STF

Nightmares

Posted Feb. 13, 2021, 5:01 p.m. by Crewman Jonathan Durheim (Engineer) (William Deaton)

Posted by Ensign Luna (Security Officer /RTF) in Nightmares

Posted by Crewman Jonathan Durheim (Engineer) in Nightmares

Posted by Ensign Luna (Security Officer /RTF) in Nightmares
Posted by… suppressed (18) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Cerenity found herself back on the Viking soronded by shadow creachers. ” this is not real mommy just tucked me into bed” she said. The shadows laughed as if mocking the child. ” oh this is very much real Child. You will never escape we have claimed your father alread we will get your mother to then you will be all alone.” They said. Cerenity woke up screwing bulting upright in her bed. ” Mommy mommy” she cried.

Luna was woken to the sound of Cerenity’s screams and crys. She quickly when to the child’s room picking her up with out much thought. Cerenity huged her mother and muttered sumthing about the shadows. Luna cratled the child and headed to the lounge this time of night it was usually empty. She walked over to one of the view ports and started to sing. It’s was a song from an old animated TV show on earth (https://youtu.be/HY291dQmY_s) a show called lost song. Cerenity continued to cry for several moments befor calming down. Luna found a seat and setled there with the child just washing for her to fall asleep again.
Ensign Luna

Durheim was wandering the decks and corridors of the Leviathan; a rather typical event. He felt he did his best thinking while doing something; and in lieu of working, he settled for walking. No ship ever truly slept; and that was doubly true aboard the Leviathan. Containment (and breeches) kept no schedule. All the same; it was quieter during third shift. The pleasant background noise of a ‘living’ ship was curiously interrupted; piquing Durheim’s interest. Was that.... Singing? Off the top of his head, Durheim knew of several anomalies that emitted music (or at least, music-like sounds), but this didn’t sound like any of them. It was distant, and so hard to make out, but it didn’t trigger any warning bells in Durheim’s mind. It sounded..... kinder? Less… contrived, perhaps. Not a lure under false pretenses, but simply music for it’s own sake.

The music was brief, (roughly two minutes, by his chronometer) and ended before he found it’s source - a slightly out of the way lounge on the crew deck. Peering around the doorframe (one could never be too cautious aboard this ship), Durheim spotted the occupant - no, occupants. Stepping inside, he knocked gently on the wall with a metal hand; so as to announce his presence. “Excuse me Ma’am; were you perhaps singing a moment ago?”

As he got a closer look at the two, his head cocked to one side out of curiosity. Sure, there was much of the crew he hadn’t met (and possibly never would; given the Leviathan’s.... turnover), but a winged humanoid (or two!) stood out. “Miss… Luna, I believe? Crewman Durheim; pleased to meet you.”

Crewman Durheim, Engineering

Luna turned abruptly startled. A half asleep Cerenity in her arms. ” yes my daughter had a nightmare. Waght how did you know my name” An over tired and productive Luna said. She opened her wings slightly. Little Cerenity stared in her arms. ” why you stop sing” the child mubled her eyes half open.
Ensign Luna

Durheim wasn’t the best at reading people, but he was fairly confident that he detected caution in Luna’s voice; and maybe a bit of… fear? He was silent for a moment, trying to compose a suitable answer; and noting the half-asleep child. “My apologies if I startled you; I don’t believe we have met, but I have heard mention of a winged human aboard the Leviathan - and I made the assumption that you must be her. I had asked for some more details; so that I would not mistakenly identify you as an anomaly.” Jonathan’s tone was polite and quiet; from observation children could be easy to startle.

” oh right , I gess being the only two winged humans would come with rumors” Luna said. Closing her wings.

As he considered what little he knew about the Ensign, his mind rapidly delved into questions and tangencies; before settling on a seemingly unrelated question. A thoughtful expression came over his face, and he stepped fully inside the lounge. “Do you find that you and your daughter require significantly above-average caloric intake? I would imagine even with a lightened skeletal structure, flight would take an enormous amount of energy!” Even though the thick goggles over his eyes; Durheim’s intense curiosity and straightforwardness was obvious.

