Alternate realities EQUINOX-PART 2

		" Give me tactical control," roared Janeway as she dived
	into her command chair. Her forehead was glistening with the
	cool touch of sweat. She frantically keyed in a squence of 
	commands, and after looking around she realized that the 
	spatial fissures had closed and the head splitting sound had	
	ceased.
		" Good guess. I used a deflector pulse to reinforce the shield
	grid, but I know it won't hold for long." Paris and Janeway
	grabbed Chakotay while he laid on the deck plate moaning.
		" Paris to sickbay. Doctor respond."
		" Status report, Mr. Kim," questioned the captain.
		" Reports are coming in. Two dead, 13 others wounded. 
	Also we took heavy damage to the engines."
		" The Equinox," stated Janeway, her face darkening of the 
	mention of Ransom's ship.
		" They've gone to warp space, but no sign of nucleogenic
	particles."
		" That means that they haven't engaged they're enhanced
	warp drive. Keep scanning for-. The whine of the fissures cracked
	Janeway's skull as she drew her phaser. The war was on again.
		The Equinox flew threw space at low warp silently leaving
	Voyager behind. Ransom sat perched in his scared chair and
	looked at his crew.
		" The shield grid is back in place and the aliens are staying
	clear," reported Max Burke, with a hint of victory in his voice.
		" Are sensors picking up Voyager?"
		Noah Lessing stated," It looks like they are under heavy 
	attack."
		Ransom looked a worried look around the bridge and 
	finally said," Maintain course," he sadly said through cracked
	and peeling lips, littered with metal shavings from the 
	surrounding area. He eventually slumped back and watch
	Janeway's ship plummet to the depth's of hell.
		The turbolift ride was long, and quiet. The doors slid open
	and Katherine's body and guards moved out. The corridor was
	busy and unwelcoming. Crew with phaser rifles jogged around.
	After turning into a lead-off corridor she froze. Before her, a 
	dead creature lay curled up in an ball, it's mouth open as if
	screaming a silent scream. She couldn't move until she was 
	startled by a friend, Neelix. Even his cheery voice was dull and
	strained, but she could still not take her gaze off the floor.
		" Captain. I found the Doctor's mobile emitter on deck 9,
	you might want to take it to sickbay." The doors to sickbay glided
	open just as she heard a computer monitor blip the sound of a
	crewman flatline. She saw Paris and Ensign Rodgers cover the 
	body. 
		" You got the Doc," said Paris moving to Chakotay.
		" I got him right here." She tapped the mobile emitter and 
	the " Doc " came to life.
		" Please state the nature of the-, don't bother," he exclaimed
	dryly.
		" You can begin with Chakotay," yelled Paris. The doctor &
	Janeway moved over to her first officer. His right side of his face
	was crumpled like cardboard.
		" We found your emitter on deck nine." 
		" I was taken hostage, and I deactivated myself to escape."
		" I could ask for a damage report but I don't think I'd like 
	it." The captain and Chakotay bickered for several minutes before
	they both realized that the alien scream was back.

		Max was buzzing at Ransom's door for a few seconds before
	he sharply said, " Come in." The door slid open revealing Max
	and Seven.
		" I'm glad you're Okay," Ransom offered. I've been using a 
	synaptic stimulator. I was just taking a stroll along the Tenkaren
	Coast. You're welcome to try it."
		" State your intentions," chimed Seven. Ransom glared and
	then began to explain everything.
						DAY 1

		" Give us the codes," demaned Ransom. Just a few minutes
	ago he realized that Seven of Nine had encoded the power relays
	of his enhanced warp drive.
		" No."
		" If she won't give us the codes lets extract them," suggested
	Burke. Max had found Voyager's EMH in their computer only
	a day ago.	
		Voyager's EMH stated, " Never. If I do that she will loose 
	all of her higher brain functions." Ransom tapped a console and
	the doctor shimmered.
		" All right Doc, you know what to do."
		" Very well. This way please."
		"Doctor?" remarked Seven.
		Ransom gleamed, " I deleted his ethical subroutines."

