Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures.

CHAPTER TWENTY

THE VIRUS

"There's an uninhabited m-class planet less than an hour away that appears to contain ruins," Chakotay said, handing his wife a glass of orange juice as she sat up in bed. "It could be the first trace we've found so far of the empire Arlei said once existed in this region."

Kathryn took a sip of her drink. "It could well be." She paused. "Not that you're hankering for a day exploring ancient ruins, of course," she teased.

"Me want to explore ancient ruins? Whatever gave you that idea?"

Kathryn smiled warmly. "Prepare an away team and go and investigate. I'll have Tuvok cover your shift."

"Tuvok?"

"He's almost completed his sentence. And, as Harry's on afternoon shift and I'm prohibited from the bridge, we're going to need him."

She was now just over seven months pregnant and was finding it rather difficult to get around. But years of physical training had kept her in good shape, and the Doctor said she was carrying better than some women half her age. She was no longer allowed to attended the bridge or her ready room, but the Doctor said that she wouldn't need to take complete bed rest so long as she took things easy. He was, however, concerned about the strain her body was experiencing, given her age, and had scheduled a caesarean for June the 18th, a month before the babies were due. She had asked about fetal transportation, but the Doctor had told her that was only generally used during an emergency as it was the most dangerous of all options for both mother and child. There was only three weeks to go now and Kathryn couldn't wait. She knew that Chakotay couldn't wait either. He was more or less running Voyager at the moment, but all major decisions were still referred to her and she was still the first to be informed of any problems.

"Want me to tell him the happy news?"

"No, I'll do it myself. The exercise will do me good." She paused. "But you can tell Roxa he's being released. She'll need the warning."

"I'll do it straight away." He then hesitated. "Perhaps we should invite Tuvok for dinner tomorrow. Start mending bridges." He was concerned about the distance that had grown between Kathryn and Tuvok. She hadn't been to see him once since he was confined.

"It's out of the question," Kathryn said, rather defensively. "What he did almost killed Roxa and Vixi. I'm not about to start acting all paly with him as soon as he's finished his sentence. What kind of message would that give Roxa and Vixi? They are my first priority. They've been through hell, especially the child, and I want them to feel every bit a part of this crew." She paused. "Besides, I'm still damned angry with him."

"He only did what he thought was for the best," Chakotay continued. "And I'm sure Roxa understands that. I've explained to her all about Tuvok's culture and how logic presides over emotion. We can't ostracize Tuvok because of his culture. That amounts to prejudice."

"I've no problem with his culture," Kathryn answered. "I only have a problem with what he did. No other Vulcan decided to take matters into their own hands. Quite the contrary, they obeyed my orders despite what they thought. That was Tuvok's duty too. But no. He had to do what his "logic" told him too. It wasn't a reason, Chakotay. It was an excuse."

"You're going to have to forgive him, Kathryn. You can't throw away all your years of friendship because of this. He thought he was acting in the best interests of the crew."

"I know that, Chakotay. And I've tried to forgive him. I have. And maybe I will in time. But I can't right now. I just can't."


Tuvok was sitting in the brig, meditating, when Kathryn arrived there.

Ensign Skiperton deactivated the forcefield and Kathryn stepped inside. Tuvok was deep in meditation and oblivious to her presence.

"Tuvok," she said at last.

At the sound of his name, the Vulcan broke his meditation and got to his feet. "Captain."

"You're free to go," she said firmly, "and I want you to report for duty within an hour."

"I have not yet served my full sentence," Tuvok answered. "I still have three days remaining."

"Call it early release for good behavior."

"I do not require or desire such benevolence. I undermined your authority and jeopardized the lives of two members of this crew. It is only right that I serve maximum sentence."

Kathryn stepped closer. "You're needed on the bridge. Chakotay is heading an away mission that will be leaving very shortly and Harry is on afternoon shift. Otherwise, I would make you serve maximum sentence." She repeated her previous order. "Report to the bridge within an hour."

