Disclaimer see chapter one.
Chapter 7
Chakotay and Naomi transported to the camping ground, bringing some new supplies and a message for Tom Paris with them.
"Wow! You didn't say we'd be sleeping in a tent," the girl-child said, staring wide eyed at the conical tent.
"You didn't ask," he teased with a smile, noting that Ayala had gathered up their belongings, ready for their eventual return to Voyager. "Where is Tom?" he asked of Mike, not seeing the pilot around.
"Over here," came a voice from near the hover bikes. "Where's B'Elanna?" he asked coming into view.
"She's with Harry. Can I look inside?" said Naomi. Chakotay looked at Ayala, who smiled and held out his hand to the girl and led her into the tepee; whilst Paris looked a question at his friend.
"Harry Kim found some friendly residents and some dilithium crystals. She said to tell you, that you could stay here or join them in collecting the crystals."
"I see. And where do I find them? Crystals, Harry and B'Elanna?" he asked.
"At the base of the Triple Tempest Falls."
"You're joking, no you're not?" he said stunned.
"The white fire that burns cold. I think we've been looking at it every night," he said quietly, as Mike and Naomi rejoined them at the camp fire.
"The Moon-rings," said Mike Ayala. Chakotay nodded. They stood in quiet contemplation of all that had taken place since they'd arrived on the planet, until a small female spoke.
"Do you think the Pedtra have a name for their home?" Chakotay's expression said he would explain to the two puzzled males, before he knelt down beside Naomi Wildman.
"Perhaps you could ask Little Blue when she joins us," he suggested. "For now we'd better get some lunch cooking. Like to help?" he asked her. She grinned at him for an answer, so taking her hand he led her into the surrounding trees and bushes to search the natural larder for a meal.
Lunch was a small affair for all of them, yet it was filling. Tom Paris loaded up one of the hover bikes with some of their belongings and returned to Voyager, telling Chakotay he'd probably join Torres and Kim crystal hunting. Once the bike was out of view, they tided the rest of the area, before walking round to the Totem ring. Naomi's first view of the area took her breath away as she stared up at the central pole and its five carved heads, that stood solid and towering above her; even the smaller poles were taller than her small figure.
"Wow! Big isn't it?" she exclaimed trying not to fall over backwards as she gazed up at the totem. Both Chakotay and Ayala smiled at her wide eyed innocence.
"I suggest you sit down here, Naomi," he instructed, patting the log space beside him, whilst he got out his own personal journal to record the totem from the side view. Being security conscious Mike walked round the area whilst keeping a discreet eye on the big male and the girl-child; thus it was he who was first aware of the sound of leathery wing beats. His voice carried, alerting them to the new arrival, which flew in on strong bat-like wings. The creature landed in the entrance way of the ring, carefully folding its wings over its back between the small shoulder blades and then walked over to the three people who silently waited.
"Hello. I'm Little Blue," the small creature introduced herself, her voice sweet and pleasing.
"Hello, I'm Naomi Wildman Captain's Assistant."
"Nice to meet you, Naomi Wildman Captain's Assistant," she smiled, her face more child-like than they were expecting. "You are Chakotay?" she asked softly of the tattooed male.
"I am, Little Blue," he responded pleasantly noting the blue sheen to her otherwise black hair that cascaded down her back. She wore only a simple tabard tunic over her dark skinned slightly furred body that covered her main torso down to her knees, revealing her small bare feet. This Pedtra stood at about 40cm tall, thus she would only reach up to Chakotay's knee, if that, certainly no higher than Naomi's waist.
"You are to teach me the writings of the First Ones?"
"The First Ones?" he questioned frowning puzzled; when Newaton had said the same it had set his mind wondering as to who was meant. Quietly she moved to stand in front of him. Putting his journal aside, he lifted her onto his lap and held her there. She smiled at him with her dark wide eyes.
"The First Ones are like you," she said touching his tattoo.
