Welcome to Voyager Virtual Season 7.5. Our
goal is to redo Voyager's seventh and final season to fit our vision of what
could have been. The first four episodes are set before Shattered, then we split
completely from official canon.
Sit back, put your feet up and enjoy the
final part of Passages.
Prologue
Kathryn Janeway kicked
aside another piece of debris that lay directly in her path. It rolled out of
the way with a satisfying clank, and she stopped for a moment to catch her
breath. "These passageways obviously haven't been used in years," she noted.
"Except as a garbage dump." B'Elanna picked up a chunk of machinery.
"This looks like a piece from a Kraylor ship. The Zornon aren't pirates,
Captain, they're cannibals." She tossed the offending piece away in
disgust.
Janeway pushed herself off the boulder upon which she had been
leaning. "Okay, let's keep going, B'Elanna. I'm really ready for that bath
now."
"Yes, Ma'am," B'Elanna replied. "I'm with you."
They
continued their journey, having to stop periodically to clear their way through
rocks, debris and pieces of wreckage that blocked their path. They had been
traveling for more than an hour when they arrived at a steep set of stairs built
into the face of a cliff that dropped off directly in front of them. The steps
were in total disrepair, and the way down looked extremely hazardous. There were
a few remnants of railing at various levels, but many steps were missing, and
those that were left were either broken or rotting away. Janeway ran her
tricorder over the surface of the rock and didn't look at all pleased with her
findings.
"It's an extremely porous material," she reported, "Not too
stable," she added. She gingerly set foot on the first step and frowned as she
felt the rocks and stones slither out from beneath her.
Torres had taken
out her tricorder and done her own scan. "I'm afraid it's the only way to get to
where we need to go. Careful Captain," she added, as Janeway slid onto the next
step.
They were both quiet as they proceeded carefully down the stairs.
They had managed to make it more than halfway when Torres stepped hard on a
pebble and lost her balance. She twisted her body to break the fall and landed
heavily on the edge of the stair. There was nothing to grip and she rolled over
the side, clawing desperately at the earth as she fell. She managed, somehow, to
throw herself forward and caught herself on a ledge about a meter beneath the
staircase. Janeway, who was directly below her when she fell, lost her balance
as well, but managed to remain on the track. She turned back immediately,
carefully put the Zornon tool kit down, and crawled cautiously back up to where
Torres had gone over.
"B'Elanna?" she called.
"I'm here
Captain."
Janeway breathed a sigh of relief. "Hold on. I've got to make
sure that this step can hold the two of us."
She tested it carefully and
inched her way towards the edge. The rocks and pebbles shifted under her weight
and showered down below. Part of the step that she was on disappeared and she
moved upward to the next one.
"Captain, make that three water
rations."
"You're pushing it, Lieutenant!"
Janeway carefully
removed her jacket and wrapped it around her wrist. She braced her body on a
piece of railing that was thankfully still solidly upright on the stairs near
her. She inched towards the edge again and lowered the jacket to
Torres.
"Grab it now, B'Elanna."
B'Elanna grabbed onto the jacket
and pulled herself into a sitting position. She grasped Janeway's outstretched
hand. As the Captain strained to pull her up, the stress on the railing caused
it to collapse. Janeway managed to help Torres up onto the stair, but the
collapsed railing had landed on top of her. Both women lay still for a moment,
catching their breath.
Torres sat up, still breathing heavily. "Thanks.
You okay?"
"I'm fine. If you could just move this railing off my
back..."
B'Elanna carefully shifted herself over to the cliff side of the
steps and then pulled at the fallen railing. It was heavier than she had thought
and it took some effort to remove it. She slid it over the edge and it fell
heavily down the side of the cliff. Janeway sat up gingerly.
Torres
flipped open her tricorder and scanned again.
"I'm detecting Zornon life
forms several tunnels over. They're looking for us."
Janeway got up
slowly and picked up the Zornon toolbox. "Let's go, B'Elanna. That bathtub is
waiting for me."
Act 1
Harry Kim and the Doctor were side
by side in sickbay. Each was concentrating intently on the data that streamed
out of their consoles. Tom Paris was hovering over directly over Harry's
shoulder.
"Any sign of anything yet, Harry?"
"Not yet Tom. But
we've only done some preliminary work up scans. I'm re-calibrating the skeletal
locking program the B'Elanna developed now. It might be able to detect some
trace of the away team that the regular system can't."
"Well don't forget
that B'Elanna's bone density might be a bit different than the
Captain's."
"Don't worry, Tom, we've accounted for that."
"And
don't forget to compensate for the extra gravitational pull. Zorno seems to have
..."
"Mr. Paris. Don't you have anything else to do?" The Doctor had
little patience, and Tom was testing it to its limits. "You are a perfect
example of that old adage 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing'. Mr. Kim and
I know what we are doing. The best contribution that you can make to this
project is to stay out of our way."
"Tom." Harry's tone was kind. "He's
right, you know. We're going to get them out of there. You should be more
worried about how you're going to tell B'Elanna about her event in the Delta
Games."
"Yeah. I know Harry. It's just that I..."
Tom Paris
watched for a moment longer as his friends resumed their work. He knew there was
nothing he could do here, but it was frustrating to feel so useless. He turned
and left sickbay.
