Title: DISPLACED (5/20)
Writers: NICK LEWIS (Torres, Chakotay, Seska, Hogan & Vorik), ALLEN McDONNELL (Tuvok, EMH)
Edited by NICK LEWIS
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and it's associated characters are trademarks of Paramount/Viacom. This is a fan-run venture, making no money. Please leave our lawyers alone ;-)
V-Trek: The Alternate Adventures @ http://www.virtual-trek.fsnet.co.uk
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
On the bridge of the Liberty, numerous flashes herald the arrival of disorientated Maquis crew. B'Elanna swings around in her chair having spent the last few minutes scanning the array and triangulating their stellar position. "Welcome back!" she says curtly, her cut lip still bothering her.
Chakotay registers the words and nods in acknowledgement. "What happened? After the energy wave hit, all I remember is waking up in a garden, then about twenty minutes later arriving back here."
Only twenty minutes? Then why was I left kicking my heels for hours? Probably another thing to thank my Klingon side for, she thinks bitterly. "Well sit down, because I think you're in for a few surprises" she tells him drily.
Chakotay looks puzzled, but lowers himself into the command chair anyway. "What have you got, B'Elanna?"
"Well" she starts, checking her instruments once again, still scarcely able to believe them, "it looks like we've been in limbo for nearly ten days now."
"Ten days?" Chakotay says in disbelief. He looks at his bridge-crew. "Does anyone remember anything from after the energy wave hit?" He gets a collective shaking of heads. What could have been happening to us in all that time and why can't we remember? he thinks to himself.
"If you think that's unbelievable, listen to this" B'Elanna says. "It seems the energy wave displaced us in space. We're about seventy-thousand light years away from the Badlands, right on the far side of the delta quadrant."
"B'Elanna, that isn't funny" Seska says frowning.
B'Elanna turns on the Bajoran. "Does it look like I'm joking?" she shouts angrily. Chakotay stares at her. B'Elanna contains herself. "Seventy-thousand light years, you can check it for yourself" she says defiantly. Seska sits at her ops-station and does just that, eyes widening when the truth hits her.
"Okay, now that that's established, how do we get back?" Chakotay asks.
"Same way we came" B'Elanna asserts. "There's beings on the array parked outside that were quite eager to get rid of me when I started nosing around their hologrid. I'm guessing they're the ones that brought us here. I say we go back inside and make them send us back."
"If they have the power to bring us all this way and then wipe our memories of the last ten days, I don't think there's a lot we're going to be able to do if they refuse" Chakotay says, thinking the situation through.
"You want us to stay out here?" B'Elanna counters.
"Of course not. But we need more information about who we're facing and certainly more firepower if it comes to that."
"Well I don't know about the information, but I think we have the firepower covered" Seska pipes up with a glint in her eye. "There's a Federation ship alongside us, totally empty."
"Federation?" Chakotay queries.
B'Elanna blinks. "I saw some of their personnel on board the array. From the way they were conducting themselves, I think they're just as stuck as we are." She keeps the information that Tom was amongst them to herself, knowing that he and Chakotay didn't see eye to eye to coin a phrase.
"The Cardassians must have talked the Federation into sending a ship after us" Chakotay concludes. He turns to Seska. "And you say it's empty?"
"Empty and begging to be reappropriated" she smiles.
Chakotay thinks about it. "Okay, we beam across. Seska, ready the transporters." He gets up and starts walkinng off the bridge. "B'Elanna, Tuvok, you're with me." He turns though when he receives no answer from the Vulcan. His tactical position is empty. "Anyone seen Tuvok?" he calls.
B'Elanna frowns. "I thought I hadn't seen his dour face around. Where is he?"
"Maybe he's still on the array" Seska offers.
Chakotay pauses. "Maybe" he murmers.
"Well, even more reason to go back in and kick their sorry asses from here to Grethnor" B'Elanna comments. "Let's go, I want to take a look at this ship Starfleet sent." Chakotay smiles and nods at his chief engineer. They both walk to the makeshift transporter room - really some converted crew quarters, fitted out with a small control station and three pads.
Chakotay looks at the console operator. "Transport us directly to their bridge" he orders. Both he and B'Elanna have their phasers drawn, ready for the any unexpected hinderance or resistance. He feels the familiar tingling sensation as the beam takes hold. They materialise on Voyager's bridge and take in their surroundings.
"The first thing we should do is to assess if there's damage to any key systems that would stop us taking her out" B'Elanna says after she's convinced the bridge is empty.
Chakotay nods in agreement. "After that, use the ship's scanners to try and detect Tuvok. It's possible he may still be aboard the array and I'd like to bet this ship can pick him out better than the Liberty can."
"I'll get to work then" B'Elanna replies.
********************
Tuvok becomes aware of a new sensation, that of a transporter beam activating. Quickly fighting his way to consciousness he discovers he can no longer feel any pain, only the cool sensation of satin bedclothes on his naked skin. Opening his eyes he sees a sumptuously appointed bedchamber with himself centred on a king size bed, silken wall coverings and soft pillows scattered about. As he sits up and scans the room visually, the only door opens and three elfin featured young ladies enter.
