Part IV.

"Excuse me, sirs."

Chakotay and Tuvok moved in, out of the doorway, to let Ensign Leone go by. Tuvok pointed aft. "There, Commander," he said.

Chakotay looked, and saw Seven of Nine, facing away from them. Over her shoulder, he could see B'Elanna's face: she was angry. Tom Paris was there too, looking like he was trying to get between them, trying to distract B'Elanna.

The First Officer sighed, and thought, already?

"Come on," he said to Tuvok. The two of them made their way aft.

B'Elanna was speaking as they approached. "Seven of Nine," she said, "you monitor the forward console; you are familiar with the specifications, aren't you?"

The Doctor and Neelix materialized in the small clearing of a lush forest. One escort already had his phaser drawn, the other had to shift Neelix' spare bug bottle under one arm first.

There were several patches of leaves dotting the area. Neelix knelt down and examined the readings. "This will make a nice salad green," he said with a smile.

The Doctor joined him and checked is medical tricorder. "Hm. High in anti-oxidants." They each proceeded to dig up several specimens and placed them in their portable stasis compartments of their cases.

Neelix went to the edge of the clearing to check the toxicity of some attractive bushes of berries, while the Doctor tested the bark of a tree for medicinal qualities. So far so good...

B'Elanna was waiting for Seven of Nine's reply when she noticed Chakotay and Tuvok walking towards her.

Chakotay looked concerned as he asked, "Is everything under control here?"

B'Elanna felt her cheeks become hot. How dare Chakotay imply that things were out of control? "We were just about to repair the propulsion system," she said as calmly as possible.

Chakotay folded his arms across his chest and nodded. "Good," he said. "We need to borrow Seven of Nine for a moment, before you get started."

He turned to the tall blonde woman and inclined his head toward an empty corner of Engineering. "Seven, step over there with Commander Tuvok. He has some questions for you."

She frowned. "My designation--"

But Chakotay had already turned away from her.

"This way, please," said Tuvok, gesturing for Seven of Nine to walk ahead of him.

"Tom," said Chakotay, "take her station until we're done with her, will you?"

"Sure thing, Commander," said Paris. He went to the forward console.

Chakotay moved closer to B'Elanna, but looked at the warp core instead of her face.

He lowered his voice, and said, "B'Elanna, you didn't answer my question. Is everything under control here?"

Tom Paris went to the forward console and entered some commands.

Then he looked over his shoulder and noticed Commander Chakotay speaking with B´Elanna.

But why were they whispering?

Was the Commander giving special orders to the Chief Engineer or were they talking about Seven of Nine? Or even about him?

Tom frowned and focused on his task again. And he found something.

Two auxiliary fusion generators were heavily damaged and several emergency flush vents had also been fried during the battle with the Borg! This wasn´t good. And it was probably just the beginning... .

He turned around. "B´Elanna, please take a look at this!"

It was a beautiful day. There was a hint of the existence of smaller life forms by the subtle symphony of buzzes and chirps carried on a soft breeze. Had they known more about the planet and why the Borg were repelled by it, Captain Janeway would most certainly have called on the Commander to coordinate shoreleave parties.

He sat in a shaded patch of grass by a cluster of exotic flowers after having scanned their stamen. He set about carefully scraping pollen off as many anthers as he could, clinking the fine instrument against the inside edges of a small test tube to shake the pollen off, when a beetle-like creature alit on a petal. The Doctor looked up from what he was doing. The tiny life form seemed as curious of him as he was of it, tilting its head and waving its antennae. He couldn't help but smile. They were kindred spirits, marveling at the wonders around them...

Suddenly, in the space of a second, an ominous shadow creeped up over them like a storm cloud. A pair of hammy, spotted hands descended on the flower seemingly from out of nowhere, and knocked into the Doctor's hands on their way to the flower.

"Got you!" said Neelix as he peeked into his cupped hands. "Thought you'd get away from me, did you?!" He laughed heartily as he tucked the beetle into his busy bugbottle.

"Mister Neelix!" the Doctor was clearly aggravated.

"Oh I'm so sorry Doctor. Here let me help you..." He started to bend.

"You can help by not getting in the way!" snapped the hologram as he picked up the test tube from his lap and tried to dust off the spilt pollen. "This is very delicate work!"

"Seven of Nine, you monitor the forward console; you are familiar with the specifications, aren't you?"

Seven opened her mouth to reply to the engineer's increasingly heated remarks but was cut off by one of the figures she'd seen approaching in the periphery of her vision.

"Is everything under control here?" the ship's Executive Officer, Commander Chakotay asked.

Seven again began to reply that the situation was not at all tolerable, but halted herself when she noted the sudden redness of Lt. Torres' cheeks. She'd never seen this particular reaction before. Was it an external manifestation of impending aggression? Or perhaps one of submission? Maybe it was a physical indicator of an emotional response. She made a mental note to research the topic at a later date.

"We were just about to repair the propulsion system," Torres replied.

The commander then adopted a new posture, one that her studies of human behaviour indicated an expression of dominance. She noted that Torres unconsciously adopted an only slightly submissive counter-posture.

"Good. We need to borrow Seven of Nine for a moment, before you get started," he directed the lieutenant, before turning to face her. "Seven, step over there with Commander Tuvok. He has some questions for you."

She frowned. Inefficient and incorrect designations could lead to confusion ill afforded in a crisis. "My designation is Seven of Nine, Tertiary adjunct to..." she began to correct, only to find the Commander turning once more back to Lt. Torres.

