In a Single Heartbeat
Disclaimer – See Chapter One.
Chapter Three – The Helmar
Captain Janeway and Tuvok entered Transporter Room One and moved to the platform at the back of the room. Two security guards had accompanied Tuvok and stationed themselves slightly behind the captain and commander with their phaser rifles aimed at the platform. Janeway nodded to the transport operator, and two columns of blue sparkles gradually became Lorish and her sister, Krey. The two women looked at the guards and hesitated before stepping down off the platform.
Tuvok moved toward the women and scanned them with his tricorder. "I detect no weapons, Captain," he stated calmly. He motioned the guards to lower their rifles.
"I'm sorry for the precautions, but we have encountered several species that have endangered this ship and crew." Janeway said and then smiled as she walked up to Lorish. "Welcome to Voyager. This is Commander Tuvok, my chief of security. If you would come with us, we will proceed to our conference room, and you can fill us in on the conditions on your planet." The group moved through the doorway and proceeded to the nearest turbolift.
"Captain Janeway, to the senior staff. Please meet me in the conference room." Janeway tapped her communicator when they entered the turbolift. "Ensign Kim, have you contacted the shuttle?"
"No, Captain. There is too much interference from the planet's moons. I'll have Ensign Lang continue trying to raise them."
"Thank you, Harry." Janeway replied. "Lieutenant Ayala, this is the captain."
There was a slight pause, and then the Lieutenant's voice came through the communicator. "Aye, Captain. Ayala here."
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. Did I wake you?" Janeway smiled when she heard Ayala trying to stifle a yawn.
"No problem, Captain. What do you need?" he answered.
"Please report to the bridge and take over for Ensign Kim."
"Aye, Captain. I'm on my way. Ayala out."
The turbolift reached deck one and the group proceeded to the conference room.
The doors to the conference room swished open and the captain could see Harry, Seven of Nine, and the doctor seated at the large oval table. Tuvok and Janeway moved to their seats and Janeway indicated two empty chairs for their guests. "Lorish, I would like you to meet some of my senior staff. You met Lieutenant Commander Tuvok in the transporter room." Then moving around the table she introduced the others. "Harry Kim, our Chief Operations officer, Seven of Nine, and our doctor. Seven was unable to pick up any life signs in this system."
The captain was interrupted by Ensign Lang's voice. "Captain, I have a message for you." She prudently did not reveal where the message was from.
Janeway stood and moved to the doors to the bridge. "I shall return momentarily." She moved the Ops console. "Yes, Ensign. I assume you were able to reach Commander Chakotay."
"No, Captain. There was an automated emergency signal from the shuttle, but it only appeared momentarily. I was able to get the coordinates of their location but the signal disappeared. I don't know if they are still at the same site." The ensign tried to keep the concern from her face but knew that Captain Janeway would be upset that the away team was not responding to their hails.
Turning to Ayala, Janeway ordered. "Lieutenant, take the helm and proceed, at impulse, to the last coordinates of the shuttle. Let me know when we are there."
"Aye, Captain." Ayala moved to the helm and Ensign Lang transmitted the coordinates.
Janeway returned to the conference room. "I'm sorry for the interruption. Lorish please tell me about your home. You said that you had escaped from your captors but that they still held the men."
Lorish smiled hesitantly at the captain and the others at the table. "We are the Helmar, our planet, is the largest in this system. We have led a peaceful existence for many passages of our sun. Several passages ago, we developed the ability to travel in the surrounding system. We went first to the nearest moon, Goron. There we met another people who were not of the same peaceful mindset. The Goroth captured our first explorers and killed them. They used our ships to design their own small fleet. For several passages now, they have come to our planet and taken our men and older boys to work as slaves on their moon."
Seven stood and approached the wall screen. "If I may, Captain." She brought up a geographic map of the system. "I have been able to increase the capacity of our long-range scanners. It would appear that the Goroth's moon is dying out. The atmosphere is being depleted by radiation from their sun."
"She is correct." Krey spoke up quietly. When Lorish nodded, she continued. "They are using our men to mine the rich mineral deposits and transferring them to the outermost planet and building a new settlement there. Many of the Goroth are ill from radiation poisoning and they are too weak to do the mining."
The captain leaned forward in her chair. "Doctor, I want you to take Lorish and Krey to sickbay and give them a thorough exam. Then, I want you to contact Neelix and determine what foodstuffs we can spare for the others on their ship." She turned to Lorish. "We will give you what assistance we can, but I'm sorry that we are not able to interfere with your relations with the Goroth. Please go with the doctor."
When the two women were gone, the captain turned to Tuvok. "I know we can not go beyond the Prime Directive and interfere with this culture, but there has to be a better solution than kidnapping and enforced labor." She thought of the very thin children she had seen on the viewscreen, and wondered what they could do to help. "Harry, try to contact Commander Chakotay again." Janeway said as she stood up from the table.
"Aye, Captain." Harry answered and moved to the doorway.
The Captain and Tuvok followed Harry onto the bridge, and Janeway moved to her command seat. "Mr. Ayala, are we nearing the coordinates of the shuttle's last location?"
Ayala turned in his seat at the helm. "Yes, Captain. We should be there in less than twenty minutes."
"Thank you, Lieutenant. Proceed."
* * * * *
B'Elanna groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked several times until she adjusted to the low light pouring into the shuttle through the open hatch. They were on the ground. Had Tom landed on the surface of the moon, or did they crash? "Tom…Ch..Chakotay?" She looked around for her husband and the commander. Her back and left arm ached and a wave of nausea came over her. Pulling herself into a sitting position, she noticed blood on the navigational console. Chakotay must be hurt. Where is he? What about Tom? She heard a noise and reached for her phaser.
A small figure appeared at the rear of the shuttle. It looked like a young boy. "I..I will not hurt you." The boy said while slowly moving toward B'Elanna. He had pale, almost translucent skin, large gray eyes, and light green hair falling across his forehead. He stopped when he saw the phaser pointed at him. "I only wished to see if there was any food on this ship."
It was only after he spoke that B'Elanna noted how painfully thin the child was. His clothes hung on his frame and they were covered in a fine layer of dust. "Are you alone?" She asked, still gripping the phaser.
"Yes, I hid from the guards. When they left, I came out to look for food." He glanced around the shuttle and shivered slightly. "The sun will be gone for the day soon. It gets very cold at night."
B'Elanna grabbed for one of the small food hampers they had brought with them. Reaching into it, she pulled out a wrapped sandwich. Tom won't mind if I give this kid one of his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Tom! "Did you see any others from this ship? There were two men with me.
"Oh yes, the guards took them away." He quickly unwrapped the sandwich, stared at it but began to take small bites of it.
B'Elanna anxiously grabbed his arm. "Where did they take them? Were they injured? Can you take me to them?"
He continued to eat the sandwich and then looked toward the basket for more. "No, you can't go. They don't use women in the mines. The dark haired one was bleeding from his head."
"What about the other man? Was he bleeding too?" B'Elanna asked.
"I did not see blood on him. He did not awaken when they dragged him away." He gratefully took the Andorran pear that B'Elanna took out of the hamper.
"You must take me to the mines." B'Elanna tried to stand but sank back to the floor when she felt a sharp pain in her back.
The boy jumped to her side. "You are injured. You must stay here tonight." He picked up the phaser that she had dropped on the floor and turned toward the hatch. "I will protect you."
B'Elanna tried to protest but felt her eyes beginning to close. "I don't even know your name." She said quietly as she lost consciousness.
"I am called Retrill." The boy whispered. Finding two blankets, he covered B'Elanna with one and curled up against the bulkhead in the other.
Tbc…..