Part 3.
The meeting was over.
Montgomery had been adamant in her orders that Voyager’s crew not be allowed
anywhere near Protectorate’s technology. She had paced back and forth in the mess
hall until Max had risen from his chair and stopped her by simply smiling his crooked
smile and stepping in her way.
Janeway had watched the older captain clench her teeth and again witnessed the wordless
communication between Montgomery and her next in command. The Excellence’s captain
had then relented, shrugged and sat down without comments.
Both ship’s crews now had several tasks to attend to immediately.
B’Elanna Torres, Seven and Harry Kim had transported over to the Excellence
together with three teams of engineers and mechanics from Voyager. Their job was to repair
the other ship’s main warp core.
An away team from the Excellence was already working with Bunthoran authorities
reviewing and modifying their evacuation plans for the cities along the coast but the
authorities were still in denial and little progress had been made.
Tuvok, Lt Bremer and Chakotay were accompanying Commander Toriello to meet the
Bunthoran authorities. They needed answers quickly regarding the latest findings that
Seven had uncovered.
Twelve hours was a very short span of time.
******
Chakotay regarded his reflection in the mirror.
He was standing in Commander Toriello’s quarters together with Tuvok, dressed in a
Guardian uniform; it’s fabric almost like leather only smoother and lighter. The tall
golden collar framed and sheltered his neck, it seemed to be made of a fabric spun of
metallic fibres. The same material formed a gold braid down his right sleeve.
The doctor had already altered their appearances cosmetically. They now boasted the
same appearance as the planet’s inhabitants.
“Will the Bunthoran think we’re one of you?” he asked Max Toriello who
stood just behind him.
“Yes. They don’t tend to question the presence of a Guardian, Chakotay. They
hold the Protectorate in great respect, as you’ll find out. They think they, as well
as the Guardians, are indigenous to their planet.”
“How did the Protectorate manage that?”
“Let’s just say they tend to have a long term vision of things. They’ve
been a part of this world and its history since its formation.”
Chakotay regarded Toriello solemnly trying to absorb what the man was telling him.
“The Protectorate has hidden their true nature from these people for millions of
years?”
“To sum it up in one word … yes.”
“Doesn’t your coming and goings tip them off?”
Toriello smiled.
“We’ll beam down to the Protectorate Embassy. It’s well shielded and
quite secure. After that we will use the local means of transportation. Your identities
have already been constructed so to speak and have been entered into their
databases.”
“How are we expected to learn all that we need to know to maintain our
cover?”
Toriello laughed.
“We have a little device and I promise it’s harmless. You’ll get an
overview of things that you’ll need to be familiar with before we even set foot on
the planet’s surface. May I?” Toriello asked as he produced a small round
metallic piece of technology and approached Tuvok.
Tuvok nodded and Toriello proceeded to attach the device to Tuvok’s temple.
“Quite ingenious,” the Vulcan responded as the history of the planet played
out before him in his mind.
“Think of it as an immersion course of sorts.”
Toriello then attached the same device to Chakotay.
Voyager’s first officer turned around.
“This is amazing. Will we retain the knowledge?”
“Oh, yes, it’s quite effective. Now is there anything else we need to address
before we go?”
Both Chakotay and Tuvok indicated that they were ready to continue.
“Okay then, let’s get out of here,” Toriello said as he led the way out
of his room down the Excellence’s corridor. “I’m glad Janeway offered
Voyager as a recourse. Since our transporters are down due to the warp core malfunction it
would have been difficult to go on.
“Our transporters can’t take us to the planet directly,” Chakotay
cautioned the other first officer. “We have to go in the Delta Flyer and take it into
high orbit well out of range of the planet’s radar system.”
“Yes, we are aware of Voyager’s limitations. That’s why I asked Lt
Bremer to bring along one of our small cloaking devices. In the event that the
planet’s systems do pick up anything, the device will mask the shuttle as a piece of
space debris.”
“How does it accomplish that, Commander?” Tuvok asked.
“Please, call me Max. It’s another piece of borrowed technology from the
Protectorate so forgive me if I don’t go into any great details about it. Trust me,
it’s not intrusive to your systems and you are free to scan it for yourself.”
“Fine, Max,” replied Chakotay with a smile. “You’ll forgive us for
not taking everything you say at face value. We will be scanning it."
Max laughed.
“I’m in a forgiving mood. Feel free.”
The three officers continued down the corridor to the Excellence’s transporter
room where Lt Bremer joined them. The silent tactical officer nodded briefly towards the
officers from Voyager and greeted her commanding officer with a correct ‘sir’
and proceeded to give her report.
“I’ve notified the Embassy that we’re beaming down and I’ve also
communicated with Lt Commander Darok and Ensign Graham. They are awaiting our
arrival.”
Chakotay looked at the younger woman and then corrected himself. She was his own age,
at least, he estimated. She looked around thirty years old but since the Excellence had
been in the Delta Quadrant for fifteen years, she had to be a bit over forty. This would
explain her quiet confidence. The youthful woman moved with a lethal flexibility that he
easily could imagine turning into action.
Voyager’s first officer tapped his comm badge.
“Chakotay to Voyager. Four to beam over to the shuttle bay.”
“Aye, sir.”
They shimmered into existence next to the Delta Flyer where Tom Paris was just about to
enter the sleek space shuttle.
“What a beauty!” Toriello remarked and regarded the specially built vessel.
Tom Paris smiled and patted the closest bulkhead.
“Yes, we’re proud of her,” he grinned.
“Tom and Harry built the Delta Flyer together with Seven of Nine and
B’Elanna,” Chakotay explained as they all entered the ship.
