Lost and Found... Hopefully (Part 2)

Posted on Thu May 29th, 2025 @ 12:40am by Civilian Alexandra Winters & Civillian Liora Taran & Civilian Tristan Logan & Civilian Brunel Winters

3,429 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Side Plots
Location: Decks 6-9
Timeline: That one weekend, 1430 hours, after Part 1

ꐕTristanꐕ

Watching everyone scatter like they did gave Tristan hope that he would be one of the last ones to be found. His outfit of black pants with a grey hoodie would come in handy as he'd be able to cover his dark red curls and not stand out as much. He'd learnt things from his mother before she'd passed and one of them was to hide in plain sight.

He thought about doubling back after a while of walking and hiding in the playground everyone just ran from and staying up high in the play equipment. The spot he had in mind was well covered enough that if he put his hood up and crouched down, he wouldn't get seen.

After making sure the coast was clear and void of other kids, Tristan executed his little plan and hid, preparing himself for a hopefully long stay.

ꐕLioraꐕ

Liora sprinted down the corridor, her heart pounding with excitement. She’d played a thousand games of hide-and-seek, but this time, she needed the best spot—somewhere no one would think to look.

Her eyes darted over the labels on each door as she ran, feet barely making a sound against the deck plating. Then she spotted it: Hydroponics Farm I. A slow grin spread across her face.

She palmed the door controls and slipped inside, the air instantly shifting to something warmer, thicker—alive. The scent of damp growing media and fresh greenery wrapped around her, and the gentle hum of the irrigation systems filled the space. Rows of planters stretched out ahead, filled with everything from leafy greens to tall stalks of tomatoes, their vines climbing the supports in twisting patterns.

Liora ducked behind a row of bushy basil plants, peeking over the leaves. The overhead lights cast long shadows, and the occasional drip of water from the misting systems made it feel like a tiny rainforest.

Then she spotted the nutrient vats near the back. Large cylindrical tanks pulsed with a faint glow, feeding precise amounts of liquid nutrients into the irrigation lines. Perfect.

Liora crept toward them, careful not to disturb any of the plants. The vats were tucked against the far wall, surrounded by storage crates and monitoring equipment. She crouched behind one of the larger containers, squeezing herself into the narrow space between it and the vat.

Pressing her back against the cool metal, she grinned to herself. The hum of the system masked her breathing, and from the outside, she was practically invisible. No way Elig’s finding me here, she thought in silent glee.

She settled in, listening to the quiet sounds of the farm. The gentle drip-drip of water, the faint rustle of leaves shifting in the artificial breeze, the occasional beep of a system check.

Now, all she had to do was wait.

And not fall asleep.

ꐕSaraiꐕ

Sarai wasn’t the fastest runner, but she didn’t need to be. Hiding was all about strategy. While the others bolted in different directions, like Keena had done, Sarai calmly walked toward Deck 7’s Holodecks, her mind already forming a plan.

She knew better than to try sneaking into an active simulation—too risky. But the hallway leading to the holodecks had a maintenance alcove tucked beside the entrance. Most people never paid it any attention, since it was just a storage nook for spare holoprojector components.

Sarai stepped into the alcove, scanning for a good spot. A stack of storage crates sat against the back wall, one of them slightly askew. Perfect.

She crouched down and squeezed herself into the gap, pulling her knees up to her chest. The crates shielded her from direct view, and in the dim lighting of the alcove, she would be almost invisible unless someone deliberately searched for her.

Satisfied, she took a deep breath and settled in. No need to fidget, no need to peek. She would wait, still and patient.

If she had her way, Elig wouldn’t find her until the game was long over.

ꐕEligꐕ

Elig covered his eyes with both hands, pressing his palms against them just enough to block out any sneaky peeks. His voice rang out over the playground as he counted, dragging out the numbers for dramatic effect.

"Sixty-four… sixty-five… sixty-six… aaand… sixty-six and a half!"

He dropped his hands and grinned. "Ready or not, here I come!"

But instead of bolting off immediately, he took a slow, exaggerated look around the playground. He turned in a slow circle, hands on his hips, humming thoughtfully.

"Hmm… now where could everyone have gone?" he mused loudly, eyes pointedly scanning the open play structures and not the best hiding spots. "Did they all just… vanish into thin air?"

He made a show of checking behind a nearby bench, then crouched to peek under the slide—both places no one in their right mind would actually hide. He even lifted the edge of a swing as if someone might be camouflaged beneath it.

