Posted by Lieutenant Fey Kastil (Chief Medical Officer - Outgoing) in Side Sim: Delivering Packages

Posted by Crewman Jessie Polizzi (Scientist (Novel Researcher)) in Side Sim: Delivering Packages

Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in Side Sim: Delivering Packages
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The noise of the turbo lift rattling as it slowed was all in her mind. At least, that’s what she told herself. The others had told her on her first day that the basement areas of the complex did funny things to people’s imaginations, made them skittish and often in need of leave before any other assignment. But she didn’t believe in such nonsense.

When they had been looking for someone to deliver the package down to the sub-basement no one else had moved, just stared at the Lieutenant who had become more and more annoyed until finally, she had volunteered. She hadn’t been down here yet but it was a single way corridor without much chance of getting lost. Not at all creepy…Such nonsense. She was a scientist, after all, a young Ensign with a promising future ahead of her and this posting was her ticket to the lofty regions of Starfleet Intelligence one day. What sort of officer would she be if she let basements scare her? The light overhead flickered slightly. Well, that was to be expected, it was an old part of the building, power fluctuations were common.

The door opened, she stepped out into a seemingly normal, if not very long, corridor. The low ceiling and shining linoleum flooring marked this as an old part of the building and certainly not somewhere that you showed off to guests or the top brass. The doors and computer panels on either side were locked and dark respectively. The lights on her side were out with only the bottom of the space, far away from her lit up. It was colder down here too, causing goosebumps to rise under her Starfleet issue tunic.

She shook herself once and moved off towards the light jumping only slightly when the turbo lift doors sliced through the illumination and plunged the space behind her into almost total darkness. And why were corridors always imbued with such creepy associations anyway? She wondered as she walked. Her footsteps sounded too noisy to be allowed in the confined space. Stupid stories told by people with too much time on their hands, and overactive imaginations. It was idiotic, take an unsuspecting character and then lead them down creepy corridors like this one…she swallowed and fought the urge to look behind her, the hairs on the back of her neck on end. She knew what happened in those stories and the outcome in these confined spaces was rarely good. Halfway there.

Behind her, she was sure she could hear…footsteps. Pausing to see if it were someone approaching or an echo of her own her brow furrowed. She was definitely alone down here, no doors had opened, no light spilling out into the gloom. And her goal lay ahead meaning that had anyone come from the lab then they would be walking towards her, surely silhouetted by the light. The sound of her heart beating filled her ears. The turbo lift was the only way in and out and she had certainly been alone in it. Yet as she stood, still the sound of footsteps. She swallowed, and despite herself and the little voice inside telling her she was imagining things, she glanced back. She could make out the edge of the floor, and then nothing just shadow, and something moving? a small thrill of fear went through her. Just your imagination, just your imagination. She started to walk again, quickening her pace, eyes fixed straight ahead. Sweat gathered, her heart hammered and she practically ran into the lab door at the end. Hastily she palmed the keypad to open it and hurried inside.

Leaning back on the door she closed her eyes and took in a deep, calming breath. The sound of a piano playing caught her attention. Carefully she moved away from the door and into the lab towards it. Various machines and computer panels worked away quietly as she passed them, an odd mixture of some of the most up to date technology, sleek and new looking and some positively archaic devices in coppers, bronze and silvers. She hefted the package in her arm and frowned as she approached the Center of the space and found that the noise of the piano was coming from a mahogany wooden base on which a black disc spun, connected to the golden coloured cone. She could tell right away it was old and it clashed horribly with the metal surgical table it sat beside.

She approached peering at the device and the grainy sound it made. Then her attention shifted to the table, the tray that sat on it and the blue-toned arm that sat inside. It ended just below the elbow. Small blinking lights no bigger than pinheads blinked on and off all over it. She couldn’t imagine what it was for. Frowning she leaned closer to see if the lights connected to any sort of readouts. To her left, the piano music ended and a sort of soft static replaced it. Just as she leaned closer to the arm…

…two hands gently placed themselves on her shoulders.

