Finding the Hidden

[Dustin_Marks 0]

The compound had fallen significantly more silent as the various members of the away team were going about their business. Medical had just finished cataloging the seen dead Starfleet members and tending to the injured as Midshipman Sydney Richardson walked slowly down the hall looking curiously at the construction.

 

She stopped at a door that seemed curiously ajar. Looking back to where Dr. Levy was working on an injured Marine, she remembered her Chief's words on not splitting up. Then, after opening the sliding door a little more, she shone her flashlight around the room. Dead lay scattered around, but then her light stopped on a pair of eyes. Sydney screamed.

 

JP Marks had just finished talking with Ensign JoNs when he heard a loud scream from a darkened hall. Raising his rifle quickly, he signaled for two guards to follow as he rushed down towards the yell. Flipping the light on, he saw Sydney standing dumbfounded at an open door. "Are you okay?" JP asked.

 

Eyes wide, Sydney continued looking into the room, wondering where the eyes had gone. "There's someone in there," she whispered. "Someone moving. Someone, something, I don't know I..." One of the guards with JP brushed up against her trying to see in the room, causing Sydney to shriek again.

 

JP quickly raised his rifle and saw the pile of dead Starfleet in the dark room. His face hardened to stone as he looked at the massacred bodies. "My god... Crewman, stay calm. I need you to tell me where you saw the movement go."

 

Sydney simply pointed into the room. "I only saw the eyes for a moment. I thought it was a dead face, and then they blinked, and then they moved, and and..." she clutched her kit and tried taking deep breaths in and out, to calm herself. She moved away from the door. "They might be injured. There was blood." Her eyes widened again. "But perhaps it wasn't their blood."

 

JP continued the scan the room with his rifle. "Whoever it is might be responsible for these bodies. I think the best course of action would be to... MENDEZ!!! BEHIND YOU!!!"

 

Security Officer Mendez whirled around in the room only to get caught by wild knife thrust. Blocking with his rifle, he managed to take the blade into his arm but also lost his rifle to his attacker. JP quickly raised his rifle and fired a shot at the assailant but fire was quickly returned burning a deadly line between JP and Sydney. Marks quickly pushed her to the side and fired another burst.

 

Sydney stood up, having been knocked completely onto her rump, irritated instead of scared now. Still, she was not sure what to do. Turning on the flashlight would draw attention from whoever was in here. Thinking of rifle fire, she bent down again, and found Mendez squatting by the wall with a knife wound to his arm. With a shrug, she began to check it, trying to decide how serious the injury was.

 

JP watched as Sydney crawled into the room with Mendez. Unsure about how to respond, he simply followed her half-hoping the attacker wasn't going to follow up with more potshots. His hope was not true however as a third volley shot past Sydney's ear. This time though Marks saw where his attacker was and quickly snuck around the pile of bodies. With a quick thrust with the butt of his rifle, the Romulan fell forward into the pile of bodies, knocking bodies and parts down towards and unto Sydney.

 

Not sure what was coming towards her, Sydney responded by delivering a hard whack with her kit to the thing closest to her. After closer inspection she turned to Mendez and whispered, "I believe this one is already dead."

 

JP looked over at Sydney and Mendez before picking up the now unconscious Romulan and handing him off to another guard. "Tell Command we got another one... And inform the doctor we also found the remaining Starfleet members and could use Medical's services for Mendez."

 

The guard quickly nodded and ran off as Marks helped up Sydney. "Are you okay Midshipman?"

 

Sydney sneezed into her hand, and then sniffed. "Um, I think so. And... I'm sorry about screaming and getting in the way." She wiped her hand on her pants and looked at JP sheepishly. "I'll try for a little calmer of an alert next time, sir."

 

Marks raised an eyebrow. "Indeed, though I can understand the sorrow upon walking in on these poor souls..." JP took a deep breath before shaking his head at the mangled Starfleet bodies. "It’s just not fair..." JP mumbled.

 

She gave him an odd look. "Okay." After one last look around the room of dead bodies she turned to him asking, "Are you okay sir?” while heading towards the door.

 

"Fine," Marks replied slowly as he walked off. "Just... Fine."