The Guardians
© GB
Part 5
Seven of Nine walked into the shuttle bay
and up to the Delta Flyer.
Tom Paris was standing in front of what he
considered his pride and joy, embracing his girlfriend Lt B’Elanna
Torres. The Doctor had cosmetically altered the Klingon’s proud features
to resemble the indigenous population of the planet below.
"Have I told you how much I like the
new look?" Paris asked as he hugged B’Elanna close.
"Watch it, fly boy. It’s only
temporary I assure you, " she said giving him a quick nudge to his
ribs. "I’m all for blending in with the locals but this …"
Paris chuckled and pulled her closer.
"I’m sure Doc will reverse the
process as soon as you get back."
"He’d better or he’ll be space
junk."
Tom’ eyes became serious.
"Be careful down there, B’Elanna,"
he murmured against her neck. "I’ll be within transporter range. If
you need a beam out, I’m your man."
"Don’t worry, Tom," the Klingon
replied. "I’m a big girl and what’s more, I’ll have Seven with
me."
"Let’s not forget the stern Lt
Bremer," Tom grinned. "She looks like she can kick some serious
ass."
"I assure you I can kick with the best
of them," a cool, sonorous voice said, making them all turn around.
Seven hid a smile when she saw Tom Paris
pale slightly at the sight of the tall woman with the black braid down her
back. She was not dressed in the usual Guardian uniform; the away team was
equipped with dark grey coveralls.
"Lt Bremer," Seven greeted her.
"Captain Janeway is joining us shortly for a last minute briefing. I
understand that Captain Montgomery left for the planet a while ago."
"That’s right," Lt Heidi Bremer
concurred. "Is the Delta Flyer ready to launch, Lt Paris?"
"Yes, ma’am," Tom said smartly.
Lt Bremer had seniority on all of them,
having served as a lieutenant for twenty years.
Seven moved her shoulders, trying out the
comfort of the unfamiliar garment. The coverall were loose compared to her
biosuit and she decided she liked the freedom it gave her. It was a
standard Guardian away team outfit. The away teams used it when they
expected to meet unusual and demanding conditions. It was efficient
against water, fire and cold temperatures.
"You really look different with those
cosmetic changes and that new outfit, Seven," B’Elanna stated.
"Will you be okay without your biosuit?"
"The Doctor assures me that I can
function within normal parameters for a limited time in this garment."
"For how long? How’s your cortical
implant holding up?"
Seven frowned.
"I appreciate your concern, Lt
Torres," she said formally, not comfortable with the turn the
conversation was taking in front of Lt Bremer. "I received additional
replicated nano-probes twenty-seven minutes ago and I am wearing my
Velocity biosuit underneath. I will be fully operational for several hours."
B’Elanna nodded, not commenting any
further on the matter.
The doors hissed open. Captain Janeway
entered and walked up to the away team consisting of Lt Bremer, Seven,
B’Elanna and two security officers, Ensign Brovskij from Voyager and
Ensign Vak from the Excellence, a woman indigenous to the Delta Quadrant.
"You all set?" Voyager’s
captain asked shortly. "Good."
Seven regarded her, clasping her hands
behind her back and willing her eyes to remain emotionless. She remembered
the tumultuous feelings when the captain had invaded her personal space in
astrometrics not more than half an hour ago. The auburn haired woman had
stood beside her and touched her lower back while listening to Seven.
Seven had informed her captain about her
findings. The news had been disturbing. There were indications that
someone was using what appeared to be Protectorate technology to re-route
the subterranean water and by doing so, causing the impending disaster.
Seven had narrowed the search grid down to
a building in an industrial area on the outskirts of the capital of
Bunthora.
Janeway had remained close to the ex-Borg
and Seven’s heart had fluttered making her almost dizzy. She had not
been able to keep from staring at the captain’s wine shaded lips.
Janeway had to repeat a question twice before the blonde pulled herself
together and focused on the task at hand.
Janeway had relayed a message through the
Delta Flyer that had reached Montgomery just before the Excellence’s
captain joined Bunthora’s emperor and his son for an impromptu audience.
Montgomery had left the preparation for
this away mission to Janeway but suggested that Lt Bremer, who just
returned to the Excellence, redeploy with whom ever Janeway chose to
execute the mission. Montgomery’s logic was that the team would need
someone with her experience.
"Here are the latest readings from the
area you’ll be investigating," Janeway said as she handed over two
data PADDs to the Bremer and Torres. "You’ll find everything we
know about the building. The data is not complete since there appears to
be an active jamming device interfering with our scans. Your orders are to
go in, scan the building and locate the technology. You are then to
determine its origin and terminate it. Lt Bremer, I’m relying on your
experience to determine the fastest and safest method of doing this. By
the way, you’ll be linking up with Sha’nee J’Oy. She’ll rendezvous
with you on site. Brief her on a need to know basis only."
"Aye, Captain," Lt Bremer said
smartly.
"Good hunting," the captain said
with a crooked smile.
Torres, Bremer and Paris along with the
security officers entered the Delta Flyer and Seven turned to join them.
"Seven, wait," Janeway said in a
low voice.
The blonde turned around. Janeway walked
closer and looked up with concern in her eyes.
"How are you feeling?"
"I am functioning within acceptable
parameters, Captain," Seven replied.
"Did the Doctor replenish your
systems?"
"Yes."
Janeway looked down and then raised her
eyes to meet Seven’s again.
"Promise me to be careful, okay?"
the older woman murmured.
"Of course, Captain."
