Prime Factors: Part Two.

Chapter 21: Prime Factors: Part Two.

(Next Day. Time: 8 am.)

Harry Kim's PROV

-----

"I can't believe they're not going to help us. Some kind of hospitality." I complained and slumped in my chair in the briefing room.

"Forty thousand light-years. Even if that's as far as we could go, it would still knock about four decades off our trip." B'Elanna said.

"And the possibility exists that we could reconfigure the matrix at that point to take us another thirty thousand light-years, right into Federation space." Chakotay added.

"Since they've already said no, this kind of thinking is only going to make you feel worse." Tuvok said with his usual Vulcan tone, annoying everyone at the table. Even the Captain. And he was her best friend.

"It's the first time we've been on the other side of the fence." Janeway commented. Tom took a moment to look around the table at us, probably wondering if any of us were as clearly confused as he was.

"What fence?" Tom spoke up.

"The one that's made of binding principles. We have our own set of rules, which includes the Prime Directive. How many times have we been in the position of refusing to interfere when some kind of disaster threatened an alien culture. It's all very well to say we do it on the basis of an enlightened principle, but how does that feel to the aliens?" She explained, then stood up and walked over to the viewport. Watching the stars that littered the sky. "I'm sure many of them think the Prime Directive is a lousy idea."

"Even we think so sometimes." Tom muttered beside me under his breathe.

"I know of many times when Starfleet personnel have decided on strong ethical grounds to ignore it." Chakotay snapped, casting an eye at Paris to prove his point.

"Still, there's a reason why it's Starfleet's General order number one. On the whole, it does a lot more good than harm." I argued.

"Captain, it occurs to me that we know little about the Sikarians. We cannot assume that their first refusal is unalterable. It may be that no is simply a prelude to negotiation." Tuvok lectured.

"He's right, maybe they can be reasoned with." B'Elanna agreed.

"Maybe they want something. Maybe they'll bargain."

"But what do we have to offer? They seem to have everything they need."

"Stories. Stories are an important part of their culture. They seem to provide more than entertainment. They're kind of a measuring rod of values and beliefs. We have a huge library in our databanks. We could offer them the whole thing. All the great literature of dozens of cultures." I said, referring to the conversation earlier with Eudana.

"What do you think, Captain? Would they be interested?"

"They just might be. From what we've seen of them, they're a remarkably pleasure-oriented people. They might appreciate a gift of literature." The Captain turned to face us again. "I'll arrange to meet with Gath. As Magistrate he has the authority to make this decision."

"In the meantime, I'm going to take a look at that trajector platform. Maybe I can figure out how it works." B'Elanna suggested with excitement brewing in her eyes.

"You'll do nothing of the sort, Lieutenant. If I find this law is negotiable, I'll make every attempt to get the technology, but until then we won't do anything that might violate their canon of laws as we understand it. That's all. Dismissed." The Captain snapped and swiftly left the room before any of us could say something else. But, as I stood up I noticed B'Elanna stayed and gave a death glare to the table.

I walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Startling her out of her thoughts and she looked up at me with angry eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I just hope she gets it." She muttered. Her voice lased in disappointment.

"She will."

-----

(One hour later.)

Lieutenant Bini Filters's POV

I slowly walked down the corridor, I couldn't help but keep thinking about what I saw and how I was going to inform the kids...

I don't have to tell them.

But...I know I won't stop myself from telling them because in a weird way...They deserve to know.

God. Why was I born asexual? Why couldn't I have been born like anyone else? That would have really helped me in this situation. Because I have grown up with a little immaturity when it comes to that subject. Actually, a lot. Let's not lie to ourselves here.

I heard barking suddenly, making me snap out of my self-containment of thoughts and dragging me back to the reality of the situation that Mollie was bolting down the corridor towards me with her tongue hanging out. While Sarah and Micheal were chasing after her and trying to stop her. But it was too late.

Mollie jumped and slammed into me. I screamed in shock and slammed onto the ground backwards and had the breathe knocked out of me as Mollie started to lick my face and the kids caught up, out of breathe.

"Mollie-no..." Micheal pleaded but he couldn't really do much as bent to catch up his breathe and Sarah sagged against the wall and slipped down to the floor.

"Mollie? Get off!!" I complained as I pushed Mollie off and sat up and her tail kept hitting me in the face. I used the corridor wall to push me up as Micheal and Sarah were able to recover and pulled themselves together.

"Bini! How did it go?" Micheal asked as Sarah pulled Mollie back from her collar. I brushed off my uniform and pretended to act innocent.

"How did what go?" I asked.

"Oh, you know. The thing on the planet!" Micheal said with the roll of his eyes.

"Ohhh...Um...It went...f-fine." I stammered out and moved past them to continue down the corridor. Praying that they wouldn't follow me but it was a lost cause. They followed me anyway, determined to get answers because slick me is not good at avoiding the truth.

"Bini! Stop lying and tell us already! What happened?" Micheal snapped in anger and ran after me at full speed and grabbed my sleeve, pulling me back.

"She is lying! Pants on fire!" Sarah teased and Mollie barked and jumped around at the increasing excitement.

"Let go! What happened is something I want-No-NEED to forget!" I insisted.

"TELL US!" Micheal screamed, making anyone in the corridor to look at us with confused and annoyed expressions. If I don't handle this soon, I will have a noise complaint.

"OK! OK! Just let go and I will explain!" I begged.

They pulled back and let me get back to reality as I staggered back.

"Gath...kissed your mother."

