Was Blind But Now I See
By The Inner Genie
Disclaimer: This story was not written for profit, but for my own pleasure (and I hope for others, as well). I don't own these characters. I wish I did. They'd have a lot more fun.
Chapter 1: Betrayal
Captain Kathryn Janeway stumbled around another corner. She tripped over a pile of fallen rocks, reaching her hand out to clutch the rough walls of the underground cavern. She knew that she needed to steady herself -- in more ways than one. She slapped her combadge again, hoping to hear the chirp that meant immediate rescue - static was her only answer. She stopped and leaned against the stones that made up the next corner of the maze. Her hand covered her eyes, trying to blot out the memory of what she had recently been shown. Her away team; Chakotay - all dead.
*********************************************************
The memory of the pale, elongated face of the Runarian officer Tunar swam once more in front of her. Tunar's slit of a mouth turned up on one side as if she were enjoying herself.
"They are all dead, Captain," she smirked. White wisps of hair fluttered around her head as she nodded in satisfaction. "We are pleased that this intrusion has been put down so quickly. The Runarian guards who saved us from your invasion will be honored. Their spirits are blessed."
Janeway straightened up, refusing to rub the throbbing spot on the side of her head where they had brutally pulled out some of her hair. She glared at the officer. "There was no invasion! We came down at the invitation of your government. And I don't believe that you would kill my crew. Surely, you don't kill all off-worlders who visit your country?" Fists on hips, Janeway growled, "I demand to speak to your Prime and I want my crew brought to me, now!"
A hissing noise issued from Tunar. In a voice that sounded gleeful, Tunar said. "Our Prime is the one who ordered the execution of your crew and. as for proof of my words." Tunar stepped to a screen and began to tap on the pad attached to its side. "The bodies of your crewmen have been destroyed...all but that of your second in command." She stood back from the screen and, reaching back with her long, three fingered hand, she dragged Janeway closer. "There's your proof," she hissed, again. "Look closely. His body was given to the vattors to play with and they don't leave much when they are finished."
An unbidden gasp escaped from Janeway as she stared at the screen. At first she thought it was a pile of rags, but then the picture came into focus. Rags, yes, black and red rags, with glimpses of white bones visible through the rents in the material. A head, a bloody mass, with black hair still partially attached.
Abruptly, Janeway turned from the screen. Her hands clutching her stomach, she doubled over, retching and groaning. "No-o-o-o!" she moaned.
With one touch, Tunar turned off the screen and stretching her thin arms out towards Janeway, she said in a boastful tone, "So, now, tell me, what do you think of my proof? I guess you won't doubt my word from now on, will you? Of course, once we have your ship, your Voyager, you won't be around for very long. Your crew is weak and so are you."
Tunar stepped close to Janeway, who remained hunched over on the floor, and grabbed the back of her uniform to pull her up. Janeway's disbelief and horror had turned to anger. She whipped up and around and drove her fist into Tunar's face as hard as she could. The blow sent Tunar reeling backwards and into the terminal behind her. A sickening crunch of bone meeting metal resounded through the room.
Janeway didn't wait to see the results of her blow. She lunged for the door and opened it quickly. Hearing voices coming from the right, she silently slipped out of the door and headed left. She raced along as quietly as she could and stopped when she came to a familiar green door. She remembered being brought up to this floor on an "elevator" that had a green door. Quickly she slapped her hand on the panel beside the door and was relieved when the door opened, revealing the interior of the elevator that she remembered from before. She jumped inside and looking at the panel, she pushed the bottom most button. She knew that if anyone stopped the elevator to get on, she would be recaptured. But that was one thing she was not about to let happen. She needed to put her grief aside and get back to her ship. Some of her crew may not have made it, but the rest could and would be saved from these cruel people.
Several anxious minutes later the elevator came to a silent halt and the doors slowly opened. Janeway took a deep breath, and crouching into a defensive stance, she cautiously stepped out.
She found herself, alone, in an underground corridor carved out of rock.
*********************************************************
The pointed rocks from the wall of the passageway cut sharply into her back as she leaned more heavily against them. Silent tears slid down her cheeks as she thought of her crew.Tom, B'Elanna, Neelix, Ensign Parsons, Ensign Harlow and .Chakotay. Her mind slid rapidly past thoughts of her first officer and best friend. She couldn't dwell on his loss. She couldn't think of the horrible mass she had seen on the viewscreen. She knew that grief, overpowering grief, was very near the surface of her thoughts. She couldn't let it out. Not now. Not when she had a mission -- a mission to save her remaining crew and Voyager.
