Hunt for the Hybrid

8.3.5 SW
Sutter’s World Orbit > USCSS Montero > A Deck > Bridge

Dr Potter typed at the keyboard of one of the data terminals.

...Hello, Dr. Potter...

/SCAN for Bio-signatures

...scanning...
...
...
...
Lifeforms identified
-----------------------
Human x 10
Synthetic x 1
Unknown x Unknown
...

/LOCATE Unknown lifeforms

...locating...
...
...
...Unknown lifeforms detected...
...Location: B Deck > MedLab… number unknown
…Location: C Deck > Port corridor... one unknown lifeform…
...moving toward the aft of the ship...

That had to be it. Dr Potter radioed the Science Team's personal security. "We've located the test specimen. C Deck, Port corridor. Handle with extreme caution. It will be very small. Catch it if possible, otherwise, terminate."

He knew better than to interrupt the Broadsworth while he was working so he kept his radio nearby in order to receive updates from the security team.
-----

By the time the science team’s private security reached the last known position of the alien-bug hybrid, the thing has moved on deeper into the bowels of the ship’s aft section.

One of the men scanned the area with a motion tracker and picked up movement in the engine room. The men filed into the engine room with weapons and containment equipment at the ready. The four of them fanned out searching the dim and noisy interior for any sign of the creature.

tzzt Dr. Potter, have you found the lifeform? tzzt, came the radio.

Dr Potter was crossing the Mess when the power onboard the Montero went dark and quiet for a split second before popping back on. He paused. It flickered again before finally sputtering out. This time only the emergency lights came back on.

The radio buzzed, tzzt …octor Potter… tzzt …fraid we had to… erminate… tzzt

“Damn!” Dr Potter slammed his fist on the nearest wall, uncertain of how Broadsworth would react to the news that his experiment had been destroyed. Then he remembered… Keth Broadsworth was dead… Would this new Broadsworth even care?

He adjusted his channel to Broadsworth’s. “Potter here, the team was unable to recover the specimen intact.“