Chapter 9 added on 11 July 2000
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: R
"Captain's personal log, Stardate 54047.2. It's been almost two days since the disappearance of Lt. Torres and Seven of Nine during an away mission to survey planets for dilithium deposits. All other teams assigned to the various sectors have returned safely, with no reports of anything that had occurred out of the ordinary. We had received B'Elanna' distress call, two hours into their flight, and arrived at the site of the last transmission only to find no trace of them. No ion trail, which would have been normally detected by our sensors, was found. After a few hours of searching the area, we discovered a piece of the shuttle's hull plating at a nearby asteroid belt. Tuvok also discovered scattered debris in the asteroid field containing materials consistent with Star Fleet construction. He has been analyzing the debris ever since, and I am awaiting the results.
I find myself wondering about all the possible problems Seven and B'Elanna might have run into, and I am terribly concerned for their safety. The lieutenant is a fine officer, an experienced away mission leader, and has more lives than a cat. She has been through numerous life-threatening situations, and always managed to come out on top. Seven has the knowledge of more species than I can count, as well a brilliant mind of her own, and I know she will be able to assist B'Elanna. I only hope B'Elanna and Seven can set aside their differences, and work through whatever obstacles they may be facing.
On a more personal level, I am struggling to remain the optimist. I would hate to lose either of them. B'Elanna and I have had our difficulties in the past, but her fierce loyalty, talents, and strength of character have always made me proud to be her friend, and perhaps, more than that. Seven and I have also had our share of differences, but as I watch her grow into the person she is becoming, I find myself very attached to the ex-drone..."
Before, Janeway could finish her thought, the chime to her Ready Room rang. She paused her log entry, and sat up formally on her couch.
"Come in," she invited, adjusting her uniform.
Commander Tuvok entered through her door, with a data padd in hand, and approached her. Evidently, they were both burning the midnight oil tonight. She offered him a seat, but he declined, as it was more of an official visit.
"Is that the report I've been expecting?" she asked, her voice low and deep.
"Correct. I have analyzed the contents of the debris, and have come to some conclusions."
"Yes?" she urged him to continue.
"The debris contained materials consistent with our Class 2 shuttles, with more or the less the correct proportion of duranium, titanium..."
"Please get to the point, Tuvok," she interrupted, impatiently, setting her coffee mug down.
Raising his brow, he answered, "The results would indicate that the shuttle was destroyed, most likely due to an explosion, which would explain the unrecognizable fragmentation of the debris, with the exception of the hull plating. There are traces of combustive residues. Since the debris was located in an asteroid field, I would hypothesize that a high impact may have caused a chain of events that would have led to an explosion. However, that remains purely speculative."
The Captain got up from her couch, and went over to her computer station, downloading the report to go over later for herself. But from her short skim, she knew that the Vulcan had been thorough in covering all possible scenarios.
"Thank you, Tuvok. I want you to continue your analysis, however, and look over those residual substances. It may give us more clues," she requested.
"Of course, some of these conclusions are preliminary," he added. "I will continue until I have exhausted all of the resources in Voyager's data base. If there is nothing further, I wish to continue in my quarters. And may I suggest you also get some rest."
"Yes, suggestion noted. Dismissed," she replied, appreciating his thoughtfulness.
Tuvok bid the Captain goodnight, leaving her far more worried than she had been before, though she did her best not to show it. Janeway sighed, knowing it was going to be another long, sleepless night, her thoughts wandering back to the two women who were, in her heart, still alive. She wondered about what sort of danger her Borg must be facing, and hoped the half-Klingon officer would do her best to keep Seven out of trouble. Or was it the other way around, she mused.
"Computer, another cup of coffee, black."
~~~~~~~~
At 0700 hours, the Captain called the senior officers to the Briefing Room. Tuvok had worked all night, and found new startling facts. The others had also put in extra shifts in the search for the two missing crewmembers. Tom had flown the Delta Flyer through another sector while Voyager had been exploring the sector where the Class 2 shuttle had disappeared. They all looked tired.
