Janeway began walking towards her quarters, almost in a daze at all that had transpired. She had lost two important members of her crew, and now another incapacitated with grief, and a new member who was the son of her missing crewmen.
She sighed as she passed by the holodeck, and she looked at the pad out of curiosity. She saw the name and the program running and quickly walked up to the doors and entered. She found herself in the old pub of Tom's and everyone was standing and sitting around, drink was flowing pretty freely.
She saw Harry sitting on the bar telling of a time when Tom had used the ships transporter to beam him out of his quarters and into the holodeck, and he had programmed in a complete simulation of Voyager, then had the computer to wake him up 2 hours early and laughed at him the whole time when he couldn't figure out what was going on. No people, the entire ship was empty except for him. Tom had him going for sometime until he noticed that Tom had set the ship's position wrong. It was almost 2 days old.
Everyone smiled and some laughed at the tale, all knowing that was something Tom would do. Harry noticed the Captain standing by the door. "Uh...Captain, I didn't see you come in. We were just..."
Janeway smiled, "You were just remembering our friend. I can see that." Harry nodded and was hoping she wouldn't take it wrong. "Seems like we are all here for the same reason tonight" Janeway smiled at the assembled crew.
One crewman stood up, "Captain, what's going to happen? Are we going to get Tom and Kes back?"
Janeway looked at the woman for a moment, and then her head turned to the crew. "Right now, we are looking at all possibilities. When we know for sure what happened, and if we can bring Kes and Tom back we will make that decision then. But until the time comes, let's not bury them yet. I plan on staying optimistic."
The crew nodded their heads and they continued, each one remembering something about Tom. Then they all recounted something about Kes until the early morning hours.
Neelix was cleaning up the Galley as Eugene helped. After it was clean and ready for the next day Neelix turned to Eugene. "Have you been assigned quarters yet?"
Eugene turned and hadn't really thought about it. "No, and I am not sure who to talk to about it."
Smiling real big Neelix said, "Well as morale officer of the ship I do," tilting his head up, "Neelix to Lt. Tuvok."
A moment passed and then the Lt. responded. "This is Tuvok, go ahead."
Neelix smiled bigger, "So sorry to disturb you Mr. Tuvok, but I was just made aware that Eugene was not assigned quarters. Do we have any accommodations for him?"
"I will join you in a moment Mr. Neelix." Tuvok replied.
Neelix pulled out a chair and sat down, and Eugene followed. "I was wondering Eugene, Umm...I'm not sure how to say this. H-How long, how long has your mother been dead?" Eugene looked deep into Neelix's eyes, and he could see the love deep within, and feel the pain he was in.
"Almost 15 years now. She had gotten the flu and it lead to Pneumonia. She was so old, and her body was not able to fight it. Father tried, but it seemed Mother had felt her time was up, and she finally died. I was very young, about 3 though Father felt because of my Ocampa heritage I was about 6. I just know I don't remember much about it."
He looked at Neelix and saw the tears stream down his face, "She loved you very much, and was sorry that you were separated that way. She had planned to have a family with you, but all she got was Father and me."
Neelix looked up, "I'm sure she was very happy with both of you Eugene."
Both men sat there for sometime, consoling the other. Finally Tuvok entered the Galley and approached the table. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry Eugene, but we have no open quarters at this time. I would suggest that we give you access to either Kes's or Lt. Paris's rooms, whichever you want."
Eugene sat there a moment; he found it eerie but to them his parents had only recently left. "Perhaps Mother's quarters, I don't know much about her, and maybe this will help me to understand and come to know her better." Neelix and Tuvok both nodded their heads, and escorted Eugene there.
As they moved down the corridor Tuvok handed Eugene a Combadge and explained its functions. How it would allow him to operate the replicators for food and clothes. Eugene accepted the Combadge and held it until they arrived at the door to Kes's room. As his eyes took in the name on the plate beside the door, his knees quivered a bit, his grip on the Combadge slipped and it fell to the floor.
Neelix gripped his arm and spoke softly to him as Tuvok retrieved the Combadge. His eyes moist with tears, Eugene looked at Neelix then to Tuvok. He reached out to Tuvok as Tuvok returned the Combadge to him. He stood there for sometime staring at the name plate by the door. He was very hesitant to enter, and both Tuvok and Neelix stared at him. "Eugene?" Tuvok inquired.
"It's a bit scary, Mr. Tuvok. Kind of like a ghost from the past, kind of silly huh?"
