Part VI
Janeway woke up in darkness. She had a dream that she was in a tiny box, being
stifled to death. She woke up in a tiny box-like place, being stifled by the warm, humid
air. * Maybe that wasn't a dream after all.* She thought.
The memories of the previous events came rushing back to her, and she quickly
figured that she was in the process of some sort of psychological torture. She was in a
fetal position, unable to move anything but her head. The box was narrow, with barely
enough room for her. She struggled for a few seconds, trying to unwind her limbs in the
narrow space provided. Finally, she gave up and was still for a few seconds. A feeling of
the walls closing in around her crept into her mind as she began to feel rising panic.
Stop it, Kathryn! she said aloud. Now was no time to give into her mild
claustrophobia. She willed herself to calm down and think clearly, trying to find a way to
get untangled. She moved her legs the little ways she could, unweaving her arms. Finally,
she managed to get the out of the place where they had been trapped up between her body
and the wall. This gave her a little more room, at least. She was extremely
uncomfortable, and her neck was stiffening up.
She raised her head slightly and hit metal bars. A number of horizontal metal bars,
as a matter of fact, right over her head. They were wide enough to allow her arm through,
but not wide enough to allow her to stand up, or even straighten up her neck for that
matter. She wasn't quite sure what their purpose was, but it felt good to stretch her arms.
Kathryn sat still for a few minutes more before she grew restless. She started moving as
far as she could, trying to shift her position. Her legs ached and she wanted to be able to
move them somehow, but there was no way. She sighed as she felt them cramp up.
After a while, her body almost felt numb. She had to fight the feeling she was
getting of her mind being separated from her body, drifting off into the endless darkness of
the box.
She must have fallen asleep sometime, because when she woke, a bright beam of
light was coming from the top of the box, through the metal bars. Someone wordlessly
set a plate of food down on top of the bars, then the light disappeared and the box closed
again.
Kathryn felt the stifling humidity and heat of the box die down for a few minutes,
then it came back in full force. She understood now what the bars were for. She reached
an arm through and felt around the plate of food, looking for any water that came with it.
She finally found the cup, and she brought it down through the bars and greedily gulped it
down. It was difficult to do with her head bent at the bad angle, but she was allotted no
more room to raise her head straight up.
Hours more must have passed, and still nothing. She began to feel claustrophobic
again, but she couldn't fight it back this time. She felt like she was being suffocated, her
body ached from the position she was in, and her throat was once again parched by the
need for water. She struggled against the walls, trying to tip over the box. Something,
anything. But the box was too solid, so she finally ended up calming down and holding
her claustrophobia in check.
* What are they doing? Aren't they going to ask me any questions?* She
wondered. Right now, she'd welcome any conversation. It would help deter the feeling
that she was dead. This stifling box, she realized, was worse than any torture she had
experienced.
* * *
Druk wasn't quite sure when the six aliens came in, but soon they were
surrounding him, his fellow operator lying on the ground out cold, and a gun pointed to
his head by one with a drawing on his forehead.
If you want to live, open up the gateway to Axarus, the alien man said.
You- you don't understand. Its impossible! Druk stammered, hoping against
hope that security would arrive in time to stop these crazed maniacs.
And why not? One of the man's five companions demanded. This once was a
female with a ridged forehead and a terrible temper.
Druk glanced down at his colleague who the female had knocked out. No, he
didn't want to get on her bad side.
The gateway is closed days ago, he told them.
Then open it up again! The female snapped.
I can't. It's closed from Axarus, Mordus's orders. If you want to get there, you
have to go through the Shrelton IV gateway.
How far away is Shrelton IV? The man asked.
I can give you the location, just please don't kill me! Druk implored, holding his
hands out to beg.
I won't if you just give me the location and give it to me right now, the man
with the drawing on his forehead replied.
Sure, sure. Druk took a few cautious steps backwards before he reached into
his desk drawer. He had a few maps, tourist maps, of the different planets. He fumbled
through until he came to Shrelton. Here.
He tossed the map and the pamphlet to the man with the drawing. The man
studied it closely for a moment, then he raised his weapon. This won't kill you, although
you'll wake up with a bit of a headache. And then he fired.
