Chapter 6
2376 - Voyager - Deck 2 - Mess Hall
Captain Janeway stared sourly into the cooling black liquid in her cup, watching as the coffee grounds swirled round and round. As a result, she did not notice when Commander Chakotay walked up quietly behind her.
"Kathryn?"
She jumped at the sudden interruption.
Chakotay frowned, "Are you alright?"
Janeway sighed and relaxed again, gesturing to the chair opposite her.
"I'm fine," she mumbled.
Chakotay raised one eyebrow in imitation of Tuvok, making the corners of Janeway's mouth turn up a little.
"It's the girls," she admitted, suddenly uncomfortable.
Chakotay frowned, "What about them?"
"You know what the crew thinks, Chakotay."
Chakotay nodded.
"The girls are suspicious," she continued, "but all my instincts are telling me that it's not them."
This time Chakotay's eyebrows went up of their own accord. Still, Janeway pushed on.
"I know they have Naomi, and I know they're eluding security, but," she sighed, "Chakotay! They're only children! It's unrealistic for us to accuse them of anything. I seriously don't think that they have anything to with this mess. The crew is just being paranoid."
Chakotay looked a bit startled at this small outburst. "They did knock out the com system."
Janeway nodded, "Probably, but I just have this strong feeling that it's not them. I've already spoken to Tuvok, and he agrees with me. There are too many other possibilities. Alien intrusion, unknown phenomenon, or . . . a member of the crew. . ."
Her voice faded away, and she looked at Chakotay expectantly, waiting for his opinion. Chakotay knew she was hoping that he would agree with her. She didn't want to get into another fight. Their worst fight had been just a few months ago, when Captain Ransom and the Equinox crew came aboard. Chakotay realized that he wasn't going to let it happen again.
"Alright," he said, smiling reassuringly, "I can see your point of view, and I agree."
As Chakotay spoke, Janeway relaxed and the tension in her face drained away. Then something close to apprehension flashed in her eyes.
"What is it?" Chakotay asked, immediately detecting the change in his best friend's face.
"I was speaking with the Doctor over the com, before communications went down. He told me that two other people had been taken in to sickbay, both drugged," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose with two fingers, unsuccessfully trying to stop her ongoing headache.
"Who?" Chakotay asked, although he didn't really want to know.
Janeway sighed, "Lt. Lyssa Cambell from transporter and Lt. Michael Alaya from security."
"How are B'Elanna, Tom, and Harry?" Chakotay said, looking down at the table.
"No change," Janeway murmured softly.
Chakotay looked up just as Janeway stifled a yawn, and suddenly noticed how tired his friend looked. "Kathryn, you need rest," he said, knowing full well she would reject the idea. He wasn't disappointed.
"What are you talking about?" Janeway said, jokingly raising her mug, "I've got coffee!"
Chakotay smiled, "All right, you win, but don't blame me if you fall asleep on the bridge! Anyway, about the girls. I think it is possible that they did knock out the com system, but if they didn't, well, then we have a problem."
"Uh huh."
Chakotay continued, "Because that means that whoever did it has a humanoid form. Internal sensors haven't picked up any alien life forms, either, so I - ," suddenly, Chakotay realized that Janeway wasn't listening to him. He smiled. "You know, Tuvok has really been getting on my nerves recently. I'm going to throw him out an airlock, okay?"
"That's fine," Janeway mumbled absentmindedly. Then she started as Chakotay started chuckling.
"What's so funny?" she asked, surprised.
"You!" he smiled, "You just gave me permission to throw Tuvok overboard!"
Janeway smiled, "I guess I'm more tired then I thought."
"Go rest," her first officer suggested, "unless you want me to tell the Doctor?
"All right, all right I'm going! No need to use threats!" Janeway laughed. Then she suddenly became serious again, "I'm not the only one who has been up for the last twenty-four hours, Chakotay. You should get some sleep, too."
"Nah," Chakotay said, "I'm not that tired. Besides, who's going to watch your ship while Tuvok is floating in space?"
They laughed. Then Janeway's eyebrows lifted as Chakotay yawned.
He smiled. "Okay, okay, I'll get some rest, too," he paused, then said, "I'll walk you back to your quarters?"
Janeway smiled, "All right, let's go."
As they walked out, they failed to notice a figure sitting in a darkened corner. The cool, piercing gaze of Seven of Nine followed them as they left the mess hall.
x
"There's no way we're going to be able to outrun them!" Meredith huffed as they sprinted down the corridor, helping Naomi to keep up.
Security was gaining with every futile step they took. They would undoubtedly catch them within a few minutes.
"They have Starfleet training, we don't," Rhanda added, breathing hard.
"Well then, do something!" Taylor yelled.
Suddenly, two large doors caught Rhanda's eye. It was holodeck 2, the place where Tom Paris had been knocked out. Rhanda felt a light snap on in her head. She had a plan.
"Quick!" she shouted, pulling on Rachel's arm, "Follow me!"
And, without a second thought, the girls followed Rhanda, running through the doors of holodeck 2, the scene of the crime of the assault . . . the assault that they had been accused of committing.
x
Seven of Nine's alcove clicked, as she stepped into place to begin her regeneration cycle. She closed her eyes and let darkness take over.
Seven was suddenly standing in the countryside, at dusk, clearly after a long rain.
In her sleep, Seven groaned, and her eyes moved quickly beneath her eyelids. Even in unconsciousness, she could feel that something was wrong. The place felt familiar, yet she has never been there before.
Seven heard a noise behind her and she turned around. She inhaled quickly when she saw who it was. It was Tom Paris.
He was on the ground, arms spread-eagled. He was hurt, blood trickling down his face, and his eyes were wide with terror. He stared up at Seven.
Seven knelt next to him. Then she jumped as he addressed her.
"Seven. . . why did you do this?"
Seven sucked in her breath, "I did nothing."
Paris's glare turned accusing. "Yes. Yes you did. You did this! Why Seven?"
"I . . . I have no recollection of harming you," Seven stammered, looking uneasy.
"But you did," he said, not accusing anymore, just stating facts, "You did whether you remember or not."
"This is not possible!" Seven said angrily.
"Oh it's possible," said a voice from behind.
Seven turned to see B'Elanna, Harry, Lt. Lyssa Campbell, and Lt. Michael Ayala hovering above her. They were all injured, although not as severely as Paris. Seven frowned.
"What happened to all of you?" she asked.
"You happened to all of us, Seven," B'Elanna snarled. Seven frowned, causing B'Elanna to say, "Here, let me spell it out for you! You drugged us. You attacked Tom, Harry, Lyssa, Michael, and I! It was you."
Paris stood up to join the others. The five in front of Seven glared at her.
"No," Seven whispered, "no, you can't be here. . . all of you are in sickbay."
"In sickbay because of you!" Harry growled.
Seven ignored him. "This isn't real; this is a dream. I don't have to listen to you!"
B'Elanna stepped forward and grabbed Seven's forearm.
"You're wrong Seven. Dead wrong. You do have to listen to us. You're conscience won't allow otherwise. And," she added, "This is more than just a dream. Much more."
The last things Seven saw before everything went black, were her friend's bruised and bloodied faces. . .
And the accusing glares that said, "This is all your fault."
x
Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Star Trek or Star Trek. I don't even own any rights to this story because it was written by my friend. She now wishes I get credit to her with her pen name, Rachel Pierce. It was written about our little Trekkie group, The Sisterhood of Teenage Trekkies. Though there have been changes to respect rights of my friends and myself. I have been given permission to post this story. Thank you and enjoy.