
The old monk made a violent gesture. "Don't! Don't speak of it! The Cardassians have ears everywhere."
His paranoia was infectious. Nervously, Julian glanced over his shoulder. "Right. Okay. Only, it's really rather important. Believe me, Vedek Lotan, I understand how much you don't want the Cardassians to know about, er, them. I swear in the name of the Prophets, I won't betray you."
"Hmm." The vedek peered suspiciously into Julian's face a moment longer, his brow furrowed, then reached out to seize the doctor's ear. Julian winced at the strength of the man's grip. "Very well. I do not know how you know so much, human, but your pah is honest. Follow." He turned away and shuffled back toward the monastery, his walking stick clacking on the flagstones of the garden path.
Julian was led to a dusty office, lit by ancient wrought-iron lamps and the late afternoon sunlight streaming through the window, illuminating the swarms of dust motes that flowed lazily from the sheaf of papers that Lotan laid upon the desk. Gnarled hands shifted through the pages, then pulled one from the stack. It was a map, Julian saw.
"Here," the Bajoran said, pointing. "This river valley. There is a waterfall at the north end, and a cave beneath. There you will find what you need." He tilted his head to scrutinize Julian. "Do humans swim?"
"Er, yes," Julian answered. "Some of us. I do. I mean, it's not my best sport, I'm much more skilled at tennis than swimming, but..." He trailed off. The vedek was looking at him strangely. Julian coughed.
"The cave is not unguarded," Vedek Lotan told him. "Should you be challenged, tell them 'I walk on the path the Prophets have laid.' The phrase is only used by those who guard the Tears. Do you understand?"
"I walk on the path the Prophets have laid," Julian repeated. "Got it. Thank you."
It was dark when he reached the waterfall. The rented hovercar's headlights reflected off the dark river, shimmering on the rushing water. He had encountered none of the guards of which Vedek Lotan had warned him, a fact which, combined with the unfamiliar territory and darkness, set him on edge. The roar of the cascading river drowned out the telltale signs of danger he ordinarily would have listened for.
The spot where the cave must be was evident: the hillside dropped away, letting the water fall vertically. There was no easy way to reach that point on land. Julian swallowed hard, steeling himself. The cold, churning water pounding unseen rocks at the base of the falls was not what he'd had in mind when he assured the vedek that he could swim.
He removed his commbadge and put it in his pocket before removing both shirts and his boots. Taking a deep breath, he dived into the river.
It was surprisingly warmer than the evening air. He opened his eyes under the water, peering toward the cascade, its noise a persistent rumble beneath the surface. The light from his vehicle did not penetrate far into the water; his destination was shrouded in darkness. Julian began to swim toward that unknown place, hoping it held the promised salvation.
Under the waterfall he was pushed downward by the weight of the falling water. His fingertips brushed the riverbed for a moment until the current pushed him through to the other side. He surfaced, shaking wet hair out of his eyes, to find himself in a deep but calm pool inside the cave.
He shivered in the cool air as he climbed out of the water. The roar of the waterfall was even louder here, echoing off the stone walls. He could not even hear his own breath, heavy with exertion, over the noise. He pulled his tricorder from his belt and set its screen to shine white light, an impromptu torch.
There were no Bajorans to be seen. Julian began to wonder why Lotan had mentioned guards if there were none. Further into the cave, a passageway curved out of sight; Julian headed in that direction, holding the light to shine on the ground in case of uneven footing.
As the tunnel twisted and curved, the noise of the waterfall faded, replaced by echoes of his own soft footfalls and the drip of water on stone from his damp trousers. The color of the stone floor began to vary as he progressed; it had been mostly pale grey, but now here and there patches of dark red began to appear.
He became aware of the voices at the same moment he noticed one of the red splotches, faintly glistening, was shaped like a handprint. He bit back a curse and froze, listening carefully. The voices were distorted by echoes, but Julian could make out a few words. He shut the tricorder and resumed moving forward, stepping as silently as possible. With his light extinguished, he could see a dim glow reflecting off the walls of the tunnel ahead.
"This deep in, we'll need to use the transporter relays," a voice said.
"I'll get it," answered another. "Leave the hard work to the young men, eh?"
"You watch it! I'm only 47, I haven't even hit my prime yet. And what are you, 39?"
"Yes, sir," the second voice answered. "Hey, you really think the ridge-snouts could have created something like this?"
"It's not our place to speculate," said the other in an admonishing tone. "We'll take it back to Cardassia Prime and let the Order sort it out."
Julian approached the last bend in the tunnel slowly and peered around it. The Orb in its case sat on a pedestal, around which two grey-skinned aliens were erecting transporter relay projectors. Against the cave wall lay a pile of bodies, the guardians that Vedek Lotan had promised would be there. Julian ducked back around the corner, tears stinging his eyes. The old Bajoran had been right to be concerned, and Julian was too late to help any of the Cardassians' victims. He bit his tongue, stifling a sob of anguish.
"Did you say something?"
"What?"
"I heard--" A bright light blinded Julian and he threw up an arm to shield his eyes from the Cardassian's torch. "Looks like we missed one!"
"Hang on," said the second. "He's not Bajoran. What the hell are you doing here, human?"
Julian glared up at them, blinking away the tears of grief for the slain Bajorans even as the first Cardassian continued shining the light directly in his eyes. "I walk on the path the Prophets have laid," he bit out.
~TO BE CONTINUED~