Chapter 137.
(Leah POV)
I was on the Bridge when.
"That was strange," Tom said.
"Care to explain," Chakotay said.
"I wish I could, Long range sensors picked up an energy discharge," Tom said. "But now it's gone, There, there's another one,"
"They're occurring approximately 5.9 light years ahead," Tuvok said.
"Source," Chakotay said.
"We're too far to get a clear reading," Tuvok said.
"McCall to 7," I said.
"Go ahead," 7 said.
"Report to Astrometrics lab," I said.
"Acknowledged," 7 said.
As we headed down there.
"What you got," I said.
"I wasn't able to find the cause of the discharges, but the region ahead contains unusual amounts of Subspace radiation and metallic debris," 7 said.
"Vessels," Tuvok said.
"Not within range," 7 said. "But I'll have more data once we move closer,"
"I see no reason to alter course, Keep an eye on your sensors 7," I said.
"Yes Captain," 7 said.
"Now, on to more pressing matters, Does B'Elanna suspect anything," I said.
"Not a clue," Tom said.
"Good, Mess Hall, 1400 hours, Be on time, I don't want to spoil the surprise, I expect both of you to show up," I said.
"I'll be busy here," 7 said.
"What's wrong 7, No baby showers in the collective," Tom said.
"Tom," I said. "I'm sure you can spare a few minutes, See you there,"
As Tom and I headed out.
"Something going one between you 2," Tom said.
"I don't know but she's been a bit different ever since that god damn mind bull shit," I said.
"Weird it kind of pushed B'Elanna and I together," Tom said.
"Tom, she's been up to something, She hasn't told me what it is and," I said.
"You don't want to go snooping in case, She is trying to surprise us or you with something," Tom said.
"Yeah," I said.
"My advice just wait and see," Tom said.
"I didn't think I needed to hear that," I said.
"You didn't but, sometimes it could hurt," Tom said.
"I swear you know someone close to someone I know," I said.
XXX
"Captain to the Bridge," Chakotay said.
As I headed out of my ready room.
"Report," I said. As we shook.
"It was an energy discharge, 200,000 kilometers starboard," Tom said.
"It produced a level 9 shockwave," Tuvok said.
"Some kind of weapon," Chakotay said.
"Possibly," Tuvok said.
"Another one 5 million kilometers to port," Tom said.
"A shockwave is approaching," Tuvok said.
"Full power to the shields, Red alert," I said. As the Klaxons went red. As it hit us.
"Our warp fields, destabilizing," Harry said.
"I'm detecting another, distance 50,000 kilometers," Tuvok said.
"Turn our bow into the wave front, It'll minimize the damage," I said.
As we got hit.
"Sorry Captain there wasn't enough time," Tom said.
"We've lost warp drive," Harry said.
"I'm reading another, distance 26 million kilometers," Tuvok said. "too far to pose a threat,"
"If they are weapons they don't seem to be directed at us," Chakotay said.
"Or whoever's firing them is a lousy shot," I said. "Go to Yellow Alert, Harry give B'Elanna a hand in Engineering, Get our warp drive back online. Tom Resume course, Full impulse,"
XXX
"Astrometric sensors recorded the explosions," 7 said. "I believe it's a long range subspace warhead, The debris in this region suggest that dozens have been fired in the last several weeks,"
"The warhead destroyed something, what was it," Tuvok said.
"It appeared to be an unmanned probe," 7 said.
"This is all very intriguing but I'd just as soon get out of here before we cross paths with another one of these things, Where do we stand on repairs,"
"Subspace radiation from the explosions is making it difficult to create a stable warp field, Lt Torres estimates 48 hours, And Lt Torres doesn't recommend using the hyperdrive in this," Tuvok said.
"Agreed, One hit us at that speed, It will tear Voyager apart," I said. "7 can you find a way to detect the warheads before they emerge from subspace,"
"I believe so, The weapons create minor gravimetric distortions as they approach the subspace barrier, But I'll need to recalibrate my sensors to isolate the effect," 7 said.
"Do it, Even a few seconds warning would help us here, 7," I said.
"Yes Captain," 7 said.
XXX
"Captain to the Bridge," Chakotay said.
As I got out there.
"Report," I said.
"We've picked up more of the warheads," Chakotay said.
"Red Alert," I said.
As we got hit.
"8 hundred thousand kilometers off the starboard bow," Tuvok said.
"Bridge to 7," I said.
"Go ahead," 7 said.
"We need those sensor calibrations, We've got more of them," I said.
"I'll need a moment to return to my station, standby," 7 said.
"Hurry, We have not idea when the next one is gonna strike," I said.
"Acknowledged," 7 said.
As we rumbled again.
"Hull fracture deck 12," Tom said.
"7, Come on we need those calibrations," I said.
"Standby captain," 7 said. "Lt Paris isolate subspace band Omicron Theta,"
"Acknowledged," Tom said.
"Direct your sensors to coordinates 178 mark 26," 7 said.
"Nothing there," Tom said.
"It shifted Correction 178 mark 36," 7 said.
"I can see them," Tom said. "2 warheads are about to emerge, Adjusting course,"
"Full power to the forward shields," I said.
"Impact in 5, 4, 3, 2," Tom said.
As we got hit twice.
"Shields are holding," Tom said.
"Why wasn't 7 at Astrometrics," I said.
"Good question maybe you should ask her," Chakotay said.
"Tom, Get us out of here as fast as we can go," I said.
XXX
"7 it was your responsibility to locate those warheads," 7 said.
"I succeeded," 7 said.
"Not before we took heavy damage," I said. "You told Chakotay you'd have those sensor calibrations hours ago,"
"The work took longer than I anticipated," 7 said.