Tuvok shook his head, "That is very human Eugene. There is nothing within that can harm you in anyway, and the experience may give you answers you may never have otherwise." Eugene nodded, and took a deep breath, and stepped up to the door, a part of him hoped it would stay closed, but it opened to his presence.
"Good night Eugene," Neelix said. "If you need anything just use the Combadge to call me." Neelix hugged him and then turned and left. Tuvok bade him a restful sleep and left as well. Eugene walked into the room and as the door shut behind him, he could feel his Mother's presence everywhere. His Ocampa mental abilities allowed him to sense her touch in the room.
Eugene moved about the room, and touched everything he could find, receiving all kinds of information about his Mother, things he never knew, and could never know. He was impressed with her quiet, unassuming and loving personality. She treated everyone with equality, reserving judgments, and always tried to find the good in someone.
Chakotay had returned to his quarters, mostly at the Dr.'s request and since he couldn't really do anything to help he did. He walked over to his bed and pulled his medicine bundle out of the nightstand, then walked over by the windows and sat crossed legged on the floor.
Placing the bundle on the floor before him he ritually untied and opened it, removing several totems from it. Setting his hand upon the Akoonah, he picked up the feather with his other hand and then stared at the smooth stone before him. "A-koo-chee-moya. I am far from the sacred places of my grandfathers. I am far from the bones of my people. But perhaps there is one powerful being who will embrace me and give me the answers I seek." Slowly his consciousness retreated from the surroundings and began reaching out for his spirit guide.
Janeway smiled and watched the proceedings until the early morning hours, before going to her quarters to get some rest. She was dead tired, and the next shift started too soon for comfort. She thought about calling Sickbay, pretending to be sick and stay in her quarters, but then she thought of Kes and Tom and knew she couldn't. She told the computer what time to wake her and then she cleaned up and put on her nightgown and went to bed.
After several hours of examining the room, handling her belongings, Eugene had finally come to a much deeper understanding and respect for his Mother then he'd ever had. In some ways he blamed her for dying so early, but now he knew beyond doubt that it wasn't her choice. He reached in his shirt and pulled out a locket that Tom had given her as a gift.
He held it in his tightly clinched fist. Inside the locket she didn't have pictures to put in, so she had a small clipping of hair from each of them. He could feel the love of his father to her, and of her love for both of them. He fought the tears, but failed and he fell to his knees next to the bed and cried.
Chakotay knew almost instantly that something wasn't quite normal, at first he felt an uncomfortable pressure, kind of squeezing at him and then when it faded he found himself standing not in the normal landscape of his fore fathers, but at the edge of a glacier. A warm wind blew up toward him and the base of the glacier, but it did little to warm him. There was a small stream of water coming from the glacier running down into a large lake. As his eyes followed the small stream they suddenly widened as he took in the form of a young woman dipping water up out of the lake.
While he has seen others in his quests at different times, this woman caused his skin to prickle. He stepped cautiously down the stream towards the woman. Her speech was thick with an accent and coupled with its reverberation it was almost inaudible as she spoke, "Greetings Chakotay."
Stopping instantly, Chakotay looked up at her, "Do I know you?"
A laugh which issued from any other would have been a soft cascade of almost musical sound came from her. "I have known many of your peoples but alas you and I have not met before this."
"Why now then are we meeting?"
A deeper, heartier laugh issues forth from the woman, "Because your heart is troubled, your mind unclear, you reached out blindly and found your way here."
"Then I have intruded myself upon you and I will depart and trouble you no further." Chakotay gestured as he started to back away.
"Oh ho and have you then found the answers to what you seek already?"
"No, I just didn't wish to disturb you."
Eugene knew he would never be able to sleep in those quarters and so he walked out, and moved down the hall. He had started to call the Capt, but then thought she would probably be in bed at this hour, in fact most people would be. He wandered the halls a bit and soon he found himself outside of Sickbay. He could feel his Mother even here; this had been a special place for her. But then he felt something else, sever turmoil from within.
Eugene walked in, and found the Doctor by B'Elanna's side performing some scans. "Whoever it is, I hope it is not important as I have my hands full." The Doctor said.
"It's me Doc., Eugene."
The Doctor quickly turned around, "Oh, I'm sorry Eugene; I am frustrated with the problems of this patient."
"Sit Chakotay," she gestured toward a larger rock not far from her, "I can feel the questions most clearly from you. This woman...B'Elanna, she means a lot to you. Her situation has you very much on edge."
