The Other Torres | A Star Trek Fanfiction *Book 1*

Phage-Chapter 14

While seeking a power source for the ship, the crew encounters a planet of people who steal body organs to fight a deadly disease.

"Captain's log, stardate 48532.4. We're on our way to a rogue planetoid which Mister Neelix tells us is an extremely rich source of raw dilithium. If he's right, this could go a long way toward easing our power shortage." said Janeway in her log.

Janeway and Chakotay are walking in the hallway to Janeway's private dining room "assuming we do find dilithium on this planetoid, we're going to need a refining facility on the ship to process it." said Janeway. "Lieutenant Torres has already asked permission to start modifications to the auxiliary impulse reactor. It could be converted into a crude dilithium refinery. Can we deal with the two Lieutenant Torres's situation soon?" asked Chakotay, it was getting confusion for everyone even the two sisters. "The impulse reactor? Sometimes I think B'Elanna goes out of her way to find solutions that ignore Starfleet procedures. How?" Janeway asked "Her arguments are quite convincing. She thinks it can be done safely. Promote Amanda, not B'Elanna, I've already asked B'Elanna about her becoming a Lieutenant Commander, she expressed the deepest displeasure for it, B'Elanna's happy with the rank she's got" said Chakotay. "I'm sure it can. Tell her I want regular reports on her progress every step of the way. Are you sure you won't join me for breakfast, we can discuss the 'promote Amanda' thing over it? I was thinking of having eggs Benedict with asparagus, strawberries and cream." said Janeway. "Ah." said Chakotay "I said I was thinking about it. I'm actually having ration pack number five. Stewed tomatoes with dehydrated eggs." said Janeway. "Mmm. Sounds delicious, but I've already had my vacuum-packed oatmeal this morning." said Chakotay. "I'll see you on the bridge." said Janeway.

Captain Janeway walks through the door into a steam-filled room, and her jaw drops open. Neelix has a pair of large pans sizzling away on blazing braziers. He seasons them, then puts some food onto a metal tray and hands it to a crewman across a serving counter. "Hope you enjoy it." said Neelix "what is going on here?" asked Janeway. "Captain, you caught me by surprise." said Neelix. "I could say the same thing. What are you doing?" Janeway asked "well, I know how you and the other senior officers have been, excuse me, disappointed with the rations lately, so I thought I'd use a few of the vegetables from the hydroponics bay and whip up a little breakfast." said Neelix.

"You have turned this into a galley?" Janeway asked "it wasn't easy. I had to completely re-route the mess hall power conduits and scrounge a lot of supplies from all over the ship, but that's my specialty, making something out of nothing. I know it doesn't look like much now, but in a few days you'll swear there'd been a galley here for years. Be careful, that one is a little spicy." said Neelix. "Neelix, who approved this?" Janeway asked still in shock "ah, well, no one." said Neelix. "Well, you might have asked me first. This used to be my private dining room." said Janeway. "Your? Your dining room?" asked Neelix. "If you had checked the ship's directory, you would have noticed that cabin one two five alpha deck two is designated as the Captain's private dining room." said Janeway. "Oh! Then I guess that you'll be wanting me to move all of this stuff out of your way." said Neelix.

"Bridge to Captain Janeway." Chakotay said over the comm. "Go ahead." said Janeway. "We're approaching the rogue planetoid, Captain." said Chakotay. "On my way. I want you to come with me. We will deal with this later." said Janeway. "Ensign Parsons, would you mind keeping an eye on things until I get back and er, rotate the darvot fritters every ten minutes until they turn a deep chartreuse. And remember one, one to a customer." said Neelix.

