Title: Two Sides
Author: DragonLady Summery: crossover between Voyager and TOS
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Paramount. But what they
don't know won't hurt them.
Two Sides
Chapter 1
"Standard orbit, Mr. Sulu." Kirk barely listened to
the acknowledgement of his helmsman as he signed the duty
roster handed to him by a very young looking yeoman.
"Thank you, Derkins. Mr. Spock, anything from the scan of
the planet?"
Spock kept his gaze locked on the monitor as he answered.
"The planet is class M, equal parts of land mass to water.
Vegetation is scattered with varying degrees of density along
the coastal regions. The main land portions appear to be
desert. The temperature ranges from seventy-nine point two
degrees Celsius near the equator, to sixty-five point nine
degrees below zero at the poles." Kirk nodded. At his side,
McCoy made a face. "So in other words, you either freeze
or fry, depending on where you land." Spock glanced up at
the Doctor. "The temperature, though extreme for some
individuals, is hardly life-threatening Doctor." Kirk rubbed his
eyes as he anticipated yet another confrontation with his first
officer and CMO. "I'm sure you'd feel right at home among
the sand dunes, Spock. But those of us with red blood
appreciate a cool breeze now and then."
"If a cool breeze is all you desire, the polar areas should well
suit you." Much as he knew they enjoyed their banter, Kirk
waved his hands to stem the argument. "Alright, alright, can
we get back to business? Spock, did you detect any signs of
habitation by intelligent life?" Spock turned back to his viewer.
"Negative, Captain. Not even basic animal life... very peculiar."
Kirk was about to order another scan when the bridge was
suddenly washed in a brilliant white light. It was short-lived,
but so intense that it nearly blinded everyone on the bridge.
"What in the hell?" At the center of the flash stood, what
appeared to be, a human being dressed in command gold,
rank of Captain.
Kirk balled his fists. "Who are you, what are you doing on my
ship?" The stranger ignored Kirk as he strolled from station
to station. "My my, my. I wasn't aware how primitive you
humans built these early ships." As he spoke, he dragged his
finger along the red railing, checking for dust. "And these
uniforms! They lack style, sophistication! Nothing like the
ones Picard and family wear." Kirk positioned himself before
the invader. "I'll ask you once more, who are you!" The being
sighed. "Why must you humans be so confrontational?"
Straightening proudly, he bowed to Kirk. "I, my dear Captain,
am Q, the most powerful being in the universe!"
Spock clasped his hands behind his back. "Fascinating."
Q transported himself to the captains chair, much to Kirk's
consternation. "Not as comfy as Picards'..." Before Kirk could
ask what he meant, Q suddenly leaped to his feet with a shout.
"Enough talk! You want adventure? I'll show you a real
adventure. Prepare to be amazed!" Sulu whirled around
just in time to see Kirk, Spock, and McCoy
vanish from the bridge.
"Spock..."
"Captain..."
"Jim!"
Kirk's eyes snapped open the moment the paralysis that
gripped his body released. "Spock, Bones!" The other two
were nearby, apparently undamaged by the experience.
Seconds after he opened his eyes, Kirk realized he was
sitting in a forest. "I suppose the most logical question to
ask is, where are we?" Spock stood carefully to his feet.
"Unfortunately, Doctor, the question is only logical if there is
someone present to answer it." Kirk also stood. "And even
more unfortunate, Mr. Spock, the person who could have
answered it seems to have disappeared." The three looked
around cautiously, prepared for anything, except the voice of
a child. "Come on, Neelix, just a couple more minutes?" The
voice sounded as though it was only a few feet away.
"Now Naomi, I promised your mother to get you home for
dinner. How would it look for me, of all people, to allow
you to be late for your evening meal?" Ducking low, the
three officers crept towards the voices. "Alright. But promise
to finish this program with me tomorrow!"
"It would be an honor miss Wildman." As the voice spoke,
Kirk had finally gotten close enough to examine the individuals.
The one was a child, a young girl who looked to be around
nine or ten. She appeared to be human, but for the row of
horns protruding from the center of her forehead. The other,
Kirk had seen nothing like it in all his travels. It resembled a
Terran creature called a groundhog, but was yellow instead
of brown. The sides of its face were covered in spots, and
its hair formed in a crest that stood up straight in the middle
of its head. Its eyes, also yellow, seemed strangely sad, like
a mistreated pup. Kirk ducked lower as the being spoke again.
"Computer, save program and discontinue." Somewhere
overhead, Kirk heard an answering beep.
"Acknowledged."
Suddenly, the foliage he and his companions were hiding
behind vanished, and was replaced by metal floor and walls,
covered by glowing appliances. Kirk looked up quickly, ready
to explain, only to see two large doors sliding shut on the two
retreating forms. "What the hell is this place?" Before either
Spock or McCoy could answer, the doors slid open again.
"...elling you, B'Ellana, you'll love this program!"
"Tom, the last time I tried your program I ended up getting
killed by a robot that shot sparks out of its eyes. The rest
of the program was spent watching you run around with a
laser gun... great, someone left a program running." Kirk
stared at the woman. A Klingon! And a human beside her!
