INJASUTI
CHAPTER TWO
The officers on the bridge were stunned as they stared at the spot where Kathryn Janeway had been standing seconds ago. Like an apparition that appeared briefly only to disappear again, the captain's body merged into the air and was gone before they could react. There was no transporter beam, no sound whatsoever. She simply dissolved before their eyes.
Harry Kim gulped several times, his eyes watery from the effort to curb his emotions. He had sensed the scan, reacting perhaps a second after Captain Janeway began to disappear quietly before his eyes. Now he stood, his hands still on the console, his trembling fingers still splayed across the panelled array before him.
"I…tried to stop it," the words burst from him. "It was too quick…I couldn't stop it…"
Tom Paris rose from the conn, his chair immediately occupied by his stand-in who had been sitting at a station to his left. He faced Harry, his closest friend on Voyager.
"I doubt whether you could have done anything to stop it, Harry. We just have to go out and search for her… Harry! Are you listening?" Harry Kim's eyes lost their glazed look as he focused on Tom. Tom patted his hands. "We'll go and search for our captain, okay? She's out there somewhere, and hopefully, unhurt…"
Harry nodded wordlessly, his fingers beginning their furious entering of keys and codes. He pursed his lips.
"Okay, Harry?" Tom urged again. "We've been through similar and worse situations, and every time we've succeeded in finding missing crew, no matter how long it took, right?"
"It may be the Injasuti," Harry muttered. "The signature is the same as the earlier scan…"
"Good. That's a starting point."
Tom Paris hit his commbadge. He was suddenly cast into the role of the most senior officer on board Voyager.
"Paris to Chakotay."
"Chakotay here. What's up, Paris?"
"You'd better get back here as soon as possible. In fact, Commander, you should beam over before the rest of the away teams. We've lost the Captain."
"What?!"
"The same scan as earlier. The Captain's gone, Commander. She literally vanished into thin air."
"I'll be there. Chakotay out."
"Well, Harry," Tom began, "there's one man who's going to deck you for losing the captain - "
"But I - "
Right at that moment, Chakotay materialised on the bridge. He scowled at Tom and Harry.
"Gentlemen, we have work to do. Find the captain, investigate the murder of a ship full of humans and determine where, when and how those humans landed in the Delta Quadrant. But most importantly, find the captain!"
"Aye, Commander!" Tom and Harry chorused.
"Torres to Chakotay."
"Chakotay here. We have a situation here. Ready to beam back to Voyager?"
"Yes. We've transported thirty one coffins to the cargo bay. We're ready to leave, Commander. What seems to be the problem?"
"We have lost Captain Janeway. I'll fill you in when you're back on board. Chakotay out."
Chakotay's commbadge beeped again. "The doctor to Commander Chakotay."
"Chakotay here. Report."
"You need to come to sick bay, Commander."
"Noted. Chakotay out."
Minutes later, the two away teams arrived, the coffins from the alien vessel resting in the cargo bays. B'Elanna glared at Harry Kim. "Thanks a lot, Harry," she said accusingly.
"But - but…I…" stammered Harry.
"Stop picking on everyone, Torres. Meeting at 1500 in the briefing room," Chakotay cut in curtly. Then he moved to the turbolift and seconds later, was gone.
Tom seated himself at the conn again and entered new coordinates, then turned to look at Harry. There was no smile this time, only an urgency to locate their captain.
"We're heading for the Almazin System…"
"The bodies on the alien vessel were those of humans, Tom," said Harry. "How do you think they got here?"
"No idea. But we're going to find out."
"You're not worried about the captain?"
"Dammit, Harry! What do you want to me to do? Bawl my eyes out? We're Starfleet. Weird, as Captain Janeway herself told you once, is part of the job. We won't leave this sector until she's back safely on Voyager."
"Or you're a dead man," Torres added, scowling.
"According to Harry Kim and Tom Paris, Captain Janeway simply dissolved into thin air," Chakotay told the doctor.
"It sounds, Commander, a lot like the way Voyager got pulled into this quadrant. There is a possibility that she might be injured."
"I certainly hope she's unharmed. We're heading for the Almazin System, Doctor. It's one of three star systems in this sector. My guess is that the captain has been whisked away to that region."
"Commander, judging by the timing alone, I'd say that her disappearance is connected with the original scan of the ship. It may not be Voyager's technology our aliens are after, but perhaps the ship's commanding officer."
"They couldn't know that just by scanning the vessel, Doctor. I'm thinking whoever it is, knew what they were looking for. Like the Caretaker, it was looking for certain matches to replace it. It may be the same thing with the captain. It could have been any other crewman or officer on Voyager, but the captain was chosen."
"In which case we'd better hurry, Commander. The Captain's life may be in danger."
