Chakotay heard the comm signals on the Bridge, but all that followed was static.
Adrenaline began to pump through his body. Something had gone wrong. He could feel it.
"Harry," he said, trying to remain calm, "clear those comm signals."
"I'm trying, Commander, but I can't."
"Whose were they?"
"Captains Janeway and Wilson," Harry replied.
"They're in trouble. Beam them up, now."
"Aye, sir."
Harry's fingers flew across the console. Apparently he had the same feeling Chakotay had.
"I'm beaming them directly to Sickbay," he said.
"Get the other teams up, too," Chakotay ordered. "Tuvok, you have the Bridge." He ran
to the turbolift. Please let her be all right, he prayed silently.
In Transporter Room One, B'Elanna Torres' form appeared on the transport pad. Once
she realized she'd been beamed up, she headed straight for Sickbay. Just before that familiar
feeling of dematerialization began, she'd seen a huge dark mass rise up from the area where
Captain Janeway and Captain Wilson had been. She knew it must be a swarm.
B'Elanna and Chakotay arrived in Sickbay at the same time. They saw Kathryn, standing
beside a an examining table looking worried, but unharmed. As they reached her, they realized
that Captain Wilson was on the exam table, unconscious, swollen and bruised almost beyond
recognition. Kathryn turned to face them.
"She saved my life," she said quietly. "I couldn't run, so she covered my legs with her
jacket and my body with hers."
Chakotay heard someone else enter the room and looked around to see who it was.
Several members of Captain Wilson's crew came to stand near him at Meredith's side. Within
minutes all sixteen crewmen were there, standing far enough away to allow the Doctor to do his
job, but close enough to keep an eye on her. Even the weakest crewman, whom the Doctor had
confined to bed for several days, was there leaning on a companion.Kathryn saw the concern and
devotion in their eyes and it touched her deeply.
"How is she, Doctor?" Chakotay finally asked.
"She's been injected with a massive amount of a neurotoxin I don't recognize. I've given
her every antitoxin we have, but there's been very little improvement. Until I can resolve the
molecular structure of the neurotoxin, I cannot begin work on a compound to neutralize it."
Meredith moaned slightly. She was regaining consciousness.
"Show me," she said weakly.
"Don't try to talk," the Doctor ordered, "you need to conserve your energy."
"I'm - a - molecular biologist - dammit - show me - the toxin." She was weak and
trembling slightly, and her speech was slurred, but when she saw her crew, an inner strength
arose in her. She saw the fear in their eyes and knew it was a fear of losing her. They needed her.
Even K'Eltak, the only Klingon member of her crew, was afraid.
Kathryn was encouraged by Meredith's response. She nodded to the Doctor, who put the
padd with her blood test results in her bruised, shaking hands. Kathryn placed her own hands gently
around Meredith's to steady them. After a moment of study, Meredith looked at the Doctor.
"It's - a viral anticoagulant," she said haltingly, "not a - neurotoxin. My own antibodies -
are responding by - attacking - my nervous system. It's a classic - misdirected immune response.
Mix two cc's of thiazine - with one cc of altrine."
The Doctor took the padd and looked at it carefully.
"Now, please, Doctor," Kathryn ordered. He immediately set to work mixing the drugs in
the correct amount. He filled a hypospray and put it to Meredith's neck. Within two minutes her
condition began to improve.
"That was absolutely brilliant," he said. "Why didn't I think of it?"
"How do you feel?" Kathryn asked, noting that Meredith's trembling had lessened.
"Much better," came the answer. "The way this - stuff works, I should be - back on - my
feet in a couple - of days."
"Don't push it," Kathryn said softly. "You've got plenty of time."
She looked up to see sixteen very relieved faces. K'Eltak turned to Chakotay and said
with pride, "A twelve ton Vulcan scorpion couldn't kill that woman. She has the blood of a
Klingon."
"Remind me never to lock horns with her," he replied with a grin. Then, turning to
Kathryn he said, "Captain, I'll go let the Bridge crew know everything's okay here."