"Just don’t … take any unnecessary
risks. I couldn’t bear it if …" Janeway broke off and abruptly
took a step back.
"Captain?" Seven said, trying to
understand what Janeway meant to say.
"Just be careful, that’s all,"
the captain said and began to turn around.
Seven knew there was more to the
captain’s choice of words. There had been a glimpse of fear in
Janeway’s eyes.
"I will not jeopardise my
safety," the blonde said quietly. "I will return to you,
Kathryn."
This made the captain pivot quickly. Her
eyes, wide and radiating the deepest shade of grey, glazed over briefly.
"I take that as a promise,"
Janeway managed. "Do not let me down."
Seven was breathless.
"I will not."
"Good. Carry on."
Janeway turned around again and briskly
walked out of the shuttle bay.
Seven stared at the closed door for a
couple of seconds and then joined the others in the Delta Flyer.
They had a mission to carry out and not
much time to do it in
*****
Sha’nee J’Oy pressed herself against
the wall of a tall brick building.
She had rendezvoused with the five people
the Protectorate embassy had sent fifteen minutes ago. After receiving an
address and orders to meet them in an industrial area, an embassy driver
had taken her there in a hovercraft. She had found the team waiting nearby.
Sha’nee had guided them to the building
in question, using a small access road that took them to the back.
Sha’nee regarded the woman in front of
her.
Lt Bremer was a tall dark woman with
strong, handsome features. The icy blue gaze she had bestowed the young
Bunthoran had left Sha’nee feeling uneasy. Bremer moved with ease and
displayed an aura of both competence and danger.
The team had waited until there had been a
shift of guards before running the last hundred yards, sheltered by a low
hedge. An extended surveillance was a luxury they could not afford. They
had to act quickly in order to reach the technology in time.
Lt Bremer led the team up to a door.
Sha’nee realised that the guards would soon begin their rounds again and
was nervously looking over her shoulder.
Bremer pulled out a thin tool from a small
bag attached to her belt and inserted it into the lock. Within moments the
door was open.
The tall woman pulled her phaser out.
Silently she signalled Vak and Brovskij to slip inside and secure the
premise while the rest remained pressed against the building barely hidden
in the shadows of the structure.
Once given an all clear by the team members
inside, Bremer nodded to the remaining members, "Let’s go."
Silently the group entered the structure
assuming defensive positions, weapons ready.
As her eyes adjusted to the interior lights,
Sha’nee gasped at the sight of the vast machine hall that stretched
throughout the entire building. A myriad of tubes and computerised
machinery filled it, reaching all the way up to the tall ceiling.
"I want sensors placed here and here,"
said Bremer in a low tone, pointing to the locations she wanted the
equipment deployed. "Once they are in place, I want us to fan out. Ms
J’Oy, you’re with Ensign Vak and me. We’ll investigate the offices
to our left. Lt Torres, I want you, Seven and Ensign Brovskij to begin
searching the factory floor. Keep an eye out for guards or factory workers.
Phasers on stun only."
Torres and Seven nodded. With their
modified tricorders ready and with Brovskij guarding their backs, they
methodically began making their way through the maze of machinery.
Sha’nee followed Bremer’s lead to the
left side of the enormous machine hall. Ensign Vak walked just behind them.
Bremer stopped at the first office door and scanned it. When it was clear
of life signs she tried the door handle. The door was unlocked and she
opened it a little, peeking inside.
"A storage room for office supplies,"
she informed Sha’nee over her shoulder.
They moved stealthily down along the doors,
opening them one by one, not finding anything of interest.
Sha’nee wondered where the workforce was.
How could such a large facility function automatically? The offices looked
not only abandoned; it was as if nobody had used them in a very long time.
They carefully worked their way through a
long corridor, checking each office area they passed. So far they had not
stumbled over any incriminating evidence nor had they seen another living
soul.
Sha’nee sighed and scanned the area again.
Having worked closely with the Protectorate embassy staff for more than a
year she was privy to more information about them and the Guardians than
most Bunthorans. She was however not very familiar with their technology.
Using a radiacmeter from her own world she suddenly began to pick up
unusual readings.
"Lieutenant," she said, pointing
to the erratic readings. "Something is wrong. I’m picking up low
levels of radiation. Any ideas where that’s coming from?"
Bremer reached for the radiacmeter. Quickly,
she made adjustments to her tricorder.
"Damn. We’ve been scanning for the
wrong thing. I’m detecting a massive energy source fifteen metres that
way." The tall lieutenant pointed in among the machinery. "Good
catch, Ms J’Oy."
Sha’nee wanted to smile broadly at the
brief acknowledgement but only nodded.
Bremer and Vak scanned the immediate area
again, adjusting their tricorders accordingly. The readings were the same.
"Over here," Bremer said, moving
lithely between the two large machines closest to them. "I think we
just struck gold."
Sha’nee followed the tactical chief and
noticed a faint but triumphant smirk on Bremer’s lips as the signal led
her to a large black metal cabinet. Ensign Vak kept her guard up, standing
with her phaser rifle ready and scanning for life signs.
Bremer unhooked the small bag from her belt,
opened and placed it on the floor next to her. The Bunthoran watched her
curiously. The bag held an assortment of thin tools.
Working quickly and skilfully, Bremer
picked the lock of the metal door and opened it. Inside was a large piece
of technology that boasted a wide range of multicoloured flickering diodes.
She scanned it.
"Got it!"
"What is it? Some kind of
computer?" Sha’nee asked.
"Yes. Not anything that you’d expect
to find in this kind of facility."
"I thought this plant produced hover
craft parts?"
