Act Three: "What's Behind Orion's Belt?"
Two security officers under the command of Commander Tuvok walked down the corridor. They were covering the front and the rear of four engineers under the command of Commander Torres. The foursome carried an Anti-Gravity table the held twenty-eight canisters of a very rare proto- plasma only found in the heart of the Mana Nebula.
The six of them paused at the Cargo Bay, waited for security clearance, then entered. Within, the rest of the staff was hard at work at computers and tables that all surrounded the building of a large sphere in the center of the bay.
"Careful with that," instructed Torres sharply as the Engineers slid the canisters over to a containment unit.
"Has the containment unit been tested?" asked Janeway.
"Yes ma'am," responded the half-Klingon.
"Good. I don't want any problems."
As soon as the canisters were secured tightly in the containment unit, Janeway tapped her com-badge. "Janeway to Bridge."
"Bridge here."
"Captain, at your discretion, you can lay in a course for Datora Two."
"Very good, Admiral. Bridge out."
***
Picard frowned as the Enterprise jumped to Warp Five. The tension within the ship was thick and the staff of Admiral Janeway was starting to feel less like a group of passengers and more like a leeching parasite, sucking on the resources of the ship.
He had a lot of respect for the staff, regarding their time in the Delta Quadrant and whatnot. But the fact of the matter is, is that he was not comfortable with having them on his ship.
And now, they on course for Datora Two – one of the many planets associated with the Orion Syndicate. In back of his mind, Captain Picard could hear a voice shouting that this was wrong. But he also knew that he had no choice in the matter.
***
"I don't know, Data, what do you think about all this?" asked Geordi LaForge as he, Data, Riker, and Troi sat around a table in the Crew Lounge.
"I do not believe we should be speculating about this, Geordi."
"Come on, Data," said Riker. "Speak your mind."
"Well," Data began, "I believe we are conducting a highly classified test for a new power source. It may or may not have to do with these so- called secret negotiations."
"Yeah, well, I still say it's a new engine test. And when they're done, they're going to want to put in the Enterprise. I mean, why else would they want untested shields around the Warp Core? Not to mention, they put someone else at Navigation. I mean, this Paris guy, he went at Warp 10!" Geordi exclaimed.
"What do you think, Deanna?" asked Will Riker, looking over at the Counselor. Her fingers were pressing against her temples.
"What? Oh, I'm sorry. My head is splitting. I think I'm going to head back to my quarters."
"Wait, I'll come with you," said Riker, following her.
Geordi and Data watched as they pair stepped through the door. As the two of them exited, Torres and Seven of Nine entered and made their way to the bar.
"There they are," Geordi observed.
"Indeed," Data replied. "Apparently, they are only allowed to travel in twos or more."
"That would make sense."
Just then, Seven of Nine started to shake. At first, it was her hands, but it quickly moved to the rest of her body.
"Seven? Seven!" shouted Torres as Seven fell to the ground, convulsing.
Moments later, she rushed into Sick Bay. Dr. Crusher ran over and laid her out on a table. Just as she began to scan the former Borg, Admiral Janeway came in with Tuvok.
"Stand down, Doctor," ordered Janeway. Tuvok went to immediate work and brought up the EMH.
"I can't right now. At least let me scan her body with my – "
She stopped in her words as she looked at the readings she was getting. A second later, Tuvok reached over and snapped shut the tricorder. The holographic Doctor moved in, then, and went to his own work on Seven of Nine.
Dr. Beverly Crusher just walked away, awestruck as to what had just occurred.
***
Not long after this, Admiral Janeway joined Captain Picard on the bridge. They were just reaching the Datora System.
"Full stop."
"Full stop, yes ma'am," said Paris.
Picard looked over at her. "Is there a problem, Admiral?"
She shook her head no. "There's just been a change in plans," she said. "Commander Tuvok and myself will be taking the Delta Flyer to the planet. I would like you to come along, Captain."
"Me?" he asked, shocked. The Delta Flyer had been Voyager's secondary ship during their time in the Delta Quadrant and it had been loaded in the Main Shuttle Bay. And he was shocked he was going to be allowed to go.
"Yes, Captain. I don't like keeping you in the dark, of course."
"Of . . . course," he said with hesitation.
"Excellent. Meet the Commander and I in Shuttle Bay One in twenty minutes."
***
A few minutes later, the Delta Flyer took off from the Enterprise's Shuttle Bay and headed straight for the planet. Datora Two was one of the three planets in the Datora system and was definitely one of the coldest. The ride from the Enterprise to the lower atmosphere was quiet and with the exception of some small talk, Janeway had kept her mouth shut the entire time. As did Picard and Tuvok.
