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Episode Synopsis
After discovering a raided crypt, an awayteam get caught up in a dangerous mystery which will cost them their lives.

Written
14th, 16th - 18th October 2003

Episode Based In
November 2379

The Enterprise, Holodeck Four:
The doors opened swiftly, Daniel strolled through them, the door closed behind him.

"This is odd, where is the old man?" he asked, after a quick look around the room.

Lena shrugged her shoulders, "dunno. It is strange, he's never late."

The doors opened once again, James walked through them with Faye not far behind him. She glanced around nervously, "um has anyone seen somebody called Wesley? He told me to come here last week."

"I haven't seen him ever since the incident," James replied.

Lena glanced in his direction, "me neither, do you know something about it?"

"Why would I?" James replied, without looking at her.

Lena narrowed her eyes, "hmm charming."

"Well it looks like I'm starting this lesson today," Daniel muttered. He began to pace backwards and forwards, "last week Wesley informed me that there were too many telepaths that had no control of their abilities. He wanted the three of you to go through Slayer type training, for two of you that'll be familiar."

Faye glanced at James and then Lena, "I don't have to fight things, do I?"

"No pet," Daniel muttered in response.

"What kind of training are we talking about then?" Faye questioned.

"I wasn't really listening, but I'll probably figure out what to do soon," Daniel replied.

"If you don't know what you're doing now, what's the point in us being here?" James asked.

"Yeah we should wait for the Wesley guy," Faye said.

In: "Paris to Janeway."

Lena tapped her commbadge, "yeah what is it?"

In: "That planet who contacted us, we're there."

"I'll contact you guys if I see the old man, or if I figure out what to do," Daniel said. He walked back through the doors, Faye followed him.

"I'm on my way," Lena muttered, she tapped her commbadge. She glanced towards James as he was heading towards the doors. "Wait, I want to talk to you."

James stopped at the doors, they opened. "Ok then."

Lena made her way over to him, "why are you trying to ignore me?"

"I'm not," James replied while turning away from her.

Lena put one hand on her hip, "yes you are, you keep looking away from me."

"Maybe I don't want to look at you," James said.

Lena stood in between the doors, "fine, when you grow up, come and see me."

James glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, "maturity advice Lena, really?"

"I'm more mature than you," Lena snapped. James turned back away from her. "What's up with you?"

"Lena, you're my sister for crying out loud," James said.

"Yeah I know that," Lena muttered.

"Have we gone back a few years or something?" James said questioningly.

Lena groaned, she stood in front of him, "no, and I'd rather talk to somebody's face, not their back, or arm or whatever."

James folded his arms, "ok what happened last week, if you still remember?"

Lena sighed, "that's what this is all about, is it? That is between me and Craig, you shouldn't be mad."

"If you remember he was in my body at the time, that's what makes it so gross, wrong and pretty weird," James said.

"Well I'm sorry that I'm more open minded than your wife," Lena muttered.

"Look if Jessie had done the same thing as you, you'd be mad too," James said.

"Maybe, no you're right I would. All I meant was that I managed to look at Craig without seeing you, I can't explain it," Lena said.

"Fine whatever, but it was still gross and wrong. Can you even imagine what it was like to see that?" James said.

Lena glanced briefly at her feet, "yeah, I'd imagine it looked pretty strange."

"You're damn right Lena, this is worse than the time on Thairo. Much worse," James said.

"Yeah but that one wasn't my fault," Lena said.

"Look Lena, I just want to know something," James said.

Lena shrugged, "ok shoot."

"It's probably none of my business but do you have any feelings for Craig?" James questioned.

Lena laughed, "not in the way you're thinking no."

"Stop doing that," James grumbled.

Lena smiled, "I haven't read your mind in a while. Wesley is wrong, I do have control."

"Fine, don't do it again," James said.

"Why did you ask that question anyway?" Lena asked.

"I'm just trying to figure out what happened in Sickbay," James replied.

