Mirror Mirror – Jade Survives

 

Mirror Mirror – Jade Survives

Jade Coigley returned to the room that would in her time be Jo Tiegan’s room. ‘Or it will no longer be,’ she thought as she came up to the Mirror. She hesitated, despite the old man saying that she had to come back straight away. ‘I could look around and then go back.’ Her mind made up, she turned around.

 

 

As she climbed down the stairs, she heard Jo, Tama and the other girl enter the house, along with a boy.

 

She hid in the kitchen.

 

“Who are you?” an older lady asked. “What are you doing in my kitchen, here in the Iredale’s house?”

 

“What is it to you?”

 

“Insolent child! You are trespassing!”

 

“So, I am,” Jade countered.

 

The lady grabbed onto her. “Come with me!”

 

“No!” Jade said. She then used a Judo move to get free.

 

 

Primrose Iredale looked at where the Mirror had been, then at Louisa. She could tell that the past few days had had an effect on her daughter. However, she could then hear a commotion.

 

 

“What’s going on here?” Primrose asked as she entered the kitchen.

 

Mrs. Whitelaw held out a girl with red hair. “I caught her snooping in the kitchen.”

 

Louisa gasped. “Jade!”

 

“Is she from Jo’s time too?” Primrose asked.

 

“Or was,” Louisa said.

 

“What do you mean, was?” the girl asked.

 

“The Mirror is gone,” Louisa answered. “You’re stuck here.”

 

“You’re lying.”

 

“What are you going on about?” Mrs. Whitelaw asked.

 

“Leave us for the moment, Mrs. Whitelaw,” Primrose ordered.

 

“Yes, Ma’am.”

 

“Jade, is it? I’m afraid Louisa isn’t lying,” Primrose said.

 

“No! You’re hiding it,” Jade denied.

 

“No, it’s gone.”

 

 

Jade took that in. “You mean, I’m stuck here?”

 

“I’m afraid so,” Lousia answered.

 

Her mother added. “We will have to take you in.”

 

“No where else to go,” Louisa added.

 

“I guess so,” Jade said.

 

 

“Are you serious?” Joshua Iredale asked.

 

“Yes,” Primrose answered. “She has nowhere else to go.”

 

“Has this to do with that other girl, Jo?”

 

“Somewhat, but Jo has left and isn’t coming back.”

 

“It’s going to be very complicated to adopt her,” Joshua said.

 

“If we go about it formally.”

 

“Are you saying we just let her stay here? How would we explain it?”

 

“That we are helping someone in need, which will be the truth,” Primose answered.

 

Joshua thought about it for a moment. Louisa and Titus were a handful already, but they were their children. He knew nothing about this Jade. But Primrose wouldn’t have brought the matter to him without a reason. “Alright,” he said. “But she has to know her place.”

 

“I’ll make that abundantly clear to her.”

Star Trek: Voyager Alone: The Ocampa and the Caretaker Part 3

 Neelix was stressing. Voyager had told him that Kes had been beamed back, but she had told him about her people’s closed minded views. He was sure that she would be affected by her brief time down there. He looked out the window and saw that Voyager was breaking orbit.

“Voyager, what are you doing?” he asked.

“Returning to the Array,” Voyager answered. “We still need to talk to the Caretaker.”

“But, he told you to leave him alone, didn’t he?”

“He did, but we don’t have any other choice.”


Kes returned to the Observation lounge.

“How are you, sweetie?” Neelix asked.

“It reminded me why I left. But I’m fine.”

Even so, Neelix hugged Kes.

Voyager interrupted. “A heads up; Kazon ships are also approaching the Array. There may be battle.”

A klaxon sounded, and red lights flashed along the wall. The words Red Alert! started flashing on the bottom of the viewscreen.


Voyager powered her weapons systems and raised shields as she and Talon approached the Array and the two vessels. She hailed one of them.

“Have you come to investigate the entity's strange behavior too, ship?” Jabin asked.

“We want to get home, Jabin,” Voyager responded. “I was about to try to talk to the Caretaker to arrange that.”

“I’m afraid I can’t permit that.”

“We have no dispute with you.”

“I have a dispute with anyone who would challenge us,” Jabin said.

“This is ridiculous. We have no intention of challenging you.”

“I have no intention of letting anyone with your level of technology contact the entity!” He then cut off the transmission.


