Posted by Ensign Luna (Security Officer) in Sickbay “Crossing the Threshold”

Posted by Ensign Ethan Koerner (Medical Officer) in Sickbay “Crossing the Threshold”

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Hayley Marshall (Chief Medical Officer) in Sickbay “Crossing the Threshold”
Posted by… suppressed (22) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The corridor leading to the medical bay stretched endlessly before her. Luna walked with purpose, her boots striking the deck in a steady rhythm, but every step felt heavier than the last. Her wings shifted restlessly against her back, brushing the walls in the quiet emptiness of the lower deck.

She glanced down at her forearm. The faint, parallel marks were still there—three symmetrical lines that refused to fade, no matter how much she tried to dismiss them. They shouldn’t matter. And yet, they felt like something more. A violation. A warning.

Her pace slowed as the door to the sickbay came into view. The polished steel reflected her hesitant expression, the faint flicker of doubt she hated letting anyone see. She stopped just short of the door, her fingers twitching at her sides.

The memories were already creeping in: sterile lights, sharp smells, the cold detachment of lab technicians observing her like a specimen on a slide. The sickbay wasn’t Section 31, but it didn’t matter. The similarities were enough to make her stomach twist.

Her wings flexed involuntarily, the motion uncomfortably tight in the narrow corridor. She could turn around. No one would stop her. She’d faced worse than unexplained marks before and walked away just fine.

But her mind drifted to Cerenity. She pictured her daughter’s trusting face as she slept, the faint curl of her smile when Luna tucked the blanket around her the night before. That trust—the quiet certainty that Luna would always protect her—was a weight heavier than any of the burdens she carried.

She let out a slow breath. If this is connected to them, if it’s anything that could put her in danger…

Luna squared her shoulders, forcing herself to stand tall. Get in. Get it checked. Get out.

The door hissed open, and the sterile scent hit her immediately. Luna’s instincts flared, her eyes darting around the room as she stepped inside. The medbay was quiet, its rows of biobeds gleaming under soft white lights. She took it in quickly: the nurse near the console, the exits on either side, the wall-mounted medkits. A tactical assessment. Old habits were hard to break.

“Can I help you, Ensign?”

The voice snapped her out of her thoughts. The nurse, a younger woman with a kind face, looked up from her datapad. Her expression was polite, professional, but the slight tilt of her head betrayed curiosity.

Luna straightened, her wings tucking tightly against her back. “I need to get something checked,” she said, her voice clipped but steady.

The nurse nodded, gesturing toward the nearest biobed. “Of course. Have a seat, and I’ll let the doctor know you’re here.”

For a moment, Luna hesitated. The hum of the medical bay’s systems felt louder than it should, blending with the sharp smell of disinfectant. She shifted her weight, her boots still hovering on the threshold.

Then she thought of Cerenity again. Her daughter’s laughter, her endless curiosity, the way she always seemed to trust Luna without question. That trust was why Luna had come here in the first place. She couldn’t afford to let her fears win.

She stepped forward, the door hissing shut behind her. Each step felt deliberate, measured, as though she were walking into enemy territory. She perched on the edge of the biobed, her wings pulling tightly against her back as her fingers rested on her knees.

The nurse approached with her datapad, offering a faint smile. “What’s the issue?”

Luna hesitated, her instincts screaming at her to downplay it, to leave, to bury whatever this was under layers of silence. But she couldn’t. Not this time.

Wordlessly, she extended her forearm, showing the faint marks. The nurse leaned in, her brow furrowing slightly before she quickly masked her reaction with a neutral expression.

“I’ll make a note of this and have the doctor run some scans,” she said, typing into her datapad. “It shouldn’t take long.”

Luna nodded stiffly, her jaw tight. She didn’t like this. The sterile environment, the faint hum of equipment, the feeling of being under someone’s scrutiny—it all crawled under her skin. But she stayed seated, her wings twitching slightly as the nurse turned away to prepare the scans.

