In Dreams

Part 4

"Kathryn, I understand your concerns." Chakotay stood against the wall, arms folded as Kathryn weeded her way through the myriad of wires and plasma conduits in search of the Doctor. He looked about him. Sickbay wasn't the same without the Doctor. "But, dreams, even nightmares, are a normal part of human life. Seven is finally experiencing that."

"And I should be happy for her." Kathryn called from beneath the main med console. "I know, Chakotay, but this is different. You of all people should understand that. My gut.." She pulled on a particularly stubborn grouping of wires and couplets. When it was freed, she went on, "My gut tells me there's more going on here. Don't ask me what."

He nodded, though she couldn't see it. "I do understand, Kathryn. I just can't help but feel the need to play Devil's Advocate."

"You, Chakotay?" Kathryn's sarcasm came through clearly.

"Yes, me." He laughed as he peered down into the console and found her steel eyes through the wire bundle she was examining. "I'm going back to the bridge. Should we expect you any time soon?"
Kathryn hardly had a moment to think about it when the comlink into the sickbay sounded.

"Bridge to Captain Janeway."

She grunted with the next movement, and found herself jammed further into the console. She spoke up,

"Janeway here. What is it, Kim, I'm a little tied up."

Chakotay stifled a laugh and listened.

"We have a visitor, Captain."

*

Kathryn waited in the shuttle bay as the tractor beam pulled the beat up shuttle into the hold and secured it inside. The bay doors closed, and Kathryn approached the shuttle, while Tuvok and three security officers followed.

The name on the side of this very old Earth origin shuttle was nearly invisible, and Kathryn barely made it out: The Demeter.

"Tuvok." Kathryn waited as the head of Security precisely worked at the shuttle's hatch controls. In a moment, the shuttle door opened.

Kathryn and the three security officers’ hands went over their mouths as the stench of death poured forth from the shuttle.

"Masks."

Tuvok, unaffected by the smell, went forth. "Preliminary scans show no sign of disease or danger. There is one faint life sign. I suggest we find who it belongs to."

"After you, Tuvok." Kathryn took a mask from one of the younger officers; a young Bajoran woman named Z’ela, and slid it on. She followed Tuvok, and the officers followed.

She walked in to a somewhat surprising atmosphere. The pilot of the shuttle, a male of a Delta Quadrant species called the Mar. They were a race of monks, and this man was at the helm. He was dead, for what looked to be some time, and his wrists were tied to the piloting column.

"Captain." Z’ela, who was new to this position, caught herself, and called instead to Tuvok.

"It's all right, Z’ela." Kathryn went to her side, "What do you have there?"

"It looks like a stasis chamber. Embedded into the wall, and it's barely functioning." She held her tricorder up to the chamber's keypad, and with her free hand, touched the keypad. She jumped a bit when it fell off the wall.

"Captain." Tuvok said, "This is ship is a civilian class transport shuttle. Built approximately 200 years ago."

From outside the shuttle, Kathryn heard a low whistle. She knew Tom had wanted to see the shuttle- for that matter the entire ship was buzzing with news of an Earth origin shuttle in the shuttle bay- but she knew Tom would find a reason to be here.

"Work on the stasis chamber. Notify the Doc- sickbay, that we might have a visitor, if we can get him or her out on time."

Kathryn left Z’ela and the others to the task, momentarily, and stepped outside to see Tom.

He stood with his fingers on the D in the Demeter. He was in awe, it seemed. "Captain." He acknowledged her, and she suppressed a smile. He was like a child in a petting zoo.

"Tom." She removed her mask. The smell had subsided substantially. "Shouldn't you be working with
B'Elanna?"

"Captain." He said it again. "Do you know what this is?"

"Do tell."

"This is one of the fastest shuttles of its time." He walked around to the nose. "Some of the most advanced warp technology of its time. I’d love to get into core of this puppy."

"Later, Tom. Right now, I need you to get to sickbay. You have more med training than anyone this ship besides the Doctor, and it looks like we'll have a patient for you any moment. You can go back to finding the Doctor when this is resolved."

"Right away, Captain." He took a moment to disembark himself, but tore away and faced the Captain.

"Oh, I meant to tell you. Seven just told me that she has downloaded all medical files and would like to take part in helping out while the Doctor is gone. She's in sickbay now."

Kathryn shook her head. "I’ll need to speak with Seven. She won't be performing any duties for a while. When you get to sickbay, please tell her to report to me."

"Yes, ma'am." He was about to leave for sickbay, but paused. "How is Seven doing?"

Kathryn didn't answer. "I'm sure she would appreciate your concern."

"Yes, ma'am." Tom nodded uncomfortably, turned toward the doors and left.

Kathryn watched him go. She turned back to the shuttle, and paused when she saw the man standing at the shuttle door, blinking in the light of the bay.

He was tall. Just a bit taller than Seven. Pale, gaunt, as if he'd been in stasis too long and suffered malnutrition. His eyes were an almost turquoise blue, and his black hair curled down about his shoulders. The long, gauzy black coat he wore covered a skeletal frame clothed in more gauze like fabric of darker hues.

Tuvok had stepped out just in front of the man.

The man saw Kathryn, and stopped in front of the Demeter.

Kathryn greeted him. "I'm Captain Janeway. Welcome to the Starship Voyager."

He spoke, and his voice was raspy from lack of use. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Greetings, Captain." His accent was thin, but apparent. Eastern European. "My name is Tepes. I seem to have landed on the night's Plutonian shore."

She recognized the words from the ancient author Edgar Allen Poe. "Welcome, Tepes. I would like to escort you to our sickbay."

"Yes, yes." He answered. "I have been asleep for so long." He looked about him in the shuttle bay, blinking still from the brightness of the lights. "So long."

She smiled at him, and spoke, "Please, follow me. And please forgive the guards. A precaution."
"One that I understand. I am a stranger here, after all."

So far, so good, Kathryn thought. Perhaps this would be an encounter with a stranger in the Delta Quadrant which wouldn't yield high drama and combat.

She led their new guest into her ship's corridor.

*

End part four