Captain
McNerwen paused on the threshhold of the medical laboratory. Supposedly, what she was about to try was even more useless than observing the crew's behaviour. All sources she had read agreed that finding the subtle biological differences between a disguised Metamorph and the individual it copied took detailed analysis, far beyond the capabilties of a combat spacecraft lab.
However, Doctor
Morsul had spent most of his career in space, treating the many exotic ailments that were a hazard of interstellar travel. In fact his interest in alien diseases was positively ghoulish. It was entirely possible, the captain thought, that the doctor might know a trick or two that the academic experts had missed. It was worth a try at any rate.
The trouble was that she would have to take Doctor
Morsul into her confidence and for all she knew, the medical officer was himself a Metamorph. Well, she had prepared for that. She had recorded a holographic message, to be activated on the event of her death, informing the crew of the situation, just in case the Metamorphs were able to tamper with her log.
She took a step forward, but the door remained shut. Perhaps Doctor
Morsul was treating someone for some embarrassing complaint. Or else he might have been giving young
Rikae another checkup. The "Cabin Boy", as Commander
Inziladun had nicknamed him, had been found hiding in the cargo hold a few Days out of Beta Pictoris Station, and the doctor was very concerned about the infections he might have picked up in his former life as a orphan living on the streets of the spaceport.
The captain keyed in her override code and entered the laboratory– where she gasped at the sight that met her eyes.
The medical officer was sprawled amidst the charred wreckage of his equipment. It took no more than a glance at the huge blackened hole through his upper torso to tell her that Doctor
Morsul was well beyond the reach of his own medicine.
The wound was still smoking. Whoever had done this could not be far away.
A shadow fell across her. Captain
McNerwen whirled around, gasping a second time as she recognised the figure who has just stepped out of an inner chamber, carrying a large flame-pistol.
"You!"
"Me," the intruder agreed. "I see you had the same idea as me– they say it's well-nigh impossible to detect a Metamorph, but I didn't want to take any chances. I regretted having to kill the doctor, by the way, nearly as much as I'm going to regret killing you."
"Don't fool yourself, alien scum," said the Captain. "We'll catch all three of you before too many Days are out."
"Oh," said the other, "but I'm not a Metamorph, ma'am, just a... sympathiser, let us say. I've been an agent of the Empire for nearly two years now."
"You betrayed your own species? How could you?"
The Traitor shrugged. "It's clear they're going to win this war in the end, and they pay me handsomely, too. Besides, they're really so much more advanced than we are in many ways; I think I'd be supporting them anyway. –And now," the Traitor raised the flame-pistol, "I'm afraid this conversation must come to an end. Goodbye, captain."
The captain reached for her own weapon, but the Traitor was quicker. The last thing Captain
McNerwen knew in this life was a searing agony that quickly gave way to the merciful numbness of oblivion.
The Crew
Living
Commander
Inziladun –First Officer.
Lieutenant
Paranoia –Second Officer.
Lieutenant
Sally –Navigator.
Ensign
Pitchwife –Communications Officer/Interpreter.
Ensign
Blind Guardian –Tactical Officer.
Master Chief Petty Officer
Loslote –Chief Engineer.
Chief Petty Officer
Keeper of Dol Guldur –Quartermaster.
Isabellkya –Sensor Technician, First Class.
Wilwa –Android Technician, Second Class.
Shasta –Engineering Technician.
Eomer –Security Officer.
wintywinty –Weapons Maintenance Technician.
Rikae –"Cabin Boy" (a thirteen-year-old stowaway).
Dead
Doctor
Morsul –Medical Officer and Captain
McNerwen.
–shot by Traitor on Night One.
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