"I was thinking that for our third course," Neelix announced to Chakotay and Seven, "luhvian quail in truffle sauce, served with roasted chadre kab."
Seven and Chakotay glanced at each other.
Neelix caught their shared look. "It's one of the dishes we practiced your cooking with, Seven."
"I remember," she said with a smile. She also remembered that a recent encounter with a ship willing to trade had yielded more than enough ingredients for the dish. Neelix would no doubt be pushing similar recipes until the supplies ran out or he grew tired of it.
"It was delicious," said Chakotay, "but isn't it a little… elaborate?" He didn't really think they needed three courses to begin with and the logistics of preparing enough for the whole crew (for they all wanted to attend in some capacity) was a little much. However, like six types of dessert and every imaginable wine option, Neelix seemed determined to overdo the whole project despite a very tight deadline. The wedding was supposed to take place in a week thanks to a flurry of planning and organizing by Seven, Tom and Neelix.
"Not at all, Commander!" Neelix thrust the plate a little closer for Chakotay to take a bite. They were by no means the only three people in the mess, but they were the only ones getting attention just then. "With any luck, you just get one wedding and we should make sure it's done right."
"Still miffed B'Elanna and Tom didn't let you plan anything?" Chakotay smirked.
Neelix mock scowled. "Awfully selfish of them if you ask me."
"Hey," said a familiar voice, "we're right here!" Tom waved as though Neelix had not stopped to speak to him and B'Elanna before dropping off the quail.
"I know. I meant for you to hear," Neelix retorted, not sparing a glance at the neighbouring table.
Tom huffed, but was smiling and even B'Elanna chuckled. "Do we get any of those samples?"
Neelix pretended to think as Seven and Chakotay nibbled. "Well, I don't know. Let me see if I have something for the mother-to-be at least."
As Neelix disappeared into the kitchen and Tom stared hopefully after him, B'Elanna focussed on the other couple. "So, how are the plans going?"
"They are proceeding with surprising efficiency," said Seven. It was true. Now that they'd chosen a date, they had by necessity become more adept at making other decisions. The food, it seemed, would not be left entirely to their choice, but Seven and Tom picked a holoprogram that Chakotay was going to look at after their meeting with Neelix, and Chakotay had researched a simple ceremony he thought would be fitting and not too long. They'd decided on civilian clothing and Seven already chose a dress with the help of several female crewmembers.
"You know," said B'Elanna with a teasing smirk, "it's not too late to elope."
"Neelix is very likely to murder us if we do," said Seven.
B'Elanna and Chakotay laughed. "Yes, you're probably right."
"Thank you again, Lieutenant, for your help yesterday."
B'Elanna nodded, pleased her opinion had been sought and so obviously valued by Seven. She avoided looking at Chakotay, who was glancing from one to the other.
"What did you two do yesterday?"
"Nothing," said both women in unison. They smiled like children hiding a fun secret. Chakotay was unsure if he should be wary or pleased at their comradery.
[Holodeck]
The sun was just setting on the Arizona desert, making a colourful display of pinks, reds, and orange in the sky. The fading light of the sun made the red rock around them glow as shadows lengthened. A coyote howled.
Seven watched Chakotay watch the sun set, her hopes high and her nerves anxious to please. When she couldn't wait for him anymore, she faced him fully. "Is it sufficient?"
Chakotay saw her usually confident stance was tense, her eyes holding concern for his approval. He would have teased her a little if he didn't realize then just how much she hoped the program would please him. "Yes, Seven, it's beautiful, perfect even."
Sighing, Seven shuffled closer as Chakotay's arm wrapped around her. She was relieved. Even though he'd said the finer details didn't matter to him, this was going to be his wedding too. He deserved to enjoy it.
"So, what did B'Elanna help you with?"
Seven shook her head, smiling secretively. "You will have to wait to find out."
"Fine." He knew when to concede defeat and when either Seven or B'Elanna had it in their heads to keep a secret, there was no point trying to wrestle the information from them.
Spotting a bright patch of colour, Chakotay pulled away slightly to stoop and pluck a delicate bloom from the ground. It was a bright blue with an intricate centre where the pollen was housed. He didn't know what it was called, but it was pretty. Chakotay wouldn't have told her, but it reminded him of Seven's blue biosuit, which had been his favourite before she switched to a uniform.
"Delphinium scaposum," Seven supplied. She took the offered flower. "It's beautiful."
"Only half as beautiful as you."
Seven smiled, stifling a laugh. "Have you been reading the Captain's romance holonovels?"
"Who said they were hers?"
They laughed together and began picking their way through the darkening trail to a small outlook with a wood bench.
They used the rest of their allotted time to watch the extended sunset and a little of the pre-programmed meteor shower. When their time was up, Seven shut off the program and they headed out.
Seven intended to regenerate as she had skipped it in favour of sleeping so Chakotay walked her to the cargo bay.
They were just about at the door when a shudder and sound of a loud thump to Voyager made them turn around.
Voyager gave a massive heave, tossing Seven and Chakotay around. Chakotay landed hard on his knees. Seven managed to keep on her feet, but slammed her shoulder into the wall in the process.
[Mess]
Neelix helped B'Elanna to her feet and glanced around. No one seemed very hurt, but they were all a little shaken from the sudden and violent lurch. Cups, utensils and plates were scattered all over the place.
B'Elanna pressed her badge. "Lt. Torres to—"
Neelix stared past her, interrupting in a stunned voice. "What happened to the stars?"
B'Elanna and Tom turned. Sure enough, the stars were gone. Around them was only black, the absence of anything and everything.
They only had a minute to stare before the tell-tale shudders of an attack drove the crew into action. B'Elanna and Tom headed to their posts as Voyager's security was breached and various items stolen in a cruelly efficient raid.
[Briefing room]
General Valen, an Annari male in charge of a weathered and yet strong warship, sat in the large starship's briefing room with Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay, Seven of Nine, Lt. Tuvok and Lt. Paris. More of the senior staff would have attended, but they were busy fixing what had been damaged or identifying stolen goods.
Valen looked around the room, his greed for the resources around him disguised as helpfulness. "The anomaly is a closed structure, encased by an inert layer of subspace. Matter and energy can't penetrate it."
"Our ships certainly penetrated it when we were pulled in," said Janeway.
"By the funnels," he nodded. "They only pull matter in one direction. Things come into the Void, but they don't come out."
Tuvok was wary of the stranger, their first experiences in the Void having left him with a sense of vulnerability. Even if he hadn't been in charge of security, that feeling would have bothered him. As it was, he watched Valen closely even as he asked simple questions. "Have you explored the entire anomaly?"
Valen shrugged. "There's nothing to explore, but it's big. We've calculated the outer circumference at approximately nine light years, but we've never been able to breech it."
Tom, who was avoiding looking out the window as best he could, asked how long Valen had been there.
"More than five years."
Tom shuddered. He already didn't like the Void, which gave a sense of being enclosed rather than in a vast expanse. As a pilot, he needed to see stars. Five years would be intolerable.
"There must be a way to escape," Janeway insisted.
Only through death. "New arrivals are always thinking about escape. No one ever gets out."
"We have a sophisticated starship. Maybe if we work together we can find a way out."
"You're naïve to think no one has tried. As I said, no one ever gets out."
"We might be able to think of something new," she said, still clearly pressing for an alliance. It was clear from his pitying look that Valen didn't think the effort would be of value.
"Many have tried. All they did was waste resources that could have kept them alive longer. Don't be foolish. I can help you."
Chakotay, who, like Tuvok, had a bad taste in his mouth from their first few minutes in the Void was skeptical. He also didn't like Valen. "How?"
"The only source of food and energy in the Void comes from new ships that are drawn in. If you want to survive here, you'll have to compete for their resources."
Janeway stood a little taller, her eyes growing steely. "And I suppose you can help us do that?"
Valen nodded. His time in the Void had left him somewhat rusty with reading those who were not yet desperate. "I have tactical data on some of the more dangerous predators."
Out of the corner of her eye, Janeway saw the rest of her crew were as concerned by this offer of assistance as she was. "But you want something in return."
