The Endgame of the Fates
By Jarhead (jarhead_h@yahoo.com)
Spoilers: "Endgame," "Renaissance Man," Anne Rose's "The Fates," and possibly the rest of the last seven years of the once decent show Star Trek: Voyager. One day, perhaps someone will think to officially fix the mess that it became. Until that day…
Special thanks to Anne for writing the story that inspired this ("The Fates," d'uh) and then for giving me permission to shamelessly steal from it like this. And also to Thomas Lee for his services as my editor/sounding board/reference source/psychiatrist/and everything else he puts into a project when I ask for his help. Thank you to every one on the RiF, and to everyone else who has given myself and the other authors such wonderful feedback over the years. It has always been appreciated and always will be.
Last warning: Some of the technobabble is purposely-thin and/or flat out ridiculous and/or contradictory to established continuity. I felt that if this was to be an episode addition, then it should feel like an actual episode. :)
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Captain's Personal Log, Stardate 54934.1:
It has been nearly two weeks since the Doctor's "dying" confessions. The rest of the senior staff has taken it in stride, thankfully. After all, this isn't the first time that he has bruised an ego, or royally embarrassed himself in the process.
On a semi-related topic, the Doctor has reported that he was able to refine the procedure to deactivate the Borg failsafe keeping Seven's emotions in check. I have a feeling that she will eventually choose to have it done, even if only to be a more "perfect" human.
Personally, I can't wait for her first love affair. Knowing Seven, I'm sure it's going to be a real doozie…
"Captain on the bridge," Janeway heard Tuvok's natural monotone announce as she stepped out of the turbolift. As per standing orders, everyone continued with what they had been doing.
"Captain, three vessels just showed up on long-range sensors. They are traveling at Warp 9.99, and they appear to be heading directly for us." Harry's practiced monotone gave away none of the anxiety he was no doubt feeling. "They're not answering hails."
"Go to yellow alert. Harry, keep trying." This looked to be an interesting day, Janeway thought, I hadn't even had time to sit down before the threat of an attack had come.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Janeway to Seven. What can you tell me about our pursuers?"
::The Borg have encountered this race before. Species 10010. The Borg found them extremely hostile to other species, and thus far they have been able to resist assimilation. Suggest we attempt to evade. ::
"Is there anything that could help? A star system? Rogue comet? Something we could hide behind. Or hide in, I'm not picky."
::I am already scanning. Captain, I believe I have found something. There is an extremely large Mutara-class nebula five light-years from our position on course heading 316.3. I suggest we go into it. ::
"Seven… why do you think we can evade them in that nebula?"
::Because this nebula is producing gamma-emission wavefronts. Their vessels cannot follow without risk of being torn apart by the wavefronts. Without the shield modifications provided by One two years ago, Voyager would not survive the wavefronts either. ::
"And we'll be safe with the shield modifications?" Seven wasn't answering. "Seven?"
::Captain, I can guarantee that we will be destroyed if we do not enter the nebula. There is nothing else close enough to be of any assistance in evading or destroying our pursuers. ::
"Tom… lay in a course."
"Yes, ma'am. Course laid in."
"What would cause a nebula to produce gamma-emission wavefronts?" Janeway allowed herself to think out loud as she sat back down.
***
"Captain, we are approaching the nebula. The hostiles are still pursuing."
"Harry, put the nebula on screen." The viewscreen's display shifted, showing a nebula like none other Janeway had ever seen before. Colors cascaded into one another, meshing together in a crisscross of blues and pinks. Storms raged visibly, letting all witnesses know that this nebula lived and breathed, and, if they weren't careful, would kill them.
"Tom take us in, one-quarter impulse. All hands, this is the captain. Brace for impact, we're in for a bumpy ride."
Understatement of the year, Janeway thought as Voyager began shaking violently. The inertial dampeners were compensating as best as they could, but the ship was still being buffeted around like a sparrow in a hurricane.
"Report!"
"Structural integrity field is holding! Captain, I'm getting-" Harry was cut off as a huge wave slammed into the ship. Janeway quickly glanced around her bridge. A few sparks were flying off of one of the engineering consoles and several crewmembers had hurt something, but none of it looked serious.
"Seven, can you scan for an eye in this storm?"
::I have been doing so. I believe I have found- :: The ship rocked violently again. ::I am feeding the coordinates to Lt. Paris now. ::
The ship's shaking worsened as Tom tried to turn her. Harry's voice rang out, "Captain, we're almost at the coordinates Seven sent. Captain- " At that moment, Voyager knifed through the strongest wave it had yet encountered, and inertial dampeners could not compensate any further. Everyone on the bridge was thrown from their posts by the impact, and the lights went out - all of them.
The emergency lights did not come on. The consoles did not flicker back to life.
But the ship had stopped rattling and shaking - and the darkness began to recede. A blue-white flame had appeared between the captain's chair and the helm, no more than the flicker of a candle at first. The entire bridge crew watched in amazement as it slowly built in intensity and size without consuming the carpet or giving off any heat.
As the flames reached the bridge's ceiling, a humanoid shape appeared within them. And then the flames vanished, revealing a simply dressed man with soft and friendly eyes. To the further confusion of the bridge crew, the flames' radiated light persisted without their source.
"Hello?" began an astonished Captain Janeway.
"You're Captain Janeway," the visitor stated with a soft, soothing voice.
"Yes. How did you…"
"Know that? I… sense things. Names are simple. Motives, sometimes are not," he replied as he smiled slightly.
"What…"
"What do you regret, Captain?"
Janeway's first thought was to tell their visitor that the answer to that question was none of his business. Her second was the realization that she did not possess the strength to do so.
What do you regret…
To Janeway's senses, her visitor was now the only other person in the room; his voice, the only sound. It came as a whisper to her ears. It surrounded her, enveloped her.
But she didn't hear it, so much as feel it.
Why are you sad…
Stillness.
What would you change…
Softly… his voice began again… softly.
Kathryn… what do you want…
Janeway was aware of all of those questions being asked at the same time, yet she heard them separately, in order, and overlapping as well. Somehow, she also realized that time was no longer passing.
There was just this moment.
In the stillness.
