Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters, not me. All I own is my ideas. Please don't sue, I still have to go to college.
Author's note: I just want to say that this could get kind of confusing, but if you wind up totally not getting it keep reading, the whole thing will be explained eventually. Since I have no idea at all where anything is located on this ship, let's just say they did a little redecorating for the sake of this story. Let's also say that Naomi Wildman actually looks as young as she is. Also, this story has a serious case of multiple personality disorder as far a genre goes. It wound up being almost everything that it possibly could be except horror, which ironically enough is the one thing it was supposed to be. Oh well. Now that I've explained myself, enjoy.
Captor of your soul, part 1: caught
Harry had just gotten done with the longest shift of his life. He had never thought that he would be bored out of his mind at the ops station on the bridge of a starship, but then again, there's a first time for everything. He was looking forward to his holodeck time, anything to get his mind off of nothing. Upon reaching the holodeck, he found that a program was already activated. "Computer, who is on holodeck two?" Harry asked. "Holodeck two is unoccupied," the computer replied. "Wonder who's it is," Harry mumbled as he walked onto the holodeck. "Congratulations Harry," said Janeway, "I'm promoting you to Lieutenant." 'That took long enough,' Harry thought. He was startled back to reality when he noticed that the computer had said that there was no one on the holodeck. "What kind of a weird joke is this?" Harry asked himself, "Tom is sure going to get it."
Unbeknownst to Harry, there was someone else on the holodeck besides himself. That being was invisible to sensors and even the human eye if it wanted to be. The being wasn't human, or humanoid for that matter. The being, which called itself Yeti, was after Harry. Harry was trying to end the program and avoid being mobbed by his holographic colleges. Of course, Harry couldn't end the program, Yeti had made sure of that. While Harry was fighting off his friends, Yeti started off his attack. It floated stealthily around the room, judging the best time to make its move. Sneaking around wasn't really necessary, no one could see it anyway, but it just didn't feel right if that little bit of stealth wasn't there. Then, it saw it's moment, and lunged forward, right into Harry. It didn't run into Harry, but actually flew right through him. Harry straightened up into a posture so rigid that it put Seven, the Doctor, and even Tuvok to shame, then started walking out of the holodeck. Lifelessly, Harry went to his quarters and stayed there.
What Harry's body did and what Harry saw were two entirely different things. For all Harry knew, he was still on the holodeck, but with no program, no people, and no way out. A desperate scenario created by Yeti for Harry's enjoyment.
As for Yeti, it looked around the real holodeck, now devoid of any organic life. Satisfied that Harry's soul was secured within itself and his body would not attract attention, it glided through the wall containing the holographic controls and shut down and deleted the program. Yeti then went out in search of more victims.
A few hours and many devoured souls later, Yeti was growing bored. These humans were so pitiful, so easy to catch, so… pathetic. Yeti was disgusted. 'Maybe I could make this more exciting,' it thought and went to seek out Harry's body.
Yeti soon reached his destination and flew into Harry, taking control of his body. Yeti started making a few tentative attempts at moving Harry's body.
Harry took one desperate whack at the panel used to open the door to the jefferies tube that connects to the holodeck. To his surprise, it opened. Harry, not aware that it was only his soul and not his body in the holodeck, peered into the jefferies tube. A moment later, Crewman Terek came crawling out as fast as they could, almost tackling Harry.
Yeti was having trouble controlling Harry's body when suddenly it started convulsing, shaking in some mindless instinct or reflex or overload. Seeing that Harry's body would fizzle out before he could do anything with it, Yeti went out in search of someone with a stronger mind.
Yeti soon found a body that he could commandeer. He flew into engineering and then into Vorik. Vorik's body started walking, with Yeti in control. B'Elanna stopped him and asked, "What are you doing? You couldn't have finished that diagnostic already." Yeti panicked, he didn't know how to make Vorik speak, and if he did, he wouldn't know what to say or how to say it. In desperation, he reached out with a Vulcan nerve pinch and B'Elanna crumpled to the floor. They were in a secluded part of engineering, so, looking around to make sure no one had seen, Yeti left Vorik and stole B'Elanna's soul. Yeti then returned to Vorik and went to another section of engineering. B'Elanna's body made no attempt to return to her quarters.
