chapter 21

 

 

B’Elanna trudged across the ice and tried to remember exactly how Lynne had talked her into this torture. The first two days of their climb had actually been fun—especially while Lynne was testing her self-arrest techniques and they’d gotten into a pushing match that eventually cost them nearly a hundred feet—but that was back before every muscle in her body hurt. Now they were on day five, and she’d forgotten what it felt like to not be in pain. It didn’t help that Lynne seemed to be almost as fresh now as she had when they’d begun. Sure, she’d seemed a little tired last night when they clumped into their shelter and stomped the snow off their boots, but she was still able to buzz around, fixing up beds and meals and generally taking care of B’Elanna, who simply wanted to collapse.

“Kahless on a crutch, Fossil! Where the hell do you get your energy?” she’d said grumpily.

“Good living and plenty of sex,” Lynne had responded, dodging the boot B’Elanna had thrown at her. Then she’d called Voyager for her nightly check-in with Janeway. B’Elanna had tried not to listen to their conversation, but it was impossible to avoid. Janeway’s voice had taken on a tone that she’d never heard before, and once again she’d felt a little pang of envy.

Now, in the blinding glare of sun on ice, B’Elanna thought about the conversation she’d had with Lynne after last night’s call, and felt herself grow a little warm in spite of the cold air. Lynne had finally opened up and talked about her relationship with Janeway, and B’Elanna had learned a few things about her captain that made her jaw drop. She was now in possession of the biggest, juiciest bit of gossip in the whole quadrant, but knew her life was forfeit if she ever let out so much as a squeak. Lynne had already threatened her with death, but it was the thought of Janeway’s wrath that guaranteed B’Elanna’s silence. Still, it was worth the burden of carrying this secret just to have heard Lynne, who could be so cool and in control, reveal that sometimes she was anything but. As for Janeway—well, B’Elanna had admired her captain before, but now her respect had ratcheted up several notches.

She was still lost in thought when Lynne’s voice came through the comm system in her oxygen mask.

“B’Elanna! Get up here—it’s incredible!”

Looking up, B’Elanna saw Lynne silhouetted against a sky so blue that it was almost black. She was waving frantically, and B’Elanna sped up her trudging as much as she could, which wasn’t much. Then she used the rope to pull herself the last few feet and forgot all about being tired.

They stood on the broad, flat summit of a mountain that was three thousand meters taller than its nearest neighbor. B’Elanna had seen views like this before, but she’d been in a shuttle at the time. She could hardly believe that she was standing on a point this high. Unclipping herself from the safety line, she pivoted slowly and gazed at the view in all directions, noticing that she could clearly see the curvature of the planet. A few fluffy clouds floated several thousand meters below her. And she had gotten here not by transporter, not by shuttle, but on her own two feet. Lynne was right, it was incredible. She felt fabulous, like the victor of a long and grueling race. She felt strong and invincible. She forgot that she’d spent most of the morning cursing Lynne’s name, and instead put a heavily gloved hand on her friend’s shoulder and grinned at her through the mask.

“Okay, Fossil, I get it. I know what makes you do this.”

Lynne beamed at her. “Amazing, isn’t it?” She unsnapped her harness from the safety line, coiled the rope and threw it down, then unzipped her coat and slipped her hand inside. “Don’t be alarmed, B’Elanna, but I’m turning off my comm system for a second.”

“Why?” asked B’Elanna, but Lynne had already deactivated her system. B’Elanna could only watch in confusion as her friend walked a few steps away, stood with her gloved hands clenched and her arms stiff, then suddenly thrust her fists in the air and began whirling around in circles. Taken aback, B’Elanna peered at Lynne’s face and saw that her mouth was wide open in a silent scream. Lynne twirled for several more seconds, then stopped her rotation and ran toward B’Elanna, throwing her arms around the surprised engineer and actually lifting her several centimeters off the ground. Letting her go, Lynne reactivated her comm system.

“Goddamn this feels great!” she cried, slightly out of breath. “We’ve just broken the climbing record for the whole fucking planet Earth, B’Elanna! You are a fabulous partner and I am so goddamn happy!” She let out a whoop and proceeded to whirl around again.

B’Elanna had to laugh—she’d never seen Lynne so happy. Janeway should be here . And when we get back I’m going to make sure she knows it.

“So is it better than Everest?” she asked, once Lynne had finally stopped twirling.

“Oh, god yes,” said Lynne, looking around as she spoke. “It was better than Everest before we even left the starting point. I don’t know what it’s like now, but in my time Everest had become less of an adventure and more of a tourism event. People with no experience who shouldn’t have been anywhere near the place were paying huge amounts of money to be guided up the mountain. Base Camp was a city, and Camp Four was a garbage dump of shredded tents and abandoned oxygen tanks. Nobody wanted to carry the weight back down the mountain, so they’d just leave their trash behind. I went once and that was enough. The next year I climbed a mountain in the same range that didn’t even have a name. It was two thousand feet lower than Everest, but a far more challenging climb, and we never saw another person on the mountain. That’s the mountain I remember, not Everest.”

“Well, I’m going to remember this one,” said B’Elanna. She couldn’t get enough of the view. Eventually she sat down in the snow, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them as she stared out. Lynne sat next to her, leaning against her slightly and resting her hands on her ice axe, and the two women simply absorbed the unparalleled vista. Theirs was a one-way trip, so they didn’t have to worry about leaving the summit anytime soon, just as long as they beamed off before the predicted weather blew in later that day. Lynne had told B’Elanna about many climbers working three or four days to get to a summit and only having five minutes there before having to turn back or risk being caught away from shelter at nightfall. B’Elanna found this to be to most unfathomable thing she’d ever heard. She couldn’t imagine putting in all that effort to get to this point and only staying five minutes.

For almost two hours the women were lost in their own thoughts and the view. They spoke occasionally, but after a while it seemed more appropriate not to. Their companionable silence stretched on long enough for B’Elanna to be startled when she heard Lynne’s voice in her mask.

“What’s that?”

She followed Lynne’s pointing finger and saw a speck in the sky. Within seconds it resolved itself into a shuttle, flying toward them. Both women scrambled up, brushing the snow off their pants. Lynne still held her axe. “Why would they send a shuttle for us?” she asked.

B’Elanna felt her stomach contract. “It’s not ours.”

“It’s not?” Lynne turned toward her, but B’Elanna was watching the ship with a bad feeling gnawing at her spine.

“Lynne, I don’t like—”

Just then B’Elanna saw a small bloom of light appear at the bottom of the shuttle. Her reflexes took over, and she launched herself at Lynne without thinking. She just had time to see Lynne’s look of surprise before their bodies collided, and the force of B’Elanna’s leap sent them both flying over the edge.

A second later the summit exploded in a white cloud of snow and ice, showering them with shards as they fell through the air. She heard Lynne scream, whether from pain or fear she didn’t know, and then they hit the slope of the mountain with such force that B’Elanna’s breath was driven from her lungs. An impossibly loud roar filled her ears as she tumbled and slid, losing all sense of orientation. Too late, she remembered that her ice axe was still at the summit—or had been, anyway. Twisting her body around, she managed to stop the tumble, but still she slid, face down and feet first, the white slope flashing by her at an alarming speed. She remembered to keep her crampons away from the slope, and jammed her hands and elbows into the icy crust topping the snow with all the force she could muster. The crust broke apart, stacking up behind her upper arms and under her hands and spinning off as she continued to slide. She was grateful that the fabric of the snowsuit was impervious to the sharp edges of the ice, knowing that a lesser material would have quickly been cut to shreds—along with her arms.

Her efforts had no effect for what seemed like minutes, and then, gradually, her speed seemed to slow. Yes, she was sure of it now—she could almost stop herself. Then her knees hit something briefly, and with a sickening feeling she felt the lower half of her body drop into air. At last she stopped, her lower arms and hands digging into the snow and ice with every ounce of her strength while the rest of her body dangled into a crevasse. She didn’t dare move and stared wildly around, gasping for breath.

Lynne was nowhere to be seen.

Looking up, B’Elanna saw the summit towering over her, at least six hundred meters away. A huge scar showed where an avalanche had swept down, ending not far above her and a little to her left. If Lynne had been caught in that…

No. She can’t be. B’Elanna scanned the avalanche path, desperately hoping to see a sign of her friend. The pristine white of the mountain, so beautiful only moments ago, now seemed malevolent and deadly. B’Elanna cursed as she searched frantically, then blew out a relieved breath when she saw it at last:  a tiny yellow figure just below the summit and barely out of the avalanche path. Lynne had somehow managed to arrest her fall.

B’Elanna’s relief was short-lived. A flash of movement to the left of the summit caught her eye—the ship that had attacked them was banking around, coming back for another pass. Lynne’s yellow snowsuit made her an impossible target to miss, and she had no options as she hung there by her ice axe. B’Elanna’s heart leapt into her throat as the ship completed its turn and leveled out. And then she felt the snow under her forearms give way.

“Shit,” she said, as her body once more went into a free fall. This time, she didn’t feel it when she hit the bottom.