And in this moment, she could have anything she desired. What did she desire? That was simple.
Kathryn felt a cool breeze on her face. Her nose detected the scent of a blossom that she had not smelled in five years.
She opened her eyes and smiled. She knew this place. Her garden lay just over there. There's the house, their house. And there's the little monkey. Her "angry warrior" was probably out fetching something exotic to dine on this evening. When he got back, well, she felt confident that he'd like the surprise waiting for him...
"Everybody asleep?" Daddy asked Uncle Carl. They were sitting in front of the campfire, and her cousins were in the other tent. She was supposed to be asleep, but she was too miserable for that. So she listened in.
"They were exhausted. Coffee?"
"Sure."
"Listen, John, I'm sorry." What was Uncle Carl apologizing for?
"For what?" Daddy didn't know either.
"The way Dean treated B'Elanna. I had a talk with him." Something about the way he said 'talk' made B'Elanna wince.
"Don't worry about it. B'Elanna probably overreacted."
"What makes you say that?"
"She's too sensitive."
"What are you talking about? She's a great kid." B'Elanna didn't know why, but she held her breath.
"Yes, she is. And I love her to death. But every time some boy picks on her, she automatically thinks it's because of her forehead. She won't believe me when I tell her that it's not about her being half-Klingon, that those same boys will be knocking on my door in a few years asking if she's ready for their date."
"And you'll just happen to be sharpening Miral's ceremonial knives when you invite them in."
"And field-stripping a phaser rifle." Both men chuckled slightly.
"But seriously, you know kids can be cruel, John, especially to someone who looks a little different."
"I know kids do that. But she's at that teenaged phase now, and everything is getting blown out of proportion. Her body is going through changes that I can't begin to describe, and it's bringing out her more volatile nature. Some days, I don't know what to do with either her or her mother."
"I thought you liked Miral's temper."
"I do, I do. It's part of who she is. It's a part of B'Elanna, too. She's strong like her mother; I know that she's never going to let anyone walk all over her, and it makes me so proud. But sometimes it can be tough living on the receiving end. It can be really tough." Her father and uncle both stopped when they heard a sniffle coming from B'Elanna's tent.
"B'Elanna?" She looked up at him. She could feel the tears running down her cheeks.
"Daddy, I'm sorry."
"Sorry? For what?"
"For being a Kling-"
"No." He hugged her fiercely. "Oh god, sweetie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Listen to me, never apologize for who you are. You've got nothing to be ashamed of, nothing."
"But you just said it was hard living with Klingons."
"No sweetie, I said sometimes it can be hard. I never should have said any of it. I just- It's just… sometimes your mom and I fight-"
"You fight a lot."
"Yeah, I guess we do. But I love you and your mother very much and-"
"You won't leave?"
"Leave? I would never leave…"
"I am new to individuality, but I am not completely ignorant of human behavior. I have noticed your attempts to engage me in idle conversation, and I see the way your pupils dilate when you look at my body.
"You are attracted to me. Am I not correct?" She wanted to be correct.
"Um… um, n-" Harry stopped in mid stutter, and let his head drop. He couldn't help a self-deprecating chuckle at how dumb he must look. He looked back at her, surprised at the look of worry he saw there. Had she been afraid of rejection? Yes, she had been. Instinctively, he knew that he was also the only one on Voyager who could have picked up on it. "Yes. Am I that transparent?"
"You are. How do you wish to proceed?" As she spoke, he could tell that she had relaxed slightly. But since she wasn't going to sit, he decided to stand up. He walked over to her and looked into her eyes as they stood very close to each other. Then he gently put a hand on her arm, and noticed that she didn't flinch or pull away at all.
"Um, you're still not… comfortable with your individuality, yet. So what do you say we start… small? We'll take it slow and go from there…"
"Could you please explain what happened, for the benefit of this committee, Cadet Paris?" Tom felt shell-shocked. If he told the truth, it would kill his career before he even graduated. The sensors hadn't been able to catch what had happened; his word would stand as the only account of what happened. If he told the truth, it would dishonor his family at a time when his father had just started showing some pride in him.
But the ghosts called out to him. He couldn't tarnish their memories just to save his own skin.
"I-I killed them." The shock caused by that statement registered on the faces of the entire committee. He continued, "I didn't do it deliberately, but it's still my fault. I was just too busy showing off. I was the lead. The others were in perfect formation behind me. I let the rush get the best of me, and I forgot how little time that they would have to correct a mistake. You only watch the guy in front of you when you are formation flying. I barely pulled up from the asteroid in time. The others impacted into the asteroid one by one, because I pulled up too late for them to follow. I killed them…"
The door-chime roused Ensign Tom Paris from his reverie. He got up, and realized that his quarters were a complete mess. He didn't really care. What's the worst Starfleet could do: graduate him a year late, then exile him to a tedious desk job which occasionally forced him to take a spin in a run-down garbage scow? Oh, wait; they'd already done that.
"Enter!"
Looking at the woman walking into his quarters made his mouth go dry. She was wearing a red command uniform with four pips on her collar. On her face was a look of mild disappointment, but it was tempered with compassion. There was something about this captain that made him wish he had more pride in himself these days.
"Ensign Tom Paris? I'm Captain Janeway." She held out her hand. Tom noted that she had a firm handshake. Most Starfleet captains wouldn't have even offered a hand to him.
"Um, forgive my manners captain. Would you like something to drink?"
"No, thank you." She looked at him. She really looked at him. She looked like she was taking in his disheveled appearance and the appearance of his quarters. Her face had a look as if she was suddenly unsure of whatever it was she was doing, but was resigned to the already decided course of action. "I'm going to be direct and to the point, Mr. Paris. In one month, I'm taking a ship out of Utopia Planitia. She's Intrepid-class. Fast, agile, and state-of-the-art. I want you at her helm, if you're interested."
Tom was stunned. "Me? Why me? You've got to know my history, ma'am."
"They tell me that you're one of the best pilots to come out of the academy since Hikaru Sulu. Someone with that ability level could come in handy where I'm going, rather than here running garbage. Plus… I believe in second chances."
