43.

Early on Wednesday morning the eighteenth of December and at this stage it was painfully obvious that what Jeff experienced was an actuality and not just something he had imagined or something that might have been brought on by some kind of an hallucinogenic agent though nothing he could have imagined or hallucinated could have made his right ear bleed and create a ringing in both of his ears.

Tim had been brought into the medical bay by his father, where at least three others with similar experiences involving a large dark shadow creature had gathered. Jeff had been the only one from the total number of five with similar experiences not to have been knocked unconscious, though his reactions to what had happened may have made that so.

Since Stanley is no longer living, Maria, Robert and Simon agreed to make both Aaron and Sylvia part of the command team and all five members of this new command team would meet in the strategy room. The Owens brothers are of course welcome in meetings whenever they feel or deem it necessary though on this occasion they did not attend.

Of course, anything discussed with security relevance can be put to the Owens brothers at another time. Yeah, this meeting could be considered relevant to security though both brothers were eager to get on top of investigating the attacks and going on to capture whatever it is that needs capturing. Their protégé will be and is in attendance at this meeting. Out those who have gathered Aaron would speak first.

'We have five cases which occurred separately between Monday evening and early this morning. All five agree upon seeing what is now being called a shadow creature, a large dark humanoid entity with spider like abilities who favours climbing up walls and across ceilings. Each attack happened in the relevant individual's quarters and also happened in darkness. Jeff was the only one out of the five who was not knocked unconscious, and we believe this to be so due to the fact that he managed to turn his main lighting back on. The shadow creature since this is what it is being called, shrieked rather loudly which we believe was in reaction to the light which Jeff turned on thus temporally causing injury to Jeff's ears.'

'So, we have alien intruders?' asks Maria.

'Intruder' responds Sylvia, 'we cannot be certain as to if there is more than one as all five attacks happened separately and as for the alien part? Whatever it is, it is large, dark and most definitely seems to dislike light.'

'If it is some kind of an alien life force then how did it get aboard The Pathfinder?' inquires Maria.

'Jeff was the first target if even he was a target at all' responds Aaron.

'And Jeff was off ship on Monday testing the shuttles' speaks Robert.

'But he never landed anywhere or on anything, he was in space each time he took a shuttle out' says Simon.

'Maybe, whatever this entity is, it could have boarded one of the two shuttles which went on away missions and being unable to get passed the decontamination room couldn't get properly on board the ship. With Jeff only travelling around space he did not need to go through or keep the decontamination room locked therefore allowing the creature to enter the main section of the ship' suggests Robert.

'Ok, it's unlikely that it got on the mining shuttle. Surely it couldn't have existed upon a planetoid. Anyhow, it doesn't really matter what it is or how it got on board. We need to concentrate on what we can do about it. How do we stop or catch it?' asks Maria but she was about to answer her own question. 'Don't respond to that' she tells the others, 'we simply use darkness to draw it out.'

'We?' asks Aaron, not at all liking the usage of the word. 'I don't know how good of an alien catcher I would make; it is not really what I signed up for. I am a doctor, not an alien hunter.'

What Aaron just said temporally lightened the mood in the Strategy room, for he spoke in all honesty while just ended up sounding quite silly.

'None of us knew what we were in for when we first came aboard but something needs to be done. I think we should bring Jeff and Timothy as well as the Owens brothers in on this while keeping the entire crew on alert' suggests Sylvia.

'I'll be reporting directly to Kyle and Jinder' says George. 'They both are trying to get on top of things as we speak.'

Indeed, it was obvious that whatever was going to be done about the current problem that that it would need to be done soon and before anyone gets seriously hurt. At that with the five instances involving a shadow creature there have been no injuries of note. Yeah, Jeff had an ear bleed in a way he unintentionally brought that on himself. The other four individuals, including Tim, were knocked unconscious though nothing of any real consequence came from any encounter.

So, whatever this creature is, maybe it could be thought of as being a defensive creature rather than an aggressive one. Time may determine such a thing if that is at all possible.

With it still so early in the day, most on board the ship would be up and about so at this point there may only be a few areas on the ship currently sitting in darkness. Those who work the late shifts are being advised not to sleep just yet and definitely not to be alone at any stage prior to something being done.

Brothers Kyle and Jinder have gathered all the information they could so the command team and security waste little time in coming together, Jeff and Tim join in the gathering too. The first problem those who have gathered together would come across in capturing the 'shadow creature' is of course finding it. You won't capture anything if you do not know where what you are after actually is, so the plan of action would begin with making sure every area of every part of the ship is indeed well lit.

