Star Voyager
by Iejasu and Miklinar
Meditation helped the injured man suppress the pain a little. He
was able to sense _something_ beyond the walls of his cell... When he
was finally away from here, he would take this bit of technology with him,
in case he needed to hide from someone with similar powers of
perception. Or to confine one...
A non-human -- humanoid form, unfamiliar race, but something with
whiskers along the side of its face and nearly human expression --
entered the cell block control room carrying a small tray with a bottle
and a cup.
Neelix found the armor the prisoner was wearing unfamiliar, but not
nearly as bizarre as some he had seen in his travels. But he realized
that he didn't know what to call the stranger! Well, try _something_
the fellow would correct him, Neelix was sure.
"Ahh, hello Mr. Pilot! My name is Neelix, I am the
ambassador-at-large onboard _Voyager_. Ambassador, cook and morale
officer. Captain Janeway told me to bring you the re......"
The pilot lifted his hand to silence this annoying being. Something in
the "ambassador's" voice tones were even more annoying than his nervous
chatter. The prisoner lifted his hand and spent some of his hard-won
concentration to silence the newcomer.
Neelix tried to continue but his vocal cords would not cooperate.
"Continue your duties in silence," the prisoner spoke in a low whisper.
".....now...open the cell........."
Neelix blinked several times rapidly. He felt a sudden urge to
cooperate, but he knew it was wrong, so he fought it off. The block on
his vocal cords lessened, allowing him to answer.
"Sir, I am sorry but the Captain gave me no authorization to open it
and....I do not have the access codes."
The prisoner showed that his thought process, at least, were
understandable -- he sighed heavily in frustration.
"Then how did you intend to deliver the..." the prisoner saw what
could only be a beverage container on the tray, and guessed, "...brandy
to me?"
The injured man watched intently as Neelix used the food delivery
system built into the force field. And, yes, it was brandy -- he had
picked up enough from the thoughts of this "ambassador" to be able to decipher
the label. And these same thoughts told him that the brandy had not
been tampered with. Now, to get it into him, past the breath screen. "You
may now leave."
Neelix was a little affronted by the brusque manner. He nodded
curtly and left.
*****
"Doc, for someone who was on the critical list, your last patient
certainly tore thing up in here."
The EMH's eyebrow rose, while Tom Paris packed a small carryall with
assorted medical supplies. "Indeed. I am not yet certain whether he was
able to confound my instruments, or use these 'powers' of his to heal
somewhat."
Paris paused, "Not very much if he still needs _me_ to patch him up."
If the doctor had been human, he would have sniffed. "He needs the
supplies you're taking to him, Mister Paris. I don't think we will
appraise him of your exact level of medical expertise.
Paris rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Doc." He closed the carryall with a
soft click. "Wish me luck."
****
Paris was in front of the brig door when it slid open in front of him.
The young man was nearly bowled over by the exiting Neelix, looking
less than his usual sunny self. The door slid closed behind the
Telaxian before Paris could get even a glimpse of the prisoner.
Neelix recovered first, and a quick smile spread on his face. "Mister
Paris! I see that you've been asked to help with our guest."
Neelix was a little too instantly cheerful for Paris's peace of mind.
Paris drew him to the side of the corridor. "What's going on?" Paris
already had the doctor's side of the story, and more information could
prove useful. Neelix's smile fell a bit, as he glanced back over
his shoulder to the closed brig door.
"He seems calm now, but I heard our newest passenger
caused considerable disruption in the sickbay."
Paris nodded, "That he did. But did he say anything to you, anything
that might tell you why he went on a rampage?"
"No, but..." Neelix looked over his shoulder again, "I had the
strangest feeling, as if he was ordering me to do something without
saying anything out loud." Neelix started to add something, but stopped with
the words unspoken.
Paris clapped the Telaxian on the shoulder. "He's safe in the cell,
right?" Neelix didn't answer before Paris swept by him, into the brig.
The brig door slid shut behind the young human.
****
Another visitor, but this one was human, and in one of what was
apparently the standard uniform of this rebel unit. The prisoner
studied the young man. Maybe this one would have less resistance... Then the
prisoner saw the carryall. "Those are the medical supplies I
requested?" he rumbled in a conciliatory tone. Perhaps the
newcomer would open the force field to treat him, and then...
"The doc said you were intending to fix yourself up. I saw the mess you
made of sickbay. You seem to be a lot calmer now, though."
The prisoner moved closer to the entrance. The earlier visitor had set
the bottle down just _there_... "Please move to the back of the cell,"
Paris requested. The medical supplies were far to large to fit though
the food delivery gap of the security field.
Half a snarl, "What?"