"To be honest, I'm kind of confused about it too. I don't feel any kind of crush or attraction to him, I never really have," Lena muttered.

"Now I'm even more confused. Why did you even go out with the guy?" James questioned.

"That's what I don't get, maybe I just didn't want to hurt him," Lena replied.

"Well mission failed, I've seen him moping around all week. I think you should stop worrying about him, and move on," James said.

Lena nodded her head, "you're right, Craig'll find someone else and I will just play Captain."

"The way you said play Captain, it sounded like you don't like doing that," James said.

"Don't believe that for a second. Come on, you're a practising telepath, you shouldn't get stuff like that wrong," Lena said as she headed towards the doors.

James started follow her, "it's not my fault your mind voice is so quiet."

The Bridge:
A rather annoyed alien man was on the viewscreen, "I am not going to wait any longer. I must speak to your Captain."

"She's coming already, I can't do anything more," Tom said.

The alien's face turned pale, "the Captain is a she?"

"Well yeah, is that a problem?" Tom replied.

"You let a woman boss you around," the alien muttered in disbelief.

"Not at all, she's just well, if I argue with her she'll knock me out cold," Tom said.

Triah sniggered, "all girls can do that Tom. Lena can kill you in just one hit, she just holds back."

"Don't listen to her, she's a girl after all," Tom said, smiling innocently.

"Strange species," the alien muttered to himself.

Lena stepped off the turbolift, "sorry I'm late." She stood next to Tom, "hi I'm the Captain of this ship."

"You failed to mention that the female was a child too," the alien said.

Lena glared at the alien, "I am not a child."

Tom leaned on the opps station. "Triah mute," he whispered.

"What did you do that for?" Lena questioned.

Tom stood back up fully, "I think we've encountered another sexist species Lena."

"How come we never seem to visit planets where the guys are slagged off all the time," Triah muttered.

"We don't need to, our homeworld is one," Tom said.

"No it's not Tom, we're just more even there," Jessie said.

"Well it wasn't like that at my high school," Tom grumbled.

Lena shook her head, "Triah unmute."

Triah glanced behind her nervously, "I didn't put it on mute, I don't know how."

"Enterprise, if you're quite finished, I'd like to start the negotiations with a male commander," the alien said.

"Look Mr..." Lena said. Tom whispered something in her ear. "Mr Jharnan, our species are even when it comes to gender. Of course Tom is a bad example of that." Tom pulled a face.

"Your point female," Jharnan said.

Lena tried to keep her cool, "it's Lena to you mister. Anyway, the negotiations will be done by me."

Tom took a hold of her arm, "Lena, you're not respecting their beliefs, that's breaking the Prime Directive."

"They have space ships capable of warp, I don't see why they haven't learned to respect the obviously better gender. I think for once somebody should respect our beliefs," Lena said quietly.

"No offense Lena, but we're supposed to be an even society remember," Tom said.

"Chill, I was joking about that part," Lena grumbled.

"I'm sorry Enterprise, but your female Captain is too offensive for us to deal with. I request a male commander for the negotiations," Jharnan said.

"Fine, I'll probably end up smacking that smirk off his sexist face," Lena grumbled. She sat down in her chair.

Tom stepped closer to the viewscreen, "do you want to meet here, or down where you are?"

"We would rather you visited us, Commander," Jharnan replied.

Tom nodded his head, "send us the co-ordinates and we'll beam down in a few minutes."

Jharnan bowed his head, the viewscreen changed to space view.

"From now on Triah, when I tell you to mute the viewscreen, you mute the viewscreen," Tom said.

"I will, just tell me which button it is," Triah said. Tom leaned on the opps station, he pointed at one of the buttons.

Lena shook her head, "don't you have some negotiating to do, Tom."

Tom turned around, "aye aye Captain." He tapped his commbadge while heading for the turbolift, "Paris to Stuart, bring an all male team to meet me in Transporter Room Five. I'll explain there. Paris out."

Jessie glanced in Lena's direction, "I thought it was Craig's shift, not James'."