"We're two days away from the Almazin sector. I've instructed Mr Paris to engage maximum warp. We can't go any faster even if we wanted to get there right now. I'm conducting a briefing in half an hour. Is there anything I need to know before we commence?"
"Yes. That's why I called you to sick bay, Commander."
"Anything on the two bodies?"
The EMH frowned heavily.
"Do you know what phosgene is?"
This time it was Chakotay who frowned, his brow knitting together. "A gas…"
"Yes. Poison gas to be precise. Phosgene was used during warfare in twentieth century Earth, First World War. I found traces of this gas in the bodies of the woman and child…"
"We suspected they might have been poisoned, Doctor. Tuvok determined that gas had been spread through the vessel. None of the victims presented any external injuries. We found the bodies of the males slumped over their consoles on the bridge of the alien vessel. The babies and small children were in the arms of their mothers…."
"This is definitely a mother and her child, Commander. The phosgene has been refined to its present form so that the bodies didn't contort during their death throes. It may have caught them by surprise. I wonder you didn't smell anything…"
"No, there was no smell."
"Then it is odourless. The gas used during the war smelled of freshly cut grass…"
"Well, doctor, this is part of the mystery solved."
"They are humans, Commander. No other humans besides those of the Liberty, the Equinox and Voyager are in the Delta Quadrant. There were the 37s, brought to their planet by the Briori. Could these humans have been brought here by the Caretaker as well? We know of no other humans here…"’
"Doctor, I think that when we find Captain Janeway, we will also solve the mystery of these people living in a quadrant far away from their original homeworld…"
In the briefing room, Chakotay headed the meeting of senior officers.
"Commander," began Neelix, "we have traveled out of the sectors known to me. I have never heard of Injasuti, nor the binary system of which it is a part."
"Understood, Neelix. But while we're going to locate and rescue Captain Janeway, you might keep an eye out for suitable provisions Voyager could use…"
"Yes. We are short on rations and need to replenish our dwindling reserves."
"Thank you. Tuvok?"
"It would be wise to keep the bodies in cold storage, Commander. That way we do not interfere in the culture and life of another homeworld. They may wish to dispose of the bodies themselves…"
"They?" B'Elanna scowled. "They murdered sixty people!"
"We must still observe the Prime Directive, Lieutenant Torres," Tuvok
explained. "They must be informed of the deaths of their loved ones. We
cannot perform the burials. That would be interfering in the affairs of
another homeworld. We have no idea of the levels of their technology - "
"It's superior enough that they could whisk the captain away from a great distance," Harry Kim said.
"Agreed. Still, it would be prudent to wait until we reach Injasuti."
"Well then," Chakotay said, concluding the meeting. "We'll store the bodies. We know now that they were gassed to death, using a variant of the old Earth poison gas phosgene."
"That may also corroborate the theory that these humans were from Earth…"
"They'd have to survive in an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere. Then they could have developed most gases known to humans on Earth…" Tom mused.
"Thank you," said Chakotay. "That will be all. Dismissed."
Chakotay remained pensive as he watched the senior officers file quietly out of the briefing room. He wasn't so much tired as feeling overwrought. Kathryn was missing and it left him shattered. He could still feel her hand on his before he’d transported over to the stricken alien vessel, still hear her voice. Like an echo, her presence still dominated the air on the bridge. He needed to be in the privacy of his quarters. Everywhere else were Kathryn's imprints, her presence felt. He didn't want to go into the ready room - her ready room - because it reminded him too much of her. Closing his eyes, he saw her quirky smile, the humorous lift of the corner of her mouth. He saw the hands on her hips…so familiar his being ached from just remembering.
She was somewhere, hopefully on one of the worlds in the Almazin System. If she were a prisoner there, they'd have to use every ounce of ingenuity to rescue her.
Seven of Nine would monitor the movement of any interstellar anomaly from the Astrometrics lab. Already her insistence that they head directly for Injasuti was met with agreement that it would be logical to start their search there.
"Since, as Lieutenant Kiridis pointed out, the alien humans left their signature on the bulkheads of their vessel," she stated.
"Like old Earth graffiti," Tom noted archly.
"Do you think it was deliberate?" Torres had asked.
"I think so," Kiridis had replied. Because he had been the first to interpret the glyphs, Chakotay had ordered him to be present at the meeting of senior officers. "The random way in which the glyphs were scrawled suggests that some of the victims may have been trying to leave a sign, like an S.O.S., while they were dying…"
"S.O.S."
"Old Earth emergency coding, Commander. To inform any vessel that might come to their rescue. The message was clear enough to me. Most of which I could discern said, 'We are the Injasuti'…"
"Injasuti?"
"Yes. I think it means 'water'."
They didn't question Kiridis any further. The man had spent six years on Voyager studying ancient scripts, even learning ancient tongues. He thrived on what to them were obscure languages, better rendered meaningful through their universal translators.