The door closed and they took their seats. Chakotay granted permission to install the
cloaking device after a quick scan. As soon as Lt Bremer had completed the task Tom Paris
brought the warp core online. He requested permission from the bridge to take the Flyer
out and the shuttle doors opened.
They circled the moon and approached the planet from the dark side. Placing the Flyer
in a high orbit, undetectable by the planet’s radar system, Tom nodded over his
shoulder.
“Guess this is your stop, folks,” he smiled.
“No unnecessary communication, Tom,” Chakotay warned the pilot. “Only if
there is an emergency.”
“Got it,” the younger man said. “I must say you and Tuvok look spiffy in
those uniforms, Chakotay.”
Chakotay smirked at the incorrigible pilot.
“Set the co-ordinates for the Protectorate’s Embassy and beam us down,
Tom.”
“Aye, sir!” Tom grinned.
The four officers dematerialised. The last thing they heard was Paris’ ‘good
luck’.
*****
Captain Montgomery rubbed her forehead, looking pale.
“Kathryn,” she said quietly. “I owe you one.”
The two women were sitting on Janeway’s couch in her ready room after finishing
their meeting in the mess hall.
“You don’t owe me anything, Captain,” Janeway answered, sipping her
coffee. “I just want you to understand that I and my crew will be watching everything
you do. If we see anything, anything at all, that we perceive as misconduct we will
withdraw our assistance at once.”
“I think you have made that point perfectly clear. I still don’t understand
why you feel the need to make the same point over and over again. Tell me, what happened
to you, Kathryn? What changed you?” Montgomery asked after studying the younger
woman’s face. “Oh, I know you’ve matured from the young cadet I once knew
but when did you become so … suspicious, so cynical? What happened to make you doubt
the goodness in others?”
“What makes you think anything happened?”
“As a captain I can appreciate your concerns about the safety and well being of
your crew. I can understand how you would want to be cautious and assess the situation
before making a commitment or taking action.“
“And you have a problem with that?”
“Not at all. In fact I find it commendable. But there is something else at work
here. Where does all this pent up anger come from? Are you always this way or do I simply
bring out the worse in you?”
Janeway’s face hardened.
“I think you’re over stating the situation. It’s not personal.
“Really? I find it very personal.”
Janeway placed her coffee cup on the table and began to rise.
“You’ll have to excuse me. I have things to do on the bridge.”
“You know, Kathryn, I have thought many things about you in the past but I have
never thought of you as a coward.”
Janeway inhaled sharply.
“How dare you? How dare you call me a coward? You have no idea what I’ve been
through. None. I have never given up. I have never turned my back on the
Federation. I have never lost my soul.”
“Is that what’s this is all about? Is that what you think I’ve
done?”
“You and Ransom, you’re all alike. You ... ”
“Who the hell is Ransom??” Montgomery interrupted, sounding both irritated
and confused.
“Another Federation captain who compromised himself here in the Delta
Quadrant!”
“And how did he do that? His actions must have been tremendously despicable since
it has eaten you up inside. What was his crime, Kathryn? In what way did he or his ship
not live up to your standards?”
The auburn haired woman turned on Montgomery, her face red with anger and her eyes
burning with unshed tears.
“He murdered a species.”
“What?” Montgomery asked in horrid amazement.
“He and his crew participated in the nasty business of murdering innocent aliens
and using their dead corpses as fuel in a little experiment they cooked up to get home
quicker,” she said, her eyes tearing.
As she continued to speak in harsh tones, Janeway began to pace, unable to look
Montgomery in the eyes.
“They were in the same situation as you were when the Protectorate found you;
running on impulse, starving and beaten. Half of the crew was dead, lost in one of their
first battles in this Quadrant.”
Montgomery flinched but remained silent.
“They lied to us,” Janeway continued, her voice deepening with emotion.
“They used the good faith we bestowed upon them just because they were our kind. They
endangered this ship and its crew and by doing so …”
Tears began to pour from Janeway’s eyes as she gazed down at her clenched fists.
“Yes?” Montgomery said gently.
Janeway inhaled audibly, bracing herself for what she considered to be the ugly truth.
“I was so damned angry,” she confessed. “When we found out their secret,
Ransom escaped and took Seven of Nine and our Doctor with him. I lost it. I went after him
with everything this battered ship had and by doing so, I endangered the crew just as much
as he had, maybe more.”
“What happened then?” Montgomery asked quietly.
“He manipulated our Emergency Medical Hologram, removed his ethical subroutines
and had him perform experiments on Seven’s cortical implant in order to find out the
encryption codes she had used to lock down his warp core.”
“Did he succeed?”
“No. She never gave in. She was willing to die to keep us safe.”
“She’s quite heroic, this Seven of Nine of your.”
“Yes. Yes, she is.”
“How did you save her?”
“We caught two of Ransom’s men and I … I threatened to turn one of them
over to the aliens that he had been destroying, knowing that it meant certain death,
unless he gave me the Equinox’ position. Of course he didn’t.”
“Did you turn the man over?”
“I wanted to. I would have but Chakotay intervened. He saved him and perhaps me
… from myself. Eventually we were able to pick up their trail and beam our people to
safety. Ransom forced my hand. No, that’s not true. I let him force my hand.”
Janeway became silent, withdrawing into herself.
“Kathryn, how long ago did this happen? How long have you been letting this thing
eat inside of you?”
“Several months.”
“Look at me,” commanded Montgomery in a gentle but strong manner.
“I am not Ransom and neither are you.”
At that moment Janeway broke down completely and a flood of emotions that she had
suppressed for months was set free.
