CHAPTER ONE

Birkoff awoke with a start. Grumbling and irritated from having his sleep interrupted, it took him a moment to register the source of intrusion.

Sitting up in his bed, he scanned his room. He could swear he heard static... very loud static... the kind that is produced by an open mic transmission. But, he thought, that is impossible. All of the computer equipment and entertainment systems in his room are turned off. So, where were the sounds coming from?

Pushing his sheets back, and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stood up. As he walked around his room, he realized that the sounds were coming from beyond his door, from the hallway. He crossed the room, and opened the door. The sounds are definitely louder, and gathering up his courage, he walked down the hallway towards Section's central command.

As Birkoff entered the lobby, he is shocked by what he saw. All of the monitors and computer consoles were on with a snowy pattern playing across their screens. As he headed towards his console, with the noise now reaching a deafening level, suddenly all the screens went blank. Sitting down and typing in his password access code, Birkoff performed a systemd iagnostic.

The system comes back with * all systems functioning normally*. Strange, Birkoff thought. Deciding that he would check into it more in depth in the morning, he got up and headed back to his room. Scratching his head, he looked back, and couldn't help but get a cold chill. Then, mentally berating himself for being so paranoid, he continued down the hallway.

Once he was gone, the screens lit up again, and a muffled laugh could be heard emanating from a speaker...

CHAPTER TWO

Madeline walked through the deserted corridors of Section One, feeling what was sure to be the days long effect of another night of interrupted and fitful slumber. As a psychoanalyst, she knew the cause of her sleep deprivation, but she tried not to think too much about it.

Turning a corner, she ran head-on into Operations. Thinking moments before that there were no others in Section this early, she was momentarily startled. "Oh... sorry. I didn't realize anyone else was here this early."

"That's okay Madeline. I just came in to get an early start on the oversight committee's report."

"Yes... it is that time again... isn't it?"

Operations looked at Madeline, noticing that her thoughts seemed to be elsewhere. "Are you alright, Madeline?"

"Yes...just tired. I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"If there is anything I can do to help..."

Madeline smiled slightly. "No...I will be fine. Thank you anyway."

She stepped around Operations, and continued on her way. When she reached her office, she collapsed into her chair. She saw feeling physically, and mentally, exhausted. The placed her elbows on her desk, and leaning over, began to slowly massage her temples, hoping to expel some of her tension headache.

At that moment, Madeline heard a small childs playful laughter. She looked up, and seeing that she is alone in her office, wrote the sound off to hallucinations brought on by sleep deprivation, returned to massaging her temples.

She thought to herself that her current bouts of fitful sleep happened this time every year, and wondered why she wasn't used to it by now. But, no matter what she did, she couldn't get over the memories... or the feelings of guilt. This was the yearly anniversary of her sisters death, a death that occurred at the hands of Madeline... and all over a young child's selfish want for a doll.

Madeline would experience the sleeplessness every year, on this anniversary, but the newest, highly disturbing element introduced this time around, were the sounds of a young child's playful laughter.

Madeline thought to herself that maybe, this year, she might finally be going mad. She got up from her desk, and exited her office, on her way to Medical to see about getting something for her pounding headache. After she left, her computer screen lit up, and from the speaker came the sounds of a small childs playful laughter...

CHAPTER THREE

Michael exited his office, on his way to see Operations, then stopped in his tracks. He had a sudden feeling that someone was behind him, but when he turned to look, there was no one there. Turning his attention back to scanning his intel report, he resumed his pace, and headed down the hallway once more. He got ten feet, before the sensation of being watched returned. But, before he could turn around this time, he heard someone whisper, "Michael..."

Michael wheeled around, his face showing a look of shock and horror. With anguish in his voice, he said, "Simone?" Michael came face to face with Nikita.

"Simone? Michael, who are you talking to?"

Unbeknownst to Michael, Nikita had been walking down the hallway behind him. She had overheard him calling out, and now she had a very worried look on her face. Michael's look turned to one of confusion and puzzlement, as if trying to remember who she is.

"Nikita?"

"Michael, are you okay? Who were you talking to?"

Michael looked past Nikita, as if to see if anyone else was in the hallway with them. After a short pause, his gaze returned to Nikita.

"I wasn't talking to anyone."

Nikita squinted her eyes, as if trying to determine if Michael were telling the truth.

"Are you sure? Because when I came down the hallway, I could have sworn you said..."

"Nikita..." Michael said her name in a short, clipped, warning-edged tone. "I said I was fine. Drop it, okay?"

Nikita looked at Michael a moment longer, then nodded her head in agreement. "Okay, but you do know, if you need someone to talk to..."