Tom nodded gratefully, still not quite believing that he was getting a reprieve. If she was serious, he might never have to fly another garbage scow again. His exile could end when her glowing report got him another posting. At the very least, he would get to pilot a starship that he heard handled almost as well as a runabout. "Thank you, captain. When do you want me there?"
"Tuesday. I've already cleared it with Commander Keating. He said that, somehow, they'd manage without you." She then turned and walked for the door, stopping just before she reached it. "I'll see you Tuesday, Ensign." Then she walked out.
Tom couldn't move. He realized that, for the first time in two years, the ghosts were silent…
"See ya'." With that, Tal Celes turned away from Billy Telfer and walked out of sickbay, heading for the messhall. Billy was going to be stuck in sickbay for another two days for medical observation. The captain had already left, as she had a ship to run. Harren had too, but after today, that was probably him trying to give her and Billy some time alone.
Lately, it seemed that everyone had been making that mistake about Billy and her. Tal didn't understand why they were making it out to be more than it was. Sure, Billy was adorable, he was sweet, and he always tried to make her laugh. He always knew exactly what to say to cheer her up when she needed it, and he had the cutest little tush…
Prophets! Where had that come from? He was her best friend, and that was it. There wasn't anything beyond that. She was not in love with him. There was no way she was going to screw them up too. But what if she didn't screw up?
The doors opening into the messhall barely registered in her mind as her feet carried her over to the counter. She also realized that Neelix was saying something, but what exactly it was she didn't really quite comprehend. Well, until, "-drink?"
"Drink?Billydidn'taskmeoutforadrink,reallyhewasjusttryingtobefunny-" She stopped; Neelix was looking at her strangely. "What? Oh,no,Iwasbabblingwasn't I,I'msorry,IdothatI-"
Neelix held his hand up. "Tal, calm down. Breathe." He made a show of inhaling, then slowly exhaling. "Better, good. Now, you look like you need to talk, and I see a corner table that would be perfect." He smiled, and led her over to the less crowded area of the room, probably to protect what little dignity she had left.
When they were seated, Neelix began slowly, "Alright, now, I assume that, when you said 'Billy,' you meant Billy Telfer." She nodded, and he continued, "Did he ask you out on a date?"
"No, he didn't, not… directly. He was… hinting." She then filled him in on the mission. She told him everything, from how the Captain had been watching over her shoulder, to how her first thought had been that it would be cozy with Billy in an escape pod when he had jokingly suggested it. Then she talked about how terrified she had been watching the captain shoot him, and again seconds later when that thing had just popped out of him. Her last thoughts before the shockwave had hit them had been of him. Meanwhile, Neelix sat there absorbing it all.
When he realized that she was finished, he spoke up. "I think you should tell him."
"Tell him-"
"How you feel about him. I know I'd want to know, if I were him."
"But you're not him."
"You say that he's a good looking guy. You also said that you he's your best friend, and that he always figures out some way to make you feel special or to make you laugh. You were scared when you thought that Billy could have been hurt badly."
"I've never been that scared for someone else, and I grew up in the Occupation."
"When he was hurt, I think it pushed some feelings out into the open, and I think that it would be a mistake to ignore them. I bet he's thinking about this, too, in fact."
Pfsssst, Tal thought. "Yeah, right. He probably thinks of me like a sister or something," she said dejectedly.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that. At least, that wasn't the impression I got when I last talked to him. I've never met a guy that would go on and on about how beautiful his sister is."
She blushed and looked up at him. Then a slight smile crept its way onto her face, "He said that I was beautiful? Really?"
Neelix just smiled as he stood up. "Listen, I'm going to get you a nice bowl of soup, it'll make you feel better. Think about what I said. I have to go to sickbay."
"Sickbay! Why do you have to go to sickbay?" If he decided to tell Billy…
"The doctor called before you arrived. Mr. Telfer hasn't eaten yet, and he's out of replicator rations, so the Doctor asked me to bring him something to eat. I'll unfortunately have to close the kitchen for a little while…" Neelix shrugged. He smiled, "I'll get you that soup." The Talaxian turned around and started walking towards his counter.
Tal meant to respond with an "alright" because she wanted to think about what Neelix had said, knowing full well that she'd manage to chicken out of it if given enough time. Somehow, however, what came out was "Neelix, I'll go."
He turned around. "Hmmm?"
"I'll take Billy his lunch… if it'll help you out, of course." She got up and walked towards him.
He smiled and nodded. "You know, it really would help me out. Thank you." He walked around the counter, then came back a second later and gave her a container she recognized, from her time in San Francisco, as a picnic basket. It felt kind of heavy to be just one person's lunch.
But that didn't register as odd. Nor did the fact that Neelix had produced a picnic basket with what looked like a meal tailored for her as much as for Billy in less than five seconds without having to use a replicator. She didn't catch any of this until afterwards.
She had to relax. If what Neelix had said was true, then this wasn't one-sided. She wasn't the only one who felt this way. Billy loved her, too. It was almost too good to be true, and she prayed for it to be true on her way to sickbay.
The turbolift doors had just closed when an idea popped into her head. She set down the basket, opened it up, and rummaged around until she found what she had been looking for. Then she reached up and pulled out the pins holding her hair up. Celes tossed her head about for a second, and then straightened her hair out as best she could, using the small, highly polished spatula as a mirror. Satisfied, she put the spatula back in the basket as the turbolift doors opened.
Then, smiling to herself, she picked up the basket and walked into the corridor and then into sickbay…
He smiled.
It was good.
He now understood the dreams and desires of the entire crew. Now, it was time to make those dreams into reality. All that would be needed was to show them the way.
The man began glowing as his body resumed its energy form. He sat on the bridge for a second, contemplating, and then blue-white flames shot out in all directions from him, engulfing everyone and everything in their path. They continued through bulkheads, down turbolift shafts, through Jefferies tubes, until all of Voyager had been consumed.
The eye of the storm shifted, and a wave tossed Voyager completely out of the nebula. They would remember almost nothing of what had happened inside…
"Captain, I'm no longer reading any sign of our pursuers, but I am reading a Federation starship. It's… Voyager?" said two Harry Kims simultaneously.
"Open a channel and put it on screen," replied two Kathryn Janeways simultaneously.
