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Part of USS Altai: Here Be Monsters

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Small Victories

Published on February 27, 2022
USS Altai, Cargo Bay 2
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Astrid stared at the hole created by the thing. Thing seemed like a silly thing to call it. Crustacean? No, that didn’t roll off the tongue. Maybe bug? Well, maybe. Crustaceans were essentially sea bugs, and that rolled off the tongue much easier.

She was stalling she knew. That thing survived space. It survived slamming into the ship, and it moved incredibly fast and could cut holes through deck plating like butter. Could it even be stopped? What if the thing somehow was able to reproduce like some sort of malevolent Tribble? That was an uncomfortable thought. What would a mechanical crustacean eat? Obviously not grain. It stood to reason it was probably less like a Tribble and more like a Borg, and that was a sobering prospect.

Holstering her hand phaser she pressed a sequence of buttons on her hazard suit and a phaser rifle beamed into her hand. This was an ingenious design, and she wished she had had it three years ago.

Without a second glance at the mess that was the cargo bay she headed for the turbolift and took it up to the next deck. As she had ordered her entire team minus McQueen were there waiting on her.

“Okay folks here’s the skinny. Some sort of mechanical crustacean thing has infiltrated the ship. We don’t know it’s level of AI if any, nor do we know what it’s objective is. It moves incredibly fast, can climb walls and ceilings, and cut through deck plating. Break into pairs. I don’t want anyone going this alone. It was last seen entering this deck. There is a high probability that it isn’t here any more but we must throughly sweep this deck before moving onto deck four. This entity may not be hostile, but I would rather assume the worst and hope for the best. Any questions?”

“Can we stop it with phasers?” Crewman Krell asked, a wide-eyed Bolilan with training in engineering.

“I don’t know. Be alert, and be ready. I don’t want to write any letters home extolling your bravery and sacrifice, especially on my first day. We do this by the book this time. No exceptions. When it’s over you can play grab ass and joke around. Remember this is a room by room search. If anyone doesn’t like it have them come to me or talk to Lieutenant Olafsen. Mr. Korel you are with me.”

The Xindi-Reptialian nodded and moved to her side.

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