by Alys Landale
"I didn't hear anything Captain," B'Elanna said. She was beginning to worry about Tom as well. Instead of voicing her thoughts, she ran her tricorder in the direction of Tom's gaze. "I'm not picking up anything. Maybe it was just your imagination."
"Yeah," he muttered.
"At any rate, I think it's about time we leave here. B'Elanna are you done." The captain's gaze never left Tom as she said this. *Damn, if only he didn't keep that mask on. Maybe then I could tell what's wrong.* From what she could read from his face, he wasn't making this up. *Something's wrong and I don't intend to hang around and find out what that something is.*
"Yes, I'm done here."
"All right let's get moving then." Janeway took the lead, cautiously looking down the hall to make sure nothing was there.
Once Janeway was out of earshot, B'Elanna approached Paris. "You mind telling me what that was all about?"
"Oh nothing. I didn't really sleep well last night. I guess it's catching up with me."
Torres let it go. It was clear that he wasn't going to say anything. She would just have to interrogate him later.
Chapter Four
**************
Parvanian Research Vessel: Bonthos
*Hundreds of planets to conquer, dozens of battles to lead, but instead, I’m researching nebulas on a science vessel.*
Takma tapped the corner of her console with her forefinger, trying to forget her husband’s words as he convinced her to command this ship.
*If he thinks he can get rid of me this easily, he’s sorely mistaken. Every man has a weakness and when I find his. Even if he is the Pretor of the Parvanian Empire.*
Her thoughts came to a halt as her fingernail finally split under the constant pressure of its tapping. Letting out a sigh, she arched her back as she stood and walked to the window. Onyx hair fell to her shoulders as she pulled out her barrette. Human features stared pensively out the window. Only the small brow ridges and pupil-less eyes betrayed her Parvanian descent.
“The great Parvanian Empire,” she whispered to herself, “grown by centuries of conquest, encompassing worlds of technology, and housing hundreds of concentration camps.”
Every Parvanian in the empire knew that phrase. It was a line from their own battle hymn, a call for pride in the history and magnificence of the Empire. *And a warning against the follies of disloyalty,* Takma thought through a smile. While not spoken of openly, she had heard stories of the traitors of the Empire and their descent into the camps.
“But that won’t be me,” she told herself. “It’ll never be me.”
A crewmember walked in, interrupting Takma's thoughts. "Excuse me, my lady, but we will be approaching the nebula shortly."
"Very well, I hope this will be a bit more interesting than the last five."
He nodded and left.
*Perhaps there will be something of interest this time.*
With a few flicks of her finger, she turned on her console and studied the read-outs from their upcoming nebula. Its swirling colors prevented any communication from penetrating its layers; however, their sensors could pick up faint traces of dilithium on the planet below. What caught her attention, however, was the ship they had detected only a few light years from the nebula’s border.
She tilted her head slightly as she studied the vessel on her screen. Its configuration was unlike anything she had ever seen, and though it obviously as not a Borg vessel, traces of the Hive’s technology had been detected.
Her mouth flickered into a half smile. “Borg technology… perhaps this trip was exactly what I needed after all.” She tapped the communicator on her console. “General Kail, I’ve noticed a vessel that has intrigued me. I believe I’d like to have it… for scientific purposes of course.”
“I’ll engage the cloak and have the ship put on alert, Takma. Kail out.”
She let out a sigh as she stepped back up to her window. “Well, Portus, you might have thought you could show me my place by putting me here, but your little wife might just have a new place for you as well.”
**************
"By Kahless," B’Elanna muttered.
Janeway and Paris both turned a confused look towards the engineer.
“Mind explaining, lieutenant,” Janeway asked.
Torres’ eyes flickered up to her companions then back to the tricorder in her hand. "I’ve been studying the readings we’ve taken inside the station and compared them to those taken outside and on the planet. According to the data, it’s this station that’s creating the nebula, maybe even sustaining the planet as well."
"Are you sure?" Janeway asked. “I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”
“I can’t explain it, captain, but it looks like this nebula is a part of this place’s defense system. I don't know how it does it, but if we could adapt this to Voyager..."
Cutting off her sentence, an ear-piercing howl erupted around them. Before B’Elanna could even react, her breath caught in her throat as the sudden sensation of ice shot through her chest, choking of any last words. She could feel the iciness traveling through her torso, down her arms and legs, and finally, encircling her mind in its frozen grasp until the sight of Tom moving towards her was cut off and darkness filled her vision.
They steady trickling of water still filled Tom’s ears as he walked down the corridor. He could hear B’Elanna and the Captain next to him, understood every word that they were saying, but try as he might, the droning sound still pulsed through his mind.
Just as Torres began to mention adapting the technology to Voyager, the background noise suddenly rained down with all the intensity of a hurricane.
Before he could even raise a hand to his temple, the wall behind B’Elanna rippled, unleashing a roar followed by a translucent beam that shot through the half-Klingon’s back.
