Equinox - Diane Carey [48]
For the first time in years, Chakotay found himself torn between two crews, two philosophies, and two relatively successful methods of command that clashed with each other. Both had worked in isolation, yet only one could prevail in unity.
He took her elbow in a reassuring way. "I'll try," he promised.
Dark and damaged, the Equinox research lab was a troubling place for a hologram with a conscience. Voyager's doctor worked with deliberation at the consoles, but he was getting absolutely nowhere. The captain was anxious, he knew, to find a way to communicate with the nucleogenics, if they could indeed communicate at all.
"Computer," he began, irritated, "I decrypted this data file. Why can't I access it?"
"EMH authorization is required."
"Your EMH is still functional?"
"Affirmative."
"Activate him."
Across the bay, the Equinox doctor fritzed into solidity, a perfect duplicate of the Voyager physician. The vision was somehow comforting, at least supportive.
"Please state the nature of your medical emergency," the Equinox EMH introduced, only now noticing that his counterpart was here instead of a patient. "Who are you?"
"Your counterpart from the Starship Voyager."
"Where's Captain Ransom? My crew?"
"In custody."
The Equinox EMH eyed him curiously, indeed with a certain hostility. "How were you able to leave your sickbay?"
The Voyager EMH waggled his arm, where the little gift from past encounters was the only item setting him apart from the other hologram. "This device allows me to go anywhere I please. In case you weren't aware, your crew has been running criminal experiments here."
Picking up a PADD on the end of a diagnostic bed, the Equinox EMH crossed the deck to him. "I know. I designed them."
"You? That's a violation of your programming!"
"They deleted my ethical subroutines."
The Equinox EMH made his statement casually while eying the mobile emitter with understandable curiosity. Perhaps envy, if a machine could dream.
Evidently a machine could plot. The Equinox EMH
made a single sweeping motion, using the PADD as a weapon.
Too late, the Voyager's EMH calculated the results of the swift move. He felt the PADD strike his arm, felt the impact drive the mobile emitter against his arm, and felt the frazzle of panicked electrical impulses surge through bis body.
Abruptly, he felt nothing.
"Captain? A moment?"
"Come in, Chakotay. Be aware, though, I won't pretend to be in a good mood. What are you doing here? We're at Red Alert."
Feeling their relationship make a not so subtle shift from friends to officers, with Janeway holding the higher cards, Chakotay amended his idea about sitting down and remained standing before the captain's desk in the ready room.
He'd been asked a question, and his commanding officer was standing by for an answer. Not exactly what he'd had in mind when he came in here. Chakotay was a statuesque man, accustomed to having a slight edge of intimidation, just by virtue of physical presence. It worked on most people. It never had on Kathryn Janeway. Her sense of purpose was as big as he was.
"I had a talk with Gilmore. There are some things I agree with. Since I'm her first officer now, it's part of my duty to bring her concerns to the appropriate level. In this case, there's no-"
"Forget it. I'm not letting them out of confinement.
When we extricate ourselves from this mess, I intend to convene a court-martial."
Chakotay shifted his feet. "Well, that's more or less the message. Captain-would you mind if I sit?"
"Yes, but go ahead anyway."
Now he didn't want to. He did anyway. Once seated, though, the equality failed to buffer the ferocity in his captain's face. She was completely hardened to her cause, still furious, daunted by the failure to communicate with the life forms now putting