Gretchen had, with great effort, managed to focus on her Engineering shift. All of the Voyager crewmen were on edge. The K'Terrans by contrast were calm and extra cheerful. She had been working with Be'nl for the last hour, and actually felt her blood pressure lower as she did so. The blue K'Terran had eagerly accepted her offer to practice Velocity when she had finally brought it up.
"You know dearheart," said Be'nl, as the K'Terran and Gretchen took a turbolift down to Holodeck 2, "That we cannot play Velocity in pairs…but perhaps solo volleying…..oh, or a holographic teammate would I think be sufficient for now…..but not often…..we must I'm afraid, take these things seriously."
Be'nl smiled with her four lips and Gretchen smiled back.
"The Captain can play with us I hope," the young woman added.
"Your mother?" added Be'nl, who had been asked not to mention that detail in public, "That would be perfectly lovely…my pod mates and I have not seen our priestess in many years…we miss her so, but visiting her is sadly not an option at the moment…she is getting rather elderly, I hope it is not too late when we do have the chance."
Be'nl perked up and added, "Your mother seems very young and vibrant, we wish you many happy years together."
"Thank you," said Gretchen, "I'm afraid I have a favor to ask…..you don't have to….we're in a bind, but it is unpleasant."
"I will certainly help you," said Be'nl pleasantly, "I wondered if you would ask."
Gretchen blinked slightly in surprise, but continued, "Are you averse to looking at the pod? Or the body?"
"The pod I certainly can," said Be'nl, "…K'Terran sister bodies must be handled very specifically…it would be hard for us not to treat alien sister bodies similarly…..but there are no rules about alien males ….I have little knowledge of alien biology, but I will do what I can."
"Thank you," said Gretchen, as the turbolift doors opened.
They made it quickly to the holodeck, and Captain Janeway was already waiting for them, standing next to a covered pod formally.
"She said she'll look at it Captain," said Gretchen as they entered.
"Thank you Be'nl," said Janeway, removing the sheet and letting Be'nl get started in her examination.
Gretchen went to stand next to Captain Janeway to wait.
Janeway felt relief as she looked at her daughter. It has been rather eerie standing in the holodeck…..so different than the last time she had been there, when it had been full of friends and rousing cheers and the liveliest game of Velocity she had ever seen.
Now she was standing next to the body of one of her crew, wondering if a fellow Voyager crewman had murdered him. Or if the species of the woman examining his body was attempting to destroy her ship.
Finally, after about an hour, the examination seemed to be over, and Be'nl pulled the sheet back over the body.
"I am very sorry to say I cannot tell Captain," said Be'nl solemnly, "Most certainly the pod overloaded, but it is all burned out, I cannot tell why."
"That's what Seven and B'Elanna concluded," said Janeway frowning, "That the evidence…..if indeed it was on purpose, was completely destroyed in the act."
Janeway transported the body and pod back to Sickbay. She turned back to Be'nl and spoke again, somewhat reluctantly, "I've certainly considered….and will continue to consider that someone on my ship has done this on purpose….. or that it could be an accident…but do you think it's possible someone on your ship has done this?…..we know you aren't fond of males….."
To her relief, Be'nl did not seem to take offense, "Killing an alien male would mean next to nothing to my people," she said evenly, "We do not think much of them…..but to specifically seek out their deaths after we had made an alliance with you…..this would not be the act of a true K'Terran…..no one would risk the censure of their sisters to do such a banal thing."
In other words it's beneath them.
"What about someone who disapproves of the alliance?" said Janeway, "We often have disagreements on my ship….surely you do as well."
"It is not…..unheard of Captain," said Be'nl evasively, "But it is now an official alliance. No K'Terran would break it," she added, very firmly.
"Be'nl," said Gretchen suddenly, "If it is a Voyager crewman, do you think you could sound out the killer?"
"Sound out the killer?" said Janeway in surprise.
"The K'Terrans have shockingly good hearing," said Gretchen, "They can tell a ridiculous amount about a person just by hearing their voice."
"That is how we decided to help you," said Be'nl, smiling, "We do not need a reason to destroy them…..but it is most strange for us to visit an alien ship…..we liked the sound of your voice, and decided to help you, and then to take you on this journey so that we could learn from you."
"Thank you," said Janeway, blinking.
"Are you game Be'nl?" asked Gretchen, "And Captain? If she mentioned the death….or Crewman Rogers to different people….she might get a hit."
"I am happy to do what I can," said Be'nl, "If it pleases you….though Shimai is the more skilled as reading voices."
"Please," said Gretchen suddenly, clapping her hands together.
Her entire posture changed as her voice became unnaturally high, "Please Be'nl, sound out at least the engineers by yourself, and keep it a secret….. see if you can find the killer….if you don't she could strike again, at anyone, and…"
"You suspect a false sister," said Be'nl darkly and even Captain Janeway found herself taking a step back at the sound.
Be'nl's pupils turned to slits and a nasty purple color, like a bruise, began to creep over her skin.
Her voice sounded again, and Gretchen and Janeway brought their hands up to their ears against the violent, unrelenting sound, "One who turns on her fellow females shall not be forgiven. We shall curse her, and take her head, and her body shall be thrown down to the volcanos under the ocean to burn in everlasting fire…."
