My eyes snap open when I hear the klaxons blazing. Red lights signaling urgency, signaling the need to run. I fly out of my bed at warp speed. I slap my commbadge against the night stand with such force, Im surprised it didn't shatter under my palm.

"Report!" I shout

"We are being pursued by two unknown ships on the port side" Tuvok's voice cooly emanates from the small device.

"On my way!" I inform

I end the comm line before I can hear any argument. I throw on my uniform in swift movements and make my way to the bridge. The corridors are a blur of colors as crew members rush to their stations, preparing for the unknown.

When the turbo lift doors slide open I am greeted to controlled chaos of the bridge. I have been reinstated to full duty for a week now but thankfully easing back into command seat was barely a transition, the helm is my home. We have had a few small emergencies since my return but something in my gut warns me this is a different dance.

"Have you tried speaking with them?" I ask as I make my way to where Chakotay is standing.

"We have hailed them but no response" my first officer explains.

"Weapons?" I inquire as I turn to Tuvok.

"We are unable to scan their ship, Captain. But it appears if they wished to have fired upon us, they would have done so."

I hold my gaze with my trusted Vulcan, reading his subtle tells. He's just as uneasy as I am but he simply is waiting for the next logical step.

"They are closing in!" Harry exclaims from his station. His dark eyebrows knit with worry.

"Tom! Open a line!" I shout

"Captain we've tried hail-"

"That's an order Lieutenant" I interrupt.

It appears our new friend is trying to sniff us out, size us up, and sometimes the voice of an authoritarian can make the quiet talk. Tom turns to me and nods, signaling my voice can be heard by the cosmos.

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager! Why are you perusing us?" I state

Nothing.

"They're right on top of us!" Harry shouts

"Evasive maneuvers!" I cry out before trying once more "This Captain Janeway! I ask again, why do you pursue us!?"

Silence. I turn to Chakotay to seek his guidance when suddenly an ear piercing, high pitched tone screams throughout the ship. My crew cries out in unison as we cover our ears. The sound is all encompassing, it screams over our thoughts, it cries out against our logic, our bodies recoil from it's wailing and we can't fight the feeling of being violated by a sound. The ship shakes violently and we are thrown to the floor like rag dolls.

But as soon as it started it stops.

I open my watery eyes and slowly drop my hands from my ears. My crew scramble back to their positions from the floor and attempt to reorient themselves the best they can. I look over to Chakotay and gently squeeze his arm. He looks bewildered but no more worse for ware. He gives my hand a reassuring pat before we help one another back to our feet.

"Captain, the ships….they….they're gone." Harry sputters, bewildered and breathless.

"What? What do you mean gone?" I ask with exasperation

"Ensign Kim's analysis is correct" Tuvok chimes "Sensors state that the ships have ceased pursuit."

"They may have cloaked" Chakotay offers carefully

"Your logic is not flawed, Commander" Tuvok says with a curt nod "But the ships were not cloaked when they first appeared and according to our long range scans they are currently traveling at Warp 8.5 in the opposite direction."

"Fine. We will drop to Yellow Alert but let's be aware. I have a feeling little surprise isn't over just yet." I explain "Tuvok. You have the bridge. Commander. You're with me."

We step into the turbo lift and begin our decent to Engineering.

"Why would they follow us, blow up our eardrums and just leave?" I ponder "I don't get their game."

"Perhaps they are trying to send us a message" Chakotay offers

"Probably. But what?"

"We have to consider…." my first officer's words die out as we feel the turbo lift, along with the ship, slow to a crawl.

"What the…" I hear myself say as I turn to Chakotay only for the lights to fade into blackness.

Suddenly, my fears have come alive. The dark figures in my mind have escaped into reality. I feel them close in on me, hiding in the veil of inky blackness. My throat emits guttural, ragged breaths as terror consumes me.

"Kathryn. Kathryn its ok." Chakotay says firmly.

Cell. Dark Cell. Screams echoing from afar. I can't save her. I can't save BE'lanna. I can't save either of them.

"Oh god!" I sob "Oh god! Oh god! Oh god!

"Kathryn its ok. You're not there. You're safe." He calls to me

"Oh god! OH GOD!" I cry to a merciless deity

Figures. Faceless figures. Blood. She's vomiting blood.

"The lights will be back any moment" he pleads "Just breathe."

BE'lanna crazed fury. Cold walls. Blue lights. Dark figures. Darkness teasing me.

