“Ghosts?” Lieutenant Commander Dai’s face was a mask of incredulity that served as the perfect companion to the abject displeasure resonate in her voice.

Captain Samantha Hyland spread her hands across the table of her Ready Room in a contrite show of acquiescence.

“Apparently so.” Sam shrugged helplessly as she surveyed the report on her desk.

“I don’t believe in Ghosts.” The CSO set her jaw firmly, irritated that she had been summoned to discuss such nonsense.

Commander Talland interjected reasonably, “Well a number of junior ratings apparently very much do.”

The Exec looked to his own PADD. “Dr Langah has reported an exodus of junior crewmembers reporting to sickbay for a number of alleged maladies. To a man, they are either crew that have been assigned to duty aboard ‘Hull – 3185’ or those likely to be drafted in to backfill the same personnel reporting to the CMO.”

Deassomi snorted derisively and shook her smooth – shorn head dismissively.

“Captain, speaking candidly, I’m a Scientist. I exist in a causal universe governed by quantitative imperatives and scientific rationale. As a scientist, I have seen things in this Galaxy that have defied belief and could be argued to be ‘miraculous’, to the uninitiated. However, I have never witnessed or can countenance, any evidence of life – after – death Captain and (until proven otherwise), I cannot and will not believe in the existence of so – called ‘Ghosts’!”

The Chief Scientist folded her eyes defiantly as if punctuating that this conversation was over and that she would have no hand in fueling its inanity any further.

Sam had to stifle a small smile as she pressed.

“Nevertheless Lieutenant Commander, we are faced with a quandary.”

She sighed and rubbed her tired eyes with her fingers. “Starfleet Command have rediscovered a keen interest in the work of Dr Gallian Makon and want to know where their toy has been and what happened to its crew. Don’t forget, those that were lost have families still living and we owe it to those people to find it what happened to their loved ones and provide them the answers they deserve.”

Deassomi glowered, unconvinced.

“Which is remarkably difficult to achieve, when our crew is too scared to board that vessel because their imaginations have been fueled by all this talk of spectral apparitions.” The XO added dryly.

The Captain nodded.

“The XO has the right of this. Starbase 72 has contacted us and informed us that Command has dispatched the USS Fresno to rendezvous with our position and take ‘Hull – 3185’ under tow and return it to the Starbase for extensive forensic analysis.”

Sam explained. “A California – class Utility Cruiser is the logical choice for this task, and I have met Captain Dart before and have full confidence that Mike and his Mechanics have the right vessel and expertise to complete that task. They should be arriving on station in about 14hrs from now.”

“Which is why you’re being tasked to board the ‘USS Artemis’ and prove to the crew that Ghosts don’t exist.” Captain Hyland ordered the displeased Betazoid CSO.

“We need to conclude our investigations before the Fresno arrives. Something tells me that, when Starfleet get their hands on their lost test – article, any chances of knowing the fate of the ship and her crew are going to disappear into an” Eyes – Only” Top – Secret project – designation and will never see the light of day again.

“I for one, didn’t just chase that damned thing across half the quadrant in search of answers, just to have those answers locked away. I want answers and I’m sure you do too?” Commander Talland agreed.

Deassomi sighed. It was obvious that the decision had been made, even without resorting to her native empathic talents of the mind.

Deciding to concede defeat before she said something that she would ultimately regret, the Chief Science Officer grimaced and nodded.

“Very well, Captain, but I want it on record that I do so under protestation.”

Samantha nodded evenly.

“Then the record will note that.” Hyland’s tone brokered no further conjecture. “Morale aboard was tenuous at best before we encountered this “Ghost Ship”, Deassomi. Whilst the XO is doing his level best to manage this situation – we can’t afford any further loss of discipline that can impact the efficient running of this ship or crew.”

“Yes Captain, Understood.” Dai nodded stiffly and decided to change the course of this unfortunate conversation from veering down any more inane conduits and backwaters.

“What of our guest? Has she regained consciousness?”

It was Commander Talland’s turn to speak.

“Not as yet.” Daniel admitted. “Dr Langah has kept his patient under heavy sedation to date. As I understand it, the effects of having your body decompiled and residing as a series of neural code – chains within the pattern buffer of a Transporter unit for a Quarter – Century, does not come without any attendant impacts on one’s physiology and general state of health.”

