Chapter 97.
The Fight.
(Leah POV)
"McCall to Sickbay status," I said.
"It's not going well, Our ambassador is still delusional," Doc said.
"We're running out of time," I said.
"The graviton shear is bucking the hull, If we don't find a way out of chaotic space soon, We're going to die here," B'Elanna said.
XXX
7 Called this area Chaotic space. Our sensors aren't giving us anything. The Damn changes in the gravitational coefficient and we are get shear forces against our hull. Shields are still holding but no idea how long. We tried reconfiguring the sensors. Nothing. Redesigning will take too long. Chakotay is Delusional, The Doc believes that the aliens in this space are talking to him, but Chakotay Can't understand it. Chakotay tried to give Tuvok a mean left Jab. Chakotay told me before he went delusional, Told me never to spar with Vulcan. Chakotay was worried because this kind of thing happened to his grandfather. Who refused treatment, According to Chakotay. A couple of hyposprays a day, would have been all he needed. But he was stubborn. Chakotay said that he said. his spirit was in pain, but that the wound must be honoured. Called him a Crazy old man.
We tired to get out with the Sensor recalibrated. Going at one Quarter Impulse. Dead ahead. We increased our speed. To half Impulse. At the same time. Harry picked up a ship. Tuvok said it was Warp capable. Adrift and the other hull is damaged. Harry found no life signs. I got us to take a closer look.
As I got an log entry
(Flashback)
"Computer let's hear that again," I said.
"Why won't you answer, Did you give up on me for being so late," Male 1 said.
"Not my fault," Male 2 said.
"We got lost in here, What do the stars make such a noise," Male 1 said.
"Let me sleep," Male 2 said. "I don't understand them, I don't want to talk to them, I just want to go home,"
As Tuvok turned it off.
"That was the final distress call," Tuvok said.
"According to the vessel's medical records, the Captain and one of his engineers started hallucinating after they entered this space, The physician on board, never found a way to treat them," Doc said.
"How long were they stranded here?" I said.
"Almost a year," Harry said. "Eventually their systems were compromised,"
"They died of Exposure," Doc said.
"The sensors on that ship are more advanced than ours, And they couldn't find a way out," Harry said.
"Let's hold our position till we have a better idea of what we're up against," I said.
"It looks like that's what they did," B'Elanna said.
"And along the way a couple of them started sounding just like Chakotay," Tom said.
"I can't believe that's a Coincidence," Doc said.
"Then why hasn't anyone else been affected," Tuvok said.
"That's a Question, I can't answer," Doc said. "Not yet, Request permission to beam their captain's body on board, I'd like to perform an autopsy,"
"Granted, Pull the sensor technology off that ship, Use it to enhance ours, We're going to need all the help we can get, Dismissed," I said.
(Flashback ended)
The Doc made a deep tissue scan of the aliens' brain tissue and sensory organs. The optic and auditory neurons have been partially stripped of their normal protein insulation, the result. Auditory and visual hallucinations, Exactly like Chakotay. But a different cause. In Chakotay's case it was a Gene producing protein insulation was shut down. By. No idea. The Doctor Might be something in Chaotic space that reacts with DNA, Alters it, But why it targeted him specifically and now you, He couldn't say. I wondered if their was a treatment.
The Doc said that he could control the Hallucinations using a neural suppressant, but unless he could find a way to deactivate that gene of yours. Chakotay wanted to go on a vision quest. The Doctor didn't think it was the best Idea right there. I let him do it. Maybe something may tell him what is going on with Chakotay. But the Doc only allowed it if he got Chakotay to wear a cortical monitor. Which Chakotay allowed then he went to his quarters to do that.
Eventually. We got a way. Remodulate the warp field. to a Rentrillic trajectory. But it made no sense. Chakotay at the time didn't want to talk to them again.
I managed to convince him to let them in. Try to understand them. To help us get out.
We tried again at 1 quarter impulse. Leaving a series of beacons. Were about to go to 3 quarter impulse when Harry put the screen on. It was the first beacon we launched. 3 hours ago. We were going in circles. A large circle. Tuvok called it.
We stopped there.
But then I was called to Astrometrics.
(Flashback)
"7," I said.
"I've applied 10,053 algorithms to the energy signatures produced by chaotic space, There is a pattern," 7 said.
"Order to Chaos," I said.
"Observe," 7 said. "An Isolinear frequency,"
"Some kind of signal," I said.
"I haven't located the source," 7 said. "It may be natural. A star or quasar that had managed to survive in chaotic space,"
"But it could be a transmission," I said.
"Possibly," 7 said.
"Have you tired the standard language decryptions," I said.
"All of them with no success," 7 said.