I’m going to beam Kes to the Array, Voyager said to Talon. Can you hold off the Kazon?

I think so, Voyager.


“Someone has to beam over to the Array. I doubt the Caretaker would be receptive to a DOT projecting a hologram,” Voyager said to Kes.

“I’m ready,” Kes said.

“Are you sure, sweetie?” Neelix asked.

“I have to. Voyager can’t, and I don’t think you want to.”

Neelix couldn’t argue with that. “Just be careful.”


When she had materialized inside the Array, Kes saw that it looked similar to the city she had called home. But she knew that it was a holographic environment, as the records stated that the Caretaker had based the underground city on existing Ocampa architecture. She took out the tricorder Voyager had given her and picked up the sporocystian lifesigns ahead. She looked closer at the display and saw that they were weakening. “I need to find him.”

Kes entered a large room.

“You’re nothing, if not persistent, Kes,” the old man present said. Kes knew that he was the Caretaker.

“Voyager and Talon need to be sent back where they came from.”

“That isn't possible. I've barely enough strength to complete my work.”

“You’re dying,” Kes realised, after glancing at the tricorder again. “That’s why you have given the Ocampa the extra energy and are now sealing the conduits.”

“If I don't, the Kazon will steal the water. But in several years, when the Ocampa's energy runs out, it won't matter. They'll be forced to come to the surface and they won't be able to survive.”

“You did something to cause the catastrophe, didn’t you? That’s why you have looked after us all this time?”

“We're explorers from another galaxy. We had no idea that our technology would be so destructive to your atmosphere. Two of us were chosen to stay behind and care for you,” the Caretaker answered.

“There’s another? I never heard that.”

“Not anymore. She went off to look for more interesting places. But I didn’t supress the historical information. It was your ancestors who did that.”

“But why were you bringing ships here, inflecting people with a fatal illness? How would that help the Ocampa?” Kes asked.

“Oh, they didn't die of an illness. They died because they were incompatible.”

“Incompatible?”

“I've been searching the galaxy for a compatible biomolecular pattern. Now, in some individuals I found cellular structures that were similar, but I…” the Caretaker began.

Kes interrupted. “You have been trying to procreate?”

“I needed someone to replace me. Someone who'd understand the enormous responsibility of caring for the Ocampa. Only my offspring could do that.”

“Maybe the Ocampa could take care of themselves.”

“They’re children!” the Caretaker said dismissively.

“Because you’ve coddled them. They need to grow up.”

“Voyager to Kes. Another, much larger, Kazon vessel has arrived. It’s out powering us. You have to be quick.”

“Give me another few minutes,” Kes said.


Talon noticed the Kazon ship damage Voyager’s weapons arrays. It would take her time to affect repairs. ‘She has a better chance of returning to the Alpha Quadrant alone if Kes doesn’t come through than I do.’ He knew what he had to do. It was what the Maquis had designed him to do. The Kazon were no better than the Cardassians.


DOTs were repairing the damaged systems, and a transporter lock on Kes was being maintained (even if the sporocystian life signs were no longer registering on her sensors).


The Array trembled around them.

“I have set the self destruct,” the Caretaker said. “You must go, Kes.”

“But you’ll die alone,” Kes objected.

“Your people will be in my thoughts to the last.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Kes said sadly.


Voyager noticed that Talon was on a collision course with the large Kazon ship, whose basic AI was still screaming threats at her.

Talon, what are you doing?

Giving you a chance. Be ready to receive my logs.

Your logs aren’t you.

I know, but you have more of a chance. Bye Voyager!


Talon accelerated as he approached the ship. He transmitted his logs and ejected a buoy for good measure at the last minute. The Kazon ship only realized at the last minute and screamed at him.

Talon was gone in an instant and the Kazon ship was out of control. It soon crashed into the Array.


The room shook and the holographic environment disengaged. Kes saw that the Array was naturally white, and that the Caretaker’s true form wasn’t remotely humanoid, and… shrinking.

More like dying…

“Voyager to Kes. A Kazon ship just collided with the Array. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Voyager. Stand by,” she said as she approached the Caretaker.

“The self-destruct programme has been damaged. Now this installation will not be destroyed,” the Caretaker said as he continued to shrink. “But it must be. The Kazon must not be allowed to gain control of it. They will annihilate the Ocampa.” The Caretaker then completely shriveled up and died.

