RILEY:
It took two days of hard work from Tom, B'Elanna, Janeway, Juus and Seven, but they finally fixed the trader's ship. I had been impressed as I watched them work. It had been even harder over the last 24 hours due to the massive rise in humidity. Juus said that was because there was a large storm coming. Just what we needed.
Everyone had stripped of all the clothing they could, in order to get a bit cooler, but the rest of the clothes stuck to us wetly. The air was heavy with moisture and seemed to stick in our lungs. The Colonel and I had even stripped off our vests, relying on our zats and pistols to protect the camp. Everything else was too heavy. The heat and humidity seemed to be sapping everyone's strength.
Protecting the camp was our job – me and the Colonel. Since we couldn't help fix the ship, Colonel O'Neill and I guarded the camp and continued to sure up the defences. Occasionally one of us would accompany the other trader, Nils, 100 meters outside the walls to gather water from the small nearby stream. But there wasn't much to do.
At lunch we finished off the last of the rations. Everyone was looking exhausted, but very pleased with themselves. "We're going to try and start the engines after lunch." Tom said between mouthfuls.
"They're not operating at full power," B'Elanna added. "But they should get us through the atmosphere and in range of Voyager's scanners."
"Your ship really is up there?" Wis asked.
I saw the momentary flicker of doubt across Captain Janeway's face, but it was quickly gone, hidden by a reassuring mask. "Yes." She said, as if trying to reassure herself with her words. "Yes they are." She repeated more firmly.
After lunch it was back to work. Wearily, I dragged myself to my feet. "You need sleep." The Colonel said from behind me.
"No more than everyone else." I replied.
"How's the hand?" he asked, motioning towards my crudely bandaged fist.
"Hopefully, reminding me not to go around punching metal walls, sir." I replied.
He smiled softly. There was still a lot of pain behind it – pain I felt myself – but it looked almost natural now. "At least it wasn't your head." He quipped.
I smiled back. "Yes, sir."
At that moment, the usual sounds of the jungle that we had gotten used to, were suddenly interrupted by a low, vibrating sound that grew louder with each passing second. Instinctively, Jack and I went for our guns, just as Tom and Janeway jerked their heads up. "What is that?" Jack asked the Captain.
She looked up into the sky and her face broke into a wide grin. "The Delta Flyer!" she answered joyfully.
Confused, I followed her gaze and saw a sleek ship approaching above the trees. I sighed and relaxed my posture a little. Perhaps this meant I could get some sleep soon. But I didn't count on it.
* * *
CHAKOTAY:
My heart leapt when I saw the data before me. After four hours of searching, I had begun to loose hope. But there it was right in front of me! "I've found them!" I said, breaking the tense silence of the cabin.
"Where?" Dr. Jackson asked, his head snapping up.
"100km to the east."
"I'm one my way, sir." Madison said, just as I opened my mouth to give her the order.
I could barely contain my excitement. They were alive! She was alive! Dr. Jackson looked just like I felt, his eyes sparkling and full of hope. But there was something else in his expression. A steely determination I had never seen before. But before I could figure out exactly what it was, my gaze was drawn to the window beside me and the figures slowly coming into view beyond it.
As soon as Madison had landed the Flyer, I threw open the hatch and took a breath of heavy, moist air. But I soon forgot the humidity when I saw the people waiting in the camp beyond. Everyone was damp with sweat – I could feel the sweat beginning to pickle against my own skin – and their clothes stuck to their skin. Colonel O'Neill and Lieutenant Colonel Riley were closest, standing in front of everyone else – all of whom stood in front of a rather beat up ship.
The Colonel had stripped down to his black singlet, and I could see the hard, corded muscles beneath his skin. Riley had the same hard, lean look. She wore her pants and a sports bra, her dark red hair sticking to her skin. B'Elanna had stripped to her white undershirt and there was a bandage on her upper right arm. She kept sliding glances at Tom, who was bare-chested with a smear of something black and oily across his stomach. Even Seven didn't look like her normal sleek self. While she, it seemed, had resisted the urge to strip off any of her clothing, some of her hair had come loose and hung in sweaty clumps around her face.
