THINK TANK
Episode 114
Part E

 

On board the Think Tank ship......

Artificial Intelligence: "An Hazari vessel is sending hails into subspace. It's trying to contact us."

Kurros: "Put them through."

On the Hazari vessel. Y'Sek: "They're responding." Kurros, on monitor: "Hazari vessel, we have received your hails. Can we be of assistance?" Y'Sek: "You deceived us." Kurros, on monitor: "I do not believe we have met." Y'Sek: "Stop the pretence. You wanted us to deliver Voyager. Very well, but only if you triple our bounty."

Kurros, on monitor: "My friend, regardless of the circumstances, we have a contract." Y'Sek: "Pay us, or we let Voyager go." Kurros, on monitor: "Alright, we will triple the bounty, but you must deliver them to us now." Y'Sek: "Agreed. We'll contact the rest of our ships. We'll seize Voyager as planned."

Hazari ships pursue Voyager, firing volley after volley.

On Voyager's Bridge there is an explosion. Tuvok reports: "Shields down to 30%." Janeway: "Return fire."

Tuvok: "Our phaser's aren't penetrating their shields."

Kim: "That last volley took out our shield generators and phaser banks." Tuvok: "Life support's failing, all decks."

Kurros appears on the Bridge in isomorphic projection form: "Let us be honest, Captain. Things do not seem to be going your way." Janeway: "Don't count us out just yet." Kurros: "I admit you have been clever. You uncovered our subterfuge but you failed to factor in all the variables. The greed of the Hazari, for example." Janeway: "Photon torpedoes." Tuvok: "Aft launchers are still online." Janeway: "Target a full spread at the lead Hazari ship." Kurros: "A few torpedoes will not alter the outcome. If you do not convince Seven of Nine to join us now, the destruction of your ship is 99.8% certain."

Janeway: "Fire." Tuvok: "Direct hit. It's been disabled." Kurros: "Clinging to that .2 percentage? Hazari reinforcements should be here any minute."

Paris: "He's right. Sensors just picked up a half dozen ships on an intercept course."

Chakotay, reading the display from the monitor he shares with the captain's chair: "Captain, I'm detecting an unauthorised shuttle launch. It's Seven of Nine."

Janeway, getting up to confront Kurros: "What the hell is she doing?" Kurros: "I believe she's saving your ship." Kim: "She's not answering hails. Her shuttle's being pulled into subspace. She's gone." Kurros: "Have a safe journey home, Captain."

He disappears.

Think Tank vessel. Kurros: "Seven of Nine, welcome."

Seven: "Your hospitality is irrelevant. I am here because you left me no choice." Kurros: "You gave into your human instincts to save your crew, as we knew you would. Just another factor in our equation." Seven: "If Voyager is destroyed, I will not co-operate."

Kurros: "Do not worry. The solution to the Hazari paradox is quite simple." He gestures to Fennim who opens a channel to Y'Sek.

Hazari vessel. Kurros, on monitor: "We have what we want. Call off your attack."

click for animated image - Kurros ends transmission

Y'Sek: "Not until we've been compensated." Kurros, on monitor: "Fine, but first order your other vessels to stand down." Y'Sek: "Now, or we'll destroy Voyager." Kurros lifts a hand to signal to Fennim who ends the transmission.

Think Tank vessel. Kurros: "Why is he in such a hurry?" Seven: "Comply." Kurros: "If we decloak, we would be vulnerable. The Hazari could make quite a bounty on us, far more than we are paying them." Seven: "Their technology is inferior to yours. They would never attack you directly."

click for animated image - the Think Tank's communication system - lights show it is operational

Kurros consults telepathically with his colleagues, and the communications dome lights flicker with the activity. Kurros: "I think this is a trap, a new paradox your Captain has created for us. If we call their bluff, the Hazari might destroy Voyager and we would lose you. If we reveal ourselves, we could be destroyed." Seven: "You told me, without problems to test the limits of your ability, you can never expand them." Kurros: "There is one very simple way to narrow the odds. We simply link you to our communications system, allow our Artificial Intelligence to probe your mind as it did before, and Captain Janeway's plans will be revealed, like a jewel in a bed of fog."

In Voyager's Sickbay the Doctor is looking at the wall-monitor.

Doctor, via comms: "Sickbay to Bridge. Seven's neural transceiver has been activated."

Voyager's Bridge. Janeway, via comms: "Acknowledged." Contact ends. To Tuvok: "Do it."

Tuvok: "I'm transmitting the carrier wave."

Think Tank vessel. The carrier wave runs through Seven's implant.

Kurros: "Voyager is sending an interference signal into our systems using her cortical implants as a relay."

With a whirr, the communications dome lights stop moving and go out altogether.

Kurros to Fennim: "Disconnect the link." Fennim speaks but he does not understand, and no one understands Fennim's language. Kurros to Fennim: "Disconnect the link!" Seven: "They can't understand you." Kurros snatches the control pad from Fennim's hands and starts to work the buttons himself.

Voyager's Bridge. Janeway contacts Voyager's new allies: "Voyager to Hazari vessels. Their systems are down. Fire the spatial charges." At once the Hazari ships open a barrage of weapons fire on the Think Tank ship.

The Think Tank vessel lurches under the repeated impact of the Hazari weapons fire.

Seven: "We seem to be experiencing some turbulence."

Kurros: "Primitive spatial charges. I will have the dome back online before they do any damage." An audio alert sounds. "We're being pulled out of subspace."

Voyager and the Hazari ships wait for the Think Tank vessel to appear.

The Think Tank vessel emerges from subspace. The Hazari let loose a barrage of weapons fire against it.

Voyager's Bridge. Kim: "I've got a lock on Seven." Janeway: "Initiate transport." Seven materialises on the Bridge.

Tuvok: "The Hazari vessels are converging on the Think Tank."

Janeway: "Tom."

Paris nods. "Setting a course."

Kurros appears in isomorphic projection form: "I urge you to reconsider, Captain."

Janeway: "A good guest knows when he's outstayed his welcome." Kurros: "We can still negotiate a peaceful solution. Do not destroy my faith in diplomacy." Janeway: "Your diplomacy could use some polishing."

Kurros, to Seven: "You know you will never be satisfied here among these people. Is this what you really want?" Seven tells him: "Acquiring knowledge is a worthy objective, but its pursuit has obviously not elevated you."

Janeway: "Looks like your ship's having difficulties." Kurros, fritzing: "A minor problem."

Janeway: "Oh, I'm sure you'll find a solution. Just give it some," pausing for maximum effect, "thought." Kurros fritzes and disappears.

The Hazari assault on the Think Tank continues relentlessly.

Voyager jumps to warp.

There is the warp flash as Voyager departs, leaving the Think Tank to the Hazari. The Voyager crew have successfully solved "the Hazari paradox".