INVESTIGATIONS
Episode 36
Part C

 

Paris is a prisoner on the Kazon-Nistrim ship.

Paris is in a room on a Kazon-Nistrim ship. He starts toward the computer console when the door opens. Seska enters. "Tom Paris."

Paris: "Hello, Seska. You're looking radiantly maternal."

Seska: "In another month, Chakotay will have a son or a daughter. I really didn't want to know which. Makes it more interesting, don't you think?" Paris: "I wouldn't know." Seska: "I have no idea which one Chakotay would prefer. He and I rarely see eye to eye. You've had your problems with him lately too. I know all about what's happened - your sudden inability to be Starfleet's good boy."

Paris: "It's not sudden. I never really fit in there." Seska: "Then Lieutenant Tom Paris was just a pretence?" Paris: "No. No, it was me trying very hard to be someone I finally couldn't be." Seska: "I never liked you, Tom. I didn't trust you. I don't trust you now." Paris: "I can assure you the feeling is mutual." Seska: "Fine, but we might be able to help each other, if you're telling the truth." Paris: "Is that why you kidnapped me and dragged me here, so we could be pals now?" Seska: "I thought it might make sense to you."

Paris: "And if it doesn't?"
Seska: "The Kazon tend to be excessive in their use of force. It's nothing I can change. But I can promise you'll be well-treated on this ship if we decide we can work together."

Paris: "What exactly would that mean?" Seska: "You're an excellent pilot. We could make good use of your skills. And of course, you have information about Voyager that could be quite valuable." Paris: "It seems to me like you're already getting a lot of valuable information about Voyager from somewhere." Seska: "Think about it, Tom. Think about where you want to be when the Nistrim seize Voyager and start taking control of the Quadrant sector by sector. Just let me know." She leaves.

Paris goes over to the computer console. He is unable to access it due to its security system.

He takes out a small device from his righthand turn-up cuff and places it on the console. The device penetrates the security system. He starts searching it for information.

He looks up once, knowing that the Kazon must not catch him.

Janeway: "Captain's Log, Stardate 49485.2. In spite of the fact that Tom Paris has been abducted by the Kazon, we must continue on course for the Hemikek system."

In the Messhall, Neelix confides his doubts to Kes. Neelix: "Something just doesn't make sense. I mean, he wasn't off the ship for a day when the Kazon attacked that convoy. How did they find out so fast that Tom was there?" Kes: "Maybe someone on the convoy told them." Neelix: "A Talaxian convoy would never let the Kazon know where they are. That would be like committing suicide." Kes: "Maybe they came to rob the cargo, but when they realised there was a Starfleet officer..." Neelix: "That wouldn't have stopped them from taking the cargo too. And according to my friend Laxeth, it was a swift, efficient strike. It sounds like they knew Tom was there, and they came just to get him." Kes: "But who would've told them?" Neelix: "One possibility I can think of is that it was someone on this ship." Kes: "On Voyager? Who would do that?" Neelix: "I don't know. But a responsible journalist would find out."

Neelix enters Engineering. Neelix: "B'Elanna! I didn't expect to find you here. Are you working the night shift?" Torres: "I have been since the accident." Neelix: "Oh." Torres: "What brings you here?"

Neelix: "I was wondering if you could show me how to access the subspace communications logs." Torres, surprised: "Why would you be interested in the comm. logs?"

Neelix: "Well, just part of my news programme."
Torres: "Well, I can get you into them, but then you're on your own. I'm still trying to bring the magnetic constrictors into alignment."
Neelix: "I understand. Just get me started."

Torres clears a monitor of its current data and calls up the communications logs. "How far back do you want to go?" Neelix: "Oh, er, maybe a month or two."

Torres: "OK, the file's open. Transmissions are logged on by date and time. Anything else?" Neelix: "No, I'll be fine. Thank you very much."

Torres goes to Jonas. "Mike, we're going into the computer core to look over the magnetic constrictor circuitry. Hold down the fort, alright?" Jonas: "OK, Lieutenant."

Neelix is left alone in Engineering with Jonas who exhibits apparently natural curiosity. Neelix, reading aloud from the communications logs: "'Voyager to Mithren.' Mithren again. 'Voyager to Kotati.'" Jonas comes up to him. "Are you looking for something particular?" Neelix: "I, I don't know exactly what I'm looking for. Something anomalous." Jonas: "Why?"

Neelix: "An incident I'm investigating. Tell me, Mr Hero, if someone wanted to make a secret subspace transmission, how would he do it?" Jonas: "Why would you want to know that?"

Neelix: "Oh, I can't be too forthcoming right now, but if I find what I think I'm going to, well, let me just say that this ship will be stunned." Jonas: "A secret transmission, huh? Well, that would be tough, Neelix. There are all kinds of security routines in place and any time a subspace antenna ray is in use, the sensors make a record of it." He looks at the data displayed. "I'm not seeing anything anomalous here."

Neelix: "What about that?" He points to the logs.
Jonas: "What?"
Neelix: "That gap, as if some of the log entries have been deleted."
Jonas: "Well, that's just a data fragmentation."
Neelix: "I beg your pardon?"
Jonas: "Well, it probably happened when the plasma overloaded the system. Little glitches like this'll be popping up for weeks, I'd imagine."
Neelix: "Here it is again."
Jonas: "I wouldn't worry about it."
Neelix: "Maybe Lieutenant Torres can explain it."

