Testament: The ghosts return

                       Six months previously The Janus system 1. 7 light years from Terran command.

 The bio server room glowed a sickly green. It was cramped at the best of times, yet it was made even more so, by the chaos of the half attached components that lay scattered about.  Nicolai Krall sat in his diagnostic chair, examining the bio-feed to the ships AI with a growing feeling of annoyance.
       ‘You seem upset’ Mhir the bio server spoke as Nicolai attempted to connect part of  the server relays to the newly adapted bio portal. 
​       ‘I’m okay..’ Just trying to make sure your working okay.
​       ‘That is nice of you Nicolai, I do appreciate all you do for me.
​        Nicolai smiled. ‘Its my job…if the C-
​        There was a buzz on his wrist pone.  He pressed the retrieve button and a 15 page E report was filed up.  The words urgent flashed on its cover.  Feeling a flash of annoyance, he pressed accept and opened the file.  Then he growled as he read the report sent from the bridge to his work station. He rubbed his ten-week old beard with his left hand, and then squeezed the tiredness from between his eyes with his thumb and forefinger; before releasing a frustrating sigh. The jump had been a hard one. The Dimitris, a two core “armalight” class had trouble adjusting the new components to the Higgs drive; its coils were again close to rupturing, and despite informing the “Captain” (a word he used both with sarcasm and disdain to all who would hear.) about the problem, all her got back were reams and reams of  e-reports that  questioned his engineering skills.
​        ‘What does the fucker want from me!’  He muttered as he re-read the second paragraph pointing out the mix ratio had failed simulation “again” ‘I told him we needed to run the new parts in slowly, what does he do? He does a military practice leap and quad manoeuvre’s!  The guy has a six pack for a fucking brain.’
​        He was half way through wanting to throw the report in the recycle bin, when his com-link button alarmed.
​        ‘Krall.
​        ‘Mr Krall, can you join me on the bridge please?’ the voice was terse and condescending. Nicolai  knew it well 'Jensen... Captian Jensen cock of the wild frontier!'
​         Sighing, Krall lifted himself from the diagnostic chair, and floated though the hatch into a grav chamber, then he took the turboshaft 4 to the bridge. Muttering about not having enough time to get anything done.
​       The oval shaped bridge was a hive of activity. The red alert siren sounded as the captain and the first officer looked at a holographic image that he seemed to recognise.
​       ‘Sir.’
​      ‘Ahh Mr. Krall, have you read my diagnostic report on the perameter’s of the engine mix ratio?’
​        ‘You pulled me up away from vital repairs to the AI for that?’
​        ‘Well not only that.’  The captain snapped.
​        Sighing Krall muttered ‘Yes I was half way through reading it when you called me up here. What is that.’  He pointed to the holographic image on the screen.
​        ‘-It is parts of Jupiter’s Way station.’   Mhir replied
​        ‘Yes.’  Captain Jansen looked about him in annoyance. ‘Remind me how many engineers are aboard this ship
​         ‘fifteen.’ Muttered Nicolai, and seven apprentices.
​        ‘So, twenty one and-
​        ‘Sir, if I can be blunt,  I warned you that pushing the new compon-‘
​        ‘Mr. Krall, this is a military vessel, a ship of war, designed to face conflict and battle senarios at any given moment.
​        ‘-Sir, with great respect.
​        ‘I HAVE NOT FINISHED!’  Captain Jensen glared at Nicolai
​        Nicolai rested his arms behind his back
​        ‘This is a battle ship with twenty one engineers aboard and-
​       ‘Sir,’ the first officer coughed.
​        Captain Jensen span and stared at him with eyes that were ready to pounce
​        ‘Sir, I believe what Mr Krall was going to infer was-’
​        ‘-Nicolai, you worked on the Way station for five tours, we have your record.’   Mhir broke in.
​        ‘Y-yes, but the Way station was destroyed all hands lost.’
​        ‘No.’ Jansen looked at the hologram in front of him.
​       ‘-This, according to the topography feed from the archive is cargo bay 7, and hydroponics, part of the Jupiter Way station.’
​        ‘-It, it can’t be!’
       ‘-According to our data files it is.’ Mhir corrected.   
​       ‘-I want you to go over with a security team. Check for survivor’
​       ‘-It’s been ten years!’ Nicolai burst
​        ‘-Check for survivors as part of the regulations and see if you can find any data in relation to its being here. 
​         Nicolai wanted to thump Jensen in the face. There were a great many  other men who could have done this. Men who were military trained. He was a flight engineer.  Not a military officer, his grade and pay didn’t cover him for this duty and Jensen knew it.  Captain Jensen’s eyes glittered in the half red grey and blue light of the bridge.
​        ‘What is it about me you don’t like?  Nicolai muttered
​         ‘Are you going to do the job? Or am I going to have to reprimand you and station you to your quarters without a food ration for forty-eight hours!’  Jensen seethed
​        Nicolai shrugged his shoulders.
​        ‘I’d Like to go with him.’ The first officer insisted
​        Jensen looked at him. ‘But I need you here.
​       ‘Sir…as the science officer, I have the right to go on any away mission that is of scientific interest to both the Terran Federation and its board. I believe that this finding is of extreme scientific interest.’
​         Jensen looked awkward, he bit his narrow lips and squeezed his hands tight
​        ‘Okay….but I don’t want any fucking around over there. If there is no data aboard come back.’  Sighing and with sloping shoulders, Nicolai left the bridge with the first officer behind him. As they were suiting up, Nicolai decided to try to be nice to the officer.
​       ‘What’s your name.
​       ‘Jefferson…Antony Jefferson, I graduated from flight school ten years ago.  I’ve seen your record. Impressive  
​        Nicolai shrugged on his air tanks. ‘What’s Jensen’s problem with me!
​       ‘You’re from Mars…a Marisian second generation... He’s a Terran. A farside Domer.
​       ‘So its racism! Well the fucker can get himself a new engineer next rotation. I don’t need this shit anymore.’  With barely uncontrolled anger, he slammed down his helmet and locked the visor in place. 

