Buried Within

Posted on Tue Nov 10th, 2020 @ 9:21am by Lieutenant Kevan Dash & Lieutenant Ausra Danton

Mission: The Shadow of Arachne
Location: Science Labs
Timeline: MD-05 - late
572 words - 1.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Ausra stumbled into the science lab to see what she could discover about what was happening outside the ship. The doors swished closed behind her as they usually did but it took her only a moment to notice that something was wrong. Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she shrieked at what she saw. The body of her sister walking with jerking strides towards her from across the room looking much like she had on the day of her accident, chunks of skin missing, scrapes in the flesh, blood caked to the side of her head. Asura screamed and stumbled back into something behind her.

"Lieutenant Danton?" Kevan asked, approaching with his hands extended. Something seemed to be up with her. "What is it? What's wrong?"

She turned, hearing a sound but not the words and discovered another being behind her who looked much the same as her sister, dripping with blood and severely damaged by something. She kicked and squirmed and tried to get away from them but it felt as if they were holding onto her body.

Kevan wasn't expecting to be swatted upside the cheekbone by the science officer. He stumbled a little, mildly dazed. "What was that for!?" he scowled as she wriggled away from his grasp. "Why is everyone on this ship acting so weird?"

For some reasons the pitch of the words resonated with her and her vision cleared as if fog had just parted the room. Her breathing was still all over the place but she was blinking and looking at the real Kevan now. "Lieutenant?" Ausra asked as if uncertain. "Did you see them?"

"See who?" he asked, looking around. First Lieutenant P'rel was acting strange, now Lt Danton. Was it all the senior officers on this ship going mad? "Just me."

Ausra frowned and blinked a few times. "Blood, the person walking with chunks of skin off of their body." She gave no indication it was someone she knew. She pulled her knees up to her chest and put her head against her knees for a moment.

"Well that sounds disturbing," Kevan remarked, dropping to crouch just opposite her. He rubbed his cheek, trying to force the sensation back. "Everyone's on edge at the moment. I'm no expert in these things but it sounds like people are getting a bit stressed or something. We nearly bought the farm back there with those Breen, after all."

"Oh that was way more than just stress. This place, wherever we are. It has to be doing something to us. This is not good at all. If we can't keep our heads then there's no telling what might happen. I wonder if anyone on board hasn't been affected?"

"You're the science officer," Kevan just shrugged. "I suppose if you say it's that way then it might be true. I guess we need to figure out how to get out of here before someone gets really hurt."

"I just know that was not stress. Should we talk to the Captain next?" Ausra only hesitated because she always seemed to be in his ready room and in trouble.

Nodding once, he offered her a hand up. Lieutenant Sar had been so busy with the Breen and the intruders, he hadn't seen her in hours. Maybe he was best following the Science Officer to speak to the Captain. "Captain it is. After you, ma'am."