Jonas, trying hard to convince Neelix: "There's nothing to explain. Believe me, Neelix. You're making too much of it." Neelix: "Ah. Here it is again. Gaps in the log entries." As Neelix continues to check the logs, Jonas reaches for an engineering tool.

He tests it by activating it - it produces a laser-like beam capable of harming a person if misused. Neelix does not notice him, not being suspicious of him and being intent on the logs.

Neelix continues: "And frankly it looks like more than data fragmentation to me. The gaps are showing up in logs entered over the last months, but not before that." Jonas comes up behind Neelix.

He is about to attack Neelix when the Doctor suddenly appears on the monitor. Hastily Jonas hides the weapon.
Doctor, on monitor, to Neelix: "So, there you are. I've been looking for you, Mr Neelix."
Neelix: "Doctor! How can I help you?"
Doctor, on monitor: "You again neglected to include me in your news programme. If you remember, I was to have two segments today because I was excluded yesterday."
Neelix: "That's right, that's right. I've been so preoccupied with this other matter."

Doctor, on monitor: "In the interest of time, I'm willing to forgo my story on the adrenal gland. I will concentrate instead on my latest idea. 'The Klingon glottis, friend or foe?'" Neelix: "That's very interesting, but we're going to have to put it off until tomorrow." Doctor, on monitor, crossly: "That's what you said yesterday!"

Neelix: "I'm sorry, Doctor, but I really have to go now."

Contact ends and Neelix heads for the exit, leaving Jonas looking thoughtful.

Neelix has gone to Tuvok's Office and is explaining his findings. Neelix: "All through the subspace communication logs, there were these gaps, as though something had been erased." Tuvok: "We have recently experienced a plasma overload. That could easily account for the anomalous readings in the logs." Neelix: "Aha! I knew you'd say that. Answer this, Mr Vulcan. Why would those gaps, those deletions, occur only in the sub-comm logs and only in the last month? I checked every log system we have. Sensor logs. Power allocation logs. Warp maintenance logs. Environmental control logs. They're all perfectly fine." Tuvok: "What are you suggesting?" Neelix: "I believe someone on this ship has been making covert transmissions and erasing the evidence." Tuvok: "To what end?" Neelix: "I don't know, but I suspect whoever it was has been communicating with the Kazon." Tuvok: "That's an extremely serious charge." Neelix: "I know. That's why I've come to you." Tuvok: "Mr Neelix, I strongly suspect that your enthusiasm for your new journalistic endeavour is leading you to see villains where none exist. However, even the possibility that someone on board might secretly be communicating with the Kazon deserves investigation. I will pursue the matter." Neelix: "And I will help you." Tuvok: "I think not. This is now a matter of ship security. I must ask you to withdraw and let me handle it according to Starfleet protocols." Neelix: "As a journalist, I have an ethical obligation to keep digging for the facts in this case." Tuvok: "And I have the higher obligation to keep you from putting yourself and others at risk. You will drop this matter." Neelix: "I see. Alright. I leave it in your hands." He turns in the doorway: "Good hunting." He leaves.

But as he goes along the corridor, Neelix says aloud to himself: "A higher obligation? Huh, I'll show him 'higher obligation'. Huh, he'll have Eskarian egg on his face when I get to the heart of this. It's the job of a journalist to be independent."

Neelix enters Engineering. Neelix: "Lieutenant, I wonder if you could-" Torres: "I'm a little busy right now, Neelix. What do you need?" Neelix: "I was wondering if it's possible to look underneath a log that seems to have been erased, see if there's anything left of it." Torres: "Mr Hogan, could you please help Neelix out for a minute?"

Hogan: "You want to recover deleted logs?"
Neelix: "Ah, that would be ideal."
He follows Hogan over to a wall monitor. They pass Jonas who hovers, apparently working, nearby in order to watch and overhear.

Hogan: "Well, let me give it a try." Calling up logs on the monitor: "Usually it's possible to recover data, unless extraordinary measures were taken to erase it. Now this is strange. Computer, run a signal modulation analysis of this file." Computer: "Security authorisation required." Hogan: "Engineering authorisation omega four-seven." Computer: "Authorisation accepted. Running analysis."

Neelix: "What?" Hogan: "I can't recover the logs, because these messages were sent without using any of the antenna arrays." Neelix: "How could someone do that???"

Hogan: "By sending the transmissions through the ship's power grid. The messages were encoded in the waste energy from the propulsion systems, which is almost indistinguishable from galactic background noise."

Neelix: "Ingenious. Would there be a way to determine who sent the messages?"

Hogan: "I'm looking for signal correlation traces. They'd indicate a comm. link to the EPS conduits, maybe give us a location. I don't know if I can- There. There's one. The source of the comm. link is on deck 4, section 3C. Sorry, but I can't get more specific than that." Jonas decides to stop the investigation at this point: "Mr Hogan, I need your help over here."

Neelix: "Thanks for your help." He goes toward the exit. "I'll check out deck four. Go room by room, console by console."

Hogan calls after him, and Neelix turns to look at him even as he leaves: "I'd look for evidence of recent deletions. If you see any, run a recovery program, see what you get."