Georgia
By Rebecca
Disclaimer: Star Trek etc. belongs to Paramount. Unfortunately.
Like children the universe over, she was drawing when he came to her. At the unusual sound that heralded his arrival, her head shot up.
"Hello," she said, and went back to her drawing.
"Hello," he returned. "What is your name?"
"Georgia," she said, changing the colour she was using. "You look funny."
"Georgia, where is your mother?"
"Karree said that she's gone on a long journey," she replied, colouring the sun a deep shade of orange.
"Where to?" he asked, almost urgently, although Georgia did not recognise the subtle tone.
"To a place called Heaven. Mummy told me about it just before she left. She said that everything's nice there." She looked up at the stranger with a wistful look. "Do you think I can go there some day?"
"Maybe," the stranger answered. "Where is your father?"
"He went too," Georgia said, turning back to her colouring. "Mummy went to find him." She changed her orange crayon for a yellow one, and started to colour in the grass on her picture.
The stranger began to wonder if his search was a fruitless one. But maybe, despite the obvious signs, this was the wrong family. "Do you have a picture of your parents?" he asked the girl.
She thought for a minute. "Before Daddy went away, there used to be a picture of them."
"Where is it now?" he asked patiently.
"Don't know," she replied. "What colour is the river?"
"Blue," he answered. "Would you mind if I looked for the picture?"
"You can if you want. It was big."
The stranger started to look in the cupboards in the room, but they were empty. "How many other rooms are there?" he asked Georgia.
"Two. The bathing room and the sleep room."
The stranger asked, "And where was the picture?"
"In the sleeproom."
The stranger walked into the sleeproom and Georgia followed, curious. He did not know where it would be, but the cupboards and drawers here were also empty, confusing the matter greatly. Using his detailed knowledge of the person in question, he tried to put himself in her mind.
He walked over to the bed and felt underneath it. Sure enough, his hand went up into the bed, where he could feel a large board. He pulled it out gently and began to remove the cover.
"Is this the picture?" he asked Georgia, who had crouched on the ground beside him.
"I think so."
Finally removing all the coverings, he looked at the picture. It was a painting, he realised, taken from the artist's memory of another picture that the stranger he remembered. She had copied it with astounding accuracy, considering that the stranger knew she could not have been in possession of the picture when she painted it.
It also struck him a blow. His search was ended. The picture and the artist's initials in the corner proved that.
"Why were you looking for Mummy?" Georgia asked as the two walked back into the room with Georgia's drawing in.
"It is no longer important," he said softly. He laid the picture on the table and said, "You may keep it. I have no need of it, and I am sure your mother would want you to have it."
"Thank you," said Georgia. "I'll look after it until Mummy gets back. Do you want me to tell her that you came?"
"No, Georgia. That will not be necessary."
The stranger touched a small badge on his jacket and said, "Tuvok to Voyager. One to beam up."
She watched, amazed, as he disappeared much the same way as he had come. Then Georgia Janeway shrugged her shoulders and went back to her colouring.