"Translators are not failsafe…" he had replied with an imperious air.
When all the officers had filed out of the boardroom, Chakotay gave a sigh and looked at the empty room. A few seconds longer he paused, his palms on the table.
"We'll find you, Kathryn. Voyager is not going anywhere without you…"
Later that evening Chakotay entered his quarters, still burdened by Kathryn's disappearance. Reaction was setting in. Earlier, he had been disciplined, maintaining a cool and calm exterior. Now he kept seeing images of her, especially the last time they had been together on the bridge. It was strange, he realised, that intimacy with Kathryn was never the erotic imaginings of entwined bodies among satin sheets, but rather the turn of the head as she looked at him, the touch of her hand on his, her easy companionship with him. It was why he missed her so much, even now, hours after her disappearance. He could still feel her palm resting over his hand, the complete faith with which it lay there. He had become used to it, on the one hand; on the other hand, he was hungry for exactly those acts of faith on Kathryn's part as a sign that she needed his companionship.
He missed her.
He had to admit that he needed her.
She was gone; the urge to grieve brought on by a feeling of the passing of a loved one. It was presumptuous to feel that way, he realised, but Kathryn's sudden disappearance left a void in him. He was deathly afraid that he might never see her again.
He walked to his bedroom, his mind filled with the need to meditate, to communicate with his father. He had to do it. For the first time in a year, it compelled him as he reached for his medicine bundle. At first he held it in his hands, closing his eyes at the familiar feel of the animal skin. As if in prayer, he stood beside his bed, willing the spirits to calm him, to infuse him with peace.
Sitting down on the mat, he opened the medicine bundle. Once the chah-mooz-ee, the blackbird's wing and the akoonah had been laid out on the animal skin, Chakotay covered his face with his palms, taking a few deep breaths. What would he tell his father once the vision appeared? What would he tell the man whose ways he had once rejected?
Placing his fingers reverently on the akoonah, Chakotay began his quest…
"Akoocheemoya…I am far from the sacred places of my ancestors…"
"Lieutenant, I do not understand these glyphs," said Seven of Nine to Lieutenant Marcus Kiridis. Seven noted how flushed the lieutenant appeared as he gazed at the glyphs he had copied through an imager to the workstation Seven allowed him to use in Astrometrics.
"They may appear random, but I do not think so. I'm beginning to discern another pattern, Seven."
Seven of Nine turned her attention away from the main screen which showed the grids of ten sectors. They were in sector 9534, grid 022 and closing in on the Almazin System.
Lieutenant Kiridis was not a handsome man, she noted idly, if she used Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant Paris as her frame of reference. They, in her opinion, were handsome men. Kiridis had a riot of curly pitch black hair framing his face, giving him an untidy appearance, as if he just got out of bed and didn't bother to brush or comb his hair. Even though his uniform always looked fresh, it didn't do much to enhance his appearance. Seven wondered whether Commander Chakotay had ever rebuked him for such untidiness. Perhaps they accepted that Lieutenant Kiridis kept out of everyone's way, was no bother to any person, performed his tasks to the best of his ability and then cooped himself up in his quarters for the rest of the time. His ears looked large, frumpled, as if they had been badly bitten in hand-combat or a game of contact sport by his opponent. Since neither of the two pastimes were things he indulged in, it was possible he was born with ears that looked like cauliflowers. He had grey eyes, in stark contrast to his dark hair and tanned skin. Seven had only recently heard from other females on board that he had no friends, no family at home waiting for him, except a distant cousin.
"I am Macedonian in origin," he had told her proudly earlier when she had asked about his last name. "My mother married a Greek…"
He really sounded very proud, and his words had awakened feelings of longing in her too, that she might know more of her own origins beyond her parents. If Kiridis could be so proud of his origins, who knew, she might trace hers to Valhalla…
"What do these glyphs say?" she started suddenly, forcing images of her parents away from her. Next moment, the glyphs Kiridis had copied were thrown on the big viewscreen.
Seven stared hard at the graphemes.
.
"The vessel of the aliens was in the shape of an obelisk…" he began, his brows knitting together as he concentrated.
"And that means what, Lieutenant?"
"Simply that it may be an extension of their culture. If that is so, then the graphemes would appear to make sense."
"I…see," said Seven of Nine, staring hard at the bold characters on the screen. She wasn't certain of anything, the characters appearing unintelligible to her. "But," she amended, "it is of obvious relevance."
"The glyph in the lower left corner, without the straight line cutting the cross would be the equivalent of the Latin letter 't'. The line crossing from top to bottom, with only a short point at the juncture, indicates a sign for water…"
"Water?"
"More like a waterfall…"
"What could be the meaning of it?"
"A waterfall, Seven of Nine."
"Do not play with me, Lieutenant. You know what I mean."