"This way, please," Tuvok stepped in, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him.

She complied, striding over to the unoccupied area of the room that had been indicated.

"Do you require my assistance, Commander?" she asked.

"Yes," said Tuvok. "While we were on the Bridge, you tried to dissuade Captain Janeway from landing Voyager on this planet. You said it would be an ill-advised and potentially fatal course of action. You also mentioned that the Borg avoid this world for a reason."

"Explain: why did you believe it would be ill advised to land here? And why do the Borg avoid this planet?"

Chakotay lowered his voice, and said, "B'Elanna, you didn't answer my question. Is everything under control here?"

"Of.. of course! Why would you think it wasn't?" answered B'Elanna.

Chakotay stopped studying the warp core and looked at her. "It didn't sound that way to me. Do you talk to all your staff that way? Or just the ones you don't like?"

B'Elanna felt the blood begin to boil in her veins once again. "I talk that way to murderers. I talk that way to traitors. I talk that way to people who have no right tinkering around in Engineering while we have important work to do."

"Murderers," said Chakotay. "Traitors. People who have no right tinkering around in Engineering." He paused. "B'Elanna, do you remember the day you broke Lieutenant Carey's nose?"

It was B'Elanna's turn to stare into the warp core. Her lips pursed and she crossed her arms defensively across her chest. She didn't have a reply for the Commander.

"I saw Carey in Sickbay," said Chakotay. "He told me you two got into a shoving match over realigning the lateral plasma conduit. The last thing he said to me was, 'you keep that woman out of my engine room, and everything will be fine.' Sound like anyone you know?"

B'Elanna looked down from the warp core to the floor, but still didn't reply.

"B'Elanna...." Chakotay paused again. "Look, I don't trust her either. But the Captain is sure there's a human being in there, somewhere, and she's a pretty good judge of character. She made you Chief Engineer, didn't she?"

B'Elanna sighed and nodded.

"Just promise me I won't come back to find one of you in Sickbay and the other in the Brig," said Chakotay.

B'Elanna half-smiled at that. "All right. I promise."

"You never know," said Chakotay, "it might be you that winds up in Sickbay this time. You're a terrific fighter for your weight, but she's strong and fast, and she's got a big reach advantage."

B'Elanna looked up at Chakotay, tilting her head to one side. "I can handle her," she said.

Chakotay smiled and put his hand lightly on her arm. "That's what I needed to hear."

Tom called out from the forward console, "B'Elanna, please take a look at this."

Chakotay took his hand off of B'Elanna's arm, started to move away, and then stopped.

"Is there anything we need here? Anything I should be looking for on the planet's surface?"

B'Elanna thought for a second. "Yes. Polyferanide. We'll have to use our entire reserve to repair the warp nacelles."

Chakotay nodded. "I'll scan for it," he said, and walked over to Tuvok and Seven of Nine.

B'Elanna looked over at Tom and headed his way.

B'Elanna walked over to where Tom was standing and asked, "What did you find, Tom?"

"Look at this", Tom Paris said and pointed at the monitor. B´Elanna walked over to him.

"Two of the auxiliary fusion generators are heavily damaged", Tom continued, "and I can´t get access from here."

Then, he frowned. "That´s odd. What the ...". He entered some more commands and shook his head. "I don´t understand this. Something is wrong there. A few seconds ago these readings were totally different and now... ."

He sighed and shook his head again. "Either the main computer is malfunctioning too or something strange is going on near these fusion generators."

He looked at B´Elanna. "I think I should go down there and check this. Maybe one of your technicians could join me, those dark Jeffries tubes give me the creeps now and then... ."

He grinned and grabbed a toolkit.

Chakotay started walking over to the corner where Tuvok was listening to Seven of Nine, but paused and glanced back. B'Elanna had joined Tom at the forward console.

I was right, thought Chakotay. She was holding her wrist and wincing. She was injured.

B'Elanna would never go to Sickbay, not without a fight. The Captain had probably ordered her there already. Briefly, Chakotay considered a site-to-site transport, and smiled again. She'd be furious. Better not.

He turned back to the corner, and tapped his combadge.

Kes gazed intently at the terminal in the Lab, waiting for the results of Lieutenant Moore's skin culture to calculate, and made a mental list of the tasks that remained to be finished before the end of the day. More and more as time went on her duties to Sickbay increased and it was much welcomed. She'd definitely found her 'calling' as they said. Suddenly though, her thoughts were interrupted.

=/\=Chakotay to Sickbay.=/\=

She looked up. "Sickbay," she answered. "Kes here."

=/\=Kes, as soon as you're free, report to Engineering with a medkit. Lieutenant Torres has injured her wrist.=/\=

"I'll be there in just a few moments," she replied, watching the screen intently for her results. "Kes out." Tucking her hair behind an ear she stepped over to a compartment and readied a medkit, every now and then glancing back for her results. When they finally appeared, she saved the information and departed Sickbay for Engineering, a trip she'd made quite a few times over the years due to Voyager's stubborn Chief Engineer's tendency to push herself to the limits in order to get the job done. An admirable quality to the degree that she cared for her people, but one that could end in severe injury if she wasn't careful.

Engineering was a busy place when she finally made it. Scanning the room, she spotted her patient standing with Tom Paris. She greeted them with a smile. "Excuse me, Lieutenants. I hate to interrupt, but I was told there was an injured wrist I needed to look at."