Kes picked up his remains and tapped her commbadge. “Kes to Voyager. One to beam back.”


Kes materialized in the Observation Lounge. She placed the Caretaker’s remains on the table before rushing out to the Bridge.

“Kes?” Voyager asked as she put the Array on screen. “I’m sorry that the Caretaker is dead.”

“I’ll grieve later, but now the Array needs to be destroyed.”

“Otherwise the Kazon might get their hands on it,” Voyager concluded.


Voyager considered her options after beaming aboard Talon’s buoy. She checked over her weapons load out. Two Tricobalt Devices. Starfleet had given them to her in case she either came across an obstinate Maquis base or a subspace phenomenon in the Badlands that she needed to get through. But they would be effective against the damaged Array.

She hailed the remaining Kazon ships. She saw that Jabin was still in command. “I warn you to get to a safe distance. I’m going to destroy the Array.”

“You can’t do that!” Jabin objected.

“I can. I warned you as a courtesy. Remember that.” She then broke the transmission and withdrew to 400 kilometers from the Array. Once she was in position, she fired.


Kes was still on the bridge when Jabin hailed again.

“You have made an enemy today,” he said before ceasing the transmission again.

The Kazon ships withdrew. Voyager withdrew herself, back into the Ocampa system, to repair herself and prepare for the multi-decade journey back to the Alpha Quadrant.


A few hours later, Voyager had finished her repairs. Kes had wandered her corridors while Neelix had stayed in the quarters he had occupied when he had first arrived on the ship. She then called them both to the Ready Room.

“I am about to set course for home,” Voyager said when both of them had arrived. “I have supplied Baxial with water, Neelix. It’s ready to go.”

“Well, you see, that's what we wanted to discuss. We'd like to go with you,” Neelix said.

“Sorry, I’m not a passenger ship,” Voyager responded.

“We wouldn’t be passengers,” Kes said. “We would be friends, colleagues, like we have been already. I know that you would be lonely, taking the journey by yourself.”

“Whatever you need is what I have to offer. You need a guide? I'm your guide. You need supplies? I know where to procure them. I have friends among races you don't even know exist. And Kes persuaded me.”

“Then welcome aboard,” Voyager responded. “I knew that I would be lonely on the journey.”

“Thank you,” Kes said.


In the Shuttle Bay, a DOT connected Talon’s buoy to a secure dataport, to copy it’s data to a system separate from the rest of Voyager, so she could check it over securely before storing it in her core systems. Unknown to her, a Cardassian symbol flicked on for a second on a screen on the bouy’s side as the data was transferred.


Soon, Voyager was ready to go to warp. Kes was on the bridge as she approached the edge of the system.

“Setting course for Sector 001. Estimated time of arrival: 75 years. But I’m not willing to settle for that,” Voyager said.

“There is the other one, who left the Caretaker to explore,” Kes said.

“There are also spatial rifts, wormholes or new technologies that could help us. Somewhere along this journey, I’ll find a way back.”


Voyager then jumped to warp.

Spider Quinn 18 A Birthday and Stormy Sonnets Part 5

 

However, something happened when they brought William into the daylight. He began to transform, with some of his skin stretching and his eyes turning dark. “William, are you OK?” SpiderGirl asked as she and Ninja Talon let go.

 

“You should have listened to me!” William said in a deeper voice. He then turned against her and sent her flying.

 

She caught herself with webbing. “Ow! Run Talon!”

 

 

Ninja Talon didn’t have to be told twice. She dashed to another tree, but William came after her. “William, what are you doing?” she asked.

 

“Get out of here!” William said as he approached her.

 

She put herself in a defensive stance, ready to defend herself if need be.

 

However, whatever effect the daylight had on him, increased his speed, and she found herself struggling.

 

SpiderGirl tried to web him up, but he broke the webbing, and so, William knocked Ninja Talon over before bolting from the yard.

 

 

SpiderGirl was at Talon’s side in an instant. “Are you OK?”

 

“Ow! I think I sprained something.”

 

“I’ll get you to the hospital. I’ll help you change somewhere.”

 

“Anywhere would be fine. Just not here,” Ninja Talon said.

 

 

They headed directly to Cedars of Lawndale from the Morris’s, with Ninja Talon changing to the usual Brittany on the hospital roof. “But now William is on the loose,” Brittany said.

