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reasonable people indeed. But we suggest a meeting to discuss this in more detail. On your own magnificent vessel, if you like. I’m sure there exists a variety of terms we can agree on. We can send a small team of representatives over in an unarmed pod. Will you agree to this? And will you guarantee their safety?”
    Janeway looked to Chakotay, found her first officer looking back at her. They both shrugged at the same time.
    “We aren’t getting anywhere just sitting here,” the commander whispered.
    That was obvious. “Very well,” Janeway said. “We will be waiting, and you have my assurance that your people will not be harmed.”
    “Mr. Chakotay, you have the bridge,” Janeway said as soon as the aliens had signed off.
    “Captain,” Kim said, then waited for Janeway to look directly at him.
    The ensign had not served with her very long, but she had no trouble reading the subtle concern in his expression.
    “What is it?”
    “There is something else, Captain. I ran it twice to be sure; the interference is pretty bad.”
    “Go on,” Janeway said.
    “We’ve detected a highly advanced stationary power source located several kilometers beneath the planet’s surface. It does not match any known configurations.”
    Janeway quickly made her way to Kim’s station and began examining the data for herself. This time Neelix stayed put, apparently content to remain with Chakotay.
    “Where?” she asked the ensign. “Display, please.”
    “On the main continent, under a ridge of foothills just east of one of the largest villages.” He showed her the spot on the monitor. She turned to face the aft deck. “Mr. Tuvok, what do you make of that?”
    “I have no idea yet, Captain, but I am also picking up numerous energy signatures that are smaller but nonetheless similar to the main source.
    Most appear to be mobile.” He paused, touching points on the panel before him. “There does not seem to be an organizational pattern, however. They appear and move at random in the area, and for random periods.”
    “I’ve been watching the primary signature for a while,” Kim went on.
    “The power levels tend to spike downward, then slowly recover, also at random intervals. I don’t know whether there is any correlation yet.
    In general, though, the median level is slowly declining.”
    “I’ll bet our Televek friends over there will say they don’t know anything about that, either,” Chakotay remarked.
    “It is odd the Televek didn’t mention it,” Tuvok said.
    “I agree.” Janeway pursed her lips, still looking over the data.
    The magnetic field fluctuations seemed to be playing havoc with the sensors, making it difficult to get good readings. Still, she was certain Kim was right. The power source was real, considerable, and unlike anything she had ever seen before. Then suddenly she saw something else in the readings, a faint shadow on the surface of the planet that faded from the sensors as quickly as it had appeared. “Did you see that, Mr. Tuvok?”
    “Yes, Captain. A brief sensor reflection.”
    “What could cause something like that?”
    “Processed alloy metals?” Kim offered.
    “That is the likely explanation,” Tuvok replied.
    “So… a metal structure,” Janeway postulated. “Or… another ship.”
    “Possibly,” Tuvok said.
    “I told you they couldn’t be trusted,” Neelix reminded one and all, hands clutched tightly against his chest. “Will you be needing me any longer, Captain?”
    “Your advice is well taken,” the captain assured him. “We may need more of it.”
    Neelix made a face that Janeway found unreadable.
    “But if we know not to trust them, can’t we use that knowledge to our advantage?” Paris asked. “I mean, they’re the only game in town. We can’t change that, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we have to let them make all the rules.”
    “Agreed,” Janeway said, “but asking the Televek for assistance or bartering for it would surely necessitate a