Janeway pushed herself firmly away from the supporting rocks. She encouraged her grief to turn to anger. She let her anger blaze out at the Runarian government, the Prime, Tunar. Everyone who had lured her and her ship to this planet with false promises of help and supplies.
Her anger gave her strength. Her mission gave her courage. She wiped the tears from her face and looked at her surroundings closely for the first time.
The passageway she was in appeared to be carved out of the surrounding rock but she remembered passing through a small cavern a while back that seemed to be a natural formation. A strip of luminous rock ran through the middle of the "walls" of the passages giving off a steady, adequate light. The passageways were silent and apparently deserted. The dust that had settled over everything was devoid of any footprints save her own. She wondered why this place was deserted and then noticed a fall of rock that wasn't dust coated. Looking up, and then around, she thought she knew why no one ventured down here. These passageways and caverns were unsafe. Piles of newly fallen rock and debris bore testimony to the fact that the ceilings were caving in.
Janeway now knew that she had to move faster. Her chance of escaping to the surface was growing slimmer. Just in case she did meet anyone down here, she looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. Bending down, she hefted a good size rock in each hand. She stopped and, for the first time since she had beamed down to this planet, she smiled to herself. She wouldn't have to carry these rocks with her. Weapons such as these were only a reach away. Tossing down the stones, she set off along the passageway determined in her own mind that the Runarians would not build this complex without an aboveground exit. She would find it. Once out in the open, she knew Voyager would find her. Tuvok and Harry wouldn't give up on them. They would be scanning the surface for them and demanding their return from the Runarian government. She knew this, because that's what she would be doing if she were on Voyager.
Janeway walked on for hours. She took every passageway that seemed to be going up. Numerous times she had to backtrack when a trail was cut off by fallen rock. Every once in a while she heard rocks falling in some distant cavern. She prayed that that sound would stay distant.
As she climbed steadily towards the surface she tried many times to hail Voyager but only produced static from her combadge. She was growing tired and hungry. She had found an underground creek in one of the caverns and had drunk her fill, so thirst was not a problem at the moment. Finally, fatigue overcame her to such an extent that she knew that she had to rest. She vowed that when she came across the next water supply she would lie down beside it and sleep.
Her plan was put on hold however, when, up ahead, she heard voices and the scuffing of feet on the rocky trail.
(TO BE CONTINUED) Chapter 2 coming soon.
By The Inner Genie
Disclaimer: This story was not written for profit, but for my own pleasure (and I hope for others, as well). I don't own these characters. I wish I did. They'd have a lot more fun.
Chapter 1: Betrayal
Captain Kathryn Janeway stumbled around another corner. She tripped over a pile of fallen rocks, reaching her hand out to clutch the rough walls of the underground cavern. She knew that she needed to steady herself -- in more ways than one. She slapped her combadge again, hoping to hear the chirp that meant immediate rescue - static was her only answer. She stopped and leaned against the stones that made up the next corner of the maze. Her hand covered her eyes, trying to blot out the memory of what she had recently been shown. Her away team; Chakotay - all dead.
*********************************************************
The memory of the pale, elongated face of the Runarian officer Tunar swam once more in front of her. Tunar's slit of a mouth turned up on one side as if she were enjoying herself.
"They are all dead, Captain," she smirked. White wisps of hair fluttered around her head as she nodded in satisfaction. "We are pleased that this intrusion has been put down so quickly. The Runarian guards who saved us from your invasion will be honored. Their spirits are blessed."
Janeway straightened up, refusing to rub the throbbing spot on the side of her head where they had brutally pulled out some of her hair. She glared at the officer. "There was no invasion! We came down at the invitation of your government. And I don't believe that you would kill my crew. Surely, you don't kill all off-worlders who visit your country?" Fists on hips, Janeway growled, "I demand to speak to your Prime and I want my crew brought to me, now!"
A hissing noise issued from Tunar. In a voice that sounded gleeful, Tunar said. "Our Prime is the one who ordered the execution of your crew and. as for proof of my words." Tunar stepped to a screen and began to tap on the pad attached to its side. "The bodies of your crewmen have been destroyed...all but that of your second in command." She stood back from the screen and, reaching back with her long, three fingered hand, she dragged Janeway closer. "There's your proof," she hissed, again. "Look closely. His body was given to the vattors to play with and they don't leave much when they are finished."
An unbidden gasp escaped from Janeway as she stared at the screen. At first she thought it was a pile of rags, but then the picture came into focus. Rags, yes, black and red rags, with glimpses of white bones visible through the rents in the material. A head, a bloody mass, with black hair still partially attached.