"Please move to the back of the cell," Tom repeated. "I have to lower
the screens, and I'd rather not have to stun you before I do it."
The prisoner moved backwards, prepared to rely on his speed to close
with the young man before he could deposit the supplies and re-activate
the force field.
Paris nodded and touched a control on the security console. A second
field sprang up between the prisoner and the entrance, before the first
force field dropped. The prisoner choked back a snarl. Calm, calm...
lull this youngster... the closer he came, the better contact could be
made with his mind.
Paris got his first good look at the prisoner once the second field was
up. "I'm Lieutenant Tom Paris, acting assistant medic. The doctor sent
me with the supplies you requested." Paris could see the scorch marks,
and even some blast damage. "Are you sure you won't let the doc give
you a hand?"
Silence.
"Okay. That's your choice." Paris dropped the first force field and
brought the carryall in. Its contents were soon arrayed on the tiny
table provided for meal trays.
Paris picked up the empty container and left the cell. He brought up
the forward force field before he dropped the one in the rear of the
cell. "Would you like privacy?"
The prisoner was studying the supplies. "Yes," he murmured, almost
absently.
Paris dropped the carryall on the security console and left the brig.
*****
The medical equipment supplied was strange, utterly unlike any the
prisoner had seen before. Only his own uncanny ability with mechanicals
and electronics gave him any hope of success. The supplies were easier
to use -- there were only so many formats possible for bandages and
wound-cleansers.
A bit of surgical tubing enabled him to get some of the brandy into
his emergency liquid input lock. It wasn't as good as his own private
stock, but the captain apparently had the potential to set a fine table
on her own. Not that _he_ could ever take advantage of that fact. He
doubted that the rebels could supply him with the elaborate
life-support chamber he would need to entirely shed his life-suit.
With what repairs he could make with the materials and equipment at
hand, and another good pull of the brandy, the injured man let himself
slide into a light healing trance.
******
"Fascinating..." Tuvok murmured, studying the image from one of his
security cameras.
"What is it?" Janeway asked softly. She cradled her cup of coffee;
she hadn't had any sleep since her latest passenger had arrived.
Tuvok pointed at the screen. "I have routed a certain number of
medical sensors into the brig. According to them, our prisoner has
somehow managed to heal himself to a certain degree." Tuvok paused, then
continued, "I have tried minimal mind probes in his direction. What I
perceived... was completely unfamiliar to me."
by Iejasu and Miklinar
Meditation helped the injured man suppress the pain a little. He
was able to sense _something_ beyond the walls of his cell... When he
was finally away from here, he would take this bit of technology with him,
in case he needed to hide from someone with similar powers of
perception. Or to confine one...
A non-human -- humanoid form, unfamiliar race, but something with
whiskers along the side of its face and nearly human expression --
entered the cell block control room carrying a small tray with a bottle
and a cup.
Neelix found the armor the prisoner was wearing unfamiliar, but not
nearly as bizarre as some he had seen in his travels. But he realized
that he didn't know what to call the stranger! Well, try _something_
the fellow would correct him, Neelix was sure.
"Ahh, hello Mr. Pilot! My name is Neelix, I am the
ambassador-at-large onboard _Voyager_. Ambassador, cook and morale
officer. Captain Janeway told me to bring you the re......"
The pilot lifted his hand to silence this annoying being. Something in
the "ambassador's" voice tones were even more annoying than his nervous
chatter. The prisoner lifted his hand and spent some of his hard-won
concentration to silence the newcomer.
Neelix tried to continue but his vocal cords would not cooperate.
"Continue your duties in silence," the prisoner spoke in a low whisper.
".....now...open the cell........."
Neelix blinked several times rapidly. He felt a sudden urge to
cooperate, but he knew it was wrong, so he fought it off. The block on
his vocal cords lessened, allowing him to answer.
"Sir, I am sorry but the Captain gave me no authorization to open it
and....I do not have the access codes."
The prisoner showed that his thought process, at least, were
understandable -- he sighed heavily in frustration.
"Then how did you intend to deliver the..." the prisoner saw what
could only be a beverage container on the tray, and guessed, "...brandy
to me?"
The injured man watched intently as Neelix used the food delivery
system built into the force field. And, yes, it was brandy -- he had
picked up enough from the thoughts of this "ambassador" to be able to decipher
the label. And these same thoughts told him that the brandy had not
been tampered with. Now, to get it into him, past the breath screen. "You
may now leave."
Neelix was a little affronted by the brusque manner. He nodded
curtly and left.
*****
"Doc, for someone who was on the critical list, your last patient
certainly tore thing up in here."
The EMH's eyebrow rose, while Tom Paris packed a small carryall with
assorted medical supplies. "Indeed. I am not yet certain whether he was
able to confound my instruments, or use these 'powers' of his to heal
somewhat."