"My scans show you have photon torpedoes."
"I'm sorry, we don't trade weapons." Even if we did, I wouldn't give them to you.
"Why not?" He tried to smile, his stance as open and inviting as he knew to make it.
"Because we have no way of knowing what they'll be used for. Plundering innocent ships, for example." Or being used against us. It was a thought shared by everyone in the room.
Valen was unperturbed by her hesitance. He'd seen it before. "Wait a few weeks until your resources start to run out," he said knowingly. "Morality won't keep your life support systems running."
"I'm sorry, General. There are some compromises I won't make."
He smiled. "Not yet."
[Astrometrics]
Seven had never been gladder for the presence of astrometrics or the automatic scanning programs she used to ensure nothing was missed. Thanks to those scans, she only spent a fraction of the time that would otherwise be needed to produce her conclusions.
"What have you found?" asked Janeway, striding through the door without preamble or greeting, Tuvok and Tom in tow. Chakotay was manning the bridge and compiling updates from around the ship or else he would have joined them.
Seven, not offended in the least by the Captain's brisk manner, pushed in a command to show her findings. A simulation of a funnel appeared on the large screen. "Using fractal algorithms with the Borg sensors, I believe I can predict where and when the funnels will occur."
Tom, who had taken up a spot leaning against the end of the console eyed the display. His usual good humour was replaced with sarcastic skepticism to cope with the unavoidable fear the Void filled him with. "Well, that's impressive, but how does it help us?"
"The funnels originate inside the anomaly," Seven advised, bringing up a diagram of Voyager to demonstrate her point, "creating massive graviton forces before they erupt. If we were to enter one of the funnels just as that happened we might be able to use those forces to propel us into normal space."
Janeway shook her head, interpreting the scrolling information on the console screen with concern. "Not without compromising structural integrity."
"I might be able to reinforce the shields to compensate," said Tuvok.
Seven, though hopeful in her proposal, was not one to ignore very real danger. She was quick to point out what Janeway did not already know. "There's another problem. When the graviton forces reach critical levels, the polarity suddenly reverses, pulling everything near the funnel back into the anomaly."
"We'd have to jump to warp at exactly the right moment," said Tom, cottoning on. Like getting out of a strong tide.
"Yes. We'd need to achieve a velocity of warp eight point two."
"Question is, will we have enough power?"
That was a question concerning Janeway before it even became a matter of escape. She felt her frown etching deeper into her face. "At the rate we're losing it, we may only get one shot at this. The sooner we try, the better."
[Bridge]
Voyager moved through the empty space, sensors the only way to know that they moved at all.
The crew were dutifully at their posts, every muscle tense and their senses straining for their moment of salvation. Besides the beeping of the computer, a shuffle of nervous feet here and a cough there, the crew was silent, waiting.
Since all but the sensors were shut down in astrometrics to conserve power, Seven took her station on the bridge. Ignoring the tension of the crew, she focussed on the readings being fed to her post. It didn't take long to track down what she needed. "There's a funnel forming seventy thousand metres off the port bow, bearing one three zero mark two four."
"Graviton surge in thirty-four seconds," said Harry.
"Full power to shields and structural integrity." Janeway breathed deep, steadying her nerves for what she knew would be a bumpy ride no matter how it ended. Beside her, Chakotay did the same. "Take us in, Mr. Paris."
Seven quickly calculated how long they had. "Five seconds. Four, three…"
"Structural integrity at twenty percent," said Tuvok. "Ten percent."
"Fifty thousand kilometres until we reach normal space," Seven advised. They were close.
Janeway nodded. So close… "Prepare to go to warp."
Voyager lurched. Several consoles blew and threw sparks everywhere, and anyone not seated was thrown to the floor. When thy picked themselves up and looked out the main screen, everyone's heart sank.
The Void spread out in front of them, an endless abyss with no escape.
[Briefing Room]
Seven was the last to the briefing room, having spent extra time reviewing data from sensors, desperate to find out what had caused their disastrous failure to exit the Void. They had been so close, but like a swimmer caught in a tide, they'd been sucked back in to the depths.
Since she'd been the one to suggest the escape attempt, Seven felt fully responsible for their failure and the resulting lack of power now.
The lights in the briefing room were set as low as possible without turning them off, adding to Seven's sense of shame as she entered. Wordlessly, she took a seat, avoiding eye contact though she kept her head high. It was a fallback for her, this pretense at indifference.
"I may be able to get the warp core back online," said B'Elanna, "but we still need deuterium to get our basic systems running."
Chakotay, who had not missed Seven's entrance or how she took a seat without really looking at anyone, filed that concern away for later and asked the important question. "How long will our reserves last?"
B'Elanna took a steadying breath. It wasn't good. "If we shut down life support on all but a few decks, deactivate astrometrics, turbolifts, ration replicator use, maybe a week."
Her statement left them in a desperate silence. A week. Half those things had already been done and still, so little time was predicted. They essentially had a week to live unless they could find an alternate source of fuel.
Neelix, naturally upbeat, was the first to recover. "I used to make a living scavenging for supplies. Let me take one of the shuttles. I might be able to find deuterium on one of those abandoned ships."
"The shuttle would be too easy a target," said Tuvok. Around him, the others nodded. They all knew there were other ships out there, circling. The sharks were swimming.
The decision was up to Janeway, who smiled at Neelix, but could not in good conscience let anyone go out alone. "We're safer if we stay together, but scavenging is a good idea if we come across something."
The mention of the shuttles gave Seven, who was good at seeing everything from foodstuffs to people as a resource, an idea. "The shuttles may be useful in another capacity. We could use their warp cores to augment power on Voyager."
Janeway considered this option more seriously. It went without saying that it wouldn't save them, but it would buy them some time.
"We're still going to need more deuterium," said Chakotay.
She was opposed to raiding other groups to extend their own lives, but Janeway was not against another option. "Then let's track down the ship that raided us and get back what they stole."
[Sickbay]
True to her word, Captain Janeway had set a course to retrieve their stolen property, but their efforts led to the pilfered and lifeless ship of their attackers. Luckily, the Starfleet personnel were not foolish enough to pass on by without taking a closer look and their reward was twofold.
With astrometrics shut down and short-range scans being reserved for security purposes, Seven was left with a bit of a void of her own. The result was an eagerness to join B'Elanna in examining the wreckage. Her instinct at least provided some excitement.
They beamed over a tricesium warp core casing, and a somewhat skittish stowaway, an unknown alien Seven and B'Elanna discovered in the cargo bay when looking over the casing.
With little else to do, Seven went with the alien she and B'Elanna discovered to sickbay and set herself up there with the intent of helping the Doctor try to figure out which species the creature could belong to. It wasn't often Seven was stumped, but she knew no Borg had stumbled across the Void or the alien's species before. As she examined the being critically, she wondered if it had developed exclusively within the Void.
"But if his species did evolve in here, how did the initial genetic material get in here?" asked the Doctor when Seven voiced her suggestion. The two of them had set the alien up in the surgical bay and given it a healthy serving of rations. It didn't seem to mind the bland taste, licking up the food with gusto.
"We will likely never know," said Seven. "The Void is naturally devoid of life and any being requiring oxygen would need a planet with atmosphere in order to evolve." She and the Doctor watched the alien licking its fingers from their spot behind the standing computer console. Despite the alien's mutism, he didn't seem wholly unfamiliar with technology or the sight of unfamiliar faces. "Perhaps his species were initially outside the Void and were drawn in as we were."
The Doctor shrugged. "It's as good a guess as any I suppose."
The Doctor and Seven turned slightly at the sound of the doors opening. Captain Janeway strode in. Like them all, she knew the ship well enough to walk with confidence in the reduced power and lighting, even the darkened sickbay. She stopped at the console the other two were at.
"I don't know what he is," the Doctor admitted, "but he doesn't seem particular about what we feed him."
Janeway looked closer through the reduced lighting, trying to make out what the grey-toned alien was eating out of his palms. "Is that leola root?"
"I wrestled with my conscience before giving it to him, I assure you," said the Doctor. He shrugged. "He just might be the only creature in the known universe who likes it."
