Title – Game of Life

Author – Puzzler

Disclaimer – Star Trek is the property of Paramount Pictures and I am only borrowing the idea for fun. The Pirans are my own creation.

Summary – Voyager is attacked by a race called the Pirans who force the bridge crew into completing a set of puzzles to stop 'an item they will not want destroyed' from being destroyed.

Set – Just after the episode 'The Killing Game' in Voyager's season 4. There will be references to this episode.

Stardate – 51734.5 I have done my best to think of a stardate that fits in with the Voyager series 4. I'm sorry if you don't agree.

Chapter 10 – Challenge Reinstated

"We have to go back for her!" Chakotay insisted

"I'm sorry Commander. The best way we can help her is by completing the challenge" Clarin did sound truly apologetic.

Chakotay nodded reluctantly "Computer, locate the EMH"

"The Emergency Medical Hologram is inactive" the familiar voice replied

"Well, activate it" Even a simulated computer voice could get on his nerves sometimes

"Unable to comply"

"Please explain" Tuvok added. Meanwhile, Harry had found (with some difficulty) a medical tricorder and was scanning Tom. He appeared to have found something and called Chakotay over. Tuvok continued his 'conversation' with the computer.

"Command functions for the Emergency Medical Hologram have been encrypted"

"By whom"

"Unknown"

"Commander" Tuvok called to Chakotay. He looked up from the pad Harry was showing him "We will have to proceed without the doctor"

"Not particularly helpful. What do you make of this bio-reading?" Chakotay and Harry were both rather confused by the information displayed on the tricorder and needed another opinion. Tuvok took the tricorder.

"It appears to be the residual effects of a stun blast" Tuvok suggested

"Yeah, but how? None of you got any of these symptoms" Tom complained, obviously not happy at the prospect of being stuck in sickbay

"When we were knocked out earlier, you were slightly apart from the rest of the group. It is possible that you received a more concentrated exposure" Seven said in her usual no-nonsense tone.

"Guess so. Can I see the tricorder? I'll try to find some antidote" Tuvok moved forward to pass the pad to Tom "OK, I need…" Tom moved to get off the bio-bed and barely stopped himself falling straight forward "I guess that's not such a good idea" he said while he was helped back onto the bed.

"What do you need?" asked Harry, moving off to the right

"Erm, one of the hyposprays" Harry's hand moved down the row of hyposprays "No, no, yes that one. Thanks"

Tom quickly used it on himself, but before he could say if it had helped, a klaxon blared.

"What the hell…?" B'Elanna started to ask as she moved to a computer terminal and shut off the alarm "I can't see any problems"

"Well, keep looking. We need to carry on with the challenge. What was that last clue?" Chakotay had just remembered that they still didn't know where they needed to go next.

Tuvok started to answer but Seven was quicker "The clue was D13S11, though we had not discovered what that means"

"It is an abbreviation…" Clarin started to explain

"What?" Neelix interrupted

"A shorter way of saying it. It says Deck thirteen, Section eleven."

"I'm glad you're able to help us again" Chakotay said sarcastically, then continued more seriously "Let's get going to deck thirteen"

It took the group a long time to climb down all those decks, especially Tom, who was still rather weak at the knees. After what seemed like hours to some of them, they arrived.

"At last" B'Elanna gasped, the looked to Clarin "Please say we don't have to do that again" Clarin was spared having to answer by Tom saying that he had found the puzzle.

"Boy, this is one complicated pair of equations. Listen to this:

            Find x and y

            Section                        √4x + x³ + 2 = 4∕2 35

            Console           3 + 4y = 88 – 4"

"I'm not very good with equations" Chakotay said, taking the pad "Harry, Seven, see what you can do to solve them" he threw the pad over to Seven, who caught it easily.

No-one seemed to know what to do while Harry and Seven tried to solve the equations. Finally, they looked up as if they had finished.

"It reads:

            Section      4

            Console     7"

"What deck?" Tom asked

"It does not say which deck" Harry continued "Maybe we should try that console on this deck"

"Good idea" Chakotay said, moving down the corridor. The console was very easy to find as it was the only one active. A readout message was being displayed.

"It's from Captain Janeway" B'Elanna exclaimed, accessing the message "It certainly seems genuine. There is an encrypted security code"

"What's it say?"

"Another riddle" she replied dryly, then read it out loud

            "Everyone on board should carry one,

            Needed to call back when things are done.

            Use this to find friends and save your lost item.

            Be prepared"

"They've even got the captain being cryptic" Harry murmured "What do we think?"

Everyone was thinking. Neelix was looking at his feet, until he noticed what was missing from his rather exotic costume. "Communicator" he exclaimed

"Yes. Do you think we need to find one?" Chakotay asked, looking around the console

"I doubt they would have made it too…found it" Clarin had begun looking around the corridor and had found the small metal badge fixed up just around a corner "This is yours, Commander" She handed Chakotay the communicator.

"Chakotay to any crewmember, Can you hear me?"

the channel crackled slightly before Lieutenant Jim Carey's voice answered  "I can you hear you Commander, great timing"

"What?"

"We have just had a surprise visit from the doctor. I thought he was with you"

"He was. Have you been given any information?"

"Uh, actually yes. You've been given instructions to transport here immediately. It says someone named Ki-Clarin can help you"

"I think we know who that is. We'll contact you again, Chakotay out" he closed the channel.

"That is you, right?" Harry asked Clarin. She didn't answer, just fumbled for something in her uniform. After a while, she stopped and pulled out a control pad.

"Controller for the Executor's transporters" she explained, holding it up "On 3. 1…2…3" as she said 3, a white beam of light again engulfed them as they materialised on the planet

"Where the heck are we?" Tom exclaimed from out of the darkness.

TO BE CONTINUED…