STRIKE 2

T.R. Orton's
STAR TREK: VOYAGER
STEALTH
STRIKE 2

…It was her own. The changeling's face, like mirror.
"You've been impersonating me?" Janeway questioned shocked.
"Please, Kathryn. I have merely taken your form for the moment. I know you don't know who I am primarily impersonating, but it certainly is not you," the changeling said.
"Captain to Security-fzzzz," She received only fuzz.
"Captain you must not think that I am very smart. A simple dampening field can go a long way-," the changeling was cut-off by Janeway.
"What the hell do you want?" Janeway demanded.
"Now, Captain. I am here to make you a deal. You take me to these coordinates," the changeling tapped into a PADD next to Janeway, "…do a few things with your ship and give me a shuttle. In the mean time I will stop making adjustments on your ship such as with burning out your plasma conduits and other things that need to be done without the control of the ship," the changeling requested.
"And if I don't?" Janeway questioned.
"Then I will take all means necessary to do what has to be done. And things will not be getting better," the changeling stated as it turned into it's gelatinous form and slid under the door leading into the corridor.

Janeway walked stressfully out the turbo-lift entering the Bridge.
"Mr. Kim, I want you to find an energy-pattern difference in the changeling sample that it doesn't share with humanoids. Use that pattern to decipher where the changeling is on the ship. That way we can have the changeling before it starts serious damage," the captain ordered.
"It won't be that easy, Captain," Kim replied, "It's a very complicated procedure trying to locate an exact coordinate of humanoid without a com-badge much less solid liquid. The pattern signature won't be a problem but the computer will only be able to make a 2-minute variance every 47 minutes. But I'll have your first changeling sweep in about an hour," Kim stated.
"Okay, Harry," Janeway agreed and walked over to the helm, "Tom, I want you to make a sensor sweep on these coordinates" Janeway ordered pointing to the coordinates on her PADD, "on every band, any way you can. Find out if there is any thing special about it."
"You got it, Captain," Paris replied.
"Tuvok, I want you to make rounds on all primary decks that the changeling may want to damage," Janeway ordered.
"Yes, Captain," Tuvok answered.
"Kes to Captain Janeway," the Captain's com-badge chimed.
"Janeway here," the Captain replied.
"I have the results to the doctor's exams," Kes announced.
"One moment, Kes," Janeway walked into her ready room, "Go ahead."
"This is going to shock you but- fzzzz," the COM signal deteriorated.
Janeway hurried back into the Bridge.
"Kim, what happened to the COM signal?" Janeway asked.
"It's program seems to have been shutdown from the main computer… there's no communication on and off-board the ship," Kim explained. "Chakotay, come with me to Sickbay," Janeway ordered, relieving some tension between the two.

"I was making rounds through Deck 5 when I heard a scream coming from Sickbay," Tuvok started, "When I entered Sickbay I found Kes laying on the floor," Tuvok then pointed to Kes who was filling up the last empty bed in Sickbay.
"Did Carey or the others see any thing?" Janeway asked Tuvok.
"I believe, Kes had just finished giving everyone sedatives," Tuvok replied.
"What happened to Kes?" Chakotay asked.
"It seems as if someone had entered the room and knocked her unconscious with a large object," Tuvok concluded.
"The changeling must of turned its hand into a metal plate or some other sort of heavy object," Chakotay speculated.
"The doctor's work seems to have been deleted as well," Tuvok announced. "Damn it," Janeway said clearly frustrated, "We have no idea who the changeling is, what it wants and no medical crew. Tuvok, continue with your rounds and Chakotay treat Kes for neuro-wounds with medical files from the Doctor's L-CARS till I can get Tom down here. I'm going up to the Bridge."

