Captain's log. Stardate 53897.1. After successfully recovering Lieutenant Torres, Ensign Kim and the Delta Flyer, life has returned to normal on Voyager, and we have resumed course for the Alpha Quadrant. The Doctor has pronounced both B'Elanna and Harry fit for duty, and they have returned to their normal duty shifts. B'Elanna's tale of her encounter with Kelis, the alien playwright, was a fascinating one, and it seems as though her interaction with the inhabitants of the planet was not a violation of the Prime Directive.
Captain Janeway sat back in her chair, ending the log and turning to her computer screen. Everyone had been relieved to have B'Elanna and Harry back in one piece after the Flyer had crashed on an alien planet a few weeks before. Janeway keyed up the week's duty roster, examining it and approving it. She rarely had to correct Chakotay's work, and today was no exception. She began to immerse herself in studying the star charts that Seven had put together, examining the course that the former Borg had suggested for the next few months of their journey, but she was interrupted when the door chimed. "Come," she called. Commander Chakotay entered and stood before her. "What can I do for you, Commander?" she asked, glancing up from her terminal only briefly to acknowledge his presence.
"Harry's picked up an anomaly on long range sensors. I thought you'd want to know."
She looked up from her terminal, suddenly curious. "What kind of anomaly?"
"We don't know. It has a large gravitational pull, but that's about all we can tell at this range."
Her eyes lit up. "Gravitational pull? Like a wormhole?"
He shrugged, his own eyes twinkling in response to hers. "Maybe."
She stood up from her desk. "Let's check it out, Commander." She strode onto the bridge with him in tow. "Distance to the anomaly, Ensign Kim?"
"It's about one lightyear from here, Captain," Kim replied.
"Set a course and engage at warp seven, Mr. Paris."
"Aye, aye, Captain." Paris keyed in their course and the ship jumped to warp.
"Bridge to astrometrics," the Captain said.
"Yes, Captain," Seven of Nine's clear voice responded.
"Ensign Kim has picked up an anomaly on long range sensors. I trust you've detected it as well?"
"Yes, Captain. I am just beginning to collect data on the phenomenon."
Janeway stood from her chair. "I'll be right there," she said. "Commander, you have the bridge."
...
Seven was busy studying the unusual anomaly when Captain Janeway entered astrometrics and moved to join her at the console. Janeway studied Seven's readings across the large view screen. "It doesn't look like any singularity I've ever seen," the Captain said as she watched images and data scroll past.
"No," Seven agreed. "However, the anomaly does have a strong gravitational pull. I recommend keeping the ship at a distance of forty thousand kilometers. Otherwise, we may be pulled in. Even at that distance, we risk our shields being affected."
Janeway nodded slowly. "What else can you tell me about it?"
"The anomaly is approximately twenty-five thousand kilometers wide at its widest point. It has many features in common with a singularity, but there is no clear entrance point that would indicate a wormhole. It is difficult to obtain further readings at this time, due to a large amount of interference from an unknown source. I am attempting to modify our sensors to compensate."
"Good work, Seven. Keep monitoring it. Inform me of any changes."
"Yes, Captain."
...
Less than two hours later, Paris turned around in his chair and said, "Captain, we're approaching the anomaly."
"Drop us to impulse, Mr. Paris. Keep us at a safe distance of forty thousand kilometers."
"Aye, Captain."
She felt the slight shift under her as the ship dropped out of warp. "On screen," she ordered.
A vast, white spatial distortion appeared on the view screen, and she stood, moving directly behind Tom's chair as she stared at it. It resembled a white cloud, except that it glowed with a sharp intensity; its brightness was almost blinding. "Initiate a sensor sweep," she ordered.
Ensign Kim followed her instructions, but quickly replied, "The anomaly is creating a gravimetric field that's interfering with our scanners, Captain. We need to get closer."
Chakotay stood and moved to stand behind her shoulder. "If we move any closer, we risk being pulled in," he warned. "It's too risky."