Seven and Janeway smirked a little at the truth in that.
"I've tried communicating with him," the Doctor continued. "He doesn't appear to have any verbal skills and Seven can't find any trace of what he might be in the database."
Janeway glanced at Seven, who nodded in confirmation. "Do we know how he got on board?"
"I believe he was transported along with the core casing," said Seven. "We're trying to determine why we didn't detect him, but I suspect it is something in his biology we haven't encountered before."
"How did he survive before we picked him up? That ship had no atmosphere left."
Forcing Seven to shuffle aside a bit, the Doctor pulled up a scan of the alien's body. "My scans show he can conserve oxygen. He has unusually large lung capacity, and…" They looked over at the clang of the bowl the alien had been fed from. "And a voracious appetite."
"Do you think that ship was his home?" Janeway asked, smiling as the alien held out the bowl. He might not have possessed vocal capabilities, but it was clear what he wanted.
"Maybe," said the Doctor.
Seven merely shrugged, thinking the alien's behaviour was not indicative of a violent scavenger like their attackers. She suspected he'd gotten aboard the other alien's ship the same way he'd made it onto Voyager.
"The real question now is what do we do with him?" said the Doctor. "We can't send him back. Despite his unique biology, he can't survive without oxygen indefinitely."
"We'll run scans for other members of his species," Janeway assured them, "but until we can find a safe place for him, let's make him as comfortable as possible."
The alien, realizing the initial bang of the empty bowl was insufficient to get what he wanted and he was being ignored, smashed it down on the bio bed again. He held out the dish.
As much out of pity as a desire to prevent him from throwing an all-out tantrum, Seven went to the replicator. "Computer, replicate a portion of nutritional supplements from my daily allotment."
Janeway smiled, but the Doctor looked less pleased at the unexpected kindness as Seven handed her lunch over to the alien. Janeway was, of course, delighted to see Seven demonstrating a sense of generosity that would have been completely absent only a few years before. The Doctor, however, was concerned. He knew Seven hadn't been regenerating recently. Even if she'd intended to regenerate to make up the time, her unit had been shut down to conserve power while in the Void and if she began missing meals on top of that, her health would decline. Still, he kept silent.
[Mess]
Dinner was a sombre, dark affair. Neelix and the rest of the crew were grateful for their diligence in keeping the aeroponics and hydroponics systems working, even if the primary item growing was leola root. With the need to conserve energy, everyone was being highly encouraged to eat rations and even more to eat the food reserves before they spoiled.
Chakotay and Seven entered the mess and sighed identical sighs of disappointment. They'd planned lasagna for that evening. Instead, they'd be choking down whatever Neelix had managed to put together.
"At least it is nutritious," said Seven. Chakotay raised his brows and even to Seven her words felt less like a consolation and more like a mother scolding her children. She grimaced, which at least made Chakotay smile.
"I suppose you're right."
Seven's stomach rumbled loud enough for Chakotay to hear.
"Well, I guess we know what your stomach thinks of the situation," said Chakotay with a chuckle.
"Very funny." Despite her embarrassed glance away, she smiled and led the way to the galley.
Neelix, though drooping a little at the lack of resources he'd come to enjoy, beamed when he saw the couple. He handed them their portions with cheer. "So, how are the wedding plans coming?"
"Everything is complete," said Seven with a glance at Chakotay. "However, with our current status, it will have to wait."
His whiskers drooped a little further at that information. "That's too bad, but I'm sure we'll be out of here in no time and then you two can make things official and throw the biggest party Voyager's ever seen."
"Thanks, Neelix." Chakotay took his ration with a smile and gestured to an empty table.
Seven ate more voraciously than normal. She hadn't eaten since lunch the day before, but tried to be subtle about it so Chakotay wouldn't notice. Less food compounded with no regeneration meant she could feel her body and mind beginning to lag, which was more important to keep from Chakotay. It wasn't much and wouldn't be noticeable to anyone besides her just yet, but she would need to be careful to keep her energy up the human way. She felt the difference in her energy almost as soon as the first spoonful of lunch hit her stomach.
Chakotay, who was distracted with trying to come up with a solution to their fuel problem, remembered something he'd had no other time to discuss with her. "It wasn't your fault, you know."
Seven looked up. Trying to be nonchalant about swallowing a too-big scoop of casserole.
"The debrief?"
She considered pretending she didn't understand what he was talking about. Of course, such a futile effort was beneath her. "I encouraged the attempt to leave, which has led to the loss of our deuterium."
Chakotay was shaking his head before she even finished. "You can't think like that. Those funnels are our only way out and we would have tried it with or without your endorsement."
Seven dipped her head. She knew that, but knowing didn't remove the guilt in the pit of her stomach. At least it was not the worst thing she'd ever done. Chakotay's hand covered Seven's. She forced herself to meet his eyes.
"It wasn't your fault. I promise." Though it wouldn't fix things, with a small smile, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a flattened blue bloom.
"Delphinium scaposum." Seven felt her lips tug upward.
"I replicated it before our attempt to escape and pressed it."
Seven took the bright blue flower, holding it up to the minimal light. It was still pretty, even pressed flat. Of course, she knew part of her appreciation for it was simply because it came from her fiancé.
Faced with such kind assertion, she had no choice to shuck off the gloom. Whether it was her fault or not, they were where they were and the only thing left to do was deal with it. His eyes were warm and calm as they observed her wrestle with this and herself.
Chakotay smiled as she gave a tiny sigh. She nodded to show she'd taken in his message. It was good enough for Chakotay for the moment, but he continued to think on it.
[Ready Room]
Janeway sat in practical darkness, reading by the light of a portable lamp when Chakotay entered. She looked up slowly, the exhaustion of late nights and no solutions creeping up on her.
"It looks like you could use a nap."
"I could, but I find it hard to sleep when we're stuck in a desert."
Chakotay smiled. "You know, deserts are actually teeming with life."
"I knew you were going to say something annoying." She sat back, rubbing her hands over her face in a vain effort to clear her eyes of their drowsiness. "So, to what do I owe this visit?"
"Nothing life altering." He placed a small container in front of her.
She looked at him, brows raised.
"Lunch." He then smiled to himself, thinking that between her and Seven, he could have a full-time job making sure they ate. Just because he hadn't commented on Seven's obvious appetite earlier, didn't mean he didn't notice it.
Janeway peeked inside the container. A smell like cooked broccoli and dirty socks hit her and she quickly closed the lid. "Thanks. I'll eat it later."
"Sorry. It was what Neelix was serving." He settled into the closest chair.
"Beggars can't be choosers." She sighed and looked more closely at him. He appeared almost as tired as she felt. "How about you? How are you and the rest of the crew doing?"
"They're strained. It's hard to stay positive when you're basically a goldfish in a bowl."
"True, but maybe we should think of—"
The door opened, allowing Tuvok entrance. While barging into her office was generally frowned on, Janeway knew her security officer wouldn't bother her if he didn't have a very good reason.
"What is it, Tuvok?"
"We have discovered who has our deuterium." His expression was passive as ever, but he turned his body sideways, his general signal that he expected the Captain to hurry back to her post.
[Bridge]
Janeway pulled up short, Chakotay right on her heels. On the main screen was Valen. He wasn't smirking per se, but she could sense his smugness coming through the video.
"I knew I'd see you again, Captain. I expect you've reconsidered my proposal."
"No, we're not here to trade." She faced the screen as Chakotay quickly took his seat and looked over the data from sensors. "We're here to take back what belongs to us."
"I don't know what you mean," he said, not really expecting them to believe his obvious lie.
"Our scans indicate you've got some of our food, one of our consoles and a large quantity of our deuterium," said Chakotay.
"We didn't take any of that from you."
It might have been easier to believe if he didn't look so smug about his wordplay. "No," said Janeway. "No, you didn't, but apparently you killed the crew of another ship and took it from them. We want it back."
Valen gave a shake of his head. "That's not the way things work here."
"Either you give it back, or we'll take it."