"Where'd everybody go?" Vorik asked himself concerning the fact that he was still in engineering but the dozen of so people that were there also had disappeared. He then caught sight of B'Elanna getting picking herself up off the ground in the same place that Vorik/Yeti had attacked her in the real world. "Lieutenant," Vorik called, trying to get her attention, "Where did you come from and where is everybody else?" B'Elanna, however, heard him and cowered away in fear. "Stay back!" she screamed. "What," asked Vorik, not knowing the course of events that had brought her here. "You attacked me, a, um, Vulcan nerve pinch," accused B'Elanna, "then I was here, with you, and no one else." "I didn't attack you," said Vorik, trying to defend his position, "I was running the diagnostic you asked for, and then I looked up and everyone was gone until you appeared just a second ago." "We can't both be right," B'Elanna pointed out. "Maybe we should quit arguing and try to figure out what happened to everyone else," suggested Vorik. "Just as long as you don't pull any more nerve pinches on me," replied B'Elanna. "I'm telling you, that wasn't me," Vorik exclaimed. "Save it for later," B'Elanna said as they headed for the door.
'Not bad," thought Yeti, examining Vorik's hands, "too bad I can't just take everyone in this section, but they'd get suspicious, oh well, I could use some hard to find souls.' Yeti/Vorik left engineering just as Joe Carey found B'Elanna's body. 'Wonder what happened to her,' Yeti though, laughing to himself.
Both B'Elanna and Vorik reached the main door to engineering at roughly the same time and they both almost smashed into the door because it didn't open. After recovering from their initial shock, they moved to try both forms of manual override and eventually brute strength, but the door refused to open. "There's other ways out of here," B'Elanna said as she started moving toward a nearby jefferies tube. When she keyed in the access code, these doors too refused to open. "Someone's been giving these doors a lesson in how to be stubborn," B'Elanna muttered. "Let me try," said Vorik, moving toward the controls. "Yes, in your infinite Vulcan-ness, you'll be to get the…" she trailed off as the door slid open, "how'd you do that?" "I simply keyed in the access code," Vorik replied with half a shrug. They were both still trying to figure out how Vorik had gotten the door open when a very flustered Tal Celes stepped out and exclaimed, "How did you get the door open!" "We were just discussing that," B'Elanna replied. "No, you don't understand," Celes exclaimed, "I've been trying to get out of there for hours, I had all but given up." "That's interesting, because I couldn't get the door open either, only Vorik could," B'Elanna pointed out, happy that she wasn't the only person struggling with the doors. "From that information we can conclude that there is something about me that gives me a certain amount of control over our current situation," Vorik deduced. "Don't get too cocky," replied B'Elanna, "I'm still in charge." Celes, who had finally taken a minute to look around asked, "Where'd everybody go?" The puzzled look she got in reply was less than assuring.
"Carey to sickbay, medical emergency" "Sickbay here, what's the problem?" asked the Doctor. "I just found Lieutenant Torres, she unconscious and I can't wake her up," replied Carey. "I'll arrange for a site to site transport," said the Doctor, "standby." A moment later a ray of blue light surrounded B'Elanna and she disappeared only to reappear in sickbay a few seconds later. The Doctor immediately started scanning her with a tricorder only to find that while she was still alive, B'Elanna had no neural pattern. "Captain," called the Doctor, tapping his combadge, "could you come down to sickbay?" "On my way," Janeway replied. She arrived a few minutes later inquiring, "What is it Doctor?" "Lieutenant Torres was found unconscious in engineering, she has to neural pattern," the Doctor said in a desolate tone, "her soul is gone." After a moment of thoughtful silence, the Captain tapped her combadge and called, "Janeway to Paris, meet me in my ready room."
"We should see if we can find anyone else," suggested Vorik. "Agreed," replied B'Elanna, "since you're the only person who can open the doors, we might as well stay here, try to get as much open as you can get to." "Do you have any suggestions on how I can avoid missing anything?" Vorik asked. "Yeah, try following a wall as much as you can on a level, after you've opened everything you can get to go on to the next level you can get to," B'Elanna explained. "Is that an old Maquis trick?" asked Celes with a smile. "No," replied B'Elanna, "but it's a darn good way to get out of a maze." She tried to open the door to the jefferies tube that Vorik had already opened and smiled when it did. "Send anyone you find back here, and take a tricorder so you can chart all the places you can get to," B'Elanna commanded. Vorik nodded and left. "Now then, Celes, how have those sensors been treating you lately?" B'Elanna asked. Celes shrugged, obviously embarrassed. "No need to get uptight," B'Elanna assured her, "What do you say I try to help you turn that tiger into a kitten?"