"Agreed," she said, glancing over her shoulder at him. She pressed the comm and ordered, "Senior staff, please report to the briefing room."
...
When they had all assembled, she presented the problem. "Options?" she asked, when she had explained the situation.
"We may be able to cut through the gravimetric field," Tuvok suggested.
B'Elanna shook her head. "That might work, but even if the sensors could be modified, I think our readings would be spotty at best."
"What about taking a shuttle in?" asked Harry. "The DeltaFlyer doesn't have the mass of Voyagerand therefor won't be as susceptible to the gravitational forces of the anomaly."
"The Flyer's shields would have to be enhanced," Tom put in.
"I believe that I could make the necessary adjustments," offered Seven.
Janeway's eyes sparkled with excitement. "How long do you need to complete the modifications?" she asked Seven.
"I believe I could make the necessary enhancements in approximately three hours."
"Good. Ensign Kim, give her a hand. Ensign Paris, you'll be with me. We launch at 1500." She took a look around the room. "Let's do it. Dismissed."
Everyone filed out of the briefing room in a hurry, anxious to get on with their mission. Only her first officer stayed behind. She would recognize the concerned expression on his face anywhere. "Don't tell me," she said. "You don't think I should go on the away mission."
He nodded. "You're right. I don't. I can collect sensor readings on an anomaly just as easily as you can."
Her eyes sparkled. "But then I'd miss the opportunity to be the first human being to see this type of anomaly up close."
He smiled at her excitement. "I didn't really think I'd be able to talk you out of it."
"Well, you thought right." She put her hand on his chest, in a gesture familiar to both of them. "I appreciate your concern, Chakotay, but I'm not going to miss an opportunity like this." She dropped her hand from his chest, breaking the contact.
He nodded. "Maybe they'll call this the Janeway Distortion."
She chuckled, exiting the briefing room. "It was never really my ambition to have a distortion named after me."
...
At 1500, the Delta Flyer was ready for launch, complete with its new modifications. Tom sat in the pilot's chair, and the Captain was behind him. "Janeway to bridge. We're ready to launch." The docking bay doors opened, and they set a course for the anomaly. As they grew closer to its center, the shuttle began to rock and shake. "That's the gravitational pull of the anomaly trying to have it's way with us," the Captain observed.
"Shields are holding," Paris reported.
"Take us in nice and slow, Tom," ordered the Captain. As the shuttle approached the anomaly, readings began to appear on Janeway's console. "It looks like a quantum singularity," she mused out loud, "but not like one I've ever seen before. Can you take us in closer, Tom?"
"Yes, ma'am," he replied, easing the shuttle further into the anomaly.
"Here are the readings I don't understand. Tom, run a subspace scan. Localize at these coordinates." She transmitted the coordinates to his station, and Paris initiated the scanners. "I'm reading high levels of neutrinos. Try running a multiphasic scan," she ordered.
As Tom ran the scan, he checked the status of the Flyer's systems. "Shields are holding," he reported, "but, Captain, I'd recommend that we don't spend much longer than another twenty minutes or so in these conditions."
"All right. That should give us enough time to finish running these scans. I still don't understand..." She cut off abruptly.
"Captain?" Paris asked.
"Chroniton particles."
"Chronitons? You mean like, time travel?"
"They usually go together, Mr. Paris."
At that moment, an alarm began to beep and the DeltaFlyer jostled, forcing both Paris and Janeway to hold on to their stations for support. "Mr. Paris, report!" ordered the Captain.
"We're being pulled in towards the center of the anomaly," Paris said, frantically trying to maneuver the shuttle away from the anomaly's gravitational pull. "I don't understand it, Captain!"
"Set a course out of the anomaly. Full impulse."
Tom pressed the proper controls, and steered the Flyer away from the phenomenon's center, but the ship didn't respond to his commands. "No effect. We're still being pulled in."
"I'm rerouting all emergency power to the thrusters," Janeway said. A small explosion ignited behind her, but she ignored it.
"It's not enough, Captain." Paris' hands gripped the controls. "Come on, baby, you can do it," he said, trying to coax the ship with his voice.
"Janeway to Voyager, please respond." But there was no answer. She tried hailing the ship again, but to no avail.
"The chronitons must be interfering with our subspace communications," said Paris. Another alarm sounded from his console. "Captain, propulsion is failing."
"I'm rerouting life support to the thrusters," she replied.
The extra power gave them the boost that they needed to break free of the anomaly's gravitational pull, and the Flyer began to move away from the center of the anomaly, but now they had a new problem. "Shields are down to fifty-two percent," Paris reported.
"I'll try to hold them, Tom, but we don't have any more power to reroute. Get us out of here!"
"Yes, ma'am." At that moment, the shuttle was hit with a blinding flash of light that sent Paris hurtling out of his chair, onto the floor, and into unconsciousness.
...
"Commander, we've lost contact with the away team," Harry Kim reported when the Delta Flyer disappeared from his sensors.
Chakotay stood from his seat and moved towards the conn. "Can you get a sensor lock on the shuttle?" he asked.
"Negative," Kim replied.
"Tuvok, hail them."
"No response," said the Vulcan.
"Lieutenant Ayala, can you take us in any closer?" Chakotay asked.
"Sir, that would not be advisable," warned Tuvok. "We could become trapped in the anomaly's gravitational pull as well."
"Just a few thousand kilometers," Chakotay ordered Ayala, ignoring Tuvok's warning. He wasn't about to let the DeltaFlyer disappear into an anomaly with Tom and Kathryn aboard.
"Aye, sir," Ayala replied.
"Bridge to engineering," Chakotay said.
"Torres here."
"B'Elanna, we're going to need whatever available power we have to the thrusters."
"I'll give you everything I can, Chakotay," Torres replied.
"Holding position at thirty-two thousand kilometers, sir," Ayala reported.
"Harry, run a multiphasic scan," ordered Chakotay. "See if you can locate them. Tuvok, keep trying to hail the shuttle." Both men nodded, affirming their responses.
"Sir, I am picking up something on sensors!" Harry exclaimed. "But it's badly distorted by..." He paused.
"What is it, Harry?" asked Chakotay.
"By chroniton particles," Kim finished.
Chakotay and Tuvok exchanged a grim look. "Harry, can you get a lock on the away team?" the first officer asked.
"Negative," Kim replied.
"Try changing the bandwidth," Chakotay suggested. The ship jolted, and Chakotay was thrown against the railing as he lost his balance. "Report!" he ordered.
"We are being affected by the anomaly's gravitational pull," Tuvok responded. "It is inadvisable to maintain this distance."
"Harry, have you located the Flyer?" Chakotay asked.
"Just one more minute, Commander. I've almost penetrated the sensor interference..." Kim paused, pressing several more buttons before continuing, "I've got the Flyer on sensors. It's located only a few kilometers inside the perimeter of the anomaly."
"Lock onto the shuttle with a tractor beam," said Chakotay.
"I can't get a lock at this range," said Kim.
"Ayala, take us in closer. Be prepared to take us back out to a distance of fifty thousand kilometers on my mark."
"Aye, sir."
"Commander..." Tuvok began to speak, but was not able to finish his sentence.
"Your objection is noted, Commander," Chakotay said to him brusquely. "We don't have time to discuss this." Tuvok raised one eyebrow and returned his gaze to his console.
"Ensign Kim, inform me when you have the tractor lock." The ship began to shake more severely, and Chakotay returned to his chair where he could grip the arm rests.
"We are being pulled in," Tuvok informed him.
"I have the lock!" Harry exclaimed.
"Ayala, get us out of here!" Chakotay ordered.
"I'm trying, sir," said Ayala.
"Bridge to engineering. We need more power to the engines. Reroute auxiliary power. Take power from whatever systems you need to."
"Rerouting auxiliary power," B'Elanna's voice replied through the comm.
"I've got thrusters," reported Ayala. "We're moving away from the anomaly. Thirty five thousand kilometers. Thirty eight. Forty."
The ship stopped shaking and everyone on the bridge let out a breath. "Back us off to fifty," Chakotay ordered. "Good flying, Lieutenant." Ayala shot a grin over his shoulder at his former captain, acknowledging the compliment, and Chakotay turned his focus back to Tuvok. "Hail the Flyer," he ordered.
"There is no response, sir," Tuvok replied. A concerned expression crossed Chakotay's face as he asked Tuvok to scan for life signs. "There is only one life sign aboard the shuttle. It is Ensign Paris."
Chakotay felt his stomach drop. "Harry, pull the Flyer into the docking bay and beam Tom directly to sickbay. I'll be there. Lieutenant Tuvok, you have the bridge." Chakotay hurriedly headed towards the turbolift, hoping that the Captain was somewhere to be found, not vaporized into oblivion.
...
Tom Paris awoke with a pounding headache. He opened his eyes and tried to sit up and assess his surroundings, but was held down by a firm hand on his shoulder. "Not so fast, Mr. Paris," said the owner of the hand.
Paris squinted, trying to adjust his eyes to the light. "Doc?" he asked. "What happened?"
"You suffered from major plasma burns when your console exploded," the Doctor said dryly.
"I have a splitting headache," Paris replied, closing his eyes. The lights were too bright; they only made his headache worse.
"This should help," the Doctor said, pressed a hypospray to his neck. Slowly the headache began to fade.
Tom heard the doors to sickbay swish open, and heard Chakotay's voice say, "How is he, Doctor?"
"Mr. Paris is on the mend, Commander."
"Can I speak to him?"
"Go right ahead," the Doctor replied. "I'm sure you'll find the ensign to be his usual, delightful self."
Chakotay moved to Paris' bedside and leaned over him, ignoring the Doctor's caustic tone. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Like my head was just trampled by a herd of targ," Paris replied. He slowly sat up with Chakotay's assistance and looked around sickbay. Suddenly, he realized that the Captain wasn't here with him. "Where's the Captain?" he asked, hoping that he had simply been the only one injured.
Chakotay grimaced. "I was hoping you could tell me."
Paris shook his head, his concern mounting. "We were having trouble pulling free of the anomaly's gravitational pull. I rerouted power to the thrusters. Shields were failing, but I thought I finally had enough power to get us out of there. Then there was a flash of bright light and... and that's all I remember before I woke up here."
Chakotay nodded. "Thank you, Ensign. When you're ready to report for duty, report to the shuttle bay. Harry and B'Elanna could use your help with the Flyer."
Tom nodded, watching Chakotay hurry out of sickbay. He felt an uneasiness settle in the pit of his stomach. What had happened to the Captain?
...
As she slowly regained consciousness, Kathryn Janeway's head was pounding. She felt disoriented as she opened her eyes and found herself looking into total darkness. The last thing she remembered was a flash of light as she and Tom were trying to escape the anomaly's gravitational pull. But now, she was laying on the floor, surrounded by several large storage containers. As Kathryn's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized that her surroundings were familiar somehow. She sat up, feeling a wave of nausea pass over her, and she grabbed a container to steady herself. The nausea passed and she drew herself to her feet slowly, trying to hold off the dizziness that made her knees feel weak. As she looked around, forcing down the dizziness and the nausea, she realized why her surroundings seemed so familiar. She was in cargo bay two. But something was wrong; something was missing. She surveyed the room, confused. Her head was still fuzzy, and it was hard for her to think clearly. She took a shaky step and then stopped dead in her tracks. She realized what was missing from cargo bay two; Seven of Nine's regeneration alcove. It wasn't here. Something was terribly wrong.