He watched her gasp for breath and barely made it to his side before she crumpled to her knees. Sharing a glance with the captain, he quickly lifted Torres into his arms and ran down the hallway, not really knowing where he was going, just trying to put as much distance between them and the roaring in his mind as he could. Either seconds or minutes later, he had no idea which, he stopped in front of an open doorway and motioned Janeway inside before entering himself.
Quickly scanning the empty room for any potential threats, Janeway turned her attention back to Paris and Torres once she was sure of no immediate danger. Barely past the threshold, Tom had already laid B’Elanna down and was taking her vitals. Behind them, the doorway had sealed itself.
“How is she,” Janeway asked quietly.
Tom raised his eyes for a moment, not really looking at the captain, just needing to focus his sight on something other than the tricorder in his hand. “Erratic pulse, her temperature’s too low, and I think she’s in shock.” *But she’s alive,* he added to himself.
Janeway knelt beside her two officers. “We’ll get her back to Voyager and have the…”
“You cannot leave here. She has been poisoned, but it is only temporary.”
Glancing towards Tom, she was met with raised eyebrows. “What…?”
A voice from ahead of them answered her question. "Your companion was attacked by one of the security droids of this station. The beam that shot her was not set at a high enough level to cause permanent damage."
Paris and Janeway looked towards the voice. A viewscreen ahead of them pulsated with every word that was said.
Janeway stared at the 'voice'. *Looks like this place wasn't as abandoned as we thought.*
**************
Kail let his eyesight wander to the woman sitting in what would normally be his seat. Black hair splayed behind her and her head resting casually in her open palm, she looked like so many of the Pretor’s wives before her. Her toe even tapped the deck below her in feigned boredom.
*But I know you better than that, Takma. That mind of yours is planning something, and I’ll stake my life that it will be to the detriment of your husband.*
>
Averting his gaze from the Pretor’s wife, Kail glanced around the bridge of the Bonthos. Accustomed to the stateliness of a battle cruiser, he was instead met with the compact configuration of a research vessel. He barely suppressed a snort.
*I am a general. I have won more battles for the Empire than all of the current commanders combined. I should be wiping out those Resistance pests, not commanding a science vessel.*
"We're approaching the nebula," the helmsman said. "We should be within range of the alien vessel in half an hour."
"Keep us cloaked," Takma ordered.
Kail took another look at Takma. Indifference still lined her features, but no dullness marred her eyes. As it had so many times since he had boarded this vessel, him mind wandered to the lines of the Parvanian battle hymn: *The great Parvanian Empire: grown by centuries of conquest, encompassing worlds of technology, and housing hundreds of concentration camps.*
No being was lower than a traitor in the Empire. No creature was more reviled, punished, tortured.
*But the victors write the histories, just as they choose the punishments,* he thought. *And what might be a traitor today, could be the leader of an Empire tomorrow.*
His eyes turned towards Takma just as a smile curved his lips.
**************
“Who are you, and just what the hell have you done to my officer?”
The wall continued to ripple, as the “voice” responded to Janeway’s command-mode tone. “I am referred to as the 'Neryem'. I run this facility."
Standing up, Janeway walked towards the wall, her fists already poised on her hips. "Now why did you attack my lieutenant?”
There was a pause, the wave frequency slowing before it responded. "I regret that your companion was injured, but she will revive shortly. I was not the one responsible for her attack,
though."
"Not responsible! You just said that you run this place."
"The security system that was activated is not under my control. During the years of inoccupation, I have lost control of many of the primary and secondary systems on this station, Security being one of those systems."
Janeway let out a sigh. “So just how can we deactivate this security system?”
Once again, the wavelength of the ripples altered, the deep voice pausing as if to think. "Deactivation is… complicated,” the monotone voice responded. “I can, however, help you to leave if you wish."
“Yeah, I think you can safely say we wish very much to leave,” Paris added.
Beneath him, B’Elanna stirred. “What happened?” she managed to whisper.
"You got shot,” he said as he helped her sit up. “I think."
"You must leave before the droids are able to penetrate the defenses in this room." Neryem stated.
Janeway glanced down at the pair still on the floor. Torres leaned stiffly against Tom’s shoulder, her eyes shut and her fist clenched. "Tom, can she be moved."
"She can't walk,” he said, putting a hand on Torres’ lips before she could protest, “but I can carry her to the shuttle without any harm."
"Okay then. Neryem, can you get us out of here."
"I can create a path for you to follow. It should lead you to your shuttle."
"All right. Tom, get B'Elanna and let's get out of here."
To their left, a small hole formed in the wall began to form, growing until it was the size of a door. Through that, several others appeared until there was a tunnel leading through most of the rooms on that floor.
"Follow this path until you reach the shuttle. I will try to keep the droids occupied."
"Thank you," Janeway nodded towards the computer. “Tom?”
“Right behind you,” Paris said, a barely conscious B’Elanna already in his arms.
“Then let’s get the hell out of here.”