They need not pull her away, for she immediately jumped, feeling her heart leap into her throat and hammer uncomfortably there. Eyes wide she spun, clutching her package like a shield and gasping found herself face to face with a tall dark-eyed, dark-haired man dressed all in black. A black leather apron covering his front.

He arched both his eyebrows and held his hands, the same ones which had touched her, up in a placating sort of gesture. When he spoke his tone was cultured, calm and gentle.

“My apologies, I, of course, assumed you heard me approach.” He watched her for a moment as She put a hand to her chest and continued to breathe heavily. “Are you well?”

She swallowed. “Yes. Sorry. I was just…The corridor then the music. I didn’t hear you.”

A slight smile touched his lips. “It is rather late for a social call.” He told her and when she didn’t respond added, “is there something I can help you with, Ensign?”

Immediately colour flooded her cheeks, she showed him the package. “I’m so sorry Doctor Knox…But you didn’t answer communications and the lieutenant said you needed this immediately so I brought it down. I should have chimed but…” she trailed off.

“Quite alright.” He continued and pulling off a long black glove, reached out to take the package from her. Carefully he walked away, his feet making barely any sound as he moved, and placed the item out of her sight. She turned back to look at the hand and could swear that the fingers twitched.

“Doctor…is…is that arm.” She asked as he returned. “Is it real?”

He smiled again. “Of course not. I’m mapping out some refinements for a new biosynthetic arm. Thank you for delivering my supplies. Now while I hate to be rude, if you don’t mind I am very busy…” he began shepherding her back towards the door.

She went still looking back at the table and the now hissing music player. She recalled now that the Doctor had a thing for antiques. “It looks so real…” she said as she moved back towards the door.

“Indeed.” Was the only reply he gave.

Before she knew it she was back at the door to the lab, facing the corridor again. She took a breath and was about to move away when his hand on her shoulder stopped her. “Forgive me Ensign but my instruments tell me that your blood pressure is elevated. Allow me to assist you.”

The cold touch and hiss of a hypospray against her neck startled her again but it was done before she could so much as react.

“What just…” she asked, bewildered glancing at him.

“Good night Ensign.” The Doctor said as he closed the door and left her in the only pool of light.

She took a shaky breath, feeling both confused and uneasy. So he was watching her? This whole time. Part of her wanted to march back inside and demand to know who he thought he was, what he had injected her with?! Yet even as she felt the anger flare the overriding sense that she just wanted to be as far away as possible permeated everything else. She understood now why the others didn’t come down here. She moved quickly away from the light, the darkness seeming less terrifying than the alternative.

Inside the lab the doctor watched her go on the security screen smiling to himself as she began to run towards the turbo lift. The small panel showing her vital signs amused him. Just as he imagined it would when he had seen her coming down and exited a door into the corridor silently and followed behind her. She made it to the turbo lift. Pity, he had been sure she would faint.

He let that amusement linger as he moved back to the music player and replaced the needle on the record and enjoyed the sound of Scriabin’s sonata number 3 in F sharp a moment before pressing his thumb to the lock on the package she had brought him. Opening it he glanced over the folded uniform and picked up the PaDD to read. “Mmm,” he said aloud, “USS Leviathan…well well well…”

Knox

OOC: ACK! Another MAD Doctor!
I LOVE IT!
-Jenn

OOC: Wow! What an entrance!!! This guy sounds absolutely terrifying (but also completely awesome, hehe). GREAT post, Cale!
- Sharon

OOC: phenomenal. Only one word to describe it. I am in awe of your talent! Not sure I can say cant wait to meet your character but certainly looking forward to all his posts —Ty

OOC: Oh we are going to have so much fun together!
- Titania of Nyxx

Ooc: Lol thank you, that was really fun to write ^_^ can’t wait for him to meet Fey - Calé