Disclaimer: Paramount lays claim to the tattoo market now. I wonder what would happen if I got a replica of Chakotay's where they can't see it...
We were surveying a moon, Tuvok, B'Elanna, Neelix and I. The samples we had found so far were contaminated. That's when Tuvok called me over.
"Commander, there's something over here I think you should see."
As I headed for Tuvok and Neelix, I told B'Elanna we'd find something better down the road. She made comment about it hopefully being before our warp nacelles burned themselves out.
"What've you got, Lieutenant?"
"There's been other visitors on this moon recently."
"What do you think this is?" Neelix asked.
I crouched down and looked, totally not wanting to believe what I was seeing. Something I hadn't seen since my youth, something I once saw in a jungle on a planet over 70,000 light years from here.
I'd seen if first, all those years ago. Actually, I had been looking at a lizard in the jungle when my eyes happened upon it. Father told me that my eyes had seen it before anyone else's, that in itself was the important thing.
A blessing to the land, an ancient healing symbol. An act of forgiveness for cutting down the tree and using it for firewood. The 'Rubber Tree People'. Doing everything the old fashioned way.
**
". . .Maybe it's a blessing to the land, for damaging it with a camp fire."
"What is your basis for that conclusion, Commander?" Tuvok asked.
"Oh, just something somebody told me once." I figured I'd let Tuvok puzzle this one out.
**
Seeing what I saw, when we returned to Voyager, I figured I'd tell Kathryn a little bit about what I saw. She suggested my office. I began telling her about myself in regards to this.
" . . .I hated every minute of it. My father dragged me all the way from our colony near the Cardassian border on this quest of his." I put my hands behind my back, remembering the beginnings of that journey fully. "Away from my friends, my home. And here we were, in the middle of a brutal Central American jungle, looking for the descendents of the ancient Rubber People." If Kathryn found humor in that statement, she didn't show it.
"It must have been very important to him."
"Believe me, it was. And he was very disappointed when I didn't share his enthusiasm. He'd been tracking down the origins of our tribe for years." I turned and brought up the screen, containing the marking. Kathryn went in for a closer look. "The one on the right is the one I found today."
"And now, something you saw on that trip, years ago, shows up again on a moon's surface almost 70,000 light years away. I don't suppose you have any theories that might explain this?"
"I can give you an official Rubber Tree theory if you like. Sky spirits." I turned off the display and smiled at her.
"Sky spirit?" she asked.
"It's an ancient myth." I sat on the edge of my desk and folded my hands. She sat down in a chair. "Sky spirits from above created the first Rubber People in their own image and led the way to a sacred land where the Rubber people would live for eternity."
"You obviously don't put a great deal of faith in this explanation," Kathryn remarked.
I sighed. "How much faith do you put in Adam and Eve? Hasn't science proved that all humans developed from a single evolutionary process?"
"That's what I was always taught. On the other hand, none of my teachers spent much time in the Delta Quadrant." I couldn't help but smile at that one. "B'Elanna tells me we picked up a warp signature heading away from the moon. Think we should follow it?" Kathryn asked.
"I don't know that it's fair for me to put my own personal curiosity ahead of the ships priorities," I admitted. There were other things to consider.
"We still haven't found the polyfahrenite we need to seal the warp coils. If these people have warp technology, they might be able to help us." Point well taken. She got up. "Besides, we are in the business of exploring, aren't we?" Ah Kathryn the faithful scientist.
"My father would put on his expedition hat and shout 'let's go'. I guess that's good enough for me." She gave my shoulder a couple of pats and turned. With one hand on her hip, she left my office. What an image she makes.
A woman and a captain rolled into one delightful package.
We followed the trail.
**
Everything seemed unreadable. Maybe cloaking technology. However, not all was lost. B'Elanna found a vast quantity of polyfahrenite about 10 kilometers below the surface.
Kathryn decided to send an away team down. She stopped me before I reached the turbo lift.
"Commander, if we meet any resistance, abort the mission. I have no intention of disturbing an alien race that would rather be left alone."
"Understood," I said, turning again to leave.
"On the other hand, if we can make contact, our goal is to get permission to begin excavation as soon as possible."
"Tuvok, you're with me. Mr. Neelix, please report to transporter room 3 for an away mission."
"I'll meet you there, Commander," Neelix said as I entered the lift.
**
When we got to the transporter room, B'Elanna said we may not be able to beam down to the planet. Every time we lock onto a site, a storm begins. I decided to take a shuttle instead.
Seems like the weather is even trying to hamper our efforts with the shuttle as well. It's as if someone doesn't want us down there. Neelix was a touch worried.
"It takes more then a little thunderstorm to bother one of your mighty Starfleet ships, huh?" Neelix asked. His tone of voice indicated he was a little scared. I couldn't help but to smile. After all, he'd survived a crash with Paris.
"Nothing we can't handle. Relax, Neelix," I said, reassuringly. As we flew through that storm, I remembered another piece of that expedition, in a storm.
**
I remembered watching the storm, wishing for it to end. My father, in his own humorous way told me 'that's why they call it a rain forest.' I suppose I never really appreciated his brand of humor (even though I catch myself from time to time using it myself. Hell, I had with Kathryn before we followed the warp signature here). I asked, in my teenaged sarcastic manner, why the rubber people would pick such a rainy spot to go to. Not to mention hot, with a whole hell of a lot of bugs. I'd rather have been anywhere but here.
Father spoke of the sky spirits loving the land, the life the land brings. Become friends with everything in nature, including the bugs. No thank you. I would rather have a roof over my head and every modern convenience within reach.
I had told him I would never make friends with bugs. Father's retort was that that's why they kept biting me. Yeah right. I apologized to him for not being what he wanted me to be. He knew from the moment I was born (upside down) that I had been chosen by the spirits to be 'contrary'. I told him that no one chooses for me, that I choose my own path. My own way and direction. I'd live with being a 'contrary'. He told me if I had no spirits to guide me, I'd lose my way.
**
I returned to the present, the shuttle. And began our approach. As we went to our landing site, I glanced out the window of the shuttle. And within the lightening flashes, I saw the face of a sky spirit. It was unsettling and I didn't know if I should make comment of it to my landing party, hail Kathryn. I opted for remaining quiet for now.
**
There is nothing like breathing pure, clean air. Probably one of the reasons I enjoy away missions to planets. Ship and recycled air have no fragrance, no sense of purity that planets do. Not to mention, in spite of the storms, the planet was lovely. Beautiful, green, lush, unspoiled by alien hands. A sight to truly behold. I wish Kathryn could see it.
Tuvok made comment that we could find no trace of the polyfahrenite. I made comment that we'd have to search for the inhabitants of this planet the old fashioned way, with our eyes and ears. Neelix asked me if something was troubling me, since the flora distracted me.
I told him it reminded me of another jungle I had visited once before. That jungle in Central America. The only other place I'd seen the flower I fingered before. How's that for coincidence.
Neelix and Tuvok discovered they had something in common; they both breed orchids. Isn't that a surprise, however, Neelix uses them for cooking. Neelix's enthusiasm and Tuvok's unmasked dislike of being touched by Neelix made me smile. Neelix is very diverse in his talents. I have to give him that. I gave them the job of botanical surveyors.
B'Elanna said what we needed was almost pure. I was telling her to have Harry run an analysis when I heard a cry.
"I'll be damned," I said, mostly to myself.
"What?" asked B'Elanna.
"It almost looks like a hawk, doesn't it?" And up came another reminder from the past.
**
Father told me to listen to him, hear what he was saying. (He, meaning the hawk). Father said it was telling me 'you are home'. It was on the tip of my tongue to say something smart-ass like. Like maybe this trip was a bad idea, that we were idiots for being here.
During that expedition, I told my father that I was leaving the tribe. I had befriended some Starfleet officers who had been patrolling the Cardassian border. I told Captain Sulu I had my father's approval, even though father had no idea. I kept the captain away from Father. Very perceptive, that man was. He asked if I'd been accepted by the Academy. I only nodded yes, I had been accepted.
Father didn't believe in ignorance and fueled my curiosity by allowing me to study other cultures. I never fully embraced the ways of our tribe, and at the time I thought Starfleet could fill the void. I felt we lived in fantasy and myth. He'd argue that the myths were a part of me, I'd argue just as hard that others had moved into the 24th century, why couldn't we?
He told me that it wasn't the place of a fifteen-year-old boy to question the ways of our tribe. That was why I had to leave. He told me I'd never belong to that other life, that if I left, I wouldn't belong to this one, either. Then we came upon the remnants of a dwelling.
And the hawk cried.
**
Brought out of my reverie by botanical surveyor number one, a.k.a. Neelix. He'd found something that obviously didn't agree with him. He was on the ground, apparently something had got him. Neelix kept saying, "the bird, the bird."
And the hawk-like bird came up at us, intent on attack. I managed to wave it off. And I saw the face of the sky spirit again.
What the hell was going on?
**
We initiated an emergency beam out of Neelix to sickbay. As soon as he was gone, Tuvok beckoned us over to his position.
I'll be damned if it wasn't the same as that shelter I had seen when I was fifteen. This was becoming more unbelievable by the minute.
**
Kathryn contacted me, telling me Harry had found a way to decontaminate the polyfahrenite from Voyager. If we only could find the inhabitants to get permission to excavate.
I asked her if they had been getting any strange readings that would explain the images I kept seeing. She didn't find anything, nor had Tuvok. Kathryn asked if I wanted to call it a day. I told her no, unless there were some other problems. We cut communications.
It was a feeling. We couldn't scan them, but I knew they were here. On a hunch, I decided we should lay down our weapons, a showing of peaceful intentions. That we are not threatening.
Of course, Tuvok took exception to my orders.
**
We had done the same thing then, too. Lay down our weapons so we appeared non-threatening. Our history was filled with conquerors. My smart assed, teenaged self replied, "Maybe we should just leave them alone." Of course, who listens to a fifteen-year-old?
My father spoke in our tongue. I was startled by their appearance. Very startled.
Father showed his peaceful intentions by showing empty hands. He then crouched down to clear away the dead leaves on the ground. I admit, I was curious. He began drawing in the dirt. He spoke in our language.
"I honor the sacred land of the sky spirits," I translated in my head. "I have come very far to find you, my cousins."
"How do you know our language?" the stranger asked.
"It is the language of my ancestors. . ." my father replied. He gestured with his hand, which the stranger captured and examined.
"We are of the same hand," he said. They stood in tandem. Apparently, they were in agreement.
Their show of faith was to also lower their weapons. I smiled, but didn't mean it.
At the time, the point escaped me, the definition was meaningless.
**
The wind began to pick up. There was no storm activity indicated. It just came out of nowhere. We began running toward the shuttle. At least we'd have some shelter. A tree fell in our path, separating me from Tuvok and B'Elanna. As I realized this, I saw one of the inhabitants. I yelled at him to wait, oblivious to the danger that I was in.
I looked up, just in time to see the tree falling toward me. Too late to run, too scared to move.
And everything became very dark. Very peaceful.
**
I had no idea how long I was out, no sense of time. But the weather was calm again, and my head ached. To make matters worse, my comm badge was missing. I extracted myself from under the tree and gained my footing. I checked my tricorder. No shuttle so at least Tuvok and B'Elanna made it out all right.
I made my way back to the abandoned dwelling. "You have nothing to fear from me. Talk to me, let me see you." Nothing, so I stepped closer to the dwelling. As I entered the dwelling, taking in the sounds of the jungle. And then, I began to remove my uniform.
**
They began removing the clothes of the members of the expedition. The other made comment about "making our cousins one with us!" Father went whole heartedly into this, as I figured he would. I fought to keep my clothes and my dignity.
Father's head now sported the markings of the other, who stated "He is one of us!" I shook my head, not wanting to believe what was going on. And I had never more wanted to get away from my heritage.