"Craig's taken over night shift, James is Security Chief for two shifts a day," Lena said.

Bryan shuddered, "I couldn't do that."

Triah turned around in her chair, "who was doing the night shift originally?"

"Crewman Martin, he's been moved to James' shift. Look Tom helps organise all the shifts, why don't you ask him the rest of your questions," Lena replied.

Triah turned back around, "sorry."

"Yeah sorry Lena, it's just I wasn't told about the shift changes. If I'd known I wouldn't have accepted a double shift," Jessie said.

Lena glanced at the panel next to her, "no I'm sorry, I should have told you. It's almost 1500, you'd better pick up the kids."

"Who's going to do tactical while I'm gone?" Jessie questioned.

Bryan turned around, "ooh pick me."

Lena quickly stood up, "no way, I'll do it for the rest of this shift."

"Thanks," Jessie said before stepping into the turbolift.

Lena stood behind Tactical, "Triah, can you remind me to talk to Tom about the duty shifts. We'll have to find someone else to do the evening shift, heck I'd settle for Zare."

"Will do. Just a thought, Naomi's been on security longer than Zare," Triah said.

Lena burst out laughing, "you can't be serious."

Triah smiled, "actually I was, I don't get how I managed it."

Transporter Room Five:
Tom entered through the main door, James, Evil C and Foster were standing around nearby the pad.

"Tom, why an all male team?" James asked.

"The aliens on the planet only think of girls as objects, the mothers of their children, if you catch my drift," Tom replied.

"Well this is going to be fun trip," James muttered.

"Yes well I think we'll be fine with an all male team," Tom said. He and the others stepped onto the transporter pad. "Chief energise."

An hour later, the bridge:
In: "Paris to Enterprise."

Lena sat down on her chair, and put her feet up. "Enterprise here, how did it go Tom?"

In: "Surprisingly well Lena, just there's one problem."

"There always is," Triah commented.

In: "Yeah well Crewman Martin has nicked off."

"Why do I sense an and Tom?" Lena questioned.

In: "Well we teamed up into pairs, Foster and I met with Jharnan. James and Martin were supposed to guard the area, you know just in case."

"You're saying that James has gone too, right?" Lena said questioningly.

In: "Exactly, I thought they may have contacted you or something."

Lena climbed out of the chair, "Triah can you locate them?"

Triah keyed in several commands, "yep sure do, they're about fifty metres away from Tom and Foster and closing."

"They must have went shopping or something," Bryan said.

In: "That's ok I guess."

"Tom, why didn't you just say that he was missing too?" Lena asked.

In: "Well to be honest, whenever I think James is not around and I mention him, he comes up behind me or something. Do you know how annoying that is?"

In: "What is?"

In: "Aaah, see?"

Lena shook her head, "finish off what you're doing guys, I'd like to leave this planet as soon as possible."

"Lena, we're being hailed by Jharnan again," Triah said.

"Great, put him on screen," Lena commanded.

The viewscreen quickly changed to show Jharnan, "Captain Lena, we require your ship's assistance."

Lena turned around, she passed Triah a confused look. "What for?" she asked.

"Your ship has the capability to scan places to determine if there's anyone there. Am I correct?" Jharnan questioned.

"Something like that yeah," Lena replied.

"We've recently had a raid inside one of the family sized crypts outside the capital. We need to know who did it. The family concerned are very angry about this, and demand immediate action," Jharnan said.

"Ok, what time did this happen and I'll check for you," Triah said questioningly.

"Between twenty and forty minutes ago, we're not exactly sure," Jharnan replied.

Lena stood closer to the opps station as Triah keyed in commands. "Send us the co-ordinates and I'll get back to you," Lena said.

Jharnan bowed his head, the viewscreen changed back to space view. Tom stepped off the turbolift, "hello children."

Triah turned her chair around, "how did you do that?"

Tom glanced at Lena before glancing at Triah, "do what?"