Michael glanced down at the computer readouts in his hand. "I have a meeting with Operations." Michael turned from Nikita and walked away.

Nikita, stealing one last glance at Michael, turned in the opposite direction, and headed to see Walter.

When the hallway was once again vacant and silent, a barely audible crackle came over a nearby wall speaker, followed by a muffled, husky-voiced female, laughing....

CHAPTER FOUR

Nikita walked up next to Walter, and smiled. "Hey, Walter."

Walter, looking up from his task, smiled back. "Hey, Sugar. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing...just bored, is all."

"Well, you could grab that gun and clean it."

Nikita picked up the gun and a cleaning rag. She started rubbing the barrel of the gun, more as something to occupy her hands while she thought of how to word her next question, than as really helping out.

"Walter?"

Walter, still concentrating on the gun he was reassembling, didn't look up. "Yeah,Sugar?"

"Have you noticed anything "different" lately?"

"Different? In what way?"

"Oh, I don't know. People acting strange... talking to people who aren't there. That kind of strange."

Walter looked up, and grined at Nikita. "Sugar, strange IS the norm around here, ya know?"

Nikita laughed, and looked down at the gun she was absent-mindedly cleaning.

"Something or someone bothering you in particular?"

"No, just wondering." Nikita laid the gun and rag down on the bench and brushed her hand on her pant legs. Reaching up and pushing her hair back over her shoulders, she turned to leave.

"Thanks, Walter."

"No problem, Sugar. Talk to ya later."

Nikita smiled, turned and walked away. She walked across the lobby, and walked up next to Birkoff. She leaned over, and whispered into Birkoffs ear.

"Hey, Seymour. Whatcha doing?"

Birkoff, with his eyes still glued to his computer screen, came back with... "I've told you, its Birkoff. And I am running a system diagnostic."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

Birkoff looked around, to make sure that no one was near enough to hear, then turned to Nikita. "This may sound crazy, but I came in here last night, and... well... everything was on."

Nikita looked at Birkoff, puzzled. "And?"

"And, before I went to bed last night, I had shut everything off."

"Couldn't someone else have turned it all back on after you left?"

"That's what I thought, but when I ran a check this morning, there was no evidence of anyone logging onto the system after I logged off."

"How could that be, then?"

"I ran a diagnostic first thing, and several more since, hoping to figure it out. But it shows no log-ins, no power fluctuations, nothing. I have no idea how it could have happened."

"Have you told Operations or Madeline?"

"No. I was afraid they would think I was crazy."

Nikita patted Birkoff on the shoulder. "Well, keep running possibilities... and don't tell anyone until you know more."

Birkoff, nodding his head in agreement, turned back to his screen, and resumed his work. Nikita then walked across the lobby, and headed for Michaels office, thinking it best to inform him of what she had discovered so far....

CHAPTER FIVE

Walking down the hallway, on her way to Michael's office, Nikita's attention was focused on the floor in front of her. She was still turning over all of the intel that she had accumulated, so as to present it to Michael in a reasonable manner.

All at once, she experienced a cold chill, and stopped dead in her tracks. As she slowly raised her head, and looked up, she was startled by what she saw. Standing about twenty feet in front of her was... Jurgen. Nikita's mouth dropped open, and a gasp of astonishment followed by his name was all that escapes.

"Jurgen...?!?!"

The form in front of her shimmered slightly, but no sound emanated from it. Nikita continued to stare at Jurgens form, with a sudden on rush of grief and losS playing across her face.

"How can you be here? You are dead. I watched the building explode."

The form smiled sadly, and extended its right hand towards Nikita. Nikita, not sure what to do, began to walk towards the form. When she gets within a few feet of it, the form fades, then disappears completely. Nikita, her senses still reeling from seeing Jurgen's apparition, did not notice Madeline coming around the corner and down the hallway towards her.

Madeline walked right up to Nikita before Nikita even noticed her.

"Nikita, is everything all right?"

Nikita, looking up at Madeline, blinked and took a moment to register the question.

"Huh...uh..yeah...just...well...thinking."

Madeline smiled slightly, as if to tell Nikita in some way that she knew better. "When I came up to you just now, you looked as if you were on another planet."

Nikita smiled weakly, and scrambled for an answer. "I am fine Madeline... really."

Madeline, nodding her head slightly, looked at Nikita for a moment longer. "Okay, just making sure."

Madeline smiled at Nikita, then stepped past her and walked down the hallway. Nikita, glancing after Madeline, resumed walking, headed once again for Michaels office.

