THE HAUNTING OF DECK TWELVE
Episode 145
Part F

Events in Neelix's story which are depicted as happening on the tv screen are denoted in this style.

 

Neelix: "While we were in the Jefferies tubes, a good number of the crew had gathered in Engineering."

Pan of warp core. (pop-up window) [#145 The Haunting Of Deck Twelve]

Chakotay: "Ninety-seven crewmen have been accounted for. They're in secure locations throughout the ship." Kim: "Neelix?" Chakotay: "No one's seen him." Kim: "I shouldn't have ordered him to stay in the Messhall." Janeway: "You were following procedure."

Torres calls Janeway over: "Captain." She reports: "Bad news: the lifeform's infiltrated the main computer matrix." Seven: "As long as it remained in the gel packs there was a chance to contain it." Torres: "But we can't purge it from the main computer without crashing the few systems we have left."

Neelix: "Things were looking grim, but the Captain was about to make a breakthrough that would change everything."

Computer: "Captain Janeway. Captain Janeway. Captain Janeway is in Main Engineering." Kim: "Sorry, Captain, I know it's irritating. I'll try to shut it down." Janeway: "Hold on a minute." She thinks it might be the alien communicating, and she responds accordingly: "This is Captain Janeway. Respond."

Computer: "Authorisation code required." Janeway: "Janeway pi-alpha."

Chakotay: "Captain?" Janeway: "It's only a hunch, but I think this lifeform may be trying to communicate." Torres: "Sounds like a comm. system malfunction to me." Janeway: "I'm not so sure. The lifeform's been moving from system to system. If it's intelligent, it may be learning how to use those systems in some rudimentary way." Loudly, to the lifeform: "Are you attempting to communicate?" Computer: "Unable to comply." Chakotay: "Even if it understands what you're saying, it may not know how to respond."

Janeway: "B'Elanna, can you call up the comm. system's syntax subroutines?" Torres: "I'll try." Janeway: "We're attempting to make it easier for you to speak to us. Try to access the database at engineering station three-one." Computer: "Database accessed." Janeway: "Why have you come aboard our ship?" Computer: "Captain Janeway, report to Astrometrics." Janeway: "Why do you want me to go there?" Computer: "Captain Janeway, report to Astrometrics." Janeway to everyone: "I guess I'll find out soon enough."

Kim: "Captain, Astrometrics is flooded with nebular gas." Computer: "Astrometrics life support has been restored."

Chakotay: "It could be some kind of trap. This lifeform, whatever it is, has already injured at least eleven crewmen."

Janeway: "I can try to establish a dialogue or I can let it take over my ship." She makes the decision. "Seven, you're with me." Seven: "Yes, Captain." The pair leave engineering.

Neelix: "While Captain Janeway and Seven of Nine headed to Astrometrics, Tuvok was trying to ease my fears by guiding me through a meditation."

Tuvok: "Concentrate on the rhythm of your breathing. Envision your lungs filled with light. Follow it back in time to a moment when you felt no fear - a moment of happiness, serenity." Neelix: "My birthday dinner." Tuvok: "Describe it."

Neelix remembers. Crewmembers gathered in the Messhall while Janeway brought out the serving dish.

Neelix: "I was surrounded by all my friends. They'd gotten together to cook me dinner. They prepared all my favourites: steamed chadre kab, terra nut soufflé. I felt loved, appreciated, safe."

She lifts the lid. But it is not food but nebular gas, with what looks like a face!

Neelix gives a yelp of fear, startled, and the meditation ends suddenly.

Mezoti: "Captain Janeway served you nebular gas??"

Neelix: "No, of course not. It was just my imagination playing tricks on me during the meditation. My head was too full of scary images for me to relax. The Captain, on the other hand, seemed to be getting things under control."

Janeway and Seven enter the Astrometrics Lab. They are wearing breathing apparatus, which they have used to reach the lab. Computer: "Review of navigational logs in progress." Janeway: "Are you searching for something?" Computer: "Affirmative." Seeing the image on the viewscreen, Janeway recognises it: "The nebula." Computer: "Manual helm control enabled." Janeway: "You're returning control of the ship." Computer: "Affirmative." Janeway: "You want me to take you back to the nebula." Computer: "Affirmative." Janeway: "Well, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Seven: "Returning to the nebula is too dangerous. We'd risk invasion by other lifeforms." Janeway: "I'm beginning to think this was all an accident, not an invasion." Seven: "Captain?" Janeway: "Think about it. The EM surge didn't hit us until our Bussard collectors destabilised the nebula, and then what happened?" Seven: "The ship began experiencing random malfunctions." Janeway: "I'm not so sure they were random. Navigational sensors were fooling us into heading back toward the nebula, and then, when Tom tried to resume course, he was attacked. This lifeform isn't trying to hurt us; it's trying to get home. Can you give us access to the Bridge?" Computer: "Life support on the Bridge has been restored. Level 10 authorisation required." Seven: "Level 10?" Janeway: "Captain's eyes only. It wants me to go alone." She puts the gas mask back on and leaves the lab.

Voyager, flying through space

Neelix: "The Captain and the lifeform had begun to establish a rapport but the relationship was fragile." Janeway: "Is the viewscreen functioning normally?" Computer: "Affirmative." Janeway invokes an image of the outside onto the viewscreen. But there is nothing but ordinary space ahead.

Janeway: "I'm sorry to tell you this, but your nebula is gone." Computer: "Clarify." Janeway: "The gasses must have continued to dissipate after we left." Computer: "Warning: life support failure on all decks. Abandon ship. Abandon-"

Neelix: "Ship. Abandon ship." Mezoti: "The creature was that angry?" Icheb: "Its home had been destroyed." Neelix: "The lifeform wanted Voyager for itself, and it was going to kill anyone who remained on board. Captain Janeway's only chance of saving her crew was to try to reason with the creature."

Janeway: "Listen to me, I can still help you!" Computer: "Abandon ship." Janeway: "There are other class J nebulas. I'll find you one." Computer: "Unable to comply." Janeway: "I'd be able to comply if you gave me access to Astrometrics." Computer: "Warning: oxygen depletion in progress." Janeway puts her gas mask back on: "Give me back helm control!"

Computer: "Warning: helm circuits are overloading." There is an explosion as they overload. "Abandon ship." Janeway: "At least give me access to the comm. so I can warn my crew!" Computer: "Unable to comply."

Neelix: "As the captain was facing one of her worst fears, losing her ship, I was with Tuvok and about to face one of mine."

The lifeform's vengeful shutting down of systems results in an overload where Tuvok is working. He is struck by an energy discharge!

Neelix: "Tuvok! Lie still. I'll try to-" He coughs as gas enters the Jefferies tube.

Tuvok gasps: "Mr Neelix. Proceed without me." Neelix: "I'm not leaving you here." Tuvok: "I am injured. Logic dictates that you take the mask and proceed to Engineering." Neelix: "I don't care what logic dictates. This isn't the Salvoxia. We're not drawing lots."

Tuvok: "I am giving you an order." Neelix: "And I'm disobeying it! You're coming with me if I have to drag you by your pointy little ears."

Neelix: "I had no choice. I had to control my fear." Neelix tries to ignore the terrifying face image in the nebular gas and determinedly thinks aloud to himself as he gives Tuvok some air from the breathing apparatus: "Pleasant thoughts. Pleasant thoughts."

He alternates a go with the apparatus and struggles to take Tuvok with him in the dark confined space.

 

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