THE CHUTE
Episode 45
Part A

 

Akritirian prison - concourse. Prisoners gather as a klaxon sounds, indicating a new prisoner. Different prison inmates are shouting: "New man coming! New prisoner! Get out of my way! There he is! Here he comes! Get ready! Hurry up! New prisoner! Hey, something's coming!"

The newcomer is shot down the Chute and slides heavily onto the floor. He is drugged and partly dazed. It is Kim!

The inmates gather round. There are shouts amongst them: "Take his boots! Kill him!" One of them, Pit by name, pushes past the others: "Get out of my way." Pit looks closely at Kim then punches him and pulls him to his feet.

Kim can barely stand. The other prisoners beat him up - punching and kicking him.

He manages to land a punch himself but is outnumbered. A heavy punch to his face knocks him to the floor where at least two kicks keep him down. The inmates shout: "Kill him! Kill him!"

As Kim struggles to his feet, hurt and trying to make sense of his surroundings he ends up right in front of.....Tom Paris!

Kim, beginning to smile: "Tom."
Paris looks up. Pit pushes past two inmates towards them. Paris punches Kim in the stomach. Kim, surprised and groaning with pain, collapses to his knees then fully onto the ground.
Pit: "Nobody touch him. He's mine."
To the amusement of the watching inmates, Pit grabs hold of Kim's legs and pulls. Kim looks round, partly dazed. Pit pulls him round and is about to drag him away.
Kim: "Wait. This is a mistake. I don't belong here!"
Pit: "You don't?" Joking unpleasantly: "Well, I'll just take you home then, alright?" He strikes Kim across the face.

Paris squares up to Pit. "This one's mine." Pit: "I say he's not." Paris, grimly: "He's the reason that I'm here. He was my partner in a bombing. We killed 47 patrollers at Akritiri. 47! And then this scum confessed to the tribunal and gave them my name. So I'm telling you again, he's mine."

Pit: "I'm keeping him."

Paris suddenly seizes him and puts a jagged blade to his throat. Pit tries to keep back from the makeshift knife. "Take him."

As Paris releases him and goes to fetch Kim, looking down at him with contempt, Pit mutters: "For now."

Paris helps Kim away.

Akritirian prison - Paris' shelter. Kim: "Did you have to hit me so hard?" Paris: "Trust me, around here you don't want anybody thinking you're soft."

Kim: "Thanks for the tip. Is there any food?" Paris: "I haven't had anything to eat since I got here." Kim: "How long is that?" Paris: "Couple of days. Some shore leave, huh? What happened to you after they split us up?" Kim: "The Akritirians interrogated me. When I wouldn't confess to the bombing, they dragged me in front of a judge. He said you'd already confessed for the both of us, then he pronounced me guilty." Paris: "That's exactly what happened to me. Then they must have drugged me, because the next thing I knew, I woke up at the bottom of the Chute to that welcoming party." Kim: "We've got to explain to somebody that there's been a mistake." Paris: "Who did you have in mind?" Kim: "A guard, the warden." Paris: "Haven't seen anybody like that." Kim: "A prison without guards?" Paris: "The other inmates say this place is 300 metres underground. Maybe the Akritirians figure guards aren't necessary."

Kim holds up his cup. "Can I have some more?"

Paris dashes the cup from his hand, suddenly furious. Paris: "What do you think this is, a hotel?! There isn't any more!" Kim: "Take it easy!"

Paris drops his head wearily: "I'm sorry." He sighs. He looks up and scratches his head repeatedly. "I'm really starting to get edgy. I think it's the clamp." Kim: "The what?"

Paris, exposing an area on his head where a light can be seen, the light from the clamp: "That's what the prisoners call it. Everybody has one." Kim: "What is it?" Paris: "I'm guessing it's some kind of synaptic stimulator. Anyway it's affecting my nervous system. I've been getting jumpier ever since I got here, not to mention this thing itches like crazy.

Kim: "What do you think it's for?" Paris: "Maybe some kind of torture device." Kim: "We could try taking them out." Paris: "No. I saw someone try it. It killed him! What we have to do is find a way out of this place." Kim: "Let's get something straight first." Paris: "What?" Kim, smiling: "The next time you take a swing at me, I'm hitting back."