"The Sky Spirits?" he asked, surprised. She nodded. "They came here?" looking at the totems.
"For a short time; some even stayed, until the others returned, bringing others like you with them."
"From Earth?" queried Ayala, beating his friend to asking it.
"I do not know. We Pedtra did not speak with them much, but we observed and learned. It was they who built this," she informed gesturing to the ring of totems.
"Do you have a name for your home?" Naomi asked into the stunned, ensuing silence.
"You mean the planet's name?" Little Blue questioned softly, Naomi nodded. "It is Tlalli-Erde."
"Which basically means, earth-earth or more likely Double Earth," Chakotay said. "Tlalli is Aztec for earth and Erde is the Germanic for earth," he explained.
"The same as the third planet in the Sol solar system," noted Ayala. "No wonder most of the crew feel at home here." They sat quietly for a moment digesting the information they'd just learnt.
"Little Blue, tell me about the First Ones and those who came with them. Where did they go? Why are they no longer here?" Chakotay asked softly.
"The First Ones returned to their own home, as far as we know. When they came again, they took the descendants of the Inheritors away with them and never returned. As to where I do not know," she said, shrugging her small shoulders, causing her wings to rub together.
"Uncle Chakotay; are not the Inheritors connected to you?" she politely asked.
"Yes, Naomi they are my ancestors. Little Blue how do you know this? You sound as if you saw these events," frowning puzzled at the young Pedtra sitting on his lap.
"Elder Newaton is my Grandfather; he was a small boy the last time the First Ones were here. He learnt about the first time from his father. The Pedtra are long lived, Chakotay," she added with a smile.
"Thank you. Now we'd better get to work or you'll never read the ancient language," he told her. "Naomi I'd like you to draw what you see. Think you can manage that?"
"Yes, Sir," she responded eagerly, putting her drawing pad on her lap and turning to a clean page she started to draw the first head in the central totem. Little Blue moved up to Chakotay's shoulder and sat there as he walked over to the pole he'd first read: -'What needed can be found-if one seeks not what desired'. It was the only one he hadn't managed to understand, so far, yet he knew he was close. He took her round all the small poles, carefully showing her how to read the symbols and the words they depicted.
"Pictographs can be read several ways depending on where it is in relation to others in the same passage of text," he said, realising himself, what he was reading from the poles could change depending on his knowledge and experiences in life. He said as much to the little Pedtra female.
"Thus this could be different to someone else? Interesting," she acknowledged quietly as she looked at the text before her. Little Blue looked at Chakotay noting the deep concern in his dark brown eyes. "Yet it speaks to you. Does it not?"
"Yes, Little Blue. It does, very much so; and not just because of the First Ones or the Inheritors. It speaks to me here," he said, putting his hand over his heart. The call of a lone wolf sounded on the wind, echoing round the totem pole ring with the usual mournful sound that most associated with it, yet to one person it sang true.
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At the ship's landing site the wolf cry sounded on the wind causing most to stop and listen. Many felt the spine tingling fear course through them at the mournful cry, whilst others just shrugged their shoulders and continued their tasks. Janeway listened remembering the large white She-wolf that she'd seen last night and in her dreams and although the spine tingling sensation afflicted her it wasn't fear; and yet if asked she couldn't say for sure what sort of feelings it evoked. Thus she was still looking in the general direction from which the sound had come from, when two familiar figures emerged from the forest following the main course of the stream.
"Tuvok," she whispered pleased to see him and young Vorik walk out of the shadow of the trees. Kathryn stepped forward and greeted them both in the traditional Vulcan manner to which they both responded in kind.
"Good time?" she asked politely.
"Interesting, Captain," Vorik said. He nodded to them both and quietly took his leave and returned to his quarters. Human female and Vulcan male stood quietly together, each contemplating the other.
"When did we last spend some down time together?" she asked pensively, as if afraid of his answer.