Kathryn nodded. The Gulf Breeze crew began to filter out of Sickbay, many smiling, all
greatly relieved. The Doctor ran a bioscanner over Meredith's body.
"Her antibody level is dropping rapidly," he stated. "and the viral agent is beginning to
disappear. The symptoms may continue for a day or so, but to a much lesser degree. All in all,
I'd say she's doing quite well. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to record this case for future
reference. Then I'm going to examine my program to figure out how I could have missed such a
massive immune response."
"I'm afraid I - wounded his ego," Meredith said after the Doctor had gone to his office.
"Don't worry about him," replied Kathryn. "He'll recover."
"What was that about his 'program'?"
"Oh, dear, I guess I forgot to tell you when you arrived yesterday. You see, our ship's
physician was killed when we were brought here. That's the EMH."
"A hologram?! Good - God!"
"It seems a little strange at first," Kathryn said, amused at her reaction, "but trust me,
you'll get use to it. He's become a regular member of the crew and we accept him as such.
Besides, he's evolved way beyond his original programming. Sometimes he's more human than
the rest of us."
"I'll get use to it, huh? I guess that means you intend to ask us to stay."
"I'd like it if you would. And not just for professional reasons, but personal ones as well.
When you get right down to it, you and your crew need a ride home, and we need all the help we
can muster to get there. Think about it for a while, though. You can give me an answer
whenever you're ready."
"I'll take it up with my crew and let you know."
"First you'll rest, then you can speak to your crew. I'll be back to check on you later."
Meredith nodded, then closed her eyes. There was very little doubt in her mind that her
crew would want to stay, but she'd discuss it with them anyway. Then, for the first time in eight
years, she slept peacefully.
It was 2232 hours, and B'Elanna was the last to arrive at Conference Room Two.
"Sorry I'm late, Captain," she said.
"I'll let it go this time, lieutenant," Kathryn replied with a barely supressed grin, "but don't
let it happen again."
"Aye, Captain."
"Now," she continued, "I've called this meeting to discuss the crew of the Gulf Breeze.
Captain Wilson informed me earlier that they will be staying on with us, so we need to get some
information on the crewmembers who don't have Starfleet records and decide where to assign
them."
"I think I have all the information you'll need right here, Captain," Chakotay stated,
handing her a padd. Kathryn took the padd and studied it carefully. After reading for a few
moments, she put it down on the table.
"May I ask where you got this information?" she inquired of him.
"From the Gulf Breeze databanks," he replied. "I ordered Tuvok to download all its files
to Voyager. He gathered all the crew information, went over it thoroughly, and made his
reccomendations to me. I've read them and agree with him 100%."
"I'm assuming you had Captain Wilson's permission to do so."
"No, Captain. Based on her status as a security risk, I obtained the files without her
permission."
He was met with dead silence and an even stare. Everyone in the room could feel
Kathryn's temper beginning to boil. They braced for the explosion.
"You did what?" she said slowly, trying to contain her anger.
"I actually downloaded the files." Tuvok volunteered.
"I'll get to you in a minute," Kathryn snapped at him. Turning back to face Chakotay, she
continued, "Do you mean to tell me that you raided the computer system of a Federation vessel
without the permission of its captain?"
"Yes, Captain," Chakotay replied. He wasn't even going to try to defend his actions. She
had every right to be angry.
Kathryn drummed her fingers on the table for a few seconds, then turned to Tuvok.
"And you were just following orders," she said.
"I was abiding by Starfleet regulations, Captain. In the eyes of Starfleet, Captain Wilson is
a convicted criminal, and as such represents a Class Two security risk to Voyager. Regulations
clearly state that a Security Officer may obtain information regarding any person deemed a Class
Two risk aboard his or her ship by whatever means are available. With Commander Chakotay's
permission, I downloaded the information in order to properly assess the security risk."
Kathryn realized they could play dueling regulations 'till the cows came home, but this
went much deeper. It wasn't just a matter of rules, it was a matter of honor, trust and common
courtesy. And it wasn't the topic they were here to discuss. She decided to save her lectures for
later and spare Tom, B'Elanna and Harry the specter of her unbridled wrath.
