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BEFORE THE DAWN
(PG:13)

Chapter Seven

Russet leaves fell from tall trees as Ebony ran around the garden of Kathryn's small house in Bloomington. Chakotay had gone on a two week archaeological excursion to Tarlika Prime, and Kathryn was looking after the dog in his absence. From a window in her study, she watched the animal play for a while, and sadness mixed with longing filled her heart as she thought about the life she and Chakotay could have had together. They had only been a couple for a short time, but it had been the happiest time of her life. Now their divorce would be finalized any day, and they would no longer be bound to each other.

Feeling rather thirsty, Kathryn wandered over to the replicator and was just about to replicate a cup of steaming black coffee, when the door chime sounded. Kathryn sighed. Who could it be at this hour? It was almost 7pm and she was expecting no one. Neither was she in the mood to entertain. She had a lot of work to do and looking after Ebony was distracting enough. Reluctantly, she left her study and crossed her small living room on her way to the door. Before opening the door, she peeped into her security monitor to see who was there. It was Professor Curtis Bland, head of Chakotay's department. He was a tall, lean, man with wavy silver hair that fell over gray eyes, and he had a distinctive mole on his left cheek. Surprised to see him, she opened the door.

"Professor Bland..."

"Hello, Admiral," he said quietly. His face was pale and his eyes were heavy. "I'm sorry to trouble you at this hour, but I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Kathryn swallowed and instinctively said what first came to her mind. "Chakotay?"

The man nodded. "It would be better for us to go inside."

Kathryn stepped aside, her stomach churning. "Come in."

Professor Bland entered and Kathryn closed the door.

"What's happened?"

The Professor looked in the direction of a fawn couch in the living room and gestured to it. "I think you should sit, Admiral."

"I'm fine standing," she said, her tone sharper than she intended. "Just tell me what's happened."

The man took a deep breath before speaking. "There's been an accident. Chakotay was exploring some ancient mines witha team of archaelogists when a section he entered collapsed. I don't know how it happened because he was too well experienced to enter an unstable area, but perhaps his equipment failed or he overlooked something." He paused and tears filled his eyes. "The surface team did everything they could to save him, but he was severely injured and died three hours ago. I'm sorry."

Kathryn stared at him, her face bloodless, and for a moment the Professor thought she was going to faint. He stepped forward and gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Is there someone I can call?"

Kathryn made no reply, just continued to stare ahead.

"Admiral..."

"I want to see him," she said quietly. "I want to see Chakotay..."

The Professor nodded. "I'll take you to Tarlika. It will be several days before we're allowed to bring his body home as an official enquiry needs to be made." He paused. "But I think someone should come with us. A family member, a friend..."

"No," Kathryn replied. "I don't want anyone. I...Let's just go."

The Professor wasn't happy about this, but didn't want to argue. "Ok."

"I'll just collect some things," Kathryn continued, visibly dazed, "and get someone to look after Ebony."

It was day on Tarlika Prime when Kathryn arrived there five hours later with Professor Bland. They transported from his shuttle straight to Darlock hospital, which was a large modern building catering for the medical and mortuary needs of the entire planet. Tarlika only had a population of 700,000, consisting mostly of humans who had settled there in 2219, and Darlock was it's only city.

Professor Bland lead Kathryn down what seemed a labyrinth of corridors until they reached the mortuary. Each one was the same as the last, and they were all a blur in Kathryn's bewildered mind.

A kind male attendant with blonde hair and brown eyes showed Kathryn into a small room, and then left her alone. There was only one biobed in the sterile room, and Kathryn's heart contorted in agony when she saw Chakotay lying lifelessly upon it, a white sheet covering most of his body. Hardly able to breathe, Kathryn collapsed on a stool beside the bed. Trembling violently she gripped Chakotay's left hand and the rings they had exchanged on their wedding day touched. Neither of them had removed the ring. Only once had Kathryn taken it off since the day they were married, and that was only very briefly when she visited Chakotay to tell him she wanted a divorce.

"I'm sorry," she said tearfully. "I'm so sorry..."

There were cuts and bruises on Chakotay's face, upper chest and arms, and Kathryn gazed at them before settling her eyes on his face once more. His dear, beloved, face.

"I never meant for this to happen," she wept. "I never meant for any of this to happen. And it won't. I'm going to change the past. I'm going to change the past so we can all have a different future. That's why I left you. I've been working on a plan since Billy died. I could never do that if we were together. I wouldn't have had the time and you would have tried to stop me if you found out. But I was doing it for us, for our Billy, so that he could have the chance to live. I killed him and it's up to me to put it right. And I will, Chakotay, somehow I will. The Admiral managed to get a temporal deflector and I will too, even if it takes me another twenty years." She kissed his hand, kissed his ring, and then lay her head on his chest. "There was never anyone else, Chakotay. I only said that so you would agree to a divorce. I could never have wanted someone else over you. Never, ever. I love you so much. And I'm going to miss you so much. I never meant for this to happen. I wanted you to be happy, wanted you to have a life with someone who would make you happy for as long as we had to endure this existence. Every day of my life is devoted to my mission now and there's no room for anything else. But I will succeed, Chakotay. No matter how long it takes or what I have to do, I will succeed. And when I'm done, it will all be better. I promise you that. I promise you it will be better."

End of Chapter Seven