"Too long," he responded too quietly for her to hear, having sensed her unease. "Kathryn," his voice more sure; she turned to look fully into his dark skinned face. "Care to share some brunch?" Her genuine smile warmed him.
"I'd loved too."
"I will change first and join you shortly at Chell's kitchen," he informed her as if he was addressing a group of his staff. Her smile broadens, whilst she squeezed his arm in gently companionship. Thus he left for his quarters to freshen up. Janeway sighed, the tension that had been building in her over the last few months – especially since Quarra - easing as she realised that her friends and family were still there for her.
The crew smiled to themselves on seeing their Captain and Security Chief seated together enjoying a small meal and talking quietly about all and sundry. If either noticed the crew's scrutiny they didn't show it. Soon their conversation came round to a subject that had been avoided so far and one that one person wasn't really sure about.
"You should talk to Chakotay, Kathryn."
"I couldn't, Tuvok," turning away from him; he caught her arm in a firm grip, causing her to look at him.
"I'm fully aware of how he has been reacting to your presence. But it is to him, you need to talk." The emphasis he'd placed on certain words made an impact on Kathryn. "He is the only one who can guide you in the matters that trouble you."
"Trouble is, Tuvok. He is theproblem or trouble as you put it," smiling resigned.
"Therefore he is the best person for you to talk to about it," his tone and lack of expression reminding her of the very first time they'd met; a memory that had been so recently evoked via a dream.
"Logical, Mr. Vulcan?" she teased, using Neelix's form of address to the pointed eared male seated opposite her.
"Indeed, Kathryn." The fact that he had been using her given name rather than her rank said a great deal to her, that her smile slipped a little. "I have missed you," he admitted softly.
"I'm not even sure if she is still here," she said softly, her eyes looking down at the table top between them.
"She is," his tone clear and sure. Kathryn Janeway looked up at his face and saw her friend – first – telling her that he'd always be there for her; both for Kathryn and his Captain. Her smile was warm and relaxed, feeling safe in that knowledge. The science team leader invited Janeway to rejoin them, thus breaking the gentle camaraderie between the two senior staff; therefore she didn't see the pain that crossed the male's dark eyes knowing that in truth he – Tuvok, her friend and loyal Starfleet Officer – would not always be there in the future.
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At the Triple Tempest Falls, the deafening roar of the water drowned out every other sound, thus the crew wore ear-plugs to protect their hearing from the constant noise as they worked in and from the carven at the falls base. Although the carven protected them from the main force of the falling water, the fine spray still left them feeling very damp and cold; thus all the teams worked in short shifts of about an hour each; before changing over for a hot meal and a dry.
"Brrr! So much for Starfleet issue wet suits," noted Mark from Kim's pot-holing team. "I feel as though I've had a week's worth of cold showers all in one go," he said, stripping down to his underclothes and rubbing himself dry with the warmed towel.
"Look on the bright side, Ensign; your team will be able to go topside and get warm," noted one of the second team, who was dressing into a dry wet suit.
"What is it like topside?" Mark asked, having wrapped up warm in two layers of clothing.
"Getting near sunset," laughed the other as Mark growled; for that meant it would be cool and getting colder as day turned into night. The male sighed as he exited the work area and joined the others of his shift for the short shuttle ride back to the ship, a hot meal and a warm soft comfortable bed.
In her warm temporary office/hut that the Pedtra had constructed for her use B'Elanna checked the crystals that would be used to aide Voyager's power supply. The deuterium ore that had also been detected in the cavern walls was an added bonus. Newaton had told her that the First Ones had mined some of it for their own use when they'd stopped off on their long space journey.
"Newaton did your planet once have a moon in orbit?" Kim asked the Elder Pedtra.
"At one time, yes. That was until a heavy meteor shower and a damaged Borg cube smashed into it. Creating the rings and this cache of crystals," he informed them.
"The burn off into the atmosphere must have caused some weather havoc," Kim noted. Torres listened as she worked grading the crystals.
"It did. This is why we Pedtra now inhabit these caverns."