 

 

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Ensign Nozawa completed his analysis of the transporter log and straightened with a sigh. Most of the engineering staff rotated through Transporter Operations, and most of them hated it. It was ninety-eight percent boredom and two percent high stress, and he’d been experiencing the boredom part of it for his last four shifts. A person could only check the logs and realign the buffers and relays so many times before going stark raving space happy.

As he closed down the log, the room’s comm system came to life and he heard a female voice shouting.

“Hamilton to Voyager! Emergency beam out—two to beam out. Now!”

Nozawa dove for the control board, scanned for the coordinates of Lynne Hamilton’s comm badge, and found only one signal. Frowning, he scanned again, but the results were the same. He couldn’t afford to waste any more time and engaged the controls, setting the beam on maximum confinement.

Lynne Hamilton materialized on the transporter pad, her body bent at an odd angle while holding an ice axe over her head with one hand. As soon as the transport was complete she collapsed on the pad, then pushed herself up with one arm while keeping the other close to her body. She tore off her oxygen mask and looked around frantically. “Where the hell is B’Elanna?”

At the same time, Nozawa heard Captain Janeway’s voice over the comm. “Transporter Room One, do you have them?”

“I have Ms. Hamilton, Captain. Sensors can’t find Lieutenant Torres’ signal.”

The captain’s voice was calm, as always. Janeway would probably be calm even if the ship fell apart around her ears. “Is Ms. Hamilton all right?”

Quickly scanning the woman on the platform, Nozawa said, “She’s alive, but injured.”

“Beam her to sickbay immediately and keep scanning for Lieutenant Torres. Janeway out.”

Hamilton launched herself off the transporter pad and came toward Nozawa so fast, and with such an electric air around her, that the ensign actually took a step backward. “What do you mean, you can’t find B’Elanna’s signal?” she demanded, her eyes blazing. “She was right there with me!”

“Please, ma’am. I don’t know where Lieutenant Torres is, but we’ll find her. Now please get back on the transporter pad; I need to send you to sickbay.”

Hamilton looked outraged. “I don’t need a fucking transport, I can walk there myself. Just find B’Elanna.” She moved toward the door. Nozawa stepped in front of her, shrinking a little when she fixed him with an icy glare.

“Get out of my way.” Her voice was harsh and angry.

Nozawa stood firm. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I have my orders. The captain wants you beamed to sickbay. You’re injured, ma’am.”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake, I just wrenched my shoulder.”

She dismissed him and made to move forward again, but Nozawa sidestepped into her path. Pointing to her left side, he said, “You’re bleeding, ma’am.”

She looked down, seeming to see the bloody slash in her snowsuit for the first time. “Oh, hell,” she said, swaying in place. Nozawa took her good arm and tried to support her, but she shook him off irritably and turned around, stumbling back to the transporter pad. Nozawa moved to the control board and hurriedly set the coordinates. As he engaged the transporter, he looked up to see icy green eyes boring holes through him. “Find her,” she said, just before the beam took her.

When the hum of the transporter faded, Nozawa rubbed the back of one hand over his forehead and let out a long breath. He hadn’t seen anything like that in a long time. Captain Janeway was famous for having a will of solid duranium, but he bet she’d met her match in Lynne Hamilton. If those two ever got angry at each other, he didn’t even want to be on the same ship.

 

 

 

 

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Chapter 22

 

 

Janeway just managed to keep herself from running as she made her way to deck five. She was sick with worry; she almost hadn’t recognized Lynne’s voice on that emergency call, and to hear that she was alive but injured—well, that could cover all kinds of horrible scenarios.

The sickbay doors barely got out of her way in time as she came striding in. She hesitated for just a second, seeing the still form of her partner lying on a biobed. A strong sense of déjà vu struck her as she remembered the last time she had walked in here to find Lynne on the same bed. Except then Lynne hadn’t been the most important person in the world to her.

Steeling herself, she stepped up to the Doctor, who was busy with Lynne’s left side. Lynne was awake and staring up at the ceiling, and Janeway immediately felt her panic ease. Lynne turned her head.

“Kathryn! Have you found her yet?” Her voice was tight.

Janeway shook her head. “No, we’re still looking. But we can’t locate a comm badge signal.” She didn’t tell Lynne the worst part of it—that they couldn’t even find a Klingon life sign on the planet. Barring a miracle, they’d lost B’Elanna. But Janeway wouldn’t even begin to accept that yet; not before they’d exhausted every possible option.

Shifting her position slightly, she looked around the Doctor to see what he was working on. A deep, bloody gash ran the length of Lynne’s abdomen from her breast to her waist, and she could see the dull white gleam of bone. Sucking in her breath, Janeway noticed the yellow snowsuit lying on the floor next to the bed. It was soaked in blood. Feeling her fear rising again, she moved around to Lynne’s right side and reached over to pick up her hand.

“Don’t!” Lynne growled. Startled, Janeway stopped and stared at her partner. “I’m sorry,” Lynne said in a more normal tone of voice. “I’d love for you to hold my hand, but that’s the wrong one.”

Without looking up from his surgery, the Doctor said, “Lynne has torn just about every ligament possible in her right shoulder, Captain. But I can’t do anything about that until I’ve repaired this.”

“And what is that?” asked Janeway.

“A shrapnel wound,” said the Doctor.

“A what!” Janeway couldn’t believe her ears.

Lynne answered her. “We were attacked, Kathryn. Some ship tried to blow us off the top of the mountain.”

Janeway looked at Lynne’s white face in complete astonishment, then went very calm as she shoved her personal feelings deep down and allowed her command training to take over. Activating her comm badge, she said, “Janeway to Tuvok. We may have a combat situation on the planet. Inform the search team and issue phasers. Cancel shore leave and recall all non-search personnel to the ship immediately. And Tuvok, I need you in sickbay as soon as you can get here.” She and Tuvok were the only senior staff members on board; all of the others had taken the opportunity for shore leave. Tuvok, as always, had volunteered to stay aboard in exchange for compensatory time at a time-and-a-half rate. Chakotay had also offered to stay, but Janeway had sent him off, knowing she wouldn’t be able to relax anyway until Lynne had returned. Now she was grateful she’d stayed behind.

She turned to Lynne and said, “As soon as Tuvok gets here, I’m going to ask you to tell us exactly what happened. Every detail. Do you think you can do that?”

“Yes,” said Lynne. “But there’s not much to tell.”

“There may be more than you think,” said Janeway. “Doctor, what exactly is Lynne’s condition?”

“She’s going to feel some residual pain,” said the Doctor. “Other than that she’ll be fine. This shrapnel wound is deep, but it didn’t reach any internal organs. It looks much worse than it is. Her only other injury is her shoulder, which at this point is barely connected to her arm. And she lost a great deal of blood, which is being replaced right now.” He straightened up, took a tissue regenerator off the tray, and bent over Lynne again.

Janeway nodded, though the Doctor couldn’t see her. “Thank you, Doctor.” She looked up as the sickbay doors opened to admit Tuvok, and wasted no time in informing him of the situation. “Lynne and B’Elanna were attacked by a ship at the summit of the mountain.”

Tuvok moved to Janeway’s side and looked down at Lynne. “Was it a Tsian ship?” he asked.

Lynne shook her head. “No idea. I didn’t even know it wasn’t one of our shuttles until B’Elanna said so.”

“Tell us what happened from the beginning,” said Janeway. Lynne looked from her to Tuvok and took a deep breath.

“Okay. We got to the summit of the mountain late this morning. We sat there for probably two hours, just admiring the view, when I saw what I thought was one of our shuttles flying in to pick us up. It was coming from the north. I couldn’t figure why you’d do a shuttle pickup instead of a beam out, and while I was puzzling over that B’Elanna said, ‘It’s not ours.’ I turned toward her, and I remember her starting to say something, and then she suddenly threw herself at me. I thought she’d gone nuts. We both went over the edge, and then everything went white. I realized later that the ship, whatever it was, had blown up the mountain top. If B’Elanna hadn’t pushed us off the summit, we’d both be dead now.”

She stopped and looked back at Janeway, pain etched in her features. Janeway nodded encouragingly, and Lynne continued.

“When the summit blew, snow and ice went everywhere, and I felt something sting my side. I thought it was an ice shard, but it must have been some piece of whatever it was that hit the mountain, because the Doctor says there were metal fragments in the wound. Anyway, I didn’t have time to worry about it, because B’Elanna and I smashed into the mountain slope and started sliding. We got separated right away, but I still had my ice axe in my hand. I rolled onto the axe and started braking, but the pick hit something and the jolt almost tore it right out of my hands, but at least I stopped. Barely; I only had one arm working. But I got my crampons into the snow and stabilized myself, and that was when I realized that the roar in my ears was an avalanche coming off the summit. The explosion had destabilized the snow layers, and everything was flying past me—I was just out of its path. I got my coat unzipped and hit the control for the mask-to-ship comm system. Then I looked up and saw that the shuttle or whatever it was had banked around and was coming back.”

“Do you think the pilot saw you?” asked Tuvok.

