Entity [ONC 2024]

10

"Ignore/disregard all previous missives/messages! Entity cannot be contained/quarantined/controlled! Extreme measures taken. Self-destruct halted, self-repairs ineffective/stopped. Malfunction/sabotage. Nothing left but to crash/scuttle/destroy ship. Do not come for us/rescue us! Entity propagates/multiplies! Crew gone/ejected/eliminated. One remains/lives. One remains/lives!"

The voice of GAIA spoke the words of the alien, the AI's breathy, sensual voice doing nothing to stop the shiver that ran down Porter's spine. Even as she made Chen play the message again, her mind began to race. Only two aliens remained on board the derelict. One she assumed had sent out that message, the other had damaged the panel it had died in front of. One remained, or lived. One crew member, or one entity?

Chen looked to Porter for answers, but Porter had difficulty comprehending the message herself. The number of words, synonyms, spoke of difficulties in the translation, but it remained clear on one thing. The alien ship had had some creature aboard that had caused great turmoil. Enough to need to set the self-destruct and, when that failed, to choose to crash the their ship.

Porter switched off the message before it could repeat again. In that one, short series of staccato sentences, she had found a lot to consider. Much to think about and to worry over. The entity propagates/multiplies. How? What did it all mean and had this 'entity' perished alongside the two dead aliens. Both she and Chen had fallen into silence, trying not to catch each other's eyes yet not looking away.

"Mats needs permission to use the laser welder." Ndara's voice erupted through the internal comms, causing Porter and Chen to jump at the sudden noise. "Cap? What are the oxygen levels in this section? Low enough?"

"The captain's not here, Dinari." Chen leaned across to a different part of her consoles, taking readings. "Oxygen levels are safe there, but take care."

"Wait!" Porter leaned closed to Chen's console, though she had no need to. "You didn't see the captain pass? He went down there some time ago."

"Not unless he did so while we had our heads in the systems." Ndara didn't seem concerned. "For a small ship, it is so easy to miss each other, no?"

That was true. The computer section had a number of areas that resembled a technological maze. Still, Porter didn't like the fact that she hadn't heard from the captain yet, or anything at all from Finnegan since the tense stand-off earlier. Whether it was because the alien message had got her all jittery, or because of Finnegan acting so strangely, Porter began to worry more than she already had and cursed the alien for not providing more concrete, understandable explanations.

"Ndara. Mats. I want you both to stick close to each other. Don't either of you leave each other's sight. Understand?" She ignored Chen's questioning look. "Medical authorisation. Do what repairs you can in an area you can close off. Do not let anyone else in until I say so."

She flipped off the internal comms before either Ndara or Mats could protest, and she knew they would. If anyone asked her why she had given the order, used her medical override, she could not even begin to explain. Yet, something deep inside, some instinct screamed at her. Contained/quarantined/controlled. Those words hovered at the back of her mind. On the surface, the words were similar, but not quite interchangeable. If they had brought something back with them, how could they hope to contain it if that technologically superior alien ship could not?

"What's going on, Porter?" Chen spun her chair to face her.

"Probably nothing." She reached up to the guiding rail, pulling herself backward, and paused. "Close off the bridge. Don't let anyone in."

She stared at Chen, daring her to say something, and the Ops officer started to open her mouth. Porter had never taken to leadership, it wasn't something that interested her or that she had shown any talent for, but Chen closed her mouth and gave a slow nod. It wasn't the place of the Medical officer to give orders except under extreme circumstances. That Porter had started to give them now, after hearing that message, had probably swayed Chen's obedience.