Montgomery reached out and pulled the younger woman into her arms to comfort her.
“How do you know?”
“I just do. You’re stronger than that. You’re one of the strongest
people I have ever known, even as a young know-it-all cadet.”
“I’m so afraid of …”
“What? Failing? Don’t you think we all are? Listen to me, Kathryn. We’re
all afraid, every last one of us at one point or another.”
“Even the indestructible Captain Montgomery?” Janeway managed to smirk.
“Even me,” the blonde said as she led Janeway back to the couch to sit.
“The secret is in how we handle those fears, how we control them and not allow
them control us. You know, ‘be brave, be ...’”
“… ‘bold’,” both of the women said in unison. Janeway smiled
through her tears.
“Why haven’t you talked to anyone about this before?” Montgomery asked.
“You could have approached Chakotay or perhaps one of the others?”
“Chakotay is a very good friend,” Janeway allowed.
“Yes, he reminds me of Max.”
“I couldn’t. I was too ashamed.”
“And the others?”
“It’s complicate. I’m the captain.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” Montgomery replied with sardonic grin.
“Well, here’s some earthshaking news for you, Captain. You’re human. Now,
where do you hide the Kleenex or do I have to replicate some for you?”
Janeway made a face and stood up.
“I’ll be right back.”
She went into the bathroom, washed her face, and returned. Meanwhile Montgomery had
helped herself to another cup of coffee.
Janeway regarded the other captain solemnly.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Do you understand my trepidation, Eliana?” she asked.
“I do. All I can do is try and reassure you that you will not regret assisting us.
There is so much that I can’t tell you, Kathryn. We’re not trying to cover
anything up or hide some sort of misdeed. It has to do with our oath to the
Protectorate.”
“Maybe if you could explain it to me more I might not be so … what did you
call me? Cynical?”
“Fair enough. I’ll tell you as much as I can.”
Eliana Montgomery leaned back against the couch and sipped her coffee as Janeway joined
her.
“It’s hard to know where to begin. Since the Prime Directive is your concern
let’s start with that.”
“That works for me,” answered Janeway
Montgomery nodded, inhaled deeply and began. “If you think the Prime Directive is
hard to live by, then the rules of the Protectorate are even harder. We can’t share
any technology with anyone who is not at the same technological levels as we are and that
includes those we’re supposed to assist. We are supposed to use whatever technology
is indigenous to the population we serve.
“But you …”
“Oh, we can monitor and use all of the equipment and knowledge we have on board to
assess the situation. We can even deploy technology in a covert fashion but we cannot do
so openly with the indigenous populations knowledge. We have to minimise our impact on
them, much like the Prime Directive.”
“Then how are you able to function with these people?”
“It’s complicated. The Guardians, as well as the Protectorate, have cover
stories that hide our true identities. As far as the population is concerned we are from
their own world.”
“How is that possible?”
“There are ways, many of them cosmetic. The more advanced a civilisation is the
harder it becomes to hide our identities. There comes a time when there is what is known
as an ‘Awakening’ occurs. This is when a world or civilisation comes to know the
true nature of the Protectorate.”
“Is this about to take place here?”
“No. The Bunthoran people are nowhere near that level of enlightenment or
technological advancement. Hell, I would guess they are about where earth was in the late
twenty-first century.”
Janeway froze.
“They didn’t have transporters or anything back then!” she exclaimed.
“How are we going to …”
“There will be other ways,” Montgomery stated.
Janeway wasn’t sure whom she was trying to convince.
“I didn’t understand your restrictions.”
“They apply to you and your crew as well, Kathryn.”
“I came to that conclusion on my own just now.”
“Very astute of you, my dear.”
“How will you handle the problems on the planet within the limitations you
have?”
Montgomery sipped her coffee and pondered the question for a moment before answering.
“That’s what we’re trying to work out now. The problem is we still
don’t know what exactly is going on. Yes, it is true that the subterranean water is
being diverted but how, why and by whom?”
“There are so many lives at stake. I find it hard to imagine that someone would be
so stupid or so greedy that they would place millions of innocent people at risk.”
“My gut response is that the individuals behind it are out for profit or some kind
of gain.”
“What if the individuals involved risk annihilation without the water?”
Janeway asked.
“You mean the folks from the southern hemisphere? The away team is mapping the
political climate between the two nations. If there’s any antagonism between them,
they’ll figure it out. They’re also looking for any involvement by the resident
criminal elements. The fact that none of us can pin point the type of technology they are
using really bothers us. These people do not have the knowledge or resources necessary to
pull this off, or so we thought. If we could figure out what is doing this we could come
up with something to counter it.”
“What about off world interference?”
Montgomery’s face hardened.
“It’s a possibility that can’t be ignored but it is something that the
Protectorate will not tolerate.”
Janeway felt a chill as she regarded her colleague. She wasn’t worried about
someone crossing the Protectorate. She was more concerned about someone crossing Eliana
Montgomery.
Montgomery returned the gaze for a couple of seconds and then spoke again.
“You never finished your story you know. You never told me what happened to
Captain Ransom or his ship.”
Janeway looked down at her hands again. She couldn’t bring herself to look into
Montgomery’s eyes.
“I allowed the ship to be destroyed with him onboard.”
“Did you fire upon it?”
“No, I let the aliens destroy it.”
“And what was Ransom doing at the time?”
“He allowed it to happen. He welcomed it in the end.”
“What about his crew?”
“He sent most of the crew to this ship. We have several members on board.”