*What the hell? How could Kes have found out about her wrist?* B'Elanna's mind searched for the explanation, but when she noticed Chakotay grinning at her from the other side of the room, she knew who the culprit was. She didn't know whether to tear his head off and eat it, or grin back at him.

Giving Chakotay a dirty look, she addressed Kes, "Yeah, Tom sprained his pinky. Could you look at it?"

She nodded, her quiet smile ever present, and answered, "I'd be very happy to take a look at his pinky - after I examine your wrist." Torres paused a moment and sighed before finally giving in and holding out her wrist. Kes removed the medical tricorder from the medkit and scanned the swollen injury. "You've sprained it, Lieutenant. I can give you a dose of Rexalin for the pain, but to repair the damage would require a quick trip to Sickbay, which is what I advise." Kes returned the tricorder to its place and waited for Torres to respond.

Before Seven had a chance to answer Tuvok's questions, they were interrupted by a communicator chirp.

=/\= Ensign Horton to Lieutenant Tuvok. =/\=

"Tuvok here, Ensign." Since Seven's answer did not seem to be forthcoming, he answered the comm with a quick tap on his badge.

=/\= Status report as ordered, sir, " Horton sounded embarrassed and nervous to be contacting the Security Chief directly, "We're awaiting you and Commander Chakotay in Transoporter Room 2. Will we need any special equipment for the planet? =/\=

"Standard expedition pack, Ensign," Tuvok answered, "Tricorder, hand phaser and wrist lights. We'll be joining you shortly."

Tuvok turned back to Seven.

"Seven, we need to know exactly what you know about this planet and the Borg's reticence to approach it. It could be vital to the survival of this crew and subsequently, your survival as well. What do you know?"

Tom Paris smiled at her.

"Thank you, Kes, but we are in a hurry" he interjected. "Some of the fusion generators are heavily damaged and we can´t fix it from here. B´Elanna and I have to go there and repair it before all of the generators fail" Tom continued.

He looked at Kes, who seemed to be worried somehow... .

"We will pay sickbay a visit as soon as we get back, ok?"

He picked up his toolkit again.

B'Elanna was relieved when Tom came to her rescue.

"Ready, B´Elanna?" he said, motioning towards the exit.

B'Elanna gave Kes a look over her shoulder as she and Tom moved away and called, "I'll be fine Kes - really."

When they were out of earshot, B'Elanna smiled at the helmsman. "Thanks, I owe you one," she gave him a playful punch on the shoulder, trying not to wince as the pain shot up her arm.

Seven of Nine waited for the over-anxious ensign to close the comlink, using the time to assemble her reply.

"The Borg know little about this planet. All attempts at reconnaissance have been met with unacceptable drone fatality levels. There is an unknown phenomenon within the atmosphere that, after exposure of approximately five hours, results in headaches and physical and mental discomfort. The symptoms escalate until approximately seventy-two standard hours after planetfall, at which point cardiac arrest occurs. Revival attempts are unsuccessful. The Voyager crew should begin to experience symptoms shortly. This," she continued calmly, "is why repairs to the communications array should be of a higher priority than propulsion. It will be impossible for Voyager to be rendered space-worthy before the crew succumbs to the phenomenon. We stand a greater chance of summoning help from an external source."

Kes watched as B'Elanna quickly took the opportunity to evade treatment. "I'll be fine, Kes - really," she called.

Sighing, Kes nodded and shrugged to Commander Chakotay. While concerned over the Chief Engineer's injury, she couldn't force her to Sickbay with such a minor injury. Hopefully she would see the sense in getting it treated when all the fuss aboard Voyager was over. If not, Kes was certain that Chakotay or the Doctor would pester her into Sickbay sooner or later anyway.

With a sigh, she turned and headed towards Engineering's exit.

"Seven," said Tuvok, "we need to know exactly what you know about this planet and the Borg's reticence to approach it. It could be vital to the survival of this crew and subsequently your survival as well. What do you know?"

"The Borg," said Seven, "know little about this planet..."

Chakotay heard Kes' voice and glanced back over his shoulder. Kes had arrived in Sickbay, and was examining B'Elanna's wrist. B'Elanna shot him a dirty look. Chakotay grinned, and turned back to listen to Seven of Nine.

His grin vanished quickly. Seventy-two hours wasn't much time.

"We stand a greater chance of summoning help from an external source," Seven of Nine concluded.

Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "That seems unlikely," he said. "We are, after all, in Borg space. You mentioned an 'unknown phenomenon within the atmosphere.' Can you elaborate? What possibilities have the Borg considered and rejected?"

Chakotay heard B'Elanna calling out, glanced back again, and frowned. B'Elanna was walking away with Tom, and assuring Kes she would be fine. Kes looked over at Chakotay, shrugged helplessly, and turned to leave Engineering.

Damn it, B'Elanna....

He stepped away from Tuvok and Seven of Nine and tapped his combadge. "Chakotay to Kes. Stay there. Chakotay out." Kes stopped and turned back, surprised.

Chakotay shouted, "Lieutenant Torres!"

B'Elanna stopped. The level of conversation in Engineering dropped suddenly. She turned to face Chakotay.

"What is it, Commander?"

Chakotay stepped up to the forward console, glared at B'Elanna, and put his hands on his hips. "Kes," he said, "is Lieutenant Torres injured?"

"Yes, Commander," said Kes.

"Can you treat her injuries here, in Engineering?"

"No, Commander."

"Lieutenant Torres, report to Sickbay at once." Chakotay looked around, then shouted again. "Lieutenant Carey!"