As Chakotay sat down, he answered "Yes, we have been friends for quite some time, been through a number of scrapes but also the situation with my friends Tom and Kes." Looking up toward the glacier, her eyes growing distant as she speaks, "B'Elanna will be fine and her condition will be resolved very shortly, as you reckon time."
Chakotay looked at the woman for a moment, "That is the clearest answer I have ever gotten, usually they have so many twists and turns it takes days to unravel it."
The laugh once again reverberates as her whole body seems to share in it. "Many are the powers in existence Chakotay, most exist in agreements with others in how they conduct themselves. I choose to walk a path which is my own."
"What about my friends Tom and Kes?" Chakotay asked.
"Their past, or should I say future, hasn't been completely written. One hasn't made the choice yet. The one is quite close to the decision."
"Thank you for your time, though I'm not sure why I feel apprehension with you, I feel you have been honest and actually wished to help me."
Standing with her water bag in hand, "You are most welcome Chakotay. As for your feelings, perhaps you are just unsettled meeting someone instead of a spirit or the remains of a memory or distant time. Return to your home Chakotay, I bid you Godspeed in your return to Earth."
Eugene moved over, and looked at B'Elanna and he could see instantly what his Father had always seen in her. "I believe I can help you Doc." Eugene said, then reached his hand out and touched B'Elanna's head, and his eyes closed as he sent his mind into hers, looking, and searching.
Eugene was shocked by the emotional turmoil within B'Elanna's mind. She was literally over run with her Human feelings, and her Klingon desire to act on them. Very slowly he began to alter the impulses based on those emotions, her mind very different from his father's.
After many long moments he finally quelled the Klingon impulses and he turned to the Human emotions. He could feel the sweat as it beaded and ran down his face, he had to fight to maintain his concentration, one wrong move and B'Elanna could become a vegetable. Finally he was able to lighten the feelings, making them less pronounced and easing them into the recesses of her mind.
The Doctor stood scanning both Eugene and B'Elanna, picking up the extra mental activity, then suddenly Eugene removed his hand, and B'Elanna's breathing eased and she fell into a deep sleep. The Doctor stood in awe of what had happened and asked how he had done that.
Eugene smiled a bit weakly, "I received my Mother's mental abilities." The Doctor, while puzzled, nodded his head as he began putting all of his equipment back up.
"I have been assigned to either of my parents rooms, but I don't believe I can use them. Too many memories"
"I could give you a sedative if you like?" The Doctor replied.
Eugene shook his head, "No, thank you Doc., though I was wondering if I could use one of the Biobeds for the night."
The Doctor's eyebrow rose, "Well I guess we could do that, though that is highly unusual."
Eugene nodded, "Thank you Doc. My Mother wrote often how much she had missed you, your conversations and instructions. She wanted you to know she really appreciated everything you did for her. She cared deeply for you, and hoped everything you desired would come true."
The Doctor looked at Eugene, his programming unsure of what to make of this information, but Eugene could clearly see the emotion on his face. Finally he nodded his head and got a blanket out and took it to the furthest bed, "Do you require anything else Eugene?"
Eugene walked to the bed, and shook his head no. So the Doctor walked to his office and then looked back and watched as Eugene settled himself in the bed. Eugene laid there for several moments feeling his mother's presence, but unlike her quarters he could feel many others as well as hear the Doctor there and that helped ease his feelings and he was able to fall asleep.
Chakotay awakened from his experience and looked about his cabin, part of him almost felt like she was going to move him back to Earth. He fumbled quickly to his nightstand and picked up his personal pad and quickly began recording every tiny detail, he wasn't sure who he met but he knew he was going to have to do some research; he had to know who she was.
As he finished, he remembered what she had said and tapped his ComBadge, "Chakotay to the Dr."
"I'm here Commander, go ahead." The Dr. responded.
"I was curious about B'Elanna's condition. Have you been able to figure anything out?"
"I actually have good news to report. B'Elanna has been successfully treated and resting well. Though I don't deserve the credit, it seems that Eugene has some very incredible gifts from his mother."
Chakotay closes his eyes as he says, "Thank you Dr., Chakotay out."
Eugene was startled awake by Capt. Janeway, and he almost jumped from the bed. "Easy Eugene, it's just me." Janeway said as he quickly regained his sense of where he was.
"I'm sorry Capt; it's been sometime since I was awakened that way."
