INJASUTI
CHAPTER SIX
After Chakotay and his guide left for the Senior Ministry, Torres and Kiridis looked expectantly at their escort. There was only one now after the second guide had whispered something to his friend and then hastily bade them farewell. The remaining senator studied them, his eyes going to the tricorders they held in their hands, the belts carrying their sidearms, and their insignia.
"I am Senator Mendakhan. I have heard you are not from this sector. Where are you from?"
"A planet called Earth," replied B'Elanna who didn't seem phased that the senator had looked particularly pointedly at her. "But my homeworld is called Q'nos," she added. "My name is B'Elanna Torres. I am a Klingon and this is Lieutenant Marcus Kiridis."
Lieutenant Kiridis thought that B'Elanna sounded proud of her heritage.
"Then not all from Earth are…like us?" Mendakhan asked.
"Most of them are. Many have settled on other worlds as well."
"Our ancestors were brought here by most unusual means - "
"I know," Kiridis said as they took a few steps across the piazza, in a northerly direction. "You originated from our homeworld…"
"Then you must share your knowledge with us. We do not have many historical records of the period of our arrival here…"
"When we have…retrieved our captain," said B'Elanna, suddenly a little irritated again. "Please, we don't have much time."
"Where would you like to go?" the senator asked.
"Well, we'd like to know the whereabouts of Captain Janeway. I take it she's not in the city?"
"No, she is not, unfortunately. We believe she has been brought here to replace our dying queen."
B'Elanna and Marcus stopped in their tracks.
"So that is why she was whisked away by your Caretaker?"
"Caretaker? I do not understand."
"Someone - a lifeform that can transport people - "
The senator's hand went up and he gave a broad smile. "Oh, yes. He is called the Procurator. Yes, your Captain Janeway is right now most likely in the palace on a hill near the Place of the Weeping Water…"
"A waterfall…?" whispered Kiridis, astounded that his hunch had been correct. His ears turned beetroot red when B'Elanna gave him a shriveling look.
"Okay, Kiridis, so you know more than I do. What else?" she asked, turning now to the senator who began to sense an undercurrent of hostility between the two.
"Well, there's a force field around the whole area where the Injasuti Sect reside."
"Now we're talking. A force field. And you say this force field protects the people of this sect from outside intervention?" Torres shot her question while her eyes were on the tricorder.
"That has always been the way of this world, Lieutenant Torres. No one has been allowed to enter unless it is decreed."
"By whom?" asked Kiridis.
"Their leader. A madman, many people think. All on this world bow to the Holy Writs, that which has guided us for thousands of years and kept us safe."
"Have there been any invitations in recent years?"
"Once Queen Toreth, whom we have heard is dying, visited acquaintances in the city. But that is all. I know of no other instances…" He paused. Then, "It is of great risk to disable the force field. In the past, many of our people have died."
"When you succeed in breaching the force field, what then?" asked Torres.
"We will be at war. To end forever the rituals that no longer serve our people."
"You will go to war against your own people?" asked Kiridis who clearly looked outraged. His frumpled ears again glowed red from indignation.
"Our emperor," soothed the senator, "has decreed that the time for war is past. He is convinced that peace can be attained by other means, such as quiet diplomacy." The senator paused again, taking time to gather his breath. "Although our technology is advanced when we compare it to other worlds in this system, we have failed at every attempt to breach the force field, Lieutenant Kiridis."
"Would you accept help from Voyager?" asked B'Elanna.
"Did not the Osiris call for help and the starship Voyager responded to its call?"
"Osiris?"
"That is the name of the vessel with women and children on board," the senator replied.
B'Elanna started, "The force field keeps people inside to protect them - "
"To keep them prisoners, you mean." retorted Kiridis.
B'Elanna's jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide.
"Yeah, Kiridis. I guess I never thought of it like that. Stupid me."
"Well," interjected the senator, "the passengers and crew of the Osiris were not from inside the Place of the Weeping Water. They were from the cities of Injasuti. Every five years, the names of women who have just had babies are selected. They must all report on a certain day, when the leader of the sect, Afzhal Serinius, drops the force field and then transports them inside before the force field is reactivated. They must go."
