Harry Kim, Primary Operations Officer on the Starship Voyager, was wrapping up his last duty aboard USS Voyager NCC-74656. It had been over a month since they had arrived home. The crew had been given one month of paid shore leave. They were to reconnect with family, to catch up with friends, to reconnect with the world. A month into his leave, Harry had received an urgent message to report back for duty.

Oddly, Harry did not mind being called back for this last assignment. His parents had been overjoyed to see him, his cousins and all his new cousins that he'd never met. Then he'd seen Libby…and her new husband. No stranger to romantic disappointment, Harry had forged on. But after two weeks, boredom had settled in. He had nothing to do. Tom and B'Elanna had been busy with their new baby girl and introducing her to both Tom's parents and B'Lanna's father and her Klingon relatives, Tuvok was back on his home world, Chakotay and seven of Nine had decided to go to Risa together (Harry and Tom both had solid bets on how long that would last) and the rest of the crew were getting their lives back together. So when Captain Janeway called him, asking him to report to headquarters immediatly, he'd been happy to respond "Yes, Sir." He arrived at her new office which now sported several trinkets from her ready room aboard ship.

"Harry! Are you a sight for sore eyes! You look well." She said we a smile, coming out from her desk

"Thank you Captain. So do you."

"You're flattering me." She reached him and gave him a big hug. "I've done nothing but brief Starfleet captains on our voyage since the moment we docked."

"I hope they are not running you too ragged captain."

"Oh I'm fine, I'll get my rest soon enough. How are you parents?"

"They are well. They look a little older than I remember, but they are in good health."

"I heard about Libby. I'm so sorry."

"She's happy and, well, I'm happy for her."

"That's very good of you Harry. You'll find someone someday."

"With all due respect Captain, I'm not sure I agree with you. If I couldn't find the right woman traveling across the galaxy, then maybe the universe is trying to tell me something."

"In that case tell the universe to mind its own damn business." Harry smiled, a little half-heartedly. "To business then. Harry, there's something I need you to do for me, for Starfleet." Captain Janeway led Harry over to a viewing module that showed a layout of every deck on Voyager. "Voyager's systems are to be given a complete overhaul, updated with Starfleet technology and cataloguing for analysis any of the Delta Quadrant alien technology we picked up on the journey home. Some of it Starfleet can cope with, some it can't. A group of technicians started, but they ran into some alien tech and were bombarded with plasma radiation on Deck 6 12 hours ago," Half the screen brought up a tech body cam. Harry could see that one technician was carefully looking over at a system behind a wall panel. Harry heard a "What's this?" and then an explosion rocked coridor and the camera cut out. Harry looked at Janeway.

"They're fine, but one of the techs is still in the hospital. Understandably, Starfleet is a little jittery about going back in. That's why I need you. You know more about Voyager's systems and operations than anyone else. I want you to personally catalog all operations, deck 6 and above.

"Captain, I'm not arguing with the assignment. But I left detailed notes on every system for those teams. This should not have happened."

"You did, and I wouldn't be surprised if those notes alone don't earn you that promotion you've deserved for so long. But something else is going on here. That panel," she said, pointing to the screen, "had no reason so explode like that, here's the data on it." Harry took the tablet from her. He pressed his lips together as he read. It was basic power panel, the kind that ran through most of the ship.

"I can see here a modification I made with a part from one of Neelix's trades a few years ago. But it shouldn't have caused an explosion like that. And I can see from the video the tech's were careful, this doesn't make sense."

"I agree" Janeway continued "In addition, Voyager's systems have been operating on minimal power since docking. Not a single other system was affected, but with an explosion like that, they should have been."

"A closed power system?"

Janeway nodded. Then she smiled. "It appears that Voyager may still have a few surprises for us.

"How much time do we have?"

"I can give you two weeks."

"What's the rush?"

Janeway sighed as she spoke "The technician in the hospital, he's the nephew of one of Starfleet's big brass. BIG brass. And that brass is calling for Voyager to be scrapped. I know, I know," she held up a hand at the outburst she saw Harry was about to make "it most likely won't happen. But I'd like to be able to stand in front of a room with him and his big brass friends with the data to prove it. Once I have that data, Voyager should be cleared to be updated for her next mission."

Harry felt his chest tighten at those last few words, but he only said "Consider it done Captain."

"Thank you Harry, I knew I could count on you. Now, let's got get breakfast." she took his arm and led his out of the room. "One thing I am bringing onboard every mission for the rest of my life is at least 10 years-worth of real coffee."