“I don’t think anyone could have missed me. These suits are designed for visibility, and we were the only things up there besides snow.”

“Were you able to observe the ship?”

“Oh yeah, I saw it up close and personal. It didn’t look at all like one of our shuttles; I don’t know how I could have mistaken it at first. This ship had the aerodynamic design of an atmospheric craft. It was white, and there were two black stripes running diagonally across each wingtip.”

“Then what happened?” asked Janeway.

“I looked around for B’Elanna, but I couldn’t see her anywhere.” Lynne paused, looking at Janeway with tears in her eyes. “If she wasn’t caught in the avalanche…” Her voice trembled, and she shook her head. “Then she must still have been falling. I remember she’d put her axe down at the summit because it was flat and we were just sitting there. She couldn’t possibly have stopped her fall without it. So I just prayed that the transporter could get her and called for an emergency beam out. And now I’m here, and she’s not.” Lynne looked haunted. “It’s my fault. I should have made her hold on to her axe. But we were done climbing, and the summit was so flat and safe—I just got lazy. I’m so sorry, Kathryn.” The tears spilled over.

“Lynne, you can’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault that you were attacked.”

“The captain is correct, Ms. Hamilton. There is no logic in castigating yourself for the actions of another,” said Tuvok. But Lynne just closed her eyes as the tears continued to flow.

The Doctor straightened up from Lynne’s side, which was now sealed almost seamlessly, and moved around the bed. Both Janeway and Tuvok stepped out of his way. “Don’t bother appealing to Lynne’s logic right now, Commander,” he said as he prepared the shoulder for surgery. “She’s in shock and on a considerable amount of pain suppression compounds. She may not be alert for much longer.”

“Ms. Hamilton,” said Tuvok, “I have a scan of the mountain here. It will aid our search efforts if you can show me where you think Lieutenant Torres might be.”

Lynne opened her eyes and focused, with some apparent effort, on the tricorder that Tuvok held in front of her. Tuvok pointed to a small dot on the screen, just below the summit, and said, “This was your location when we beamed you out. Where should we focus our search?”

After several moments, Lynne pointed to the screen and said, “There. I couldn’t see her from where I was, so she must have already fallen beyond this point. Start looking below this elevation. And if she was caught in the avalanche, she would probably have been carried even further down.” She let her arm fall back and closed her eyes once more.

“Doctor, did you retain any of the metal fragments found in Lynne’s wound?” asked Tuvok.

“Of course,” said the Doctor, waving a hand toward a table near the biobed. “They’re in that tray.”

Tuvok took the tray to a scanner a few meters away, speaking into his comm badge as he went. Janeway stayed where she was, watching the Doctor work and thinking hard. “Lynne,” she asked, “did you see anyone at all during the five days you climbed? Or any aircraft flights overhead?”

“No,” said Lynne, her eyes still shut.

“So either you were under surveillance without knowing it, or someone that we informed of your climb set this up,” mused Janeway, almost to herself.

“The only people who knew about it besides us were T’sin Lessia and her minister of lands,” said Lynne. “I gave the minister the exact dates of the climb. I even gave her the expected time of arrival at the summit. But I think we got there a bit early.” She was beginning to mumble.

Both Janeway and Tuvok swiveled their heads to stare at Lynne, who remained oblivious. Then they looked at each other. Tuvok left the scanner and walked up to the biobed. “Ms. Hamilton,” he said, “do you remember what time you told the minister of lands you’d be at the summit?”

Lynne’s voice was faint and her speech was slowing. “Yes…I remember because it was so hard to convert ship time to the Tsian’s time. I finally said we’d be there when the sun was directly overhead, which was about 1300 ship time. But I think we got there a little after 1100…” Her voice faded to nothing, and the Doctor stopped his work long enough to glance at the readout above the biobed.

“She’s unconscious,” he said. “You’re not going to get any more out of her for a few hours.”

“Thank you, Doctor. Please inform me the moment she regains consciousness.” Janeway and Tuvok walked a few paces away, leaving the Doctor to his work. Janeway stopped and looked at her security chief. “So the ship arrived at exactly the time that the minister of lands expected them to be at the summit.”

Tuvok nodded. “I cannot, at this moment, conceive of a reason for the minister of lands to jeopardize a beneficial alliance with us. The government has indicated great satisfaction with the meetings between our engineering staff and theirs, even though the amount of information we are giving them is minor. Perhaps there is an element within the Tsian culture that does not approve of this alliance, and somehow obtained the information regarding Ms. Hamilton’s climb.”

“Maybe,” said Janeway doubtfully. “Tuvok, there’s something else you should know. It may not have any bearing on this, but I got the distinct impression at the banquet that the Tsians don’t like endothermic species. Or at least, the t’sin does not care for them. I forgot all about it, but now I’m wondering if this isn’t about the alliance at all, but about prejudice.”

“Anything is possible until evidence rules it out,” said Tuvok. “I will keep your suggestion in mind. The question now is, how much do we trust the Tsian government as we investigate this incident? I would like to compare my scan of the metal fragments from Ms. Hamilton’s wound with Tsian armaments. Should we give the scan to the government, or try to make the comparisons ourselves?”

“Both,” said Janeway. “We can’t proceed under the assumption that the Tsian government is guilty—but we can certainly nurse a healthy suspicion. I’ll contact T’sin Lessia and start things in motion. I’ll be most interested to see her reaction to the news.” She looked at the quiet, pale face of her partner. “Has the search team left yet?”

“They should be on the mountain now,” answered Tuvok. He touched his comm badge. “Tuvok to Lieutenant Baxter.”

“Baxter here.”

“What is the status of the search team?”

“We’re two hundred meters below the summit and preparing to descend the north face. Commander, the avalanche covered a very large area. Tricorders aren’t picking up anything, and we’re using a standard search pattern. The wind is coming up and Mr. Kim tells us it will snow soon, so we don’t have long before any tracks are covered. This could take awhile.”

“It will take as long as necessary, Lieutenant. Report to me when you have learned anything. Tuvok out.”

Janeway closed her eyes for a moment. B’Elanna Torres was an engineering genius, an excellent officer, and a friend. She simply could not believe that the vibrant woman was gone. And she wouldn’t believe it, either, until there was no other option. Opening her eyes, she started for the sickbay doors. “Keep me posted the moment anything happens, Tuvok. I’ll be in my ready room.”

 

 

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The scaly blue face of T’sin Lessia looked out at Janeway from the viewscreen on her ready room monitor. “I am shocked beyond words to hear this news, Captain Janeway. It saddens me to know of the fear and grief you must be experiencing for your lost officer. And I feel deeply responsible for this event.”

“How are you responsible?” asked Janeway.

“Because I gave your people permission to climb that mountain. I never believed that the Fallons would attempt to claim that area as part of their territory, but apparently they have.”

Janeway blinked. “The Fallons?”

The alien leader lifted her shoulders and dropped them again, the Tsian version of a sigh. “The Fallons are a race that share our planet, Captain Janeway. They are a very primitive species, and live in subterranean villages that never see the sun.” An expression of distaste crossed her face. “They are ignorant, dirty and lazy, and have resisted all of our attempts to raise them from the filth in which they live. We have offered civilization, education and compassion, and have been met only with violence. Though they are subterranean, they do have terrestrial and aerial combat capabilities, and will attack without warning anyone who crosses into their territory. We understood their territorial boundaries to be some distance from the mountain which your mate asked to climb, but apparently our intelligence was flawed. Please accept my most sincere regrets, Captain Janeway. Your mate and your officer were the victims of a terrible mistake on the part of the Fallons, and a tragic lack of information on our part.”

“T’sin Lessia, why did you not mention this race earlier?”

“There was no need. The Fallons would not be interested in an alliance with a race as courageous and advanced as yourselves. They would only wish to know what they could take from you. I saw no need to expose you to that—I wished for you to have a good impression of our world.”

Janeway took a moment to process this new and unexpected information. “I see. Now that we are aware of them, would it be possible for you to send me an image of a Fallon atmospheric ship?”

“Yes, I will contact my minister of defense. She will send the information immediately. Captain Janeway, please inform me if there is anything else that we can do to assist you. The Tsian people will be horrified to learn of this; they have taken your people to their hearts. We will all burn saphas for the safe return of your officer, and the full recovery of your mate.”

“Thank you, T’sin Lessia. I am grateful for your help and for your good wishes.”

“It is my pleasure, Captain Janeway. I hope our next communication will bring better tidings.”

Janeway signed off and slouched back in her chair, her mind churning with the various possibilities. As she went over her conversation with the alien leader, she suddenly sat bolt upright. T’sin Lessia had said that the Fallons lived in underground villages that never saw the sun.

They were warm blooded.

She got up from her chair and walked to the upper level of her ready room, stretching her arms over her head to get the kinks out. Calling up a cup of coffee from the replicator, she stood in front of her viewports, gazing at the planet below while sipping her drink. While it was true that cold blooded organisms often lived underground, they usually did so during times of inactivity. Most active underground dwellers were mammals. She was nearly certain that the Fallons were, as well.