Kirk grabbed for a non-existent phaser, while wondering
why the Klingon didn't attack. "Computer, end program."
A strangely annoyed sounding beep came from above.
"There is no program currently in use."
Tom stared at the three men before him. "This is impossible..."
B'Ellana was already slapping her chest. "Security alert,
Holodeck one! We have intruders!"
Two Sides
Chapter 2
Kirk backed away slightly as the Klingon woman pointed
some sort of weapon at him and his two friends. "B'Ellana,
wait, I recognize these people!" B'Ellana never took her
eyes away from the three men. "I don't care who they are.
They're intruders, and we can't afford to trust them." A
moment later, the doors behind them slid open again to
admit a squad of armed security... led by a Vulcan. Spock
and the other Vulcan raised their eyebrows at the sight of
each other, and both spoke at the same time. "Fascinating."
McCoy groaned. "Now I know where I am, Hell, it has to be."
Kirk ignored the doctor. He was staring at the familiar symbol
affixed to the chest of every person in the room. It was the
Enterprise delta. "Who are you people?" The Vulcan tore
his eyes away from Spock at Kirk's question. "Perhaps it
would be better to have our Captain answer that question."
With nothing to lose, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy followed the
security team from the room.
"This may be difficult to accept, but you are onboard the
starship, Voyager. My name is Captain Kathryn Janeway...
and if you are who you say you are, it has been over eighty
years since your last mission." Kirk felt a strange weakness
pass through his body, but managed to keep from humiliating
himself by sitting in a chair rather than falling to the floor.
"Eighty... years?"
"Eighty-four years, six weeks, nine days, by my calculations."
Reported Spock, apparently unfazed by the revelation.
"Damn it Spock, what difference does it make! Either way
we're trapped here!" McCoy pounded his fist on the table
in frustration. "Gentlemen, I know this must be unnerving,
please be assured we will do everything in our power to
contact Q to have him return you to your own century. In the
meantime, I hope you understand that I must keep your
exposure to this ship and its systems as limited as possible.
Knowledge of future events, as you well know, can have
deadly repercussions." Kirk nodded. "I understand Captain.
We'll abide by your restrictions."
Janeway nodded back. "Commander Tuvok will show you
to your quarters."
"The replicator will provide you with whatever you desire,
and in addition, Mr. Neelix, has offered to escort you to the
mess hall whenever you are hungry."
"Thank you, Mr. Tuvok. Your people are very gracious
to provide for us like this. The Captain explained your
predicament, we promise to limit our replicator use to
essentials." Tuvok dipped his head to Kirk respectfully,
then left the room. McCoy immediately flopped down on the
couch and fell asleep. "I think the good Doctor has the right
idea." Spock glanced at the now snoring surgeon. "Indeed.
Perhaps one of the few he's had." Smiling, Kirk headed for
the shower. Alone, Spock wandered to the computer console.
He tapped at a few buttons, and was unsurprised to see it
disabled. They were taking no chances. Next, he walked to
the nearest viewport to gaze out at the stars streaming past.
He never dreamed he would see this quadrant in his lifetime.
In his century, barely a fraction of the Alpha quadrant had been
explored, much less the Delta quadrant. But even more
intriguing was the source of their present dilemma. Q.
Why had he brought them here? According to Captain
Janeway, he had been plaguing the captain's of various ships
and space stations for years. Why this sudden interest in Kirk?
Or had his interest started with Kirk? Yet Q had mentioned
future events when he first appeared. Quite an interesting
puzzle. In the background, Spock could hear Kirk's shower
stop. Soon after, he heard the Captain lie down on one of the
beds provided for them. Nearby, McCoy's snoring tapered off
as he sank deeper into sleep. For himself, Spock felt no
desire to sleep. He was consumed by curiosity, and though
he would never admit it, desired nothing more than to scan
the system they were passing through. Abruptly, Voyager
dropped out of warp. Spock strained his eyes, but could see
nothing from his position. Clasping his hands behind his back,
he continued his vigil.
"Open a hailing frequency Mr. Kim."
"Channel open." Janeway stood stiffly as the forward
viewscreen blinked away from the reddish planet to an
interior view of some kind of structure. "This is Captain
Janeway of the starship Voyager. To whom am I speaking?"
The figure, whose face was covered by a heavy mask, bowed
to the Captain formally.
"I am Bele, First administrator of the planet Gloth." Janeway
smiled in greeting. "A pleasure to meet you Administrator.
My crew and I have been traveling for many weeks without
stopping to refuel. Our supplies are very low, and we are in
need of some relaxation. Is there a possibility for trade?"
Bele spread his arms. "My people would welcome a visit.
And we can talk of trade when you arrive. Please, feel free
to transport down whenever you wish." Janeway nodded.
"Thank you, Administrator, you are very gracious."
Once the connection was broken, Janeway turned to
Chakotay. "What were your impressions?" Her first officer
leaned back thoughtfully. "He seemed benevolent, and quite
willing to aid us..."
"But?" Chakotay shook his head. "I don't know. He seemed,
almost too eager to have us beam down." Janeway turned to
the tactical station. "Tuvok?"