The klaxon sounds. Kim asks: "What's that?" As the klaxon sounds, there is a commotion among the prison inmates who start gathering at the foot of the Chute.

Paris: "Another prisoner, maybe." Prison inmate: "Food!"

Paris to Kim: "Join me for dinner?"

The two go into the concourse. The prisoners are gathered round the bottom of the Chute.

The forcefield goes off for a bare moment and suddenly food cakes are dropped down the Chute.

There is a frenzied scramble for the food cakes.

One prisoners steps brutally on another's hand as he reaches for a food cake. The injured prisoner shrieks and the other steals the food cake.

One starving prison inmate shouts desperately: "Oh, there's got to be more!" He rushes up to the Chute door and goes to bang on the door. He hits a forcefield and falls back, dead.

Another prisoner, named Zio, seizes another inmate and slits his throat. As his victim slides to the floor, Zio steals his food cake.

Zio comments to the aghast Paris and Kim: "I don't think he was going to eat it anyway, do you?" Zio wanders off.

Paris and Kim gather by the victim. Kim examines him but needs to do so only briefly. "He's dead." Paris sighs grimly. "I think I've lost my appetite."

Janeway: "Captain's log, stardate 50156.2. After 72 hours, Lieutenant Paris and Ensign Kim are still missing, and I'm quickly losing patience with the Akritirian authorities. They continue to deny us access to the surface, and they've yet to confirm whether our crewmen were killed in the bombing."

Janeway leaves her Ready Room after making the log entry and enters the Bridge. Janeway: "Anything?" Tuvok: "I have completed another full sensor sweep, including a multispectral subsurface scan. I still can not locate their lifesigns or their combadges."

Chakotay: "Captain, Ambassador Liria is hailing us." Janeway: "On screen." The image of the Akritirian Ambassador appears on the main viewscreen. "I'm only in a mood for good news today, Ambassador."

Liria, on viewscreen: "I'm afraid I can't oblige." Janeway: "Are you saying they're dead?" Liria, on viewscreen: "No, they're very much alive."

Janeway: "Then where are they?" Liria, on viewscreen: "Your men have been convicted of the terrorist bombing at the Laktivia recreational facility, which resulted in the death of 47 off-duty patrollers."

Janeway: "I assure you, Ambassador, my people had nothing to do with this attack." Liria, on viewscreen: "We found chemical traces of the explosive used in the bombing on their hands and clothing."

Chakotay: "I'm sure the same could be said of anyone who was near the explosion. It's hardly enough evidence for a conviction." Liria, on viewscreen: "The explosive was trilithium-based. There is no source of trilithium anywhere in our system. So you can imagine our surprise when our investigation revealed that your ship is powered by dilithium, which our scientists tell us is convertible into trilithium. We have long suspected that the so-called Open Sky Terrorists had off-world collaborators. Now we know who they are."

Tuvok, reading his instruments: "Captain, two Akritirian ships are approaching at bearing 271 mark 64."

Liria, on viewscreen: "Prepare your ship for inspection, Captain." Janeway: "If it will help confirm our innocence I'll consider it, but first I want to know where my people are being held, and I want to talk to them immediately." Liria, on viewscreen: "Communication with inmates is not permitted." Janeway: "If you want my co-operation, Ambassador, you're going to have to do better than that."

Liria, on viewscreen, with increasing belligerance: "Perhaps you've misunderstood me. Let me clarify our position. Your vessel is being impounded. You and your crew are under arrest. Prepare to be boarded."
Tuvok: "Captain, their ships are powering weapons."
Janeway: "Mr Tuvok, raise shields. Mr Chakotay, take the conn." As Voyager goes to red alert (lights dim, klaxons sound, red alert lights flash), Chakotay takes the conn. "I'd like to resolve this situation peacefully, Ambassador, but let me clarify my position - I will not allow this ship to be boarded."
Liria, on viewscreen: "That, Captain, is an error in judgement." Contact ends.

Two Akritirian patrol ships fire on Voyager. Voyager shakes but the shields hold. Tuvok: "Captain, should I return fire?"

Janeway: "That's not going to help us get Tom and Harry back. We need to regroup. Get us out of here, Commander." Chakotay: "Aye, Captain."

Voyager immediately leaves orbit.