Title: One Week 2.
Author: quew
Please see part one for disclaimers, archiving info and rating.
Summary: B’Elanna and Seven discover a medical tri-corder that appears to be from one week in Voyager’s future. It holds the records of several crewmembers post mortems, and they all appeared to have died in suspicious circumstances. Will they be able to stop what the tri-corder tells them has already happened?
Warnings: A death.
Notes: I’ve confused myself already with this lol.
#
Once the data in the medical tri-corder had been transferred to padds, the entire command staff was assembled and they all shifted through the extensive medical sensor readings. It soon became apparent that none of the people scanned had been alive at the time, and the readings reflected this, showing estimated time of death, cause of death and more. They soon realized that the readings on the tri-corder were not all from a week from now. The first reading – the first death – was unbelievably shown to already have happened; according to the data, the body had been scanned at fourteen hundred hours that afternoon, and the time of death had been estimated at oh six hundred that morning. It was already thirteen forty hours. They shook their heads and tried to contact the person in question, but got no answer. Finally, Janeway decreed that they would go to her quarters.
That was how they discovered the body.
#
They had rushed to Gabrielle Allyns’ quarters, but had been too late. She was dead when they found her, the cause of death matching that shown on the data exactly – head trauma, caused by a blunt instrument, and definitely not accidental.
That had driven home the fact that the data could actually be true, and a pall settled over the senior staff as they contemplated that fact. It was possible that someone could have killed Gabrielle, faked the readings and left the tri-corder in the jefferies tube as a way to get attention, and Tom Paris was the staunchest supporter of this theory. Seven remained absolutely convinced, however, that the readings were true.
Although she could not show bias, Captain Janeway was secretly leaning towards Seven’s theory – something in her gut was telling her that they were on the edge of something big, and they had to stop it now.
#
‘Tuvok, send security teams to guard each of the other names on the list,’ Captain Janeway said, her face pale and tight. ‘I want round the clock security on each of those crewmembers.’
‘Yes Captain,’ Tuvok said. ‘Shall I disclose the reason for the guards?’
Slowly, Kathryn shook her head. ‘I don’t want this getting out yet. Think of something, Tuvok, but don’t tell them the truth – you know that on a starship, panic spreads very quickly. I want to be able to investigate this quietly, with a minimum of fuss. Hopefully, we’ll get it all sorted out before anyone knows anything is wrong.’
‘Won’t that be difficult to achieve when you inform the crewmembers of Gabrielle Allyn’s death?’
Janeway sighed and rubbed her eyes. ‘I’m not going to tell them details, Tuvok, although I wish I could. I hate being dishonest with my crew.’
‘I understand, Captain,’ Tuvok said, and then he was gone.
Captain Janeway sighed again, feeling the loss of a crewmember keenly as she tried to hold her captains mask in place. She rose quickly, wiping the unshed tears from the corners of her eyes, and picked up the data once again, scanning the information she now knew by heart.
#
B’Elanna and Seven walked in silence, the half-Klingon a half step behind her taller companion as she had been ever since they had left the turbo-lift. She was alert and tense, her eyes scanning the faces of the crewmembers they passed as she watched them for any sudden movement.
She was still reeling from the vindication of the tri-corder data, and every time she closed her eyes she saw Allyn’s body slumped over her desk, the back of her head a pulpy mush. She swallowed hard and her eyes settled on the back of Seven’s head for a moment.
‘Seven,’ she began, ‘aren’t you scared?’
‘No,’ The ex-drone replied. ‘Why should I be?’
They paused as Seven inputted the codes to open Cargo Bay two and they both went inside as B’Elanna said, ‘Well, I…you’re…the data…’
‘You’re inquiring as to whether am I concerned about my apparent demise?’
‘Well…yes,’ B’Elanna acknowledged, nodding slightly.
Seven turned to the half-Klingon, and B’Elanna was surprised to see a smirk playing at the edges of Seven’s full lips. ‘Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.’ The ex-drone said.
B’Elanna stared at her for a long moment, and then started to laugh. ‘You have been working on your sense of humour,’ she said, smiling at the blonde.
‘Indeed,’ Seven said mildly as she watched the engineer laugh, her blue eyes crinkling with contained mirth. ‘I am glad you find it palatable.’
B’Elanna finished laughing and nodded, ‘I needed that,’ she said finally. ‘Thank you.’
‘You are welcome. It was my pleasure,’ Seven responded.
‘Practicing your manners as well, Seven?’ B’Elanna smiled. ‘You’re doing well. Keep it up and I might even enjoy your company one day,’ she said it with a playful grin that let Seven know she was only joking, and the other woman responded in kind.
‘Perhaps I will stop practicing then,’ she said, affecting a solemn tone.
B’Elanna let out a snort of laughter and then the doors of Cargo Bay two swished open and a security detail appeared.
‘Looks like your bodyguards are here,’ B’Elanna said finally, her smile gone as she watched the detail, which only served to remind her of the data once again. ‘I’d better get going and leave you to your work. Bye Seven.’
‘Goodbye, B’Elanna,’ Seven called, watching as the dark haired woman left the Cargo Bay.