"Commander, Lieutenant," she began, "you will remain after the conclusion of this
meeting and we will discuss this further. For now, I'd like some input from someone who's
actually bothered to talk to the Gulf Breeze crew personally."
"Well," B'Elanna began tentatively, "I met with Stefan Andreas earlier in the Mess Hall.
He's familiar with every type of warp engine I know, and he worked with Dr. Leah Brahms as a
dilithium consultant for three years. In fact, he even described, in great detail, two changes he
made on the Gulf Breeze's engines which increased their efficiency by over 22%. I'm convinced
that one of those modifications would increase our own engine efficiency . And as far as his
knowledge of dilithium is concerned, he's way beyond me. There's no doubt in my mind that he'd
be a valuable addition to this crew."
"Did he happen to explain," Tuvok questioned her, "how he went from being a consultant
to one of the Federation's greatest engine designers to being Chief Engineer on a freighter?"
"You mean that wasn't in his file?" Kathryn said sarcastically.
"His file consisted only of his service record aboard the Gulf Breeze," Tuvok answered.
"As a matter of fact," B'Elanna stated, "he did mention it. Apparently he designed a
container for the safe transport of trilithium, but he did it without Dr. Brahms' permission. When
she found out he'd not only designed it but tested it without her knowledge, she fired him."
"Experimenting with such highly volitile materials without Federation clearance is a
violation of established safety standards," Tuvok said.
"Before you jump to conclusions about his security risk status, consider this," B'Elanna
said as she leaned forward, "after the container was tested by Dr. Brahms and found to be safe
under all known conditions, she submitted the design to Starfleet as her own. If I'd been in
Stefan's place, I'd be the Federation's star engine designer now and Leah Brahms would be
sweating in the engine room of some godforsaken freighter. But instead of trying to end Dr.
Brahms' career, which he had every right to do, he simply accepted the punishment for his breach
of regulation and allowed her to keep her stolen credit. I think that says a hell of a lot more about
his character than breaking some stupid Federation rule."
"B'Elanna," Kathryn said gently, "calm down. I think this subject is bringing out a few
unresolved conflicts among us. Specifically, the validity and interpretation of Starfleet protocols.
While I agree that not all protocols are practical for us in our present predicament, most are. The
Federation safety standards regarding the handling of hazardous materials were established for the
protection of those who had to work with them. Mr. Andreas could have easily ended up dead,
and he's lucky he didn't, but his acceptance of punishment without complaint was admirable and as
far as I'm concerned it does work in his favor. Mr. Tuvok, on the other hand, used an obscure
regulation to break what I consider to be a code of honor. Neither infraction was necessary. I
think the thing we have to consider here is that every situation is unique, and Starfleet rules and
regulations must be interpreted within the context of each situation. Now, has anyone else spoken to
the freighter crew?"
"I've talked to three of them," Tom said. "One was the freighter pilot. I realize there's a
big difference between handling a freighter and a piloting a starship, but I think he can be
retrained pretty easily. He has a good background and seems eager to learn. The other two were
structural engineers, and no matter how many good pilots or scientists we have, none of them
would be worth a plug nickel if we got a hole in the bulkhead we couldn't fix. After all,
somebody's got to do the real work around here."
Tom was refering to the old enlisted-man's joke, 'Don't call me Sir, I work for a living'.
Commissioned officers tended to take offense at the implication that they didn't do real work, but
Kathryn knew there was a ring of truth to it.
"Good point," she said, smiling slightly. "Anyone else?"
When no one else spoke up, Kathryn continued, "Very well, you three are dismissed."
She pointed to Tom, B'Elanna and Harry. After they left the room, she turned to Chakotay and
Tuvok.
"And as for you two, what I said about Starfleet regulations being interpreted in the
context of a given situation holds true. Captain Wilson had a flawless record both before and
after the Tavasian incident. That was eight years ago. Taking an eight year old conviction and
using it as an excuse to snoop into the records of another Federation vessel is an unforgivable
breach of ethics. I expect better from both of you. Now, since you seem to have such a great
interest in the Gulf Breeze crew, I'm making the two of you completely responsible for their
smooth integration into our own crew. You will be courteous, respectful, and available 24 hours
a day to help them in any way possible. Is that understood?"
