Chapter 7 added on 11 July 2000
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: R
It was close to dawn but still pretty dark when B'Elanna woke to a brief clattering of stones hitting the ground. Seven moved under her arm as well, glancing over her shoulder at B'Elanna. The half-Klingon sat up, and scanned the entrance to the cave, but found no movement. She motioned for Seven to remain quiet as she stealthily crept past the stalagmites to the opening of the cave. She had no weapons on her except a short blade from the survival kit.
Seven watched vigilantly as B'Elanna stepped over the stones, and disappeared through the entrance. There seemed to be an interminable length of silence, then she heard sounds of a scuffle, of footfalls, muffled voices, and scattering of rocks and pebbles. Someone howled, obviously in pain, but it was a male's voice. After that, the silence resumed. Suddenly, B'Elanna stumbled through the entrance, stopping herself in time from colliding into one of the stalagmites. Unarmed, she turned, snarling at the three individuals who now appeared at the opening, as they shined their bright lights into her face.
"Ah-ah," advised one of the larger figures, tipping his gun that was pointed at Lt. Torres. He was a good foot taller than the lieutenant, and twice as thick. "We wouldn't want to cause any more injuries now, do we?"
"Owwww, I think she broke my arm, Kal," whined the smallest of the three, who was rubbing his forearm.
"Shut up, Vek, you big wuss!" the one called Kal barked, making the other male cringe.
The third figure, who had not spoken yet, approached Seven with his rifle cocked in readiness. She watched him silently with a piercing glare, as he made his way across the cave. She didn't recognize his species. The three humanoids looked similar enough, each with brown hair cropped closely to the scalp, narrow faces, webbed necks, and yellowish-tanned skin.
"Get up." He told her, with no preamble or hostility. He was burly, but moved with skill and confidence.
Slowly, she positioned her paralyzed limbs into the correct alignment, and pushed off on her right side, balancing herself until she was erect.
"This one's injured," he reported impassively to the one who was undoubtedly the leader of the group.
"Bring her here," Kal commanded.
"What do you want with us?" demanded B'Elanna. She never cared for foul-smelling brutes, and these reminded her of Cardassians back home in the Alpha Quadrant.
"We want your power crystals, of course. We searched your ship but it was gone."
Meanwhile, the third male grabbed Seven under her left arm with his meaty hand, and steadied her as she hobbled over next to B'Elanna. Then, he stepped back behind his leader.
"We don't have any, as you can see for yourself, except for a small sample," answered B'Elanna coolly.
"You know what the coordinates are. We don't want you going back there with reinforcements," Kal answered back, looking over the Klingon, unabashed.
"Well, then, we swear that we won't. We aren't interested in that particular deposit or that planet," offered B'Elanna.
"Then there is the matter that you brought down our ship. I didn't like that," he added, his voice hardening briefly before returning to its seductive, or rather, sleazy tone.
The other two males watched as Kal began circling the women, brazenly appraising their bodies. In all matters, they obviously deferred to him. It made B'Elanna feel filthy just by standing there, and she couldn't hide her expression of contempt.
"We'll have a little fun before we kill you." He stopped next to Seven, and brushed the back of his coarse hand along the side of her face. She twisted away from him, apparently repulsed by the whole act.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" B'Elanna roared, charging in between them.
The sudden movement caused the burly one to cock and aim his rifle at the lieutenant. The whole situation caused Kal to laugh.
"Is it necessary to kill them?" the burly one questioned.
"I didn't ask for your opinion!" railed Kal.
"We'll do 'em and kill 'em, yeah, Kal," agreed the coward.
"We know the coordinates to other deposits. Kill us and you will never obtain the information," lied Seven.
"Oh,..." Kal snickered, "You'll tell us well before we even kill you."
"PetaQ!" swore B'Elanna, spitting out her venom.
He slapped her for it. But it barely fazed B'Elanna at all, who gave him a withering look, even as blood dripped from the old clot above her right brow. The Cardassians back home were the vilest of creatures, and Kal was nothing compared to them.
"Our captain is coming for us. Touch us, and you'll be hunted down like the animal you are. You'll wish you never met us!" threatened B'Elanna.
"Ah, yes. We figured as much,...that someone might come looking for you," admitted Kal. "But we made it look as though your shuttle crashed into an asteroid and was completely destroyed."