						DAY4

		" Why did we stop?"
		" There are deuterium deposits on the surface and the 
	planet has a pathogenic atmosphere that will block sensors," 
	responded Burke. 
		 "Noah, beam down with the good ensign here and get us 
	some fuel."  After a few minutes a chirping noise sounded.
		" Captain, I'm getting a subspace transmission," said Marla
	Gilmore.
		" From who?"
		"Unknown."
		" Open a channel."
		" Doctor to Equinox. Voyager's found you! They've entered
	orbit and may have got the away team." The signal then died.
		" Away team, prepare to get back here."
		" They're not down there." Ransom was enraged.
		" All hands to battle stations."
 		"Three million kilometers and closing."
		" FIRE," sounded Janeway. Voyager moved in phasers 
	firing all the way. Equinox was hit!
		" Their phasers are off-line," reported Kim. Crash. 
		" Torpedoes," yelled Paris. An explosion of sparks lit up.
		" Target their power core and weapons," demanded the 
	captain. The Equinox's shields flashed bright scarlet. They keep
	on taking it and returning the favour. Voyager's bridge rocked,
	sparks flying over the whole area again.
		" Keep on targeting their weapons, one more torpedo
	should do it." The weapon flew from the launcher tube and 
	detonated on Equinox's shields crackling them with energy.
		The Equinox bridge lit up in flame, sparks, and debris. 
	Ransom shaded his eyes from the shrapnel. He studied Marla's
	panel and ordered what most would call a suicide run.
		On Voyagers bridge the Equinox could be seen turning
	into the planets atmosphere.
		" He's goimg in on a sixty degree vector," yelped Kim.
		"Follow him, and fire phasers." The two ships began to 
	shake as Voyager lashed out their deadly weapons. 
		" Shields down to 31 %, 29," said Tuvok. Sparks leaped
	from one of the aft consoles. 
		" Captain, the Equinox was designed for this kind of
	punishment, but Voyager's hull is buckling," stated Ensign Kim.
	The Equinox lashed out her phasers, draining Janeway's shields.
		" Shields at 15 percent and failing."
		" Captain we have to vear off."
		" No keep going," protested the mighty Janeway. A few
	seconds later, the lower shields fell, and half of Vayager's hull
	plates were blown off.
		" Vear off, activate another defector pulse. How's Ransom?"
		" Minimum damage, he's vearing off. He just went to warp."
		"Follow him?" questioned Paris.
		" We can't, we need to repair the manifolds, at least 90hrs."
	Janeway looked grim as she glanced at her battle-scared bridge.
						DAY 10

		Voyager limped through space on thrusters, her outer and
	inner hull ablaze with fire. On their bridge, sparks lit the air like
	fireflies in the night until her emergency systems flickered back to
	life.
		" Report, roared Tuvok. Fire licked hungrily at his body
	while coolant mist hissed from the engineering station.
		" Casualty reports are coming in. Seven dead, thrity four
	wounded, and extreme damage to the deflector and engines."
		Tuvok began, " Secure the ship, activate a deflector pulse to
	regenerate the shield grid."  Just before Harry, at his station 
	could respond, and alien fissure opened. The reminance of the
	bridge crew fired, but when they did, the fissure closed and the 
	phaser bolts smashed into the ceiling. Dust, sparks and wires fell
	to the deck.
		Harry explained," I followed your orders and activated a 
	deflector charge." Tuvok looked grimer than usual and hopped
	over to the turbolift, waving his hand at Kim, motioning him to
	take command.
		"Lt Rodgers, set course after Equinox, maximum speed."
		Tuvok jumped out of the lift and headed for sickbay at a jog.
	Wounded crew laid all around the doors to sickbay. Down 
	beyond the doors, the bulkheads had colapsed like crumped 
	paper. He entered. The doors only half opened, sparks leaping
	from the door crack.
		" Report Doctor."
		" Two additional dead," replied the hologram.		
		" Very well." He strode out and looked around again. He 
	saw Lt. Quinn. His face was scared and bloody.
		" Sir. Equinox has engaged their enhanced drive, we have
	detected nucleogenic particles bearing 010 mark 4."
		" Bridge set coarse for 010 mark 4. What's our best speed?"
		" Best speed warp 7. Eta, 34 days."
		" Engage."
						DAY 44