"What of those who'd built the totem poles?" she asked, looking up at them both.
"They had gone before then," he said, leaving Kim puzzled. "The Borg has never troubled us here. Not the right technology to attract them." Kim and Torres looked at each other, both thinking the same thing, 'Seven'.
"Anybody at home?" asked a familiar cheeky voice, breaking into the strained silence.
"Yes, Tom," she responded, sounding resigned and tired.
"Not your usual warm welcome. Hi Harry." The younger man grinned in acknowledgement as his friend kissed his wife's cheek.
"Newaton, that is Lieutenant Thomas Paris; B'Elanna's husband, Chief pilot and Medical assistant," Harry told the clearly puzzled Pedtra.
"Oh, I see," he said carefully and then took his leave, using his leathery wings to exit through the dwelling's main window.
"Seen Seven?" Harry asked worriedly.
"No. But Doc told me she's sleeping tight."
"That's a relief," noted Torres. "It appears the Borg have been in the vicinity of this planet, but fortunately not planet side."
"If Seven were awake…" Harry didn't have to finish the thought, all of them knew the consequences and especially after their last encounter with the Borg Queen, who'd want to get even with them or more importantly Captain Janeway.
"Whilst I was with the Doctor we both checked Seven's scanner findings in Astrometrics. Don't look so concerned, we cleared the memory boards once we'd finished. There are Borg nanoprobes in the rings," he said, handing her a PADD with the findings that it effectively stalled any of her rapid fire questions, that his information would have had her shooting in his direction. "But they aren't transmitting the usual Borg directive," Tom said and smiled at her astonished expression; she handed the PADD to Harry so he could see.
"You're right, they're not," his tone excited. "What I don't understand is how. It would require the Pedtra taking a trip into space to alter the probes programming and I don't think that is possible," he noted looking at his friends.
"Newaton mentioned The First Ones as being like Chakotay," her voice thoughtful.
"You mean human?" asked Tom puzzled.
"No; like him, the tattoo especially."
"His Sky Spirits, you mean. Hmm, interesting." The silence between them was filled by the ever present and continuous dull roar of the Triple Tempest Falls.
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Little Blue stayed with the humans in their camp and had revealed much the same information about the lack of moon as Newaton – her Grandfather – had to the others at the Falls. She and Naomi had exchanged experiences as they sat round the cooking fire waiting for the chef to dish up. The latter showed the Pedtra her drawings of the butterflies.
"We call them Sun-dancers. Yet it is better to watch them in the moonlight."
"Why is that?" Ayala asked, accepting his serving of supper from Chakotay.
"Their gossamer wings reflect light in such a way that is very hypnotic."
"So the stronger the light source, the more effective the hypnotist?" noted Naomi. "Why? To what purpose?" Little Blue shrugged, her wings rubbing together.
"Did the First Ones bring them?" he asked quietly handing the small Pedtra child a bowl of the stew, he'd cooked for their supper.
"No, they have always been here. But the meteor shower and the break-up of our moon altered their growth pattern; so they now only take 6 days to fully mature after hatching; although the eggs can lie dormant for two to three years. This is good," she said, tucking into her stew with relish.
"I'm glad you like it," he smiled, as he digested what he'd just learnt about Double Earth, whilst eating his own portion of stew. "The meteor showers, how did you know about it? I'm assuming you have no space travel. What of the Inheritors?" his tone thoughtful.
"You ask many questions," the little Pedtra noted with a smile, making his two companions grin.
"Just one of his many faults," teased Ayala, dodging the playful swipe from his friend.
"The First Ones warned us about the shower and what it was likely to do to our planet's weather systems, as well as our moon. But it was the damaged Borg cube that caused the moon to shatter into the rings you see today. As to space travel, I think we'll leave that to you more adventurous sort," she acknowledged.
"Did any of the shattered moon reach the surface?" Naomi asked, having finished her meal.
"What do you think created the Triple Tempest Falls?"
