Chapter 99.
Juggernaut.
(Leah POV)
I was on the Bridge.
"Captain, We're receiving an automated distress call," Harry said.
"Source," I said.
"Coordinates 121 by 268," Harry said. "Range 2 billion kilometers,"
"Who's sending it," Chakotay said.
"I can't tell," Harry said.
"Let them know help's on the way. Set a course, Tom," I said.
XXX
"Tuvok," I said.
"37 escape pods," Tuvok said.
"They're contaminated with theta radiation," Tom said.
"Malon," Chakotay said.
"Possibly, Life signs," I said.
"2 but they're erratic," Harry said.
"Beam them to sickbay, Initiate Biohazard containment procedures," I said.
"Theta Radiation has affected a radius of 600 million kilometers," Tuvok said.
"Source," I said.
"A Malon freighter travelling at high impulse," Tuvok said. "It appears to be abandoned,"
XXX
"I thought we'd seen the last of the Malon," Tuvok said.
"I guess they're looking for new places to dump their toxic waste," I said.
"Do we know what happened to their ship, Were they attacked," Doc said.
"I'm as Curious at you are," I said. "Can you revive either of them,"
As The Doc did.
"I'm Captain Leah McCall," I said.
"Fesek, Controller Fesek," Fesek said. "Where am I,"
"Your on my ship," I said. "We responded to your distress call,"
"My ship," Fesek said.
"It's heavily damaged," I said.
"Where," Fesek said.
"3 million kilometers from here," Tuvok said.
"That's too close we got to get further away," Fesek said.
"Calm down," I said. "Tell me what's wrong with your ship, Why did you abandon it,"
"We were on a waste export mission," Fesek said.
"Dumping theta Radiation," Tuvok said.
"2 of the theta tanks ruptured, Systems malfunctioned one by one, Communicate, Navigation Propulsion. We had no choice, Radiation was venting from every port, Over 60 crewmen died with in minutes. It was chaos, We stumbled through the gas t get to the escape pod, Only a few of us made it. Where are the others," Fesek said.
"You 2 were the only ones we found alive," I said.
"Listen to me very carefully, The fact that we're still here means the ship hasn't exploded yet, When it does over 4 trillion isotons of antimatter waste is going to ignite. Everything within 3 light years will be destroyed," Fesek said.
"McCall to Bridge," I said.
"Go ahead," Chakotay said.
"Put at least 5 light years between us and the Malon Freighter," I said.
"Tom you heard her," Chakotay said.
"Send out a sector wide alert, warn other ships in the sector to evacuate immediately," I said.
"Tuvok," I said. As I felt us not going to warp. "Without Warp or Hyperdrive, there's not chance we outrun the blast radius,"
"Agreed," Tuvok said.
"Tom Set a course for the Malon Freighter Full impulse, Chakotay go to Red Alert," I said.
"Aye, Captain," Tom said.
"Acknowledged," Chakotay said.
We went to Red Alert. As the Klaxons went red.
"What," Fesek said.
"If we can't outrun your ship maybe we can disable it," I said.
"Every deck has been containment anyone who goes on board will liquefy within minutes," Fesek said.
"We'll find a way," I said.
"We, I'm not going anywhere near that vessel," Fesek said.
"You can either stay and help us, or I'll return you to your escape pod. Clean them up Doc, I need them on the Bridge," I said.
XXX
We were approaching the freighter.
"How long until it blows," I said.
"Approximately 6 hours," B'Elanna said.
"Can we get an away team on board," I said.
"The freighter's hull is intact, Life support appear to be operational," Tuvok said. "However 33 of 42 decks are flooded with high levels of theta Radiation,"
"Including the control room which is where we'd have to go to reestablish containment," Fesek said. "As I told you,"
"We could beam onto one of the lower levels where there's less radiation and vent the contaminated sections one by one," B'Elanna said.
"Clear a path to the control room," Chakotay said.
"I appreciate what you're trying to do, but if what you're considering were possible, We'd tried it before we abandoned the ship, We have years of experience aboard freighters of this gradient," Fesek said.
"Your experience is what got us into this mess in the first place," B'Elanna said.
"That's enough, Lt," I said.
"Maybe there's another way," Fesek said.
"I'm listening," I said.
"There is a nebula, about 4 hours from here, that could protect us from the blast, We could alter course, wait there until after the explosion," Fesek said.
"There are at least 3 other ships in the sector what about them," I said.
"I don't see what we can do," Fesek said.
"So hundred of people become contaminated because you're not willing to clean up your garbage," B'Elanna said.
