Everything feels cold? Where am I? I don't remember being here? Wait a minute? Ouch!
Kathryn opened her eyes tentatively. Grey. Dark.
What is this place?
A sleeping form stirred beside her, "mmmph"
Chakotay? I think. I can't see. Everything's gone slightly blurry, "Chakotay?"
"K-Kathryn?" his familiar voice rumbled. When she took time to think about it, it was such a distinctive voice, much like her own. Her own, voice, however is sharp, commanding. His voice, though, is beautiful. For an unconscious moment she thought about how much she loves hearing his stories sometimes for the sole reason that she loves hearing him tell them.
"Chakotay? Where are you?"
A small harsh light flickered in the room brought on by the motion of its two occupants.
"Here," warm.
"Where are we?"
"I don't know."
"Are you okay?"
"Fine." Typical answer. The real version: my head aches, my back hurts because of this hard ground I've been laying on, my neck is stiff, there's a dull ache at the base of my occipital bone that won't go away, and I'm freezing.
He smiled, "now I know that you're not alright. 'Fine' is the Kathryn Janeway code for miserable."
He's right. How does he do that?
"What?"
"I didn't say anything."
"What's the last thing you remember?"
"Well," good question, "This last thing I remember is being in Transporter Room 1 getting ready to beam down to the planet for trade nego- oh my God, Chakotay!"
"What?"
"Your neck!" what is that?
"What's on my neck?" immediately his hand shot up and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head, "seriously, Kathryn, what is it?"
"I don't know" she replied, taking a closer look, "bend down."
Small, round, metallic, "I've never seen anything like it. Does it hurt?"
"No…"
"Hmm. I really have no idea. Here, check me. Do I have one?" Mmmhh, is it wrong that even in this horrible situation that I am still slightly turned on by his bare hands on my skin? Snap out of it!
"Yeah! You've got one too."
"Alright, let's see. We're not on Voyager, we have some type of alloy implant in our spine, and we're in some sort of cell. We have no idea where we are or why we're here. Typical day in the Delta Quadrant?"
She smiled and laughed, "it would appear-"
The door to the cell suddenly slid open, "who are you? Where are we? Why are you holding us hostage?" she demanded at the incoming figure?
The tall form came into the light, "you are not hostages. You are prisoners."
"Prisoners on whose authority?!" he demanded.
"You're being held under the authority of the Ret Security Industry."
"On what charges?" Where is all of this coming from? I thought we negotiated a peaceful trade agreement with the Pren people on this planet? The Ret?
"The charges are conspiring with the enemy."
"The Enemy?" we replied in tandem.
"Don't play coy, Captain. We know about your military alliance with the Pren."
"Military Alliance? You must be mistaken. We're here to set up a trade agreement for mining dilithium and to acquire foodstuffs!"
"There is no use in trying to mislead us, Captain."
"No you don't-"
The woman held up her hand, "the devices that have been implanted in your cerebral cortexes will soon be calibrated to your psi wave pattern."
Psi wave pattern? What?
"At that time," she continued, "we'll be able to get all the information we need."
Which at this point would be the recipe for my Aunt Martha's rhubarb pie.
"And then you'll discover that we're telling the truth!" the polar tone in Chakotay's voice could have frozen water.
"We shall see." And then the doors shut behind her. Darkness once again ensconced the small cell.
"This is ridiculous!"
"Kathryn, stop pacing. Voyager knows that we're missing. The Pren have probably already contacted the crew and told them that we didn't show up at the council hall for the negotiation."
"Yes. I know, but I'm not happy about this, Chakotay. There is an implant in my spine! I've had enough of those for one lifetime – thank you very much."
I wonder if there's a way out of here… hmm...
"Chakotay?"
"Hmm?"
"Give me a leg up."
"Why?"
"Well I'm not just going to sit here like a lame duck and wait for them to 'calibrate my psi patterns'. There has to be a way out of here. Now, leg up, Commander. Let's see if there's a way to open that window."
"What are you expecting to find, Kathryn? A sign that says 'open here'? We're in a prison cell, not a hotel room."
"There must be some sort of structural flaw that will allow us to get out of here."
"Right."
"Think positively, Commander. Let's not give up hope just yet!" She jiggled the bar on the windows, looked at every bolt surrounding the frame – nothing.
"Can I put you down now?"
"What too heavy?"
"No, Kathryn. Spirits, you weigh nothing. I'm just getting tired of standing here." And, he thought, having your groin so close to my face is doing nothing for my resolve or my focus on getting us out of here!
Suddenly the door hissed open again. Chakotay dropped Kathryn to the ground in the most unceremonious of fashions as his attention was riveted towards the figure. He was dressed identically to the woman security officer who had been in an hour before. But this man said nothing as he tentatively laid down a tray and backed away. What is it? Food? Then, as soon as he entered, he was gone again.
"Well, what's this? Food?" Food is not what we need at a time like this!
"At least we know they're not going to starve us to death." Chakotay stated plainly.
"That means they plan on keeping us here for a while."
"Let's just take a look."
"Chakotay!"
"Our tricorder?" He's clearly equally confused.
"Turn it on!"
The machine illuminated, "Kathryn…?"
"It looks like the main directory has been updated with a map of the area!" Progress!
"What's that highlighted in red?"
Well, well, well! "It looks like an escape route and a map of the area!"
"Do you think that man is working for the Pren?"
"It's possible, Commander. "
"Let's be careful, Captain. This could also be part of an elaborate trap."
"You're right. But I'd rather take my chances out there."
"Hmm. I'm with you on that one."
"Now, that just leaves us how to get out of this cell…"
"Look on the tricorder. Is there a way to open the cell door?"
Scanning the tricorder again, "yes! Here it is: a code."
He smiled a big dimpled grin, "well come on, then!"
Her attempts at opening the door were failing miserably, "patience, Commander. I have to figure out these symbols."
"Here, let me take a look."
"Oh that's right," she added sardonically, "you might be better at this with your whole Native American insight into symbols!"
"Now, now, Kathryn – I'm just trying to help!" He couldn't help but give her that cheeky smile.
Grudgingly she handed over the tricorder. "Okay, let's see," he looked at the door code, "I think we enter it like this," and suddenly the door hissed open.
He couldn't help it: the 'I told you so' expression was all over his smug face.
"Good job, Commander. Now let's get out of here!"