"That guy seems very friendly towards girls now," Triah replied.

"Nah, I'm willing to bet that he's just being nice so he can use us. Once we've finished helping out he'll go back to being a sexist pig," Lena said.

"What's the problem exactly?" Tom asked.

Lena shrugged, "we have to scan a crypt to see if anyone went into it."

"One person was inside thirty minutes ago, but the location of the crypt makes it hard to detect who went inside it," Triah said.

"I didn't know we could find out who exactly went in a room outside the ship in the first place," Bryan commented.

"We can't, unless it's a member of our crew with a commbadge," Lena said.

"So what's the difference then?" Bryan questioned.

"Well I would have normally found out what species it was, and well where they went afterwards," Triah replied.

"Shouldn't you be able to tell me where that person went afterwards still?" Lena said questioningly.

Triah blushed, "oh yeah I could."

"Once you find out, inform Jharnan. Meanwhile I'll take a team down," Lena said as she headed towards the turbolift.

"Shouldn't I take another all male team Lena?" Tom suggested.

"Hey as long as it isn't an open coffin crypt, I'm going," Lena replied.

"Besides there's no one inside that we have to worry about. Heck you can send an all female team just to spite them," Triah said.

"Good idea. Janeway to O'Tani, Wildman and Kiara Janeway, report to Transporter Room One," Lena said. She tapped her commbadge again, "Janeway to Rex."

In: "... Computer, stupid surname. Yeah I'm here."

Tom tried to keep a straight face, "too many Stuart's on this ship."

"Jess can you spare half an hour, you know to spite the sexist pigs by being apart of an all girl team?" Lena questioned.

In: "Sure, just give me ten minutes to find a last minute babysitter. Ugh, Rex out. Stupid surname."

"She could just use Rex-Stuart for the intercom, or just keep Stuart. You and Kiara manage," Tom said.

"Noted, I'll tell her when she comes by the Transporter Room," Lena said. She stepped inside the turbolift, "crap I forget to tell her which one." The doors closed.

"And who says we can't get by with a nineteen year old Captain?" Tom said grinning in his usual way.

"Um you did, dad," Bryan muttered.

"Not to her face, no-one's that stupid and suicidal," Tom said through gritted teeth.

The planet, inside a small crypt:
Lena, Jessie, Faye, Kiara and Naomi rematerialised in the centre of the crypt. Several large coffins were placed randomly around the room, a large dusty cloud hovered nearby the ceiling.

Lena shuddered, "dead people's homes, my favourite place." The girls started to spread around the crypt.

"It doesn't look like it's been raided, does it?" Kiara said.

Jessie pulled out a tricorder, "I don't think we should stay here long."

"Why, what's up?" Lena questioned.

"There's some gas leaking in, the tricorder doesn't recognise the type," Jessie replied.

Faye leaned on the nearby wall, then placed her hand on her forehead. Naomi made her way over to her, "are you ok?"

"No, there's something here which is not dead. Jessie's right, we shouldn't stay here long," Faye replied.

Kiara glanced up at the ceiling, "you mentioned gas right Jessie?"

Jessie walked over to her side, "yeah I did."

Kiara pointed up at the ceiling, "is that it?"

Jessie looked up at the ceiling, "yeah and more of it's leaking in, we'd better get out of here."

Kiara glanced at Lena, "um Lena, time to beam out."

Lena collapsed, nearby Faye did the same. Jessie tapped her commbadge quickly, "Awayteam to Enterprise, emergency beam out."

In: "Acknowledged."

Sickbay:
Tom rushed through the main doors, "report."

Jessie raised her eyebrow as she glanced away from the awake members of the team. "Lena and Faye collapsed, some gas was leaking into the crypt, that must have done it."

Freddie shook his head, "the rest of the team would have been injured too if that were the case. These two collapsed because of increased telepathic activity in their brains. It was obviously too strong for either of them to handle."

"Telepathic activity, inside a crypt? Were they contacting each other or something?" Tom said questioningly.

