No Sleep for the Weary

"That sure was one hell of an environmental disturbance." Kathryn said. She put the coffee cup down on the table, got up and started walking around to try and gain some warmth back. What ever it was that swept through the quarters felt far more than an environmental disturbance.

"I agree. You might think I'm crazy, but I could have sworn I felt a presence as it passed through." Chakotay said. He was actually sure that there was something else to the cold blast of air, he just didn't know what on earth to make of it.

Kathryn hit her com badge. "Captain to the Bridge."

"Yes, Captain." Came the voice of Ensign Harry Kim.

"The commander and I just experienced one of the environmental disturbances that were reported. Could you scan the ship please Ensign?" Kathryn asked.

"Yes Captain." Chakotay could hear the confusion in the young ensigns voice, and yet Harry knew enough not to question his captain's orders.

Kathryn turned and looked at Chakotay, who was still sitting on the couch. "Is it odd that I find it a bit comforting that the problem might not be with my ship?" She asked him giving him a small smile.

Chakotay couldn't help but smile back. "No. It's not that odd. You can't fight your ship." Kathryn looked oddly hurt at his response. He had forgotten how helpless she could feel during certain situations. In reality anything that put her crew in danger was a horrifying thought, for them both. Chakotay got up off the couch and took her hand in his to try and comfort her. It was freezing, and for the first time since the anomaly had passed through the room he noticed that she was still shivering.

"Kathryn, are you okay?" He said. Kathryn lifted her head to look at him, and he noticed her normally radiant blue eyes were dull and slightly empty.

"I'm fine Commander. Nothing a nice hot cup of hot chocolate wouldn't fix." She said, mostly for his benefit. In truth, Kathryn felt as though the cold that had passed through her took any energy she might have had, and she didn't have much to spare today to begin with.

"Well, lets get you some then why don't we." Chakotay said. He led her over to the replicator to order up a large steaming cup of hot chocolate complete with marshmallows.

"Thank-you Commander. Now, where's that supper I was promised?" She said giving him a smile.

It wasn't that long after the two of them finished eating that Ensign Kim, contacted them about the results from the scan.

"Janeway here." Kathryn said tapping her com badge, in response to Harry.

"The scan is finished Captain. Everything looks normal." He said. Kathryn could sense that the young Ensign sounded slightly disappointed by the results. He knew his captain well to know that the answer he had given wasn't going to be enough.

"What the Commander and I felt Mr. Kim, was anything but normal, and it sure didn't feel like a simple environmental disturbance." Kathryn said.

Chakotay was clearing away the dishes as the conversation was going on. He was still keeping a close eye on Kathryn, and although some of her colour had returned after eating, she still didn't seem quite herself.

"Even the environmental systems checked out Captain. There has been no fluctuations in the system at all tonight, or all day even." Harry sounded slightly confused. A feeling that both his commanding officers now shared with him.

"How can that be? Tuvok said that people had been reporting them all day." Kathryn asked.

Chakotay started to smile slightly. She was starting to get curious. The only downside to that would be that he wouldn't be able to convince her to sleep, something she obviously needed, until she had some answers at least.

"I'm not sure Captain, but scans are showing everything has been operational." Harry said.

Kathryn was completely baffled by what was going on. If it was in fact an environmental disturbance, as Tuvok had said, then why was there no sign at all that anything was going on. "Ensign Kim, could you run a sensor sweep for any anomalies that the ship might have passed recently. There is a chance that what is going on might be an alien presence, rather than a ship problem."

"I'll get right on it Captain." Harry said.

"Any ideas Chakotay as to what might be going on?" Kathryn said. She was still pacing, and even though the enigma had given her some energy, she was still bloody cold.

"Right now? None." Chakotay said. He could tell that what ever had passed through the quarters was still affecting Kathryn. "There is really nothing to do though until the scans are done. Did you want some desert?"

Kathryn smiled. "Not tonight Chakotay. I don't think I could eat another bite. That supper you made was delicious though." She sat back down on the couch. It took all she had to keep her eyes from closing. Chakotay, although not conscious of why he was doing it, was by her side on the couch almost instantly. Something inside told him that the night still had a few surprises. He might not have been sure what was going on, on the ship tonight, but he was very sure that it wasn't finished yet.