Tom, who had been quietly keeping tabs on Valen's ship in case they needed to make a quick getaway, noticed an energy change. "He's powering his engines."
"Target his shields and fire. Lock onto whatever belongs to us and transport it to the cargo bay."
Harry nodded when it was done. "Got it, but it's not everything we lost."
"Good enough. Get us out of here, Tom."
[Chakotay's Quarters]
"The Captain is irrationally optimistic," said Seven. She wasn't upset or haughty, just stating a fact.
Chakotay silently agreed, but could do little more than sigh. He plopped down on the couch next to Seven. "She's convinced that if we offer our resources and encourage others to do the same, they'll realize the benefit of working in a collective."
Smirking at his choice of words, Seven leaned against her fiancé, taking simple comfort in their closeness. Next to her on the side table was the blue desert flower he'd given her. She'd taken the time to put it between glass and in a frame, making it one of the few knickknacks in her possession.
"In theory, it could work." Stranger things had happened.
"Her basis is sound, but it may be more difficult than she realizes to adhere so strictly to Starfleet principles."
"You're thinking of Valen?"
She nodded. "Even if we do not resort to his methods, we will have to work with others who will be more inclined to his way of thinking, probably who have committed raids themselves." She thought a moment. "No doubt an encounter with Valen and any of his own allies will occur sooner rather than later. If that happens, we may have to decide which Starfleet rules need to be ignored for our own survival."
"Probably." He smirked as she hid a yawn behind her hand. "Am I keeping you away from your beauty sleep?"
Seven nodded, yawning again. "It's been a long day."
Realization hit him with a jolt. "How long has it been since you regenerated?"
"Not long."
"Seven…"
"I will be fine, Chakotay."
He looked as closely at her as he could through the low light. "Are you sure? We can start your unit up if you need to."
Seven was already shaking her head. "There is no need. I am more tired than normal, but it will be manageable for the foreseeable future."
He continued to worry, but didn't comment. Seven, of course, was not foolish enough to believe that would mean it was the end of it.
"I will keep the Doctor apprised."
"Fine." He supposed it was all he could ask for. Still, he worried.
[Briefing Room]
Garon had never been considered a liberal captain, but he had always been fair. Never fanciful, never anything but straightforward, Garon had served the Nygean government as a scientific and military leader for many years prior to being pulled into the Void. During his career, he'd learned to be cautious as well as to value working with others. The two principles didn't always fit together. In the Void, only one principle won out, until Voyager.
"We almost escaped the Void on our own," said Janeway. "If we work together, I believe we'll succeed."
"How many ships do you have in this Alliance?"
Janeway hesitated, barely resisting the urge to fidget nervously. "You'd be the first."
Garon started to frown, but before Janeway or Chakotay could jump to their own defence, Neelix raised a hand.
"Technically, Captain, that's not correct. I consider myself the first member of the Captain's coalition. Six years ago, I offered her my services and the resources of my ship, and she's never failed to help me when I needed her."
"It's a noble idea," said Garon, accepting this information without showing his thoughts either way, "Captain, but good intentions are like deuterium reserves. They tend to get lost in the Void." Garon, though he spoke rationally and firmly, was not like Valen. He looked with some pity on the Starfleet crew, wondering how long they would survive, wondering if the ideal would die before the crew or the other way around.
"All I ask is that you consider our proposal," said Janeway, doing her best not to show disappointment. In truth, she'd hoped naively for an immediate acceptance.
Garon didn't need to think too hard to promise he would at least consider it. "I will."
Though she would later assure others that she'd acted as well as the best poker player, keeping her intentions and emotions hidden, it was clear how relieved Janeway was to hear something other than an instant dismissal even if she had dearly hoped for more. She responded a bit more enthusiastically as a result. "In the meantime, we'd like to offer you food and medical supplies."
"What do you expect in return?"
"Nothing. Compliments of the Alliance."
This poor fool won't last two days, thought Garon. It was more an amused thought than a condemnation of the human's style. Yes, he would definitely consider their proposal.
[Engineering]
Chakotay and Janeway helped the Nygean captain and one of his crew with a list of items they desperately needed to fix their ship.
Food and medical supplies were already set aside, but Garon was more concerned about damages his ship endured fighting off the vultures who would have picked him and his crew clean. He described to Chakotay the attack that had damaged some of their life support systems and sensor array.
"Sounds like you've had quite the rough time in here," said Chakotay. He scanned one of the tools Garon handed him, cataloguing it. A glance over at Janeway proved she was less than meticulous in keeping track of what was going to the Nygeans.
Garon shrugged. "No worse than anyone else. At least we are alive. We've had to scavenge a great deal," he eyed Chakotay, looking for judgement, "but so far we've avoided attacking others."
Chakotay nodded, but didn't comment. He wouldn't have judged too harshly even if Garon confessed to something more heartless. When he was a Maquis captain, equally questionable choices had been made.
"Captain." The Nygean crewman came over, holding something in his hands. "This."
Garon took the item and held it up for Chakotay to see. "A phase compensator."
"You need it for your sensor array?" Chakotay asked. Garon nodded. Chakotay scanned it, noting which section of Voyager it belonged to. He'd have to let Seven know. "I'll add it to the list."
"We lost fourteen men in our first week here." Garon said it suddenly, as though needing to explain to someone why he'd become who he was.
Chakotay glanced at Garon, who smiled sadly. "I'm sorry. That can't have been easy."
"I know this place doesn't seem very dangerous, but you—" Garon glanced at Janeway, who seemed to be trying to give away half of Voyager. "You and your captain need to know your own limits. No matter what, your own people need to come first."
"Don't worry," said Chakotay, sparing a glance at Janeway as well. "It's a fine line between being noble and being stupid, but we seem to have gotten pretty good at walking it."
"Chakotay, I—" Seven, who had simply heard his voice and come to discuss some ideas for more efficient uses of resources, noticed Garon. "Excuse me, I didn't realize you had company."
Chakotay smiled and reached a hand around her waist to pull her close. "Not at all. Captain Garon, please let me introduce you to my fiancé, Seven of Nine."
Garon, who had little to no experience with the Borg, spared only a curious glance at the blonde's metal implants. He nodded politely, showing only a bit of surprise at their intimacy. Fascinated, he watched a little closer than was polite as the two spoke quietly.
Seven noticed Captain Garon's watchful gaze and made their discussion shorter than she otherwise would have, uncertain what his interest meant.
For his part, Garon didn't realize he was being impolite or paying more attention to the simple exchange than normal. Later, as he looked over the supplies the Voyager crew donated to his people, Garon would be able to define his fascination.
Though his crew had not spent the most time in the anomaly, they had been in there long enough that he'd almost forgot what tenderness was, what it looked like, what it felt like. He was a married man with his wife hopefully waiting home for him. Until that moment, he'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be close to a loved one, forgotten that others felt the same longing as he did.
[Corridor]
Seven had been assisting engineering as much as possible, even given some time to aeroponics in an attempt to make the systems more efficient.
It was the lightest workload she'd ever had and yet she could feel her body protesting it. It was lack of regeneration. She'd pushed it aside in favour of sleep, staying with Chakotay during the night even before the Void. Sleep was all well and good, but her Borg components were now suffering. It was not so bad yet, but a trip to sickbay was warranted if only to find out what the totality of the effects were.
Opera music greeted her as Seven entered the darkened sickbay. It distracted her from her original purpose, that and the way the Doctor hovered near their alien guest.
"How is he?"
"Much better." The Doctor paid her little attention, inputting information into a PADD. "He seemed to relax when he heard me humming an aria from Rigoletto, so I had the computer play the full orchestral version. Fantome seems to be a music lover."
"Fantome?" Her brows rose near to her hairline.
"After the Phantom of the Opera, a tormented character who was soothed by music."
She knew that. Her incredulity was for other reasons. "In six years you haven't chosen a name for yourself, but you've given Fantome one in a few days."
Finally catching her tone and the reason for it, the Doctor grew slightly defensive. "Choosing the right name for myself is extremely difficult. I'm a complex individual."
She smirked. It was just typical that the EMH would think himself more complex than a living creature. "And Fantome isn't?"
