“That’s because of the neural gel packs in the memory core. They act as an independent variable-function generator, calibrating a continuous input of data and changing operations to suit current conditions even during the processor’s calculation of a problem solution.”
Dismayed, Prog stared back. “How can I integrate with a system like that? I would need a complete flowchart of the circuits of the prior memory core. Even then, I’d somehow have to copy it into our database through an invasive subroutine.”
Torres shrugged. “I would never have tried to integrate in the first place without the procedural sequence.”
Prog fastened her eyes on her. “You know what needs to be done to bring the processor up to speed.”
In spite of herself, Torres had already figured out that they needed to input a parallel operation program to improve performance. The processor had the capacity to allow data to pass through many lines simultaneously to accommodate the neural gel packs.
“You do know!” Prog said triumphantly. “Why won’t you help us?
We could take over the entire network of the planet, and the Board would have to give in. You could be back on your ship, with your processor, by this time tomorrow.”
“You heard what my captain said. We can’t help you.”
“What about your crew member with the Cartel?” Her eyes narrowed.
“He’s a friend of yours, isn’t he? Don’t you want to help him?”
“I do.” Stricken, she couldn’t say more.
“Then tell me,” Prog insisted, her voice lowering. “I’ll do the work, just tell me.”
The temptation was almost overwhelming. Torres braced herself against the monitor with one hand, bending her head. Conflicting desires swirled together, until everything resolved on the image of Captain Janeway’s face the last time she had disobeyed orders—after she and Seska had installed the transport device in Engineering. Nothing had been as excruciating as confessing her transgression to Janeway, not even during those terrible moments when she couldn’t detach the destructive device from the ship.
“I know what needs to be done,” Torres said, her throat tight.
“You’d better disconnect our processor from the network.”
Prog let out her breath sharply. “You won’t tell me?”
“I don’t know what to do.” Torres turned away, hoping she hadn’t already given the rebels the information they needed.
“I thought you were a fighter!” Prog called after her. “You’re weak like everyone else.”
Torres silently shook her head, refusing to look back. Prog didn’t know how hard it was to walk away.
With a sigh, she sat down on her bench, her shoulders slumped.
When she looked up, Janeway’s eyes were open, watching her.
“Captain! You’re awake.”
“I’ve been awake.” Janeway stiffly pushed herself up Her voice lowered. “You lied to her.”
Torres gave her a sharp glance. “How do you know?”
“My mother is a theoretical mathematician. I’ve been immersed in computer programming ever since I can remember. I know they need to time-share the program, and I know you’re aware of how to do that.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” Torres demanded. “I almost told her.”
Janeway seemed surprised by the question. “You’re one of my senior officers, Lieutenant. I trust you to obey my orders.”
Torres felt uncomfortable. “It was a test? To see if I’d obey orders this time?”
“Not at all. I must believe in my crew, or we’re all in bigger trouble than this.” Janeway gestured to Prog and the guards.
“It’s only by working together within a common system, toward common goals, that we’ll survive to return to the Alpha Quadrant.”
Torres shook her head. “I don’t understand that. All I know is that I couldn’t let you down again.”
Janeway relaxed ever so slightly. “I didn’t think you would.”
After Andross had made his threat, Chakotay spent the rest of the day going from one department to the next, talking to the officers and getting a feel for the atmosphere on board. It was not the sort of thing Starfleet usually advised captains to do.
But he was discovering just how many of Starfleet’s recommendations relied on the fact that your ship would be somewhere in Federation space. If you could hang on for long enough, someone would inevitably come to investigate.
That’s what made this situation so insidious. Their strength was being sapped in a thousand unforeseen ways. He could sense that in the crew—even as they brought systems back on-line and improved reaction time, there was a desperate feeling that time was not on their side.
As Chakotay quietly moved among the crew, he was aware that he had fallen back into Starfleet mentality. He had learned from the best strategists and tacticians at the Academy; then his skills had been honed even more when he left to fight Starfleet.
He didn’t intend to oppose the principles that guided their crew, but he determined that their execution must be molded to suit their needs.
