Chapter 2: Wilson

Ten months later...

Katie Williamson sat in her swivel chair in front of the console at Voyager Headquarters. It was a quiet afternoon and her shift was almost over. She glanced at the console next to hers and saw his hand relaxed next to the Control Dial. This meant he was reclined back, also relaxing.

"Hi Katie, how was your day?" a short blonde spoke as she approached from the other side.

Katie pulled her attention back to the shift report she needed to give her relief. She smiled and pushed a strand of long dark hair behind her ear as she started through the checklist of topics she needed to report on.

"And that's about it," she finished, "like I said, it's been a great day." A smile crossed her lips as she turned to get up. She walked past him, a bit too close, so her arm brushed his on her way to the closet to retrieve her coat. He was still giving report, so she paused before donning her coat to wait for him.

Rick Wilson felt Katie's arm brush against his and his heart rate quickened. She had only been working in Omni Control for a few months, and last evening he had finally gotten up the courage to ask her out. He'd been astonished when she gave such an immediate response. She had gotten to know most of the control crew since her arrival and everyone liked her. She was smart, efficient and funny. Rick had been drawn to her since the day they met. That she would want to spend the evening with him so willingly seemed too good to be true.

As he turned back to the console to officially log out, a small blue dot lit up and blinked twice. Rick's jaw dropped open, but he closed it quickly. "Not tonight," he whispered to himself as he closed out the screen. He continued to sit staring at the now blank screen, dreading what he had to do.

"Okay, I need to sit to take over," Karim said sarcastically as she waited for him to get up.

Rick stood up, "sorry, have a good shift," he murmured as he moved toward the closet. Katie was still there waiting for him.

He paused a few feet from her and hesitated. "I'm really sorry Katie, but something just came up and I'm not gonna to able to see you tonight."

She narrowed her eyes and stepped back.

"What happened?" she asked.

"It's personal," he paused, "I have to take care of it tonight."

"Oh," her voice was soft, disappointed.

He could tell she felt hurt. He wished he could tell her more, but there was just no way. He'd never be able to tell anyone, and that meant he'd probably never be able to have a real relationship with anyone either... ever. He had always known that was true, but now that Katie was here standing before him, it seemed like so much more of a problem than it had before.

"Fine then, I'll see you tomorrow." As she said it, her voice cracked, betraying her feelings. She hated the fact that her voice always betrayed her feelings. It was the reason she could never work in the field. Out in the timestream, Voyagers sometimes had to lie, or act and she wasn't any good at either.

She wondered in confusion if she was being dumped. But, didn't you have to actually date someone first, before they broke up with you? She had thought she'd gotten to know Rick Wilson fairly well over the past three months and that he was something special. Maybe she was wrong. Suddenly, she wanted to get away. She could be confused and embarrassed in private. She turned abruptly and then she was gone.

Rick's stomach turned over, then he pulled on his coat and walked quickly in the opposite direction. He rapidly made his way back to the apartment complex and soon entered his small apartment. In the bedroom, he opened the locked drawer beside his bed and took out an omni. He hinged up the back panel and spoke quietly into it.

"I'm here, what is it?" he asked the omni.

"I have a job for you," came a familiar voice, a voice he couldn't let anyone know he could hear. It was Drake.