T’sin Lessia’s description of the Fallons explained her reaction when she’d realized that humans were warm blooded. It was obvious that the Tsians and the Fallons existed in a state of mutual hatred. Janeway shook her head. In her experience, few races were actually as lowly as the t’sin had portrayed the Fallons to be. There was probably a good deal of prejudice here. She needed to sort out truth from prejudice, and she needed some way to contact the Fallons. If they had in fact mistaken Lynne and B’Elanna for Tsians, they might be willing to assist in the recovery efforts. But there was still that rather unbelievable coincidence about the timing of the attack. Something just wasn’t adding up. Was it possible that someone in the Tsian government had tipped off the Fallons? And if so, why?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a hail from the bridge. “Tuvok to Captain Janeway.”

“Go ahead, Tuvok.”

“Captain, we have received a message from the Tsian government. I’m routing it to your terminal now.”

“Thank you, Tuvok. Janeway out.” She rose from the couch and returned to her desk, accessing the new message. It was from the Tsian minister of defense, and included a visual of a Fallon air fighter. Janeway pulled up the visual, stared for a moment, and touched her comm badge. “Janeway to Tuvok. Report to my ready room.”

Moments later Tuvok stood before her, and Janeway wordlessly turned her terminal for him to see. On the screen was an image of a white ship with two black diagonal stripes across the tip of each wing.

 

 

 

 

---

Chapter 23

 

 

The Fallon fighter filled the screen of the conference room terminal, providing a menacing backdrop for the officers gathered there. The meeting was smaller than usual:  both B’Elanna’s and Tom’s chairs were empty, providing mute reminders of the situation. As the crew had returned from their shore leave, Janeway had taken Tom aside to give him the news. To his credit, he’d shown no reaction other than going pale. Then he’d offered to fly aerial support for the search team. Janeway had given her permission, knowing that the team could have no more highly qualified or determined pilot. With both Tom and B’Elanna gone, the conference room seemed empty and quiet.

“Do you believe that the Fallons are responsible, Captain?” asked Chakotay.

“I have little reason not to believe it,” said Janeway. “The Tsians have no motive to betray us that I can see. Even if they are prejudiced against endotherms, that alone would not explain an action so counterproductive to their own interests. However, I have certainly ruled nothing out.”

“I have contacted T’zak Vestin and given him the scans of the metal fragments,” said Tuvok. “He has agreed to compare them to scans of Tsian armaments, although he naturally feels that this is a useless exercise. He is fully in agreement that the Fallons are responsible, and was quite insulted that we would suggest otherwise. I was able to convince him that we are simply investigating all options, and that while we would never accuse his government of duplicity, no government can control the actions of all of its citizens. I further added that if any Tsian were to act independently of the government, and if those actions were detrimental to the interests of that government, he might wish to know about it. He saw the logic in this and agreed to run the scans. I expect his results by early tomorrow.”

“Very good, Tuvok.” Janeway was grateful for Tuvok’s logic, especially in situations like this. “What about our own scans?”

“We have located a Tsian military base housing a munitions warehouse, and are preparing a short visit during their night watch. You should have our report by 0800.”

“Thank you. Have you heard from the search team?”

“The team has nothing to report, Captain. They have searched an area one thousand meters in diameter without finding any sign of B’Elanna. Tom has completed an aerial survey of the entire mountain from the summit down to eight thousand meters; his scans have also produced nothing. He is continuing to scan to the base of the mountain.”

“I don’t get it. How could she just disappear like that?” asked Harry. “Why aren’t we at least finding her comm badge? Even if it’s no longer functional, scans should still be able to locate the metal alloys.”

“Unless,” said Seven, “the physical scans are set for the complete comm badge, rather than its components.”

There was a short silence as everyone in the room looked at Seven, then at each other.

“Seven, Harry, get on that right now. Set parameters for scans for every component and alloy in a comm badge and send them to the search team as soon as possible,” said Janeway. “And while you’re at it, send scan parameters for any metals in B’Elanna’s gear, right down to the zipper in her snowsuit.”

“Yes, Captain,” said Harry, while Seven nodded and rose. As the doors closed behind them, the feeling of emptiness in the conference room grew more pronounced.

Chakotay looked at Janeway. “Do you really think that will help?” he asked gently. “Any impact that could break up a comm badge would almost certainly have killed B’Elanna.”

Janeway rubbed the bridge of her nose; her headache was threatening to overwhelm her. “I don’t know, Chakotay. Maybe I’m grasping at straws. But I’m not leaving her. We’re either going to find her, or we’re going to find out what happened.”

“Have you heard back from T’sin Lessia?” asked Tuvok.

Janeway looked up again. “No. She’s in a meeting with the ministers and can’t be disturbed, or so I’m told. Her assistant said that such meetings often run all night, so we may not hear from her until tomorrow. My hope is that when we do hear from her, she’ll have some way of contacting the Fallons.”

“Then I guess we just wait and hope for the best,” said Chakotay. “We’ll find her, Captain.”

“Yes,” said Janeway in tones that allowed for no doubt. “We will.”

 

 

-----

 

 

At 1730 Janeway got the call she’d been waiting for—Lynne was awake and asking for her. She turned the bridge over to Chakotay and made her way to deck five for the second time that day.

Entering sickbay, she found Lynne standing by the biobed, fully dressed and with her arm in a sling. The Doctor was just closing his tricorder. “Doctor,” said Janeway as she walked up, her eyes on Lynne. “How is she?” Lynne watched her but said nothing. Janeway could see the lines of tension in her face.

“Despite her best efforts to tear her own arm off, I’ve managed to get everything put back together,” said the Doctor. “She’ll need to keep the arm stable for three days while the ligaments finish healing. Other than that she’s ready to be released.”

“Kathryn, I’m ready to go,” said Lynne.

“All right,” said Janeway. “I’ll walk you to your quarters.”

“No, not to my quarters,” said Lynne impatiently. “I’m ready to go down to the planet.”

“For what?”

Lynne looked at her like she’d grown a second head. “To join the search team. The Doctor told me you haven’t found her yet.” She spoke as if the answer were plainly obvious to a small child.

Janeway should have expected this—of course Lynne would want to be involved. But it wasn’t possible.

“Lynne, you’re injured,” she said, pointing out the obvious.

“Not anymore,” said Lynne. “The Doctor has fixed me up, and even with one arm I can still help out. Hell, I used to climb with a friend who’d lost an arm in the Vietnam War. It never slowed him down. You have to let me go.”

Janeway looked at the Doctor. “Doctor, will you excuse us, please?”

“Certainly.” The Doctor walked into his office, leaving the two women alone in the room. Janeway turned to her partner.

“Lynne, I know you want to help. But you’ve already done everything you can, and there’s nothing else for you to do at the moment. We have a search team down there right now, thanks to the information you gave us, and they’re doing everything possible to find B’Elanna. There’s no need for you to risk further injury.”

“Yes there is! I’ve never left a member of a climbing team behind, and I’m not about to start now. I’ve got more experience than anyone on this ship in mountain search and rescue. You need me down there. Please let me go!”

Janeway had never seen Lynne so agitated. She put a gentle hand on Lynne’s good arm. “You certainly do have experience in mountain search and rescue; no one is questioning that. What you don’t have experience in—or even any training for—is combat, and this is now a combat situation. If it were just a matter of search and rescue, you could probably talk me into sending you even with your injury—but it’s not. I simply cannot send you down, Lynne, the risk is too great. I’m sorry.”

Lynne shook Janeway’s hand off and took a step back. Her eyes were flashing and her voice trembled with anger. “Goddammit, Kathryn, I’m sick of you telling me what I can and cannot do! If I were home I’d have people calling to beg me to join this search. But all you can think of is that I haven’t been through whatever Starfleet training you need to carry a phaser. Well, fuck that! You know I’m a good shot, you know I’ve got the mountaineering experience, and you know I’m more qualified than anyone down there for the search. I’m willing to take the risk. Don’t you care about finding B’Elanna?”

Janeway was taken aback at the vehemence in Lynne’s tone, and hurt by her words. But she kept her emotions off her face.

“Of course I care. Don’t forget, I’ve known B’Elanna far longer than you, and she’s my friend too. But the question isn’t whether I care about her, it’s whether I’m justified in making the decision to send someone into a combat situation when that person is not trained to handle it. And since I already have a team of personnel there who are trained to handle it, I can’t make that justification.” She stopped, realizing that her voice had gotten hard. With an effort, she softened her tones.

“You’re a civilian, Lynne, not a soldier. It doesn’t matter if you’re willing to take the risk. I’m not willing to let you. You have great courage and loyalty, but the situation is simply too dangerous—and since you’ve never been in combat, I don’t think you realize how dangerous it is. Please accept that I know what I’m doing, and I’m making the best decision I can under the circumstances.”

Lynne threw her good arm into the air with an expression of disgust. “Well, that’s just it, isn’t it? It’s your decision, and you’re not willing to let me. Seems like you haven’t been willing to let me do much around here—I had to fight you for away mission duty and I’m having to fight you now.” She stepped into Janeway’s personal space and glared at her. “Tell me, what was the point of all that maneuvering to keep me off the crew roster? You treat me like a crewmember anyway. You act like you control me!”