Chakotay sat back in the chair, rubbing his temple. He was exhausted. The past
three weeks had been the most stressful of his life. They were headed at warp nine to
Shrelton IV. The planet, even at maximum warp, was nearly three months away, but it
was the only thing that they could do to get Kathryn back. It was unfortunate that
Mordus had brought her to Axarus, a prison colony nearly 40,000 light years away. The
planet only had two gateways to access it, and Mordus had already cut off one of them.
Chakotay just hoped he didn't cut off the other.
Rennika had come in uninvited and refused to leave until he told her what was
bothering him. Chakotay told her everything about the situation (except for the
investigation) and the toll it had taken on him. She pulled him into her arms, and with
sympathy that seemed forced, she whispered, We'll get through this. Whatever
happens, I promise you, we'll get through this.
* * *
Kathryn was restless again. She wasn't sure how long it had been since
they'd last fed her and given her water, but it was a lot longer than usual. Were they just
going to kill her like this? Were they going to let her die in this tiny little hole she'd been
in for God knows how long?
Sanity had been difficult to hold onto. After an interminable period, time
had blurred for her. She found refuge in daydreaming, imagining life back on Voyager,
Voyagers reception when they reached Earth. Her dreams allowed her to ignore the
cramping of her limbs, the immobility of her body. She could pretend she was somewhere
out there, in space, and not locked within the tiniest of cells.
But it was hard to ignore your conditions when you were dying of
dehydration. Her throat burned with every swallow. She was grateful when sleep found
her, the third one since they'd stopped giving her water.
Janeway woke up with a start when the accursed box was picked up. This had
happened a few times. They'd drag her out, drug her, and then she'd come back to
awareness in the box again, both herself and the box cleaner than they had been before.
She braced herself as the box was set back down. The drug always subdued her
instantly and left her with the worst of headaches. She heard the creak of the metal bars
moving back into the wall. The light came in, hands reached in, grabbing her and dragged
her through the opening, dropping her onto the floor.
She knew by experience that if she raised her head, they'd hit her with the butt of a
weapon, so she lay still on the ground, waiting for the drug to be administered. When
nothing happened, she dared to open her eyes.
That was a mistake.
The light was blinding after the darkness of her solitude, and it cut into her pupils
like a thousand tiny knives. She gasped and threw a hand over her eyes to shield them
from the blinding glare. Dim the lights. The command came from the lips of a woman,
whose voice Janeway could vaguely recognize. The lights dimmed to a level where
Janeway could squint and not experience so much pain. Leave us, the woman said.
Janeway heard a shuffling, as if someone was about to speak, when the woman urged,
Go! I can handle her.
The two men quickly nodded to her and left the room. The woman (Janeway
recognized her from the day she'd been captured) walked across the room to sit at a chair
across from Kathryn. Feeling like she was in a vulnerable position, Kathryn tried to stand,
to get her feet under her. She wasn't too surprised when her legs wouldn't hold her and
she collapsed back to the floor, her body assuming the fetal position they'd been holding
for so long.
It always happens when you've been in the Box for too long. The muscle wears
away with inactivity. You should be grateful to me. Command wanted to keep you in
there for a minimum of five months. I talked them down to one. She watched,
impassive, as Janeway tried once again to get her legs to work. I never have really liked
the Box method anyway. Maybe it's bad memories. We had to spend a week in one of
those during training, just to let us know what the prisoners feel. But other than that, it
usually doesn't break people; they simply go mad. She laughed as if remembering a few
unfortunate people. And it also takes too long for my taste. I've always approved of
more hands on methods of extracting information. And speaking of information, She
said, brightening, Would you happen to know any of those command codes you run your
ship by?
Janeway started to reply, but her throat was parched to the point where she
couldn't get a word out. Vaila must have prepared for this, because she picked up a glass
of water that had been lying on the floor next to her chair.
Thirsty? She asked. She set it back onto the floor. It's yours if you want it.
Janeway couldn't walk over there. She could barely twitch her legs. If she was to
get it, she'd have to crawl over on her stomach. She realized what the point of this was.
The woman was trying to show her just how... high, superior she was compared to
Janeway, who it was that had the power. Out of pride, Kathryn almost considered
not drinking the water, but it had been nearly three days (from her estimate) since she had
had anything to drink, and a human could only go so long without water.
She put her arms on the ground, lying on her stomach, and pulled herself
over, creeping over inch by inch. She finally reached arms length, and she grabbed the cup
and brought it to her lips. It was not enough to satisfy her thirst, but it was just enough to
help her sore throat.