"It might've gone faster if you'd stayed at your post as you were ordered to do," I said.
"I didn't realize I was confined to the Astrometrics lab," 7 said.
"You were on duty, this isn't the first time you've left your station over the past few days, Holodeck 2, You've logged a lot of time in there," I said. "Mind if I ask why. Well it must be something important 7, 49 hours in 6 days,"
"I was running a simulation," 7 said.
"Of what," I said.
"A new gravimetric array I've been developing," 7 said. "I wanted to perfect the design before I brought it to you,"
"7 as much as I appreciate your efforts to improve our systems, But I can't have you dividing your time right now, When the ship's on alert, I expect you to perform your duties, If you need to leave your post inform Commander Chakotay, Understood," I said.
"Yes Captain," 7 said. "I apologize for my lapse in judgment,"
"7 we all make mistakes, I've made a few, It sounds intriguing your new gravimetric array, when this crisis is over, I'd be happy to take a look," I said. "Maybe lend you a hand,"
As 7 left.
XXX
"Is she going to be alright," I said.
"I stabilized her, I still running an analyze of my scans to tell what caused it but until I can determine what caused this," Doc said. "We may never know,"
"Can you wake her," I said.
As the Doc did that.
"Leah," 7 said.
"Hey, you okay," I said.
"Your cortical node began to shut down," Doc said. "Fortunately I managed to stabilize it before there was any permanent damage,"
"It was functioning properly when you examined me 2 days ago," 7 said.
"I'm going to run a diagnostic on your entire cortical array, But it might help if I knew what you were doing before you collapsed," Doc said. "Did you suffer a physical injury of some kind,"
"No," 7 said.
"Were you exposed to any unusual radiation," Doc said.
"No," 7 said.
"What exactly were you doing in there," Doc said.
"It's personally," 7 said.
"Doc," I said.
As he left.
"7 what is going on," I said. "I'm getting worried about you,"
"I've been conduction simulations to explore different aspects of my humanity," 7 said.
"Okay, like what," I said.
"Social activates, Friendships with the crew. You," 7 said.
"You could told me all this," I said. "When did that all happened,"
"When we got back to Voyager after," 7 said.
"Our minds got thrown through some bullshit," I said. "7, You know those times, when we never knew about Voyager, Clara, Chloe, Mezoti, I would happy spend the rest of my life with you, And that still is the same now,"
"I didn't think, I thought," 7 said.
"What that I would leave you," I said. "7, You're my life now, you, my girls, Mezoti, all of us. Why would I ever want to leave that, Come here you," As I hugged her. "I love you, 7,"
"Love you too," 7 said.
"Come on let's get this ship out of damage and then, Me and you, Holodeck 2, Just us," I said.
"It's a date," 7 said.
XXX
As I was back on the bridge.
"Torres to the bridge," B'Elanna said. "Looks like we've got warp drive back,"
"Well done, B'Elanna," I said. "Tom, Warp speed,"
"With pleasure," Tom said.
As we went to warp.
"I'm detecting another subspace warhead," Tom said.
"Range," I said.
"12 million kilometers closing from astern," Tom said.
"Red alert," I said. As the Klaxons went Red.
"Where's the target probe," Chakotay said.
"It's on a totally different trajectory," Tom said.
"When we engaged the engines, the warhead must have diverted from it's target and locked on to our warp signature," Tuvok said.
"Evasive Maneuvers," I said.
"It's matching our course, 8 million kilometers," Tom said.
"Can you get a weapons lock," I said.
"Affirmative," Tuvok said.
"Torpedoes Full spread," I said.
"Ready," Tuvok said.
"Fire," I said.
"Our torpedoes have been neutralized," Tuvok said.
"5 million kilometers," Tom said.
"McCall to 7," I said.
"Go ahead," 7 said.
"Can you get me anything on the warheads internal circuitry, This one is locked onto us," I said.
"Standby," 7 said. "I have it,"
"What can you tell me about the detonator," I said.
"The weapon is armed with proximity resonance circuitry," 7 said.
"What's the activations frequency," I said.
"4.84 gigahertz," 7 said.
"I may be able to disarm it with an antiresonance pulse," Tuvok said.
"Do it," I said.
"2 million kilometers," Tom said.
"Initiating the pulse," Tuvok said.
"7, Status," I said.
"The warheads rotating it's activation frequency, It's still armed," 7 said.
"1 million kilometers," Tom said.
"Can you compensate," Chakotay said.
"Negative," Tuvok said.
"Captain I believe I can disarm the warhead," 7 said.
"How," I said.
"By extracting the detonator with our transporter," 7 said.
"At this velocity, The device is too small," I said. "You'd never get a lock,"
"I can use the submicron imager to focus our targeting scanners," 7 said. "But I need transporter control,"
"8 hundred thousands," Tom said.
"Tuvok do it," I said. "All right 7, It's up to you,"
"I have a lock, Energizing, the detonators protected but tritanium shielding, I can penetrate it but not at this distance," 7 said. "We'll have to wait until it's closer,"
"5 hundred thousand," Tom said.
"7," I said.
"Not yet Captain," 7 said.
"4," Tom said. "3, 2,"
"Brace for impact," I said.
"Got it," 7 said.
"Get us out of here Tom," I said.
"With pleasure," Tom said.
XXX
"Hey," I said.
"Hey," 7 said.
"You need a break 7, The ship is safe thanks to you," I said. "Join me in the Mess hall,"
"Leah, Another time," 7 said.
"7," I said.
"I see you tonight," 7 said. As 7 walked off.
That's all for this chapter.
More to follow.
Stay tuned and safe.
Love Y'all
PEACE!