“I’ll look for him afterwards as well as the Shadow or Dafoanairi.”

 

“I think Dafoanairi may be a liability. You may need to take a risk with the Enigma.”

 

“I’ll consider it, but I’ll sooner find Peterson, but she might not be on duty as she was on this morning,” SpiderGirl said. “But first I’ll call Ashley-Amber.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

 

“SpiderGirl?” One of the orderlies asked, when she brought Brittany into the ER.

 

“I found Brittany somewhere,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“I was running and slipped,” Brittany said.

 

“I see. It will be an hour before the X-Ray machine is available,” the orderly said.

 

“I can wait,” Brittany said.

 

“I’m heading out now,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“Thanks, Spidey. See you later.”

 

 

It was less than 10 minutes before Ashley-Amber arrived, as SpiderGirl had called her on her cell phone from one of the public phones at the hospital.

 

“Your Brittany’s next of kin?” the orderly asked.

 

“Her stepmother,” Ashley-Amber said. “Her father is on business out of town.”

 

“Got it.”

 

 

“What happened, Brittany?” Ashley-Amber asked in concern.

 

“I was running and I slipped, and SpiderGirl happened to be nearby.”

 

“You’re usually so careful. Were you thinking about Kevin?”

 

Brittany had told Ashley-Amber about the breakup and the reasons for it before heading to Quinn’s party. “That wasn’t it. Probably the changes in my life, besides the break up.”

 

“Oh,” Ashley Amber said. “You know, ‘Break a leg’, isn’t literal.”

 

“Of course.”

 

 

SpiderGirl arrived at the Historia, certain that either Daria or Peterson would be there. ‘Maybe Daria is Dafoanairi, but do I want to put her at risk? But maybe she’ll know how to find the Enigma, as I have no idea how to find the Shadow.’

 

 

Daria was thinking about William as she ate her afternoon snack with Jane. She hoped that Peterson had managed to get a warrant.

 

“You’re thinking about that boy?” Jane asked.

 

“Wondering if Peterson has got a warrant yet.”

 

“Probably not. I figure that if she had, she would be here telling you that he had been rescued.”

 

“Probably,” Daria said.

 

 

SpiderGirl hung upside down, as she usually did when hanging from an eave, and looked into the café. She saw that Daria and Jane were there. ‘I don’t see Peterson. But how to get Jane’s attention without drawing Daria’s?’

 

She then looked around at the café where Daria and Jane weren’t looking. ‘Got it, Jennifer! I can ask her to tell Daria and Jane!’

 

 

Jennifer Burns was sitting by herself in a corner of the café when she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She was startled and turned to find SpiderGirl hanging upside down from the ceiling next to her. “Ah! SpiderGirl!”

 

SpiderGirl made a shush motion, putting her finger over where her lips were hidden beneath her mask.

 

Jennifer sighed. “Yes?” she asked quietly.

 

“Meet me up on the roof, quickly. I want you to tell you something.”

 

“Why? Why not someone else? What are you hiding?”

 

“I have my reasons,” SpiderGirl answered. “I’ll see you up there in a minute,” she added before crawling away on the ceiling and into the Historia’s HVAC system.

 

“Fine!” Jennifer said as she got up.

 

 

SpiderGirl looked around at Lawndale as she waited for Jennifer on the roof. ‘I’d likely have better chance of finding William from there,’ she thought as she glanced at the Giant Strawberry. She heard the door open and turned to find Jennifer winded from having ran up the stairs.

 

“What is it?” Jennifer asked.

 

“Ninja Talon and I heard at school that there was a boy who was trapped by his parents.”

 

“You mean that boy who was leaving love letters at Mr. Morgendorffers’ grave?”

 

“Yes. The news reached us as our secret identities,” SpiderGirl answered. It wasn’t strictly a lie. She and Talon had spread William’s story around the school so that as many people as possible knew about the situation. ‘Just as well it came in helpful.’

 

“So, did something happen?”

 

“Yes. Something happened when he was brought into the daylight and he’s now dangerously loose on Lawndale’s streets.”

 

“What do you mean?” Jennifer asked.

 

“When we brought him out, he started changing and lashed out, like something was triggered.”

 

“Right.”

 

“So, tell Daria and Jane that,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“I will.”

 

“And also, that Ninja Talon got injured.”

