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 11 – Co-operation
"Of course. They had to set the transporters to materialise in a cave!" Several faces turned towards the source of B'Elanna's very irritated voice.
"Well, how do we get out?" Chakotay asked, almost as annoyed
"Up" Clarin answered simply
Chakotay looked up, but still couldn't see anything "Great"
-----
"Oh, come on" Janeway said exasperated, looking at the screen where she could see her officers using infra-red light "At least show them how to get out"
"We will, if you co-operate" Loc'torin answered
"Fine. What do you want me to do?"
-----
"I wish they'd make their mind up" B'Elanna muttered angrily as she tried to move out of the stream of light coming from the ceiling. Someone had decided to open a 'trapdoor' directly above them and they were now being dazzled by this planet's intense sunlight.
"We need to climb up. Seven, do you think you could reach the opening if you climbed on someone's shoulders?"
"With difficulty" Seven answered.
"Well it's worth a try" Barely controlled chaos ensued as Seven was helped onto Tuvok's shoulders. Even at full stretch, she had problems reaching the ledge.
"It appears that this cave is artificial" Seven called down when she got through the opening
"Try to find some kind of rope" Chakotay ordered, just as Seven disappeared from view.
A few minutes later, a makeshift rope made from vines was lowered down into the cave "Climb up" came Seven's voice.
The crew organized themselves into an order, beginning with Tuvok and ending with Chakotay. After several false starts and numerous bumps and bruises, the entire group was eventually standing on the artificial, partially metal structure, making a strong contrast to the sea of sand surrounding them.
"Right. Let's find out where we are going. Chakotay to Carey" Carey again responded, but this time without the pause of static first.
"Here Commander"
"We are on the planet. Where exactly are you?"
"You mean other than the middle of nowhere. The only things I can see in any direction are a range of large sand dunes and some caves. Where are you?"
"We are standing on a domed metal structure. Other than this, there are no identifiable landmarks in sight"
"Don't worry, we know where you are. Move in a roughly south-easterly direction and someone will meet you"
"Right. Chakotay out" he closed the channel "We need to move roughly that way" Chakotay said to the others, pointing over B'Elanna's shoulder
the group moved off in the indicated direction, soon becoming mere shadows of colour in a world of white sand.
-----
"OK. You four, come with me" Carey shouted to a clump of officers "Doctor, grab a med-kit and come with me. Vorik, I'm leaving you in charge of Base Camp until we get back"
"Yes Lieutenant" Vorik replied immediately.
The small group headed off towards the range of sand dunes and were soon out of sight of Base Camp.
-----
"What do we know about this planet Lieutenant?" asked Chakotay, once they had met up with the other group and the doctor had checked them all over with a tricorder.
"Not much. It is desert for several kilometers in most directions and we haven't seen any native people, animals or plants"
"Completely inhospitable." Harry guessed "What about the weather?"
"We've had a couple of sandstorms and it gets rather cold at night once the suns set. We found that the best protection has been the caves to the west of Base Camp. Just over these dunes and we'll be there."
"How many Pirans came down with you?" asked Tom, remembering what Clarin said in the cargo bay.
"Twenty-six in total, but they don't do very much. They just sit around and let us do all the work"
"Typical. You haven't been given another puzzle by any chance?" B'Elanna asked
"Not when we left" the doctor added "The last communication we've had with the Pirans was when I came down from the ship"
A loud humming noise stopped the conversation, causing everyone to try to find the source of the sound.
"Sorry" Clarin said, shutting of the noise "Someone's trying to contact me on my comlink." She moved slightly to the side and spoke into the comlink "What?"
A man's voice was heard over the comlink, presumably in Clarin's native language. She soon ended the conversation and shut off the comlink.
"What did they say?" Chakotay asked immediately
"They are going to give us the next puzzle using the transporters" Clarin explained. Moments later, a pad was beamed down by her feet. She picked it up. "Your instructions are to split up into 4 search teams and search the area around your Base Camp…"
"But we've already done that" Carey complained
"Lieutenant" Chakotay warned "Carry on"
"Right. Each search team will be led by two people, both of whom will have communicators and one of whom will have a tricorder" she showed the pad to Chakotay so he could see the teams. Meanwhile, without them realising, they had now reached Base Camp.
"OK. Harry, you're with me for Alpha team. Tuvok, Seven, you lead Beta team. B'Elanna, Tom, you have Gamma team and Neelix and the doctor will lead Delta team. The rest of the crew will split into the four teams. Lieutenant Carey, where are the communicators and tricorders?"
"In the storage boxes" Carey replied, indicating to his right
"Right. Let's complete this challenge"
Everyone sorted out where they were going and which team they were with surprisingly quickly, with the search teams spanning out to cover to most area. Before the operation had even been going 10 minutes, Chakotay's communicator sounded.
"Commander" B'Elanna's voice sounded "We've found life signs"
"Where?"
"Around the other side of the caves. We're detecting several Piran…"
B'Elanna's voice stopped abruptly as what sounded like weapons' fire was heard over the communicator
"B'Elanna?!" Chakotay said, worried "Right, let's get over there"
Everyone who heard Chakotay's command over the communicators quickly moved to other side of the caves. Once they got there, nothing out of the ordinary could be seen
"What is going on here?"
TO BE CONTINUED…