"Okay. I've entered all the variables, Doctor." Kim
looked up and addressed the medic. "Have you added their most recent
bio-scans?"
"I did a routine scan of Lieutenant Torres last week, just
before she started working on the conversion matrix. Unfortunately, the
Captain's data is not quite so current."
"Should be okay." Kim entered
the data into his console. "Now. I'm going to open a subspace link to Zornon.
I've adjusted the frequency to three levels above the last communication wave
that we used. They shouldn't detect it for a minute or so.
Ready?"
"Ready."
Kim's fingers flew over his console. They were
both silent as they waited for the results of their efforts.
"Nothing,
Mr. Kim."
"Damn. It's that cloaking device. It's blocking the scan. Even
when I intensify the signal..." He looked up suddenly. "Cut the link Doctor,
they've detected us."
~*~
B'Elanna worked her way around an
outcropping of rock that nearly blocked their path. They had been making their
way slowly but steadily through the underground passageways of Zorno towards
their destination. She and Janeway had taken turns leading, and Janeway was now
in the rear. The captain was limping slightly, but as yet, Torres hadn't
noticed, or if she had, she hadn't commented on it. Janeway hoped that would
continue.
"I'm reading a slight increase in the energy levels of the air
currents," B'Elanna observed. "We must be getting closer to the
source."
Janeway checked her tricorder, glad for the opportunity to stop
for a moment. "I've got life forms heading south about 2500 meters from
here."
"The junction is west of here. They must not have detected us.
Yet."
"Let's go." The Captain moved forward to take the
lead.
"You're hurt." Torres' tone was accusatory.
"I'm fine. Let's
go."
B'Elanna didn't move. "You're not fine. Let me see. You must have
done it on the stairs. Didn't you?
"It's nothing. A bruise. We've got to
keep moving."
"Let me help you, Captain."
Janeway hesitated for a
moment. She nodded and handed the handed the Zornon tool kit to Torres. And
started to walk again.
B'Elanna watched her go, shook her head in
frustration, and followed her down the corridor.
~*~
The holodeck
simulation of Engineering that Seven of Nine had constructed was relatively
quiet when Harry Kim arrived there in response to Seven of Nine's hail. She had
programmed it mid-way into beta shift and Harry could see that she had also
co-opted Torres' well-trained staff who had her department well in hand. Kim
laughed softly to himself it definitely was Torres' department and no one was
liable to forget that, even if it was only a simulation; even when said
lieutenant was off duty; or even when she was off the ship. He shook his head
and brought himself out of his reverie. B'Elanna and the Captain were off the
ship, and they had to get them back. Soon.
Seven was at B'Elanna's
station. She had obviously been there for quite some time, as was evidenced by
an open tool kit, several PADDS, and the fact that none of the engineering staff
were anywhere near her.
"Mr. Kim, I have reviewed the data several times
and have found that the fluctuation variance level..."
"Is exactly three
point six milliseconds in each of the tests," he finished for her. "I've seen
that too Seven. So what would have caused Zorno to de-cloak? Each of the tests
we ran was identical to the next one except that we increased power to the EPS
relays by three degrees to account for gravimetric shear."
"When I
simulate the final run there is no noticeable atmospheric effect," Seven told
him.
"Okay." He thought for a moment. "Try it again and adjust for
atmospheric variance."
"That should make no difference,
Ensign."
"Try it anyway Seven."
"I will recalibrate the
electroplasma systems caps as well," she offered.
"Good idea." Kim
watched her work. "Have you been assigned to an Olympic team yet,
Seven?"
"Mr. Paris has assigned me to the water polo team. I informed him
that I do not swim, and indeed, have no love of the water."
Harry
couldn't help smiling. "I can't imagine that a Borg would like the water. Might
rust or something."
"I beg your pardon?"
"It was a joke. Anyhow,
never mind. Water polo doesn't involve too much swimming, Seven. It's fun. You
might like it."
"I doubt it." She finished her calculations. "I have
reprogrammed the system. Begin simulation."
"Fire," Harry
instructed.
Act 2
Kathryn Janeway groaned as she and Torres
worked together to lift a large piece of fuselage and move it out of their path.
The pain in her back had gradually worsened, but she had, she thought,
successfully hidden her distress from her lieutenant. Torres, however, was not
buying it. They finally managed to shift the wreckage enough to slither by
it.
"Captain. I just want to take a couple of readings here. Can we stop
for a minute?"
"Just for a moment. I'm not sure if the effects of
Doctor's immunization injections are going to wear off soon." Janeway's tone was
stern. "Don't protect me, B'Elanna." But she sat down on a rock and leaned back
against the corridor wall.
"You need to rest Captain. I think you've got
more than just a bruise there. Why do you push yourself like
that?"
Janeway ignored the concern in Torres' voice. "I think we've got
to get to that convergence point." She activated her scanner. "The search party
is getting closer." She closed the device and re-holstered it. "I'll have lots
of time to rest when we get back to Voyager." It was a small
concession.
"But you won't," B'Elanna
muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing." Torres had been busy with her
tricorder. "Captain. I've got an idea."
"Go ahead."
