Her eyes fluttered open. 'God where am I?' she thought. She tried
getting a grip on her surrounds. When that didn't work she tried lifting
her head but the dizziness and the pain had caused her to resume her
previous position. She laid there for a few minutes listening for familiar
sounds. But there weren't any to be heard. After awhile the confusion and
fog cleared allowing her to sit up. When she tried to sit up her muscles
ached, her whole body ached. She groaned as she pulled her self into a
sitting possetion. Chakotay who was sitting with his back towards her
turned to face her.
"Good morning sunshine." He smiled as he on sipped his tea. Kathryn
reached up and rubbed her head.
"What happened, where am I?" Chakotay smiled.
"The long version or the short one?" Kathryn blinked hard.
"I'll opt for the short one." Chakotay took a deep breath.
"You had a close encounter with death last night. Oh, and you're in
sickbay." She closed her eyes 'Like that answers all my questions'.
".What time is it."
"0600 hours." She rubbed her eyes.
"Shouldn't you be on the bridge for alpha shift?" He shrugged.
"I took leave." Her eyes widened.
"You what?" She rolled her eyes. Chakotay jumped from his chair and
checked her pulse.
"Chakotay what are you doing." She laughed but his eyes scorned her.
"Have you ever seen someone have a seizure?" She shook her head.
"No, but what does this have to do with anything?"
"I saw someone have one a week ago. Its not pleasant, especially when their
eyes roll back into their head." She shuttered.
"A week? Was it really that bad?"
"." he didn't answer, how could he tell her that he had to watch her go
into a cardiac arrest wondering if she could be brought out of it.
"You haven't missed much, nothings changed since your last shift." She
sighed, he was obviously avoiding the subject.
"I'm surprised." A voice from Chakotay's comm. badge interrupted her.
"Tuvok to Commander Chakotay, you have been late for your shift the fourth
time this week." Kathryn glared at him.
"You took leave eh?"
"I was suppose to leave after I finished my tea.. But you woke up." She was
touched by the idea that he was probably spending all his free time here.
"Well then Captain I'll be on my way, you know I have your ship to
command."
"I wouldn't want to make Tuvok ang." She closed her eyes, the pain was
unbearable.
"Kathryn?"
"I'm okay Chakotay just a headache nothing a hypo spray won't cure. Go on
now, you don't want to be any later then you already are. " She forced a
smile reassuring him that she would be alright. Yet he still looked at her
hesitantly.
"Really I'll be okay." He smiled
"Just as long as you're here when I get back." She smiled weakly.
"I don't think the doctor's letting me go anywhere just yet. I don't think
I'm even going to ask." Chakotay chuckled.
"Your probably right." He sighed.
"I'll see you after my shift is over." He bent over and kissed her
forehead. She watched him walkout of the room. Was there something she
missed? But what ever it was she enjoyed it. The warmth of the kiss made
her comfortable, all to comfortable so she closed her eyes and drifted off
to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Grostosk, she can't help us she's useless." The Cardassian Doctor looked up. "Hoklen, she'll be useful trust me. Regardless of her rank, Ensigns can be quite useful, they know their way around their ships pretty well. Besides they're also easier to break." Holken nodded. "When does the procedure begin?" The Doctor smiled. "Anytime you want it to General, the chip is already implanted so when ever you find it appropriate." General Grostosk took a long look at the ensign. "Wake her." The doctor reached for a hypo spray and stuck it into her neck. The young ensign stirred. "Sit up." The voice Commanded. The young junior officer quickly positioned her self upright. "Stand up." The ensign complied and stood there at the position of attention. The Cardassian General smiled at the biddable Ensign. He chuckled. "Please stand at ease." He said softly. Slowly he circled her trying to size her up. "I thought you'd might like to get to know me a bit before we begin." She snorted. "I already know who you are." "I don't know who you are, please enlighten me Ensign." "Ensign Janeway." The General smiled. "You wouldn't happen to know an Admiral Edward Janeway would you?" "He's my father." The General nodded. "That would explain your manner." "Enough about me General, I would like to know why I am here?" The General raised his eyebrows. "It seems that you have inherited his intelligence, too bad wisdom comes with age." The General shrugged. "So you want to know why you're here. You have been deemed as Cardassian property do to your trespassing." Ensign Janeway stood there quietly listening to the General. "Don't act so surprised, you knew what this mission would entail." The Ensign took a deep breath. "I'm not surprised General." He nodded. He stopped circling her and inched in closer to her face. "You may be asking yourself 'What does my government do with Cardassian property?' If you have forgotten I can refresh your memory." "No need to." She murmured. There was a scream from the other room. The young Ensign quickly turned facing the direction from which the sound came. "What was that?" she asked coldly. "You haven't forgotten your dear Admiral already, have you?" Ensign Janeway's voice cracked. "Admiral Paris" It was more of a statement then it was a question. "The one and only." Again screams came from the room but they wouldn't stop, they kept coming. Every scream caused her to flinch, the pain must have been unbearable. "Would you like him to stop?" She didn't want to admit it, but she would do anything to stop his pain, almost anything. "Yes." She answered quietly "You have two choices to pick from. One is tell us everything you know or two we can kill him now if you'd like, but someone