Abruptly, Janeway turned from the screen. Her hands clutching her stomach, she doubled over, retching and groaning. "No-o-o-o!" she moaned.
With one touch, Tunar turned off the screen and stretching her thin arms out towards Janeway, she said in a boastful tone, "So, now, tell me, what do you think of my proof? I guess you won't doubt my word from now on, will you? Of course, once we have your ship, your Voyager, you won't be around for very long. Your crew is weak and so are you."
Tunar stepped close to Janeway, who remained hunched over on the floor, and grabbed the back of her uniform to pull her up. Janeway's disbelief and horror had turned to anger. She whipped up and around and drove her fist into Tunar's face as hard as she could. The blow sent Tunar reeling backwards and into the terminal behind her. A sickening crunch of bone meeting metal resounded through the room.
Janeway didn't wait to see the results of her blow. She lunged for the door and opened it quickly. Hearing voices coming from the right, she silently slipped out of the door and headed left. She raced along as quietly as she could and stopped when she came to a familiar green door. She remembered being brought up to this floor on an "elevator" that had a green door. Quickly she slapped her hand on the panel beside the door and was relieved when the door opened, revealing the interior of the elevator that she remembered from before. She jumped inside and looking at the panel, she pushed the bottom most button. She knew that if anyone stopped the elevator to get on, she would be recaptured. But that was one thing she was not about to let happen. She needed to put her grief aside and get back to her ship. Some of her crew may not have made it, but the rest could and would be saved from these cruel people.
Several anxious minutes later the elevator came to a silent halt and the doors slowly opened. Janeway took a deep breath, and crouching into a defensive stance, she cautiously stepped out.
She found herself, alone, in an underground corridor carved out of rock.
*********************************************************
The pointed rocks from the wall of the passageway cut sharply into her back as she leaned more heavily against them. Silent tears slid down her cheeks as she thought of her crew.Tom, B'Elanna, Neelix, Ensign Parsons, Ensign Harlow and .Chakotay. Her mind slid rapidly past thoughts of her first officer and best friend. She couldn't dwell on his loss. She couldn't think of the horrible mass she had seen on the viewscreen. She knew that grief, overpowering grief, was very near the surface of her thoughts. She couldn't let it out. Not now. Not when she had a mission -- a mission to save her remaining crew and Voyager.
Janeway pushed herself firmly away from the supporting rocks. She encouraged her grief to turn to anger. She let her anger blaze out at the Runarian government, the Prime, Tunar. Everyone who had lured her and her ship to this planet with false promises of help and supplies.
Her anger gave her strength. Her mission gave her courage. She wiped the tears from her face and looked at her surroundings closely for the first time.
The passageway she was in appeared to be carved out of the surrounding rock but she remembered passing through a small cavern a while back that seemed to be a natural formation. A strip of luminous rock ran through the middle of the "walls" of the passages giving off a steady, adequate light. The passageways were silent and apparently deserted. The dust that had settled over everything was devoid of any footprints save her own. She wondered why this place was deserted and then noticed a fall of rock that wasn't dust coated. Looking up, and then around, she thought she knew why no one ventured down here. These passageways and caverns were unsafe. Piles of newly fallen rock and debris bore testimony to the fact that the ceilings were caving in.
Janeway now knew that she had to move faster. Her chance of escaping to the surface was growing slimmer. Just in case she did meet anyone down here, she looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. Bending down, she hefted a good size rock in each hand. She stopped and, for the first time since she had beamed down to this planet, she smiled to herself. She wouldn't have to carry these rocks with her. Weapons such as these were only a reach away. Tossing down the stones, she set off along the passageway determined in her own mind that the Runarians would not build this complex without an aboveground exit. She would find it. Once out in the open, she knew Voyager would find her. Tuvok and Harry wouldn't give up on them. They would be scanning the surface for them and demanding their return from the Runarian government. She knew this, because that's what she would be doing if she were on Voyager.
Janeway walked on for hours. She took every passageway that seemed to be going up. Numerous times she had to backtrack when a trail was cut off by fallen rock. Every once in a while she heard rocks falling in some distant cavern. She prayed that that sound would stay distant.
As she climbed steadily towards the surface she tried many times to hail Voyager but only produced static from her combadge. She was growing tired and hungry. She had found an underground creek in one of the caverns and had drunk her fill, so thirst was not a problem at the moment. Finally, fatigue overcame her to such an extent that she knew that she had to rest. She vowed that when she came across the next water supply she would lie down beside it and sleep.
Her plan was put on hold however, when, up ahead, she heard voices and the scuffing of feet on the rocky trail.
(TO BE CONTINUED) Chapter 2 coming soon.