Lights blurred on the overhead viewer. The ship shuddered and rattled. Footsteps echoed in the hallway, followed by the slamming of a door. A man shouted from behind a door and the footsteps ran back down the hall. The ship shuddered one more time, then stopped. The overhead viewer blacked out.
Montag scratched his head. He shook it a few times. The translucent ball radiated light, illuminating the small closet Montag curled up in. A distant voice penetrated his hiding place, and he quickly returned the orb to his pocket.
He waited in the darkness while the footsteps returned to the hallway outside. A voice shouted outside the closet. Montag held his breath. His face turned red, then purple. This voices outside the closet chattered on. Montag released his breath slowly.
The ship shuddered once more. The lights flickered on, and the ship lurched forward. The voice outside sighed.
“I guess old Branar fixed the engines. Alright everyone, time to get back to work.”
The people outside retreated, and the hallway became silent. Montag looked up at the overhead viewer. The lights blurred once more. He pulled out the light orb and looked around the closet. A small access port protruded from the bottom of the wall directly below the viewer. Montag pulled the cable from port and the viewer went black. He reached into the bag near his feet and pulled out a keyboard. He plugged the keyboard into the port and typed away.
The ship stopped abruptly. An alarm sounded and Montag pulled the connector to the keyboard from the port and replaced the cable to the viewer. Several lines of text scrolled up the screen. He placed his light in his pocket, grabbed his back, and slunk into the farthest section of the closet.
The computer’s voice roared through the sound system. “Intruder!”
Montag continued to watch the text on the screen. His eyes widened. Outside the closet, the ship’s crew ran up and down the hall. The door to the closest opened, and a man poked his head inside for a moment, then closed the door and continued down the hallway.
He tapped the wall three times. A tube descended from the ceiling and extended a microphone. Montag leaned over.
“Bulbous breakwater. Leaky faucet. Purple hydrangeas.”
“Password accepted.”
The keyboard jutted out from the wall. Montag stretched out his arms and typed away at the keyboard. A beam of light shot from the ceiling and radiated around the hidden man. Montag hit the wall three times and the microphone and keyboard disappeared.
The door opened. Montag stepped aside and waited for the crewmember to step into the closet. Montag stepped into the hall and slammed t door behind him. He locked the door and strode down the hallway past the crewmember rushing to release their companion from the closet. He paused and waited for the trapped man to be released from his closet.
The imprisoned man jumped into the hallway. “It was a ghost. I didn’t see a thing! Something just passed by me and locked me inside.” The man’s eyes widened. “Tell me you saw something?”
The others shook their heads. Montag laughed out loud. The crowd in the hall froze. The man from the closet shrieked.
“Who’s there?”
“Who do you think is here?” Montag pushed his way to the center of the group. “What’s the matter? Can’t you see me?”
The crewmembers screamed in unison and ran out of the hall. Montag strode down the hall in their direction.
“Fear of the unknown is so much easier than hiding out.” He opened the door to the bridge and stepped inside. “From here on out, we are going to do things my way.”
The captain sighed and placed his chin in his hand. “Whatever, as long as we end up at our destination, what do I care how we get there?”
Montag scratched his head. He shook it a few times. The translucent ball radiated light, illuminating the small closet Montag curled up in. A distant voice penetrated his hiding place, and he quickly returned the orb to his pocket.
He waited in the darkness while the footsteps returned to the hallway outside. A voice shouted outside the closet. Montag held his breath. His face turned red, then purple. This voices outside the closet chattered on. Montag released his breath slowly.
The ship shuddered once more. The lights flickered on, and the ship lurched forward. The voice outside sighed.
“I guess old Branar fixed the engines. Alright everyone, time to get back to work.”
The people outside retreated, and the hallway became silent. Montag looked up at the overhead viewer. The lights blurred once more. He pulled out the light orb and looked around the closet. A small access port protruded from the bottom of the wall directly below the viewer. Montag pulled the cable from port and the viewer went black. He reached into the bag near his feet and pulled out a keyboard. He plugged the keyboard into the port and typed away.
The ship stopped abruptly. An alarm sounded and Montag pulled the connector to the keyboard from the port and replaced the cable to the viewer. Several lines of text scrolled up the screen. He placed his light in his pocket, grabbed his back, and slunk into the farthest section of the closet.
The computer’s voice roared through the sound system. “Intruder!”
Montag continued to watch the text on the screen. His eyes widened. Outside the closet, the ship’s crew ran up and down the hall. The door to the closest opened, and a man poked his head inside for a moment, then closed the door and continued down the hallway.
He tapped the wall three times. A tube descended from the ceiling and extended a microphone. Montag leaned over.
“Bulbous breakwater. Leaky faucet. Purple hydrangeas.”
“Password accepted.”
The keyboard jutted out from the wall. Montag stretched out his arms and typed away at the keyboard. A beam of light shot from the ceiling and radiated around the hidden man. Montag hit the wall three times and the microphone and keyboard disappeared.
The door opened. Montag stepped aside and waited for the crewmember to step into the closet. Montag stepped into the hall and slammed t door behind him. He locked the door and strode down the hallway past the crewmember rushing to release their companion from the closet. He paused and waited for the trapped man to be released from his closet.
The imprisoned man jumped into the hallway. “It was a ghost. I didn’t see a thing! Something just passed by me and locked me inside.” The man’s eyes widened. “Tell me you saw something?”
The others shook their heads. Montag laughed out loud. The crowd in the hall froze. The man from the closet shrieked.
“Who’s there?”
“Who do you think is here?” Montag pushed his way to the center of the group. “What’s the matter? Can’t you see me?”
The crewmembers screamed in unison and ran out of the hall. Montag strode down the hall in their direction.
“Fear of the unknown is so much easier than hiding out.” He opened the door to the bridge and stepped inside. “From here on out, we are going to do things my way.”
The captain sighed and placed his chin in his hand. “Whatever, as long as we end up at our destination, what do I care how we get there?”
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