"Far from it. I’m no too sure what
it’s producing besides low levels of radiation at the moment."
Bremer oriented herself to the control
panel. It was obvious that someone had made various modifications to the
computer.
"Let’s see what this can tell us."
"What can I do to help?"
Bremer gave Sha’nee an approving look.
"Help me decipher these readings. They
are in your native tongue, you may interpret the symbols more adequately."
She had not even finished her sentence when
Vak’s tricorder gave a muted beep, shortly followed by the sound of
approaching steps. Bremer quickly assembled her tools and picked up her
phaser. Quickly closing the metal cabinet she nudged Sha’nee behind it.
Nodding to Vak, she raised her weapon, making sure it was set to stun.
*****
"What did the captain want?"
B’Elanna Torres asked in a low voice as she tentatively poked her head
around another of the large machines in the big room, her phaser in one
hand and her tricorder in the other.
Ensign Brovskij was walking a couple of
steps behind them, making sure there were no unpleasant surprises.
"Lieutenant?" Seven asked,
surprised.
"She asked you to stay behind.
Obviously she wanted to talk to you about something important. Is she
still concerned about you?"
"The captain wanted to assure herself
over the state of my cortical implant."
"Anything I should know about? I mean,
are you okay?"
"Yes, I am functioning well,
Lieutenant, how are you doing?"
B’Elanna grinned.
"I see you have acquired some manners
Seven. I’m impressed."
"Then you impress easily, Lieutenant."
The team cautiously approached a narrow
area between two large columns. Turning the corner B’Elanna halted
abruptly at the sight ahead.
"I’ll be damned. Seven, Brovskij,
look at this," she said, a new energy in her voice. "Have you
ever seen anything like it?"
Seven and the ensign walked up behind her.
Tall, narrow cylinders in groups of nine filled the rest of the machine
hall, stretching as far as the remaining part of the building. There was a
soft humming that appeared to originate from the technology.
The blonde scanned the cylinders and
frowned. Trying several different settings, she looked up, shaking her
head.
"I can not make out what kind of
metallic alloy this is," she said.
"Let me try," B’Elanna replied
and adjusted the settings on her tricorder. She performed the scan only to
get the same disappointing result as Seven. "Damn!"
"Do not be discouraged, Lieutenant,"
Seven said. "The reason we can not obtain any readings indicates that
this may be the Protectorate technology we are looking for. All alloys
indigenous to this planet can be determined by our tricorders."
B’Elanna glanced over her shoulder and
nodded.
"For once, you’re annoying habit of
always being right is not a bad thing," she grinned.
Brovskij’s tricorder beeped a warning
just before a sound coming from the part of the machine hall that hosted
the offices. They raised their phasers.
B’Elanna lifted her hand to her lips to
signal silence then motioned Seven to follow her. She signalled Brovskij
to move in behind the tall machinery at a slightly different angle to
provide cover. Once Brovskij was in place, she and Seven manoeuvred around
the first row of cylinders.
Heavy footsteps made them press tightly
against the cool surface behind their backs. Seven saw B’Elanna swallow
hard.
The blonde’s Borg-enhanced hearing picked
up on four sets of steps coming from two different directions.
She glanced at B’Elanna and held up four
fingers and then pointed in the direction of the sound. She then
cautiously turned towards Brovskij and repeated the gesture.
Brovskij nodded in acknowledgement and took
up an offensive stance he slowly took cover from his position and aimed
his weapon towards the sound of the approaching steps.
"I was sure I heard something over
here," a male voice called out as its owner came closer. "Mah’noo?
See anything?"
"Nothing. I keep telling you, these
noises you always hear come from the damn cylinders. I swear they sing at
night too," the first guard’s colleague said in a tired tone of
voice.
"Funny, Mah’noo. One of these days
you’ll be grateful that I’m so careful. They don’t pay us this
handsomely to sleep on the job."
The steps came closer. The two men were now
immediately behind the two women. B’Elanna motioned to Seven to start
moving and they stealthily made their way around another group of
cylinders. Here the frequency of the humming noise was both louder and
faster. Seven felt it reverberate deep inside her cortical implant, the
pounding waves was causing her to experience nausea.
"You okay?" B’Elanna mouthed
and put a hand on her arm.
Seven nodded and swallowed. She did not
enjoy lying but she had to pull herself together for the sake of the
mission and for the people of this planet. As long as it was not in danger
of incapacitating her, she was not going to disclose her discomfort to
B’Elanna.
"Let’s go back," they heard the
man called Mah’noo try to convince his colleague. "There’s nobody
here, I tell you."
"I want to check the back door. They
didn’t suddenly increase security just for fun, you know."
The steps hesitated and then Seven heard
them begin to fade away towards Bremer’s location.
She decided to risk it and tapped her comm
badge. It gave a muted chirp and then went quiet. She tried again with the
same result.
"We have no way of communicating
within this structure at this point," she informed B’Elanna who
made a face.
Seven knew they were in trouble when there
was a new energy in Mah’noo’s voice.
"Damn, you were right! This door’s
been tampered with!"
*****
Bremer knew it was the only course of
action.
"My comm badge isn’t working and I
have to assume that the other’s aren’t either." She glanced at
Sha’nee Joy who was standing next to her. "I guess you’re
it."
"Excuse me?" Sha’nee asked
sounding worried.
"You have to get out of here and make
contact with the Embassy," Bremer hissed and nudged the young
Bunthoran.