“Look at me Kathryn,” Montgomery urged her again. “He chose his fate; to
die. Not you. You are responsible for your own actions in this matter. Not his. You have
got to take the time to deal with that. Do you understand?”
“I don’t necessarily agree with you.”
“So what else is new?”
“I … this is hard.”
“Just take some time to deal with it. You can talk to me, or Max or … how
about that ex-Borg of yours?”
Janeway’s head snapped up and she locked eyes with Montgomery.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked defensively.
“You’re fond of this Seven of Nine person, aren’t you?” Montgomery
asked casually.
Janeway clenched her fingers around the fabric of the couch.
“Why do you ask?” she wondered, trying to sound calm.
“The way you look at her. The way she adores you.”
Stunned beyond belief, Janeway shook her head.
“Seven’s is not into adoring anyone. She’s very matter of fact and even
though I think of her as my protégé, and I am indeed very fond of her, she certainly
doesn’t adore me.”
Montgomery laughed.
“She most certainly does! She looks at you like she would die for you, Kathryn.
The look on your face when you described how this Ransom fellow had taken her from you
… you don’t fool an old fox like me, Captain.”
“I would never pretend to. I admit that Seven and I share a special bond since I
was the one responsible for severing her from the Hive mind. I vowed to help her regain
her humanity and she has made remarkable progress. She has a way of approaching me that is
completely free from ulterior motives. She is painfully honest sometimes but also without
deceit.”
“You must realise how you sound when you talk about her?” Montgomery smiled
gleefully. “I don’t think you are without ulterior motives when it comes to that
impressive young woman, Kathryn, even if you haven’t acknowledged it yet. Denial must
be a wonderful thing. You seem to cling to it so,” the older woman ribbed.
Janeway did something she hadn’t done in years; she turned bright read. Yes, it
was true, she cared about Seven but that was all. Eliana Montgomery was getting far too
personal, she thought uncomfortably.
“Seven is my crew member, my responsibility,” the younger captain insisted.
Montgomery was about to reply when the Excellence’s chief of engineering hailed
them over the comm system.
“Lt Ramirez to Captain Montgomery. We have an emergency in engineering.”
The Excellence’s captain slapped her comm badge.
“What’s the problem, Lieutenant?”
“The warp core was even more damaged than our scan indicated, ma’am. A
core breech was imminent after several plasma explosions. Seven of Nine managed to get the
safety devices up by using Borg technology.”
Janeway got up from the couch, an uneasy feeling stirring in the pit of her stomach.
“What did she do, Lieutenant?” she asked.
“She linked herself to the computer using her Borg tubules. I had to evacuate
engineering in case we would need to eject the warp core. The doors are secure and the
automatic force field is up according to protocol. Although Seven of Nine says she’s
working on the problem, she’s in there alone. My concerns are that she might be
injured and that she is unsupervised around Protectorate technology.”
“I don’t give a damn about your technology,” Janeway hissed. She moved
quickly across the ready room with Montgomery hot on her heels. “There’s an
urgent problem on the Excellence, Lieutenant,” she addressed the beta shift
lieutenant who rose from the command chair as she strode onto the bridge. “Captain
Montgomery and I will beam over.”
“Aye, Captain,” he replied smartly.
The two captains got into the turbo lift. Janeway pressed her lips together and tapped
her comm badge. She hailed the Doctor, informed him that Seven might be injured and
ordering him to beam over to the Excellence as well.
While they rode the turbo lift Montgomery regarded Janeway seriously.
“I hope she’s is all right and I hope to God she hasn’t compromised any
of our systems by her unauthorised actions.”
Janeway’s head snapped up.
“You heard your engineer. They were facing a threatening core breech. She probably
saved your ship.”
“She entered systems she knows nothing about. She may have irreparably damaged
herself.” Montgomery said harshly.
Janeway braced herself, realising that Montgomery had no way of knowing how Seven had
saved Voyager so many times by thinking on her feet and acting accordingly.
“If Seven acted quickly, it’s because her brilliant mind as well as her Borg
enhanced perceptions has given her reason to do so.”
“Let’s hope her quickness didn’t cost her her life Kathryn.”
*****
The two captains materialised outside the Excellence’s engineering only seconds
before the Doctor.
“Report,” Montgomery barked and her chief engineer walked over to them.
“There is no change, Captain,” he stated. “Seven of Nine is still in
there alone. The system is stable and there is no immediate need to eject the core. I have
accessed the computer from the corridor console and she is still linked to it.”
Montgomery sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. The headache was reasserting
itself and she found it increasingly difficult to concentrate.
“Is she responding to hails?” she asked.
“Only briefly. She seems to be struggling quite hard to keep the system in check,
ma’am.”
Janeway tapped her comm badge.
“Janeway to Seven of Nine. What’s going on?”
There was a silence and then a slightly breathless voice replied.
“Seven here. I am linked to the computer and trying to …” Another
silence passed and then she continued. “I am … trying to stabilise the system,
Captain. There was no other way …”
“Are you injured?” Voyager’s captain asked. “Lt Ramirez said
there were plasma explosions.”
“I am functioning within acceptable … “
The comm link was broken.
“We have to get in there,” Janeway said.
“Agreed,” Montgomery replied. She punched in a code on the panel next to the
door. “Let’s hope this beats those Borg-encrypted little tricks of hers.
Computer, override door lock, authorisation Montgomery Beta Alpha Zero Zero Five
Four.”
To Montgomery’s relief the door hissed open and a thick cloud of smoke belched
out, obstructing their vision.
The two women entered engineering, the smoke slowly dissolving as the ventilation
system in the corridor began to replace the air.