Janeway had had a long and very trying day, and her fear for both Lynne and B’Elanna had pushed her emotions to the limit. Normally she would have seen through Lynne’s anger to the fear, frustration and guilt that was fueling it, but at this moment, having Lynne in her face was just a little more than she could handle. Something in her snapped. She met Lynne’s glare with one of her own and spoke in a tone of icy calm.

“I do control you, Lynne. You’re a passenger on this ship, and I’m the captain. Get used to it. Now I’ve tried to explain to you why I’ve made my decision—which is more than I would do for any crewmember—but you just won’t hear me. So I don’t see the need to continue this discussion. You can return to your quarters whenever you’re ready.”

Janeway turned on her heel and walked out, but she wasn’t fast enough to avoid seeing the look of shock on Lynne’s face. As the doors shut behind her, her step faltered and her shoulders slumped briefly. Then she held her head high and strode down the corridor. She was the captain—and she was alone.

 

 

 

 

---

Chapter 24

 

 

Seven of Nine had been in Astrometrics for most of the night, running scans of her own. The search team had been recalled just before sunset, when the predicted storm had made any further activities too dangerous. Seven felt that it was a great waste of time to cease search efforts for an entire night. She had no great fondness for B’Elanna Torres, but the engineer was an extremely valuable member of the crew, and vital to the efficient functioning of Voyager . She also knew that Captain Janeway was greatly troubled by the situation, and Seven was never so motivated to accomplish the impossible as when it affected the captain.

As yet another scan returned a zero result, the doors to Astrometrics swished open. Seven turned, expecting to see Janeway. No one else would be likely to visit her at this hour. She was therefore surprised when Lynne Hamilton walked in. Her friend was pale and agitated, and had one arm bound in a sling.

“Lynne,” said Seven by way of greeting. “It is good to see that you have recovered.”

“Thanks, Seven. I…I’m here to ask for your help.”

Seven raised her eyebrow. “I would be glad to assist you in any way I can. What do you require?”

Lynne hesitated, looking at the image of the Tsian mountain that was currently displayed on the giant viewscreen. “I need to go there,” she said.

“To the mountain?” asked Seven.

Lynne nodded.

“I do not understand,” said Seven. “I am not authorized to give you permission to depart the ship; only Captain Janeway can do that. Why do you not ask her?”

“I already have. She said no.”

Seven was growing more confused by the minute. “In that case, I do not see how I can assist you. What is it that you were hoping I could do?”

Lynne began pacing around the room. “I was hoping you could help me get off the ship without Kathryn’s permission. I know,” she said, forestalling Seven’s objection, “you don’t think it’s a good idea. But I have to do it.” She turned to face her friend. “Seven, Kathryn is letting her personal feelings for me get in the way of finding B’Elanna. She’s worried about me getting hurt, but the fact is, that search team spent the whole day on the mountain without seeing so much as a shadow of a Fallon ship. And they found nothing.” Lynne’s voice was rising. “I’m more qualified than anyone on this ship to find B’Elanna by visual search. Obviously what they’re doing isn’t working. I know you and Harry ran scans all evening.”

“I am still running them,” said Seven. “And I have still had no success.”

“My point exactly. If an entire search team, a pilot flying aerial support, and you and Harry running scans can’t find B’Elanna, then maybe it’s time to let me go down there and practice some good old-fashioned intuitive searching. I can’t help the team from here. I’ve got to get down on that mountain, see the terrain, and get a feel for it. Seven, I can find her.” Lynne’s voice broke, and Seven was surprised to see a tear sliding down her cheek. Impatiently Lynne brushed it away. “But I can’t get off this goddamned ship without help. I feel like a rat in a trap. Nobody will transport me without Kathryn’s permission, and even if I could figure out how to transport myself, I’d be detected in an instant. I know you’ve got the technical knowledge to disguise a transport. Will you send me?”

Seven looked wonderingly at Lynne. “I have never seen you weep. Nor have I ever seen you this agitated.”

“You’ve never seen me out of my mind with frustration and worry, either,” said Lynne tightly. “It’s killing me to be trapped here when I know I can help. If B’Elanna is still alive somehow, every hour that passes makes it less likely she’ll stay that way. I can’t bear to just sit in my quarters, watching the chronometer and waiting for news. I have to go. Please, Seven—I’m begging you to help me. Please send me down, and disguise the transport so that I have as long as possible before discovery. No one needs to know you were involved; the risk is entirely mine.”

Seven considered her friend’s words. She understood Lynne’s feelings of entrapment; she herself had often felt that way when Janeway had made a decision she didn’t agree with. And it was quite possible that the captain was making a mistake in not allowing Lynne to go. Unlike most of the crew, Seven did not view Janeway as infallible, and she was quite willing to challenge or defy her decisions if they were illogical or incorrect. Lynne’s skill and experience could improve their chances of success, and if there was any statistical likelihood that Lynne was capable of accomplishing what the rest of the crew could not, then it was foolish to allow emotion and personal attachment to prevent the safe return of Voyager ’s chief engineer. Even if Lynne found nothing but a body, that would still end the search and prevent possible harm from befalling additional members of the crew.

Of course, Seven didn’t believe for a moment Lynne’s assertion about the risk being entirely hers. Janeway would know instantly who had masked Lynne’s transport. If she helped Lynne, there would be a price to pay for it.

Seven made her decision. “I will assist you.”

Lynne looked relieved and astonished at the same time. “Thank you! I can’t tell you what this means to me.”

But Seven wasn’t finished. “There is a condition.”

“Name it. I’ll do anything I can.”

“I will accompany you.”

“What?" Lynne shook her head. "No. You can’t do that. You know I’m going to be in the shit house for this when Kathryn finds out. It would be even worse for you—you’re under her command. She’ll skin you alive. This isn’t your fight; don’t risk it.”

Seven had no idea what a shit house was, and filed the term in her eidetic memory for later research. She also found it highly unlikely that Janeway would ever attempt to remove her epidermis, and put the wild suggestion down to Lynne’s emotional state. “The welfare of B’Elanna Torres is important to anyone on Voyager ,” she said. “Finding her certainly is ‘my fight,’ as you put it. In addition, you yourself have told me that no one should climb alone. I assume that you do not exclude yourself from this rule; therefore you need a partner on this search. My offer is nonnegotiable. Either you allow me to accompany you, or you find someone else to defy the captain’s orders and disguise a transport.”

Lynne stood for a moment with her mouth open, then seemed to find her voice.

“Jesus, Seven, you’re worse than me. And I don’t have time to talk you out of being so stubborn, even if it were possible. All right, I agree to your condition. If you want to put your butt on the line, I guess that’s your choice.”

Her demeanor changed dramatically as she stepped up to the viewscreen; now she was all business. She pointed to a set of coordinates on the scan of the mountain. “That’s where I want to go. I’m betting she fell down this face. The search team won’t see us here, either, because they’ll be starting over here when they resume the search tomorrow. And the storm’s supposed to blow out by 0300, so things should be nicely settled down at first light.” She looked back at Seven. “I’ve been checking the mission logs—very handy for learning what the hell is going on around here. Now, I can get the gear together for both of us. We should transport out at first light. Can you be ready by then?”

“Yes,” said Seven. “Come to Cargo Bay Two at 0430. I will do what I can to prevent our discovery, but we will likely have three to four hours at most. My absence from Astrometrics at the start of the shift will almost certainly be noticed.”

Lynne nodded. “Then we’ll just have to make the most of our time.”

 

 

-----

 

 

At 0435, a transporter beam deposited Lynne and Seven several hundred meters below the summit of the Tsian mountain. Both were in harness and roped together. Lynne looked around in the early morning light, saying nothing as she used a rangefinding scope to scan the mountain below them. Seven waited easily; unlike most humans, she was comfortable with silence.

After several minutes, Lynne turned. Her voice came through the comm in Seven’s mask. “We’re going to start over there.” Seven followed Lynne’s pointing finger, nodded, and set off in her friend’s footsteps. Both women carried ice axes; Lynne had made it abundantly clear as they were packing up that Seven should never let go of hers. Seven had accepted the axe with one hand and held out a phaser with the other. Lynne had hefted the phaser thoughtfully, then pocketed it. “I’ll just think of Velocity if I have to use it,” she’d said.

As they searched, Lynne stopped often to pull out the scope and scan in a 360-degree circle. “Things tend to look different when you look back at them,” she explained. But nothing looked different enough; the hours passed by with no clues as to B’Elanna’s whereabouts.

At 0715 Lynne stopped once more and began scanning. Her slow sweep came to a halt as she faced upslope. “Seven, do you see that?” Her voice was excited as she held out the scope.

Seven had some difficulty adjusting the scope with her heavy gloves, but soon had it focused on a faint line in the snowy slope. “What is it?” she asked.

“A crevasse, and we walked right past it. Come on!”