"Yes, Captain," Tuvok replied.


Chakotay was almost ready to leave when Kathryn returned to their quarters. He was dressed in full uniform and packing a back pack.

"Arlei, Tenneson, and Borin are coming with me," he said as she entered. "Arlei for obvious reasons and Tenneson and Borin because they have some archaeological training." He paused. "There's only eight hours of daylight on the planet, so we should be back before 6pm."

"Will you transport or take a shuttle?"

"Transport. We don't know what's down there." He smiled. "It would hardly be respectful to land a shuttle in the heart of a burial site."

Kathryn smiled in return. "I don't suppose it would be."

He closed his back pack and then went over to his wife and kissed her cheek.

"See you later."

With that, he left the room, and Kathryn was left alone with a little dog that was looking up at her, eagerly awaiting attention. Kathryn laughed.

"I've barely been gone half an hour, old girl," she said. "You surely can't have missed me already."

But evidently Petal had. No doubt the animal was getting used to her company every day. Perhaps it would be a good idea for Naomi to spend more time with her, perhaps have her every weekend. Otherwise, Petal would get too dependent on her company and that would make it all the harder for the animal when she returned to work after the twins were born.

Kathryn wandered over to the replicator and Petal followed.

"Two small Bedtime Care Bears."

Immediately, two fluffy turquoise Bedtime Care Bears materialized, a navy crescent moon and gold star on their tummys. Kathryn picked them up and admired the cuddly toys. They were no less popular now than they had been three hundred years ago. Some things were ageless.

Petal was eyeing them too and Kathryn laughed . "No, honey, not for you. For Silvie and Stevie."

She made her way to the nursery and manually opened the doors. As they opened, she stepped inside. The nursery was now complete. The ceiling was a sky blue with clouds here and there and the sky extended down the walls until it met with nursery rhyme and fairystory characters. There were all kinds, from Humpty Dumpty to Cinderella, and they were singing, dancing, and playing. A bright yellow sun decorated the wall opposite the door and, covering the floor, was a dark green carpet that matched the grass the characters were standing on. Neither she or Chakotay were great artists, but they had replicated transfers of the characters and put them on the walls. Then all they had to do was color them in with paints. Naomi and Vixi had helped them, coloring in the parts they could reach. It had been a lot of fun.

In the far right corner of the room, Lieutenant Crowman had put in a lavatory, which was accessible by a door. Beneath the sun, Chakotay had put up two shelves that ran the complete length of the wall and over the past few weeks, Kathryn had replicated some cuddly toys and lined them up on the shelves. She wished she could fill the shelves with soft toys, but she didn't want to needlessly use up resources. Chakotay had also finished making the cot and they had put it just left of the door, distance enough from the window for the cot to be accessed at both sides. It was made of pinewood and a petition of bars divided the cot into two. The craftmanship was impressive. Chakotay had engraved a beautiful star at the head of one cot and a crescent moon on the other. Beneath the star he had engraved "Silvia" in italics, and beneath the moon, "Silvesta." He truly was a skilled craftsman, and, after seeing the cot, B'Elanna had asked him to make a headboard for Miral, to be used on her bed when she was older.

Kathryn wandered over to the cot now and placed a Care Bear in each of them. As she did so, the door chime sounded. Kathryn drew away from the cot and wandered back into the living room.

"Come in."

It was Celes. She carried a brown paper bag in her right hand. "Some freshly baked brownies from Roxa," she smiled. "She asked me to give them to you."

Kathryn took the bag gratefully. "Thank you."

"Seven also wants to know if you would like to have lunch with her today."

"I would love to," Kathryn smiled. "What time?"

"12.30 in her quarters."

"Tell her I'll be there." She opened the bag of brownies and peeped inside. "Mmmm, these smell delicious." The aroma was irresistible and Kathryn couldn't help take out a brownie and take a bite. "Taste delicious too." She held out the bag to Celes. "Help yourself."

Celes took a brownie and then looked around the room as she ate it. "No Petal, today?"