		" FIRE," screamed Janeway. The Equinox shuddered when
	her weapons struck their shields.
		" Equinox is returning fire." CRASH. Part of the ceiling fell
	onto the deck. sparks flying everywhere. Voyager's condition was
	desparate.
		" Helm, their's a Mutara class nebula 34 degrees above the 
	bow, could we reach it? And if so take us in."
		" Aye sir," cried Paris. Voyager crawled toward the nebula,
	her hull and shields colapsing all the way. 
		" Captain, Equinox is bearing off!" cheered Kim.
		" Damage report Mr. Kim."
		" Three wounded. Hull breaches on decks 5 through 7. 
	Emergency power batteries are failing, and the warp engines are 
	down," droned Kim.
		" Captain, I'm picking up a subspace transponder signal. 
	Sir, it's Starfleet! It's inside the nebula, bearing 320 mark 215."
		" Set course, bearing 320 mark 215 full impulse," said
	Katherine. Voyager roamed the purplish pink nebula for about
	an hour before they found something.
		Kim blurted out, " Sir, it's right in front of us. The ship I
	mean."
		" On screen," sounded Janeway. On the veiwscreen, a 
	starship appeared.
		" ID scan B'Leanna."
		" Federation starship, Mediterranean class. Her registry
	number is N.C.C. 47679 U.S.S. Glory."
		" Life signs," urged Chakotay.
		" I am reading one hundred, twenty seven lives."
		 Janeway was full of hope and fear but managed to say,
	" Chakotay, take an away team with a damage control team and
	the doctor, secure that vessel." She walked away, sat down in her
	chair and sighed a happy sigh. 
		" Come get us now Ransom," she wispered.
		The feel of the transporter finnaly left Chakotay as he began
	to stare at the corridor. Dirt and soot lay on the deck. They went
	over to a turbolift, and it opened.
		" Damage control team, go to their engine room, and report
	to me when you get their."
		" Aye sir," chimed the team. Chakotay and the Doctor 
	climed into the turbolift and stated bridge. It whined as it went 
	up, and when it stopped it chimed, " DECK ONE BRIDGE." Then
	the doors opened. The bridge was dark and dreary. The smell of
	acid from burnt circutry could still be identified. Beams from the 
	ceiling blocked their path, and they had to crawl through. 
	Chakotay when down to the helm and found a recked colsole. 
	Behind that lay the shattered remains of their ship's dedication 
	plaque, half buried in debris and soot.
		" Engineering to bridge."
		" Chakotay here," he responded.
		" We've found the crew, all one hundred and so, all near the 
	engine room. Should I come up?"
		" Yes but use turbo shaft 2, number 1 is trashed."
		" Aye sir." It took the ensign a while to get up through the 
	damaged and battered decks, and when he arrived his uniform,
	the black jumpsuit with department color on the shoulders, was
	loaded with metal shavings.
		" Sir all one hundred and so are in perfect condition and
	don't need medical attention."
		" Good," replied Chakotay.
		" Sir, I have to tell you something."
		" Yes."
		" The people that I have met seem to be mentally stable,
	but that could change in time."
		" Why do you think that these poeple are mentally sick?"
		" Well sir, this vessel was top secret, that's why no one knew
	about it and according to their computer, they were pulled here
	by the Caretaker in the year 2366. They have been in this 
	quadrant, alone for 9 years in the wild," he whispered.
		" Are you sure about this information Chakotay?" quiried
	Janeway. " This could just be false information like someones
	log or holodeck program."
		" I'm positive Katherine, besides I think that we should be 
	going after the Equinox, and the aliens should be dealt with."
		" This nebula has an anti-nucleogenic field, the aliens
	can't get near."
		" Lets get this vessel ready, then we can go after the 
	Equinox crew, I mean two vessels against one, and we have
	shuttles and not to mention the Delta Flyer," hummed Janeway's
	first officer. 
		"All of the 127 people are fine?" 
		" Yes." Janeway nodded at Chakotay's answer. 
		" Is their ship flight ready?"
		" Yes ma'am," said Chakotay. She nodded at that remark
	as well.
						DAY53

		Voyager and Deepwater Black were cutting through space
	at high warp. On Voyager's viewscreen, their target could be
	seen, Equinox.
		" Mr. Kim, open a channel to Equinox."
		" Channel open," he whined.
		" This is Voyager, ( pause ) and the U.S.S Glory, your
	ship can't take on both of us."
		" I'll die trying," roared Ransom. He cut the connection
	and keep on going. On the command screen, she could see 
	Equinox, losing ground.
		" All hands this is the captain, report to auxillary stations,		seal all emergency bulkheads and prepare to engage the enemy."
	On her command screen she saw most decks signal green, that
	meant that they were ready. Amidst the reckage on the bridge,
	Janeway said,
		" What I wouldn't give for a clean bridge."
		" Voyager and the other vessel, U.S.S. Glory, are
	coming along our starboard side, they are targeting our
	secondary command processors," whimpered Marla. On there 
	screen, the two ships began to fire. Crash. Metal shavings and 
	hot sparks screamed from the ceiling.
		" Return fire," said Ransom. Voyager thuddered, her hull
	buckling.
		" The Glory is firing some kind of isokinetic burst." BANG.
	Equinox's deck shifted 34 degrees to port. Ransom was flung from 	his chair, Max, Marla and Lessing held on to debeis that was
	resting on the floor.
		" Report!"
		" Massive damage, the burst went right through our shield
	grid."
		" Janeway to Ransom, surrendor your vessel."
		" We still have thrusters don't we," quiried Ransom.
		" Aye sir."
		" Put us into a barrel roll Lt." The Equinox spun and fired
	all the while. 
		" Sir Voyager and her friend have been damaged, their
	shields are down," reported Lessing. 
		" Then lets make sure that they stay down. Target their
	shield matrix, and fire at both ships." Their phasers were mighty,
	brave, and determined. Voyager's hull cracked open and spewed
	out plasma like a broken egg, and the Glory went into a spin.
		" Sir, both vessels are heavily damaged."
		" Keep firing until we are out of range."
		Lessinsg said, " Voyager and Glory are under attack 
	by the aliens."
		" This is the last weapons burst on Voyager, sent all the 
	energy directly into their nacelles, I want to eat their paint
	right off their hull." The crew listened, and Voyager's main 
	nacelles were blackened, leaving the exposed inner-hull to the
	vacuum of space. Ransom had won again.