Tuvok repeated the same things he said last night to the Captain. This time however, he had something new to add.
"I analyzed the residue found on many of the components obtained from the debris. They show trace amounts of plutonic radiation," he revealed. "As you know, Star Fleet shuttle systems have not used plutonium since the Twentieth-second century, as it was deemed too volatile."
"So what you're saying is, it didn't come from our shuttle," deduced Harry. "They were attacked."
"Indeed. That is the most probable hypothesis," Tuvok agreed.
"My guess is that B'Elanna and Seven were attacked, their ion trail masked. They may have gotten away in an escape pod, but more likely they were taken prisoner, kidnapped," added Janeway, her voice throaty from the controlled-anger underlying her tone.
"We can look for a crashed shuttle or an escape pod, or trace a subspace message, but trying to find two individuals in this sector...," Tom deplored. He had been upset over the disappearance of his former lover ever since they had received the distress call.
"There are still ways to find them," Chakotay argued harshly, his patience wearing thin. "Neelix, see if you can contact some of the local trade authorities in this sector. Maybe they've heard something. There are several class M planets in this sector worth exploring, near enough to the asteroid field. There might be some favorite port stops along the way where we can gather information from people who are willing to talk. We were warned that this area was big on crime along with the commerce. Maybe B'Elanna and Seven wandered into something they weren't supposed to."
"I agree. We'll contact any vessels we might encounter, scan each ship if we have to. If I know those two, they're probably trying to find a way to communicate with us," ordered the Captain. "Meanwhile, Tom, Neelix, you both will take the Delta Flyer and meet up with any of the official channels that are willing to help us."
~~~~~~~~
Seven shifted around again. Gradually, she became more and more aware of the incessant murmuring just outside the door to their room, and let out a quiet, suffering groan. At last, she plucked her eyes open, apparently not a real morning person. Sleep was a difficult human activity for her to become accustomed to for now. Seven did not like the initial disorientation upon awakening, and the lack of regeneration was wreaking havoc on her systems in general. Her entire body felt stiff today, but she concluded it must have been the result of yesterday's exertion. Lt. Torres was not in bed with her or even in the room. She swung her left leg around, over the edge of the bed, and stood up. Then she limped over to the night table, and began to wash the final remnants of sleep from her face, noticing a faint trembling of her hand. The voices from the other room became louder as she focused her hearing to the conversation.
"I'm glad you slept well, Bey." It was Moka, she recognized.
"Thank you, Moka." B'Elanna, no question.
"Breakfast will be ready soon. You should go wake Ani."
"Ay, let the girl sleep a minute or two longer. I reckon she earned it." And Dannan. His and Moka's accent were distinct, and reminded her of the holograms from Fair Haven.
"Yes, she has. But I think I better help her get ready, in any case. Otherwise, her breakfast might get cold by the time she comes out."
"I took out some more of my wife's clothing for you both. It should hold you over."
"Thank you, Dannan. But I feel like we shouldn't. We've already asked for too much."
"No, no. She would have been happy to lend you some. I'm just sorry they're so old, twenty-five years to be exact.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could have met her."
"I think she'd have like that, too. She and my daughter died in childbirth, but they're in a better place now."
Seven heard a sniff. "Come now." Moka's voice was wavering. "No more talk of things of the past. You have to get Bey to town today."
Then she heard footfalls approaching the room. The door opened and B'Elanna stuck her head in, glancing quickly over the small room, and finding Seven already standing at the night table.
"Hey, good morning," she greeted, walking into the room with a bundle of clothes in her hand. "More clothes for us to change into from--"
"I heard your conversation," Seven interrupted softly. "Borg-enhanced --"
"Auditory acuity," B'Elanna finished for her with a smirk. "Got it."
