What if Voyager didn't get home from the Delta Quadrant in 7 years? Sequel to Captain Tuvok, Voyager: 30 years on and Voyager: 40 years on, prequel to Voyager: 50 years on. Story starts 46 years after Voyager entered the Delta Quadrant.
#####################
Two months later, Lieutenant Commander Paris is working with Commander Torres in Engineering
"Warp coil fluctuations are minimal Commander" then Miral turned to her left to see her mother collapsed on the floor
"Engineering to Sick Bay, medical emergency, my mother has just collapsed!"
Ten minutes later in Sick Bay Captain Paris was with his wife and daughter.
"What happened Doc?"
"She fell asleep and collapsed to the ground, she bruised her head as she fell, presumably she hit her head on the console."
Torres said "What happened, where am I? One minute I was working in Engineering with Miral and then everything went black?"
The Doctor "You fell asleep, how have you been feeling Commander."
"Fine, no that's not true, I have been feeling tired all the time."
"How long has this been going on for?"
"A few weeks, it's a busy life in Engineering."
"I need to give you a full Physical examination Commander."
"I don't have time for this Doctor, it's shutdown time tomorrow, we have lots to do."
"Leave the shutdown repairs to your daughter, you need a rest. Captain Paris, I need to give you and Commander Kim full Physical examinations after the next shutdown. Captain Paris is 70 years old, Commander Kim is 68. I think that if I can detect the onset of old age early enough I may at least be able to delay the symptoms."
#####################
Commander Torres returned to work 2 weeks later, her daughter Miral had been running Engineering for the last 2 weeks. B'Elanna decided to delegate some of her work onto Miral, this was done after some advice from the Doctor. Lieutenant Commander Naomi Wildman took over as second officer. Captain Paris, Commander Torres and Commander Kim would get a checkup from the Doctor every month.
#####################
Six months later Captain Paris and Commander Torres were starting to struggle to do their jobs, they were tired all the time. After their monthly checkups the Doctor called for a meeting with Captain Paris, Commander Torres, Commander Kim, Lieutenant Commander Paris and Lieutenant Commander Wildman.
Next day it was shutdown time, Captain Paris was in the centre seat.
"Here we go again, Lieutenant Commander Chakotay, all stop."
"All stop Captain."
"Thank you Kathryn."
"Torres to Captain Paris, Engineering confirms all stop."
"Thank you B'Elanna. All hands this is the Captain, it is shutdown time again..."
#####################
Three days later Voyager was safely back at warp 9.6 and Captain Paris spoke at the shutdown party.
"It is now 47 years since Captain Janeway's Voyager and Commander Chakotay's Maquis ship were brought into the Delta Quadrant and their two crews became one and we started our long journey. We are heading back home, we can only manage warp 9.6 so it will take 5 more years to get home. Like the rest of you I am looking forward to seeing the Alpha Quadrant again. Therefore I wish to make the following announcement. On medical advice from the Doctor I am standing down as Captain, my wife B'Elanna is similarly standing down as Chief Engineer. Crew members have been dying of old age related illnesses after their 70th birthday, you all know how old B'Elanna and I are. The Doctor thinks that he might be able to delay the onset of these illnesses if he can monitor us in Sick Bay, so we are off to the Sick Bay extension. Harry Kim is the Captain now..."
