STATE OF FLUX
Episode 11

Part C

 

In Sickbay the critically ill Kazon-Nistrim soldier is on the main biobed.

The Doctor, accompanied by Kes, is showing to Janeway, Tuvok and Chakotay on the console monitor the results of his findings. Doctor: "Incredible! Somehow virtually every cell in his body has been altered." Janeway: "Altered?" Doctor: "His cells have mutated, or they've been fused with inorganic matter. I can't make heads or tails of it. Look at this. His bloodcells have bonded with metallic nuclei."

Chakotay: "The crewmembers closest to the explosion were virtually melded with huge pieces of metal fragments. He was luckier than the others."

Doctor: "That remains to be seen. I'm going to have to do a complete pyrocyte replacement if we're going to keep him alive. We'd better hope that there are compatible donors on board."
Kes: "I'll run a cytological screening of the crew." Doctor: "We'll let you know the results as soon as we can." Accordingly Janeway, Tuvok and Chakotay leave Sickbay.

Tuvok: "Captain, there was an apparent Federation signature to the explosion." Janeway: "What???" Chakotay: "It looked like they were trying to install some new technology that detonated." Janeway: "You're saying they have some kind of Federation weapon on board?" Chakotay: "A console on the Bridge was the source of the explosion. We're not sure what its function was and it's going to be hard to get to."

Janeway: "We can't transport it out?" Chakotay: "Not with those levels of nucleonic radiation. The transporter beam would disperse the moment it hit the irradiated cabin." Janeway: "How could they possibly have Federation technology?" Tuvok: "There are only three alternatives that I can discern at this time." They enter a turbolift. "One: It is not Federation technology at all but something similar." Janeway to turbolift computer: "Bridge." The doors shut and the turbolift starts its journey. Tuvok: "Two: Another Federation starship may have been brought to the Delta Quadrant prior to our arrival and they interacted with the Kazon-Nistrim." Chakotay: "Were there any other reports of missing starships?" Janeway: "Not to my knowledge." Tuvok: "Three: Someone from this ship has covertly given technology to the Kazon." Janeway: "Computer, halt turbolift. I don't like number three at all, Tuvok." Tuvok: "Nevertheless, it is the most probable explanation. It may not be a coincidence that the Kazon ship we encountered at the planet was able to deceive our sensors. Perhaps someone transmitted instructions to them before we arrived." Janeway sighs. "I want you to personally go through the transmission logs, Tuvok. Compare them to the actual telemetry. See if there's any evidence of prior contact with the Kazon." To Chakotay: "Who would've had a chance to meet with them while you were on the surface?" Chakotay: "A dozen people. We were scattered all over the area." Tuvok: "You did discover Ensign Seska in proximity to them." Chakotay: "Seska almost killed me because she thought I was Kazon. She wouldn't do something like this." Tuvok: "Nevertheless, I urge you to regard her with caution for the time being." Janeway: "Why would anyone on this ship betray us? We're all in this together. We need to retrieve that console and get some answers before the rumours get out of hand. Computer, resume."

In Main Engineering there is a meeting to decide how to manage retrieving the suspect console from the Bridge of the Kazon ship. Torres: "Releasing the forcefield isn't an option. That would just release the radiation into the whole cabin." Seska: "We could generate a localised subspace bubble to get past the forcefield." Torres: "One minor subspace disruption and you're dead. Too risky." Seska: "I'd be willing to risk it." No one responds to this. The silence confirms that her proposal is unacceptable.

Carey: "We could use an expander to manipulate the containment field." Torres: "Manipulate it how?" Carey demonstrates using an animated diagram on the monitor. "Move it out of the way - rotate the field and the radiation trapped inside it away from the console. Once it's clear we have access."

Janeway: "How long will it take to set this up?" Torres: "We should be able to make an attempt by tomorrow." Janeway: "I want it ready by the end of the day." Torres: "No, Captain. When I say tomorrow, I mean tomorrow. I don't exaggerate. Tomorrow is the best I can do."
Chakotay gives a little smile at this. Janeway is not cross. In fact she is pleased that Torres is standing up to her. "Understood, Lieutenant." She leaves the meeting.
Torres: "Alright, we'll begin on the Kazon bridge. Carey, Nicoletti, Seska-" Chakotay: "No. I want Ensign Seska to co-ordinate the operation from our bridge." Torres: "Ok. Hennard, you're with us. Dismissed."

