Chapter 4

Day 2, 08:58h.

The lab had only been reminded of its attachment to this magnificent spacecraft by the throbbing of circuitry-veins originating from Voyagers heart; Main Engineering. Their rithmic buzz gives the ship an almost organic feel. I wonder if in time it would make up for the streamlined interior and its charmless grey-tones. The scaled blueprint on a wall outside the shuttlebay had shown Engineering to be on this same deck, albeit far from astrometrics.

Voyagers corridors become livelier as I approach the ships core. Dilligent crewmembers fill the curved aisles and their chattering resonates off the bulkheads. "-Commander", "-Sir" A short woman with sandy brown hair and a lean Bajoran greet me with curtious nods as they pass me by. She had been biting her lip in an awkard smirk and he had been looking down in an obvious attempt to keep his composure; some piquant joke had apparently been hysterical. There is no need to be this stiff on the Val Jean.

I enter Main Engineerings double doors as the typical sounds of industry welcome me into the two-storied nerve centre. The muffled sound of boots on wore down paths in the carpet, hushed conversations and cheerful panelcontrol-beeps meld together with the cores steady hum. Much like an antcolony, the countless workers, all performing carefully coordinated duties, would fool any layman into thinking the place was run by chaos. I know better; B´Elanna pulls the strings here.

While scanning the area I return civil greetings as crewmembers recognize me. I finally find her stting at a workstation near the warpcore, juggling her attention between several screens and pushing in commands with the ease of a gifted pianoplayer.

I walk up to her and lean in close.

"B´Elanna."

"Hey you," she says matter-of-factly without averting her eyes from her work "I hear you're taking a sabbatical..."

I chuckle. Paris had made an accurate observation "Word really does travel fast here." I say. Her remark had been a tease but my confirmation makes her pivot her seat. I hold up both hands before she can continue "I'm fine, I just had some work to catch up on." I shake off the memory of Janeway in astrometrics. "I've dealt with enough concern for one day."

Her big eyes remain on mine but she reluctantly lets me have my privacy. Her hair is longer and the ease with which she wears the black and gold uniform shocks me. She casually wears an overcoat, the breastpocket of which is filled with delicate instruments. "I know you're going through some things" she says "..but you let me know if you wanna talk, okay?" I know not to deny her her offer of friendship, she'd make me pay if I would. "Of course" I say. She seems satisfied at that.

"What are you working on?" She's not talkative but work-related conversation might get her started. "Captain Janeway said our yearplan includes one of last years bulletpoints." She rolls her eyes and continues at my nonverbal urge to go on "Well, she asked what I plan to do different this time. Our previous way of handling the problem didn't seem to work" she sighs and sits back.

"So?" I ask.

"Stabilizing the temperature of the impulse capacitance cells might control the power released into the driver coils. Last year, it failed; I'll have to come up with something else..." Her mind races as she gazes at nothing "...we could enhance the stabilizers with intervalled plasma injections..."

She lifts herself up as a Vulcan interrupts her thoughtprocess and hands her a padd. "Preliminary readings from the temporal anomaly" he explains dryly before he turns away.

"The captains latest science project couldn't have come at a worse time." she muses. Good, she's disgruntled with Janeways authority. It might be the foundation of a new alliance with me.

"The captain sets high standards." I summarize.

"Hmm-mmm" B´Elanna stopped paying attention to me and scrolls down the data.

"Perhaps we should give her a talking to..." I suggest. If she acts shocked I can wave it away with a playful wink.

She faces me with raised eyebrows "Hmmm?" I'm not sure if she's heard me correctly. "What? Talk about what?"

"This workload of yours" with my handpalm on my chest I give her all the empathy I can muster "I will stand by you with any problems you might have with her or with how tightly this ship is run." With a dropped jaw and wrinkled foreheadridges she seems to have completely lost my meaning.

"I don't have a problem." Talking too fast is usually a sign of a total lack of self-confidence. I recognise the insecurity in her voice. "Why, do you have a problem?" Emotionally, she doesn't like to disagree with me but she's unable to meet my terms, unable to be disloyal to her captain. Janeway has taken my place as her anchor.

"No," I say "no problem here." I force my lips into an awkward grin and look down. How can the B´Elanna I know be satisfied with this unlikely job and position?

"She's right, we weren't getting anywhere with the impulse cells," I nod hastily but she adds "..we do need to act on that lack of succes; make new plans." She still talks too quickly "I actually agree with her, honestly..."

"Right," I cut her short "Good. Just checking."

"And this," she holds up the padd "..is just business as usual." She thinks I mistook her nuisance for genuine complaint and is adamant in her rationalizations.

"I understand" I say.

"I've just had a long night, that's all." A short pause. "Miral's going through some phase. The Doctor assured me it's only temporary but I swear.." she shakes her head and leans her elbows on the station in front of her "..I could lie down right now, right here and sleep through my shift."

Miral?

"You and Tom.." The realisation hits me like a ton of bricks. "..you have a daughter."

It may be the lack of sleep but there's an air about her that I've never seen on her before, one of lazy content.

"I know, right?" She smiles broadly. "When I see Tom heating up babybottles and folding tiny socks that don't need folding..." Raising her shoulders and showing me her teeth in an honest smile, she's almost giddy as she adds "Something about it still seems unreal."

"Right.." Tom and B´Elanna heating up babybottles and folding socks. My brain can't process the information into a mental image and the visualisation remains a caricature of two tough warriors oddly running a day-care.

"...still seems unreal." I repeat her words. Unreal indeed.

"Captain Chakotay" Tuvoks low voice startles me and his use of my rank raises my neckhair. In my reverie I hadn't noticed that all of Engineerings personell had fallen still and is now looking in my direction.

I scan the room, take careful note of their blank faces and turn around in one controlled motion. Tuvok stands in front of me with an armed security detail. Aside from the uniform and the phaser in his hand he looks exactly the same as he did on the Val Jean; not a single grey hair to be seen.

"Captain Chakotay, do you know where you are?"

I look around in confusion but find no support among the bystanders. Only B´Elanna stands from her stool "What's this about?" she asks.

"Chakotay, do you know the current stardate?"

An excruciating silence.

"Tell him." B´Elanna says.

Defeated and ashamed of my ruse, I turn to B´Elanna and tell her "I'm sorry."

"What do you mean?" she remains unalarmed and certain of my innocence.

"This is the year 2378" Tuvok says as he steps closer "You are on the Federation starship Voyager. We mean you no harm. You will come with us for questioning. We can either restrain you and escort you to the brig or you can walk with us voluntarily so we can question you in my office."

The bifold doors slide open and the energy in the grand room shifts as Janeway enters. She walks up to Tuvok and places her hand on his phaser.

"It's allright Chakotay; it makes sense now." She approaches me and places her hand on my upperarm, much like she had before.

"I will explain everything." She says.

"Will you listen?"