There was silence. So silent that all one could hear was Mollie panting and the humming of the warp core as Micheal and Sarah's jaws dropped. Then Micheal gritted his teeth and got furious then bolted down the corridor.

"Micheal! No running! Where are you going?!" I snapped and ran after him, followed by Sarah as Mollie ran ahead of me and followed Micheal.

"I am going to go save Mommy!" He yelled back and opened the Captain's quarters.

"Micheal! No!" I yelled and ran towards the door as it closed. But I was too late and collided with the now locked door. I couldn't get in without the code-

I looked at Sarah as she watched the scene with curiosity and boiling anger at Gath which was shown clearly on her face.

"Could you open the door, please?" I asked. She happily nodded and typed in the 4-digit code and the door slid open. We entered into the dim quarters as Micheal ran around. Pulling out photos, from a storage container in the middle of the living room, of a certain person and putting them around the room.

I picked one up and looked at the smiling image of a man in his thirties in a yellow Starfleet uniform, rank: Lieutenant Commander with Brown eyes and brown hair. He looked American. He was sitting on the patio of an old house next to a younger version of the Captain. They seemed very happy.

"Who is this?" I asked. Micheal came over and took the photo gently from my hands. His eyes were filled with tears as he placed it back to its spot on the self.

"It is Daddy. Mommy can't be allowed to forget him." Micheal insisted.

"What was his name?" I asked. My curiosity got the best of me. Micheal shrugged and went back to the middle of the room to pull out more pics of their father.

"I don't know. Mommy can't speak about him without crying or getting very sad." Micheal replied.

"Micheal, I know that you don't want Gath. But forcing your mother to see your father everywhere...is not the way to do this." I said and picked up some of the pictures and placed them carefully back into the box.

"When is Mommy coming back to the ship?" Sarah chirped. Micheal straightened up and gasped.

"Wait, is the Captain on the ship?!" I demanded.

"She said she was bringing someone back from the surface..." Sarah added.

"Gath!" Micheal and I jumped.

"Computer, where is Captain Janeway?" I demanded and gestured them to start cleaning up.

"Captain Janeway is on deck 2, section 24." The Computer replied. Micheal and Sarah ran around, trying to put everything back as Mollie went and layed down on her bed and fell asleep.

"She is coming! Get in the room." I snapped and shut the storage container and Micheal pushed it back into a closet in their room as Sarah ran after Micheal and I checked one more time to see if anything was off. No. It looks normal and I ran into the kid's room and shut the door.

I took in deep breathes and then heard the front door hiss open in the living room. Two sets of footsteps entered the Captain's quarters. Micheal pushed me away from the door and I quickly held him back as Gath's voice and The Captain's cut through the silence.

They were laughing and talking about something.

"Bini, let me through!" Micheal demanded as I moved Sarah and him further away from the door.

"We can't just walk in, Micheal! I can help us listen to them but-"

"DO IT!" Sarah angrily snapped and pointed at the door. I sighed and walked over to the door control panel. Carefully taking off the main screen and revealing all of the wires.

"Someone get me a computer." I ordered. Sarah nodded and ran over a small desk in the corner of their room, covered in toys. She yanked the computer off the screen and ran back over to me as Micheal pressed his ear against the door to listen as I worked on the door.

"What do you hear, Micheal?" I asked as Sarah logged onto the computer and I bypassed the security lockout controlled the child security system Tuvok made.

"Mommy has replicated something...she gave it to Gath. She replicated pecan pie." Micheal said with his voice on the edge of a confused expression. I did the final hack into the system and managed to open the door a crack. Just enough for us to hear what was happening clearly, to see a little bit and small enough for them to not notice the door was open.

I rolled onto my stomach and looked through the crack to see the Captain and Gath sitting a table and Gath ate pie, seeming to like it. Micheal and Sarah sat beside me on either side and watched also.

"Exquisite. What did you say you call it?" Gath asked as he took another bite and Janeway gave him a bored look but tried to be happy.

"Pecan Pie." She said and straightened up as she sipped coffee.

"Pecan Pie? I must have the recipe!" He said and she gave him a polite smile.

"I'd be happy to share it with you. Gath, I want you to know I understand your reluctance to share your technology with us. We have similar restrictions. But I wondered, would it make any difference if I gave you my word that we would destroy the trajector matrix as soon as we'd used it?" She asked, getting right down to business.

"I know this will upset you, but I can't." He said.

"I understand. And frankly, I suspected as much. But I have a proposal which might allow you to obey your laws and still give us what we want. Surely you could use the trajectory to send us? Forty thousand light-years would mean a great deal to us. And in return, we're prepared to offer you something you might enjoy." She insisted and Gath perked up.

"Oh?"

"A full library of the Federation's finest literature."

"Oh no." I muttered.

"Literature?" Gath repeated.

"Centuries of stories. New stories from diverse cultures. Stories that fire the imagination." She advertised.

"You certainly know how to tempt me, Captain. It's certainly possible. I'll have to meet with the other Magistrates to discuss it. No one has ever made a request like that. In the meantime, I'd like to enjoy every bite of this, how did you call it?" He asked and shoved another bite into his mouth.

"Pecan Pie." She replied at the end of hostility. I grabbed the computer and closed the door again and put the screen back on the door panel then looked at Sarah and Micheal as we sat in a triangle on the floor.

"I think the good news is that your mother is definitely not pinning on Gath." I said and started to fiddle with my fingers.

"The bad news?" Sarah asked.

"The bad news-the bad news is that Gath obviously won't give us the device." I replied.

