Chapter Five - "Rescue"
Seven awoke to the sight of the Doctor leaning over her. She had at some point lost consciousness and apparently been taken to sickbay. "How are you feeling?" When she did not answer, the Doctor turned and picked up a medical tricorder. He waved its sensor over the length of her body. "You gave the crew quite a scare. No one seems to know what caused your outburst, although I am told you suffered from an acute emotional attack of some kind."
Before Seven could respond, the voice quietly spoke to her. "Lie." She tried to blink away her discomfort and then a feeling of calm tranquility flooded over her body. "I do not remember."
The Doctor frowned at her for a moment and then seemed to dismiss his doubts. "Hysterical amnesia is common enough in humans. I imagine the memory will return in a short time. I have given you a thorough exam and I am pleased that you appear in perfect health. I recommend you rest here a while longer and then I prescribe regeneration in your alcove."
Seven fought down her natural feeling to argue the point. "I will comply."
The Doctor smiled at her and left to attend to his other patients. He was hardly out of her sight before Seven arose from the bed and walked out of sickbay.
"Good. You are a fine pawn my dear."
Captain Kirk, Spock, Mr. Scott and Dr. McCoy all stood on Voyager's bridge and were astounded.
"Captain Janeway, I have to thank you for allowing us to beam over." Despite the situation, Kirk couldn't rid himself of a sense of child-like wonder at what he beheld. "As I'm sure you are well aware, there are any number of possible problems associated with exposing my crew and myself to the people and technology of the future."
Janeway stood before the legendary icon of the Federation and beamed. "Captain, I think the risk is well worth having all of you aboard. If we are going to resolve our mutual predicament, we have to work together."
Spock and Tuvok stood a few feet apart and exchanged Vulcan salutes. They remained silent as the others conversed.
"You've got yourself a mighty fine ship here. I wonder if I might have a wee look around?"
Captain Janeway turned to Scotty with a wide smile. "Commander, I would be delighted to give you a full tour of the ship as soon as possible. Lieutenant Torres would be thrilled to have you in engineering."
Harry Kim had remained at his station. He was listening carefully to every word spoken by the Enterprise crewmembers when the alarm flashed on his console. "Captain!" Janeway and Kirk turned together. "Someone just activated the intruder control protocol in engineering."
Janeway took a step toward Harry. "Shut it down."
Mr. Kim made the attempt. "I'm sorry Captain. Everyone on the entire deck is now unconscious." Harry's face went blank. "Oh, my God. Captain, someone has shut down the coolant injectors to the warp core. It's going to breach in forty one seconds."
Janeway leapt up the steps to stand next to Mr. Kim. "Can you eject the core?"
Harry paused a moment. "The ejector has been manually disabled. We don't have enough time to re engage it. Thirty-five seconds. Wait, it's Seven. She's locked out the bridge controls."
Chakotay couldn't believe his ears. "What's she think she's doing?"
After what he had heard, Captain Kirk launched into action. "Captain. Can you beam Spock and Scott into engineering?"
Janeway spun on Kirk. "Of course, but you can't."
Kirk cut her off. "There's no time. Do it now!"
Captain Janeway struggled with the equation for only a split second. "Harry, do it. Beam them in, now."
Doubt was clearly written on Mr. Kim's face. "Aye Captain."
A second later Spock and Scott disappeared.
Seven was busily rerouting command controls with B'Elanna lying at her feet, when Spock crept up behind her.
"Turn around, they have come for you."
She obeyed the voice, and turned in time to grab Spock's left hand but not his right. Seven couldn't protect herself from the neck pinch that sent her unconscious to the deck. Mr. Scott rushed to the nearest console, studied it for only a second and began to tap commands at blinding speed. The coolant injectors instantly sprang back to life with six seconds remaining before Voyager would have ripped herself apart and destroyed the Enterprise in an all-consuming cataclysm.
Harry exploded in a rush of jubilation. "They did it!" He shot a wide grin at Captain Kirk. "Coolant levels back to normal. All systems coming on line."
Everyone on the bridge was thrilled until the main view suddenly sprang to life. A human skull engulfed in a raging inferno filled the screen for all to see.
"Mortals! You have interfered with the clever and deserved death I had planned for you."
A look of aghast horror was shared by nearly the entire bridge. Only Tuvok stood expressionless. Intense heat radiated from the viewer like a blast from an open furnace.
"I will have to deal with 'The Kirk' in a more direct fashion." The voice rumbled through the minds of the humans like a tempest, filling them all with previously unimagined dread. "Do not be deceived in believing yourselves exempt. Voyager must be made to pay for its crimes as well. You will all be swept into the abyss. My patience has reached its limit and you must all pay the cost of intruding upon my domain. Pray to your impotent gods for mercy, I promise you there will be none!"
Captain Janeway fought down the paralyzing fear and took a step forward. "Who are you? We mean you no harm."
The Skull rotated to appear as if it was staring into her soul. "I am the Universe. I am all that you see and hear and feel. I most assuredly mean you harm. I will be satisfied and you will all be exterminated like the loathsome pests that you are. Hear my words worm and be dismayed!"
As suddenly as it began, the image disappeared and plunged the bridge into darkness like
the last candle of existence being blown out by an acrid gust of doom.