"Commander?" Carey was looking down from the upper level.

"Carey, Lieutenant Torres is reporting to Sickbay. You're in charge here until she returns." Chakotay looked around again. "All right, everyone, back to work."

He turned and went back to Tuvok and Seven of Nine. Both the Vulcan and the Borg looked at him dispassionately. "Are we done here, Tuvok?"

"I believe so, Commander."

"All right. Thank you for your assistance, Seven of Nine. Report to Sickbay with Kes and Lieutenant Torres. The Doctor will join you shortly. I want you to tell him everything you've told us. Tuvok, you're with me."

After the beetle incident, Neelix made it a point to steer clear of the Doctor's personal space. Something had struck a nerve with the holographic projection, and he didn't want to irritate it any further. After all, he was due to undergo a physical in a couple of weeks...

The Doctor had secured enough fungi an herbs for his purposes. He had taken approximately three dozen shots with his new holoimager. As far as he was concerned, his mission was a success and he was ready to return to the ship. He walked across the grass to Neelix, and stood behind the kneeling Talaxian. The EMH tilted his head in curiosity, as Neelix sat poised and ready to grab what looked like a large roach off a wide blade of grass.

He smiled smugly to himself, then projected in a loud, clear voice: "Mister Neelix?"

The Talaxian's nerves jumped from the startle.

Chakotay led the way out of Engineering and down the corridor to the turbolift. "Deck Four," he said, as the doors closed behind them. He did not look at Tuvok, and his voice, when he spoke, was tight with anger. "Did she tell you anything else?"

"Very little," said Tuvok. "The phenomenon she described is a complete mystery. The Borg have retrieved and examined the corpses of drones who died on this planet, and they were unable to determine what killed them."

"Is it possible that this phenomenon only affects cybernetic organisms like the Borg? It doesn't seem to harm the indigenous life forms."

Tuvok nodded. The doors opened, and the two of them stepped out onto Deck Four. "That is possible," said the Vulcan. "However, it is also possible that this phenomenon affects all alien life forms. At this point, we can only speculate about its effect on Voyager's crew."

The doors to Transporter Room Two opened as they approached. Ensign Horton and Crewman Thompson stood to attention as Chakotay and Tuvok entered.

"At ease," said Chakotay. The equipment he had ordered was waiting for them. Good to see someone can follow orders around here, he thought sourly.

"This is a reconnaissance patrol," he said as he strapped on his wristlights. "We're going to investigate the hills to the northeast. Keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. Our scans found no evidence of intelligent life on this planet, so if you see anything that looks artificial, report it immediately. Also, there's a potential biohazard here. If any of you start to feel a headache or any other kind of discomfort, speak up. Understood?"

Tuvok closed and holstered his tricorder, and Horton and Thompson hefted their phaser rifles. "Understood," they said.

Chakotay tapped his combadge. "Chakotay to the Doctor."

=/\= Doctor here. =/\=

"Doctor, beam back to the ship and return to Sickbay. We've just heard a disturbing report from Seven of Nine about possible medical consequences of remaining on this planet. Apparently, every drone that's set foot on this world has died within seventy-two hours."

"Seven of Nine will be waiting for you in Sickbay when you return. I want you to examine her, monitor her for any of the symptoms she describes, and start working on finding an explanation for this phenomenon. And bring Mr. Neelix back with you. I want him examined as well. Acknowledge."

=/\= Acknowledged. =/\=

"Chakotay out." He looked at the transporter technician. "Beam us down just under the bow, Lang, then beam the Doctor and Neelix back when they're ready."

He turned to his Away Team. "Okay, let's go."

The Away Team materialized on the planet's surface. Horton and Thompson looked around warily. Tuvok took out his tricorder and began scanning. Chakotay looked up and back at Voyager, then around at the forest nearby. He inhaled his first lung full of the planet's air: it was clean, and fresh, and sweet with the smell of growing things. He felt the knot of anger within him begin to loosen.

"It appears safe to proceed, Commander," said Tuvok.

Chakotay took out his own tricorder and examined the scans that Voyager had made as it descended.

"This way," he said, and struck out toward the trees.

Seconds after Commander Chakotay's team shimmered from existence, a second cascade of light materialized into the Doctor. He stepped down from the transporter pad.

"Mister Neelix will be remaining on the surface for awhile longer."

The transporter technician nodded and placed the console on standby.

The Doctor had a perfectly lovely afternoon, gathering organic materials with which to synthesize his dwindling supply of pharmaceuticals. And his new holoimager: If ever there was the most perfect material possession - aside from his mobile emitter of course - to have on hand in the most idyllic setting.

"Deck Five."

The EMH frowned as he pondered the Commander's mention of a Borg fatality rate in the vicinity of this planet. He caught no adverse radiation in the plants he scanned. And with the presence of smaller life forms, the Doctor was very dubious about the hastily conveyed statement. Perhaps Seven of Nine could offer some enlightening data to support it?

He strolled into Sickbay and noticed B'Elanna Torres sitting on the biobed closest to the door. She was in one of her simmering moods, while Kes treated what appeared to be a sprained wrist. Two biobeds over, the former Borg up straight. He nodded with a smile at her and turned a sharp left into his office. The Doctor carefully set down his holoimager. "Computer, transfer the EMH program from the mobile emitter to the Sickbay Systems." A beep from the comm system told him it was safe to remove the device from his arm. He placed it in its container between the holoimager and his console, then continued on and into the lab. Not taking any chances, he placed his specimens into an isolation unit. Then, he cut back through his office to see what information Seven of Nine had to impart.

