by Alys Landale
"That still doesn't explain why he wants us dead," Janeway said.
"He has slowly begun to take control of most of my systems. I am no longer able to stop him, but an outsider could be able to. He sees you as a threat and will not stop until you are dead."
"Then why didn't he just kill us when he had the chance?"
"I still hold some control over parts of his systems. He attempted to kill your companion, but I was able to redirect power from the defense system before she was shot; however, I cannot hold my control over him for long. That is why he sent you to the Shuttle bay. You would be trapped and it would give him enough time for me to lose my control."
Paris spoke up. "Can we get out of here?"
"Yes, but you must first deactivate the power couplings that run to shuttle bay."
"So how do we do that?"
"They run directly below this room. If someone was to plant an explosive on that level then all force fields in or around the shuttle bay would be disabled."
Paris looked to Janeway. She could see in his eyes what he was about to do. Rather than argue with him, she just said, "Can you get out of there before it blows?"
"Yes." He turned to B'Elanna. "Keep an eye on her."
Janeway nodded and handed him her only phaser.
"So, how do I get down there?" he asked.
"You must crawl through the duct behind this console. It will lead you to your destination."
"Okay thanks, umm, sorry I didn't catch your name."
"I am called Sorores."
"Okay, Sorores." Paris removed the console and exposed the duct below. It would be a tight fit, but he could probably make it. *Damn, I would have to be claustrophobic.*
He took one last look at Janeway and B'Elanna and then headed down the hole.
Curses hung from his lips as Paris crawled through the ducts. Finally, after what seemed like decades, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel began to shine, and he was standing fully erect inside the home of the power couplings.
He looked around.
**Go to your left.** A voice said.
He obeyed and was standing in front of a series of large tubes that ran through the walls and united into one large cylinder.
"I take it, this is it."
Paris took the phaser in his hand and began to set it to overload. If he installed an irregularity within it, then an explosion would occur within a few minutes.
*There, done,* he thought. *And that will give me two minutes to get out of here before it detonates.*
He placed the phaser securely inside a nook between two of the tubes and had just turned to leave when the voice of Sorores exploded inside his head.
**Get down!**
He hit the floor just before the first shot hit the wall. Crawling under the nearest console, he listened to the shots explode around him. There was nowhere he could go. He’d meet phaser fire if he ran, but sticking around for the upcoming explosion wasn’t an option either.
He sat there a few more seconds as he tried to find another alternative.
“Oh to hell with it,” he said as he got up and ran. Perhaps his usual luck would see him through this. But as the shots continued to rain around him, all he could think was *what luck?*
Chapter Six
Torres felt like she had been ripped apart, but despite the constant ache in her head, she was finally able to hold a coherent thought. Opening her eyes, she noticed Janeway beside her, but Tom was nowhere in sight.
"Where's Tom?" she asked weakly.
A slight smile curved Janeway’s lips. "Tom will be back shortly. He had to deactivate the power couplings, so that we can get to the shuttle."
Janeway could see the confusion marring her engineer’s features, but instead of questioning their current status, she merely asked, "Is it dangerous?"
Smile gone, the captain’s lips thinned into a straight line before saying, "He knows what he's doing."
Paris didn't know what he was doing. Getting a better look at his surroundings, he could now see that there were four droids to his right. Their shots should have blocked his way to the ducts, but he paid them no mind. He felt an explosion of pain in his right arm followed by another in his side. Pushing the pain away as best he could, he continued his run to the ducts. He was only a few feet away….
The shriek of a whistle bit through the air. Stealing a glance behind him, he noticed a scorched tube emitting sparks of energy as it rippled wildly. Within the span of a breath, the tube burst open in a brilliance of yellow light, engulfing the druids and disintegrating them before Paris’s eyes. Barely a moment later, the second tube exploded, followed closely by the third.
“There’s a perfectly good phaser gone to waste,” Paris muttered as squeezed through the opening to the first duct. The hole seemed a lot tighter than before, and without the full use of his right arm, it seemed almost impossible to get through.
Another tube exploded, illuminating the room in a brilliant yellow light. As Paris continued to struggle through the hole, the 'wasted' phaser began to overload.
Both Torres and Janeway stared at one another as the felt floor rumble beneath them.
Janeway broke the silence. "I'm sure he wasn't there when it blew," *But he isn’t here, either, is he?*
A cough interrupted any further reply, followed by a hand stretching out form the duct’s opening. Grabbing his hand, Janeway pulled as Tom continued to squeeze through the duct.
“Mr. Paris, are you all right?”
Still coughing, he waved the captain away as he finished crawling out from under the console and leaned against the nearest wall. Covered in blood from shoulder to elbow, his right arm hung limply while the uniform covering his side was burned off in several places, exposing torn flesh and muscle.
"Tom!" B'Elanna cried out.
