A/N: If you recognize it, Paramount owns it.
An Unwelcome Adventure
Neelix was terribly hot. He hadn't been so hot since he'd left the Ocampan homeworld to join the crew of Voyager, and he hadn't missed the dry, parched heat one bit.
"Neelix?" he heard, although it seemed that whoever was talking to him was very far away. "Neelix, can you hear me?"
The voice was reassuringly familiar, so he roused himself to reply. "Ensign Kim?"
Relief was evident in the ensign's voice. "You took a long time to wake up, but I think you'll be okay now."
Venturing to open his eyes, Neelix found himself looking at a vast desert. "Where are we and why was I asleep?"
"What's the last thing you remember?"
"We were touring the capital of Bax'al, and some people cut us off from the captain and Mr. Tuvok."
Kim nodded. "They drugged us, and the next thing I knew, I woke up here."
"Well, it shouldn't take very long for Voyager to find us. There aren't any other humans or Talaxians on Bax'al." Neelix discovered that neither he nor Kim had a communicator, tricorder, or phaser, but he wasn't really surprised.
"That might be a problem," said Kim reticently.
Worry clouded Neelix's eyes. In his experience, a 'problem' on an away mission nearly always escalated into a near-death experience. "What kind of problem?"
"The drug knocked you out right away, but I was conscious for a few more seconds. I heard our captors say something about our biosigns now being Bax'ali."
Suddenly, Neelix wished he hadn't woken up at all. "You mean that we're in the middle of a desert and people have to see us to tell that we're not Bax'ali?"
Kim nodded. Neelix hadn't known that was possible. Unfortunately, there were a lot of things he hadn't thought possible until they happened to someone on Voyager.
"Please tell me something that isn't very bad." It was times like this Neelix was both glad that he wasn't in Starfleet, because he wouldn't want to be in charge, but at the same time sorry that he didn't have the benefit of Starfleet survival training.
"We have water." Between the two men lay two pouches that both hung from a single strap. They probably held a liter and a quarter each, which was not nearly as much as they'd need for any period of time, but it was better than nothing. It was certainly the best news Neelix had heard since he woke up in the desert.
"What are we going to do?"
"We're going to wait another hour or so before we try to walk anywhere. By then the heat will be less intense."
Normally Neelix was not a fan of idle waiting, but he was still a bit foggy from the drugs, and the idea of walking in the heat was unappealing. "I suppose we shouldn't have any water now," he said.
"Actually, it would be a good idea for us to take a small sip each. We don't know how long we've been here, and we were drugged."
"A small sip," echoed Neelix, reaching for a pouch enthusiastically. He took his small sip, wishing dearly that he could have several more, and replaced the cap. It was then that he noticed Kim hadn't reached for water. "Aren't you having any?" He would feel awful if he had a larger share of water.
"We should empty one pouch before we open another. It will keep the water fresher and cleaner."
Slightly chastised that he hadn't thought of that, he handed the pouch to his human companion, who took a few drops of the precious liquid.
They sat in silence until the sun beat on them less severely. Neelix did not know what Ensign Kim was thinking, but he was trying to think of anything but their current situation. To that end, he compiled a mental inventory of each and every ingredient he had aboard Voyager. He was just going to start on the spices when Kim asked, "Ready?"
Neelix stood up and looked around, an unpleasant experience. There was nothing but dry desert all around. "Which way are we going?"
Kim pointed to the left. "This was has the most dunes, and those are probably the best shelter we'll find." He picked up the strap with the water. "I'll take these first."
Suddenly a question occurred to Neelix. "Why would anyone strand us in the desert, change our biosigns, and then leave water? Not that I'm complaining, mind you."
"It is unusual," conceded Kim. "Maybe they'll use it to claim that they were merciful, or maybe one person in the group felt sorry for us."
That was the end of conversation for a while. Both men knew that talking would use energy that they ought not to waste. Neelix, trying not to think much about the desert, went back to his mental inventory. He finished the spices, and the herbs, and was halfway through cooking tools when Kim stopped.
