It's up to you - A Star Trek: Voyager Fanfiction

Time and Again (part 5)

[Ruined room]

„I've found them. Scanners are picking up a subspace beacon. Adjusting penetration co-ordinates to match. I'll try to open up the other end.", B'Elanna stated.

She switched the beam on.

„Chakotay to Janeway.", Chakotay said into his comm badge.

[Room]

„Captain, can you read us?", they could hear on the other end.

Terla ripped off Kathryns comm badge.

„Eavesdropping devices.", he stated.

„No, but they are for communication. My crew is trying to contact me.", Kathryn tried to explain.

„From the future, of course.", Terla said.

He took Thalias comm badge aswell.

„Get the particle injector.", Makull told him and Terla opened a safe and took out a hand-sized device.

„Bring them with us. The boy, too. I have an idea how they can help.", Makull said.

Terla put the comm badges on the table and they all left. The wormhole opened.

„Chakotay to Janeway, can you read me? Please respond.", Chakotay said.

[On the way to the Power plant]

„I don't get it Kath. This morning you were giving orders about not interfering because of the Prime Directive, and now you're telling them everything.", Thalia stated.

„I told them the truth when I realised we'd already violated the Prime Directive in the worst possible manner.", Kathryn explained.

„How did we do that?", Thalia wanted to know.

„Just by being here. Because if we hadn't been here it's very possible this world would not have been destroyed.", Kathryn stated.

„What?", Thalia asked.

„Think about it, Lia. Before we got involved, these people were planning to commit some kind of sabotage next week. We were the ones who forced a change in their schedule. Because of us, they decided to begin today at four hundred rotations, and we know the detonation takes place today at just after four hundred and one.", Kathryn explained.

„Four oh one twenty two eighty four. Wait a minute. You're saying we're responsible for an explosion even though it occurred before our ship arrived here?", Thalia asked.

„We've travelled back to a point in time before the explosion, so, yes, we can be responsible for it.", Kathryn said.

„Let's say we never came, and their plans didn't change. Wouldn't the accident simply have occurred next week instead of today?", Thalia asked.

„Who knows what might have happened between now and then. They could have been arrested before they got a chance to carry it out, conditions at the plant might not have been the same next week. But it's become our problem now, Thalia, and we have got to find a way to solve it.", Kathryn stated.

[USS Voyager]

„We're running out of time. The subspacefractures are closing. We've lost over seventy percent of them.", Harry stated.

„At this point we're suggesting we concentrate our search at the flash-point.", B'Elanna said.

„May I ask what you expect to accomplish by doing that?", Tuvok asked.

„We figure the Captain and Thalia might have looked for the origin of the explosion to try and prevent it.", Harry explained.

„Unlikely. It would be a highly questionable decision in light of the Prime Directive.", Tuvok stated.

„If it were me, I would have tried to get there.", Chakotay said.

„The issue is whether Captain Janeway would go there, not you, Commander.", Tuvok replied.

„You think you can locate the flash-point?", Chakotay asked B'Elanna.

„We already have.", the half Klingon answered.

„Let's go.", Chakotay said.

[Outside the Power Plant]

„Your job is to get us past the guards. You'll tell them you're bringing us here to negotiate a settlement of our dispute with the power company.", Makull told Kathryn.

„I cannot and will not do anything to help you.", Kathryn stated.

„Think before you say no. Terla has a weapon trained on the boy. If shooting begins he'll be the first victim.", Makull said.

The aggressive guard came out to meet them.

„Is there something I can do for you?", he asked.

„She's a government representative on official business.", Makull said.

Kathryn stepped up to the guard.

„I am a hostage. These men are here to break into the plant.", she told him.

The guard backed away, so Makull shot him. Latika tried to get away. Thalia got between Terla and the boy, and Terla shot her in the side. While Kathryn and Latika went to Thalia, Makull and Terla shot at the guard post and broke into the power plant.

„Their lives are on your conscience, Janeway!", Makull stated.

„You saved my life.", Latika said unbelieving.

„Don't waste time with me, Kathryn. Got to stop them.", Thalia said as she sat down. She was still nauseous and the shot she took didn't help.

„Will you stay with her until help arrives?", Kathryn asked Latika.

„Sure he will, the kid and I, we're old friends now, aren't we?", Thalia asked jokingly.

„Yeah.", Latika agreed.

„I'll be back for you.", Kathryn promised.

„We'll be here.", Thalia assured her.

Kathryn followed Makull, Terla and their helper down the circular corridors to where they were working on a control panel.

[Ruined corridor]

The away team beamed into the same corridor after the explosion.

„The polaric levels are higher here than any place we've been so far.", Harry stated.

„This was undoubtedly the flash-point of the explosion. Whatever went wrong, it started here.", B'Elanna said.

„Do we have subspace fractures to work with here?", Chakotay asked.

„Affirmative. They remain quite numerous in this area.", Tuvok said.

„Set up the equipment.", Chakotay ordered.

„Aye, sir.", Harry said.