FUTURE'S END
Episodes 50 and 51
Part J

 

Rain jumps.

Paris jumps.

As Paris starts to get up, the shuttlecraft arrives and fires at the lorry.....

.....and destroys it.

Chakotay, via comms: "Chakotay to Paris. What's your status?" Paris, via comms: "We're fine. Good shooting." Contact ends.

Shuttlecraft. Torres: "Wasn't there supposed to be a timeship in that truck? Scanning the debris." Chakotay: "There's a temporal transponder, set to give off tachyon signals."

He opens a com. channel. "Chakotay to Voyager. The timeship's not here, Captain. It was a ruse. Starling's going to launch from a different site."

Starling is in the Aeon, which is ready to launch from elsewhere. Starling: "Activate hyper-impulse." Computer: "Hyper-impulse drive engaged." Starling: "Let's do it." Computer: "Command confirmed."

The ship launches, bursting out of the top of the Chronowerx building.

Voyager's Bridge. Kim: "The timeship is entering the upper ionosphere." Janeway: "Track his course." Via comms: "Janeway to shuttlecraft. Return to Voyager immediately." Chakotay, via comms: "Acknowledged Captain." Contact ends. Janeway: "Phasers are still offline. I've armed the photon torpedoes but we still can't fire them. The launch activation sequencers aren't responding." Kim: "I think I can re-route fire command through the helm." Janeway: "There's no time. Take the Bridge, Mr Kim. Should be second nature to you by now." Kim, coming onto the command centre: "Captain?" Janeway: "Open the access port to torpedo bay 1. I'm going in there to reconfigure for manual launch." Kim: "Captain, with the activation sequencers down, you'd have to launch from inside the tube. It's too dangerous. The plasma exhaust will-" Janeway: "You have your orders." The turbolift doors close on her. Kim turns away to concentrate on his job of command. He is grim-faced.

Shuttlecraft.
Torres: "I've got the transporters back online."
Chakotay, via comms: "Mr Paris, stand by. We're bringing you aboard."
Paris, via comms: "Acknowledged." Contact ends.

Rain: "Your spaceship's waiting." Paris: "I've never met anyone quite like you, and I don't think I ever will."

Rain: "Same here. Say hi to Saturn for me." Paris: "I will."

He kisses her farewell and gently strokes her face.

Aeon. Starling: "Initiate temporal inversion." Computer: "Initiating."

Voyager, in torpedo tube 1. The com. signal sounds. Kim, via comms: "Bridge to Janeway. The shuttle's back on board." Janeway, via comms: "Good. I'm nearly there." Kim, via comms: "Captain, the timeship has jumped to warp one." Janeway, via comms: "Go to warp. We can't loose him now."

The away team enter the Bridge. All, except the Doctor who does not have one on the Bridge, assume posts.

Kim: "Welcome to the Bridge, Doctor." Doctor: "Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here."

Chakotay, to Kim, assuming command: "Status." Kim: "The Captain's in torpedo tube 1. She's preparing for a manual launch."

Chakotay: "Doctor, get down there." The Doctor turns to do so but then turns back. Doctor: "How exactly do I get to torpedo tube 1?" Chakotay: "Ensign Kaplan, go with him." Kaplan: "Aye sir." She accompanies the Doctor into the turbolift.

Tuvok: "The timeship is powering its temporal field generator. Starling will be able to open a rift within seconds." Kim: "Commander, the field he's creating, it's unstable." Torres: "If he enters the rift like this, the timeship will create a temporal explosion." Tuvok: "Events are occurring just as Captain Braxton predicted. The disaster may well be inevitable."

Chakotay: "Fate, Tuvok? I won't accept that." To the helm: "Close to within ten kilometres. We'll ram him if we have to." Paris: "Aye sir."

Aeon. Computer: "Temporal core has reached cascade potential." Starling: "Penetration point at nine-six mark zero-four-seven."