"On the contrary. I believe he's quite intelligent, and his physiology is very sophisticated. Did you know he has the ability to refract his own lifesigns?"
Interesting. "That would explain why our sensors didn't detect him. I wonder if his species always had that ability or if they developed it here."
"Could be either." He sighed. "I wish we could find a way to communicate with him. I suspect he'd have a lot to tell us."
It took less than a second for Seven to see what the EMH had not. She stopped the music.
"Hey! We were enjoying that."
Seven rolled her eyes. "Exactly. He may not be able to speak but he can hear."
"Well, yes, but…"
Seven held up a bowl from the alien's lunch and pressed a command to play a simple tone as she did. A glance showed the alien, or Fantome, was paying rapt attention. She held up a scanner and played a different tone.
Fantome, though as mute as ever, drew close to the console Seven stood at. His eyes, which were glittering with intelligence and curiosity now, watched Seven like a dog waiting for a treat.
Seven played one of the chords.
Fantome held up the bowl.
Seven played the other.
Fantome held up the scanner.
"Remarkable," said the Doctor, watching the process with fascination.
"Hardly. It's rudimentary auditory association."
Fantome held up a spoon.
Obligingly, Seven played a tone and then another and another as Fantome continued picking up items.
"He understands."
"So it would seem." She began playing random chords.
"What are you doing?"
"Testing his capacity for memory." That was the real test of skill and intelligence. She watched in growing interest as the alien held up every item she'd played a corresponding tone for. He even held them up in correct order. She tried a few more items and played the sounds she assigned them out of order. Fantome performed perfectly. "Impressive."
As they continued the process of assigning sounds to items and testing the limits of Fantome, Seven pushed her reason for attending sickbay to the back of her mind.
[Bridge]
Harry had been schooled by Seven on just what to look for, which meant he was able to warn Captain Janeway in time for Voyager to head towards the whirling change in the Void.
"Charge weapons. Shields to full." Janeway glanced over at Harry. "How long until the funnel opens?"
"Two point one seconds."
"Has it pulled in a new vessel?"
"Yes."
Chakotay and Janeway shared a concerned look and a sigh. They didn't need Tuvok's next words to know what would happen next.
"Two warships are approaching it." Tuvok almost sounded exasperated. "One of them is Valen's."
They watched as Valen's ship fired on the newcomer.
"Target Valen's weapons, and hail him." She didn't really believe she'd be able to talk the hardened raider out of his attack, but she hoped distracting him would give the other ship time to gather their bearings and put up their own defences.
Valen's angry visage filled the screen. "My fight's not with you, Captain."
Janeway, though sometimes naïve, was not stupid enough to think he wouldn't turn on her as soon as he believed he could win without losing too many resources. "Then stand down."
"This new ship has impressive technology," said Valen, changing tactic. "We can share it."
"I thought I made myself clear. We're not going to attack others and I'm not here to divide the spoils."
"Then you and your crew are already dead."
"They're just some people in a bad situation, like the rest of us. If we work together—"
Valen waved an impatient hand, cutting her off. "Save your speeches. I've got a crew to feed."
Chakotay shook his head at the other man's stubbornness and yet was unsurprised. "He's targeting our shields."
"Take his weapons out. Hail the new ship."
A squat, round-faced alien Janeway recognized as a male – or she assumed it was a male since she'd never seen a female – member of the Hierarchy, appeared on screen. "I surrender!"
Janeway almost laughed. "We're here to help you. Can you target the smaller warship?"
The alien, Loquar, shook his head, panicking. They had weapons, but were terribly outmatched even with the smaller ships. "We're a survey vessel. We're not equipped to fight."
From what she knew of them, it would have been unusual for the Hierarchy to fit a survey vessel with major weaponry. Her request had been made out of habit and hope. It appeared they were on their own then.
"Shields on Valen's lead ship are holding at eighty percent," said Tuvok. "It appears he's upgraded them since we last met." He wasn't the only one who wondered how many vessels Valen had plundered to do so.
"How are our shields, Tuvok?"
"Thirty percent. We should retreat, Captain."
Tom, still dodging Valen's weapons as best he could, saw something even more concerning. "There's another ship approaching."
Chakotay shook his head, looking over the data being streamed to him by Tuvok, engineering, and Harry at Ops. "We can't defend ourselves against three ships."
"We may not have to," said Tuvok. "The third vessel belongs to Mr. Garon. He's firing at the other two. Valen's shields are down. The smaller ship is leaking plasma."
Tom's relief was palpable. "They're both retreating."
"Garon's hailing," said Harry.
Janeway, who had not ignored the warnings of Tuvok or Chakotay, narrowed her eyes at the newcomers. "Get a weapons lock on him. We've been fooled by unexpected allies before."
Garon appeared on the screen. "Why are you targeting me?"
"Because I don't know what your intentions are."
"Haven't I just made them clear?" Garon asked, smiling despite the seriousness of the situation. He was, in fact, glad to see Janeway was not as green as he'd first believed her to be. "I've decided to accept your offer."
[Mess]
Though the mechanics were simple, Seven was glad to be of use as she utilized the Hierarchy's technology to augment Voyager's replicators. She kneeled at the unit closest to the main door of the mess. The access panel to the replicator's insides was off, exposing a nest of wiring.
The Hierarchy, like Borg or Ferengi, were obsessed with getting as much as they could from whatever resources they had. As a result, they had put a lot more emphasis on energy conservation than many of their counterparts.
"How long do you think it will take?" Neelix stood behind Seven, wringing his hands as he watched her work.
"Not long." Seven answered levelly, without the sigh of irritation she felt at the question.
"The lunch rush will be soon."
"Then it is a good thing I am making these upgrades."
"And it will really triple our output?"
"That is Lt. Torres' calculation."
"Hmm." He rubbed his chin. "Well, I'll still start cooking something in case you're not quite done by lunch."
Seven didn't think it was necessary, but refrained from discouraging him since it would keep him busy and out of her hair for a bit.
It took the better part of an hour, but even so it was in plenty of time to beat the flood of people Neelix worried over.
"There." Seven clicked the panel back in place and stood. Her knees shook and she quickly sat down at a table, hoping the tingling in her legs would dissipate soon.
"All done?" Neelix came over, wiping his hands on a rag.
"Yes." She rubbed her knee absently. "I will begin on the other replicator momentarily."
"Oh, all right." Neelix sat down next to her. "Your leg fall asleep?"
Seven raised a questioning brow.
"It's when you sit too long in one position and the blood is cut off. When you move, your leg feels tingly."
"Then you are correct, they have fallen asleep." She sighed, more tired than she was used to. "How long until they wake up?"
Neelix laughed. "Just until the blood flow is back to normal."
Seven nodded. They sat a moment, each enjoying a moment off their feet, when Neelix suddenly slapped his thigh.
"Seven, I'm so sorry."
"For what?"
"I entirely forgot what day it is."
Seven stared at him, the brow replaced by her optical implant raised as she awaited an explanation.
"Your wedding?"
"Oh." In all the stress and trouble, she'd forgotten to think of what plans had been waylaid by their predicament.
"Don't tell me you forgot." He smiled, knowing that ws just what happened.
"It didn't seem as important as not starving to death."
"Well, that's true, but it doesn't mean we should forget about it entirely."
Seven shook her head. "I am afraid it will have to wait."
"You know, there's nothing that says it has to be elaborate."
"What happened to your plans for the biggest party Voyager's ever had?" she asked, smirking.
"Oh, well," Neelix fidgeted, "I suppose I was a little overzealous. We can do the party on a low budget."
"Be that as it may, there doesn't appear to be sufficient time." Even if they eloped like B'Elanna and Tom, there didn't seem so much as an hour to get the necessary people together in a room. Hesitatingly, she admitted the most important reason for her to push the wedding back rather than embrace their circumstances. "Commander Chakotay has been through a lot over the years."
"Yes," Neelix watched her with his usual kindness, "he has."
"He deserves a perfect wedding." If she were totally honest, she was surprised and still disbelieving that such a moment might have her in it. "If that requires a delay, it is acceptable."