I noticed all of this in an instant before I saw her. My Captain, my confidant and my friend. Kathryn. And she had never looked more beautiful to me. Her auburn hair was damp and stuck to her face and neck. She too, had stripped off most of her uniform, her white undershirt displaying her trim, curvy figure.
Vaguely I heard Daniel call, "Jack!" from behind me as her blue eyes turned to stare into mine. She was alive! "Commander." She greeted.
"Captain." I replied.
"Allow me to introduce Juus, Wis, Nils and Maris of the starship Seeker." She said, motioning to the four strangers around her. "They are Sikarian traders."
I nodded in greeting. "Ready to go home, Captain?" I asked.
She grinned. "Oh, yes." She said with feeling. "I've been dying for a cup of coffee for days."
I laughed softly. That was Kathryn all right. Always in search of her next cup of coffee. "I'm sure Neelix will have some new version for you to try." I told her.
She made a face. "Let's hope it's better that the last lot!" she said.
Then her face fell serious again. I saw the woman who I could tease and so easily confide in retreat and the determined Captain take her place. She was getting down to business, as I should be. There would be enough time for everything else later. "Do you have any way of contacting Voyager?" she asked.
"No." I answered. "The atmosphere is too ionic, causing the transmissions to be too warped to pick up. We have the same problem with the transporter."
"Right." She said. "We'll have to fly everyone out."
I nodded. "Is the Seeker fit to fly?"
"B'Elanna and Tom think so." She replied. "But I'll get them to fly with it just in case."
She glanced over at the traders. "I think our first priority should be to get the Sikarians out of here." She continued. "They need medical attention. Particularly Maris."
"We can take them out in the Flyer." I said. "Dr. Jackson will probably want to stay with his friends, which means we could take at least three of them and you. It might be a little squashed though."
"We'll survive." Janeway replied.
We wandered over to talk to Juus, who seemed to be the one in control. "Ah, Captain." He said as we approached. "I've been talking with your pilot, Paris. Between the two of us, we should be able to get the Seeker off the planet."
Kathryn nodded. "Good. Maris, Wis and Nils can come with us in the Flyer. That way we can get Maris to the Doctor as soon as possible."
She turned to Tom. "How soon can you get her in the air?" she asked.
"Fifteen minutes." He replied. "Half an hour at the most."
"Let's start getting everything – and everyone – loaded." Kathryn said.
"Aye, Captain." I answered.
Getting everyone sorted took a good twenty minutes. Finally all those who were coming in the Delta Flyer were onboard and we were ready to go. "How's it coming Tom?" I asked.
We had found that the comm links worked over short distances, but Tom's voice still came back fuzzy and distorted. "Systems just booting up." He said.
"All right." I replied. "See you back on board Voyager."
I nodded at Madison and she started the Flyer's engines. Within minutes we broke through the atmosphere into cold, calm space. I saw Voyager in the distance, slowly orbiting the planet. "Chakotay to Tuvok." I said.
"Go ahead Commander." Tuvok replied.
I smiled. "We've found the Captain and missing crew." I told him. "The others are following. There were some traders stuck on the planet. They need to see the Doctor."
"I will notify him." Tuvok answered.
A few minutes later, Madison gently set the Flyer down inside the hanger. As soon as they could, Tuvok, Harry, the Doctor and a few crew acting as a medical team entered the hanger. As soon as we got out the Doctor started yelling orders as the Sikarians were rushed off to the infirmary. Tuvok and Kathryn were soon deep in conversation about the repairs and damage to the ship. Even Madison had slipped off somewhere, no doubt to tell the crew about what she had seen. I felt at a loss. I had nothing immediate to do.
But just then, Tom's voice came over my comm link. "Paris to Chakotay." He said. "We're experiencing some..." his voice was sharply cut off.
I looked out the nearest window, but saw the Seeker coming towards Voyager. The outside seemed calm – the opposite to whatever was happening inside. "Chakotay to Paris." I snapped.
There was nothing. I tried again. "Chakotay to Paris."
"O'Neill here." Came Jack's voice. "Paris' hurt and Juus is unconscious. You'd better tell the Doc."
