Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, I just borrowed them.
Twisting Canon- Part Two
5th Year DQ-Future
"Captain, we're picking up a vessel on sensors," Harry Kim reported.
"Are we within visual range?" Janeway asked. At the affirmative response, she nodded for him to put it on the viewer, raising an amused eyebrow at the Federation shuttle that appeared.
"Of course," she shook her head cynically. "Life signs?"
"I'm detecting one life sign," Kim said, and then paused.
Janeway stood and turned to face him. "Well? Don't keep us in suspense, Ensign."
"It's Ocampan."
Only a slight widening of the eyes revealed the Captain's shock.
"They're hailing."
"Onscreen."
Kes, albeit an older, more weathered Kes, appeared.
"Captain, permission- permission to come aboard." The Ocampa looked to be on death's doorstep, her breath rasping painfully, harsh lines apparent on her face.
"Of course," Janeway told her and ordered her officers, "Open the shuttle bay doors."
She wondered what had happened to her old friend to make her look so bitter, but then thought ironically that Kes could wonder the same of her.
"Captain, the shuttle's speeding up," Ayala from Tactical told her. "Hey, what is she doing? She's too fast- the shuttle's going to collide with us!"
"Kes, you've got to slow down," Janeway said sharply as communications were opened again. "Kes! You're coming in too fast, slow down!"
Voyager shuddered as the shuttle hit her.
"Captain, I'm detecting a transport- Kes has beamed aboard." Shockwaves raced through Voyager. "She's somehow disabling our systems…" he shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand it." The ship jolted beneath their feet. "Bulkhead ruptures are appearing along her path, on Deck 11, Section 17…18…"
"Force fields," Janeway said grimly, as Ayala dispatched a Security team to intercept Kes and apprehend her.
Down on Deck 11, Kes staggered back from the force fields. Her face contemptuous, she straightened and continued forward- with shocking results to those watching.
On the bridge, Kim was bewildered. "She just walked through them like they weren't there," the ensign said incredulously. "I don't understand…why is she doing this?"
The security guards appeared from around the corner, aiming their phasers at Kes.
"Don't move, ma'am," one ordered.
She took a step forward mockingly.
"I'm telling you, don't even think-" the second man was cut off as the bulkhead exploded just by their position, rendering him and his crewmates unconscious.
The destruction continued as Kes moved on.
"She's going to tear the ship apart," whispered Stadi, from the Helm.
Shooting the Lieutenant a cutting look, Janeway said, "And I'll be damned if I'm going to let her. Mr Kim, lock onto my signature and beam me to Kes' position."
"I'm not sure-" the young officer objected, but Janeway fixed that cutting glare on him as well.
"I am. Do it."
Kim obeyed, with a hesitation that betrayed his reluctance.
"Kes!" Janeway called as she materialized in front of the Ocampa. "Stop this!"
The woman drew back in distaste. "Captain."
"Why are you trying to destroy us? What has happened?"
"What has happened?" Kes repeated with outraged disbelief. "What has happened is that I am finally making you pay for corrupting me with your ideals, your beliefs, that's what happened."
"Corrupting you?" Janeway repeated. "What do you mean?"
"I was a child," Kes said, voice shaking with anger. "You brought me on board and made a prisoner out of me! You converted me to your way of thinking, to explore, to discover, well, what I discovered has changed me- and I intend to exact retribution for what you've made me become."
"We didn't make you a prisoner. In case your memory has been affected, let me remind you that the first time we encountered you was after rescuing you from the position of captive to the Kazon," Janeway told her fiercely. "And you, along with Neelix, made the decision- yourselves! - that you wished to stay on board and guide us, help us with our journey. I didn't speak a single word to try and convince you to stay on board; it was your choice entirely!"
Kes looked conflicted for a moment, but her expression hardened. "No, no, you're wrong… you're lying to me!" She snapped a hand out, destroying a section of the wall, but failing to injure Janeway in her confusion. "You're doing it again."
"You have to believe me, Kes-"
"Liar!" Kes drew into herself and focussed on Janeway, who warily shook her head.
"Don't, Kes, I'm not trying- oh!" she flew back, hitting the wall ten metres away and sliding to the ground. Janeway shook her head, trying to clear her vision, and then dragged herself up to meet Kes who was advancing towards her, fury etched on her face.
"So many years," she said in a quiet voice that did nothing to diminish the hysteria the Ocampa was experiencing, "I was out there, facing things you couldn't even imagine-"
"Oh, I doubt that."
