The wreck of the Borg Cube loomed over them; the once menacing interlocking mechanical superstructure lay weathered, cracked, and broken.  The Hazard Team had cleared the settlement and was now working its way through the wreckage step by step.  Ensign Lita Morrison stood at the edge of the decaying grouping of buildings, watching through binoculars.  Beside her stood Lieutenant Henry Longfellow, his eyebrows furrowed in perpetual concern.  Both were in heavy environmental suits.  The Hazard Team had traced part of the radiation issue to the former Cube, while Morrison and Longfellow were tasked with investigating the trace readings found in the settlement remains.

He groused through the microphone in his suit, “I don’t like how this feels, Ensign Morrison.”  She decided he was in a state of perpetual concern, worry, or a frustrating combination of the two.  Learning to work with him as Chief Medical Officer and her as Chief Science Officer remained challenging.

“We’re protected, sir.  We have to identify the reading to find a way to either turn it off or create something to invalidate the possible radiation.”  She turned and walked slowly into the settlement.  As far as she could tell, the buildings had been built from local stone, with wood and other materials used.  The sharp edges of the buildings had been worn down, and areas of structural collapse were apparent from where she stood.  At first glance, she couldn’t see any bodies or signs of the life that had been. The radiation was emanating from the center of town.

Her tricoder beeped as she swept it from side to side, taking each step carefully.  She could hear Longfellow stubbornly walking behind her, but the signature sounds of his medical tricorder could be heard.  They reached an intersection of the dusty road.  She asked, “You notice we haven’t heard any animal life—nothing on the tricorder either.”

Longfellow continued to sweep his scanner while holding a PADD in the other hand with detailed readings scrolling across the screen.  “That’s part of my feeling.  The plant life is negligible in the settlement proper – there’s a definite line drawn just beyond the edge of town.  Plant life picks back up, trees fill in, and it feels more alive.”  His eyes looked right, then left.  “No signs of life.  Even if whatever happened after the last survey ship came through, there should be decomposing bodies, bones…or something.”  He motioned forward, “Let’s carry on.”

They walked through three more intersections, all bleak and barren.  There was no wind to blow the dust, and it looked like it had never been disturbed.  Lita led them to the town center, where she walked around, scanning into each corner.  Nothing.  “What the hell happened here?” she muttered.  The large building behind them rose higher than most, and seemed to have survived whatever had worn at the rest of the settlement’s buildings.  She strode to the door and tested it.

Unlocked.

“Careful, Ensign Morrison.”  Longfellow holstered his tricorder and removed his phaser, clicking it to stun and stacking up behind her.  She felt her face grow warm at the embarrassment of forgetting protocol.  The doctor pulled at the door and threw it open, his phaser going up as Lita followed his lead.  Light was coming from inside, and Longfellow entered after scoping out what he could.  She followed behind.

An ornate and beautiful room greeted them with artificial lights flickering on as they stepped forward.  Desks were arrayed throughout the room; most had survived with little rotting.  Papers still sat on desks with ancient consoles darkened.  Lita scanned the room, returning her phaser to her belt.  Longfellow kept his in hand while slipping his medical tricorder back out.  It took a few minutes to complete their respective scans throughout the expansive space.  Longfellow was first, “The radiation we were reading.  It’s on everything.  Outside, inside…everywhere.”  He shook his head.  “I think something went wrong – a power facility that used highly volatile materials, perhaps – or something they didn’t know could do this went awry.”

Morrison had the same readings, but a different theory.  “It could be connected to a weapon of some kind—something they used against the Borg.”  She walked over to one of the consoles, tapping the keys.  Surprisingly, it activated.  “Interesting.”  A few clicks and clacks later, she found what appeared to be logs.  “They had been preparing for something.  They didn’t know it was The Borg – they just called it the Mechanical Evil.” She scrolled, and Longfellow pulled a set over.  She frowned, “They created a bomb, that’s true.”  Her fingers coaxed the data from the aging data banks.  “But the bomb wasn’t for The Mechanical Evil.”

Longfellow leaned in, “What was it for?”

She dug further in, “From what I can tell, they had a protocol in case of an attack.  The bomb was designed to destroy all evidence of their…Sentinel Program.”  She shook her head, “I’m searching for that term, but no data exists on it – it’s just this one mention.”

“Whatever this Sentinel Program was, it made short work of The Borg.  Can we mitigate the radiation?  I can treat it medically with limited exposure.”

Lita sat back in the chair, “Sure. I can get the team back on the ship working on it.”  Her mind was somewhere else, and she could feel Doctor Longfellow’s curious eyes stuck on her.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I don’t think we should bring down more crew to investigate.  Whatever this ‘Sentinel’ project was, it could still be active.  Removing evidence of it doesn’t mean it’s finished with the work they had it doing.”

“Hazard Team to Team Alpha.” Longfellow keyed in his response. They replied, “We’ve got a lot of decomposing bodies over at the Cube – human and Borg.  None of the drones are active, and the Cube hasn’t been powered for a long time.  It’s clear for you to investigate.”

Longfellow confirmed, but then keyed the channel open again.  “Do us a favor, Hazard Team – stay on site while we make our way there.  I’m not comfortable with you leaving just yet.”  The channel closed.

Lita cocked her head to the side, “What should I be worrying about, Doctor Longfellow?”

He got up from the chair and walked toward the door, “Ghosts and the darkness, Ensign Morrison – ghosts and the darkness.”

She followed him, not enjoying his cryptic imagery.