“There are answers in that woman’s head to questions we very much need to know.” Deassomi reasoned.

Sam could not agree more, and she interjected.

“Until Dr Makon is ready to be awoken and can provide that answer, I have asked Lieutenant Savak to ensure that there is a Security – detail posted outside sickbay.” The CO of the USS Valley Forge set her mouth in a determined line.

“Chief Isono is still aboard the ‘Hermes’ with her Engineering team – attempting to learn what they can from the ship’s mainframe and flight recorder – but the AI substrate that Dr Makon put in place is proving more a more difficult nut to crack. I’d dearly love to have a chat with Gallian Makon about that and many other things.” Sam said grimly.

“In the meantime, Operations are coordinating with Savak and with Medical to repatriate the remains of the Hermes’ crewmembers.” Daniel commented, inwardly shuddering at the memory of that frozen, anguished face that was literally fused with part of the Ghost – ship’s hull.

“As you can imagine, there is the difficulty of maintaining forensic integrity as we document the circumstances around each cadaver’s demise. Some of the situations our crew has been encountering has no – doubt led (in – part) to this general hysteria.”

Here, Deassomi was on more familiar ground.

“Yes, based upon the data that we have been able to gather regarding the “Stutterwarp” effect, it would seem that there has been some form of phase – variance in the flow of Warp – plasma that resulted in a sudden Hysteresis within the transit of one Warp – shell threshold to the next.” The Betazoid commented dispassionately.

Daniel grimaced and prompted, “For the non – scientists in the room please?”

Deassomi rolled her black eyes and tried to explain what had transpired upon the lost – ship, in as simplistic terms as she could muster.

“In layman’s terms then. The Stutterwarp effect relies upon joining – up – Warp enclosures. Like ‘linking-up-bubbles”, if you will. The test – article then surfs along within those ‘bubbles’, as one collapses just as another is formed. Fascinating in theory, or course, but it would appear that it was much harder to regulate in practice”.

“And something went wrong.” Sam stated flatly.

Daniel thought of Lt Cdr Micheals and his frozen corpse, neatly bisected at the waist as he sat in the command chair of the ‘USS Artemis’.

“And something went wrong.” The CSO echoed. “Imagine that you are sat aboard a starship travelling at warp and then a part (and only a part) of that vessel instantly dropped out of warp whilst all around it kept travelling at relativistic speeds. We conjecture that is what transpired during that last flight – test – some portions of ‘Hull – 3185’ exceeded that collapsing threshold before becoming enveloped in the burgeoning new warp – enclosure.”

There was silence in the Ready Room as all assembled wrestled with the ghastly implications of that.

“At speeds resulting in the injuries that we observed as sustained in the remains onboard.” Dai shrugged clinically. “Death would have been near – instantaneous to the victim, but it’s highly likely that it would have been terrifying to those survivors observing from another plane – if the effect was localized- as it appears to have been.”

“Oh, dear Gods.” Samantha breathed, feeling slightly queasy.

“Thou wouldst be great

Art not without ambition, but without

The illness should attend it”

Both the CO and CSO turned to regard Commander Talland quizzically.

Daniel shrugged diffidently and smiled. “Shakespeare. Macbeth, to be exact. It seemed sort of a fitting epitaph for such a tragedy born out of blind ambition.”

Samantha raised an eyebrow and commented awkwardly, “Well, quite…thank you for that, Number One.”

As Talland nodded contentedly, the Captain turned back to Deassomi and smiled regretfully.

“So, without giving the XO the opportunity to launch into full soliloquy – you have your orders Lieutenant Commander Dai. You are to proceed to the ‘USS Artemis’ and there conduct a rigorous scientific evaluation of this reported phenomena and provide a report reassuring the crew that it is safe enough to enable them to recommence their works aboard that ship.”

Deassomi stood, smoothing the waistband of her teal – shouldered uniform subconsciously and she nodded her assent with a curt motion of her stubbly scalp.

“Very good, Captain.” The scientist relented (reluctantly) and made for the door that adjoined to the bridge.

“Oh and ‘Commander?” Samantha called after her.

Lieutenant Commander Dai stopped and turned to face her CO.

“Yes Ma’am?”

“Good luck with your ‘Ghostbusting’.” Samantha smiled wryly and then added, as she saw the look on the CSO’s face.

“Sorry…couldn’t resist!”