Welcome, one of them thought at him, I am Enn.
Welcome, the next sent to him, telepathically, I am Sia.
Welcome, the last thought, I am Nah.
"Where am I?" Tuvok asks.
This is the reproductive center. We have been chosen as your partners for this cycle, Sia sends.
"Chosen in what way?"
Mistress Suspiria found you for us, to give us children who can survive and prosper on the surface of our world once more. With your assistance, our three-hundred generations of entrapment in this subterranean cavern will come to an end.
"A logical desire. But why do you think I could suceed in fathering children with your species? You know nothing about me and I know little about you."
Mistress Suspiria has searched long and hard for our ideal partners. Making sure we are compatible in every way. Now that she has found you let us begin, Nah thinks, climbing onto the bed.
Yes, we are near the end of our cycle, Enn sends, also climbing up. This will be pleasent for all of us if you co-operate.
Feigning acquiescence, Tuvok stretches his arms out and gathers the three young ladies into a mutual hug. Sliding his hands to Enn and Sia's shoulders, he gives them a neck pinch then shifts to Nah before she can broadcast any cry for help, telepathically or otherwise. Gently he lowers the three of them to comfortable positions on the bed. The skin to skin contact had opened their minds to his and he now knows a great deal about the Ocampa as they call themselves, despite the briefness of their mental contact. Their desire to bear his children is very real and very intense. They can only conceive once in their lives and those lives only extend to twelve Terran years in duration. In many ways these three are going through a hormonal surge similar to a Vulcan during Pon Farr.
Certain that they are unharmed and resting comfortably, Tuvok finds his clothing neatly folded on a small table and gets dressed.
********************
B'Elanna is satisfied that the Voyager is operational. It took a battering but it's ablative armour protected it from the worst of the damage. "The ship isn't a hundred percent, but it's still in better shape than the Liberty. The systems seem to be powered by something other than isolinear chips too. I haven't seen anything like it before, but the response time is much quicker."
"Looks like we have ourselves a new vessel then." Chakotay is privately impressed with the Voyager as well. Starfleet must have made some improvements since I left. "Have you scanned the array for Vulcan lifesigns yet?"
"Just doing that now" B'Elanna replies. "Stand by." After around half a minute though, she frowns. "No sign of him. There's still shielded areas which even these sensors can't penetrate though."
Chakotay nods thoughtfully. "Are there any planets nearby?"
B'Elanna taps a few more pads. "Mid range sensors detect a class L planet orbiting a G-type starsystem." She looks up at Chakotay. "What are you thinking?"
"That we'll need a larger show of force if we're going to convince the owner of this array to send us back to the alpha quadrant."
B'Elanna licks her lip again. "I'll say" she says bitterly, wishing she could get her hands round that girl's neck again. Hologram or no hologram, she... Then her fingers fly over the ops controls again. "Hold on. This is interesting."
"What is?"
"The array just shot out some kind of energy pulse towards the class L planet."
"Can you ascertain it's purpose?" Chakotay asks.
B'Elanna shakes her head. "Not from this distance."
Chakotay stares at the console readings. There's no further activity from the array. "We're going to that planet" he says decisively. "I have a feeling that whoever's there will know about our mysterious kidnapper." He turns to Hogan sitting at helm, the rest of the Liberty crew having transported aboard in pairs after the all clear was given. "Plot a course and take us out, Hogan."
Hogan does as instructed, but the moment he tries to engage thrusters his station suddenly shuts down. "Computer's not responding. It's cut power to helm controls."
Chakotay halts in mid-stride and turns to Seska sitting at tactical. "Can you transfer helm to your station?"
"Hold on" Seska mutters, tapping pads, then her station cuts out too. "What the hell?"
The ship is thrown into the eerie glow of red alert. "Authorisation denied" comes the computer's dulcet tones. B'Elanna springs to her feet, realising the ship isn't going to be such easy pickings after all.
"B'Elanna!" Chakotay shouts above the red alert siren.
"I thought it was too good to be true" B'Elanna spits, looking at the engineering display. "Looks like the computer's identified us as hostiles. All propulsion and weapons systems have went offline."
Chakotay curses and runs over to the Klingon engineer. "Can you get them back?"
"I can try, but any more tampering and the computer might set-off other defensive measures against us."
"Who has authorisation to override this defensive mode?"
B'Elanna thumps her controls as they flicker and starts working desperately. "Any of the senior officers, but that doesn't help us."
"Maybe it can. Can you hack into the memory dump and clone authorisation?"
B'Elanna sighs and starts tapping again. "Possibly, but the codes also require retinal scan. How can we get around that?"
Chakotay has to admit he's stumped there and the loud siren isn't exactly conductive to his thinking. It's then that a solution comes over audio. "Hello? This is the doctor in sickbay. Why is the ship on red alert?" comes a confused voice.
"The doctor" Chakotay and B'Elanna both shout in unison and race off. The turbolift won't open though, so B'Elanna wrenches the access panel off the jeffries tubes. "Seska, you have the bridge" Chakotay says just before he disappears inside.