"Wow," he said with a theatrical sigh. "Looks like I’m going to have to search everywhere on Astrea!"

With that, he straightened up, dusted off his knees, and started off toward the first real hiding spots. The hunt was officially on.

ꐕElig Huntingꐕ

Elig prowled through Deck 7 with the practiced determination of a seasoned hunter—at least, that’s how he imagined it. He peeked behind storage crates, ducked into quiet alcoves, and even pressed his ear against a few doors just in case he could hear someone breathing. But so far, his prey remained elusive.

He had to think. If he were were hiding, where would he go?

Then it hit him. The café.

Grinning, Elig pivoted on his heel and made a beeline for the Astrea Café. The space was bustling with crew members grabbing quick meals or lingering over coffee, but amidst the controlled chaos, Elig spotted something that seemed just a little off.

A supply cart.

It had been abandoned near the storage area, pushed against the wall, but there was something… odd about the way one of the lower crates jutted out just slightly. Almost like someone had squeezed themselves into the narrow space below.

Elig smirked. Bingo.

He sauntered over to the cart, making a big show of looking around the café, pretending to search elsewhere. Then, with a swift motion, he dropped to the floor and peered under the bottom shelf.

Two wide, green eyes blinked back at him.

“Found you, Jax.”

Jax groaned, rubbing his forehead. “Ugh, finally. Do you know how long I’ve been stuck here? My legs are asleep.”

Elig grinned. “That’s what you get for picking a spot that can move.” He stood up and crossed his arms. “You’re my first find. Now you can help me find the rest!”

Jax sighed dramatically and wiggled out from his hiding spot, shaking out his legs with exaggerated winces. “Fine, fine. But just so you know, next time, I’m hiding somewhere you’ll never, ever find me.”

Elig just laughed. “We’ll see about that.”

Jax stretched one last time, then clapped his hands together. “Alright, time to hunt down some unsuspecting victims.”

One down. Plenty more to go.

ꐕJax and Elig Huntingꐕ

Jax wasn’t thrilled about being found first, but now that he was on the hunt, he was determined to be the best seeker Elig had ever seen. He cracked his knuckles as they strode out of the café, scanning the hallways for any suspicious signs of movement.

“Alright,” he said, rolling his shoulders, “who’s next?”

Elig smirked. “Thinking like a true seeker already.” He rubbed his chin dramatically. “We gotta think like them. If you were a kid trying to be sneaky, where would you go?”

Jax scoffed. “I was a kid trying to be sneaky. Until, like, five minutes ago.”

Elig shrugged. “Then use that brainpower. Where’s a good spot?”

Jax tapped his foot, glancing around. Most of the obvious places would’ve been searched first—behind crates, under tables, inside supply closets. But these kids were all smart. They wouldn’t go for the first hiding place that came to mind.

Then Jax’s eyes drifted to the playground as they were walking past. A slow grin spread across his face. “What if someone never left?”

Elig blinked at him. “Huh?”

“The playground. Everyone ran from it like a stampede when the game started, right? What if someone doubled back? If they did it carefully, no one would have noticed.”

Elig’s smirk widened. “I like the way you think.”

They made their way to the playground, moving quietly. Jax’s heart thumped a little faster as they approached. The space was silent now, emptied after the initial rush of kids scrambling to hide. The play equipment loomed ahead, a jungle of metal bars and platforms, slides and tunnels. Plenty of places to hide, yet apparently abandoned.

Jax narrowed his eyes, scanning the structure carefully. If someone had doubled back, they wouldn’t just hide in plain sight. Jax nudged Elig and nodded toward a spot high up that offered shelter from immediate view. “There,” he whispered.

Elig grinned. “I’ll go high, you go low.”

They split up. Jax climbed up one side of the structure while Elig took the ladder on the other. As Jax moved, he listened carefully. There—just the faintest shuffle, like someone shifting their weight. His grin widened.

Elig reached the top with Jax across from him. Suddenly, he darted around the corner, hands raised. “Aha!”

When Elig had disappeared out of the playground Tristan had got himself comfy in his little hiding spot and decided to have a nap. He got startled awake by Elig yelling at him and inhaled a whole heap of air that caused him to hiccup.

“Found you,” Jax said triumphantly.

Elig laughed. “You almost had us, though. Hiding in plain sight? That’s sneaky.”