Kathryn cast her eyes quickly around the room. "Damn, she must be still in the nursery."

Kathryn returned to the nursery and there was Petal, lying on her front in the middle of the room, happily chewing a small white fluffy bunny.

"Oh Petal," Kathryn exclaimed.

Celes laughed. "I'll get her, Captain."

Celes went into the room and picked the animal up, retrieving the bunny as she did so.

As they left the nursery, she handed the toy to Kathryn.

"I don't know how she got it," Kathryn said, looking at the bunny. "I swear she must be an acrobat." Then she looked up at Petal and tickled her chin. "And looks like you got your prize. All yours."

She tossed the toy to the carpet, and Petal immediately retrieved it as soon as Celes put her to the floor.

"Are you sure you'll be able to manage the twins and Petal?" Kathryn asked. "She's quite a handful."

Celes smiled. "So long a she's in a dog pen, I'll be fine."


Seven placed a dinner of roast potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and chicken covered in gravy before her captain as they had lunch together in her quarters.

"Looks and smells great," Kathryn smiled. "But you really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble."

"It was no trouble, Captain. And such nourishment is essential in your condition."

"Then I should be pregnant more often," Kathryn teased. "First brownies from Roxa, and now a dinner from you. I'm quite spoiled."

"We all simply wish to ensure your well being during your confinement, just as you have always ensured ours."

Kathryn smiled, touched by the sentiment. "And I'm very grateful." She cut up a piece of chicken. "But you're supposed to be taking it easy aswell. You're recovering from a serious operation."

"I am fine, Captain."

"Still, you don't want to exert yourself."

"I am aware of my capabilities." She took a sip of water. "And speaking of capabilities, Arlei and I discussed the slip stream technology yesterday, and together we may be able to find a way of perfecting it."

Kathryn's eyes lit up. "That would be wonderful, Seven. Truly wonderful." She then groaned and put her hand to her bump.

Seven looked at her in concern. "Are you ill, Captain?"

"No," she answered. "Silvie and Stevie have just decide they want a round of kickboxing. With this force, they'll be Federation champions." She put down her knife and fork. "Come and feel."

"I do not think that..."

"Oh, come on, Seven," Kathryn insisted.

Seven reluctantly got up and went over to her. Kathryn took her hand and placed it over her bump.

"I do not feel anything," Seven said bluntly.

"Wait a moment," Kathryn answered.

Then there was a vicious little kick. "There," Kathryn smiled. There was another. "And again."

"Most... enthralling," Seven said, her tone sarcastic.

"Just think," Kathryn smiled. "You can have one of your very own one day."

Seven withdrew her hand. "I cannot, Captain," she said, returning to her seat. "My implants mean I can never bear a child."

Kathryn looked at Seven sadly. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

"I am not," Seven replied. "Children would be burdensome."

"You don't really mean that," Kathryn said.

"I assure you I do."

"But you're so good with children." Kathryn picked up her knife and fork again. "And not being able to bear a child doesn't mean you can't have children. There are other ways. Surrogacy, adoption. There are many children in need of a home."

"Then I shall consider such options if I ever develop the desire to be a parent," Seven answered. "Now, I suggest we eat. Our dinner is getting cold."

"Yes, Ma'am," Kathryn smiled.


The afternoon was slow. Kathryn got out her knitting bag while Petal slept soundly at her feet. She had finished one set of baby clothes and was now working on an identical set. That too was almost complete. She only had one white bootee to go. As she began to knit, the doors opened and Chakotay came in.

"You're early," she said.

"We got caught up in a storm," he explained. "We thought it best to return to the ship. "

"Make any discoveries?"

"Nothing. We managed to take a look at a couple of ruins, but that's about it."

"That's too bad. I hope Arlei isn't too disappointed. I know how much she wants to find some trace of her ancestors."

"To be honest, I think she's more interested in locating a thriving civilization than the ruins of a past one. She's eager to inform them of her homeworld."