"Goodness!" was Mike's only comment.
"I don't think I would have liked to be planet-side when they landed; Must have caused a nasty bump."
"That would be putting it mildly, Naomi," he said softly. "The forest fires alone would have been devastating, along with landslides, earthquakes and shockwaves," Chakotay informed them, which had him thinking deeply about the totem poles.
"It is why the Pedtra live in the caverns only. At certain times of the year at dusk to dawn we take to the open skies."
"The wolves and Deer? What of them?"
"They too hid in the caverns for a time until the earth cooled from the fires and started to show new growth; thus they ventured out into the open country again. The sand eels just remained in the red sands."
"Sand eels? Creatures with long serpentine-like bodies, a tail one end and a mouth with all teeth the other?" Mike asked astonished.
"Yes. Not that I have seen them completely."
"Red Sand Eels are native to the hot sand deserts of Vulcan. Believe me you do not want to meet one of those creatures close up," he stated. "I've only ever seen one from an aerial view, whilst I was stationed on Vulcan," he added, shuddering dramatically at the memory.
"I won't ask," Chakotay said.
"Uncle Chakotay, could you tell us a story, please?" she asked her young eyes wide with fear from the description of Sand eels and the like, feeling the shadows of the night closing in around them. He held open his arms, inviting her into their comforting circle of warmth and strength.
"What story would you like to hear?" he asked, once she'd settled herself against him.
"New Earth?" she asked hopefully. He smiled seeing the other two eagerly watching him.
"Very well," taking a deep breath he began. "New Earth was the home to two warriors from opposing tribes - the Woman Warrior and the Angry Warrior – yet the two found harmony together. He an inner peace and purpose and she a goal to aim for…" his voice gentle and calm.
"How much of that story was true, Chakotay?" Mike asked quietly, having settled the two very tired youngsters into their warm beds, after the story had reached its natural conclusion. He didn't respond, but just smiled a sad smile and then disappeared into his own sleep area.
"Not true enough," he whispered sadly as he settled down to sleep.
That night his nagual/spirit guide visited him, yet she was not alone, the Sky Spirits were with her. But this was no new visitation; it was more memory, reminding him of what they'd said then, when he'd visited their home planet, and how it fitted now on Double Earth.
The next morning dawned bright and clear, so after breaking fast Chakotay asked Ayala and Little Blue to do an aerial reconnaissance of the area, between the falls, their campsite and the totem poles.
"You'd better show Little Blue how to use a tricorder and liaison with you on the ground."
"Ok. What are you hoping to find?" Mike asked, tuning two tricorders.
"It's what I won't find that interests me," he said, puzzling his fellows. "Naomi you're with me," he said, holding out his hand to the young Ktarian girl. She slipped her hand into his trustingly and followed his lead, back to the totems or so she thought. He took a little known path in a westerly direction and north of the site, so they walked between the totems and the Mirror River.
"Where are we going, Commander?" she asked quietly, after they'd been walking steadily for some minutes. His only answer was to squeeze her hand. So she lapsed into silence once more and kept pace with him, listening to his tricorder that he held out in front of him.
Suddenly it gave a strident sound and they stopped to get their bearings, picking their new direction from what the tricorder readings told him. Soon they came across a rocky outcrop that was the foothills to a small mountain range. He pushed aside some bushes and revealed a deep crag in which sat a human-like man.
"Hello," Naomi said nervously. "Is he alright?" she whispered to Chakotay. But the humanoid just stared unblinking at her.
"He's dead, Naomi," Chakotay informed her, shutting his tricorder, having scanned the male. "I'm not sure either," he told her in answer to her puzzled expression. The beeping of his com-badge stalled any further questioning, as he stood and answered the caller.
"Ayala here. There is something really strange going on around this site. Little Blue tells me the site was once covered by a shiny dome, after the First Ones and the Inheritors left."
"Little Blue said much the same to me too."
