*** Somewhere on the Research Station *** The two medical officers walked quietly and swiftly down a station corridor, following a pair of ghouls that had been drifting around. Mercedes had a crazy idea that following them might lead them to the away team, or at least some answers. She was hoping she was right. {This is weird} Rangi thought glancing down for reassurance at the protoplaser she held tightly in her right hand {They dont know we're here...} The two aliens drifted before them with a purpose, intent on some mission. Mercedes was careful not to make a noise, lest the aliens become aware of their presence. She didn't want to push her luck with the generator. They followed the aliens until they passed through a door. The two doctors stopped dead and looked at each other, then back at the door. Rangi nodded at Mercedes and she very slowly peeked inside the door. Surprised at what she saw, she motioned for Rangi to take a peek as well. Rangi frowned.{Its a ...quantum torpedo....one of OUR quantum torpedoes...a mark 11} She glanced at Mercedes and they inched inside the room. The aliens, totally oblivious to the fact they were observed, opened the outer casing and looked inside. They watched as the aliens lifted up the casing and place it on the floor, revealing the inside of the torpedo and its quantum core. Mercedes realised that the aliens seemed more visible, and thought that maybe it was a result of a lot of them being in close proximity to each other. {What are they doing?} Rangi asked herself and blinked,starting back in surprise when a brilliant white flash eminated from the torpedo. The ghouls, seemingly unconcerned by this, continued to inspect the weapon. They watched as the ghouls took a device and inserted it into the torpedo. The device was glowing with a pulsating light and Mercedes wondered what it was. Whatever it was didn't look good and she started moving back towards the door. Rangi darted a glance at the AMO, her expression one of worried concern.She signalled for Mercedes to continue outside and, looking back at the aliens, was glad to see them engrossed in their inspection. "What are they working on?" Mercedes asked in a whispered tone once they were outside. "Could you make it out?" Rangi nodded . "Its a quantum torpedo...a mark 2 I think." They moved further away from the door. "We HAVE to find the Colonel. If those...things...are learning about our defences...who knows what they'll do?." Laying a hand on Mercedes arm and thenpointing along the corridor she asked "Ensign...please try to think...does any of this look familiar to you?" "I think we should go a deck up," Mercedes said, looking around her. "If I remember correctly, we transported in on the deck above this one." Rangi took a deep breath. "Ok." she whispered and looked left and then right of where they stood.Her eyes rested on the nearest lift doors."The turbo lift would be quicker." she said half to herself."...and its only one deck." She faced Mercedes " We'll use that then ...ok?" "Don't you think if we use the turbolift it might attract the attention of the ghouls?" Mercedes asked. "Wouldn't it maybe be safer to use the jefferies tubes?" "Possibly...but that little device.." she pointed to the object on Mercedes belt "...seems to be shield for us.Even though its only one deck, we stand as much chance of being heard in the tube as in using the lift. I think we should try it...and besides...Peter Heher was up there.He knows the layout of this station." She waited for Mercedes to consider the options. Mercedes nodded. "Maybe we can find him as well. I just wish I knew which way the away team went." The two medical officers headed quietly down the corridor towards the turbolift. As the doors slid open, they got inside and Mercedes pressed the 'up' button. It seemed to Rangi that the short journey took hours rather than under a minute.She stood pressed back against the wall expecting a 'tentacle' to materialise at any moment. The lift stopped. She met the AMO's eye and gave a tentative smile."Ok?" Mercedes took a deep breath. "Okay," she said. The doors slid open and they stepped outside slowly. She faintly recognised the corridor where they were. "I think we need to go left." Rangi glanced behind her, gripped her protoplaser and moistoned her lips. "Alright" she whispered. {Lets hope we find the colonel before a ghoul finds us!} They barely rounded a corner when they saw a ghoul in the corridor. "Oh, crap," Mercedes said out loud before she could stop herself. The ghoul started moving their way. Rangi began to walk slowly backwards. "Can it see us do you think?" she asked in a half whisper.....oh never mind!...run!!" Mercedes ran like her life depended upon it... which it did. She skidded around a corner with Rangi close on her heels. She hoped that ghouls couldn't 'run' very fast, but since they moved through walls it would probably catch up to them soon. Mercedes turned her head for a second to check if Rangi was still behind her, and when she turned back she ran straight into a man and they fell down on the ground with Rangi tripping over them. "Peter!!" Rangi gasped "Thank heavens you're alright!" *** End Log *** LtCommander Rangi Summers CMO/2XO USS Chimera & Ens. Mercedes Carpenter AMO USS Chimera