The Fear Within

A Fan Fiction story by Corey Sullivan

Part 1: The Discovery of the Deimos

Captain's Log: Stardate 41915.2; On route to Nividia II, sensors detected a distress signal from the U.S.S Deimos, an explorer class star ship believed to have been missing or destroyed for over a decade. We have changed course and are currently headed towards the vessel; though I have doubts that there are any survivors left on board, as the signal sent was originally recorded ten years ago.

"Captain, we are receiving a distress signal. It is from the U.S.S Deimos." Worf spoke abruptly, interrupting the captain's train of thought. Jean-Luc stood slowly from his chair in front of Worf's aft station and looked ahead of him. 'That's impossible.' He thought. "On speaker, Mr. Worf." At once he pressed a red, square-shaped button on the padd at his tactical station. Instantly the bridge was filled with loud static, interrupted by a grating, high pitched screeching noise. Some covered their ears, while others winced in pain and annoyance. "Turn it off, Lieutenant!" Picard commanded. Worf pushed the button once more and the bridge fell into complete silence. "I'm sorry, sir. The condition of the message was worse than I had anticipated. I will attempt to repair it." Picard nodded in response to the lieutenant. "Yes, do that. Mr. Data," Data turned around from his Ops Console and looked towards the captain. "How much do you know about the Deimos?" Data's subcore processers leaped into life and began to access his memory banks for the requested information. "Little is known, sir. The U.S.S. Deimos was a Luna class star ship, captained by Michael T. Bryant, which vanished over ten years ago. They were sent to a nearby planet to rescue a small group of archaeologists, after members of their dig crew mysteriously began to disappear. They began to experience technical difficulties on their way back to Starbase 195. Soon after, the ship disappeared."

"Sir, I believe I have sufficiently repaired the message." The Klingon growled. He was already in a particularly foul mood after losing several poker games to Riker earlier that day, and the loud noise the message produced was not helpful at all. "Good. On speaker, Lieutenant." Worf pressed the button once more, gritting his teeth in case the noise blared into their ears again. Instead a male voice came through the speakers, filling the room with the static filled message. "This is Captain Michael T. Bryant of the U.S.S. Deimos. We've been attacked . . . [Crackle]. . nd we can't stop it. Everyone on board is dead. If anyone receives this mess. . [Crackle]. . . I repeat; do-Agh!" A piercing cry rang through the bridge, followed by dead silence among the senior officers present. Picard's eyes were fixed on the view screen; his face became somber and worried as his eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment.

'What happened on that ship?'

"Councilor, can you sense anything from that message?" "He was in great pain when he died," she spoke as she walked towards the Captain. "Something was there on the ship that greatly frightened him." Deanna's eyes were transfixed on the view screen. She had a terrible feeling that what had happened there could happen again.

Riker shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Normally he could suppress his apprehensive feelings to a certain point, allowing him to advise the captain in a calm, nonchalant manner, but this time it was different. His unease was telling him that something just wasn't right about this, even more so than normal. But he knew Picard would just negate his argument and tell him that it's important to them to discover the cause of their demise. He stood from his seat, gave a sharp tug to the front of his uniform, and strode to the Captain's side, who was already planning to send an away team down to the ship.

"Sir, I don't think it's wise to beam down to the Deimos just yet, at least not until we've had the opportunity to investigate it further." Riker spoke calmly, the trepidation which he felt being well masked by the poker face he had developed over the years.

Just as Riker had expected, Picard instantly stopped his debate, putting his hand up to Will as his diplomatic voice did the rest. "Number One, if we don't try to find evidence as to what happened on that ship ten years ago; then we will be just as guilty of their murder as those who killed them." Riker understood his point of course, but he still didn't want to take the chance, especially when it meant that they could suffer the same fate as the ship they were now preparing to search. "And Number One, I want you to ensure that on the first sign of trouble, you make no hesitation to beam back here immediately."

"Aye, sir." He replied, a dry snort through his nose the only sign of his contempt. "Ensign Ro, Worf, Data; you're with me." The signaled officers replied in silent unison; each standing from their positions on the bridge and followed in Riker's firm stride into the turbo lift doors to the transporter room.

Deanna could feel their fear about this mission. Even Worf had anxiety towards the task at hand. She wondered if she should speak out and warn the Captain, or if he would contradict every word she spoke. She decided to keep these emotions to herself, and not mention them unless it was necessary.

"Riker to Bridge."Will spoke to the Captain through his comm badge. 'Picard here. Are you ready to beam down?'

"Yes sir."

Transporter room,' The Captain responded. 'Prepare to beam the away team down.'

Riker could feel the tingling sensation of particles surging through his body as the lights on the transporter pad lit up brightly underneath their feet. He saw the view in front of him change from the well lit transporter room to the broken down bridge of the Deimos. 'Oh my god. . .' was the only thing that ran through Riker's mind as he surveyed their new surroundings. Ops consoles and science stations were blackened from fried circuitry, chairs toppled over, everything in utter disarray except for one chair. The Captain's chair was the only thing on the bridge that was exactly where it should be, though it looked as mangled and destroyed as the other things in the room. The back of it was burned like it had been on fire, and the smell of its burnt exterior soured the air. It was torn, as if something had clawed at the back of the seat to get to the Captain.

Riker came around to the front of the bridge, and found Captain Bryant's body in the chair. His fingers clenched tightly around the arm rests, his uniform sagging into the gaps of his skeletal form. His jaw gaping open; giving them just an idea of the pain he felt during his death. Riker stepped towards the Captain's remains, the fear he felt welling up inside of him as he knelt down in front of the mangled body. The front of the uniform was torn in the same way as the back of the chair; four long tears ran down Captain Bryant's uniform, blood caked all around each one.