"The passengers and crew of the Osiris were murdered, Senator Mendakhan."
"That is what we have learned," the senator said sadly. "I shall take you to the great Library of Antiquity. Perhaps there you might find a way…"
"Of doing what?"
"Of, well…the perusing the works of the great poet Appian Rai. It is said that his work has prophetic import. It is visionary. Who knows? You might find something. We have been unsuccessful so far in divining the visions of Appian. When we thought we had come close to finding an answer, it was only to learn that it lies not on this world.."
"Senator Mendakhan, I can assure you that the Voyager officers will do all they can to try and deactivate the force field," promised Torres.
"Even if we have to defy the laws that govern our own world," reminded Kiridis her of the Prime Directive.
"Thank you, B'Elanna Torres, Lieutenant Kiridis. Our population is dwindling and to have lost so many women and their children… Well, you can understand how we can no longer continue such a ritual."
Torres nodded and they followed Senator Mendakhan in silence.
When they arrived at the Library of Antiquity, Mendakhan left them, with the promise of meeting up with them again soon. Torres tapped her commbadge.
"Torres to Voyager…"
"Lieutenant Tuvok, here. What have you ascertained?"
"A force field, that surrounds the whole area of the Injasuti Sect, about a hundred kilometres from the First City. It covers the equivalent of three cities. The Injasuti Government has had no luck deactivating the field in all this time. I suggest you put Seven of Nine on to this, Tuvok."
"Acknowledged. I will keep you informed of our progress. Tuvok out."
In the Library of Antiquity a surly looking human who bore a name tag written in Phoenician - Kiridis had whispered to B'Elanna it meant Ahinadab - merely pointed in the direction of Injasuti Poetical Literature before he continued reading from a PADD. B'Elanna had cursed the fact that they didn't think to bring along a Federation PADD and the librarian had first bent low under his desk, then half threw the PADD Kiridis had requested, on the counter.
Now they were poring over texts by Appian Rai. Torres swore softly under her breath before looking at Kiridis.
"It's Greek to me," she said. "My tricorder is scrambling the phonemic glyphs…"
"Not to worry, Lieutenant. It's not that difficult." He gave her a cautious smile. He breathed a sigh of relief when Torres didn't snarl at him. Her voice sounded normal now. "Perhaps you should keep scanning the texts…?"
"Gmph."
For the next minutes, Kiridis remained focused on the poetry of Appian Rai. Then suddenly, he drew in his breath sharply, capturing the text on his PADD. After staring at it for what seemed like hours, he expelled a long breath, like a low whistle.
"Found something?" Torres asked, on the alert.
"Maybe…"
"All I see are crazy lines and symbols. Not even Klingon is that bad."
"It's Phoenician."
"Naturally.".
"It is," he reiterated. Then he read the text slowly in the Phoenician tongue as best as he could deduce the words, meaning and accents…
Hark, the unseen wall will strike
when touched by human hands;
be they rocks or rods of steel or wood
all else conduct the vilest snakes of hell
And shall they crawl through flesh
to burn from inside until none but ash remains
Thus danger lurks around the Place of Weeping
keeping Baal's believers in, disciples
held by ancients laws to Offer their children -
to the burning arms of Tanith
weep long wails that with the song of water unified.
How shall this wall be breached if not by touch
which Procurator's curse did put upon our world?
It shall come to pass by faith alone
for only then in faith can mountains move
and walls give way.
But lo! Our gracious queen be freed
by fealty, and him whose heart
forever joins with her…
For only then, once barriers are laid waste
and gone forever, shall a warrior
someday, someday, break the spell
that binds her to her laws.
"Do you actually understand all this?" Torres asked.
"I'll try my best."
"Okay, let's start with these first lines…"
"Hark the unseen walls will strike…when touched by human hands"
"That means the force field. Don't touch it with your bare hands?"
"Yes. And the next two lines mean that not even rocks, or iron rods or wood will prevent one from
being hurt seriously when one tries to strike the force field. You will burn to a cinder."
"Wow…" B'Elanna's attention was now riveted to the text. "So much meaning, huh."