						
						DAY 64

		" Status," hissed B'Leanna, as she lept from the captain's
	chair, her hair half burnt off.
		" The shields are back up, for now, but the strength is only
	nine percent," reported Quinn. " Also, engines are down as are 
	all weapons arrays."
		" Casualties?"
		" Fourty nine wounded and 21 dead." Crash. The Equinox
	had returned. Two phaser shots took out the shields, the
	remaining 3 struck the bare hull. Then she took off, but not before
	letting loose on the Glory. Her port nacelle colapsed, and 
	she vented a plasma/metrion gas mix. It detonated. The unstable
	metrion gas blow her port nacelle clean off, you could see her 
	lower decks be blown out. Then the explosion hit Voyager. She
	tipped at a 79 degree angle. Sparks lept and flew. During all this
	the aliens appeared. B'Leanna fired but missed, she hit the 
	science staion and it blow up. She keyed in the command squence
	for the deflector pulse, and it worked.
		On the outside, debris tumbled toward Voyager. One struck
	the port nacelle. The bussard collectors were obliterated. The
	next piece slammed into the port side of the ship, hitting the lower
	part of the saucer section and then blasting right through.
		" How's Glory?"
		" Their lower decks have been obliterated as well as her 
	port nacelle. I estimate at least 40 dead and about 75 injured."
		" And how are we?" questioned B'Leanna
		" Our port bussard collector has been obliterated, and
	decks 6 through 8, in sections 29 through 30 has been destroyed."
		" Where is the Equinox?" 
		" Unknown." B'Leanna sat down, her head was pouding. In
	a moment, she realized that she had split her head open when the 
	attack occured. She wasn't going to sickbay,she thougth, I'll just
	think of them of memintoes of what I'll do to Ranson when I get
	him. She wandered off and began to patch up a dead console.
						DAY90

		" Report." Janeway stood in her half crushed readyroom, 
	reading injury files.
		" Decks 4 through 10 are uninhabitable, power is in a state
	of flux on deck 2. Also, our transporters are off-line."
		" Report on the rate of repare on the warp drive."
		" Engines are up and running," moaned Lt. Vorik, the 
	vulcan.
		" Inform helm to set course for Equinox," said Janeway. 
	Vorik left, and the captain was left in the dark, dirty readyroom,
	only lit by the eerie green glow of a broken plasma conduit. She
	glared at her desk-top console and sneered. She raised her hand
	and put her fist right through the plastic-like surface and right 
	through to the other side of the display case. She noticed blood
	that began to run down into the sleeve of her uniform. 

		A federation shuttle gracefully swished forward out of the
	Delta Quadrant. It suddenly turned around and jumped to 
	maximum warp. In a moment, it fell from warp space and 
	appeared near the Equinox.
		" This is the federation scoutship Infinite, hailing the vessel
	identified as Equinox," said the apparent commander. Ransom's 
	face appeared on their monitors.
		" What are you doing on this side of the galaxy?"
	questioned the shawdowed officer.
		" We were pulled here against our will and our under attack
	by a federation vessel called... Voyager, and it's friend,
	U.S.S. Glory. They are attacking us because we tried to stop
	their experiments on innocent beings that when killed, their 
	bodies turns into a nucleogenic compont that will enhance their
	warp engines. Please, help us stop them."
		" Very well." Ransom nodded and his ship took off, followed
	by the federation shuttle.