"Who's flying the ship?" I asked.
"I am." He replied. "With Riley. Don't worry. We can handle it."
"But you've never seen the technology before." I said lamely.
"We've seen technology like it." Jack answered. "Besides, we wouldn't be very good pilots if we couldn't adapt, now would we?"
That sounded like something Tom would say. I smiled. "I tell the Doctor. He'll be waiting."
* * *
TOM:
The small trader craft was filled with people as I climbed into the pilot seat. I shot a look at B'Elanna, who had made sure she was near the engines – in case anything went wrong. Juus was beside me, and he had already begun to power up the systems. B'Elanna looked at me. "Let's see if she'll fly." She said.
I nodded. Behind me, Colonel O'Neill, Riley, Dr. Jackson and Seven all sat, all rather squashed up against each other. "Ready?" I asked them, just as Commander Chakotay's distorted voice came over my comm link.
"How's it coming Tom?" he asked.
"System's just booting up." I told him.
"All right." He said. "See you back on board Voyager."
I watched the Flyer take off and wished I was piloting her. She was sleek and fast, unlike the big, heavy ship I was now piloting. We would be lucky if we could get her to Voyager. "Let's go." I told Juus, and the Seeker lifted heavily off the ground.
The next few minutes were fairly tense as everyone held their breath to see if the engines would hold. They seemed to, and I took a moment to admire B'Elanna's skill. There wasn't an engine I hadn't seen her not able to repair, and I wasn't sure there would ever be one. Minutes ticked by as we slowly guided the Seeker through the atmosphere and into space. I smiled when I saw the twinkling stars. The hard part was over.
Suddenly the ship began to shake. "Should she be doing that?" I asked Juus.
"No."
"Paris to Chakotay." I said. "We're experiencing some..." my words were cut off as I experienced a burning sensation all over my body. My hands in particular felt like they had been set on fire. I was jerked back by a strong arm and pulled from my chair. My muscles felt like jelly. "The controls short circuited." B'Elanna said as she pulled at a few wires. "That should do it." She said after a moment.
I looked up at the person who had pulled me from my chair. It was the Colonel. "Are you alright?" he asked. "You took a fair jolt of electricity."
I took a few tries to get my mouth to work. "I'm fine." I finally said. "Juus?"
"Unconscious, but alive." Came Riley's voice.
"I have to pilot..." my voice trailed weakly off.
"No." Jack said firmly. "You lie there. We need to get the Doctor to look at you. I'll fly her."
"You?" I echoed.
"I am a pilot." Jack said getting up. "Riley."
Riley got up and joined him in the other pilot's chair. She gingerly touched the control panel, but no electricity jumped out. After a moment her fingers began to move over the controls, gaining confidence as Jack's did the same. The Seeker started forward again, her path as smooth as when I had been flying her.
"How did you..?" but again I was cut off. This time by Chakotay.
"Chakotay to Paris." He said. "Chakotay to Paris."
"O'Neill here." Jack said into his comm. "Paris' hurt and Juus is unconscious. You'd better tell the Doc."
"Who's flying the ship?" the Commander asked.
"I am." He replied. "With Riley. Don't worry. We can handle it."
"But you've never seen the technology before." Chakotay said, sounding surprised.
"We've seen technology like it." Jack answered. "Besides, we wouldn't be very good pilots if we couldn't adapt, now would we?"
"I tell the Doctor. He'll be waiting." Chakotay replied.
"It's just like a Glider." Riley said. "Except for feeling like I was trying to fly underwater. She's so heavy."
Jack grinned. "Nah, it doesn't feel like flying underwater." He said. "That's more smooth and slower – almost like you're flying in slow motion."
"I'd forgotten you'd done that." Riley replied.
"You've flown underwater?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah." Jack said. "I'll have to tell you about it sometime."
We soon managed to reach Voyager and gratefully sank down into the hanger. As soon as we did there was a flurry of motion. The Doctor had got some of the crew to stand in as a medical team and soon dragged me off to the infirmary, B'Elanna trailing behind him. I was finally home again. I smiled.