If you cooperate, the woman said, You'll get more later.
And if I don't? Janeway choked out. The woman smiled menacingly at
her.
Rest assured, we'll give you enough to live. She stood up and walked a few feet
away. She stayed facing Janeway as she leaned back against the wall. I don't want to
have to torture you. I'd prefer you cooperate. It's an ugly business, Captain, but Ive
grown... used to it. It pays well, and the faster I break you, the more I get. It would be
best for both of us if you just told me everything.
I suppose that goes for both of you, Janeway rasped.
No, not really, The woman smiled. Mordus's wealthy and powerful enough
already. He doesn't especially need this job. He's in it because he enjoys it. She was
studying Janeways' reaction carefully. The Captain kept her face impassive, allowing no
sign that the statement bothered her to show. *She's good.* Vaila thought to herself. If
she hadn't been so learned in reading people, she might not have noticed the apprehension
that flickered through the younger womans eyes.
You needn't worry about that, though. Mordus's finished his part in this case,
and we'll leave as soon as the Bureau decides we're done with you. *At least I hope we
do.* Vaila thought. She wasn't so sure about Mordus anymore. He had been surveying
his work for the past month, sitting only a few feet away from the box so he might hear
every movement made by Janeway. Sometimes he was even the person who put meals in
the box, and he was there every time she was drugged and cleaned up. Vaila had thought
he would grow indifferent to Janeway as soon as she was apprehended, as he did with all
his other contracts, but he seemed interested in seeing her broken in person.
But before the Bureau can decide we're done with you, it's my duty to get all the
information we can get from you. We can do this the easy way, I ask questions, you
answer them *honestly*, or we can do this the hard way. She fingered a small device
attached to her belt. She waited until Janeway's eyes drifted to the device before she
continued, It's a standard instrument. You see, it simultaneously manipulates the body's
pain receptors and stops the body's natural defense of dimming the pain, so it can produce
levels of pain unimaginable.
Janeway took a breath and spoke, There's no useful information you can get from
me. My command codes were canceled the minute my ship learned of my capture.
Then you will tell us what weaknesses your ship possesses.
Janeway stared at the device a moment more, then she looked up into Vaila's eyes.
Then I guess it has to be the hard way.
Vaila paused for a second, not quite sure of what she had heard. Clearly the
woman was mad, or maybe just naive. But in any case, she was going to get what she
asked for.
So be it.
* * *
It was Vaila's own methods that prevented Janeway from breaking.
She would be tortured for hours on end with the device, then left alone for about
half an hour to recuperate slightly. She was allowed very little sleep before she was
woken up and tortured again. Vaila couldn't seem to understand; it had already been a
week and a half, and yet the woman wasn't spilling out everything she could like people
usually did.
As for Janeway, it was all a blur. The pain was so terrible that she couldn't even
form a coherent thought. They'd ask her questions, but she couldn't seem to understand
what they were saying or think of a response. It was like they were talking to her in
gibberish. After the torture ended for the day, she'd be in shock, trembling and shaking,
still unable to think of anything. The level of pain she was experiencing was grossly
unnatural for humans. The Bromalians and their subject races had been using these
devices for over two thousand years, and they had a certain tolerance for them that
humans didn't.
When Janeway was woken up again, she was still disoriented and confused, not
fully recovered from the effects of the torture. Looking back, Janeway realized that if
Vaila had given her more time in between sessions, or even if she had lessened the pain
factor, Janeway might have broken. However, after two weeks of no results, the Bureau
decided to pull the plug, deeming it a waste of precious time and equipment.
They were planning on killing her, seeing no other alternative. The Bureau had
too much on their hands to imprison her long term, and she was too dangerous to release.
It was only because of Mordus's intervention that prevented them from executing her. He
claimed that he would get the needed information out of her and take her off of the
Bureau's hands.
High Admiral Amaroth was curious about Mordus's motives, but he allowed his
friend to do as he pleased. The only one who wasn't pleased with this turn in events was
Vaila.
She came up to Mordus one day and handed him two slips of paper. He glanced at
them curiously. What's this?
It's just something I picked up, she replied, waiting for him to study them a bit
longer before she continued. A few proofs of purchase. You know, a nice rented lodge
on Pentarus.
