Chapter Two

The Bridge of the Zodiac was silent as the crew watched the main viewscreen. Moments before, Perry Highland had announced they were in visual range.

They were now staring at the beaten and bruised hull of the Starship Voyager.

"It looks strange." Sabrina said from her post. "Although I can't place what's wrong."

The broken vessel floated aimlessly through space.

"Full analysis people, lets find out what happened here." Captain Yardale said. He turned over to Highland. "How are we on radiation?"

"The shields are getting a good workout, but we are fine. Sensors show rad levels are slowly tapering off."

"Good."

"Helm, slow to impulse. Keep us at a safe distance." Commander Henderson said.

The Zodiac slowed elegantly to sub-light speed, and held a safe distance from Voyager.

"Sensor analysis ready." Perry said from his post.

"Lets hear it." The captain replied.

"All power is offline, seems like it's been that way a long time. Sensors indicate it's as cold in there as it is in space."

"Damnit." Captain Yardale muttered. "What about her life boats?"

"All accounted for." Came the response he didn't want to hear. "Her warp core is damaged, I'm showing some heavy scarring in the engine room, although I can't get a better scan than that. The hull is beat to hell and she's got multiple breaches on all sections. What the…?" He stopped.

"What is it?" The Captain stood and walked over to Perry's post.

"Sensors are picking up life readings. I'm showing one hundred and seventy two distinct life forms on that ship."

"What the hell?" Darren Henderson looked at the readout.

"Hail them!" The captain pointed to Sabrina.

"Your up."
"This is Captain Lucas Yardale of the Federation Starship Zodiac, is anyone receiving this?"

The communication line remained silent.

--

An audible sizzle-snap was heard from within the shuttlecraft Arizona as it left the containing forcefield of the Zodiac shuttle bay. Inside it sat a restless trio.

"Keep an eye on our radiation levels." Commander Henderson asked from the helm position over his shoulder to Lieutenant Highland.

"I've had my eye on it ever since we got in the sector." Came the reply. "How are you holding up?" He directed his question towards Sabrina Williams.

She was sweating, and had a death grip on her console. "I hate shuttles." She replied softly. "I'll be fine when we dock with Voyager."

Henderson cracked a smile as he punched a few commands into his panel. "You are the only person I know who is scared of shuttles."

"I know, me too."

"Prepare for docking. I'm going to put us on her starboard airlock, since the shuttlebay is without power. Why don't you two suit up?"

"Roger that." Highland replied.

--

The airlock crunched slightly, and scraped open. The away team walked forward, and out of the gravity field of the Arizona.

"Turn your gravity boots on." Henderson said as he reached to his arm and pressed a button on his suit. One by one, the team was sucked to the floor plating.

Williams shone her light to the left, as Highland shone his to the right. Their flashlights cut through the pitch-dark corridor, revealing nothing. Commander Henderson walked forward to the blank system panel on the wall. He tapped it, and it remained blank.

"Lieutenant, hand me your power pack." He leaned over, and took it from her. The panel painfully flickered on. Williams and Highland came back to his side and looked at the panel. "This thing is worthless, it looks like most of the ships computer grid is damaged." He took the power pack and gave it back to Williams. They opened their tricorders, and started towards the bridge.

"Commander, I'm getting some strange readings on my tricorder. It looks like it might be a singularity." Highland said, as they continued the slow walk towards a turbolift.

"I see it. I'm also getting intermittent life readings, although the tricorder can't pinpoint any of them." Commander Henderson replied.

"Nothing human could live in zero-atmosphere." Williams said softly. Henderson glanced at her.

"I know."

--

After floating up the turboshaft a few moments, they pried the bridge doors open.

"Damn, it's a mess in here." Highland said as he walked slowly down the steps, dodging debris and fallen beams.

"Williams, go to the OPS station and see if you can get anything online." Henderson pointed across the bridge. He stepped down, and shone his light at the ruptured science station. "Plasma conduit must have blown. I hope nobody-" He stopped as he shined his light down on the floor. "Damnit."

Highland turned around and looked down. On the floor was a burnt body, fused into the deck plating. "Poor bastard." He whispered.

"Commander, the battery packs are still charged. Do you want me to bring primary systems online?" Williams asked from up above.

"Do it." He replied. A moment later the bridge lit up, and the few functioning panels activated. "See if you two can access the ships logs. I'm going to check the ready room." Commander Henderson walked slowly past the science station, and up to the captains ready room door.

Highland watched the door slide shut behind his first officer, and then he sat down at the helm station. "All right Sabrina lets see what we can find out."

"I've restored partial power." She replied to him. "You should have computer access as soon as the system boots up."

He swiveled his chair around to face her. "Do you think she's got enough power to bring emergency containment fields up and restore atmosphere?"

"Let me check." She worked the panel for a moment. "I think I have the power, let me try."

A few moments later, they heard the snap of a forcefield activating.

"There must have been a breach on this deck." Highland said as he looked around. Fog started pouring out of the vents on the bridge.

"We have atmosphere…" She started, "…and now we have heat. You can take your helmet off."

They unclipped the latches on the helmets, and slid them off.

"Commander Henderson, we have atmosphere. You can take your helmet off if you want." Perry said into the comm system built into the suit. Sabrina looked up at him when they were met with silence. "Highland to Henderson, respond." Still nothing.

Williams started walking down to him, and they both converged upon the ready room door.

It slid open slowly, and they walked in.

"Commander?" Sabrina asked, as they approached his space suit. He was facing away from them staring at the floating chair behind the desk.

The room was in the same shape as the rest of the ship. Miscellaneous items floating through the air, burnt carpeting, and debris littered the room.

"Commander, are you okay?" Perry followed her. They walked around in front of him to see his face. His helmet was still on, and he had a blank stare in his eyes. "Commander Henderson?" Perry Highland said sternly and loudly. He was unresponsive.

Williams took her tricorder and ran it over his chest.

"Christ, he's not breathing! Williams to Zodiac, emergency transport us to the medical bay!" She yelled into her suit communicator. They huddled together, and felt the cold embrace of the transporter beam fill them from inside. Perry immediately realized that something was wrong by the way it felt, and the burning sensation all throughout his body when the beam hit. They screamed in pain, as the transport continued. Their voices became digitized, and eventually disappeared with their bodies in the blue light. The starship Voyager loomed empty and silent once again.