Several consoles had burned out. Shattered pieces of ceramic glass were scattered
across the floor. The warp core glimmered in the red tinted emergency light. It was still
off line.
“Seven!” Janeway called out, circling the core looking for the ex-Borg.
“Captain, you need to leave. It is not safe,” said a calm but weak voice from
the far left corner.
Montgomery moved in the direction of the voice. Behind her Lt Ramirez and three
security officers with their phasers out did the same.
When she reached the console most damaged by the plasma explosion, the sight that met
her made her gasp.
The tall blonde astrometrics officer was kneeling next to the console, her cybernetic
hand firmly linked to the computer by two tubules interfacing with broken circuitry. Seven
was holding on with her human hand to the duranium frame, her face and neck scorched with
plasma burns and her hair tousled and blackened at the ends.
A soft shimmer in the smoke filled air showed the parameters of a force field.
“Lower the force field,” Montgomery ordered.
“I can not. It is for protection.”
“We will not harm you.”
“For your … protection,” Seven managed, breathing shallowly.
“Seven, lower the force field. Let me help you,” Janeway said. “Let me
near you.”
Seven turned her head and regarded her captain.
“Seven, please let me help you,” Voyager’s captain said. “Trust
me.”
The ex-Borg lowered her head and the force field shimmered quickly and was gone.
Janeway reached her first. Throwing herself down next to the younger woman she slapped
her comm badge.
“Janeway to the Doctor. Get in here!”
“I’m already here, Captain,” the calm words of the Doctor reached them
as Voyagers physician pushed himself through the crowd to attend to Seven.
“I am functioning within acceptable …”
“Seven, you’re seriously injured,” Janeway interrupted, clearly upset.
Montgomery raised her left hand, forestalling any intervention by her crew. She nodded
at Ramirez.
“Start running diagnostics,” she ordered. “See how she’s linked and
what systems her implants have tapped into.”
“Yes, Captain.”
The chief engineer began to carry out his assignment at nearest undamaged console.
The tall captain walked closer to Janeway and Seven, squatting next to them.
“How is she?” she asked quietly, studying the slight tremors in the other
captain’s hands as Janeway brushed blonde tresses of hair out of Seven’s face.
“Have your crew put away their weapon, Captain,” Janeway growled, snapping
her head up and glaring at her colleague. “Does she look like she’s about to
assimilate anyone?”
“Possibly my ship,” Montgomery replied calmly. Nodding at the security
personnel they holstered their phasers.
“I am not,” the ex-Borg replied. “I am linked to you computer, Captain
Montgomery, but I do not intend to assimilate any of your databases nor any of the
Protectorate technology you possess. I …”
Seven frowned and then began to fall, slumping to the side.
Janeway gasped and caught the blonde before she hit the floor, steadying her from the
right while the Doctor carefully held on to her damaged side.
“Seven?” The Doctor called out. “Seven!”
He began scanning her, shaking his head at the readings.
“One minute to core breech,” the cool computer voice stated.
“What? I thought the situation was under control,” Montgomery exclaimed.
“Ramirez!”
“I heard,” the lieutenant answered, poking his head around the corner.
“Suddenly all the control Seven of Nine had on the computer was lost. What’s
going on?”
“She fainted,” the Doctor stated. “Probably from pain.”
“Fifty seconds to core breech.”
“She can feel pain?” Montgomery asked. “I didn’t know pain bothered
the Borg.”
Janeway didn’t take her eyes off Seven but her voice betrayed her fury.
“She’s not Borg anymore. She’s human,” she hissed. “Doctor,
this breaks my heart, but give her something for the pain and then wake her up. She is the
only thing holding this ship together right now. We need her to control the warp
core.”
The Doctor looked at Janeway and then nodded solemnly.
“Aye, Captain.”
He administered a hypospray to Seven’s neck and then sat back as the blonde opened
her eyes.
“Forty seconds to core breech.”
Montgomery watched Seven as the young woman regained consciousness and her eyes found
Janeway’s. The full lips softened and then the blonde tried to sit up. Her left mesh
covered hand hung by its assimilation tubules, still linked to the computer.
“Seven,” Montgomery said, leaning over the blonde. “Listen to me. A core
breech is imminent. What ever you were doing earlier … do it again.”
Seven looked at Janeway and then nodded.
They helped her to kneel up and the ex-Borg closed her eyes briefly.
“Thirty seconds to core breech.”
Seven trembled and Janeway put a supporting arm around her waist.
“You can do this, Seven. Just focus on directing the information through your
cortical implant. It worked before.”
“It is difficult, Captain, I am disoriented,” the blonde managed weakly.
“The painkiller,” Montgomery sighed. She turned her head over her shoulder.
“All hands to the escape pods!”
The order sent most of the Excellence staff away but Ramirez was still punching in
commands at another console.
“Twenty seconds to core breech.”
“Give me an antidote for the painkiller,” Seven slurred. “It is
interfering with my cortical implant.”
“She might faint again,” the Doctor cautioned.
“Do it!” Janeway ordered.
The Doctor administered another hypospray. A second later Seven gasped out loud from
the returning pain but her blue eyes resumed their focused expression.
“Ten seconds to … Core is stabile.”
“Thank God,” Montgomery said and wiped her forehead. “That was too
close.”
“It’s not over yet,” Janeway said, holding the young blonde in her arms,
keeping her kneeling upright next to the console. “Can you finish stabilising the
core, Seven? The Doctor can’t give you anything for the pain.”
“I will try, Captain,” the younger woman managed.
“I can begin the dermal regeneration, Captain,” the Doctor interrupted.
“That will help with the pain.”