"Aye, Captain," they said in unison.
"Good. Dismissed."
Tuvok and Chakotay left the conference room knowing that they had one hell of a job
ahead of them. When the Maquis crew came aboard Voyager, each Voyager department chief
had taken responsibility for their training and integration. Now the whole process rested on the
shoulders of two men who had plenty of their own work to do. This was not going to be easy.
It was 0800 hours when Kathryn left her quarters and headed toward Sickbay. When
she'd left Meredith around 2200 hours last night, her condition had improved dramatically.
Meredith had just awakened from a deep and restful sleep when she had arrived.
Meredith had informed her that she and her crew would accept Kathryn's invitation to remain
aboard Voyager. Their conversation had been brief because Kathryn hadn't wanted to tire her out.
Now, however, might be a good time to raise some serious subjects and discuss the questions
which had been preying on her mind.
She arrived in Sickbay to find Meredith standing at a computer terminal. She should have
expected as much.
"What are you doing out of bed?" she asked.
"Kathryn, look at this," Meredith pointed to an incomprehensible image of a complex
molecule. Kathryn vaguely recognized what she thought to be a protein molecule buried in the
jumbled mass, but the rest was a mystery.
"That looks like a protein, but I have no idea about the rest," she replied.
"You're right. This is the molecular structure of the venom isolated from my blood
sample. It occurred to me last night that most small venomous insects use their venom to disable
and kill a larger animal, but there are no signs of larger animal life on the planet, so what would
they use the venom for?" She touched several points on the keypad. "Now look at this. This is
the effect the venom has on cellulose."
Kathryn watched the image for a moment and saw the larger molecule attack the cellulose,
breaking it down into small bits. It was starting to make sense to her now.
"So," she said, "the venom breaks down the cellulose in the plants so that the insects can
more easily ingest it."
"Exactly."
"But what about the virus?"
"That's the best part," Meredith said with excitement. "I discussed this with the doctor
late last night. I hope you don't mind, Kathryn, but he had the transporter technician pinpoint an
orchid and beam it up at my request. I realize I should have consulted you first, but you were
getting some much-needed rest and Commander Chakotay didn't think you'd mind. Anyway, I
examined the structure of the cellulose in the plants we collected yesterday, and the post-swarm
sample we got last night. Here's the result." She touched another point on the keypad and two
separate images appeared. Kathryn studied them both for a moment. The structure of the first
cellulose sample was sound and strong. The structure of the second, however showed serious
gaps.
"Well," Kathryn began, "first of all you, have my retroactive permission, and second, did
the venom cause these gaps here?"
"No. This plant only received one sting. That wasn't enough to dissolve much cellulose,
but it was just enough to inject the virus, which set to work weakening the cellulose and
destroying several key proteins, one of which just happens to closely resemble fibrinogen --"
"A blood protein responsible for clotting," Kathryn interrupted. "Well, I'll be damned.
That explains the hemorrhaging under your skin, but what purpose does it serve in the plant?"
"It weakens the structure so that next time the insects cover that area, the plant material
will require less venom to dissolve. It's a wonderful conservation technique."
"I hope you didn't stay up all night working on this," Kathryn reprimanded her.
"Actually, I explained my theory to the Doctor, and he's the one who stayed up all night
gathering the evidence, so I got plenty of rest. In fact, he told me I'm doing so well that I can
return to my quarters today as long as I restrict my activities for a while."
"That's wonderful news," Kathryn said sincerely. "If you like, I'll help you get settled in."
"I'd accept that offer if I were you, Captain Wilson," the Doctor joined them. "I suppose
you've been bragging to Captain Janeway about your new discovery."
"Doctor!" Kathryn exclaimed.
"It's all right," Meredith said, "He's just teasing me. Frankly, we had a wonderful time
going over this last night."
"Indeed we did," replied the Doctor. "Captain Wilson is a creative and insightful theorist,
and her knowledge of molecular biology would be of tremendous help to me. I hope you'll
consider assigning her to Sickbay."
