Disclaimer see Chapter one.
Chapter 4
In her dream she heard a voice call across a vast dark void that was empty of any light; again she shivered with loneliness.
/You are never alone, Kathryn/
"Chakotay?" she questioned into the void, seeking some sign of him. Slowly a small light pulsed in the distant; she waited and watched as it moved toward her or she moved to it – she couldn't be sure which as the darkness negated all signs of measuring movement or time. The light changed into a silver-white animal – a she wolf – who regarded her with patient yellow eyes.
"Who?" Janeway asked puzzled. She felt more than saw the animal smile at her; it was a smile that felt very familiar to her, yet she could not place it. The she-wolf turned and looked over its shoulder.
Janeway thus felt compelled to follow and as she did so the dark void changed as if a dawn was lighting up the place, yet it was still devoid of any known features.
/You give this place life, Kathryn/
"Kes?" feeling more confused, yet she still followed the she-wolf through the misty grey void. 'You give this place life,' echoed in her mind.
Suddenly she stopped and stood still; the She-wolf continued for a short while and then stopped also and sat down facing away from Janeway.
/Remember/
"Tuvok," as she spoke his name a scene came to life before her, within the misty greyish/black void. As it cleared she gasped, as it was the board of inquiry that had first brought her into contact with the dark stoic Vulcan. She couldn't make out all the details – but did she really want to? She wondered. She stood before the male or rather her younger self did. Janeway found herself smiling at the strange memory, both happy and sad at the same time. She didn't need to hear the words he spoke, for she knew he'd accepted her offer to permanently become her Chief of Security on whatever ship she commanded.
/I'll always be with you, Kathryn Janeway/ his voice clear in her mind; then he turned and joined the She-wolf and waited. Janeway realised they were waiting for her, so she stepped forward and they moved ahead of her. The greyness shifted around them becoming a little bluer as light continued to penetrate.
Next she was walking the corridors of Voyager, yet not how she'd seen them over the last few days, but as they'd been on her first tour after officially receiving command of the newly commissioned vessel. The warmth that glowed from the grey bulkheads as they walked and the feeling of closeness and connection to the ship shone around her. The crew however where just shadowy figures in uniform with no real substance to them; yet that changed when the Maquis rebel leader joined her, Tuvok and the She-wolf. She couldn't see him, but she knew and felt his solid warm presence beside her. One by one the crew throughout the ship manifested themselves, even ones who'd been lost on their long journey. As she walked the feelings of warmth, friendship and family wrapped itself around her. Both Neelix and Kes were there also. On reaching the bridge she hoped to see her XO smiling at her as they took their command chairs, but he remained out of view, only the white She-wolf stayed in sight.
"You are not my spirit guide," she told it. On closer inspection though she saw the little lizard she'd first encountered, when Chakotay had introduced her to a vision quest. The creature sat snugly on the wolf's head. On looking round the bridge she realised one person was missing...
"Seven?" the scene around her darkened, leaving only the She-wolf and the lizard next to her and yet the presence of both Chakotay and Tuvok stood at her shoulders, one either side and behind her. The ex-Borg female stood gazing at Janeway with ice-cold blue eyes, alternating between her semi-human form and full Borg.
"Captain," her voice sounding echo-y, almost Borg-like.
"No. Not Borg. No!"
"Captain," the voice said again. "Captain Janeway. Please respond."
Kathryn was jolted fully awake by Seven's voice through the com-system.
"Janeway here, Seven. What is it?"
/\ There is something I think you should see. Please report to Astrometrics. Seven out/\ with that she closed the channel.
Janeway sat there trying it re-gather herself together, feeling the remnants of the dream staying with her, as vivid as when she'd been living it. Closing her eyes she saw only the She-wolf watching her with her all-knowing and patient yellow eyes; then she was gone, leaving Kathryn feeling alone again. Seven's summons couldn't be ignored, thus she left her bed to dress and make for the female's domain.
In the turbo-lift she found her thoughts dwelling on her dream and then Seven's words.
"Computer; halt turbo-lift," she commanded. Captain Kathryn Janeway stood there and re-called Seven's summons because that was exactly what it was a polite command to enter Seven's domain. "Welcome to my parlour, said the spider to the fly," she softly quoted, feeling her anger growing. 'Who was this young female to order her around?' she questioned herself, thinking back on all the times Seven of Nine had done something similar. "But that's in the past, surely?" frowning at her own thoughts. "Why didn't I listen to him? Both of them?" she said sadly, getting her anger under control once more. "Computer resume," she ordered.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
He'd spent most of that afternoon going over the pictographic's, puzzled by their messages to him. Using one of the hover bikes, he'd taken a closer look at the main totem pole. On the back of the wolf head he'd discovered a little lizard, looking for all the world as if it had just scampered up there to enjoy basking in the afternoon sunshine. Although all the poles had been beautifully and expertly carved none had been painted with any of the normally bright colours one would expect from this type of large totem pole, all were just the natural naked wood.