Her gaze dropped to her forearm again. The marks seemed sharper now, more deliberate, like a message she wasn’t meant to understand. A quiet violation of her body, one she couldn’t ignore.

Her stomach churned, but her resolve held firm. Whatever this was, she would find out. For Cerenity. For herself.

ensign Luna

Hayley jumped at the sound of the chime from her PADD indicating an urgent message from one of the nursing staff. As she reviewed it’s content her brow furrowed in concern. She quickly stood and made her way into the main Sickbay. As NE Nurse Liana was already prepping the appropriate scans, she made her way over to the biobed Ensign Luna was perched on. As she could tell from her body language that Luna was uncomfortable in her surroundings she approached calmly and made sure not to startle her.

“Ensign Luna, Nurse Liana tells me you are concerned about something. May I have a look?”

Lt. JG. Hayley Marshall CMO

Luna’s wings shifted slightly as the CMO approached, the instinctive movement betraying her discomfort. She kept her gaze steady, though, fixing her sky-blue eyes on the far wall instead of meeting the doctor’s.

When LT. Hayley spoke, calm and measured, Luna’s first reaction was to stay silent. She didn’t like this—being here, being watched, being vulnerable—but she forced herself to unclench her jaw. The marks weren’t going to explain themselves.

Without a word, she extended her forearm, the faint, parallel lines standing out against her skin. “These,” she said finally, her tone clipped, as if each word was an effort. “They weren’t there yesterday.”

“They don’t hurt,” Luna added quickly, her voice sharp, defensive. “But they haven’t faded. I’ve never had anything like this before.”

Her wings twitched again, brushing against the biobed. The motion made her feel exposed, and she folded them tightly against her back, trying to will the unease away.

“And if this is tied to… them…” She paused, the words catching in her throat. Her jaw tightened, and she forced herself to push through. “I can’t ignore it.”

Her gaze darted toward the door for a fraction of a second, her escape route cataloged instinctively, but she stayed rooted to the biobed. Leaving wasn’t an option—not this time.

Luna’s voice softened, almost grudgingly. “I need to know what this is.”

Ensign Luna

Ethan hummed slightly as he moved through the med bay, carrying a small tray of hyposprays, setting them by each biobed. He stopped when he reached his two fellow officers, taking in the raised tension in the air. “Everything ok here? Anything i can help with?”

Ens. Koerner
Medical Officer USS Ark Angel

Luna’s wings twitched slightly, brushing against the biobed as Ethan approached, breaking the tense silence that had settled in the med bay. Her sky-blue eyes flicked toward him briefly before dropping back to her arm, where the three faint marks still sat, mocking her with their mystery.

“I’m not sure yet,” she admitted, her voice quieter than usual, tinged with an uncharacteristic uncertainty. She hesitated for a moment, her fingers brushing the edge of the biobed as if grounding herself. “Just trying to figure out if this is… something.”

Her gaze shifted back to Ethan, and her tone sharpened slightly, more out of habit than hostility. “You ever see anything like this?” She gestured toward the marks on her arm, her posture tense.

Before he could respond, she added with a faint, dry edge, “And if you tell me it’s just an allergic reaction or something ridiculous, I might actually lose it.”

The faint attempt at humor barely masked the unease threading through her words, but she held his gaze for a moment longer, waiting for any insight he might have.

ensign Luna

OOC: don’t be worried about Luna’s reaction she is a default individual and it takes a long time to gane her trust. I so happy to be summing with you welcome aboard.

Christina

Hayley gave Ethan a nod in greeting, an expression of concern on her face, “Any insight Dr. Koerner? The marks don’t look familiar to me on first glance.” She then spoke to Luna. “May I have closer look?” She asked gently, essentially asking for permission to touch Luna’s arm.