The Delta Flyer soon entered a low orbit and Tuvok beamed down Captain Picard and Admiral Janeway to the snowy service.
Picard pulled the collar of his Starfleet Cold Survival Jacket in closer to his face. Suddenly, two large Nausicaans and a Ferengi showed up. Behind them were two large crates of some sort. One of the Nausicaans held a thick, metal case.
"You're late!" the Ferengi shouted. "The Orion Syndicate hates late people!"
"My apologies," Janeway said diplomatically.
"Your apologies!?" the Ferengi retorted. "We have been in the cold for two hours! And I hate the cold! And I hate the Federation! And I hate late people!"
"Calm down!" shouted Janeway. "Do you have what we need?"
The Ferengi snarled. "As agreed. Eight metric tons of Boromite Ore and four Dilithium Crystals."
Picard squinted in wonder. He caught himself from gasping and attracting the attention of the Ferengi's sensitive ears.
"Excellent. And here is it what we bargained for," Janeway said. She tapped her comm-badge. "Janeway to Delta Flyer."
"Delta Flyer here, Captain."
"Initiating transport."
There was a drizzle of light and a long, black torpedo appeared in the snow. Picard recognized it. It was a Quantum Torpedo. He couldn't hold back his shock this time. But if the Ferengi noticed it, he didn't bother to acknowledge it.
"Ahhh!" the Ferengi gave out, rubbing his hands together greedily. He made his way over with one of the Nausicaans and propped open the top. The Nausicaan walked over and checked it out. He grunted at the Ferengi.
"It looks like this checks out. You may beam the shipment up."
"Tuvok, commence beam up."
"Aye, Captain."
The two crates disappeared into the cargo hold of the Delta Flyer.
"If our business is over, then I suggestion we move on," Janeway recommended.
The Ferengi gestured towards her. She and Picard beamed back onto the Delta Flyer. Immediately, Picard couldn't hold it back anymore.
"Admiral, I demand to know what's going on! Giving them a Quantum Torpedo!"
"Don't worry about it, Captain. Everything is under control. Commander Tuvok?"
"Torpedo detonated."
Captain Picard watched out the window as he registered a small explosion from the surface. His eyes went wide.
"Please, Captain. If you only knew what this was really about, you wouldn't feel a thing."
Picard only sat down and sighed heavily. Something had to be done.
Two security officers under the command of Commander Tuvok walked down the corridor. They were covering the front and the rear of four engineers under the command of Commander Torres. The foursome carried an Anti-Gravity table the held twenty-eight canisters of a very rare proto- plasma only found in the heart of the Mana Nebula.
The six of them paused at the Cargo Bay, waited for security clearance, then entered. Within, the rest of the staff was hard at work at computers and tables that all surrounded the building of a large sphere in the center of the bay.
"Careful with that," instructed Torres sharply as the Engineers slid the canisters over to a containment unit.
"Has the containment unit been tested?" asked Janeway.
"Yes ma'am," responded the half-Klingon.
"Good. I don't want any problems."
As soon as the canisters were secured tightly in the containment unit, Janeway tapped her com-badge. "Janeway to Bridge."
"Bridge here."
"Captain, at your discretion, you can lay in a course for Datora Two."
"Very good, Admiral. Bridge out."
***
Picard frowned as the Enterprise jumped to Warp Five. The tension within the ship was thick and the staff of Admiral Janeway was starting to feel less like a group of passengers and more like a leeching parasite, sucking on the resources of the ship.
He had a lot of respect for the staff, regarding their time in the Delta Quadrant and whatnot. But the fact of the matter is, is that he was not comfortable with having them on his ship.
And now, they on course for Datora Two – one of the many planets associated with the Orion Syndicate. In back of his mind, Captain Picard could hear a voice shouting that this was wrong. But he also knew that he had no choice in the matter.
***
"I don't know, Data, what do you think about all this?" asked Geordi LaForge as he, Data, Riker, and Troi sat around a table in the Crew Lounge.
"I do not believe we should be speculating about this, Geordi."
"Come on, Data," said Riker. "Speak your mind."
"Well," Data began, "I believe we are conducting a highly classified test for a new power source. It may or may not have to do with these so- called secret negotiations."
"Yeah, well, I still say it's a new engine test. And when they're done, they're going to want to put in the Enterprise. I mean, why else would they want untested shields around the Warp Core? Not to mention, they put someone else at Navigation. I mean, this Paris guy, he went at Warp 10!" Geordi exclaimed.
"What do you think, Deanna?" asked Will Riker, looking over at the Counselor. Her fingers were pressing against her temples.
