After a few seconds Chakotay could feel the pull of the transporter beams. Then the deserted corridor disappeared and was replaced by the Voyager transporter room.
As they stepped off the platform, the technician informed that the Captain was waiting for them on the bridge and wanted a report.
"Well everybody," Chakotay said, "let us not keep the Captain waiting."
They walked out of the transporter room and down the corridor and into the waiting turbo lift. The door opened and they stepped out onto the bridge. Captain Janeway stood up and said to them, "In my ready room."
They followed her into her ready room and she motioned for them to sit. They took a seat and Janeway said, "Report."
"According to the ships manifest," Chakotay began, "there should be two hundred and fifteen people on board. There are only two hundred and ten bodies on board. We have accounted for all the escape pods and shuttles. "Could they have left before hand?" Janeway asked. "Could they have stayed on a planet?"
"That is possible," Tuvok said. "Perhaps we ought to check some nearby planets to see if they did."
"That sounds like a good idea," Janeway said. "Let's do it. Dismissed."
They all stood and left the ready room. They went out on the bridge and resumed their stations.
She turned to Harry Kim and said, "Harry, I need you to scan for warp emissions, or anything else that could mean that a ship had been here in the past two days."
He began tapping buttons on his panel for a moment before he said, "Captain, the censers are picking up a warp signature on a heading 628 by 439. They are heading toward an M class planet."
Janeway could feel her heart speed up and adrenaline pumping. "Tom, follow that warp signature. Warp five."
Paris tapped on his console and said, "Course set, warp five. Ready on your word."
Janeway sat up straight and said, "Engage." She thought she could feel Voyager surge into warp speed. The stars flashed by on the view screen and people walked by, quietly doing their work.
A button lit up on Harry's console and he hit a few buttons. "Captain," he said. "The warp emissions are leading to the planet's southern continent."
She stood and said, "Mr. Kim, scan the surface. Tell me what you find."
He pressed a couple of buttons and after a minute he said, "Scan complete. They are an advanced race and they are warp capable."
"Open a channel to the surface, Mr. Kim," Janeway said.
"The channel is open," Kim said. It was only a minute before he said, "We are receiving a response from the surface."
"On the viewer," Janeway ordered.
The face that appeared on the view screen was human looking with a broad, flat nose, squinty eyes and a low sloping forehead.
"My name is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the star ship Voyager and the United Federation of Planets."
The man smiled and said, "My name is Ulan. I am a Yaren. How can I help you?"
She said, "We followed a warp emission that we discovered near an abandoned ship. We were wondering if there were any survivors found."
"Yes," he said, "we found several survivors. Why do you ask?"
She smiled and said, "They are of a species called Vulcan. The Vulcan's are members of the United Federation of Planets. We would like to speak with them, if possible."
"That is possible," Ulan said, "but we would like you to do it down here. They still have not recovered and are unable to travel, yet."
"That will be all right," Janeway said. "We will down in a few minutes. Janeway out." She turned and said, "Tuvok, Kim, you're with me. Chakotay, you have the bridge. Let's go." They stepped aside to let others take their places and joined the Captain in the turbo lift. "Transporter room one," Janeway said and the lift began moving. "When we get down their, Harry, I want you to keep your eyes open and look around. Tuvok, I want you to talk to the survivors and see what they say."
"Yes, Captain," Tuvok and Kim said.
The door opened and they stepped out into the corridor and across the hall into the transporter room. They accepted the phasers and the tricorder's that were handed them. They checked them and climbed on the platform. "Ready to transport," Janeway asked. The technician nodded and she said, "Beam us down."