Something inside her was yelling. Kathryn could feel something inside her mind, or body, or somewhere, that was calling out and screaming at her not to sleep. Not to give in just yet, that there was another thing that she needed to be doing. The only thing that all the screaming really accomplished, was that now she had a very large headache and a nagging feeling that sleeping was dangerous. Yet shouldn't help but wonder if part of that train of thought was due to the fact that she didn't really want to leave the commander's room.

"Kim to the Captain." Harry's voice rang of the com systems, startling both Kathryn and Chakotay.

"Janeway here." She replied.

"A disturbance was reported on deck 11, in engineering. Security teams have gone down but they haven't been able to control it." The ensign sounded perplexed. It was a tone that both Kathryn and Chakotay picked up on.

"What kind of disturbance?" The Commander asked. For the first time since the events of the night had started the officers were able to hear shock in Harry's voice. The ensign was surprised that the two of them were sharing each others company so late.

"It was originally reported as an intruder alert sir, but when the security teams arrived, no intruder was found but the attack still continued."

Kathryn placed her hand to her forehead. This day was simply never going to end.

"It Tuvok down there?" Kathryn asked.

"Yes ma'am."

"Let him know that we are on our way." Kathryn said. She then closed the com connection and looked over at her second in command. She wondered what he was doing to keep him self looking so alert through out this entire thing. Chakotay on the other hand was wondering just how much longer he had before his captain was ready to give in to what ever it was that was making her so tired.

"Give me five minutes to change into my uniform and then we'll head down." Kathryn said. Before Chakotay could counter and say that she could stay and relax while he went then reported back to her, Kathryn had left his quarters. Just as she had said, five minutes later she was at his door, and the full Captain's mask was on again.

The two of them made there way down to engineering with out saying anything to each other. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence by any means. The two of them were close enough friends to be able to sit in the silence and know what the other was thinking. Usually in situations where the crew's safety might be jeopardized, like this one, it was the same thing. There was a synchronicity there that was rare, and very efficient.

Sounds of crashing could be hear long before the two of them actually reached the doors to engineering. This cause the both the Captain and the Commander to break in to a jog. When the doors opened they were shown a scene of what could only be described as chaos. Members of both engineering and the security team had taken cover from the various object that were hurling there way across the room. Chakotay pulled Kathryn behind one of the consoles to take cover themselves.

Kathryn quickly surveyed the room looking for her chief of security. She met his eyes on the other side of the room, before he continued to assess the situation.

"Tuvok what the hell is going on down here?" Kathryn asked. She didn't need to yell. There was no weapons fire noise to yell over, and most of the security team was too stunned by what was happening to say anything at all. The only noise that was being made was the sounds of the various, P.A.D.D's and what ever was loose, she guessed, that were hitting consoles and walls, and the force field that protected the warp core.

"I do not have an answer for you Captain." Tuvok said, in his normally stoic voice. "There is no obvious reason why this should be happening. The scans show no abnormalities, and no alien presence."

Kathryn looked to Chakotay beside her for some sort of answers. He had none.

"Did I sense a hesitation in your voice Commander?" Kathryn called back to Tuvok. He took his time before answering.

"Just because the sensors do not pick up an alien life form, does not mean that there is not one here." He said. He chose his words carefully. He did not know for sure that there was something in engineering, but he did sense that there was a presence here that should not be.

"What do you mean Tuvok?" This time it was Chakotay asking, since Kathryn seemed to be contemplating his answer.

"I am not sure Commander. I only know that something does not seem right." Tuvok answered. An other barrage of P.A.D.D's went flying in various directions through out engineering before stopping completely.

Chakotay hesitated to stand up. He couldn't imagine that a flying P.A.D.D might do much damage, but he didn't want the bruises that it would cause. Tuvok and the others in engineering followed his lead. Everyone except Kathryn who was still on the floor. Chakotay's stomach froze and jumped into his throat. He knelt back down beside her, and looked in to her still wide open eyes, but there was nothing there to stare back out at him. Kathryn had fallen asleep.