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Seven and Neelix nodded their understanding as they joined him on the pad.

When they were set, Chakotay ordered the transporter officer to energize.

Once aboard the array and then on to the second ring, the away team made its way through a few short winding corridors, some lined with the strange pattern-shifting portals Chakotay had discovered, until they reached the hallway that ended with the large metal doors that led to the chamber they were seeking.

Seven had kept her eyes glued to her tricorder as they walked, continuing to track the movements of the multiphasic life-forms. Neelix, whose thoughts were clearly elsewhere, managed to run straight into Chakotay at the turn to the final corridor.

“I’m sorry, Commander,” he began to apologize, but Chakotay cut him off with a quick “Shhh!”

Neelix stepped aside and followed Chakotay’s fixed stare.

“Commander?” he asked, the remnants of his undigested ration pack making its uncomfortable presence in his stomach known to all three.

The end of the corridor was shrouded in darkness, but Chakotay had come to an abrupt halt at a faint flicker of movement in the shadows.

“Seven?” Chakotay asked, ignoring Neelix for the moment.

“One of the multiphasic creatures has just appeared at the entrance to the chamber,” Seven said evenly, stowing her tricorder and raising her rifle to its ready position.

Neelix immediately did likewise, and they allowed Chakotay to move into position behind them before they continued cautiously down the corridor.

Chakotay knew what to expect. The first creature had been terrifying to encounter, but he was confident that the shrieking approach he knew had to be imminent would not be sufficient to unnerve Seven, and for all his bluster, Neelix was both tougher and shrewder than he usually let on.

Placing his faith in both of them, he tread softly behind their formation, willing his nerves to silence their call for him to order all three to turn around and run for their lives.

The creature passed out of the shadows. Seven and Neelix got their first glimpse of the life-form they had seen up to this point on sensors only.

Chakotay’s expectations, though well founded, were nonetheless disappointed.

To Janeway’s surprise, she and Phoebe rematerialized inside engineering, a few meters from the diagnostic station where she and B’Elanna had been studying the Key shortly before Voyager had boarded the array. Janeway’s breath caught when she remembered that the Key had gone missing just before she had confronted Phoebe in her quarters, but Phoebe calmed her with a reassuring hand.

“I had to hide the Key in order to protect it,” she said, crossing to the station and rerouting transporter controls to remove the Key from the warp core.

As Janeway moved to join her she heard Ensign Glenn tap her combadge and call, “Glenn to Lieutenant Torres.”

“Torres here,” B’Elanna replied.

“Lieutenant, the captain has returned. She and her sister are in engineering.”

Moments later, B’Elanna entered engineering and crossed briskly to confront them.

“Captain,” she said as she approached, her eyes alight.

But Janeway silenced her, raising her right hand and saying, “A moment, Lieutenant.”

“The Key is gone,” Phoebe informed Janeway.

“You didn’t think we’d leave it in the warp core, did you?” B’Elanna snapped.

Both women turned on B’Elanna at these words, but only Phoebe’s face contained suspicion.

“Where is it now, Lieutenant?” Janeway asked calmly.

“Captain,” B’Elanna began, somewhat unsure of her footing, “permission to speak freely?”

“Of course,” Janeway replied.

B’Elanna’s eyes darted to Phoebe, and Janeway added, “Phoebe and I have come to an understanding, B’Elanna. You may say whatever you like in front of her.”

“She’s Nacene,” B’Elanna said, as if unsure whether or not Janeway had forgotten, or was merely overlooking this fact for the moment.

“And I have agreed to help her,” Janeway answered her unspoken question.

B’Elanna’s next thought was easy enough to read on her face, though Janeway appreciated the fact that she refrained from