"Tuvok
enhanced the communications relays in our tricorders. I think I can..." she
entered some numbers into her machine, "re-set it to bounce our signals so that
the Zornon's can't trace our exact location." She worked some more.
"I
said that you won't rest when we get back to the ship." B'Elanna didn't look up
as she spoke. "You'll just go on to the next thing. And the next. You've got to
take a break, Captain. Do you think the crew won't understand?"
Janeway
got up slowly. "B'Elanna..." Torres ignored the warning in her voice.
"We
know that you're totally dedicated to Voyager. And to getting us home. But ...
sometimes it seems..." B'Elanna couldn't have stopped if she had wanted to. It
was as if a dam had broken. She needed to talk to the Captain, as she hadn't
been able to in years. She hadn't realized she had missed their slowly
blossoming friendship until it had disappeared, and she was damned if she wasn't
going to try to re-establish something while she had the chance. "As if you've
lost yourself in the process. Most of us have made lives for ourselves out here.
You've got to make one too."
"I have to set an example to the crew..."
Janeway's voice was slightly hoarse.
They had started to walk again,
Janeway in the lead. The going was rough, and they had to pick their way through
carefully, but B'Elanna kept talking. Perhaps it would be easier to say what she
had to say to Kathryn's back.
"Captain, we couldn't have a better
example. But you have to show the crew...show us that it's okay to enjoy life in
the Delta Quadrant."
"I've participated in Talent Night, and the Doctor's
lectures and..."
"Those are diversions," B'Elanna continued quickly. "But
we've also got Sandrine's, and that silly resort of Tom's. And we never see you
there any more. You've always got one more report to read. Or another evaluation
to do. The crew, well, we notice these things."
"I see..." Janeway said
slowly.
"We've all made the best of our situation out here, and we've
found a measure of contentment. It's obvious to all of us that you haven't.
We're..." B'Elanna stopped for a moment and laughed softly.
Another
large boulder suddenly blocked their way. They worked silently together to move
the obstacle from their path. It was arduous work and by the time they finished
both were breathing heavily. They resumed their march until Janeway suddenly
stumbled on a log-sized piece of piping. Torres caught her before she fell and
the Captain leaned against her for a moment, thankful for the
support.
"I... we understand why you do it, Captain," B'Elanna said
softly. "But sometimes 'for the good of the ship' just isn't good enough. We
miss you. I miss you."
Janeway said nothing, but her expression softened
in response to B'Elanna's words.
"Besides that, we really need you to
teach Tom a lesson at the pool table again. Much as I love him," she grinned and
Janeway responded in kind," He's become quite insufferable
recently."
They negotiated yet another blockage. Both women were tired,
but neither was willing to rest.
"Well, B'Elanna," Janeway puffed a bit
as they worked their way up a sharp incline. "When we get back to Voyager I'll
see what I can do about Mr. Paris! And I'll tell you what else." She paused for
a moment to regain her breath. "I'm going to set up a new fitness programme. And
I'll invite the entire crew to join me."
"Captain, I think you'll be
surprised!"
~*~
Harry Kim and Seven of Nine had decided to take a
break. Actually Harry had insisted on the break and Seven had acquiesced only
when Harry had deactivated the holodeck simulation. They were in the mess hall
and Neelix, who had been bustling around his kitchen when they arrived, came out
to greet them as they sat down. He was carrying a small tray.
"Here you
are. I'm trying some new recipes this week. I've heard Mr. Paris refer several
times recently to comfort food. I understand that it's a 20th century term. And
since we're preparing for the Delta Games, which are based upon another 20th
century tradition, I thought it might be appropriate to prepare and serve some
of this comfort food to the crew."
Harry reached for a bowl and passed it
across the table to Seven. He took the other one and set it down in front of
himself.
"Thanks Neelix." Harry looked down and
frowned.
"Umm...What is it?"
"It's pea soup. With Denrobian garlic
croutons."
Seven tapped lightly on the top of her soup with the spoon
that Neelix handed her. "I think comfort food might be a misnomer," she
commented.
Harry suddenly sat up straighter. "Seven, do that
again."
"Do what, Mr. Kim?"
"Your soup. Hit your
soup."
Seven raised her spoon tentatively and hit at her soup. "Do you
mean like this?" she asked.
"Yes. Now do it again."
Seven frowned
at him, but did as she was asked.
"And again."
"I don't
understand." Neelix was extremely puzzled.
"Watch," Harry said excitedly.
"Watch the croutons. Each time Seven disturbs the surface of her soup, the
croutons are displaced. And by the third time, they are turning over in the
liquid. The cumulative effect of the rippling affects their
position."
"So," Seven caught on quickly. "It wasn't one particular trial
that Lieutenant Torres ran that caused the planet to uncloak, but the combined
intensity of the tests."
"That's it." Kim replied. And if we can
replicate the timing and aggregation of those tests, we should be able to
disable the cloak, and maybe even the orbital lock."
Harry put his own
spoon down and stood up. "Let's go, Seven."
"But... your soup." Neelix
distress was evident. "Couldn't you at least try the soup?"
"The soup was
great Neelix. Just what we needed," Harry said as he and Seven hurried out of
the mess hall, leaving the Talaxian standing sadly over the two bowls of his
still untested 'comfort food.'