“Do it,” Montgomery ordered.
She watched the Doctor begin the medical procedure to heal the burns. Deciding that
Janeway and the physician had things under control she got up and walked over to Ramirez.
“What’s the situation?” she asked.
“She saved the warp core Captain. It’s stabilising. It’s going to take
us several hours to purge the contamination, but we won’t have to eject it.”
The Excellence’s captain realised that she had never heard her elegant chief
engineer sound so in awe before. The proud man ruled the engineering like it was his
personal kingdom and for him to sound this impressed was truly a novelty.
Looking over her shoulder, the sight made her quietly inhale.
Janeway was kneeling next to Seven, holding her close by the slim waist. The younger
woman was resting her head on the captain’s shoulder as the Doctor was performing the
dermal regeneration on her left cheek.
Montgomery smirked, willing herself to relax just a little.
She wondered if Janeway realised that she was comfortingly rubbing her cheek against
Seven’s hair.
*****
Chakotay closed his eyes at the glittering sparkles around him as his dematerialised on
the Flyer only to rematerialised seconds later in a large inner foyer where several people
were awaiting their arrival.
A tall, thin Vulcan dressed in a Guardian uniform stepped up to them.
“Welcome, Commander,” he addressed Toriello.
“Everything okay here, Darok?” Excellence’s first officer asked.
“Yes, sir. Ensign Graham and I are ready to escort you to the closest shuttle
area.”
“Good. This is Commander Chakotay and Lt Commander Tuvok from the starship USS
Voyager. I assume that you were briefed regarding the extraordinary circumstances that
brought a Federation ship in our path.”
“I was, sir. Most unexpected.”
Lt Commander Darok nodded towards the Voyager officers.
“Why don’t you bring us up to date on your efforts at the prime ministers
office?”
“We have scheduled a meeting with the appropriate experts, Commander.
Representatives from their leading scientific institutions, civil and military
authorities, and some of the non governmental agencies involved in the relief efforts will
be in attendance.”
A young man entered the foyer walking at a quick pace and approached the group
immediately.
“They weren’t very co-operative, Commander.”
“Gentlemen, may I introduce to you Ensign Graham.” Toriello said with a grin.
“As you can see from his comments and demeanour he is a born diplomat.”
He then proceeded to make introductions.
Graham was a young man with blonde hair, blue eyes and freckles, looking like he just
graduated out of Starfleet Academy. Looks could be deceiving, Chakotay mused. Graham was
probably close to forty. Besides, he must be very talented or Montgomery would never have
left him planet side to deal with government’s leadership.
“It’s been difficult. I don’t know if it’s a case of denial; shear
stupidity, or criminal negligence. The Prime Minister continues to be a problem even after
the Captain Montgomery dealt with him. By the way, I think the captain scared him beyond
words.”
“She has her ways,” Excellence’s first officer muttered.
“It wasn’t until Ambassador J’Aoh mended some fences, so to speak, did
the Prime Minister issue a direct order to round up the people with the talent and
expertise we needed. When the Ambassador’s staff member, Sha’nee J’Oy, came
to our aid, things really began to come together. I’ll say this for her - she’s
sharp. She has been working on this from the beginning. J’Oy was the first one on
staff to understand the true magnitude of the problem and its possible outcome. She was
the one who alerted the Ambassador and brought it to the Protectorate’s
attention.”
“Is she around?” Toriello asked.
“She’s waiting for us at the shuttle area. She’s chartered a craft to
take us to the area around the centre fault.”
Toriello nodded.
“Good, I want to get out there immediately and see the area for my self.”
“Yes, sir. We anticipated that. After we complete an aerial recon we’ll move
on to the Emergency Operation Centre.”
“Our colleagues from Voyager will be joining us,” Toriello informed his
subordinates. “They’re here to participate in the assessment and to be readily
available to answer any questions on what Voyager’s capabilities are. We’re
going to have to do some crisis planning on the run.”
Lt Bremer had taken off down one of the hallways as soon as she arrived. She now
returned with a grim look on her face.
“Reports from the away teams, sir,” she stated. “A series of aftershocks
caused considerable damage in a sparsely populated area. Some casualties among the people,
nothing the local search and rescue people can’t handle but it caused some
significant avalanches along their Lines of Communication.”
“And the away teams?” Toriello asked sharply.
“All safe and accounted for.”
“Communication? Utilities?”
“They’re out, sir, and the grid looks extensive.”
“We’ve got to get out of here. Okay, Graham, lead the way.”
The group quickly moved out down a series of corridors through numerous security
checkpoints. The place was a maze and yet Toriello and the Excellence staff manoeuvred it
with ease. Exiting the building the group quickly approached an Embassy staff member that
was standing by to assist them.
“Are our vehicle ready to depart?” Graham asked.
“Certainly, Guardian,” the woman answered. “Our pilots and crafts are at
your complete disposal. We have two hovercrafts ready to launch. Their orders are to be
available at any hour during the day until this crisis has past.
“Thank you. Shall we?” Graham motioned for the others to follow him.
The air was sweet, perfumed with a scent that Chakotay didn’t recognise. It
reminded him of jasmine, but lighter. Large trees grew along the path down to the large
gates. Chakotay looked up at the pink bluish sky, amazed at the colour and the height of
the enormous trees. He thought they must be ancient.
The guards saw them coming and opened the tall gate the led to the launch pad. They
stood ramrod, saluting as the Guardians passed.
On the pad sat two black hovercrafts awaited them. Two crewmembers held up the doors
and Chakotay climbed into the first one after Toriello and Lt Commander Darok. Tuvok, Lt
Bremer and Ensign Graham took place in the second vehicle.
