Chapter 4
Tom awoke to the chime of his door. "Come in." He called, sitting up.
The doors parted and Ensign Harry Kim rushed in. "What are you doing?" He asked, looking around. "Lights." Lights flooded the dark room and Tom blinked at the sudden brightness.
"What's going on?" Tom asked, running his hands through his hair.
"You're duty shift starts in 5 minutes." Kim replied. "I tried contacting you, but you weren't responding."
"I was asleep." Tom muttered as they moved towards the turbolift.
"Yeah, I know." Kim hesitated, opened his mouth, shut it, opened it, then shut it again.
Tom sighed. He knew what was coming. "Out with it, Harry."
Harry smiled nervously. "I was talking to Susan Nicoletti earlier. I was told you and B'Elanna…uh, got in a fight."
Tom took a deep breath as they got onto the turbolift. "Yeah. It got pretty nasty there for a while. Lt. Bristow came over and settled it."
Harry sucked in a breath. "Ouch."
"I'll say." He leaned against the wall. "Never get a Klingon girlfriend, Harry." He told his friend, half-serious, half-joking. "I don't know." He finally said. "I just don't know. She's probably never going to speak to me again. I…I don't want that."
The lift slowed and before the doors opened, Harry patted Tom on the shoulder and said. "Don't worry. I know you. You'll get by."
"I hope so." Tom stepped onto the bridge, apologized to Commander Chakotay for being late, and took his place at the helm.
"Commander," Harry suddenly spoke up. "I'm picking up a ship on long range sensors."
"On screen."
The viewscreen lit up to show a long vessel, with huge long wings on each side. The front of the vessel had a huge animal type thing drawn on the front. It looked like a mixture between a mad cat and the devil.
"Looks like an ancient airplane." Tom commented, to no one particular.
"That it does." Chakotay murmured. He slapped his com-badge. "Captain to the bridge."
The doors at the side of the room parted, and Captain Kathryn Janeway strode onto the bridge. She reached the command chair in about three strides, her short auburn hair perfectly in place. "Report." Her cool tone echoed over the bridge and settled on Lt. Com. Tuvok's console.
"We've detected a vessel on long range sensors." The Vulcan replied calmly. "They're heading in our direction at full impulse. ETA, two minutes."
"Hail them." Janeway ordered.
"No response." Harry said, than hesitated. "Spoke to soon." He apologized. "We are receiving some sort of automated message from the ship, but it's signal is unlike anything I've ever seen."
"Let's hear it."
The intercom crackled in response. A metallic voice began to speak, but in a language Tom didn't recognize.
"Tuvok, can you clear it up?" Chakotay asked.
"I can not. The dialogue is unlike anything we've previously encountered."
"Captain, if these readings are correct," Harry voiced abruptly, "Than the ship is powering up some sort of weapon but-"
He was interrupted by a loud crash and the lights on the bridge went dark. Even the consoles stayed dark, except for the communications button, which was very strange.
The backup lights flashed on, but the consoles remained dark.
Janeway opened her mouth to call for a report, noticed that it was useless to do so at the moment, then settled on, "Harry, Tom, report to Engineering. Ask what's going on and give me a full report. Take tricorders, they're probably the only things still working. Once you get there, set up an active COM system using the tricorders."
"Aye, ma'am." Harry started for the turbolift, Tom following wearily.
Now he had to face B'Elanna. Janeway must have heard the rumors. This was great, just great.
The doors to the lift didn't open and Harry glanced blankly at Tom.
"Jeffries tubes." Tom ordered, sighing. What was worse, seeing B'Elanna or crawling through tiny, annoying little tubes? He didn't care at the moment and followed Harry down to Engineering.
