Jetrel: Part Two

Chapter 35: Jetrel: Part Two.

(Next Day.)

Neelix's POV

———

I was dreaming...I think. I was in Sardines. It was darker than usual and there was a shadowy figure on the other side of the pool table. I heard giggling and I looked over to one of the nearest tables where Mollie and Bini sat. Bini gestured to the table with the deep cut on her hand from earlier, causing blood to drip onto the furniture and Mollie to growl.

"It's your turn." She said. I looked down at the pool table. There was no open shot.

"There's no open shot." I called out.

"Why don't you call a safety, Neelix? Isn't that what you always do?" Tom teased and started to circle the table.

"I'm no coward." I snapped.

"That's not what I've heard." The figure said and moved his pool cue to take a shot.

"What are you doing, it's my turn!" I argued.

"You've lost your chance to play. Now you're going to lose!" The figure said and suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I spun around and saw the Captain.

"Neelix, where did you go? Why did you leave us?" Janeway asked softly with a hint of anger in her voice.

"I did what I thought was right."

"You were afraid." Little Micheal and Sarah said together, right next to their mother. Mollie left Bini and joined her owners, growling at me.

"No! I-"

"Neelix." The soft voice of Kes called. The Captain and her family moved aside to reveal Kes, only she looked different and was wearing the tattered clothes the Palaxia was wearing the day I found her. She staggered over to me, her skin grew pale and she lost the spark of life I loved so much. This wasn't Kes.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"It's me, Palaxia." She replied in a child-like voice, then her skin started to burn.

"Palaxia!" I yelled and staggered towards her but she back away from me. Tears streaming down her face as she shook her head at me.

"Why weren't you here to help us?" She cried and then disintegrated away, only leaving a pile of ash on the floor.

Bini and Tom began to circle me, then Harry joined in, then B'Elanna and they started to chant.

🎵 Neelix, you will kill us! Neelix, you killed them! Neelix, you coward!🎵

They repeated this over and over and over, I spun around and glared at the figure in the darkness. It reminded me of Jetrel. It must be him. He killed them. He killed them all!

"You! You did this, butcher!" I screamed and pushed away Bini, Tom, B'Elanna and Harry. Who had began to burn up like Palaxia, but no matter what pain they were in they kept chanting. I yanked the figure from the shadows and slammed him against the pool table, I looked down at the figure, thinking I would see Jetrel's hideous face but no. It was a frightened face of me. I was the butcher.

"Bridge to Neelix." Janeway's voice echoed across the horror around me.

——

"Bridge to Neelix. Please respond."

I was yanked from my nightmare and took a few gapping breathes before grabbing my combadge from my nightstand and turning it on.

"Here, Captain." I replied with a shaky voice.

"Neelix, I thought you'd like to know, we're approaching Rinax." She replied. I was silent, the memories of that place so long ago and my nightmare came flooding back.

"Neelix?"

"Thank you, Captain. I'll be right there. Neelix out." I said and cut the channel, slowly slipping out of bed, trying to rip the horrific thoughts out of my mind.

———

Tom Paris's POV

(20 minutes later.)

"Entering synchronous orbit, Captain." I reported and looked up to gaze at the gray planet that filled up half the view screen. I heard the turbolift doors open and I slightly turned to see Neelix come onto the bridge, clearly unsettled.

"Hard to believe that on clear nights you could look up from Talax and see the shimmering lights of the colony. The night of the Cascade, a bright flash cut across the sky. It was so blinding that people threw themselves to the ground. Then everything stopped, like a moment out of time. Then we all looked up to see where the flash had come from, but the sky seemed oddly empty. Took most of us a few seconds to realize it was because Rinax was gone. Of course, the moon was still there. We just couldn't see it because of that Metreon cloud." Neelix explained to everyone.

"Engineering to Bridge. We're ready to begin transporter pre-sequencing, Captain."

"Acknowledged. Janeway out." The Captain replied and when there was a strange silence I looked back and at Neelix, who had tears whelming up in his eyes.

"This brings back too many memories, Captain. If you'll excuse me." Neelix said and hurried off the bridge.

"Of course." The Captain muttered.

-----

B'Elanna Torres's POV

"I believe I asked for a larger container."

Go. To. Hell.

No. That was rude. Stop thinking like that he is...just an annoying damn doctor who thinks he can do my goddamn job better than me. Maybe I should tell him to shut the fuck up...I can't do that. Really a shame. Just pretended to at least tolerate him. Come on, B'Elanna.

I straightened my posture and tried my best not to glare at that demanding idiot.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Doctor, but we're talking about a cloud sample large enough to contain a few subatomic particles, right?" I said.

