The two walked in tandem through the corridors of the USS Ambassador. She was an older ship, held together by the rust that had collected on her hull. She wasn’t modern or fancy; she was unique. Just as unique as the ship’s Chief of Engineering. The Lieutenants were deep in conversation, exchanging glances as heads tilted to the other as they processed information.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, their tiny bodies mirroring each other in movement and mannerisms. They each appeared to be one-half of a single organism. A series of rapid high-pitched beeps and chirps followed them down the corridor as they walked. The speech was so fast and complex that it sounded more like an old-fashioned modem dialing into a computer than actual conversation.

Down the corridor, Captain Parker stood by the Executive Officer, “Are they talking?”

Commander Donovan smiled. “It’s more like high-speed data processing, but for them,” she shrugged her shoulders, “sure.”

The beeping seemed to grow in strength as the pair approached, one of the Bynars leaning in closer, their eyes almost flashing in sync with the chirping. The two paused, and a final burst of chirps came to a halt, they turned to face the Command Team.

“Ten, Eleven,” Donovan nodded. “Our new Captain.”

Ten looked at Eleven, as a small stream of beeping started. “Analysis completed,” Ten stated, as Eleven interrupted.

“…warp core 94.3% and,” Eleven added.

“Holding…” they both stated in unison. “Welcome to the Ambassador.” Their monotone voices seemed oddly out of place.

Parker paused. “Thank you, I think.” He seemed puzzled.

As the two left, Parker looked at his XO. “I am not sure what is stranger, Number One. The beeping or the fact that they finish each other’s sentences.”

“They don’t just finish them, Captain,” Donovan corrected the man. “They are the same sentence.”

“That’s going to take some getting used to,” Parker admitted, as the two continued their way to the bridge.

Donovan smirked as the turbolift doors shut.

Continuing their trip to Main Engineering, Ten and Eleven went back to their analysis of the ship’s systems. It was a normal conversation for every morning. Their cybernetic enhancements directly linked both of them to the ship, making the process faster. Eleven interrupted their morning with an uncertain head tilt.

“Captain Parker,” Eleven inquired.

“Analyzing,” Ten replied, their movement still synced together.

“Conclusion?” Eleven asked.

A pause in their steps was followed by a series of chirps much faster than the ones that had previously transpired. Ten looked at Eleven. “Observed: Hesitation in speech…”

Eleven chirped, “a 3.4-second delay in response.”

“Processing possible factors,” Ten replied.

“New assignment. Crew unfamiliarity,” they stated in unison.

“Adjustment required?” Ten questioned.

“Negative. Monitor and collect more data,” Eleven added.

The two reached Engineering, the gentle hum of the old warp core pulsing from the center of the room. Their beeping had slowed as they approached the main part of the room. “Engineering efficiency…” Ten inquired.

“Confirmed,” Eleven stated, tilting their head slightly to the main computer. “94.3%.”

There was a brief pause, then in perfect unison, “And holding.”

Without warning, the deck below them suddenly shook violently, as the Ambassador grounded to a stop. With a lurch, the two Bynars were thrown to the floor as the ship’s hull strained against the sudden stop. Around them lights flickered and consoles sparked. Overhead alarms sounded, and then without warning everything stopped. There was no light, save the red glow coming from the emergency lighting. There was an odd, almost evil silence.

Ten’s eyes flickered for a moment as they attempted to process what was happening. There was a single burst of rapid information exchanged between the two.  “Failure. Unknown Cause.”

“Data link: Interrupted,” Eleven continued.

There was another pause, and then in unison, “Isolation.”