"This wall, as Senator Mendakhan said, is the force field that surrounds the Place of Weeping and its
immediate areas."
"So basically a perimeter around the whole area and dome-shaped, I suppose."
"Aye… The following lines -
Thus danger lurks around the Place of Weeping
keeping Baal's believers in, disciples
held by Ancient Laws to Offer their children -
to the burning arms of Tanith
"Tanith is their supreme Goddess," murmured Kiridis. "The burning arms?"
"That could be a kind of bowl in her arms," Torres ventured. "And there are flames in the bowl?"
"Yes. In ancient Carthaginian times it was the arms of Moloch, another of their deities into which girl babies or young toddlers were pitched after being killed."
B'Elanna shuddered at Kiridis's words. There was no doubt as to the truth of them. "So the Ancient Laws could mean their rituals that they've brought with them from Earth?" she ventured.
"Correct. And the force field keeps the people inside like prisoners."
"You were right, what you said earlier about the people inside being prisoners."
"He uses the word disciples. So they are followers of the ritual."
"Not all of them. They have no choice, those who live in the cities," B'Elanna said softly, thinking of the women and babies who had died fleeing from the ritual.
Kiridis continued. "Here the poet asks how the wall can be breached if not by touch… Also, the Procurator's responsible for the force field."
How shall this wall be breached if not by touch
which Procurator's curse did put upon our world?
"That might just make Seven's work a little more difficult," B'Elanna said reflectively. "We were very far behind the technology of the sporocystian lifeforms. Seven will have her work cut out."
"It might not even be necessary, Lieutenant Torres - "
"Call me B'Elanna," said Torres. "You've earned it."
Kiridis gave her a smile. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Next you're going to tell me the force field can be breached?"
"Why yes, of course," he blurted.
"You know the EMH can straighten out your ears?"
"I always thought I'm normal."
That effectively shut her up about his appearance.
Kiridis read the next lines:
It shall come to pass by faith alone
for only then in faith can mountains move
and walls give way.
"Huh?"
"Well, it says that faith alone can breach the force field, like faith moving mountains…"
"That's the second unseen thing so far," she noted, and when Kiridis gave a nod of approval, her bosom swelled with pride. "An unseen thing that must disable another unseen thing. Wow."
"And the walls will move away."
"Faith. Whose faith?"
"Don’t know…yet. Look at these lines. I'll read them:
Our gracious queen be freed
by fealty, and him whose heart
forever joins with her…
"Our gracious queen - would that be the Queen of the Injasuti?"
"Yes, Queen Toreth. But listen, Appian is referring to a queen even more ancient than Queen Toreth. Thousands of years ago."
"They had a force field then?"
"Yes."
"So why can't it mean a present Queen? If Captain Janeway is inside, she's the queen, right?"
"Queen Khaira… I saw the name Khaira scrawled on the bulkhead of the Osiris!"
"Only loyalty can save her. Whose loyalty? The crew of Voyager?" she asked.
"No, B'Elanna. Only him whose heart forever joins with her."
"Chakotay…"
"Aye."
"They've always been friends, Kiridis. Does that count?"
"When the friendship barrier is crossed - "
"Maybe in their hearts they've already crossed that barrier…" Torres murmured.
"Not maybe. They have already done so, B'Elanna."
"Only they may not know it."
"Or acknowledge it."
"Well, Marcus, now is the time for him whose heart forever joins with her to acknowledge his fealty. Or I shall kill him myself…"
"Please, we need the Commander, B'Elanna."
"There's more?" she asked as his brow knitted together. B'Elanna thought how those thick brows needed no invitation to knit together. But the man was intent on reading the script.
For only then, once barriers are laid waste
and gone forever, shall a warrior
someday, someday, break the spell
that binds her to her laws.
"Yes. Once the barriers - the force field - " B'Elanna construed.
"Or those Captain Janeway erected round her heart…"
"Of course! Those barriers shall disappear forever. And the Injasuti will never be subjected to the Offering again! No more force field."
"And no more Federation laws. Commander Chakotay must prove and avow his undying, everlasting devotion to his Queen Khaira."
