Voyager, now.
"Computer, raise shields around bio-bed two."
Janeway stood with her arms crossed over her chest glaring at Seska who was glaring right back at her. The Captain stood with both Tuvok and the Doctor on either side while Seska remained behind a shield. It had been only twenty minutes before that Tuvok and his security team met the Captain, who had been notified by the Doctor of what happened with Seska, before they went into the infirmary. At the sight of the Captain, the officers who were able to still able to move attempted to get up as a sign of respect.
"At ease," the Captain waving her hands at them while the doors behind her closed shut. She looked at each injured crewmember and gave them a small smile and a nod of the head, even Seska- Janeway didn't want the Bajoran and alleged Cardassian to suspect anything. The Captain then followed the Doctor, Dr Regan, and Tuvok into the EMH's office while the rest of the Talon medical staff stayed out in the infirmary with Paris.
Planet-side, at that same time.
"Commander Chakotay," Chakotay introduced himself while shaking hands with Colonel Sheppard who had McKAy, Teyla, and Cadman by his side. In the meantime, Ronon was helping the other teams neutralize any other Wraith stragglers in the town. All the while Kim was seated while he occasionally glanced at Cadman who would look back at him. He would then look away, leaving Cadman with a smirk on her face before she turned her attention to Chakotay who shook her hand after being introduced by Colonel Sheppard. It was then Kes' turn to introduce herself before Harry nodded his head and introduced himself as well.
"So, you're from another reality?" Cadman asked with a quizzical look on her face as if she was asking for more details. It was something that surprised Kes, Chakotay, and Harry- the had the same thoughts going through their heads; that these people seemed unperturbed by people travelling from an alternate reality.
Of course, Chakotay was aware of rumours pertaining to something that Starfleet Command called the 'Mirror Universe'. It was something he heard about back in Starfleet Academy and during his last assignment before leaving for the Marquis. 'And I haven't experienced a Mirror Universe, and this doesn't seem to be one.'
"You don't seem surprised about us being from another reality," Kes said out loud what the three of them were thinking.
"We've gone through this before," Colonel Sheppard said shrugging his shoulders when he called the time and alternate reality Daedalus appeared over Atlantis. AR-1 went up to the ship to investigate, however they found out too late tat he ship was from another reality- and it was hopping from one reality to another uncontrollably. The Colonel shuddered to think what could have happened if McKay had reversed the effects of that Reality Drive.
"I guess you guys were just examining the place?" asked Cadman.
"Yes," Harry answered.
"Our sensors showed that this was a world not in our database," Chakotay added, "and Starfleet's mandate is the exploration of new worlds and civilizations." But Chakotay knew that wasn't the whole truth so he added, "we have a rule that explicitly tells us not to make first contact with the people of a world that hasn't achieved a certain period of technological achievement. We had to make contact here since we needed the lay of the land after discovering we were in an alternate reality."
"In case you could not return to your own," Teyla said.
"Exactly," Chakotay replied.
"Understandable," McKay muttered.
"Your people have no qualms about interfering in an under-developed culture?" Chakotay asked as he looked around at the uniforms that were checking on the people who were injured in the Meal Hall as well as outside in the village itself. He saw more flags of individual nations on Earth before turning back towards the Colonel, "there must be some rule of First Contact you follow?"
"I…"
"Forgive me," Chakotay said shaking his head interrupting Colonel Sheppard, "I didn't mean to have my words sound as rude as it may have sounded. I'm just surprised, as Ensign Kim and Kes are, that humans from Earth have managed to make it out into deep space this early."
"We're explorers," Colonel Sheppard said. He could see that Chakotay and Kim were about to say something, while Kes looked on, but he continued, "yes, we've met civilizations that are under-developed. We've met their leaders, we've gotten to know the people and their customs. If they're in danger, we help them. If they need medical aid, we help them. Are you saying that if you meet an under-developed civilization that's suffering from a disease, you would just walk away?"
Chakotay and the others simply stared at the Colonel who had a questioning look on his face. The Commander simply said, after a few seconds, "we couldn't interfere."
"That's not to say we haven't had problems of our own, problems and mistakes," the Colonel said while thinking about the war with the Wraith, at least until the treaty; and then there was the war with the Ori which began when Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran were accidentally transported to the Ancient's original home galaxy. And then there was the biggest misstep of the SGC in relation to Tegalus. "But we try to fix our mistakes."
"Doesn't mean we don't help those who need it," Cadman added.