would be needed to take his place." She knew what he was implying, she had two choices and both were far from what she needed, from what they needed, either way her and the admiral were screwed. Maybe she could compromise there had to be an easier way out of there. "I can't tell you anything." "And why would that be Ms. Janeway?" "It's against Starfleet orders." "Starfleet this Prime Directive that, your father is the same way. But tell me when it comes to your life and another's does Starfleet really matter?" "Yes, I swore to uphold Starfleet's principles and if I have to die doing so then so be it." "Ah, but does Admiral Paris feel the same way." "Yes." The General shook his head. "But he has a family to support, where would they be with out him. "He swore to." the General interrupted. "So young and naïve, you don't understand the concept of having a family. Maybe if you're a good girl you will, someday." "It depends on your definition of 'Good girl' sir." "Tell us why your ship was spotted here at this same location six months ago?" "I don't know." It seemed like the appropriate answer for the question since she was telling the truth. The General banged his fists on the table. "Don't lie to me." "I don't know." She repeated softer. "Maybe I can use an old earth saying to make it more understandable. Speak now or forever hold your peace." She didn't make a sound, she could tell the man nothing and even if she did she didn't have much to offer but a piece or two, all she knew is that herself and the admiral were on a mission to upload some data on to the shuttles computer from an information buoy they had released in that area six months ago. The Admiral had told her no more than that and she didn't ask to know more than she needed to. "Last chance Ensign!" she didn't answer. The General gave her a disapproving stare and snapped his fingers. Immediately guards appeared from the room that the Admiral was being held in. They approached her and forcefully took her away. She didn't bother wasting her energy struggling with the guards, she had a feeling that she would need all the energy she had. They pushed her onto a table with restraints hanging on the sides. Taking the straps in their hands, they buckled her in. She looked around the room to find The Admiral. All she found was a broken spirit who stared at her with concern. "No don't do this to her, she's fresh out of the academy, she still has her whole life ahead of her. Please, I'll tell you anything, please just let the girl go." The man's desperation was painful. "I'm sorry Admiral we gave her the choice but she refused." Paris looked up. "Grostosk." He snarled. "In the flesh." The General knelt down and looked Paris in the eye. "It seems Owen that you aren't as happy to see me as I am you." "Let her go!" The admiral yelled. The General sighed. "I already gave her the choice of an exchange but she declined, further Owen we need the experimentation more then we need the information. Its not everyday you get such a prime candidate." Kathryn felt her blood run cold. 'Experimentation?' she thought. "Let her go." He pleaded in vain. "Guards, please escort Mr. Paris out of the room." The guards escorted Admiral Paris out of the room. The General turned to the doctor. "I'm sorry that I have to leave on such short notice but I do believe that you'll take good care of your patient, you always do." "Of course sir." The doctor responded as the General walked out of the room and locked the door behind him. Ensign Janeway looked around the room, all around her she saw knifes of all sizes, needles, and other things that looked incredibly sharp. She had a feeling that at least a few of them would come in contact with her skin. The doctor followed her stare and saw that it landed on the torture objects. "You'll be the first to test our newest prototype." She winced. She dared not ask what it was, even more what it does. "It's very simple, see all I had to do was implant the chip into your brain while you were unconscious and the best part is now all I have to do is press a button." The doctor walked over to a consol behind him and tapped on it. It only took a few seconds for her to begin to feel the pain. Soon she lost all control of her body. Her screams were involuntary she had to; there was no stopping it. The last thing the young Ensign remembered was hearing a sentence repeated over and over again by the Admiral before she passed out. "Please, please she's just a child, she's just a child."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Grostosk, she can't help us she's useless." The Cardassian Doctor looked up. "Hoklen, she'll be useful trust me. Regardless of her rank, Ensigns can be quite useful, they know their way around their ships pretty well. Besides they're also easier to break." Holken nodded. "When does the procedure begin?" The Doctor smiled. "Anytime you want it to General, the chip is already implanted so when ever you find it appropriate." General Grostosk took a long look at the ensign. "Wake her." The doctor reached for a hypo spray and stuck it into her neck. The young ensign stirred. "Sit up." The voice Commanded. The young junior officer quickly positioned her self upright. "Stand up." The ensign complied and stood there at the position of attention. The Cardassian General smiled at the biddable Ensign. He chuckled. "Please stand at ease." He said softly. Slowly he circled her trying to size her up. "I thought you'd might like to get to know me a bit before we begin." She snorted. "I already know who you are." "I don't know who you are, please enlighten me Ensign." "Ensign Janeway." The General smiled. "You wouldn't happen to know an Admiral Edward Janeway would you?" "He's my father." The General nodded. "That would explain your manner." "Enough about me General, I would like to know why I am here?" The General raised his