"Then let's hope we find one, although it isn't looking too good. There's only two solar systems left to explore."

"Yes. But, in my experience," he smiled, "last is always successful." He then gestured to his mud covered uniform. "I'm just going to have a shower. The planet's surface was like a mud bath."

"Alright. Anything I can get you to eat?"

"No, I'll go and grab something in the mess hall before I report to the bridge for a few hours."

He smiled and then left for the bathroom. As he did so, B'Elanna's voice sounded over the comm.

"Torres to Janeway."

"Janeway here."

"We can't go to warp, Captain," she said. "There's a problem with the warp core."

"What kind of problem?"

"I'm not sure exactly. It keeps shutting down. But I don't think it's serious. It's probably just a short circuit somewhere. I'm running a full diagnostic. It shouldn't take more than an hour."

"Acknowledged, keep me informed."


Half an hour later, Chakotay was on his way to the mess hall. As he approached the doors, they opened and a very distressed Vixi ran out of them. She ran blindly into him and screamed hysterically as a male form blocked her flight path.

Chakotay put his hands on her shoulders. "It's alright," he said gently. "It's alright."

At the sound of Chakotay's voice, the little girl clung to his legs tightly. Chakotay gently lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her arms around his neck, weeping onto his shoulder.

The doors opened again and Harry appeared. Chakotay questioned him.

"What happened?"

"Roxa left her alone with Ayala and I while well she went to take a snack to Ensign Philips in sickbay. When Tuvok came in, Vixi lost it."

"I see," Chakotay answered, everything suddenly clear. "When Roxa returns, tell her Vixi's with me."


Kathryn was sewing together her last bootee when Chakotay returned to their quarters. She cast aside the bootee when she saw that he was carrying a tearful Vixi.

"Vixi had a little upset in the mess hall ," he said quietly, putting her to her feet.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kathryn said kindly.

Chakotay went to sit on the couch and Vixi stood where he had left her, fresh tears welling in her eyes. Chakotay opened his arms to her and Kathryn watched as Vixi went over to him and climbed onto his lap. She leant against him and Chakotay held her close. The child had bonded well with Chakotay, saw in him a replacement father figure, perhaps, or a replacement uncle. The trust Vixi had come to display in him touched Kathryn's heart and she was so glad it was a trust that could be relied on, a trust that would never be abused.

"What happened?" She asked.

Chakotay hesitated with his answer. "Roxa left her alone with Harry and Ayala while she went to sickbay and Vixi got upset when she saw Tuvok enter."

Kathryn's face hardened and she fought to subdue her anger. "I see."

"But everything's alright now," Chakotay said. He then addressed Vixi. "And you don't have to be afraid of Tuvok," he said gently. "He won't hurt you."

Vixi drew away from Chakotay and looked up at him, her tearful pink eyes searching his. "Then why did he try and send us back?"

Chakotay brushed a strand of her pink hair away from her face. "He thought he had no other choice, sweetheart. He wouldn't have done it otherwise. He's a good man. He just isn't like you and me. He doesn't feel things the same. We all tried to save you because we cared about you, but our chances of success weren't very high, which meant we could all die. Tuvok had realized that and, because he isn't as emotional as us, thought the best way to guarantee saving us all would be to send you back. It's just the way his mind works. It isn't a reflection on who he is. As I say, he's a good, kind, man, and would never hurt you or your mother."

The door chime sounded and Kathryn called out

"Come in."

Roxa entered, her face flushed and full of concern. It ebbed somewhat when she saw her daughter sitting comfortably on Chakotay's lap.

"I see you got my message," Chakotay smiled.

"Yes," she answered. "Is everything alright?"

"It is now," he replied kindly. "Vixi just had a little fright when she saw Tuvok in the mess hall. But she's alright now."

Tears welled in Roxa's eyes as she looked at her beloved child and the ache in her heart was visible in her eyes. Kathryn got up and went over to her.

"I'll inform Tuvok to keep his distance from you both in the future."