Kathryn Janeway looked at the image on her viewscreen with morbid curiosity. Obviously, history had occurred very differently on that ship. Their bridge was missing a few familiar faces, and she didn't fully recognize those that she could see.
Annika wasn't on their bridge, nor was Neelix or Kes. Granted, that didn't necessarily mean anything - their Annika could be in Astrometrics, Neelix on standby with their Hazard Team, and Kes as far along on her pregnancy as she was on this ship. But why was Harry only an ensign?! And where were that Janeway's and Chakotay's matched wedding rings?! Chills ran up Kathryn's spine as she realized just what had happened to this other ship.
In that version of Voyager, her crew had royally gotten the shaft.
***
Captain Janeway studied the viewscreen intently. It was her crew, but very different. Seven was at an engineering station, wearing a science uniform. Her hair was red-gold instead of blond, and it was worn longer in a ponytail reminiscent of her holodeck WWII persona. And there were no implants visible on her anywhere. In contrast, Tom and Harry didn't look any different at first glance…except for the extra rank pips at their collars. What the-
She looked at the other Janeway's left hand, where the sparkle had come from. A… wedding ring? A stab of envy ran through her. When had her alternate found the time - or the groom - to get married?
"I suppose introductions aren't-" Both Janeways stopped at the same time. The alternate held up her left hand in a "stop" gesture, making it easier to see the gold band on her ring finger.
::You first, :: The alternate invited.
"Thank you. I… this would be much easier in person."
::My briefing room or yours? ::
"Yours."
The other Janeway nodded. ::My senior staff and I look forward to it. ::***
"We have a theory that may explain this," Lt. Commander Kim stated as he and Ensign Kim stood on either side of the briefing room's screen. "We believe that the 'eye' was some sort of temporal anomaly, sort of a wormhole between our two realities. The eye was also creating the gamma-emission wavefronts, which masked the true nature of the anomaly from our sensors until both of our ships stumbled into it in our respective timelines."
At a nod from his counterpart, Ensign Kim began, "Once we broke through into the anomaly, it opened our end and they were dumped into our timeline, somehow pushing us back out with them. We don't know why. We think they can fly back through it, but that isn't definite."
Janeway glanced at her double. "Well, if you end up having to stay, it will be nice to have allies on the trip home."
"Home? You mean Earth?" Kathryn looked at the captain in disbelief. "Why would you want to go back there? We're explorers, and we've been handed the opportunity of the millennium - to explore the Delta Quadrant. How can you turn your back on that?"
"How can you turn your back on your crew?" Captain Janeway shot back.
"Captains, to your corners, please," the married Chakotay stated. The other Chakotay chimed in with, "That's right, we want a good clean fight, no hitting below the belt."
Both Janeways looked at each other again. "Your crew doesn't want to go home?"
"For us, the Delta Quadrant is home. But I see that it isn't for yours."
"Captains, may I interrupt?"
"What are thinking, Commander Kim?"
"I just got an idea, bear with me." Harry then turned to his lower-ranked counterpart. "Harry, what happened that night in the messhall?"
"Messhall?"
"You know, pupil dilation?" Annika's, Seven's, and Ensign Kim's faces suddenly showed understanding of where he may be going with this, as did that of the unmarried Chakotay.
"Oh, yeah… um, nothing. Why?"
"Because for me, it was one of the greatest nights of my life. It was the start of something magical, something that made me into a much better man than I was. If that night had gone any differently, I know I would have regretted it for the rest of my life." Annika slipped her hand into his, and squeezed it gently. He turned, and they shared a look that left no doubt as to the nature of their affiliation. Chakotay and Seven suddenly looked uncomfortable.
Ensign Kim looked like he was on the verge of understanding, "Captain, who did you marry?"
"Chakotay," Kathryn said in a matter-of-fact tone, as if the very idea of anybody else was simply impossible. She turned and shared a warm smile with her husband.
"It's been five years," her husband said.
"New Earth," Janeway said.
"That's right," Kathryn responded.
Tom leaned forward and looked at his twin, "Tom, did you lie at our hearing, about Caldik Prime?"
"Yes, and you didn't." Paris nodded.
With that, Torres took her turn. "Did dad…"
"No, he was always there. Through school, the academy, and he and mom watched Voyager leave DS9. They're still together."
Janeway blinked before turning back to her alternate. "Your timeline is… rosier, than ours. You're what we wish we could have been."
"And you're what we're glad we aren't. No offense intended," Annika said as she looked at the visibly Borg-implanted version of 'herself,' and how close she was sitting to Chakotay.
Before anybody could reply, the intercom buzzed. ::Captain? ::
"Yes, Tal?"
::School's out for the day. Would you like me to look after the children? ::
"Yes, please do. Chakotay will be by for them shortly."
::Yes, ma'am. Telfer out. ::
Janeway smiled suddenly. "Telfer? As in 'Mrs. Billy Telfer?'"
"It was a beautiful ceremony," Kathryn added. "I had to learn a little Bajoran for it, but it was a joy. It's a wonderful language from an equally wonderful culture. And, if you can believe this, Mortimer Harren was the best man."
"Is there anyone on your ship that isn't married?" Janeway wondered aloud.
At that, Tom jumped in with "Do the sixteen children count?"
Annika good-naturedly ignored Tom's remark. "There are a few. For example, Harry and I are not."
"Yet," the Lt. Commander added.
Annika turned to him and smiled playfully. "Is 'yet' your idea of an acceptable proposal?"
"If it were, would you say yes? And keep in mind that if you say no, I'm going to have to do it right. You know… like… maybe tonight in our quarters, just the two of us… your favorite dinner, candlelight…" They were centimeters away from each other and seemed to have forgotten that anyone else was in the room.
Her smile got brighter, and her eyes danced as she replied, "In that case… no. You will have to do better than 'yet.'"
"Deal," Lt. Commander Kim said, and Annika kissed him with barely restrained passion. This was still a staff meeting, after all.
Janeway leaned in to speak to Kathryn quietly while everyone else was occupied with the impending nuptials. "Why did Cel- Tal ask you about children?"
"It's because I have two of them. I was pregnant with Taya when Voyager picked us up off of New Earth. Chakotay and I had sort of a 'shotgun wedding.' A very happy shotgun wedding. Little Edward came along two years later."