"And anyway, the way we usually travel doesn't really allow for that," McKAy said standing next to the Colonel, listening the whole time while he tried to avoid staring at the blonde haired Kes, "yes, we send a probe through the Gate and ask the natives, if there are any close by, if they would like to meet. At least that's what we'd do if we were…."
"McKAy," Colonel Sheppard stopped him from saying anything else, especially about being in the Pegasus Galaxy or about Atlantis. "Remember what Hawking said over the radio? She wanted their CO to tell them about… you know… about everything that's going on?"
"Oh, right" McKAy sheepishly said turning around to the Starfleet personnel while Chakotay and the others stared at each other, "yeah, she also did say that Sheppard, Teyla, and I will be heading up to your ship."
"What were you about to say? And what was this Gate you referred to?" Chakotay asked curiosity plastered on his facial expression as he and Harry stared at McKAy. As for Kes, she sensed that the group in front of her were hiding something. It was then she glanced at the body that was covered in a white sheet being lifted up onto a stretcher. She remembered what the strange alien had done to the young man, 'he was desiccated before my eyes'. Kes turned back to Colonel Sheppard just as Chakotay was about to repeat his question.
"Who were those aliens that attacked this village?" Kes asked.
"They are called the Wraith," Teyla said, "and they have been feeding on humans for millennia."
"Excuse me?" Kim said while Chakotay stared confused, "what do you mean by feeding?"
"I… I saw one of them place a hand on the injured body of one of their people," Kes said looking back at Kim and then at Chakotay, "it was as if the alien, this Wraith, was… well… the injured man stared to get older. And older, and older until his body was shrivelled like a husk."
Kim and Chakotay stared at the Ocampa before turning their head towards Teyla and the others, looking for confirmation.
"The Wraith feed on the life energy of human beings," Teyla said, "they have been terrorizing… no… culling worlds every century or so."
"Culling?" Kes asked just as Voyager's shuttle craft flew over the town while escorted by two F-302's. The Colonel, Teyla, McKAy, and Cadman listened as a voice from the communicator that Chakotay attached to his vest spoke out, telling the Commander that the shuttle was landing. Kes nodded her head before saying, "I guess our transport is here."
"I guess that's the same one we're taking too, huh?" McKay said before taking a look down at his tablet, and then back up at the Commander, "does your ship have anything that emits a subspace signal?" Chakotay and Kim were about to answer when McKay waved them off and said, "never mind. Stupid question, of course you do."
Chakotay and the others stared at the Colonel who said, "he's a little intense sometimes. And he forgets his social skills" while the shuttlecraft landed outside the Meal Hall. The Colonel turned upon noticing the shuttlecraft from the corner of his eyes. He turned his head at the off-white coloured ship with red lines across its bow and body. "Nice," he whispered rushing out with McKay, Cadman, and Teyla. He then whispered while the rear door opened and McKay walked up to the nacelles and crouched down to peer at the blue glow.
"Commander," said the pilot as he walked out of the shuttlecraft, "I'm here to take you back to Voyager."
"We'll be in shortly, prepare for take-off," the Commander said before he turned to Kes and asked her to help Kim back into the shuttle. In the meantime, an excited McKay got up to his feet and asked about the shuttle's engines. Chakotay told McKAy that he would to need to talk to the Captain regarding giving out any information about their ship specifications.
"Well, that's what we'd do to," Colonel Sheppard said. However, he wasn't happy when Chakotay said that the three of them coming along in the shuttle couldn't bring their weapons.
"And I'm sure you would ask the same of us if the situation were reversed," Chakotay said. It was something that Colonel Sheppard knew was true, so he contacted Colonel Hawking on the Talon- and the latter informed Captain Janeway about the need for the officers to carry their weapons with them at all times. However, the Captain was also insistent that Colonel Sheppard, Teyla, and McKay not bring their weapons along.
"I assure you they would be safe and sound," Janeway had said while she was in the Doctor's office in Sickbay.
And so, AR-1 gave their weapons to the soldiers on the surface while McKay told Chakotay, "we already know that our ship will be towing your ship through hyperspace."
"Hyperspace?" Chakotay asked.
"Explanations later," McKAy said staring at the man, "we need everything from your communication system to your FTL drive, if it emits a subspace signal or field, to be deactivated in case it interferes with our hyperdrive system."
"I…." Chakotay was confused, 'what is he talking about? What's hyperdrive? A form of FTL?'
"We already agreed to surrender our weapons," Colonel Sheppard said, "and like you mentioned, you're in a region of space in another reality. You have a very little chance of going back home unless you listen to us."