"If they were, how would we know about it," Jessie muttered.

Tom sighed, "how are Faye and Lena, doc?"

"When they wake up they will be just fine," Freddie replied.

"Good. Besides that, how did it go down there?" Tom questioned.

"It looked to me like there was no raid," Jessie replied.

"It must have been a trap then, right?" Naomi said.

"I'll have a word with Jharnan, if something's going on that he hasn't told us, he'll tell me. We got on really well," Tom replied.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Jessie muttered.

A little while later, the bridge:
Tom was standing in the centre of the bridge looking very worried. He glanced towards the turbolift as Lena and Jessie stepped out of it. Lena made her way over to stand beside Tom, "is there another problem?"

Tom nodded his head, "supposedly we weren't allowed to actually enter the crypt."

Lena turned her head towards the viewscreen. "We were told that the rites were stolen only. If something happened to you in the crypt then somebody must have read them," Jharnan said.

"Full explanation please," Lena muttered.

"Every member of our species has their own special rite when they die. If read they will come back to life, after draining energy from volunteers," Jharnan said.

Tom leaned in closer to Lena, "your awayteam volunteered."

"Ok I feel fine, when does this energy draining take effect?" Jessie questioned.

"Well it should take effect very soon. Luckily the amount of volunteers always effects how easy the recovery is," Jharnan replied.

"There's a cure? What is it?" Lena asked.

"The person who read the rite must read it again, this'll kill the one who arises," Jharnan replied.

"Hang on, what's the point in this little resurrection rite thingy? You have rites to bring people back but you have to kill them to save the volunteers," Triah said.

"The rites are only designed to allow the deceased to talk to relatives for the last time, give out requests, that sort of thing," Jharnan replied.

Lena leaned on Triah's chair, "did you find out where our little rite reader went?"

"Kinda. He or she went further into the capital and I lost them in a crowd," Triah replied.

Lena stood up fully, "ok Jharnan, five of us volunteered for this resurrection thing. How much energy will get drained from us each?"

"The usual amount of volunteers is eight. I'm afraid that since there are only five, the whole procedure will drain most of your energy. The last group of five to volunteer weren't so fortunate," Jharnan replied.

"If another team went back to the crypt, would they be considered as volunteers?" Tom questioned.

"No, of course not," Jharnan replied.

"I'll take a team down to continue investigating," Tom said.

"Hang on, Faye and I collapsed because of high telepathic activity, there's more going on than a resurrection spell," Lena said.

"Ok then, I won't take any telepaths," Tom said.

Triah turned around in her chair, "just a theory, maybe you and Faye sensed the person you're reviving."

"It was an overdose so maybe it was the entire family they were sensing," Jessie said.

"I don't think it's possible to sense the dead, besides if it was that I would have been more creeped out," Lena said.

In: "Sickbay to Bridge, I have something."

In: "Ahem."

In: "Ok Kiara has something."

"Let me guess, our energy is getting slowly drained," Lena muttered.

In: "Damn telepathy, go on."

Lena glanced briefly at Tom, "Kiara I didn't read your mind."

In: "Oh ok, I'll go on then. I scanned the rest of us when Freddie went for a tab and well I found this out. It's draining us in different places, for example Faye's brain's getting slower."

"Wow, not much of a difference there," Tom muttered.

In: "Hey I re... resent that, that's right isn't it?"

In: "Whatever."

"What's happening to you and Naomi then?" Jessie asked.

In: "Well Naomi just blacked out before, that's when I did the scans. It's like somebody took away a bit of her blood just like a click of a finger."

"And you?" Lena said questioningly.

In: "Nothing's happened to me yet."

"Same with me," Jessie commented.

In: "Garvin here Captain, I suggest the entire team stay in Sickbay so we can keep an eye on you all."

"Can I interrupt you?" Jharnan asked. Everybody glanced back at him. "You should expect draining in the brain, leg and arm muscles. The other symptoms are a loss of blood, blurry vision, deafness, skin irritation, and dangerously low blood sugar levels. Some of you will experience two or more of those symptoms."

