The planet is quiet when "Cholbute" arrives on the surface. With ears pricked for any unusual sound, he makes his way to the nearest cave entrance. Immediately, he notices the drop in temperature and is grateful for the radiant warmth generated by the holo-emitter. He'll have to be careful not to stand too close to any Gravatti lest they notice his warmth.
The tunnels of the cave are unusually straight-forward and lit with electric lights, as if they had been made intentionally rather than by the forces of nature. The walls are dry, smooth. Chakotay makes his way quickly through. After he has travelled for five or six minutes, the corridor widens and he passes a Gravatti, standing casually against the wall. It looks at him and clicks its mouth with a downward nod. Chakotay does it back, hoping that this is a reciprocal greeting. When the Gravatti looks away from him and back at the datapadd in its fingers, Chakotay's shoulders sag slightly in relief. He keeps moving.
Around another corner, the walls widen further until he's suddenly standing in a great hall, easily five times the size of Voyager's cargo bay. There are no stalactites or other natural features of a cave, but a smooth dome of glittering black. Light radiates from fist-sized bioluminescent insects that move in loose swarms twenty feet up. It's tempting to stare at them in awe, forgetting that this sight must be commonplace to the Gravatti who live here, but a muffled yelling coming from across the room reminds him why he is here. He keeps to the wall, trying to keep an eye on the tunnel he entered through. His tricorder is of little use in these tunnels and the fear of becoming lost makes him just a little queasy.
The yelling gets louder as Chakotay makes his way down a new tunnel, seeing by the light of the insects, now crawling along the tunnel ceilings. He tries to keep his pace casual, professional, but worry speeds him on. He hopes that he simply looks like a man with somewhere to be.
Harry can't remember when he was last allowed to rest. He has been writhing in agony for his whole existence, he must have been, because there is nothing else in his head. There's no room for anything but the struggle to keep breathing between screams. The creature has left out the gag this time, preferring to let Harry hear the full force of his pain as it rips through him. Deep bruises have formed along the path of his restraints, striping his arms and chest with raised, purple sores. He doesn't notice them.
He had been visited once more by the creature. At least, he thinks it was the same one. His vision has been blurring for the last several hours and the alien can't look all that different from its brethren. It circled it him, asking question after question about Voyager, how is achieves warp, how it converts dilithium for fuel, how they get food, what sort of weapons systems they have, what the command structure looks like, on and on and on. Harry stayed quiet, even when he was offered a blanket, even when he was told that he'd be treated as an emissary to bring fortune to their people, even when the creature lost its patience and forced two long, haired fingers down his throat and let Harry choke on them. Tears fell from his eyes at the stinging of it, and it was almost grateful for an excuse to let them fall.
Tom would call you a momma's boy if he could see you now, sang a cruel little voice in his head. He ignored it, and was rewarded with another touch of the creature's weapon. The screaming began.