-Crewman Durheim, Engineering

His question wail insist struck a nerve. As it was a particular problem for Cerenity. ” yes we do, are mattabolisomas are extremely fast i burn nerely there times the energy of a normal adult female. Cerenity even more so it infant its a huge problem in her case” Luna said calmly.
Ensign Luna

Jonathan’s eyes widened at the admission; and his head cocked to the side in thought. Uncrossing his arms, he waved them about in demonstration; showing off their artificially constructed nature. “I have no wings, of course; but my arms are fueled by my metabolism - by my own design; I didn’t want to be constrained to an external power supply. As a result; I eat far more than my small stature would indicate. Adding the demands of a growing body… I can see how that would be an issue. Much of my diet consists of energy paste; but I am told its flavor leaves much to be desired.” Durheim shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me, but I suspect your daughter wouldn’t care for it.” As if to punctuate his words, he reached into a thigh pocket on his coveralls; drawing forth a unremarkable red squeeze tube; it could easily be mistaken for toothpaste or paint. Removing the cap, he squeezed a healthy dollop directly into his mouth; swallowing and placing the capped tube back into its pocket.

” yah with out knowing what is in it I world never let her try it. My metabolism had to have been just as fast growing up and im fine o maby this is just normal for her” Luna said unsure.

Looking around, his mind finally wandered back to the start of its meandering path. “You were the one singing earlier, correct? Only… there’s at least two or three anomalies that I know of that use music and singing as a lure....”

Crewman Durheim, Engineering

” yes I was singing” Luna said she had never heard of these anomalies. Cerenity stared finly. ” Mommy please sing again.” Cerenity whimpered. Luna shook her head. She was reluctant to sing infront of a stranger but Cerenity would not understand. Luna died and sand the song again. When she had finished the song the child was asleep. ” I was unaware of the anomalies that could sing i don’t know much about them we just transferred onbord” Luna said.
Ensign Luna

Durheim was silent while Luna sang; he was pleased to hear that it matched up with what he had heard earlier; relieving him of his concerns of escaped anomalies. And though he was no patron of the arts (preferring a well-drawn wiring diagram to traditional art), it was quite pleasant to listen to.

“Hmmm; I’ve only been here for a relatively short time, myself. I spend most of my time in the containment decks though, so I have become more familiar with our ‘guests’ than many others. There’s two in particular that I would be concerned about; singing, that is.” Durheim paused, looking off into the distance at nothing; sorting through his memories and thoughts on the anomalies that he has grown to know. “My first thought was of item G-35.5654.A - it appears as a rough marble statue in the form of a humanoid; though it’s species can’t quite be determined. It’s position resembles that of a singer, and it can in fact sing. Those who hear it’s song are compelled to listen, and soon loose all motivation to do anything else; leading to death if there is no intervention. It is dangerous, but nothing suggests that it is able to move under it’s own power.”

“Now… item G-35.4865.N.... that item is somewhat similar, but more insidious. It appears as a non-descript microphone, wired to a speaker. It can also produce a compulsive effect via audio - that’s the ‘G-35’ prefix, you see. Anyways, if one picks up the microphone and uses it - most victims choose to sing, but even talking into it is enough - well, the sound out of the speaker does match the input, just amplified… But research into it shows that those frequencies outside of the typical range of hearing are filled with… well, data, for lack of a better term.” Jonathan paused; glancing at the sleeping Cerenity and considering his word choice before continuing. “In most, but not all beings, that subliminal data is enough to trigger, ah… mania, let’s say. On average, if one listens for say, 60 seconds, they have roughly a 50% probability of becoming violently homicidal within approximately 72 hours. As you can imagine, we try and keep both of those very securely contained. From my understanding, the situations in which those items were recovered were… distinctly unpleasant.”

Jonathan paused in reflection. ‘I hope I haven’t given you cause for concern, Ms. Luna; we do take great care in ensuring the safety of all those aboard the Leviathan. Breeches do happen; unfortunately (memories of a narrow escape from Dave scrolled through his head), but such is the nature of our cargo. We hold those things that can’t be left to their own devices.”

” No you have not im a member of the ETF team. I know well enough that we try to avoid breaches. I had a wonderful run in with pants spider the other day. How dose that spider keep getting out” Luna asked giggling.

