A particle too far
"Fvadt! Hwiiy dyypan u' veruul!"
A loud angering scream echoed for numerous seconds in the steely green hallways of the Caelis. A vessel not unlike any other, a massive jury rigged Ha'nom warbird. The shrieking voice of a woman angered by the idiocy of another. It was a common sound, ever since the day before. Sounds that were only common during the subspace particle experiments that the people on board would perform. The duty of a crew that was recruited one by one due to their scientific progress, all despising the notion of the experiments taking place, but understanding the necessity.
"I do not understand, what happened!?" A low voice crammed out through the intercom, the outline of a broad figure behind a protective hazy glass.
"Rha?" The female responded to the question, sarcastically.
The male outline moved behind the hazy glass, soon to disappear into what was behind. On the other side the feminine other stood with a handful selected officers.
"Resume, testing. Now."
The words were stern, serious. Not calm, no they were loaded with emotion and almost a hate for the failure they had had until now. The leading officer moved her hands across the console, monitoring power input, energy fluctuations and buffer integrity. Her body felt limp with guilt. Heavy appendices that were supposed to be arms and legs felt more like concrete pillars that had to be moved inch by inch. Against her will, so that she could do what was asked of her with the intent of not continuing it afterwards. A onetime thing. Just once. Ethically at least.
An officer bumped into the leading female and dropped a PADD that they were holding, the gaze of the leader moved to the other and with stomp of her heel on the PADD she pointed to the door.
"Hnafirh'aud!? Out! Now!"
Inferiority was not a trait the officers could afford to have on the team. Only four were left, one male, three female. The leader slammed her fist in the console in anger. Micro fractures formed in the bone structure of the hand, digits burning in pain. The aggression was hard to overcome, it was in the nature of the woman, she had been trained to be ferocious, as had most in her generation. This reminded her too much of the things she swore never to do. Tasks and experiments she would never undertake. Things that could take the balance of power and tilt it upside down.
"...Engage the transporter."
A test was prepared by the others, a Tribble in a see-through box that moved from side to side, not knowing what would happen in the near future. Not understanding the demise it might have at the hand of the woman. Her fingers still ached as she pointed at the other next to her.
"Now."
The officer moved the sliders up to engage the console, starting the subspace movement of the Tribble. It flickered, it moved in the bliss it had lived in. It was but a non-sentient being, typical to test on in the old days.
"Hold the buffer! Hold iiiit." A beep came from the console, the little creature had succesfully been transported, but that was the easy part.
"Increase the power. Copy the energy signature and retrieve it ... now!" Her eyes were moving almost as quick as in REM sleep. It was a horrible sight, the sweat moving across their foreheads, their bodies aching from non-stop testing.
Yet, there it went, a flickering green light, an entity formed. ...A Tribble, similar to the one before. The same creature, now twice. A fiery look in her eyes explained it all, a success was achieved.
Now she could do anything, she would could play god. Not unlike others they had known before. The others they had cursed and walked out on for their horrible experimentation.Now they were the same, now they went a particle too far.
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