Roxa looked up at Kathryn now. "No. There's no need for that. He was only doing what he thought was right. I thought Vixi understood that."

She could hold back the tears no more and wept softly, the weeks of strain and uncertainty telling on her. Kathryn caressed her arm softly and wished she could draw her close, but her now large bump would get in the way. Vixi's eyes darkened as she saw her mother cry and she climbed from Chakotay's lap. She made her way over to her mother and stood before her.

"I understand, Mama," she said quietly. "I understand."

At that, Roxa reached for her daughter and hugged her close for a moment. Then she drew away, wiping away tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Captain. Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive," Kathryn replied quietly. She then put her hand to Roxa's shoulder again. "Take the rest of the afternoon off. You and Vixi do whatever you want."

"No, really, Captain," Roxa protested.

"No arguments. I insist."

Roxa smiled. "Very well, Captain."

Roxa and Vixi then left and, as the doors closed behind them, Kathryn let off steam.

"Damn Tuvok. Damn him!"

Chakotay got up and went over to her. "This wasn't his fault. Vixi just didn't understand."

"It damn right is his fault," she cried. "I wanted this ship to be a haven for Roxa and Vixi. Somewhere they can feel safe. How can that child ever feel safe with Tuvok onboard?"

"It might take some time, but she will."

Kathryn was about to speak when B'Elanna's voice sounded over the comm.

"Torres to Janeway."

"Go ahead," Kathryn said, her voice sharper than usual.

"The diagnostic is complete, but it hasn't found any problems. Everything seems to be fine."

"Then why does the warp core keep shutting down?"

"I don't know, Captain. It's going to take some time to figure it out. Arlei's taking over."

"Acknowledged. Thanks for the update."

As the connection terminated, Kathryn put her hand to her brow. "A malfunctioning warp core is all we need..."

Chakotay put his hand on her shoulder. "It will be fixed. Just relax. Everything's under control."

Kathryn took a deep breath and then looked up at him. "Have you had something to eat?"

"No, but I'll grab a sandwich in the ready room."

"Just make sure you do." She put her hand over his and squeezed it. "Now, you'd better get going before this ship becomes a mad house."

Chakotay looked at her, concern in his eyes. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine." She gestured to Petal who was watching them avidly. "Don't forget, I'm under guard."

Chakotay smiled and Kathryn squeezed his hand again. "Go."

At that, Chakotay reluctantly left and the doors shut behind him.

Kathryn turned to Petal who was wagging her tail and vying for attention.

"How would you like to go and play with Naomi?"

The animal was so alert now that there was no hope of five minutes peace so she could finish her bootee.

Petal barked at the sound of "play" and "Naomi" and Kathryn smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes." She hit her commbadge. "Janeway to Naomi. Petal's all yours if you want her for a few hours."

Naomi's voice instantly answered. "I'll be right there, Captain."


Three hours later, there was still no sign of the ship going to warp. Kathryn took a sip of hot milk and looked out at the still stars around her. She had finished her last bootee and now had nothing to do. Chakotay was still on the bridge and Petal was still with Naomi. Kathryn finished her drink and then slowly got to her feet. She would go down to Engineering and see what was happening. It wouldn't be too strenuous and would occupy her mind.


Engineering was almost deserted when Kathryn arrived there. She walked over to Arlei who was busy working a console.

"Any luck isolating the problem?"

"It appears to be some kind of computer virus," Arlei replied. "At the moment it seems only to be effecting Engineering, but it might start effecting other areas of the ship too. I've managed to locate the file and, while it's open and feeding information to our system, I can't access it as it's encrypted. I can't delete or destroy it either. The only way I can hope to disable it is if I can access the file." She paused. "I believe this is the only file, the only infection, but Seven's on her way to the bridge to search through the rest of the ship's systems. Now we know what to look for, she'll be able to determine very quickly whether there are more."

Kathryn was concerned now. A virus could cause severe damage to the ship's main computer and cripple many systems. "This virus, where has it come from?"