"What? Oh, I'm sorry. My head is splitting. I think I'm going to head back to my quarters."
"Wait, I'll come with you," said Riker, following her.
Geordi and Data watched as they pair stepped through the door. As the two of them exited, Torres and Seven of Nine entered and made their way to the bar.
"There they are," Geordi observed.
"Indeed," Data replied. "Apparently, they are only allowed to travel in twos or more."
"That would make sense."
Just then, Seven of Nine started to shake. At first, it was her hands, but it quickly moved to the rest of her body.
"Seven? Seven!" shouted Torres as Seven fell to the ground, convulsing.
Moments later, she rushed into Sick Bay. Dr. Crusher ran over and laid her out on a table. Just as she began to scan the former Borg, Admiral Janeway came in with Tuvok.
"Stand down, Doctor," ordered Janeway. Tuvok went to immediate work and brought up the EMH.
"I can't right now. At least let me scan her body with my – "
She stopped in her words as she looked at the readings she was getting. A second later, Tuvok reached over and snapped shut the tricorder. The holographic Doctor moved in, then, and went to his own work on Seven of Nine.
Dr. Beverly Crusher just walked away, awestruck as to what had just occurred.
***
Not long after this, Admiral Janeway joined Captain Picard on the bridge. They were just reaching the Datora System.
"Full stop."
"Full stop, yes ma'am," said Paris.
Picard looked over at her. "Is there a problem, Admiral?"
She shook her head no. "There's just been a change in plans," she said. "Commander Tuvok and myself will be taking the Delta Flyer to the planet. I would like you to come along, Captain."
"Me?" he asked, shocked. The Delta Flyer had been Voyager's secondary ship during their time in the Delta Quadrant and it had been loaded in the Main Shuttle Bay. And he was shocked he was going to be allowed to go.
"Yes, Captain. I don't like keeping you in the dark, of course."
"Of . . . course," he said with hesitation.
"Excellent. Meet the Commander and I in Shuttle Bay One in twenty minutes."
***
A few minutes later, the Delta Flyer took off from the Enterprise's Shuttle Bay and headed straight for the planet. Datora Two was one of the three planets in the Datora system and was definitely one of the coldest. The ride from the Enterprise to the lower atmosphere was quiet and with the exception of some small talk, Janeway had kept her mouth shut the entire time. As did Picard and Tuvok.
The Delta Flyer soon entered a low orbit and Tuvok beamed down Captain Picard and Admiral Janeway to the snowy service.
Picard pulled the collar of his Starfleet Cold Survival Jacket in closer to his face. Suddenly, two large Nausicaans and a Ferengi showed up. Behind them were two large crates of some sort. One of the Nausicaans held a thick, metal case.
"You're late!" the Ferengi shouted. "The Orion Syndicate hates late people!"
"My apologies," Janeway said diplomatically.
"Your apologies!?" the Ferengi retorted. "We have been in the cold for two hours! And I hate the cold! And I hate the Federation! And I hate late people!"
"Calm down!" shouted Janeway. "Do you have what we need?"
The Ferengi snarled. "As agreed. Eight metric tons of Boromite Ore and four Dilithium Crystals."
Picard squinted in wonder. He caught himself from gasping and attracting the attention of the Ferengi's sensitive ears.
"Excellent. And here is it what we bargained for," Janeway said. She tapped her comm-badge. "Janeway to Delta Flyer."
"Delta Flyer here, Captain."
"Initiating transport."
There was a drizzle of light and a long, black torpedo appeared in the snow. Picard recognized it. It was a Quantum Torpedo. He couldn't hold back his shock this time. But if the Ferengi noticed it, he didn't bother to acknowledge it.
"Ahhh!" the Ferengi gave out, rubbing his hands together greedily. He made his way over with one of the Nausicaans and propped open the top. The Nausicaan walked over and checked it out. He grunted at the Ferengi.
"It looks like this checks out. You may beam the shipment up."
"Tuvok, commence beam up."
"Aye, Captain."
The two crates disappeared into the cargo hold of the Delta Flyer.
"If our business is over, then I suggestion we move on," Janeway recommended.
The Ferengi gestured towards her. She and Picard beamed back onto the Delta Flyer. Immediately, Picard couldn't hold it back anymore.
"Admiral, I demand to know what's going on! Giving them a Quantum Torpedo!"
"Don't worry about it, Captain. Everything is under control. Commander Tuvok?"
"Torpedo detonated."
Captain Picard watched out the window as he registered a small explosion from the surface. His eyes went wide.
"Please, Captain. If you only knew what this was really about, you wouldn't feel a thing."
Picard only sat down and sighed heavily. Something had to be done.