		" Equinox is approaching, high impulse."
		" FIRE," yelled Janeway. Voyager and the Deepwater both
	limped toward Equinox. Their orange phasers lashed out, 
	blasting at their shields. They retaliated. The orange color of
	torpedoes struck Voyager's shields but gutted the Glory. 
	The shuttle came out of the Equinox's shuttlebay and screamed
	pass Voyager at an incredable rate.
		Sparks screamed pass Janeway's head at that instance. 
		"Who's shuttle is that, Equinox doesn't have anything like 
	that?"
		" They do now," mentioned Kim. The little shuttle beared
	down on the Glory, which was already venting plasma from
	almost every port.
		" Shields are down," roared Tuvok.
		" Beam the Glory's crew over here." Tuvok nodded.
		Equinox launched a torpedo. It smashed into Voyager, 
	blasting through decks nine to three.
		" Glory's crew is aboard," reported Tuvok.
		" Engineering to bridge, the power grid has been hit, there
	is nothing left but battery."
		" Captain, our primary computer core is down, and the
	Equinox crew has taken over the Glory."
		" Captain, where our shields are down, I am detecting
	transporter beams all over the ship, Ransom is taking all our 
	shuttles and equippment," wailed B'Leanna.
		" All of our shuttles are gone, including the Delta Flyer."
		" Move out, maximum warp, if we still have it."
		" We do," called Paris. Janeway nodded.
		On the scout the Lt. said," Shall we follow?"
		" No, I just want to toy with her," said Ransom. " I am the 
	one killing the aliens to get our crew home in a matter of 
	months."
		" You." The Lt. in the scoutship moved off after Voyager.
		" After him sir," questioned Max.
		" No, one shuttle can do no harm."
		The shuttle came up behimd Voyager at  high warp. 
	Voyager fired their weapons, but they were so drained and 
	depleted, the impact only shock the ship lightly.
		" Computer, hail Voyager."
		" Break off persute or I will fire on you again," warned
	the captain of that vessel. 
		" I am not interessed in an exchange of fire, I wish to seek
	information." The captain of the Voyager looked a long look at
	her first officer then turned back and nodded.
		Janeway had just entered the transporter room when he
	began to materialize on the platform.
		" I'm Captain Katherine Janeway of the starship Voyager,
	who are you?"
		" I am Lt. Baxter from the federation starship Steamrunner,
	currently assigned to the scout vessel Infinite for the remainder
	of the Dominion war."
		" We'll discuss this war later, but why did you side with
	Ransom?"
		" He said that you, and the U.S.S. Glory were killing
	innocent lifeforms in order to get your crew home. He also said
	that you had attacked him in order to stop him from stopping you,
	from getting your vessel home."
		" I am very sorry, Mr. Baxter, but you have been mislead,"
	said Janeway.
		" I know that, he even said so himself, and that is the reason
	why I have come here. Katherine smiled.
		" Captain to the bridge." She looked at Baxter and then
	took off, motioning him to follow.
		" Report," she stated after leaving the turbolift.
		" Captain, look at this. There are multiple Borg vessels 
	ahead, apparently assimilating a race of beings. We either go
	through them, one day travel, or around them, a months travel."
		" Helm, maintain course."
		" All hands to battle stations. Lt. I suggest that you get 
	into your vessel and keep with us, `cause we need lots of help."	
						
						DAY92

		" I'm picking up a polaron beam, we are being scanned,"
	said Paris.
		" How far away are they?" 
		" A few hours." Crash, the Equinox and company was 
	caught flying by and shooting.
		" Hull breach on deck 4, near Wildman's quarters."
		" Computer, locate Naomi Wildman, and tell her condition."
		" Naomi Wildman is in her quarters, and her Emergency
	Beacon is activated."
		" My god, if her E.B. has activated, that means that the			casing around her combadge has been destroyed," explained
	Samantha, Naomi's mother.
		" Get down there Samantha, Golwat go with her."
		" Aye captain," they both chimed. Deck 4 was a mess. Half
	of the circut panels were off the walls. Beams, and supports hung
	from the ceiling as wires spat sparks and fire. When they reached 
	Samantha's quarters, they found that the doors had been blown
	clear off. Inside the doors there was a bit of floor, then the floor
	stopped, and descended down two decks. As they walked in, the
	reminance of the floor squeaked and groaned.
		" The structural integrity bolts have been destroyed."
		" Yah," said Golwat.
		" Help," yelped a voice. It was Naomi.
		" Samantha to Doctor, emergency beam-out in progress."
	In seconds they were in sickbay, the Doctor nursed her wounds.
	The captain came in.
		" Captain," coughed Naomi," how did you find me?"
		" We detected your emergency beacon or E.B. signal. We 
	then locked on to you and beamed you to sickbay. 
		" Thank you captain, and thank you Miss Golwat, and thank
	you mom." Samantha, Golwat and Katherine smiled. Crash.
		" All hands battle stations, captain to the bridge." Janeway
	glanced around then took off at a run.
		Smoke hung around the ceiling. Plasma Coolant blew from
	an open injector port. The Borg vessel that Voyager was 
	engaging was healiy damaged but still put up one darned hard 
	fight. Voyager limped along as the Borg pounded their hull.
		" Status of our weapons?"
		" Our phaser banks are exhausted, and we only have 13 
	torpedoes left," said the more grim than usual Tuvok.
		" Save the torpedoes."
		" Captain we need to get out of here."
		" Retreat course." Voyager jumped to warp for an instance,
	but failed. With their engines in their warp position, she began
	to creep away at impulse. 
		" Mr. Paris, look for a place to go into hiding, where the
	Borg can't find us."
		" There is a planet, ten million kilometers ahead, it's a 
	class L planet," said Paris.
		" Take us to it, maximum speed." Voyager flew towards the 
	planet, being fired at during the trip.
		" In visual range."
		" On screen." The planet was an icy, barren world, covered
	with snow drifts.
		" Fire at the Borg." The cube exploded, sending Voyager in
	too close to the planet.
		" Take us out of the planets atmosphere."
		" There is no power."
		" Use the nucleogenic particles of the atmosphere." Crash.
		" The energy that we absorbed just blew out 34 power
	conduits on decks 10 through 12," stated Kim.
		" We are falling in toward the surface, impact in three 
	minutes."
		" All hands this is the captain. Prepare for an emergency 
	landing." The normal red alert lights went to blue for landing
	mode. Janeway slumped back in her chair as the white-blue 
	surface of the planet loomed ahead, looking worse all the time.
		" Belay that last order and abandon ship," she said dryly.		        The ship fell from the sky, screaming all the way down.
	They hit at an angle, rolling the ship to lay on her starboard side
	as they roared across the surface. A lump of ice smashed into 
	Voyager's starboard nacelle, ripping it clean off. Then as the 
	nacelle went out of sight, the ship righted itself, scaping the hull.
	Finally, she stopped, tipped at a 32 degree angle. Black smoke 
	ascended into the sky like someone taking an old pillow and
	compressing it, blowing all the cotton out. The bridge, from the
	outside, lay in ruins. The ceiling had collapsed, only leaving the
	infrastructure in pieces.
						