"Well, fine." Neelix patted her leg. "But remember that his perfect wedding is more about who it's with, not location or flowers or food."
[Mess]
Janeway was hosting yet more prospective alliance members, the numbers exceeding even her expectations thanks to the benefits they'd already received. The Hierarchy members were not fighters, but they were clever and could give even the Borg a run for their money with regards to efficiency. Garon too had made sure to return Voyager's generosity in full. Their enthusiasm, however, was not as contagious as she hoped.
Commander Bosaal was an older man and rather difficult. Janeway suspected he would have been prone to raiding other ships even outside the Void. She hadn't initially liked the man, but she couldn't put a finger on why. He was a typical humanoid male, his distinguishing feature being a single and quite prominent ridge from the top of his head down his throat. He was not necessarily menacing to look at and yet she was reminded of Valen when talking to him. However, she needed as many people on her side as she could get. It only briefly occurred to her that by working with him, she would be condoning his past actions.
Despite being somewhat suspicious and cantankerous, Bosaal seemed to be coming around. His interest in their replicator technology was obvious. A little older than the other members of the alliance, Janeway set aside her worries and hoped his experience would add to their skillset.
"So, as I was saying, our hydroponics and aeroponics—"
"What's that parasite doing aboard your ship?"
Janeway looked over, confused by the sudden aggression in Bosaal. Fantome and the EMH had entered, the duo seeming to talk to one another through the PADD's they carried. She could see nothing to be angry about.
At the sound of Bosaal's voice, Fantome ducked behind the EHM.
"I beg your pardon?"
Bosaal didn't take his eyes off the other alien. Disgust and disdain consumed him. "They're vermin."
"I don't know who you are, sir," said the Doctor with a haughtiness only he could project, "but your choice of words is offensive."
"What is offensive is the way they slip aboard during transport, hide in conduits, steal food, spread disease."
"Fantome is perfectly healthy, and unlike some people in this Void, he hasn't stolen anything." The Doctor glared at Bosaal, who glared back.
"If my sensors could detect where they are on my ship, I'd exterminate them," he said to Janeway. "I suggest you do the same."
"Captain, this is outrageous!" The Doctor turned to Janeway, surprised she'd not interrupted already at the suggestion at genocide.
"Doctor," she warned. Distasteful as Bosaal's prejudice was, it occurred to her that this was something she could offer the potential alliance member. She turned to Bosaal. "One of the principles of our Alliance is that we don't discriminate. Everyone's welcome as long as they follow the rules, but if you're having a bad experience with the members of this species on your ship, I'd be happy to bring them to Voyager."
He scoffed. "If you could find them."
"I'm sure it will be no problem." She turned to the Doctor, indicating he should follow her out. He did so obediently, sensing the mess would not become a friendlier place any time soon. Before they made it to the door, Janeway muttered to him. "Please tell me this is something we can do."
The Doctor hesitated. "I just analyzed Fantome's biology. You'll have to talk to Seven about the rest."
"Where is she?"
[Astrometrics]
Seven was torn. On the one hand, she was glad to have her post up and running again. It made her feel useful and safe. Astrometrics had long ago become a sanctuary to her. On the other hand, she hated being inefficient. Waste of any sort was troublesome, especially in the Void. Astrometrics, for all its uses in normal space, was a waste in the Void. And yet astrometrics was the only place with the access to fulfill the Captain's request.
"Anything?"
Seven restrained a sigh at the Doctor's question, which had been repeated several times in the last few minutes. "Not yet."
"What if those horrible people find them before we do?"
"Then they can advise us how to speed up the process."
"Seven!"
"Doctor." She smirked as he rolled his eyes at her. "I am working as quickly as possible with the information you provided me. We will find them."
"Fine." He sighed and watched her work, which didn't make her feel much better. At least he was quiet.
It took a few minutes, but Seven did eventually find something promising. "I have located one."
The Doctor was instantly at her elbow. "Where?"
"Commander Bosaal's ship." She widened her search as she did, her smirk reappeared. Given Fantome's ravenous appetite, she could understand now why Bosaal hated them so much. "It appears he has two individuals matching Fantome's biology onboard."
"Can we get a transporter lock?"
Seven nodded, already sending the information to the transporter room as she moved on to the other ships in their vicinity.
"You know, with new members of Fantome's species here, we can probably teach them to communicate with us as well."
She bobbed her head. The idea had occurred to Seven as well. "If Fantome's intelligence is typical of their species, such an endeavour will not be difficult. They may be able to provide us with intelligence on other ships in the Void."
"Well, I hadn't thought so much along those lines, but I suppose so."
Seven pressed her lips closed. No doubt he had envisioned a new troop of musicians and students under his wing. He would not have considered their strategic value to Voyager. His mind simply didn't work that way.
After scanning as far as she could and locating a handful of the aliens, Seven and the Doctor headed for sickbay to greet their guests. Seven left astrometrics only partly shut down, expecting they'd need it again soon.
Not long after she left, two members of the Hierarchy lumbered down the hall. Their physiology was not conducive to sneaking around, but their technology more than made up for it. Their furtive glances were unnecessary, their handheld scanners telling them all they needed to know about the whereabouts of people on that level.
The men timed their approach so that the crewman walking the hall was out of sight before they ducked from the side corridor and into astrometrics.
"How complex do you think their security is?"
Loquar shook his head. "No more than anyone else. I can do it."
"Which ship should we test our program on?"
"We'll start with Voyager and then Garen – no, Bosaal's. I don't trust him."
[Bridge]
Tuvok was the kind of person who could do a lot without much effort. He coordinated the usual shifts of security, set up additional teams to monitor their guests, and took note of Seven's report on the stowaway's they'd absorbed into the fold. He was glad to note that the unnamed aliens were not posing any problems. He even trusted her assessment enough that he took her suggestion to reassign the security at sickbay to other tasks. His team was stretched thin so this was good news.
An alert beeped at him.
A quick check of the ship showed there were no spare personnel to check out the cause of the alert. Tuvok advised Ensign Kim that he was in charge while Tuvok was gone. He then headed to astrometrics.
[Astrometrics]
Tuvok stepped inside and observed a moment, the two intruders too wrapped up in watching Janeway, Galen, and B'Elanna in engineering to notice Tuvok's entrance. He raised a brow, impressed with how they had clearly hacked into Voyager's security systems and used the internal sensors to produce a recording of the conversation.
Galen explained, unaware of being overheard, how he and B'Elanna were attempting to produce a shield that would protect all the alliance ships. It was one of the ideas that had come up for their next attempt to exit the Void. Unfortunately, there was too much gravitational stress for things the way they were.
"Wouldn't a polaron modulator be able to do that?" asked Janeway.
B'Elanna nodded. "Unfortunately, nobody in the Alliance has one. We've been trying to build our own, but so far…"
"Maybe we could trade for one."
Tuvok had seen enough. "You are not authorised to be in here."
Though he knew himself to be in the wrong according to the rules these humans set out, Loquar was defensive. Why didn't they understand the importance of intel? "We're making a valuable contribution to the Alliance."
"By spying on restricted meetings?"
"We've devised a new surveillance technique." Loquar just didn't understand these humans and their aversion to his people's technology. However, he knew no one liked spies unless they were doing the spying so he let it go.
Tuvok took a closer look at what they'd done. Despite the insult, he was impressed by their work. "You've bypassed my security measures." It wasn't a question.
"Using your sensors, we can observe activity on any ship in the Void without being detected." He tapped the controls to bring up a new image, this time of a cargo hold on a darkened ship.
"What is this?"
"This is the cargo hold of the Jelinian freighter. Now, if I'm not mistaken, the Jelinians are a member of our Alliance."
Tuvok raised a brow at Loquar's smugness. "Which is why you shouldn't be spying on them."
"And why they shouldn't be hoarding their ale."
Not really having an adequate reply to this information, Tuvok could only shake his head and direct their attention to a more productive area. "You said this can observe any ship in the Void?"