He looked up in mild surprise before he handed them back to her. Enjoy
yourself. He started to turn, but she circled around to stand in front of him.
Ragnar, there are two of them.
He raised an eyebrow, bemused. Are you inviting me?
Vaila smirked at him. Actually, you invited me a while ago. But I guess now I'm
the one who's paid, so yes, I am inviting you.
Well, I would enjoy going with you, but... he faded off, letting the silence speak
for itself. Vaila felt fury boil up in her.
But what! Is it because of Janeway? She's nothing! You're just in another one
of your fixations--
Vaila, he said slowly, surprised by her sudden outburst. I'm not quite sure
what you think this is about, but I assure you, it's nothing like you think it is. I am only
trying to complete what's already been started, not trying to start some sort of relationship
with an inferior being.
Oh really? Vaila asked, not swayed by his words. She walked a few paces away
from him, then turned back to him. If it's just that, then you'll go with me.
I can't.
In a low voice, Vaila asked him, Do you realize what you're turning your back
on?
We have our whole lives ahead of us, Vaila, he replied smoothly. In truth, it
was beyond consideration. In the midst of his latest hunt, his momentary infatuation with
her had died into coolness.
Oblivious, Vaila railed, Damn it, Ragnar, I'm getting old! I'm nearly 150.
I can't wait all of my life for you.
Then don't. Mordus said simply. Vaila stood there for a few seconds, in shock.
Rage heated up her blood, which she could almost feel rushing through her veins. If this
had been any other man... but it was Ragnar Mordus, and no one sensible would dare lift a
finger against him.
Fine. That's-- that's just fine. You stay here with your precious Captain
Janeway. Just don't come crawling to me when you get sick of her! Don't ask me to take
you back after what you're turning away from today!
She was on the verge of breaking down, but she held it back behind a mask of
dignity. She had far too much pride to show her emotions in front of this bastard.
Mordus didn't say a word. His face hardened as he silently stood up and ambled
out the door. Vaila felt her insides shrivel up and her blood felt like it was on fire. She
was angrier than she could ever remember. Just when she was making progress with him,
a ship called Voyager showed up.
Damn them. Damn them all! She hissed.
She vowed to keep tracking the ship, and one day present its battered hull to
Amaroth himself.
* * *
Janeway didn't cry out as the foot contacted with her ribs. She had experienced so
much pain lately that her pain receptors wouldn't seem to respond without the device's
help. Wake up! The female, Vaila, snapped at her.
It was the first time in... she wasn't sure how long, but it was the first time in
awhile that Kathryn had woken up with a lucid head.
It had been... she still had no concept of how long, since the last session, and she
began to wonder if they were done with her yet. She hadn't broken down and given them
information... or had she? She couldn't remember. Since the torture began, all she could
recall after those first few unbearable minutes was pain, nothing else. It was all a blur of
jumbled images that she couldn't sort out.
So, you made it through, Vaila remarked, bending down in front of her.
Janeway didn't even attempt to get up. She had had not chance to use her legs, and still
couldn't walk. She simply stared at Vaila, waiting for something to happen
You know, the Bromalian woman said, you owe your life to Mordus. He
convinced Amaroth not to have you killed.
I see. Janeway murmured.
Vaila smiled a thin-lipped, bitter smile. I wouldn't be grateful if I were
you. It would probably be farm better for you if you were killed.
Janeway didn't answer, but she glanced at Vaila curiously. Vaila knelt
down closer to Janeway, voice lowered. You see, Ragnar gets these fixations on things.
It happens every once in a while; and you, friend, seem to be the object of his latest. And
if his obsession about you is like the others he's gone through...
Janeway didn't say anything. Vaila, put off by her lack of expression, stood
back up.
Well, I won't be seeing you again. You can breathe easier, for now. But let me
tell you one thing, Vaila said, a note of malice creeping into her voice. I would not be
you for all the galaxy. This-- what you're about to get-- is not the attention I'd want, from
anyone. And believe me when I say this-- a short time from now, you're going to wish I
had killed you.
She walked towards the door, pausing once to glance back at Janeway where she
was lying on the floor. The other woman already had forgotten her, lying on her back,
gazing silently at the wall. Vaila felt a momentary twinge of genuine pity. She knew all
too well what was in store for her.
She walked out the door and left Janeway to her fate.
Part VII
Index
Return to my Homepage