"- unbelievable dangers that I barely survived, and the only way I pulled through it was thinking of exactly what I would do to you all for what I've been through, the pain-"
"Oh, for crying out loud, Kes," Janeway said loudly over her. "You think you have a monopoly on pain and unhappiness? Well, rest assured that you most certainly do not. We've been through so much here on Voyager after you left, so don't- don't presume to tell me how you've suffered, because you haven't been here and you have no idea," she stopped to draw in a deep breath, then continued bluntly, "Neelix is dead."
That frank statement made Kes flinch.
"He and five others were killed when the Hirogen boarded the ship. They turned Voyager into one large holodeck, put implants in most of the crew to make us believe we were characters within several holodeck war games and then they hunted us. They 'killed' us many times over, sending us to Sickbay be patched up and then brought right back into the action for the cycle of abuse to begin all over again.
"Before that, alien scientists invaded the ship, conducting medical experiments on us, altering our genetic structure in order to collect data from the results. They claimed it would be instrumental in curing many of the disorders that afflicted those of their race, and that they would continue to use us as their lab rats, regardless of our objection to the torment we were subjected to," Janeway picked her words ruthlessly, watching the effect on the woman she used to know, hoping to shock her back into sanity or something similar, "regardless of the deteriorating state of the crew. I finally had to order Tom fly us through a binary pulsar in order to persuade our unwanted guests to leave, and that suicidal order demonstrates how unbearable they made our lives, for me to risk the entire crew to rid ourselves of the aliens," Janeway began to move, stepping towards Kes as her intensity grew.
"Before that was our 'Year of Hell'.You weren't there for the entire duration. You remember the Krenim? Or at least, one of their captains, who was trying to restore the old empire to its former glory after the collapse of his society. Admirable sentiments, except that he was willing to eradicate entire species with the temporal weapon that brought about the destruction in the first place. And unfortunately, we were in the way. Months passed with us on continuous red alert, being attacked at every turn, but you got out before the worst of it. Voyager's one child, Naomi Wildman, was killed during that period. As was- Commander Chakotay.
"And the Borg. Where do I begin with the Borg?" the Captain continued coldly.
"Enough!" Kes cried. "Enough, you've made your point."
"Have I?" she asked, taking another step closer to Kes for emphasis. "Nothing I ever did, no actions I ever took," Janeway said slowly, emotion choking some of the words, "were ever intended to result in harm to you. Never."
"Look at me," Kes told her, less furious than before. "Look at me, how I've changed. I'm not the Kes you knew. All those years out there on my own…I need to be with people, that- I just," despair transformed her face. "I can't stand being alone- but I've changed too much! My own people would be frightened by me, of what I am now."
"I'm sorry that the years have not been any kinder to you. They've been hard on all of us," Janeway let down her mask long enough to let the Ocampa see the weariness and the grief that she lived with day after day. "Especially on the living. So many of us have lost loved ones."
"Neelix?"
Her former Captain sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid so. It was a brutal way to tell you, and I apologize for that. You understand why I had to."
"Yes," Kes looked back behind her at the damage she had wrought. "Yes, I do. I was so angry…and oh, Captain, I'm so sorry about Commander Chakotay. I know the two of you had a special relationship."
The pain on Janeway's face increased at the mention of her late First Officer. "Yes," her voice thickened. "Thank you." She cleared her throat. "So, Kes, if you don't mind my asking- what was the real reason you were so incensed?"
There was wonder in her voice as Kes said, "It's been a few years and you still don't miss a thing. I'm not proud of my behaviour, but when I realized I was dying…" she shook her head helplessly. "I am the first of my kind to develop my abilities to this extent, past that of Tanis and his people. I am six years old, Captain- and I am dying. The average life span was nine, then Tanis said that he had known of Ocampans who lived up to fourteen and-"
"I think I understand," Janeway said, realizing what had brought on Kes' desire for revenge that had almost meant the annihilation of Voyager. "Your superior powers led to a premature onset of the morilogium."
She looked resigned. "Yes, Captain."
"Oh, Kes, I wish that you had felt you could tell us that in the first place without resorting to such drastic measures." She was serious about the first part, half jesting with the second. "Now, do you have an idea how much longer you have?"
"I- no, as I said, I'm the first, well, in centuries, to have developed my mental abilities to this level. I have no idea how much it has affected me, other than my growth has been accelerated and that I am now in the final phase of my life."
"Then we'd better hurry, hadn't we?"
"Captain?" Kes asked, confused.