B'Elanna looked away in disgust. It only made Kal cackle again.
"Tie them up!" he ordered, and moved away to make room for the burly one.
Seven felt her arms being pulled behind her. Everything in her body screamed for her to get away from this place. If she ever regretted becoming human again, it was at this moment, a moment of true vulnerability. As if her assimilation had not defiled her body enough. She was frightened for herself and for the lieutenant, who seemed hell bent on dying before her. Seven dreamed of being Borg, of pummeling these beings and taking pleasure in their assimilation. Kal approached her again, leering at the display of her attributes with no obstruction to his view. She was completely nauseated.
"I think I'll enjoy you very much," he told her. Then he pushed her, and she flew back a few feet landing hard on her ass.
B'Elanna had been eyeing a sharp piece of flint on the floor next to Kal during the whole exchanged. Once again she stepped between them. Kal was clearly annoyed by her interference, sneering at the engineer.
"Why don't you try it on someone who isn't injured. Or maybe you're just not man enough," taunted B'Elanna.
He slapped her again, and this time she fell down, at his feet. Seven almost called out to B'Elanna, but she refused to show these inferior monsters weakness. The half-Klingon would die of disappointment.
B'Elanna turned over and gazed up at him. "Huh, you have your mother's touch," she insulted.
Kal pulled B'Elanna up, and punched her forcefully in the gut. Then he tossed her onto Seven. B'Elanna coughed once, but started to laugh. Kal turned away from them, and addressed his lackeys.
"Call the ship. Give them the coordinates and tell them to pick us up here tomorrow when they're done with the repairs," he ordered the burly one. "Set up camp. Orn, you take first watch."
Turning his attention back on the two women, Kal added, "You'll get yours, in due time."
"Good, 'cause I'm exhausted, Kal. After you made us walk all day and night," whimpered Vek, as he put down his pack along the far wall where the women had slept, away from the cold wind near the entrance.
Kal and Vek settled quickly into the cave, while the burly Orn stood watch near the entrance. Other than Orn checking in on them once in a while, the two women were largely ignored, left to sit on the freezing ground. Seven was relieved to have the space and the stalagmites between them and their captors, who were, within minutes, snoring away in the background.
"Lieutenant," Seven whispered to B'Elanna, who was leaning against the wall of the cave, facing the entrance. She was hidden under the shadows. "Are you damaged?"
"No," came the hushed answer.
"Why must you provoke their leader, Kal? I do not wish to see you injured in such a manner again," Seven told her, frustration evident in her tone.
"Seven, sit back," B'Elanna instructed quietly.
Seven did as she was told, and leaned against the wall directly behind B'Elanna's back. She felt the lieutenant press against her, as well as a sharp object poking into her thigh. The ex-drone glanced down to find a shard of stone in the Klingon's right hand. Her mouth dropped in astonishment.
"I need you to huddle close,...to hide what I'm doing," B'Elanna whispered, as she eyed the hulking one named Orn, who sat just outside the opening.
Gradually, B'Elanna began to saw through her bindings, stopping occasionally only when Orn got too close. To him, it appeared that the women were huddled together for warm, and he left them alone. Though their proximity was done for another purpose, Seven was grateful for the reassurance from the physical contact with the half-Klingon. Dawn was poised to arrive soon, and B'Elanna wanted to be free before then. Escape under the cover of darkness was essential. At last, she reached the last few threads of her bindings.
"Seven, I'm almost free," B'Elanna breathed. "I'll get you next."
"Do not. You must escape while the one called Orn is away from the entrance," Seven pointed out.
The burly one had drifted off further outside the cave, since she had not seen him pace in front of the entrance for more than twenty minutes.
"I told you once before, you're chances of survival are greater alone. Not burdened with a drone who is half-paralyzed," she added.
B'Elanna looked over her shoulder at Seven, her gaze reflecting the inner conflict of knowing Seven was right but feeling reluctant and fearful. Seven returned the look with one of her own. The lieutenant eased backward and whispered in her ear.
"Whatever happens, remember, I won't abandon you."
B'Elanna kissed the Borg on the forehead, got up and slinked towards the entrance to the cave. A moment later, she was gone. Seven sighed and leaned her head against the wall. Her friend and protector was gone, and she was left alone in the company of cruel beings. Silently, she wept and waited for morning to arrive along with the consequences.
To be continued....