Star Trek: Dead Space

chapter 8: Intruder

-Enterprise Cargobay Four-

"MAGNIFICENT!" Spoke the professor as he entered the Cargobay with Captain Picard.

"It's absolutely stunning. And massive I'm surprised it's still in one piece! " The professor spoke as he approached the marker only to be stopped by Picard. "Careful professor the artificact is still surrounded by a high intensity quarantine field" Picard reminded

"Ah yes you have reason to suspect it may have a link to the tragedy that occured with the Cury and Defiant.  A wise precaution" the professor stated as he began to circle around the Marker taking note of the details along it's surface

"Well Professor? Your impression?" Picard asked standing to the side and watching the professor inspect

"I'm unsure to be honest it's like nothing I've seen before. These markings that cover it's surface appear to perhaps be a language however one I have not encountered.. has your computer been able to decipher any?" He asked

"I'm afraid not the structure of the artificact is making it difficult to scan it's as if it's bouncing our sensors off however we are working on it and I should have a team in here shortly they can assist you in making visual recordings of the markings to enter into the database and with hope the computer can begin to translate it.  It seems to be also putting off a strange energy field another reason for the quarantine field" Picard answered stepping towards the Doctor

"Facisinating well if anything we can transport the marker to the science station in the Denam system they have a remarkable archeology team and several of their key members were apart of many expeditions into the Gamma Quadrant before the war perhaps they will have more insight. For now I am stumped… have we reached out to the Dominion?  I know tension is still there but for a empire as old as they surely they have information about it?"

Picard shook his head "my thoughts exactly professor however they are being unusually quiet the Vorta Representative assigjed to the nearby sector has yet to answer our inquiry" 

Nodding the professor simply sighed. "well I shall to my best to study it with what we have available the enterprises science labs should offer great assistance.  I would like to attempt to cut a small portion of the marker and have it studied if possible to determine what it's constructed of" 

"I'll do my best to acomodate Professor. If you'll excuse me I'll be in sickbay if you need anything further" 

"Bridge to Captain Picard" came the voice of Lt Ryan

"Go ahead LT" Picard answered "sir Commander Laforge reports he is finished and the Cury is ready to be engaged" 

"Good beam them aboard when ready" Picard spoke exiting out into the corridor

"Aye sir energizing… sir! Something's gotten into the transporter beam! Sir I'm reading another life form energizing with the team!"

Picard stopped tapping at his combadge "TRANSPORTER ROOM DO NOT ALLOW THAT LIFE FORM TO BEAM ABOARD!" Picard ordered

"It's to late sir it's.

.AHHDJISA" the comlink then terminated as Picard briskly walked towards the turbolilft

"Picard to security report to transporter room four intruder alert!" He said as alarms rang throughout the ship

Security teams of four ran through the corridors carrying phaser rifles as Picard exited the turbolilft from across the hall

The transporter room door was ripped open with flickering lights inside.  

"Report!" He ordered as security quickly stepped inside shining lights.  The transporter chief laid out across the controls. The engineering team dead on the transporter padd and Commander Laforge was laying against the steps clutching a very deep wound.   "It came out of nowhere captain.. we couldn't draw our weapons fast enough it grabbed Gomez right as we began to beam over. When we arrived it moved fast. It killed Fredrickson stabbed me then leapt at the Chief before going through those doors like they were made of paper"