"Yes. But the isotope accounts for just a miniscule fraction of the cloud's total mass. I want to be sure we get enough." He argued.

"Don't worry. We do this all the time." I insisted and turned away from him, facing the warp core and doing a private eye roll before tapping my combadge. "Engineering to Bridge. Pre-sequencing complete, Captain. I'm ready to begin transport."

"Proceed." The Captain replied over the channel.

"Targeting scanners. Locking on. Energize."

The container filled up with purple-grey mist. Thank Kahless it was successful.

"Captain, we have the sample aboard. The containment field is holding."

"Well done, Janeway out."

"Good luck, Doctor." I muttered as Jetrel grabbed the container without a single word and rushed out of engineering towards sickbay to find a cure for Neelix.

——

Bini Filters POV

Yep, the life scan on my tricorder clearly showed Neelix was in the messhall. Kes followed me down the corridor and we stopped in front of the messhall's kitchen backdoor.

"Kes, I am on duty, and as much as I love to help you find you missing boyfriend who is currently in the messhall by the way, you could have just called him on his combadge or something." I argued.

"As I have already mentioned before, he turned his combadge off. Besides, aren't you always complaining about how boring Brig duty is? Staring at a wall for eight hours a day was it?"

"...Well played..."

Kes opened the door and we slowly entered into the kitchen.

"Neelix? Neelix, are you in here? Neelix?" She called out and then we suddenly noticed a hunched figure under neither the front counter.

"I've been looking for you everywhere. Why did you take your combadge off?" She asked.

"I wanted to be alone." He muttered.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I was worried. I know how you must feel-"

"No, you don't know! Not everything. You don't know where I was the night Rinax was destroyed."

"On Talax, fighting with the defence forces." Kes replied and bent down to his level.

"I was on Talax, but I wasn't fighting with the defence forces. I was hiding from them. I wasn't a hero at the battle of the Pyrithian Gorge. I've never even been there." He snapped back.

"I don't understand."

"I never reported for duty." Neelix admitted.

"Why not?"

"I thought the war was unjust, that Talax was fighting for reasons that weren't worth killing for. Or at least, that's what I told myself. But the real reason I didn't report was because I was a coward. Now you know."

"If the Talaxian authorities would have caught you, what would they have done?"

"During wartime, the punishment for refusing military service was death."

"So, you put your life at risk for something you believed in, and you think that makes you a coward? I don't understand." She said.

"It makes me a liar! I've lied about it all these years, to you, to Jetrel, to everyone."

"Because you're dishonest."

"Because I'm ashamed." Neelix corrected.

"What an awful burden you've carried all these years. No wonder you're so angry with Jetrel."

"Of course I am. He killed them all. My mother, my father, my little brothers."

"Is that really why? Every since Jetrel came on board you've despised him. The hurt and anger you've held in all these years was vented right at him. But was it really Jetrel you're angry with? Is he the one you blame for what happened?"

"I don't know."

"Or was he just a convenient target to keep you from looking somewhere else."

"You mean from looking at myself? You may be right, but I hate him. And I don't think I can stop hating him."

"Maybe you have to stop hating yourself first."

-----

Jetrel's POV

I ran into sickbay, the EMH came out of his office, expecting me to be ready to make the antidote. Ha, if I did that then I wouldn't be dying right now would I?

"Are we ready to begin synthesis?"

"Computer, override command one EMH alpha and end programme." I snapped.

"Now just wait one--"

I rushed over to my equipment and plugged in the sample container and pressed a few buttons to began to experiment. The mist started to solidify into the matter, just like I suspected. Suddenly, the sickbay door slid open to reveal Neelix, I jumped a little in surprise and worry. He could ruin my entire experiment.

"Doctor Jetrel." Neelix started.

"You startled me!"

"I'm sorry, but I need to speak with you."

"Is it possible we could talk later?" I asked in annoyance. "It won't be long before I am too weak to work. I would like to finish before I die."

Neelix stepped forwards and his eyes widened once he saw the contents of the container.

"What is that? You're engaging in some kind of bizarre experiment, aren't you? What is it this time?" He snapped and pointed angrily at the container.

"You don't understand. I can help them." I argued as the matter started to quiver.

"What do you call that? Scientific progress? I'm going to the Captain!" He yelled, I quickly swipped the nearest hypospray and grabbed Neelix, causing him to slam back towards me as I pressed it against his neck, causing him to go limp.

-----

Captain Kathryn Janeway's POV

I started to pace the bridge, anxious on the Doctor's progress. I sighed in annoyance and looked over to Chakotay, who was currently working on the console between our command chairs. He must have sensed me looking at him because he looked up at me with a small smile.

"Any report on Doctor Jetrel's progress, Commander?"

