Finding Darkness

Chapter 44 Encounter

Deep, wet tear drops soaked her cheeks. She'd never find him, she couldn't, she didn't even know where to start looking. He'd die, and she'd never see him again. A thought came to her. When Malachi was in one of these types of situations, what did he always do? She knew the answer but didn't want to admit it. No! She wasn't one of those that deserved that. She couldn't, she didn't even know how. Yet her mind knew what he'd have said if he were with her. Malachi would simply tell her that no one deserved the right to talk to the God of the universe. So that was why Jesus had to die, to make a bridge for us to travel so we could get to God's presence.

Tamar bowed her head. She couldn't feel anything, nothing but the darkness behind her eyelids. With a deep, hesitant breath, she began.

"I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't even know if you're real, but Malachi believes in you, and he's the greatest person I've ever known, so that's good enough for me. I need to find him, and I don't even know where I am or where he is." She opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling.

"If you help me find him, I'll believe in you until the end of my days. Show yourself to me now. Help me, please." Her head shot up when a hand gently landed on her shoulder. Turning, she saw an older man dressed in a faded blue uniform holding the end of a broom.

"I didn't expect anyone to be in here, at least not now. You'd better get into one of those rooms. We're on full lock down, what with Commander Prey being taken to medical bay sixteen."

With a start, Tamar looked over to see an older man coming out of what looked like a closet. He didn't seem shocked by her appearance in the slightest. His black hair was graying at the temples, so she took in at about forty-five or so.

"Where is medical bay sixteen? I need to get there now!" Her voice rose with her excitement.

"There's a lift about three miles down on the felt side of this passage. It'll take you straight there."

Without a word, Tamar shot down the passage, until a single word stopped her.

"Tamar." She whirled. How did this man know her name? No one on this ship knew who she was.

"Take care of him. He needs you more than he knows." His warm smile broke across his weathered face and Tamar turned to look at where she was going. When she looked back, the man was gone.

She didn't have time to ponder the significance of what had just happened, so she tore off deeper into the unfamiliar ship. At least now she had a destination to reach.

But no one can move that fast. Maybe someone else on board has a suit like Malachi's. Whatever the case, she couldn't concentrate on it right now. So as the walls became blurs, Tamar choose to narrow her thoughts towards a single goal, Malachi.

"Sir, we may have a problem." The sensor officer reported to his captain.

"And what is that, Ensign Sigal?"

"Whatever that thing is that Commander Prey brought back with him, it just tore its way out of the hangar bay. It's loose in the ship, sir."

"WHAT? Those doors are pure titanium. Nothing human could tear one of those down. Central, where is that thing now? Captain Prey asked while standing behind Ensign Sigal.

"She is now making her way down the passageway leading to the main birthing area for engineering personnel. But I do not think that is her goal." A holographic projection assembled itself above the bridge. At its center was Tamar, represented by a red dot. The passageway she was in stretched out behind and in front of her. Far ahead of her was the birthing compartment Central had talked about. Halfway between Tamar and the compartment, Central highlighted the lift doors to the medical wing.

"I believe those doors are her objective. Once inside that lift, she will be taken to within thirty fifty yards of the entrance to medical bay sixteen."

"But how can she know that? That thing has never set foot on this vessel, never." A prickle began at the nape of his neck. "But I think you're right Central. Do we have any guards near enough to intercept that thing?"

"I would advise against that course of action, sir, as she has shown to be very proficient at hand-to-hand combat." Central tried to advise Captain Prey.

"Just get them down there. We need to give the men down at medical the time to make sure that if she gets to that lift she'll never get into medical."

"As you command, sir." The computer had a feeling this was a bad idea.

She picked up their scent before she saw them. The air circulation system must move the air throughout the entire area, or she would have never caught their scent. Quickly flattening against the wall, Tamar closed her eyes. Perusing through every scent her olfactory sense could catch, after a few seconds she knew what she was facing.

There were ten men, each armed with a single blade and a pistol, and since energy weapons had to have a massive energy source in order to operate, she was guessing the pistols were slug throwers.

The closer I get to Mal, the deadlier they'll become. The thought crossed her mind as she lowered herself with knees bent and began to work her way forward along the wall. Tamar was still far from the lift doors when she heard it, a faint voice coming from her front.

"What is this thing anyway, Sarge?"

"I wasn't given that information. Our orders are just to keep it from getting into this lift."

"But Sarge, the lift is sealed. There's no way anyone's getting in there."

"Look Bean, cut the chatter. I would advise you to get your head where it belongs, right here, right now, got it?"

"Yeah, I got it."