Lt. JG. Hayley Marshall CMO

Ethan smiled, trying to diffuse the tension. “I’m afraid i haven’t seen anything like this, and as long as you don’t try to bite me like a previous patient i had, I’ll consider that as you not ‘losing it’.” He paused, letting Hayley take the lead while he prepared a tricorder for a deep scan of the tissue.

Ens. Koerner
Medical Officer USS Ark Angel

Luna’s wings gave a faint, restless twitch as she listened, her gaze shifting between Hayley and Ethan. At Ethan’s attempt to lighten the mood, she managed a small, fleeting smile, though the tension in her posture didn’t ease.

“I’ll do my best to behave,” she replied softly, the dry humor tempered by unease.

When Hayley spoke, asking for permission to examine her arm more closely, Luna hesitated. Her fingers brushed the edge of the biobed as she glanced down at the faint marks, her thoughts racing.

After a moment, she exhaled quietly, extending her arm a little farther. “Of course,” she said, her voice polite but measured. “Whatever you need to do.”

Her wings shifted again, folding tightly against her back, and she kept her gaze fixed on the marks. The slight tension in her tone lingered as she added, almost as an afterthought, “I just need to know what this is.”

Ensign Luna

OOC: Amazing posting guys! A very enjoyable read:)

Commander T’Shura XO

Hayley gently lifted Ensign Luna’s arm for a closer examination. At first glance one could easily pass the marks off as scars, however, there was something clearly artificial about them. As Hayley moved Luna’s arm the marks seemed to catch the light in an odd manner and resisted distortion. To touch they felt slightly raised and Hayley got the impression they extended a touch below the surface of the skin.

“Is there any discomfort around the area?” She asked Luna, puzzling over the marks. “Or any sensation such as pressure or temperature?”

Lt. JG Hayley Marshall CMO

“no ma’am” Luna said simply.

Ensign Luna

“Alright,” Hayley replied before making eye contact with Dr. Koerner. “Ensign, why don’t you start with a full thickness scan of the epidermis and dermal layers of the skin. Based on what I am feeling whatever this is does not seem to extend below that point. I’d like to determine first if the composition is organic vs inorganic.”

Lt. JG Hayley Marshall CMO

Luna’s wings shifted slightly, brushing the biobed as she listened, her gaze fixed on her arm. Her fingers curled against the edge of the bed, tension coiling through her as the words organic versus inorganic lingered in her mind.

“Great,” she said quietly, her voice calm but tight. “Because the idea that something inorganic is… under my skin doesn’t make this any more unsettling.”

She exhaled sharply, forcing herself to relax her grip. Her sky-blue eyes flicked to Hayley briefly, then back to her arm. “Go ahead and run the scan,” she added, her tone measured. “The sooner we figure this out, the better.”

Her wings shifted again, folding tightly against her back as she let her arm settle into position for the scan. Though she kept her expression neutral, her mind raced. The marks didn’t belong—she could feel it. Whether they were organic or not didn’t matter; they were a reminder of a past she wasn’t sure she could ever outrun.

Luna swallowed hard, fixing her gaze on the ceiling. “Let’s just hope it’s nothing Section 31 left behind,” she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

Ensign Luna

OOC here are the results of the scan

(Nanotechnology Activity:
• Signal Emissions:
• Marks emit an intermittent low-frequency signal.
• Signal is encrypted and appears designed for tracking or monitoring.
• Frequency suggests activation within the last 24-48 hours.
• Pathways:
• Nanotechnology is interfacing with local nervous and circulatory systems.
• Energy conduits observed beneath the surface, consistent with advanced synthetic implants.
• Subroutines:
• Latent subroutines detected, currently inactive.
• Possible functions include remote activation, forced physiological responses, or further integration.