There was a high pitched scream, it continued higher, and higher, and finally turned soundless.
But the terror of it continued, and Janeway felt pressure in her head. She began to speak for a soundproof shield, but even as she started to do so, Be'nl stopped.
"I apologize," said Be'nl pleasantly, and when they looked back her pupils were normal and her skin was back to its blue color, "I have lost my temper….I did not mean to distress you."
"That's alright," said Janeway, nodding, "We're just pleased you've agreed to help us. But if you do find her….please leave it to us to decide what to do with her."
"I shall not harm her myself," said Be'nl, again smiling, "One who has betrayed her fellow females, must be condemned by her fellow females…..K'Terran curses may not work on alien souls."
Well if that's her reason for restraining herself, I'll take it.
"Thank you," said Janeway, nodding.
"Shall we play Velocity like I promised?" said Gretchen, as the investigation seemed to end.
"I need to go check on B'Elanna," said Janeway, "Why don't you two play?"
"I can go escort you," said Gretchen automatically.
"No phasers in Engineering right now," Janeway reminded her, "You stay and play Velocity…..get some good exercise, at least an hour."
I don't want her turning completely paranoid…..She made it through her whole shift today…..She can make it until night…..if she insists on sleeping on my couch again I won't fuss about it.
"Al….alright," said Gretchen, stubbornly keeping her eyes on the woman until the turbolift doors closed.
The doors opened in Engineering and Janeway immediately heard screaming.
A hysterical brunette woman was rounding on a raven haired woman who had a completely unamused expression on her face, but was not speaking.
"How dare you! You looked at him! You looked at him all the time, I saw it! And now you don't even care that he's dead! You don't even care and…."
"Hargrove," came B'Elanna's cutting voice from above them. She descended a staircase from Engineering's second floor, and jerked a finger towards the brunette and the door, "Get out. Now. You are banned from Engineering for the rest of the day. And don't come back tomorrow unless you're prepared to work."
"I…..I need to go get my tools," said the brunette's flighty voice.
"Fine," said B'Elanna evenly, "Make it quick."
The brunette strode off to an alcove and Athena Ariti, the woman she had been yelling at, headed in the same direction a moment later.
Janeway approached B'Elanna and gestured her away so that they could have a semi-private conversation in the middle of the noisy department.
"What was that with Hargrove?" said Janeway.
"She was Alexander Rogers' on again, off again, former girlfriend," said B'Elanna, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Don't you think you were a little harsh?" asked Janeway.
B'Elanna uncrossed her arms, "That was the fifth outburst since her shift started. I offered to let her go home when she got here, and twice since then. I don't care if she doesn't do her job today, but I can't have her disrupting the entire shift."
Janeway nodded in agreement, though she still felt badly for the woman, B'Elanna had done the only thing possible.
"How have things been since we spoke last?" asked Janeway.
"They're as well as can be expected Captain," said B'Elanna evenly, expression tired and posture rigid.
"I have some…news to tell you," said Janeway, remembering what Gretchen had said about the K'Terran's shocking hearing, and that there must be at least one K'Terran still in Engineering, "When things are clear here, come to my Ready Room sometime this evening or early night."
"Yes Captain," said B'Elanna.
"I"ll check with Seven," said Janeway, starting to walk away, "But I believe she can watch Engineering for you tonight after she regenerates. I saw you worked straight through last night."
The implication was clear, and B'Elanna stared at her unhappily, but nodded ever so slightly and then moved away.
In her peripheral vision Janeway saw B'Elanna move toward the alcove Rachel Hargrove had headed towards to collect her tools. For a moment Janeway wondered if she should linger to share the same turbolift with the grieving woman and provide whatever comfort she could.
Then suddenly she heard a woman's scream again, B'Elanna's, "Captain!"
Janeway turned to see Crewman Hargrove rushing toward her, with a crazed look on her face….and a welding laser torch in her hand. B'Elanna was right behind her, "See to Ariti," screamed B'Elanna at her, or anyone, as she tackled the human woman to the ground just before she reached Janeway.
Two women were closer to the alcove and dashed into it.
Janeway stared at the fight, looking for the right moment to intervene and take the weapon away.
"I killed her," screamed the crazed brunette as she struggled with B'Elanna, "I didn't want to."
"She's not dead yet," yelled B'Elanna, slamming her head into the floor, "Stop being an idiot and it'll be alright."
"Stand down," ordered Janeway commandingly, then switched her tone, making it cajoling as they continued to struggle, "B'Elanna's right. You're not a murderer."
"I killed him. I killed him because I loved him."
Janeway gasped in shock as the two women continued to struggle for another moment.
"Don't leave," the unhinged woman said suddenly, then screamed, "Don't leave me!"
Even as she spoke, Rachel Hargrove managed to pull away from B'Elanna, just enough to turn the dial on the laser torch. A bright burning ray emitted from it, and embedded itself in Janeway's vision, half blinding her. As she covered her face instinctively she heard B'Elanna howl in pain. When she turned back with what was left of her vision, Janeway saw Rachel Hargrove had switched the torch off and was rushing toward the warp core.
Janeway screamed at her to stop, and lunged after her, but a moment later it was too late. The woman had managed with effort to push her head past the safety shield, and it disintegrated.