By evening he was ready.
“You’re all aware of our situation.” Chakotay clasped his hands on the conference table, addressing the group of sadly diminished senior officers, including Neelix, who’d been inside the Hub, and Kes, who took the place of the chief medical officer. His visit to sickbay had revealed the extent of Zimmerman’s malfunctions, but the doctor had been back at work, analyzing the reflexive effects of the neural tissue. “Now I want to hear your opinions.”
Tuvok’s raised brow acknowledged the unorthodox beginning. “I believe our most immediate concern is Agent Andross. In so many words, he has threatened to kill the away team unless we provide him with the computer information by midday tomorrow.”
“We have to give him what he wants,” Kes insisted. “Nothing is worth the life of Captain Janeway and Lieutenant Torres.”
Tuvok told her, “To render aid to an insurrection would be a direct violation of the Prime Directive.”
Neelix rolled his eyes. “Not that again!”
“Yes, that again,” Chakotay immediately replied. “We’re all aware that both problems could be solved by giving the Tutopans what they’re asking for. And then what?”
“Then we get out of here,” Neelix said, as if that was obvious.
“Leaving behind repercussions that would have drastic consequences for millions of people. Do you want that responsibility?” Chakotay straightened up, meeting the eyes around the table. “I don’t.”
“We must find another option,” Tuvok agreed.
“Why don’t we just go in and get them?” Kim asked.
Chakotay had already considered that possibility. “The Cartel has refused my request for permission to take a shuttle in-system.”
“Did they give a reason why?” Kes asked.
“They know our missing processor is somehow involved in the rebellion.
I explained that our only interest is to retrieve Captain Janeway and Lieutenant Torres, but again, they want more information about Min-Tutopa. Apparently, they have a vested interest in what happens.”
Neelix grimaced at that. “The captain is a smart woman. Perhaps she’ll be able to work things out for herself.”
“Hostages are rarely able to resolve the situation,” Tuvok informed him.
“Well, we can’t just sit here,” Kim said.
“Do you suggest we go in-system without permission?” Chakotay shook his head. “Our shuttles haven’t the speed or the shielding power to withstand an attack by the Cartel.”
“Then why don’t we use Voyager?” Kim suggested.
“We would not get far in a malfunctioning ship,” Tuvok said flatly.
Chakotay wasn’t sure how he managed to sound so snide without an inflection in his voice. “A shuttlecraft would be the more viable choice.”
“We can’t just sit here,” Kim repeated doggedly. “We might as well use the leverage we’ve got while we still have it.”
The conference room was silent as everyone considered that.
“Bold thinking, Mr. Kim,” Chakotay finally told him. “I can’t say I disagree.”
“Voyager is incapable of warp or impulse propulsion,” Tuvok pointed out. “Deflectors and shields are unreliable without computer control.
In addition, power fluctuations continue to adversely affect every system on board.”
“Let’s try this from a different angle,” Chakotay suggested.
“What systems are working?”
“Well, we’ve got life support stabilized,” Kim offered. “And we do have thrusters.”
“Phasers and photon torpedoes are functioning,” Tuvok added.
“However, targeting systems are unreliable.”
Chakotay pushed away from the table, frustrated by the pile of negatives that seemed to keep burying them. Pacing over to the window, he stared out at the Hub, facing the fact that there was no way they could win in a fair fight. That meant he couldn’t allow it to be a fair fight. Which left guerrilla tactics again—deception and unexpected movement, with just enough terror thrown in to demoralize the enemy.
When he finally turned, their faces were expectant. He took heart in their faith. “In my experience, I’ve found it’s better not to fight your limitations, but to use them to your advantage.
I believe that is particularly true in this situation.”
“How can we use a crippled ship to our advantage?” Neelix demanded.
Chakotay finally smiled. “By being as crippled as we possibly can.”
Kim slowly began to nod. “Just like the way we scared off the scavengers outside Gateway Pol.”
Kes didn’t bother with the specifics. “If we’re leaving, we have to take Tom Paris with us.”
“We have pursued every line of negotiation,” Tuvok pointed out.
