Eclipse: A Star Trek Voyager Fanfiction Story
Chapter 3:
Forty one minutes later, on the USS Voyager's Bridge…
Harry Kim is recording:
Personal Log, Stardate 53023.25. Hard sigh! Where do I start? The Equinox incidents just keep coming, like cloaked ships. First with the Equinox's crew, then Captain Janeway admits to another just before storming out on us. And the worst of it is that there's another Voyager out there, with her own crew, coming for us. One that wouldn't mind making nucleogenic lifeforms suffer for their gain…or anyone else for that matter. We are already suffering, and they haven't even come after our universe yet!
Hard sigh. I, like many other crewmembers, was mostly just scared about how the Equinox's fate…how the Equinox's crew almost all died…could one day become Voyager's fate. And like many other crewmembers, I didn't have much sympathy for the Equinox crew…for endangering us to that same fate.
Well, except for Marla Gilmore. She reminds me of how I used to be an Ensign, who became Acting Mission Ops Officer on the Bridge when the Caretaker sent a heavily damaged Voyager to the Delta Quadrant. For days, I sat with her by herself. She didn't say much and kept looking out the window, like Voyager was going to be lost any second. So did I.
But when I saw Captain Janeway shouting that she lost control…it… reminded me too much of when I had lost control over love.
Nearly two months earlier, in Captain Janeway's ready room…
A saddened Captain Janeway faced the windows in her ready room, the shadow of a very shaken Harry Kim behind her. Captain Janeway muttered, "I expected more from you, Lieutenant." Harry Kim solemnly lied, "I'm sorry: I don't know what I was thinking." Captain Janeway turned coldly to him, "don't you? I've seen Tal. She's an impressive young woman: Beautiful. But, that's no excuse to ignore your obligations as a Starfleet officer. It's this kind of thinking that almost got Lieutenant Paris demoted."
The last part got Harry Kim teary eyed. Trying to hold back his biochemical bond heightened emotions, he sighed heavily, "yes, ma'am. All Starfleet personnel must obtain clearance from their Captain as well as clearance from their Chief Medical Officer…before initiating an intimate relationship with an alien species."
Captain Janeway sighed hard, "bravo. Unfortunately, your recitation comes a little too late. According to the Doctor, your condition isn't life threatening. There's no reason as of now to confine you to Sickbay, but…I do agree with his recommendation to run full bioscans on both you and Tal. And her people need to be told so they can evaluate any bio-threat you might've introduced into their population. We're trying to help these…"
Harry Kim protested in rising anger, "Captain! I didn't disobey your orders because I'm under some alien influence. I disobeyed your orders because Tal and I are in love, and it's not right for you to keep us apart!"
Captain Janeway harshly added, "on second thought, Ensign...you've got thirty seconds before I have Tuvok drag you to Sick Bay. You don't sound anything like the Harry Kim I know."
Harry Kim knew the implication of her words. He shouted, "good! I have served on this ship for five years and said yes ma'am to every one of your frigging orders! But if I have to, I'll join Tal's movement…because I love her more than you could ever love Mark!" He fired his phaser at a shaken Captain Janeway, who ducked just quick enough to fire her phaser back at Harry Kim. He falls to the floor stunned.
Detecting phaser fire, Tuvok came in with two Security officers including Timothy Lang. A teary eyed Captain Janeway muttered to them, "take him to Sick Bay. If his condition turns out not to be that serious, demote him to Ensign and take him to the Brig." Tuvok added, "aye, Captain. Captain…?" Harry Kim was carried out by the Security officers. Captain Janeway insisted to Tuvok, "go!" Despite inner concern, he left. And by the Ready Room windows, a alone Captain Janeway silently cried.
Presently…
The only thing that stood between me and demotion was the biochemical bond between me and Tal. Captain Janeway and I didn't speak for weeks, but I refused treatment in hopes of having control again and she was content with that. Captain Janeway though…hard sigh…may not even have that option. Her incident wasn't caused biochemically: It was caused solely by her wanting to murder the Equinox's crew.
