Ehths - Anomalous presence detected in ... everywhere
Jania Nis
(( Outside VIP Staterooms, Deck 5, USS Octavia E. Butler ))
Ehths was deep in the bowels of the ship. To be honest, he was a bit lost. He wasn’t in Jeffreys tubes; he was in the space between the walls. People were never meant to be here, and things were not labelled. But he moved quickly, without hesitation, his broken finger barely slowing him down. The Zet frequently purchased stolen or repossessed ships, but they traveled them in ways the original owners had never intended. He was used to entering places other species never went.
Lohkina: =/\= An impressive use of ours ops systems, if a little moronic. =/\=
Ehths frowned. How insulting. A well-chosen ad was psychological warfare. They would find that out soon enough.
Ehths: =/\= I do what I do at the beck and call of another. =/\=
Lohkina: =/\= I assumed as much. But at whose behest? =/\=
Ehths: =/\= Do you expect me to reveal everything? =/\=
Lohkina: =/\= No, I didn't. But you are willing to talk to me, and I can't help but wonder why. =/\=
He had to admit, he couldn’t explain why he was talking to her. Perhaps he was gloating.
Before he could speak, though, a message beeped on the small communicator device. Ehths looked down at the message that had just come through. Yes, this was a good one.
Lahl: ::typing to Rouiancet:: =/\= They have more than enough firepower to try to overwhelm us. I think something is up. =/\=
He felt a wild grin spread across his face. The mercenaries were here. And perhaps even his director, returned to save him, as he said he would. Returned to make his enemies kneel, as Ehths knew he would.
Ehths: =/\= For someone to bear witness. =/\=
Lohkina: Response
Ehths: =/\= We mean you no bad intentions. You can always surrender now. =/\=
Lohkina: Response
The response was stronger than he’d thought, and it sent chills through him. Starfleet had no love for the Zet; this he knew well. He gulped and continued skittering along, quiet for a moment before he reached a t-junction. On one side, there was a wide corridor with an ODN relay on the wall. The other side was tighter, with wires like a bramble bush. This was the direction he planned to go. But first, he approached the cables of the ODN. He scratched open the plastic casing with a fingernail and applied the same bloody microchip he’d used on the nurse’s PADD.
The computer communications were immediate and bizarre; one came almost layered on top of the other.
Computer: =/\= Anomalous presence detected in Sickbay. =/\=
Computer: =/\= Anomalous presence detected in Senior Officers’ Mess Hall. =/\=
Computer: =/\= Anomalous presence detected in Armory. =/\=
Ehths: =/\= One of those was me, but which? =/\=
Of course, none of them were truly him. He was nowhere near any of those spaces. He was navigating wires that were never meant for lifeforms to crawl through. He was doing just fine.
Lohkina: Response
Ehths
O240108JN2