"I detected no weapons on the planet's surface, nor in the
surrounding space. However, it is possible that some form
of cloaking device could be shielding their defenses."
Janeway held up a finger. "I understand the need for caution,
but we can't let concerns about 'possibilities' prevent us from
acquiring needed supplies. Chakotay, Tuvok, prepare
separate teams to beam to the surface. Meanwhile, I plan to
meet with Administrator Bele to work out a means of payment
for whatever we need."
"Did you rest well, Captain?" Kirk rubbed his eyes as he
slowly glanced about the room. "Never better. These beds
are phenomenally comfortable."
"To say nothing of the couch." McCoy rose from his 'bed' to
stroll over to the others at the viewport. "Any word from the
Captain?" Spock shook his head. "We have received no
contact since our arrival here." Kirk folded his arms in
frustration. "I'm beginning to feel like a prisoner, gilded
cage and all!" Almost that same instant, the door to their
quarters slid open. "Well gentlemen, what shall it be?"
Before them stood the odd little alien they had first spotted
in the 'forest'. "I'm Neelix, and I can provide you with the most
succulent meal this side of the Alpha quadrant." Spock's
eyebrow rose. "Indeed." McCoy crossed his arms. "Do
you happen to have any bourbon in that kitchen of yours?"
Neelix frowned. "Burr-bon? I'm not sure I've heard of that.
But I'm positive I can duplicate whatever it is!" McCoy grinned.
"Well in that case Sur, jus' lead the way!"
Realizing it would be pointless to remain in the room, all three
of the visitors followed the energetic little alien out into the
corridor. McCoy did most of the talking as they walked to the
mess hall. Spock seemed quite content to examine every inch
of the ship as they continued on their way. For himself, Kirk
felt horrible tension building at the base of his neck. There
had to be a reason why Q had brought them here. Until he
knew why, he was going to continue becoming more and
more concerned. He realized the place he wanted to be most
was the bridge.
"Here we are!" Kirk looked up at Neelix's bright announcement.
He was somewhat jolted at the size and opulence of what
should have been a very simple room. Large viewports
displayed the backdrop of stars and a small corner of the
planet they were orbiting. Janeway must have alerted the
crew to their arrival, for not a single person, other than Neelix,
occupied the mess. "So, what shall it be, gentlemen?"
After a very unusual lunch, the three time-travelers were
escorted back to their room by the same route they had
traversed before. "Why do I get the feeling we're not really
welcome here?" McCoy harrumphed, while Spock merely
raised an eyebrow. "I suppose I can't really wish you a
pleasant stay, but I hope it's comfortable at least." Kirk
smiled ruefully. "Perhaps too comfortable." Alone once
more, the three friends set about distracting themselves
as much as possible. Spock retreated to a corner of the
room to meditate, while Kirk and McCoy set up a game of
chess, far enough away not to disturb the Vulcan. Several
hours later, the game having been played three times, with
Kirk winning twice, the Captain had about had enough of
civility. "I don't care what century this is, or what
consequences it has on the timeline, I need to get out of here!"
Striding to the comm unit on the wall, Kirk jabbed at the
controls impatiently. "Kirk to Cap..." Before the words could
leave his mouth, the ship was suddenly pummeled by an
unknown energy source. Kirk and McCoy were thrown off
their feet. Spock, torn violently from his meditations, found
himself pushed up against the wall. "What the devil!"
Before any of them could regain their footing, the ship lurched
again, throwing everyone to the other side of the room. Kirk
felt a body slam into him, and gasped as the breath was
knocked from his lungs. He looked up to see McCoy roll off
his chest. A little ways away, Spock was struggling to his feet,
despite the rolling of the ship.
Only then did it occur to Kirk that he had heard no warning
from the bridge. Whenever a ship was tossed around that
violently, there should always be a call for red alert. Kirk
was about to contact the bridge when the lights suddenly
flickered, flickered again, then went out completely. Outside
their quarters, the three men could hear hurried orders and
frantic sounds of running down the corridor as Voyager's
crew tried to contain whatever had happened. Kirk pulled
himself vertical. "Regulations be damned! Something's
happening, and I intend to find out what it is. McCoy, Spock,
care to join me on the bridge?"
Captain Kathryn Janeway gasped as the jagged piece of
metal was pulled from her leg. "Do not attempt to move,
Captain, you will only cause further injury."
Janeway relaxed against the bulkhead. "Is everyone alright?"
Tuvok showed no trace of distress on his ebony features,
yet his voice carried an uncharacteristic strain. "Lieutenants
Mathers and Icobson were killed when the support beam
collapsed. I have a fractured wrist, as well as an injury to my
back, inhibiting movement. In addition to the injury to your
leg, you appear to be suffering from a concussion."
Janeway felt tears sting her eyes at the loss of more of her
people, but she couldn't allow them the luxury of rolling down
her cheeks. "And the other party?" Tuvok shook his head.
"Whatever caused the damage to the ship has also knocked
out power to most of the decks, including the bridge. I have
been unsuccessful in restoring the comm... and our badges
are inoperable as well."
"We have to get to the bridge." Tuvok raised a brow.
