"So how is Lee now?" asked Dinara
"She's fine" replied Nige. "She had a concussion and a shoulder wound but it's nothing Markos can't handle."
"Thats good then. What was it like down on the planet? I hear you could see the whole Milky Way in the sky."
"You could, it was..." Just then the ship shuddered violently. "Nige to Bridge," Nige said tapping his commbadge.
[....................]
"Nige to Engineering."
[....................]
"Nige to anyone who can hear me!"
[...................]
"Computer, what is going on?"
<Internal communications systems are off-line>
"What about the backups?" Dinara asked
<Back-up systems are inoperative.>
"That's odd. I'd better get to the Bridge and see what's going on. I don't think there should be any danger, but you'd better head for Sickbay. Just to be on the safe side."
"Okay, then." They both then left through opposite ends of Ten Forward. Nige came to the nearest turbolift and pressed the button to call the lift.
<Turbolifts are non-operational> came the computers voice.
"Damn it! What is working around here?" Nige forced the doors open and looked up the long dark shaft and saw nothing. He looked down and saw that the turbolift was stuck one or two decks down. He climbed out into the tube and began to climb up towards the bridge, all the time with the fear in the back of his head that the turbolifts may come back on line and that they would crush him against the overhead. Luckily, they didn't and Nige forced open the doors to the Bridge.
"Captain, we've just dropped out of warp!" said Churok from the helm.
"We've also lost shields and phasers!" cried Beckett from tactical.
"Run full diagnostics on all systems. Find out what's happened," ordered Captain Osagawa.
"Captain? What's going on?" asked Nige who had pulled himself up from the turbolift shaft. Osagawa turned round and saw Nige walking down to the lower level.
"Ah, Lieutenant! We seem to be having some difficulties with the ships systems. We can't seem to contact anyone."
"I know. I couldn't contact anyone either."
The turbolifts and communications are offline, and we're cut off from engineering. Have we been boarded? Why haven't the intruder alerts sounded? the captain thought.
"Right now, we can't do much until we get in contact with Engineering. Nige, I want you and Commander Tumock to get down there and find out what's going on.
"Aye, sir."
"See if you can get the communications system back online"
"Yes, sir" Nige and Tumock walked to the turbolift shaft. "The turbolifts do not seem to be functioning either" said Tumock looking down the shaft.
"I know. We'll have to take the Jeffries tubes," said Nige crawling down the shaft. Tumock followed.
The two officers reached Deck 15 through the turbolift shaft and then moved into the Jeffries tubes. They were almost to the end of one when a large bolt of energy, similar to the ones they had seen on the planet, flashed past them. Nige and Tumock looked at each other and then hurried on down the tube. Another one flashed past almost hitting Nige. They came to the door but didn't have time to open it--another blast blew it off! They climbed out and jumped to either side of the hatch. Bolt after bolt followed them through.
"Computer, erect a level 10 forcefield around both hatches of Jeffries tube 27-Alpha." said Tumock. A blue forcefield fizzled into place and the lightning bolts began to hit the forcefield. "I believe we had better go, before the force field disintegrates."
"I agree," said Nige. "Which way to Engineering?"
"We follow this Jeffries tube until the next intersection and then down the turboshaft. I also advise that we get some weapons from a security locker." The two of them continued to engineering without any further difficulties. They forced open the doors and stepped out into a dark quiet room. Not even the quiet pulses of the warp core could be heard. They stepped out and walked over to the large table in the middle. Nige stood guard while Tumock started working.
"It seems as though someone or something has been systematically disabling the entire ship."
"Tumock?"
"Yes Lieutenant?"
"Where is the engineering crew?"
Tumock jumped around and stepped over to Nige. "Maybe what we met in the Jeffries tube has done something with them." Tumock drew his weapon and they both stepped up towards the warp core.
"Tumock, are you all right?"
"Of course. Why do you ask?"
"You seem very unsettled for a Vulcan"
"I seem to be experiencing anxiety and fear."
"Maybe your human emotions are breaking through."
"Maybe so but that shouldn't happen. I have suppressed my emotions, I shouldn't be afraid."
"Don't worry about it. Just learn to accept your human side and you'll be able to live with it." Their conversation was cut short by another bolt of energy which hit the warp core. Luckily, the protective force field was still in place and the energy was absorbed into it. Nige fired back into the dark but they were at a disadvantage. They were standing in the only illuminated part of engineering. What ever was out there had an easy shot!