"My mom taught me to do that" Tristan hiccupped again as he sat up, "So that if I was ever in a bad situation, I could potentially get out of it and get to safety without being noticed."

Jax offered him a hand. “C’mon, you’re a seeker now.”

With Tristan now on their side, the hunt continued.


ꐕBrunel and Alex sitting in a tree....ꐕ

In the arboretum Alexandra and Brunel had been passing time in the tall branches of the Pak tree by making each other laugh.

"Oh, hey. Here's one dad used to tell. Why did the cookie go to the doctor?" Alexandra asked?

Brunel pondered the question for a few seconds, then shook his had as he smiled and shrugged.

"Because it was feeling crummy!" Alex was laughing so hard at her own joke she had a hard time getting through the punchline.

Brunel smiled brightly and clapped excitedly. "That is very funny!!".

"Okay, Okay, so you know what an oven is right? Like for baking food?" Alex asked. "Okay, so there are two apples sitting in an oven and one apple says to the other, 'Wow it's hot in here!' And the other apple says, 'Oh my god! A talking apple!"

Alexandra erupted into a fit of giggles that was sure to give their position away if anyone were trying to find them.

He clapped again, then tried to think of a joke as well. "Okay, here's one....so an horse walks into a bar, and the bartender asks, hey fella, why the long face?"

Alexandra was still laughing at her own jokes, but Brunel made her laugh even harder. She forced herself to take a couple of deep breaths, and started a new joke she'd heard.

"So, why do elephants paint their toenails red?" Alex asked, trying to keep a straight face.

Brunel thought for a moment, then asked, "What's an elephant?"

"Um. It's a gigantic gray animal with thick skin, and feet this big," Alex stood up on her branch and held her arms out as far as they would go. "And they have these big long noses that reach the ground and they can lift them up in the air, and they can pick stuff up with them. Like they use them like we use hands to put food in their mouth, or they can even blow water out of them like a hose."

Brunel considered this, then his face lit up as he replied. "Like a strandalorp! They are also big, but with green fur, a long, thin tail with spikes on the end, and they have long noses too, but they have two of them." He paused as he took a breath. "But, why did the elephant paint its toenails red?" he smiled as he leaned forward to hear the answer.

"They paint their toenails red so they can hide in cherry trees," Alex told him. Then she quickly asked. "Have you ever seen an elephant in a cherry tree?"

He looked at his sister quizzically. "I have never seen either and elephant, or a cherry tree." he pulled out his small PADD and typed in a search for both. He then looked at Alex with a odd look on his face. "How could the elephant get up in a cherry tree? Let alone stay up in one?"

"That's the point of the joke. You don't see them in cherry trees..." Alexandra started to explain.

ꐕElig, Jax, and Tristanꐕ

The trio of seekers crept down the corridor like secret agents on a classified mission, each step exaggerated for effect—Elig even crouched slightly, fingers poised like he was ready to breach a door. Tristan, still hiccupping occasionally, brought up the rear with a sleepy grin.

Jax held up a hand to stop them. “Wait,” he whispered. “When we all scattered? I saw Brunel and Alexandra heading toward the arboretum. Thought they were just looking for a cool place to hang out, but now I’m thinking…” he trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows.

Elig’s grin stretched wide. “Arboretum. That’s some next-level sneakiness. Natural cover. Soft floors. Natural foliage to absorb sounds…”

Tristan's eyes went wide, and the grin and nod followed, "Ooh yes! I reckon they'll totally be in there. Let's go!"

With a shared nod, they moved out, slinking through the corridors like a team of mini-spies. The arboretum’s doors slid open with a quiet hiss, and instantly, the trio slowed their pace.

Inside, the atmosphere shifted—humid, rich with the scent of earth and chlorophyll. The lighting was filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled shadows across the winding paths and lush greenery. Somewhere, a misting system hissed quietly.

And then—laughter.

It drifted down from above, bubbling and bright. Jax pointed up through the thick branches of a towering Pak tree, where flecks of movement gave their targets away.

“Gotcha,” Elig whispered.

They crept closer, trying to suppress their own giggles as they approached the base of the tree. Alexandra was mid-punchline, perched on a thick branch like she belonged there. Brunel sat nearby, pantomiming something that made her clutch her ribs with laughter.

The three seekers crouched behind a cluster of ferns.

“Should we go loud or stealth?” Jax whispered.

Elig smirked. “Let’s make it fun.”

He cupped his hands and called up, his voice carrying easily through the quiet air. “What do you call two kids caught in a tree mid-joke?”