"Yes, but …"
"Circle around slowly. I’ll make a
diversion. Exit the same way we came in. As soon as you are clear of this
building make contact with Captain Montgomery. Here, take this." She
handed the young woman her comm badge. "Captain Montgomery is within
radio range. Trust me on this; tap this device and hail her. Inform her of
the situation. She’ll tell you what to do next."
Bremer glanced around the corner and saw
the shadows of two men approaching.
"Damn it. We just ran out of time. Now
go!"
She pushed Sha’nee J’Oy in the right
direction. The young woman began to run. Her footsteps alerted the men to
their whereabouts.
Bremer produced a small incendiary device
from her pocket. Nodding to Vak, the two took cover as she threw it into
the path of the oncoming guards. The device exploded into flames throwing
the guards to the ground and blinding them with its light.
Vak and Bremer moved swiftly raising their
phasers.
One of then men reached towards his weapon.
"Don’t even think about it,"
Bremer said as she took aim at her prey.
Both she and Vak opened fire, stunning the
two men.
A sound from behind alerted the two that
reinforcements were about to arrive.
"Cover me!" Bremer yelled as she
leaped and then rolled behind a column.
Vak laid down cover fire as Bremer
manoeuvred into position.
Vak hit the first guard who was rushing her
position squarely in the chest. Another guard, a large Bunthoran, dropped
behind another column and was laying down some fire of his own.
As the debris began to fly Bremer realised
that the bastard’s intentions were to kill Vak and herself. She moved
cautiously to the left, trying to find a good angle where she could fire.
Vak was doing a great job of keeping the guard’s undivided attention but
Bremer knew she had to act quickly. There was a small chance that these
idiots had not called for backup yet.
She needed a clear field of fire. Moving
quickly she spotted her target between a narrow space among the columns
and the closest machine.
Bremer heard a click and then the sound of
the guard’s voice speaking in a low, urgent tone. Realising that the
Bunthoran was alerting someone about the intrusion, she aimed at him just
as he turned with his weapon and spotted her.
Simultaneously, the weapons fired.
Pain exploded just beneath her left
shoulder, tossing her to the ground.
Then all went black.
******
Vak watched in horror as Bremer went down.
The antiquated weapon had done its damage and she could see the dark red
human blood spilling on the floor from her colleague.
"Vak!"
Looking to her right she saw Brovskij,
moving like lightning, weapon drawn and ready.
Maintaining her aim on the down guards she
motioned with her head towards the still form on the floor.
"Bremer’s down. One of those stupid
projectile weapons hit her."
Brovskij cautiously moved forward, removing
the guns from the men on the floor and swiftly immobilising them by tying
them up securely, using the guards’ own belts.
Seven and B’Elanna had quickly followed.
The Klingon sank down next to Bremer,
rolling her cautiously onto her back.
"Seven have you got the medical kit
there?"
"Yes. What is her condition?"
"I need to stop the bleeding."
Swiftly, B’Elanna ran the tricorder over
Bremer then began to repair the damaged tissues just below her shoulder.
Once she completed the task she pulled a hypo spray from the kit and
revived Bremer.
"Kah’less, Bremer," she growled.
"What kind of Guardian crap is this? Is self-sacrifice always on the
agenda with you guys?"
"No more than it is with you,"
Bremer moaned, trying to sit up. "Anyway, it had nothing to do with
self-sacrifice."
"Really? Then what’s your excuse?"
"Old age. I failed to duck."
"Well, old lady, try to make yourself
a smaller target next time."
Bremer groaned.
"The scum was in the process of
alerting his superiors when I stunned him. We’re running out of
time," she said between clenched teeth.
Seven regarded the impressive woman on the
floor. She wondered how you reached such a calm self-control and
confidence. Bremer was in agony but she kept her demeanour calm and her
voice was low with a lethal tinge to it as usual.
"I hope you got to him in time. Hm,
let me look at you," the Klingon muttered. She scanned the tall
Guardian with a medical tricorder once again. "The good news is;
there’s no immediate threat to your life. I’ve stopped you from oozing
you life’s blood all over the floor."
"Thanks. And the bad news?"
"The projectile damaged your lung
somehow. You won’t make it for long unless we receive backup."
Bremer held her breath, trying to ease the
pain.
"Don’t underestimate me."
"I’m not. I’m stating a fact.
I’ve stabilised the fragments for the time being but you’re going to
need surgery. Perhaps the thought of a Klingon with a surgical cutter in
her hands bending over you inspires confidence?"
Bremer made a face.
"I get the picture."
"Where is Ms J’Oy?" Seven asked.
"I sent her for backup. She has my
comm badge." Bremer coughed and shuddered. "We need to move -
now. No doubt we’ve worn out our welcome. Even if the guard failed to
notify the officials we’ve made enough noise in here to wake the dead. I
don’t think the perpetrators of this set up would have hired complete
idiots, do you?"
She broke off as Seven bent down and
effortlessly pulled her to her feet.
"Seven!" Torres gasped. "Are
you crazy? Didn’t you two hear anything I just said? She shouldn’t be
moved!"
"Lieutenant Bremer is correct. If we
stay here, we may all die. We are running out of time. I will assist her
but we can not remain here."
"Lead the way, Seven," Bremer
said grimacing in pain, holding on to the ex-Borg.
B’Elanna swore as she gathered the
supplies and the two teams, reunited again, moved out among the machines,
making their way between the tall cylinders.
They needed to put distance between them
and any potential assailants until help arrived.
"Oh, by the way, Torres," the
tall tactical chief said, "did I mention anything about the low
levels of radiation?"