"Not yet, Captain." Chakotay replied I tapped my combadge, continuing to pace.

"Bridge to Sickbay."

No response.

"Janeway to Sickbay."

No response.

"Janeway to Doctor Jetrel."

No response.

"Computer, activate Emergency Medical Hologram."

"Please state the nature of-"

"What the hell is going on down there, Doctor?" I interrupted him over the channel.

"Doctor Jetrel deactivated me. He's gone now." The Doctor reported.

"Computer, locate Doctor Jetrel." Tuvok asked from the security station.

"Doctor Jetrel is in Transporter room one." The Computer replied.

"And Mister Neelix is unconscious. It appears he's been tranquillized." The Doctor added.

"Thank you Doctor. Janeway out." I said and headed towards the turbo lift, gesturing Tuvok to follow me. "You have the Bridge, Commander. Security, meet me in Transporter room one. Tuvok."

-----

Bini Filters's POV

The security team, me and two others, followed Tuvok, The Captain and Neelix into the transporter room with our phasers drawn where Jetrel was fiddling with the transporter and a container with some sort of matter was sitting on one of the transporter padds.

"Please step aside, Doctor." Tuvok insisted as we all held up our phasers towards him.

"You must let me continue. Lives depend on it." He cried frantically and continued to slam his fingers on the controls.

"We've heard that from you before. You're beginning to lose credibility." The Captain growled, taking a small step towards him.

"Captain, I beg you, let me bring them back." He insisted.

"Bring who back? Who, Doctor? Who is it you're going to bring back?" Neelix demanded to know and pushed forwards, standing next to the Captain.

"The victims of Rinax."

"He's out of his mind, Captain." Neelix snapped.

"Please, look at my calculations. You remember what I told you about metremia, Captain, how it causes the body's atomic structure to undergo fission. It mirrors the way the Metreon Cascade vaporized its victims through bio-molecular disintegration."

"Do we have to listen to this?" Neelix asked.

"I think we should hear him out."

"What I've been working on for the past fifteen years is a way to rebuilt that atomic structure. What I call regenerative fusion." Jetrel explained.

"Are you saying you're actually trying to restore people who were vaporized by the Metreon cascade?" Captain Janeway clarified.

"Yes!"

"Given the degree of fragmentation you're talking about, I don't see how that's possible."

"The electrostatic properties of the cloud are such that the disassembled biomatter has been held in a state of animated suspension. I discovered years ago that re-integration is possible."

"Is that what you were doing with that thing in Sickbay?" Neelix interrupted.

"Yes, exactly! Neelix saw it. It was an amalgamation of randomly fused organic material. Bits and pieces of previously vaporized biomatter."

"But, but, if the biomatter in the cloud is so random, so jumbled, how could you reconstruct something whole?"

"I used medical records to identify the genetic coding of a specific victim, a test case if you will. Once we input his DNA sequence, then we can isolate his atomic fragments with your targeting scanners, and then rematerialize him."

"What if he's right?"

"Captain, Doctor Jetrel is proposing the reconstruction and re-animation of a remarkable complex set of biosystems from billions of subatomic particles." Tuvok said.

"I'm afraid I have to agree. It all sounds very implausible." The Captain said.

"You sound exactly like my country. I asked them for more funds to continue my research to help the victims of Rinax, because I wanted the world to know I'm not a monster. My theories can be used to heal, as well as to destroy. But they refused me, called me a Talaxian sympathizer, and exiled me." Jetrel ranted to us.

"Does Neelix really have metremia, or was that just a pretext for getting us to come to Rinax." The Captain asked, narrowing her eyes at us.

"It was just a pretext, Captain. You do not have metremia, Neelix. You are not going to die."

"Why didn't you just tell us the truth in the first place?" Neelix asked.

"Your Captain is an accomplished scientist. She doubts my theories. My own government did too. I just could not risk being not believed again. But, Captain, it will work." Jetrel insisted.

"Captain, if there's any chance he can do it, you've got to let him try."

"Neelix, there are just too many variables--"

"Please, Captain."

"Lieutenant Tuvok, activate the emergency containment field around the transporter pad." The Captain ordered and Neelix sagged in relief, she gestured us to lower our phasers as Tuvok went and stood beside Jetrel at the transporter controls.

"Aye, Captain. Emergency containment field activated."

"We'll have to re-target scanners to the widest possible confinement beam. It's our only hope of achieving bond cohesion with such broadly scattered fragments."

"Re-targeting scanners to wide beam."

"Energise. Phase transition coils to maximum."

"Aye, Captain."

A vaguely humanoid shape began to appear, but dear lord it looked horrifying. The body shifted in and out of physical form in the beam with the dust and radiation clouds, it looked...he looked in so much pain.