Around this time, in Kathryn Janeway's Quarters…
Kathryn Janeway is in her chair, torturing herself with reading a replicator made copy of a tragic book. It is of The Crucible, in a black and white newspaper headline styled cover. With moderate fluctuations still around her head and shoulders, Kes sympathizes with the feelings of tragedy Kathryn Janeway has. Kes adds, "these witch hunts you speak of are very sad, but what makes me sadder is you trying to hang yourself in spirit." With some difficulty, she sits up.
Kathryn Janeway pauses reading, "please don't, Kes. I don't want to heal…and I don't as hell deserve to. When I let Captain Ransom die, I already let part of my spirit die. But I don't want to hang it either: All I can do now is live on without deserving my own name."
Kes sighs hard, "actually…you can earn it back." Kathryn Janeway puts the book to the side. She looks at Kes incredulously shocked, "how is that even…?!"
Kes says further, "I've been recently recalculating the subatomic particles involved for that possibility, but you may not like what it involves." Kathryn Janeway slightly chuckles, "for deserving my name, Kes…I'd do almost anything."
Kes points out uneasily, "it'd be like what you did to help Tuvok against a neural virus, only on a more personal level: A phase meld." Kathyrn Janeway insists, "I appreciate your concern. Do it: Please." Kes gulps, "all right." She takes a deep breath, shaking off most of her disorientation and the fluctuations from her head. Kes gets up, and slightly motions Kathyrn Janeway not to get up.
Kathryn Janeway slightly nods, impulsively slightly impatient with some fingers tapping on the chair. Kes walks next to the chair. She copies Kathryn Janeway's sitting and finger tapping briefly enough to phase herself into Kathryn Janeway's body. A bluish green glow surrounds Kathryn Janeway. She shuts her eyes, gripping the chair with a massive headache beyond understanding. Kes's thoughts flood Kathryn Janeway's thoughts like a tsunami wave of telepathic thought, their thoughts swirling together like subspace distortions. Yet, Kathryn Janeway's body holds on.
Nine minutes later, with the mirror Liberty…
The Borg Probe the Liberty is passing through the Agrat-Mot Nebula with its two Borg Cube escorts. The nebula is a mostly bright red minefield worth of supercharged atoms, orbiting each other across twenty light years. Some larger scale versions of B'Omar patrol ships and some ISS Starfleet ships sickly float around as thin atom trails of debris, destroyed by the Agrat-Mot Nebula's atoms if not by each other.
Inside the Liberty, it's not simply the Borg. ISS Mirror Universe versions of Chakotay, B'Elanna, and Tuvok wear worn out Maquis clothes at their Maquis ship stations from five years ago. They aren't assimilated, but have ocular-cortical Borg implant systems linked to creepily glass like Borg eyes. Two black vacuum like Borg tubes link the implant systems as a whole from the side of their necks. With them is a ISS Mirror Universe version of Seven of Nine, as one of three still assimilated Borg representatives.
On the Borg paneled dark gray domed Bridge, ISS Seven of Nine is at sensors. Behind the Bridge is a Borg version of a prototype quantum slipstream drive, surrounded in dark red light. It's made of three altered Borg alcoves, capped by gray rimmed dark blue lit Borg distribution nodes. The Borg slipstream drive is linked to the Liberty's systems through five Borg distribution nodes, mostly in dark green across the ship's ceiling. The Liberty rocks dangerously. ISS Chakotay shouts, "damage report, Tuvok!" He had stopped the Liberty's Borg transwarp engines. ISS Tuvok partly assures, "none, Chakotay: Our shields are holding."
ISS Seven of Nine explains, "Borg sensors have detected three highly concentrated gas particles: Two inefficient seconds after minor impact." ISS B'Elanna mutters harshly, "what else can we do, drone: Park in a Borg Cube for repairs so you can outright assimilate us?!" ISS Seven of Nine mutters, "it would be more efficient to comply with our precise objectiv..." A angry ISS B'Elanna is about to get up to fire her phaser, when she hears a familiar voice.