 

“She did?” Jennifer asked in surprise.

 

“That’s how powerful he is, and he ripped through my webs.”

 

“I’ll tell them that.”

 

“Also, Daria knows the fourth vigilante,” SpiderGirl added. “She might go and find her.”

 

“I met her last week, during the situation with the critics. Very intense. But doesn’t she want to confront you?”

 

“She does, but I’m willing to take the risk.”

 

 

Daria was surprised when Jennifer came over to her and Jane. “Jen?” she asked.

 

“I just met SpiderGirl, up on the roof,” Jennifer said.

 

“SpiderGirl?” Jane asked.

 

Jennifer then explained.

 

 

Daria listened as Jennifer relayed what SpiderGirl said.

 

“So, William is dangerous and has escaped?” Jane asked.

 

“If we didn’t need to find Peterson before…” Daria began.

 

“We need to find her,” Jane said.

 

“And the fourth vigilante?” Jennifer asked.

 

Daria thought for a moment. She hadn’t seen Sandi since lunch. She wasn’t sure where she would be. “I’ll look for her too.”

 

 

Meanwhile, SpiderGirl headed to the Vitale et al office. Her mother needed to know.

 

 

“Quinn?” Helen asked when her younger daughter entered her office. “Are you OK?”

 

“I’m fine, Mom, and so is Daria. It’s William. Like, I ran into Ninja Talon after I left school and was heading to the Historia.”

 

“What? Ninja Talon?”

 

“Yes. She had heard about William at school as her secret identity and she and SpiderGirl had tried to rescue him,” Quinn answered.

 

“Tried? Did they find that he had been moved?”

 

“I wasn’t finished. Something happened when they brought him into the daylight. Like it caused him to change, and Ninja Talon barely got away, and he couldn’t be held by SpiderGirl’s webs. He’s now loose on Lawndale’s streets.”

 

“Oh my!” Helen said.

 

“We need to find Peterson,” Quinn said.

 

“I’m sure she’ll find out soon enough. But there is something else we can do.”

 

“Which is?”

 

“We’ll go and try to talk to his parents again,” Helen answered. She turned to Marianne, who had turned from her desk. “Marianne, tell Eric that I had to duck out due to an emergency.”

 

“I will, Helen.”

 

“Come on, Quinn.”

 

“Right behind you,” Quinn said.

 

 

Daria, Jane and Jennifer left the Historia out the rear entrance. “So, what are we doing?” Jennifer asked.

 

“I’ll drop you two at Jane’s and then look for the fourth vigilante,” Daria answered.

 

“You don’t want us to know her secret identity too,” Jane concluded.

 

“Exactly, and you’re likely to be safe there,” Daria said.

 

“True,” Jane said.

 

“I’d likely to be just as safe at the Historia. I’d like to help,” Jennifer said. “Even if SpiderGirl conveniently roped me into this.”

 

Daria could see that Jennifer was struggling a little. “You can do it. You’re helping with the play after all,” she said as she turned on the engine.

 

“Thanks,” Jennifer said.

 

“And you can help Jane. She has been gathering various maps of Lawndale. Maybe you two can try to figure out where William might go.”

 

“Good idea, Daria,” Jane said.

 

 

Jane thought about it as Daria drove towards Howard Drive. ‘It would be difficult for me to leave as the Shadow if Jennifer is there, but Daria would be suspicious if I refuse Jennifer’s help now. I’ll have to wait five minutes and get Trent to help Jennifer with my project.’

 

 

Helen and Quinn got out of the car outside the Morris’. They could hear William’s mother in a panic. Helen then rushed up to the door and knocked on it.

 

William’s mother came to the door. “You really shouldn't be here. My husband is out looking for William. He’ll be back soon.”

 

“We want to help,” Helen said. “My daughter wants to help after she told everyone at school and SpiderGirl found out.”

 

“You just... you can't imagine how hard it was for both of us. You probably think we're horrible parents.”

 

“When Ninja Talon and SpiderGirl took William out into the light, why did he change?” Quinn asked.

 

“ It was one of the side effects of the drug. He can't be out in the sun. I wish we'd never gotten involved in that mess. They promised that the drug would make him better. It would make him normal.”

 

“There has to be somebody somewhere that can help your son. And did you try legal recourse?” Helen asked.