"And Tal is…?"
"Voyager's school teacher. She's much better with children than with sensor readings, and she's very happy now."
The conference room doors whooshed open, revealing a smiling EMH. "Sorry I'm late, I had a broken arm to set." He sat down in the only available chair before noticing that everybody from the other ship was staring at him. "What?" Then he saw his alternate.
"You're not bald," his alternate managed.
"I'm a hologram, not a client for the hair club for men."
Kathryn started to speak, "Dr. Zimmerman…"
"You chose a name?" The Doctor was incredulous.
"You haven't?" Dr. Zimmerman was appalled.
"Well, there's so many to chose from, and-" The Doctor began uncomfortably.
"Lewis Zimmerman is the closest thing to a father we have. You'd think that at least the surname would be a no-brainer."
While the two doctors continued in their exchange, Captain Janeway looked back at her counterpart, and said wistfully, "Your ship is certainly different…"
***
Captain's Log, Supplemental:
The other
Voyager will be resuming her course to the Alpha Quadrant soon. After seeing what has - and hasn't - happened to them, I cannot help but feel sorry for them. They are obsessed with getting "home," when they really haven't yet figured out what "home" means.As for us, there's exploring to be done…
Janeway glanced at the viewscreen, and the Mutara-class nebula that was on it again. This time, however, the storms caused by the wave fronts had blown a clear path to the anomaly, allowing Voyager to sail straight into it.
"Mr. Paris, prepare to take us into the anomaly."
The turbolift doors opened suddenly, revealing Lt. Joe Carey. "Captain!" he called out as he rushed to stand in front of his mystified captain, looking visibly shaken.
Kathryn stood up. "What can I do for you, Mr. Carey?"
"Captain, a few of us were going over the crew manifest of the other ship… for kicks. I found something that didn't sit well with me." He handed her a padd. His name was highlighted, with an extra notation-
She almost dropped the padd. Kathryn looked up at him, knowing exactly why he was here, and not knowing what to say.
Carey swallowed, and then began, his voice shaky, "Captain… when that other ship docks at Earth… m-my little boys are going to find out that they don't have a dad anymore. I need-"
Janeway cut him off by putting a hand on his shoulder. Without looking away, she said, "Mr. Kim, please open a channel to the other Voyager and put it on screen."
"Channel open."
The other Janeway got up and walked forward. ::What can I do for you Cap-:: She stopped when Carey turned around to face her. Oddly enough, she looked like she had just seen a ghost.
"Hello, Captain, um, I … I heard there was a position that just opened up about a month ago aboard your ship, in Engineering?"
::Yes… that's right. Are you interested in taking the job, Mr. Carey? We'd love to have you, that is, if it's all right with your captain. ::
"It's fine, Captain." She was not going to shed the tears that were welling up. "Mr. Carey comes highly recommended, in fact." She was not going to cry in front of her crew. She simply was not.
::Thank you. We'll keep the transporter pad warmed up for you, Mr. Carey. Voyager out. :: The screen returned to that of the stars ahead of them. It took a moment, but Kathryn turned and held her hand out, which Joe shook. "Good luck, Mr. Carey. It was a pleasure serving with you."
"Good luck, Joe," Chakotay said as he reached out and shook Carey's hand as well.
"Thank you Commander, Captain." He turned and headed for the turbolift. He was met, on the way, by the rest of the bridge crew. One by one they exchanged handshakes, farewells, and Neelix gave him a bear hug.
Before the lift doors closed, Carey turned back towards the captain and gave a final, grateful nod. She smiled until the doors shut. "Chakotay, I'll be in my ready-room. You have the bridge."
Chakotay waited until after the doors shut behind her to announce that Harry now had the bridge, and went in after her.
Less than a half an hour later, Harry noticed the transporter light activate on his console. Joe had collected his things and beamed over. It was time to go. "Captain, Lt. Carey has beamed over to the other ship."
::We'll be right out, Mr. Kim. :: The doors opened a second later as the captain and the first officer exited onto the bridge. "Mr. Kim, stay on those sensors. I want to know the second you think something's wrong."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Mr. Paris, take us in, nice and slow."
"Initiating maneuvering thrusters, aye."
"Not quite that slow, Tom," Chakotay snickered.
"Engaging at one-quarter impulse." Which was what he had probably keyed in anyway, Chakotay mused.
"Brace yourselves, people," Janeway announced, and the ship lurched momentarily as it slipped into the anomaly.
"Captain," Harry's voice rang out, "I'm reading another Voyager in here with us!"
"Open a channel. Captain what do you think…" At the sight of the other Voyager's bridge, Janeway choked off the rest of her words and turned to her Operations Manager. "Harry, are you showing us our bridge, or theirs?"
::You're not seeing things, Captain. If our guess is right, we're exactly like you. A neurogenic field on our side of the anomaly affected the ship as it flew through it. When we hit the anomaly, it caused the ship to be duplicated. You went to the other timeline; we were repelled. We've been tracking you through your sensor sweeps. ::
"We haven't been getting any returns on those sensor sweeps."
::That's because the anomaly seems to have shifted to one-way only in both directions. It can only be activated when entered at both ends, and there's no going back. So when your scans began originating from an incoming source, we started moving in. We got lucky and timed it right. ::
"Hold it, where are you going?"
::We believe that, on our side, the anomaly now leads to Earth in our timeline. There's nothing we can do for your ship. It's going to be stranded in the Delta quadrant. But there's still time, and we're close enough. We can emergency-transport your crew over- ::
"We appreciate the offer, but my crew is on its way home. To the Delta Quadrant."
The Janeway on the viewscreen sighed. ::Somehow, I knew you were going to say that. But I had to try. ::
"Of course. Could you do this crew a favor? Could you tell Starfleet that we'll be fine out here, that this is want we want. Tell them… tell them that this Voyager will continue on her mission of exploration and scientific discovery, and that we will do our best to ensure that Starfleet will have friends waiting to greet them here."
::Consider it done. Janeway out. :: The screen returned to the view of the "tunnel" they now found themselves in.
