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"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. This message is for the race of beings known to the Romulans as the Shepherds. Our ship and our bodies have been infected with mutated dark matter particles. We have detected your presence on the sixth planet in Sector 6837 and are attempting to rendezvous. We require your assistance. Our ship is damaged and we do not know if we can reach your planet before the damage becomes too great Please contact us if you can help us."

She glanced over her shoulder at Kim. "Broadcast that message on all frequencies every three minutes, Ensign."

"With respect, Captain," Tuvok said, "if our weapons systems and shielding capabilities are not repaired quickly, we will be targets for any hostile forces in the area. We are announcing that we are defenseless."

Janeway smiled without humor. "If we don't get help soon, Tuvok, the point will be moot Any system could go at any time, and if we can do anything to attract the Shepherds' attention, I'm all for it Besides, we're a bit like an old-fashioned plague ship. Anyone who boards us or tries to acquire our technology runs a very substantial risk of being infected themselves." She glanced over her shoulder at her

security officer. "Sometimes, Mr. Tuvok, you've just got to gamble."

Tuvok did not reply, but he did not look pleased, either.

"Janeway to Seven of Nine. I want your full attention on keeping the long-range sensors intact. If you notice anything unusual, report to me at once."

"Aye, Captain."

Janeway settled into her chair. There was nothing to do but wait.

In the corridor right outside engineering, safely away from the main flow of traffic, two ghosts spoke in whispers. Their task was nearing completion.

CHAPTER

9

"Ow!" NAOMI YANKED HER ARM BACK AND GLARED AT the Doctor. "That hurt!"

"Oh, it did not," replied the Doctor.

"It wasn't you who felt it!"

The Doctor sighed heavily. "Well, it's obvious your nervous system isn't impaired by the dark matter. Your brain, however, is another matter." He offered this assessment casually, as if he were commenting on a bruise she'd gotten while playing. "Pardon the pun," he added.

Naomi went cold. "My brain?' she echoed. "What's wrong with my brain?"

"The frontal area of your cortex is being targeted by the dark matter. The ribonucleic acid is failing to do its job of assisting memory storage.

Have you been suffering any short-term memory losses?"

Tears welled in her eyes. She was forgetting things? "No" she said, honestly. "Of course, I wouldn't remember if I forgot."

'Too true," sighed the Doctor. "I'm willing to bet that you are, though. Fortunately, that's not life-threatening."

Naomi was silent, fighting back tears. She was forgetting things. Who knew what wonderful memories were lost to her already? Through the haze of tears she looked around sickbay, and gasped when she saw a familiar figure lying still on the bed next to hers.

"Doctor! What's wrong with Uncle Neelix?"

The Doctor arched an eyebrow. "Definitely short-term memory loss," he said.

Captain's log, supplemental. Recovering the incorrectly ejected warp core is not a particularly dangerous or meticulous chore, but it is taking precious time. Tuvok and engineering keep reporting failures throughout the ship. At this point, we have no weapons and only ten percent of our normal shielding capacity. We are utterly vulnerable. We have heard nothing from the Shepherds, though Telek assures me that they are out there. They are our last hope.

The crew, too, is breaking down a piece at a time. It's all we can do to stay civil to one another. Having a goal-reaching the Shepherds' planet-has been

the glue that s held us together so far. If the Shepherds aren't there, or if they don't help us, then we will be lost indeed.

Janeway thought about rerecording the log. Her voice sounded so hollow, so hopeless. After debating with herself for a moment, she decided to