THE VOYAGER CONSPIRACY
Episode 129
Part D

Flashbacks are given in this style.

 

In Cargo Bay 2 Seven is regenerating.

Computer: "Download complete." The cortical processor subunit and the regeneration alcove deactivate. Seven steps off the alcove dais. Seven taps her combadge. "Seven of Nine to Captain Janeway." Janeway, via comms: "Go ahead." Seven, via comms: "I need to speak with you in the Astrometrics Lab." Janeway, via comms: "I'm on my way."

Janeway enters the Astrometrics Lab. Seven: "Computer, seal the door and deactivate internal sensors to this room." Computer: "Acknowledged." Janeway: "Seven?" Seven: "I believe Chakotay and other members of your crew are involved in a conspiracy to resurrect the Maquis rebellion." Janeway, thinking she is joking: "Did Chakotay put you up to this?" Seven: "Voyager and the Federation itself are in grave danger." Janeway realises she is not joking. Grimly: "Go on." Seven: "I've concluded that Chakotay intends to use the Catapult to launch attacks against Cardassian and Federation starships." Janeway: "Chakotay gave up his allegiance to the Maquis a long time ago. What you're saying makes no sense." Seven: "Improbable as it may sound, I've found compelling evidence to support my theory. In the months before Voyager's arrival Neelix recorded the sudden appearance of 52 vessels, including this one." Janeway: "A Cardassian warship." Seven: "I've analysed the hull geometry and warp signature. It was one of the same ships that were pursuing Chakotay and his crew in the region known as the Badlands. It was pulled into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker during that engagement. According to Federation records, that same Cardassian warship was found destroyed in the Badlands. The investigation revealed that it was attacked by the Maquis. I believe that for some unknown reason the Caretaker had sent this ship back to the Alpha Quadrant, and that Commander Chakotay attacked the vessel before it could reach its destination. He downloaded its computer core and discovered the presence of the Caretaker's array. He realised that the Array could be used by the Maquis as a weapon, to launch surprise attacks against Cardassian and Starfleet vessels." Janeway: "Well, I commend you for your imagination but Tuvok was a spy on Chakotay's ship. If your theory were true, he would've known about it." Seven: "He does. Tuvok has been collaborating with the Maquis resistance all along." Janeway: "That's not possible, Seven." Seven: "With Tuvok's assistance Chakotay plotted a course toward the next likely appearance of the Caretaker's displacement wave, offering his vessel as bait. His ploy almost succeeded, but the Caretaker was more powerful than he anticipated. His crew was taken captive. A few days later, Voyager arrived and facilitated their escape. Chakotay seized that opportunity to make one last attempt to gain control of the Array, but then you gave the order to destroy it." Janeway: "Circumstantial evidence, not proof." Seven: "Who carried out your order to destroy the Array?" Janeway: "Tuvok." Seven: "Using what type of technology?" Janeway: "Tricobalt devices." Seven: "He set the yield to 20,000 teracochranes. It was enough to tear an opening in subspace. A cloaked ship locked on to one of the reactors, protecting it from the blast and hiding it from Voyager's sensors. The reactor was retrieved and carried by a series of vessels until it was delivered to Mr Tash, who was well-compensated by Chakotay to build the Catapult. He was waiting here for Voyager so Chakotay could complete the mission he was forced to abandon five years ago." Janeway: "I'd be willing to consider this theory of yours if I didn't know Chakotay as well as I do. There is no one on this ship I trust more. What you've done here is build what we call 'a house of cards'." Seven: "Stardate 48658, Commander Seska is revealed to be a Cardassian spy. She defects to the Kazon and impregnates herself with Chakotay's DNA. Was he unaware of the procedure, as he claims, or were they working together, to create a new Kazon sect to capture Voyager? Stardate 49522, Chakotay recommends establishing trade relations with the Kolhari. Their technology uses tetryon power cells - a simple diplomatic overture or was he seeking a source of energy for the Catapult? Stardate 4957...." She continues, and the sheer amount and detail make it compelling.

Naomi runs to catch up with Seven in a corridor. Naomi: "Seven!" Seven: "Naomi Wildman."

Naomi: "Where are you going?" Seven: "That's not your concern." Naomi: "What's wrong?"