"The form of FTL we use is disrupted by intense subspace fields," McKay re-iterated, "I need everything on your vessel shut down."
"I'll talk to the Captain and the chief engineer," Chakotay said before leading them back into the shuttle craft while Teyla radioed Ronon to tell him that they would meet him back at home base. While Ronon answered in the affirmative, Janeway informed Chakotay she was aware of the need to deactivate any emitting a subspace field. She ordered Chakotay to contact B'Ellana and have McKAy liaise with her on what needed to be shut down.
"We'll leave once you get back," Janeway said before the signal was cut and she returned to the Doctor, the PADD that revealed the truth about Seska in her hand. "are you certain of this? Doctor? Dr. Regan, are you two absolutely certain?"
"Yes," the two doctors said.
Voyager, five minutes later.
And when the Captain did come out of the Doctor's office few minutes later, she walked past the others with the Doctor and Tuvok while the remaining security personnel were sent to guard the infirmary entrance. Once they were close to a few inches away from Bio-bed Two, the one which Seska was occupying, the Doctor ordered a shield to be raised around the device.
As the orange energy field rose up, Seska stared at the Doctor and then at the Captain while thinking that it wasn't possible anyone knew she was a Cardassian. 'It's simply not. My transformation was so thorough that no one would know I'm a Cardassian.'
"Why, Seska?" the Captain asked as the other Starfleet officers in the infirmary, including Paris, stared in confusion at what was happening. "Why did you have yourself transformed into a Bajoran?"
"Captain, I don't know what you're talking about," Seska replied with an innocent but confused look on her face.
"Then would I be wrong in stating for a fact that you are indeed a Cardassian?" the Doctor asked. He stared at the momentary look of surprise on Seska's face, a look that last for a micro-second, a look that anyone else could have missed; except for one who had already programmed the bio-bed to search for any signs of deception from Seska before he and the others left his office. The Doctor glanced at the screen behind Seska and then walked towards it. He activated it while Seska eyed him suspiciously, saying, "Captain, again, I have no idea what you're talking about." Seska's head turned following the Doctor as he tapped the screen behind her. She saw it activate as it showed reading on her vitals.
The Doctor pointed at a few wavy lines that were present on the screen running from left to right. He then turned to the Captain staring at him, and nodded his head.
"You're lying," the Captain said glaring at Seska who glared back in return, "why were you with the Marquis. And no more lies."
Seska glared at the Captain, and then she turned her head towards the other officers staring at her direction. The ones were not unconscious whispered at each other while a few more looked away from her in disbelief after a few seconds. Seska yelled at the other officers, "I am not a Cardassian, I am…"
"You are," the Doctor said while Dr Regan who was walking towards them holding a tablet, turned it around and then showed Seska the results of their scans, as well as the blood taken to compare against the other Bajorans on Voyager. Seska stared at the scans on the screen while the Doctor described what she was seeing. It was a few seconds later that Seska looked up at Dr. Regan and the look of innocence and confusion fell- what was left was a smirking woman filled with rage as she propped herself up onto her elbows.
"You got lucky," Seska said staring at Dr Regan before turning to Janeway and the others, "I had to suffer being this thing I hate so that I could infiltrate the Marquis. My mission was to eventually hand them over to the Cardassians. That was why, Captain."
"Did Chakotay know?" Janeway asked in the hope that her first officer did not, before thinking to herself, 'of course he didn't know. He would never have worked with a Cardassian. Not willingly. He would rather die first."
"No," Seska growled before looking down at her injured leg, and then at Tuvok and the phaser in his hip holster. She then turned her head to the Captain and said, "I was so close. Then the Caretaker happened and we ended up in the Delta Quadrant. And then, you did the unforgivable. You destroyed our way home so that you could saves strangers… such a stupid human."
"Easy now," Paris said glaring at Seska as he walked over to the bed while the other Starfleet officers stared.
"And all of you are just as stupid to follow her," Seska growled at the other officers in the infirmary before turning to Janeway, "and now you, because of your stupidity, stranded us in another reality. Another REALITY!" Seska yelled enraged while Janeway didn't flinch once.
"I did what I had to do to protect the Ocampa," Janeway said taking a step forward with her arms crossed over her chest. "I will live with the consequences of that act for all time. As for now? Well, these people are going to help us get home. And when we do, you have a lot to answer for. I'm sure Starfleet Security will want to talk to you."
"I…." Seska growled before she was interrupted by Janeway.
