Its watching.

Posted on Tue Dec 31st, 2024 @ 11:34pm by Lieutenant Commander S'hib

Mission: Season 6: Episode 5: A church beyond heaven
Location: A'janie church, Docking port Five C
Timeline: MD:2 1000
700 words - 1.4 OF Standard Post Measure

"When did you say this ship arrived again?" S'hib asked as he walked beside an A'janie, the much shorter man struggling to arch his neck enough to look up at the Sequus.

"About two days ago, the day before your vessel arrived." He said, his brow furling. That much he could remember, it was everything else that concerned him.

"And you have no record of an occupant?"

"No..." There was a hesitation in his voice. An uncertainty that lingered even as he spoke. "But I do remember the ship arriving, and greeting someone... I'm sure of it."

"And nobody has come back to the ship since?" S'hib asked as he made notes on his PADD, ducking low as his ears clipped the bottom of a lantern.

"Nobody, we've even gone around asking and nobody seems to have any idea who it belongs to."

"Is it possible they left on another vessel?" S'hib said as he glanced over the railing to his right, his eyes peering over the edge to the many other docking bridges that jutted to the levels below them.

"Yes, that was our first thought as well, and we've had two vessels leave since this ship arrived... one we managed to establish contact with and they confirmed that they had no stowaways, the other is out of range."

S'hib fell quiet, furiously scrolling and inputting information on his PADD.

"May I ask why you're so curious about this vessel?" Said the A'janie as they approached the junction connecting to the bridge leading to docking port five C.

"A member of our crew might be missing, but we're not entirely sure..." S'hib said as they rounded the corner, his eyes tracing over the familiar walkway.

"Our computer picked up a communication from one of our comm badges, somebody was in distress and then... nothing."

He let out a long drawn-out sigh, his mind still trying to put everything together, nothing made sense.

"I see..." The A'janie said as he watched the strange alien slowly walk down the bridge. "Most unusual-"

"Do you have a list of vessels that arrived around the same time?" S'hib asked as he walked down the long stone bridge, his eyes drawn towards a tricorder and other scattered Star Fleet equipment on the floor.

He turned when he heard no response, but his mind quickly went blank as it tried to come to sense with the empty walkway.

Hadn't he just been talking to someone?

He scratched his long neck, puzzled by his last words, he could have sworn he was asking someone a question.

Must just be tired he thought, it has been a long two days after all.

"S'hib to Engineering." He said as he slapped his comm badge.

There was a slight pause as he turned and walked towards the tricorder, waiting until someone responded. "Yes, Commander? what can I help you with?"

"I'm following up on an investigation from yesterday, that team I asked to come analyse the temporal anomalies I detected... It looks like they left their equipment behind."

He leaned down, retrieving the tricorder, its sensors and programs still running.

"Could you find out who you sent and remind them this stuff doesn't grow on trees..."

"Of course, Commander... thank you for letting us know."

"Yeah it's fine, I'll bring it back shortly, S'hib out."

He sighed as he went to close the tricorder, pausing as its screen blinked to life with a new temporal anomaly.

Not thinking much of it he snapped it shut before retrieving a small PADD, its screen cracked but still functional.

"How'd they forget all this?" He muttered under his breath, taking one final look around before heading the way he came.

But then S'hib stopped, his hand reaching for his holster out of instinct as he looked about, his eyes and ears flicking about.

He didn't know what he was looking for or why, but it felt like being a kid again, being scared of the dark.

"Nope, nope... I'm leaving," He huffed, feeling embarrassed for himself as he hurried over the rest of the bridge and into the snaking balcony that wrapped around the higher levels.

"Red sands, this place is weird."