~*~
"We made it." B'Elanna couldn't
suppress a sigh of relief as she helped Janeway through the entrance of what
appeared to be a surveillance center. Janeway hobbled to a bench on one side of
the room and eased herself down. She immediately activated her tricorder and
began to scan. B'Elanna leaned against a wall, and did the same.
The
room appeared to be an observatory. It was dominated by a very large telescope
which was pointed upwards at a sharp angle, its nose protruding from an opening
in a skylight ten meters above them. The scope emitted a soft steady pulse
approximately every 30 seconds. There were several consoles at its base.
"Captain, this is amazing." B'Elanna circled the room slowly. "I've seen
some of this technology before. There are components from Malon, Qomar and
Kraylor technology, but the Zornon have managed to put it together and come up
with an incredibly sophisticated tracking system. Voyager could really use some
of this."
Janeway pointed her scanner towards the door. "B'Elanna, we
have about eight minutes before the Zornons find us. Can we contact Voyager and
get out of here?"
"I think so." Torres was standing over the console
closest to the scope. "Captain. If we could decode their schematics, I think
that I could download the parameters into our tricorders. If I could install
this into Voyager's early warning system ..."
"Stealing from the
Pirates, B'Elanna?" Janeway grinned at her.
"I.. uhhh..."
"Do it."
Janeway grinned again. She got up from her bench and approached one of the
consoles next to the telescope. She activated it and started to read the data
that streamed across its screen. "This contains a schematic for the entire
corridor system," she said.
"There seems to be a break in their shields
about half a kilometer from here. If we can send those co-ordinates to Voyager
...they should be able to beam us out from there."
Janeway activated her
tricorder once again. "I think I can set up a relay along the carrier wave that
is emanating from the pulse on the scope." She reached for the Zornon toolkit
and dragged it to her side. "Let me see what's in here..." She started to work
on the scope.
B'Elanna peered over Janeway's shoulder. "No. Captain. You
have to bypass the transmitter in order to justify the integrity of the link.
And make sure the particle beam isn't fractured."
"Understood." Janeway
nodded and went back to work. After a minute or two she paused and picked up her
scanner. "The Zornons are five corridors from here. How are you doing B'Elanna?"
she asked.
Torres was underneath her console. "I'm getting there. Our
signals are still being diverted. Maybe they won't catch on just yet." She made
a series of quick adjustments to her tricorder. "It's ingenious. They've cobbled
together so many different systems I would bet that even the Zornons can't
remember what goes where. They've got a probe embedded into their particle beam.
I've included it in my download."
"Good," Janeway said. "I've implanted
a Star Fleet code onto the relay. With any luck someone on Voyager will
recognize it." She paused momentarily and made one final adjustment. "Activating
the beacon now." She threw the switch. There was a split second flash. Both
women held their breath. Nothing.
"Did you compensate for atmospheric
variance?" Torres asked.
"Good thought." Janeway entered the modification
and checked her work. "B'Elanna, there's something blocking the
signal."
Torres joined Janeway at her station. "They've caught Voyager in
an orbital lock. She's moving at exactly the same speed as the planet. We've got
to account for that. Try adjusting the communications pulse so that it causes a
vibration along the particle beam.
"Right." Janeway did as Torres
suggested.
"Okay. I've nearly got it. There was a slight fluctuation in
the carrier wave when I modified it but it shut down almost immediately." She
continued to work with the Zornon tools. "There are just too many components in
here," she said in frustration. "I'm going to have to do this manually. Ahh ..
and they've built in a failsafe. Watch out for that, B'Elanna."
Janeway
and Torres looked up at the same moment. The faint sounds they both heard in the
distance could only mean one thing. The Zornon were approaching. They glanced
quickly at one another and resumed their efforts without another
word.
Act 3
Chakotay watched carefully as Harry Kim and
Seven of Nine demonstrated the results of their work. They had rushed back to
the holodeck and tested the 'soup theory', as Harry had begun to call it, until
they were sure that it would work. Harry pointed at the display monitor behind
his Ops station on Voyager's bridge.
"You can see that we've duplicated
B'Elanna's trials to the second, Commander. I'm positive it will work. We should
be able dislodge the cloak on the third emission. And once the cloak is down,
Tom should be able to disengage Voyager from the orbital lock."
Chakotay
ran his finger down the screen, following the data as it scrolled by. "How long
will we have?" he asked.
"We have increased the intensity of the particle
bursts. That will disable the lock for at least two minutes," Seven
responded.
"And that gives us enough time to scan for the away team,"
Chakotay's question was really a statement.
"It will have to, Commander,"
the ensign responded.
"Commander," Tuvok, who had been at his security
post throughout Harry and Seven's presentation, beckoned to Chakotay. "I have
just detected a slight fluctuation in the away team's life
signs."
"Tuvok, didn't we determine that those readings were false?"
Chakotay asked.
"I believe what I just read are indeed those of the
Captain and Lieutenant Torres."
"Explain." Voyager's First Officer
approached the Vulcan's station and watched to see what he was
doing.
"Just prior to the change in readings, there was a surge in the
carrier wave. The signal was unlike those controlled by the
Zornon."