A few steps to their side lay the skeleton of some long-dead beast. Neelix did not find the sight encouraging. Kim, on the other hand, seemed rather pleased. He picked up several straight bones and said, "These might be useful weapons."
"I'll take a turn with the water," offered Neelix. "Those don't look like menacing weapons, but I suppose they're better than nothing."
They each took a small sip of water, and trudged on.
Bax'al had three moons, so as the sun set they were still able to see by moonlight. The heat had dropped and Neelix now found himself chilled. He had run out of things to inventory in his mind, so he resigned himself to walking and listening for any threatening sounds. What they were supposed to do if threatening sounds were heard, he didn't know. There was some comfort in leaving that to Kim, so he didn't ask. In all truth, he didn't think he wanted to know.
The tip of the sun was rising over the horizon when they found a perfect spot to stop. While they could have traveled a bit farther before the heat became too much, it was better to stay in the ideal resting place. Kim guessed that it was created when three dunes grew large enough that they merged. Crescent-shaped, it would allow them shadows to rest in for the day, as long as they moved with the shadows.
"I'll take the first watch," offered Kim. Neelix agreed and they settled into a corner of their shelter. In no time at all he was asleep.
He woke up with the sun pounding down on him, so he slid over to the shadows. There he found that Ensign Kim was working on his bone weapons. He had sharpened the longest of the bones into a crude spear, although this had worn down the other bones to ruin. The weapon looked a bit more useful than it had originally, which was good to know.
"You haven't missed much."
Neelix wasn't surprised. "I'll wake you up if anything changes."
Kim nodded and curled up, as humans tended to do when they slept in unfamiliar places. That left Neelix alone with his thoughts. It occurred to him that when he had come aboard Voyager, this type of desert environment was what he knew. The abundance of water aboard the ship had shocked him. He remembered how shocked he was to be able to bathe, even! Over the years he'd grown quite used to that, and now he was back in a desert. If they could find water, they would be able to survive until Voyager found them. Captain Janeway would be talking with government officials, trying diplomatic channels to rescue them. Mr. Tuvok was probably conducting an investigation, and the crew would be scanning for them.
Yes, Voyager would find them as long as they found water. Neelix found that this formed in him a new determination. Ensign Kim may have had Starfleet survival training, but he had lived in a desert in this quadrant. He ought to be able to contribute to their survival.
With this in mind, Neelix surveyed the landscape anew. More dunes lay in front of them, scattered around until he couldn't see past them. Checking to see that Kim was still asleep, he walked to the nearest dune. It was small, but it was close enough that he could still see the yellow and black of his friend's uniform. From the top he could see a cactus-like plant on the other side.
Pleased, he walked over and looked at it. It was covered in spines, but that was not really a problem. He broke one off and used it to prick the skin of the plant.
It seemed dry, but that didn't deter him. He began to etch a line in the skin, carefully avoiding the spines.
"Neelix!" Ensign Kim's voice started him, and he dropped his cutting spine.
"Ensign, I thought you were asleep."
"The sun woke me up. I moved, but then I noticed you were gone. The point of being on watch is to stay there and watch," he reminded.
"I'm sorry. I saw this plant, and I thought we could use it, and…"
Kim looked interested. "What have you found?" He looked at the plant. "It looks dry."
"I'm working on it." With that, Neelix snapped off another spine and resumed his cutting. Finally he had two parallel lines going from the top to the bottom of the plant and two perpendicular lines that formed a rectangle. He pressed harder into the lines on the bottom and carefully began to peel the skin back.
He ended up with a leathery rectangle of skin that had holes where the spines had poked through. Handing that to Kim in case it might be useful, he resumed his work. Carefully, he repeated what he had done. It took a good deal of careful work, but he was rewarded with a spongy piece of flesh.
After cutting that in half, he handed one piece to Kim. "Try not to spill any," he cautioned. Tilting his head back, he lifted the plant flesh over his head and pressed it. A small stream of water ran out, which he expertly caught and swallowed.
Kim looked both impressed and skeptical. "How do we know there isn't something that will make us sick in here?"