*****
Captain Eliana Montgomery left the palace
in a state of sheer exasperation. She did not even glance at Ambassador
J’Aoh walking beside her.
The Emperor and his son had received her
information, given it serious thought and despite the grave danger decided
to remain in the palace. The old emperor had said in a gentle voice that
he wanted to share the fate of his people. He had added that he and his
son put their trust in the Guardians’ ability to help them counter the
impending disaster.
Montgomery had urged them to move to higher
ground in the mountains, knowing that the royal family had a summer
residence there. The enigmatic smile on the Emperor’s lips when he
softly spoke, telling her of his decision, made it clear that he and his
family were remaining where they were. He would however encourage anyone
in his staff to either join their families or flee to the mountains.
The Excellence’s captain had then
proceeded to inform the emperor of the nature of the quakes, of their
suspicions towards the prime minister and his cabinet. There were no
outward signs of outrage in the older man’s features but his eyes
betrayed a glowing anger that did not bode well. The Emperor’s son was
not as subtle as his father. He seemed determined to confront Bunthora’s
prime minister as soon as opportunity presented itself.
Montgomery sighed and took her seat in the
hovercraft provided by the Protectorate embassy. Ambassador J’Aoh sank
down next to her. She gave the driver instructions to take them back to
the compound. Just as he pulled out into the busy traffic, a breathless
unfamiliar voice hailed her.
"Sha’nee J’Oy to Captain
Montgomery."
Montgomery raised her eyebrows at the
ambassador, instantly recognising the name of the young woman. It was the
young Bunthoran who had been instrumental in alerting Ambassador J’Aoh
and the Protectorate about the impending disaster. The captain tapped her
comm badge hidden underneath her jacket.
"Montgomery here. Go ahead, Ms J’Oy."
"Captain, I’m assigned to the
team that is investigating the industrial plant. Guards showed up and now
we need help … I mean, backup," J’Oy said breathlessly as she
rushed to explain the urgency of their situation. "Lt Bremer and
the others are still inside but your communication devices failed because
of some type of interference, maybe it’s because of the radiation? I
don’t know. Bremer handed me this device and told me to get out of the
warehouse and call you. Listen, just as I escaped the building the guards
opened fire!"
The captain groaned soundlessly and covered
her eyes.
"Did the team find what it was looking
for, J’Oy?" she asked.
"We found a computer. It didn’t
look like any computer I have ever seen."
"Are you in imminent danger now?"
Montgomery asked.
"No, ma’am. I made it safely back
to the embassy’s hovercraft that brought me here. The driver is keeping
guard. So far we have not been discovered."
"Stay where you are. I will deploy
backup at once. Stay out of sight and out of trouble. Hail me if you’re
in danger or if there are any new developments."
"Yes, of course, Captain. I …
I’m worried about the team, ma’am. The guards… …"
Sha’nee’s voice trailed off.
"I understand," Montgomery
assured her. "Stay calm. Help is on its way."
"Understood, ma’am."
"Montgomery out."
The captain sighed. This was not good. If
anyone was down it could mean the difference between success and failure
of the mission. She rubbed her aching temple before tapping her comm badge
again.
"Montgomery to the Delta Flyer."
"Paris here."
"Start scanning for the away team and
patch me through to Captain Janeway, Lieutenant."
"Yes, Captain. Stand by."
There was a brief silence and then, through
some static, Janeway replied.
"Janeway here."
"The young Bunthoran woman that’s a
member of Bremer’s away team just hailed me with disturbing news.
They’ve run into trouble. Apparently some guards showed up, weapons
blazing. Something inside the building has disrupted their comms. Bremer
sent J’Oy out of the building with her comm badge to hail for help and
probably to get her out of the line of fire."
"Paris to Montgomery. I can’t
detect their bio signatures. Something is interfering with our scanners."
Tom informed the captains. "There is no way I can beam them out.
What’s going on?"
There was a brief silence.
"They ran into trouble, Tom," Janeway
answered shortly. "Captain Montgomery, was anyone injured?"
"I have no way of knowing. The
shooting started just as J’Oy left the building."
"What are our options? Have we got
any other teams that can get there quickly?"
"If I try to divert a team from here
it will take too long. I’m headed to the embassy now and will try to
reach them from there but time is running out." Montgomery ran a hand
through her hair as she tried to play out the different scenarios in her
mind. Their options were getting fewer. "That’s it. We don’t have
any other choice. Scramble a rescue team ASAP. Forget about normal
standard procedures. Launch them as soon as possible and hail me as soon
as they deploy" she continued firmly. "According to Seven’s
calculations the next quake, the final one, will take place in less than
an hour."
"Affirmative," Janeway
said, her voice solemn, "It’s going to be close … too close if
you ask me."
"Any suggestions, Kathryn?"
There was only a slight pause in
Janeway’s response but it was enough to make Montgomery frown.
"Yes, since we aren’t following
normal standard procedures - but you’re not going to like it, "
Janeway said sardonically.
"Try me."
"Better yet, I’ll show you. This
way you can claim plausible deniability when the Protectorate questions
you later, asking if you knew what I was about to do. Trust me Eliana.
Janeway out."
Montgomery slapped her comm badge.
"Montgomery to Janeway." There
was no reply. "Janeway come in!"
There was only static.
A mask of indifference settled over her
classic features. Dragging her fingers through her blonde hair again she
noted that her headache had returned.
"Go back to the embassy," she
instructed J’Aoh. "Evacuate your staff by transporter to the
Protectorate property in the mountains within an hour."
"Yes, Captain."
