THE ALLIANCE
by Robert Morganbesser

CHAPTER 6: INFORMATION

The stranger who called himself the Doctor, and refused to answer to anything else, found himself escorted by Janeway and Seven to the briefing room. Even though he was a new lifeform, Janeway decided to loosen security, since it seemed that for once this alien was exactly what he seemed - friendly.

As they entered the briefing room, Janeway asked, "What did you call that blue box, Doctor?"

Smiling roguishly, he made a motion for Janeway to enter before him. "Actually, I hadn't. But it's the TARDIS. That's what my old ship is."

"Ship?" Tuvok stood by the table, tricorder in one hand. Looking at their odd visitor, Tuvok set his tricorder in its holster. "Your . . . TARDIS is impenetrable to even the most intense sensor scans. But the dirt on it, according to readings comes from 20th century earth."

The Doctor allowed himself a seat. "That is where I currently am from, my good sir. England to be precise. But I am not from your reality. I have been sent here by my people, who should learn to do things for themselves, but that's another story, to assist you."

Janeway felt a fascination for this man. "Assist us in what?"

The Doctor's face lost its jovial look. "In preventing the conquest of your galaxy, Captain Janeway. I am pursuing my own personal enemies, the enemies of all intelligent being that wish to be free."

"Who are you pursuing?" interrupted Chakotay, entering the briefing room.

"Doctor, this is my First Officer, Commander Chakotay."

The Doctor rose and offered a hand. "The Daleks, my boy! The Daleks. They've made contact with some race here that calls itself the Borg."

A deafening silence reigned through the briefing room.

Seeing that the word had some meaning for these beings, the Doctor began quite animatedly to explain who he was; a Timelord. He told the truth because he saw no reason to lie. Why he was here (at the intervention of the Celestial Intervention Agency) to stop an alliance between the Daleks and the Borg, an alliance that could doom all realities. The only thing he left out was how he had traveled there. It just didn't occur to him to explain it to his new friends.

In reply, the crew of the Voyager gave the Doctor a shortened version of the six years they had been here. How the Caretakers complex had been destroyed and the ship stranded for close to five years. Of the Borg and their near fatal incursion into Fluidic space, how the Voyager had saved the Federation's deadliest enemies, which almost resulted in them being assimilated, but instead gave them Seven of Nine.

The Doctor seemed particularly fascinated by the concept of Fluidic space. "I've been to many places, but space that is basically a huge ocean? That is something I'd like to see. But that's for another time. The question now is, how do we stop this alliance from taking place."

Seven, wearing a look of disdain, said, "I do not see this as possible. The Borg do not ally, they assimilate. They use whatever they can from the races they absorb. There is no sharing, no concept of self."

"Honestly," replied the Doctor. "I can't see the Daleks seeking allies either. They use races as slaves and they have a race of beings they use for their dirty work, the Ogrons, but those worthies are barely capable of thought, let alone any complex actions."

"But," said Janeway. "You were sent here for a reason."

Before the Doctor could reply, Harry Kim's voice erupted over the loudspeaker. "Bridge to Captain Janeway."

"Janeway here."

"Captain, you'd better come to the bridge. Sensors have picked up a Borg energy signature."

With a hurried, "Follow me, Doctor," from Janeway, the briefing room emptied quickly.

Harry Kim had been an unsure young man when he first arrived on Voyager. Now he was taking the night shift on the bridge, was preparing for the day in which Janeway made him a Lieutenant. Several times, his unflappable approach (probably fostered by his friendship with Tuvok) had caused Janeway to refer to him as "her rock".

"Show us what you have, Harry." Janeway commanded, leading the Doctor up into his console. Harry gave the strange visitor a look, but withheld any questions.

"Here's the Borg signature. It's a small vessel, not much larger than a scout or a sphere. From the denigration of the radiation, the ship was here only a few hours ago." Harry pointed to another screen. "But this signature I can't identify. It's not in our database."

The Doctor peered at the screen. "I can, it's a Dalek signature. See the way the alpha wave peaks?" He pointed at the screen. "The Daleks use an engine system with a reciprocating energy field. It's unique to them"

"The Daleks?" Harry asked. Janeway patted him on the shoulder. "It's a long story Harry. What else can you tell us?"

"The Borg ship entered Transwarp and the Dalek signature disappeared with it."

"Damn," Chakotay burst out. "We can't track a ship in transwarp unless we're following them."

The Doctor rubbed his chin. "I think I have a device that can enable us to track the Dalek signature, even if they are inside, as I think is likely, the Borg ship. If I might return to my craft for a moment?"

Janeway nodded. "Seven accompany the Doctor to your alcove."

As Seven led the Doctor away, Janeway turned to Chakotay. "Keep the ship at a modified yellow alert. I don't want the Borg and their new friends surprising us."

Once in her alcove, Seven stared at the Blue Box. It was unremarkable, the paint worn in spots, a small blue light at it's top. The words POLICE BOX were stenciled on it. Seven was surprised that not even her Borg eye could see through what appeared to be a fragile thing.

"You travel in this?" Even with her voice neutral, Seven's voice carried an air of disbelief.

The Doctor smiled at the attractive demi-human. "Yes, my dear. It's the TARDIS. It's my ship. Please," he opened the doors, "Come in."

Seven stepped tentatively across the threshold. She still held an air of distrust for the alien who seemed to have captured Janeway's trust too quickly. As Seven entered behind the Doctor, she stopped. "This is not logical."

The Doctor, at the hexagonal control console, turned. "What is not logical?"

"This, how can this be? On the outside, the box is small, yet this. . ." Seven waved a slightly prosthetic hand around the area. "This area is too large. Explain."

The Doctor grinned, "Ah, you're not the first being to be amazed by the TARDIS. It's a fairly amazing ship. But be careful not to insult her, she's almost sentient."

Seven stared at the Doctor, came closer to look at the console. "Sentient?"

The Doctor touched a switch on the console and another door opened. In it were neat drawers set into the wall. This was his electronics storage area. In here was where he'd find the device he required.

"You called this TARDIS. What does that mean?"

"Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. We are actually inside another dimension when we're in the TARDIS. This is one of the few times I've crossed realities. I have traveled extensively across time. Future or past, time is no stranger to me. Ah! Here it is!"

The Doctor lifted a slender box-like device. On it was a small control pad and a screen. A sensor funnel on the front, ending in a multi-faceted crystal completed the device.

"What is that, Doctor?" queried Seven, her curiosity taking control again.

"This is a Dalek device, it's a rescue beacon. All I need do is one small change and it will act as a finding beacon. Care to lend a hand?"

Seven nodded. "I would be . . . happy to."

Nodding, the Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver. Seven looked at the instrument with curiosity, finally asking, "May I see your device, doctor?"

He grinned, removed the access panel from the Dalek beacon and handed the screwdriver to her. Seven held it up and examined it. "This is an efficient device. It works on several different levels of both mechanical and energy signatures."

The Doctor grinned. "I'm glad you like it, I made it myself."