A ten-minute scramble found the two women at the edge of the crevasse. It was deep, and this early in the morning the sunlight did not penetrate it. Seven activated her tricorder. “Scans show nothing,” she said. Then she paused. “No, that is incorrect. There is a high concentration of a metal alloy than I have not seen elsewhere on this slope. It is not natural.”

Lynne looked at her. “Well, it’s the best lead we’ve had so far. I’m going down. Give me the pack.”

Seven obligingly shrugged off her pack—she had refused to allow Lynne to carry any gear—and opened it.

With her good hand, Lynne selected an ice screw mount, looped a knotted rope through it, and held it against the ice at the lip of the crevasse. A flick of her thumb activated the pressurized mount, driving the screw deep into the ice. She looked up at Seven and grinned. “I love this gear,” she said.

Getting the rope through her harness was a little more problematic with only one arm, and Lynne didn’t protest when Seven completed the task for her. A few minutes later, having donned a headlamp, Lynne began her descent. She carefully held her injured arm around the rope at chest level, and used her good hand as the brake. Pausing a few feet below the lip, she looked up at Seven. “If you don’t hear from me in ten minutes, call the ship.” Seven nodded and waited as Lynne smoothly descended into the darkness. Soon all she could see was Lynne’s headlamp beam, getting smaller and smaller. Eventually it ceased diminishing and the rope went slack. Seven heard Lynne’s voice in her mask, but the comm signal was oddly distorted.

“Seven, get down here.”

Seven pulled on her own harness and headlamp, slid both of their ice axes through the straps on the pack face, and slung the pack onto her back. Clipping into the rope, she began her descent. After six meters she noticed that the ice gave way to solid rock. It seemed odd that a crevasse would be positioned directly over an open crack in the rock, and she paused for a moment to run a tricorder scan. The wall was what it appeared to be; however, she could only scan the surface. The rock contained high concentrations of an element that disrupted any attempts to scan deeper. Such an element would also disrupt a comm signal, which explained the distortion when Lynne had called her. She resumed her descent and found Lynne waiting for her when she arrived at the bottom.

“Look,” Lynne said, pointing. Seven turned to see a metal door set into the rock. She detached her harness from the rope and both women moved to the door, which presented a seamless surface.

“Can you get it open?” asked Lynne.

Seven passed her tricorder over the door. “Yes. It uses an electronic release.” She programmed the tricorder to emit the required frequency and activated it. The door slid open silently, revealing a small antechamber and a second door. Both women stepped inside. A quick scan revealed that a slightly different frequency was required for the second door. As it slid open, a rush of air blew past them. The long, well-lit passageway beyond was pressurized.

“I believe we should contact the ship,” said Seven. “But the substrate is blocking comm signals. We’ll have to return to the surface.” Lynne nodded, and the women stepped toward the outside door—which abruptly slid closed.

Seven transmitted the release frequency, but this time it had no effect. She ran her tricorder over the door again and turned to Lynne.

“The power supply to this door has been severed, and there are no controls nearby. I cannot restore the power, nor can I open it manually.”

Lynne looked alarmed. “Does this mean we’re being watched?”

“Not necessarily. It could operate on a timer once opened. If left open indefinitely, the pressurized air in the corridors would eventually drain out.”

The air was now still and no sounds could be heard. Seven tested the air with her tricorder and then removed her mask. Lynne pulled hers off as well, and said quietly, “Our crampons.” A few minutes later Seven shouldered the pack once more, detecting the weight difference with two masks and two sets of crampons added to the load. She stepped forward and immediately stopped when Lynne put a hand on her arm.

“Seven, thank you for coming along. I was an idiot to think I could do this alone.”

Seven looked at her friend in some surprise. “‘Idiot’ is an inappropriate descriptor for you. Your intelligence cannot be questioned. I believe, however, that Captain Janeway would call you ‘stubborn as a mule.’” She raised her eyebrow. “She has occasionally used that phrase to describe me as well.”

“I guess that explains why we’re both here,” said Lynne.

Seven nodded, then drew her phaser. Lynne’s eyes widened, but she said nothing, pulling her own phaser out of her pocket. Cautiously, the two women moved down the steeply angled passage. After descending for several hundred meters, they stopped at a three-way intersection.

“Which way?” asked Lynne softly.

Seven shook her head as she passed the tricorder in front of each opening. “I do not know,” she said. “Something in this rock blocks scans as well as communicators, so the tricorder cannot see any farther than you or I can visually.” Folding the tricorder, she put it back in her pocket. “I suggest we try the steepest passage. It seems logical that areas of importance will be deeper within the mountain.”

They moved into the central passage, arriving five minutes later at another three-way intersection. Once more Seven chose the central opening. This time, however, they only walked fifty meters before finding their path blocked by another door. Seven pulled out her tricorder.

“You will drop what you are holding and turn,” said a voice behind them. Seven stopped her movements, then carefully crouched to deposit her tricorder on the ground, using her body to hide her other hand as she pocketed the phaser. Rising again, she held both hands slightly out from her body, palms down, and slowly pivoted. Lynne had put her phaser on the ground and turned with one arm held out.

Four humanoids faced them from less than ten meters away. Their faces were oval, pale and hairless, and three small openings occupied the space where a nose would be. They wore garments of a shiny material—probably heat reflective, Seven thought, since it was very cold in the passageway—and were all holding weapons of some sort. From what Seven could see, one of them was female and the others were male.

“You,” said one of the males, gesturing toward Lynne. “Hold both arms out where we can see them.”

“I can’t,” said Lynne. Her next words startled Seven. “This arm was injured when your people attacked me and my companion at the summit of this mountain.”

The aliens looked at each other, then back at Seven and Lynne. “We have attacked no one,” said the one who had spoken first.

“You are of the race called the Fallons, are you not?” asked Seven.

The leader made a sound that might have been a laugh. “You have been speaking with the Tsians. We do not call ourselves by that foul name. We are proud to be Santori.”

“I did not mean to offend,” said Seven. “We were unaware of the existence of your race until the Tsians mentioned you. They said you were responsible for an aerial strike on my shipmates that took place yesterday afternoon. We lost one of our people in that attack, and have been searching for her ever since. That search is what led us here.”

“The Tsians have been playing with you,” said the leader. “It is exactly like them. They are cowards and not to be trusted. They have a long history of aggression and betrayal, and now they have betrayed you as well.”

The female in the group spoke. “But who are you? No Santori had ever seen your like until yesterday, when the injured one was brought in.”

Seven and Lynne looked at each other. “Is she alive?” asked Lynne quickly.

The leader spoke. “When we found her we thought not, but she breathes still. But you have not answered Lia’s question. Who are you?”

“We are Humans,” said Seven. She tried to think of what the captain would say in a situation such as this. “We are peaceful explorers, and have no quarrel with anyone on this planet. We simply wish to find our lost crewmember and return to our ship.”

Lynne was not so diplomatic. “If the Tsians betrayed us and hurt B’Elanna, then I certainly have a quarrel with them.”

The Santori made a series of noises that Seven was now sure was laughter. Then the leader spoke. “The Tsians make many enemies. If you have a quarrel with them, then we share your quarrel and call you friend. Come, we will take you to your companion. But first you will need to remove your pack.”

Seven shrugged out of her pack and lowered it to the ground. “There is nothing here but tools to aid us in locating and healing our companion,” she said.

“Of course,” said the leader. “I’m sure you will not object if we carry it for you. Step forward.”

Seven and Lynne moved toward the group. The leader made a motion with his hand, and the other two males walked up, weapons at the ready, and frisked the intruders. Seven briefly considered incapacitating their captors, but thought better of it. First of all, she could probably get two of them before anyone got off a shot, but not all four; and secondly, the aliens could lead them to B’Elanna faster than she and Lynne could get there on their own. She stood straight and stiff while the alien patted her pockets. He found Seven’s phaser and pulled it out, showing it to the leader.

“One of your tools?” said the leader in a tone that made his disbelief obvious.

“Our shipmate was attacked on this mountain,” said Seven in even tones. “It would have been unwise to come here unarmed.”

The leader inclined his head, but said nothing as the others finished checking Seven and Lynne. Finding nothing else, they went back toward the door to collect the pack, phaser and tricorder.

“Come,” said the leader, as he and Lia turned and began walking away. Seven and Lynne followed, sandwiched between four armed Santori.

They walked in silence for some time as the aliens took them through several turns and intersections to a bank of lifts. Judging by the amount of time the lift descended, Seven thought they must be going nearly to the base of the mountain. The doors finally opened on a very large room, filled with Santori bustling this way and that, all bent on some apparently critical errand. The arrival of Seven and Lynne, however, caused the aliens nearest them to come to a complete halt and stare in astonishment. Seven was beginning to feel like a particularly fascinating zoo exhibit.

The guards pushed their way through the crowds, and Seven noted the location of the door through which they exited the room. As they traveled, she was committing each turn to her eidetic memory in anticipation of coming back this way once they found B’Elanna and escaped.

Eventually their captors led them into a hallway lined by many doors on both sides. Stopping in front of one of them, the leader pressed a button and stood back. The door slid open. “You will enter,” he said.