eyebrows. "It seems that you have inherited his intelligence, too bad wisdom comes with age." The General shrugged. "So you want to know why you're here. You have been deemed as Cardassian property do to your trespassing." Ensign Janeway stood there quietly listening to the General. "Don't act so surprised, you knew what this mission would entail." The Ensign took a deep breath. "I'm not surprised General." He nodded. He stopped circling her and inched in closer to her face. "You may be asking yourself 'What does my government do with Cardassian property?' If you have forgotten I can refresh your memory." "No need to." She murmured. There was a scream from the other room. The young Ensign quickly turned facing the direction from which the sound came. "What was that?" she asked coldly. "You haven't forgotten your dear Admiral already, have you?" Ensign Janeway's voice cracked. "Admiral Paris" It was more of a statement then it was a question. "The one and only." Again screams came from the room but they wouldn't stop, they kept coming. Every scream caused her to flinch, the pain must have been unbearable. "Would you like him to stop?" She didn't want to admit it, but she would do anything to stop his pain, almost anything. "Yes." She answered quietly "You have two choices to pick from. One is tell us everything you know or two we can kill him now if you'd like, but someone would be needed to take his place." She knew what he was implying, she had two choices and both were far from what she needed, from what they needed, either way her and the admiral were screwed. Maybe she could compromise there had to be an easier way out of there. "I can't tell you anything." "And why would that be Ms. Janeway?" "It's against Starfleet orders." "Starfleet this Prime Directive that, your father is the same way. But tell me when it comes to your life and another's does Starfleet really matter?" "Yes, I swore to uphold Starfleet's principles and if I have to die doing so then so be it." "Ah, but does Admiral Paris feel the same way." "Yes." The General shook his head. "But he has a family to support, where would they be with out him. "He swore to." the General interrupted. "So young and naïve, you don't understand the concept of having a family. Maybe if you're a good girl you will, someday." "It depends on your definition of 'Good girl' sir." "Tell us why your ship was spotted here at this same location six months ago?" "I don't know." It seemed like the appropriate answer for the question since she was telling the truth. The General banged his fists on the table. "Don't lie to me." "I don't know." She repeated softer. "Maybe I can use an old earth saying to make it more understandable. Speak now or forever hold your peace." She didn't make a sound, she could tell the man nothing and even if she did she didn't have much to offer but a piece or two, all she knew is that herself and the admiral were on a mission to upload some data on to the shuttles computer from an information buoy they had released in that area six months ago. The Admiral had told her no more than that and she didn't ask to know more than she needed to. "Last chance Ensign!" she didn't answer. The General gave her a disapproving stare and snapped his fingers. Immediately guards appeared from the room that the Admiral was being held in. They approached her and forcefully took her away. She didn't bother wasting her energy struggling with the guards, she had a feeling that she would need all the energy she had. They pushed her onto a table with restraints hanging on the sides. Taking the straps in their hands, they buckled her in. She looked around the room to find The Admiral. All she found was a broken spirit who stared at her with concern. "No don't do this to her, she's fresh out of the academy, she still has her whole life ahead of her. Please, I'll tell you anything, please just let the girl go." The man's desperation was painful. "I'm sorry Admiral we gave her the choice but she refused." Paris looked up. "Grostosk." He snarled. "In the flesh." The General knelt down and looked Paris in the eye. "It seems Owen that you aren't as happy to see me as I am you." "Let her go!" The admiral yelled. The General sighed. "I already gave her the choice of an exchange but she declined, further Owen we need the experimentation more then we need the information. Its not everyday you get such a prime candidate." Kathryn felt her blood run cold. 'Experimentation?' she thought. "Let her go." He pleaded in vain. "Guards, please escort Mr. Paris out of the room." The guards escorted Admiral Paris out of the room. The General turned to the doctor. "I'm sorry that I have to leave on such short notice but I do believe that you'll take good care of your patient, you always do." "Of course sir." The doctor responded as the General walked out of the room and locked the door behind him. Ensign Janeway looked around the room, all around her she saw knifes of all sizes, needles, and other things that looked incredibly sharp. She had a feeling that at least a few of them would come in contact with her skin. The doctor followed her stare and saw that it landed on the torture objects. "You'll be the first to test our newest prototype." She winced. She dared not ask what it was, even more what it does. "It's very simple, see all I had to do was implant the chip into your brain while you were unconscious and the best part is now all I have to do is press a button." The doctor walked over to a consol behind him and tapped on it. It only took a few seconds for her to begin to feel the pain. Soon she lost all control of her body. Her screams were involuntary she had to; there was no stopping it. The last thing the young Ensign remembered was hearing a sentence repeated over and over again by the Admiral before she passed out. "Please, please she's just a child, she's just a child."