Seven: "Your father was Ktarian." Naomi: "So?" Seven: "The Ktarians were officially with the Federation, but they sympathised with the Maquis." Naomi: "What are you talking about?" Seven: "Who'e you working for, Chakotay or the Captain?" Naomi: "Seven." Seven: "Tell them it's too late. Go!"

Frightened, Naomi flees back the way she has come.

Chakotay is using a tricorder to download and analyse the data in Seven's cortical processor subunit.

He turns as Janeway enters.

Chakotay: "I picked up a power surge coming from the cargo bay." Janeway: "I detected the same thing. You think it's the enhanced alcove." Chakotay: "Could be."

Janeway: "Let's take a look." She notices he is armed. "Are phasers standard equipment on board now?"
Chakotay, noticing she too is armed: "Must be."

Janeway scans the equipment modifications with her tricorder. "The data buffer's been activated." Chakotay: "I wanted to make sure it wasn't malfunctioning." Janeway: "Well, you should be careful. Somebody might think you were trying to delete a few files." Chakotay: "Why would they think that?" Janeway: "Some of those files could contain sensitive information." Chakotay: "If that's true, somebody might think you were trying to do the same thing." Janeway: "That Catapult out there, it's a powerful piece of technology. If the Maquis ever had access to something like it they might have been successful." Chakotay: "And if we had, your mission to the Delta Quadrant never would've gotten off the drawing board."

Janeway: "What are you talking about?" Chakotay: "The mission you've been on for the last five years." Janeway: "My only mission is trying to get Voyager home."

Chakotay: "Seven's showed me the sensor records. I saw the tractor beam."

Janeway: "She showed me the same thing, but she implicated you in some kind of Maquis plot." Chakotay sighs. "Same evidence, two different theories." Janeway: "It all started with those damn photonic fleas. She was downloading Voyager's database."

The com. signal sounds. Kim, via comms: "Bridge to Captain Janeway."
Janeway, via comms: "Go ahead, Harry."
Kim, via comms: "I just picked up an unauthorised launch of the Delta Flyer. Seven's at the helm."
Janeway, via comms: "Set a pursuit course."
Kim, via comms: "Acknowledged." Contact ends.
As Janeway and Chakotay go to leave for the Bridge, Chakotay taps his combadge. "Chakotay to the Doctor."
Doctor, via comms: "Sickbay here."
Chakotay, via comms: "Get down to Cargo Bay 2. Run a diagnostic on Seven's alcove."
Doctor, via comms: "On my way." Contact ends.

Chakotay and Janeway head toward the cargo bay's exit.

Janeway: "I'm glad we got that settled." Chakotay: "Likewise."

Janeway: "Chakotay, let's keep this one out of our logs, huh?" Chakotay: "Gladly." They leave together.

Seven is at the helm of the Delta Flyer, desperately fleeing USS Voyager.

Janeway and Chakotay enter the Bridge. He heads for his First Officer's chair, while Janeway stops at Tuvok's station. Tuvok: "She's altering course, heading for the Catapult." Janeway: "Maintain pursuit. Open a channel." Tuvok: "No response."

Chakotay to Kim: "Try to beam her out." Kim: "She's done something to alter her bio-signature. I can't get a lock."

Janeway: "Target her propulsion and weapons. Fire." Voyager fires but the shot goes very wide, not hitting or stopping the fleeing Delta Flyer at all. Tuvok reports: "Our targetting scanners are out of alignment." Chakotay: "She must've done it before she took off." Kim: "She's charging weapons." Janeway: "Keep trying."

The com. signal sounds. Via comms: "Doctor to Captain Janeway." Janeway, via comms: "Report." Doctor, via comms, in Cargo Bay 2, having run a diagnostic on Seven's alcove: "Seven downloaded too much data into her cortical implant. She's trying to make sense of more information than she can process." Janeway, via comms: "Understood." Contact ends.

Janeway to Kim: "Beam me onto the Delta Flyer." Chakotay: "I'm going with you." Janeway: "No. I have a better chance of getting through to her alone." Chakotay: "This isn't part of your mission, is it?" Janeway: "Is it part of yours?"

Chakotay: "Good luck." Janeway to Kim: "Energise."