She had no time to accompany him back to
the Protectorate embassy for a protected beam up; all she could do was
raise the privacy shield between them and the Bunthoran driver.
"Montgomery to Paris."
"Paris here."
"Determine my current position."
She paused briefly. "Beam me to the Delta Flyer and relay me to my
ready room on the Excellence."
"Aye, Captain."
There was a tingling sensation when her
molecules dematerialised and the hovercraft disappeared in a soft green
glow.
She materialised briefly in the Delta Flyer
and the next thing she saw was her ready room.
Montgomery strode onto the bridge. The crew
did not even raise an eyebrow.
"Hail Voyager and get me Janeway on
the screen," she ordered briskly.
"Yes, Captain," the ensign at ops
said smartly and then frowned. "Ma’am, Voyager is breaking out the
moon’s orbit."
"What?"
"She’s on a trajectory towards the
planet at full impulse, Captain!"
"Hail Voyager!"
The ensign punched in commands and then
shook his head.
"They’re not responding to hails."
Montgomery regarded the sight on the main
view screen. The sleek intrepid ship moved lithely towards the planet.
Montgomery clenched her fists at her side
watching Voyager’s captain take her ship in, certainly set on saving the
Bunthorans, the numerous away teams still down there and, no doubt, her
Borg.
"Take the Excellence closer but do not
enter orbit," Montgomery said between clenched teeth. "Damn it,
Kathryn, is this what you call plausible deniability?"
*****
Janeway regarded the view screen.
The planet came into focus and she hailed
the Delta Flyer.
"Tom Paris here."
"Give me the co-ordinates of the away
teams last known location, Tom," the captain said. "Follow
Voyager and return to shuttle bay. I need you at the helm."
"Aye, Captain." Paris gave
her the requested information. "I just beamed Captain Montgomery
back to the Excellence," he said. "Can you tell me
what’s going on, Captain?"
Janeway was pleased to hear that Montgomery
was back on the Excellence, one person less to worry about down there.
"Not at this point, Tom. The away team
needs assistance and time has run out for anything else but the big guns."
"Captain?" Tom sounded
puzzled.
"Report to the bridge as soon as
possible. Janeway out."
She entered the co-ordinates provided by
Paris into Voyager’s navigational array. She brushed the gamma shift
ensign aside and punched in new commands at the helm.
"I’m taking Voyager into low orbit,"
she informed the Tuvok and the bridge crew. "Alert the beta shift
security team. When I’m in position, beam them and myself down to these
co-ordinates."
"Yes, Captain," Tuvok replied.
Janeway knew Eliana would have her head
afterwards but there was no way she was letting anyone perish without
exhausting every solution possible. As far as she was concerned, the Prime
Directive had gone out the window the moment they had discovered
technology that was not indigenous to this planet.
Voyager entered a low orbit around the
planet and Janeway rose from the helm.
"Everyone in place?" she inquired.
"Yes, Captain," the ensign at ops
confirmed. "Security team is standing by."
"Good. You have the bridge, Tuvok.
Energise."
Just before the transporter beam engulfed
her, sending her molecules through space, her thoughts went to Seven. She
could only pray that the young woman was all right.
*****
Heidi Bremer bit down hard on her lower lip
to not gasp out loud as Lt Torres carefully palpated her left shoulder.
She had trouble breathing and every now and then her vision blurred.
The Klingon moved the medical tricorder
over the area.
"The projectiles from that guys weapon
is still in there, Bremer," B’Elanna said. "Fragments from the
damaged clavicle have caused a rift in the upper lobe of your left lung.
You need a doctor, not an engineer."
Bremer sucked her breath in, beginning to
feel faint and hating it.
"There is no way out until backup
arrives," she managed. "At least not for me."
"We are not leaving you behind,"
Seven said, squatting next to the Guardian. "There is still the
matter of the computer you found. We must determine its origin if we are
going to stop it from causing catastrophic damage to this planet."
They were hiding among the tall cylinders.
Seven had carried the tall, imposing tactical officer to an opening after
she had collapsed.
"Lt Bremer, I have performed some
additional scans," Ensign Vak stated as she rejoined the others.
"Brovskij has set up sensors along a perimeter. Nobody will be able
to approach us without revealing themselves."
"Oh really? Did you forget that the
damn things didn’t warn us about the guards the first time?"
"Sorry ma’am." Vak blushed
faintly at the reprimand.
"It’s not your fault Vak. It’s
whatever is interfering with our systems in here. Just keep your wits
about you and rely on your eyes and ears rather than depend on our
technology or we’ll all be dead. Go on," Bremer said, trying not to
cough.
"The technology around us is of an
unknown origin," the ensign reported quickly. "There is no
resemblance to anything existing currently within the Protectorate. The
readings are curious but there are several indicators that suggest it once
belonged to an advanced race."
"What do you mean, once?"
B’Elanna asked.
"This technology is more than
six-hundred years old."
There was a stunned silence.
"That is curious," Seven said,
"but it would explain how such a large piece of machinery could be
missing without anyone enquiring about it. It also provides an interesting
mystery. How did it fall into the hands of some ruthless Bunthoran?"
"Maybe it was something that the
Protectorate abandoned years ago and forgot about it. Perhaps because of
its age the readings are not the same as they would have been if it was
contemporary," B’Elanna suggested.
Bremer tried to keep up with the other’s
reasoning, agreeing with the theories, but the blood loss and the collapse
of her left lung was taking its toll on her.
"Hey, Bremer, you still with us?"
B’Elanna said and leaned over her.
"I’m … fine …"
"She’s passing out. Elevate her feet.