It took two days of hard work from Tom, B'Elanna, Janeway, Juus and Seven, but they finally fixed the trader's ship. I had been impressed as I watched them work. It had been even harder over the last 24 hours due to the massive rise in humidity. Juus said that was because there was a large storm coming. Just what we needed.
Everyone had stripped of all the clothing they could, in order to get a bit cooler, but the rest of the clothes stuck to us wetly. The air was heavy with moisture and seemed to stick in our lungs. The Colonel and I had even stripped off our vests, relying on our zats and pistols to protect the camp. Everything else was too heavy. The heat and humidity seemed to be sapping everyone's strength.
Protecting the camp was our job – me and the Colonel. Since we couldn't help fix the ship, Colonel O'Neill and I guarded the camp and continued to sure up the defences. Occasionally one of us would accompany the other trader, Nils, 100 meters outside the walls to gather water from the small nearby stream. But there wasn't much to do.
At lunch we finished off the last of the rations. Everyone was looking exhausted, but very pleased with themselves. "We're going to try and start the engines after lunch." Tom said between mouthfuls.
"They're not operating at full power," B'Elanna added. "But they should get us through the atmosphere and in range of Voyager's scanners."
"Your ship really is up there?" Wis asked.
I saw the momentary flicker of doubt across Captain Janeway's face, but it was quickly gone, hidden by a reassuring mask. "Yes." She said, as if trying to reassure herself with her words. "Yes they are." She repeated more firmly.
After lunch it was back to work. Wearily, I dragged myself to my feet. "You need sleep." The Colonel said from behind me.
"No more than everyone else." I replied.
"How's the hand?" he asked, motioning towards my crudely bandaged fist.
"Hopefully, reminding me not to go around punching metal walls, sir." I replied.
He smiled softly. There was still a lot of pain behind it – pain I felt myself – but it looked almost natural now. "At least it wasn't your head." He quipped.
I smiled back. "Yes, sir."
At that moment, the usual sounds of the jungle that we had gotten used to, were suddenly interrupted by a low, vibrating sound that grew louder with each passing second. Instinctively, Jack and I went for our guns, just as Tom and Janeway jerked their heads up. "What is that?" Jack asked the Captain.
She looked up into the sky and her face broke into a wide grin. "The Delta Flyer!" she answered joyfully.
Confused, I followed her gaze and saw a sleek ship approaching above the trees. I sighed and relaxed my posture a little. Perhaps this meant I could get some sleep soon. But I didn't count on it.
* * *
CHAKOTAY:
My heart leapt when I saw the data before me. After four hours of searching, I had begun to loose hope. But there it was right in front of me! "I've found them!" I said, breaking the tense silence of the cabin.
"Where?" Dr. Jackson asked, his head snapping up.
"100km to the east."
"I'm one my way, sir." Madison said, just as I opened my mouth to give her the order.
I could barely contain my excitement. They were alive! She was alive! Dr. Jackson looked just like I felt, his eyes sparkling and full of hope. But there was something else in his expression. A steely determination I had never seen before. But before I could figure out exactly what it was, my gaze was drawn to the window beside me and the figures slowly coming into view beyond it.
As soon as Madison had landed the Flyer, I threw open the hatch and took a breath of heavy, moist air. But I soon forgot the humidity when I saw the people waiting in the camp beyond. Everyone was damp with sweat – I could feel the sweat beginning to pickle against my own skin – and their clothes stuck to their skin. Colonel O'Neill and Lieutenant Colonel Riley were closest, standing in front of everyone else – all of whom stood in front of a rather beat up ship.
The Colonel had stripped down to his black singlet, and I could see the hard, corded muscles beneath his skin. Riley had the same hard, lean look. She wore her pants and a sports bra, her dark red hair sticking to her skin. B'Elanna had stripped to her white undershirt and there was a bandage on her upper right arm. She kept sliding glances at Tom, who was bare-chested with a smear of something black and oily across his stomach. Even Seven didn't look like her normal sleek self. While she, it seemed, had resisted the urge to strip off any of her clothing, some of her hair had come loose and hung in sweaty clumps around her face.
