Ensign S’jenes - Data Lattices
James hassell
(( Shuttlebay Two – Deck 13 – USS Constitution-B ))
The runabout hatch opened with a subdued hydraulic hiss, and Ensign S’Jenes stepped down onto the deck plating of Shuttlebay Two. The hum of the ship’s systems felt steadier than the unfamiliar resonance of Kameryan structures. Familiar.
Deck crew moved past him to begin post-flight checks. With shore leave on Tucker Station scheduled once final mission reports were filed, there was a perceptible lightness in the shuttlebay. Conversations were quieter, but anticipation lingered beneath them.
S’Jenes allowed himself a single measured breath.
Then something caught the light near the inner hatch seam.
He turned back.
Resting just inside the threshold track was a small crystalline object… multifaceted, translucent, refracting the overhead lights into fractured pale blues and silvers.
He crouched and retrieved it carefully, ensuring he did not disrupt the crew at work. The surface was smooth, cool to the touch. The internal latticework was intricate… deliberate.
S’Jenes rose slowly, studying it for a moment before closing his fingers gently around it. It had not been logged among their equipment. It had not been present during departure checks.
And in a few short hours, much of the crew would be dispersing to Tucker Station.
He tapped his combadge.
S’Jenes: =/\= Ensign S’Jenes to Lieutenant Yirah. =/\=
Yirah: =/\= Response =/\=
S’Jenes kept his tone professional.
S’Jenes: =/\= Lieutenant, I have discovered an item aboard the runabout that was not logged prior to departure. Given the upcoming shore leave transfer to Tucker Station, I believed it prudent to request your evaluation before we stand down. =/\=
A brief pause.
Yirah: =/\= response =/\=
S’Jenes: =/\= Acknowledged. Thank you, Lieutenant. =/\=
He lowered his hand, casting one final glance into the runabout before exiting the shuttlebay.
S’jenes approached the Assistant Chief Science Office and chimed the door.
(( Assistant Chief Science Office – Deck 10 – USS Constitution-B ))
The Science Office was quiet when S’Jenes entered, LCARS displays casting soft illumination across the room.
Yirah: response
S’Jenes: Lieutenant.
He opened his hand and revealed the crystal.
S’Jenes: This was located just inside the runabout hatch upon our return. It was not present during pre-flight inspection..
Yirah: response
S’Jenes transferred the crystal to the diagnostic tray.
He activated his tricorder and began scanning.
Yirah: response
S’Jenes clasped his hands behind his back.
S’Jenes: I cannot account for how it came aboard, Lieutenant, but the complexity of the lattices suggests that it was planted there. I wished to consult with you and get your opinion on it.
Yirah: response
A beat passed.
Yirah: response
S’Jenes inclined his head slightly.
S’Jenes: That was my concern.
Yirah: response
S’Jenes straightened.
S’Jenes: Yes, Lieutenant.
The small crystal rested silently on the tray between them, refracting the ambient light.