Paris tilted his head towards her and managed to stop coughing long enough to say, "Not as bad as it looks."
"How'd you get out of there before it blew?" Janeway asked.
He looked a little embarrassed. "Actually I didn't. I was only halfway up when it exploded. The force blew me up the rest of the way."
Janeway nodded as she rested a hand on his undamaged shoulder. "Can you make it back to the shuttle?”
Flashing her a grin, he said, “Don’t think I’ll be staying here, do you?”
She chuckled once before turning back to Sorores. "Is the force field down."
"Yes, but you must hurry. Neryem is neutralized for now; however, he will come back online soon."
Standing up, Tom wobbled slightly before he knelt back down and lifted B’Elanna off the floor.
"You're in no shape to carry me, Paris," she said.
"And you're in no shape to walk," he pointed out.
With most of her weight placed on his left arm, he turned to Janeway. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to get out of here.”
“Believe me, the feeling’s mutual.” Janeway turned towards the computer, offering a final thank-you before the three of them left once more.
For Harry Kim, the only danger aboard Voyager was death by boredom. Resting just outside the nebula, the bridge crew had a spectacular view of its swirling masses. But that was all it was, just a view, not the tangible discovery and action the away team had on the planet below.
The beep of his console pulled him from his reverie. His brow furrowed as he studied the data before him. *These readings can't be right,* he thought.
Chakotay approached him, "Is something wrong Harry."
"Umm sir, it looks like the nebula is reforming."
"What do you mean 'reforming'?"
"Commander, these readouts show that the nebula is altering at the molecular level," he paused then looked up again. "It's not only changing, but it's expanding as well."
"Will this affect the away team?" Chakotay asked
"If it continues along this path, the planet will be destroyed."
Both men turned pale. The away team wouldn’t return
until two days later.
"How long until then?"
"Between ten and twenty minutes." Harry was surprised he could even talk through the growing lump in his throat.”
Silence consumed the bridge until Tuvok’s voice broke through everyone’s thoughts. "Due to the nebula's new molecular form, are we now able to penetrate it with a communication signal?"
Harry's fingers flew over the console. "Yes,” he said. “Its expansion has significantly decreased its density. A signal should be able to break through."
"Can we transport them out?" Chakotay asked.
"No, I don't think so."
Chakotay silently cursed. "Hail them then. I want them on their way back here as soon as possible."
After a few minutes Harry replied, "Sir I can't find them."
"What do you mean you can't find them?"
"They aren't on the planet and I can't pick up a signal from the Delta Flyer."
"Well keep trying," Chakotay ordered. “They can’t have just disappeared.”
*I've never seen a more beautiful sight,* Paris thought as the shuttle first came into sight.
With the force fields still down, Janeway darted into the Flyer, followed by Paris who laid B'Elanna down on one of the beds in the back of the shuttle before joining the captain on the bridge.
"Okay, Mr. Paris, can you get us out of here?" Janeway asked from the tactical station
"Sure we'll be out in…." He paused, his face paling.
"Mr. Paris, what is it?"
"It's the nebula, captain. I don’t know what’s happening, but its structure, properties, hell, everything has changed since we came here. I don’t think the shuttle can make it through."
"We can try readjusting shields,” the captain said as she stared down at the sensor readings. “But it'll only buy us a few minutes. Damn, if this thing doesn't stop then it'll destroy everything within this sector."
"And let me guess, no damage to the station?" Paris asked.
Instead of an answer from Janeway, Sorores’ voice came over the comm link. "The station will sustain no damage."
"None at all," Janeway muttered, conscious of the two other M-Class planets in the sector. “There’s got to be a way to stop this thing.”
"The only way is to destroy the station itself," Sorores replied.
Her words hung in the air between the captain and ensign. They could guess what she would say next.
"And the only way to destroy this station is manually," the computer finished.
Eyes closed a lips pursed, Janeway nodded once. "Okay, so tell me how to do it."
"I can lead you through to the core of this facility. I will give further instructions as you go along."
Janeway nodded again. "Fine."
Paris was already back on his feet, staring at his captain, "Captain you can't do this!"
"Mr. Paris, I have no choice. You will meet Voyager, and get them clear, just in case I don't succeed."
"But Captain...."
"That is an order Mr. Paris."
“Yes, ma’am,” Paris muttered as he watched her stride towards the hatch.
Janeway turned back one last time, offering him the smile he had seen so little of since his thirty days in the brig. "Good luck, Mr. Paris."
"Good luck, Captain."
And then he watched her step out of the shuttle and onto the station's floor.
Chapter Seven
**************
Takma watched the massive ship before her with fascination. It was as beautiful and powerful as the nebula around it.
"General, we are within range of the ship,” an officer informed. “We await your order to fire."
"Do not fire just yet,” Takma broke in. “Run a deep scan on the nebula. I want to know why that ship is so close to it."