[Sickbay]
The aliens proved even more teachable than expected. Seven and the Doctor barely had to do more than provide the tools before the stowaways were conversing as quickly as any vocal species. Seven and the Doctor even marvelled at their eagerness. No prompting was necessary. Fantome began showing them which sounds he'd learned to associate with objects as soon as they were within hearing range.
"How long until you think they develop a complete language?" the Doctor asked. He finished scanning the health of their last guest, releasing it to join the others.
Seven stood to the side, watching with a tiny smile. "It would depend on your definition of a complete language."
The Doctor glanced at the computer program she had running to analyse the evolution of the communications. She was right. In less than an hour, the group had evolved beyond what Seven and the Doctor initially showed Fantome. The only way to keep track of what the aliens were discussing was with the help of a computer or a computer-like brain.
One of the aliens – a female – approached and, using a series of bleeps on the PADD, asked Seven why they were on the ship.
Seven typed out a quick response, explaining that Captain Janeway wished to give them sanctuary on Voyager. The exact translation was closer to "Ship leader give you food, bed here."
The alien quirked her head, the others behind her doing the same. They had never been welcomed anywhere. Even more than spoken language, sanctuary was a foreign concept to them.
The Doctor took up his own PADD and asked where they were from.
The aliens all started answering at once, describing the various ships they'd been on. It was a jumbled mess of descriptions. The only consistency was that they were all born in the Void.
The question and following descriptions naturally led the aliens to compare notes on the various ships they'd been on. Seven and the Doctor sat back and watched.
Seven, who had forgotten but not overcome the effects of no regeneration, felt the tiredness seeping up again. She was on her feet all day everyday, which didn't help. Still, she didn't want to interrupt the alien's conversation and the EMH was wholly absorbed in it. To relieve her sore feet and shaky legs, she leaned against the console.
The doors to sickbay opened and Janeway entered. She stopped and listened raptly to the conversation. It had reached its head, every alien adding their own voice to the concerto. It was a testament to how much information their brains could absorb, sort and register at once that they could hold such a conversation. It sounded rehearsed.
Fantome noticed Janeway and quickly signalled the others that the ship's leader was there, causing them to wrap up their conversation.
The music stopped and Janeway applauded. "Lovely piece." She glanced at the Doctor. "Did they compose it, or did you?"
"They did. Though strictly speaking, it's not a composition. It's more of a conversation."
"I'm impressed."
"I wish I could take credit but it was Fantome who taught the others in a fraction of the time it took him to learn. They're a highly intelligent species."
Seven, still smiling softly as the aliens listened with wide eyes to the human's conversation, nodded. "The language is already developing its own grammar and syntax."
"That suggests they have a language of their own."
"Most likely."
"Mmm hmm," the Doctor agreed. "It could be telepathic, but they seem just as comfortable communicating with music now."
"Given their conversation just now," said Seven, "I would guess they are not often together."
"I wouldn't think so if they want to remain undetected." Janeway looked more closely at their unique appearance. "Could their species be native to the Void?"
"It's certainly possible," said the Doctor. "They told us they were born here."
"Just when you think nothing in the galaxy can surprise you anymore."
Seven raised a brow.
It was then that Janeway noticed Seven leaning heavily on the console. For anyone else, it wouldn't mean much, but Seven didn't lean. "Seven, are you—"
The comm. system beeped and B'Elanna's voice interrupted. "Captain Janeway, please report to engineering."
Janeway tapped her badge with a sigh. She'd been running around the ship a lot lately. "On my way."
"We'll keep you apprised of any developments," said the Doctor with a nod to Fantome and the other aliens.
"Thanks." She hesitated and then glanced at Seven. "Make sure you take care of yourself too, Seven."
The doors closed behind her and the Doctor faced Seven. "Take care of yourself?"
"I have been feeling more tired than usual," she explained.
The Doctor finally realized she wasn't standing in her usual ramrod-straight position. "Why didn't you say something?" He took out his tricorder and ran it up and down.
"I intended to." She nodded to the aliens, who were conversing again. "We were distracted."
He tsked at her, but obligingly led her to a spare bed. A moment later and his face collapsed into a worried frown.
"What is it?"
"Your nanoprobes are down another 5%."
That wasn't good, but she didn't think it was so bad.
"Have you been skipping more meals?"
"Not intentionally."
"But you have."
Seven was silent.
"I suppose your schedule has been too hectic?" He folded his arms, staring her down. "How much work have you been doing?"
She really didn't want to answer that. Now that she thought about it, her workload was relatively light, but jumping between sections of the ship meant her days were actually longer. Besides, Chakotay was working long hours and she just didn't want to sit alone or sleep alone in their quarters. She ducked her head guiltily.
"Uh-huh." The Doctor scanned her a last time. "Your implants aren't degrading too much yet, but I'm afraid your lack of energy is just the beginning. If you keep pushing it without regeneration, it won't be long until you have to be on full bed rest."
This scared her more than anything else he could have said. "How long?"
"I'd estimate less than a week." He scowled at her. "Rest. Eat. Less work. Understand?"
She sighed, but nodded and moved to leave. She did, after all, have other work to complete.
"Oh, and Seven?"
She turned to face him.
"I mean it. If you don't sleep more and take care of yourself, I'll enlist the help of your fiancé."
Though she took this threat seriously, it made her smile. There was no doubt she'd be put on complete bed rest if she didn't slow the deterioration of her Borg components. That was serious. What made her smile was the teasing way he referred to Chakotay. Small though it was, it showed how far he'd come to accepting her relationship and she hoped it signalled the end of any discomfort with the EMH.
[Chakotay's Bedroom]
"The Jelinians and the Kraylor left with Bosaal."
"Good."
He paused in the middle of taking off his socks and turned to his bedmate, brows raised.
"They caused more problems than they solved." Seven sighed, turning on her side to face Chakotay. Watching him putter about and get ready for bed was somehow relaxing.
"You didn't like Bosaal." He tossed his socks to the side with his boots. He could sense Seven's disapproval behind him, but he would deal with his clothes tomorrow when he'd had some rest. It was all he could do to not fall into bed as he was.
"No, I did not."
"Seems like no one did, but the loss of three ships from our alliance is a blow."
"Maybe. Maybe not. It was clear he was not the type to adhere to Starfleet principles any more than Valen. His attack on the Kinjal is unfortunate, but unsurprising. We will adapt without him."
He shucked off all but his boxers. Good enough. He fell into bed next to Seven with a tired sigh. Closing his eyes, not even bothering to move under the covers yet, Chakotay lay quiet for a long moment. Just before he was asleep, his consciousness hazy and prone to say whatever came to mind, he asked what had bothered him since Janeway started the idea of an alliance. "What if we can't adapt?"
"We must, or we will perish." Seven, smiling indulgently, leaned over and pulled the covers, pushing and prodding Chakotay's sleepy body until he was under the blankets. She cuddled close, his arm automatically going around her. "Don't worry, darling, Captain Janeway and the crew has yet to let us down."
Caught between sleep and the barest of wakefulness, Chakotay smiled. "That's the first time you called me that."
"And?"
"I like it… darling."
Smiling herself, Seven finally settled down and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning was only slightly less strained than the night that preceded it.
Chakotay woke first, his memory of the previous day's events barrelling down on him instantly. He'd put on a brave face for Janeway the day before, going into counsellor mode so she could work through her anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. With Seven, he'd become the one seeking support, a relief he was fast growing to appreciate and rely on. It was a new sensation, one he enjoyed. Unfortunately, with the continuance of their entrapment, momentary relief was just, well, fleeting.
Chakotay glanced down at Seven's sleeping form. That she was still asleep was unusual, that she didn't stir at all upon him sitting up was a sign something was wrong.
"What?" Seven didn't open her eyes, but mumbled her complaint when he poked her shoulder.
"I wanted to make sure you were still alive."
"Hmmph."
He smirked as she remained immobile. Finally, he realized a bit more prodding would be necessary. "Aren't you going to work at all today?"
"Mmm."
"Are you all right?" He leaned over so he could see her face. She looked fine, but it was hard to tell anything while she scrunched away from him, burying herself deeper under the covers. "Seven?"