Durheim couldn’t help but grin; he was proud of the work that he did. And as he considered the Leviathan’s stated mission, a thought occurred to him… I wonder if we are in containment, much as our ‘guests’ are…

Durheim, Engineering

Luna watched Dutheim carefully. Cerenity whimpered ” Dont touch my wings” . Luna blinked and looked at the child. “Its a dream Cerenity” Luna said gently. The child quieted and relaxed. ” she’s been having Nightmares since we left the Viking. What’s with the macanical arms, and goggles? ” sheasked cerously.
Ensign Luna

“Ah yes… The ‘Pants Spider.’.. I admit, that one is a bit of a puzzle; thankfully it doesn’t appear to be malicious, but it is a truly remarkable escape artist.”

“As for myself, well…” Durheim moved his arms about in front of himself, considering their nature. “Hmmm, I suppose ‘Industrial Accident’ would be the short version. The… more complete story, well…” He paused, considering exactly how much to tell to the security officer. “Prior to my… Relationship with the ARU, I lived on a small, backwater planet, whose sole bit of interest was the anomaly-powered generator that supplied most of the planets power. One day, there was a ah… Meltdown, let’s say, that I may have had a hand in bringing about.” He paused in his tale long enough to chortle at his unintentional pun. “During the struggle to prevent a catastrophic overload, I grabbed the wrong power couplers; 47 Megawatts of power promptly destroyed my arms, and gave me 3rd degree burns across most of my body. Frankly, I’m still surprised that I survived. Anyways, I recovered under the care of the ARU, and took advantage of the time and resources available to construct a set of limbs to my exact specifications. During the accident, my eyes were damaged as well, and I am now somewhat light-sensitive; so I wear these constantly. They are also connected to my PaDD, and serve as a heads-up display; I’ve grown to rely on them and use them constantly over the past year or so.”

Luna blinked a bit shocked. ” oh my im sorry that must have been horrible” she said.

While his tone had been remarkably nonchalant while describing the unpleasant events of his own past, his voice took on a softer tone as he looked at the sleeping Cerenity. “You mentioned your daughter having nightmares; from your time aboard the Viking, I think you mentioned? What happened, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Durheim, Engineering

Luna shook her head. ” thats the confusing thing I realu don’t know. Her Father disappeared and she was bullied by a few other children, there’s also the shadow creachers she claims were onbord the ship” Luna said. There was sumthing else. But she was not shure if it was reliving. ” I was also kidnapped from the brige of the ship just before we found out i was pregnant with her, I don’t know if its canected to her or not but nether of us are getting much sleep” Luna added
Ensign Luna

Jonathan listened intently, curiosity seizing him. “Well, I am… distinctly poor at things related to matters of mental health and stability; to put it politely. I have been called many things when those subjects come up, few of them flattering. But oh well; such as it is. But this is a curious thing indeed.... I suspect that your and your daughter’s wings cause others to single both of you out?” Durheim’s question was direct, but there was no malice to it; and an experienced ear could tell he spoke from personal experience. Even if one were to disregard his artificial limbs, the diminutive engineer was odd in both looks and behavior; though he did not possess anything quite so distinctive as a full set of wings.

” yes they do its hard not to see them as a curse” Luna said.

“There is indeed an unfortunate trend among sentient beings to fear what is not understood, instead of trying to learn from and understand it. But these ‘shadow creatures’ you mentioned… do you know anything more about them?”

-Durheim, Engineering

” no just that they harassed my daughter thretoning to take Loki and I away from her” Luna said. A look of embarrassment crossing her face. ” I thought it was her examination” Luna said quietly.
Ensign Luna

“Well, I suppose that is possible; though admittedly not my first assumption on the Leviathan. But this was on a different ship.... Hmmm; is Miss Cerenity very scientifically-minded? Perhaps we could investigate these shadow creatures - maybe that would alleviate her fears somewhat?” Durheim looked again at the small child; making another assessment of the possibilities. “Though it may be that Ms Synthi-er is more qualified to investigate than I am…”

Durheim, Engineering

” at this point I think I might try just about anything to get a decent night’s rest” Luna said. As she spoke that she was tired. She started to appear tired. Shhe had been hiding it very well up until now she blinked at a corner of the room. ” I swear if that’s pants spider I just might kill him” she growled in frustration. She did not actually mean that statement of course but she found the anomalie to be arriving.
Ensign Luna