Janeway got to her ready room a few minutes before Tom did. It gave her time to think over the devastating news that the Doctor had given her. However, Tom arrived before she had the chance to plan out what she was going to tell him. "You called for me Captain?" Tom asked. "Yes, sit down," replied Janeway indicating the sofa. As Tom tentatively sat down he said, "Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like what you're going to tell me?" Janeway took a seat next to him and turned to face him. "What I'm going to tell you concerns your wife, B'Elanna," Janeway started, rather lamely in her own opinion. "What is it?" Tom asked, struggling to put up the mask of indifference that always protected him before. "B'Elanna was found unconscious in engineering," said Janeway, "while she's still alive, essentially she is comatose without any hope of ever waking up." "What? Why? What happened? When?" Tom was spitting out questions as quickly as he could talk, all attempts at his mask forgotten. "Tom," said Janeway, trying to calm him down, "We don't know what happened, all we know is, she has no neural pattern." "How is that possible?" asked Tom, not quite accepting what happened. "The Doctor's trying to figure that out now," replied Janeway. "Can I see her?" asked Tom, his voice a little shaky. "I don't see why not," said Janeway, placing a hand on his shoulder as he buried his head in his hands. "We're going to figure out what happened and we're going to get her back somehow," Janeway assured him, hoping what she was saying was true. "Thank you, Captain," said Tom as he left. Janeway sat back against her couch, thinking 'What is out there that can literally steal someone's soul? I need some coffee."
"Lieutenant, I have opened as much of the ship as I could," called Vorik, walking toward B'Elanna. His route took him through sensor range of the main door. To his and B'Elanna's surprise, it opened. "We couldn't get that open before right?" asked B'Elanna. "No we couldn't," replied Vorik with as much confusion as a Vulcan is entitled to apparent in his voice. "Good, I thought I might be going crazy," said B'Elanna, "Now then, something must have changed between then and now, but it's a corridor, not much can change, unless…" "There's a person there now and there wasn't before," Celes finished for her from nearby. "There's hope for you yet," praised B'Elanna, "When whatever happened to us happened to us, everyone disappeared except for us. Well, what if everyone else didn't disappear, only we did, and now we're in some alternate reality or something." "Every door I could open had a person behind it," Vorik added, "but I don't see how that will help us." "It might not help us, but it will answer some questions," said B'Elanna, "For all we know, there was no engineering in this reality until Vorik and I were brought here. So it would stand to reason that there was no corridor outside engineering until someone was brought there, hence the reason we couldn't open the door until now. We were all brought here to the exact same place that we were in the other reality, so if people are going to keep being brought here, and Vorik is the only person who can open the doors, he's going to have to keep getting them out. Only problem is that there are a lot more places separated by doors and walls than there are people, we may not be able to get to everyone." "At least we have an idea of what's happening to us, the only things we don't know are why we're here and why Vorik can open the doors," said Celes. "Exactly," said B'Elanna, "I want you to ask everyone here where they were when they were brought here and at about what time, put it in a tricorder and see if you can find any pattern." "Why me?" asked Celes. "I'd say it's high time you got a real project," replied B'Elanna, "besides, there are restricted areas down that corridor and more direct routes to personal quarters, all places that you need access codes to get into, codes that Vorik doesn't have." As Vorik and B'Elanna left, Celes looked fearfully at the groups of people before moving into their midst to begin her task.