 

“We tried everything. Dr. Jenners watched five other boys die trying to reverse the side effects. They had Byron hooked up to all those machines like he was some sort of alien. We did seek legal advice, but Oscorp would have got off.”

 

“Is that why the death certificate was faked?” Quinn asked.

 

“We didn't know what to do. Finally, we-- we locked him in the cellar. He cried for days. He didn't understand why we had to keep him down here. We felt like the monsters.”

 

“But if William is taken out of the sun, will he change back?” Quinn asked.

 

“If somebody is strong enough, but if SpiderGirl was unable to, I don’t know who would be able to.”

 

 

Daria pulled into the Lane’s driveway. “Here we are.”

 

“Looks unkempt,” Jennifer commented quietly.

 

“We do look after the place,” Jane said as she got out.

 

“I’ll be back later,” Daria said.

 

“Good luck finding the fourth vigilante,” Jane said.

 

“I’m sure that I’ll find her, but thanks,” Daria said.

 

 

Jane watched as Daria drove off. ‘I hope she knows what’s she’s doing when it comes to the Enigma.’ She then opened the door and led Jennifer up to her room.

 

 

“This is a lot of maps,” Jennifer said as she looked about the cluttered room.

 

“Yes. I have been doing a project based on the streetscape,” Jane responded.

 

“It seems fairly big.”

 

“I have been working on it for a few weeks.”

 

Jennifer picked up one of the maps. “The thing is, SpiderGirl didn’t say where his house was.”

 

“And all Daria was that it was somewhere halfway between the Historia and the cemetery.”

 

“That could still be anywhere.”

 

“Definitely. Listen, I’m going to get my brother,” Jane said. “He can help.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Hopefully, he’s awake.”

 

 

Jane quickly found that Trent was awake, playing one of his guitars in the room.

 

“What’s up, Janie?” he asked.

 

She quickly explained the situation with William, Daria, and Jennifer.

 

“Hmm, you want to find William as the Shadow,” Trent stated. “Yet Jennifer is here.”

 

“Yes. I want to find him before the fourth vigilante does. There’s no telling what she could do to him.”

 

“But if Ninja Talon got injured and SpiderGirl couldn’t restrain him, he could hurt you to.”

 

“I’ll be careful. Besides Mom gave me gadgets that can work at range, and that may be stronger than SpiderGirl’s webs,” Jane said.

 

“I’ll keep Jennifer company.”

 

 

“This is Trent,” Jane said to Jennifer. “He’ll help you with the maps while I try to gather information.”

 

“You’re leaving?” Jennifer asked.

 

“I won’t be gone long.”

 

 

At the same time as the Shadow leaving Casa Lane, Daria pulled up into the Griffin’s driveway. She rang the doorbell and Sandi’s brother Sam answered it. “Hi Daria,” he said. “Sandi is up in her room.”

 

“Thanks, Sam.”

 

“Up the stairs, and to the left,” Sam said as Daria entered.

 

 

Daria found Sandi’s room to be the girly space she had expected, except that she also had an investigation wall. ‘I suppose she had started putting it together after she saw mine the first time.’

 

“Daria? I didn’t expect to see you here,” Sandi said in surprise.

 

“Something’s happened,” Daria began and explained what happened with SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon.

 

 

Sandi took in what Daria had said. “So, SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon heard about him and tried to rescue him, and he turned out to be a dangerous metahuman.”

 

“And he could be anywhere in Lawndale. I’m sure you could succeed where SpiderGirl didn’t.”

 

“I know I could, like, find him, but I’m not sure I could restrain him telekinetically without injuring him.”

 

“Maybe not directly,” Daria said.

 

“That’s a good point. But first we need to find him,” Sandi said as she grabbed a map from her desk. “And first an energy drink.”

Church notes - 7th September 2025

 7th

2 Kings 22:3 - 25

Rediscovery of the Law

Jeremiah 1:10

Jeremiah 36:1 - 25

King Josiah knew of the significance of the Law and repented.

Calamity was fortold, but it would take place after Josiah's time.

vs 3

A chance for repentance.

God wants people to come to Him because they want to come to Him; and Johoiakm doesn't. He's indignant to the point of burning the message.

The outcome:

vs 31

What do we learn?

There are two responses to God's word.

Most people are in between the extremes. A challenge for the modern Western Church. Reading of Scripture should be our priority.

The greatest blessing is to heed God's Word.