The Doctor approached Biobed #2 and opened up his tricorder. Seven of Nine waited patiently, no change in her expression since he first walked in. "Now what's all this about a fatality rate in conjunction with this planet?" He ran the diagnostic wand of the tricorder along the former Borg, working his way down from her head.

She ignored the medical device and cocked her head to one side slightly. "The Borg have encountered an unknown phenomenon within the atmosphere of this planet which results in the death of exposed drones within 72 hours."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? Any idea in what way these - exposed drones are affected?" He keyed in modes on the tricorder and pondered his readings.

"The Borg ran complete bio-spectral analyses on the affected drones. Initial symptoms included headaches, visual distortion, and dizziness in varying severity, followed by nausea and acute physical and mental discomfort. The symptoms increased in severity until, as I told Commander Tuvok, cardiac arrest occurred at approximately 72 hours after first exposure. Attempts at revival were unsuccessful," she stated, then paused as if recalling some additional information.

Catching this, the Doctor waited patiently.

Seven continued: "Also, the affected drones' links to the Collective were severed shortly before the moment of death, as their bodies began to reject a number of implants. There was no indication of a pathogen, nor was there any discernable infection pattern - individual drones were affected at different rates."

"I see," said the Doctor. "And this was consistent from one cube or sphere to the next?"

"Yes. For several of your centuries, the Collective has made over two hundred attempts to establish a presence on this planet. They encountered the same phenomenon each time."

The Doctor sighed. "Well, we've been on the planet's surface for approximately eight hours now, and according to my readings, you're in perfect health. No physiological disorders. Implants functioning at peak efficiency..." He closed his tricorder.

She looked back at him impassively. "I am experiencing no adverse affects from my exposure - yet. However, in some drones, the initial symptoms did not begin to manifest until over twelve hours after planetfall. You would be advised to ascertain whether other members of the crew may be affected."

He met her gaze for a moment, then turned towards Biobed #4. Kes was finishing up with Lt. Torres. The Doctor walked over to the unoccupied side of the biobed and reopened his tricorder. B'Elanna gave him a dirty look as he scanned her; he ignored it and checked his readings. Then, he grinned smugly at her; the engineer's eyes reflected a temper on the verge of eruption. Ignoring that as well, he ran a quick scan of Kes, then returned to Seven's side.

Kes removed B'Elanna's wrist from the anabolic protoplaser that had efficiently repaired her sprained wrist and grabbed a hypospray of Rexalin to ease any residual pain, but before she could administer it the Doctor joined them momentarily to scan Torres.

Kes winced inwardly at the expression on the Klingon's face as the Doctor took his readings and moved on to take scans of her as well. Not commenting, he returned to Seven of Nine with the tricorder. Kes then quickly hypo'ed B'Elanna and smiled softly. "All finished."

"I'm sorry, Seven. There just doesn't appear to be any indication of symptoms. Not yet, at any rate. If I knew what circumstances caused this to occur, then perhaps I could issue preventive measures or create some sort of vaccine. But for now, I don't see the need for a change of plans. However..."

Seven watched as the EMH went to a far instrument tray and brought back with him a small object. "I want you to wear this at all times. It will monitor your condition and notify me of any changes. I may give one to Kes as well to compare." He placed the device behind her ear and activated it.

Seven of Nine nodded in acknowledgement.

"In the meantime, I want you to report to me the MOMENT you feel any dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, or disorientation. If something doesn't show up in readings, I want to know about it."

"I will comply."

He smiled and nodded as she stood from the biobed and left for Engineering.

First Officer's Log, supplemental.

We have arrived at the hills to the northeast of the landing site, and have climbed to the summit of the highest, Hill 219. We have an excellent all-around view. There are more hills to the north and east, and a broad lake to the east. The land to the south and west is mostly flat, but there is a mountain range in the distance.

This area appears to be a limestone plain, although the southwestern mountains are probably granite. The limestone is reddish, and scans confirm the presence of hematite, so there should be a good chance of finding polyferanide.

The plain is well watered, and the water is hard, but drinkable. These hills form a watershed, and there is a river in the valley beyond that drains into the eastern lake. We should be able to follow the near bank down to the lakeshore by nightfall, so I've made that our objective.

The soil is chalky, and its quality varies according to elevation: rich in the valleys, poor on hilltops like this, with some exposed rock. The vegetation is a mixture of forest and grassland. Nothing much grows on the hills besides short grass, but the valleys are thickly wooded.

The native plants and animals resemble those found on Earth during the Paleocene Epoch, about sixty million years ago. The most common tree species resembles the southern beech, and there are plenty of gymnosperms in the underbrush along with flowering plants. Our Security Chief has described the native flora as "unremarkable."

The fauna is small and non-threatening, consisting mostly of birds and reptiles, with some primitive and unspecialized mammals. Our scans have also revealed a large variety of insects. Pause recording.

Chakotay looked over at Tuvok and Horton. Each was scanning the valley beyond, Tuvok with his tricorder, Horton with the sight on his phaser rifle. Thompson kept watch nearby.

"Anything?"

"No, Commander."

Resume. We have found no sign of Borg activity, or any indication that the Borg have visited this world. There are no signs of any other intelligent life. We have encountered nothing that would cause the phenomenon that killed the Borg, and no member of the Away Team has reported the symptoms that Seven of Nine described.

End log entry. Attach visuals, scan results, and route map. Upload to Captain, Sciences, and Sickbay.