With a smile on her face she replied, "That is understandable Eugene, I was curious if you would like to have breakfast?" Now Eugene smiled and nodded his head. They walked by the bed where B'Elanna had been, but now she was gone. Janeway smiled, "The Doctor told me you were able to help B'Elanna. Thank you."
Eugene smiled, "I was glad I was able to help her. It was a lot different; the Human-Klingon make-up of her mind was pretty complicated."
Harry stood on the bridge and shook his head, as this was the 5th time he had yawned since he hadn't gotten to bed the night before. He felt really good about the remembrance party last night as he stood at the Ops Console thinking about it and was scanning the caves where the mining team was drilling into the rock formations, this time using the mechanical drill.
They had experienced some problems through the night mostly drill bits kept breaking. It was a new experience for the team and they adjusted as best they could.
B'Elanna stood in Engineering talking with different personnel, and apologizing for her behavior yesterday. She couldn't really think why it had seemed so hopeless yesterday, but today she knew that everything was going to work out for everyone.
The tricoder data had been organized and sorted and everyone had their mail from Kes and Tom. B'Elanna found several letters for herself from Tom. She decided that she would wait a bit before reading them. They were going over the tricorder's data concerning the Chronometric field they had been in, and were able to map out a good section of it from the damaged data.
After going over all the data with Lt. Carey, she was pretty confident that when the time came they would be able to narrow the search down to within 6 months of their arrival in the past, maybe closer.
She programmed a tricorder with all the info of the time field, everything the other tricorder had recorded then worked on a program to help correlate the data so that they would have little problem isolating the time to pull them back from the past.
Eugene and the Capt. were finishing up their breakfasts, like his mother he was a vegetarian, but he tried some of the replicated "meats" and enjoyed them. Chakotay joined them as Janeway was finishing her coffee. "Good morning Capt., Eugene."
Smiling, they both replied and they talked for several minutes, Chakotay filling the Captain in on the mining progress through the night. Janeway was impressed with the team's dedication, and progress.
"Chakotay, would you mind taking Eugene to Mr. Paris's room, let him freshen up and find something better to wear?" Janeway saw something in Eugene's face as she asked the question.
"Of course Capt. I would be happy to," Chakotay replied.
Still looking at Eugene Janeway asked "Is something wrong Eugene" noting the strained expression on his face.
"It...It's just, I can feel so much of my parents here Capt. Their quarters are a sweet torture to me is all." Both Janeway and Chakotay nodded their understanding and they all stood in silence.
Janeway noted many tired expressions on different crewmen as she made her way to the bridge, perhaps none more so then Ensign Kim. As Janeway sat down in the Command chair the intercom activated. "Mining team to Voyager."
Janeway almost startled replied, "Janeway here, go ahead."
"Ensign Ladise reporting Capt, we've broken through into a void in the rock, we believe it's the chamber with the Dilithium. But we could use a probe to send in to be sure."
Janeway nearly leaps from her chair. "Well done Ensign, we'll have a probe down there in a few moments."
"Mr. Kim," Janeway turns to Harry, "I want you to take a micro-probe and any other equipment you need down and let's see what's in there."
Harry smiling nods his head, "On my way Capt."
Chakotay stood in Tom's quarters waiting for Eugene to finish his shower, he had selected some of Tom's civilian clothes, "I wanted to thank you Eugene, the Dr. told me how you helped B'Elanna. She is a dear friend and I was very worried about her."
Eugene had stepped from the shower and was drying off with a towel. "You're very welcome Cmdr., I was only too happy to help and very glad I was successful. And I got to tell you, hot water is a real pleasure."
Chakotay laughed as he passed the clothes through to him, "I can well imagine, we'll have to get you down to the barber next, your hair is going to take some work to untangle." Eugene emerged as he put on his shirt, then stopped at the bed and after a brief explanation figured out how to tie the shoes.
As they walked out of Tom's quarters and moved down the hall on their way to the barber Eugene asked, "Cmdr., may I ask you some questions?"
Chakotay smiled as they entered the turbo lift and order their destination. "Of course you can Eugene and call me Chakotay."
Eugene smiled as the car moved quickly, "I was wondering, are there guidelines for people who are telepathic? I mean, I don't really mean to, but I do receive a lot of information from everyone around me. All the time alone I never really had to practice not receiving it."
Chakotay smiled, "Well it would be considered polite not to retrieve thoughts from non-telepaths without their permission, best would be to ask questions and wait for responses." The doors opened and they stepped out, making their way to the barber shop.
