Emotions Series 02 Basic Emotions Read online

B'Elanna grumbled and rolled over. "It's time already?"

  Tom nodded and helped her to her feet. "We still have a few more

  hours left before sunset, we have to get moving again," he

  explained.

  "Lead on, husband. You're obedient wife follows," she replied.

  "Obedient? Since when?"

  The laughed quietly at the small joke and Tom and B'Elanna walked

  even deeper into the jungle.

  * * * * * *

  An hour or more had passed, when the pair came across a swamp

  which stretched before them as far as they could see.

  "What do we do now?" B'Elanna asked.

  "Well obviously we can't go around it, or I assume over it, so I

  guess we'll just have to go through it. Think of it this way, it

  will cover our tracks."

  "Good idea, but what about the . . . ."

  "VOYAGERS!!! I'VE COME FOR YOU!!!!!" bellowed the Hirogen in the

  distance.

  "Damn!! There is no time for 'what-abouts' let's go!!" Tom said.

  He grabbed his wife's hand and they waded into the swamp.

  They waded in up to Tom's waist and B'Elanna's chest before they

  made a change in course to their right. They delved deeper into

  a half-submerged forest of dangerous looking, dark trees and

  strange dark green plants that emitted a noxious smelling purple

  mist.

  All around the pair, insects buzzed and dive-bombed them and

  birds screeched and flew. At first, they tried to swat away the

  bugs but finally only bothered if they bugs actually landed on

  them and tried to bite. The birds, which resembled prehistoric

  pterodactyls, were a visual clash of yellows and oranges with red

  beaks and talons, would occasionally fly close to the water and

  with a swift movement of their vicious talons snatch a fish or

  some other type of creature from beneath the surface to eat.

  Every once in a while, something resembling a cross between a

  snake and a lizard and acting like a playful otter--that Tom had

  dubbed a snizzard--would swim past them in the murky water. On

  three occasions they had been startled when what they assumed was

  a snizzard playfully slithered around their legs beneath the

  surface of the water. Fortunately the snizzards seemed to be

  only curious and had not tried to harm them. In fact, if

  anything, they couldn't help but laugh at their comical antics.

  * * * * *

  More time passed and the couple stood clutching each other trying

  to catch their breath. "Can you hear him?" B'Elanna asked.

  Tom held his breath and listened for several moments for Lodar

  before responding. "No, all I can hear are the birds and the

  damned ins . . . .LOOK OUT!!!" Tom screamed as one of the birds,

  its talon poised and ready, swooped down at them and he pulled

  B'Elanna and himself down under the water.

  The couple emerged from the swampy water and B'Elanna wiped the

  water out of her eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked. "That was

  awful close."

  No answer.

  The half-Klingon grabbed her husband by his upper arms and looked

  into his pain-filled face. "Tom? What is it?"

  "I think one of the bird's claws scratched me."

  "Turn around, let me look."

  Across Tom's back she found a mean looking pair of deep

  lacerations dripping with blood. "It's a whole lot more than a

  scratch," she pronounced. Turning around to look again at her

  husband, she noted that he was becoming glassy-eyed and his skin

  was becoming flushed. "You don't look so good. Do you think you

  can sit down on the stump over here while I get out the rest of

  the medicine that Brizat gave me?" Tom nodded his head and

  B'Elanna led him over to the stump and he sat down. Reaching

  into her pack, she extracted the last anti-toxin hypospray, and

  brought her hand carrying the hypospray up to her husband's neck.

  Before she administer it though, Tom collapsed into her arms

  knocking the hypospray out of her hand and into the murky waters

  of the swamp.

  "Oh, Kahless!" B'Elanna yelled. She frantically pulled Tom up to

  rest his back against the half-sunken tree trunk. While holding

  him upright with her left hand so he wouldn't drown, she

  frantically searched below the water for the hypospray with the

  other hand.

  Where had it fallen? she asked herself. Didn't it fall behind

  the trunk or was it to the right? She couldn't recall. Long

  minutes passed and still she hadn't located the precious vial of

  antitoxin. From beneath her left hand, she could tell that Tom's

  breathing was becoming more and more labored, the poison was

  working its way into his system. She had to find that vial soon.

  Straining to achieve as great a reach as possible, finally her

  fingers felt the familiar smooth texture of the hypospray and

  with one more stretch she was able to clasp the hypospray in her

  hand and retrieve it. Bringing it out of the water, she checked

  to make sure that the vial was undamaged--and thanking Kahless

  that it was still intact--she injected the entire contents into

  Tom's neck.

  More tense minutes passed. "Come on, Tom, wake up," B'Elanna

  pleaded. Please let there be enough anti-toxin to combat the

  poison, she pleaded silently. Grabbing him by he shoulders she

  shook him. "Tom, please wake up!"