"I am just tired."
"I've never seen you this tired. What were you doing yesterday?"
Seven smiled and forced herself to wake a little to answer him. "Nothing unusual." She sighed. "The lack of regeneration is starting to affect my energy levels."
There was really only one solution if she really was suffering. "We'll reactivate your alcove."
Seven shook her head. "That is not necessary."
He frowned.
"I told you I would keep the Doctor apprised and I have. There is nothing to be concerned about."
"Uh-huh. Do I need to check with the Doctor to make sure you're being honest?"
Seven rolled her eyes. "He said I need to rest more."
"That's it?"
"Until we escape the Void and can reactivate my alcove, it's all I can do."
Chakotay thought a moment. "Fine then."
"What are you doing?" Seven watched as he scooped up his badge with the determination of one who had the upper hand and was damn well going to use it.
He gave her a warning look before pressing the badge. "Chakotay to Lt. Torres."
B'Elanna's voice, already awake and alert, answered. "Torres here. What's up, Chakotay?"
"Seven is going to be a little late for her shift today. I'll adjust the schedule accordingly."
"Umm, that's probably not necessary, Chakotay. According to my records, Seven's been working overtime since we got here."
Seven pulled the covers up over her nose to hide her smirk as Chakotay turned an outright glare at her.
The sound of beeps came over the comm. as B'Elanna checked the computer. "Engineering is fully staffed today and from what I can see, Seven has about 273 hours of recreational time earned over the last two months."
Chakotay was definitely glaring now. "Okay. Thank you."
Seven shuffled down until she was fully shielded from Chakotay's gaze. A second later, the mattress creaked, sloping down to his larger body. Seven tightened her grip on the blankets. His larger hand wrapped around the covers and yanked, pulling Seven up along with the fabric. Seven smiled sheepishly as she came face-to-face with her fiancé.
"You're taking the day, the whole day, do you understand?" he said, using his most commanding tone. It was the assertive voice that had led his Maquis ship and crew through numerous battles and also disciplined countless overzealous or outright stupid crewmembers.
Seven hesitated.
"I'm not kidding, Seven."
"I know, but there are still tasks I can complete outside of engineering."
His eyes narrowed.
"It wouldn't be overtaxing."
"You've got two hours to finish whatever you have to."
"That is insufficient. In order to function in the Void, you will need all members working their regular shifts at least."
"A shift minus two hours."
She contemplated debating it with him, but knew by the set of his jaw that arguing would be futile. "Fine."
"And you'll take your breaks."
"If you take yours with me."
"Fine."
"Fine." They stared each other down for a long moment. Seven broke the showdown first. "Was that a fight?"
By pure determination, Chakotay kept his face straight. "Could be. What would the result be if it was?"
Seven's seriousness melted into a sensuous grin.
[Astrometrics]
Janeway was on edge, regardless of whether or not she'd had to forego her usual coffee. As the hours progressed, news of more and more dissention in the ranks reached her ears. No one else had outright left the alliance, but she sensed it was just a matter of time.
She entered astrometrics with a sigh before putting on her best face. Loquar and Lt. Tuvok were there, looking grim. "Good news, I hope."
Tuvok, however, had no good news and was never one to beat around the bush. "It appears Commander Bosaal is attempting to form an alliance of his own with one of our adversaries."
"Great."
Loquar gestured to the computer, which he'd modified to conduct his intelligence gathering full time. "We recorded a tactical conversation that took place between the two just a few minutes ago."
Though it was the last thing she wanted to see, Janeway nodded for them to bring it up. A few quick commands and the large screen showed the familiar, cold face of Valen and Bosaal. Janeway felt her stomach drop to see the two together, but it was not a surprise.
Valen, unaware of being watched, warned his new cohort. "Don't underestimate Janeway. I've been in battle with her twice."
"Then you know Janeway's tactics. I have two other ships," said Bosaal. "We can take Voyager's food and weapons if we work together."
Tuvok turned off the recording, not needing Janeway to see all of it. "The rest of their conversation suggests they will attack within the next forty-eight hours."
Janeway sighed. "I'm so glad we taught them the value of cooperation."
"Our power reserves will be severely depleted if we're forced to defend ourselves. With more in our alliance, we are already running low on resources."
"Fine. Tell B'Elanna we don't have time to test her modulator. We've got to try to escape now."
[Bridge]
Harry leaned over his console, his face grave. This was it, their moment where they would either escape or be doomed. Though the information had come in almost two days ago, it felt like just that morning they began hurrying to prepare themselves for the impossible. "There's a funnel forming in grid four. Graviton surge in ninety-eight seconds."
Janeway, sitting stiffly in her chair, nodded. "Alert the other ships. Take us in, Tom."
Paris acknowledged her command, but Tuvok had the news they were all waiting for. "Bosaal and his fleet are approaching. They are charging weapons."
"Janeway to engineering. Status."
B'Elanna, who had been working as hard as could be expected since Janeway told her about their impending attempt to depart, sounded hassled and irritable. "I need two more minutes."
"You've got one." Janeway almost smiled as the link clicked off, certain she'd heard B'Elanna curse.
As anticipated, Bosaal and his own alliance appeared on screen. They wasted no time firing on Janeway's Alliance. Luckily, everyone had fully charged their shields before, thanks to Loquar's intelligence.
"Surge in fifty seconds," said Harry.
Janeway pressed a button, opening a channel to the other ships in her group. "Voyager to all Alliance ships. Begin firing at your designated targets."
[Transporter Room]
Seven, operating the transporter controls due to the need to get around their enemy's shielding, waited for the signal.
Janeway's voice came through the comm. "Transport."
The Doctor eyed the aliens. They were watching him silently, taking in the scene. He knew better than to believe their silence meant they didn't understand. "Acknowledged."
Seven smiled reassuringly at the EMH, aware he wasn't looking forward to this moment.
The Doctor faced the aliens with a bittersweet smile. "Goodbye and good luck. Energise."
Seven pressed the commands and in a shimmering beam, the aliens departed Voyager. Each was bound for a specific location. "Transport complete, Captain. They're in the engine rooms of both ships."
[Bridge]
Harry was still keeping tabs on the funnel. "Thirty seconds."
Valen's ship dodged a blow from an Alliance vessel and hit Voyager with its own weapons.
They had still not received word that B'Elanna got the modulator working.
Another hit to Voyager. The other Alliance ships were being battered, doing their best to hold their own.
"Just a few more seconds," said B'Elanna when Janeway pressed her.
Voyager rattled again.
Harry glanced up. "We're receiving a hail from Valen's ship. It's audio only."
While everyone on the bridge held their breath, a channel was opened. Instead of Valen's smug voice, tinkling, tones came through. The Voyager crew sighed in relief.
Janeway smiled, Fantome's communication literally music to her ears. The channel was still open. "What's he saying, Doctor?"
"Fantome's shut down power on Valen's ship."
"Confirmed," said Tuvok. "Bosaal's ship has lost power as well."
Tom smiled, fighting a laugh. "Who says gremlins in the engine are a myth?"
"Surge in five second," warned Harry, bringing them back to the task at hand. "Four."
Janeway tried not to hold her breath. "Now, B'Elanna."
Despite B'Elanna's warnings that she couldn't promise the modulator would work, that the shield would stay up, the shield did come up and encompass all the Alliance ships. The funnel opened and the ships hurried to it.
Chakotay, overseeing things from his seat glanced up. "All ships are in formation."
Voyager was rocking violently despite the shielding.
"Forty thousand metres to normal space," said Tom.
"Structural integrity down to twenty percent… ten percent," said Tuvok.
Janeway nodded. "Do it, Tom!"
At once, synchronized to perfection, the shields dropped and the ships went to warp. Though it seemed like minutes, in less than a second, they were expelled from the funnel and out of the Void.
"We did it." Harry gazed out with wonder at the stars.
"No need to sound so surprised, Harry," said Tom with a wide grin.
Janeway and Chakotay smiled at each other, understanding Harry's happy relief. They both turned to the screen. Stars, nothing more than pinpricks of light around them in the vastness of space had never been so beautiful.