The Other Torres | A Star Trek Fanfiction *Book 1*

Faces-Chapter 37

[Sickbay]

"Dermal stimulator, please." said the Doctor. Chakotay has been transformed into a Vidiian. "Remarkable work, Doctor." says Kes. "If you think this is remarkable, you should see me remove a bunion." says the Doctor. Tuvok enters. "I have done my best to replicate Vidiian attire. I trust it will prove sufficiently convincing." said Tuvok. "It's a fine piece of work, Mister Tuvok. Next time I need a tailor, I'll know just where to look." remarks Chakotay.

[Tunnels]

The prisoners are carrying rocks around. "Quickly, now. In there!" said a guard. "Here, B'Elanna, Mandy. Sit down." Tom said. "Here. It's water." said the Talaxian. "Thanks." said Tom. "Rest while you can. The guard won't be back right away." the Talaxian explained. 

"Keep it." the Talaxian said when Tom tries to hand him back the water. "Tom, I've been thinking. When they did this thing to us, I think it changed more than just the way we look." said B'Elanna, she spared a glance at her sister, Amanda just rested her forehead on Tom's chest, tears dripped out of her eyes, wetting the sand under her.

"What do you mean?" asked Tom, he placed his hands on Amanda's back. "Back there, when they took Durst away, I was terrified. So was Mandy." said B'Elanna. "No one could blame you for that." Tom replied. "You don't understand. I've been in worse situations but I've never felt like that before. Never. I mean, my heart was pounding and my hands were shaking. I didn't even try to help you, I could see Mandy was the same." said B'Elanna.

"B'Elanna, Mandy, I'm no doctor, but I have to believe that what ever they did to you has seriously depleted your strength. There's nothing you could have done." said Tom. "No, that's not it. I think that when they extracted our Klingon DNA, they turned us into some kind of a coward." Amanda said softly. "Sometimes fear can be a good thing. Keeps you from taking unnecessary chances. Courage doesn't mean that you don't have fear. It means that you've learnt to overcome it. And I know that you can find the courage to hold on until we can find a way out of this place." said Tom. "What's going on here?" a guard asked as he walked in. "They're ill. They needed a rest." said Tom standing up. "If they're too weak, I'll take them back to the barracks." said the Guard. Amanda and B'Elanna rose.

Amanda grabbed his hands as she spoke. "That's okay, Tom. Maybe if we're there Lanna and I can try to make contact with the ship." she and B'Elanna followed the guard.

[Transporter Room]

"The emitter array has been initialised, Captain." said Harry. "Good. Are you ready, Mister Chakotay?" Janeway asked confirming to see if her Commander was good to go. "Captain. There's an opening forming in the forcefield." said Tuvok. "Initiating auto sequence." Harry said. "Targeting scanners to match coordinates. Scanners locked." said Tuvok. "On my mark, Mister Kim. Energise. Well, now we wait." Janeway said.

[Tunnels]

Klingon B'Elanna takes the Talaxian prisoner, Klingon Amanda standing beside her. "Make a sound and she'll break your neck, understand? I'm looking for my friend, Tom Paris, a human male. Have you seen him?" Klingon Amanda asked. "He was here, but they sent him to another tunnel." said the Talaxian. "Which one?" asked Klingon B'Elanna. "Back that way. There was two other humans with him, but they took them back to the barracks." said the Talaxian. "Two Human females?" asked Klingon Amanda. "He seemed very close to the one he called 'Mandy.'" said the Talaxian.

[Barracks]

The guard walks over to the resting Torres sisters, then the door opens. "I need your help here." said the second guard. Now that the place is empty, Amanda and B'Elanna goes to the console and starts trying to make sense of it, a guard walks in. "What are you doing? Come with us." said the guard, grabbing both Amanda and B'Elanna. "Where are you taking us?" Amanda asked. "For a shower and a hot meal." said guard sinisterly. "No, please." said Amanda.