"So? What are we going to do about it?" Micheal asked.

"We...are going to help get that device." I concluded. Micheal and Sarah looked at each other then back at me.

"How?" Micheal asked.

"Leave that to me."

I jumped up and grabbed the computer, brought it back to the desk and started to transmit to the planet surface. A operative from the planet appeared on the screen.

"How can I help you today?" He asked.

"Can you get me in contact with Eudana?" I asked. He looked down at a computer screen on his desk and typed in Eudana's name. After a moment, the computer showed her profile and contact address.

"Of course. It will only take a moment." He said. The screen switched in Eudana in the plaza with a confused expression.

"Bini Filters? What can I do for you?"

-----

Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres's POV

"I've finished the maintenance check on the shock attenuation cylinders. They'll have to be replaced in another two thousand hours but we'll face that problem when we come to it. Seska?" I reported and looked over to a distracted Seska as she stared at her console.

I walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder with snapped her out of her trance. She looked towards me with a weak smile.

"Sorry. I wasn't concentrating. What did you say?" She asked.

"You looked a million light-years away."

"No, only about seventy thousand. My brother's birthday is in four days. Last year I promised I'd meet him on Nivoch, celebrate with him. He'll think I broke my promise, that I'm dead. What are you doing?" She asked. Trying to shift the conversation.

"I've been thinking. The folding of space should leave a sub-space residue. If we can detect one, we might be a step closer to knowing how the trajector works." I said and logged onto an engineering console and brought up Quantum Analysis 7429 on a wall station. Seska moved closer to get a better look.

"Look at that neutrino dispersion pattern. Could that be a result of space folding?" She asked and pointed as the moving pattern of the diagram.

"Maybe. If the device creates a neutrino bubble around whatever's being trajectored." I concluded. Suddenly Carey moved between us.

"If that's the case, we'd need a bubble big enough for the ship. Don't worry Lieutenant. I'm with you on this one. After all, it doesn't hurt to theorize." He said. We all smiled and looked back at the display.

"Right. And hypothetically, if we could modify the deflector array to emit phased neutrinos, we could create a big enough bubble." Seska continued.

"Let's give it a try. In theory, of course." I corrected.

-----

(Time: 8 pm)

Lieutenant Bini Filters's POV

Micheal and Sarah hopped onto the transporter padd and I gave the transporter chief the location and then hopped onto it also.

"Does Mommy know we are doing this?" Sarah asked.

"Does she know we are going to do some shopping. Yes. Does she know the real reason...no." I said. Micheal nervously looked around as the transporter chief reset the system.

"Where is Harry?" He asked.

"He is coming."

Suddenly, Harry bolted into the room as if his life depended on it.

"Bini! Mind if I join you?" He asked. I shrugged as if I didn't know he was coming.

"Sure. Hop on."

He gave me a grateful smile and hopped on as the chief reset them and was ready.

"Energize." I ordered. The tingling sensation took over and Transporter room One disappeared and reappeared on the planet surface and the twilight sky as the day grew to an end. Eudana gave us a knowing look and then greeted Harry.

"Mind if we tag along?" I asked.

"Of course. I didn't expect so many people but the more the better!" She chirped and played along for Harry's benefit. He can't know this was planned.

"I don't understand. Why is it so important I come here now?" Harry asked and took a moment to look around.

"You'll see in a minute." Eudana said and gestured us to follow her as we walked into a dark alley and she leads us into a small basement cellar were Jaret, an important official stood next to a lamp light with a small device in his hand. "We're here."

"Good evening, Ensign Kim, Lieutenant Filters. Thank you for coming." He greeted.

"What's this about?" Harry demanded.

"I asked Eudana to invite you here because I was sure you would respond to her, and because it would look perfectly natural. I am prepared to accept your collection of literature in exchange for our trajector technology." Jaret explained.

"Is that something you're authorized to do?" Harry asked.

"Officially? No. But many people believe that rules should be flexible enough to meet the needs of the moment. There is a great desire here for new stories and I want to be the one to supply them."

"So you'd stand to benefit from this arrangement, right?"

"We will both benefit. I would gain prestige and you would gain forty thousand light-years in your journey home, possibly more. This is it, Ensign." He handed Harry the device carefully. "The matrix of the trajector."

"Captain Janeway has asked the Magistrate to send us forty thousand light-years." Harry argued.

"He won't. He never had any intention of helping you leave here."

"Jaret is right. I know how much it means to you to get home. Please, listen to him." Eudana pitched in.

"You must believe me when I tell you this is the only way you will make that journey. Consider my offer. I'm sure you will decide it is a fair one." Jaret concluded. Harry nodded in understand and Eudana silently lead us out. She took a moment to talk with Harry in the alley as Sarah, Micheal and I continued down the street.

"Is this going to work?" Micheal asked.

"That depends if someone asks me to download the library." I said.

-----

(One hour later.)

Ensign Seska's POV

I sat in the back of the messhall as Harry, Tom and B'Elanna sat at a table close to me and were discussing the technology offer.

"I don't know what to do. I know we'd all like to get that much closer to home, but I don't think Captain Janeway is going to go for getting the technology like that." Harry said and took a sip of his coffee.

"Maybe she will. After all, it's a Sikarian who's making the offer." B'Elanna pointed out and looked back down at her padd that contained the info we would out from engineering about the device so far.

"But it's not above board. The Captain is only going to deal with an official representative." Tom insisted. Suddenly, Harry's combadge chirped.