Harry Kim turned around to read his Operations console. "There
was also a small fissure on the carrier wave. I think they might be trying to
communicate with us Commander," he said excitedly.
"I have detected a
Star Fleet signature inside the fissure, Ensign," Tuvok added.
Chakotay
headed back to his command chair and sat down. "Tom." He addressed the pilot.
"What can you tell me about the orbital lock?"
Paris fingers were flying
over his control panel. "If Harry can get them to de-cloak, I can get us out of
it, Commander. I'm going to throw Voyager into a couple of reverse and forward
thrusts...we'll spin our wheels a couple of times."
"Spin our wheels?"
Chakotay echoed.
"It's a ..."
"20th century term!" Chakotay
finished the phrase.
Paris grinned. "Yes sir. But that momentum combined
with the fact that the locking system will be weakened when Harry uncloaks the
planet should allow us to release. It might be a bit bumpy
though."
"Thanks for the warning, Tom!" Chakotay turned around.
"Harry?"
"Almost ready, Sir. Seven?" Kim asked in turn.
"I have
adjusted the particle bursts to match the carrier wave frequency," Seven replied
immediately. She was at B'Elanna's engineering station. "The sequence variables
are accounted for."
"That's good," Harry said. "Give me another minute.
We're only going to have one shot at this."
~*~
"I just need two
more minutes. I can do this, Captain." B'Elanna was working as quickly as she
was able, acutely aware of the approaching Zornons. "The cloaking device is
activated from a module attached to the relay. If I can crack the command codes,
Voyager could have a brand new early warning system. And a cloak. This thing
will be able to detect the Borg from more than 6 light years away. And if I can
download the orbital locking schematics...
"Still no success here
B'Elanna." Janeway was obviously frustrated. "I am going to have to do this
manually. Our tricorders aren't totally compatible with this system. Too many
components from too many other networks." She made another correction. "I should
be able to work it with these tools." She leaned forward for a moment. The
strain on her back was almost intolerable. "There," she continued. "I've been
able to set up a relay signal. Voyager should be able to receive our beam out
co-ordinates once I activate the beacon."
"Got it!" Torres snapped her
tricorder shut. She made her way over to where the Captain was crouched. "Here.
Let me help you."
"No, B'Elanna." Janeway handed Torres her tricorder.
"I've programmed the optimal beam out co-ordinates into my tricorder. Take it
and go. I'll meet you when I can. I've got to finish here
first."
"Captain, The Zornons are two corridors away. If you stay much
longer they'll find you. I'm not leaving without you."
"B'Elanna, the
relay has got to be set and activated." She made a show of rubbing at her back.
"You can move faster than I can. I'll just hold you up. Get back to the ship and
implement the Zornon technology. I'll be fine."
"You will not be fine."
Torres was furious. "They'll kill you. You've got to come with me." She glared
at Janeway. "Is this another one of those sacrifices you're always making
Captain, because if it is, it won't wash. We can get out of here. You can make
it." Her voice wavered suddenly. "I... Voyager needs you Captain."
"No
B'Elanna. Voyager needs you." Janeway's tone was calm. And kind. "You're the
best engineer I've ever known. You know that ship better than any one of us.
Voyager cannot survive without you."
"If our positions were reversed
you'd still make me go, wouldn't you?" Torres said slowly. "You did that to me
once before. You chose for me."
"I chose for you and for Voyager. That's
my job, B'Elanna."
"So now you choose to die for the ship, Captain? For
the good of the ship again?" she repeated.
"I choose to save my crew,
Lieutenant." Her use of B'Elanna's rank did not go unnoticed.
"The
Zornons never planned to let Voyager go. You know that. They'll cannibalize her
just as they've cannibalized anyone else who had the misfortune to cross their
path." She continued, "We have found a way to set Voyager free. We must seize
the opportunity to do it. There is no choice here Lieutenant."
B'Elanna
opened her mouth and then shut it again.
"Voyager can and will continue
without me, B'Elanna." Janeway went on, "Chakotay will make a fine captain. He's
more than able to take on the task. And we've discussed this exact scenario more
than once." She sought to reassure her. "He'll need his Chief Engineer," she
added softly.
"Voyager will never be the same Captain. I...can't
imagine...I won't leave you here." Torres stood firm.
Janeway wouldn't
budge. "Go, Lieutenant. Now. That's an order. "
Torres stared intently at
her Captain. She shook her head. She looked at the two tricorders she held and
made some quick entries on each one of them.
"All right. I've duplicated
the Zornon schematics" She indicated Janeway's scanner. "I'm transferring a copy
of the co-ordinates into my tricorder and I've re-set it to power a deflector
beam. Aim it at the door after I'm gone. It might deter them for a minute or two
and buy you a little time. I'm going to get you out of here,
Captain."
Janeway took the tricorder and gave a quick nod. "Good luck,
B'Elanna." She turned deliberately towards the scope's control
panel.
Torres stared at her back for a moment, pivoted and strode out the
door.
Kathryn Janeway waited until B'Elanna had gone before she turned
back to face the door of the surveillance chamber. She sighed, shook her head
and made a couple of quick entries into the tricorder. She set it up facing the
exit. As she finished, the sounds of the approaching Zornon troops seemed to
increase. She resumed work on the telescope, using the Zornon tools
carefully.
