“Let’s go, let’s go! The commander is expecting a transmission on our status.” Racing into the Communications Center, I can’t help but feel painfully unprepared still being two files short. “Xeno, tell me you’ve got us back up and running.”
His dedication is admirable and his intellect unmatched, but his tinkering has yet to cease since I entered the room. “Oh, I’ve got us running alright. Just adjusting the transmission receiver so this doesn’t happen again.”
“Alright, well stop tinkering. Do you have the sector management logs?” I take a seat in front of the transmission monitor. Its visual components aren’t quite what they used to be since the damage done to our system during the incident. And there’s a lingering stench of smoke, from what I can imagine the entire room reeked of after the control box caught fire.
Xeno stands up and wipes his brow, exhausted. “Uh… yes. Here it is.”
“And you forwarded it to the commander as requested?” I flip through the first couple pages as he turns to take his leave.
“Yes.”
“Alright, get out of here. Oh, and tell Tindal I need Dituri’s medical report, stat!”
“You got it.” He shuts the door and I turn back to the monitor as the outgoing transmission is received.
Her voice cuts in and out for a moment, interrupted by static until the audio stabilizes. “Receiving transmission from Sector D-463. Identify yourself.”
“This is Sector Supervisory Assistant Morgana, sending out our first transmission since the incident.” I confirm.
Her fingers begin to race across her keyboard, as she records my response. “Your sector has been off the grid for 5 days, Morgana. What prevented you from making any outgoing transmissions?”
“The Communications Center was badly damaged during the incident. Our Sector Technician Specialist could not fully repair our system until this morning.”
“Understood.” She nods, stoically. “However, I would like to speak to your Sector Supervisory Coordinator.”
I lean back in my chair, uneasy. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
“How so?”
Before I can provide an answer, the door behind me creaks open slowly and Tindal hands me a file over my shoulder. I open it for further reference as she walks back out of the room. “SSC Dituri was compromised during the incident.”
“Infected?” she prompts.
“Preliminary testing indicates he was infected by three or four leeches. We currently have him in quarantine, but there’s no way of measuring the extent of damage done to his brain.”
She sighs, “Well, you know what that means then.”
“Yes.” I sit back up in my chair, “I’ve already assumed control of the sector and have begun the post-incident procedures.”
“Good.”
“Commander, if I may… how did this happen? We haven’t had an incident for 11 months.” I know she’s not obligated to give me any answers but given the circumstances, it couldn’t hurt to ask.
She contemplates her response momentarily but complies. “A swarm of Threxuls hit the crew working repairs on your sector’s exospheric ventilation system. They were killed before they could seal the outer grates, allowing the swarm to infiltrate your sector before you could initiate the emergency lockdown protocol.” She begins typing away at her keyboard before inquiring once more. “Morgana, I’m going to need you to go over the events of the incident, as best as you can recall them.”
“Not much to tell. Xeno, our STS, alerted Dituri of the breach and before any of us could make it to the armory, he locked himself in with the swarm.” I close the file and toss it onto the desk before continuing. “Surprisingly, he managed to kill all of them with his phaser, but it didn’t completely fry all the leeches. We found him unconscious after the rest of the crew cleared the sector.”
“And no one else was infected?” I pause, unsure how to respond. But my troubled expression must have been all too obvious to her, as she prompts me once again. “Morgana, do you know why I requested your logs?”
“Yes.” I comply, reluctantly.
“In comparison to your previous usage, your oxygen has shown a slight increase over recent days. And the percentage of carbon dioxide in your sector’s air has reached concerning levels on multiple occasions.” She pauses, momentarily. And it’s as if I’m seeing a hint of empathy in her eyes for the first time. “You know what this means.”
“Yes.” I sigh, “Another one of us is infected.”
“Then you know the lockdown cannot be lifted until all infected parties have been neutralized.”
“Yes Commander. I’ll alert you when it’s done.” I shut down the monitor, ending the outgoing transmission. But before I can even take another breath, the door swings open once again.