Seven answered with a quirk of her brow. B'Elanna ambled over and helped Seven to a chair. She sifted through the bundle and found a few things that might fit the tall figure, a sleeveless gown, leggings and some sandals. Seven had no underwear underneath her biosuit, something B'Elanna found out two days ago, much to her surprise and dismay. It was just too much information for her to handle at the time. Luckily, Dannan provided some delicates that were fairly adjustable with a few tucks and ties. Seven looked at them in wonder, but B'Elanna abruptly got down to business, not letting anything distract her from dressing the ex-drone rapidly, and with little flesh showing as impossible as that was. B'Elanna settled for some gray work trousers, a simple white shirt which she left the single collar tie undone, and wore her Star Fleet boots. She didn't think she was such a prude, but she found Seven watching her change extremely unnerving, though the Borg did politely turn away when she changed her underwear.
Finally, B'Elanna helped Seven up to walk to the common room, where Moka already had the breakfast plates out. Seven noticed B'Elanna squinting at her carefully.
"Is there something wrong, Lieuten...Bey?" She had to be more careful Seven noted, catching herself.
"Nothing. Well, you're not as tall without your heels," teased B'Elanna. She hid her concern, having noticed that Seven looked paler and more tired than usual. The Borg really needed to regenerate under the circumstances.
~~~~~~~~
It had taken several minutes of pleading to convince Seven of Nine to stay behind. She did not wish to be separated from B'Elanna after two days of constant companionship on an alien planet. But when Moka put her foot down, even Seven had to obey without further argument. Besides, she had promised Seven she'd return as soon as her tasks were done before dinner. Dannan suggested that B'Elanna take a look at his shop. Though she had already perused his workshop at home, he said he had more advanced instruments and machinery in town. Then he advised her to go to the local watering hole called the "Hyperdrive" where she could find freighter pilots, deep-space travelers, and the like who might be willing to transmit a message or transport them off the planet. Unfortunately, she was limited in what she could barter with, a few weapons she might actually need, a chunk of dilithium. She hid one of the disrupters, holstered to the back of her waist, under the hooded coat Dannan had given her.
Dannan kept a clean shop. There were a number of droids lined up along the walls with varying problems. The hardware wasn't all that different from the androids B'Elanna encountered more than four years ago, remembering with an ache the prototype APU she created and destroyed all in one day. Since it was still a bit early for the watering hole crowd to gather, she decided to work on repairing some of the droids, to repay Dannan for opening his home to the two women.
They chatted amicably while they worked side by side. B'Elanna felt a little guilty for all her relatively vague answers. She learned a bit more about the planet they had landed on, however, which was a melting pot. The planet was at the crossroads, allowing lots of commerce, legal and illegal, and as a result, the inhabitants were a mixture of alien species from several sectors. Dannan's people, the Rangoon, came from one of the more distant sectors, and thrived because of their specialty in robotics. Other species from around this particular sector were more hostile in nature, probably because of the way people made a living in a highly competitive environment. He even recognized the species that attacked their shuttle, though B'Elanna left out some of the more disturbing details of their story.
By the afternoon, B'Elanna decided to check out the "Hyperdrive," and see if she could arrange something with some of the freighter crew. Dannan gave her some money credits to buy drinks with, as a way of starting up conversation. At this rate, she would owe the man her first born child for all of his help. She entered the bar with the swaggering confidence of her old Maquis days, finding a seat at the counter where she could view the whole establishment. The interior was dim, fairly unremarkable with a stage for entertainment, and a spread of tables and chairs. A mixture of shady characters were already making a nuisance of themselves, but the rest merely drank, conversed, and tolerated the more rambunctious few. A number of conversations appeared more serious, taking place in the darker corners, probably consisting of negotiations or exchange of information. B'Elanna kept her hood on, and ordered a drink Dannan recommended, from the bartender.
"Where can I find a reliable freighter pilot?" she asked the alien, when he returned with her drink. He reminded her of a Bolian.
"Depends on what kind of goods you want to transport," he replied.