"I don't know, Captain. It's encrypted well. I can't learn anything about it. But it would have to have been deliberately implanted."

"The Voril?"

"Possibly. But at this moment it's impossible to say. It could be months or even years old. I'm running an automated password generator. It will try every combination possible. To be infecting our system, the script language has to be one that our computer understands. And because it's feeding information to the system, if the creators used any unusual characters in encrypting it, those characters will have been downloaded as soon as the file opened itself, and will be detected by the generator." She paused. "Once it's generated the correct password, all contents of the file will be displayed and I can disable the virus."

"But to be on the safe side," Kathryn said. "Eject the warp core. We don't want to risk any damage to it." There was no knowing what the virus was programmed to do.

"Yes, Captain," Arlei replied, and immediately obeyed the command.

As the warp core was ejected, Chakotay's voice sounded. "Chakotay to Engineering. Report."

"I'm ejecting the warp core on the Captain's orders," Arlei answered.

"Acknowledged. Chakotay out."

His voice then sounded again. "Chakotay to Janeway."

Kathryn smiled at Arlei as she responded. "Go ahead."

"Did you instruct Arlei to eject the warp core?"

"I did," she replied. "There's a virus in our system that may cause untold damage if it isn't disabled. This region of space is owned by no one. The warp core is safer out there than onboard right now. We can retrieve it later."

"I just wanted to be sure," he replied.

"I understand. Janeway out."

The warp core was now ejected and Kathryn looked up at the empty space. Then her eyes moved to the console Arlei was working on and suddenly a terrible thought occurred to her. Accessing that file might cause an explosive reaction.

"Stop the generator," she cried.

Arlei turned to her, not understanding. "Captain?"

"If we access that file, it may cause an explosion."

At that, Arlei immediately tried to stop the generator. But it was useless. Nothing she did worked. "I can't stop it, Captain. Controls won't respond..."

Kathryn swallowed. "Keep trying," she said. "You've got to stop it..."

"I can't," Arlei cried. "All I can do it try to withhold power ... shut it down..."

Kathryn looked around Engineering, about to tell everyone to vacate, when she realized that she and Arlei were now completely alone. A fear gripped her. A horrifying realization. This was it. This was the moment she and Arlei had died in the future she had witnessed. They had tried to stop the generator, failed, and been killed in the explosion.

"Leave it," Kathryn cried. "We've got to get out of here." She hit her commbadge. "Janeway to transporter room one. Two emergency beam outs at Engineering."

There was no response.

"It's blocking communication," Kathryn cried. "We've got to leg it."

"It will stop without power, Captain," Arlei insisted. "I just need too..."

"Just get the hell out of here," Kathryn cried. "Go!"

"But?"

"Go! I'll follow..."

Arlei dared not disobey and hurried from Engineering. Within seconds, she was out of the doors and they shut behind her. Kathryn followed her as quickly as she could, but in her condition couldn't escape as fast. It seemed ages before she reached the doors and, when she did, found they wouldn't open. She pounded the manual button with the palm of her hand. "Come on, come on!"

But nothing. Then there were a deafening sound and Kathryn flew through the air as all the consoles in Engineering exploded.


The bridge shook and Chakotay immediately got to his feet.

"Report?"

Tuvok worked his console. "There was an explosion. Engineering."

Harry looked up at the Vulcan, fear in his eyes. "Arlei..."

Chakotay addressed Tuvok. "Casualties?"

"I can't get a reading."

Chakotay hit his commbadge. "Chakotay to Arlei."

There was no response.

"Chakotay to Arlei. Please respond."

Nothing.

"I'm going down there," Harry said.

Before Chakotay could say anything, Harry was leaving the bridge.

"I'm going too," Tom said. "B'Elanna was on her way there..."

Chakotay caught his arm. "You'll be needed in sickbay. Go there."

"But..."

"Now!"

"Yes, Sir," Tom answered.

As Tom left the bridge, Chakotay hit his commbadge. "Chakotay to Janeway."