"Captain, I remind you neither you nor I are capable of travel.
Nor does it appear we could escape here were you able to
move." Janeway breathed out heavily.
"I don't know what's worse. The fact that I have no idea what
happened to my ship, and have no way of knowing; or the
probability that we couldn't have done something if we had."
Kirk dodged as another hunk of ceiling threatened to squash
him as it fell from above. He had barely missed the last one.
The proof was in the inch long gash across the back of his
hand. Thankfully, McCoy hadn't fussed about it overmuch.
"Captain, are you certain you know the way to the bridge?"
Kirk grimaced at Spock's question, because he hated the
answer. However, he was saved responding by the sudden
appearance of this century's version of Aphrodite. Kirk could
not remember the last time he had seen a woman so
stunningly beautiful. Kirk took in the blue eyes, thick lashes,
pale blonde hair... Then he started. Two spots on her face
displayed metal appliances of some kind. The metal pieces
seemed to be imbedded in her flesh.
The woman pressed her full lips together as she noticed
Kirk's scrutiny. "Unauthorized personnel should remain in
their quarters during an emergency." Kirk frowned at her
commanding tone. "I assure you, my people and I are fully
capable of handling ourselves in an emergency. Please, let
us help." The blonde raised a metal eyebrow, appeared to
consider his request, then nodded. "I will accept, but only
because there are few alternatives." Kirk smiled. "By the
way, I didn't catch your name."
"It is Seven of Nine. However, it is acceptable to address
me as Seven." Kirk nodded. "I'm James T. Kirk, this is
Mr. Spock, and Doctor Leonard McCoy." Seven glanced
around at the men. "I am familiar with your profiles. Due to
your lack of familiarity with this ship, I shall assign you duties."
Kirk seemed about to protest, then thought better of it.
After all, she probably knew where the bridge was.
Twenty minutes later, after crawling five thousand miles
through dusty jeffries tubes, McCoy found himself in the
sickbay. He had little time to be in awe, however, for he was
immediately set upon by the ship's doctor. "Doctor McCoy?
I must say it's an honor to meet you. My matrix wouldn't be
complete without your program." McCoy cocked his head.
"Your what?" The doctor smiled. "My matrix. I'm a hologram.
Your medical knowledge, as well as your personality has been
incorporated into my holomatrix, along with over a thousand
other doctors and surgeon's from every part of the galaxy."
Spock leaned in closer to the Doctor. "Fascinating." McCoy
sputtered. "You mean to tell me that I end up as part of a
machine? God Almighty!" Spock raised an eyebrow at the
speechless doctor. "Indeed, I find that fate surprisingly
appropriate."
McCoy glared at the Vulcan. "Only another computer
would find fulfillment in that!" Spock clasped his hands
behind his back. "Not so, doctor. It is the fact that you can
be shut off that makes it so satisfying." Before McCoy could
utter an indignant response, Spock and Kirk were led from
the room. The Doctor, meanwhile, watched them
contemplatively as they left. "Actually, I now have the
freedom to turn myself on and off whenever I choose..."
"Oh shut up!" McCoy thundered as he turned to survey
the confusing instruments on the table before him. With
any luck, he wouldn't die of old age before he figured them out.
"Harry, are you injured?" Kim winced as he stood shakily to
his feet. "I'll be ok, I just wrenched my ankle when I fell. You?"
Chakotay stood as well. "I'm alright. Help me clear away
some of this wreckage." Working quickly, they managed to
unearth the rest of the away team. Luckily, whatever had
attacked the ship had done so before they mounted the
transporter pad. The pad was buried beneath about four
thousand pounds of wire, circuits, and support beams from
the ceiling above. "Can everyone walk?" The group nodded,
then followed the First Officer as he led the way out of the
transporter room. "I wonder if the Captain's ok?"
"We can't worry about that right now. Before we do anything
else, we have to get to the bridge." Dreading what he might
find, Chakotay rushed his group down the sparking corridors
to the main bridge. He was halfway there when he ran into
Seven of Nine, and two very familiar figures. "Captain Kirk,
Commander Spock, I see you've been drafted." Kirk managed
a wry smile as he chased after the Commander towards the
bridge. "Believe me, this isn't how I pictured it when I
first arrived."
By the time they reached the bridge, three more crewmembers
had joined them. Chakotay didn't even pause as he passed
through the doors. Not until he saw the condition it was in.
Two of the bridge crew were dead, burned black by multiple
explosions from their consoles. Tom Paris was half slumped
over the helm, valiantly entering commands as he took them
away from whatever had attacked the ship. Shaking off his
dismay, Chakotay began issuing orders. "Harry, to your
station, Rogers, take over at tactical. Elweys, you and
Phillips escort the wounded to sickbay. Tacmore and
Young, head to engineering, find out how badly we're
damaged and report to me as soon as possible."
Turning to the two remaining people, Chakotay shrugged.
"I hardly feel it's my place to issue you orders..." Kirk smiled.
"Spock, find the science station and lend a hand.
Commander? This is your ship. I am at your disposal."
Chakotay nodded grimly. "A ship is at her best with a
Captain on her bridge."