Kim called to Janeway as she exited the Turbolift giving her little time to even breathe.
"Captain, the changeling sensor sweep program is ready and I even booted it for an extra 2 minutes," Kim informed Janeway.
"Good, Ensign. Stand by for my orders to run the sweep. Oh, and is the COM system back up?" Janeway asked.
"Yes, Ma'am," Kim answered.
"Good. Mr. Paris, report to Sickbay, you're our new doctor," Janeway announced.
"Yes, Captain," Paris replied and left the Bridge.
"Okay now, we're going to have to act fast. Harry, initiate the sweep. Janeway to Tuvok," Janeway ordered.
"Tuvok, here," the Chief of Security answered.
"Stand by for the location of the Changeling," Janeway said and looked over to Harry.
"The Changeling is between Decks 8 and 9. Now it has entered deck 9," Kim reported.
"There's no life support on that deck, Harry," Janeway stated.
"That probably won't affect the Changeling," Harry said.
"Return minimum life support to that deck. Tuvok the Changeling is on Deck 9, we've returned life support to the deck and I want you and some security teams to get there right now," Janeway ordered.
"Yes, Captain," Tuvok complied.

Security officers Harvey and O'ghal entered Deck 9 cautiously with their phasers' armed and ready.
"I'll head over to section Beta, you can root over to section Alpha and see if Winston and Lucas are there," O'ghal said to Harvey.
"Okay, I'll get them covering divisions1-15 and the Deck's primary exits. Kyre and Xhan should have the Jeffery tubes covered," Harvey said splitting up from his security partner. He walked on, checking all the rooms he came across firing his phaser on wide spread through the rooms to decipher where the changeling was. He was about to enter section Gamma when he heard quick footsteps in front of him. The corridors where dark without having full life support on and Harvey couldn't see anyone. He followed the footsteps calling out to the person ahead of him. No answer. The footsteps led him to the emergency airlock. "Hey, Xhan. What are you doing here?" Harvey asked his crewmate who he had finally identified.
"I was patrolling the deck," Xhan said.
"You where supposed to be in section Delta at the Jeffrey's tubes," Harvey stated.
"There was nothing there. So I headed over here," Xhan explained.
"Where's Kyre? And why didn't you answer me when I called out," Harvey questioned. But before Harvey heard another word Xhan released the airlock blowing Harvey out of the ship. Xhan didn't blow out but instead turned to a gelatinous form closing the airlock and morphed into Tuvok.

"Captain," Harry called to Janeway, "Harvey has just been sucked out of the ship!"
"Transport him directly to Sickbay!" Janeway ordered.
"I can't! The transporter system has been shutdown. There's no way to reach him," Harry defeatedly said.
"God. A crewmember dead," Janeway sullenly thought to herself.
"Sickbay to Bridge," the Com system chimed.
"Bridge here. Go ahead Mr. Paris," Janeway said.
"Q'ul has died," Paris announced. Janeway could barley speak much, less think of anything good to say. She could not believe how the changeling was harming and killing the crew like they were toys.
"Thankyou, Mr. Paris. If you could arrange a memorial service for him and Collin Harvey, it would be most appreciated," Janeway almost coldly stated.
"Yes, Captain," Paris agreed, surprised at Janeway's response.
"Captain, there's a plasma leak on Deck 9 section Beta 14, 11 and 9," Harry called.
"Conceal it and make sure no one is caught in," Janeway ordered.
"The plasma has completely filled section Beta and parts of Alpha and Delta," Harry replied.
"Harry, open a frequency to all of Deck 9 and evacuate all the security officers," Janeway ordered.
"Yes, Captain," Kim replied.

"Everyone on Deck 9 has been recovered except Kyre. Only Lucas and O'ghal suffered major plasma intoxication," Paris reported to Janeway in Sickbay pointing to the two security officers lying on cots. "I released everyone else after I treated them for minor intoxication."
"Thankyou, Mr. Paris. Vorik said he could have the Doctor back on-line in 2 hours. Till then make sure O'ghal and Lucas-BOOM," Janeway was cut off and thrown to the floor by an explosion.
"Bridge to Janeway," her com-badge chimed.
"Janeway here," the Captain answered lifting herself up. "What happened?"
"There's a warp core breach in Engineering and it's being evacuated," the Bridge answered.
"Everyone out at once!" Vorik called to the crewmembers in Engineering as they scrambled out of there for their lives.