I noticed all of this in an instant before I saw her. My Captain, my confidant and my friend. Kathryn. And she had never looked more beautiful to me. Her auburn hair was damp and stuck to her face and neck. She too, had stripped off most of her uniform, her white undershirt displaying her trim, curvy figure.
Vaguely I heard Daniel call, "Jack!" from behind me as her blue eyes turned to stare into mine. She was alive! "Commander." She greeted.
"Captain." I replied.
"Allow me to introduce Juus, Wis, Nils and Maris of the starship Seeker." She said, motioning to the four strangers around her. "They are Sikarian traders."
I nodded in greeting. "Ready to go home, Captain?" I asked.
She grinned. "Oh, yes." She said with feeling. "I've been dying for a cup of coffee for days."
I laughed softly. That was Kathryn all right. Always in search of her next cup of coffee. "I'm sure Neelix will have some new version for you to try." I told her.
She made a face. "Let's hope it's better that the last lot!" she said.
Then her face fell serious again. I saw the woman who I could tease and so easily confide in retreat and the determined Captain take her place. She was getting down to business, as I should be. There would be enough time for everything else later. "Do you have any way of contacting Voyager?" she asked.
"No." I answered. "The atmosphere is too ionic, causing the transmissions to be too warped to pick up. We have the same problem with the transporter."
"Right." She said. "We'll have to fly everyone out."
I nodded. "Is the Seeker fit to fly?"
"B'Elanna and Tom think so." She replied. "But I'll get them to fly with it just in case."
She glanced over at the traders. "I think our first priority should be to get the Sikarians out of here." She continued. "They need medical attention. Particularly Maris."
"We can take them out in the Flyer." I said. "Dr. Jackson will probably want to stay with his friends, which means we could take at least three of them and you. It might be a little squashed though."
"We'll survive." Janeway replied.
We wandered over to talk to Juus, who seemed to be the one in control. "Ah, Captain." He said as we approached. "I've been talking with your pilot, Paris. Between the two of us, we should be able to get the Seeker off the planet."
Kathryn nodded. "Good. Maris, Wis and Nils can come with us in the Flyer. That way we can get Maris to the Doctor as soon as possible."
She turned to Tom. "How soon can you get her in the air?" she asked.
"Fifteen minutes." He replied. "Half an hour at the most."
"Let's start getting everything – and everyone – loaded." Kathryn said.
"Aye, Captain." I answered.
Getting everyone sorted took a good twenty minutes. Finally all those who were coming in the Delta Flyer were onboard and we were ready to go. "How's it coming Tom?" I asked.
We had found that the comm links worked over short distances, but Tom's voice still came back fuzzy and distorted. "Systems just booting up." He said.
"All right." I replied. "See you back on board Voyager."
I nodded at Madison and she started the Flyer's engines. Within minutes we broke through the atmosphere into cold, calm space. I saw Voyager in the distance, slowly orbiting the planet. "Chakotay to Tuvok." I said.
"Go ahead Commander." Tuvok replied.
I smiled. "We've found the Captain and missing crew." I told him. "The others are following. There were some traders stuck on the planet. They need to see the Doctor."
"I will notify him." Tuvok answered.
A few minutes later, Madison gently set the Flyer down inside the hanger. As soon as they could, Tuvok, Harry, the Doctor and a few crew acting as a medical team entered the hanger. As soon as we got out the Doctor started yelling orders as the Sikarians were rushed off to the infirmary. Tuvok and Kathryn were soon deep in conversation about the repairs and damage to the ship. Even Madison had slipped off somewhere, no doubt to tell the crew about what she had seen. I felt at a loss. I had nothing immediate to do.
But just then, Tom's voice came over my comm link. "Paris to Chakotay." He said. "We're experiencing some..." his voice was sharply cut off.
I looked out the nearest window, but saw the Seeker coming towards Voyager. The outside seemed calm – the opposite to whatever was happening inside. "Chakotay to Paris." I snapped.
There was nothing. I tried again. "Chakotay to Paris."
"O'Neill here." Came Jack's voice. "Paris' hurt and Juus is unconscious. You'd better tell the Doc."