						DAY103

		Inside, snow and ice covered the deck. In a hum, people 
	materealized, near an escape pod. The floor was so slippery that 
	Janeway almost fell. Beside her lay the remains of Ensign 
	Wildman, reaching desperatly toward the hatch. From the
	captains point of view, she could see that her skull was crushed,
	and her leg was laying in an odd way. She felt like dying herself.
						
						DAY104

		All the crew had been beamed down with the pods, when
	suddenly, the whole surface began to shake. Through the hull 		breach on the bridge, Janeway could see an orange desplacement
	wave coming toward them. When it hit, the entire ship was lifted
	and rocked, just like being a toy in an angry childs hands. When
	Katherine looked back up, she saw a kind of corridor like maze,
	filled with debris.
		" Report."
		" We are in some kind of subspace tunnel, and we are 
	moving at warp 9.975, but stress levels indicate a speed, of only
	impulse."
		" Navigate around the debris, and set course for the last 
	known location of Equinox. Tell our new pilot to be ready."
						DAY107

		" Position?"
		" Nine million kilometers ahead," said Kim.
		" Come out of subspace, and fire," sighed Katherine. In a 
	flash, Voyager exited subspace via a multi-dimensional rift in
	space. Equinox and the remains of the Glory were 
	unprepared. Voyager's phasers lashed out carving up Equinox's
	hull like a roast.
		On the bridge of the Equinox, Ransom said, " What the hell
	was that?"
		" That is Voyager sir, they came out of subspace."
		" At least we are out of Borg space, where we can try to get
	away. Marla, tell Max over on the Glory to lock on to 
	Voyager with there isokinetic weapon, that should burn out their
	shields." Voyager fell behind a bit while the Glory powered
	up. On Janeway's viewscreen, she could see Equinox transfering 
	power to the Deepwater.
		" Launch the Infinite." The scout ship leaped out of their 
	shuttlebay at warp, passing Voyager.
		" FIRE," screamed Ransom. The purple blast went right 
	through the shields, sending electricity crackling over her hull.
	You could see outer hull panels be blown off, spitting sparks.
		" Fire again." The second charge went for Voyager, but the
	Infinite took the blow. Her shields colapsed, the hull half blown
	away, and all that was left was a burning cinder. The Lt. sat up,
	his face covered in blood. He touched the conn consoles, and it
	was so hot that he could not touch it. He managed to take off his
	outer black and gray vest, and used it to tap in commands
		The computer chimed, " Warn-g, enviromental contr-ls are
	-line, core br-ech im-ent." The Lt. touched out and activated the
	last remaining on-line console and accelerated.
		He grimly looked on and finally whimpered, " See you in 
	hell Ransom." The shuttle pushed on toward the Equinox's 
	particle-power transfer beam and fell into it.
		On the bridge of Voyager, they saw the scout fall into the 
	beam as if being caught in a gravity well. The explosion was
	greater than a supernova, more colorful than a particle fountain,
	but the worst was when the remains of the cockpit leaped past 
	Voyager, Mr. Baxter could be seen, with a brave expression.
		The Nova-class Equinox engaged their enhanced drive, and
	jumped into the unknown. Seven of Nine walked onto the bridge.
		" I am so glad that you agreed to give us the codes a few 
	months back. I suppose that you wish to go back to Voyager."
		" No," she said in a whisper.
		" Good." Ransom gazed off in a new direction as Seven 
	glared at him. 