"Eight people go through one of those just to see their dead loved ones for a minute, unbelievable," Jessie said.

"Most of the symptoms won't kill on their own, they are only minor symptoms. Some of them will if we don't find the thief in time," Jharnan said.

Lena glanced towards Tom, "go on, send your team."

Tom nodded his head, he tapped his commbadge, "Paris to Stuart, we'd better get back to the planet and..."

Lena elbowed Tom gently in the ribs, "you said no telepaths, James is telepathic."

"James is a telepath? Oh dear god, why didn't anyone tell me?" Tom stuttered.

"I thought everybody knew," Jessie said.

In: "What's going on?"

"It's ok James, Tom will take another team," Lena replied.

Tom nodded his head, "will do. Paris to Zare, Young and Lavine, report to the transporter room." He tapped his commbadge, "with that team I'm surely doomed." He headed for the turbolift muttering to himself.

"Sickbay then, Jess?" Lena said.

Jessie shrugged, "I knew I'd die this way, of course I mean the stay like that kind of dead."

The crypt:
Tom, Nikki, Daniel and Zare rematerialised. Tom pulled out a tricorder, "ok guys spread around, we need to find something that'll give us a clue of who this person was." Everybody went their separate ways.

"This is stupid, we barely know anybody on this godforsaken planet, what do you expect to find that'll help us?" Zare muttered.

Nikki felt something crack under her left foot. She knelt down to pick up a commbadge, "what about a commbadge?" Tom rushed over to her side.

"You've got to be kidding," he said.

Nikki stood up, she passed the commbadge to Tom. "Nope, obviously a member of your first team stopped by here."

"Well we managed to beam up the team who came here no problem, they all must have had a commbadge," Tom said.

"Same with the original team," Zare added on.

"I don't know much about the bloody things, but if you don't have one you can still get beamed up, can't you?" Daniel said questioningly.

"Yeah you can, the commbadges are just there to make transport from other planets or ships easier and for the transporter to know who they are beaming up," Tom replied. He tapped his own commbadge, "Paris to Sickbay. Lena, does your entire team have a commbadge each?"

In: "What kind of question is that?"

"That's a yes," Daniel commented.

Tom nodded his head, "thanks I guessed that. Look Lena we found a commbadge in this crypt, if none of the second members are missing a commbadge then it was a member of my team who visited this place."

"Before, during or after the raid though, that's the question," Zare said.

"It can't be before, why would anyone from the ship come here before we were told about it?" Nikki said.

In: "You said Clive Martin and James disappeared for a while, didn't you?"

"Well James answered me when I called him earlier," Tom replied.

"So that leaves Crewman Martin, he works in my team doesn't he?" Zare said.

Tom shook his head, "if he separated from James at any time, he would have mentioned it."

In: "What about Foster?"

"Me and him were negotiating the entire time we were down there," Tom replied.

Nikki gasped as she pointed at Tom, "it was you then."

Tom raised his eyebrow, "I have a commbadge, you silly girl."

Nikki groaned, "oh man."

"Look the answer's obvious now. Somebody saw one of our commbadges, made a copy, and left it here to frame us," Daniel said.

Tom nodded his head, "right good, you're useful for something, good for you."

Daniel rolled his eyes, "stupid little man."

"I'm not little," Tom grumbled.

"You failed to mention that you're not stupid," Nikki pointed out.

"Right, I'm not that either," Tom quickly said.

Zare sighed, "I'll do it. Zare to transporter room, beam us up."

"We haven't finished here," Tom protested. The group dematerialised, they rematerialised on the transporter pad.

"Yes we have. Examine the copy, you'll find the real thief's finger prints on it along with yours and Nikki's," Zare muttered.

"I can do more than that," Tom said as he stepped off the pad. He walked out of the room. The others followed him not long afterwards.

****TO BE CONTINUED****

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