"I understand, I will do my best to stop that in the future then, it leads me to my other questions."
The barber was fortunately not busy when they arrived and took Eugene immediately and after a brief discussion on how to deal with the hair began working to shorten and untangle it. "I sense in the Capt., a strong sense of morality, that she would do what was right even if it flew in the face of what was best for the crew?"
Chakotay nodded, "That is a fair analysis of her yes."
Eugene tried to hold still but found the pain of his hair being pulled a distraction. "I care greatly for my parents Chakotay, I want you to promise me, if it looks like she is leaning to not rescue them because of me, you will do everything in your power to convince her that it is my wish that she does it without regard to me as it is the right thing."
Chakotay looked hard at him, "That's a big thing to ask, the Capt., listens to me, but she is a strong willed woman and probably won't do that. I've gotten to know her quite well, but if that is your wish, I will do my best to make her understand that." Eugene smiled at Chakotay.
Kim materialized in the cave by Ensign Ladise carrying a small case. Greeting the team he kneels and opens the case he takes out a pad and a small probe handing it to the Ensign and instructing him to drop it into the hole they drilled as he activated the pad. As the probe fell down into the chamber a light emitted as it began to slow it's decent until it was inside the chamber and was able to relay images up to the pad and from there up to the ship.
"Janeway to Kim,"
"Kim here Capt."
"Harry, we are receiving video here, but it is pretty dark."
"Aye Capt., I am working to increase illumination now, I had thought of going with a scanning beam but I am afraid it would just be absorbed."
"Acknowledge Ensign, wait, what is that about 30 degrees to the left?"
"Not sure Capt., let me guide the probe over that way." As the probe made its way closer to the left a door takes shape in the shadows of the chamber. "It looks like a door Capt., which should mean there might be a better way into that chamber."
"Harry, keep searching the room with the probe, Ensign Ladise, please take a couple of people and see if you can find a passage down, do not take any risks, if something doesn't look safe, don't go there."
"Aye Capt, Ladise out."
Harry's eyes light up, "Capt., I think I have found the device."
Janeway turns her attention back to the screen, "Well done Harry, move closer so we can see it better." The probe continues to move forward and the image becomes clearer when the light from the probe begins to flicker and then cuts off. "Harry, what happened to the video feed?"
"Capt., I have lost connection with the probe, I am not sure what happened to it. I'm attempting to trigger the back up system on it now."
Eugene looked at himself in the mirror and kept running his hand over his hair and chin. It hadn't been that short since he was very young and his neck and chin were itching. Chakotay led him out and back to the turbo lift and ordered it to the Bridge. "You know Eugene, while I promise to do what I can, it might mean more coming from you to the Capt., so she knows without doubt that it is your wish to rescue your parents." Eugene looked at Chakotay for a bit and finally nodded his head. The lift doors opened as they stepped out onto the Bridge.
"I've got the backup system up on the probe Capt., but video image will be a lot darker, I can't boost the light level through the backup."
Janeway acknowledge Chakotay and Eugene as they entered, "Understood Harry, do your best."
"Aye Capt."
Janeway turned to Eugene, smiling "What a striking young man you are Eugene, I got to agree with the barbershop visit. You might be interested to know we have made some access into the chamber with the device that helped send your parents back in time."
Eugene nodded, swallowing hard "C-Capt., may I speak with you privately for a few?"
Janeway smiled, "Of course Eugene, this way." Eugene followed Janeway back into her ready room, "Can I get you something to drink Eugene?"
"No Capt., I'm fine, thank you."
Smiling Janeway turns to her replicator, "One cup of coffee."
Picking up the coffee after the energy matrix shuts down Janeway gestures to the couch by the windows and with Eugene she moves over and sits down. "What's up Eugene, you seem kind of serious."
Eugene nodded, "I-I'm not sure how to say this Capt., but I get the feeling you are leaning towards not rescuing my parents."
Janeway stops in mid sip as she lowers her cup. "I've not really discussed this with anyone yet, how would you get this feeling?"
Eugene looked out the window at the stars. "I'm not use to suppressing my telepathic abilities Capt., I am trying, but I can hear your thoughts quite clearly."
Janeway nods, "Well yes, please try harder. I would be lying if I said I wasn't leaning that way, and I hadn't really planned to discuss this yet, but since it seems to be heavy on you. I know your parents pretty well and I know they would rather you lived then for us to save them."