Tom paused outside of sickbay trying to gather enough nerve to open the door. Finally suppressing the butterflies in his stomach, he stepped in range of the door. As it slid open to reveal the interior of sickbay, all hope of having the courage to even get through the door was lost. The feeling was accentuated by the butterflies in his stomach not only flying around, but also doing gymnastics. Making a futile attempt to control his shaking body, Tom slinked inside like a teenager who knew he had been caught sneaking out. Luckily for Tom, the Doctor was in his office and hadn't seen his rather undignified entrance. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm his frazzled nerves, Tom finally looked over to where B'Elanna was laying on a biobed. When he saw her still form, all of the dignity he had managed to muster up left in a fleeting hurry as the brutal reality of the situation finally set in. Tom ran unceremoniously to her side. He managed to take her hand and kiss it before a wave of grief swept over him and he collapsed on the floor. The Doctor, who had been aware of Tom's presence from the moment he walked in ever though he didn't let on, now came over to find Tom curled up in a ball and sitting against the wall. Unsure of exactly how to proceed, the Doctor simply offered his hand. Tom looked up and took the proffered extremity. The Doctor pulled Tom to his feet and guided him to the nearest biobed. "If there is anything I can do…" the Doctor tailed off. Tom simply nodded, staring at B'Elanna's still form. The Doctor left and came back a minute later with the chair from his office which he put next to B'Elanna's biobed and gestured for Tom to sit down in it. As Tom got up off the biobed and sat down in the chair, he said, "There is something you can do, you can figure out what happened to her and see if you can get her back, or at least make it so no one else ends up like this." The Doctor tried a reassuring smile and failed miserably, so instead he patted Tom's arm and said, "I'll find you some answers." It tore the Doctor up inside to see Tom like this, especially since he knew he couldn't do anything about it. 'Maybe I can get someone who can,' he thought as he stepped into his office. Even though he wasn't sure if Tom wanted anyone to be brought into this right now the Doctor tapped his combadge and said, "Doctor to Ensign Kim." When there was no answer, he said, "Ensign, respond." There was still no reply. "Where are these people when I need them?" the Doctor muttered, "Computer, locate Ensign Kim." "Ensign Kim is in his quarters," the computer replied crisply. The Doctor absent-mindedly made his way to his chair and sat down on thin air, which very quickly turned into floor. He found himself in an undignified heap on the floor. 'The things I go through for these people,' he thought as he picked himself up off the floor. "Computer, create a holographic replica of the chair that is usually in my office," the Doctor called. He smiled as it shimmered into existence. Sitting down, he turned his attention to the monitor on his desk. His smile quickly faded when he saw the information there. "What?" he asked himself, "He's supposed to be on duty in astrometrics right now, what's he doing in his quarters?" A hypothesis already forming in his mind, the Doctor called, "Computer, monitor the movements of every crewmember and in five minutes, tell me how many people have not moved at all." Bringing up his scans of B'Elanna on his monitor, he went over them again, looking for details which might have slipped by him the first time over. He was appalled by what he found. Looking through the glass at Tom holding B'Elanna's hand and stroking her hair, the Doctor could hardly believe that part of the story was linked to a Vulcan nerve pinch.
B'Elanna and Vorik were n the process of trying to open the doors that connected to the corridor that they had just been able to get to. "I can't help but wonder why we haven't seen whoever is in here," Vorik thought out loud. "It's a long corridor, how about you keep trying the doors while I go look for them," B'Elanna replied and disappeared down the corridor. Vorik continued not to quickly onward without any luck. 'These are all storage rooms, no one is usually in here, but if someone is, I do have to get them out,' he thought, becoming bored of his tedious task. He was about to push the call button on a turbolift when the door opened. Confused, he looked inside and found the turbolift was empty. "What the…" he muttered, resisting the urge to scratch his head. When he inspected the escape hatch, he found it had not been opened. Vorik shrugged and made a mental note to tell B'Elanna when he caught up to her.