"Bridge to Ensign Kim. The Captain can see you now. Bridge out."

"Just tell her everything you know. Let her take it from there." Tom said and Harry nodded as he got up.

"Right."

"I'll walk you part way. I'm headed for bed." Tom ended and quickly left with Harry, still chatting about the incident. I got up and slide in one of the empty seats across from B'Elanna.

"Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this. It's just not going to work out." She admitted and put down the padd.

"Don't you think that's up to us?" I asked.

"What does that mean?" B'Elanna snapped.

"It means that we can sit here and let someone make the decision for us, or we can take matters into our own hands. We've been offered the grand prize. All we have to do is step up and claim it." I explained with a hint of hostility.

"Take the technology? Without permission?"

"Since when do you talk like that? Do you think that permission is more important than getting us halfway home? The Captain is so infatuated with the Sikarian Magistrate she can't think straight. We can't trust that she's going to make the best decision for all of us. If we do this, we'll need to use engineering to configure the matrix. It would be a lot easier if we knew we could count on you." I snapped. The fleet Captain has made her go soft.

"Seska, I am a senior officer now. I have responsibilities."

"And the main responsibility for everyone on this ship is to try to find a way home. Captain Janeway made that clear from the beginning. That's our primary mission. Just think about it, that's all." I softened and got up from my seat and left the messhall. If this was a Cardassian ship. We would already be home and I wouldn't have to play as a Bajorian weakling.

-----

(Meanwhile.)

Captain Kathryn Janeway's POV

I stood at the window of my ready room. Watching the rotating planet below that the crew considered a paradise. But...all paradises have flaws. And this planet is no exception. I took a sip of my black coffee and clutched it as I turned around and looked at Harry, who stood in front of my desk near the end of the room and Tuvok who was his usual self. Standing on the small stairs closer to me.

"Did Jaret explain what he meant when he said Gath had no intention of helping us leave?" I asked. Harry shrugged and his eyes darted from Tuvok to me.

"No, he just made it clear that our only choice was to get the trajector technology from him." He replied.

"He may simply want us to believe that so we would deal with him." Tuvok pointed out.

"Possibly. But somehow I suspect he's right. Thank you for coming to me with this, Ensign. It may muddy the situation somewhat, but it helps me force the issue." I said. He nodded gratefully. "One more thing. Was anyone with you when you met with Jaret?"

"Ah...Yes. Bini and your kids." He replied. I looked at Tuvok in alarm. Why would my kids and Bini have any reason to be where they were?

"Thank you, ensign. Dismissed."

"Goodnight, Captain. Lieutenant." Harry said and turned around and left the room. I sunk down to the sofa and placed my now empty cup down on the table.

"Oh, Tuvok, what do I do now?" I muttered and pinched the bridge of my nose as a headache made its self known.

"You would seem to have two options. Continue to negotiate with a man who may have a hidden agenda, or deal with a man who is willing to defy his own laws." Tuvok concluded and sat beside me.

"Not very pretty choices."

"At least if you deal with Jaret, it is his law that is being compromised, not ours."

"But does that matter? I told the crew when we started this journey that we'd be a Starfleet crew, behaving as Starfleet would expect us to. That means there's a certain standard I have to uphold. Principles, principles. That's what it comes down to. Do I compromise my almighty principles? But how do I not compromise them if it involves a chance to get the crew more than halfway home? How do I tell them my principles are so important that I would deny them that opportunity." My voice cracked as I explained.

"I believe the first thing you must do is determine whether Gath is willing to use the trajector to help us. If that possibility exists at all, you must explore it." Tuvok insisted.

"You're right. Thank you, Tuvok."

---(Next Day. Time: 12 pm.)---

"Have you spoken with the other Magistrates about using the trajector?" I asked as Gath and I walked through the plaza again. This time I was determined to get info about the device.

"Actually, I haven't. Some of them are travelling now but I assure you I will do it." He insisted with a smile. A merchant nearby held out some goods for him to look at in hopes he would buy some. He waved them off with disgust and gave a sigh of boredom.

"I've already seen all those." He snapped at the poor citizen and we continued on our way. I bit back my urge to-Nevermind. It is not important.

"It's becoming a matter of some urgency." I insisted. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh? Why?"

"We've imposed on you for long enough." I replied.

"Not true. We welcome you for as long as you can stay. And I hope that's a very long time indeed."

"My crew is eager to continue our journey. Once they realized the trajector might bring us forty thousand light-years closer to home." I said.

"Why are you so consumed with this desire to get home? I find it difficult to understand." He said. It would be difficult to understand coming from a man so consumed with pleasure and always in the safe heaven of his world.

"Home is home. It's where we belong." I insisted.

"Couldn't you create a new home here, with us? Can you imagine a more delightful place to live, where you could pass your time extracting pleasure from every moment. I promise you, you and I have many such moments to explore." He charmed and gracefully took my hand and kissed it.

"Yes, but for how long?" I asked. Taking my hand out of his grasp. "I've seen how quickly you get tired of your pleasures. All that interests you is what's new and unexplored. After a day or two, it becomes commonplace."

"Yes?"

"We prefer the permanence. The reward of relationships that endure and grow deeper with the passing of time."

"You would lose those notions if you stayed with us." He said. As if that was a good thing.

"You may be right. But we don't want to lose them. And that's why we have to leave." I said.

"We have offered you nothing but hospitality. Is this how you repay us? With an attack on our beliefs?" He bit back, horrified at me. His anger was grown every second.