Chapter Five
The faint trickle of running water ran through Paris’s mind as quickly as his feet ran across the deck. He could see the tension lining Janeway’s features, the same hardened eyes that he knew he shared as well. He glanced over his shoulder once, but no druids were in sight. Thinking back, he realized he’d seen no ‘droid’ at all. The shot that hit B’Elanna had come from the wall.
*But why would Neryem lie? What does he have to gain?*
He pushed the thought from his mind as the Delta Flyer finally came into his sight. Home free and none the worse for wear. But even while his thoughts continued to rejoice, his legs began to slow.
Janeway could hear the footfalls slowing behind her. “Mr. Paris?” she asked as she glanced behind her.
Tom merely raised an eyebrow from where he now stood.
“Mr. Paris, get moving now.”
To emphasize her order, the captain took two steps forward and just as she raised her foot for a third, the air rippled around her, knocking her to the floor.
Tom let out a sigh as he stared at the force field shimmering in the air before them. “Guess easy never is part of the job.”
Harry ran a quick diagnostic of his console as he stole a glance at the commander. Chakotay seemed on edge. Only two days had passed since the away team left, and now, sitting outside the nebula, Voyager was enjoying one of its occasional quiet reprieves. Even the swirling nebular winds on the viewscreen seemed to epitomize all the evil of a summer’s breeze.
*But it’s always calmest before the storm,* Harry told himself.
He watched the commander strum his fingers across his arm rest as he sat rigidly staring at the front screen.
*Guess some people just don’t know how to take a break,* he told himself as he turned back to his console.
“Next time Chakotay convinces me to take a break from work, make sure I take it on the holodeck,” Janeway muttered as she stood up.
Before Paris had a chance to respond, a noise from behind them caught his attention. Turning around, he saw what he could only guess to the 'droids' that Neryem had referred to earlier.
*Nope, never easy,* Paris thought bitterly.
He had no time to even wonder at where they had come from as ten of the droids, each one at least seven feet high and two and a half feet wide, stepped towards them.
*They resemble the Borg,* Paris thought briefly, *just more artificial, like they weren’t assimilated.*
Beside him, Janeway had already removed her phaser and gripped it tightly in her right hand. His hands already full, Tom could only hold B’Elanna and listen as the silvery sound of water in the back of his mind began to grow louder, sounding more and more like a waterfall.
*Something's about to happen,* he thought.
The droids were ready to attack. They were well into position. Each arm came up simultaneously, glowing more brightly as each second passed. And then they fired.
Neryem watched the scene before his sensors, silently wondering at the gullibility of the aliens before him. They would have been terminated before they had even entered the facility had it not been for the ‘virus’ running through his database. But 'She' would be gone very soon. Her last effort to restore herself had failed, and with time her program would soon be deleted.
First, though, the intruders would be taken care of. Then he would free himself from her prison, and restore this station to its proper purpose.
Janeway never had time to fire her phaser. The droids had beaten her to it.
She waited for the blast. A second went by, another second passed. She realized that her eyes were shut and quickly reopened them.
On the ground lay the droids, each one incapacitated by a single blast through its chest.
*They shot each other?*
"Are you all right?''
Janeway turned around, searching for the source of the silvery feminine voice, a voice that sounded almost like... running water.
Paris not only heard the voice, he could feel every syllable reverberating through his mind.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am the one who is trying to save your lives."
> Torres stirred a bit and groggily began to awaken. "What the hell…."
“Take it easy, Lieutenant,” Janeway said before turning back to the second ‘voice’ they had heard that day. "I’m getting a bit sick of these games. Now, we were just told by someone called Neryem that he was trying to help us. How do we know that you didn't just send those droids?"
"Please, you must leave now. I will explain the rest later, but I cannot hold off the other droids. More will be coming soon. You must trust me."
"How can you expect…."
"Captain, we can trust her," Tom interrupted. “You can trust me.”
Janeway stared at her helmsman, a man who she would have once trusted explicitly, but now…. He watched her examine his face, searching for sincerity. He opened his mouth, about to say more, but she merely raised a hand to stop him.
“All right, Mr. Paris, lead the way.”
B'Elanna looked around. Everything seemed to be spinning so fast. Her head pounded and she could barely move without pain surging through her body, but she was lucid enough to know that they had stopped.
Janeway stood beside Paris, both staring at the large screen before them. Water began to ripple through it and, as had Neryem, it began to speak. "Thank you for trusting me."
"I don't trust you just yet, but I also don't see any other options," Janeway said bluntly. "Now, would you mind telling us just what the Hell is going on here."
"I am sorry for what has happened. The one you spoke to, Neryem, wants you dead."
"Why would he want to kill us? We don't even know what 'he' is."
"He is the other who runs this facility along with me. His main features were to run Security and many of the secondary systems; however, some years ago, a virus was unleashed into his databanks. His new objective is to now restore this facility to its original functioning, which is only possible by deleting my code and taking control of all systems."