B'Elanna was beginning to wonder how many places this guy could be. It's a corridor not a maze, although the same could not be said for the rest of the ship. As she continued her search, something caught her eye and made her do a double take in Question. She thought that a jefferies tube door had opened as she walked past. This was strange on two accounts; first, you usually have to push a button to open a jefferies tube, and second, she couldn't open doors. However, as she backed up, it opened again. Deciding to investigate, she climbed in. It did not take her long to realize that there was no one in there with her. "Where did that Vulcan learn how to count," she muttered. As she started crawling out she started thinking out loud, "Wait, this is a big corridor, so when whoever was brought here was taken here it would stand to reason that some of the doors were open because of somebody else and those doors open by sensors and not commands." "Sometimes my own brilliance scares me," said B'Elanna as she stepped out the jefferies tube and into Chell. "Yes, your brilliance scares me too sometimes," he remarked snobbily. "Fancy meeting you here," B'Elanna replied, then after a pause exclaimed, "that was insubordination, Crewman." "My most humble apologies," Chell replied. "Forgiven," said B'Elanna, crossing her arms, "is there anyone in this corridor with you?" "No one, where is everybody?" Chell asked. "We're trying to figure that out now," replied B'Elanna, withholding the whole truth, "report to engineering and wait for further instructions. Chell turned and walked off and left B'Elanna to slap herself in the face. What she didn't realize was that Vorik had caught up to her just as Chell left. "Is there a problem, Lieutenant?" he asked. 'Did I take bad timing pills this morning?" B'Elanna thought, but said, "No, um, let's keep checking." As they moved on down the corridor, B'Elanna couldn't help but think, 'Caught twice acting less than professional in front of my subordinates in five minutes, I'm doing really bad today.'
Captain Janeway walked into sickbay, and after one sympathetic look at B'Elanna with Tom sitting next to her, disappeared into the Doctor's office. "Ah, Captain, thank you for being so prompt," said the Doctor, trying to sound pleasant even though his face was grim. "Your call sounded urgent," Janeway replied, "have you found something?" "Unfortunately, I have," said the Doctor. "Unfortunately?" echoed the Captain. "You might want to sit down for this Captain. It would seem that a part of B'Elanna's condition is caused by a Vulcan nerve pinch," the Doctor explained. "A Vulcan nerve pinch?" Janeway echoed thoughtfully, which earned her a rather strange look from the Doctor. "Um," she continued, trying to redeem herself, "It couldn't of been Tuvok, he was on the bridge the whole shift, I was there. So that leaves Vorik." "But that doesn't account for the fact that B'Elanna has no neural pattern, a nerve pinch knocks you out, it doesn't steal your soul," the Doctor pointed out. "Then Vorik is only half the story," Janeway moaned. "Maybe not exactly," replied the Doctor, "There may be reason to believe that Vorik has been possessed." "Possessed?" Janeway asked, then mentally chastised herself. The Doctor, fighting to suppress a smile, replied, "Internal sensor records show that he left engineering before his shift ended and no report shows that he was given permission. Since then he has been wandering, seemingly aimlessly, around the ship. Vorik would never do that." "And whatever's possessed him has taken her soul," Janeway finished, finally catching on. The computer interrupted saying, "Request complete, fifty seven crewmembers have not changed position during the allotted time; Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, Ensign Harry Kim, Crewman Chell, Crewman Tal Celes, Ensign…" The Doctor pushed a button on his computer to shut off the vocal interface. "Fifty seven is too many people to be a coincidence," he pointed out. "I thought we already established that it wasn't a coincidence," the Captain replied with the same strange look he had given her a few minutes earlier. "I'll send a medical team out to retrieve the effected people," the Doctor said, searching fruitlessly for some excuse on his desk to keep from looking the Captain in the eye. "I'll have Tuvok send a security team to apprehend Vorik," Janeway replied, "In the meantime, try to find a way to get these people back."