"I'm sorry." I apologized. "I was just trying to illustrate the differences between us."

"I don't enjoy being judged like this. It's very upsetting. Not at all pleasurable." He snapped. I clenched my fist as my own anger at the situation came boiling through.

"That's all you really care about, isn't it? Your pleasure. All your hospitality, your graciousness, it was never about giving us pleasure. It's all been to gratify yourselves. We're nothing more than the latest novelty." I snapped.

"You're hostile and vicious. You would infect the joyousness of our lives. You must leave immediately." Gath barked.

"You never had any intention of helping us, did you?"

"Of course I did. I did everything in my power to persuade you to stay here." He snapped.

"We didn't want to stay here. No matter how many times I must explain it to you. We do not want to. We want to go home. And I am sorry that we didn't sacrifice our goal for your pleasure." I said and took a few steps back from him, giving him a death glare as I tapped my combadge. "Janeway to Voyager. One to beam up."

---(5 minutes later.)---

I stormed onto the bridge. Much to the surprise to most of the bridge crew on duty.

"Cancel all shore leave and recall the away teams. We've been asked to leave." I barked. Chakotay nodded from his seat and tapped his combadge. Ordering all personal back to the ship. Tuvok moved away from his station and walked over to me.

"I assume that means Gath will not be assisting us." He concluded.

"I don't think he ever had any intention of helping us. He just strung us along." I said. Each word felt painful to me and my emotions threatened to overwhelm me.

"Are you considering Jaret's offer?" He asked.

"Oh, I wish I could, but I can't." I said.

"Captain, it'll take hours to get everyone up. We've got crew members scattered throughout both hemispheres." Chakotay reported. I leaned against the back railing. Pulling my emotions back.

"Get them back as quickly as you can, Commander. I think we've overextended our stay here. I'll be in my Ready room."

-----

Lieutenant Bini Filters POV

I paced Janeway's quarters as Micheal and Sarah either watched me or did their own thing on the padds scattered around the room.

"It has been a lot of hours since we made the deal. Has anyone asked you yet?" Micheal said with a hint of complaining lanced in there. I rolled my eyes and continued the boring process of pacing.

"No. Not yet. Be patient." I insisted as the chime rang. Since I was off duty today, I assume it won't be Tuvok at the door so I will be safe to answer it. I practically ran over to it and slammed it open. A startled B'Elanna Torres stood there.

"Bini? I need your help. Bring a computer and a padd, then meet me in the messhall now." She barked and ran off. Micheal and Sarah scrambled together and quickly grabbed an extra computer and a padd then shoved me out the door with a cheeky grin and thumbs up.

---(20 minutes later.)---

"I've downloaded the Library. It's all on these chips." I said and gestured to the yellow chips beside me on the table as Seska, B'Elanna and Carey sat around the table.

"We know the man to contact, he wants the Library and he doesn't care who gives it to him." Seska said. B'Elanna shifted uncomfortably.

"We're under orders." She said. Probably trying to get us to have a grip that what we were about to do, was very, very bad.

"B'Elanna, right now our people are still fighting Cardassians, dying for our cause. Settlers in the demilitarised zone are still under attack. We made a promise, B'Elanna, that we'd all stick together until the Zone was safe, and I intend to keep that promise." Seska snapped.

"I have a wife, and two little boys. I don't want them to grow up without a father. I'd do anything to prevent that." Carey said.

"And I have some unfinished business on Earth." I pitched in.

"We're not the only ones. Everyone wants to get back. They're just waiting for someone to act." Seska continued. Actually making very valide arguments for once.

"I've been working on the theory that the trajector operates within a neutrino envelope. If that's true, I think we can use it as many times as we need, until we're all the way home." Carey said.

"Just think, by tomorrow we could be there."

"All right, let's do it."

---(10 minutes later)---

"With shore leave cancelled, can we get to the surface undetected?" B'Elanna asked as Carey, Seska, B'Elanna and I rushed into the transporter room and we all went to the empty control panel.

"We'll have to override the security lock-out but that shouldn't be a problem." Seska said as Carey started to enter in his security code.

"It's not accepting my security code!" Carey panicked and I rushed over to the panel pushing him aside.

"Maybe yours has been reset! Let me...It is not working. MY code didn't WORK!?" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Re-initialise the lock out buffers." B'Elanna barked at us. Carey quickly went to work. After a moment the system turned back on and I entered it in again and with a flat denial.

"I did. It's not working. Someone's altered the security sub-routine."

"Why would anyone do that?" I demanded. Seska took the chips from B'Elanna's hand and marched over to the padd.

"Never mind. Beam me down." She ordered.

"Are you crazy? Security will find you out before you get there."

"I am right here guys." I said.

The transporter room door slide open for Tuvok to enter.

"I altered the security sub-routines. Any attempt to over-ride the lockout would have alerted me to your presence here. Is this Voyager's library which you intended to trade for the trajector technology?" Tuvok said.

"Yes."

"When I attempted to download it, I noticed it had already been accessed by Lieutenant Filters."

"You were going to download it?"

"I will make the exchange with Jaret Otel. Return to your stations. Do what you can to prepare the ship for the matrix." Tuvok said and Seska handed him the yellow chips. Moving off the padd as Tuvok got in position. "Energise."

-----

Chakotay's POV

I looked from the viewscreen to Captain Janeway beside me as she fiddled with her combadge.

"Mister Tuvok is on the surface now, Captain. He says the remaining away teams should be on board in fifteen minutes." I reported. She nodded, never taking her eyes off the planet on the viewscreen.

