Top of the World
Posted on Sun Feb 20th, 2022 @ 11:18am by Major Cornelius Tremble & Lieutenant JG Mira Jayna
Edited on on Tue Feb 22nd, 2022 @ 12:32am
1,703 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Episode 12 - Risin' To Risa
Location: Shenza Waterfall, Planet Risa
Timeline: MD006 1300 hrs
The early morning was pleasantly cool, accentuating the pervasive scent of ocean. This was their second day on the island and Jayna had mostly adapted to the new scents. She was forest-born, so the sounds of the jungle were somewhat familiar. At least the sounds of insects and burrowing creatures. She’d spent two hours the night before laying in her hammock, listening to and trying to identify the various sounds. She hoped to identify some of the birds during their stay. But for now, she had more important things on her mind. She and Neil were going to hike up the mountain.
Neil told her that the island had plenty of drinkable water and gardens scattered around so that food was easily obtainable. That meant they could pack light and get what they needed along the way. It was a perfect combination of roughing it and comfort. The plan was to go up today, build a camp for the night, and hike back tomorrow. Then she’d check out the hot tub. She hadn’t relaxed like this in years—if ever.
She dressed in a pair of lightweight khaki shorts, a tank top, and a pair of biodegradable hiking boots. A boot knife, a belt knife, and a pair of sunglasses completed the ensemble. It should be enough to get her through the next two days. She grabbed the small backpack she’d prepared with a thin coil of rope, carabiners, and two bottles of water. If they did any serious climbing, there would already be pitons in place.
She paused to look around for anything she might need, then went out to meet up with Neil.
Ducking his way out of the shelter he'd slung his hammock, Neil glanced at Jayna briefly before sweeping his eyes around the perimeter of the camp and the horizons.
Satisfied, he mentally ran through the gear he was carrying as he walked over to the intelligence officer and finished by slinging a musette bag over his shoulder. Neil was dressed in civilian styled utilities with stout jungle boots, a large bandana tied about his neck and a waterproofed fedora. Neil had climbing gear tucked away as well as hunting equipment.
For small game, he'd chosen a bracer slingshot and carried a walking stick he could transform into a short spear. In lieu of sunglasses, he'd spread a line of greased eye black below each eye. Grinning at Jayna, he asked "Well. Ready to see what we can see?"
She grinned back. "Yes. I'm looking forward to this." She enjoyed hiking, and that mountain looked like fun. She'd packed light and Neil would more than likely make up for anything else they might need--if it wasn't already provided. She took a quick look around and nodded.
"Me too," Neil stated as they began to head out toward the trail head. "Once we get to the more canopied area, I'll probably start crisscrossing the main trail some. I like to get off the beaten path sometimes and I'll try and get us some food for later. You aren't opposed to hunting and or eating wild game, I hope?"
"Not at all. I'm hoping to find some potatoes along the way. We could bake them to go along with whatever you catch." A campfire would also allow them to burn the entrails--unless there was a stream to dump them in. She was pretty sure there were no predators on the island, but she still didn't like the idea of leaving any part of the animal lying around.
Out of habit, Jayna scanned the camp, noting the trail they took and the relative location of the mountain. It had been a while since she'd been on an adventure just for fun and she planned to make the most of this one.
"Potatoes are in the food plots near the campsite we're planning on using," Neil commented as he double checked his gear. "There's even a stream with fresh water and cold beverages. This really is my kind of roughing it..."
"Agreed." She was definitely going to enjoy this vacation. "They think of everything."
The trailhead they chose was wide enough and easy enough to walk side by side for the first four klicks. After a few hours and as the sun crept towards its zenith, they passed onto a narrower trail.
Colorful birds accompanied them through different areas of the trail and they came across a wide variety of terrain, shifting from jungle to rolling hills with scrub trees and undergrowth. An hour or so after noon they came to the waterfall that was predominant on the map. The air had cooled as their trail had merged with a river bank.