Chakotay leaves engineering. Seska hurries after him and apprehends him in the corridor. Seska: "What was that all about?" Chakotay: "What?" Seska: "Oh, you know what I'm talking about. There's nothing important to do on the Bridge." Chakotay: "I disagree. I think we need someone-" Seska: "What the hell is going on?" Chakotay: "There's some concern about you." Seska: "What kind of concern?" Chakotay: "Concern because I found you near the Kazon on the planet." Seska, upset: "I see. So now I'm a traitor. I sell technology to the enemy?!" Chakotay: "I don't believe that." Seska: "No, you just take me off my assignment!" Chakotay: "I'm trying to take you out of harm's way to protect you." Seska: "If this is your idea of protection, you might as well point a finger at me in front of the entire crew." Chakotay: "You don't assign someone you don't trust to the Bridge! Look, I'm sorry. But if something over there goes wrong, I don't want you anywhere near it." Seska, sarcastically: "Thanks for your concern." She stalks away.

Seska enters Sickbay. standard doors Seska looks at the unconscious Kazon. "How is he?" Kes: "Not very good. We need to completely replace his blood."

Seska: "Will he regain consciousness?" Doctor: "I'm not sure. Even if he does, there's no way to predict what kind of brain damage there might be." Seska: "He's the only one who really knows what happened on that ship, Doctor, the only one who can tell them I had nothing to do with it." Doctor: "You? I don't understand." Seska: "Would you call me right away if he wakes up?" Doctor: "Alright."

Kes: "Ensign, did you ever come in to leave a blood sample on file?" Seska: "No, I never got around to it. Why?" Kes: "I've been running a crew compatibility analysis and your file never came up."
Seska: "My blood won't help you. I had a childhood disease that infected it. I was warned never to donate blood for a transfusion."
Doctor: "All the more reason we should have your blood on file." Seska: "I will. Right now I have something more important to take care of." She leaves.

In the Ready Room, Janeway, Tuvok and Chakotay are having a meeting. Tuvok: "Someone did make an unauthorised transmission." Chakotay: "And whoever it was was an expert at covering their tracks." Tuvok: "The signal was masked by a test of the dorsal emitters that we conducted a week ago." Janeway: "Who was working on that test?" Chakotay: "Only the whole engineering crew." Tuvok: "We're trying to trace the station where the signal originated. Again, the perpetrator was skilled enough to make the tracking process extremely difficult for us." Chakotay: "It's like working backwards through a maze of circuits. We keep bumping into dead ends." The com. signal sounds. comms. signal Paris' voice is heard over comms: "Bridge to Captain Janeway. Please report to the Bridge." All three go to the Bridge, ending the meeting.

Paris: "Captain, another Kazon ship is approaching, trying to hail the disabled ship. They're not within visual range yet." Tuvok: "Perhaps someone else picked up the distress call."
Janeway: "What's their E.T.A.?" Paris: "At their current speed, 4 hours 20 minutes. Should I tell them we're here?" Janeway: "If we know about them, it's a good bet they know about us. We don't have anything good to tell them. I think we'll wait."
Kim: "I'm showing an unauthorised autosequence in Transporter Room 2. Someone's left Voyager." Janeway: "Computer, identify who just beamed off the ship from Transporter Room 2." Computer: "Ensign Seska."
Janeway turns to look at Chakotay, who is shocked that it should be her.

Seska activates a subspace bubble to protect herself and penetrates through the forcefield.

	She starts working on the console.
	Via comms: "Chakotay to Seska." Seska, via comms: "I really don't have time to talk to you right now, Chakotay."

Chakotay, via comms: "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Seska, via comms: "Retrieving the console. My way." Chakotay, via comms: "I want you back on this ship, and I mean now!" Seska, via comms: "The Captain said she wanted the console today. Carey's plan couldn't do it in time, but mine can."
Tuvok: "Captain, it is conceivable that she's gone to the Kazon ship to destroy evidence that might implicate her." Chakotay rounds on Tuvok: "She's gone back to the Kazon ship to prove herself to us. Can't you see that!"
Kim: "I've got a lock on her, Captain. Do you want me to transport her back?"
Janeway: "If we try to beam her out while she's manipulating subspace, we might kill her."
Suddenly they hear a scream through the comms. channel! Immediately calls via comms: "Chakotay to Seska." There is no reply. Increasingly anxious: "Seska, respond!" At once he orders Kim: "Get her out of there! Send her to Sickbay!" Kim: "Energising."

Kazon graphic web work by me. About the Kazon graphic / How to use the image map (pop-up)