As usual, Boone’s impatience has become a nuisance. “So, what did she say?”
“She confirmed my suspicions.” I respond, following him out into the hallway. “One of us is infected.”
“That much we knew already.” Astrid chides as she crosses her arms, “What’s the plan?”
“Well, we’ve never seen Threxuls up close before. Figured we’d use that to our advantage and try to get ahead of this thing. Did Tindal and Galen get to work on the report I asked for?”
“Yeah, they’re ready for you.” Boone heads down the hallway and towards the lab. Astrid and I follow shortly behind at a brisk pace.
Walking into the lab, it looks like Tindal has one of the Threxuls opened up on the table. It isn’t really what I was expecting now that I’m seeing it up close. The Threxul bears a close resemblance to the outer structure of a bat, with slightly larger fangs and claws. Inside its stomach, about as small as jellybeans, are the leeches. Luckily for us, they were among the ones fried during the incident. Tindal and Galen remain standing at their work stations, while Astrid and Boone take a seat over by Xeno. I remain standing just inside the doorway. “Alright, talk to me Tindal.”
“Well, I’ve found much of our preliminary research over the past few years to be accurate in my recent analysis. As we suspected, the leeches are stored inside the Threxuls and are released upon its death.” Tindal explains, as she removes her surgical gloves and turns on the holographic projector. It displays an image of the brain, which she uses as a model. “The leeches begin by attacking the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex, which explains the loss of short-term memory and early symptoms of confusion and disorientation.”
Tindal turns to Galen, who steps forward gingerly and clears his throat. Though he often displays a passive and fearful nature, he never stumbles on his words when it comes to his scientific studies. “Eventually, it moves on to the hippocampus, which is the catalyst for long-term memory. And before long, the damage to the supplementary motor area, which is located at the center of the medial frontal lobe network, becomes irreparable. With this part of the brain compromised, the victim often slips into a violent psychosis… We all know how that ends.”
“So basically, once infected there’s nothing that can be done.” Xeno sighs.
“We don’t know that.” I reassure.
Boone stands up, “Yes, we do. And we all know how this ends.”
“Well in the meantime, we need to make sure and preserve the studied samples. Tindal, Galen, let me know if you find anything else.” I turn quickly and head back out into the hall, diligent not to allow the rest of the crew to see my concern. But within moments, a flurry of footsteps trail behind me and I’m joined by Xeno, Boone, and Astrid, who all await further instructions. “Xeno, I want you to finish any necessary repairs to the comms system. We can’t afford to lose that again.”
“On it.” Xeno replies before heading down the hall.
“So, that’s it?” Boone questions. “Fix the comms system and wait for someone to start showing symptoms?”
“I’m not sure what else we can do right now, Boone.”
“Oh, I could think of a few things.” he condescends.
“Well, luckily for us, you’re not in charge here.”
He scoffs at my latest remark, “Right, because you’re definitely the most qualified person in this room.”
“Boone, that is no way to speak to your superior.” Astrid chides, “The chain of command passes to the Sector Supervisory Assistant.”
He crosses his arms, defensive. “You and I both know the Sector Militia Coordinator is far more qualified to call the shots at a time like this.”
“It’s not my job to call the shots right now. And it’s not yours either.” Astrid scoffs, “Or do I need to remind you why you’re still just an SMA?”
“Alright, it’s getting late and it’s been a long day. Both of you go get some rest.” They stop and look at me, seemingly surprised. “That’s an order.” With that, Astrid and Boone head for their quarters, and with the day I’ve had, it doesn’t take me long to reach my own. After closing the door behind me, I sit down on the bed and grab my radio. “Hey Xeno.”
“Go for Xeno.”
“Once you finish those repairs, could you let Tindal know that I need that sample storage paperwork done by tomorrow?”
“You got it. Get some rest, Morgana.”