Despite his reservations about remaining on this planet for too long, it would have been illogical to take advantage of the time allotted to the crew before any serious side effects began.

Tuvok continued scanning with his tricorder, searching for anything that matched the exhaustive list of needed supplies for Voyager. His diligence was suddenly rewarded as he scanned the valley below them.

"Commander," he spoke, not taking his eyes form his readout, "I am detecting a large vein of polyferanide in the valley below."

He angled his tricorder so that Chakotay could see it and pointed, indicating where his scans had located it.

"That way."

Chakotay nodded as he studied the readings on Tuvok's tricorder.

"Good work," he said. "Horton, Thompson, let's go."

The Away Team fell into formation and headed down slope. Bare rock and short grass gave way to bushes, and finally to trees as they descended. The forest was closing in when Horton called out from the left flank.

"Commander. Over here."

The rest of the team converged on Horton's position. The Ensign was pointing the flashlight on his phaser rifle into the mouth of a cave in the hillside. Chakotay examined his tricorder's readout: the polyferanide deposit was much closer to the surface here; with a little luck, the cave would save them the trouble of sinking a mineshaft.

He scanned the red stone at the entrance, then, on an impulse, reached out, and scratched the rock with his thumbnail. It was unmarked.

"More limestone," he said. "This was probably cut out of the rock by the action of carbonic acid in the rainwater." He switched on his wristlights and directed the beams into the cave. "And by the friction of sand and pebbles carried along by an underground stream. It seems dry now, though."

He glanced around at his Away Team and half-smiled. "Looks like we just got a break. Horton, you take point. Watch your step."

Horton nodded and led the way into the cave, scanning back and forth with the light on his rifle. Chakotay followed, keeping one eye on his tricorder and the other on the cave floor. The rest of the team was close behind.

"First Officer's Log, supplemental. The caves under Hill 219 have turned out to be extensive. We have located a deposit of polyferanide, approximately one hundred metres from the entrance. Scans indicate the deposit contains more than enough polyferanide for the ship's needs."

Chakotay looked up from his tricorder. The black splotches of the transferrous element showed up clearly on the red limestone wall of the cave.

"Paydirt," he said, glancing at Tuvok and half-smiling. "We should--"

"Commander!"

"What is it, Thompson?"

"Commander, I think you should have a look at this. It's a device of some kind."

"A device?" Chakotay hurried down the tunnel to Thompson's position. "Is it Borg?"

"No, sir. I don't know what it is. I picked up some anomalous energy readings, followed them to their source, and there it was. There," he said, pointing with his phaser rifle.

The device was small and unobtrusive, and located high up on the cave wall. Chakotay scanned it with his tricorder. Its energy signature was unfamiliar, and its function was difficult to determine.

"Looks like...some kind of passive sensor," Chakotay said doubtfully. "Tuvok, have a look at this."

Chakotay moved farther down the tunnel, retuning his tricorder and scanning ahead. There: he was detecting more anomalous energy readings deeper in the caves.

He tapped his combadge. "Chakotay to Voyager."

The combadge buzzed. Chakotay frowned. "Chakotay to Voyager. Respond."

Nothing.

"Retreat," he called out, drawing his phaser. "Back to the surface. Now!"

Tuvok was not foolish enough to doubt the existence of such a thing as instinct, and in this particular instance, his seemed to echo Chakotay's.

He drew his phaser as he called for Ensign Horton, who had ventured slightly deeper into the cave.

"Ensign Horton, we are returning to the surface. Now."

Horton was crouched over another of the devices, attempting to determine its function when he heard a noise in front of him, from deeper in the cave.

His head snapped up, but he saw nothing in the encroaching darkness. He swung his wristlight up as he drew his phaser with the other, the tricorder clattering on the rocks below.

"Who..?" was all he had time for before a bright flash of light robbed him of consciousness.

Tuvok heard the strange whine of a weapon and he motioned Chakotay back toward the exit.

"Out, Commander, quickl..."

A yellow beam stabbed out of the darkness, and the Vulcan twisted back, barely avoiding it.

The same could not be said, unfortunately for Ensign Thompson, who took the beam full in the chest. He dropped soundlessly to the ground, a strange energy dancing briefly around his body as he stopped moving.

Chakotay and Tuvok reacted simultaneously, both turning and firing phasers at the blackness, but to no discernible effect, as the remaining duo crouched behind a large rock. The entrance to the cave lay tantalizingly within a short sprinting distance, but they both knew that every centimeter of that distance promised a fate similar to Thompson and presumably Horton.

"Run for the exit, Commander. I will cover you, but someone must warn Voyager."

Chakotay nodded and readied for his run, tensing like a coiled spring. Tuvok widened the beam spread setting on his phaser and signaled Chakotay with a flip of his head.

"Go."

They both sprung up, out from behind the rock and the First Officer charged for the entrance, barely wasting a backward glance.

Tuvok fired blindly and the phaser spat a conical blast at the dark forms that were barely visible in the dim light. The shapes dodged back and to the sides as Tuvok fired again.

Chakotay pumped his legs for the exit, phaser in one hand, wristlights juggling crazily on his swinging arm, casting wild shadows on the walls, which began to give way to daylight. Just when he began to believe he had gained the exit, more shapes appeared, clustered at the exit, blocking the way.

He skidded to a stop and brought the phaser up, but the now-familiar yellow beams were faster as they struck the Commander, and everything went black.

