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With a small sigh of victory B’Elanna refocused her thoughts and returned to her work, her fingers flying across the panel.

Phoebe’s body was engulfed in the orange fire of Janeway’s and Harry’s rifles; but she did not dissolve on contact as pretty much any other solid matter would have.

Instead, Janeway saw her sister fall to the ground and begin to transform into the massive amorphous shape that she could only assume Harry had seen all along. She forced herself to ignore the abrupt spark of pain firing in her brain as Phoebe’s hold upon her mind was completely shattered.

“Computer,” she called, “erect a level-ten containment field around the nonhuman life-form in this room.”

The computer complied, and with a chirp and buzz, Phoebe was surrounded by the strongest energy barrier at Janeway’s disposal.

For a few seconds, it looked as if the situation was controlled, but just as Janeway was stepping haltingly toward the containment field, torrents of angry red energy shot through the field, disintegrating it. As Janeway watched in horror, the amorphous blob once again resumed its more organized flowing form and three tentacles shot toward Ensign Kim, enveloping him in a stranglehold.

Janeway raised her rifle to fire again, but stopped as Phoebe’s voice, her sister’s voice, echoed through the cabin.

“Put down your weapon,” Phoebe demanded.

Harry had ceased to struggle.

“Release him!” Janeway cried.

“I have no wish to harm you or those you care for,” Phoebe said, “but I will if I have to.”

Janeway considered her words and, cursing herself for not including a full security detachment on this escapade, tossed her rifle across the room.

“Now let him go!”

Phoebe complied. Harry slumped lifelessly to the floor as the flowing energy withdrew from him, and Janeway rushed to his side.

She was able to confirm that he was still breathing and was about to call for an emergency medical transport when she looked up to see her sister, once again, standing before her.

“He will survive,” she said simply.

“Who the hell are you?” Janeway said, rising to face the creature who had stolen her sister’s form.

“Your query is imprecise. I promise, I will answer your questions as best I can, but your limited understanding will make clarity difficult,” Phoebe replied.

“Are you Nacene?” Janeway asked.

Phoebe smiled as if she were humoring an impertinent child.

“I am of the Nacene,” she replied, “but Nacene is what you have called us, not what we are.”

“Then what are you?”

“There is no word in your language to contain us.”

Janeway was growing more frustrated by the moment.

“Are you of the same species as the entity we encountered called the Caretaker, or his mate, Suspiria?” she asked.

“As you understand them, yes,” Phoebe replied. “But you do not yet begin to understand us.”

“Then enlighten me,” Janeway said petulantly.

“Is that truly your wish?” Phoebe asked.

Janeway paused. Something in Phoebe’s tone told her that this was a loaded question.

“Tell me first, why are you here?”

“I was called here by the object you refer to as the Key to Gremadia.”

Janeway’s brow furrowed as she realized that almost every time she had spoken to Phoebe in the past few days, the subject of the Key had been raised.

“What is the Key?” Janeway asked.

“Again, there are no words,” Phoebe replied.

“Well, find some!” Janeway shouted.

“The knowledge you require cannot be transmitted through any means of communication at your disposal. If I were to enter your mind and attempt to transfer that knowledge to you, your fragile brain would be destroyed in the process. You must choose, Kathryn,” she said. “Agree to use the Key exactly as I instruct you despite your ignorance of its nature and purpose, and I will not harm you or your ship. Surely by now you realize that if I wanted you dead, you would be.”

Janeway considered this. It was obvious that Phoebe wielded power that was beyond that of the Caretaker and Suspiria. Her gut told her that Phoebe was more than capable