Title: When Only Dreams Remain
Author: Samurai Sushi
Series: Voyager
Code: C/7, k/f, P/T, J/m
Rating: PG
Summary: Takes place after "Endgame," the continuing story of Voyager's crew.
Disclaimer: The characters used in this story are the sole property of Viacom Inc. and are used without permission. I am receiving no reward other than the fun of writing this story. /P
P Archive: At present only Rift and Slip-point may archive, others please ask. a href"http: is my archive site /P
P AN: Captain Sharif is based off my Kung Fu teacher, the nicest guy you'd ever meet and one of the deadliest too. grin /P
P I know that the formatting is messed up, that is a problem with As soon as i am able to i will upload the correctly formated version.
P /P
P Personal Log, Harry Kim, Stardate 54973.4 /P
P "With the help of the future Admiral Janeway, we have made it home to earth and have delivered a crippling blow to the Borg, however it also cost her life. Upon returning to Earth, I learned that the rumors were true, Seven of Nine is involved in a 'romantic affiliation' with Commander Chakotay. While this is devastating news for me, I can't help but be happy for her. When I learned that Libby had moved on and gotten married I was happy for her as well. Libby promised me that we could still be friends, but I wouldn't do that to her husband, she's better off never seeing me again. Knowing that she's happy, I too can now move on, unfortunately it was Seven that I wanted to move on too. But that is in the past, I can't help but be happy for Seven, I want her to be happy, even if it is with another man. In the future the pain of losing the one woman I have ever truly loved will be buried in my soul, kept there by dreams of being with her, what else can I do when only dreams remain." /P
P End Log /P
P /P
P Looking back at the entry he had just recorded, Harry Kim was filled with a sadness he had never felt before in his life. /P
P Harry had never felt he was much of a poet, but this one time he was inspired to write a poem. The sad events that he had just revealed in his log had opened a door to his demons and they were longing to escape. The only way he would allow them to escape would be through prose. /P
P Sitting at his desk with a PADD in hand he began to write. /P
P Speaking out loud he said: "Maybe I'll let someone see this poem, someday anyway." /P
P Speaking to himself as he wrote, he felt better about his life, he knew he wasn't crazy and that was good enough for him. /P
P He continued to write, rejecting one poem after another, for hours. If anyone had seen him sitting there with only the desk lamp on, shining over his shoulder onto the PADD, they would have said that this was a different Harry, and they would have been right. /P
P /P
P Two days after recording his final log as I Voyager's /I Ops Officer, Harry and the rest of the crew were all invited to a party in their honor, being thrown by Starfleet. /P
P In his quarters, Harry sat re-reading the invitation that was sent to him. /P
P It read/P
I P "You Are Cordially Invited To The 'Welcome Home Voyager' Celebration As A Guest Of Honor." /P
/I
P /P
P "A party, what fun!" He said sarcastically to no one as he threw the invitation onto the sofa. "Well seeing as how I have been ' I Cordially Invited /I ' I don't see as how I can refuse the invitation." /P
P Moving around his quarters, Harry set about packing away his personal belongings for the trip home to see his parents. /P
P /P
P Half way around the ship, Seven was reading her own invitation and contemplating her own life so far. /P
P "Do I want to go to this celebration? Everyone else will be there, they will all ask questions if I do not attend. However, it will appear very bad if I don't attend when the entire crew has been invited." All this went through her mind as she was packing away her few personal belongings into a crate. /P
P As she finished packing she came to a decision, "I will go." She decided with the certain finality that made her famous among the crew. /P
P Having made up her mind she decided to finish up some final assignments before time to go to the 'celebration'. /P
P /P
P The celebration was held in the Grand Ball Room at an old hotel named "The Hotel Del Coronado" In San Diego California. The hotel was once the playground to the elite of California society, with several movies and television shows filmed there. Tom Paris would have loved it during its heyday. The history of the place alone would intrigue him for years. /P
P The 'Crown Room', as the ballroom is called, was filled to near capacity with the former members of the lost vessel I Voyager /I and their families. Many academy graduates were there to welcome home their former classmates. /P
P The party was in full swing when Owen Paris came out onto the stage set up in one corner. /P
P "May I have your attention please, will the crew of I Voyager /I please come to the stage. We are starting the ceremony." Admiral Owen Paris called over the PA. /P
P The members of I Voyager's /I crew made their way to the stage, after the crew gathered there, the Starfleet Admiralty came out on stage. /P
P "Ladies and Gentleman, Beings of all races. Those gathered on the stage behind me were lost in the Delta Quadrant for 7 years. Upon their return to the Alpha Quadrant they brought with them new technology, information about new races, information on known races, namely the Borg. These people have given much to return to us, many live were lost, and a few were created. Ladies and Gentleman I give you the crew of the I USS Voyager. /I " /P
P Admiral Paris, speaking as spokesman for the Admiralty, moved aside to give applause to I Voyager's /I crew. /P
P After several moments of applause, Admiral Paris got the crowd under control so that commendations and awards could be given. /P
P "Captain Janeway, please come to the podium and present your promotions." Admiral Paris said /P
P "Thank you Admiral, for the past seven years it has been my privilege to serve with the best crew a Captain could ever have. Over the past seven years I have grown to know the people behind me as both officers and as family. It is my honor to give those people their promotions and commendations." /P
P Janeway then called every member of the crew, giving them either promotions or commendations, some receiving both. /P
P The senior staff was the last to receive their commendations, with those of higher rank receiving theirs first. Chakotay was allowed to keep his rank and was promoted to Captain and offered the command of several ships in the fleet. /P
P After many long talks, Starfleet had decided that the Maquis crewmembers had earned their right as Federation Citizens to serve aboard a starship, they had granted a full pardon to all Maquis crewmembers. They were, the Admiralty reasoned, only protecting their homes and lives. /P
P Tuvok was promoted to full Commander. /P
P Both the Paris' were promoted to full Commander as well, with Tom receiving a commendation for his bravery during the Warp 10 test flight. B'Elanna received a commendation for her ability to keep the ship together under conditions that were not conducive to a working vessel. /P
P And last, but not least (well maybe), was Harry. After everyone had received their awards they left the stage and returned to their guests, leaving just Harry, Janeway, and the Starfleet brass. /P
P "And now we come to the close of this ceremony, and the final member of my crew. Ensign Harry Kim has served this ship and her crew valiantly to the point of giving up his life so that they may live. Luckily the Doctor was always able to revive him." A small chuckle rolled through the I Voyager /I crew members, the Doctor with a smug smile on his face. Even though they all knew there was a time when the Doctor couldn't save him. "He has been a role model to the junior members of the crew, and to those of us on the senior staff. I know for a fact that if Harry Kim hadn't been a member of this crew, we would never have gotten home in the amount of time that we did. His dedication to Starfleet is unwavering, and I am proud to have been his Captain. Ensign Harry Kim, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant full grade." /P
P The applause from the crowd was deafening, so it was only Harry who heard what Janeway said in his ear. "Thank you Harry." /P
P After the ceremony, there wasn't much for Harry to hang around for, the party was still going strong but he felt an urge to return to his quarters aboard I Voyager /I . /P
P He left the party as soon as he could, slipping out the door when no one was noticing, or so he thought. There was only one person in the room who saw him leave, Seven of nine. /P
P /P
P Back in his quarters, Harry had finished packing his belongings, they sadly filled the one bag he had brought with him all those years ago, when he came aboard as an Ensign. /P
P "Computer, play music file, 'Kim-jazz-7'" he ordered for what he knew would be the last time. While the sounds of Louis Armstrong filled the nearly deserted quarters, Harry sat on his couch and listened to the soft waves as they gently rushed over him. /P
P He sat there for a few minutes before getting the courage to step through his doors for the last time. /P