Through a continuous mind meld, ISS Tuvok thinks to her, "it is highly likely Chakotay has the situation under control…but you shall fire if necessary." A now creepily calm ISS B'Elanna has her hand on her phaser, but doesn't get up to fire it. ISS Chakotay has just gotten up, his phaser aimed at ISS Seven of Nine.
He mutters, "that's enough, Seven of Nine! We've been over this before: You and all your other bastard drones know the Maquis are in enough key positions to make the Borg Collective die if necessary." ISS Seven of Nine reluctantly mutters, "I will comply." ISS Chakotay mutters back, "good: Or all that'll be left of the Borg will be atoms! Hard sigh. Resuming direct course…for Janeway's Delta Quadrant base."
ISS B'Elanna laughs cruelly at ISS Seven of Nine, as ISS Chakotay resumes the Liberty's course for a certain silky dark blue nebula.
Around the same time, on the USS Voyager's Bridge…
Chakotay is in the Captain's chair. Seven is monitoring the deflector modifications from a nearby station. Tuvok is in the Commander's chair. And at Tactical, there's ex-Maquis Ayala in Tuvok's place.
In light of Chakotay's news about Kathryn Janeway though, even Tuvok has a hint of concern in his eyes. Seven is the only Senior officer on the Bridge with none. Harry Kim checks, "is Captain Janeway going to be all right?"
Chakotay moderately sighs, "I tried to talk to her, but she wanted to be alone with Kes. And Kes assured me she just needs…time. Harry?" A sector wide bluish green portal is beginning to form in front of Voyager. Harry Kim gulps, "I'm detecting a displacement wave…but any ships inside are out of sensor range."
Chakotay realizes, "red alert." The Red Alert system goes off. Chakotay inquires over combadge, "Naomi: Can Astrometrics detect any ships in the displacement wave?"
In Astrometrics, Naomi has a dark blue Starfleet uniform in her size. It was recycled in the replicator systems for size adjustment. She reports over combadge, "yes, sir: Five Kazon raiders…and a Voyager with the initials ISS across..."
Chakotay figures over combadge, "thanks, Naomi: We get the idea. Seven, open the quantum singularity." Seven adds, "yes, captain." A dark blue quantum singularity is generated by the main deflector dish, sent into the middle of the ISS Caretaker Array's displacement wave.
Meanwhile, on the ISS Caretaker Array…
Rows of Ocampans in deep sleep are in light blue beds, with mostly dark grey Agony collars on their necks. Their Agony collars are connected to the array itself, through salvaged Borg tubules full of reprogrammed Borg nanoprobes. The array is being sickly powered by the constantly drained Ocampan race's inner telepathic abilities, like a array of many warp cores connected together.
Meanwhile, on ISS Voyager…
ISS Admiral Janeway with her back to tied back hair is with ISS Harry Kim, in his mostly dark red padded Quarters. They're having coffee together in dark red cups, on a jet black couch. ISS Admiral Janeway slightly sighs, "I've missed these secret meetings of ours: Especially with Max's people still at large."
ISS Harry Kim sighs heavily, "so have I. Thanks to Max's trigger fingers, I barely managed to stop one of them from killing you with a transport recall." ISS Admiral Janeway slightly laughs, "my hero." ISS Harry Kim turns to her, "I'm not so sure. For every kill, I…can't kill Burke to end his barbarism for good. And every time I do kill…I feel like Hell."
Inches from him, ISS Admiral Janeway whispers creepily, "with most of his people in Hell, that can be arranged." Then she hears someone familiar like over combadge, "Admiral…" ISS Admiral Janeway tells Harry Kim, "sorry hero, but I got to take this." ISS Harry Kim slightly nods. ISS Admiral Janeway soon after leaves his Quarters. She is heading back for the Bridge. Creepily warmly, ISS Admiral Janeway checks over combadge, "yes, Seska?"
