In Danger
Seven's body gradually began to relax as Laili funneled her energy and essence into Seven's body. Laili's body began to slump as the energy left her but she had to keep steady. She couldn't break contact until the transfer was complete. She shut her eyes to try and concentrate.
Outside of the holodeck, Tom and Harry paced back and forth. The Doctor was using Holodeck Two to practice his new opera and they had scheduled an hour or two as well.
"You try it." Harry rolled his eyes but tried opening the doors to Holodeck One. They didn't budge.
"Great, we're locked out." Tom sounded more annoyed than he should have been. After all it was only holodeck time. It wasn't a necessity.
"Try a command override." Again Harry rolled his eyes and input his security code. Nothing happened.
"Ensign Kim to Commander Tuvok."
"Tuvok here."
"Sir we have a problem. We've been locked out of Holodeck One." There was a low breath over the comm. frequency.
"I will be there momentarily, Ensign." Tom and Harry shared a look.
"Yes Sir."
"I wonder who could have locked us out. I mean…the Doctor couldn't have taken up both holodecks to rehearse," Harry muttered.
Before Tom could answer Tuvok stepped out of a turbolift. He approached Tom and Harry, a look of annoyance in his eyes. They stepped back and watched as Tuvok input his security code and was met with the same result as Harry.
"Computer, open doors to Holodeck One."
"Unable to comply."
"We could always shoot our way through," Tom suggested. Tuvok gave him a disapproving glare.
"I suggest you find a different time to engage in this activity."
"Come on, Tuvok. It's not even about the privileges. As Chief of Security, you should be concerned that we can't get in." Tuvok took a step back, as if examining the door in front of him.
"Perhaps you are correct Lieutenant. I will inform the Captain."
"We'll uh…stay here in case anything changes," Tom called as Tuvok began to walk away.
Inside the holodeck, Laili was fighting to keep herself steady an awake. She could feel the process working as Seven's skin became hot to the touch. Her eyes were wide open, fixated on the ceiling and her breathing was shallow.
"Almost there," Laili whispered. All she needed was a few more minutes.
On Deck One, Tuvok approached the Captain's Ready Room and was about to enter when the doors opened and Kathryn walked out.
"Sorry Tuvok. I didn't see you."
"It is quite alright, Captain. However I wish to speak with you."
"Of course. What can I do for you?" She turned to go back into her office but Tuvok led her towards the nearest turbolift.
"It seems we may have a security breach on Holodeck One. We have been locked out."
"That doesn't sound good."
"Indeed, it does not."
When they arrived on Deck Six, they found Tom and Harry trying to physically pry the doors open with little luck. They stepped back when they spotted Kathryn approaching.
"It looks like you two need to exercise a little more," she teased.
"We would Captain…if we could ever get inside." Kathryn gave a nod and tried her security code. The doors budged just enough for her to get her hands inside.
"Guess the Captain has the magic touch."
"Tom, help me pull these open." Tom stood opposite of the Captain and together they forced the doors open. The quartet crowded in the doorway for a moment, speechless. None of them were certain what they were witnessing. It was clear that there was something going on between Laili and Seven of Nine.
"What is…" Tom began.
"Oh God…I think…" Harry gasped. While he hadn't gone into detail about the intimacy of the Dreagan, he could guess it was something along those lines. Kathryn just shook her head. In one fluid motion she pulled her phaser from its holster and fired. The beam hit Laili in the shoulder, sending her crumpling to the floor in her weakened state.
"Captain?" Tom sounded surprised. Since when did Kathryn Janeway fire on a friendly species.
"Help me get them to Sickbay." She didn't sound interested in explaining her actions. Tom and Tuvok picked up Laili, carrying her carefully between them while Harry and the Captain helped Seven to her feet.
The trek to Sickbay felt longer than any of them could have imagined. Laili mumbled incoherently against Tuvok's shoulder while Seven swayed on unsteady legs between Harry and Kathryn.
"Easy. One step at a time," Kathryn coached once they reached Sickbay. The Doctor was nowhere to be seen.
"Computer, activate Emergency Medical Hologram."
"That program is currently running."
"Locate the EMH."
"The EMH is on Holodeck Two."
"Transfer EMH back to Sickbay." The computer beeped and the Doctor's program reappeared. He was mid song but stopped when he saw Tom and Tuvok laying Laili down on a bio bed.
"What happened?"
"We're not sure," Kathryn answered as she helped Seven onto a bed as well. She turned to Harry.
"Go find Radella. I have a feeling she can tell us what was going on in there."
"Yes, Ma'am." In seconds, he was gone. Seven seemed to have regained some of her faculties once she was sitting down. She wasn't as disoriented as she'd been on the transit to Sickbay but she could sit still.
"Captain?" She sounded confused.
"What is going on? How did I get here?"
"You were on the Holodeck. We brought you here. Just try and stay still." Seven nodded wearily as the doors to Sickbay opened and Radella raced in followed by Harry.
"Harry said it was urgent. What's going on?"
"We were hoping you could tell us," Kathryn answered. Radella caught sight of Laili. She was pale and looked barely conscious.
"Her pulse is weak. Her breaths are shallow," the Doctor reported.
"Where did you find her?"
"She and Seven of Nine were on the holodeck. When we found them…it looked like they were doing some sort of ritual." Radella paled a shade or two.
"I'm so sorry, Captain. I had no idea this would happen."
"What? What happened?"
"I'd have to see what the holodeck looked like to be sure." Kathryn let out a breath and turned to the Doctor.
"Can you stabilize her?"
"I believe so."
"Do it. Then try and get Seven of Nine to sit still."
"Aye Captain." Kathryn led Radella down to Deck Six. The program was still running. Radella took one look around and let out a disappointed sigh.
"Well?"
"She was performing the imbuing ritual."
"And what is that exactly?" Radella let out another breath.
"The ritual our people use to conceive. But it doesn't work with members of other species. Laili knew that." It was Kathryn's turn to pale.
"I see."
By the time the returned to Sickbay, the Doctor had stabilized Laili but was finding it much more difficult to contain Seven of Nine.
"Seven, please sit down."
"I cannot comply."
"Why not?"
"I do not know."
"Doctor, I'd like a word with you." He nodded and led the Captain and Radella into his office.
"It appears that Laili was performing a ritual with Seven of Nine."
"What sort of ritual?"
"Given the look of things in there, I believe Laili was attempting to impregnate Seven of Nine." The Doctor's jaw dropped.
"Fascinating."
"Doctor." Kathryn's tone was sharp.
"Sorry, Captain. What can you tell me about the ritual…"
"Did they complete the ritual?" Kathryn shrugged.
"I don't think so. We stopped her."
"So that's where the phaser burn came from," the Doctor mumbled.
"Then we have a problem." Radella shot a glance back through the window at the two patients. Before the Doctor could ask again for more information, Radella continued her train of thought.
"They are both in danger if they do not finish the ritual."
"I thought you said it can't be performed with someone from another species," Kathryn interrupted.
"It doesn't generally succeed. But both partners will recover, as long as the ritual is finished."
"I'm sorry but I'm not going to put Seven of Nine through something she may have not been a willing participant in."
"I understand your concern, Captain. Believe me I don't want to harm any of your crew. But you have understand that there is a larger issue at hand. If the ritual goes unfinished, they will both die."
