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THE LINK
CHAPTER 3
While Kathryn waited for Chakotay to arrive, she received another batch of incoming mail. There were quite a few letters, two dozen at least, and like always they were mostly from children. Kathryn loved reading their letters. They were so funny and heartfelt and always put a smile on her face. Sometimes they contained drawings of the Voyager crew, other times they contained drawings of the children and their families, and other times they came in packet size and contained gifts. Kathryn wished she had the time to reply to them all, but she simply didn't. So, she replied to a select few, those that touched her heart in some way, and then sent a standard autographed reply to the rest. It was strange being a celebrity. Almost everyone in the Federation knew her name and she could go no where without being recognized. This curtailed her liberty substantially, as the threats against her life were real and considerable, and she found this lack of freedom difficult and frustrating at times. But there were advantages to being famous too. She had the love and respect of millions of people, a great deal of influence, and the power to bring joy into peoples lives. Since getting home she had made a number of public appearances and it was incredible to see the faces of sick children light up when she walked into the room. The Voyager journey had captured the imagination of the Federation and in the eyes of millions she was a heroine. With that came a tremendous responsibility, even a duty, but if it was overwhelming at times it was also encouraging and inspiring too.
As she looked through the pile of envelopes, her eye caught a familiar black one. She had received several since getting home and they always contained death threats. Slowly, she put down the pile of letters and opened the black envelope. Inside there was always a postcard, from a Maquis hater, and this time was no different. On a black card there was a row of pictures of some of her ex-Maquis officers, including Chakotay and B'Elanna, and beneath the row, in fiery letters, were the words: Those who side with the devil burn in hell. Kathryn put the card back into the envelope and then returned to her mailer machine. It was able to duplicate any letter, even to the point of DNA traces, so she duplicated the letter and then forwarded them to Starfleet and the police. Then she put the threat out of her mind and took her bundle of letters up to her bedroom to read later. Her bedroom was on the third story of the lodge and was a spacious room that overlooked the lake. There were three bedrooms altogether, all of them ensuite, and a small room that Kathryn had set up as an observatory. Kathryn loved the size and layout of the lodge. On the ground floor was a grand reception hallway, from where a grand staircase and a glass lift led to the floors above, a study with a terrace, a holo-room, and a shuttle-bay. The living room was on the middle floor, hence the balcony, and there was also a dining room and a kitchen. Outside, the terrain was rustic, woody, as the lodge did not have a garden, but this suited Kathryn as she simply didn't have time to maintain one. All her life she had loved to take walks to relax and clear her mind and this area had walks in abundance. The lake was only half a mile away and around her was an entire forest to explore. It was the perfect retreat, and yet not too isolated as there were several lodges nearby.
"Oh no," Kathryn said when she got back to the living room. "What have you done, Tessi?"
There were cushions everywhere, several of them sprouting with foam, and a number of books were sprawled across the floor with chewed off pages.
The animal looked up at her with foam and paper in her mouth and she wagged her tail happily.
"This is naughty, Tessi," Kathryn said firmly. "Naughty, naughty!"
The dog seemed to get the message and sank to the floor sheepishly.
"I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with you, honey. Look at the mess you've made!"
On the rug before the fire was a chewy bone and Kathryn picked it up.
"This is what you chew, Tessi. Not my cushions, not my books. Get it?"
The dog looked at her pathetically but there was guilt written all over her face. Gently, Kathryn picked the creature up, cleared her mouth, and then held her up before her. "There's only one thing for it. The brig."
Tessi whined.
"Yes," Kathryn said. "That place."
Quickly, she took Tessi into the hallway, opened the door of a spacious cupboard, switched on a light, and then put the animal inside.
"You will stay here until further notice."
Kathryn then hurried back into the living room and tried to clear up the mess before Chakotay arrived. She just about managed it. For just as she was replicating the last replacement cushion, his incoming transport request came.
"Accept," Kathryn said, quickly throwing the cushion onto the sofa.
In only seconds, the transporter beam glowed before her and Chakotay materialized. He was wearing a white shirt over brown pants and his usually black hair was now streaked with silver. He looked dashingly handsome in the soft glow of firelight and lamps and he took Kathryn's breath away.
"Hi," he smiled.
"Hi," Kathryn smiled in return. "It's good to see you."
This was the first time they had seen each other since the first week home.
"You too. How is life as an Admiral?"
"I'll tell you when it starts," she replied. "Admiral Paris has insisted on me taking three months leave."
"Good for him. You need to rest, Kathryn. You've been on red alert for the past seven years. You need to take things easy for a while."
"Maybe, but I thrive on work, you know that. For me it's as essential to living as food and water."