That night Chakotay was visited by his Spirit guide/nagual, something that hadn't happened in a while. Within his vision world the pictographic's took on an over large proportions as they lined up in his dream world.
1-'Pearl's of Wisdom'; 2-'What needed can be found-if one seeks not what desired'; 3-'White fire burns cold'; 4-'Trust earned gives freely, Trust demanded-empty'; 5-'Grey walls hold life safe'; 6-'Hart protects'; 7-'Journey and discovery'. What they meant still eluded him, yet as he wrestled with the problem a voice whispered through his mind like a soft summer breeze and then she stood before him.
/Hello/ she said quietly and smiled.
"Kes," he breathed surprised by her presence. "You know what those mean?" he asked pointing to the picture symbols.
/Do I? I do not think so. They are speaking to you/ she gently told him. /Come/ holding out her hand to him. /You have nothing to fear. Please/. He looked from her face to her hand and back again, and then clasped her hand firmly. It felt warm and full of life in his.
Suddenly he was somewhere else, but he couldn't at first fathom where, for it was nothing but a dark void.
/Listen/ her voice advised him. Although he could not see her, her hand squeezed his telling him she was still with him. Slowly the void was filled with soft electronic beeping noises and the darkness abated, thus he realised he was back on Voyager in Astrometrics. Surely the place should have been dark; having been shutdown for a full maintenance check, but there was Seven working furiously at the main console in the brightly lit area as usual. He felt more than saw that something was about to happen. Then the doors opened and in walked a female, but not just any female.
"Kathryn," he whispered, his heart pounding in fear for her rather than himself. "KATHRYN," his mind screamed urgently.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Meanwhile on Voyager, Janeway had almost reached section 29 on deck 8 when a voice she knew well called her name.
"Chakotay?" she whispered, halting in the normal lit corridor. Janeway frowned, wondering if she was reliving her dream again; about to step forward when a second word screamed in her mind. 'Scorpion'. Dazed she stood still and looked around herself; stepping back toward the nearest computer panel, she enquired as to who had authorized the power in that section to be reinstated.
#Seven of Nine.#
"Did she indeed," Kathryn muttered and quickly using her command codes ordered a complete shutdown; which was to included cargo-bay 2 with life support on grey mode in that area, as was the rest of the ship's systems. She heard someone curse from within the powered down Astrometrics. Janeway decided to wait in the corridor; she felt a familiar presence of two males standing at her shoulders – yet she knew both were on the planet surface. She didn't have to wait long for Seven to emerge from Astrometrics, blue eyes flashing angrily.
"Captain Janeway," she said in that usual tone of hers, coming to a halt on seeing the woman standing in the empty corridor alone.
"So what is it you wanted me to see?" she asked carefully, sure of her place on her vessel. "Nothing to tell me?" she questioned, feeling the two males close ranks with her bolstering her confidence. "ALL systems were put on grey mode for a reason, Seven. Only the Chief Engineer or myself can reverse that command. Therefore would you like to explain to me why you were using Astrometrics on full power?"
"I was checking some of our scanner readings of this planet," she responded slowly. Janeway's expression questioned those words.
"You could have done that at your own work station, Seven." They silently appraised each other over the short distance between them.
/You – Kathryn have nothing to fear here/ said the soft voice she'd known well in the past and again in her dreams, her command team still standing solidly behind her. Janeway realised that one person did have something to fear and she was standing before her, young, blonde and arrogant.
"Security report to deck 8 section 29, escort duty," she ordered through her comm-link.
/\ Acknowledged, Captain. /\ It wasn't long before a team of four males appeared, two from each direction. The leader nodded to their Captain.
"Ensign; escort Seven of Nine to her alcove. I'll join you shortly."
"Yes, Ma'am," the Ensign said and the four frog marched Seven away down the corridor back to cargo-bay 2. The blonde had glared at the Captain as they'd passed each other, but that was all. "Janeway to Doctor. I require your sleep remedy, ASAP. Janeway out," not waiting for a reply or acknowledgement and went to cargo-bay 2.
The Doctor soon joined her there frowning puzzled.
