Caretaker - L. A. Graf [37]
"Tractor them!" Janeway returned Carey's questioning stare with a shake of her head, then headed for the turbolift as she signaled to every comm badge throughout the ship, "All senior officers, report to the bridge immediately!"
* Paris recognized the sickbay the moment he opened his eyes. Crew members staggered to their feet from beside workstations, under examining beds. The medical drapes that had covered Fitzgerald and the dead nurse were neatly folded on a counter, but the bodies themselves were gone. The holographic doctor, he realized. The only one left behind when the alien Array evacuated Voyager. Turning, Paris scanned the crowded room for Kim as the doctor shifted its attention from a patient to materialize in front of Paris. "Could you explain what has transpired?"
No Kim. Not anywhere. Paris turned to answer the doctor as quickly as possible, then remembered he wasn't dealing with a real being when the hologram flickered aside in response to a patient's summons from across the room. He'd had enough of holograms to last anyone a dozen lifetimes. Turning his back when the doctor returned, Paris addressed the computer port at the nearest work-station. "Computer, locate Ensign Kim."
"Ensign Kim is not on board."
It hadn't even had to hesitate and search before giving its answer.
Paris tapped his comm badge with a growing sense of panic. "Paris to Captain Janeway."
She responded almost as quickly as the computer. "Go ahead."
"Kim didn't come back with us. He must still be over there."
"Acknowledged." Something hissed softly beneath her stern voice, and Paris belatedly recognized it as the sound of a turbolift's doors when the busy cleanup noises of the bridge intruded on her next command.
"Computer, how many crewmen are unaccounted for?"
"One," the cold machine voice answered. Paris had already darted out the sickbay doors on his way to the bridge when it elaborated, "Ensign Harry Kim."
* "Hail the Maquis."
Janeway tried not to fidget as Rollins fought with Voyager's damaged systems to bring the comm unit on-line. Even so, she had to pace down to the main command level and position herself in front of the command chair just to wean enough frustration out of her system to keep from snapping at the big Native American who appeared on the screen.
"Commander Chakotay, I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway."
His eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name?" Behind him, his own bridge was in shambles, one wall of consoles dead and burned as black as space. A dark-skinned officer, bent over one of the still-lit panels, glanced up at the sound of Janeway's voice, and she recognized the gentle wisdom of his eyes even before he stepped into the light to reveal his Vulcan features.
"We were on a mission to find you when we were brought here by the Array," Janeway told Chakotay, pretending not to notice the Vulcan behind him. "One of our crewmen is missing." She was pleased at how even and nonjudgmental her tone sounded. He isn't the enemy, she reminded herself about Chakotay. Not anymore, not here. It was easier to accept now that she knew Tuvok was alive and undamaged among the Maquis crew. "Was he transported back to your ship by accident?"
Chakotay shook his head slowly. "No." Something very much like suspicion warred with uncertainty on his face; then the Maquis commander admitted with stiff unhappiness, "A member of our crew is missing, too. B'Elanna Torres, my engineer."
Janeway tried to imagine what a green Starfleet ensign and a Maquis engineer could have in common that an alien might want, but couldn't think of anything. "Commander," she said at last, "you and I have the same problem. I think it makes sense to try and solve it together, don't you?"