P "Computer, end play back and delete all personal music files for Harry Kim." /P
P "Affirmative, deletion complete." /P
P Moving to his window he took a long look at the planet they had tried so hard to get back to for 7 years. Earth, it seemed so foreign to him now, the Delta Quadrant was more of a home. With a final sigh he moved towards his door, stopping when he encountered someone else there. /P
P "Hello Seven, what can I do for you?" he asked, keeping all emotion from his voice. /P
P "You left the celebration early, is it not customary to stay the entire duration?" /P
P "Yes it is, but I really didn't feel like celebrating, so I left to finish packing," he said as he left his quarters, the doors closing with a sad finality. /P
P "You want to know something funny Seven?" he asked as he began walking, not heading anywhere, just walking, she followed beside him. /P
P "Yes," was her only reply, but after knowing her for so long he smiled, knowing she was enthusiastic to hear what he said, how he loved this women/P
P "This mission was I Voyager's /I first mission, her first real mission anyway. We were her first real crew, not counting the shakedown cruise she took. Her first mission and already she's going into the Starfleet Museum along with the I Phoenix /I . Most ships live out their entire service career and never make it to the Museum." /P
P "This vessel has done more good in its short career than most others do in their entire service." /P
P Harry, still in his depression asked the question that was nagging him. /P
P "What good have we done Seven? all I can remember is the bad, the pain, the death. Please tell me what good this ship has done?" /P
P Seven was momentarily startled by his reaction, all his pent up pain came breaking to the surface with his explosion. /P
P "Several things; for one, you freed the Ocampa from the rule of the Kazon. You saved countless lives, you helped the Viidians cure the Phage, and most importantly you severed a Borg from the collective and learned that they can be restored to their former lives. You learned that a Borg severed from the collective can regain all her emotions and feelings, and that she can love, just as if she were never assimilated." /P
P Harry stared at her a few moments before continuing to walk. /P
P "So, what are you going to do now?" He asked, changing the subject. /P
P "I am not sure, the Captain has arranged for me to enroll in the Starfleet Science program." /P
P "So no worries about them studying you then?" /P
P "No, the Captain was very adamant that they not 'dissect' me to see how I 'tick'. She reasoned that since I was a Federation Citizen as a child, I should retain those rights now that I am human again." /P
P Harry only nodded as they reached a destination, the Holodecks. /P
P "Ens … Lieutenant, why have we stopped here?" Seven asked, looking at the holodeck doors. /P
P "Seven, its ok for you to call me Harry. I stopped here to get a few programs before they were erased. You never know when the 'Captain Proton' program might be useful. Or Sandrines, or some of Tom's other programs." /P
P He answered her as he inputted the instructions for the computer to transfer the programs to his PADD. After receiving a acknowledging beep, he removed the PADD and placed it in his duffel bag. /P
P "Well, I guess this is goodbye then," Harry said as he turned to face her. /P
P "Why is that Harry?" she asked, confused by his words. /P
P "Well, you have your life to rebuild, the Science Academy to enter and …" he trailed off, having been moments away from mentioned her relationship with Chakotay. "… and I have my life to rebuild. We'll probably never see each other again." /P
P "I see," she said in a monotone voice, saddened by that though. /P
P "I'd like to say it has been a pleasure knowing you, Seven," he said as he extended his hand to her. She looked at it before slowly accepting it. /P
P "And I you, Harry." She replied, he just smiled before releasing her hand and walking away down the corridor and out of her life forever. /P
P She watched him disappear around the corner before breaking into tears and running after him. She reached to corner only to find nothing. He had vanished into thin air, the long hallway was deserted. /P
P Holding back her tears she ran to Cargo Bay 2 where she fell against the small cot she had begun to use for sleep. The tears began falling as the doors hissed closed. /P
P Harry Kim, the first person to treat Seven as a person, her first friend, was now gone from her life forever. /P
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