Eugene frowned slightly, "I can respect that and I think you may be right, but they are my parents and it is my life. I am an adult and I would gladly sacrifice myself to save them."
Staring back at Eugene for several long moments, "Very well Eugene, I promise I will also consider the senior officer's thoughts on it before I make the final decision. That's about the best I can promise."
Eugene smiled weakly, "That's really all I can ask Capt., thank you."
Chakotay's voice came over the intercom, "Capt., to the Bridge, Ensign Ladise is reporting they believe they found the door to the chamber." Janeway quickly stands and places the cup down as Eugene joins her in leaving for the Bridge.
As Janeway comes out onto the bridge the Ensign is speaking, "We've found that these lower levels of rock have greater amounts of refractory metals in it, that is why the sensors didn't detect them, but there appears to be a fairly large complex down here at least from what we can see through the collapses."
Janeway steps up by Chakotay, "Well done Ensign, are you able to open the door?"
"Negative Capt., we are going to need a power cell and a tricorder to bypass the security code."
"Acknowledge, stand by your location. Janeway to Kim, Harry, Ensign Ladise is at the door, but they need a power cell and tricorder to get the door open. Can you assist or do we need to send something down?"
"I'm on my way Capt., I believe I have what they need with me, Kim out."
"Capt., if you don't mind, I would like to go down and talk with Neelix."
Janeway turned to Eugene, "That's fine Eugene; we'll let you know what we find out." As Eugene entered the turbo lift, Janeway gestured to Chakotay as she sat down; Chakotay did too and leaned over towards her. "Eugene wanted to tell me he wants me to save his parents, regardless to the cost to him." Chakotay smiled a bit, the smile grew bigger as the expression on her face said she just realized he knew.
"Eugene spoke with me about it down stairs. He seems very adamant about it. He wanted me to use whatever pull I have with you to ensure that we bring his parents back. I told him I would speak with you but ultimately the decision was yours."
Janeway nodded her head. "This is going to be so hard Chakotay. It goes against everything I know of Kes and I believe Tom to end his life by pulling them back from the past."
Chakotay looked at the planet and then back to Janeway, "I can't begin to tell you what a relief it is not to be Capt., right now." Chakotay said with a smile, "But in all seriousness, how can we ignore his wishes against what we think his parents would want?" Janeway smiled at Chakotay but grew silent on the matter.
"Ens. Kim to Voyager, we've powered up the door and bypassed the security lock outs."
Janeway stood up quickly, "Well done Harry, I'm on my way. Cmdr., you have the Bridge." Chakotay smiled as he watched her gesture to Tuvok and leave the Bridge. "Janeway to B'Elanna, B'Elanna we have access to the chamber, meet me in transporter room 1."
"Aye Capt., on my way."
Eugene entered the mess hall and gestured at the few people, who waved at him, then there was Neelix, "It's a little early for lunch but if you are hungry I can whip a little something up to tide you over Eugene."
Smiling Eugene declined the offer, "Actually I just wanted to speak with you a moment privately if that is okay."
Waving his hand towards the far side of the room Neelix walked with Eugene, "Any time Eugene, I'm here for you."
As they sat down Eugene looked at Neelix, "You are mom's oldest friend and knew her best. I want to know what you think. If we have a way to save my parents, to bring them back from the past, how would she or my father for that matter feel about it, especially if it meant my 'death'."
Neelix was shocked and slightly upset by Eugene's question, "I can tell you right now she would be totally against the idea, and I believe your father would be as well. What would make you even suggest a possibility?"
Eugene looked down at his feet, he could feel Neelix's anger deeply and it shamed him that he felt that way; it really didn't sway him from his feelings of bringing back his parents. Eugene looked up at Neelix, "The Capt., is leaning towards leaving my parents in the past even if they find a way to bring them back because of me, but I am here as the result of misfortune that befell my parents. They were supposed to live their lives here with the people they loved, not struggle and die vainly on some unremarkable planet."
Neelix shook his head, "No, no, that isn't true. None of us know what is ahead of us, we can hope, we can plan, but what happens happens and we have to roll with the punches and enjoy what we can. I promise you, your parents will not or would not rather have any regrets, your mother might regret not spending more time with you, but no, they absolutely would be against doing anything to save them that hurt you."
Eugene nodded, "Thank you for your honesty Neelix, I appreciate it so much. I need to do some thinking." Neelix nodded and hugged Eugene as he moved out of the mess hall.