"Captain?" he questioned, noting the four security personnel standing close to an angry looking Seven of Nine.
"It has come to my notice that there maybe something on this planet that could adversely affect Seven of Nine," she informed him, not taking her eyes off the blonde female; whose blue eyes burned with a cold white fire. "Therefore it would be wise if she stays here regenerating," she said giving the Doctor a knowing look.
"Very well, Captain," he said stepping toward Seven and indicating that she step into her alcove, the loaded hypo-spray hidden from the blonde's view.
"You are mistaken," her voice cold.
"Seven, please," his voice gently persuasive. She looked at him, knowing he could not be influenced by anything not unless his programme had been altered; yet she had made sure that couldn't happen after the episode with the Equinox and Ransom. "This will only be for the duration of our stay here." Reluctantly she stepped into her alcove and prepared for regeneration. The computer set the time and took over, thus she didn't feel the hypo-spray's sting as it administered the drugs into her system. The EMH also altered the alcove's programming to slow her functions to just above full cryo-status, along with shutting down her memory centres. He stepped back and gazed at the young sleeping female.
"Ensign you and your team are dismissed," the Captain ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am," he responded, the four relaxing a little.
"Had shore leave yet, Ensign?" she asked him with a pleasant smile.
"We all have, Captain," he said warmly. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it too," he added; then he and his team departed.
Janeway and the Doctor looked at Seven in her alcove.
"How long will she be able to stay like that?"
"As long as needed," he said. "She'll awaken as if from a normal eight hour sleep cycle; once the ship is back on full power."
"Thank you, Doctor," her tone sad. They left cargo-bay 2 together leaving Seven alone, oblivious to everything going on around her, including the menacing voice that called her by her former designation.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Chakotay found himself drawn back into his vision world, Kes' hand still warm and alive within his. She smiled at him and he knew she was about to leave.
"Kes; did you make it home?" he asked quietly.
/Maybe/ smiling warmly, knowing he was really asking about Voyager's journey. /You understand now?/ she asked him gesturing to the picture symbols.
"I think so," still a little unsure, holding onto her hand. "White fire burns cold," he read softly from one of the 'Pearls of Wisdom'. "Stars do burn with a white fire, yet most are yellow stars that give heat and warmth; like Earth's sun, Sol."
/True. Add them to the totem/ she advised quietly.
"Grey walls hold life safe," he read next. "Voyager!" he exclaimed startled, looking at the young elfin figured woman beside him. "Kes; this totem is Voyager, isn't it?"
/Are you asking or telling?/ she quipped warmly.
"You're not going to say, are you?" he smiled resigned.
/Does your nagual always give you the answers?/ smiling with him; he shook his head.
"No, she doesn't. 'Trust earned gives freely. Trust demanded – empty," his face clouded at the memory. Kes squeezed his hand in gentle comfort.
/Maybe they will give the trust you deserve/
"I hope so, Kes," he sighed, moving to the next set of symbols. "Journey – discovery."
/Has this journey led to discoveries?/ He thought about that, remembering first about Lieutenant John Kelly's data and some of the planets they'd encountered; new friends and enemies. Yet he knew the biggest and real journeys and discoveries were within not without. Kes smiled at him warmly, knowing his thoughts. She pointed out the next symbol. /Hart protects/
"Heart?" puzzled.
/Remember the totem/ she whispered; yet it was the image of the White Stag poised for flight within the dark trees that came to his mind.
"H, a, r, t; not h,e,a,r,t," he said softly, reliving the remembered awe at the sight of the dynamic creature. "What needed can be found – if one seeks not what desired," he sighed deeply.
/Give it time, Chakotay. You will know and understand/ she advised him. He stood there holding her hand, his dark eyes on some distant point that only he could see. /One's heart can be deceptive in what it thinks it needs/
"It could be a desire, instead?" he smiled sadly. "Thank you, Kes," turning to fully face her and reached for her other hand, which she willingly gave him. "May your journey continue to be a pleasant and safe one," he told her. Smiling gently she reached up and forward and kissed him softly.
When Chakotay opened his eyes again, he knew she would not be there, yet he felt her close as he drifted back into physical slumber within the tepee.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
For the first time, Kathryn Janeway decided to join her crew for breakfast, out of uniform. Thus at first no-one realised it was her, until Chell served her.
"CAPTAIN!?" he exclaimed, halting the bubbling talk around them. "Er… Pleasure to see you…er, mm, Captain. Breakfast?" he said nervously. She smiled a sunny expression that lit up her whole face.