If we don’t get backup soon, she’s not going to make it,"
Voyager’s chief engineer stated and grabbed a hypospray. "I’ll
give her something more for the pain. Damn, I hope that Bunthoran girl got
through to Montgomery."
Gentle hands pulled Bremer’s feet up and
put a wooden box under her calves to keep them elevated. Bremer managed to
open her eyes and saw Seven gaze down at her, a frown betraying the
blonde’s concern.
"Keep scanning the technology,"
Bremer said weakly. "Get as much information as possible. We don’t
have much time …"
"We are aware of that, Lieutenant,"
Seven nodded. "We will gather as much information as possible. There
is still a chance that we may forestall this catastrophe."
"Don’t give up …"
"We will not …"
A throaty voice calling from a distance
interrupted them.
"Nice job on the perimeter sensors,
Ensign Brovskij, but would you mind letting your captain through?"
*****
Janeway hefted her phaser rifle onto her
hip and walked in among the tall cylinders, taking in the scene.
Bremer was on the floor, injured and being
tended to by B’Elanna and Seven. Brovskij and Vak stood guard and now
looked with apparent relief at the heavily armed auburn haired captain.
Six security officers accompanied her from
Voyager and they were now securing the area as their captain assessed the
situation.
"Ensign Vak, take two security
officers with you and bring Lt Bremer to a location that allows you to
beam her directly to Voyager’s sickbay, then report back here."
"Yes, Captain," the ensigns said
in unison and cautiously lifted the by now unconscious Lt Bremer and began
to carry her towards the exit.
"Report," Janeway said, glancing
around her.
"This is the technology we’ve been
looking for, Captain," B’Elanna said. "According to Vak’s
assessment, it is more than six-hundred years old. We need to get to the
computer to see if we can shut it all down."
"Sha’nee J’Oy is already there
with two more from security," Janeway stated.
B’Elanna nodded and together with
Brovskij and another security officer she began to walk back towards the
area where the computer was located.
Seven was about to follow them when Janeway
stopped her, putting a hand on the younger woman’s arm.
"How are you feeling?"
"I am functioning within acceptable
parameters, Captain," the ex-Borg stated.
Janeway studied the blonde, noticing the
dark circles under her eyes and that Seven looked unusually pail.
"Okay, carry on," she said,
motioning towards the direction she came from. "We better make good
use of the time we’ve got here. Tom is back at the helm on Voyager and
Tuvok has the bridge. He has orders to fire two photon torpedoes at this
structure if we have not successfully shut this facility down within
forty-five minutes. We have to beam out all of our away teams as well as
the Guardians ten minutes before that, at the latest."
"We have no way of knowing how such an
impact will effect the technology or the area," Seven offered as they
strode towards where they computer was located.
"I know and that’s why it’s a last
resort. I’m still hopeful that we will end this in a less violent way."
"How did you manage to boost
Voyager’s transporter array to work at such a distance?" Seven
asked.
"I didn’t. She’s in low orbit,"
Janeway confessed, pressing her lips together.
Seven could not hide her surprise.
"The Prime Directive …"
"Lives are at stake here, millions of
lives. I have no intention of sitting idly by and discussing the Prime
Directive when there is a chance to save them. I know Captain Montgomery
and the Protectorate will ask for my head …"
Janeway shook her head, refusing to think
about how furious Eliana Montgomery would be with her for breaking now
only the Protectorate’s equivalent of the Prime Directive but also the
one from the Federation that they both had once sworn to uphold.
"I agree with your assessment of the
situation," Seven offered, her voice soft.
"Thank you," Janeway murmured,
surprised how much the words meant.
The two moved quickly and soon reached the
area where the computer was located.
Janeway nodded at B’Elanna and Sha’nee
J’Oy who were trying to interpret the readings.
The security officers kept a meticulous eye
on their surroundings, not about to let anyone interrupt the women’s
work. They all kept their phaser rifles raised, set on stun.
"This isn’t working. There is no way
of deciphering this. The scans show that the computer and the tricorders
are not compatible at all," B’Elanna said with exasperation.
"I have no way of communicating with it, Captain. I can’t download
anything into it either."
Janeway looked over her chief engineer’s
shoulder. The computer and its components were unlike any she had
encountered before. She soon came to the same conclusion as B’Elanna;
there efforts were not going to work.
"We can’t afford to waste any more
time. I guess this leaves us with little else than to blast this place
from space," she sighed.
"This is not true, Captain,"
Seven claimed and stepped closer. "Since I linked to the Protectorate
computer onboard the Excellence I could interface with the computer and
run its readings through my cortical implant. If this is ancient
Protectorate technology or something they have come across in the past, I
may be able to find the abort codes and apply them."
"Your systems are damaged,
Seven," Janeway objected, her heart twitching at the thought of the
blonde endangering herself again. "We have no way of knowing if this
will work or how it may affect you."
"Please, Captain. ‘The needs of the
many outweigh the needs of the few.’"
Janeway did not enjoy hearing Seven quote
Ambassador Spock’s famous saying but she recognised the truth in it.
"Give us two minutes, people,"
she growled.
The others gave Seven encouraging glances
and walked out of sight, leaving her alone with Janeway.
"Seven, you don’t have to do
this," Janeway tried.
"I disagree," the blonde said and
walked closer to her captain. "You know I have to try and save these
people. If I am unsuccessful, you can bring us all out and transport us to
Voyager and attack this location from there. However, I do not intend to
disappoint you."