"All right B'Elanna," she thought. "I'm counting on
you..."
~*~
Except for the faint hum of her engines, Voyager's
bridge was silent. Everyone was at their stations. Concentration was intense.
Each of them knew what they had to do.
"What have you got for me,
Harry?" Chakotay didn't turn around.
"Commander, I've been running
continuous sensor sweeps over Zorno. After the carrier wave fluctuation I was
able to penetrate the planet's surface another ten meters. I'm scanning for the
away teams' signals now."
"Tom?"
We're ready Commander. I've
adjusted Voyager's maneuvering thrusters to compensate for the momentum. I don't
want any excessive turbulence once we start to rock. But get ready to hold on
just in case."
"There is no evidence that the Zornons have detected our
scans at this time." Tuvok reported. "Nor have I detected any undue activity in
their defense system," he continued.
"Good." Chakotay was pleased with
that piece of information.
"Got it!" Harry exclaimed. "I've got a signal,
Commander."
"Can you lock on to it, Harry?" Chakotay asked.
"I
should be able do it once the particle bursts are initiated. Are you ready,
Seven?"
"Yes, Ensign."
"I'm still not getting a second signal,
Commander." Kim sounded concerned.
"Keep scanning, Harry," Chakotay
encouraged him.
"Still only one, Chakotay." His frustration was evident.
"Tuvok, can you pick anything up over there?"
"I too read only one
signal, Ensign."
~*~
Janeway was working intently on the Zornon
scope. The sounds of the approaching search party were getting louder.
"One more minute," she muttered. "I just need to..."
She hit a
switch. There was another flash. She checked her tricorder for
readings.
"Still nothing. Why? Think Kathryn... Think."
Act
4
"There has been another surge along the carrier wave, Ensign,"
Tuvok reported. "I believe we do not have much time."
"I've still only
got one signal, Commander." Kim was working as quickly as he was able to
translate the readings he was receiving. "It's moving quite quickly," he
reported. Heading towards...It's...she's heading towards the surface." He looked
up. "Commander, I can't get her out unless we uncloak the planet. And we can
only do that once."
"Harry." Tom Paris twisted himself around in his
pilot's chair to face his friend. "Who is it?"
"I don't know Tom. I
don't know."
~*~
Kathryn Janeway was fully focused upon the task
at hand. The Zoron tool kit was open beside her. Her back pained her, but she
ignored it. She wondered fleetingly if Torres had made it to the surface, and
then pushed the thought away. The deflector beam that Torres had rigged into her
tricorder had bought her a precious few extra minutes, but the Zornon guard had
almost penetrated her shield. There was a loud grunt on the other side of the
door and it finally burst open. She was immediately surrounded by six Zornon
officers, their weapons cocked and aimed. She calmly continued what she was
doing.
Rhenat stepped through the phalanx of her officers and watched
for a moment.
"Very impressive Captain Janeway. You have done well. Not
many of our visitors have been quite so... intrepid."
Rhenat approached
and examined the work that Janeway had done on the Zornon scope. She leaned over
and watched as the Captain made one more modification.
"Yes. Yes. Of
course. You will be an asset to Zorno's scientific community."
"So,"
Janeway finally looked up. "You deal in lives as well as technology
Rhenat?"
"We welcome newcomers to our world, Captain. You will be treated
well here. As will your crew."
"You underestimate us, Rhenat. My crew
will be gone from your space shortly."
Rhenat walked up to the scope and
examined it quickly. She entered three quick commands into its controls and the
machine lit up. Janeway watched her carefully.
"Oh no Captain." Rhenat
smiled at her. "I think in this case you underestimate your crew. They will not
leave here without you. And none of you," she added "will be
leaving."
~*~
"Commander, the Zornons have reinforced the cloak,"
Tuvok reported.
"Harry?" Chakotay asked.
"Still only one signal,
Commander. Almost at the surface."
"Can you increase the sensor
capacity?"
"It's at maximum now, sir," he replied.
The Zornons
have activated weapons, Commander. We are being targeted."
"Return fire,
Tuvok," Chakotay instructed. "Harry, initiate your
procedure."
"But..."
"Do it, Ensign," Chakotay said
softly.
"Initiating particle bursts," Kim said flatly.
"Adjusting
for gravimetric shear." Seven reported.
"Mr. Paris?" Chakotay
demanded.
"Thrust activated, Sir. Our wheels are spinning," he
added.
They all felt it as Voyager began an almost rhythmical rock. And
they all felt the powerful jolt as the ship broke free of the orbital lock and
shot forward, out of range of the Zornon weapons.
There was a moment of
silence.
"The Zornon cloak has been disabled," Tuvok reported.
"Locking on to signal," Harry said.
"Beam her onto the bridge,
Harry." Chakotay instructed.
"Energizing."
B'Elanna materialized
before them.
~*~
"Prefect, the other one has escaped."
Orpon pushed his way through the guards that surrounded Janeway and Rhenat to
report his findings. "We had tracked her to the Lorac Egress. We had her
surrounded. But as we approached she de-materialized."