A quiet humming sound was all he could detect as the large vehicles rose above ground
and took off. Soon the crafts were flying down busy city streets.
Various means of transportation cluttered the streets. Chakotay noted that the craft
handled smoothly through the heavy traffic, the pilot obviously used to handling the
hovercraft as well as the congestion.
Tall buildings seemed to reach for the beautiful sky. As he looked out the silver
tinted windows of the hovercraft, Chakotay tried to not think about the catastrophic
destruction a major quake would have on a city such as this.
Dressed in glowing colours the inhabitants of Bunthora gave an impression of being a
vivacious people. He saw men, women and children in various grouping hurry down the
street. Perhaps on their way home, back to work or to school. Did they know about the
quakes that were threatening their world? Did they have a clue that their way of life,
even their existence were threatened or had the prime minister’s cover up been so
effective that he had managed to keep most of them in the dark?
“They look oblivious,” Chakotay commented quietly.
“I would assume most of them are. The quakes are hardly noticeable here and from
what we understand, the Prime Minster has not been very forthcoming in his reports to the
public. He refers to his people as ‘happy children’ that need to be sheltered
but from what our away teams can tell, these are hard working, well-educated people,”
Toriello said.
“Logic would dictate that if this were true they would question the
authorities,” Lt Commander Darok replied. “However, the prime minister and the
government control the media. For all we know the people are unaware of perils they face.
The only way anything is going to change is if the Emperor intervenes.”
“Captain Montgomery will inform the Emperor as soon as Ambassador J’Aoh can
arrange a meeting,” Toriello answered.
“The information device tells me is that this is a monarchy.” Chakotay said.
“Yes. Bunthora is an ancient culture and the current Emperor is the twenty-first
of a dynasty that has ruled for almost a millennium. He is very old and his son will take
over soon once they have the opportunity to perform the Burden of the Crown
rite.”
“The Burden of the Crown?” Chakotay asked as the hovercraft took a
turn and drove up a broad avenue. The information induced by the device had not been this
detailed.
“It is the tradition that when the Emperor reaches a certain age and the successor
to the throne is due to take over, they perform what is called the Burden of the Crown
rite. It takes place in public in the palace courtyard. The air to the throne relieves the
old Emperor of the burden of ruling by removing the crown jewels; the crown, the staff and
the necklace and also by a symbolic act of cutting off his long hair.”
Chakotay found this intriguing. He found archaeology and social anthropology
fascinating and firmly believed in that it was possible to find explanations to current
problems in historical events.
The hovercraft pulled up to a large structure.
Lt Commander Darok looked out the window.
“We have arrived at the shuttle area,” he informed them. “Sha’nee
J’Oy is expecting us. We do not have to move through the main hall; instead we can
walk directly to the hangars.”
They left the hovercraft and joined the other three.
Chakotay regarded the busy shuttle area. Several enormous vessels that looked like a
cross between a blimp and a shuttle, probably capable of transporting a couple of thousand
individuals at a time, hovered around the terminal. At another building he could see
smaller aircraft, shuttles of different design and smaller versions of the large ones at
the terminal.
A diminutive woman approached them, walking briskly across the open area between the
hangars.
“Welcome, Guardians,” she said, directing her gaze at Darok. “The pilot
is ready to leave when you are, sir.”
“Thank you, Ms J’Oy,” Darok replied. He introduced his commanding
officer and the other four, allowing for the implication that they were all Guardians.
Sha’nee J’Oy greeted them politely but Chakotay could see she was eager to begin
their mission.
They followed the young woman to a large hangar where a man in a grey coverall waited
for them. He saluted them, recognising them as Guardians.
Chakotay climbed aboard after Toriello, taking the seat next to his colleague.
“We’ll be launching soon. It will take less than an hour to arrive over the
affected area,” Sha’nee J’Oy told them as she sat down and secured her seat
belt. “This is the fastest aircraft. It’s quite versatile. It can set down on
water as well as on land.”
The unfamiliar sound of an alien engine filled the air and the aircraft rolled out of
the hangar. When it was at a certain safety distance from the building, the pilot sped up
the engine and it rose vertically from the ground. Chakotay heard the pilot inform the
tower when he reached the desired altitude and after receiving clearance from the flight
co-ordinator, the aircraft took off in a wide sweep around the shuttle area.
Chakotay looked out the small window to his right.
They were on their way to the disaster area. He realised that he might be in for sights
beyond anything he had ever come across. He glanced at his chronometer.
Time was running out.
*****
The Doctor had dimmed the lights in sickbay to a more soothing level.
Seven was lying on a bio bed, her hair in loose tresses around her narrow face. The
newly regenerated skin glimmered and Janeway slowly began to calm down.
She pulled up a stool and sat down at the head of the bio bed. Seven was asleep after
her ordeal in the Excellence’s engine room. They had transported her there shortly
after the younger woman had instructed her assimilation tubules to retract back into her
Borg hand.
Seven had collapsed on the floor in Janeway’s arms. To her amazement, Montgomery
had rushed to help Voyager’s captain and the Doctor support the blonde.
They had held Seven steady while the Doctor stabilised her condition enough for
transport. The burns on her face and arm were severe and she had inhaled smoke from the
plasma fires.
Montgomery had promised to come by Voyager’s sickbay once she knew the work in
engineering had resumed. Janeway was sure she must barely have nodded. When the immediate
danger was over and the core stabile, she had only been able to focus on Seven.