"I was just about to bring that up, Captain," Kathryn said, "but if you're headed to your
quarters, perhaps we can discuss it there."
"Absolutely," Meredith responded. "Doctor, if you'd be so kind as to give me your official
permission to leave, we'll be on our way."
"Permission granted," he said.
And with that, Kathryn and Meredith left Sickbay.
B'Elanna caught up with Chakotay in the Mess Hall. He was studying the padd in front of
him with such deep concentration that he didn't notice her take the seat on the opposite side of the
table.
"Mind if I crash your party?" she asked.
"By the time I get through with this, I won't remember what the word party means," he
replied. "Tuvok and I are now 100% responsible for integrating Captain Wilson's crew with
ours."
"So that was your punishment, huh?"
"I'm lucky I got out of there alive. I tried to make the job easier by taking a shortcut and
ended up making it harder on myself. Let this be a lesson to you, B'Elanna."
"Oh, I've already had my lesson in the improper use of shortcuts," B'Elanna responded,
remembering the time she went behind Captain Janeway's back to install and use an incompatible
transporter device in Engineering. It nearly blew up the ship. She would much rather have had
Captain Janeway beat her to a bloody pulp than utter the words she'd said that day. 'I cannot
begin to tell you how very disappointed I am in you,' she'd told B'Elanna. Those words cut clear
to the bone and hurt far worse than any physical injury could have. In fact, they still hurt.
"Actually," she continued, "I came to talk to you about the freighter crew. Specifically
K'Eltak."
"The Klingon?"
"Yes. I realize you already know a lot about the way Klingons think, but I thought you
might need a little input from me on how to get him settled in."
"You're right," Chakotay replied. "I know he'll resist accepting Captain Janeway as his
new leader, but I have no idea how overcome that resistance."
"Captain Wilson has proved to him that she's as tough as he is, that she understands the
way he thinks and feels, and that she values the Klingon concept of honor. Those things are very
important to a Klingon. Most humans have heard the phrase 'It's a good day to die', but they don't
know what it really means. Understanding that one phrase will go a long way in Captain
Janeway's favor. And yours, too, for that matter."
"Then help me understand it."
"It's simple, really, and it has more to do with finding inner strength than facing death.
When we were in the Maquis, we were part of something we believed in strongly. That belief
gave us the inner strength to do what we had to do and accept the fact that we may die doing it.
K'Eltak told me that Captain Wilson had three Purple Hearts. To him, that meant that she had the
inner strength of a Klingon, that she had the inner strength to face death for a cause she believed in and
wasn't afraid of it. Over the course of the past two years, she's dealt with him pretty much the
same way a Klingon captain would, by ignoring a lot of typical Starfleet etiquette and being
totally blunt. That includes getting in his face when the situation calls for it and challenging him
directly. He told me they also had occasional bat'leth duels where both of them were injured.
Those times that he won, she completely ignored her wounds, no matter how badly they were
bleeding, and congratulated him on his victory. You see, she understood that it's not dishonorable
to lose to a superior opponent. He's totally devoted to her, Chakotay, and until you and Captain
Janeway prove you understand the Klingon concepts of honor and strength, he might obey you for Captain
Wilson's sake, but he won't trust you."
Chakotay thought about what she'd just told him, and he knew she was right. Both crews
would have to prove themselves to one another before there could be any real trust or acceptance.
"You know," he began, "I use to be pretty good with a bat'leth. If I brushed up on my
skills a little, maybe I could take him on."
"I've seen you handle a bat'leth," she teased him, "and you'll need more than a little
brushing up."
"Then I'll work on it," he said, grinning. "Thank-you for telling me all this, B'Elanna. It'll
help a lot, not only with K'Eltak but with the others as well."
"Any time," she said as she got up to leave. "Let me know how things go with the
assignments. By the way, I could use Andreas in Engineering as soon as you can manage it."
"Get in line," he told her. "I'll get to you as soon as I can."
She chuckled as she left the Mess Hall. Good luck, she thought.