"What happened to the warp core?" Janeway asked as she entered the Bridge from the Turbolift.
"It looks as if some one had manually activated one from their console in Engineering," Kim explained to Janeway.
"BEEP-BEEP-BEEP."
"All of Engineering has been evacuated and Vorik is on his way up," Kim responded to computer chime.
"Thankyou, Mr. Kim. Is another changeling sweep ready?" Janeway asked.
"Yes, Captain," Kim replied.
"Initiate it and have security teams standby," Janeway ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am," Kim punched some buttons into his console informing the security teams. He then punched in some more and waited to find out where the changeling was located.
"BEEP-BEEP."
"Captain, the changeling is in Engineering. It must have caused the breach and stayed in there as everyone else evacuated," Harry speculated.
"Can a team enter in there?" Janeway asked.
"No, the plasma is still at dangerous levels and the changeling has released an unidentified gas into Engineering that would even burn up an environmental suit," Harry said.
"Shoot," Janeway said. "What the heck are we supposed to do as the changeling fries the ship from Engineering."
"Captain," Bateheart called from the helm.
"Yes, Ensign," Janeway replied.
"The helm is not responding to me," the Ensign said.
"What do you mean?" Janeway asked.
"The helm has set in a course for 1247 mark 885. And I didn't give those orders to the helm and I can't retrieve them. The helm console buttons won't even respond to my fingers touching it. It's as if the console froze up," Bateheart answered.
"Kim, what's going on with the helm?" Janeway asked
"I don't know. Ops has froze up as well," Harry replied.
"Whose console is not responding either," Janeway asked the Bridge. The whole Bridge crew called out to say theirs was not working either.
"I think that the changeling is controlling the ship from the Engineering," Harry speculated. " I could make a high powered tricorder to monitor what the changeling is doing with the ship. So that way we are not all in the dark about what's going on."
"Do it, Harry," Janeway ordered.

"Captain, the tricorder is ready," Kim said to the captain after half an hour.
"Good, Mr. Kim. Now how far are we till we reach the changelings designated coordinates?" Janeway asked.
"The changeling has been traveling at maximum warp, so we'll get their in about three minutes," Kim replied.
"Doesn't give much time to do anything," Janeway stated.
"Captain," Harry called. " The changeling is leaking all plasma from the ship to the plasma vents."
"Why would it want to do that?" Janeway asked.
"It would explain why it was blowing out plasma conduits," Harry stated.
"How long till we reach the coordinates?" Janeway asked.
"30 seconds," Harry replied. "Captain."
"Yes, Ensign," Janeway replied.
"The changeling is building up tachyons into the warp core," Harry answered.
"How?" Janeway asked.
"Well with no plasma, the warp core feeds on pure tachyons. The changeling is building them up for some reason," Harry replied.
"Well we must have reached the coordinates. Maybe this has something to do with it?" Janeway said.
"We have reached the coordinates. Now the changeling is activating the deflector array," Kim stated.
"This changelings actions elude me," Janeway said.
"Captain," Harry said. "On the changelings exact specified coordinates there seems to be a patterned anti-matter burst every .338 seconds."
"Why didn't Tom pick that up when he did a sensor sweep of the coordinates?" Janeway asked.
"Well, it has only become visible since the changeling has activated the deflector array. The changeling has now shot the deflector array into the anti-matter burst and is letting the tachyons flow through the array and into the anti-matter. Captain, the changeling has created a wormhole!" Harry exclaimed.
"What?" Janeway just has shocked said.
"The changeling has now left Engineering and we have control of the Bridge," Harry said.
"Get the wormhole on screen," Janeway ordered as a golden yellow and white image filled the screen.
"Captain, the changeling has left the ship in a shuttle," Harry called.
"Is it entering the wormhole, Ensign?" Janeway asked.
"Yes," Harry replied.
"Follow it. We're not going to let it get away with the deaths and injuries of nearly 20 crewmembers," Janeway ordered as the ship pulled into the wormhole… and the unknown.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Copyright 1997 by T.R. Orton. All rights reserved. Star Trek: Voyager and all characters relating are property of Paramount and Viacom Communications. No infringement intended.