"Are all the food supplies secured?" She asked.

"Aye, Captain. As soon as the last of the crew gets back, we'll be ready to leave." I replied. She gave me a thankful nod and tapped her combadge.

"Bridge to Engineering."

"Torres here." B'Elanna replied on the channel from engineering.

"We'll be leaving orbit within minutes. Ready all propulsion systems."

"We're ready when you are, Captain. Engineering out."

-----

Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres POV

The tension was thick in the engineering. In staff, other than Carey, Seska, Bini and I, were suspicious and knew that something was wrong. Even the two security guards in engineering (Bini's security team.) were suspicious and kept pestering Bini for answers.

As Seska, Carey and I worked on the final touches to prepare for it. Bini came over, managing to escape the guards and she leaned over to us. Watching the security teams every move.

"Where's Tuvok?" Bini whispered towards us.

"He'll be here. We certainly won't leave without him." I whispered back.

"Well, what's keeping him?" Seska snapped at us. Casing some young crewmembers to look in our direction and Bini waved them back to work.

"Calm down. You're going to draw attention to yourself." I hissed at both of them.

"There he is!" Bini said and Tuvok entered engineering. Handing us the device carefully, which made my staff surrounding us look at each other and whispers of rumours ran through engineering like wildfire.

"Do not attempt to activate the device until I've spoken to Captain Janeway." He ordered and we all nodded in agreement as B'Elanna took the device from his hands.

Tuvok swiftly left and Seska swiped the device from B'Elanna's hands and jogged over to a small connecting unit built to attach the device to on the railing surrounding the warp core, which was connected to the warp core.

"What are you doing? He said not to activate it!" B'Elanna yelled. Causing everyone to stop working. But B'Elanna and Seska didn't seem to notice and Carey and I exchanged worried looks.

"I'm not. I'm just going to try the interface simulation. We don't know even if it will interface. We can give ourselves a head start by testing it now." She insisted, making sure B'Elanna couldn't get it as she got it ready to be plugged in.

"All right. But just a simulation." B'Elanna insisted. Seska managed to make it connect and the device started to whirl as the engineering staff seemed to start understanding what was happening.

"It's working."

I watched the diagram of the field that the device was created around the ship appear on a console screen that Carey, B'Elanna and I carefully watched for any sign of trouble.

"It is actually working." I muttered in amazement.

"I was right. It operates within a neutrino envelope." Carey said with a bright smile and Seska came over to us.

"The trajector field is bigger than anything we've created by ten orders of magnitude." She commented. Much to B'Elanna dismay.

"To get a field that size, you'd need an amplifier as big as a planet!"

"I don't understand. How do they get that kind of amplification?" Seska asked Carey.

"I'll show you. Sikaris has a mantle of tetrahedral quartz twenty kilometres thick. The crystalline structure of the mantle seems to focus and amplify the trajector field." Carey said. Pulling up a display of the planet and showing us.

"If that's how the power transfer occurs, then once we leave orbit we lose the ability to transport." I concluded.

"We don't have time to test it. We'll have to try it now, or forget it." Seska demanded. "Do it!"

I spun around and looked up at her, glaring and clenching my teeth.

"Have you lost all sanity!? Tuvok just said-"

"Captain Janeway is going to leave orbit no matter what we say, idiot! You are fourteen, act like one! Stop trying to act tough and think about what the fuck is going on around you and not just about yourself and the rules. Break some rules because if we don't get this to work, we may never see your precious Earth ever again!" Seska yelled.

"If there are any compatibility problems-" B'Elanna pitched in. Dragging Seska away from me and interrupting her.

"Then we can abort. This is our only chance."

-----

Sarah Janeway's POV

I patted Mollie's head and threw the tennis ball across the sunny field in Indiana Bloomington. A fake field of course since we were still on the holodeck on Voyager.

Micheal was reading one of Mommy's books. I think it was the last book that Mommy ever got from daddy. Since the away team was recalled, it is already clear that Mommy doesn't like Gath. Is he still mad about that?

I tightened my ponytail and skipped over to Micheal. Plopping down next to him and took a moment to watch him read poems on the page. I am bored.

"Whatcha doing?" I bubbly asked as Mollie ran back with a tennis ball in her mouth.

"I am reading. Obviously." Micheal replied and rolled his eyes. I layed down in the grass and looked up and the blue sky.

"I mean other things. I am bored. Tell me something." I complained and used my whinny voice to get a reaction out of him. He hates it when I use that voice. He slammed shut the book and gave out a deep sigh.

"We should tell Mommy what we did." He said. I shot up and glared at him.

"Why? She would kill us!" I exclaimed.

"Mommy wouldn't kill us. The device would kill us before Mommy got to us." Micheal said.

"What do you mean?"

"That device isn't built for a Starfleet ship! There is no way it is going to work." Micheal argued. I guess he had a point.

"But...that means we would get Bini in trouble."

"So what? She might destroy the ship with the engineering staff!"

"But-"

"No buts. We have to tell Mommy." He demanded and shot up. "Computer. End program."

The field vanished and I was left sitting in the middle of the holodeck and Micheal took hold of Mollie's leash and exited the holodeck. I quickly scrambled up and ran after him. Praying that Mommy won't kill us when this is over.

-----

Lieutenant Bini Filters POV

"Bridge to Engineering." Janeway's voice cut through the excitement and panic of engineering.

"Torres here. Captain." She said, trying to keep a steady tone on her voice.