In ISS Voyager's Main Engineering, a jet black cased version of USS Voyager's warp core is at the center. The floor is tiled in icy pale blue, and the walls are lined with many Borg panels. On the balcony like second level, the level's environmental systems are set to hot and humid for three Cardassian Engineers…including a ISS Seska. ISS Seska is wearing a ISS Starfleet uniform in clearly visible Cardassian physiology. Her nails are coated in hardened Kazon dagger metal, which was in liquid form prior.
The area shakes violently, the Engineers on both levels holding onto the railing or consoles to keep upright. Slightly laughing, she answers, "afraid it's not a invitation, Kathyrn: The mirror Voyager is sending a quantum singularity into our displacement wave, and most of our weapons would just make it worse." ISS Admiral Janeway says, "acknowledged."
On the ISS Voyager's Bridge, Captain Ransom is onboard clinging to his seat from the violent shaking. Outside, the ISS Voyager's shields are failing to the quantum singularity. The Kazon raiders with it are already heading for warp core breaches. The many Kazon fighters inside come out from the Kazon raiders, seconds before they explode. In a turbolift, ISS Admiral Janeway implies over combadge, "Kes…give the mirror Voyager back its quantum singularity." ISS Kes shakily says, "of course, ma'am."
On the USS Voyager…
Chakotay checks, "report." Seven reports, "the quantum singularity will disrupt subspace in front of us in twenty…seconds."
Harry Kim adds, "the Kazon raiders are… Captain, we're being hailed." In great disbelief, Seven warns lowly, "captain: I cannot ascertain the cause, but the singularity is being pushed towards our deflectors!"
Chakotay suggests, "maybe it's not them. Onscreen." He sees, in horror, the ISS Voyager's Bridge. And behind ISS Captain Ransom is ISS Admiral Janeway, her ocular implant eyes piercing through Chakotay's usual calm. She laughs, "Chakotay: Too bad I don't get the pleasure of seeing your Captain Janeway beg for mercy in your oblivion."
Chakotay mutters, "close channel. Tom, back us off!" Tom Paris sighs hard, "no shit." The USS Voyager backs away quickly, but not quickly enough away from ISS Kes's powers. The USS Voyager is pulled into their own quantum singularity, glowing in dark purple telepathic energy. Its destination is slowly being redirected by ISS Kes for the ISS Mirror Universe. The ISS Voyager appears alone in the main universe. The USS Voyager's main deflector overloads in bright blue sparks. The Bridge shakes violently.
Harry Kim reports, "both deflectors are offline! We…" His console overloads, knocking him out cold. Tom Paris, overcome with fear, rushes to him. He shouts, "Harry!" Seven's station overloads, but Seven backs away fast enough to avoid being knocked out. Ayala adds, "Captain, shields are buckling…and Deck 4 is gone! Emergency force fields are buckling too."
Chakotay realizes very shaken, "gone." B'Elanna moderately sighs over combadge, "Chakotay, I'm trying Maquis tricks all over…but I can't hold antimatter containment for long!" Chakotay's chair arm console explodes.
Tuvok checks, "are you all right, sir?" Chakotay moderately sighs, "acknowledged, B'Elanna." He tells Tuvok, "we may not be for long, but I'm open to suggestions."
Tuvok reminds him, "through Borg ingenuity, retrillic trajectory may break us free." Chakotay starts to point out, "but I don't even reme…!" Tuvok adds, "Seven most likely does."
Chakotay orders, "Tom, take your station: We're getting out of here." Tom sighs moderately, "aye, sir." He quickly goes back to the Helm. Seven adds, "already altering communication channels accordingly."
She has recently injected her Borg tubules into the Ops station, altering the communication channel frequencies through the Bridge's viewscreen to act as a improvised deflector dish. Ayala reports, "shields are failing!" Seconds later, the USS Voyager phases through the singularity. The singularity dissipates seconds later behind the ship. The ship, with dangerously flickering lights, is hovering in ISS Mirror Universe space.