When Worlds Collide
Chapter Six
Da'an and Liam led them through the station for quiet some time. Janeway didn't mind the walk as it gave her a opportunity to observe the interior of station. As they moved deeper in they began to encounter more Taelons and more hybrids going about their business. Janeway noted the curious looks they were getting especially off the hybrids. Guess they've never seen Starfleet officers before, she thought, or are they just surprised to see two full Humans, a Talaxian and a Vulcan walking around their space station.
As they walked Tuvok especially took note of the number of hybrids they were encountering. Clearly for their to be so many hybrids around the Taelons had to have had a formal encounter with Humans sometime in the past – but their were no records of a contact between Humanity and the mysterious energy-based aliens. Certainly Humans had never encountered them during the Vulcans centuries long contact with them, so if their had been a contact between Humanity and the Taelons then it had to be pre-first contact, pre Human warp flight development. Yet again there were no records. Tuvok knew however of reports passed by word of mouth from Human generation to Human generation that stated that the first contact with another sentient race i.e. the Vulcans recording in the history books was not Humanities true first contact with another sentient race. Historians across the Federation dismissed the reports – as their was no concrete evidence of any prior Human/alien contact prior to the Vulcans – but still certain groups amongst the Humans continued to insist that their had been an alien contact prior to the Vulcan contact.
Tuvok personally found the suggestion quiet intriguing in its implications. It would explain the surprisingly mature way in which the Humans had greeted his people when they'd first set foot on Earth after the detected the warp signature of Zephram Cochranes warp ship the Phoenix. After all it was perfectly possible that all records and evidence of a prior contact between Humans and the Taelons had been lost or destroyed during the two great conflicts that had proceeded the flight of the Phoenix namely the Eugenics War and the Third World War. After all whole cities had been vaporised in those two wars and hundreds of millions killed. But if there had been an extensive prior contact between Humans and Taelons why had the Taelons left Earth? Why didn't they stay? Tuvok supposed that those were pieces of this historical puzzle that only the Taelons themselves had.
Their arrival in a large room with an oval conference table surrounded almost entirely by Human-style chairs stopped Tuvok's mental speculation about a prior contact between Humans and Taelons.
"Please be seated," Da'an said gesturing to the chairs.
As they took seats Da'an made a hand gesture and a holographic console appeared in the air. Da'an typed in a command and a wall appeared over the entrance to the room sealing them in for now. Then Da'an came over to the table and sat in the alien style chair at the head of the table, General Kincaid followed and took a seat on Da'an's right hand side between Da'an and Commander Chakotay.
"Captain Janeway before we begin our talks I would like to ask you a question if I may," Da'an said politely.
"By all means Da'an," Kathryn Janeway replied.
"Could you please explain to me how you got here – by here I mean how you got to what you refer to as the Delta Quadrant. Our scans of your ship show that your ship only uses a warp engine to travel faster than light not transwarp or interdimensional. Your propulsion system is to primitive to allow you to travel at the speeds required to reach this part of this galaxy in a reasonable time."
"It is along story Da'an," Janeway replied. "We did not come here by choice."
"Please explain."
Taking a deep breath she launched into the now familiar explanation. How seven years ago Voyager had been dispatched to the region of the Alpha Quadrant known as the Badlands to investigate the disappearance of Chakotay's Maquis ship the Liberty. How they'd encountered a coherent tetryon beam and been dragged into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker. How they'd become stranded here when the Caretaker had died and she'd been forced to destroy the Caretaker Array to keep it out of the hands of the Kazon Ogla sect. How Chakotay had sacrificed the Liberty – ramming her into the side of a Kazon mothership – to save the badly wounded Voyager in that battle. How the surviving crews of Voyager and Liberty had merged together into one crew under her command with Chakotay serving as her first officer. How they'd set a course for Earth. She also outlined some of the things they'd been through in the last seven years.
Da'an was silent throughout her recital though he blushed blue allowing his natural form to show through his façade a number of times during he recital. Through the Commonality he could sense his own surprise being echoed by his fellow Taelons and by all those hybrids currently linked to the Commonality – since unlike full Taelons Human/Taelon hybrids could access and withdraw from the Commonality whenever they wanted just like Liam could.
"Your plight moves me deeply Captain Janeway," Da'an said after she had finished. "You bear a tremendous burden to your crew but you bear it well. To be stranded so far from home with only a vague hope of one day returning yet still trying speaks of tremendous strength of character. A trait of your species that I have always admired."
"We were hoping that you would be able to help us get home early," Chakotay said speaking for the first time in the meeting. "From what we saw when General Kincaid towed us here you have the ability to travel at previously unimagined speeds."
"You would like us to share our interdimensional technology with you," Da'an asked.
"If you could we would be extremely grateful," Janeway replied.
"I will have to discuss that with the Synod in general as I cannot make such a decision alone," Da'an responded quietly signalling Zo'or through the Commonality and asking for a Synod meeting to be called to discuss the matter of aiding Voyager. Zo'or had matured much in the last three hundred years and whereas once he would have reacted instantly without thinking the matter through he now considered and after a moment agreed to call a Synod meeting.
"That would be very much appreciated thank you Da'an."
"You are welcome. Now then do you wish to discuss anything else with me?"
"Yes," Janeway replied. "Many of my crew are tired and could do with a rest. We were wondering if once our repairs are completed it would be possible for them to go on shore leave to the planet below."
"That would be perfectly possible Captain Janeway," Da'an replied. "It has been three hundred and sixty-five of your years since my people interacted with yours we would welcome the chance to interact with you again."
"Then you have been to Earth?" Chakotay commented.
"Yes," Liam replied. "The Taelons came to Earth in the year 2008 and stayed for six years. But sadly you do not remember all the records of that time were lost during the Third World War. Many of us wanted to return after that war to help you recover and rebuild what was destroyed."
"However more pressing circumstances required our presence elsewhere," Da'an added. "So we could not come though as Liam has just said we wanted to." After a moment he returned to the prior subject. "Is there anything else we can do for you captain?"
"Not at this time Da'an helping us with repairs, resuplying us and allowing my people to go on shore leave on the planet is help enough," Janeway replied.
"Very well then," Da'an said. "Liam will escort you back to your ship while I get in touch with the Synod to present your request for the sharing of ID technology with them." Liam stood up.
"If you will come with me please," he said. Janeway and company nodded and stood up. Liam reopened the door to the corridor with a simple wave of his hand and led them out of the room.
Once they were gone Da'an closed the door again just as thirteen holographic representations of his fellow Synod members appeared around the table to discuss the matter of Voyager's request for interdimensional technology.