The waterfall was a good 20 meters high and fell into a wide, deep pool that connected to the river. She could make out distinct hand and footholds along one side of the waterfall. It would be a bit of a challenge with the spray making the rocks slick. At least a climber would fall into the pool and not onto rocks. Still, Jayna wasn't interested in that sort of challenge. She was, however, curious to see if there was a way to get behind the waterfall without going through the pool. "Should we stop here to eat?" she asked Neil.
Nodding, Neil jammed the walking stick into the ground and peeled off his hat. Mopping at his face with the bandana, he said "Sure. I could eat and it's a nice spot." He caught site of a pair birds watching them closely and making a rude clucking noise. "I remember those from the guidebook. They're called Nalak's and if you want fresh eggs, they'll likely have a nest around here."
She watched them for a minute. "Possible. Or would you prefer fish? There are probably some in the water." She wasn't sure what would be the better option at this point. There was fruit nearby, too. Whatever they chose, she was going to add fruit.
"Fish works," Neil said, looking over the pool for likely looking shady spots. "I've a couple of poles along or we can take turns spear fishing. What lights your board, Jayna? According to the guide book, there's a couple of different types and there are food plots off that way for herbs, citrus, onions, and probably your potatoes."
Jayna grinned mischievously. "There are many things that light my board. I wouldn't list fishing among them, but I wouldn't mind either. At this time of day, they may not be biting, so spear fishing might be a better option." She wouldn't mind wading into the water. Or just frying potatoes.
"Well, you brought up food, what else would light your board?" Neil asked as he shrugged out of his utility coat and t-shirt, then sat to remove his boots and socks. Finally, he took the walking stick and quickly revealed its spear point and lanyard. Then he looked back up at her silhouetted in the noon-time sun and rested back on his elbows.
Jayna had removed her boots, socks, and tank top, as her sports bra alone would dry faster. She turned to Neil, taking a moment to look at him before responding. If she happened to appreciate what she saw, she kept it to herself. "Well, I grew up in the woods, so I'm quite fond of them." She grinned impishly. "Good company. A little adventure." She raised an eyebrow. "What about you?"
Neil let his eyes travel over her form, enjoying the sight just as much as the surroundings, then he said. "Well, if you’re not starved, there IS a secret path to the top of the waterfall. It's in the guide. It involves a bit of swimming and a little bit of climbing and should take a little more than half an hour," his eyes glinted and his voice, a playful quality.
A slow grin spread across her face. "Yes." She planned to check out the water anyway, but this sounded better. "Hike or swim first?" She caught herself looking at his eyes a moment longer than she should have and brought the conversation back to her unanswered question. "You still haven't told me what lights your board," she teased. "Besides jumping from an orbital platform."
Neil considered for a few minutes, then climbed to his feet and abruptly stripped off his cargo pants and stood there naked, save for a knife strapped to his left, inner ankle. "Well, we are in Risa," he said with a wink and then, abruptly dove into the pond.
Surfacing, he shook water from his face and grinned at her. "Supposedly we have to swim under the waterfall and we'll find an opening...come on."
Jayna laughed at his response, both because behind the waterfall was exactly where she wanted to explore and to distract herself from the frisson that raced down her spine.
Focusing her thoughts back on the waterfall, she gave Neil a saucy grin and pulled off her sports bra, dropping it on top of her shirt, then she stripped off the rest of her clothes and fastidiously placed them on top of the pile. Finally, she pulled her knife off her belt and strapped it to her thigh. The island might be designed for visitors, but she wasn't going to go without some sort of weapon, even if she knew Neil was more than competent with his.
She noted where he was and dove into the water, surfacing a meter away. "Ready when you are," she said, running a hand across her face and hair as she tread water.
Grinning, Neil glanced at Jayna appreciatively before he tread water backwards, then gave her a grinning wink and turned to swim toward the waterfall.
A moment later, Jayna followed. The water felt nice after the heat of the afternoon, cooling her body and thoughts. That grin was...distracting.
A Joint Post By
Major Cornelius Tremble
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Commanding Officer, The Cure
Staff Warrant Officer Mira Jayna
Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Pioneer
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