[Personal Log:] Exploring Folnar III (Darmok Event), Part 1

[stark_spangled]

Steve was beginning to wonder if the ship was ever going to dock again. He was restless, sure, but there was a part of him that could see the strategic advantage for the Starfleet crew. After what happened last year at Alemar, the surprise arrival of Starfleet brass (and their rushed exit), the incidents on board, and the increasing danger each new passenger posed -- quarantining the ship would be a smart move. Not telling anyone would keep people calm, focused on finding a way home.

But dock the ship did, at last, and he was grateful. He hated sitting on his hands, waiting, not having anything to do. As soon as he acquired permission to disembark he was gone, this time with his shield slung over his back in that now-weathered leather satchel. Just in case things turn pear-shaped here like they did on Alemar.

The first few days, they didn't. Steve wandered through the nearby towns, trying to keep out of the local's lives as much as he could. But he tended to stick out, standing at over 6 feet with blonde hair, and wearing strange clothes. The children started following him by day 2, and after day 5 of exploring he had his own small clan.


Today, he's shaken the entourage, staying outside the city boundaries in favor of getting to know the lay of the land. The planet is spartan, but not sparse. Mostly scrub and craggy outcroppings, but every now and then he reaches a cliff that looks out over a river valley, where green things are growing in plenty. The jewel plant the planet is known for is beautiful, for sure. He hasn't tried to pick one, but he has thought about it. For Peggy.

He's taken advantage of the space to go through a more intense physical routine; something he couldn't do on the Enterprise, even in the holodecks. Why? Ask the pile of rocks that used to be boulders. Judging by the position of this world's sun by the time he's done, he'd guess it to be late afternoon. There should still be a few hours of daylight left, but it may be time to think about heading back to town and finding an officer who can beam him back to the ship for the night.

Panting, he pushes himself to his feet and dusts the dirt off his clothes before collecting his shield. Slinging it over his back again, he starts the trek back to town.

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[funnythingsare]

Tony's spent his time much as you'd expect--flirting, taking advantage of local beverages, and learning as much as he can about this jewel plant. See, there has to be a unique reason the resin acts as it does, and Tony's interested in examining just what sort of polymer can be produced by a plant, then form a structure of such hardness and beauty it could be mistaken for a gemstone. If he can unlock its structure, there might be applications for something that can be transported in liquid form and not harden until specifically applied.

His research hits a wall, and he's forced by curiosity out into the wilderness. Not exactly his forte, but so far this prison ship has been pretty tame, and he can't believe they'd let them out on a planet if they were worried about bug-eyed monsters showing up or the passengers wandering into sacred territory requiring their summary execution.

Plant acquired, Tony turns to go back to town and finds he can't quite remember which way he came. Which is odd, because he's a genius, see, and he's been keeping careful track of his route. If he didn't know any better, he'd say this wasn't where he'd been, a minute ago.

And that's when he sees Rogers. He pushes down the impatience that it's him and also the tinge of gratitude (surely Captain America knows his way back to town, and Tony can probably get by without letting on he doesn't know) and calls out.

"Yo, Cap!"