Scream

Summary: This is told from the perspective of early Season 3 Security Officer Ensign Tanya Elderman. Enjoy ;)

Ensign Tanya Elderman and two other members of Enterprise’s Starfleet Security detachment sprinted down the halls of E-deck, phase pistols gripped tightly at the ready.

I was nearly out of breath when I came to a sudden stop in front of the XO’s Quarters. My legs had been moving so fast all the way from the Armory, they tingled with lactic acid and adrenaline as I stood against the opposite bulkhead, sweat beading down my forehead. My blood was pumping so hard through my chest that I swear I could feel my own heart pounding each beat like a tribal drum. My training must have kicked in because I remember suddenly looking up after feeling like I was resting and finding my phase pistol already steadied on the door. I panted to catch my breath, desperately trying not to let Lt. Reed see how nervous I was. I’d never been on watch during an alert, and we just got to the Expanse. I thought I was going to die as my lungs burned for more air in that unending moment while Lt. Reed communicated with Captain Archer over his comm. badge. As we stood there waiting for orders, I heard a faint, high-pitched yelp from inside the door.

The sound of my own breath permeated my ears as I thought about how it happened. Apparently, a nearby crewman heard a loud scream through the Subcommander’s wall and reported it to security. Here I was, nearly nodding off during third shift when the bells and whistles go off and the shit hits the fan. The fact that they even heard her through reinforced duritanium bulkheads with the new nanopolymer insulate meant that was one loud-ass scream. Something tells me that when we force the lock we’re just going to find our XO in a pool of blood, some Xindi assailant standing over a hacked up…

A voice cried out again, this time much louder, just as high, in a terrible shriek. Suddenly there was another, and then another. My face grew hot as I felt the moment approaching when we’d bust in the door and… what, I didn’t know. After several attempts to shout for Subcommander T’Pol, Lt. Reed turned to me and my Second, Chief Jacobs, and nodded in the affirmative. Lt. Reed gave me the two-by-two hand-signal, and I stood ready to stack against the door. When the Lt. shorted the terminal and the door slid open, I screamed.

I'd never seen that position before.