CHAPTER TWO:
Over the next few days, as Voyager traveled to New Earth, Amelia got to know both the ship and her crew. She was amazed to discover that when the return mission to the Delta Quadrant to rescue her parents was first suggested, all the former crew had volunteered for it. She felt proud to see the loyalty they had to Chakotay and Kathryn Janeway, despite having left them behind all those years ago.
"Leaving Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay behind was one of the hardest decisions the crew has ever made." Harry had confided in her. "For months afterwards we all thought of so many plans to get them back. Some of us kept hoping until the end. And now, here we are"
It had begun when Lieutenant. No, Captain Tom Paris - Amelia corrected herself - eagerly took her on a tour of the sleek starship. They began with a tour of engineering, where Amelia was awed with her first view of the massive warp core.
"This is actually the second Voyager," Tom told her, as the engineering personal swarmed around them. "The original ship, where we spent those ten years in the Delta Quadrant, is now a museum in Seattle."
"Really?" Amelia asked, slightly disappointed that she was not standing on the same ship her parents had.
"Yes." Tom smiled softly as he remembered arriving home. "When we finally got back to Earth, the people were so happy that they turned Voyager into a tribute to all the crewmen we lost."
His smile turned bittersweet. "It was one of the most joyous and most sad moments of my life." He confided. "I was so happy to be back, but at the same time I was sad for all the crew that could not be there with us. And I couldn't help feeling we were going to loose something. Voyager was our home and the crew was our family, but suddenly that wasn't true anymore."
"But surely you couldn't just forget each other?" Amelia asked.
"No, we could never do that." Tom said. "But we were home. We didn't have to live on Voyager anymore. We wouldn't see each other everyday. And, of course, Starfleet split us up as we all went our different ways."
Amelia smiled softly. "It must have been hard."
"It was." Tom seemed to shake himself. "Enough of this gloomy stuff. How would you like to see the infirmary?"
"Yes please." Amelia said, eagerly.
"Then the infirmary it is."
* * *
"The infirmary is an exact replica of the one on the original Voyager." The Doctor said.
Amelia barely heard him as she wandered about the room, touching everything. Her parents had come here for their yearly physicals, or had lain here after being injured on their quest to get Voyager home.
"I think our guest is suitably impressed, Bob." Tom said to the Doctor.
"Yes." Bob said thoughtfully.
"I can't believe I'm actually here." Amelia muttered, as she continued her wanderings.
"In the infirmary?" The Doctor asked, confused.
"No, Voyager." She said, absently. "This place meant so much to my parents. I don't think they actually truly let it go." She smiled. "Sometimes I would catch one of them looking wistfully at the sky. I knew they wanted to be here."
"Did they say anything about the crew?" Tom asked, curious.
Amelia turned to them, her face shining in adoration. "They never stopped. Instead of fairy tales or legends, I would here about Voyager and her loyal crew. The arrogant but brilliant pilot. The calm and logical Vulcan. The quiet and capable Ensign. The confident and aggressive Chief Engineer. The efficient and curious doctor." She smiled softly, a faint sadness crossed her face. "But I never got to hear about the Captain or her First Officer. They would never tell me anything."
"We'll have to tell you a story or two about them, then." Tom said.
Amelia turned to look at him. "Really?" she asked, looking just like a little kid.
"Really." Tom said smiling.
The Doctor stepped towards her, a tricorder in his hand. "You seem healthy enough. How old are you?" he asked.
Amelia looked at him, and put her hands on her hips, unconsciously imitating her mother. "Eighteen." She said, daring him to comment.
"I thought so." Bob muttered.
"As fascinating as all this is," Tom broke in. "How would you like to see the bridge?"
Amelia raised her eyebrow at him. "Do you need to ask?" she said, dryly.
Chuckling, Tom bid goodbye to the Doctor, and the two of them made there way up to the bridge. "You could probably even see the Captain's Quarters and Ready Room, if Harry let's you." Tom told her on the way up.
Amelia smiled. "I'd love to see them."
The door swished open just then, and Amelia stared at the bridge just like where her mother had once stood, captaining her ship. And where her father had loyally stood by her side.
At the sound, Harry looked up from the Captain's chair. When he saw them he grinned. "Welcome to the bridge." He said.
As Amelia walked forward, she was aware of eyes following her. She turned her head and looked at the crew, who continued to stare curiously at her. "You're a bit of a celebrity on Voyager." Harry said, noticing. "The daughter of Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Chakotay."
Blushing slightly, Amelia turned to Harry again. "Can I sit in the Captain's chair?" she asked.
"Sure." Harry agreed.
Behind her Tom chuckled. "How come you never let me do that Harry?" he asked.
"Because you wouldn't give it back." Harry retorted. "Voyager's my ship."
Amelia smiled, and slipped into Harry's seat. Then she turned to the First Officer. "Captain Amelia Janeway, of the starship Voyager." She said, and extended her hand.
The First Officer grinned, his dark eye twinkling. "Commander Mark O'Connel, ma'am." He said.
Tom burst out laughing at the exchange. "And you were worried about me, Harry!" he teased.
"I thought it only appropriate to have a Captain Janeway in charge of Voyager, Captain." Amelia said, managing to suppress a smile. "Wouldn't you agree?"
"If you say so, ma'am." Harry said, seeing the grin tugging at the corners of Amelia's mouth. "If you would like to give the order."
"Set a course to New Earth, maximum warp." She ordered.
Grinning, the helmsman did as she ordered, after Harry nodded from behind her, and the stars streaked even faster past the viewport.