"Lt," I said. "Assemble an away team, We're going over there,"
"Wait, Tell the about the Vihaar," Pelk said.
"What's he talking about," I said.
"Nothing, It's a myth," Fesek said.
"What kind of Myth?" Chakotay said.
"It's an old story shared among freighter crews, Some of them say they've seen creatures in the theta storage tanks," Fesek said.
"Creatures," B'Elanna said.
"Created by Radiogenic wastes, According to legends they are poisonous monsters that wreak havoc aboard Malon ships, It's a common belief, Among our more superstitious recruits," Fesek said.
"I never believed it myself, but during the evacuation some of the crew people saw something a form," Pelk said.
"Hallucinations are one of the first symptoms of theta poisoning you know that," Fesek said.
"Maybe, Then how do you explain what happened," Pelk said. "We checked every system
"You'd say anything to get out of going back to that freighter," B'Elanna said.
"If you'd been there, You'd be afraid to go back too," Pelk said.
"Chakotay, get over there, As soon as you can," I said.
XXX
I was on the bridge.
"Status," I said.
"They've vented 5 decks 10 to go," Harry said.
"At this rate they'll reach the control room in approximately 3 hours, However the storage will detonate in less than 2," Tuvok said.
"I've been working on a contingency plan," I said.
"An O type star," Tuvok said.
"If the freighter exploded within the star's corona, It might absorb the radiation," I said.
"The star is not in the freighters trajectory," Tuvok said.
"Which why we going to give it a little nudge," I said.
"A series of carefully timed tractor pulses could alter the freighter's course, but given the vessel's weekend state, 1 miscalculation could set off the explosions," Tuvok said.
"I'm still counting on the away team succeed," I said. "But I want to be ready with a Plan B if they don't," I said.
XXX
I was heading to astrometrics where I met up with 7.
"Captain your Plan B, I've calculated the inertial force required to divert the freighter," 7 said.
"Nice," I said.
"Plan C. Shield modulations that should reduce the structural damage of Voyager, It will also help protect the crew against theta Radiation If we fail," 7 said.
"Let's hope we won't need it," I said. "There isn't a Plan D,"
"No," 7 said.
"I better get these to the Bridge soon we get them going to better," I said.
XXX
Chakotay was hurt. And was beamed back to Voyager. He was going to be alright.
"Chakotay," I said.
"Unconscious but stable," Tuvok said. "The Doctor is treating him now, We'll be able to talk with him in less than an hour,"
"I want a full report," I said.
"Shall I beam to the freighter and take command of the away team," Tuvok said.
"No, I just spoke with B'Elanna, She's got everything under control," I said.
"This is a dangerous situation, there is no margin for emotional error," Tuvok said.
"We have plenty to do here," I said. "Help me remodulate the Tractor beam,"
"B'Elanna is unpredictive, Captain, Under these circumstances, her volatile nature could compromise the mission," Tuvok said.
"Your concerns are noted, But If I send you over there, I'd be sending the wrong message, That I don't have faith in her, Which I do," I said.
"Your faith is admirable, but logic, Suggests," Tuvok said.
"This isn't about logic, it's about trust," I said. "She'll come through for us, Now give me a hand,"
XXX
It was almost time. 7 just told me something bad news.
"Voyager to Away team," I said.
"Go ahead," B'Elanna said.
"We've detected an alien lifeform aboard the freighter, We believe it killed Pelk," I said.
"Captain, we just lost power," B'Elanna said.
"We're diverting the freighter into a nearby star, Leave the control room so we can get a lock on you," I said.
"Acknowledged," B'Elanna said.
"Tuvok Do it," I said. "Do you have them,"
"Not yet," Harry said.
"Captain the Freighter's thruster just came on line it is force the Freighter away from the star," Tuvok said.
"Get it Back," I said. "Voyager to Away team, Shut down those Thrusters,"
Then a 2 minutes later.
"The Thruster are down," Tuvok said.
"Get it back on course," I said.
"Done," Tuvok said.
"Voyager to away team get out the control room, NOW!" I said. "Harry,"
"Not yet, Got them," Harry said. "They're in transporter room 2,"
"Tom, Get us out of here," I said. "Full power,"
"We got a shockwave," Harry said, as it hit.
"Tom get us out of here," I said.
XXX
"It's an occupational hazard," Fesek said.
"We've contact a Malon transport ship in the next sector, We've altered course to rendezvous with them," I said.
"Thank you captain," Fesek said. "I don't know how I'm going to explain what happened,"
"Tell them the truth, Tell them the Vihaar is no myth," B'Elanna said.
That's all for this chapter.
More to follow.
Stay tuned and safe.
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PEACE!