“You too.” After a moment, I set the radio on my desk and slip under the covers. As I close my eyes and begin to drift, for just a moment everything fades away. For just a moment everything falls silent. Until the sound of my alarm clock fills the room after what felt like but a mere few seconds.
I still haven’t gotten used to the lockdown grates over my windows. Normally, I’d roll over to see the lush blue trees beyond the glass. And the swamps beyond that. But not today.
After getting dressed, I make my way to the lab, where Galen looks busy at work, accompanied by a seemingly exhausted Boone. Upon seeing my approach, he stands up and meets me in the hall.
“Did you sleep at all?”
“No.” He sighs, “About last night-”
“Look, I get it. These last couple of days haven’t been easy.” He nods as I continue, “Just don’t let it happen again.” This time, I’m met with a soft chuckle, as I glance through the lab window. “What is Galen working on?”
“He’s just finishing up that paperwork you asked for.”
“I told Xeno I wanted Tindal on that.”
“Strange.” He pauses, “Galen said you requested he finish it up.”
Something’s not right. I remember what I told Xeno last night, but somewhere along the line the message was lost. “Xeno.” I call out over the radio.
“Go for Xeno.” he replies.
“Did you talk to Tindal last night, like I asked?”
“Yeah, I stopped by the lab before I hit the hay.”
“You didn’t happen to mention this to Galen, did you?”
“Uh, no. I told Tindal, like you asked.” he explains. “But Galen was there.”
Boone slips his hand behind his neck, unsettled. “You don’t think-”
“No, it was probably just a misunderstanding.” I reassure, in a failed attempt to rationalize the situation.
“Morgana, early signs of infection are short-term memory loss and confusion. We have to do something.”
“No, not now Boone. I mean it.” With that, I turn down the hallway and head for the quarantine quarters. If anyone will know how to handle Boone and a situation like this, it’s Dituri.
“Tindal, you there?” I call out on the radio as I continue to make my way down the hall.
“Yeah. I’m here.”
“I need you to open that thing back up. Anything you can find.”
“On it.”
As I round the corner, my stomach tightens up in knots. Seeing Dituri so weak and frail when he was once the strongest among us, it sends unnerving chills down my spine.
“That bad, huh?” He shakes his head and smiles. “Look, my mind may not be what it used to be, but I know that look. What’s wrong?”
“I’m not you.” I sigh, “And the commander alerted us to another infected party. Looks like it’s Galen.”
“Poor kid.”
“Boone wants to… handle it.”
He leans forward, lowering his voice to a near whisper. “Look, I know how this is going to end for me, Morgana. But that kid still has time. Tindal is one of the best EAS analysts I know. If anyone can figure this out, it’s her. You just have to give her the chance.”
“I’d be breaking protocol.”
“But you’ve already thought that through.” He smiles, “You just wanted me to tell you that I’d do the same thing.”
Static begins coming through on my radio, until the audio clears and I hear Tindal’s voice. “Morgana, we’ve got a problem.”
Dituri nods as I stand up and make my way out into the hall. “What now?”
“Those samples you asked me to reexamine, someone threw them in the incinerator.”
“Meet me on the security deck and grab Xeno while you’re at it.” I race down to the deck where Tindal and Xeno are waiting for me. They’re seated in front of the security cameras and Xeno already looks to be pulling up the footage.
“Alright, here’s the lab. Looks like Galen was the last in there.” Xeno pauses the screen moments later and it’s clear as day. Galen burned the samples.
“What do we do?” Tindal prompts.
“Go find Astrid and Boone.” I grab my radio as Tindal exits the room and heads down the hall. “Galen, I need you on the security deck.”
Xeno leans back in his chair. “This isn’t going to end well, Morgana.”
“No, it isn’t.”
By the time Galen joins us on the deck, Tindal, Boone, and Astrid have all returned.
“Morgana, what’s going on?” Galen asks.
“You burned the samples. Why?”
“You- you told me to.” he stutters.