Riker put a hand over his mouth, and then slowly lowered his hand to his comm badge.

"Riker to Doctor Crusher."

'Crusher here. Go ahead, Commander.' He paused for a moment before continuing, the monstrous sight beginning to shake him. "We've found Captain Bryant, or what's left of him. I'd like you to run some tests on the body; see if maybe you can figure out what killed him. Prepare to receive the body."

'Yes, commander. Crusher out.' He signaled the transporter room to perform their new task, and watched as the skeletal mass began to glow, and then slowly fade away into nothingness. Riker stood and addressed the team in his always calm, nonchalant manner. "Data, I want you to go down to engineering and find out why the ship stopped working; see if you can fix it. Worf, I want you to go to Sick Bay and see if you can find any records, blood samples, anything that could help Doctor Crusher find out happened. Ro, you're with me."

The officers nodded and began performing their tasks like clockwork. Data and Worf went down to the deeper levels of the ship, while Ro fell in step behind the commanding officer. Her breathing was deep and somewhat rapid; he could hear each breath exhaled, then wither and die away in the unsettling quiet that consumed them. She was frightened. Riker pulled out his tricorder and began to scan the rather charred Ops Consoles. When he found one that was in a somewhat better condition than the rest, he began to work at it. He pushed the buttons hard, making a warped, scratchy beeping noise after each press. After several moments, Riker sighed in frustration and signaled the other half of his away team. "Riker to Data; have you found anything?"

'Yes, sir. I believe the ship's problem was caused by a bio-electric discharge to the ship's main computer system. I am currently repairing the computer.' Data's level voice showed no trace of fear, the only calming part of his message.

"How long until it's repaired?" Riker asked.

'The ship's computer should be back online in one minute, thirty-eight seconds.'

"Good work, Data. Mr. Worf, have you found anything yet?"

'Sir, I have found two bodies in cryogenic stasis; they bear similar injuries to those of Captain Bryant. I am preparing to beam them down to Sick Bay now.' Worf growled.

"Alright, keep me informed." Riker pressed his comm badge once more, and sent the main bridge into utter silence. He continued to work on the console as Ro scanned the area for something, but Will wasn't sure what she was searching for. "Sir," Ro turned and faced him; he could tell by her tone that she was unnerved. "I don't think we should be here."

Will didn't bother to look up at her; he only spoke reassuringly. "Ro, whatever caused all this destruction probably died or left many years earlier. I don't think we have anything to worry about." Ro sighed loudly and set her jaw in discontent; she didn't like her opinions being ignored so abruptly. She suddenly heard a noise, like a screech or howl. "Did you hear that, commander?" She stammered. Her eyes shifted frantically as she searched for the cause of that awful sound. Riker sighed and addressed his fellow officer. "Did I hear what, ensign?" He looked up to find her back turned towards him.
Out of nowhere, Ro fell toward the ground, as though something had pushed her from behind. She screamed, and Will saw that four long gashes now ran their way down Ro's back. Will stood and rushed over to help her stand, but he was pushed away by a tremendous force. He slammed into the Ops Console and fell to his knees. He looked down and saw the same marks on his chest as well. He winced and gritted his teeth from the pain as he pulled himself up to his feet. Ro was helpless; gashes and cuts started appearing all over her body as she struggled in vain to protect herself. Will pulled out his phaser and fired it at the empty air above her. He had to try something, anything to make this thing stop attacking her. A loud, ear-piercing screech rang through the air of the bridge; Will winced from the noise as he rushed to her side once again. He took Ro into his arms and pressed his comm badge quickly.

"Riker to engineering! Data, we need to get out of here; alert Lieutenant Worf that we are beaming back to the Enterprise immediately!"

'Aye, sir.' Data spoke.

The screeching continued as the familiar marks began appearing all around them. Sparks flew from stations receiving new damage; panels were torn off the walls and sent hurtling to the ground. He knew they needed to get out of there; now.

"Riker to transporter room three, prepare to beam the away team up; send Ensign Ro and I directly to Sick Bay; alert Doctor Crusher."

'Yes commander.' O'Brien said quickly. Soon after, Will could see the scene around him change from the destroyed bridge to the brightly lit Sick Bay.

"Alyssa, get the dermal regenerator and the hypospray ready." Beverly said as she rushed towards Will and Ro, her red hair flowing behind her like strands of copper. She took out her medical tricorder and scanned Ro's injuries. "Will, what happened to you down there?" She asked him with great concern.

"I don't know." He sighed as Alyssa treated his injuries. "Something attacked us; I-I couldn't see it. It was invisible." He explained. Doctor Crusher gave the hypospray treatment to Ro and began to heal her wounds. Ro was twitching and shaking uncontrollably, and she started to mumble incoherently in between moans of pain. Beverly held her arms and called to Alyssa for assistance. "She's convulsing! Get me 50 cc's of hydromethallyn! Another nurse pulled Riker to the side and continued to treat him while Doctor Crusher and Nurse Ogowa were busy. Beverly and Alyssa finally got her stable enough to be able to leave her and go check on Will. "What happened? What did she say?" Will muttered.

Beverly looked up at him, her eyes filled with worry. "She said 'It's here; on the ship.'" Will's eyes grew big as his heart sank in his chest. "What attacked you, Will?"

He looked up at her and spoke. "I don't know."