"Yes. And with a mind like yours, it's understandable. You have a great mind, Kathryn, a rare intelligence. A mind like that always needs a challenge. But the body it belongs to always needs looking after too. Don't forget that. A tired mind doesn't think as well."
Kathryn curled her lip in amusement. "Our first meeting in weeks and already I get a lecture."
Chakotay laughed. "I guess old habits die hard." He then looked around the lodge. "But this is a mighty fine place you have here. I'm quite jealous."
"So you should be. It's real pine, brand new, and has every mod-con you could dream of. And the views, Chakotay, they're to die for. Of course, you can't see them right now as it's pitch dark outside and raining a storm, but on a clear day you can see right over the lake."
"Awesome. I'll have to make sure my next visit is in daylight."
"You sure will. I have a balcony, as you can see, and it's heavenly relaxing to sit out there and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature."
Chakotay smiled. "I'm glad to hear you use the word relaxing."
Kathryn laughed and poked his stomach. "Oh, you."
"Now all you need is a special someone in your life. It's been a long time, Kathryn. You deserve some romance."
Those words, coming from him, hurt. Once, if an alien had only so much as made eyes at her he had been insanely jealous. Now he was practically instructing her to date. It was just another painful reminder that he was no longer in love with her.
"I've never been happier in my whole life than I am with Seven," he went on. "You deserve that kind of happiness too."
Kathryn uncomfortably stepped away from him and made her way over to the replicator. It hadn't been long since her last coffee, but right now she needed a fix.
"I'm happy you're happy," she said. "Now, can I get you a drink?"
"A still mineral water would be good."
"Then sit yourself down and I'll bring it over."
As Chakotay sat before the fire, a heartbreaking howl filled the room.
"What's that?" Chakotay asked. "Werewolves or do you have a dog?"
"I do," Kathryn replied. "A dog, I mean. The one and only Tessi Janeway."
"Then let her in. I love dogs. Don't keep her out on my account."
"I'm not. She's there on her own account."
"I see," Chakotay smiled. "A bit of a handful is she?"
"Understatement of the century. I've had a lot of dogs, most of them way bigger than her, but never have I had one as naughty. Seriously, Chakotay. She just won't be disciplined."
"Then looks like you've finally met your match."
"I just might have. The Borg, the Kazon, the Hirogen...candy from a baby next to her."
Chakotay laughed while Tessi howled again.
"But listen to that, Chakotay. Doesn't it break your heart? I'll have to let her out. She's been there long enough." She picked up the replicated drinks and carried them over to the table. "Help yourself to those cookies before you. My Aunt Martha made them so you won't need teeth protection."
Chakotay laughed again and then Kathryn went to fetch her wailing pet. As she did, Chakotay opened the cookie jar before him and helped himself to a cookie. But, just as he was about to take a bite, a little gold dog came darting through the door and jumped onto his lap.
"Oh, Tessi," Kathryn cried from the doorway. "That's no way to greet a guest. Get down, girl. Down!"
"It's ok," Chakotay said as the animal licked his face. "I don't mind. She's adorable."
"I know. But she's got to learn. Down, Tessi. Down!"
The animal did as she said now and sat submissively on the floor.
"A bit of a live wire," Chakotay said. "But she seems pretty obedient to me."
"It's the brig," Kathryn smiled. "It's working."
"The brig?"
"Time out in a cupboard."
Chakotay laughed and Kathryn went over to her pet.
"Good girl, Tessi," she said, tickling her ear. "Good, girl."
"I'm sorry to have to hurry things along," Chakotay declared, picking up his drink, "but I have a date with Seven at 19:00 hours, eastern zone. That doesn't leave us much time. What is it you want to talk to me about?"
At these words, which reminded her of both his new love and his predicament, Kathryn sobered. She got to her feet, sat opposite him, and took a sip of coffee for courage. "Something that may be nothing but may be something."
"Go on."
"I had a visit earlier from Admiral Derry, an old friend of mine from my Al Batani days. She's been assigned some of our logs to review, as now we're home they're up for the scrutiny of a magneton scanner, and she's raised some questions about an incident four years ago that we really can't ignore."
"I see. What incident are we talking about?"
Kathryn hesitated with the answer. "The Riley Frazier incident."
Chakotay flinched. "Riley Frazier?"
"Yes."
"But what possible questions could your friend have? You acted above reproach and I acted under mind control. Neither of us are to blame for what happened."