"You'll never guess what I learned how to do in school, Mommy!" Naomi Wildman exclaimed. "Let's see, stop a warp core breach? Defeat the Borg? Negotiate a peace treaty? Make spaghetti?" Samantha Wildman asked playfully, all her suggestions receiving no as an answer. "I learned how to word a transporter!" Naomi cried, jumping up and down with excitement. "A transporter huh?" Samantha replied, "Next time we have an away mission, I know who I want in charge of the transporter room." They reached their quarters a few minutes later. As soon as the door opened, Naomi dove at a picture that was lying on the table and shielded it from view. "Don't look," she commanded, "it's supposed to be a surprise." "Alright, I won't peek," Samantha replied, sitting down on the couch as Naomi got out her crayons and started coloring the picture. Samantha smiled and reached for a padd that was lying on the table. She was soon reading Chicken Soup for the Mother's soul CCXXXVI (236). Outside the Wildman's quarters, Yeti, still in Vorik's body, was grumbling, concerning the people he had captured, "How could they get to each other? Why aren't they going crazy? They have to be insane before they are of any good to me!" Leaving Vorik looking like he was working at a nearby terminal, Yeti set off to look for another victim and happened upon the Wildman's quarters. Slipping inside, Yeti surveyed the room quickly. He soon saw the perfect victim; she even had her head in her arm so she wouldn't move any when he took her soul. Seizing the opportunity, Yeti flew through Naomi's head and headed back to Vorik. A few minutes later, Neelix called Samantha over the com. The chirp of her com-badge caused her to jump and hide her book, replacing it with the readings from a decoy sensor diagnostic. After regaining her composure, she responded saying, "Yes Neelix?" "I believe we had a date for dinner?" Neelix replied. "Is it eighteen-hundred already? I'm sorry Neelix, Naomi and I will be right there," she said cutting the link, "You heard him Naomi, time for dinner." Naomi, however, didn't answer. Figuring that she had fallen asleep, Samantha walked over and shook her to no avail. Samantha then tickled her, only to find that this was no joke. Lifting her eyelids, Samantha was horrified to find that Naomi's eyes were clouded over. Gathering Naomi in her arms, she transported herself and Naomi directly to sickbay. By the time she got there, there were tears welled up in her eyes. The Doctor immediately came up and started scanning Naomi with a tricorder and asking what happened at the same time. "I'm not sure, one minute she was coloring and the next she just wasn't there." "Not there would be an accurate description," the Doctor replied, taking Naomi from Samantha's arms and putting her on a biobed, "While all of her vital signs are fine, it would seem that her soul has bee stolen." "How is that possible?" Samantha asked. "We're trying to figure that out," the Doctor replied. "Wait, this has happened before?" said Samantha. "Unfortunately, yes," he replied, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Her condition is stable, as fat as her body goes. You can stay here or leave and I'll give you a leave of absence form duty if you wish." Samantha nodded and walked past him to stand at the foot of her daughter's bed, the harsh reality starting to sink in. Tapping her combadge she said, "Wildman to Neelix, I'm afraid we're not going to be able to come to dinner tonight." "Alright," Neelix replied, "What happened." "I'd rather not explain right now," Samantha said, her voice shaky, "Wildman out." The Doctor's and Samantha's conversation had aroused Tom attention, so when Samantha got done talking to Neelix, he stood up and walked over to her. Samantha sensing a presence turned to find Tom next to her. "Why are you here?" she asked, noting his blotchy face and disheveled appearance and looking behind him at the person on the biobed. "Well, uh, you see," he stammered in reply, gesturing behind him. Samantha walked past him to get a better look. "Oh my goodness," she exclaimed finally being able to see who it was, "Lieutenant, I'm so sorry." "It's okay," he replied, "I'll be alright, eventually. I'm the one who should be sorry for you." Samantha finally broke down and cried, "She was only five, she didn't even get the chance to really live yet. To think that after all she's been through, this would he her undoing." Pulling her into a comforting hug, Tom said, "They're going to figure out what happened to them and maybe even get them back." "Maybe we can help," Samantha exclaimed. "I think we're both too close to the situation to be of any help to anyone, but if you do come up with anything I'm sure that the Captain or the Doctor would be glad to hear it," Tom explained solemnly. "I've got an idea," Samantha replied. "Well figure this out," Tom said, giving her a pitiful attempt at a reassuring smile. Samantha returned the favor and then left.