Janeway put an arm around her. "It's not every day a cherished friend returns to us and I'm not going to just let you die. I can't promise results, but I will promise that we'll do everything we can to help stop your premature aging. All right?"
"All right," a expression of disbelief flitted over the Ocampa's fatigued face.
"Let's get to Sickbay."
Kes stopped her for a minute. "Thank you, Captain. For not holding what happened today against me. For being here with me."
"You're part of the family," Janeway said simply. "Not to trivialize your experience, but all children throw tantrums. You should meet the newest member of the crew, former Borg drone Seven of Nine. Now she's been one of the more troublesome ones, but I'm working on her…"
"Doctor," Janeway called as she entered Sickbay with Kes.
"Why, how kind of you to drop by," the hologram greeted her, "just in time for-" the Doctor looked from Janeway to Kes, and back.
With a wicked grin, the Captain asked demurely, "Doctor, you remember Kes, don't you? On the ship for a few years, helped you in Sickbay…?"
"Of course I remember," he retorted waspishly, donning a bright smile as he put his hands on Kes' shoulders, "Hello, Kes, and welcome back. It's good to see you again," before glaring at the Captain, "My memory is not subject to amendment without notice, unlike yours, since I recall quite clearly asking you to report to Sickbay a week ago."
"I was busy."
"Ah, yes, the glorious life style of a Federation starship captain. You're the one in charge, you wake up and tell yourself, 'today, I am going to be worthy of my rank and make sure I go to Sickbay, damn the schedule'," he instructed her. "Now, Kes, whatever are you doing back? We never expected to see you again. Not even a postcard."
"Sorry, Doctor. It's been busy," a genuine smile stirred on her face.
"Not you too," he groaned. "A few minutes and already the Captain's a bad influence on you. This really must change," he told Janeway sternly, "you have to set an example for the crew."
"So, Doctor, have you picked a name yet?" Kes asked, truly curious.
"No," he sighed. "I just can't seem to make up my mind. I considered Pyong Ko, a twenty-first surgeon who discovered the genetic sequence for inhibiting cancer cells. Others worthy of immortalisation in the form of my humble but inspired program were Mozart and Van Gogh, fairly self-explanatory; Jarvik, another doctor, an American physician and developer of the first artificial heart; Pasteur, a French chemist who developed a process for killing germs in food and drink-"
"Yes, Doctor, I believe she gets the picture," Janeway said, sharing an amused smile with Kes. "We have work to do."
"Well," the Doctor looked affronted. "Why didn't you say so?"
"Kes has entered the morilogium," the Captain held up a hand to forestall the Doctor's protest, "I know she's young, but we believe it has to do with the advanced nature of her mental abilities."
"I see. Hmm," the Doctor seemed lost in thought.
After waiting quite a few moments, Janeway prompted, "'Hmm', Doctor? What is the medical nature of 'hmm'?"
"Oh, Captain, yes, I was thinking back to when Kes was on board, shortly after her premature elogium," he said. "I had decided to investigate techniques that would work to deter, or at least, delay the onset of the morilogium."
"And what were your results?" Janeway asked.
"Inconclusive. I came up with a highly experimental procedure that had a very good probability of success; it involves a bio-temporal chamber," the Doctor explained. "Its only flaw is that it hasn't been tested before. After your departure," he said aside to Kes, "further study was no longer necessary. I never anticipated you would return, else I would have continued my research."
"Don't worry about it, Doctor," Kes soothed the regretful hologram. "I'm glad you decided to look into it in the first place."
"When can you perform this procedure by?" Janeway asked the important question.
"Right away," he assured her.
Janeway let out a deep breath, glancing at Kes. "Well, shall we?"
The Ocampa nodded, looking a little apprehensive.
"It's nothing to worry about," the Doctor said. "It won't hurt at all."
"I believe you," Kes said, trying to sound convinced and to keep up a positive front, as the procedure began. Janeway, who stood on the other side of the forcefield, smiled reassuringly. "I'm all right, Captain."
"Just stay that way. Chin up. That's an order," the older woman teased.
"Yes, ma'am!" Kes answered, but then rubbed her arms as cold bit into her. "Doctor? I'm feeling cold all of a sudden…"
"Yes, your temperature is 2 degrees lower than the average for an Ocampa- 16.3 degrees Centigrade," the Doctor noted with concern.
Then suddenly, the ship tilted crazily around her and Kes screamed as her senses were suddenly snuffed out like a candle. Blackness engulfed her…