What Is Said About It

Today it's Scott's turn to fly the ship. Yesterday it has been Carey's turn. Everyone needs a spin at the controls, Scott had been told. What if something happened and Scott was the only one available to take the controls?

It was about half an hour into the shift. Furry Paris sat in Chakotay's seat, keeping an eye on Scott. He was ready to leap forward and take control the moment something went wrong. Human Janeway sat next to him. She was currently in command. (Not many people knew but the entire furry command crew had conspired to get furry Janeway three days off).

Scott made a slight course correction. They were heading towards a planet three times the size of earth. It was M-Class and long range scanners had shown a varian of leola root growing on it. Torres had actually suggested bypassing this planet but had been overuled. Food stores were depleting.

Two hours later Scott pulled into a perfect synchronous orbit above the planet's largest landmass. Janeway stood up, activating the intra-ship communications.
"Furries Tuvok and Chakotay report to transporter room one. Humans Carey, Torres and Vorik report to transporter room one."
Janeway headed for the turbolift. "Paris, you have the conn. Scott, keep us in the same position, but if anything goes wrong, anything, tell Paris instantly. No grandstanding here."

Surpisingly, the mission is a success. Storage facilities are filled to bursting with new supplies. During this mission, Scott's minature shift ends and human Paris takes over. Scott leaves the bridge and heads back to his quarters. Halfway there, he stops. He didn't want to go to sleep. He wanted to do something. Holodeck? Naah. Scott stops at a wall panel.

"Computer. Suggest list of games for one person."
"Unable to comply."
"Why?"
"Game system has been corrupted?"
"What is the nature of the corruption?"
"The game system has been re-written into communications system."
Uh oh. "Open communcication system. I want to hear it."
"System open."
"This is Ensign Scott from the USS Voyager."
"Scott! This is Torres. Have we come back from the mission yet?"
"Uh...yes. Yes you have. What's going on?"
"They're not us! It's not Baldy but they're clones! We're being held prisoner for our DNA because our bodies can deal with this enviorment. The people you beamed up are going to blow up the warp core to destroy any chance of us getting rescued."

Scott knew he had to act fast. (But should he?). He closed off the communication systems and ran for the turbolift. (But what if the people he jsut talked to were fake?). He leapt into the doors and who was in there but Enisgn Mulcahey, the Bajoran engineer. (Boy, he sure meets this guy a lot!).
"Where are you going?" Scott asked.
"Engineering." was the reply.
"Fine."
It took an eternity for them to get to engineering. Scott charged in and tackled Furry Chakotay. And was launched back when Chakotay planted two strong legs into his stomach and pushed. Mulcahey caught him before he could slam to the ground again. They both got a good view of engineering.
Most of the crew was here! Hand to hand fighting! (Scott saw Carey try and fire a phaser. It wouldn't work. A dampening field was in effect, thank god).
Scott saw that tons of people were trading punches, not just the people who went down to the planet. It was an all out brawl!

Scott was pushed forward and ran for furry Chakotay one more time. He swiung, but Scott ducked and rabbited a flurry of punches into his liver. Chakotay stumbled backwards and slumped to the floor. Scott turned and was clotheslined across the face by Janeway. He slammed to the floor, a spike of pain throbbing in his head. But Scott swung out a leg anyway. Janeway stumbled, direct into a neck pinch by Tuvok.
Tuvok bent over Scott, offering a hand. Behind him, Scott saw a security officer deliver a flying kick to a groggy science ensign.
"Get up, Scott."
"Get away."
"I understand. You do not trust me." Tuvok planted his hand on Scott's face, avoiding the area of pain.

And..ever....ything....slowe.........d dow........n.

"My mind to your mind...Scott...my mind to yours."
And Scott was Tuvok. He was the human Tuvok, his past, his present, his carefully hidden emotions. This wasn't a fake.

Scott roared out of the meld and...caught human Ensign Kim straight in the chest. Both of them slid ten feet and smacked back against the doors Scott had came in so long ago.
As blackness overwhelemed Scott he smelled the faint tingle of anesthetic gas.

"...because these doubles got greedy and wanted more live DNA before they killed us all." Scott was aware that two people had been talking for a long time.
"So why didn't they attack Sickbay?" This person was Kim. Or maybe it was Paris. Or Elvis.
"They did. Both Doctors and both Sevens fought off a total of twenty-eight clones."
"Impressive." drawled Elvis.
"Doctor! Doctor!" said Janis Joplin. "Scott's awake!"
"Now calm down, Ensign." said John Lennon. "You're husband will be just fine."
The entire conversation repeated itself in Scott's mind, Elvis and all. Scott had the mental sense to realize he would be fine, but wasn't right now.
Scott's injuries evantually did heal. The food that was brought up was good. And once again, Scott placed warning bouys around a dangerous sector of space.

1. Scott goes to an improptu counseling session with Human Janeway. In a holodeck re-creation of an Earthen forest.

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree