Into the Night
A Below Decks Story
By Christina
Ayala winced at the moans, groans, and what sounded like grating of metal of metal that occasionally echoed from the outside into the corridor. He grasped his phaser rifle tighter at the sound. The others in his team were fingering their weapons. Only Captain Janeway and Commander Tuvok looked calm.
"Didn't anyone-" Harry whispered, "-inform the Vordai crews just what an angry Klingon is capable of doing?"
"PetaQ's," B'Elanna snarled from behind them. "Captain, you hear what they are doing. My crews can do a better job. We'd better not be paying for repairs for any scratches..."
Ayala smiled at Harry, who just shrugged. The scenario was a bit surreal. Aliens were connecting Voyager to their station-and for once, it was supposed to be happening. At another loud scrishing sound, he gritted his teeth, but Voyager's chief engineer remained quiet.
"Vordai docking team eleven to Voyager. Connection is established," a voice said through the comm system.
"Very good," Janeway answered. She nodded toward Tuvok. The docking bay outer doors opened slowly revealing a large cavern and several armed Vordai in dull green uniforms, plus several dozen dock workers.
"Airlock seal is holding," Tuvok said as he glanced at the readings from the wall panel. "They have managed, despite all the scratching, to achieve a stable connection." He nodded toward Ayala and the six others on the security detail. Tuvok opened the door and stepped through. Immediately the Vordai guards moved their weapons to a ready position. Ayala and the other team members did the same.
"Everyone calm down," Janeway said quietly as she moved forward. "Stay here." She walked toward the demarcation between the ship and the station.
One of the Vordai officers also approached. Ayala tensed. A minute later Janeway ordered Commander Tuvok forward.
"The Vordai had seemed to be the less paranoid of the four," Harry said. "Until this visit."
"It's a military base. I guess they're worried about Gunrath'u spies," Ayala responded equally quietly.
"That doesn't surprise me," Harry said.
"Military posturing," B'Elanna said in a harsh whisper. "The Vordai Space Defense Ministry said Piramontoy had the kind of facilities we would need to complete repairs and that their military facilities were better suited toward Voyager."
Ayala shrugged. Normally, the military space docks were restricted to all but Vordai military ships. The civilian shipyards apparently were much less sophisticated and wouldn't be able to deal with the complex repairs that Voyager needed.
B'Elanna said, "I'm going to spend most of my waking hours explaining Voyager to their crews..."
"It looks like everything is settled," Harry said. Janeway was motioning everyone forward.
Tuvok pulled his security team aside. "We are to stay on the ship. No weapons or scanners are to leave the ship. Each side will process those who are leaving and returning to Voyager. Everyone departing Voyager will be required to carry appropriate identification."
Ayala grimaced. The crew had been informed about what they could and could not use for barter, and what kinds of purchases could be brought on Voyager. He smiled at the memory of the Doctor's lecture about the health risks of a space station.
"Lieutenant Ayala," Tuvok said. "I want three security officers on duty at all times. Any problems are to be reported immediately." Ayala acknowledged the order. Commander Tuvok then left with Harry, Lieutenant Torres, and Captain Janeway.
"You heard him," Ayala said. "And you've read the files. The only authorized personnel in this section are Vordai technicians and repair crews and their security, and of course our own crew. These people are fixing Voyager, let's avoid any incidents."
He looked around. Vordai security had a station on the right side of the hall. "We'll set up here." He pointed to the left side. "Stay alert. The last thing I need is to find another Gunrath diplomat crawling around in the Jeffries tubes."
This brought some chuckles.
"Hello Hugh," Jenny said as he sat down across from her. She noted a few glances their way from the other diners. She couldn't leave too quickly.
"Jenny. I'm sorry, but it's another full house. How you been?"
Damn, she thought, he was going to try to make conversation. She delayed answering by taking several forkfuls of whatever the main dish was. "I've been fine. And you?" It was an instinctive response.
"I've been better. Jenny..." He stopped speaking for several minutes, during which she tried to enjoy the silence. It was hard. He'd been a good friend, until Prixin. What had possessed them to try to move beyond friendship? She couldn't blame takeover by nasty wicked aliens for this mistake.
She broke the silence. "I'm sorry, Hugh. I like you. I always have. It's just that..."
"I understand. I'm sorry too. We shouldn't have, well." He blushed.
She smiled sadly. "Hindsight is said to be perfect."
He nodded. She started to reach out but stopped.
"It's probably all for the best anyway." She smiled. "We're going to be home within the year," at least she hoped so. "I'm still planning on going to command school and make Starfleet my career."
"We can still be friends though."
"I hope so." She reached over and tapped his hand with her fingers. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gotten so angry." He again nodded. The subject wouldn't be mentioned again. They finished eating in silence.
"I have some of the costumes finished," she said as she stood. "I'll bring them to rehearsal tonight."
"Excellent. Thanks for doing this." He didn't say, 'despite everything,' but she knew he was thinking it.
"It was fun. See you tonight..." Possibly the wrong thing to say in a crowded mess hall. Once again a number of people were looking at them. Oh well, she thought, it wouldn't be the first time the crew had the wrong impression. Somehow the rumor mill had them dating before they'd tried. They'd been good friends, she now wished they hadn't tried for more. She dumped her tray into the recycler and left.
Act 3
Piramontoy Station
15 days after leaving New Hope
"Hello," Joe said as he approached Harry. The noise of the Vordai bazaar almost drowned out Harry's response. "You look lost."
"Only pilots get lost."
Joe laughed. "So, Tom took a wrong turn?"
"He's somewhere over there." Harry pointed to his left. "He saw something for Miral."
"I see. And B'Elanna?"
Harry laughed as he shook his head. "She's checking on the work on the deflector dish."
Joe nodded. He'd been out yesterday. "It's still frustrating to not be fully involved in repairing our own ship. And the shops and merchandise aren't very exciting." For the past week, returning crew had spoken of the bazaar and other shops as also being overpriced. Joe had to agree. He'd found the time he'd spent wandering through the civilian ship yards more interesting. The Vordai Space Defense Ministry had been correct, the military facilities were much better. So was security.
They stopped at a booth with many bright beads and stones. The merchant trilled as he started to show his wares.
"The trick," Harry said with a half-smile, "Is not to appear too eager."
"I'll try to keep it mind, if I ever see anything that appeals to me." They walked away.
"It's still hard to believe that our next shoreleave may be in the alpha-quadrant." Joe wondered why Harry seemed so reticent.
"What's wrong?"
Harry shrugged. "The slipstream. I remember our last attempt all too well."
"We've made improvements. And we've tested every scenario. Worst case is we exit the slipstream at an angle. We would end up in the wrong place."
"The last time I sent myself a message from the future. Apparently that wrong place was a planet."
"Come by this evening. We'll run a worse case scenario. We've improved the safety back-ups since our last test."
Harry smiled. "I know, I know. Harry the over optimistic dreamer is worried about this. I know you've taken every precaution, I'm just spooked."
"That's okay. Come by. The more testing we can do, the better. The last time we tried to do too much at once, cover the whole distance in one shot. This way, while slower, is better and safer."
"I will. I need to look for something. What does one get someone whom..." Harry shook his head.
"Harry?" Joe stopped walking. "What does one get whom?"
"Nothing...I mean..."
"Ahh. Marla." Joe wasn't sure if the match was a good one or not. He liked Marla, she'd become a valuable member of engineering, but deep down he wasn't really sure if he could ever get past what she and the other Equinox crewmembers had done.
Harry nodded. "Yes. I'd hoped to find something special for her."
"I don't think the schlock that's for sale here is what you're looking for." Joe paused as he thought. "Do you remember that concert you gave three or so years ago. You played..." He bit his lip, he just couldn't remember the piece Harry had played. Pre-twenty-second century music had rarely interested him. "You played the clarinet. Make a recording."
Harry's smile grew. "That's it. Thanks Joe." He bolted.
Joe shrugged and turned his attention back to the markets. He hoped that there was something here for Annie and the kids.
"Hey Joe-" Tom said from behind him, "-have you seen Harry?"
"I think he returned to the ship. He mentioned you'd found something for Miral."
Tom shook his head. "On closer inspection, that toy had too many small parts. I'm still looking. I never realized just how hard shopping for a baby is."
"It's been a while for me," Joe said. Over seven years. He'd missed his kids' childhoods..."But yeah, I remember."
"Hey, with the slipstream, we'll be home before you know it."
"Are we doing the right thing though? The slipstream to begin with is much more troublesome than the transwarp, and you know how that ended up."
Tom took a deep breath. "I know. But the slipstream should be all right. I flew many of the test flights. And we're not just going on theory-we're also working with the knowledge of our own past experiences. 'Don't be greedy, don't overuse it...'"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. But in ten days we'll be using it on Voyager for the first time."
"Nerves..." Tom grinned. "B'Elanna was very nervous before we attempted the transwarp. It's expected." He patted Joe on the back. "We trust you. Now, just relax. Enjoy yourself. But don't go to Jultana's."
"Missed that one." He laughed when Tom winked.
"Yea, the morning briefing was pretty interesting. It seems there was a little skirmish there last night. The Doctor has the two patients now."
"And Commander Tuvok?"
"He's gets them next."
Hugh smiled. Tomorrow the costumes would be ready. Tech and dress rehearsals would start in two days. Then their performance for the Vordai VIP's. Followed the next morning by Voyager's departure.
"Hey Hugh," Kashimuro shouted. "We're ready."
"Excellent. By the way, Janeway said she would stop by to watch. We're to ignore her when she does-don't let it affect our rehearsal."
"Great," Megan said. "Does she know about the bath song?"
"I doubt it. Why? Oh..." Hugh laughed as he remembered why Megan brought it up. "Well, it's Renaissance."
"That's right," Susan said. "And it's no where near as full of sexual innuendo than numerous others I could have chosen." She smiled, wickedly. "I figured it was up to me to keep this from becoming a religious drama."
"Trust me," Megan said. "There's no chance of that. I just hope the Vordai don't view drama in the same terms as the Minenne."
Hugh rolled his eyes at the thought. "We'll muddle through, then the next morning flee..."
There was a moment of silence. Hugh's thoughts had drifted toward the Alpha-Quadrant and his mother. She was the only surviving member of his family.
"What are you planning to do when we return?" Megan asked him.
"I don't know," was the reply. Over the past seven years the goal seemed to have shifted to just surviving another week. Even with the transwarp and now the slipstream, he found it hard to think about life in the Alpha Quadrant. "We do need to get started." He glanced around. "Where's Harry?"
"He'll be here," Susan said. "He said he would be few minutes late." She picked up the cornetto in her lap. "Ready?" She placed the instrument to her lips and blew a quick fanfare.
"If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die..."
Hugh nodded and sat back. He'd stop the rehearsal only if something atrocious happened.
He turned at the sound footsteps. Harry smiled in greeting and went to join Susan. He pulled two recorders out of a bag as he sat.
Joe hated EVA suits, but he needed to inspect the alignment of the warp nacelles. His escort made a motion to hurry. Coming, he thought. The teams of workers were putting on the finishing touches. B'Elanna and the Captain were again meeting with officials to schedule a test flight. He slowed down his ascent to the nacelle. His escort moved to one side. It was pretty obvious the Vordai officer with him was not a technician. She'd questioned everything Joe had brought with him. She moved closer as he unhooked his scanner. Just ignore her, he decided.
He ran the scanner over the struts and smiled The ship was in better shape than it had been since their run in with the Hirogen almost four years earlier. He turned to scan another area. He angled his wrist light to see better. Again the data showed the Vordai knew what they were doing-even with alien ships.
Even if they didn't know that Starfleet regulation exterior paint should be several shades lighter. He hummed as he worked. B'Elanna had approved of the darker gray, Janeway had just grunted.
He finished his examination of the port nacelle and motioned to his escort he was moving. He didn't wait for her. He had to finish scanning the starboard one and prepare a worst-case-scenario test of the slipstream for Harry.
Their last time using the slipstream had been a disaster...except that with interference from the future it hadn't been.
He hated temporal dynamics. Theoretically it was fascinating. The past is the future is the past...whatever. In reality it sucked. He couldn't rub his head, but he could feel the pain beginning in his sinuses.
Even thinking about temporal stuff was enough to start a headache.
"Stick to the present," he muttered. And that meant finishing his data collection.