Janeway and Neelix walk onto the Bridge. "What have you found?" asked Janeway "we're picking up definite dilithium signatures, Captain. The strongest readings are originating from ten to twenty kilometres inside the planetoid." said Harry. "It also looks like there's a series of subterranean caves with an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere." said Amanda. "Class M. It'll make mining a lot easier if we can go in there without environmental suits." said Chakotay. "How much dilithium are we talking about?" asked Janeway. "It's hard to get a precise reading. It could be anywhere from five hundred to one thousand metric tonnes." said Amanda "just as I said. I bet there are a few Yallitaian engineers who'd give all three of their spinal columns to know where this planet is." said Neelix "Commander, take an away team down into those caves and do a preliminary geological analysis. B'Elanna, you'd better get your dilithium refinery on-line." said Janeway. "It'll be ready to go in three days." said B'Elanna from engineering. "Ensign Kim, Lt. Torres." said Chakotay gesturing to Amanda. Neelix moves to join Chakotay, Amanda and Kim. "Where are you going?" asked Chakotay. "With you. I've been studying my tricorder operations manual. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres has brought me up to date on dilithium geophysics. I've been preparing for this mission all week." said Neelix. "Very well, Mister Neelix." said Janeway, Neelix joins Chakotay, Amanda and Kim in the turbolift. "I think you'll find me extremely helpful, Commander. I remember the first time I flew past this planet, it was about three years ago..." Harry and Amanda shared a look, Harry spoke cutting Neelix off "Deck four." he said.

"It looks like there are several large deposits in this general vicinity. Let's split up and begin taking geological scans. Keep your comm. channels open at all times and don't wander too far. Stay within a fifty metre radius of this position." said Chakotay when the away team arrived in the tunnel.

The three take different tunnels, Harry and Amanda stick together. They don't notice their beam in site transform into a constructed tunnel with pipes along the wall, and a humanoid step into it. "Chakotay to Kim." said Chakotay "go ahead." said Harry "I'm still picking up dilithium signatures but there are no dilithium formations here. Have you found anything yet?" Chakotay asked.

"Mandy and I are running a geo-strato analysis of the rock in this vicinity. So far there's no indication of any dilithium." said Harry over the comm. badge "keep looking." replied Chakotay.

"Neelix to Commander Chakotay." said Neelix. "Go ahead." said Chakotay. "I think I've found something. A large cavern approximately twenty metres from my position. I'm reading a huge dilithium formation there." said Neelix. "Don't go any further Neelix. Stay within the search radius. I'll be with you in a minute." said Chakotay.

"But it's right here. I'm in the cavern now, Commander, but I don't understand this." argued Neelix "let me guess, nothing there." said Chakotay "not so much as a sliver of dilithium, and yet according to my readings I should be surrounded by it." said Neelix. "All right, I've had enough of this. Kim, Amanda, Neelix, we're heading back to the ship." said Chakotay.

"Rendezvous at the" Chakotay began before being cut off by Neelix "wait a minute. I'm getting unusual readings from this rock face. Traces of organic energy. Looks like a bio-electrical signature. I think there's something alive down here. It's about two metres into this rock face." said Neelix. "Neelix, I said get back here! Neelix, did you hear what I said?" asked Chakotay "just one minute, Commander." said Neelix.

The rock face behind Neelix transforms into a tunnel. A figure sees Neelix and hides. Neelix turns and sees the constructed tunnel. "Hello? Is there someone there? Hello? I know there's somebody. The somebody zaps Neelix with an energy weapon. "Neelix, what's wrong? Neelix! Kim, Amanda!" said Chakotay.

"On our way sir." said Amanda, the two walk off, they find Neelix writhing on the floor, Chakotay with him, Amanda crouched down. "What happened?" she asked "I don't know and I can't be certain, but I think he's going into shock. Chakotay to Voyager, medical emergency. Beam us directly to sickbay." said Chakotay.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First thing: My Original Plan was to make it Amanda who got attacked then have Tom get really mad, which sounds exciting.

Second thing: I need help with how to promote Amanda to a Lt. Commander and how she would somehow earn the rank.

Third thing: Next part should be out tomorrow.