A minute later, Harry spoke, "Captain, we will be exiting the anomaly in five, four, three, two…"
***
"Q?"
"Yes Dad?"
"Why did you do all of that?"
"Daaaaaddddd, c'mon, I had to. They saved me from spending eternity in a petri dish. I owed them more than just a padd with some star charts that I knew they wouldn't need in a month anyway. I wanted to make them happy."
"Happy? What about the Voyager that actually did save you? A few of them are somewhat less than happy."
"For now. But I showed them how to do it right. Soon, they will try to correct their mistakes on their own, without any more of my help."
"So, you did all of this because you thought I was a bit stingy with my thanks, then?"
"Well… yes."
"Congratulations son. You've just passed your final test."
***
"We did it."
Seven years, and somehow, that statement was oddly appropriate. It perfectly fit the mood the ship had been in for a year or two now. Voyager's crew had long since stopped doubting that they would make it back so much so that actually getting home had become almost anti-climactic.
Sadly, "Thank God it's over," which is what the captain had meant, was all that there was really left to say.
Watching the fireworks explode over the Golden Gate as they flew over, Harry had wanted to cry. The whole bridge crew almost broke down during the landing sequence. His parents would be there, along with the rest of Northern California. The rest of the planet would be beaming over shortly.
That had been almost a month ago.
Weeks of parties, speeches, parades, visits with family, making special guest appearances, and never having a moment alone had brought them all to this moment. This was the last "welcome home" bash that had been planned, and it was in full swing. After tonight, all Starfleet personnel were released for extended leave, and all others were released to go on with their lives.
All of his friends were scattering, being blown in different directions by different winds. Tom, B'Elanna, and Harry's new niece would be staying on Earth for the time being to get to know both of their families again. Samantha and Naomi would be doing likewise. Icheb would be going to the Academy. But what about everybody else?
The others were going to their homes on different worlds in different star systems. From there, he might see some of them again by accident, bumping into them in the line of duty, or on shore leave. Oh, and there would doubtless be reunions, but otherwise, it was all over.
Harry watched them on the dance floor. Chakotay was going to go back to the DMZ to see if there was enough left to rebuild. He'd find something, Harry was sure. Seven was going with him, and had announced it in no uncertain terms.
He still couldn't get over Seven smiling so much. It made him ache that he wasn't the one putting that smile there. But then, he supposed he hadn't exactly gone out of his way to try lately. Not for years, now.
No, he would only get one smile out of her. It was her first in nineteen years, as a matter of fact. And because of that, maybe that one meant more than all of the smiles Chakotay may get out of her. That first smile was even more special than the rest.
Yeah, it was special.
Who the hell was he trying to kid? Special? Pfssst. He was never going to be more than her friend. Worse, he was destined to be the eternal obscure friend. The one she saw maybe every reunion. The one who she forgot about the second he was out of her field of vision.
Harry wanted to be an adult about this. He so wanted to not be the green ensign, and instead to be a good sport about all of it. He wanted to be able to respond in a mature, reasoned manner, and be sincerely happy for both of them.
At the moment, the best Harry could come up with was "This Sucks!"
Self-pity was not Harry Kim's usual style, but tonight he was indulging. Dammit, he spent seven years out there, endured all of the abuse, saved the ship more than a couple of times, died, and what had he gotten for it? Well, he was a full lieutenant now, and would likely make lieutenant commander soon. His dress uniform had so many medals pinned on it, he could be mistaken while wearing it for someone who had done a tour of duty on the Enterprise herself. He had a guaranteed posting on a Sovereign-class starship whenever he wanted it. And he was home on Earth.
But all of that mattered very little as he watched his former commander dance with his now former love interest. She caught his gaze, and he saw a sad smile cross her face.
He looked away. Pity he did not need. And his feet started carrying him… away. Harry didn't care where at the moment. He just had to get out of there. He wanted to go be by himself and get sloppy drunk, or bang his head on a light pole, or… something! He was entitled. The universe owed him how many times over now?
And standing in between him and the door just had to be Tom Paris.
"Something the matter, buddy?"
"No, I just need some air." Harry gave him the best fake smile he could manage. Dammit, why couldn't B'Elanna have left Miral with Tom's family to come to the party? She would have taken one look at him and told Tom to let him go. Or why couldn't she have let Tom stay home instead of ordering him to make an appearance here?
"Air, yeah, that's some pretty wonderful stuff. I get as much of it as I can." Tom looked directly at him. "What is it, Harry?"
"Nuthin' I just… I just can't stay." Harry looked one last time at Seven before he realized what he was doing. Tom followed his gaze.
Harry was afraid to look back at his friend, no, his brother. That's what Tom was. So Harry waited for the brotherly ridicule to start. He waited for Tom to start reading the litany of his joke of a love life. He waited for Tom to say, "God, not this again," or something similar. But then he realized that Tom hadn't said anything. This caused Harry to forget his fear and look back.
Tom's eyes didn't hold any ridicule. For once, Tom Paris didn't have some flippant remark to make or comment to provide. He only stood there, his face showing understanding and even a little sympathy. "If it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one in the room that's hurting." Harry followed Tom's head tilt, and instantly realized whom Tom was talking about.
Chatting with some ambassador was Captain Janeway, and it would have taken one of her senior staff to guess that she was anything less than completely happy. But if Harry had any doubts that she was in pain, he dropped them quickly. It was in her eyes when she accidentally spotted Seven and Chakotay. And then she saw Harry, and a moment of silent understanding passed between them. She nodded. He returned it.
She had just given him permission to bolt. Harry turned back around to Tom. "See you soon? Remember, I take my duties as an uncle seriously." His smile was small, but genuine.
"B'Elanna and I will definitely hold you to that. We need somebody to baby-sit." Tom's trademark good-natured smirk almost made an appearance, and Harry smiled a little. Both men held out their hand, then shrugged and hugged each other. They separated and Harry started walking for the door. He turned around when he heard Tom call his name.
"Harry… none of the rest of us thought it would go this way either." Harry nodded, and briefly waved his farewell. Tom did likewise before Harry turned and walked away. He already couldn't wait to see everybody at the reunion next year. Maybe he'd be better company by then.
