BLOOD FEVER
Episode 58
Part E

 

In the Sakari mines/caves, Torres and Paris try to pick their way back to the entry point. Torres: "Tuvok must be wrong about this Pon farr business. It doesn't make any sense." Paris: "It does explain how you've been acting." Torres: "I don't see what's so strange." Paris gives a short laugh. "How about starting a fight with a group of armed aliens, shouting at Neelix, giving me this," meaning the bite on his cheek. "If I remember my Klingon customs, biting someone on the face means-" Torres, sharply: "I know what it means."

She relents. "Alright, so maybe I do feel something, some kind of instinct. What am I supposed to do about it?"

Paris: "When we get back to the ship, the Doctor should be able to help, or there's always Vorik." Torres: "I am not helping that Vulcan ptahk! The idea of bonding with him, it's ludicrous!" She sets off along the passageway and he follows.

They come upon a blockage. "What's this?" Paris: "The tremor must've shaken the rocks loose."

Torres: "Well, they're in the way." She brings up the phaser rifle to blast the rockfall. Paris: "Hold it!" He grabs hold of the rifle. "We don't know how stable this tunnel is. An energy blast might bring the rest of it down on our heads." Torres: "Let go!" Paris: "No. I think I should keep this." referring to the rifle. Torres: "Never pick a fight with a Klingon, Tom." Paris: "I'm not going to fight with you, B'Elanna." Torres: "Afraid I'll break your arm? You should be."

They wrestle for possession of the gun, which ends as Paris gets it. Paris: "B'Elanna, stop it! This isn't about the gun. This is about sex. But that's not going happen right now."

Torres: "I think it is." She turns his head to the side to see the bite.

Torres: "See, I've picked up your scent, Tom. I've tasted your blood."

Paris: "No." Firmly: "No."

Paris: "I'm your friend, and I have to watch out for you when your judgement's been impaired. If you let these instincts take over now, you'll hate yourself, and me too for taking advantage of you. I won't do that."

Torres: "Maybe, maybe we should continue separately." Paris: "No!"

She retreats to the wall.

Torres: "You don't know how strong, how hard it is to fight this urge."

Paris: "Are you telling me that I'm impossible to resist?"

He has chosen the right goad. She replies: "I wouldn't go that far." Paris: "Good. Come on."

Ishan has Chakotay and Tuvok taken to a rock chamber. He scans them. Ishan: "I want to know about the vessel which brought you here, your propulsion systems, weapons, sensors, everything."

As Ishan scans Tuvok, his device gives an audio alert: "You have an artificial implant in your arm." Tuvok: "Yes. It was necessary to replace the elbow joint after I was injured in a combat simulation."

Ishan: "I also want to know about your medical technology, scientific advances, artificial intelligence." Chakotay: "I'd be glad to tell you all about my people and learn about yours. There's no need to hold us here for interrogation." Ishan: "You should expect no better treatment after invading Sakari territory."

Chakotay: "As I said, we didn't know there was anyone down here." Ishan: "Yes, so you've said." Tuvok: "Your people have clearly made every effort to avoid detection by outsiders. Is it so difficult to believe that those measures were effective in our case?" Ishan: "If they had been fully effective, you wouldn't have found anything interesting enough to bring you here."

Chakotay: "That's something we can help you with." Ishan: "What?" Chakotay: "We can show you how we detected the gallicite so you can disguise it better. We can also help you eliminate the last traces of the ruins on the surface, so no one else will be curious about them." Ishan: "You've seen the ruins?" Chakotay: "Yes. I assume the Sakari once lived there." Ishan: "Long ago, before I wan born."

Tuvok: "What happened?" Ishan: "My people never even knew who the invaders were or why they attacked. It was all over in less than an hour. Some of the colonists were fortunate enough to escape into the mines. We've lived here ever since, where it's safe. If the invaders ever learned of our existence here, they might return." Chakotay: "I can certainly understand your caution, but let us demonstrate our good faith by helping you protect yourselves. Then we'll go and never bother you again." Ishan considers, then: "Agreed. But you will be supervised at all times." A seismic alert sounds.

Paris and Torres struggle through the passageways while there are tremors all round them.
Paris: "We're almost to the next passageway. Can you make it?"
Torres: "Not much choice."
Suddenly there is a rockfall. After a moment of coughing and spluttering, they manage to regain their footing.
Paris: "It's alright. We'll find a way out."
Torres: "We should use that weapon. It's worth the risk now."
Paris: "I might agree with you if I still had it. It's buried somewhere under all that."

Torres: "What?" Paris: "Sorry. Try to stay calm. I know it's hard."

Torres, restlessly moving around the cave, unable to be still for a single moment: "No. You don't know anything. I feel like I'm crawling out of my skin. I need to do something. I can't take this."

She gives a short laugh. "You've never been hard to get, Tom." Paris: "Well, I'm making an exception. I can't let you do this."

Torres: "Oh, I'll bet you wish you could. All those invitations to dinner, and on the Holodeck, the way you would stare at me when you thought I wasn't looking, and get jealous when I'm with someone else. You can't tell me you're not interested in me."

Paris: "You're right. I can't." Torres slams the rock with a hand. "Then DON'T push me away." Paris: "Oh, believe me, I'd like to, but I know this isn't really you. You've made it clear that you're not interested, and I have to accept that's how you feel, even now."

Torres: "No. No, it isn't. I was, I was just afraid to admit it. You see, I've wanted this for so long. Just let it happen." She starts to kiss him.

He cannot resist any longer and, caressing her face, he kisses her with gentle urgency for a moment before he regains full self-control.

Paris: "I hope someday you'll say that to me and mean it."

Torres shoves him away. "You'd let me go insane rather than help me?!"

Paris: "You know that's not true." Torres, backed up against the wall, as far from him as she can manage: "You just stay away from me."

 

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