When she reached Michael's office, she rapped her knuckles lightly on the door. From the other side, she heard a muffled, Come in. She entered and slowly closed the door behind her, still deep in thought. When she looked up, she saw Michael gazing at her, a questioning look on his face.

As if getting a psychic signal from Nikita, Michael reached under the right- hand side of his desk, and puled on a small drawer. He typed in his personal code on the small keyboard contained there. After giving the security feature adequate time to activate, he pushed the drawer back under the desk.

He focused his gaze and complete attention back on Nikita. "Yes?"

Nikita walked over to the chair in front of Michael's desk, paused a moment, then slowly sat down.

"Nikita, is something on your mind?"

Nikita looked directly at Michael, and unflinchingly asked her question. "Michael...do you believe in ghosts?"

Michael looked at Nikita for a moment, then averted his gaze. Nikita sensed Michael's sudden uneasiness.

"Michael?"

Michael continued looking away from Nikita, as if not wanting to meet her gaze.

"You've experienced something too, haven't you?"

Michael's gaze returned to Nikita, and he paused momentarily before answering. "Yes. Earlier, in the hallway."

Nikita nodded her head, remembering the moment of which he spoke. "When I thought I heard you talking to someone, only there wasn't anyone there."

"Yes. I thought I heard..."

"You thought you heard... Simone?"

"Yes."

Michael walked around the end of his desk, and over behind Nikita, where she was sitting in the chair.

"You heard her, or saw her?"

"I thought I heard her call my name... but, that isn't possible."

Nikita got up and walked over to Michael. She looked him in the eyes, seeing there the emotions that he was fighting to hold under the surface, emotions of sadness and grief.

'Nikita, why are you asking me about this here, now?"

Now it was Nikitas turn to avert her gaze. She then crossed the room, and came to stand in front of Michaels desk, with her back to Michael.

"Because I saw Jurgen earlier today."

"You mean, you "heard" Jurgen, don't you?"

"No, I saw him. In the same hallway that you heard Simone."

Michael didn't answer. He took a moment to let the information sink in, and be sorted and analyzed. When he resumed speaking, it was in his "business" tone.

"We both must have been hallucinating."

Nikita turned around, and with a look of surprise on her face, looked at Michael. "Hallucinating? Is that what you really think?"

"That is the only explaination there is."

"No, not the only one. Maybe they actually are ghosts... trapped inside of Section in death the same as they were in life."

Michael walked over to Nikita. He looked into her eyes for a moment, then stepped past her. He sat down behind his desk and began typing at the keyboard of his computer.

"Michael..."

Michael kept his eyes on the computer monitor as he spoke. "That is all, Nikita."

Just as Nikita was about to answer, an alarm went off and Operations' voice boomed over Michael's speaker phone.

"Michael, Nikita, report to communications. NOW!!"

CHAPTER SEVEN

When Michael and Nikita arrived in communications, Birkoff began to bring them up to speed on the situation.

"I was just running my last systems diagnostics, when I discovered a slight spike in the current flow."

"Outside interference...power surge?" Michael asks.

"That is what I thought at first. But when I looked into it further, I found this." Birkoff typed in a command on his keypad, and an overhead monitor came to life.

Nikita looked at the image, not really sure what it was. Birkoff, seeing Nikitas look of confusion, explained.

"This map is of the circuitry layout of the secondary systems. The blinking red area, near the middle, is where we believe the current spikes are originating from. The only problem is, the only access to that point is through the vent system, which makes getting to it being almost impossible.

"The correction can't be made any other way?"

"Not without running the risk of shorting out the main system, no."

Operations walked around and into view of Michael and Nikita. "Which is why I have called you two here. Nikita, you are going to go in and make the necessary repairs.

Nikitas eyes snapped wide in surprise. "Me? I don't know anything about repairing circuits like these."

"You will wear a comm-link, and Michael and Birkoff will talk you through it."

Michael, having been relatively quiet until now, spoke up. "It is too dangerous. I will do it."

"You won't fit through the duct system. Nikita will have a hard enough time, but she should be able to squeeze through." Birkoff pointed out.

"Nikita, you get over to Walter's, and get your comm-link and the necessary tools. Then report to the duct access on Level 2."

Nikita, nodding her head in acknowledgement, turned and headed for Walter's. When she got there, Walter had everything waiting for her.

"Hey, Walter, you got my equipment ready?"

"Yeah, Sugar. Here ya go."

"Thanks."

As she turned to leave, Walter called out "Sugar?"

"Yeah, Walter?"

"Be careful, okay?"