						DAY108

		Voyager limped along, her hull cracking. Inside the whine
	of the aliens broke through the skulls of everyone. On the bridge,
	consoles exploded everywhere.
		" Send out a deflector pulse."
		" The main navigational deflector is offline," yelled Kim.
		" Activate the backups," roared Chakotay. The hum stopped.
	Also the alien fissures disappeared.
		" Good. Report on injuries and damage."
		" Seventeen dead or wounded and we took heavy damage to
	shields, the deflector dish and weapons. Also the deflector array
	will take hours to repair."
		" We don't have time for that, engage impulse engines and
	alter the band width," said Chakotay.
		" Why sir?" quired Kim.
		" I have been doing research and if we alter the harmonics
	of the band width, we will jump into those subspace corridors."
		" I see," grunted Paris. Sure enough, the ship shuddered 
	they were in one of the corridors.
		" Well we are on our way."
		" I am going to see the captain," mentioned Chakotay.  Just
	before he got off the bridge, the ship shuddered, as an alien
	vessel passed Voyager.
		" Who was that," asked Chakotay.
		" Unknown, they are hailing us."
		" On screen."  On the viewscreen, a bluish, gray alien 
	appeared, working frantically at his console.
		" This is our underspace, prepare to be pushed out of the 
	corridor," he said gruffly.  The ship jolted wildly, and they
	returned to normal space, the alien, not pursuing.  Captain
	Janeway strolled onto the bridge, demanding what had just
	happened.  Chokatay explained quickly and easily.
		" Captain, there appears to be Borg vessels ahead, bearing
	24 mark 308."
		" How many vessels," questioned Kim.
		" I am detecting, 2 cubes, 1 sphere, three tetragon shaped
	vessels, and the Borg queens vessel we detected when we rescued
	Seven from Unimatrix-Zero-One," replied Tuvok at tactical.
		" A tetragon!?"
		" Affirmative captain."
		" What's that," she asked.
		" It is an irregular shaped rectangular prism, similair to the
	probe we detected, and destroyed last year."
		" Ah, " said Janeway.
		" Actualluy it is an-, Tuvok's console beeped, and he ran his 
	fingers over the dirty, dusty panel.  " I am detecting what would
	seem to appear as a micro-wormhole."
		" A wormhole," repeated Chakotay.
		" Confirmed. It is fluctuating, it's subspace matrix is in a 
	state of flux."
		" Is there any danger?"
		" No," said Tuvok coldly.
		" Good."
		" Captain I believe that a message is being transmitted 
	through it, on a Starfleet emergency channel."  The bridge crew
	froze.
		" Lets here it mister Tuvok," urged Kim.  The speakers spat 		to life.
		" Star-leeeeeeet Com-nd - U.S.S. -ager."
		" Try using a narrow band filter to the signal processor."
		" Do you hear me, this is Lt. Reginald Barclay."
		" Quick, try to send a message back through."  In moments
	the channel re-opended.
		" Starfleet, Command, this is Captain Janeway, respond."
		" Captain, this is Lt. Reginald Barclay, at Starfleet 
	Command."
		" Can you get a visual Harry?" asked Chakotay.
		" I am trying."  On the viewscreen, three people appeared,
	one of which was Admiral Paris, her helms officer was his son.
		" It's good to see you, we have been waiting a long time for 
	this moment."
		" The feeling is understandable, however the wormhole is
	colapsing," said Barclay.
		" We are sending you our ship's logs, crew reports, and 
	astrometric database to you now."
		" Aknowledged, and we are sending you data on 
	hyper-subspace technology, which we hope could allow us to 
	keep in contact."  Janeway nodded.
		" Hello son," said Admiral Paris.
		" Dad."
		" I miss you and I'm proud of you."
		" Thanks, you don't know what that meens to me." They 
	smiled.
		" Keep a docking bay open for us, and if we don't make it 
	back, Captain Rudulph Ransome and the Equinox are here, 
	killing aliens to get home quicker.  We are chasing them and they
	are the cause of all our damage, as you can see.  Also, the secret
	vessel U.S.S Glory, is here, along with the crew of the scout
	Infinite, and they are helping us.  However, Glory is in the 
	hands of Ransom, and the Infinite has been destroyed," said 
	Janeway bravely, as the signal died, & back to the hum of attack.
		" Shields," urged Katherine.
		" They are off-line.  When we contacted Starfleet, the relays
	overloaded and blew out the shield grid."
		" Mr. Paris, jump to warp, that will stop the aliens."
		" Aknowledged."  Voyager's engines bent up to a 30 degree
	angle just before they flashed blue, streched into infinity, and the 
	the ship shoot off into a flash of light.  However, in warp space,
	the ship, began to groan under stress.  In a fireball, the aft sensor
	palette behind the bridge broke off in a shower of confetti .
		On the bridge, sparks hurtled from the turbolift.
		" Report," mentioned Chakotay.
		" The structural integrity field  is not at full power, and the 		hull peeled off of the aft. sensor palette," reported Tuvok.
		" Reroute power."
		" The flaw has been closed, however in doing so, the rest of 
	the structural integrity field has been weakened, as well as the 
	inertial dampers."
		" How bad," asked Paris.
		" There is no way to get the systems back up, unless, we can
	get out of warp."
		" Are you sure Mr. Kim."
		" Positive.  With the warp engines on-line, we don't have the 
	power to do it."
		" Could we divert power?" questioned Janeway.
		" We could, however, it would have to come from the warp
	engines, and dropping out of warp without inertial dampeners,
	we would be nothing but red stains on the aft consoles, due to the 
	stress."
		" All personnel, go to the escape pods and wait there.  We 
	need to be in them because the inertial dampeners, are off-line.
	You all know that the escape pods have their own structural
	integrity, and inertial dampening systems.  Those are your orders.
	I know Starfleet procedure says otherwise, but we need to survive 
	and stop Ransom.  Besides, Starfleet and the federation are 30
	years away."
		The hull shuddered as the ship flew through space, her 
	structural integrity field all but gone.
		" Janeway to Torres, I had a new idea on how to get us out
	of warp."
		" I'm all ears captain."
		" Could we do a controlled warp field colapse, I know those
	don't need inertial dampeners to work?"
		" No we can't, the power levels are too low we just don't 
	have enough power to go-".  She was interruped as three plasma
	conduits blew out in engineering.  Coolant began to hiss from the 
	warp core.
		" Torres, get out of there, we read more plasma conduits are
	on the verge of explosion," said Janeway frantically.
		" You don't have to tell me twice."  As she jumped up from a 
	console she began pushing people out but before she could, the
	worst happened.  A plasma conduit ruptured, causing a plasma
	fire which caught her right in the face.  The officers grabbed for
	her but were pushed back by the flame and falling debris.  Her 
	neck was twisted back, which was a sure indicator of a broken
	spine.
		Janeway's voice roared over the intercom and said, " All
	officers in engineering, report to your escape pods."  The people
	took off, but most glanced back as the doors to engineering slid 
	shut, leaving Torres out of view.
		On the bridge, they had managed to get the inertial 
	dampeners on-line.
		" Beginning warp collapse, now," said Janeway.  The ship
	tilted sideways, while fires erupted and the computer warned of a
	hull breach on the bridge.  Chakotay jumped up and headed for
	the turboshaft.  The last thingh he realized was that Katherine 
	Janeway stayed behind.  He could hardly see her, but she was 
	definetly there.  He couldn't leave her behind, so he ran back into 
	the dirty bridge in search of why she wanted to stay behind and 
	get killed.  He pushed through the heavy smoke to see her using a 
	console.  She looked at him in a scared and yet controlled way.
		" We fell out of warp inside an asteriod belt," she roared.
		" Hurry Katherine," Chakotay screamed.
		" I am reruting auxillary power to the field emitters."  At 
	that moment, a large beam fell out of the ceiling and crashed to 
	the deck shattering the glass lighting panels by the helm station.
	At nearly the same instance, the whole front wall was sheared off
	and most of the debris fell inside, crushing the helm panels from 
	which fires erupted from under the wreakage.
		The computer said, " Warning, force fields and inertial 
	dampeners on the bridge will fail in 30 seconds."
		" Katherine," pleaded Chakotay.
		" I can seal these breaches."  At that moment the ship jarred
	and again sparks flew, dead consoles spat, and coolant hissed 
	the remenants of the engineering station.  With that, she jumped
	over the command railing and into the turbolift, leaving her 
	bridge behind.
		Now they had to play the waiting game, until the ship 
	slowed to safe speeds.
		