"That's the last door," Vorik said after he and B'Elanna had come as far as they could down the corridor, "A while ago, I found a turbolift that opened, but there was no one in it." "A turbolift?" B'Elanna exclaimed, "Did you say a turbolift? Let's go!" They reached the turbolift a few minutes later, with B'Elanna dragging Vorik behind her. They scrambled inside and B'Elanna called out, "Deck…" "Wait!" Vorik commanded, which earned him a warning look from B'Elanna, "What if there isn't a turboshaft?" "Then it won't go won't go, if we've learned anything it's that. Deck nine," said B'Elanna. When there was no resounding hum of the turbolift moving or of the computer acknowledging her request, she tried manipulating the manual controls, still to no avail. Sinking down against the wall, she muttered, "Of course not, that would've been too easy." "When you leaned against the wall it usually would make a hollow sound, but it didn't, it was like there was something blocking the sound," Vorik said thoughtfully. "That's weird, so there's nothing on the other side but that nothing is solid, er, I'm confused," B'Elanna moaned. "Maybe we're just thinking too hard, perhaps whatever universe this is ends right on the other side of these walls," Vorik pointed out. "You're probably right," B'Elanna replied, "We're not going to be able to use the turbolifts, people usually don't go crawling around in turboshafts when the turbolifts are online, at least not if they value their life." "Guess I'd better keep checking jefferies tubes," Vorik groaned. "Jefferies tubes!" B'Elanna exclaimed, "The jefferies tube I was standing in front of when you caught up to me, we missed it! Let's go!" B'Elanna tore out of the turbolift with Vorik in tow once again. Upon reaching the jefferies tube in question, B'Elanna exclaimed, "Do your magic." The outermost door opened unsurprisingly when they entered range and they climbed in. "Any idea why the computer isn't working?" Vorik asked. "As a matter of fact, I do," replied B'Elanna, "The room where the main computer is holds only the main computer. Unless there's something wrong with it and there almost never is, there's no point in anyone going in there. So the main computer isn't working because in this reality there is no main computer." They both didn't expect to get very far, so when they found themselves at a junction with a ladder, they couldn't help but be amazed. "Maybe there was a diagnostic on the astrometrics sensors going on when these people were taken," B'Elanna said as soon as a person they had just found was out of hearing range. "I would think you would know that for sure," Vorik pointed out. "Well pardon me, Mr. High and Mighty. I know that there was one scheduled for today, just not when. Ops is in charge of the astrometrics sensors, I only fix them when they get messed up. Not to mention the fact that I don't know when these people were brought here," B'Elanna grumbled. Soon, they reached deck nine and made it to the corridor without a hitch. "That was almost too easy," Vorik said in awe. "I suppose they were keeping the doors open so they could talk to each other without using the com system," B'Elanna replied, "Why argue? We got here. Now then, personal quarters." "How are we going to do this?" Vorik asked. "It'd probably be easiest if you key my override code into the access panel by the door," B'Elanna replied. After B'Elanna gave him her code and vowed to change it as soon as they got out of this, Vorik began trying to open the doors and B'Elanna wandered a little way down the corridor. A noise caused B'Elanna to pause. When she heard it again she called, "Vorik, come here, I think K can hear someone in here." "I thought these walls were sound proof," Vorik said, slightly confused. "Well they're not, I learned that the hard way," B'Elanna replied, then had to use all the mental discipline she had to keep from banging her head against a wall. "Oops," Vorik muttered, "sometimes I sing Bajoran opera while I'm in my quarters." It took more willpower that B'Elanna knew she had to keep her mouth from dropping open. "Let's, um, let's get this door open," said B'Elanna. As Vorik started manipulating the controls, it finally occurred to B'Elanna who's quarters this was. With a start, she placed the sound she had heard, a child crying. "Oh God, it's Naomi Wildman," she gasped, "Vorik, hurry!" As soon as the door opened she stepped inside with as much grace and calm as she could muster during an adrenaline rush. What she found caused her heart to sink. There on the floor was little Naomi curled up in a ball, sobbing uncontrollably. Approaching quietly and crouching down next to her, B'Elanna said, "Hey sweetie, what's wrong?" Naomi looked up, tears sliding down her cheeks. After sniffing loudly, with a shaky voice Naomi replied, "I was coloring and when I looked up my mommy was gone and I didn't hear her leave, she always tells me if she's going somewhere. And the computer didn't answer, so I couldn't find out where she went. When I tried to leave the door wouldn't open." B'Elanna went over to the table and got Naomi's Flotter doll. Sitting on the sofa and pulling Naomi up on her lap, B'Elanna gave her the doll and a hug. Pulling their faces so close that Naomi's spiked forehead was almost touching her own ridged one, B'Elanna said, "We think we've been transported to an alternate universe, but we're going to get back somehow. We'll find your mommy, but for now you can stay with me, okay?" Naomi nodded. Wiping the tears off Naomi's face, B'Elanna couldn't help but admire how brave Naomi was trying to be. Since she could have been twenty for all that she had experienced, it was sometimes hard to remember that Naomi was only five years old. 