The bridge crew obeyed her.
Kail smiled for a moment, anger and respect warring over his features. *A great leader, indeed,* he thought.
**************
Janeway gave Paris one last nod before stepping out of the shuttle. No sooner had her foot hit the floor than she felt a pair of hands grab her by the shoulders and push her back into the Flyer. Her mind far faster than her body, she was still on her hands and knees as Paris stepped outside and locked the hatch behind him.
"Mr. Paris open this door immediately!"
"I'm sorry, Captain, but I can't do that."
"This is a direct order, 'Ensign'!" she yelled.
"Captain, you're too valuable to the ship. I can't let you do this." He paused for a second. "Besides, if something happens, I don't know if I can keep B'Elanna safe. Promise me you'll look out for her."
"Tom, open the door now."
"Please, Captain, just promise me." His voice pleaded with her, but no weakness was present, only a deep resolve.
"I promise," she said quietly.
"Thank you, and tell B'Elanna… Tell her I love her, and I'm sorry."
Janeway leaned her head against the hatch door, her breaths deeper than normal. Lifting her head, she turned her eyes to the back of the shuttle. With glistening eyes, B’Elanna stared back at her.
Janeway just turned her attention back to the front of the shuttle. Tom wasn't lost yet. She would make sure of that.
"Commander, I've got the Delta Flyer," Harry said.
"On screen, Ensign."
The view screen showed a tousled Janeway. The screen flickered for a moment but remained constant.
"Captain, are you all right." Chakotay asked.
"B'Elanna has been injured. We need an immediate transport to sickbay. Paris has...." She was cut off and static replaced her image.
"Harry get her back on screen." Chakotay ordered.
Harry shook his head, "I can't sir. The nebula is blocking all communications, including transporters." Kim's face then grew pale. "Commander, the shuttle's shields can't last for much longer."
"Can they get out of there?"
"I doubt it. There's too much turbulence. They won't be able to hold up for more than a few more minutes."
Chakotay thought for a minute. "Can we go in after them?"
“Our radiation won’t affect the nebula now, but shields won’t last for more than five to seven minutes."
Chakotay nodded. "You heard the man, Mr. Baytart, take us in and make it fast."
Paris’ footfalls echoed through the station as he ran through the corridors. The water sound he had heard earlier had increased in magnitude, now almost overwhelming, yet at the same time, reassuring.
**Turn right and head towards the system manifold.**
He did as he was told. With each step, he could feel the pull of the Core as he neared it. Droids appeared to his left, firing randomly thanks to Sorores’ intervention, but he paid them no attention.
Turing the corner, he ran through the last door in the corridor and stopped. There he was. Inside the core.
Despite her focus on the helm and the shields, Janeway’s mind remained muddled with worry.
*No, we are not losing Tom,* she told herself yet again. Voyager had gotten her message. They knew Paris was still on the station. They would beam him out along with her and Torres. They just….
The Flyer rocked to its port side.
*Stay focused, Kathryn,* she told herself. *We’ll get back to Voyager, and when we do, I’ll decide whether a certain ensign will be cut down to crewman or bumped up to lieutenant.*
**************
Takma watched as the alien ship crawled into the nebula.
*What are they doing?* she wondered.
The same thoughts ran through Kail's mind. “Why are they so willing to risk their own ship?”
"Sir, there seems to be some kind of space station inside the nebula. There is also a shuttle."
"What kind of space station?" Takma asked, her attention rooted on the screen before them.
One of the other crewmembers replied, "The readings I'm getting from it are off our scales. Its technology is ten times more adv
anced than anything I have ever seen before."
"Can we get to it?" she asked.
"Our shields can't withstand the energy discharges that the nebula is emitting."
"What about transporters?” she turned to the officer. “Try to get a lock on anything in there. A computer, a reactor, a toolkit, I don’t care, but make sure you get some piece of that technology."
**************
Another energy discharge struck Voyager’s hull. The deck pitched forward, knocking a crewman to the floor, but the Commander paid it no heed.
"Harry, how far off is the shuttle."
"We should be able to get a tractor beam locked on them in a few more minutes, Commander."
"Make it quick, Ensign," Chakotay ordered as the floor pitched forward again. “Very quick.”
Tom could feel the air pulse around him, could almost feel the life that reverberated through the room.
“Just stay focused,” he told himself as he walked towards the main cylinder. Red tendrils wove around it like vines, each one moving sluggishly around the silver cylinder. It rippled as each tendril moved, producing more vines which crawled out toward the walls and then melted into them.
*How am I supposed to stop this thing?!*
He was answered by Sorores, **You must disrupt the core.**
That really helped a lot. “And just how do I do that?”
**Force something into the core.**
He thought for a moment. There was nothing that he could see to use, nothing but himself. *Well, she didn't say it had to be anything specific*.