Nikita nodded, smiling, and headed out

CHAPTER EIGHT

When Nikita got to the access panel of the duct, she immediately began working on getting the cover off. As she was about to remove the last screw, the hairs suddenly rose on the back of her neck, and a chill ran up her spine. She slowly turned around,and to her shock, found the form of Jurgen behind her. As his form shimmered, he raised his arm and pointed down the hallway, then turned back to look at Nikita.

"Jurgen, what are you trying to tell me?" The form continued pointing, and then, lowering its arm, began to walkin the direction in which it had indicated. "Jurgen, wait!"

Nikita followed after him. They continued through the hallways, level after level, until they came to a new access hatch. As Nikita approached the panel and prepared to remove it, her comm-link crackled and signaled.

"Nikita, are you at the site yet?" It was Michael.

Nikita, not sure what to say, decided to stall. "Uh...I'm having a little trouble getting the access panel off. Give me a few more moments."

"Okay, but hurry. The current spikes are increasing."

"Okay, I will." Nikita turned comm-link off, and looked at Jurgen. "Are you trying to tell me to look here?" Jurgen's form shimmered, raising its arm, and pointed at the access panel.

Nikita set about removing the screws holding the access panel in place, and then leaned to peer into the duct. On the right hand side, about three feet in front of her, was a small box with a blinking light. The box was attached to the conduit lines running through the ductwork. Nikita reached up and turned on her comm-link.

"Michael, Birkoff, you there?"

Birkoff answered, "We're here, Nikita. Did you get the panel off?"

"Yeah, and I found the source of the disruption."

"Can you get to it to make the repairs?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, no problem."

Birkoff came back on. "Okay, when you look at the circuitry, what exactly do you see?"

"I see a small box, about 4x6, with a blinking blue light, attached to the main line running within the duct."

"Okay, take out your electrical voltage tester, and place the electrode tips on opposite sides of the box's casing."

Nikita took out the tester and followed Birkoff 's instructions. "Okay Birkoff, I'm getting a reading of zero."

Birkoff turned to Michael and looked up. "It may be programmed for intermittent bursts, and may not be generating any current right now."

"Nikita, do you think you can get it off of the conduit line?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, hold on. I will see if I can pry it off." Nikita took a screwdriver out of her pocket, and using it as leverage, pried the box off of the conduit. "Okay, got it guys!"

"Good. Bring it straight to communications. I want to take alook at it."

"Okay Birkoff." Nikita switched off her comm unit, and withdrew here upper torso from the access area of the duct. After straightening up and brushing her hands against her pants, she turned around. Jurgen's form was still standing behind her in the hallway. Only, now, he was smiling, as if proud of her and her completing her task. As Nikita smiled back, and began to walk towards him, Jurgen's form shimmered.

"That is what you have been trying to tell me isn't it? You knew it was there the whole time." Jurgen's form just nodded its head in agreement. Nikita moved close to Jurgen, and reached out her hand, attempting to touch his cheek. But, before she could make contact, Jurgen's form slowly faded, and disappeared to nothing.

"Jurgen..."

FINALE

The next day, Operations held a briefing on the previous day's events. "We have located the cause of disruption, and have eliminated it. Birkoff has done an analysis on the box that Nikita found, and has determined that it was a remotely controlled device that caused disruptions in the computer system, as well as audio transmitted signals. It was somehow programmed to tap into the speakers within the hallways, and when activated, would broadcast various sounds.

"Do we know who is responsible?" Michael asked.

Birkoff answered him. "We can guess, but nothing for sure. We may never know for sure who built it or who placed it within Section."

"With that being handled, this meeting is over." Operations dismissed them.

The group got up and started to disperse. As Birkoff started to walk away, Nikita touched him on the arm.

"Birkoff, how did the box's owners rig it up to project video transmissions within Section?"

Birkoff looked at Nikita with a puzzled look, as Michael walked up behind her. "What are you talking about Nikita? That device was rigged for audio only."

Nikita nodded her head and smiled. "Oh...sorry. My mistake."

Birkoff smiled, then turned and walked away.

As Nikita turnd, she was startled to see Michael behind her.

"Nikita, your free to leave. There are no missions on deck,and no need for you to stay."

"Michael, you are just wanting me to go because you realize the same thing I do. Me seeing Jurgen had nothing to do with the box. He was something completely different."

Michael looked past Nikita, and when his gaze returned, he had his blank stare in place. "Nikita, just drop it."

As Michael turned and walked away, Nikita couldn't help but wonder if she had been seeing things, or if Jurgen had appeared after all.

This story © Copyright 1999, Trace