'The same age I was when my father left,' B'Elanna couldn't help but think, 'and now here she is without the slightest clue as to where the only relative she's ever known is. As unwilling as I am to admit it, I couldn't have gotten through the loss of my father if my mother wasn't there, maybe I can d the same for Naomi.' Standing up with Naomi in her arms, B'Elanna walked over to Vorik who had come in a little after her and said, "Keep trying to get people out, we're going back to engineering." Vorik nodded in acknowledgement but kept staring strait forward. Following his gaze, B'Elanna found what had captured Vorik's attention so fully. It was the stars, of lack thereof. On the other side of the windows was only inky blackness with out the welcome respite of the stars. "That's rather disconcerting," B'Elanna groaned, "Um, don't let it get to you." B'Elanna and Naomi started toward engineering, leaving Vorik to take one last look out the window. Once they were in the corridor, Naomi, still in B'Elanna's arms, asked, "Why aren't there any stars?" "Well, we think that the alternate universe we're in is only as big as the parts of the ship that people are in. Since we we're at warp before, there wasn't anybody outside and there probably won't be. So until we get back, there won't be any stars," B'Elanna replied as they reached the jefferies tube the B'Elanna and Vorik had come by, "I can't carry you through the jefferies tubes, you'll have to crawl for yourself." Naomi nodded and B'Elanna set her down. "What's wrong with the turbolifts?" Naomi asked as she crawled into the jefferies tube. "We think they don't have a turboshaft for them to run in," B'Elanna replied. "I don't think I've ever been to engineering, what's it like?" Naomi wondered aloud. "You'll be able to see for yourself as soon as we get there," said B'Elanna, relieved that Naomi's mind seemed to be off of her mother. "Did my Mom work there?" Naomi asked, somewhat tearfully. After B'Elanna finished chewing herself out for speaking too soon, she replied, "No, your mother is an xenobiologist, she works in sickbay." "A xenbilogst?" Naomi asked, stumbling over the words. "Xenobiologist, she studies alien species," B'Elanna replied with a smile. "Maybe she's somewhere here too, could we check?" Naomi asked. "We could try," replied B'Elanna. Tapping her combadge, B'Elanna called, "Torres to…" She stopped because there was no resounding click of a connection being made. B'Elanna tried again with the same result. "I'm sorry Naomi," B'Elanna said sadly, "the com system isn't working." "But then I can't find out what happened to her, and she can't know that I'm okay," Naomi moaned, completely crying once again. "She might still be on the real Voyager and they're trying to figure out what happened to us and how to get us back," B'Elanna replied as they reached a ladder. "You really think so?" Naomi wondered aloud. "Well, there has to be at least thirty of us here, not accounting for everyone that we haven't gotten to or can't get to. Someone would have noticed that we're missing," B'Elanna replied upon reaching the bottom of the ladder, "Come on, engineering is just through that jefferies tube."
"Tuvok to all security personnel, apprehend Ensign Vorik, his location is deck two section thirteen, near the mess hall." "I'm coming with you, Tuvok," Chakotay said and they left the bridge together. Arriving a few minutes later at the corridor just outside the mess hall, they found that security teams had already surrounded Vorik. "Keep your phasers on stun," Tuvok commanded. Chakotay started walking toward Vorik slowly and unarmed. "Stand down, Vorik," he said. Yeti wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't understand these people's language, end even if he did, he still didn't know how to make Vorik speak. Seeing no other choice, Yeti left Vorik. Since Yeti didn't bother to make to necessary muscles work to keep Vorik standing, Vorik's body stayed upright for a moment, then seemed to loose it's balance, toppling right into Chakotay, knocking him to the floor. "Not cool," was all Chakotay could get out before Yeti swept through him and stole his soul. Seeing that neither of the two men were moving, Tuvok bent over and scanned them with a tricorder. Not exactly sure what he was looking at because the Doctor and the Captain hadn't told the crew at large what was going on, Tuvok had them both transported to sickbay. Dismissing the security personnel, Tuvok walked off with the objective of finding out exactly what was going on. Yeti, having had a taste of what it was like to have a physical body wasn't about to give it up easily. Seeing another one of the species he could control, soon caught up with Tuvok and replaced Tuvok's consciousness with his own. Happy to once again control a physical body, Yeti/Tuvok walked off.