"We're ready to leave orbit. Thrusters online." She ordered. B'Elanna looked over to the engineering staff and signalled them to stop silently by wildly waving her hand "no."

"Aye Captain. Engineering out." She replied and cut the channel. Then looked at us for suggestions.

"We have to do something!" Seska hissed.

"If she asks, tell her there is an issue with the RPS relays or something. We need to get that thing working." I barked.

-----

Captain Kathryn Janeway's POV

"Mister Paris, take us out of orbit. Four thousand kph." I ordered and sat down in my command chair.

"Aye, Captain." Tom replied. I looked up to the viewscreen to see that nothing had changed. We weren't moving. "There's no response. Thrusters are offline."

I tapped my combadge.

"Janeway to Engineering."

Suddenly, Micheal, Sarah and Mollie bolted onto the bridge. Sarah and Micheal seemed out of breath as they sagged against the upper railing and took a moment to catch their breath.

"Mommy-Wait! They-device-destroy-kill-Explosion!" Micheal said with a deep gasp of air for each word. I got up from my seat and rushed over to collapsed Micheal and Sarah. I gently allowed Micheal to fall into my lap as I knelt on the floor.

"Micheal? What are you talking out?" I asked.

"Bini and Engineering have the device!" Micheal yelled. I looked over to Tuvok in alarm who flinch.

-----

(Meanwhile: In the Chaos that is Engineering.)

Seska's POV

Furious rage bubbled to the surface as Micheal's high pitched voice cut through engineering like a knife:

"Bini and Engineering have the device!"

All heads snapped towards Bini as silence filled the channel to the bridge and all work stopped at everyone glared at Bini.

"Oh, shit..." She muttered in a state of shock but my emotions got the best of me as I grabbed her and slammed her into the nearest bulkhead. Swearing at her in many different languages and she fought back with her own at me as I had her pinned to the wall and engineering erupted into chaos. Her security team back out of the area, probably going to inform Tuvok of the fact that people started running around, trying to figure out what the next step was, getting the device to disconnect from the warp core, or trying to rip me from Bini as I attempted to kill her.

Some ensigns pulled me off and Bini stumbled away.

"Janeway to engineering. Is the device connected to the warp core?" A hint of panic in her voice as B'Elanna ran around barking ordered.

Carey, B'Elanna, Bini and I all met up at the console again as we watched the device create a bubble around the ship.

"Well, the jig is up. What should we tell her?" Carey asked. B'Elanna tapped her combadge to respond.

"Affirmative, Captain. Torres out." B'Elanna barked on the channel and cut it before anyone could respond.

"The matrix is activating!" Carey said as the bubble grew.

"The trajector field is forming."

"And it's amplifying. Look how fast it's expanding!"

"That's the effect of the quartz mantle." B'Elanna explained quickly.

"We're nearly at full field strength. This is going to work."

Blaring alarms started to sound across engineering and the ship started to lightly shake but was increasing every second. We stumbled around as sparks flew.

"The plasma manifold is becoming unstable." One of the engineers exclaimed in the chaos.

"I can compensate for that!" I insisted and began to work. Trying to block out everything to get it done as soon as possible.

"The manifold is being bombarded by anti-neutrinos from the trajector field. I don't know what that means!" Bini exclaimed beside me at her own console.

"Anti-neutrinos?" I repeated in surprise.

"They must be the catalyst for the space-folding process." B'Elanna concluded.

"It's not working. I can't compensate for the instability." I yelled.

"There's no way to compensate for a field that size!" Carey yelled and ducked and explosion beside him. Throwing an ensign back into a bulkhead.

Steam started to erupt around the warp core. Most people ignored it as they dodged explosions and tried to keep other parts of the ship together and not realizing that the core might explode.

"Bridge to Torres. Shut off the device now!" The Captain barked over the channel as the shaking continued.

"We're on it, Captain. No time to talk. Torres out!" She ran over to the device and the console next to it. That somehow did not explode yet.

"Turn it off!" Bini screamed and yelped in surprise as an explosion threw her against a console. She groaned and went unconscious as the burns on her face and left side of her body became visible.

"I can't! It's not responding!" B'Elanna yelled. Still unaware that Bini was a crippled mess on the floor. Something inside of me hopes she will die.

"It's fused!" I yelled. Focusing on trying to pull the device away but it wouldn't work.

"Plasma temperature at forty-three million Kelvins." Another engineer yelled out to B'Elanna and Carey.

"Carey, get everybody out!" B'Elanna yelled.

"All right, people, let's go. Move it out! Move out, let's go, right now. Let's go. Come on, move it out. Fast! Right now. Keep moving!" He yelled and picked broken moron from the ground and followed the rest of the staff into the corridor.

"I can't unlock it! The command matrix is sealed." B'Elanna yelled. Again trying to yank it from the device.

"Plasma temperature at fifty million Kelvin." I reported. B'Elanna opened a weapons locker. Grabbing a phaser. She quickly spun around and shot the device. Sparks flew and the device exploded.

The shaking came to a stop. And the readings dropped.

"Anti-neutrino bombardment has stopped. Plasma temperature dropping."

"We didn't anticipate anti-neutrinos. The trajector could never be compatible with Federation technology." B'Elanna concluded and gave a defeated sigh and leaned against the railing to brace herself.

-----

(Two hours later.)

Lieutenant Bini Filters POV

I limped onto the bridge. Thanks to the explosion, my leg was severely burned so now I have to limp to the room where I will most likely be thrown off the ship. Wonderful.

