Chapter 22

Above on the Krackatowa, captain of engineering Commander Singh got to his feet. The transporter was on its way to functioning properly. Unfortunately the device could now only beam out with out scrambling the molecules. It would be a deal with the devil to materialise.

The engineer sighed. He tapped his personal communicator for the bridge. His voice filtered through. Somehow the channel was blocked. The Indian cursed under his breath. Finally the signal was connected and Tavell's voice came through if not a little phased. Singh tapped at the badge he wore. Nothing altered the reception. He moved around. Still nothing happened. He would have to cheek that out as well.

"I'm not receiving you very well," he said to Tavell.

"What do you have Ranji," said the control officer through the background static.

"Transporter can now beam out."

"And?" Said Tavell's voice through the filter.

"I need more time Lucas. Two days at most."

"We don't have two days. They could be dead down there." The officer's voice raised a few levels. The engineer sighed deeply.

"Okay I'll send down someone else down to assist." Singh looked across at his helper and rolled his eyes. Without realising anything something shadowy prowled silently behind.

"I'll do what I can, but I can't guarantee any success." Behind him the something rose up to full height. Singh noticed a murky black shadow of a manifestation. Putrid and black. The engineer half turned. What he saw was an eight or more foot super slug, dripping with repellent smelling slime. Before he could react the creature lunged. Singh's helper was already dead. He didn't even mutter a sound.

"Oh my gods!" Exclaimed Singh.

The computer started flashing then a claxon went off along with a male computer generated voice repeating over and over again. "Intruder alert. Intruder alert." In the background Tavell's concerned voice called out the engineers name but no answer came.

"Singh, Singh what is it? What's happening down there?" Sigh let out a blood-curdling cry.

Up on the bridge Tavell got to his feet. He slammed his fist down on the chair and pressed the intercom switch.

The main computer channelled the message around the ship and to the bridge. It made Tavell jump with a start and adrenaline surged in his veins.

"Security, transporter room one. Immediately. Hold tight," he answered before he leaped across the bridge towards the turbo lift. "Trallii take the Conn." Tavell disappeared into the waiting compartment.

They came a dozen at a time appearing in the transporter room. Soon they would spread throughout the entire ship. There was terror. The creatures appeared to be oozing black slime. It trailed behind then as they moved.

Ensign Anna Pavors made her way down the corridor toward the transporter room. The doors parted before her and she stepped into darkness. Where was the engineer? She thought.

Pavers found the environmental controls on the wall and brightened the chilly room. An alien hovered nearby, for a while she didn't see it. Something made her turn. Something about the room, the environment. Something lunged forwards and toward her.

She could not scream in terror of what she saw. Only silence came out her mouth.

Pavers grabbed a phaser out of the near by locker. She set it on kill. Aimed and fired. One of the creatures screeched. It was a deathly sound. She feared it would rupture her eardrums. Nothing stopped it. Pavers saw Singh pinned against a wall with one of the creatures in front of him. She noticed its slick skin pulsate involuntary.

She knew what she had to do. It was the only thing on her mind. She moved toward the creatures and prepared to attack. They advanced toward her position by scent alone. She noticed that their long feelers were protruding on what appeared to the location of their featureless heads. She realised those were their olfactory sense organs. They did not appear to have any visual organs what-so-ever from Pavors observation.

The doors opened with gasps of alarm from the security guards and Tavell. They aimed phasers in a futile attempt to gain control. Pavers was dragged into the centre of the creatures and they moved in closer. The Starfleet personal could no longer see her or hear her desperate screams, but they knew what she had done. She had created a diversion to save the engineer.

The little man was immediately rushed to sickbay. On his neck appeared to be six puncher wounds. Just like those on the neck of Lieutenant Warren down on the doomed planet.

Singh had been lucky. Unfortunately for Pavers she was now dead. The crew exited the room and locked the doors behind them. They were jammed shut, but protection wouldn't last long. The creatures were strong. Soon they would escape into other parts of the ship.

All unnecessary sections were closed off and the air of oxygen and nitrogen were illuminated including the transporter rooms, but for the crew of the Krackatowa there was no way of escaping. All that they could do was wait, yet again. It seemed nothing could destroy these creatures or even frighten them to retreat. Everyone wondered if anything would.