Paris paused, "Not very much if he still needs _me_ to patch him up."
If the doctor had been human, he would have sniffed. "He needs the
supplies you're taking to him, Mister Paris. I don't think we will
appraise him of your exact level of medical expertise.
Paris rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Doc." He closed the carryall with a
soft click. "Wish me luck."
****
Paris was in front of the brig door when it slid open in front of him.
The young man was nearly bowled over by the exiting Neelix, looking
less than his usual sunny self. The door slid closed behind the
Telaxian before Paris could get even a glimpse of the prisoner.
Neelix recovered first, and a quick smile spread on his face. "Mister
Paris! I see that you've been asked to help with our guest."
Neelix was a little too instantly cheerful for Paris's peace of mind.
Paris drew him to the side of the corridor. "What's going on?" Paris
already had the doctor's side of the story, and more information could
prove useful. Neelix's smile fell a bit, as he glanced back over
his shoulder to the closed brig door.
"He seems calm now, but I heard our newest passenger
caused considerable disruption in the sickbay."
Paris nodded, "That he did. But did he say anything to you, anything
that might tell you why he went on a rampage?"
"No, but..." Neelix looked over his shoulder again, "I had the
strangest feeling, as if he was ordering me to do something without
saying anything out loud." Neelix started to add something, but stopped with
the words unspoken.
Paris clapped the Telaxian on the shoulder. "He's safe in the cell,
right?" Neelix didn't answer before Paris swept by him, into the brig.
The brig door slid shut behind the young human.
****
Another visitor, but this one was human, and in one of what was
apparently the standard uniform of this rebel unit. The prisoner
studied the young man. Maybe this one would have less resistance... Then the
prisoner saw the carryall. "Those are the medical supplies I
requested?" he rumbled in a conciliatory tone. Perhaps the
newcomer would open the force field to treat him, and then...
"The doc said you were intending to fix yourself up. I saw the mess you
made of sickbay. You seem to be a lot calmer now, though."
The prisoner moved closer to the entrance. The earlier visitor had set
the bottle down just _there_... "Please move to the back of the cell,"
Paris requested. The medical supplies were far to large to fit though
the food delivery gap of the security field.
Half a snarl, "What?"
"Please move to the back of the cell," Tom repeated. "I have to lower
the screens, and I'd rather not have to stun you before I do it."
The prisoner moved backwards, prepared to rely on his speed to close
with the young man before he could deposit the supplies and re-activate
the force field.
Paris nodded and touched a control on the security console. A second
field sprang up between the prisoner and the entrance, before the first
force field dropped. The prisoner choked back a snarl. Calm, calm...
lull this youngster... the closer he came, the better contact could be
made with his mind.
Paris got his first good look at the prisoner once the second field was
up. "I'm Lieutenant Tom Paris, acting assistant medic. The doctor sent
me with the supplies you requested." Paris could see the scorch marks,
and even some blast damage. "Are you sure you won't let the doc give
you a hand?"
Silence.
"Okay. That's your choice." Paris dropped the first force field and
brought the carryall in. Its contents were soon arrayed on the tiny
table provided for meal trays.
Paris picked up the empty container and left the cell. He brought up
the forward force field before he dropped the one in the rear of the
cell. "Would you like privacy?"
The prisoner was studying the supplies. "Yes," he murmured, almost
absently.
Paris dropped the carryall on the security console and left the brig.
*****
The medical equipment supplied was strange, utterly unlike any the
prisoner had seen before. Only his own uncanny ability with mechanicals
and electronics gave him any hope of success. The supplies were easier
to use -- there were only so many formats possible for bandages and
wound-cleansers.
A bit of surgical tubing enabled him to get some of the brandy into
his emergency liquid input lock. It wasn't as good as his own private
stock, but the captain apparently had the potential to set a fine table
on her own. Not that _he_ could ever take advantage of that fact. He
doubted that the rebels could supply him with the elaborate
life-support chamber he would need to entirely shed his life-suit.
With what repairs he could make with the materials and equipment at
hand, and another good pull of the brandy, the injured man let himself
slide into a light healing trance.
******
"Fascinating..." Tuvok murmured, studying the image from one of his
security cameras.
"What is it?" Janeway asked softly. She cradled her cup of coffee;
she hadn't had any sleep since her latest passenger had arrived.
Tuvok pointed at the screen. "I have routed a certain number of
medical sensors into the brig. According to them, our prisoner has
somehow managed to heal himself to a certain degree." Tuvok paused, then
continued, "I have tried minimal mind probes in his direction. What I
perceived... was completely unfamiliar to me."