Seven awoke to the sight of the Doctor leaning over her. She had at some point lost consciousness and apparently been taken to sickbay. "How are you feeling?" When she did not answer, the Doctor turned and picked up a medical tricorder. He waved its sensor over the length of her body. "You gave the crew quite a scare. No one seems to know what caused your outburst, although I am told you suffered from an acute emotional attack of some kind."
Before Seven could respond, the voice quietly spoke to her. "Lie." She tried to blink away her discomfort and then a feeling of calm tranquility flooded over her body. "I do not remember."
The Doctor frowned at her for a moment and then seemed to dismiss his doubts. "Hysterical amnesia is common enough in humans. I imagine the memory will return in a short time. I have given you a thorough exam and I am pleased that you appear in perfect health. I recommend you rest here a while longer and then I prescribe regeneration in your alcove."
Seven fought down her natural feeling to argue the point. "I will comply."
The Doctor smiled at her and left to attend to his other patients. He was hardly out of her sight before Seven arose from the bed and walked out of sickbay.
"Good. You are a fine pawn my dear."
Captain Kirk, Spock, Mr. Scott and Dr. McCoy all stood on Voyager's bridge and were astounded.
"Captain Janeway, I have to thank you for allowing us to beam over." Despite the situation, Kirk couldn't rid himself of a sense of child-like wonder at what he beheld. "As I'm sure you are well aware, there are any number of possible problems associated with exposing my crew and myself to the people and technology of the future."
Janeway stood before the legendary icon of the Federation and beamed. "Captain, I think the risk is well worth having all of you aboard. If we are going to resolve our mutual predicament, we have to work together."
Spock and Tuvok stood a few feet apart and exchanged Vulcan salutes. They remained silent as the others conversed.
"You've got yourself a mighty fine ship here. I wonder if I might have a wee look around?"
Captain Janeway turned to Scotty with a wide smile. "Commander, I would be delighted to give you a full tour of the ship as soon as possible. Lieutenant Torres would be thrilled to have you in engineering."
Harry Kim had remained at his station. He was listening carefully to every word spoken by the Enterprise crewmembers when the alarm flashed on his console. "Captain!" Janeway and Kirk turned together. "Someone just activated the intruder control protocol in engineering."
Janeway took a step toward Harry. "Shut it down."
Mr. Kim made the attempt. "I'm sorry Captain. Everyone on the entire deck is now unconscious." Harry's face went blank. "Oh, my God. Captain, someone has shut down the coolant injectors to the warp core. It's going to breach in forty one seconds."
Janeway leapt up the steps to stand next to Mr. Kim. "Can you eject the core?"
Harry paused a moment. "The ejector has been manually disabled. We don't have enough time to re engage it. Thirty-five seconds. Wait, it's Seven. She's locked out the bridge controls."
Chakotay couldn't believe his ears. "What's she think she's doing?"
After what he had heard, Captain Kirk launched into action. "Captain. Can you beam Spock and Scott into engineering?"
Janeway spun on Kirk. "Of course, but you can't."
Kirk cut her off. "There's no time. Do it now!"
Captain Janeway struggled with the equation for only a split second. "Harry, do it. Beam them in, now."
Doubt was clearly written on Mr. Kim's face. "Aye Captain."
A second later Spock and Scott disappeared.
Seven was busily rerouting command controls with B'Elanna lying at her feet, when Spock crept up behind her.
"Turn around, they have come for you."
She obeyed the voice, and turned in time to grab Spock's left hand but not his right. Seven couldn't protect herself from the neck pinch that sent her unconscious to the deck. Mr. Scott rushed to the nearest console, studied it for only a second and began to tap commands at blinding speed. The coolant injectors instantly sprang back to life with six seconds remaining before Voyager would have ripped herself apart and destroyed the Enterprise in an all-consuming cataclysm.
Harry exploded in a rush of jubilation. "They did it!" He shot a wide grin at Captain Kirk. "Coolant levels back to normal. All systems coming on line."
Everyone on the bridge was thrilled until the main view suddenly sprang to life. A human skull engulfed in a raging inferno filled the screen for all to see.
"Mortals! You have interfered with the clever and deserved death I had planned for you."
A look of aghast horror was shared by nearly the entire bridge. Only Tuvok stood expressionless. Intense heat radiated from the viewer like a blast from an open furnace.
"I will have to deal with 'The Kirk' in a more direct fashion." The voice rumbled through the minds of the humans like a tempest, filling them all with previously unimagined dread. "Do not be deceived in believing yourselves exempt. Voyager must be made to pay for its crimes as well. You will all be swept into the abyss. My patience has reached its limit and you must all pay the cost of intruding upon my domain. Pray to your impotent gods for mercy, I promise you there will be none!"
Captain Janeway fought down the paralyzing fear and took a step forward. "Who are you? We mean you no harm."
The Skull rotated to appear as if it was staring into her soul. "I am the Universe. I am all that you see and hear and feel. I most assuredly mean you harm. I will be satisfied and you will all be exterminated like the loathsome pests that you are. Hear my words worm and be dismayed!"
As suddenly as it began, the image disappeared and plunged the bridge into darkness like
the last candle of existence being blown out by an acrid gust of doom.