LtCmdr Atan T'Seva, Ghosts

[Jennifer R. Povey]

(( USS Icarus - Deck 4 ))

Ba'el: ::Looks to S'Jenes:: Should being the operative word I think?

S’Jenes: ::adjusts his tricorder to a narrower scan resolution:: I’m checking for active conduits, residual pressure differentials, and structural fatigue before we attempt separation. If the collapse compromised lower support members, forcing the panel free could destabilize the surrounding deck.

T’Seva: Agreed.

Ba’el: Meaning we could accidentally fall through to Deck 5 then?

Now there was gravity, they might. She gave Ba'el a slight nod.

S’Jenes: Well the good news is, there’s no conduits or load bearing sections, let’s see what the panel hides. 

T’Seva: Can we open it?

Ba’el: Response

S’Jenes: There should be manual release anchors underneath the outer lip. If they have not fused shut from heat damage, we may be able to lift the panel without cutting into the deck itself.

T'Seva kept watch, not that she expected problems, while the other two lifted the panel.

Ba’el: ::Confident in her hold on the plate:: I got it, go ahead and run your scans.

T’Seva: Let me help there.

She moved to support the plate while S'Jenes scanned.

S’Jenes: ::angles his tricorder toward the exposed space beneath the removed deck plating, studying the irregular heat patterns threaded through the underlying support structure:: I believe we may be dealing with a thermogenic extremophile fungus… possibly Thermomyces ferrum. It is a rare mycelial organism capable of propagating through metallic environments by colonizing insulation layers, polymer sealants, and oxidized structural material. Great guess, Lieutenant Commander.

T’Seva: If you're finding life somewhere life shouldn't be, usually, it's a mushroom. Did we bring sample vials? If so, take one. If not, somebody can come back.

Ba’el: Could that be the source of the thermal readings we had then?

S’Jenes: The organism produces heat as a metabolic byproduct. In confined spaces like this, dense growth within the support framework could generate localized temperatures close to humanoid body heat.

T’Seva: Absolutely

Ba’el: And what about the tapping?

S’Jenes: ::uses the tricorder to follow faint filament-like traces running along the exposed structural supports:: The tapping is likely mechanical stress caused by expansion within the colony itself. As the fungal mass absorbs and releases heat, it places pressure against weakened support members and plating anchors.

S’Jenes: In a hollow deck structure, those pressure shifts would reverberate through the hull as rhythmic impacts.

Ba’el: That could become irritating really fast.

T’Seva: We won't be here that long. But at least there's a logical explanation.

S’Jenes: That would also explain the sensor inconsistencies. The organism is biological, but it incorporates metallic particulate and conductive compounds from the ship’s structure into its growth. Our tricorders are reading overlapping organic and inorganic signatures simultaneously… What that doesn’t explain, however, is where the crew went.

Ba’el: ::Gives them both a look:: Are we good? I can put this down now right?

The deck plate back in place, Ba'el stood. T'Seva stretched slightly. It all had a perfectly logical explanation. The ship was not, in fact, haunted.

Ba'el: So...what is our next move then?

T’Seva: We keep moving.

Ba'el: What if we.....::Her attention is drawn further down the hallway::

T'Seva caught Ba'el's sudden alert and followed her gaze.

Ba'el: Did either of you see that?

T'Seva: I saw something.

Out of the corner of her eye.

S'Jenes: ::pulls out his phaser:: In fact, I did.

Ba'el: I thought I saw someone ::Indicating to where she had seen them:: right there. ::Turns to look at the others:: Is there anyone else on this deck besides us?

T'Seva: There shouldn't be.

S'Jenes: I don’t remember anyone being assigned to it other than us.

S’jenes went first before T'Seva could say anything.

S’jenes: There’s nothing here.

Ba’el: Response

S’jenes: Trust me, I am not discounting that account. I saw something as well. What could still be alive that didn’t arrive with us?

T’Seva: That would be large and moving? Nothing I can think of. I checked the manifest, they had no hortas on board.

Hortas could indeed survive in vacuum and were definitely people, but they were not remotely humanoid.

Ba’el: Response

S'Jene kept moving.

S’jenes: T’Seva, anything on our 6 o clock?

T’Seva: No.

And then...

S’jenes: They always say “in space, no one can hear you scream” right?

T’Seva: If by they you mean humans.

Bael: Response

S’jenes: Good then they won’t hear this.. :: squeals at the top of his lungs::

T’Seva: :: managing not to laugh, even though it might relieve the tension. :: What is it?

Ba’el: Response

S’jenes: Unsure of what it is exactly, :: looks back at them:: and that scream… Didn’t happen, officially. What do you think it is?

T’Seva: A hologram? No, not nearly enough power.

But she was pretty sure she had seen a humanoid figure, wavering, vanishing, appearing.

Ba’el: Response

T'Seva: :: with slightly forced calm :: Did either of you bring a hammer?

S'Jenes/Ba'el: Response

T'Seva: Or any small tool.

S'Jenes/Ba'el: Response

A theory was developing in her mind. She actually hoped she was right. Because if she was, this ship wasn't full of ghosts after all.

But at the same time, she was Bajoran enough to not entirely dismiss the idea of ghosts.

LtCmdr Atan T'Seva
Chief of Tactical
USS Constitution
S238312D10