There was no response.

"Chakotay to Janeway."

Tuvok interrupted. "Communication is down, Commander."

Chakotay turned to Ensign Wallis who stood at his right. "The Captain will be wondering what has happened. Go to our quarters and inform her."

"Yes, Sir," the young man answered.


Black smoke and fire was everywhere. Engineering doors were now working and Arlei ploughed through the thick smog in a desperate attempt to find the captain. The smoke was choking and the heat scorching, but she had to find the captain.

Then at last she saw her. She was lying lifelessly on her back on the floor, her head at an awkward angle and streaming with blood. Arlei knelt beside her and searched for her pulse. Frightened tears welled in her eyes when she couldn't find it.

"No," she cried. "No, Captain..."

She hit her commbadge and coughed as she spoke. "Arlei to transporter room one. Transport the captain to sickbay. Arlei to sickbay. Medical Emergency."

Nothing happened. Either communication was still blocked or communication was down.

Not knowing what else to do, Arlei got hold of Kathryn and dragged her towards the doors. Coughing, she manually opened the doors and then dragged Kathryn outside. Smoke quickly filled the dark corridor and Arlei tried to close the doors as quickly as she could. She then dragged Kathryn away from the smog and tried her commbadge again.

"Arlei to transporter room one," she cried, tearful now. "Transport the captain to sickbay. Arlei to sickbay. Medical Emergency."

Again nothing happened. Now desperate, Arlei knelt beside Kathryn, tilted her head, and tried to give her mouth to mouth resuscitation.

"Breathe, Captain," she wept. "Please, breathe..."

But it was no use. The captain lay still beneath her. Perfectly still. And Arlei had no more breath to give. Her chest was tight and she collapsed beside the captain, heaving from asphyxiation.

At last she heard movement in the corridor and turned in the direction of the sound. Summoning all the breath that she could, she called out.

"Help us," she cried. "Help us, please..."

Within seconds, B'Elanna was beside her and Arlei tried to raise herself.

"The captain's dead," Arlei wept. "Not breathing..."

B'Elanna stared aghast at Kathryn's lifeless body and it was a moment before she could do or say anything. Then her senses and training kicked in. "We've got to get her to sickbay."

"Communication's not working," Arlei heard another woman say. "Can't get a transport..."

B'Elanna now turned to Ayala who was standing close by. "Go to transporter room one and request transport."

He didn't move, just stared at his captain in horror.

B'Elanna almost screamed at him. "Quickly!"

Ayala responded now and hurried down the corridor.

B'Elanna then turned back to Arlei who was clearly in shock and suffering from asphyxiation.

"We've got to get you to sickbay too," she said, coughing as the smoke hanging in the air began to irritate her throat.

"Not leaving her," Arlei wept. "Shouldn't have left her. All my fault..."

"She'll be alright," B'Elanna said, wrapping her arm around the trembling woman. "The Doctor will revive her."

He had too.

Harry suddenly came charging down the corridor, breathless and sweating.

"Harry," B'Elanna said as he approached. "Get Arlei to sickbay..."

"No," Arlei cried. "Not leaving her..."

Harry stared at the lifeless woman on the floor before them and his eyes widened in alarm when he realized it was the captain. "No," he said, "not the Captain..."

"She'll be alright," B'Elanna said. "Just get Arlei to sickbay."


Several of the ship's systems had been damaged during the explosion and Chakotay, Seven, and Tuvok tried to handle the crisis as best as they could from the bridge.

Chakotay questioned Tuvok. "How many crew members can now be accounted for?"

"Ninety eight and rising," Tuvok answered. "Lieutenant Torres and Arlei amongst them."

Chakotay felt a surge of relief at that. Evidently Arlei had managed to escape prior to the explosion. And if Engineering had been evacuated, there would be no casualties. Certainly no fatalities.

Ensign Wallis returned to the bridge and approached Chakotay. "The Captain wasn't at your quarters, Sir."

