DISCLAIMER: You all know the drill - Paramount is God.  All hail Paramount.  They own everything in the Star Trek Universe - I'm just using my overactive imagination to take their characters where they refuse to go.  All in the name of fun, not profit (I wish).

CAUSALITY

CHAPTER TWO: GUARDIAN ANGELS

Captain's log, Stardate 54435.7 - We've altered course in response to a distress call from a nearby M-class planet that Seven and Icheb detected a few days ago.  Although we've been unable to establish visual or audio contact, we should be within range shortly.

Captain Janeway exited her ready room.  "Report."

"We've got visual contact," reported Harry.  "They're still transmitting the automated distress call."

"Onscreen," she ordered as she took her chair.

An alien with tanned skin and two rows of bumps above his eyebrows appeared on the screen.  "Mallor Prime to any vessel within range," he said in an urgent tone of voice.  "We have detected an imminent overload in our main tachyon reactor.  It is the only source of power for our planet.  Please, we need assistance."

The signal ended abruptly.

"Mr. Paris," ordered Janeway, crossing her legs, "Increase speed to warp 9."

*

"We're in range," announced Harry.

"Open a channel," she ordered, rising from her seat.

"Channel open."

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager.  We detected your distress call."

Ensign Kim's console beeped at him.  "They're responding."

An alien of the same race as the one who had made the distress call appeared on the screen.  "This is the prelate's office.  We thank you for your assistance."

"Is there anything we can do to help?"

"I'm afraid I'm not the person to answer that.  I'll put your transmission through to the main energy complex."

The screen get blank again and after a few seconds another Mallorian appeared on the screen.  His eyes widened when he saw Janeway, but he quickly regained his composure.  "I am chief engineer Taman."

"You said you were experiencing an overload," said the Captain.  "Can we be of assistance?"

"We've been able to control some of the radiation, but nothing we've done has had any effect on the imminent overload.  The reactor could go critical at any moment."

"Can you shut it down?" asked Chakotay, rising to stand beside the Captain.

"Our people are completely dependent on this reactor.  Until a few years ago, we used sources of energy that polluted the atmosphere until our planet was nearly uninhabitable.  When we developed the tachyon reactor, we converted all our power systems to this new energy.  Shutting this facility down would cripple us indefinitely."

"I didn't even think constructing a tachyon reactor was possible," said Ensign Kim.

"Merely because the Federation has not achieved it does not mean it is impossible," said Seven.  "Tachyon reactors have been considered in theory by many races."

"I'll send down some of my engineers to help you," said Janeway.

Taman seemed to hesitate, but then nodded after a few seconds.  "Thank you, Captain.  Your assistance is…greatly appreciated."

The transmission ended, and Janeway hit her commbadge.  "Janeway to Torres."

Go ahead, Captain.

"Assemble a team and meet me in transporter room two."

Acknowledged.

She turned to her First Officer.  "Commander, you have the bridge."  He nodded, and she started for the turbolift.  "Seven, you're with me."

*

The group of officers materialized in the atrium of the main power facility and were immediately greeted by a Mallorian engineer.

"Taman asked that you be brought to the main reactor core immediately," he said, indicating for them to follow him.

"Could we see some of the specifications?" asked B'Elanna as she followed in step behind the Captain.

The Mallorian nodded and handed her an alien PADD.  "We thought you might want to familiarize yourself with our systems."

B'Elanna nodded as she read.  "Carey, go have a look at these flow regulators.  That could be the source of the overload."

Lieutenant Carey nodded.  "Ashmore, Tabor, you're with me."

The three men moved off in the opposite direction, and the remaining officers followed their Mallorian guide to the main reactor core.

"See if you can regulate the power from the secondary matrix," Taman was yelling up to the second level as they entered.

"Yes, sir!"

He turned his attention to the group as they drew closer.  "Captain, thank you again for your assistance.  Perhaps Afren here could familiarize your engineers with our reactor?"

B'Elanna, Seven, and the remaining engineers followed their guide across the room while Janeway remained with Taman.

"How long have you been using a tachyon reactor?" she asked, walking around the pulsing core.

"Just over five years."

"And you've never had any problems before?"

His eyes narrowed momentarily before his expression returned to normal.  "There were…rumors of an incident when the core was first activated, but nothing since then."  He moved over to a panel next to the reactor.  "This is the system that monitors the core itself."

She moved over to join him.  "When did you first detect the problem?"

"Approximately nine days ago.  Quite frankly, Captain, it's fortunate that we were able to detect the imminent overload at all.  This kind of malfunction was not anticipated by our engineers."

She reached for a button in the corner of the screen.  "Are these your sensor logs?"

He nodded, leaning over to show her another button.  "This will take you back through the records to the first moment when we detected the malfunction."

She hit the buttons and began scrolling through the sensor logs.  She stopped when she found what she was looking for.  "There," she said pointing.

Taman looked over her shoulder.  "Yes, that's when we detected the first chronoton flux."

"Was there anything unusual before you detected the first fluctuation?"

"Not to my knowledge."

She nodded absentmindedly and continued searching.  "Hm," she said suddenly.  She moved farther back in the logs, then forward again past the point that had caught her attention.  "No wonder you didn't notice anything before that point.  Looks like you upgraded your sensors."

He frowned and leaned over to get a better look.  "I don't remember authorizing that."