The night air hit him as he opened the door. San Francisco night air, there simply wasn't anything else like it. He looked up at the stars as he started meandering. Harry wasn't surprised when he ended up in the rose garden at the Academy. The garden was a great spot to think this time of night. He sat on one of the benches and looked up into the night sky.
It was clear tonight, allowing him to make out dozens of familiar constellations - a few of which he had even flown through. Those were some glorious times. But he was home now.
Or was he? Maybe the definition of "home" had changed somewhere along the line. He'd realized it during the first time in seven years he had sat down to dinner with his folks. Maybe now "home" didn't mean the apartment across the bay where his parents lived. That wasn't to say that he loved his parents any less, but that wasn't where he belonged anymore.
Define "irony": fallen little birdie spends seven years flapping his wings to get back into the nest, only to find that he's outgrown it.
Harry returned his attention to the stars. The thought struck him that, somewhere up there, decades away in another reality, there was a little Intrepid-class starship bearing the same name as the one he had helped pull into Utopia Planitia last week. Somewhere out there was a ship where history had unfolded…
... better.
That was the only word he could think of that fit. True, that ship was still in the Delta Quadrant, but then, Harry thought, being on Earth just wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
On that ship, Harry Kim was respected, and he was happy in the arms of the woman he loved. His friends were there, for the most part, and they would continue to go where no Federation citizen had gone before. Who knows what they would accomplish? They would set foot on planets no human even knew about. Cure diseases Starfleet medical had never heard of. They might even strike a truly fatal blow to the Borg someday. Their future was wide open now.
But this crew was home. And at least for now, that would have to be enough.
And so Harry lay down on the bench, and looked towards the heavens. He waited for sunrise, and the new day that it would bring….
"You were right. I have fallen in love with this 'Little Blue Marble.'"
Harry jumped straight up and had turned around before he landed on his feet. "Wha-Seven? How…"
"You left the party without so much as a 'see ya'.' In all of his social lessons, I do not believe that the Doctor ever indicated that to be an acceptable farewell between friends." And boy, thought Harry, was she mad.
The irony of this situation was not lost on Harry. He shook his head and gave a helpless chuckle.
"I do not see the humor in our current situation."
"Oh come on. I mean, you're lecturing me on good manners." He regretted it the instant he said it. He had been hoping for a little levity, but instead had probably just tied himself to a large rock waiting to be dumped into the ocean. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"
"No, you are correct. In the past, I have not treated those on Voyager with the respect they deserved. And I have been especially disrespectful to you."
"It's okay."
"No, it is not…"
"Yes it is, because I forgive you. For all of it." Harry paused to draw a breath. "And you were right. That was not an acceptable farewell between friends." The last word half-caught in his throat. "So, I- goodbye. It's been an honor and… Voyager wouldn't have been the same without you. I'll see ya', maybe at the next reunion." She nodded, a gesture he returned.
Harry turned his gaze around to the Golden Gate. It was completely lit up from one end to the other. That had been done originally to give aircraft a visual indicator of where not to fly, and to let ships know where the entrance into the Bay was. These days, there was no practical need, well, for the whole bridge, let alone lighting it. But it, along with the rest of the Bay on a clear night, could be an incredible sight, and as such it had been quickly repaired along with Starfleet Headquarters following the Dominion War. Still, it paled in comparison to the woman standing behind him, but as far as Harry was concerned, just about everything and everyone did.
Her eyes were burning holes in the back of his head. Whatever she had to say, she needed him to look her in the eye to say it. So he turned and waited.
"I-I wished to try to explain…" Seven began hesitantly.
"About you and Chakotay? You don't have to." With every word that came out, his speech became bitterer and more dejected. "He's the dashing, handsome Maquis Commander. I've always been Ensign Over-Eager who wasted your time trying to 'engage you in irrelevant discourse.' You don't need to explain anything, and I can't even say that I blame you." With that, Harry turned back to the bridge.
"That is not why he and I are a couple! We respect and-" She stopped, and began again. "Will Chapman and I have only ever been on one date. It ended badly, and I am still apprehensive and embarrassed in his presence." Harry started to turn, afraid of what he would see.
"I am willing to risk that with the Commander." To Harry's surprise, a single tear was streaking down Seven's cheek as she continued, "But not with you."
"What's that supposed to mean? What, you care about us both, but you just can't lose him-"
"I chose him because I was unwilling to risk losing you, or our friendship! Through everything you have always… been there, for me. No matter how badly I had treated you, you were always supportive. I chose him because I could not bear the thought of alienating you, of hurting you again." More tears came before she spoke again, her voice now holding a sad resignation. "But with all that has transpired, perhaps that was a foregone conclusion."
Then she turned and started walking out of his life.
Harry just stood there stupefied. His brain tried to wrap around the concept that she loved him too much to risk loving him. She wasn't with Chakotay because she cared more about him, she was with Chakotay because didn't care as much about him.
Harry wasn't aware of just how much time had passed during his epiphany, but when he finally blinked and started looking for her, she was gone. Seven was going back to the party to finish shackling herself to someone that she could never be completely happy with just because she didn't want to be alone. This left him only one course of action.
Run after her.
***
She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. In trying to protect something that had become very precious to her, she had lost it. Her friendship with Harry Kim was over, and in many ways she did not recognize the man who she thought she had known for four years. Had that been Harry's true nature the entire time? Bitter, angry, and self-loathing? Or had she been the cause of it?
All of this whirled around in her mind, but she eventually decided that she must put it out of her thoughts. Her mistakes were in the past now, and despite this century's ability to change history, she would not. Chakotay was waiting, and, as Tom Paris would say, the party was still going strong. Still, she hesitated. When she entered that building, she knew that she would be sealing off that part of her life forever…
"Seven!" She turned at the sound of her name to see Harry running towards her. From his respiration rate, she surmised he had run the whole way from the gardens. Harry stopped a few feet from her.
"Sev-" Harry gulped air, and then again. As Seven waited for him to get control of his breathing, she also noticed a small crowd beginning to form at the door.
Finally, Harry spoke again. "That… wasn't… an acceptable way for friends to say goodbye either."
Then he kissed her.