********************
As Tuvok strides down an otherwise deserted hall, he recognises Ensign Vorik from the Voyager as he walks towards him. "I greet you Vorik. Live long and prosper" he says in the traditional greeting.
The young Vulcan's face betrays a moment of surprise at the sight of the undercover officer Voyager had been sent to retrieve. But his training quickly kicks in and he hides the emotion behind an expressionless face. Did Tuvok see his slip? "Peace and long life, Lieutenant Tuvok" he replies in the expected counter-greeting. He lifts an eyebrow. "I had... not expected to see you here. Were you given 'companions' also?"
"Indeed" Tuvok replies, pretending not to have noticed Vorik's brief flash of emotion.
"I was informed that an entity known as Suspiria had sent me here to serve as a genetic donor to this race called the Ocampa" Vorik explains. "I learned much about their culture from my contact. Their minds are quite open. They are complex but short lived beings. The surface of their world was rendered into a desert approximately eight-hundred Federation standard years ago."
Tuvok nods. "I learned the same. It would also seem that this Suspiria has been testing many species throughout the centuries in order to find the most compatible match. It's possible that the entire crew were subjected to tests, which we were the only ones to pass. Tell me, is the Voyager here?"
"We were following your trail into the Badlands region of space" Vorik tells him, "when a displacement wave of extreme magnitude caught the ship and deposited it here. Captain Janeway was called to engineering to direct emergency warp core repairs. I cannot recall anything further."
"Interesting. How many Vulcans were on Voyager at the time of these events?"
"Myself and Nurse T'Prena."
"Then I suggest we look for Nurse T'Prena. She may require our assistance, and if we three are all that remain we must unite our resources."
"A logical course of action" Vorik agrees and the two set off in search of T'Prena.
********************
"I thought there were none of the Voyager crew still aboard" Chakotay says, crawling in the confined space.
B'Elanna, just ahead of him, arrives at a junction and starts taking the stepladder down. "There must have been something wrong with internal sensors. Something I missed." B'Elanna is worried though. She's sure that those systems were fine when she checked them. She jumps onto the floor and proceeds to open up the hatch leading down to the next deck.
Chakotay finishes climbing down and slips through the hatch, his feet searching for the rungs of another ladder and finding them. "Don't try to 'persuade' him too hard will you. Just because we only need a retinal scan, it doesn't mean you can rip out his eyes."
"The thought never crossed my mind" B'Elanna says innocently, but both she and Chakotay know it had.
As they exit the jeffries tubes and head down the corridor to sickbay, B'Elanna scans ahead with her tricorder. "Damn it, I'm still not reading any lifesigns."
"'Could the Doctor be masking them somehow?" Chakotay asks.
"'I honestly don't know, but I intend to find out." With that, she and Chakotay stride into sickbay where they find the Doctor running scans amidst a morgueful of corpses. ''Doctor!'' Chakotay calls out.
"Finally, someone's answered my communications" the Doctor says. Then he gets a good look at them. "Wait a minute, who are you? Where's Captain Janeway? What's going on here?"
''The Captain isn't available at this time'' Chakotay replies. Maybe he can bluff the man.
"Not available?" the Doctor queries.
B'Elanna looks at her tricorder in surprise. "Chakotay, he's a hologram!" she exclaims.
"Of course I'm a hologram!" he says brusquely. "An Emergency Medical Holographic System to be precise. Now I'd appreciate an answer to my question. I don't recognise either of you from the crew manifest. Who are you and why are you here? Are you responsible for all of this?" He gestures to the bodies littered around sickbay, then stands stiffly with arms folded and a stern expression on his face.
Thinking quickly, Chakotay answers. "Doctor, I'm Captain Chakotay of Starfleet Special Services. My team has come aboard the Voyager to prevent her from being captured by hostile forces until such time as your remaining crew can be recovered."
"Oh, I see" the Doctor says, relaxing. "Well I should point out that as the name of my program implies, I am really for emergency use only and should be deactivated as soon as a suitable replacement can be found. Do you have a doctor in your team, Captain?"
"I'm afraid not, Doctor."
"Then I shall have to finish the crew autopsies and record the death certificates myself."
"How far have you got?" B'Elanna interjects.
"All but these four have been recorded." The Doctor gestures to the four biobeds.
"Computer, deactivate Emergency Medical Hologram" B'Elanna orders. The Doctor flickers into nothingness as the computer follows the pre-programmed command. She turns excitedly to Chakotay. "We're in luck. The computer doesn't know that these four are dead yet. I can alter their medical records to accept our retina prints as theirs, stating that a rescan was required due to ocular injuries."
"Good idea, get right on it." Chakotay has to admit he hadn't thought of that.
Within minutes, B'Elanna is recognized by the main computer as Lt Commander Edison, Seska as Lieutenant Stadi and Chakotay as Dr Fitzgerald. Using these false personas they quickly establish limited control of ship's systems, including main power, environmental control and navigation. Unfortunately the weapons arrays require some work performed on them to become operational, but before long Voyager is on its way to the L-class planet.