**
Glad I was alone. I had removed all articles of clothing, hoping that maybe something un-intimidating would bring them out.
"You have nothing to fear from me. Talk to me, let me see you," I again said. And I dressed myself in what I took to be their dressing.
I walked around, hoping I could find these people. It was becoming stormy again. As I walked, I saw what appeared to be a cave. Only one problem, the electric beams guarded its entrance against unwanted visitors.
I walked up to it and watched the lightning. I looked for a pattern and went for it. I wasn't worried, for some reason.
I went on in.
**
Cautiously, I found my way around. I found a wide-open spot. "If you can hear me, speak to me," I addressed to the dark. And bright light descended upon me. The voices began.
I tried to remember the words, my father's response to them. "I'm sorry, I don't know the ancient language of my people. I can't understand." I heard movement behind me. And there they were.
I addressed them in the language of my people. One approached me. I had repeated the word. He reached over and turned my head to see the tattoo I harbored.
He placed a device on my hand and asked if I understood now. Some sort of translator.
"Yes," I said.
"Explain the face marking," More of a request.
"I wear it to honor my father. He wore it to honor his ancestors."
"Ancestors? You are human?"
"Yes."
"Are there others on your world with this mark?"
"Yes. Not many, but some," I answered.
"We'd were taught that all of them had been annihilated. We were taught that your world was ravaged by those with no respect for life, or land."
How true it was. "There was a time when that was true. But no longer."
"He claims to be a descendent of the inheritors," the one said.
"Inheritors?" I asked.
He was surprised I did not know of them, these chosen ones. That if I were truly a descendent, I would possess the gift of the memories. I didn't understand.
"Perhaps its been lost over time." And he reached out and placed his hand at the base of my throat. "45,000 years ago, on our first visit to your world, we met a small group of nomadic hunters. They had no spoken language, no culture except the use of the fire and stone weapons. But they did have a respect for the land and for other living creatures that impressed us deeply."
"We decided to give them an inheritance. A genetic bonding so that they might thrive and protect your world. On subsequent visits, we found our genetic gift brought about a spirit of curiosity and adventure that impelled them to migrate away from the cold climate, to a new unpeopled land. It took almost a thousand generations to reach across your planet. Hundreds of thousands of them flourished in their new land. Their civilization had a profound influence on others of your species. But then, new people came with weapons and disease.
"These inheritors that survived, scattered, many sought refuge in other societies. Twelve generations ago when we returned, we found no sign of their existence."
"My people called you the Sky Spirits. Why have you been hiding from us since we landed here?"
"When we heard your message, who you were, observed you probing our land, we believed you were a threat. We thought you would annihilate us as you had the inheritors."
"Our message was suppose to communicate peaceful intentions," I said.
"We were taught that was the way human conquerors introduce themselves."
"As I said, we've tried to change our ways since the last time you stopped by." I meant that. And he believed me.
**
We went to the dwelling, where I knew the crew would try and locate me. I told him they would be coming for me soon. He apologized for not allowing us to excavate for all the materials we needed. I told him that what he gave us was generous.
He said we had a long journey ahead of us, that it had taken two generations to reach our world. How I wished my father could see me, how I wanted to see his face. He asked if my father still lived, I told him he'd died fighting enemies who would have taken my home colony. He honored the land, as his ancestors did.
We hadn't parted on the best of terms, especially when he died. I didn't know how to heal old wounds. That's when I turned in my commission and continued the fight in his name. That's when I took the mark. He'd never answered me during a vision quest.
He understood.
About that time, Tuvok, B'Elanna and Kes came, phasers drawn. I told them to put them away.
I embraced him, finally understanding what the fifteen-year-old Chakotay had ridiculed. The hawk cried overhead. And I heard my father's voice. "Listen to him, Chakotay. Do you hear what he says to you?"
"Yes Father, I hear him. I finally hear him."
I rejoined the others and we beamed up to Voyager.
I had to tale to tell Kathryn.
**End Log**