Biochemical Reaction:
• Stress Response:
• Slight localized biochemical response indicating low-level stress or adaptation to the nanotechnology.
• No immediate systemic impact on the subject’s health.
• Hybrid Physiology Interaction:
• Marks leverage the subject’s unique physiology to enhance integration and remain undetected until activation.)

christina

Ethan nodded activating the Tricorder and following Dr Marshalls direction. He paused a couple of times, adjusting the scanner before continuing. After about a minute he stopped. “Well as far as i can tell there’s some form of nanotechnology under your skin. There seems to be a low level signal coming from it, but i;m no engineer i don;t quite understand what the readings mean.” He handed the Tricorder to Hayley for her to look at before continuing. “You do seem to have a slightly elevated stress level, which is understandable. Has anything like this happened before?”

Ens. Koerner
Medical Officer USS Ark Angel

Hayley took a long look at the Tricorder readings before making eye contact with Ethan and Luna in turn. “Would you mind continuing without me for a moment? There is something I need to look into.”

She stepped into her office and touched her Comm badge. “Dr. Marshall to Engineering, could somebody please report to my office? I have something I could use some engineering input on.”

Lt. JG Hayley Marshall CMO

MaQ heard the call over his badge and replied, =^=This is Ensign Maqmlgh, I am on my way.=^= MaQ grabbed his gear and headed towards sick bay.

Maqmlgh, Engineer

Luna’s breath hitched at the word nanotechnology, her fingers instinctively curling into fists against the biobed. Her wings twitched sharply, the feathers ruffling as a wave of cold unease swept over her.

Of course, it was them. It always comes back to them.

Her jaw tightened, and she exhaled through her nose, forcing herself to remain still. The burning in her throat from earlier—whether from lingering stress or something deeper—felt sharper now. A low-level signal. That meant it was active. That meant Section 31 could be listening. Watching.

She barely heard Ethan’s question at first. The sound of her own heartbeat pounded in her ears, drowning out the room for a moment. Has anything like this happened before?

Luna swallowed hard, her sky-blue eyes flicking toward the Tricorder before shifting to Ethan. “Not like this,” she said finally, her voice measured, but laced with tension. “Not something I could see.”

Her mind flashed back to the experiments, to waking up in a sterile room with no memory of what they had done to her. The faint, unshakable feeling that something had been altered—rewritten—without her consent.

She forced herself to unclench her fists. “You said the signal’s weak,” she continued, trying to focus on the facts, not the spiraling thoughts clawing at the edge of her mind. “Does that mean it’s transmitting?”

Her wings tucked tightly against her back as she turned toward Ethan fully, her gaze sharp despite the icy tension settling in her chest. “Or is it waiting for something?”

ensign Luna

Ethan shut the Tricorder, placing it to one side. “To be completely honest. I don’t know. Hopefully we’ll get an engineer to take a look.” He turned back to Luna “I’d like to keep you in Sickbay for the time being just so we can monitor you. I’m not sure for how long, is there anything you need?”

Ens. Koerner
Medical Officer USS Ark Angel

Luna stared at Dr. Koerner, her breath catching as panic flashed across her face. Her wings tensed, feathers bristling slightly, betraying the unease tightening in her chest.

“Doctor, I—I can’t,” she stammered, shaking her head as if trying to push away the weight of the moment. “Cerenity just started her school day—I won’t need to pick her up for hours.”

She exhaled sharply, gripping the edge of the biobed, fingers tightening against the cool surface. “And I have a shift starting soon,” she added, her voice laced with forced steadiness, as though clinging to routine might keep everything from spiraling further out of control.

ensign Luna

Hayley stepped out of her office and made her way back to Luna’s biobed in time to witness the exchange between the pair. Keeping her voice calm and professional she replied to Luna, “Ens MaQmlgh is on his way to offer his expertise and should be here shortly. Hopefully he can shed a little more light on things. In the meantime, Dr. Koerner is correct. We do need to monitor in case anything changes.”

She smiled, trying to provide reassurance. “I will notify Lt. Anders that you will be missing your shift for medical reasons. If we don’t know enough before the end of the school day Dr. Koerner can accompany you to meet Cerenity after school.”