Just before they transported Seven back to Voyager, B’Elanna Torres had pushed her
way past the security staff at the door, frantic to find out what had happened to the
ex-Borg. She had growled at the sight of the injured blonde. Janeway had assured her that
Seven was not in any immediate danger. Shooting Montgomery a look, the auburn haired
captain also stated out loud that Seven had saved the Excellence from having to eject the
core and then from an impending core breech.
B’Elanna’s eyes had softened. She had bit her lip and then taken a firm grip
of the closest toolbox and nudged a somewhat startled Lt Ramirez in the chest.
“Guess we have work to do, don’t you agree?” she had said abruptly and
who was to argue with that?
Janeway reached out and pushed a blonde lock from Seven’s forehead. The blonde
mumbled something inaudible, turning her head in the direction of the captain’s hand.
“You don’t have to stay, Captain,” the Doctor said from behind, making
Janeway jump. “She is out of danger now. She will need to regenerate for a couple of
days but she’ll be fine.”
Janeway glanced over her shoulder, a terse remark on the tip of her tongue but the soft
look on the hologram’s face made her swallow it.
“I’ll just sit here for a while,” she insisted. “Believe it or not,
the others are handling things just fine. Torres is working with Harry in the
Excellence’s engineering, Chakotay and Tuvok are planet side assessing the situation
and Captain Montgomery is keeping an eye on the away teams progress.”
“Surely you don’t consider yourself obsolete, Captain?” the Doctor
asked, astonished.
“No, of course not,” Janeway smirked. “I’m sure we’ll run into
trouble soon enough. But for now I just want to sit here.” Turning her gaze back to
the young blonde laying on the bed, Janeway became quite sober.
“We damn near lost her, Doctor.”
“I am aware of that.” His normally lively and exuberant expression had taken
on a seriousness that made the captain frown.
“Is there something you’re not telling me, Doctor?” she asked sharply,
inadvertently causing Seven to stir on the bio bed.
“No, Captain. Seven will recuperate. I’m trying to come to terms with having
to act against my ethical subroutines for the greater good.”
Janeway looked puzzled at Voyager’s physician.
“What are you talking about? When did you act against your ethical
subroutines?”
“I realize that your order was correct, Captain,” the hologram tried to
explain. “Please don’t think that I question the validity of it. Still, to have
to cause harm to my patient in order for her to regain consciousness and perform for the
greater good goes against my programming.”
Janeway now understood.
It had broken her heart to give the command to revive Seven without any relief from the
excruciating pain but their had not been many choices. Without Seven they would have lost
the Warp Core, the ship, their lives. The choice tore at her soul.
She looked down at Seven, noticing the softness of the slightly parted lips and the
faint shadows under the blonde’s eyes.
“If it’s any consolation, Doctor, the responsibility was mine” Janeway
mumbled. “We did what we had to do, so did Seven. If it helps, she wouldn’t have
expected us to act any other way.”
The doctor was silent for a moment then said. “I’ll be in my office if you
need me, Captain.” He turned and left the two women alone.
The captain sat there for a while, her mind wandering, until a soft moan interrupted
her thoughts.
“Captain?” Seven whispered, trying to sit up.
“How are you feeling, Seven?” Janeway asked. She cautiously put a hand on the
blonde’s shoulder. “Don’t get up. Give yourself time to find your
bearings.”
“I feel … weak,” the younger woman stated with dismay. “I do not
think I can sit up unassisted.”
“Then don’t,” the captain smiled. “Are you in pain? Should I get
the Doctor?”
“No. I am not in pain. I do not require the Doctor.”
To Janeway’s surprise, Seven reached for her. Janeway took Seven’s human hand
between hers.
“There,” she said quietly. “I’m here.”
“Yes,” the blonde replied. “It was good to see your face when I regained
consciousness. I am disoriented by the unfamiliarity of reclining.”
“That’s what friends are for, Seven, to support each other in need.”
The ex-Borg shivered and her clear blue eyes darkened.
“What is wrong?” Janeway asked.
“I am not accustomed to dealing with such pain,” Seven admitted. “My
nanoprobes have always dealt with most of my bodily functions, including preventing my
implants from shutting down because of any malfunctioning of my human organs. It is
unsettling for me to be vulnerable in this fashion.”
“All part of embracing your humanity, Seven. The Doctor has told you on more than
one occasion that your human side will manifest itself more and more as time goes by. The
pain caught you off guard.”
“It did.”
Janeway regarded the younger woman, her heart flooding with emotions she didn’t
understand and had no intention of exploring at this point.
“When you decided to take the situation into your own hands the pain from the
plasma explosions must have frightened you, didn’t it?” the captain guessed.
“You were trying to be efficient and to save the warp core, the crew, and it took a
greater toll than you anticipated.”
“Yes.”
Seven rolled onto her right side, towards Janeway. Her uncharacteristically clumsy
movements made Janeway’s heart skip a beat. She assisted the younger woman and by
doing so, she ended up with her arm under Seven’s neck. Not sure how to free herself
without making Seven think she was being rejected, she kept her arm where it was and
leaned over the other woman.
“It is okay to be scared, Seven,” she whispered into the blonde’s ear.
“You were afraid but still did the right thing. You saved the ship. You saved us all.
If there had been a core breech, it would have seriously damaged Voyager as well.”
Seven regarded her for a moment and then sighed and closed her eyes.
“That’s it. Go to sleep. You need to rest.”
As the young woman drifted off to sleep, Janeway ignored her own discomfort; sitting
hunched over Seven. She knew her friend needed her there.
Not realising what she intended to do before she did it, she surprised herself by
leaning further down and pressing her lips to Seven’s forehead.
It seemed a perfectly natural thing to do.