"Okay. A waterfall plays a role - perhaps a significant role in their culture." Kiridis shook his head. "No, perhaps not. Not so much their culture but a ritual that is part of their culture…"
"Fine. I understand that. If one looks at the entire set of characters? One message, perhaps?" Seven asked.
"The first is a repeat of the message I could decipher on the Injasuti vessel: WE - ARE - THE - INJASUTI…. Then the rest of this message reads…OUR - CHILDREN - MUST - NOT - DIE…"
"Their concern was great enough that they fled," Seven remarked, pensively. "And I suppose that water played a role in their deaths?" she conjectured.
"I think so," Kiridis answered, his face a study of perplexed curiosity. "Their deaths could be caused by something else, at or near a place where there is water… Yes…yes…that could be part of the ritual…" The lieutenant paused as he flicked to another set of characters. "A call for help…" he said softly, frowning heavily.
"Then do you presume that those unfortunate humans were killed because of something they may not have wanted to be a part of?"
"Yes. I would presume that. We must convey this to Commander Chakotay. I am becoming more and more convinced that Captain Janeway's life is in danger."
"On what basis do you make that claim, Lieutenant Kiridis? She is not a child…"
"No…no…that is not the captain's role. I am more convinced now that the captain is indeed alive, but for a certain purpose only…"
"A certain purpose? Have you deciphered something of grave importance?"
"I'm - I'm not sure. This - this set of graphemes…" Kiridis pointed to a set of characters:
"What does it mean?" Seven asked.
"It's a name…a name…" Kiridis whispered. "Khaira…"
"It has a beautiful sound," said Seven.
"Seven, I believe Khaira is a form of the name "Kathryn."
Seven's eyes widened. "The name sounds revered, as if there was purpose in targeting the captain. We must reach Injasuti…"
"Yes, before we lose Captain Janeway forever."
Chakotay moved the heavy fronds aside and entered a clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a large tree stump. Around him it was quiet, save for the sound of a bird calling. He loved the peace and quiet of this setting. He waited at the edge of the clearing, until he heard the sound of leaves rustling. His heartbeat quickened as a figure appeared.
Chakotay smiled.
Kolopak as he had looked when Chakotay had last seen him alive. The dimples which deepened when he laughed, were on Kolopak long, deeper furrows that gave his father a perpetual smile. His wide-brimmed hat shielded eyes that had creased to narrow slits from constant work in the dry heat of Dorvan. Once again he was honoured to see his father.
"Greetings, son. I sense you are troubled."
Kolopak sat down on the tree stump and picked up a piece of wood. Taking his pocket knife, he began shaving the wood. Thin flat little wisps drifted to the ground.
"I am troubled, Father," Chakotay said softly, taking one step forward so that he stood bathed in sunlight.
Kolopak looked up.
"Cha-ko-tay…" he began, "the last time you came here, it was to tell me about your captain…"
"Yes."
"She touches you here…" Kolopak said, stopping his shaving to press the hand holding the pocket-knife against his heart.
"She is in every breath I take, Father."
"You fear that you will lose her."
A searing warmth spread across his chest. Kolopak never asked questions. He made statements which startled Chakotay most times because they stabbed right to the core of his plight.
"Kathryn has gone missing from our ship. One moment she was there and the next, she was gone…"
Kolopak began carving into the wood. Chakotay waited patiently for him to speak again.
"You have been betrayed by women before, Cha-ko-tay…"
"Kathryn has not betrayed me, Father."
"No." Kolopak stopped abruptly then rose to his feet. When he smiled, Chakotay thought that the older man mocked him. "No, Cha-ko-tay. Kathryn will never betray you…But she must be rescued for she knows not the depth of your heart…"
"How then, is she to know of my heart?"
There was a long silence in which father and son gazed at one another. It seemed to Chakotay that his father was mulling over an answer, one filled with mystery.
"Your loyalty will be tested to the very edge, son. Only then will Kathryn know your heart…"
Chakotay closed his eyes for a brief second. When he opened them again, it was deathly quiet. Kolopak had left as silently as he had appeared in the clearing. As always, it left him feeling a little deflated. His father spoke in riddles leaving him to divine the mysteries of his wisdom.
The akoonah stopped its vibration. Slowly Chakotay became aware again of his surroundings. He blinked several times and breathed in deeply, then pondered on his father's enigmatic words.
He whispered the older man's last words, "Only then will Kathryn know your heart…"
Chakotay sighed. The quest had left him quivering, almost unfulfilled. How would his loyalty be tested? How would Kathryn know his heart? He has always been loyal to Kathryn, all these years, even those times when she questioned that loyalty.
How would it be tested this time?
It was a dilemma which teased him.
Sighing, he prepared to return to the bridge. His father's words would niggle at him until he came face to face with Kathryn again.
END CHAPTER TWO