Author: DragonLady Summery: crossover between Voyager and TOS
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Paramount. But what they
don't know won't hurt them.
Two Sides
Chapter 1
"Standard orbit, Mr. Sulu." Kirk barely listened to
the acknowledgement of his helmsman as he signed the duty
roster handed to him by a very young looking yeoman.
"Thank you, Derkins. Mr. Spock, anything from the scan of
the planet?"
Spock kept his gaze locked on the monitor as he answered.
"The planet is class M, equal parts of land mass to water.
Vegetation is scattered with varying degrees of density along
the coastal regions. The main land portions appear to be
desert. The temperature ranges from seventy-nine point two
degrees Celsius near the equator, to sixty-five point nine
degrees below zero at the poles." Kirk nodded. At his side,
McCoy made a face. "So in other words, you either freeze
or fry, depending on where you land." Spock glanced up at
the Doctor. "The temperature, though extreme for some
individuals, is hardly life-threatening Doctor." Kirk rubbed his
eyes as he anticipated yet another confrontation with his first
officer and CMO. "I'm sure you'd feel right at home among
the sand dunes, Spock. But those of us with red blood
appreciate a cool breeze now and then."
"If a cool breeze is all you desire, the polar areas should well
suit you." Much as he knew they enjoyed their banter, Kirk
waved his hands to stem the argument. "Alright, alright, can
we get back to business? Spock, did you detect any signs of
habitation by intelligent life?" Spock turned back to his viewer.
"Negative, Captain. Not even basic animal life... very peculiar."
Kirk was about to order another scan when the bridge was
suddenly washed in a brilliant white light. It was short-lived,
but so intense that it nearly blinded everyone on the bridge.
"What in the hell?" At the center of the flash stood, what
appeared to be, a human being dressed in command gold,
rank of Captain.
Kirk balled his fists. "Who are you, what are you doing on my
ship?" The stranger ignored Kirk as he strolled from station
to station. "My my, my. I wasn't aware how primitive you
humans built these early ships." As he spoke, he dragged his
finger along the red railing, checking for dust. "And these
uniforms! They lack style, sophistication! Nothing like the
ones Picard and family wear." Kirk positioned himself before
the invader. "I'll ask you once more, who are you!" The being
sighed. "Why must you humans be so confrontational?"
Straightening proudly, he bowed to Kirk. "I, my dear Captain,
am Q, the most powerful being in the universe!"
Spock clasped his hands behind his back. "Fascinating."
Q transported himself to the captains chair, much to Kirk's
consternation. "Not as comfy as Picards'..." Before Kirk could
ask what he meant, Q suddenly leaped to his feet with a shout.
"Enough talk! You want adventure? I'll show you a real
adventure. Prepare to be amazed!" Sulu whirled around
just in time to see Kirk, Spock, and McCoy
vanish from the bridge.
"Spock..."
"Captain..."
"Jim!"
Kirk's eyes snapped open the moment the paralysis that
gripped his body released. "Spock, Bones!" The other two
were nearby, apparently undamaged by the experience.
Seconds after he opened his eyes, Kirk realized he was
sitting in a forest. "I suppose the most logical question to
ask is, where are we?" Spock stood carefully to his feet.
"Unfortunately, Doctor, the question is only logical if there is
someone present to answer it." Kirk also stood. "And even
more unfortunate, Mr. Spock, the person who could have
answered it seems to have disappeared." The three looked
around cautiously, prepared for anything, except the voice of
a child. "Come on, Neelix, just a couple more minutes?" The
voice sounded as though it was only a few feet away.
"Now Naomi, I promised your mother to get you home for
dinner. How would it look for me, of all people, to allow
you to be late for your evening meal?" Ducking low, the
three officers crept towards the voices. "Alright. But promise
to finish this program with me tomorrow!"
"It would be an honor miss Wildman." As the voice spoke,
Kirk had finally gotten close enough to examine the individuals.
The one was a child, a young girl who looked to be around
nine or ten. She appeared to be human, but for the row of
horns protruding from the center of her forehead. The other,
Kirk had seen nothing like it in all his travels. It resembled a
Terran creature called a groundhog, but was yellow instead
of brown. The sides of its face were covered in spots, and
its hair formed in a crest that stood up straight in the middle
of its head. Its eyes, also yellow, seemed strangely sad, like
a mistreated pup. Kirk ducked lower as the being spoke again.
"Computer, save program and discontinue." Somewhere
overhead, Kirk heard an answering beep.
"Acknowledged."
Suddenly, the foliage he and his companions were hiding
behind vanished, and was replaced by metal floor and walls,
covered by glowing appliances. Kirk looked up quickly, ready
to explain, only to see two large doors sliding shut on the two
retreating forms. "What the hell is this place?" Before either
Spock or McCoy could answer, the doors slid open again.
"...elling you, B'Ellana, you'll love this program!"
"Tom, the last time I tried your program I ended up getting
killed by a robot that shot sparks out of its eyes. The rest
of the program was spent watching you run around with a
laser gun... great, someone left a program running." Kirk
stared at the woman. A Klingon! And a human beside her!