"We don't," replied Neelix. "But we've already finished half of our water."
Doubtfully, Kim copied Neelix's actions. He had to stop once in order to swallow all the water, but he didn't spill any. "Where did you learn that?" he asked once he was done.
"We used to do it sometimes on the Ocampan planet," Neelix explained. The exposed portion of the plant was hard and dry, but the rest of the spongy flesh was already beginning to heal itself at the edges. Harsh sunlight was beginning to reach them once again, so the two headed back to their shelter.
"That was good, Neelix," said Kim.
"My pleasure, Ensign. I'm sorry I interrupted your rest, though. I promise to stay and watch now."
"That was worth being interrupted," ceded Kim, "But I'll take you up on your offer."
Neelix kept his pledge and watched for threats. None came, for which he was grateful. He was pleased with his ability to contribute to their survival.
They took another, slightly larger rectangle from the plant that evening before moving on. In addition, they'd tied the leathery outer skins around their mouths and noses, because the wind had picked up. Due to the holes, the skins were imperfect shields, but they cut back the amount of sand the duo inhaled.
The wind blew ever harder. "I think we better take shelter on the side of this dune," said Kim, his voice muffled by the skin and the wind. Neelix readily agreed. They pushed themselves back against it, which afforded them incomplete but substantial protection from the wind-driven sand.
Neelix could barely see a meter in front of him. He and Kim faced each other in a huddle, trying to use the space between them as a protected and relatively dust-free area. This was aided by spreading Kim's jacket over their backs and holding it down.
The storm seemed to last forever. Neelix clung to the precious water around his neck, while Kim clutched the spear. By the time the storm abated, they had precious little travel time left.
The land had been reshaped, with new patterns of sand swirling about. Neelix sighed and resigned himself to more walking. In fact, they walked longer than they really should have, trying to make up for lost time. By the time they stopped in the shade of yet another sand dune, both men were exhausted and their supply of water was nearly gone.
Neelix had horrible dreams when it was his turn to sleep. He dreamt of sandstorms that morphed into angry Kazon, of scanners mistaking his biosigns, and aimlessly wandering the desert until dehydration stole his sanity. It took most of his watch to shake the images from his mind.
They resumed walking in the evening, weak and dehydrated. The last of their water was gone. Neither of them had the strength to speak if it wasn't absolutely necessary. By mutual agreement, they kept walking even when the sun rose. Without finding water, they weren't going to last the day.
"Do you see that?" asked Kim finally. He pointed to a spot in the distance.
"See what? Oh! Green!" Neelix started to walk faster at the prospect. Green could only mean water.
"Do you think it's a mirage?"
Neelix didn't know that Standard word. "What's that?"
"When you see-" he interrupted himself with a yawn "something that isn't really there, because your brain and the heat are playing tricks on you."
Neelix knew what he was referring to, although he had never personally experienced one, for which he was glad. "Could we both imagine the same thing in the same place?"
"We'll go that way. It's our only hope." The decision made, they plodded on. Neelix was heartened to see the green get closer. Despite falling twice, he kept walking.
"I'm getting dizzy. Neelix, is it still there?"
"I can see trees! Come on, Ensign, we can make it."
"If I can't reach the oasis, you go on." Kim stumbled and fell, but righted himself. He allowed Neelix to take the lead.
"Nonsense! We're too close to give up now."
Kim said nothing, but followed Neelix closely. Several moments later, he remarked, "we're going the wrong way. There's a closer oasis to the right."
Neelix saw the area where his companion looked, and it was more sand. "No, there isn't. That must be a mirage. We're close, though. Keep going."
Kim swayed, but Neelix kept him upright and walking forward. "See the trees?" he asked.
"I still think the other one was closer," murmured Kim.
"Keep going," insisted Neelix. He practically had to push the human the last thirty meters, quite a feat considering his own weak state. Nonetheless, they reached a neat line of trees. Beyond the trees they found themselves in a beautiful oasis. A small stream flowed a few meters from where Kim collapsed.