"As Captain of this vessel," Janeway spoke in a low voice while glaring at Seska, "I strip you of all rank and privileges." Seska screamed more obscenities at Janeway while the latter continued to speak, "once your injury has been healed, you will be sent to the brig where you will spend the rest of our journey. Either in this reality, or back home in ours."
"We're here because of you!" Seska growled out at Janeway and then at the others, "and all of you still follow her. I pity all of you." Seska then glared back at Tuvok and then at Janeway before hissing, "we should have taken control of the ship. This should have been a Marquis vessel that…."
"Bridge to Janeway," Ayala interrupted what Seska was about to say by speaking over the communication badge, "Shuttle One is returning to Voyager."
"Understood," Janeway responded while glaring at Seska, "once the shuttle and our guests are on board, have them escorted to my ready room."
"Understood," Ayala answered while Seska was panting, her face turned red with rage glaring at the Starfleet officers, and then at Dr. Regan.
"Doctor, Dr Regan," Janeway said to the two of them, "please get back to what you were doing." The two of them nodded their heads before turning to Seska, "once you've healed, you're going to the brig." Turning to Tuvok, Janeway then said, "have security on her the entire time until she's in her new quarters."
"Understood," Tuvok said before a betrayed Janeway turned around while Seska was calling out for her. She walked towards the doors which slid open with a hiss before stopping. Janeway turned and glared at Seska, "if you told me that you were a Cardassian when you stepped onto this ship, then I would have…" Janeway sighed as she wondered what she really would have done but the more she thought about it, the more she didn't have an answer at that moment, "I… I don't know what I would have done to be honest with you. Maybe we would have been suspicious of you…. Maybe I'd have a security team on you and restricted your movements. But eventually, I know we could have trusted each other…. Because we would be forced to given our situation."
"You're weak, Captain," Seska growled shaking her head, "you would have still made the same stupid decisions and…"
"We won't know now, will we?" Janeway said shaking her head, "goodbye, Seska." Janeway then turned around and waiting for the door to slide open while Seska yelled more expletives at her. The Captain stepped into the hallway and made a left turn towards the turbo-lift that would bring her to the Bridge.
The Talon, two minutes later.
"Colonel Hawking, the Voyager shuttle has docked," Lt Andres said looking back over her shoulder at her commanding officer.
Hawking nodded her head before asking if the subcutaneous transmitters of Colonel Sheppard, Teyla, and McKAy- the three members of AR-1, were being detected, "I convinced them to leave their weapons after the Starfleet officers insisted. Keep a lock on them." The Colonels, both Hawking and Sheppard, were not happy about the latter's team being unarmed in an unknown situation. But the security officer who picked them up said that it was Tuvok's orders, and it was an order that Commander Chakotay backed, 'he said they would have nothing to worry about. Just like the medical staff.' "Well?"
"They're on scanners," Lt Andres said nodding her head, "on your order, they're ready to be beamed away."
"Contact Voyager," Hawking said before getting off her seat while thinking, 'I guess I'd have insisted on the same thing as well', and walking to the screen on her left side. The screen activated to show Janeway nodding her head, "Captain, I was told that our people on your shuttle just docked. Can you confirm?"
"Confirmed," Janeway replied.
"Okay," Hawking said, "I've just relayed to Colonel Sheppard that he has the go-ahead from our superiors to give you whatever information you need once we're in hyperspace."
"Understood," Janeway replied, "my chief engineer has already deactivated anything on our end that emits a subspace field. I've asked Commander Chakotay to escort them to my ready room for a quick briefing before meeting the rest of my senior staff."
Hawking nodded her head before giving the order to Lt. Andres to get the Talon into position.
"Ready, ma'am," Andres said as the Talon swept around and stopped just above Voyager.
"Captain Janeway, we're initiating the hyperspace bubble, now,"
"We've detected some kind of a subspace shell forming around Voyager, Captain," Ayala said.
"Engines are all deactivated, Captain," Paris, who returned to the bridge a minute ago, confirmed, "the defector dish has also been deactivated."
"We're confirmed on our end, Colonel," Janeway said.
"Hold onto your hats," Colonel Hawking said staring at the forward window, "open the window."
"Hyperdrive in three, two, one," Andres said before she pressed a button. Voyager shook slightly before the Talon pulled her along into a breach that opened up in space. Captain Janeway, and everyone on the Voyager bridge, and anywhere there was a window, stared out at the blue and white hyperspace tunnel that surrounded them.
"So this is hyperspace," Janeway whispered awestruck, 'how did they get this technology? And can Voyager be fitted with these engines?'
TBC