Lt. JG. Hayley Marshall CMO

Luna’s wings twitched against the biobed, her feathers ruffling in restless agitation. The sterile scent of Sickbay clung to her senses, too sharp, too clean—too much like them. She swallowed hard, keeping her hands pressed flat against the cool surface beneath her, as if the solidness of it could anchor her.

She hated this. The feeling of being observed, of sitting still while others ran tests on her. It was too familiar, too close to memories she had spent years trying to lock away.

Her sky-blue eyes flickered between Hayley and Ethan, a tight knot forming in her stomach. “I—I don’t need to stay here all day,” she said, her voice quieter than she intended. The thought of being confined to Sickbay, surrounded by medical equipment, by scanning devices that hummed too much like the ones from before—it made her chest tighten. “I’m fine. I feel fine.”

Her fingers curled against the biobed, nails pressing into her palm. She knew the logic, knew that monitoring made sense, but logic didn’t stop the itch beneath her skin, the gnawing sense that if she stayed here too long, she’d never leave.

Her wings pulled in tighter, her posture rigid. “I understood I just…” she fell silent not fully finishing her statement.

Ensign Luna

“Doctor Marshall,” called a familiar voice.

T’Mor was already in the medical bay for her own reasons. A refill of the topicals that kept her rashes down.

“I understand you are busy doctor, but…”
she clasped her hands in front of her, and looked down towards the floor,

“Perhaps, and I don’t mean to question just judgement in any way, it’s just that I noticed…”

T’Mor wasn’t sure what to say, except that she knew Luna was her friend and she could tell they were in distress. But saying that directly would not sound very logical. She took a deep breath, then straightened up and looked at Hayley directly.

“The Ensign’s increase stress will produce inaccurate readings.”

|Lt., j.g. T’Mor, Chief Science Officer

A look of surprise flitted across Hayley’s face and was gone before anyone could be sure they saw it. She paused to reflect on the situation for a moment before responding.

“You are correct Lt.” she replied, more in answer to the unsaid sentiment behind the Lt.’s words than their actual statement. She then looked toward Ens. Luna. “It appears your blood sugar is also a bit low. Perhaps you would like to take a break and get something to eat in the Mess? It could take some time for Ens. McQmlgh to arrive and for us to go over the readings.”

She than glanced toward Lt. T’mor before continuing. “Would you have time to accompany Luna? I would much prefer she not be alone right now.”

Lt. JG Hayley Marshall CMO

“I would be - willing to accompany Ensign Luna,” T’Mor said, the stiffness melting from her shoulders.

Seeing that the two senior officers were taking command, Ethan moved away to have a look at some fungal colonies he had been developing and observing. Close enough they could be called on if needed, but far enough away to give some privacy to the conversation.

Ens. Koerner
Medical Officer USS Ark Angel

Luna exhaled, barely resisting the urge to bolt from the biobed the moment Hayley suggested she leave. Relief flooded through her, loosening the tension in her shoulders, even as she fought to keep her reaction controlled.

“Yeah… yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” she said, her voice quieter than usual but steady. She flexed her fingers, as if shaking off the lingering weight of Sickbay’s sterile air. The scent of antiseptic clung to her, a reminder of too many things she didn’t want to think about. Getting out, even just for a little while, felt like a small victory.

Her wings shifted, unfolding slightly as she slid off the bed, her posture still guarded but noticeably lighter. “Not sure if I’m actually hungry, but I’ll take the excuse to move,” she admitted, her sky-blue eyes flicking toward T’Mor. “And I won’t argue about having company.”

Luna didn’t need to say it out loud—she wasn’t ready to be alone with her thoughts. Not yet. For now, getting out of Sickbay was enough.

Ensign Luna

T’Mor nodded, “Whenever you are ready, then Ensign.”

|Lt., j.g. T’Mor, Chief Science Officer|