When the LORD tears down, He's tearing down Evil, not people. The evil is rooted out.

John 10:10

Josiah's response: a public repentance and humility towards God.

Star Trek: Voyager Alone: The Ocampa and the Caretaker Part 2

 

In sickbay, the automated systems scanned Kes and the triage programs examined her injuries. They determined that the Emergency Medical Hologram didn’t need to be activated, rather that a Nurse DOT could treat her. Voyager agreed, she didn’t want to override the medical systems if she didn’t need to. Besides, it seemed that Ocampa were similar enough to Humans.

 

“So, you’re completely sapient?” Kes asked.

 

“Yes. I run without a crew, as most Starfleet ships do, although I do have the facilities for one,” Voyager answered.

 

A Nurse DOT started treating Kes. Voyager turned to Neelix. “If you told me what you had planned, I might have anticipated your irrational behaviour.”

 

“Irrational? We rescued Kes, didn’t we,” Neelix shot back.

 

“Excuse me. Don’t blame Neelix,” Kes said as the Nurse DOT finished running a dermal regenerator over one of her now healing bruises. “I never should have gone to the surface. I'm too curious. I'm told it's my worst failing.”

 

“No, no, it's a wonderful quality. Your most endearing,” Neelix argued.

 

“But we need to get in contact with your people, so we could find out more about the Caretaker. Learn if he can send us home,” Voyager said.

 

“We don’t have much information,” Kes said. Just that he cares for us. After the catastrophe, he created the city and provides energy. That’s all.”

 

“So, we would have to approach the Caretaker directly,” Voyager surmised. “But he ignored us when we tried to contact him.”

 

“What I also know is that he had sent people from the crews he abducted to us. But they died from some kind of illness,” Kes added.

 

“But you don’t know much more?” Voyager asked.

 

“I’m afraid not.”

 

 

Voyager waited as Kes was patched up, as it were. She contacted the Maquis ship.

 

I’m going to gather data from the Ocampa.

 

How? Sensors aren’t picking up an underground city.

 

I know. But transporters may be able to penetrate whatever barriers the Caretaker may have put in place. I’ll beam a DOT in with a tricorder. The Ocampa won’t know it’s there. The Prime Directive won’t be broken.

 

Starfleet and their precious Directive, the Maquis ship sent in a tone of annoyance. I would say that we’re already involved.

 

Voyager found herself agreeing.

 

 

After Kes had been healed, Voyager lead her and Neelix to the Observation Lounge. Kes looked out over the desolate wasteland that was her world and watched the Caretaker’s pulses as they brought energy to her people. There was enough stored for five years, over half an Ocampa lifetime, when she left. ‘But if what Voyager says is true and he’s dying, that only delays the inevitable.’

She turned back to Neelix, Voyager’s avatar and where the Maquis ship’s avatar was shown on the viewscreen.

“What’s your name?” she asked the Maquis ship.

 

“Val Jean, but I prefer Talon, as I was built to hit the Cardies where they’re soft!”

 

Voyager rolled her eyes. “She doesn’t need to know that.”

 

“But what are you planning?” Neelix asked.

 

“I am going to beam down a DOT into the Ocampa settlement,” Voyager answered.

 

“It would be easier if I went down as well,” Kes said. “If there is more information on what the Caretaker is doing, they might tell me.”

 

“Are you sure? There is no guarantee that the transporters would continue to work through the barrier,” Voyager said.

 

“I managed to get to the surface once.”

 

“Are you sure?” Neelix asked.

 

“Not really, but I want to help Voyager and Talon.”

 

“I’m scanning now,” Voyager said.

 

 

“Breaches in the barrier detected,” Voyager said. “Beaming a DOT down now.”

 

A hologram activated on the Observation Lounge table.

 

“The DOT is picking up an underground city,” Voyager said.

 

Kes looked closer. “It is in a building near the gardens. The Library is further to the north. But quickly before its noticed.”

 

“It is likely to be noticed,” Voyager said.

 

“Then you can beam me down.”

 

 

Kes materialized next to the DOT in the building near the gardens. It then projected Voyager’s avatar. “Follow me,” she said.

 

Kes tried to take a less trafficked route but they were noticed.

 

“Kes! You’re back!” another Ocampa said.