Micheal and Sarah marched beside me like they were security guards and I will admit I still have a grudge against them for selling me out. Since I am small for my age, Sarah and Micheal were smaller than me but almost my height. So really it looked like three little kids marching on the bridge towards the ready room.

"We are sorry, Bini. But we couldn't let you destroy the ship." Micheal apologized again. For like the fifth time since the incident happened.

"I wasn't-We weren't going to destroy the ship. Obviously that wouldn't happen!" I argued and walked past the security station and over to the ready room entrance. I stabbed my finger against the chime button.

"Come in."

The door slide open to reveal the ready room. Captain Janeway was glaring at me from her desk as B'Elanna with shame, massive amounts of shame were written on her face, stood in front of her desk to the left and Tuvok, who was well...Tuvok stood next to B'Elanna.

Captain Janeway silently gestured me to stand closer and Micheal and Sarah moved away and ran off. Leaving me in the ready room. Knowing that my life has just come to a screeching halt.

"I take full responsibility for what happened. There were others involved, but I was the senior officer, and the culpability is mine." B'Elanna started. The Captain held up her hand to silence her.

"Lieutenant Torres is not precisely correct, Captain. She was not the senior officer involved, I was." Tuvok stated. The Captain's jaw dropped and her eyes widened as if she had just suffered from the worst betrayal ever. Which granted, probably just happened.

"You?" She spat out at Tuvok in anguish and surprise.

"It was I who made the exchange. The Federation Library for the trajector matrix." He said. She gripped her desk harder. Her knuckles turned white and she gritted her teeth, slowly getting up from her desk and the "Captain's mask" sipped on once again but the anger was still there.

"I will deal with you in a moment." She snapped at Tuvok. Then she looked at B'Elanna. "I don't have the luxury of throwing you in the brig for the rest of this voyage. I need you. I need every person on this ship. But I want you to know how very deeply you have disappointed me. If there are any further transgressions, even a minor one, you will no longer be an officer on this crew. Is that clear?"

B'Elanna looked terrified. I have never seen her so terrified and ashamed.

"Yes, Ma'am." She said.

"Dismissed." She barked. B'Elanna didn't need to be told twice as she bolted from the room and then the Captain looked at me. Now I am starting to feel really terrified as I sucked in a deep breath and waited for my punishment.

"I don't know what I expected from you."

OK. Strange beginning.

"You are a kid. And yet somehow I was stupid enough to allow you to become second in command of security. I should have demoted you earlier..."

OH god. Here it comes.

"You are being demoted to ensign. You are no longer second in command of security."

The words cut through me like a knife.

"Demoted? Ensign?" I repeated in disbelief. She circled around her desk and yanked a pip from my collar. I was officially an ensign.

"Dismissed." She barked. I nodded and ran out at the speed of a cheetah. I need to rethink my future. I hope Tuvok survives.

-----

Captain Kathryn Janeway's POV

I slammed the pip down on my desk, feeling gulity but at the same time, I couldn't let her get away with the act that she committed. I looked up at Tuvok. I straightened my posture and glared at him. Tears filled my eyes as the reality hit me that...Tuvok. One of my most trusted and valued officer and friend...betrayed me and my position as the Captain.

"I don't even know where to start. I want you to explain to me how you, of all people, could be involved in this." I bit out in anger.

"It is quite simple, Captain. You have made it clear on many occasions that your highest goal for the crew is to get them home. But in this instance, your standards would not allow you to violate Sikarian law. Someone had to spare you the ethical dilemma. I was the logical choice, and so I chose to act." He said in the damned calm tone as if what he just did meant nothing!

"You did it for me because you knew I couldn't."

"I accept the consequences of my actions. I expect to lose my commission and to be court-martialled when we return to Federation space." He said.

"You are one of my most valued officers and you are my friend. It is vital that you understand me here." I said as my voice cracked under the pressure of the situation and I took a moment to compose myself before I continued. "I need you, but I also need to know that I can count on you. You are my counsel, the one I turn to when I need my moral compass checked. We have forged this relationship for years and I depend on it. I realize you made a sacrifice for me, but it's not one I would have allowed you to make. You can use logic to justify almost anything. That's it's power, and it's flaw. From now on, bring your logic to me. Don't act on it behind my back."

"You have my word. My logic was not in error, but I was."

"Dismissed."

-----

Seska's POV

I hid in the shadows as defeated Bini Filters limped into her quarters. I stepped out of the darkness of the corner, causing her to yelp and jump back when she spotted me.

"Seska? Geez, what did I do this time?" She demanded.

"Where is it?" I hissed.

"Where is what?"

"You know what. The information."

"I don't have it. I need more time."

"What?!" I raged. I need that information. Bini yanked off her uniform jacket, throwing it to the floor and placed her combadge on the nearest table.

"I said, I don't have it. I need more time. What you are asking of Tom and I to do in a couple of days is ridiculous. I don't think you understand how many red flags it is going to bring up in security if I just go snooping to download every bit of information about the ship from the computer. It would bring up red flags even when I was in second of command of security." Then she pointed to her one pip. "Which I am clearly not anymore. I am an ensign which makes it worse. And Tom doesn't know how to hack so I have to break into all the systems and hid my tracks. Which doesn't help matter on time either. Tom doesn't even know you want the info yet."

I growled. Knowing I would have to wait longer and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Fine. You have a week. No more." I barked and quickly exited as Bini leaned over and tapped her combadge."

"Filters to Paris. Are you alone right now?"

---End of Chapter 21. Next State of Flux.---