“Our efforts have been unsuccessful.”
Chakotay figured it was inevitable. “If we’re flying in the face of reason, we might as well go all the way.”
“How do you suggest we deal with the Cartel?” Tuvok asked.
“I’m thinking about something more direct. Something Tom Paris himself would approve of.”
A smile started to spread across Kim’s face. “You’re thinking about breaking him out of jail.”
“Yes.”
Neelix seemed astounded. “You’d really do that?”
“At this point,” Chakotay said, “you’d be surprised what lengths I’d go to.”
Tuvok shifted uncomfortably. “Paris is guilty according to the laws of this society.”
“He was only trying to help the captain,” Kes said on his behalf.
“Besides,” Kim said defiantly. “I’m the guilty one. I copied those files, not Paris. If you want to make someone pay for it, then turn me over to the Cartel.”
Chakotay instantly shook his head. “I won’t allow anyone else to be subjected to their testing methods.”
“People, please!” Neelix held up his hands. “Before you argue ethics again, you better figure out if you can do it. You’re talking about the Cartel, here. What makes you think you can take Paris away from them?”
“We have been unable to locate his whereabouts,” Tuvok agreed.
“In addition, the sensors are unreliable. It would take time to conduct a thorough scan.”
“If we can find him, we could use the transporter,”
Kim reminded Chakotay.
Chakotay narrowed his eyes. “The transporter would be the ideal method, providing we can punch through their shields and keep from giving them too much information about transporter technology while we do it.”
“In order to achieve a transporter lock through the gravity bases,” Tuvok told them, “a beacon must be placed with Paris.
“We could use a subcutaneous transponder,” Tuvok continued thoughtfully. “The mechanism is inert, so it would pass their scanners. However, implanting the transponder would require physical contact with Paris.”
“I tell you what,” Neelix said, reluctantly. “I’ll go into the Hub again. Maybe I can find out where the holding cells are.”
“Good.” In spite of all the ifs and buts, Chakotay was pleased.
There was a charged feeling in the room, as if everyone had been given new life. “Tuvok, you and Kes get to work on the beacon.
Ensign Kim, I want a full report of the status of each system.
We have until noon tomorrow to make this work.”
Kes returned to their quarters not long before Neelix arrived.
He was flushed and agitated, but no more so than usual. “How did it go?” she asked.
“I take my life in my hands every time I step into that station,” Neelix replied, falling back on their couch with a sigh. “I keep expecting that miner and his friend to jump out from every corridor.”
“Did they?”
“No.” Neelix groaned, rubbing the shoulder that had been injured.
“But never again! I got what the commander wanted.”
“You know where Paris is?”
“Weeellll… not exactly.” He fished a receiver chip from his pocket.
“But I did find a map that shows where the Enforcer Security Block is.”
Kes kneaded his shoulders. “I’m sure the commander will be pleased.”
“It wasn’t easy getting it, let me tell you.” He twisted his neck.
“Ah, yes, right there! That feels wonderful….”
“It’s late,” Kes told him. “Why don’t you take a bath and go to bed?”
He accepted her help getting up. “I’m too tired even for a bath.”
Kes walked him to the bed, pulling off his shoes for him and unbuttoning his coverall.
“You’re so good to me,” Neelix mumbled.
“And you’re good to me,” Kes told him with a kiss. She pulled up the covers. “Now, sleep.”
He caught her hand as she turned away. “What about you?”
“There’s something I have to do first.”
Neelix yawned hard enough to crack his jaw. “The beacon?”
“Yes, I’ve created a microinjector that will release the transceiver.”
She patted his hand, putting it back down on the cover. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”
Neelix made a halfhearted attempt to protest, but by the time she picked up the receiver chip he’d brought back, she could hear his snores coming from the other room. Quickly, she scanned the chip with her tricorder, and examined the map of the Hub. It didn’t look to difficult to get to the security block from their docking pylon.
When she reached sickbay, the doctor was still hard at work.
“Are you sure this isn’t too much of a strain on you?” she asked.
Zimmerman mumbled something about helping those who helped themselves.