There was a sudden
thump and the scope shuddered. Rhenat looked up and Janeway glanced quickly at
the control panel beside it. Voyager had escaped the orbital lock, she noted
with satisfaction.
Rhenat ignored this turn of events and addressed her
officer. "I see. This one will not escape, Orpon." She turned to face Janeway
once again. " It seems your ship has left you behind. I was mistaken. You are
expendable after all. "
"My crew is following orders, Rhenat. They know
that their mission is to return to the Alpha Quadrant. Nothing will stop
them."
"And their loss is our gain, is it not?" She reached out and took
Janeway's tricorder, which she examined carefully.
"You accused me, I
think, of piracy, Captain?" she stated. "And yet here I see evidence of theft."
She waved the offending scanner under Janeway's nose. " Are these not our own
schematics? Does this not make you one of us?"
"Perhaps," Janeway
replied. "But nothing was destroyed, and no one was killed in the process. Your
systems remain intact."
"You can justify it that way if you like. But the
evidence is right here."
"Rhenat, you may be right. We are probably more
alike than I would ever want to admit." Janeway acknowledged. "We are both
fighting for the survival of our people. Yours here on a planet that is harsh
and inhospitable. Mine in a sector of space that is hostile and far from home.
But, I hope, there are differences as well. My crew has always been free to
choose to stay with me on this journey. Oh yes, I will fight to protect them."
She stopped for a minute and couldn't help but recall a recent conversation. "I
will try to do what is right for them. But" she continued "I will not use
threats or force or intimidation to ensure our success. I will not wilfully do
harm to anyone in order to reach our goal. And," she finished firmly, "I will
not compromise our values in order to survive."
"As you wish, Captain. In
the meantime, I believe that our technology (she indicated the telescope) has
been compromised. You will restore it to its previous
state."
~*~
"B'Elanna!"
Tom rushed from his chair to
embrace his wife. She kissed him quickly and soundly and then looked around.
"The Captain," she said. "Did you get the Captain?"
"No,"
Chakotay replied. "Where is she?"
"I left her in the Zornon surveillance
center. She was trying to reprogramme their telescopic array so that I could get
out. She must have managed."
"No B'Elanna," Paris corrected her. "That
was Harry. He and Seven figured out how you uncloaked the planet. They recreated
the work you were doing on the conversion matrix and figured out how you
de-cloaked the planet."
"But you were able to read our signals,"
B'Elanna said impatiently, "because the Captain must have deactivated the
carrier wave on the scope... which means that..."
Torres hurried over to
her Engineering station. Seven moved quickly out of the way.
"We can get
her out of there," she continued. "If she has disabled it, I can break the
beam." She set her tricorder down carefully beside her console.
"By the
way, Harry," B'Elanna asked over her shoulder "how did you figure out what
caused the planet to de-cloak?"
It was the soup, Lieutenant," Seven
supplied.
"Soup?" She turned and looked at both of them. "Never mind,"
she said. "You can tell me later." She returned her attention to the matter at
hand. "I've got the Zornon schematics here. I should be able to deactivate their
defense systems. We need to get closer to the planet. Soup?" The last was
muttered under her breath.
"B'Elanna," Kim warned her. "If we go back
there's a danger that Voyager will be caught again. I don't know that we can get
away a second time."
She ignored him. "I'm entering the Zornon figures
into our data base. Computer, recalibrate information to conform with Voyager's
communications array".
"Recalibrating data." The computer's familiar
voice reported.
"Tom. Turn her around," B'Elanna instructed.
"Now,
Computer, enter Zornon specifications into Voyager's data
bank."
"Chakotay?" Paris asked.
"Unable to comply. Information
must be reformatted," The computer reported.
"Damn." B'Elanna smacked the
wall in front of her. "Computer...No wait. She was right. Too many different
components. I've got to compensate for the diversity factors." She re-entered
the instructions into her console."
"Turn her around, Tom, we can do
this." She looked up. "Chakotay?"
She and Voyager's First Officer
exchanged a long look. Chakotay turned to consult silently with Tuvok, who was
checking Torres' statistics against his own calculations. The Vulcan
nodded.
"Change course, Mr. Paris," Chakotay instructed. "Head back to
Zorno space."
~*~
Rhenat watched closely as Janeway worked on the
scope's control panel. She had not yet ordered her guards to stand down, and the
tips of their weapons invaded the periphery of the Captain's vision as she made
her alterations. Rhenat leaned forward to take a reading of her
own.
"Captain, it seems I was correct after all." The Zornon commander
gloated. "Voyager is once again within range of our sensors. This freedom you
have given them to choose will cost them dearly."
Janeway said nothing,
but continued her modifications.
"This time they will not escape so
easily."
~*~
"We are within range of Zorno, Commander," Tuvok
reported.
"Approach slowly. Half impulse," Chakotay instructed. "Tom. Are
you ready to 'spin your wheels' again?"
"Yes sir." The pilot responded.
"I've penetrated the surface Commander. The probe is functioning," Harry
said.
We have one chance at this people. One. Got it?
B'Elanna?"
"I'm ready, Chakotay."
"We have been detected,
Commander," Tuvok reported.
~*~
Rhenat was tracking Voyager's
return.
"There they are Captain. Right above us. I think it's only right
that you should catch them yourself. Don't you think so, Orpon?"