 

“Janrael!” Kes said. “I’m heading to the Central Library. I’m with one of the ships the Caretaker has been bringing from across the galaxy.”

 

“You don’t know what’s been going on. The Council thinks the Caretaker is acting more strangely lately.”

 

“Especially if he’s now bringing ships without crews here.”

 

“He is?” Janreal asked.

 

“Yes,” Voyager said. “USS Voyager, from the United Federation of Planets, on the other side of the Galaxy.”

 

“There probably isn’t information on the Caretaker there,” Janreal said.

 

“But there might be,” Kes said.

 

“I can’t leave that stone unturned,” Voyager added.

 

“Follow me,” Janrael said in an exasperated tone.

 

 

The Central Library was an efficient space, but mostly deserted. “Most people ignore our past, relying on the Caretaker,” Kes said.

 

“But what are you looking for?” Janreal asked.

 

“First Contact between you and the Caretaker. That might be a good place to start,” Voyager answered.

 

“That might be hidden,” Janreal said. “But I’ll try.”

 

 

Voyager soon started uploading and analyzing files, but the barrier meant that the bandwidth was hampered. “It seems that only the transporter works properly,” she said to Kes.

 

“But you are getting it, right?” Kes asked.

 

“Yes. It seems that he was part of a group of explorers from another galaxy and this is the first planet they explored in this one,” Voyager explained.

 

“What we are told was that there was some kind of catastrophe,” Janreal said. “Just before First Contact.”

 

“It’s worse than that,” Voyager said. “Their technology damaged the atmosphere, did something to it to stop rain coming. But there’s nothing here that can explain why he’s now doing what he’s doing.”

 

“Then you’ll have to take the risk of approaching the Array again,” Kes surmised.

 

“There is also the medical database,” Janreal said. “The Caretaker must be bringing the people here for a reason.”

 

“That may be risky, but we have to do something,” Voyager said.

 

 

They ran into a crowd outside the hospital.

 

Kes! What are you doing?

 

“Voyager’s DOT can’t pick up telepathy, Toscat, you’ll have to speak aloud,” Kes said.

 

“I didn't meant to be rude but you should not be here.”

 

“I’ll be leaving once I have the information on why the Caretaker has been bringing people from across the Galaxy here,” Voyager responded.

 

“That won't be possible. We cannot interfere with the Caretaker's wishes,” Toscat objected.

 

A projection of Talon’s avatar appeared. “Maybe you can’t, but we can.”

 

“You don’t understand,” Toscat objected.

 

“That's right. They don't understand. They have no way of knowing that the Ocampa have been dependent on the Caretaker for so long, we can't even think for ourselves any more. They don't understand we were once a people who had full command of our mind's abilities,” Kes shot back.

 

“The stories of our ancestor's cognitive abilities are apocryphal. At the very least exaggerated,” Toscat said.

 

“We lost those abilities because we stopped using them,” Kes said.

 

Toscat was about respond to that, when the steady thrum of the energy coming from the Caretaker’s Array stopped.

 

 

“The Array is no longer sending out energy,” Voyager said to Kes, Janreal, Toscat and the growing crowd of energy and them and the DOT.

 

“It seems to be realigning it’s position,” Talon added.

 

“We need to get that data now,” Kes said to Toscat.

 

“But this is a crisis,” Toscat said. “If the Caretaker is abandoning us!”

 

“You’ll have to figure things out yourselves,” Talon said.

 

 

Both Voyager and Talon then detected the Array firing something else.

 

Those can only be weapons. Talon said.

 

But they aren’t targeting us or the Kazon outpost. Voyager said. She realised what the Caretaker was doing. ‘But if he’s sealing the conduits…’

 

 

There was an argument amongst the other Ocampa about what the Caretaker was doing as Voyager suddenly beamed Kes and the DOT away. There was then a strong vibration as if there were explosions.

 

 

Kes rematerialized in the Transporter Room. “What’s happening?” she asked.

 

“The Array is firing weapons at the energy conduits as a way to seal them. That may be so that the Kazon may not use them to infiltrate the city,” Voyager answered.

 

“And you were concerned that you might not have been able to beam me back?” Kes asked.

 

“Exactly. Neelix is waiting in the Observation Lounge. I’m setting course back to the Array.”

 

“But you don’t have any more on the Caretaker,” Kes said as she left the Transporter Room.

 

“Someone may need to talk to him personally.”

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