"What do we do now?" he asked.
"Now we hail Commander Chakotay and tell him that the future of our Queen rests on him entirely."
"It only needs a warrior's devotion to break the spell. Why hasn't this been done before?" Kiridis asked, perplexed.
"The previous Queen must have had someone. A warrior whom she loved with all her heart."
"Then they got to her and to the warrior before the walls could come down," he added, awed that they had discovered the way to save Captain Janeway.
"I'd like to hear her story."
"She is dead, Lieutenant Torres. Why else is Captain Janeway Queen Khaira?"
"Right. I forget I'm with you, the one with the answers."
"It's not that - "
"Okay, okay!" said B'Elanna, giving a low chuckle.
Just at that moment her commbadge beeped.
"Seven of Nine to Lieutenant Torres."
"Torres here. What's your status?"
"The frequency of the force field is not of any species assimilated by the Borg. Its signals are complex, too complex to create viable rerouting where damage to any individual touching or trying to physically breach the barrier is minimal. It will take another five hours to get to that stage alone. Even then, the safety of any person trying to pass through cannot be guaranteed."
"Well, Seven, I suggest you continue your work. The High Council of Injasuti might find it useful for future breaches."
"Lieutenant," Marcus Kiridis's whispered, "once the barrier is down, it will be gone forever, remember?"
"Is there something I should know, Lieutenant Torres?" asked Seven.
"What we have here, is what we hope will work. There is a possibility - "
"It is a fact," whispered Marcus.
"Shut up, Marcus. Let me handle this."
"What is a fact?" asked Seven of Nine, her voice sounding cold and distant, with some static from B'Elanna's commbadge.
"Well, Kiridis here has decoded an ancient text that says the force field can be disabled permanently. Let Tuvok know that there is a way, and the way is through Chakotay."
"Commander Chakotay?"
"Will be the one to deactivate the force field. He is our only hope of rescuing Captain Janeway. Torres out."
The Injasuti Agricultural Organisation
"And you say there are all kinds of fruit growing on Injasuti?" asked Neelix.
"Yes. Anything from dates and olives to pineapples, oranges and apples. Many different varieties of vegetables too."
"There are no gemstones?" asked Chell, a little disappointed.
"Precious metals such as ora, silver and jamshid."
"Jamshid?"
"Whiter than ora. It is very, very valuable and used for the crafting of jewellery."
"Sounds like platinum to me."
"Will you take us to some farms where we can look at your fruit? Once our Captain is safe, I am sure she will negotiate a trading agreement," said Neelix.
"I'll just go for all the metals," hummed Chell through an almost closed mouth as he balanced on his heels with his hands behind his back. "I'm in the mood for some crafting. There is a place where I can look?"
"Oh, yes," replied their guide, Senator Bokassa. "I will make sure you get to see the precious metals."
"You wouldn't by any chance have dilithium and trilithium as well?" Chell fired at him.
"We do. But trading for precious metals and energy must only be concluded with the Injasuti High Command. I cannot make a ruling on that."
"Don't worry - "
"Yes, I know. Your Captain Janeway will negotiate."
"Right!" Neelix said with an ebullient smile. "Now, shall we go to the farms and markets?"
"You are strange beings - "
"I'm Talaxian and he's Bolian," Neelix said, as if he thought the senator lacked intelligence.
"We see many visitors here from other worlds in our system who do not look like us," retorted Senator Bokassa imperiously. "I am accustomed to seeing alien beings. You two seem unable to maintain a firm balance, shifting from one leg to the other. Do you wish to use a water closet?"
"Senator," blustered Neelix, "I would very much like to use a water closet. Whatever that is."
"A pee pot," replied Chell.
"Huh?"
"And, may I add," said Bokassa in his imperious tone," you two seem oblivious of the plight of your captain."
"Senator," began Neelix, "I am not a hero. I am just a man in the kitchen who cooks meals for the crew of my ship - "
"Even I can't eat it, and I have a grate for a tongue," Chell said. "But, Senator, let me assure you that Commander Chakotay has everything under control. If anyone can save our captain, it will be he whom we call The Warrior. We," he said, pushing a forefinger first against his own chest before jabbing Neelix, "have absolute faith in Commander Chakotay. Though I would not have minded being a hero for a few minutes. I'll think of something…"
"Well, then," said the senator, smiling for the first time, "shall we go?"
