Echo

Chapter 10: The Devil You Know

Author's Notes: Happy Holidays everyone! I probably won't post again before Christmas, so enjoy this chapter until the 25th passes. I know it's short, the next one is longer.

Thanks to all who have reviewed! :)

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Echo

There was a tremulous THUMP immediately followed by a metallic click as every light, machine, and mechanical object that plugged into a wall simultaneously shut off in the med bay. Similarly, as if all of you had been unplugged, every person present in the room fell silent as you stood in the darkness.

It lasted only a few seconds, before a mechanical whirring began to thrum within the cavities of the walls and subsequently the bulbs above your head lit up again, casting everyone in a duller glow than before. It was the auxiliary power kicking in, you realized, which meant that someone or something had caused the central power grid to shut down, forcing the ship to take on the use of backup energy until the main system rebooted or was otherwise set back into balance.

Before anyone could even ask the question, as you all stood there, frozen in bewilderment, there was a musical dinging noise that came on over the intercom. It rang a few times, in a set rhythm, and many of your fellows covered their ears at the volume, cringing.

Following the sound, a voice that you didn't recognize stated the following, "May I have your attention please. Do not be alarmed by this message."

Several of the nurses exchanged frightened glances that suggested they were very much afraid of what was about to follow that statement. You swallowed thickly, listening hard and breathing swiftly.

"As long as everyone cooperates, nobody will be hurt. The captain has been removed from his post, as have the central officers. Should anybody attempt to aid him or his fellows, they will be killed on site. Stand by for further instruction. Do not leave your posts, or you will be considered hostile and in defiance of these orders."

With that, the intercom clicked off, and you felt the palpable fear of the people residing in the med bay begin to rise as a result. The questions began to echo throughout the room, all of them similar or precisely the same.

"What's going on?"

"What happened to the captain?"

"Who was that on the announcement?"

Somehow, you got the feeling that what you had been waiting for all along was happening, right now. You looked around the room and discovered to your alarm that Dr. McCoy was nowhere in sight. Your heart leapt into your throat, and you went over all of the places he might be in your head, including his quarters, the lab, and worst of all the bridge before deciding that his office was the likeliest. With that, you ducked around the people lingering in the aisle ways, some of them on the verge of hysteria, and headed straight for the exit.

"Where are you going? They said to stay at our posts!" Someone cried after you, and you ignored them as you came to the door.

"Jane!" Another person shouted, but you did not wait for them to continue their protest.

He had not pressed his panic button, which meant that he was either perfectly safe, or in grave danger and unable to reach it. Somehow you felt it was the latter, which only gave rise to your sense of panic.

Heart racing, you took out your gun and sprinted towards the direction of his office, anticipating that you would meet resistance on the way.

You were not disappointed.

As soon as you rounded the first corner, you were met by three red-clad security guards.

The first one pointed his gun directly at you, but as soon as he pulled the trigger you feinted to the left so that the shot went to the side, hitting an opposite wall. He fired again, but you zigzagged out of the way again and before he could pull the trigger once more, you grabbed his arm and twisted it downwards, using the angle to dislocate his shoulder.