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

Maneuvers-Chapter 62

[Turbolift]

Chakotay and B'Elanna are out of uniform.

"Whatever she wants us for, it better be good. Bridge. I had you right where I wanted you." Chakotay said.

"What are you talking about? I was ahead, nineteen seven." B'Elanna states bluntly.

"I was just lulling you into a false sense of security." Chakotay replied.

"Sure you were." B'Elanna said.

"I'll win the next couple of points, then you'll start to tense up." Chakotay remarks.

"I do not tense up." B'Elanna said indignantly.

"Easy, B'Elanna. It's only hoverball." Chakotay said.

[Bridge]

"You wanted to see us, Captain?" Chakotay asked.

"Yes, Commander. We've picked up an intriguing transmission." Janeway replied.

"I have a source on the signal." Amanda said.

"A ship?" Janeway asked.

"Negative. It appears to be a beacon of some kind." Amanda replied.

"A beacon?" Chakotay asked.

"We're being hailed by someone using a Federation signal." Amanda explained.

"How could someone be transmitting a Federation signal from the Delta quadrant?" B'Elanna asked.

"Maybe Starfleet found a way to get a probe here. Maybe they're looking for us." Tom suggested.

"I'd like to believe that too, but let's not jump to conclusions." Janeway said.

"See if you can authenticate the signal." Chakotay suggested.

"The carrier wave frequency does correspond to standard Starfleet security codes." said Amanda.

"As of when?" Janeway asked.

"According to the encryption key, this particular code was not scheduled for implementation until stardate 48423." Amanda said.

"That's a month after we left Deep Space Nine. They must be looking for us." Harry said.

"Your optimism may be premature, Mister Kim." said Janeway.

"Sorry, Captain." Harry said.

"But it's also infectious. Mister Paris, lay in a course for the beacon." Janeway said.

"Yes, ma'am." Tom replied.

Later, at a purple nebula.

"We're approaching the beacon's coordinates, Captain." Tom said.

"It's drifted inside an ionised hydrogen cloud. The cloud's interfering with our sensor readings." Christina said.

"Can you get any information from the beacon?" Janeway asked.

"I'm afraid not. Should I beam it aboard?" Christina asked.

"I'd advise against bringing it on board before we've gotten a look at it, even if it is emitting a Federation signal." Chakotay said.

"Agreed. And I don't want to fly blindly into a hydrogen cloud, either. Mister Tuvok, tractor the probe into sensor range." Janeway said.

"Aye, Captain. Targeting scanners locked. Initiating tractor beam." Tuvok said.

Voyager is fired at.

"Report." Janeway said.

"We are taking fire from inside the cloud." Tuvok states.