Alexandra gasped, twisting around.

“Found!” Jax called out, waving.

"Ha. Ha. Took you long enough," Alexandra said dryly though she was smiling as she started to climb down. "What do you call a funny mountain?"

Brunel looked quickly to the ground, grinning. "You found us!" He then followed his sister down to the ground and looked over at their friends. "Who's left to be found?"

Jax squinted up at the canopy like the answer might be hiding in the leaves. “Oh, wait, I know this one... Okay, wait—funny mountain. Mountains are tall, like jokes that go over your head. They’re rocky, rugged, possibly unstable. Maybe it’s about erosion? Or... or maybe it’s a pun. Like a peak joke. A pinnacle of humor. Or—wait!—is it something about alpine giggles? A cliff-hanger that’s also a pun—"

"You're Hill-arious!" Alex said to Jax, punctuating the syllables before laughing and patting him on the back. "But, yeah, who's next?"

Brunel thought quickly, then attempted to join in with his sister's reply. "Jax, your humor certainly contains a RANGE of PEAKS and VALLEYS!" he hissed a few giggles through his teeth as he finished signing his retort.

Alexandra had the giggles now and her brother's joke made it even worse. "Okay, I have to stop laughing or they will hear us coming. You want us to help you look next right?"

Jax pointed two fingers at his eyes, then to Alex. “Seeker vision engaged.” He confirmed

He turned to the others, already moving at a crouch again. “We head back toward the main hall. If anyone’s looping around, they’ll cut through the north corridor. Classic mistake.” He glanced at Alexandra. “Ready to hunt?”

"Isn't there like two other people we're searching for? What were their names... Liora and Sarai?" Tristan asked after he finished laughing. "I'm gonna go and try find one of them... Reckon if I go back to the playground someone will be there?"

"We can see if anyone has gone back, sure" Alex said willing to go along. "Where all have you searched so far?

"Uh, I've just been found in the playground, so I don't know where else everyone has looked," Tristan said with a frown and a hiccup. "Wait! Wasn't there another kid to look for as well? Um, I think she was like really new here. Like I'd never seen her around. Can we look for her too if she was playing? After we find Sarai?"

"Have you found Keena yet?" Alex asked. "She's not new, but she was hiding too."

ꐕSaraiꐕ

Sarai shifted slightly in the cramped alcove, trying to stretch one leg without bumping the crate beside her. She had remained perfectly still for... she calculated silently... approximately 17.3 minutes. Her muscles were beginning to protest, particularly those along the backs of her thighs and lower back.

She exhaled slowly through her nose. It is not logical to allow physical discomfort to compromise the strategy. Endurance is a part of hiding. Her thoughts were silent around her, but so very loud in her head.

But she also couldn’t ignore the dull ache beginning to pulse through her legs. Her hybrid physiology meant that while she could apply Vulcan discipline to remain still, she was still nine years old—and half human. She had the energy of a sun flare that demanded occasional release.

A new plan began to form.

The playground may now be abandoned. It had been the starting point, but perhaps that fact would render it unsuspected this late into the game.

She nodded to herself, decision made. Remaining here would only limit her chances of winning. And besides, movement was... not unpleasant.

Carefully, she eased herself out of the alcove, brushing imaginary dust from her pant legs with precise motions. Her eyes scanned the corridor—empty. Good.

With measured, silent steps, she began making her way back toward the playground. Her mind was already at work, calculating potential sightlines and shadows she hadn’t considered before. If there was even a single place there she could tuck herself away unnoticed…

Well. Then perhaps the seekers would underestimate her.

They usually did.

ꐕThe Seekersꐕ

Moving in a group was a bit awkward as a few giggles still erupted from remembered jokes, but they were working as a team now, searching out the remaining hiders: Sarai, Liora, and Keena. Like a pack of canines, they engaged more than sight to hunt for the final prey. But, actually, for Jax, he just needed sight.


ꐕJaxꐕ

He caught it—just the edge of motion. A flick of fabric. The corner of someone moving with intent, not aimlessness.

“Sarai,” he whispered, more to himself than the others. He realized she was trying to double back.

He didn’t shout. Instead, he started moving faster, shoulders low.

“She’s clever,” Jax chuckled silently to himself. “But not invisible.”

Then he motioned to the rest of the party, using his hands to send his message, “Eyes front. Target at two o’clock. Corridor bend. Shhhh....”

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