She pointed at the screen.  "There's almost a tenfold increase in the resolution."

He stood up.  "Prator!"

One of the engineers came over.  "Yes, sir?"

"Were the core sensors upgraded last week?"

"No, sir, not to my knowledge."

When he turned back to the Captain, she regarded him with a raised eyebrow.  "Looks like you have a mystery on your hands."

*

Seven and B'Elanna leaned over the open power matrix, examining their tricorders.

"The chronoton flow is highly erratic," said Seven, standing up.

"Too erratic," agreed B'Elanna.  "The source of the problem must be farther up the core."

Seven walked along the catwalk perched above the main core, scanning as she went.

B'Elanna stood up as well and looked around.  "Whatever it is, we had better find it quick.  The radiation levels in here will be critical in under an hour."

Seven stopped her motion along the catwalk, scanning the core with her tricorder.  "I believe we have a more immediate concern."  She turned around.  "This reactor could experience a tachyon cascade at any moment."

*

Captain Janeway continued investigating the sensor logs as Taman paced.

"Captain, this is a waste of time.  We should be determining how to avert this problem, not investigating how it was detected."

She shook her head.  "I'm sure B'Elanna and her team are doing everything they can."  She frowned as she uncovered more information, and she looked up at Taman.  "It would seem you have a guardian angel."

"A what?"

"A phrase my people use.  It means someone is protecting you."

He moved over to join her, and she showed him what she had found.  "Whoever made those modifications to your sensors knew what they were doing.  They were attuned specifically to detect this malfunction in your reactor."

He leaned forward.  "How is that…"  His jaw set and he stood up straight.

"Is something wrong?"

He shook his head.  "It's nothing, Captain.  If you'll excuse me, I need to speak with my engineers."

Her eyes narrowed as she watched him move off abruptly.

"Captain?"

She turned around to see Seven and B'Elanna approaching her.  "Have you made any progress?"

Seven glanced at B'Elanna.  "Unfortunately, no."

"We could be looking at a cascade core overload," said B'Elanna.  "The radiation levels are rising and Seven says there could be a tachyon cascade any moment."

"Have you detected any signs that this may not be a natural phenomenon?"

Seven frowned.  "Captain?"

She moved aside and showed them the sensor logs.  "Ten days ago, someone modified the sensors to detect this malfunction."

"One of the Mallorians?" said Seven, stepping forward to examine the screen.

"Nobody seems to know anything about it."

B'Elanna's attention wandered and she gave an involuntary shiver as she had the feeling she was being watched.  She glanced around the room, but saw nothing suspicious until she noticed a figure up on the catwalk where she had been standing moments ago.  She knew instantly that was the person who was watching her.

They had a hood pulled close around their face, so it was impossible to tell who it was.  Something about them seemed familiar, though, and her eyes narrowed.

"B'Elanna?"

She turned around to the Captain and Seven.  By the look on the Captain's face, she guessed that it wasn't the first time she had tried to get her attention.

"B'Elanna, are you all right?"

She glanced up at the catwalk.  The figure was gone.  "Fine, Captain."

"What if we try reinforcing the containment field?" the Captain asked her.

"That could buy us some time," said B'Elanna.  "If we manage to reinforce it before the reactor overloads."

The Captain turned to one of the Mallorian engineers.  "Where are the controls for the containment field?"

"Up there," he said, pointing to the catwalk above the reactor.

She nodded.  "Keep working.  I'll try and boost the containment field."

She crossed the room and began climbing the ladder to the upper level.  She pulled herself up onto the catwalk and turned towards the controls for the containment field.  Before she got more than two steps, she was grabbed from behind and forcefully dragged to the shadows near a corridor in the wall.

"Get everybody out," whispered a voice in her ear.

She broke free of her captor's hold and turned around.  She couldn't see her attacker's face as it was concealed by shadows from a hood.  "Who are you?"

"There's going to be a chronoton surge in the reactor.  Get everyone out of here."

Her eyes narrowed.  "How do you know that?"

"That's not important," said the voice forcefully.

That voice…just for a second, it sounded familiar.  She quickly stepped forward and, reaching to the side, pulled the hood off the stranger.

"Tom?" she said incredulously, stepping back in shock.

It was Tom Paris…but it wasn't.  He looked older, and the humorous spark in his eyes was gone.  His face looked worn and sad, not at all the man she knew.

"What…how…what's going on?"

"Just as curious as always," said another familiar voice to the side.

She turned around to see a figure step out of the shadows.  Her eyes widened when she found herself staring at…herself.

"What the hell…" she whispered.  The woman in front of her looked exactly like her, except she was older, five or six years maybe.

Her double stared at her, unmoving.  "I'm afraid we don't have time to discuss the intricacies of temporal mechanics."

She stepped closer, glaring back at her older self.  "You'll make the time.  I want to know what the hell is going on here."

"I'm trying to make sure I was never here."

She held up a hand.  "Don't start.  Time travel gives me a headache."

The elder Janeway smirked.  "Tell me about it."

She sighed.  "Just give me the short version."

"Just over five years ago, my timeline, Voyager visited here and I led an away team to tour the Mallorian power facility.  While we were here, the reactor experienced an overload.  Tom and I were somehow thrown back five years to when the reactor was first brought online."  She appraised her younger counterpart.  "I intend to see that it doesn't happen again."