Two hours later Harry was back on Voyager. He said hi to the Doctor who been reassigned as well in case anything else happened, and gone straight to the the site of the explosion on Deck 6. After examining it, he determined it had been a simple power surge that had gone terribly wrong for some reason. It was the "some reason" that bothered him. In the Delta Quadrant, "Some reason" could get you killed. He brought out his tricorder and took a closer look at the cables. "That's odd" he muttered. "Those don't look familiar, they're not Starfleet. But it's not any alien tech I've seen either. Computer, show me a schematic with all parts used in this power outlet, with serial numbers." The computer brought up a screen and populated it with the numbers. He checked and rechecked. The wire was nowhere in on the screen. In six years that had never happened. "Computer, please scan this power panel and update your database with the wire on the far left side."

"Updating database. Database updated. The wire is part of primary stasis pod system located on Deck 12."

"Deck 12? The haunted deck?"

"Affirmative, Deck 12."

Harry checked his tablet, but he already knew the answer. There were no stasis pods on Deck 12.

Harry ran for the turbo lift.

"Deck 12" The doors shut. A few moments later they opened on Deck 12.

"Computer, can you tell me the location of the stasis pod?"

"The stasis pod is located in section 13-B"

"Better and better." Harry tapped his com badge. "Harry to Sickbay, please come in"

"Sickbay to Ensign Kim, please state the nature of your…"

Harry cut the good doctor off "We've got company doctor. A stasis pod on Deck 12 caused the explosion."

"Impossible, there are no stasis pods on deck 12. They're all on Deck 8."

"Check the files again doc." Harry had arrived at the door. He removed his phaser from his belt and ordered the doors to open. They didn't move, and Harry had to pry them open. As so soon as he had he heard the Doc on the coms.

"Sick Bay to Harry. Harry, be careful, I'm on my way."

"There's not much to see in here Doc. It's all dark. Computer, lights." One light flickered on casting shadows and only illuminating part of the room, but it was enough to show that the room was completely empty.

"Harry, you don't understand. The stasis pod has been losing energy since the explosion, whoever is in there may be dead or dying.

"I'm telling you doc, I don't see anything in here."

"Then scan the walls Ensign, someone may be dying!"

Harry put his phaser away and went to the walls and began scanning for life signs with the tricorder. It bleeped loudly at the third panel.

"I found it! It's behind a wall panel."

"Good, I'm almost there. Get the panel off if you can.

Harry unclipped the wall panel and pulled. It slid off with a protesting creak and Harry pushed it aside. Behind the panel was a narrow white stasis pod, with no face plate, and wires running in and out. Harry saw a fried wire instantly. He also saw that all the various lights of different shapes along the top and side were blinking red. "You better get here quick Doc, this doesn't look good".

"See if you can open in."

Harry ran his hands along the pod. "I don't see an interface…wait, these button seem to" Harry pressed the two buttons on the side of the pod and it popped open, ejecting a woman, wearing a Starfleet cadet's uniform, right into Harry's arms. He staggered back and almost fell. At that moment the Doctor arrived. "Set her down Harry."

Harry laid her gently on the floor, but she immediately she began to shake, a little at first, then more and more.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Her stasis pod was compromised, she'd going into shock. I'll administer a hypospray." He adjusted his instrument." The woman's thrashing became more pronounced. "Harry, hold her head." Harry moved around till he was crouched over her head. He gently took it in both hands, but her thrashing continued.

"Doc, do something!"

"I am. She'll need two shots, here's the first."

He applied the hypospray and her movements calmed and she began to make small noises with her throat, like croaky moans. The doctor continued to prepare the second hypospray.

"Who do you think she is Doc?"

"No one on any of our medical records. I wonder though, perhaps she's…"

But he got no further because the woman began to cry out, "No, no you can't. No!" Her fists balled up and she resumed her thrashing. This time it was deliberate, like she was desperately fighting someone. "Don't put me in there, you promised! This wasn't our deal! You promised!"

"Hey, hey, you're all right! Calm down, you're safe." Harry said and leaned over. The women's eyes flew open and for a moment she stared up at him. Then she punched him in nose. He reeled back, both hands over his now bleeding face. The Doctor quickly applied the second hypospray and the woman went completely limp.

Harry moaned for a moment and said "You couldn't have done that earlier?"

"No, Ensign, I could not." he said, testily. "And if you'd done half of the sickbay shift you were supposed to, you would have known better then to lean that far over a struggling patient."

"Oh, gosh, this stings."

"I would imagine so. I'll see to you in a moment."

Harry crawled back over, though kept a safe distance. "Is she going to be okay?" The Doctor's tricorder bleeped a few colors.

"I'll know more after I run a full diagnostic, but for now she is stable." he looked over at Harry's face and raised the tricorder. "Not broken. Let's get you both back to sickbay. Unless you want a bruise to form." Harry glanced down at the cadet's now still form, eyeing her a little warily. "I can assure you, she's quite safe now."

Harry picked her up.

"I'll say one thing for you Ensign Kim, you certainly have a way with…"

"Doctor, don't, just don't."

"Very well. After you."

To be continued...