Cold Realisation – Chill on the neck
Title Chill on the neck
Posted Sun Jul 14, 2013 @ 11:11pm
Location The Maego Ship
Timeline After the Bridge
The 6 man team moved off of the bridge and into the corridor beyond. Their hand lights lit a small group of Maego crouching and aiming staff weapons down into the dark corridor as if defending the bridge. Each was frozen with the same look of serious attention on their face, as if bracing for some sort of assault. Their weapons are empty however, despite no obvious sign of having been fired.
As the group moved on they began to find signs of other Maego. Each was armed and watching towards the back of the ship. After a few dozen yards they came to an unusual scene. A Maego, in the act of running, but frozen mid stride, had fallen against the ground still locked in a rictus of running.
So much for that theory, I suppose, Marie thought. That sort of discounts the idea that they were superheated then frozen.
She noticed another two crewmen further along. These two were also different. One was aiming his weapon at the wall, the other at the floor. They both looked worried, and as far as she was able to tell, the one aiming at the floor looked truly terrified.
"They look like something was behind the walls or moving along under the decking," she said. "Does this ship have Jeffries Tubes?"
"It kind of reminds me of frozen food," remarked Tell. "You know how they freeze the fresh food instantly to keep the flavour; maybe they were trying to stop it or something like that. Or is it just me? I don't like it; something's not right. Am I the only one who feels they're in a larder?"
May'Bel nodded, crouching to study the face of the running figure. He stood again.
"What ever happened here, there was no joy in this fight - no "May'Bel". I see grim resolution, bleak despair, and fear on these faces. This was a last stand."
Marie had been inspecting the Maego weapons. "I can't get these to do anything," she announced, "and I don't think it's anything to do with my lack of understanding how they work. My guess is they've been fired and any charge they held has been depleted. Yet...."
She looked around, turning a full 360 degrees and swiveling her head up and down. "....I can't see any sign of weapons damage. Wait...."
She walked further along the corridor, stopping at an intersection. Up to this point all of the doors had been frozen shut on either side of the passage. Now a small corridor to the left led to a door that was partly ajar.
She bent down, licked a finger and dabbed at a spot on the floor.
"Thought so!"
A trail of dried blood on the carpet led to an ominous door. The corridor continued towards the back of the ship. "Tell," she called. "Looks like engineering is down that way," she said, pointing along the corridor.
The engineer of the FHew noticed the red trace of life force on the floor as it snaked its way haphazardly along the deck. Panels on the walls were either blown or framed with black smoke damage. It was only when she saw something different about one of them, did she stop and look at it more intently. It used to be a power conduit but not any more. It revealed something she had seen before and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
"Oh no!" said Tell as she turned to the others. "We've got Borg technology in here. Its dormant but I can't say how long its going to stay that way."
Germite stepped forward and activated his tricorder. "It's blood, but these readings, it's a different bio signature than the Maego."
He tapped a few buttons to get a closer scan. "I'm unable to determine the race of the victim."
"Let me see that a moment," May'Bel asked, holding out his hand for the tricorder. As Germite handed it to him, he looked at it for a second, and then smashed it against the corner of a nearby railing, screen first. It died with a vigorous sparking sound.
In a business-like way, he yanked the power-pack out of the unit and tossed it down the corridor behind them. Then he passed the faintly smoking device back to Germite.
Germite looked at the destroyed device, then threw it on the deck. "Really? Is there any more of my equipment that you'd like to smash."
"The order to power down wasn't a choice," he said levelly. "I'd rather face a small handful of Borg than the fleet outside AND a handful of Borg."
Germite threw up his hands. "Fine!!! Perhaps you'd like to wear a blind fold too, to make it more of a challenge."
May'Bel unslung his spear-gun and loaded it.
"I say we see what's behind the door," he said.
After May'bel's display none felt inclined to argue with him. The group moved carefully to the door.