"Success seems to be in short supply lately. Impossible," I said.
"Captain," 7 said.
"And to think that kept me from getting an A," I said.
Then I went to Sickbay.
"It was the only question I missed in exo genetics my senior year," I said.
"The nucleotide resonance frequency," Doc said.
"That signal was designed to activate DNA," I said.
"It realigned his molecular bonds," Doc said.
"Now do you believe me?" Chakotay said. "They're the ones who scheduled the fight. They're promoting it, They're putting up the purse,"
"His sensory cortex is hyperactive," Doc said. "He's still hallucinating,"
"It's not an hallucination, Not a vision quest. it's a prize-fight," Chakotay said.
"Chakotay, Do you know me," I said. "Do you know where you are,"
"I know you, Captain, But you stopped the fight, You ruined my career, nobody is going to put me on the card after this," Chakotay said.
"It's better for you to rest, Chakotay," I said. "Until we can figure out why this is happening to you,"
They want to contact me," Chakotay said.
"Who does," I said.
"The people who live here," Chakotay said.
"This will sedate him," Doc said.
"No, wait," I said. "You believe somebody lives here, in chaotic space, And they're trying to communicate with you,"
"Yes, I saw him," Chakotay said.
"Tell me about him," I said. "What does he look like,"
"He's got a couple of kilos on me, a few centimeters in height, but I can take him, Captain," Chakotay said. "I just have to stay off the ropes,"
"The holodeck boxing simulation is still strong in his memory, Obviously it's the primary source of imagery for his hallucinations," Doc said.
"What if those hallucinations are being induced for a purpose, Aliens who exist on some perceptual wavelength that our sensors can't detect, and the only way for them to communicate with us is to alter our senses, Chakotay's bad gene gave them the opportunity," I said.
"What are you proposing," Doc said.
"Remember the derelict ship, 2 of their crew member claimed they were seeing things, was somebody trying to communicate with them," I said. "Was somebody trying to warn them, Help them,"
"Or trying to destroy them, just as they're trying to destroy us," Doc said.
"Why go through all the trouble, We're trapped here anyway," I said.
"Let me back in the ring," Chakotay said.
As we shook again.
"Even if this is some kind of alien communication, it could harm him permanently," Doc said.
"Bridge to Captain McCall," Tuvok said.
"Go ahead," I said.
"Graviton shear has increased again," Tuvok said. "Hull pressure is rising,"
"On my way," I said.
"Captain, When have we ever turned away from a first contact," Chakotay said.
"Gear up," I said. "It maybe our only chance to get out of here,"
(Flashback ends)
"Report," I said as we were shaking again.
"Some kind of Spatial sinkhole just opened up beneath us," Harry said.
"Full thruster," I said. "Status,"
"We managed to side step that one, but graviton shear has increased by another 310%," Tom said.
"McCall to Sickbay," I said.
"Sickbay here," Doc said.
"It's now or never," I said.
"Understood, Captain," Doc said.
"Captain, we're losing structural integrity," Harry said.
"ZPM 1 To Structural integrity," I said.
"Done," Harry said. "But I have no idea how much longer it will hold,"
Then the doors opened and Chakotay got here.
"Chakotay," I said.
"He's got a right uppercut that almost knocked me out, Move over Harry," Chakotay said.
"Hold on Harry," I said.
"They showed me how to get out of here," Chakotay said.
"He's hallucinating," Doc said.
"Out of the way," Chakotay said.
Tell us what to do," I said.
"I can't," Chakotay said. "It's too difficult to explain,"
"I'm locking him out," Harry said.
"No, Give up your post," I said.
"He's recalibrating the Deflector dish, And rerouting it through the sensor array," Tuvok said.
"It must be altered," Chakotay said.
"Captain, The Graviton shear is increasing," Tom said.
"I'm reading Microfractures on the hull," Tuvok said.
"Stay and we'll be destroyed," Chakotay said. "Activate the Deflector Maximum amplitude, Bring sensors online,"
"Captain," Tuvok said.
"Do it," I said.
"I don't know how, but the sensors have found us a course," Harry said.
"Maximum impulse, Now," Chakotay said.
"Captain if the course is wrong we could breach the hull," Tom said.
"Do it," I said.
"We've re-entered normal space," Tuvok said.
"Tom resume a course for home," I said.
"Aye sir," Tom said.
XXX
"When I said you should take the next day or 2 off, I thought you'd want to stay in your quarters with a good book," I said.
"Boxing helps me unwind," Chakotay said.
"Well, in that case, report for duty first thing in the morning," I said. "See you then," I said.
That's all for this Chapter.
More to follow.
Stay tuned and safe.
Love Y'all
PEACE!