“Hmmm, sedatives are of course an option; though one would want careful dosage and observation. But maybe that should be a later option?” At Luna’s mention of the Pants Spider, Durheim paused, looking into the corner as well; moving closer after a brief pause. “The Pants Spider is a very odd thing; I don’t think I see it, but it is very adept at hiding - right up until it pounces…”

-Durheim, Engineering

” i might just be seeing things he always seams to pop up on my patrols” she said quietly. She was a bit embarrassed that she was now seeing things.
Ensign Luna

Durheim shrugged; there was no sign of the Pants Spider (that he could detect), but that meant little on the Leviathan. “Impossible to say, really - though a prolonged lack of sleep is proven to reduce one’s mental sharpness. And to be fair, of the many anomalies that we do hold here, the Pants Spider is very high on the list of ones I’d pick to be stalked by.” Turning away from the corner, he returned to Luna and Cerinity.

Luna could not help but giggle. That statement was funny.

Gesturing gently towards the curled up child, he asked “Aside from the nightmares, how is Miss Cerinity adapting to life here? From my understanding, the Leviathan is quite abnormal; but then, perhaps ‘normality’ isn’t always the best thing for people.” Jonathan had slowly found himself taking an interest in his crewmates; not scientifically as he had in the past, but as friends and associates. It was a new experience for the man, and he had found himself concerned for the crew and their health.

-Durheim, Engineering

” she is struggling with all the rules well she is struggling with actually following them. She was constantly exploring the Viking as well I couldn’t keep an eye on her all the time here I have some help and she is kinda struggling with it. She is enjoying the varies classes some of are crew mates teach her when they have time. I wonder how they get her to sit still and listen ?” Trailing off for a moment .

“I suppose that is a nice aspect to life here; it is anything but boring. But the other side of that.... well, one must be very careful; there are indeed many dangers here that would be inconceivable aboard any other ship.”

She looked at the strange man infront of her wanting to know more about him. The crew Seemed friendly and helpful even though she was unwilling to let them get close at first. ” how have you enjoyed this assignment?” She asked
Ensign Luna

Durheim was silent for a moment, considering the question. On the whole of things, he hadn’t been a part of the Federation for very long; or even aware of them. His introduction had been through corrupted data archives at first, and then a very militaristic branch of the ARU. He’d spent as little time amongst that crew as possible, before getting a transfer to the Leviathan. And thinking about his time aboard the Levi… “I believe that my time here, albeit brief, has been the finest part of my life. I am… free to pursue my interests and research; and I do not have to hide myself away for fear of persecution. That alone is a worthwhile trade for the danger that I find myself in on occasion. And even within that danger, so far I have been lucky to survive unscathed; and often have achieved new developments or come up with novel ideas.” He paused, reflecting on his words. “Yes, I suppose it is not perfect, but then… even if pressed, I don’t think I could even describe such a thing.”

” bleaker it or not I can understand how you feel.” Opening her wings slightly. The had known what it was like to be judged unfairly and have people staring at her. Though she still felt that way here.

“And yourself? You’d mentioned that you were previously on the Viking; was your transfer here voluntary?”

-Durheim, Engineering

at the question Luna felt the biter fealing of anger and regret. ” I had no choice apparently the ARU has a file on my Daughter. We are not exactly normal normal ” she said then looked to the sleeping child. She thought for a moment. Remembering what Celeste said about trust. She saposed she could try it was not like she could actually hide from section 31. ” I was…” she possed it was a hard thing to explain. ” I was the result of genetic experiments done by section 31. Cerenity inhareted my genetic abnormalities as well as seemingly an ability to see what ever was harassing the Viking” Luna said.
Ensign Luna

Durheim’s face wore an expression of mixed curiosity and concern. “It may be in poor taste, but I think it’s fair to say that ‘normal’ has very little meaning aboard the Leviathan. That being said.... I suppose you and your daughter do stand out. But Section 31… I am only familiar with them in passing; there is not exactly a lot of information floating around about them.”

Jonathan’s curiosity spiked at the mention of Cerenity’s vision; though he managed to hold his tongue - a rare occurrence indeed. Miss Luna was understandably very protective of her daughter, and while he was interested in learning more details, now was perhaps not the best time to ask. But thinking about what had been said earlier… “These… Beings that were harassing the Viking; are they the same as the Shadow Creatures you had mentioned earlier?”

Durheim, Engineering


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