Seven and Lynne stepped through and stopped. There, on a low bed and surrounded by electronic equipment, lay an unconscious B’Elanna.

 

 

 

 

---

Chapter 25

 

 

Janeway stood in front of Lynne’s quarters at 0730, waiting for an answer to her chime. She’d debated about the early hour, but with her shift starting in a few minutes and a long day ahead of her, this was the only time she could count on to speak with Lynne. She’d spent a sleepless night thinking about the situation on the planet, but what her mind came back to over and over again was her last conversation with her partner, and the look of shock she’d seen on Lynne’s face just before walking out. Lynne’s angry words had torn her apart, and she could not remember ever feeling so lonely before. She hadn’t realized how much she’d come to depend on Lynne’s support, and to have it suddenly withdrawn at a time when she needed it most was worse than never having it at all.

By the early morning hours she’d finally realized that Lynne was simply lashing out, motivated by her fear for B’Elanna and guilt over what she seemed to think was her role in the accident. And once her own anger had abated somewhat, Janeway was able to see Lynne’s point of view and acknowledge that she’d had a perfect right to feel frustrated. She knew that she would feel equally unhappy at not being able to actively help if she were in Lynne’s place. That final expression on Lynne’s face tore at her heart, and she wanted nothing more than to heal this rift. Both of them had spoken harshly in the emotion of the moment, and she was hoping that they could reopen the discussion with more love and less recrimination now that they’d each had time to cool down.

But Lynne wasn’t answering. Janeway activated the chime a second time, wondering with some pique how Lynne had managed to fall asleep so soundly while she herself had tossed and turned all night.

When there was no answer to the second chime, Janeway grew concerned and keyed in the code to open the door. Lynne’s quarters were dark and empty, and a quick check of the bedroom showed a bed that had already been made. Frowning, Janeway said, “Computer, locate Lynne Hamilton.”

“Lynne Hamilton is in Cargo Bay Two.”

Talking to Seven about their argument, no doubt. Janeway hesitated, then walked out of Lynne’s quarters and back to the turbolift. A few minutes later she entered the cargo bay to find it equally deserted. Confused, she said, “Computer, locate Lynne Hamilton.”

“Lynne Hamilton is in Cargo Bay Two.”

Janeway looked around with a growing suspicion. “Computer, locate Seven of Nine.”

“Seven of Nine is in Cargo Bay Two.”

If Lynne and Seven were in this bay, she was a Tarellian frog. But just to make sure… “Computer, scan for life signs in Cargo Bay Two.”

“There is one life sign in Cargo Bay Two.”

Janeway felt all of her anger from the previous night come roaring back, with a little extra added in for good measure. Lynne wasn’t capable of fooling the computer. Only a few individuals on Voyager had that level of skill, and of those few, only Seven would have the temerity to actually do it in this situation. If Lynne had talked Seven into getting her onto the mountain, then her lover had gone far beyond the limits. This wasn’t going to be an argument, it was going to be a battle.

She tapped her comm badge. “Janeway to Transporter Room Three.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Scan the mountain for Lynne Hamilton and Seven of Nine, and beam both directly to Cargo Bay Two.”

There was a pause. “They’re not showing up on scans, Captain. I’m widening the scan now.” Another pause while Janeway curled her hands into fists and held them stiffly at her sides.

“I’m sorry, Captain. Scanners don’t detect their comm badges or their life signs anywhere on the planet.”

Janeway closed her eyes and dropped her head. “Keep scanning. Janeway out.” She took a few minutes to get her breathing under control, her anger vanishing as it was buried under a wave of paralyzing fear. Gone? No life signs at all?

They can’t be dead, she thought, her mind refusing to accept it. First B’Elanna, now Seven and Lynne... Then her head snapped up as she made the connection. Dammit—why didn’t I think of that before? She activated her comm badge again. “Janeway to the bridge. Have all senior staff meet me in the conference room immediately.” She looked around one last time and walked out, the clicking of her boot heels echoing in the empty bay.

 

 

-----

 

 

Once again the conference room held two empty chairs, but this time the mood was different. The day before, Janeway had been just as shaken and bewildered as the rest of them. She had hidden her emotions during the meeting, but Chakotay knew her well enough by now to read the signs. And the signs this morning said that she had replaced bewilderment with wrath. From what she’d just told them, he could understand why. If Lynne and Seven were found alive, he thought, they might not stay that way once Janeway got through with them.

“So we’re left with the same mystery,” said Harry. “Why can’t our scans detect their life signs or comm badges?”

“They may not have taken their comm badges,” said Chakotay.

“I don’t think they’d do that,” said Janeway, “and besides, the computer isn’t registering their comm badges anywhere on the ship. No, our scans aren’t detecting them—or B’Elanna, for that matter—because we’ve been looking in the wrong place.”

Every pair of eyes in the room were fixed on Janeway. “Do you know where we should be directing our scans, Captain?” asked Tuvok.

“No, but I have a hunch. Do you remember how we were unable to contact you and Lynne while you were mining dilithium?”

The Vulcan nodded. “Yes. An element in the rock prevented our comm signal from reaching the surface.”

Janeway tapped her comm badge. “Janeway to Ops. Run a scan directed twenty feet below the surface of the Tsian mountain and tell me the composition of the rock.”

“Yes, Captain.” The seconds ticked by while everyone in the conference room waited. “Captain, our scanners can’t penetrate. Some component in the mineral structure is reflecting the scan back.”

“Thank you. Janeway out.” The captain’s expression did not flicker. “T’sin Lessia said that the Fallons live underground. I think all three of our shipmates are in Fallon hands, somewhere under the surface of this planet. So we just need to figure out how to get a scan through that rock, if possible. If it’s not possible, then we need to set our scans to locate any non-Tsian life signs on the surface of the planet. The Fallons can’t be underground all the time, and as soon as one comes to the surface, we’ve got a lead. Both of these methods will take some time, however, so I’ll keep pushing to get through to the t’sin in the hopes that she can put us in touch with the Fallons and save us the effort. Harry, I want you to work on resetting our scanners to penetrate the rock. Get Lieutenant Carey to assist you.”

Chakotay saw Tom wince at this, and he sympathized with the pilot. Normally, that assignment would have gone to B’Elanna.

“Tuvok,” continued Janeway, “I’ll need you to conduct constant scans for any non-Tsian life signs. And if anyone has any other ideas on how to locate the Fallons, by all means share them.”

There was a moment’s silence. “I think your plan is the best we have, Captain,” said Chakotay. “And it’s far more than we had yesterday.”

Janeway nodded, then fixed her gaze on Tuvok. “Do you have a report on those metal scans?”

“Yes, Captain,” said Tuvok. “Our team infiltrated the base without incident. Scans show conclusively that the metal fragments in Ms. Hamilton’s wound match the metals in several different Tsian weapons, including missiles.”

Chakotay watched Janeway’s jaw harden. When she spoke, her voice lowered the ambient room temperature by several degrees.

“Thank you, Tuvok. For the moment that information stays in this room. Does everyone understand their assignments?”

No one seemed willing to risk attracting the captain’s attention by speaking, and if the situation weren’t so dire Chakotay could almost laugh at the heads nodding in unison.

“Then let’s get moving on it.”

 

 

-----

 

 

Over an hour had passed since the morning meeting, and Janeway was still ready to chew a spanner in half. Harry had reported no progress in altering their scans to penetrate the planet’s surface, and Tuvok hadn’t located any Fallons aboveground. Janeway had nothing to distract her from her worry for the three missing women except, of course, her anger. She knew Lynne had been unhappy at her decision, but it had never occurred to her that her partner would actually defy her authority. It was bad enough that Lynne had betrayed her trust, but she’d talked Seven into joining her in the crime. And it was a crime—if she ever got those two back on board in one piece, she’d have to deal with their punishment. At the moment, she was favoring the idea of putting them on duty cleaning the waste reclamation system with sonic toothbrushes. A year or so of that should straighten them out, she thought sourly.

When the call from T’sin Lessia came through to her ready room terminal, she was relieved to have something to do. She activated her terminal with a fervent hope that this would put an end to her forced inaction. There was nothing she hated more than sitting around and waiting.

“Captain Janeway, I received your message,” said the t’sin. “I offer my sincerest apologies that it has taken me so long to respond; our ministers were in meeting all night. Have you found your missing officer yet?”

“No, I’m afraid not. In fact, not only is she still missing, but two more of my crew have now vanished while searching the mountain.”

T’sin Lessia’s blue skin brightened perceptibly, then faded to her normal coloration. It occurred to Janeway that she’d never seen the t’sin’s color change until now. Perhaps she was more adept at controlling it than the other Tsians.

“But Captain Janeway, this is very upsetting news. How is it possible that you have lost two more people? Have there been more attacks?”

“No, not as far as I know. They simply vanished. T’sin Lessia, I have reason to believe that my people are being held by the Fallons in one of their underground villages. We are searching for these villages now, but in the meantime it’s imperative that I speak with a representative of the Fallon race as soon as possible. Can you arrange for this?”