The tone of self-confidence tore at
Janeway. She wanted to order the ex-Borg not to proceed with something
that could endanger her already depleted systems.
"I’m not going to allow you to hurt
yourself again," she murmured.
"I do not have it in mind to cause
myself injury. It is my opinion that the procedure can be done quickly."
Janeway was not sure Seven was being
entirely truthful but knew she had little choice but to let the younger
woman proceed.
"All right. Go ahead."
Seven smiled faintly and then, surprisingly,
she raised her right hand to the captain’s cheek. She softly brushed her
fingertips along Janeway’s jaw line.
"I told you I would not fail you,
Kathryn," she whispered.
Janeway’s heart skipped a beat. The soft
touch was a shock and so was the overwhelming feeling of loss when Seven
removed her hand.
Seven pivoted and stepped up to the tall
cabinet.
Not missing a beat the tall blonde let her
assimilation tubules make contact with the computer and enter its systems.
There was a shower of sparks. The force behind the exchange of information
drove the young woman instantly to her knees.
Janeway rapidly stepped closer and held on
to the blonde’s slumping shoulders.
"Seven!"
*****
Montgomery sat at the desk in her ready
room, fuming.
"Report," she barked at the small
screen on her computer where Max Toriello and Chakotay looked back on her
from a secure room at the Protectorate embassy.
"The evacuation of the smaller
cities is progressing well, but in the capital and its surroundings …
it’s going far too slow, Captain," Toriello said. "We
met with the military leaders in charge at the EOC and gave them
instructions as well as support on how to handle this."
"Were they receptive?"
"Yes, they were grateful for
everything we could tell them. Colonel B’Ara at the EOC is achieving
nothing short of a miracle given the limited recourses at his disposal."
"You realise that there won’t be
enough time to save as many as we hope, don’t you?" Montgomery said
her voice strained.
"Yes, I do, Captain."
"There is another matter; that of your
captain," Montgomery hissed, directing her attention at Chakotay.
"Captain?" he asked,
concern darkening his eyes.
"She’s taken Voyager into low orbit
and from what our sensors tell us, she’s down on the planet near or
inside the building suspected to host the technology we think is causing
all this."
Chakotay’s expression would have been
funny if the situation was not so grave. His eyebrows almost left his face
and he seemed at a loss for words.
"She took Voyager in?" he
asked incredulously.
"She did. I hate to admit it, but this
may be the last chance we have to stop this. Is she always this reckless,
Commander?"
There was an immediate ‘yes’ in his
eyes but being the correct second in command that he was, Chakotay only
replied that his captain utilised unconventional methods on occasion.
"Unconventional, indeed,"
Montgomery mumbled and leaned back into her chair.
Her comm badge chirped.
"Lt Bremer to Captain Montgomery."
"Montgomery here. Are you all right,
Lieutenant?"
"Yes. The Doctor is treating
me in Voyager’s sickbay. Janeway is down on the planet with a security
team."
"We’re aware of this. Do you have
any idea if they’re making progress?"
"No, Captain. I was unconscious
until the Doctor revived me a couple of minutes ago."
"Rest up, Lieutenant. Montgomery
out."
The Excellence’s captain regarded the two
men on her computer screen.
"Voyager has so far refused to respond
to my hails, no doubt on Janeway’s orders. Get through to whoever holds
your bridge, Commander Chakotay. Get back to me with explicit details of
your captain’s intended course of action. This is not a suggestion,
Commander."
"Yes, Captain."
Chakotay disappeared from the screen.
Toriello looked thoughtfully at her.
"You okay, Captain?" he
asked carefully.
"I’m furious, Max," she
confessed quietly. "She’s reckless! She and the others may be dead
down there and we have no way of knowing."
"She’s like you," her
second in command stated softly. "She is just as reckless and
unconventional as you used to be … and still are, to some extent."
Montgomery glared at the computer. She
hated when he was right.
"We’re responsible. We brought them
into this, Max," she growled. "We sent out that distress call
and they responded to it. You know as well as I do that no Federation star
ship would ever turn there back on people in need, no matter the
risks."
"I know. Give her some benefit of
the doubt. Let’s see what Chakotay finds out. Here he is, by the way."
Max moved a little to the side as Chakotay
reappeared on the small screen.
"I apologise for the delay in
communications," Voyager’s next in command said diplomatically.
"Tuvok informed me of the Captain’s plan. She will request a
massive transport of all remaining away teams in less than twenty minutes
if she has not succeeded in shutting down the technology responsible for
the quakes."
"What’s her progress?"
"The senior security officer on
site reported back five minutes ago that Seven of Nine is interfacing with
the computer that operates the technology. Only your tactical chief was
wounded when they were discovered by the guards and so far there has been
no signs of anyone else trying to intervene."
Montgomery exhaled quietly.
"All right. What are her plans if this
last attempt fails?"
"She has given the order to destroy
the facility with two simultaneous photon torpedoes."
Chakotay’s expression was devoid of emotions but he was the spitting
image of Max Toriello when delivering bad news.
"We have no way of knowing the
repercussions. Max, what’s your opinion?" she asked, feeling the
headache beginning to escalate again.
"I hate using that much force but I
have to agree. It is either that or watching the northern hemisphere
crumble and millions of people die."
"I know, Max. I want to strangle her
but at the same time … I agree as well. Begin transporting the crews
now. Tell your tactical chief to stand down, Chakotay. This is my
call."
Montgomery’s lowered her voice and nobody
could misunderstand the gravity of her words.
"If anyone is to break the Prime
Directive and blow up this building from space … the responsibility is
mine."