"Who's flying the ship?" I asked.
"I am." He replied. "With Riley. Don't worry. We can handle it."
"But you've never seen the technology before." I said lamely.
"We've seen technology like it." Jack answered. "Besides, we wouldn't be very good pilots if we couldn't adapt, now would we?"
That sounded like something Tom would say. I smiled. "I tell the Doctor. He'll be waiting."
* * *
TOM:
The small trader craft was filled with people as I climbed into the pilot seat. I shot a look at B'Elanna, who had made sure she was near the engines – in case anything went wrong. Juus was beside me, and he had already begun to power up the systems. B'Elanna looked at me. "Let's see if she'll fly." She said.
I nodded. Behind me, Colonel O'Neill, Riley, Dr. Jackson and Seven all sat, all rather squashed up against each other. "Ready?" I asked them, just as Commander Chakotay's distorted voice came over my comm link.
"How's it coming Tom?" he asked.
"System's just booting up." I told him.
"All right." He said. "See you back on board Voyager."
I watched the Flyer take off and wished I was piloting her. She was sleek and fast, unlike the big, heavy ship I was now piloting. We would be lucky if we could get her to Voyager. "Let's go." I told Juus, and the Seeker lifted heavily off the ground.
The next few minutes were fairly tense as everyone held their breath to see if the engines would hold. They seemed to, and I took a moment to admire B'Elanna's skill. There wasn't an engine I hadn't seen her not able to repair, and I wasn't sure there would ever be one. Minutes ticked by as we slowly guided the Seeker through the atmosphere and into space. I smiled when I saw the twinkling stars. The hard part was over.
Suddenly the ship began to shake. "Should she be doing that?" I asked Juus.
"No."
"Paris to Chakotay." I said. "We're experiencing some..." my words were cut off as I experienced a burning sensation all over my body. My hands in particular felt like they had been set on fire. I was jerked back by a strong arm and pulled from my chair. My muscles felt like jelly. "The controls short circuited." B'Elanna said as she pulled at a few wires. "That should do it." She said after a moment.
I looked up at the person who had pulled me from my chair. It was the Colonel. "Are you alright?" he asked. "You took a fair jolt of electricity."
I took a few tries to get my mouth to work. "I'm fine." I finally said. "Juus?"
"Unconscious, but alive." Came Riley's voice.
"I have to pilot..." my voice trailed weakly off.
"No." Jack said firmly. "You lie there. We need to get the Doctor to look at you. I'll fly her."
"You?" I echoed.
"I am a pilot." Jack said getting up. "Riley."
Riley got up and joined him in the other pilot's chair. She gingerly touched the control panel, but no electricity jumped out. After a moment her fingers began to move over the controls, gaining confidence as Jack's did the same. The Seeker started forward again, her path as smooth as when I had been flying her.
"How did you..?" but again I was cut off. This time by Chakotay.
"Chakotay to Paris." He said. "Chakotay to Paris."
"O'Neill here." Jack said into his comm. "Paris' hurt and Juus is unconscious. You'd better tell the Doc."
"Who's flying the ship?" the Commander asked.
"I am." He replied. "With Riley. Don't worry. We can handle it."
"But you've never seen the technology before." Chakotay said, sounding surprised.
"We've seen technology like it." Jack answered. "Besides, we wouldn't be very good pilots if we couldn't adapt, now would we?"
"I tell the Doctor. He'll be waiting." Chakotay replied.
"It's just like a Glider." Riley said. "Except for feeling like I was trying to fly underwater. She's so heavy."
Jack grinned. "Nah, it doesn't feel like flying underwater." He said. "That's more smooth and slower – almost like you're flying in slow motion."
"I'd forgotten you'd done that." Riley replied.
"You've flown underwater?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah." Jack said. "I'll have to tell you about it sometime."
We soon managed to reach Voyager and gratefully sank down into the hanger. As soon as we did there was a flurry of motion. The Doctor had got some of the crew to stand in as a medical team and soon dragged me off to the infirmary, B'Elanna trailing behind him. I was finally home again. I smiled.