"Lead the way!" beamed Chell.
"I can't wait to eat ancient apples!" retorted Neelix.
"That is the truth, Commander Chakotay," said Lieutenant Kiridis.
They were again in the centre of the piazza with its obelisk rising tall above them. In the early afternoon it was hot. Chakotay stood, hands on his hips, as he stared at Kiridis and Torres.
"It's futile to deactivate the force field from Voyager's computers?"
"Look, Chakotay," began Torres, "we've already told you what the ancient scripts said. Only he of great loyalty - "
"To the Queen," added Kiridis.
" - would be able to breach the force field. It is written."
"Why hasn't this been done hundreds of years ago?"
"Because there never was a warrior quite like you. Now stop asking questions and think about how you're going to breach the force field," B'Elanna spat impatiently.
"Forever," Kiridis added.
Chakotay nodded and took a deep breath. How to do it? His father had knotted him in mystery, always enigmatic, always making him think too hard. But Kolopak had intimated the same thing. Could he go there, to the Place of the Weeping Water and just place his hands upon the force field? Torres had said any human touch would result in instant incineration. Those who had tried before had gone up in flames.
He thought of Kathryn and realised with a sinking feeling that they were fast running out of time. If he didn't go to the Injasuti Sect now and try to deactivate the force field, Kathryn would be lost to them forever. What Torres and Kiridis as well as the Emperor had told him, small babies - girls - were used as live human sacrifice to venerate the ancient Goddess Tanith. Those were barbaric practices that had died out long ago, except here on Injasuti. If Kathryn was inducted as Queen Khaira, she might have no choice but to conduct such a sacrifice.
Kathryn Janeway would never agree to it. Never. He had seen her descend into hell when she had to kill Tuvix to get Tuvok and Neelix back. It had been one of the most difficult decisions Kathryn had had to make as captain of Voyager, when even the doctor refused to touch Tuvix. She had walked about Voyager going about her duty as if what she had done in the normal course of everyday events. She smiled, talked with her crew, sometimes spent time in the mess hall with some of them. All the time she had smiled her way through.
But Chakotay knew of the nights, those dark enclosures that no one could see except him. He saw the masks peeling away, leaving an exhausted, distraught, guilt-ridden Kathryn Janeway who could only be let go in his presence. Never did they really talk, for then all Kathryn needed was her hands held in his, sitting next to him where she could rest her head against his chest and fall asleep in that position. Those nights he'd stroke the damp hair away from her forehead, squeeze her arm gently and just sit with her. He'd wait until she said something. If she never spoke, it was also fine with him. But sometimes she did.
"He haunts me still, Chakotay…"
"Perhaps to tell you he remains a good memory."
"How can a haunting be a good memory?"
"I think he knows how it pained you. Did he smile the last time you saw his image?"
Kathryn had turned her face up to him, and in the semi dark of his quarters, he could see how damp her cheeks were.
"He smiled… How did you know?"
"Instinct, I suppose."
"Thank you, Chakotay."
"If it helps any, both Neelix and Tuvok have honoured Tuvix by keeping his memory alive in the holodeck…"
Kathryn hadn't known and the news had come as a surprise.
"He smiled," Kathryn repeated her words of earlier.
"I know, Kathryn."
After that night Kathryn had been more relaxed, yet she had never mentioned ever going to the holodeck to see what Neelix and Tuvok had created for themselves, to remember and honour a man who had once been their unification.
Now, Kathryn as Queen Khaira had to do it again and this time, he knew she would fight to the bitter end not to be put in a situation where she'd have to kill someone, a little girl child.
"Commander!"
He woke from his reverie to see the concerned faces of Torres and Kiridis.
"I'll do my very best, even if I have to die in the process," he said to them.
"Careful, Commander. We want you alive to tell the captain."
"Tell her what?"
"How you would die if she were not part of your life forever."
*
END CHAPTER SIX