Kirk grabbed for a non-existent phaser, while wondering
why the Klingon didn't attack. "Computer, end program."
A strangely annoyed sounding beep came from above.
"There is no program currently in use."
Tom stared at the three men before him. "This is impossible..."
B'Ellana was already slapping her chest. "Security alert,
Holodeck one! We have intruders!"
Two Sides
Chapter 2
Kirk backed away slightly as the Klingon woman pointed
some sort of weapon at him and his two friends. "B'Ellana,
wait, I recognize these people!" B'Ellana never took her
eyes away from the three men. "I don't care who they are.
They're intruders, and we can't afford to trust them." A
moment later, the doors behind them slid open again to
admit a squad of armed security... led by a Vulcan. Spock
and the other Vulcan raised their eyebrows at the sight of
each other, and both spoke at the same time. "Fascinating."
McCoy groaned. "Now I know where I am, Hell, it has to be."
Kirk ignored the doctor. He was staring at the familiar symbol
affixed to the chest of every person in the room. It was the
Enterprise delta. "Who are you people?" The Vulcan tore
his eyes away from Spock at Kirk's question. "Perhaps it
would be better to have our Captain answer that question."
With nothing to lose, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy followed the
security team from the room.
"This may be difficult to accept, but you are onboard the
starship, Voyager. My name is Captain Kathryn Janeway...
and if you are who you say you are, it has been over eighty
years since your last mission." Kirk felt a strange weakness
pass through his body, but managed to keep from humiliating
himself by sitting in a chair rather than falling to the floor.
"Eighty... years?"
"Eighty-four years, six weeks, nine days, by my calculations."
Reported Spock, apparently unfazed by the revelation.
"Damn it Spock, what difference does it make! Either way
we're trapped here!" McCoy pounded his fist on the table
in frustration. "Gentlemen, I know this must be unnerving,
please be assured we will do everything in our power to
contact Q to have him return you to your own century. In the
meantime, I hope you understand that I must keep your
exposure to this ship and its systems as limited as possible.
Knowledge of future events, as you well know, can have
deadly repercussions." Kirk nodded. "I understand Captain.
We'll abide by your restrictions."
Janeway nodded back. "Commander Tuvok will show you
to your quarters."
"The replicator will provide you with whatever you desire,
and in addition, Mr. Neelix, has offered to escort you to the
mess hall whenever you are hungry."
"Thank you, Mr. Tuvok. Your people are very gracious
to provide for us like this. The Captain explained your
predicament, we promise to limit our replicator use to
essentials." Tuvok dipped his head to Kirk respectfully,
then left the room. McCoy immediately flopped down on the
couch and fell asleep. "I think the good Doctor has the right
idea." Spock glanced at the now snoring surgeon. "Indeed.
Perhaps one of the few he's had." Smiling, Kirk headed for
the shower. Alone, Spock wandered to the computer console.
He tapped at a few buttons, and was unsurprised to see it
disabled. They were taking no chances. Next, he walked to
the nearest viewport to gaze out at the stars streaming past.
He never dreamed he would see this quadrant in his lifetime.
In his century, barely a fraction of the Alpha quadrant had been
explored, much less the Delta quadrant. But even more
intriguing was the source of their present dilemma. Q.
Why had he brought them here? According to Captain
Janeway, he had been plaguing the captain's of various ships
and space stations for years. Why this sudden interest in Kirk?
Or had his interest started with Kirk? Yet Q had mentioned
future events when he first appeared. Quite an interesting
puzzle. In the background, Spock could hear Kirk's shower
stop. Soon after, he heard the Captain lie down on one of the
beds provided for them. Nearby, McCoy's snoring tapered off
as he sank deeper into sleep. For himself, Spock felt no
desire to sleep. He was consumed by curiosity, and though
he would never admit it, desired nothing more than to scan
the system they were passing through. Abruptly, Voyager
dropped out of warp. Spock strained his eyes, but could see
nothing from his position. Clasping his hands behind his back,
he continued his vigil.
"Open a hailing frequency Mr. Kim."
"Channel open." Janeway stood stiffly as the forward
viewscreen blinked away from the reddish planet to an
interior view of some kind of structure. "This is Captain
Janeway of the starship Voyager. To whom am I speaking?"
The figure, whose face was covered by a heavy mask, bowed
to the Captain formally.
"I am Bele, First administrator of the planet Gloth." Janeway
smiled in greeting. "A pleasure to meet you Administrator.
My crew and I have been traveling for many weeks without
stopping to refuel. Our supplies are very low, and we are in
need of some relaxation. Is there a possibility for trade?"
Bele spread his arms. "My people would welcome a visit.
And we can talk of trade when you arrive. Please, feel free
to transport down whenever you wish." Janeway nodded.
"Thank you, Administrator, you are very gracious."
Once the connection was broken, Janeway turned to
Chakotay. "What were your impressions?" Her first officer
leaned back thoughtfully. "He seemed benevolent, and quite
willing to aid us..."
"But?" Chakotay shook his head. "I don't know. He seemed,
almost too eager to have us beam down." Janeway turned to
the tactical station. "Tuvok?"