The t’sin shook her head sorrowfully. “I am sorry, Captain Janeway. We have no diplomatic relations with the Fallons. In fact, we don’t even know where they live. We have never been able to locate their villages; we only know that we’re inside their claimed territory when they attack us.” She paused. “But perhaps, with the technology on your ship, you will have better fortune. If you can locate a Fallon village, I will provide you with an honor guard and a team of negotiators to assist you in your cause. We have been dealing with them for years, Captain Janeway. We could be of invaluable assistance to you, and I would consider it a favor if you would allow us to help. It would make me feel better about my own role in this tragedy, having given your mate permission to climb within Fallon territory. Please allow us to assist. It is a matter of honor.”

Janeway didn’t think a Tsian team of negotiators would be all that helpful, but it would be impolitic to refuse. “I appreciate your offer, T’sin. Thank you. I will contact you when I have any news.”

“I look forward to it with great anticipation,” said the t’sin, smiling. “Good fortune with your search.”

Janeway cut the channel and sat back in her chair. Damn. There went her best hope for a lead, right out the airlock. Now she was reduced to waiting for their own efforts to turn something up. She reached for a PADD and did her best to distract herself with a departmental report. After only a few paragraphs her tenuous concentration was shattered by her comm badge.

“Bridge to Captain Janeway. You have an incoming message from the planet. I’m routing it to your terminal.”

“Thank you, Tuvok.” Janeway activated her terminal once again. “T’zak Vestin! It’s good to hear from you. What news do you have for us?” This was a call she’d been anticipating; his report regarding the metal fragment scans would tell her a great deal about the Tsian involvement in the attack. Would he confirm or contradict their own findings?

T’zak Vestin did not look happy. “I do not bear good news, Captain Janeway. And the news I do bear is better spoken to you directly. Is it possible for us to meet on board your ship?”

“Certainly. May we beam you aboard?” The Tsian captain had experienced transport during their four-day tow of the Sovereign , so she did not hesitate to offer it now.

“Yes. I will wait here.”

“It will be only a moment,” Janeway said. She tapped her comm badge. “Janeway to Tuvok. Trace this call to its source and beam T’zak Vestin directly to the conference room.”

“Yes, Captain.” Janeway watched as the t’zak dissolved, then cut the channel. She strode onto the bridge, said, “Tuvok, Chakotay, you’re with me,” and continued on into the conference room without pausing.

Their guest was standing at the conference room viewport, gazing at the planet below. His color was quite pale, and when he turned to face Janeway, the expression on his face was one of sorrow. “Captain Janeway. Thank you for responding so quickly.”

“You’re welcome. Please, have a seat,” said Janeway, as she took her usual chair at the head of the table. T’zak Vestin sat with his back to the viewport, and Tuvok and Chakotay faced him across the table. He began without preamble.

“Captain Janeway, you must know that when Tuvok asked me to run the scans of those metal fragments, I was quite affronted by the implied insult to Tsian honor.”

“Yes, I was aware of that,” said Janeway. “I was saddened to think that we had insulted you. It was not intentional. You have behaved toward us with the greatest honor.”

“Unfortunately, some of my compatriots have not afforded you the same respect,” said T’zak Vestin. “When your scans arrived, I gave them to Seenoth. Shortly afterward, I received word that the minister of defense wanted to run the comparisons herself, so I sent the scans to the ministry. The report that came back stated that the fragments were from a Fallon weapon.”

Janeway kept her reaction off her face, and hoped that Chakotay was doing the same. Tuvok she didn’t worry about.

“But Seenoth is very efficient,” T’zak Vestin continued. “She had already run the comparisons before the order came from the ministry. Her results contradicted those of the minister of defense, and Seenoth is unlikely to be wrong. Captain, your people were fired on with a Tsian missile.”

Realizing that she’d been holding her breath, Janeway exhaled quietly. They were finally beginning to get somewhere. She felt relieved to know that at least one Tsian was telling the truth.

“Is it possible that the Fallons have access to Tsian weaponry?” asked Tuvok.

“Yes, it is. And I considered that explanation. But the fact that our minister of defense sent me falsified results made me doubt such a simple conclusion.” T’zak Vestin shifted his gaze to Janeway. “You may not realize this, but your words at the celebratory banquet saved my career. T’sin Lessia has never supported my rise through the ranks, and her comment about my male aggressiveness was designed to embarrass me before my peers and my superiors. She does not believe that males are qualified to be in positions of leadership. If I were female, my military career would have led me to a ministry by this point in my life. But I am still a t’zak. And if you had not responded to the t’sin’s words as you did, I would be much less—she would have me commanding an intercity shuttle. I owe you a debt of honor for that, and I am repaying that debt now.”

Janeway only nodded; she had a feeling that any words would be inappropriate for the moment. T’zak Vestin needed to finish what he’d come here to say, and it was obviously difficult for him. His next statement confirmed this.

“You were not informed of this after the attack, but the Tsian military is in possession of several operational Fallon air fighters. When I received the falsified report, I became suspicious and went to the base where these fighters are kept. The t’zak of that base is a friend; we completed our training together. She told me that one of the fighters had recently been flown on a mission so secret that it was not even recorded in the logs. The mission had been to fly to the tallest mountain at the southern end of the continent, where the pilot would find two Fallons at the summit. She was instructed to destroy the Fallons and return immediately to base. This mission was completed as assigned. I am afraid that my own people attacked your crew.”

Janeway felt this news impact her with the great weight of truth. She looked at Tuvok. “This certainly explains the coincidence of the timing.”

Tuvok raised an eyebrow. “It does answer one of our questions.”

Janeway noted that T’zak Vestin’s long chin had sunk to his chest; he appeared the picture of reptilian dejection. Gently, she said, “T’zak Vestin, we understand that it must have been very difficult for you to come here and give us this information. Your honorable behavior does your race great credit. We will not forget this.”

The Tsian captain raised his head. “My gesture is small compared to the crime that has been committed against you and your people. This situation is much greater in scope than you are aware. Not even the minister of defense could have concealed a mission such as this without approval from higher up in the government. And the only individual higher than a minister is the t’sin. I fear that there is only one conclusion:  T’sin Lessia herself ordered the attack on your people—a deliberate betrayal of trusted allies. I cannot imagine why. But the dishonor to the Tsian people is almost too great to bear.”

Janeway was shocked to the core by this revelation. As soon as Tuvok had confirmed the scans, it had been obvious that Tsians were involved somehow—but she hadn’t thought this involvement would go all the way to the top. She recalled the t’sin’s exclamations of sorrow and sympathy after the attack, and felt a hot fury burn slowly down her spine to settle at the bottom of her stomach. The t’sin dared to attack Lynne and B’Elanna? After meeting them at the banquet? After laughing with her and Lynne, and teasing them about their obvious new love? She was so focused on her blind rage that for a moment she forgot where she was. It was T’zak Vestin who brought her back to reality.

“There is one more thing I must tell you,” he said. “You are not versed in our laws, but you understand the concept of honor very well. On our planet, the crime of attempted murder is punishable by death. When that crime is committed against one member of a legally recognized Tsian couple, the death sentence is carried out by the wronged mate. You will never be able to prove that T’sin Lessia ordered this attack. She is too powerful, and the layers of concealment are too thick. If I were to mention my conclusions to anyone but you, my own life would end shortly afterward. But if you could prove it, you would have the right to claim vengeance. I say this because I wish for you to understand that the t’sin’s actions are not representative of Tsian society and would be universally abhorred if knowledge of them were to become public. Despite your experience with us, we are an honorable people. It is important to me that you believe this.”

With great difficulty, Janeway pushed her fury down to a small corner of her mind and focused on the sincere shame and sorrow of this Tsian, who had just risked everything to do what he felt was right.

“T’zak Vestin, I do not judge all Tsians by the actions of T’sin Lessia. I believe, rather, that you are a more accurate representative of the honorable nature of your people. It is your behavior that I will remember when this is over, and it has been guided by only the highest standards.”

The Tsian captain pushed his chair back, stood and bowed to Janeway. “Thank you, Captain Janeway. Your words give me great comfort.” He straightened. “I must return before I am missed.”

“I understand,” said Janeway. “Tuvok will return you to your prior coordinates immediately. Tuvok?”

The security chief rose and, to Janeway’s surprise, bowed briefly toward T’zak Vestin before departing.

“T’zak Vestin,” said Janeway, standing up, “you have our respect and our gratitude. Be well.”

The Tsian captain nodded his massive head, and dissolved in the transporter beam.

Janeway dropped back into her chair and sat silently for so long that Chakotay finally cleared his throat. “Well, that was a surprising development,” he said. “But I can’t think what possible motive the t’sin would have to betray us in such a manner.”

“I can,” said Janeway, her voice tightly controlled. “She’s played us for fools from the moment she learned we were endotherms. The t’sin had an agenda, Chakotay, and we fell right into it. We’ve done exactly what she planned for us to do. But I think it’s time to change our behavior—and as soon as we find our missing people, I’ll be paying the t’sin a visit.”

 

 

 

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