"No. Starfleet Command fully accept that. The questions Natalie...Admiral Derry...raised are of a different nature. To cut a long story short, she doesn't believe that Riley and her people were ex-borgs. She believes they were posing as ex-borgs so we would be more inclined to help them. She believes they were really Raylix cyborgs. They're a race she met once and are native to the Gamma Quadrant. They have technology that makes them appear to others as they wish to appear, and they have implants that are invisible to sensors, probably because they emit cloaking frequencies." She paused. "It was never adequately explained how they were able to reinitialize the link with you. Admiral Derry believes they were able to because they had placed a transceiver in your brain. If they did, then it's still there."
Kathryn expected him to rubbish the idea, to give a thousand reasons against it, but, to her complete surprise, he did not.
"That's quite a theory," he said calmly, pensively. "Do you believe it?"
"I believe it's possible. And, as it's possible, I believe it warrants further investigation." She paused. "There is a specialist in deciphering cloaking frequencies that Admiral Derry would like you to see. His name is Trent Willom. If you have this implant he may be able to detect it. If he can detect it, our doctor may be able to remove or disable it."
"That's a lot of ifs and mays."
"I know. But there's no telling what kind of impact an implant of this nature could have on a person's life. I think you should see this specialist. In fact, I urge you to."
"Then I will."
"Really?"
Chakotay smiled. "You seem surprised."
"I am. I thought I'd have a battle on my hands. Wolf 359."
"No. I'd like to know the truth. I think Admiral Derry may be right, that I have this implant. I hear them sometimes...the others. Not clearly, not loudly, but sometimes in the still of the night when I'm lying in bed I hear their thoughts like whispers on the wind. I've also suffered from regular headaches since it happened but The Doctor has never found anything wrong." He paused. "When I linked with them, I shared their thoughts and their memories, and Riley genuinely seemed to be from Earth, but it's quite possible they only showed me what they wanted me to see." He put down his drink. "The only thing that gives me pause is that cyborgs, in general, are asexual. Riley was...well, let's just say she wasn't."
"The Raylix are a humanoid race," Kathryn told him. "They fit some of their people with cybernetic implants to enhance abilities. At least, that's my understanding. They are not typical cyborgs." She paused sadly. "Were you and Riley intimate?"
Chakotay lowered his eyes. "Yes," he said quietly. "And I'm ashamed of that. It was wrong as a Starfleet Officer and it was...it was a betrayal of us."
"You weren't in your right mind, Chakotay. You were manipulated and violated...in every way. And I'm sorry. I wish you'd told me."
"I was afraid it would change things between us."
"It wouldn't have."
Their eyes met and for a moment, a brief moment, Kathryn saw in them the love that had once always been there, but then it was gone.
"Well," he said, looking away. "I'd better say goodbye. I don't want to be late for my date."
Kathryn said nothing to that. Every time he mentioned his relationship with Seven it felt as though a thousand wasps had stung her heart. But she was concerned too, concerned for the pair of them if this hypothetical implant turned out to be real and responsible in some way for their attraction, or at least Chakotay's attraction to her. She cared for Seven and didn't want her to be hurt. But now was not the time to bring up another hypothetical possibility, one that would definitely cut close to the quick, as Chakotay had enough to take in as it was. So, she simply got to her feet as he stood and asked about the wellbeing of the woman she had mentored for so long.
"How is Seven?"
"She's great. Earth overwhelmes her at times, mostly because of the media interest in our lives, but she's adapting well. She would like to go back to space, though, so is thinking of joining Starfleet."
"I can't say I'm surprised. I thought she might. But what about you? What are your plans?"
"I've been offered a post teaching stellar archaeology at a university in Michigan and I'm inclined to accept."
"I think you should. Stellar archaeology is something you've always wanted to pursue."
"It is." He paused. "I take it you or Admiral Derry will be arranging an appointment for me with the specialist?"
"Yes."
"Then tell me the time and the place and I'll be there." He slowly closed the gap between them and warmly put his hand on her shoulder. "Goodbye, Kathryn. And thank you. Hearing that I might have an implant in my brain hasn't exactly made my day, but it does make sense of things, a lot of things, and I'm grateful to you and Admiral Derry for considering the possibility."
"I'm just being a friend," Kathryn replied. "It's Admiral Derry we must thank. As I'm on leave, she shouldn't really have brought this to me. She should have taken it to Admiral Paris or Admiral Venton. But I'm involved now and I'll make my involvement official."
"Thank you. It goes without saying that I'd rather deal with you than any other Starfleet official." He paused. "In fact, I'd be grateful if you could come with me to the appointment. Not as an admiral, but as a friend. I don't want to trouble Seven with all this, not until I have to, if I have to."
"That's your decision to make," Kathryn replied. "But of course I'll come with you."
Chakotay gave a wan smile. "Thank you. See you soon then."
"See you soon."
Chakotay then requested a beam out and in seconds was gone.
END OF CHAPTER 3
