Chapter 7
Now
Janeway, with arms crossed, stared at the blackened viewscreen, wishing there was way to look out into outer space. She turned to Tuvok. "Any success in getting our systems back on line?" She asked.
"No, Captain." Tuvok replied, as if nothing had happened. "It is impossible to bring any system on-line without any sort of tools available."
"We're being hailed, audio only." The officer that had taken Kim's place interrupted, and Janeway turned her head in his direction, noticing the small single yellow padd.
Janeway felt a wave of relief settle over her. "Let's hear it."
"Captain," A voice crackled over the intercom, "I am Chancellor Z'Mor. We detected your ship on our sensors during our regular border patrol and noticed you ship drifting into our space."
Janeway grinned and turned to the black screen, wishing she could see Z'Mor and thank him personally. "This is Captain Janeway of the Starship Voyager. We have been attacked and require assistance. Our ship's navigation controls, along with our other systems have been drained of power. We had a little run in with..."
"The Demori." Z'Mor broke in.
"Demori?"
"Our neighboring system. It is them we are patrolling our borders from. They like to...attack unsuspecting ships, which have crossed their borders. But since you've slipped into our space, you will be safe, for a while, anyway. Tell me, Captain, is there anything we can do for you?"
Janeway glanced at Chakotay. "How do we get our systems' back?"
"Oh, well, you don't."
The Jeffries Tube door opened and Harry Kim slid into Engineering, Tom following right behind.
"I do not want to be here." Tom muttered to Harry as he closed the hatch.
Harry smiled under the dim light. "Don't worry. We're here to do a job for the captain, remember?"
"That's kind of hard." Tom moaned.
"Lt. Paris, Ensign Kim."
Both looked up at Lt. Carey.
"Status?" Paris asked, approaching the Lt.
"Well, we can't get anything on-line," Carey said as they headed around the warp core, which was now dark instead of the usual blue. "Lt. Torres is at her wits-end. She's tried everything-"
"Tom," Harry turned to the Lt. "Why don't you help B'Elanna with her duties? Lt. Carey and I will work on getting the other systems back on line." Harry grinned as he and Lt. Carey walked away, leaving Tom glaring after his friend.
"Is there something I can help you with, Lt.?"
Tom jumped and turned to Ensign Vorik. "Uh, actually I..." Tom sighed. "Do you know where B...Lt. Torres is?" He asked meekly.
"Astrometrics, I believe."
"Thanks." Tom turned and jogged out of Engineering and towards Astrometrics. Outside, he took a deep breath and entered. The lighting was dim, and a lone figure was hunched over an open console, obviously frustrated.
B'Elanna Torres tensed when Tom entered and looked over shoulder. "What do you want?" She demanded when she saw him.
"Hello to you too." Tom retorted. "Captain Janeway sent me down to help."
"Good. They need help in Engineering." She turned back to the console.
"Harry's in Engineering." Tom told her. He hesitated, then walked over and stood in front of B'Elanna. "I'm here to help you."
B'Elanna looked up eyes not at all apologetic or happy to see him. Was she still angry with him? "Haven't you helped enough?" She snapped, then glared down at her tricorder.
Ouch. Tom grimaced. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
B'Elanna didn't respond; either she was ignoring him, or she didn't know herself. Tom couldn't tell.
There was silence, all except the sounds coming from B'Elanna's tricorder.
"Well? Aren't you going to apologize?" B'Elanna finally asked, looking up.
Tom broke. "Apologize! For what?!"
"The fight." B'Elanna said it so calmly that Tom was tempted to throw up.
"This is not fair!" Tom cried out. "I didn't start it!" Did I?
B'Elanna slammed down the tricorder so hard that Tom jumped. He was surprised it still worked. "Damnit, Tom, I-"
She was cut off as the ship suddenly rocked to the left, then to the right.
It rocked so violently, that consoles blasted open and Tom could hear things falling from the ceiling and to the ground. Both officers were thrown across the room.
The rocking finally stopped. Tom picked himself up, feeling a little dizzy, and stepped towards the doors. They didn't open. "Computer, override."
Still nothing. The computer didn't even respond. He looked around and grabbed the tricorder off the floor, turning it on and running it across the doors. He then turned back to B'Elanna, who was standing, arms crossed, next to a console.
"There's a beam across the door." Tom explained. His headache grew bigger. "We're locked in."