"Mike. Why did Tom choose this area? Apart from the totems," frowning and gazing unseeing back the way they'd come.
"Something to do with the flood plain around the river. Why do you ask?"
"I'll meet you back at camp and we'll compare notes. Chakotay out."
"Commander," the girl called, he joined her at the dead male's hole. "What do you think that is?" pointing to a small cube shaped object close to the male's torso.
Getting his tricorder out he scanned it; he did it twice puzzled by the readings.
"It appears to be a generator of some kind. It's rather burnt out, as though it over loaded," he noted quietly, scanning the body again. Naomi touched the body, lightly with her fingers, and then rapped her fist on his ridged forehead. The sound was much like knocking on a hollow hard surface. Their eyes met and held for several seconds. He closed the tricorder and stood, helping her up also.
"Let's get back to camp," he said quietly. They walked back in solemn silence, realising their find hadn't had a very pleasant death.
They met the other two at the totems and whilst the two males compared notes via their tricorders, the two females moved around the site touching the poles and noting the smooth coldness to the natural bleached wood surface.
"Commander," Naomi called softly, asking both males to join her; when they did she rapped her knuckles on the pole; it had the same hollow ring as the male torso she and the Commander had discovered.
"Little Blue, what did the First Ones tell your people about the meteor shower and how it would affect your planet?" he asked, his fingers caressing the wood surface of the pole, which should have been warm, rough and alive; but was cold hard and smooth.
"That it would cause weather havoc and make it hard to breath due to the heat."
"And possibly shards of the moon and meteors," noted Ayala.
"What no one anticipated was that a Borg cube would cause the moon to implode and increase that havoc," he said, getting to his feet. "Mike did Tom use a core sampler to determine the level of the flood plain?" His friend nodded. "I'd like you to take some core samples around this site. I'll try to get a depth sounding," he said, setting his tricorder for the task. It wasn't long before the results came back as he walked around the site, covering the entire area and just beyond; whilst Mike Ayala tried to get some core samples.
"No luck?" Chakotay asked of his friend, who now looked as if he run a mile or more.
"I couldn't even get it into the ground. Its rock solid and crystal hard."
"That doesn't surprise me. The depth readings show this ceramic coating goes down about one to two meters and as the central pole was a living tree it soaked up the ceramics and preserved it; that is why they're still here and why it hasn't decayed."
"Apart from the fact it's not painted," noted Ayala.
"Commander," called Little Blue, holding out Naomi's drawing pad to him. On it was the main totem drawn in her childish hand, but there was something different about it, to his drawings and the pole itself.
"It has eyes," he said astonished.
"I told her," Little Blue said.
"So it was painted at first then?" The Pedtra nodded sitting close to her new friend Naomi on the log ring; Chakotay sank down onto the ground cross legged in front of them, even Ayala sat too.
"I think I understand now," speaking slowly as if still deep in thought. "When the First Ones decided to return the Inheritors to their planet of origin, they possibly hoped to return here to Double Earth themselves. The loss of the moon changed that, but they wouldn't have known until they returned. So they decided to preserve the totems, by placing a force field over them. The shimmering dome," he clarified for Little Blue. "When the moon imploded and parts of it landed at what is now the Triple Tempest Falls, the resulting shockwave would have upset the force field, which stripped the poles of their paint. Although it must of reasserted itself a second shockwave from another meteor would have caused it to overload."
"What with all the heat and the shards of crystal in the air it gave this entire site a ceramic coating, preserving it from natural weathering and decay. That is what is missing?" asked Ayala. Chakotay nodded.
"Our male friend?" Naomi asked, her eyes wide realising it would be pleasant hearing.
"He would have suffocated. All that is left in that cave is a ceramic shell. He died in much the same way as the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed on August 24th AD79, the day after the festival of Vulcanalia. The Roman god of Fire," he said sadly. Little Blue looked puzzled. "I'll get out the history file for you to look at," he told her.
TBC- [one more chapter to go]