"Please and black coffee."
"As always," Chell smiled, relaxing a little as he served up a helping of the day's breakfast meal along with a mug of black coffee. He ushered her to a seat in the glowing morning sunshine. "There we are, Captain. You enjoy,"
"Thank you, Chell," she said and smiled again lighting up her face, relaxed and calm. The crew sighed with relief and talk soon bubbled up again. Janeway sipped her coffee which tasted better than she thought it would and the foods – pancakes with fluffy eggs – were a mouth-watering treat. Some of the more adventurous crew spoke a word or two to her as she ate, but for the most part they let her alone.
"Thank you again, Chell," making him jump on returning her empty plate and mug. "Delicious. Have you seen any of the senior staff?"
"Not for a few days, Captain," he responded thoughtfully.
"I saw Harry Kim depart with a few others for a trekking trip. I believe they were going to do some rock climbing, Captain," Kenneth Dalby informed her. "Come on, Chell. Vorik's a pain if I don't get started on time," he chided his blue friend.
"Vorik's in charge of engineering?" she queried.
"At the moment he is, Captain. Lt. Torres set off with her husband, Mike Ayala and Chakotay the first day after we arrived here. Excuse me; CHELL!"
"Alright, alright, I'm coming," snapped the blue Bolian male. Janeway left them softly smiling to herself; on seeing the science team along with Naomi and Icheb she went over and joined them.
"Good morning, Captain," the young male greeted her.
"Morning, Icheb, Naomi. How are things with you two?" she asked, her eyes drawn to the play of light and shadow on the hills close by.
"Fine, thank you, Captain," said Naomi formally and then asked. "Would you like to see my drawings, Captain?"
"What?" startled a moment. "Yes, Naomi," she said and sat beside the young girl at her table. The drawings of the sun-dancing butterflies captured her interest, along with Naomi's verbal explanations and observations.
"You chatter too much," scolded Icheb playfully.
"I do not. Do I, Captain?"
"Perhaps; but that's the joys of childhood. Don't forget; Icheb hasn't really had one," she noted with a smile.
"That's right. Sorry I forgot," grinning at the male. "Where's Seven?"
"Sleeping. Now what else have you discovered for me?" Thus suitably distracted from the subject of Seven of Nine, Naomi regaled Janeway with what over things she'd been doing. Icheb sensing something of a change of attitude toward Seven tactfully didn't bring the subject up again either. He been feeling that the former Borg was hiding something, something very important as to what he hadn't fathomed out yet; as his current studies kept him busy, thus his investigations were slowly dwindling. He only hoped Seven wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone in anyway; Voyager was his family as well as Seven's; he wondered if she knew that, really knew that fact.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Tuvok sat quietly among the red sandstone rocks of the semi-arid desert. He had experienced the same vision as Chakotay, feeling himself standing close to Kathryn Janeway as she dealt with Seven of Nine. He – like Icheb – for the young man had expressed his concerns about Seven to the Vulcan during one of his study sessions; felt that the female might be a threat, especially to the command team, although how he did not know. His medical problem may well hinder his performance in any additional duties, thus he'd have to call on Icheb to keep a discreet eye on Seven.
The desert air had suited his disposition better than elsewhere, sitting in the deep shadow of the tall rocks whilst the morning heat shimmered around him. A dark figure shimmered in the distant heat haze dressed in long flowing robes that hid the person's true nature, but something about the way the figure carried it's self as it walked re-assured Tuvok. The robed figure continued its trek toward him, bowed formally and greeted the seated older male.
"Greetings and long life," spreading his young hand in the Vulcan V symbol.
"Long life, Vorik," he replied in the same manner and bade the male to sit. First the younger man removed his back-pack and then knelt down next to, yet not close to his elder. He quietly laid out the provisions he'd brought; meagre by human standards, but plentiful for the two meditating Vulcan's. Vorik finally handed Tuvok the smallest item a hypo-spray.
"From the Doctor; He said it has the required dosage," he said softly, not seeking for an explanation; something a human wouldn't have hesitated to ask about.
"Thank you," Tuvok acknowledged taking the item and injecting its contents into his neck. "I will return this to the Doctor," he said and pocketed the hypo-spray. "How are thing in engineering?" he asked, taking the bowl Vorik handed him – Plomeek soup.
"Well enough," taking up his bowl and drinking the soup from it. "Lieutenant Torres has been keeping in touch and is pleased that we are currently ahead of her projected schedule," watching the play of light and shadow across the red heat shimmering landscape. "We have been very thorough."
