Fatal Discovery

Chapter 7

Section Seven

Medical Center,

1757 Hours

April 12th, 2167

Alyssa looked at Derek. The skin covering his temples looked bruised.

“What happened to him,” She asked.

Doctor Trinneer stepped forward. “It’s a rather long, slightly unbelievable story, but I believe that that computer he touched down there was set to establish a link between it’s self and Derek’s brain.”

“What! You mean it’s some kind of mind controller?”

“Not necessarily, though I believe it could possibly be used for that as well. It uses what we call, psychoacoustic waves, to communicate with him, telepathically.” She gave him an unconvinced look. “I know it sounds farfetched, but I have spent years studying this.”

“So why would the computer want to make a link to Derek’s brain.”

Doctor Trinneer smiled, “That’s the beautiful part about all of this. Whoever it was that left all of this behind must have realized that if someone found this place, leaving a traditional recorded message would be of little use because it would be in their native tongue. But by communicating through psychoacoustic waves, the message would be translated into thought pattens understandable by any compatible sentient life form.” The doctor had a giddy look on his face.

“That’s...” she was cut off.

“Brilliant!” Doctor Trinneer walked over to a medical display.

"I have been monitoring the psychoacoustic link from here and have found that the frequency is slightly higher than what it should be for a human; That is what is causing the bruising to mister Hollister’s temples.

Derek instinctively rubbed his temples. “Captain?”

Fletcher walked over to him.

Doctor Trinneer followed the Captain. “You don’t need to be talking just yet, I want you to rest.”

“I have to tell you something, it’s urgent.”

“What is it Derek?” Fletcher looked slightly worried.

“It’s about the aliens. I know why they aren’t here anymore.”

Fletcher looked at the doctor as if to ask him if Derek was alright. He nodded and Fletcher looked back at Derek. “Go ahead.”

“They were in the middle of some kind of war with another race from another solar system. They were losing badly so they had a group of scientist work on developing some type of biological weapon that they could disguise, but something went wrong and the virus mutated. It began killing their own people so fast that there wasn’t time to create a counter-virus. They ordered the evacuation of the planet, but by then, only a fraction of their population was left. Those few people fled to the stars, leaving the message that I received.”

Alyssa, Fletcher and Trinneer stood in shock. Finally Fletcher turned to the doctor.

“May I speak with you outside, doctor?”

“Of course, Captain.”

They walked back into the first room and left Alyssa to stay with Derek.

“Is there any truth to what he is saying?”

Trinneer pinched the bridge of his nose. “From all I can tell, he is telling the truth. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the truth. That computer could have been programmed to tell him anything.”

“How can we be sure that the computer is telling the truth?”

“I can run some tests for any unknown viruses.”

“Get on it. God help us if you find what you’re looking for.”

The Captain’s comm-band sounded and a voice broke the silence that had followed his last statement.

“Excelsior to Captain Fletcher.”

“Fletcher here,” he said.

“Captain, you are needed on the bridge. Scanners are picking up several unknown objects moving at high speed in our direction. It looks like a group of large meteors.”

“I’m on my way. Fletcher out.”

“What was that all about?” Alyssa walked toward Fletcher looking very worried.

“I’m sure it’s nothing. One of the cadets probably just got a little too excited."

Less than half an hour later, captain Fletcher was walking onto the bridge of the Excelsior.