Neelix collected water in one of the pouches and poured it into Kim's mouth. "Come on, Ensign. We made it. Drink slowly, now." After Kim had some water, Neelix enjoyed some himself. It was crisp and cool. He hadn't enjoyed water so much since he first joined the crew of Voyager.
"I feel sick," groaned Kim.
"Stay there in the shade," directed Neelix. He took their skins, rinsed them, and placed them on the ensign's face. He gave him another drink before watching the young officer fall into a deep but fitful sleep. Soon he was asleep as well.
When he woke up, Kim was still sitting in the shade, but he looked much better. "Neelix, you did a great job. I wouldn't have made it without you."
"Don't give me too much credit."
"I'm not. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Ensign." He looked around the oasis. The stream, he saw, ran only for a few dozen meters. It started at a spring and shortly resumed flowing underground. Nonetheless, it provided a patch of vegetation. The trees gave much-needed shade, and there was a large bush – half again as tall as Neelix – that had berries.
"I hope these aren't poisonous," said Kim, looking at the berries. "But we have to eat."
"Is it a good sign that that bird just ate one?"
"Maybe, but the bird is native to the planet." Kim sighed. "Our food options are limited, though."
Feeling lucky, Neelix popped a berry into his mouth. "A bit sour," he decided, "but not bad."
"I've had worse," agreed Kim. They spent the next half hour plucking berries off the bush and eating them.
Neelix yawned. "I don't know about you, but I could use a nap." He wandered back to where the thick canopy allowed them to rest in comfort.
"I'm still feeling weak, so I'll join you," said Kim.
Neelix had just settled in a comfortable position, using several dead leaves as a pillow, when something fell several centimeters from his left knee. It was a generally spherical object, uneven but covered with a smooth skin that was remarkably close to the color of Neelix's hair. "Ensign," he said, "Look at this."
"The coconut falls from the tree," muttered Kim, then he clarified, "It's from desert island stories on Earth."
Neelix looked up. Sure enough, there were more of the fruits growing in the trees. Rolling it in his hand, he wondered if it was good. "We could save it for our next meal," he suggested.
Kim nodded. "We can probably knock a few more down."
Neelix didn't think that his aim was good enough for that, but it sounded like a good idea. "I'll put it over here," he said, placing the fruit beside their water pouches.
The next thing he knew, the familiar but surprising tingle of a transporter overtook him.
"Welcome back, gentlemen," smiled Captain Janeway as they materialized aboard Voyager. "Congratulations on managing to find the only oasis for six hundred kilometers. Minister Vloxi was certain that you would be dead by now. I'm happy to prove him wrong." At the transporter controls, Crewman Belznik looked relieved to see both Kim and Neelix standing upright.
"Was he part of our capture?" asked Neelix. The minister had seemed quite pleasant.
"No. He was actually very helpful, and I'm sure he'll be relieved to hear of your safe return. However, we'll have to fill you in on the details later." She hit her commbadge. "Janeway to Sickbay. You've got two patients on their way, Doctor."
The Doctor had given them each a hypospray after a thorough examination. "Neither or you should work for the next thirty-six hours," he instructed. "Your bodies went through quite the ordeal. Eating extra protein would be advisable."
"What about our biosigns?" asked Kim.
"The compound they gave you is temporary. It'll take a week, but your biosigns will return to normal."
The ensign accepted this and turned his attention to Janeway. "Captain, Neelix was amazing down there. If it weren't for him, I'd be dead."
"I'll look forward to reading about that in our report." The words could have sounded demanding, but she spoke them in a manner that was relieved and genuinely curious to learn what Neelix had done.
"Which he is not going to write for at least thirty-six hours," reminded the Doctor.
"Of course," she nodded. "After a well-earned rest."
Just then Tom Paris bounded into Sickbay. "Welcome back!" he exclaimed. "If you're allowed out of here, I've been working on a new holodeck program. It's not quite finished, but you might like it."
"What is it?" asked Neelix, his curiosity piqued.
"Niagara Falls," grinned Paris. "Lots of water."
Neelix laughed. It was good to be back.