Doctor Tanzim Sunny , Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS da Vinci, walked slowly around the trolley, a medical orderly a nurse had just brought into the room.  He thanked the orderly, who nodded and left quietly; whilst the nurse set about unfastening the small lock holding the zip on the long bag closed.  It made a metal rasping noise as she pulled the zip down, revealing the body inside.

Doctor Sunny held a small pen sized object up towards his mouth.  “Autopsy number G2093704.  Doctor Tanzim Sunny conducting; with Nurse Sarah Folland assisting.” He paused briefly. “The time is 09:40 on the 12^th June 2402.”

“The deceased is listed as Crewman Martin Samuel Cooper SJ 064-337.”  It had only been three months since the young man lying in front of the doctor had become part of the da Vinci’s crew and come in for a full medical. That memory of a fresh faced young man with nervous excitement; was still clear in the doctor’s mind. “The body is of a Caucasian male in his late twenties, which correlates with our records.”

He continued going through his checklist of information, height, weight, general appearance, any previous medical treatment; whilst Nurse Folland checked the scanning equipment.  There would be no need for doctor Sunny to slice open the young man’s body and remove his organs one by one.  The majority of autopsies these days could be conducted using a scanner and three dimensional holograms.  Only in rare cases would anything need to physical be done.

The scanner worked in layers, building a detailed image of crewman Cooper.  Skin, muscles, organs, bone; even the partly digested remains of breakfast, all perfectly rendered in a full scale image that hovered just about the surgical bed, to the doctors right.  It was an image that could be rotated, in any direction; enlarge as a whole, or just specific parts, for closer more detailed examination.

**********

Ele Trazan the ships Recreational Manager and currently only civilian, was doing some of the cleaning around the bar area on deck 8.  There were dots and service androids that could do all the work for her, but Ele just liked doing some of the little tasks herself.

It also helped her focus her mind as she blanked out the thoughts of the other individuals aboard the USS da Vinci.  As a Betazed, she could pick up on all of them, even without really trying; it took skill and careful training to ignore all the background noise.

She stopped a moment, placing the duster down on the table she’d just been cleaning; one of those individual minds seemed loud compared with the rest; like it was shouting, screaming even.  Ele tried focusing on it; was a member of the crew in danger?

‘I’m not dead!’ The voice of a male; filled her mind, overshadowing all others. ‘Can anyone hear me, I’m not dead!’

Ele staggered back, hitting the chair behind her.  What did that mean?  Who wasn’t dead?

“Computer, what is the Captains current location?”

“Commander Anacostia-Bolling is currently in the Captain’s Ready Room.”  The ships computer informed her.

She didn’t know what this strange message meant, but the Betazed felt the captain needed to know immediately.  Ele ran to the door, called to her assistant, an A500r series android.  “Al, hold the fort whilst I’m gone,”

“Fort; wooden, stone or brick built defensive military installation…”  She was gone before hearing the rest of the reply, realising she should choose her words more carefully when dealing with artificial intelligence.

**********

Commander Anacostia-Bolling was in her Ready Room, going through reports on a stack of Padd’s across the table.  They’d be breaking orbit in a few hours; having done everything they could for the people down on Samson III.  The USS Grus had departed 36 hours ago, and other ships, both Starfleet and civilian were now on hand to finish the work her teams had started.   She wasn’t sure about leaving a job unfinished, but they needed to be back on patrol and checking up on other planets with in their zone.  Samson III may have been the only one that had been physically attacked, but that didn’t mean to say the Blackout hadn’t affected other planets in some way.

She was a little surprised when she got the message that the Recreational Manager wanted to speak with her urgently; the women arrived moments later, escorted to the door by an Ensign.  The Commander greeted her warmly, noting the look of concern and paleness to her skin.

“What’s wrong?” Anacostia-Bolling asked guiding the Betazed to the nearest chair. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Not seen one, but heard it.” Ele replied.  “Suddenly came to me, who it was.”

“Who?” The Commander enquired.

“It’s crewman Cooper.” Ele answered. “He’s telling me, he’s not dead!”

Commander Anacostia-Bolling tapped her combadge. “Doctor Sunny.” Pausing briefly for the communication system to link her up.  “Doctor, what is the current status of Crewman Cooper?”

“I’m part way through his autopsy, as a matter of fact. Why?”

“Is there any possibility that Cooper isn’t actually dead?”

**********

Doctor Sunny looked at the body lay before him and the holographic representation he’d been studying; no heartbeat, no neural activity.  There was no apparent way in which this individual could be still alive, and he conveyed that to the Commander, before asking what had made her bring it up.

Nurse Folland noticed his puzzled look. “What’s the matter doc?”

“There is some debate as to whether or not Mister Cooper here: is actually dead.” Sunny mused, as he adjusted the intensity of the scan just to make absolutely sure he wasn’t missing anything.  After several minutes, there was no indication that his original finding had been wrong.

**********

Commander Anacostia-Bolling, looked back at Ele Trazan. “Well I take it you heard all that.”

The Betazed nodded solemnly. “So why do I hear his voice?”

“You’re sure its crewman Cooper you can hear?”

“Unless you’ve got any one else that’s supposed to be dead?”

The Recreational Manager did have a point; there was only on deceased crewmember, thought to the Commander, it was one too many.  She was still waiting to hear back from her newly appointed Chief Engineer.  Ensign Green was currently on deck 6, where the fatality had taken place.