  He finally moaned and opened his cerulean eyes. B'Elanna sighed

  in relief, brushed his hair away from his face, and kissed him.

  He was awake, he was alive. There was hope. Hope that they

  would survive. Hope that they would complete the hunt. And most

  importantly, hope that they would see Kyle and Lucas again.

  "B'Elanna?" he murmured.

  "Yes, Tom, it's me. Do you remember where we are?"

  Tom's blurred gaze took in the miserable surroundings, and nodded

  his head, he tongue swollen in his mouth he replied with

  difficulty, "ummm. . .Lodar. . .the hunt."

  "That's right, we were attacked by one of those hideous birds."

  He recalled the attack and could feel the pain in his back. "I

  remember, my back."

  "Yes. Apparently their talons not only razor sharp but are also

  poisonous. I've given you the last antitoxin spray, hopefully

  you'll be all right now."

  He nodded his head and tried to get to his feet. "We have to get

  moving, B'Elanna."

  "We will, but I'm going to help you," she said in a tone of voice

  that he knew from experience meant that she wouldn't take 'no'

  for an answer and put her arm around Tom's waist to support him.

  "I think we only have about another hour before the sunsets."

  "Okay, let's get going."

  Chapter 20

  Lodar trudged through the swamp, pausing every few minutes to

  listen for the sounds of the humans. At the conclusion of the

  other three hunts, he had surmised that the younger hunters

  having not hunted for so long was the reason they had been

  unsuccessful. Now he knew the real reason, the humans were

  very worthy adversaries--they provided a significant challenge.

  The humans would also provide many, many more hunts he concluded.

  After this hunt, if they
survived, he would allow them to rest

  and recover, as they made their way to another planet. Once there

  they would participate in another set of hunts. He stopped his

  musings and listened again. Surely, that had been a different

  sound, he thought. It sounded like a splash...and surely he had

  heard the female's voice. He turned and waded through the

  water towards the sound.

  * * * * * *

  Gradually the daylight started to dim and sunset was quickly

  approaching.

  "Hurry, Tom," B'Elanna pleaded as she looked behind them. "We

  have to keep moving. I can see Lodar."

  Tom tried to keep up but the poison was still in his system.

  There hadn't been enough anti-toxin to combat the bird's venom.

  Every so often he would stumble and thanks to B'Elanna's Klingon

  strength, she would pull him back up again and they would

  continue to move along.

  Finally, though Tom collapsed for one last time. "I'm sorry,

  B'Elanna. I'm sorry."

  "You *should* be sorry!" The deep Hirogen voice yelled in the

  from about 30 meters away.

  Tom and B'Elanna looked at each other. Their eyes saying what

  their voices couldn't. Each expressing their sadness at having

  come so close to surviving this last hunt, only to lose in the

  end and having forfeited any chance at seeing Kyle and Lucas

  again.

  "You should be sorry, you didn't provide a better hunt!!" Lodar

  bragged, pleased that he would be the one to kill the humans.

  True, his plans for future hunts would not happen, but being the

  leader, it was only fitting that he be the one to kill the prey.

  He brought down his weapon and pointed at the female as he

  continued to close the gap between them.

  "Quick, B'Elanna run," Tom pleaded. "Maybe you will have a

  chance the sun is just about to set."

  B'Elanna looked at her husband and then Lodar, not knowing what

  to do. She was frozen to the spot.

  Then something unexpectedly happened. Just as the sun was about

  to vanish over the horizon and Lodar was about to discharge the

  weapon, a pair of frolicking snizzards happily slithered around

  the Hirogens waist and dived down and swirled around his legs.

  Lodar tried to kick at the creatures to warn them away, but the

  two snizzards mistook it for play and only became more

  rambunctious until Lodar finally fell face first into the swamp

  just as the sun finally disappeared.

  A familiar tickling sensation washed over Tom and B'Elanna and

  they were transported once again back to the Hirogen ship.

  * * * * * *

  When the beam released them, B'Elanna called out to Brizat. She

  looked around the Hirogen sickbay then spotted the biobed. She

  half-dragged, half-carried Tom over to the bed.

  "What's wrong?!" Brizat's voice came to her ears.

  B'Elanna looked up to see the Hirogen doctor enter the room. He

  saw the half-Klingon trying to keep the pilot from falling to the

  floor. He hurried over to them, and easily lifted Tom up onto the

  bed. He stared at the pilot's face as he scanned him.

  "He's been poisoned," B'Elanna mentioned. "The anti-toxin isn't

  working."

  Brizat shook his head, "From the marks, it appears that your mate

  was attacked by a Taik. Their talons are full of poison. I'll try

  to help him, but the poison is very strong."