Tuvok turned as he heard the telltale whine of the native weapon and he saw Chakotay crumple to the ground.

"Commander!" he shouted and took a step to assist him when he realized he was surrounded. He had half-turned back when yet another yellow beam struck him in the side.

He took a single step and fell to his knees, the phaser falling to the ground as the darkness quickly, mercifully took his vision, and then sensation altogether.

B'Elanna had allowed herself to be taken to Sickbay, but that didn't mean she had to act like she liked it. She made a full display of her displeasure to everyone around her, including the Doctor when he had scanned her.

When Kes quickly hypo'ed B'Elanna and smiled at her, B'Elanna suppressed her urge to growl at her. Of all the people on Voyager, B'Elanna could tolerate Kes the most. The Ocampan said softly, "All finished."

B'Elanna gave her a sarcastic grin and asked, "Are you sure? Or did Chakotay order an annual physical as well?" Not waiting for a reply, B'Elanna pushed herself off the biobed and headed for the exit. Before leaving she called over her shoulder, "Thanks Kes, I do appreciate it." She didn't see Kes smile behind her.

Turning into the hallway, B'Elanna tapped her combadge. "Lieutenant Torres to Lieutenant Carey, alert me if our situation changes in Engineering. I have finished my business in Sickbay and am headed to Jeffries Tube 11, Section Beta to begin repairs on the auxiliary fusion chamber with Lieutenant Paris. Torres out."

B'Elanna reached the turbolift, pressed the call button with her right hand and tapped her combadge with her left. "Lieutenant Torres to Lieutenant Paris."

The alarms had gone the second the ship started its decent into Kanar's life-giving atmosphere and the recall order to the work parties had been sent a fraction of a second later. All safely hidden, they could only watch and wait for the intruders to either leave or die. But it was such an unusual ship - nothing like they'd ever seen before and certainly unlike anything the Borg would construct. But then again, the sensor net indicated the presence of at least one Borg on board the vessel. There was debate now, with younger members of the ruling council arguing passionately that contact should be made with the outlanders. Dreams of a return to lost days of space-travel flitted through their heads. The majority of the council, however, was older, wiser and more conservative, determined to keep their people in the safety of their underground dwellings until the danger had passed. There was a Borg on board. There could be no contact. Privately, Mordah agreed with the elders - their caution had kept them safe for centuries - that and their natural immunity to the deadly virus that afflicted those foolish enough to set down. And, also for centuries, the only ones foolish enough to set down on the planet were the dreaded Borg. It was the way it was, and the way it must be.

Matters, however, had been forced. These new beings were curious and, after a number of close calls, had finally stumbled onto the entrance to one of their smaller habitations. Of course, they'd been met by the automated defence system before they could venture much further and had been partially disabled. In the end it had taken his entire squad to prevent their escape, surrounding them and then mowing them down. Green as his squad was, Mordah was pleased at the way they'd handled themselves in their first conflict.

He signaled for his scouts to go and sweep the perimeter for other aliens and checked his own injured before, medic in tow, approaching the fallen. Their clothing was bright, loud reds and yellows and blues, all of which stood out horribly against the green and brown of the vegetation, clashing too with his innate sense of camouflage. He prodded one with the toe of his boot. It had dark-skin and had displayed the most proficiency with its weapon. And the weapon itself...

Mordah leaned down and gingerly picked the sleek shape up. It was so small and compact compared to their own clumsy energy weapons, yet the sense of power it projected was undeniable. He checked the setting and found it to be on 'stun'.

Stun. Their own weapons had but one setting, which had made taking the aliens alive as the council wanted that much harder. Curious, he found the power setting adjustment, then the trigger, and aimed at a handy rock. It vaporised. Completely. He stared in shock, like most of the rest of the squad. No weapon they had could do that...

"Sir..."

Mordah wheeled around to face the young medic who swallowed nervously.

"Sir, I've done what I can for them, but their biology..." she trailed off. "I couldn't save them all, sir." She drew his attention to one of the figures being loaded onto a stretcher for transport. "See, this one got shot in the upper half of his chest. I think that's where most of his vital organs are."

Mordah nodded. "There was nothing to be done. It would no doubt have been dead in a few days anyway. What about the rest? Are they all right for transport?"

"Yes sir, as far as I can tell they don't seem to have suffered irreparable damage - but I'd have to be in a full medical facility to tell for sure."

"Good. We'll move out in five."

Mordah frowned down at the stretchers, then at the new weapon which he carefully re-set to 'stun' and placed in one of the special transport containers. Then he settled back, still alert to danger, to wait for his scouts to report in.

B'Elanna reached the turbolift, pressed the call button with her right hand and tapped her combadge with her left. "Lieutenant Torres to Lieutenant Paris."

=/\= Hey, B´Elanna, what took you so long? =/\= the pilot responded. =/\= Did the Doc show you his entire collection of petrie dishes or what? I need your help. This place is a mess... =/\=.

B´Elanna could hear a hissing in the background and the rattling of tools.

=/\= B´Elanna, can you hear me? =/\=

"Tom where are you?" called B'Elanna over the com. "It sounds like you need me."

B'Elanna got into the turbolift and ordered, "Deck 11."

Chakotay was in Sickbay. The Doctor was in the surgical bay, drawing the sheet up over the face of Harry Kim--what was left of it. The Ensign was barely recognizable.

"He's dead, Commander," said the EMH.

"They're ALL dead, Commander." Chakotay turned, surprised, at the sound of Captain Janeway's voice. She stood there, her arms folded across her chest, glaring at him.

"Look around you," she said, nodding her head toward the other biobeds.

Chakotay looked around. Still, sheeted forms lay on the other biobeds, and on the floor. Sickbay was full of dead bodies.

"Headaches within five hours," said Seven of Nine. Chakotay looked to his right. Seven of Nine was a Borg drone once again. Her body was encased in a black exoskeleton; her single human eye regarded him with cold contempt, from the pallid, impassive face of a corpse.

"Escalating physical and mental discomfort," she said. "Cardiac arrest within seventy-two hours. Death."

"This is your fault, Chakotay," said Janeway.

My fault, thought Chakotay. "Kathryn?"

"You ended our alliance with the Borg," she said, accusingly.

"Kathryn--"

Someone laughed, off to Chakotay's left. It can't be, he thought. He looked. It was Seska. She, too, looked like she had before: Bajoran, not Cardassian.

"Federation rules," sneered Seska. "Federation nobility. Federation compassion."

"You never trusted me," said Janeway.

"You are erratic...conflicted...disorganized," said Seven of Nine.

Chakotay tried to speak, but no words came.

"Do you understand," said Seska, "if this had been a Cardassian ship, we would be home now." Her face was contorted by hatred.

"You never believed this would work," said Janeway.

"Every decision is debated," said Seven of Nine. "Every action questioned. Every individual entitled to their own small opinion."

The three of them advanced toward him. He retreated, until he backed into the wall. All dead, he thought.

"We must begin to forge alliances," said Seska. "To survive, we must have powerful friends."

"You were just waiting for an opportunity to circumvent my orders," said the Captain.

"You lack harmony...cohesion...greatness," said Seven of Nine. "It will be your undoing."

"I can't imagine how I ever loved you," said Seska.

Suddenly, Chakotay found himself hurled backwards. Air rushed around him, past him. Then there was silence, and he was falling, falling through the cold black night of outer space.

He struggled and kicked, reaching for Voyager, but it was receding. He tried to cry out, but the air left his lungs, and his words were swallowed by the empty silence.

He was dying. The pain in his ears and abdomen was unbearable. He could feel the water on his tongue beginning to boil.

Help me...

Help...

The Doctor sat silently in his office, staring at Seven of Nine's medical profile. He pondered his latest log entry, wondering how such a benign planet could affect the Borg so profoundly. If he didn't know better, he could have sensed a touch of fear in Seven's voice.

He didn't like all this not knowing, and at this stage - despite his lack of information - Captain Janeway had to be informed.

He rolled his chair back and sat up straight against the back, then tapped his combadge.

It was time for some art lessons with Leonardo DaVinci. That ought to keep her mind occupied.

She managed to finally arrive at the holodeck, though on autopilot, as her mind really was not on cue for such trivial pursuits. After she activated the program, she entered through the holodeck doors. She entered DaVinci's studio from the foyer.

"Katarina, you are late." DaVinci muttered, deeply involved in his painting.

He stood near the largest window in his studio. Outside, a rainy day. With his backside toward the window, he faced a quite busy canvas. An easel with a blank canvas stood nearby, ready for 'student' Janeway. As she approached, with palette knife in hand DaVinci scraped away the bottom half of his painting in disgust.

"Maestro. You seem as unsatisfied in this painting, as I have felt for quite some time...on an average day." the captain mused.

"You see, Katarina, the rain outside? I try to capture a sunny spring day, because it is the opposite of a rainy day. The sun is what I want to see in the true sky, but nature buffets me, so I create it in art. But today, I can capture none of the season. I now destroy the imperfect, in order to try again to create a sunny spring day."

Janeway looked studiously, yet still distracted, at the maestro. She replied "Why not paint what you actually feel? The dissatisfaction of a rainy day, perhaps."

"Let us both, then." DaVinci stated. "I will now paint what I feel, as you paint what you truly feel."

With palette in one hand, paintbrush in another, Janeway started something on her canvas. After nearly an hour of silence, and sounds of a duo painting, the maestro paused them.

"Katarina. I now must see what you have created up to this point."

He approached, and looked unemotionally at her painting. As a teacher does, without the judgement emotions sometimes convey. The content of her painting was - a background of gray with darker gray squares of various size.

Janeway sensed disapproval, but was corrected with a response she had not expected.

"Excellent work. Today the lesson was that of feeling. Your dissatisfaction is expressed in the hues of gray - exactly as I had envisioned. And now you may look upon my painting.."

Janeway put her painting implements down, and went over to see DaVinci's work. An unexpected work, it was.

"A sunny spring day, maestro? I don't understand." she said.

"Dear Katarina, it is how I feel. In the eye of the beholder is this notion of feeling. One's condition, not surroundings must dictate, because they are ever changing. Katarina, you must dictate your very soul; irrespective of the surroundings or condition."

At that, Janeway looked at the maestro with astonished amazement. In the heaviest of moments, or dulling despair, this holographic DaVinci had always inspired her.

"Maestro...you most surely are correct." she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you. I have so many possibilities at my disposal, and as usual your insight has brought them to my attention. However, I must return to my work for today. I will be back for my next lesson soon."

She patted DaVinci on the shoulder, and walked toward the studio door. He bid his farewell, and after leaving the studio, she ended the program.

After leaving the holodeck, the captain headed for the bridge. En route, she was immediately summoned elsewhere.

=/\=Doctor to the Captain. Please report to Sickbay=/\=

"On my way, Doctor," Janeway sighed.