Posted by Gamemaster Nosferatu (Gamemaster) in Main Sim: Somewhere on the Merrimack
Ensign Meri Adoc’s patrol had taken him through several of the Merrimack’s lower decks before bringing him back toward the sections nearest the docking access. The ship remained secure, and the Shiarians who had accompanied the crew aboard had largely kept to the areas they had been permitted to visit.

That was beginning to change. As Adoc rounded the next junction, one of the Shiarian visitors stood quietly near the bulkhead. Before the Security officer could reach him, a faint harmonic tone passed through the corridor. The Shiarian shimmered. For several seconds his form seemed slightly out of alignment with the corridor around him. Then, without warning or apparent distress, he simply faded from view.

Adoc’s tricorder registered no transporter signature. Elsewhere aboard the Merrimack, Security began reporting similar incidents. One by one, the Shiarians were disappearing. There were no alarms, no signs of forced transport, and no evidence that the visitors were being harmed. Each disappearance was accompanied by the same brief harmonic fluctuation.

A nearby security rating looked toward Adoc as another report appeared on the patrol network. “Ensign, that makes three. All from different sections of the ship.” Another harmonic pulse moved almost imperceptibly through the deck beneath their feet.

At the far end of the corridor, another Shiarian began to shimmer. Whatever was happening, their guests appeared to be leaving the Merrimack.

GM Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

Merri Adoc stopped in his tracks as the Shiarian began to shimmer.

His hand moved instinctively toward his tricorder, bringing it up as the figure seemed to slip out of alignment with the corridor around him. Adoc watched the readings carefully, expecting the familiar indications of a transporter beam.

Nothing.

Then the Shiarian simply vanished.

Adoc frowned at the tricorder.

“No transporter trace…”

He looked toward the nearby security rating as another report came through.

“Three now? Different sections?”

Before he could say more, another faint harmonic pulse travelled through the deck.

Adoc’s attention immediately shifted toward the far end of the corridor.

Another Shiarian was beginning to shimmer.

He raised his tricorder again, concentrating on the readings rather than drawing his phaser. There was no obvious sign of distress, no struggle, and no indication that the Shiarian was being forcibly removed.

But that didn’t mean he understood what he was seeing.

The conversation with Third Officer Serev came back to him.

Our systems truly communicate through harmonics.

Adoc glanced briefly toward the shimmering figure.

“Maybe this is how they leave…”

He wasn’t entirely convinced, so he moved to the nearest shipboard communications panel and opened a channel to the Bridge.

“Bridge, this is Ensign Merri Adoc. We’re observing several Shiarian visitors disappearing from different sections of the ship. There are no transporter readings or signs of distress that I can see. Each occurrence is preceded by the same harmonic fluctuation.”

He paused, watching the Shiarian carefully.

“Another one is happening now.”

Adoc stepped away from the communications panel and brought the tricorder back up.

“I don’t think we should interfere until we know what we’re looking at.”

His attention remained fixed on the shimmering figure.

“They told us their technology communicates through harmonics. This may be connected.”

He continued scanning, trying to capture as much information as possible before the phenomenon ended.

For now, there was nothing to do but observe.

And listen.

Ensign Merri Adock
Security
Uss Merrimack