"Then she's probably gone to the mess hall to try and find out what's happening. Go and look for her."

"Yes, Sir."

Seven spoke next. "We may retrieve the warp core, Commander. The explosion was the result of the virus self destructing. It will no longer be a threat to us."

Chakotay addressed Tuvok. "Retrieve the warp core and store it in the holodeck." He then turned to Lieutenant Fielding. "Divide all uninjured crew into teams. I want repairs under way as soon as possible."

"Yes, Sir," he answered.

The doors to the bridge opened and this time B'Elanna came in. Her uniform was soiled by smoke, her face was dirty, and her eyes glazed, almost vacant. Chakotay approached her.

"You shouldn't be here," he said gently. "You need to go to sickbay."

"I'm fine," B'Elanna said, looking up at him. "It's...It's the captain..."

Chakotay flinched."What about her?"

Tears welled in B'Elanna's eyes. "She was there... caught in the explosion. We've sent her to sickbay."

Without a word, Chakotay pushed passed her and left the bridge.


Sickbay doors were unusually locked when Chakotay arrived there. He desperately rang the door chime and, a few moments later, the doors opened and Tom stood before him. His face was pale, his eyes heavy.

"Chakotay," he said quietly. "Come in."

Chakotay went in and froze in horror at the sight before him. It was as though he had walked into a nightmare. The worst nightmare imaginable. To his left, Kathryn was lying flat on a biobed, and to his right, there were two incubators, each containing what appeared to be a baby. The Doctor was attending to one, fixing a tube to its body. Inside the Doctor's office, Arlei and Harry were holding each other and weeping.

Chakotay could hardly get his words. "What's going on?"

"We had to remove the babies from the Captain," Tom said, trying hard to keep a grip on his own emotions. "We transported them directly from the womb to the incubator. They're going to be fine. Just fine."

Chakotay turned in his wife's direction. "And Kathryn?"

Tom put his hand on Chakotay's arm and struggled to find the words. "She suffered severe brain trauma," he said at last. "There was nothing we could do. I'm so sorry."

Chakotay stared at Tom for a long moment. The agony on his face was terrible to behold and Tom never wanted to see such a look on another humanoid again. "No," Chakotay said quietly, struggling to breathe. "No ... not Kathryn..."

"I'm so sorry," Tom said again, not knowing what else to say. "I'm so sorry."

Dazed, bewildered, Chakotay walked away from him and wandered over to where Kathryn lay. She was dressed in a long white robe and her ginger hair tumbled over her shoulders. There was no sign of injury. She looked as though she was sleeping. With a trembling hand, Chakotay reached out and touched her face. She was cold. So cold.

He shook his head and then turned to the Doctor who was now watching him. "You've got to help her, Doctor. You've got to do something."

The Doctor walked over to him and stood very close.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Her injuries were too severe."

"I don't believe it," Chakotay cried. "There's got to be something...Look at her...Look at her... she looks alright...she..."

"Lieutenant Paris restored her appearance, Commander," the Doctor said. "But we can't repair her brain. The damage was too severe. I'm sorry."

Chakotay was weeping now. "But there has to be something." He turned back to Kathryn and looked down at her. "She can't be dead. She can't. Not Kathryn. Not my Kathryn. Please..."

Tom had to look away from the scene and wished he could fly a million light years away from what was happening.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said again. "I'm so sorry."

Chakotay collapsed on a stool beside the bed and stared down at his wife, touching her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. "No," he wept. "No, Kathryn. Please... Please..."

But she didn't move. She just lay there, lifeless and cold. And there was nothing he could do. There was nothing he could do to give her life again. Her heart was still and no breath left her body. Kathryn was gone. His Kathryn was gone. Never again would her blue eyes open and look into his. Never again would he hear her laugh or talk or shout orders to him on the bridge. Her lips would be forever still.

It was too much to bear. Chakotay cried out in absolute despair and then gathered Kathryn in his arms and crushed her against him as agonizing sobs racked his body.

END OF CHAPTER TWENTY