"I'm sure of that, Ensign Vorik," noted Tuvok, having finished his soup. "How is the Captain?"
"Well; last I saw of her, she was taking breakfast with the crew, out of uniform."
"Good," was all he said, yet his tone implied that he was pleased about it, very pleased. The silence stretched between them, which was welcomed by the two Vulcan's as they continued to sit in quiet meditation of their surroundings and each other.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Harry Kim and his troop had enjoyed their trek to the rocky canyon and were looking forward to some real difficult rock climbing. Just as they reached their chosen site a sudden and violent thunderstorm stopped them in their tracks, so they took shelter in some near-by caves. Huddled together without much food and only a little fresh water between them, they tried to keep their spirits up. Harry looked out at the torrential rain as it poured out of the angry dark sky and started to flow like a river in the canyon bottom.
"We'd better put up a barrier before the flow of water becomes unmanageable," he said. Thus all the males moved some of the more manageable rocks to block up the caves entrance way. The females used moss and other dried plants to fill in the cracks. By the time they'd got a credible barrier up all nine of them were soaked to the skin, but at least the barrier was keeping the water at bay and especially as the boys had moved one large flattish up-right rock to deflect most of the running water from pooling into the area directly in front of their chosen shelter.
"So much for enjoying a nice challenging climb and sleeping under the stars," noted a male from security.
"Perhaps," Harry murmured to himself, his expression thoughtful. "Everyone empty their pockets and bags," he said decisively, starting with his own in the light of the fire they'd managed to light-up in order to dry out. "Empty them, now!" he ordered, when no one moved.
"You think we've taken something we shouldn't?"
"Jenna, I'm not accusing anyone of anything," he said, still going through his own things. Slowly the others joined in, whilst Kim checked the pockets of the drying clothes. Soon there was a small pile of some sweet berries, nuts, a few herbs and a small semi-glow stone.
"What is that?" someone asked.
"It's mine. I found it," piped up a junior male from Ops, trying to take it from Harry's open hand; he wisely kept it out of the male's reach.
"You do remember our orders about our stay here?" he asked quietly.
"Not to take anything from the planet, or to leave anything from Voyager behind," he intoned dispiritedly, not looking at anyone. "It is so pretty," he added lamely.
"No-one's faulting you for that Mark," said his companion. Harry said nothing for a moment.
"We'd better eat what's here and then get some sleep," he advised. "As for this, I'd better keep it for now." Soon they had eaten their fill and settled to sleep round their fire, whilst the thunderstorm still raged angrily outside.
/Harry/ called a female voice softly.
"Libby," he murmured in response.
/Harry/ the female voice whispered again, a soft smile gracing her elfin features.
"Kes?" he questioned frowning puzzled, in his sleep.
/Use the stone to guide you/ she advised softly. He fished into his pocket and brought the glowing stone out into the open; it pulsed in his hand with a blue glow.
Suddenly he found himself tussling with someone, yelling loudly he tried to fight the person off. He was shaken roughly awake; breathing heavily he looked up at his assailants and helpers.
"You alright?" Jenna asked, kneeling beside him.
"I think so," he said warily, sitting up; again he fished into his pocket and brought out the glowing stone. 'Use it to guide you.' He stared at it and saw within Kes' soft smiling face.
"Harry?" Jenna questioned worriedly.
"Let's see where this cave leads," getting to his feet.
"You think that wise?" questioned one of the other males.
"I don't know, but it's better than sitting around here at any rate. Let's load up," he ordered decisively closing his hand around the glowing stone and started to gather his personal gear together. The others in the group followed suit, checking carefully that nothing was left behind. Using a couple of largish branches they made two torches to light their way and then dowsed the fire. When Harry - in the lead - brought out the glowing stone it put the two fire torches to shame. It pulsed steadily as they moved toward the back of the cave and the open passageway.
"It looks wide enough," noted James softly feeling apprehensive.
"Not afraid of the dark are you?" his mate from security teased.
"No; it's getting trapped," looking at Harry Kim; who decided to arrange them in such a way that James was in the middle of the line. Jenna was ahead of him and Keith – an engineer- behind him. They also used their climbing ropes to string themselves together in that order.
"Feel better, James?" Jenna asked him once they were ready to go. He nodded nervously; Keith squeezed his shoulder companionably and gave him a lighted torch. Whilst Harry put himself back at the head of the line with the glowing stone and Mark – who'd found the stone – was at the rear; yet Harry had both the start and end of the line that linked them all together.
"Right let's go," he said, holding the stone in front of him.
tbc...