Over the next few days, as Voyager traveled to New Earth, Amelia got to know both the ship and her crew. She was amazed to discover that when the return mission to the Delta Quadrant to rescue her parents was first suggested, all the former crew had volunteered for it. She felt proud to see the loyalty they had to Chakotay and Kathryn Janeway, despite having left them behind all those years ago.
"Leaving Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay behind was one of the hardest decisions the crew has ever made." Harry had confided in her. "For months afterwards we all thought of so many plans to get them back. Some of us kept hoping until the end. And now, here we are"
It had begun when Lieutenant. No, Captain Tom Paris - Amelia corrected herself - eagerly took her on a tour of the sleek starship. They began with a tour of engineering, where Amelia was awed with her first view of the massive warp core.
"This is actually the second Voyager," Tom told her, as the engineering personal swarmed around them. "The original ship, where we spent those ten years in the Delta Quadrant, is now a museum in Seattle."
"Really?" Amelia asked, slightly disappointed that she was not standing on the same ship her parents had.
"Yes." Tom smiled softly as he remembered arriving home. "When we finally got back to Earth, the people were so happy that they turned Voyager into a tribute to all the crewmen we lost."
His smile turned bittersweet. "It was one of the most joyous and most sad moments of my life." He confided. "I was so happy to be back, but at the same time I was sad for all the crew that could not be there with us. And I couldn't help feeling we were going to loose something. Voyager was our home and the crew was our family, but suddenly that wasn't true anymore."
"But surely you couldn't just forget each other?" Amelia asked.
"No, we could never do that." Tom said. "But we were home. We didn't have to live on Voyager anymore. We wouldn't see each other everyday. And, of course, Starfleet split us up as we all went our different ways."
Amelia smiled softly. "It must have been hard."
"It was." Tom seemed to shake himself. "Enough of this gloomy stuff. How would you like to see the infirmary?"
"Yes please." Amelia said, eagerly.
"Then the infirmary it is."
* * *
"The infirmary is an exact replica of the one on the original Voyager." The Doctor said.
Amelia barely heard him as she wandered about the room, touching everything. Her parents had come here for their yearly physicals, or had lain here after being injured on their quest to get Voyager home.
"I think our guest is suitably impressed, Bob." Tom said to the Doctor.
"Yes." Bob said thoughtfully.
"I can't believe I'm actually here." Amelia muttered, as she continued her wanderings.
"In the infirmary?" The Doctor asked, confused.
"No, Voyager." She said, absently. "This place meant so much to my parents. I don't think they actually truly let it go." She smiled. "Sometimes I would catch one of them looking wistfully at the sky. I knew they wanted to be here."
"Did they say anything about the crew?" Tom asked, curious.
Amelia turned to them, her face shining in adoration. "They never stopped. Instead of fairy tales or legends, I would here about Voyager and her loyal crew. The arrogant but brilliant pilot. The calm and logical Vulcan. The quiet and capable Ensign. The confident and aggressive Chief Engineer. The efficient and curious doctor." She smiled softly, a faint sadness crossed her face. "But I never got to hear about the Captain or her First Officer. They would never tell me anything."
"We'll have to tell you a story or two about them, then." Tom said.
Amelia turned to look at him. "Really?" she asked, looking just like a little kid.
"Really." Tom said smiling.
The Doctor stepped towards her, a tricorder in his hand. "You seem healthy enough. How old are you?" he asked.
Amelia looked at him, and put her hands on her hips, unconsciously imitating her mother. "Eighteen." She said, daring him to comment.
"I thought so." Bob muttered.
"As fascinating as all this is," Tom broke in. "How would you like to see the bridge?"
Amelia raised her eyebrow at him. "Do you need to ask?" she said, dryly.
Chuckling, Tom bid goodbye to the Doctor, and the two of them made there way up to the bridge. "You could probably even see the Captain's Quarters and Ready Room, if Harry let's you." Tom told her on the way up.
Amelia smiled. "I'd love to see them."
The door swished open just then, and Amelia stared at the bridge just like where her mother had once stood, captaining her ship. And where her father had loyally stood by her side.
At the sound, Harry looked up from the Captain's chair. When he saw them he grinned. "Welcome to the bridge." He said.
As Amelia walked forward, she was aware of eyes following her. She turned her head and looked at the crew, who continued to stare curiously at her. "You're a bit of a celebrity on Voyager." Harry said, noticing. "The daughter of Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Chakotay."
Blushing slightly, Amelia turned to Harry again. "Can I sit in the Captain's chair?" she asked.
"Sure." Harry agreed.
Behind her Tom chuckled. "How come you never let me do that Harry?" he asked.
"Because you wouldn't give it back." Harry retorted. "Voyager's my ship."
Amelia smiled, and slipped into Harry's seat. Then she turned to the First Officer. "Captain Amelia Janeway, of the starship Voyager." She said, and extended her hand.
The First Officer grinned, his dark eye twinkling. "Commander Mark O'Connel, ma'am." He said.
Tom burst out laughing at the exchange. "And you were worried about me, Harry!" he teased.
"I thought it only appropriate to have a Captain Janeway in charge of Voyager, Captain." Amelia said, managing to suppress a smile. "Wouldn't you agree?"
"If you say so, ma'am." Harry said, seeing the grin tugging at the corners of Amelia's mouth. "If you would like to give the order."
"Set a course to New Earth, maximum warp." She ordered.
Grinning, the helmsman did as she ordered, after Harry nodded from behind her, and the stars streaked even faster past the viewport.