It made sense to the command team that they should make use of everyone aboard who is not manning a station, it makes sense to have as many as possible work together in groups to find the creature. Jeff and Tim have indeed joined the command team for the search. The Owens brothers and George have organized groups and have assigned security members to existing groups.

Cindy and Jasmine already being together were grouped with thirteen other young people. Eager to involve himself, Rory the chef gathered his catering crew who all armed themselves with meat cleavers, chopping knives or with whatever else was handy. Yeah, there is a little de ja vu in all this.

Before any search could get properly underway, Maria prepared to make an announcement from a position within the command center. She would be joined in the command center by Brandon, from here she would use the ship's com system to inform the ship's inhabitants as to what was about to happen. For the duration of the search, she would remain right where she is from where she could both co-ordinate the search and ensure the ship remains functional.

As arranged, each team gathered had at least one security member with them. George Jones, progressing as he has along with all he has gained would have a team he could co-guide with other security members.

When Maria was ready, Jeff would begin to explain through the com system just exactly what it is that they are looking for. The search would begin simultaneously on each deck. Every light would be switched on and left on until the whereabouts of the creature could be determined. Calm and vigilance was also asked for as well as for rash decisions not to be made. No random attacking without consent though defend if and when needed. The com system is there for one and all to use.

If the creature could be backed up into a corner and kept there than that would be ideal, subduing it if such a thing is possible should be more a last resort though crew safety is paramount. If it doesn't attack, then leave it be and react accordingly. Crazy as it is, communication with alien life, never mind actual contact itself, who would have thought it possible prior to leaving Earth? Well, maybe someone must have had ...

44.

The Pathfinder does have a communications officer, someone not only to engage with follow on ships wherever and whenever possible but to commune with intelligent alien life should such a thing actually come into being. In all the current mayhem currently occupying The Pathfinder's attention both the communication officer and her abilities are not being considered, at that too how many people are aware of such a position?

There is an alien life form aboard the ship, and no one is considering the fact as to if there may be a person, people or any kind of division set aside for any sort of activity. Being considered, or not, the communication officer, well, her time will come.

Anyhow, the word has been given and a search has got underway for the hidden alien life form. The many groups of people set off as if they were some kind of vigilantes on some sort of witch hunt, and they all may just so be ready to burn such a witch at a stake if and when said witch may be or even could be found. Maybe physical confrontation might not be avoided and maybe it would be easier if it were a witch, they were all after instead of a dark alien humanoid spider.

A petite twenty something lady named Mandy Anand stands about halfway down a corridor attempting to attract some attention, anyone's attention. Being the communications officer, she felt she should have a say in all or at least some of what is currently occurring but as soft spoken as she is, she is not attracting any attention at all so eventually she gives in and goes with the flow. The only one Mandy has had any kind of working relationship with is Robert Stanford.

Yeah, being communications officer, Mandy had some say in the development of the subspace relays which have been dispersed at regular intervals through space since Earth had been left. The subspace relays allowed for communication with follow on ships until The Pathfinder got too far out of reach.

Relays not only provided a certain amount of communication with follow ships but allow for a trail to be followed. If Humanity indeed were to settle in on one world, then a trail would be needed to allow for as many members of Mankind to reach such a place. If too, there so happens to be intelligent life in space then perhaps the relays could have a certain part to play in such communications.

Thing is for Mandy; Robert Stanford was the only was the only one she had been introduced to on The Pathfinder. She did once have a brief conversation with Brandon Michaels though of course Brandon is no longer alive but then again .... So, in general Mandy mostly has kept to herself for there is no real need for her skills, as of yet at least, and that includes the skills she is not yet aware of.

If there is an alien life on board then Mandy would have no way of communicating with such, how could she? Though if needed, Mandy could use her training to work towards finding a way to communicate, for the moment however she will continue to keep to herself though her situation may need to change.

As it is, Mandy's situation is changing more than she knows. In many ways she feels invisible and worthless though as invisible as she may be, she is in no way worthless. She has had dreams all her life, dreams which have made very little sense, if any, to her and of late there are voices that Mandy can hear. She has heard many voices, whispers, the voices and whispers she hears draw her to ... something, something she definitely does not yet know of.

Should she report herself to the medical facility? Tell of what she feels and hears, tell of those dreams she has had over the years? No, invisibility is bad enough as it is, to be thought mad or crazy, or to be ignored for hearing strange things, nah, she can't have that.