At first she was completely stunned. But then she closed her eyes and gave into it. His kiss was strong, but gently applied with a tenderness and passion that she had never felt before. Everything that made up Harry Kim was in that kiss, and in that moment it was… perfect.
Harry pulled away, letting his hands wander from her cheeks down to her arms, and looked into her eyes. "Do you love him?"
"I'm dating him…"
"But do you love him? Do you dream about him at night, does he make your heart pound? Does he make your hands shake? I can be that guy for you Seven, so much better than he can!"
"But if our relationship does not work…"
"You saw our alternates. Did they look like they were going to break up? You're never going to lose me. Whatever happens, I'll always be there for you." He paused to let it sink in, then he continued, "This last month, I've gotten almost everything that I dreamed about for the last seven years. My parents, Earth, promotions, medals, and…and none of it means anything to me without you! This can work, Seven. We can work, if you'll just give us a ch…"
This time she kissed him.
***
Seven was kissing him. Seven was kissing him! It was a kiss he returned with equal passion. If this was to be their last kiss, he was going to make sure it was one she would never forget. And if it was the first of many, then it'd be a great way to start.
As she ended their kiss, she wrapped her arms around him in an embrace, and he returned it eagerly. "I love you Seven, I always have," he whispered, and she tightened her hold on him in response. They stood there for a while, holding each other, until Harry heard a throat being cleared by someone.
He opened his eyes and took in the sight of the crowd that had gathered outside the building. They all stood there in shock and amazement, Ayala, Baytart, Jenkins, the Delaney sisters, a smiling Naomi, the Doctor, Chell, Tal and Billy, Carey and his oldest son, Tom, Tuvok, the Captain, and-
Chakotay didn't look angry. He looked hurt, sad… but not betrayed. There was a resignation on his features, almost as if he had expected this.
Seven half let go to look at the crowd, and Harry could tell that her gaze fell on Chakotay. Her face showed a truly sad expression and she made an attempt to speak, but she stopped when Chakotay silently held up his hand. Then he turned his back to them and walked away.
Seven moved to go after him, but stopped again when the Captain spoke. "Seven, when he wants your apology, I'll make sure he asks you for it." Seven nodded, her hand seeking out Harry's, and finally finding it. He gave it a gentle squeeze as Janeway went after her former first officer.
Tom walked up to them and looked at Seven. "You're first time breaking someone's heart?"
"No. But hopefully, it will be my last," she said as she looked at Harry, who put his arm around her.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you two will figure it out. As for me… I was just on my way home. I've got a wife and daughter to tuck in, so I'll see both of you later." Tom winked at the newly minted couple, then waved at the crowd and headed off into the night. The rest of the crowd came forward in turn, offering congratulations, and some their farewells.
Later, as Seven and Harry went home from the party, they stopped to watch the sunrise, which brought with it the promise of a fresh start, and new possibilities…
Epilogue:
Harry lay in bed contentedly. The last couple of hours had been completely amazing. His arm was draped over Annika, who had just slipped into dreamland again. He concentrated on her steady breathing, and the scent of her hair. And in his mind he heard the sweetest words ever spoken, "Yes, I wish to be your wife."
Even with her initial reaction earlier that day, Harry had been nervous when it came time to actually propose. But her smile had been enough to instantly melt his apprehension away. And with everything that had happened after that, well… he took her exhaustion as a compliment.
Speaking of exhaustion, his fiancée had the right idea. So he closed his eyes, and joined her. But then he opened them again to the realization of, "No Toto, this isn't Kansas."
Annika looked down at herself, and saw that she was attired in a very flattering ice-blue dress - and that Harry was wearing his dress uniform. They looked at each other in amazement before they took in their surroundings.
"I do not recognize our current location."
"It's the rose garden at the Academy. We're in San Francisco." Harry turned to look at the bay. The weather was perfect, sunny with not a cloud in the sky or a speck of fog, and it felt about twenty-four degrees Celsius with next to no wind. The weather service was working overtime today.
"Why would we be- does that gathering appear to be a wedding to you as well?"
"Yeah, I wonder whose it is."
"There is a simple procedure involved in answering that question."
"Crash it?" She raised an eyebrow at him, and then smiled. He offered his arm, which she eagerly took. Together, they walked towards the festivities looking every bit like a gentleman and lady of old.
As they neared the back of the crowd, it became apparent that they would instead be going to the reception, judging from the cheering and clapping. The bride and groom were locked in a passionate embrace, which caused both Annika and Harry to smile.
"This is some dream, isn't it?"
"Indeed, it is-" Annika stopped as recognition finally set in. She would know that silky black hair anywhere. And, while the bride's hair was a platinum blonde instead of the red-gold he was used to, Harry knew exactly who she was… except that she now had a few external Borg implants. They looked at each other in confusion, and then back at the bride and groom, who were smiling at them. That's when they noticed it.
The groom was wearing a dress uniform… with command red colors and the three pips of a full commander?
The captain stepped out from behind the newlyweds with her own smile. Naomi, looking for the entire world like a teenager, stood and turned around to face them. She was holding a young quarter-Klingon toddler, who she was probably watching for the best man and maid of honor. Others got up and looked their way. The broadest smile was on the face of Joe Carey, who waved and laughed as if he were seeing an old friend for the first time in years.
Harry and Annika smiled back, now understanding where and when they were…
…And in their quarters, Harry and Annika snuggled a little closer…
…As Neelix and a very pregnant Kes regaled many of Voyager's families around a holographic campfire with ghost stories and their own recipe s'mores…
…As Sue Nicoletti worked on realigning a power coupling in Engineering with Ensign Vorik…
…As the captain and first officer delightedly watched their daughter teach her little brother how to roast a marshmallow…
…As Crewman Chell poured a cup of coffee for Crewman Harren, who was busy figuring out how to ask out one of the unattached women in the sciences department…
…As Doctor Zimmerman turned his sickbay over to Billy Telfer - who had found a use for the medical knowledge his former condition had motivated him to acquire - and went to join his family around Neelix's campfire…
…As Tuvok ordered the helm officer to lay in a course for the heart of the Delta Quadrant and engage…
…And with her nacelles folded into position, Voyager shot into warp on its mission of exploration… and possibilities.
End.