  B'Elanna nodded. She looked at Tom, who was barely breathing. She

  shivered as she remembered the last time he looked like this,

  those many months ago when he had taken the drug overdose. She

  lovingly brushed his hair off his face, and prayed that he would

  make it.

  Brizat used a dermal regenerator to heal the deep cuts on Tom's

  back. He then went over to a counter across the room and picked

  up a hypospray. He returned to the biobed and injected the

  contents into Tom's neck.

  "Hopefully, this should help until you get back to your ship.

  It's the best I can do."

  "Thank you Doctor."

  After awhile, Tom began to cough then open his eyes.

  "You must hurry, if my plan is going to work. The shuttlebay

  doors have been programed to open in exactly 32.5 seconds,"

  Brizat stated,"and Lodar will be returning soon."

  B'Elanna nodded as she and Brizat helped Tom off the biobed. She

  knew that her husband needed rest, but now was not the time.

  They had to make their escape now, it was there only chance.

  Leaving them, Brizat went over to a wall console and tapped in a

  few commands. He then waved to the couple as they disappeared

  from view.

  *I hope they make it,* the Hirogen doctor prayed as he prepared

  to make it look as if they had attacked him.

  Chapter 21

  The transported beam released the couple in the Hirogens'

  shuttlebay.

  "Do you think you can fly?" B'Elanna asked the pilot.

  Tom ran a shaky hand through his blond hair. He took a deep

  breath and nodded. Tom felt as though he could do anything if it

  meant that he and B'Elanna would see their boys again. Then

  leading his wife into their shuttle, he settled in the pilot's

  chair as B'Elanna sat next to him.

  Tom quickly went through the pre-flight check. Wiping his sweaty

  forehead he concentrated on the controls. He then looked up to

  see the bay doors opening. Gunning the engines, he took the craft

  out into space.

  B'Elanna scanned for Voyager, finding the ship three light-years

  away from their position. She relayed the coordinates to Tom, and

  hoped the Hirogen hadn't noticed their escape. Tom punched in the

  coordinates and went to warp two.

  "We're being hailed!" B'Elanna exclaimed a moment later. "It's

  Lodar."

  "Damn," Tom growled as he shook the cobwebs out of his head, "It

  didn't take them long, did it?"

  B'Elanna looked at Tom. He was sweating more now, and he was

  deathly pale. She was very worried.

  "Shall we reply?" B'Elanna asked.

  Tom looked at her and shook his head. He knew what Lodar would

  say, and he didn't care to hear it right now. He returned his

  attention to the view screen.

  A moment later, the shuttle was rocked by a blast. The couple

  jerked forward and the craft dropped out of warp.

  "We lost warp engines!" B'Elanna growled between her teeth.

  "They're powering up weapons."

  "Fire something at them," Tom said in desperation as he moved the

  craft out of the Hirogens' path.

  B'Elanna fired back on the Hirogen ship, but it barely made a

  dent in their shields. The two were jerked forward again as the

  shuttle was hit. "Our shields are at thirty percent. Tom, you

  have to do something!"

  "I'm trying!" Tom shouted. Through his glazed-over eyes, he could

  barely see the controls in front of him, and his racing heart

  only made the poison act faster. He suddenly felt light-headed.

  Tom shook his head to try to clear his vision, but only made it

  worse and he felt like he was going to pass out. He could barely

  think now as he blindly tapped at the controls.

 
The shuttle avoided the next hit. B'Elanna fired back at the

  Hirogen and finally was able to cause some damage to their

  shields. She then sent out a distress signal to Voyager. "I sent

  a distress signal," she told Tom. "The Hirogens' shields are at

  fifty percent."

  Tom said nothing. He could barely hear her as it took all of his

  concentration to fly the craft. The poison was attacking his

  system with a vengeance, and it made him dizzy and sick to his

  stomach. He could barely breathe now and he was beginning to

  panic. He tried another maneuver and fortunately avoided another

  blast from the Hirogen.

  The next hit though, struck their shuttle and took out their

  weapons. A console behind B'Elanna exploded. She jumped to her

  feet and tried to put the flames out with an emergency blanket

  she found. B'Elanna turned around after the flames were out and

  her eyes opened wide. There before them was Voyager.

  "They found us!" B'Elanna shouted.

  When she didn't get an answer she looked at Tom. A chill went up

  her spine when she realized that he hadn't heard her and wasn't

  moving. You can't die on me, she thought, you can't! She tried

  to shake him awake, but all he did was mumble. She relaxed a bit,

  thankful that he was still alive.

  B'Elanna gently but quickly moved Tom over to the co-pilot's