"I detected no weapons on the planet's surface, nor in the
surrounding space. However, it is possible that some form
of cloaking device could be shielding their defenses."
Janeway held up a finger. "I understand the need for caution,
but we can't let concerns about 'possibilities' prevent us from
acquiring needed supplies. Chakotay, Tuvok, prepare
separate teams to beam to the surface. Meanwhile, I plan to
meet with Administrator Bele to work out a means of payment
for whatever we need."
"Did you rest well, Captain?" Kirk rubbed his eyes as he
slowly glanced about the room. "Never better. These beds
are phenomenally comfortable."
"To say nothing of the couch." McCoy rose from his 'bed' to
stroll over to the others at the viewport. "Any word from the
Captain?" Spock shook his head. "We have received no
contact since our arrival here." Kirk folded his arms in
frustration. "I'm beginning to feel like a prisoner, gilded
cage and all!" Almost that same instant, the door to their
quarters slid open. "Well gentlemen, what shall it be?"
Before them stood the odd little alien they had first spotted
in the 'forest'. "I'm Neelix, and I can provide you with the most
succulent meal this side of the Alpha quadrant." Spock's
eyebrow rose. "Indeed." McCoy crossed his arms. "Do
you happen to have any bourbon in that kitchen of yours?"
Neelix frowned. "Burr-bon? I'm not sure I've heard of that.
But I'm positive I can duplicate whatever it is!" McCoy grinned.
"Well in that case Sur, jus' lead the way!"
Realizing it would be pointless to remain in the room, all three
of the visitors followed the energetic little alien out into the
corridor. McCoy did most of the talking as they walked to the
mess hall. Spock seemed quite content to examine every inch
of the ship as they continued on their way. For himself, Kirk
felt horrible tension building at the base of his neck. There
had to be a reason why Q had brought them here. Until he
knew why, he was going to continue becoming more and
more concerned. He realized the place he wanted to be most
was the bridge.
"Here we are!" Kirk looked up at Neelix's bright announcement.
He was somewhat jolted at the size and opulence of what
should have been a very simple room. Large viewports
displayed the backdrop of stars and a small corner of the
planet they were orbiting. Janeway must have alerted the
crew to their arrival, for not a single person, other than Neelix,
occupied the mess. "So, what shall it be, gentlemen?"
After a very unusual lunch, the three time-travelers were
escorted back to their room by the same route they had
traversed before. "Why do I get the feeling we're not really
welcome here?" McCoy harrumphed, while Spock merely
raised an eyebrow. "I suppose I can't really wish you a
pleasant stay, but I hope it's comfortable at least." Kirk
smiled ruefully. "Perhaps too comfortable." Alone once
more, the three friends set about distracting themselves
as much as possible. Spock retreated to a corner of the
room to meditate, while Kirk and McCoy set up a game of
chess, far enough away not to disturb the Vulcan. Several
hours later, the game having been played three times, with
Kirk winning twice, the Captain had about had enough of
civility. "I don't care what century this is, or what
consequences it has on the timeline, I need to get out of here!"
Striding to the comm unit on the wall, Kirk jabbed at the
controls impatiently. "Kirk to Cap..." Before the words could
leave his mouth, the ship was suddenly pummeled by an
unknown energy source. Kirk and McCoy were thrown off
their feet. Spock, torn violently from his meditations, found
himself pushed up against the wall. "What the devil!"
Before any of them could regain their footing, the ship lurched
again, throwing everyone to the other side of the room. Kirk
felt a body slam into him, and gasped as the breath was
knocked from his lungs. He looked up to see McCoy roll off
his chest. A little ways away, Spock was struggling to his feet,
despite the rolling of the ship.
Only then did it occur to Kirk that he had heard no warning
from the bridge. Whenever a ship was tossed around that
violently, there should always be a call for red alert. Kirk
was about to contact the bridge when the lights suddenly
flickered, flickered again, then went out completely. Outside
their quarters, the three men could hear hurried orders and
frantic sounds of running down the corridor as Voyager's
crew tried to contain whatever had happened. Kirk pulled
himself vertical. "Regulations be damned! Something's
happening, and I intend to find out what it is. McCoy, Spock,
care to join me on the bridge?"
Captain Kathryn Janeway gasped as the jagged piece of
metal was pulled from her leg. "Do not attempt to move,
Captain, you will only cause further injury."
Janeway relaxed against the bulkhead. "Is everyone alright?"
Tuvok showed no trace of distress on his ebony features,
yet his voice carried an uncharacteristic strain. "Lieutenants
Mathers and Icobson were killed when the support beam
collapsed. I have a fractured wrist, as well as an injury to my
back, inhibiting movement. In addition to the injury to your
leg, you appear to be suffering from a concussion."
Janeway felt tears sting her eyes at the loss of more of her
people, but she couldn't allow them the luxury of rolling down
her cheeks. "And the other party?" Tuvok shook his head.
"Whatever caused the damage to the ship has also knocked
out power to most of the decks, including the bridge. I have
been unsuccessful in restoring the comm... and our badges
are inoperable as well."
"We have to get to the bridge." Tuvok raised a brow.
"Captain, I remind you neither you nor I are capable of travel.
Nor does it appear we could escape here were you able to
move." Janeway breathed out heavily.
"I don't know what's worse. The fact that I have no idea what
happened to my ship, and have no way of knowing; or the
probability that we couldn't have done something if we had."
Kirk dodged as another hunk of ceiling threatened to squash
him as it fell from above. He had barely missed the last one.
The proof was in the inch long gash across the back of his
hand. Thankfully, McCoy hadn't fussed about it overmuch.
"Captain, are you certain you know the way to the bridge?"
Kirk grimaced at Spock's question, because he hated the
answer. However, he was saved responding by the sudden
appearance of this century's version of Aphrodite. Kirk could
not remember the last time he had seen a woman so
stunningly beautiful. Kirk took in the blue eyes, thick lashes,
pale blonde hair... Then he started. Two spots on her face
displayed metal appliances of some kind. The metal pieces
seemed to be imbedded in her flesh.
The woman pressed her full lips together as she noticed
Kirk's scrutiny. "Unauthorized personnel should remain in
their quarters during an emergency." Kirk frowned at her
commanding tone. "I assure you, my people and I are fully
capable of handling ourselves in an emergency. Please, let
us help." The blonde raised a metal eyebrow, appeared to
consider his request, then nodded. "I will accept, but only
because there are few alternatives." Kirk smiled. "By the
way, I didn't catch your name."
"It is Seven of Nine. However, it is acceptable to address
me as Seven." Kirk nodded. "I'm James T. Kirk, this is
Mr. Spock, and Doctor Leonard McCoy." Seven glanced
around at the men. "I am familiar with your profiles. Due to
your lack of familiarity with this ship, I shall assign you duties."
Kirk seemed about to protest, then thought better of it.
After all, she probably knew where the bridge was.
Twenty minutes later, after crawling five thousand miles
through dusty jeffries tubes, McCoy found himself in the
sickbay. He had little time to be in awe, however, for he was
immediately set upon by the ship's doctor. "Doctor McCoy?
I must say it's an honor to meet you. My matrix wouldn't be
complete without your program." McCoy cocked his head.
"Your what?" The doctor smiled. "My matrix. I'm a hologram.
Your medical knowledge, as well as your personality has been
incorporated into my holomatrix, along with over a thousand
other doctors and surgeon's from every part of the galaxy."
Spock leaned in closer to the Doctor. "Fascinating." McCoy
sputtered. "You mean to tell me that I end up as part of a
machine? God Almighty!" Spock raised an eyebrow at the
speechless doctor. "Indeed, I find that fate surprisingly
appropriate."
McCoy glared at the Vulcan. "Only another computer
would find fulfillment in that!" Spock clasped his hands
behind his back. "Not so, doctor. It is the fact that you can
be shut off that makes it so satisfying." Before McCoy could
utter an indignant response, Spock and Kirk were led from
the room. The Doctor, meanwhile, watched them
contemplatively as they left. "Actually, I now have the
freedom to turn myself on and off whenever I choose..."
"Oh shut up!" McCoy thundered as he turned to survey
the confusing instruments on the table before him. With
any luck, he wouldn't die of old age before he figured them out.
"Harry, are you injured?" Kim winced as he stood shakily to
his feet. "I'll be ok, I just wrenched my ankle when I fell. You?"
Chakotay stood as well. "I'm alright. Help me clear away
some of this wreckage." Working quickly, they managed to
unearth the rest of the away team. Luckily, whatever had
attacked the ship had done so before they mounted the
transporter pad. The pad was buried beneath about four
thousand pounds of wire, circuits, and support beams from
the ceiling above. "Can everyone walk?" The group nodded,
then followed the First Officer as he led the way out of the
transporter room. "I wonder if the Captain's ok?"
"We can't worry about that right now. Before we do anything
else, we have to get to the bridge." Dreading what he might
find, Chakotay rushed his group down the sparking corridors
to the main bridge. He was halfway there when he ran into
Seven of Nine, and two very familiar figures. "Captain Kirk,
Commander Spock, I see you've been drafted." Kirk managed
a wry smile as he chased after the Commander towards the
bridge. "Believe me, this isn't how I pictured it when I
first arrived."
By the time they reached the bridge, three more crewmembers
had joined them. Chakotay didn't even pause as he passed
through the doors. Not until he saw the condition it was in.
Two of the bridge crew were dead, burned black by multiple
explosions from their consoles. Tom Paris was half slumped
over the helm, valiantly entering commands as he took them
away from whatever had attacked the ship. Shaking off his
dismay, Chakotay began issuing orders. "Harry, to your
station, Rogers, take over at tactical. Elweys, you and
Phillips escort the wounded to sickbay. Tacmore and
Young, head to engineering, find out how badly we're
damaged and report to me as soon as possible."
Turning to the two remaining people, Chakotay shrugged.
"I hardly feel it's my place to issue you orders..." Kirk smiled.
"Spock, find the science station and lend a hand.
Commander? This is your ship. I am at your disposal."
Chakotay nodded grimly. "A ship is at her best with a
Captain on her bridge."