​        Six auto- personnel the latest in military bots were unhooked. They lobbed in their bouncing gait behind both Nicolai and Jefferson. it didn’t take them long to clatter down the narrow gateway tube to the airlock.
​       ‘We will be docking with port side on six in T minus 5…4…3…2…1…’ there was a clank from inside and a wavering about him. Then a hiss. ‘…Okay, umbilical connected.’
        The door in front of then curled open revealing the battered outer casing of what was once part of the Way Station.  Nicolai used his laser to cut a hole into the craft. The piece of metal fell inward and skidded down along hard sloping floor. What a stupid cunt that Jensen is, he didn’t even bother to examine the ship from the inside.
​        ‘Okay, we will need a pulley team!’  Jefferson bawled.  Within a moment, the security bots assembled a pulley system and both Nicolai and Jefferson were lowered down into the darkness.

​       ‘it’s cold, well below the line.’ Jefferson muttered. His cornflower eyes glittered from the internal lights of his helmet. They both made their way down into what was once part of the hydroponics unit. The plants long dead were scattered upon what would have been a wall, but was now a dirt ridden floor.  Nicolai suddenly saw something scrawled upon the wall.  He shone his torch and jumped back as the mummified remains of a man suddenly came into view.
​       ‘No life.
​       ‘what the fuck is that?’  Nicolai shone the torch on the wall above the mummified remains The symbol, for, as far as Nicolai could tell that is what it was, was smeared in what was once blood. Now a brown dirty stain.   It was a square with two circles one above the square and one below it.
​        ‘What does that mean?’  Jefferson began taking pictures; and sent the data to the ship. Suddenly one of the Bots buckled and went lifeless, then another. Then another.  Nicolai span his torch around as Jensen came over the internal com link.
​       ‘Ok we are picking up crazy life readings. you’re not alone! Repeat you’re not alone!  Get out!
​        Suddenly Nicolai heard a scream as Jefferson was violently grabbed and pulled in to the darkness to his left.  Nicolai, his heart cavorting in his chest, slowly turned the light away from the symbol on the wall
​      ‘Jefferson? Jefferson you read. Come back!’
​       Silence.
​      'Jefferson! read me!'
​      He could hear screaming on the intercom, yet was distant to it.  The beam of the light slowly made out a green uncurling tentacle that glistened with wet leather.  There followed a hideous alien scream and a sudden feeling smothering before utter darkness consumed him forever.