"Is the biogenic field operational?"

"Affirmative."

"It's incredible."

"It's horrifying." I muttered a bit too loud, getting an annoyed glance from Neelix, but nods of agreement from the rest of the security team beside me.

"Atomic cohesion has dropped to forty-nine percent, Captain." Tuvok reported. The Captain moved in between Jetrel and Tuvok to get a better look at the readings.

"Pattern buffers to maximum power."

"They are already at one hundred percent."

"Take them to one twenty, Lieutenant."

Then the figure started to writhe.

"Pattern buffers to one hundred and twenty percent of rated maximum."

"We're losing him."

"Atomic cohesion to thirty-nine percent. Twenty-two percent. Fourteen percent. His pattern is degrading rapidly."

"You must increase the power to the pattern buffers, Captain." Jetrel insisted.

"We've got to stimulate cohesion. Is there anyway to augment the biogenic field?"

"The degree of fragmentation is simply too great. It will not work. We are overloading the system." Tuvok reported, suddenly, the transporter fizzled out and the figure dissipated for the final time, returning to the planet.

"Shut it down, Mister Tuvok."

Jetrel looked devastated and he grabbed hold on the console sharply but slipped and collapsed on the floor unconscious.

---three hours later---

((Captain's log, stardate 48840.5. Doctor Jetrel's metremia is now in its final stage. He's spending his remaining hours in Sickbay.))

Micheal, Sarah and I stood in front of sickbay, Unsure of whether or not to actually go in and say our final goodbyes to Jetrel. We didn't even know him that well.

"Should we...go in?" Micheal asked. Both of them look up at me for answers.

"I-I don't know. We didn't really know the guy? Would it be weird if we did?" I asked.

"But you are the older one. You should know!" Sarah said.

"Just because I am older, doesn't mean I am qualified to give advice. I think you two should know that more than anyone." I argued.

"But you are 15!"

"15 and somehow still alive, mind you."

"That is a bad excuse."

"Asking me for advice, Sarah. It is a bad idea."

"You are making excuses."

"Listen here-"

"STOP ARGUING!" Micheal yelled in between us and glared at both of us. "You both suck and deal with it!"

"We don't suck! You suck!" Sarah yelled and tackled Micheal to the ground.

"Come on guys! This is a public corridor, not your quarters! Break it up!" I ordered but they were too occupied beating each other on the floor, I grabbed Sarah and dragged her away since I was smaller than most people my age, I couldn't exactly fully pick her up. Micheal looked at us with red rage and lunged at her. Before I could protest, Micheal knocked us both to the floor, Sarah grinned at the battle and was determined to win and scratched Micheal's cheek, causing a little blood to drip from his cheek.

Micheal lunged up and punched Sarah in the arm, causing her to shriek and slam up against me, knocking me to the wall. I pushed Sarah out of the way as Micheal charged towards us and hit me instead of Sarah who I pushed aside.

I grabbed Micheal by his stomach, as Sarah scrambled away and stuck out her tongue at him, Micheal yelled at Sarah and kicked and punched my legs and arms as he struggled to get free from my quickly loosening grip.

"What is going on here!?" The familiar voice of the Captain pipped up. Causing us all to freeze and looked up at the furious expression of the Captain and the confused expression of Neelix beside her. It must be a pretty strange scene, I was curled up on the floor, holding Micheal and Sarah was up against the other side of the corridor with her tongue out.

"Well? Answer me!" She ordered.

"We had an argument." I said softly, unsure if what we were arguing about would set her off.

"About?" She asked in annoyance. Neelix leaned other and muttered something to her, she looked at him and nodded then back at us. Waiting for an answer.

"Well...Ah...I would rather not say."

-----

Neelix's POV

I entered sickbay, putting the trouble those three misfits caused behind me as I crossed the deserted sickbay and stood next to Jeterl's body. He weakly opened his eyes and looked up at me in shame.

"Neelix. I suppose you think this is a fitting punishment for me." He said quietly.

"Maybe the Cascade was a punishment for all of us, for our hatred, our brutality. There's something I need to tell you. I tried to tell you before, but..."

"What is it?"

"I want to tell you that I forgive you." I said. He smiled and gave me a small nod.

"Thank you...Neelix."

Jetrel relaxed and I watched as the light drained from his eyes with a small smile on his lips. I closed his eyes and headed out to the corridor to help with the situation. I felt a great weight lifted off my chest.

---End of Chapter 35: Next: Heros and Demons.---

AN: I was going to start season two, the next chapter but I decided to go back and do the season one episodes I was either too lazy to write or just did like that episode enough to write it out and change it to my AU. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!