Her
adjunct smiled.
"Go ahead, Captain. Activate." She nodded to the guards
who re-cocked their weapons in response.
Janeway hesitated for a beat and
threw the switch.
~*~
"We are once again in the orbital lock,"
Seven of Nine reported.
"Okay," Torres replied. "Activating anti lock
beam." She paused for one moment to do so. "Now, Seven."
"I've got her,"
Harry exclaimed. "I've got the Captain's signal."
"Initiating continuous
particle bursts," Seven reported.
"Maneuvering thrusters enabled. Hang on
people." Paris worked his controls.
Voyager shuddered and once again
began to rock rhythmically.
~*~
Rhenat was peering over Janeway's
shoulder. A red light was blinking rapidly on the scope.
"Ah. Captain,"
Rhenat said. "Did you think to fool us? I see what you have done. You have
reversed the carrier wave and tried to deactivate the lock."
"It was
worth a try, don't you think?" Janeway asked wryly.
"I will take over
from here." The Zornon commander pushed the captain out of her
way.
Janeway moved aside and away from Rhenat and the scope. There was a
muffled thud as Voyager neutralized the lock. Rhenat entered a command and threw
the same switch that Janeway had activated shortly before. There was a grinding
of gears as the entire apparatus shut down.
"What have you done?" Rhenat
shouted.
"I believe you said it, Rhenat," Janeway explained calmly as she
began to dematerialize. " One should always have a contingency
plan."
Kathryn Janeway disappeared into the shimmering blue light of
Voyager's transporter beam.
Epilogue
There were quite a few
crew members in evidence at Sandrine's the next evening; a warm social
atmosphere prevailed. Kathryn Janeway, followed closely by Tuvok appeared at the
door. She was dressed casually, in a soft blue sweater and gray slacks. She
hesitated for just a moment before entering, and then continued her conversation
with the Vulcan.
"Tuvok, you were right about the Zornons. They
definitely had a hidden agenda. What was it about them that..." She looked
sideways at him for a moment. "Never mind. But I promise you, from now on, I
will listen more carefully to your hunches."
Tuvok said nothing, and
Janeway continued. "Well, we didn't get any of that dilithium, but we were able
to upgrade our security system and our long range scanners quite nicely. And the
cloaking technology is a real bonus."
"The orbital lock schematics will
definitely be an asset," Tuvok agreed.
The Captain's presence in
Sandrine's had been noticed almost immediately by the crew, who were obviously
very pleased to see her there. She was greeted several times by various
crewmembers, and acknowledged each one. She was extremely touched and most
gratified by their response, and acknowledged to herself that perhaps B'Elanna
was right after all. She and Tuvok eventually managed to reach the bar, where
Torres was already seated, and talking with Neelix.
"Captain. I'm glad to
see..." B'Elanna began.
"Ahh. Captain your timing is perfect," Neelix
interrupted her eagerly. "I was just telling Lieutenant Torres about her sport
in the Delta Games. I have your assignment ready for you too."
"Thank
you, Neelix." Janeway slipped onto a bar stool and took the PADD that Neelix
proffered and began to read it with interest.
"Mr.Paris and I worked very
hard to divide the crew into equal teams," he continued enthusiastically. "And
we tried to find events that would be just right for each crewmember. We even
developed a few new ones. Yours and B'Elanna's, for instance. A brand new sport.
Developed right here on Voyager."
"Sport! Yeah right." B'Elanna was
practically spitting. "I'm going to kill him." She waved her own PADD in the
air. "A marathon biathlon."
"You can't be serious..." Janeway looked
up.
Tom Paris, followed by Chakotay, arrived at the bar at that moment.
Both were carrying pool cues.
"You know Chakotay, if you would use some
of that famous patience of yours, I bet you could do a lot better at the pool
table." Tom said helpfully. "I think you need a lesson or two in technique. I'd
be glad to coach you any time," he offered.
"Tom, I don't need ...
Kathryn, it's good to see you here." Chakotay took her hand for a
moment.
"It's nice to be here Chakotay. So..." She turned to address Tom
who was standing beside his wife, trying unsuccessfully to calm her down. "Mr.
Paris, you are responsible for this?" She waggled her PADD at him.
"Yes
ma'am!" He responded proudly.
Janeway took the PADD that Torres was
holding and handed it, along with hers to Chakotay. In turn she took the
Commander's pool cue and stood up.
"I think, Lieutenant, that you could
use a few lessons at the pool table yourself."
"I... Yes
ma'am."
"Let me see..." she mused as the headed towards the pool table,
followed eagerly by Chakotay, B'Elanna and Neelix.
"How about... best two
out of three, and the looser will be Voyager's new marathon Biathlon
competitor." She grinned at B'Elanna, turned back to the table and broke.
Perfectly.
Next week:
Chaos by Christina and Sara, Jackee, and
Suz
The Plor spacestation, Xor-Alpha, promises many distractions, but
a small shuttle for sale is what tempts Voyager and her crew to stop at the
spacestation: a visit that lands Voyager in the middle of a terrorist attack.
Can Janeway and her intrepid away-team survive long to discover who the bad-guys
really are and return safely to Voyager?