Tindal takes a step towards him as he shies away. “Galen, she specifically asked us to preserve the sample. It’s basic protocol.”
“But earlier, I thought… I thought…”
I place my hand on Tindal’s shoulder and she turns to me hesitantly. “Tindal, would you take him down to quarantine, please?”
As Tindal escorts Galen out of the room, Boone’s frustration returns. “So, we’re just keeping him in quarantine?”
“For now.” I respond, causing Boone to scoff and storm out before I can say another word. Though his reaction is concerning, I take a deep breath and compose myself. “Xeno, prep the comms system for another outgoing transmission.”
“On it.”
Xeno exits the room, leaving Astrid and I alone. To which she takes the opportunity to express her thoughts. “For now? Morgana, you know the protocol. The lockdown can’t be lifted until all infected parties have been neutralized.”
“We still have time, Astrid.” I reassure her before rushing back down the hallway.
Though he may not be in the best state of mind, I can’t think of anyone else I’d go to in this moment. I’ve worked in this sector under Dituri for nearly 8 years. He’ll know exactly what to do. Racing back around the corner to his quarters, all I see is red. The blood, it’s all over the floor. And that’s when I see Dituri. His lifeless body thrown back into the corner of the room. He was shot by a phaser.
I round another corner to the other quarantine quarters in search of Galen, but instead I find Tindal, unconscious on the floor with a superficial head wound. She starts waking up as I kneel down next to her.
“Tindal, what happened?”
“It was Boone.” She winces in pain, “He took Galen.”
“Find Astrid. I’m going after them.” Tears start pouring down my face as I race back down the hall. I’m not sure where I’m going until I hear several phaser blasts further down the hall. They came from the lab.
I rush through the lab doors to see Boone covered in blood, his eyes cold. Galen lies lifeless at his feet. “Boone, what did you do?”
“I ended this.”
“It didn’t have to end this way. We still had time.”
He scoffs and takes a step towards me. “It always ends this way. Morgana, I ended his suffering.”
“Oh, so this was for them?” I question, horrified at his attempts to explain himself.
He pauses, puzzled. “Them?”
“There’s point in trying to hide it Boone. I found Dituri.”
He takes another step towards me, seemingly confused. “Dituri? You can’t seriously blame me for that.”
I scoff, appalled. “Who else is there to blame?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the incompetent little girl who took his place.” He takes another step towards me, as he begins to raise his voice. “Everything that’s happened since the incident is on you.” Once again, his eyes turn cold and his expression, stoic. As I turn to leave, he throws his arm up against my chest and shoves me back against the window. I hear the glass crack behind me and the sound of a phaser blast.
He backs up, seeing the blood begin to soak his shirt. Tindal races in, horrified, as Boone collapses. “Morgana, what have you done?”
“He was out of control.” I try to explain, “He was going to kill me.”
“You couldn’t have possibly known that.” Tindal cries.
I drop my phaser, still trying to grasp the situation. “He killed Galen. And he killed Dituri. What was I supposed to think?”
“Morgana…” She takes a step back, her anguish turning to fear. “You killed Dituri three days ago.”
“What?”
She takes another step back, “He slipped into a violent psychosis, and you had to put him down. Do you not remember?”
“No, no… That’s not possible.” There’s no way what she’s saying can be true. “I talked to Dituri less than 30 minutes ago.”
“Galen was telling the truth. It wasn’t his memory that was failing.” she mutters, coming to a terrifying realization as Xeno rushes in.
“Ready to make the transmission, Morgana.”
Tindal wipes the tears from her face and takes a step towards me, composing herself. “Tell them we’ve neutralized all infected parties.” She takes a deep breath and looks behind me. “Do it, Astrid.”
The last thing I remember is the burning scent of blood that’s pervaded the room. And the sound of a phaser charging behind me.
Then everything goes dark.
By Kaitlyn Soderstrom, 2023
The SciFi Spire 