"Normal transportation for a couple of passengers, or just a message transmission."
"Hmm.... Not much profit from that. You might want to try that corner over there." He pointed over his shoulder with the jerk of his thumb. "They're always transporting local goods, boring stuff. They probably won't mind a little side money. Or try that fella over there in the black vest. He might want to do a quick and easy job, since he's been in a lot of trouble lately. But that corner near the stage is a bit more..."
He left it at that. B'Elanna tipped him for the info, and decided to sit patiently and observe the people for a while. The alien in the black vest and pants almost looked human, except for some subtle differences. He finished speaking with two other individuals, and it appeared that they had just negotiated some sort of deal. B'Elanna may have been too late. She was about to walk over there when another alien sat down next to the humanoid. Their disagreement appeared to be escalating, as the other alien, green skinned and odd-looking, underhandedly pulled out a gun. She could see it from where she was sitting. All of a sudden, the green alien slammed face first into the table, with smoke seeping out from between his torso and the table. The black-vested man got up from his seat, and walked out of the bar, no one stopping or paying attention to him. Apparently, it was business as usual.
~~~~~~~~
Seven sat out on the porch in the front enclosure of the house, observing the pet animal walking around in circles. Moka had insisted on laundering their soiled uniformed before the stains of their travel became firmly fixed into the cloth. Now she was hanging them to dry while the sun was still high in the middle of the empty sky. She listened to the elderly woman hum, remembering vaguely a time when someone had similarly done so while she played in a garden of flowers.
Seven had been tired all morning, but it did not detract from the cheery conversation she had with Moka over lunch. Her muscles felt stiff so she was content to sit on the bench and wait for Lt. Torres to return. She thought about the flowers and the garden again, recalling how the blossoms had opened and the fairies had left their tears behind in the morning. The colors were brilliant, swirling about her, as she spun her body around and around to the laughter of other the children, in a child's game.
~~~~~~~~
Finally, B'Elanna got up from her seat and sauntered over to a table where one lone alien, a Norcadian, sat nursing an ale. He glanced up at her with indifference, and didn't react when she sat down uninvited. He accepted her offer to refill his drink, but otherwise didn't speak any further. The Norcadian had expected her actions, since, after all, the watering hole was a place where business was conducted.
"I'm looking for transport, two individuals, packs are light, nothing in the black," she used the local lingo as Dannan taught.
"Where are they heading for?" he asked, putting his feet up, letting her know he was willing to listen.
"Most likely the next sector."
"That'll cost 300 credits," he said, getting to the point.
"I don't have that many credits. How about an ore of dilithium and the location of the vein it belongs to?"
The pilot leaned back, stroking his woolly beard. "Most of the ships here use power crystals. You might find someone willing to take your offer. I have neither the time nor the equipment to mine and refine the power crystals myself." He sat up and drank the rest of his ale signaling the end of the conversation.
"Wait, let me buy you another," B'Elanna pressed.
The Norcadian sat back again, and nodded. B'Elanna ordered one more round of drinks before she proposed another deal.
"Does your ship have a subspace transmitter?" she asked.
"Yes."
"How much for a subspace message, played continuously during your next transport flight?"
"Time and personnel to monitor communication links,...50 credits," he presented.
Before she could answer, B'Elanna saw Dannan rush through the doors, turning his head left and right, searching, probably for her. She discreetly waved him over to the table. He composed himself as he walked over to their table. Briefly, he acknowledged the Norcadian, then bent down to whisper in her ear.
"Bey, you must come home. Moka just contacted me. She says there is something terribly wrong with Ani," he told her softly but with great urgency.
She apologized to the Norcardian, and started to get up and follow Dannan out, when the Norcadian grabbed her wrist.
"My name is Abcedi and my ship leaves in three days. I'm here around this time everyday until then."
Then he released her arm, and proceeded to finish his drink. B'Elanna acknowledged his words, and was out the door.
To be continued....