		" Damage report computer," said Janeway.
		" New hull breaches on decks one four and eleven.  There
	are 4693 micro-fractures along the hulls infrastructure.  Decks 
	one and four have collapsed."
		" Computer stop," hissed Janeway.
		" Captain, I've got the force fields on the bridge back up, as
	well as the environmental controls," said Kim.
		" You mean we can enter?"
		" Yes."  
		With a look of braveness on her face, Janeway walked into
	hell.  Most of the bridge was black, interrupted only by the red
	flashing of the warnings of entering.
		With a sigh, she walked back into the turbolift and said, we 
	will set up command control in engineering, lets go."  With that,
	the crew descended in the turbolift, to find even more grimness
	and sorrow.
		The doors to engineering slid open, letting the coolant from 
	the warp core spill into the corridor.  Klazons blared, cracking
	the heads of the bridge crew as they entered.
		Torres, was laying next to the warp core, slumped halfway
	into the plasma injector ports.  Janeway pulled her out, only to
	realize that she was still alive.
		Her head moved ever so slightly and a moan escaped her.
		Suddenly, she looked at Katherine and said, " Send Ransom 
	to hell," she said before slipping into unconsciousness.
		" Get her to sickbay," barked Janeway.

				   TO BE CONTINUED	
			      By David Bolivar-MacDow