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

The Cloud-Chapter 20

On the bridge, Janeway and Chakotay have finished their meeting, Amanda gives control back to Janeway "great work for your first day in the big chair, Mandy" said Janeway smiling at Amanda who smiled back. "Ready and awaiting your orders, Captain." said B'Elanna from engineering. "Mister Paris, bring us into position." said Janeway. "Coming about forty degrees." said Tom, the ship thumps. "Report!" exclaimed Janeway. "We're being hit by some kind of multi-polar charges. They're not like anything we saw the first time." said Harry. "Shields at eighty seven percent." said Tuvok. "Will they hold?" asked Amanda. "The polarity of each charge is rotating so quickly, the shields can not compensate." said Tuvok.

"We've lost the rear driver coil assembly." said B'Elanna looking at a screen in engineering.

"Inertial dampers are offline. I'm losing control. Hold on!" said Tom, Amanda had stood up to walk over to Harry's station when she is knocked over the rail, hitting her head on it as she landed on the floor after she fell onto the three chairs,  Janeway is knocked to the floor and a crewman falls from the Engineering catwalk as Voyager is dragged along by threads of energy. "Engineering, initiate emergency shutdown of all thrusters." said Janeway. "Captain-" said B'Elanna on the combadge.

"The only way we can shut down all thrusters is to vent their deuterium into space. We can't afford to lose all that fuel." B'Elanna continued from Engineering. "We have no choice. Do it." said Janeway. "Acknowledged. Cutting thrusters." said B'Elanna. "Inertial dampers are still offline." said Tom. "Reset IDF baseline at three zero zero and reinitialise." said Amanda. "Field processors coming back on-line. Inertial damping restored." said Tom. "All stop. Damage report." said Janeway. "Electroplasma leaks reported on deck fourteen. Repair crews are being dispatched. Otherwise, we seem to be in one piece." stated Harry. "I believe the optical data network is down, Ensign." said Chakotay, Harry nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll get right on it." he said. "Fourteen injuries reported, Captain. None serious." said Tuvok, Amanda scoffs holding her head, she takes her hand of the wound and sees blood. "Why is it always me?" she mumbled (I will love it if you get that reference) "Have you any idea where we are, Mister Paris?" asked Janeway walking over to Amanda. "Are you okay?" she asked. Amanda nodded. " Approximately seventy thousand kilometres from our former position. Deeper inside the creature than before." Tom. "Let's hope it has a slow digestive process." quipped Amanda. Tom smiled. "We need to get back to the wound without causing a response from its defence systems. Suggestions?" asked Janeway. "It seems to be leaving us alone now that we've cut off all propulsion systems. Maybe that's what cues it to respond. If I'm right, we might be able to get back without engaging any engines." said Chakotay. "No engines?" asked Tom confused, Amanda looked at the screen beside her. "We've been reading these swirling energy currents since we first got here. When we thought it was a nebula, we weren't looking for any pattern. We thought they were just random eddies. But now I'm wondering if these currents might be some kind of circulatory system." she said. "Mister Kim, are you showing omicron particles in these currents?" asked Janeway. "Affirmative, Captain." said Harry. "If the currents are distributing omicron energy throughout the life form, the circulatory system might pass right by that wound." said Janeway. "We could get in one of those currents and surf back." said Tom, Amanda smiles "that would be fun" she states. "Use the reaction control thrusters in drift mode only, Mister Paris." said Janeway. "Aye, Captain. We're on our way. Speed, all of two hundred KPH." said Tom. Neelix enters with a tray. "Time for refreshment. Ailis paté, Felada onion crisps, stuffed Cardaway leaves. Yum." said Neelix. "I appreciate the thought, Neelix, but this is hardly the time." said Janeway. "As the morale officer on this ship, I insist that a break in the workload is both healthy and necessary. Go on, Mister Vulcan. It might even help you loosen up. Or not." said Neelix. "May I ask when you became morale officer?" asked Tuvok. "Oh, just a few minutes ago when I sensed crew morale might be especially low. Mine certainly was. We were in a free fall at the time." said Neelix. "Cooking always helps Neelix to unwind." said Kes. "Yes, and after we stabilised, I certainly needed to unwind. So, it seemed to me, I had a choice to either come up here and say I told you so." stated Neelix. "No." said Tom. "Or to try to do something constructive to help out in my own humble manner. Try the stuffed Cardaway leaves. They're irresistible." said Neelix, Janeway takes one. "Now, as your new morale officer, I thought it might be fun for us all to sing a few songs together." said Neelix, Amanda raises an eyebrow. "Don't push it, Neelix" she said. "Captain?" asked Tom. "Well done, Mister Paris. Take us gently out of the current. Stay in RCS drift mode." said Janeway. "Aye, Captain." said Tom. "Miss Torres, prepare your nucleonic beam." said Janeway. "We're ready down here, Captain" said B'Elanna. "Let's give the wound." said Janeway. "Two doses to start. Five bursts at a two second interval. Now. Analysis." said Amanda. "Scanners are showing the regeneration rate up only point zero four percent, I don't know what we can hope to accomplish if this is the best we can do." said B'Elanna.