"Kill us!" I scream "Show yourselves and just kill us already!"

"Kathryn! They aren't here! I won't let them hurt you!"

Blood! Blood on her teeth! Blood on my hands ! She's dead! SHE'S DEAD! SHE'S - -

The lights flicker on and we are moving again. But I barely take notice. The darkness is gone but the walls are so close, the cell is still closing in on me. Im kneeling on the ground, pressed against the wall, clutching my head. Chakotay is beside me. His face stricken.

"Doctor" I hear him say "We need you in turbo lift three."

"Are you with the captain?" The disembodied voice responds

"Yes" Chakotay replies, his voice shaking

"I assume she didn't react well to the current outage" The Doctor states, the mix between screams and sobs are heard on the other end "Im currently caring for Lutienent Torres. Keep talking calmly to her until help gets there. Only touch her if she consents."

"Understood" Chakotay says before ending the line "It's ok. We are just going to sit here. I'll keep you safe."

"Oh god" I reply weakly

"I'll keep you safe"

He repeats that as my sobs continue but quiet down in minuscule increments. The haze of my mind slowly begins to clear. I look over to see that despite his calming voice, tears have trickled down my first officer's face. He looks as tired as I feel. I try to stifle my sobs but they only return with force. I reach for him. He takes my hand.

"I'm sorry" I sputter

"Don't be" he replies

I'm shaking violently.

"Do you know where you are?" he asks carefully

I feel I should know but everything feels wrong. I gaze at him for a long moment before I spit out the truth.

"I…..I don't….know" I weakly reply

"That's ok" He replies in kind "It will come to you."

Time moves forward like an iceberg in water. Slow but with quiet purpose. I realize Im laying on the floor, still clutching Chakotay's hand. Something tells me I have been there for some time. My mind is muddled but functioning and it feels I had been drugged, heavily.

"Reboot" I state

"What?"

"We will have to see what Engineering finds but I think the two ships rebooted our systems"

"I would say the same" Chakotay replies quietly.

The last thing he probably wants to talk about is business but Im sure he's also relieved that I'm no longer speaking in hysterics to the ghosts who arn't there. I look at him from my place on the floor before slowly trying to sit up, he's quick to help me.

"Promise me something" I plead

"What?" He asks, surprised by the clear sincerity in my eyes

"When we get this…" I wave my hand about signaling our most recent predicament "…mess patched up. We are going to take shore leave at the next habitual planet. The crew has been working so hard since the abduction." He winces. " Promise me you will take time for yourself. Meditate. Sleep. Box anything that moves. But please, go take time for yourself."

He looks down.

"Chakotay." I state strongly "I mean it. No more running between caring for me and then BE'lanna, you're running yourself ragged."

Im sure I look ridiculous. Here I am a woman, who had just broke from reality simply because someone turned of the lights, lecturing my first officer on self care. I have no doubt my hair is a mess and my make up smeared from my tears. But I hope he can see clear eyes and a broken but honest heart. His eyebrows knit. He wants to argue but he knows Im putting my foot down.

The doors slide open and to my surprise stands BE'lanna Torres along with her husband. The young woman kneels next to me and without a word starts wiping my face with a wet rag. I can tell her eyes are still puffy but it appears she had a much more postive recovery from her break from reality.

"Lanna I…" I sputter only to be cut off

"I believe the high frequency was nothing more than a tactic to incapacitate us." She explains as she finishes cleaning me up and administrating a hypospray "But during the shut down all of our data was copied and we have found new alien symbols encrypted into our data stream."

Thats why she's here. She gets it. She knows we both have to move forward because staying still is unbearable.

"Can you stand?" She asks. I can tell its less of a question. She's daring me to not try.

So I stand on shaky legs and look at her.

"Senior staff meeting" I say "Let's look over the symbols and build a game plan"

BE'lanna nods but still supports me as we exit the lift. My commbadge chimes and I answer.

"Sickbay to Captain Janeway"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"You have requested that I inform you when the Ensign awakes…"

BE'lanna and I quickly look at one another. Her grip tightens and I can hear Tom take in a breath. The last place I wish to be is in that damn turbo lift but without a word, we re-enter the small space and begin our journey to sickbay.

I feel a tightness in my chest, not because of the small confines but because I know we are on the edge of something beyond our limitation. BE'lanna knows as well. We all do.