Chapter Seven – Overload
Janeway held the holographic tricorder, looking at it in wonder.
"How do you think this beamed off with you and didn't decompile?" She said, as she flipped it open and played with it. The entire senior staff was gathered in the briefing room.
"My guess is that the holodeck replicated it." B'Elanna replied. "I had to replace the power cell from my comm badge with a holographic comm badge," She started, thinking. She took her badge off, and popped the cover, revealing the power cell. "and it is still here too. So my guess is that the holodeck replicated all the small objects in engineering."
"Strange." Janeway muttered. "So, the Voyager in the simulation had crash landed on a planet that seemed to just appear?"
"That's what I was told by the holographic version of you." B'Elanna replied. "And then there is Hogan…"
"What happened?" Chakotay asked, as he leaned foreword.
"Well, in the program there seems to be these gods, Acritin and Adrianna. I think we crash-landed on their planet, Aona. Anyway, Acritin seems to have somewhat of a romantic interest in Hogan."
"Huh." Janeway said. "Continue."
"Well, Hogan and myself were trying to figure out what happened to make the computer core lapse, when he saw him."
"The core lapsed in the simulation?" Janeway said.
"Yes."
"Well it lapsed here too. You and Hogan were on your way to computer control when the energy wave struck. One of the engineers called for you, and you said that you were ok, and on your way back to engineering, then you both vanished. We found you by doing a deck by deck search, and found the holodeck was in use and locked. We are afraid to just pull the plug because the Doctor is in the holobuffer, and if we do that we could risk damaging his program." Janeway finished. B'Elanna thought for a moment.
"What about this holodeck program, was it in our database?" B'Elanna asked.
"Not that I recall."
"Computer, what program is online in holodeck one?"
-Program designation is Aona One. B'Elanna looked up at Janeway.
"When was it created?" Torres asked the computer.
-The specified program was imported into Voyagers computer database 15 hours ago.
"Right when the computer lagged. Captain, we may be dealing with an alien influence here, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Acritin who created that program, and is in there right now." B'Elanna said. "We need to shut that program down immediately."
Janeway nodded in agreement.
"Mister Kim, scan for any type of signals coming in on Voyager, and see if you can find out where that program came from, it had to have been downloaded from somewhere. Tuvok, raise shields and bring us to red alert. B'Elanna, your with me. Lets go down to engineering and see if we can find out a way to safely bring this holodeck down. Mister Chakotay, you have the bridge. Tom, all stop until we know more. Dismissed everybody."
Moments later, Janeway and Torres ran into Engineering. Janeway immediately headed to the holographic control center, whereas B'Elanna went to isoleniar control.
"Captain, I might be able to save the Doctors program in a separate file, then overload the holobuffer with an EPS pulse. That would save the Doctor, and allow us to get to Hogan."
"Good idea. I am going to try to…" Janeway trailed off in thought. "B'Elanna, can we beam the Doctors mobile emitter into the Holodeck?" She asked, as she walked over to Torres.
"Sure, I don't see why not. But the only problem is that when it gets there I don't know how we can transfer him to it. The holodeck isn't accepting voice commands." Torres replied, as she pressed in some commands into a console. It emitted a dull beep at her. "Well, I think I can initiate the transfer from this end. As soon as the Doctor is in the emitter, I can shut the holodeck down from here via the overload."
"Good, do it. I will be on the bridge." Janeway replied as she turned to leave.
"Captain," B'Elanna said, causing Janeway to turn around.
"Yes?" She said as she stopped.
"We may have been in the Alpha quadrant, but life was no better there. I just wanted you to know I would choose being here than there any day."
Janeway smiled. "That means a lot, B'Elanna." She turned, and left the room. Moments later, she entered the turbolift. "Bridge." She said, causing the lift to surge up.
"Kim to Janeway." Her comm badge buzzed.
"Janeway here." She replied.
"Long range scanners aren't showing anything of interest except a demon class planet. It is several light-years away though, I doubt it has anything to do with our current situation."
"Acknowledged, Mister Kim. I am on my way to the bridge right now. Janeway out." She stood in the lift in silence, thinking about their predicament.
--
"Torres to Janeway."
"Janeway here."
"We are ready to beam the emitter into the holodeck. I just hope it makes it to the Doctor, and not one of the fake holocharacters."
"Well we will just keep our fingers crossed. Did you send an auto-transfer program with the emitter?"
"Yes, Captain. I programmed it to only transfer the program if it is placed on the arm where the Doctor keeps his, so hopefully it won't fall into the wrong hands."
"Good thinking. Proceed with the transport. As soon as the emitter is in the hands of the Doctor, shut down the holodeck."
"Yes Ma'am. Ill get back to you. Torres out." She turned her console as she closed the comm line. The Doctors modified emitter was sitting on top of the console, ready for transport. "Vorik, standby on the overload sequence. As soon as I say so, initiate the holodeck overload."
"Yes, Lieutenant." He replied.
"Torres to bridge, I'm initiating the transport right… now." B'Elanna held her breath as she pressed the short sequence of buttons that sent the mobile emitter swirling away in a blue column of light.
--
The Doctors new friend, Jerry, glanced nervously across the table. They were standing in the Senate room of the Robotics company that apparently ruled most of the city. The Doctor looked down at his notes, apparently he was an inventor. Jerry seemed to be his partner, and they had been working on a new type of mass transit for their city. They seemed to be presenting the idea now to the senate.
"You'll do just fine, David. Just keep cool." Jerry said from across the table.
"Easy for you to say." The Doctor mumbled under his breath. Suddenly, the doors to the empty senate room opened, and all the senate members filed in. A few minutes after getting settled, one of the senate members introduced the Doctor and his friend Jerry.
Jerry handed the handheld microphone to the Doctor, and stepped back. The Doctor stood there in the middle of the room with nothing but an empty table separating him and the senate.
"Well?" One of the members asked.
Nervously, the Doctor started to speak. "Good morning, gentleman. Today, I would like to show you…" He stopped when he heard a familiar noise. The low whine of the transporter filled the room, as his small mobile emitter materialized right on top of the table. "I'm being rescued!" The Doctor said, before he realized he said it. The confused senate members started mumbling, but the Doctor didn't care. He jumped on the table, and grabbed the emitter.
"What are you doing?" Jerry said from the floor. The Doctor ignored him, and slapped the emitter on his arm. Just a moment later, he felt himself transfer to the microcircuitry of the small device.
-Warning, holographic systems overload detected. Emergency shutdown in progress. The computer announced in the senate room. The Doctor jumped to the floor, and covered his head, as sparks started to fly. The Doctor heard a grating noise, followed by the room shaking, and a large explosion. When it was over, he uncovered his head and looked up. He was alone on the floor of an empty, deactivated holodeck.