章 19: Eye of the Needle: Part Two
Chapter 19: Eye of the Needle: Part Two.
Lieutenant Bini Filters POV
"Why are you two standing there. Walk-in already. You are blocking the damn doorway." I demanded and pointed towards the messhall door that the kids and I stood in front of. They nervously looked up at me with pleading eyes.
"Why can't we just...eat in your quarters or something?" Micheal suggested again. For the second time in the last five minutes. I pinched the bridge of my nose. My patience was getting thin.
"Because you guys can only go into my quarters in case of emergency. This isn't an emergency. So get in. I already know from your mother that you two have refused to set foot in the messhall since the nebula incident and the rare times that you even have, you gave Neelix dirty looks. You two are avoiding him. I don't care what your problem is with him, but for once in my little life, I am actually hungry and since it is somehow my job now to take you guys to meals when your mother or whoever can't. I am ordering you, as a superior officer. Get in. Now." I ranted and narrowed my eyes down at them.
"We aren't in Starfleet though. You can't order us around!" Micheal fought back.
"Too bad. You live in an unfair society. Get in." I snapped. They both muttered something under their breath and slowly entered the messhall for dinner. Since dinner was coming to an end, the messhall had only like 10 people in the room so there were a lot of free tables. Sarah and Micheal choose to take the one in the back corner. The farthest table away from really anyone. A place in the messhall was someone could just turn invisible.
"Bini, this is a bad idea." Sarah muttered as we slipped into three seats out of four at the table.
"It will be fine. Unless Neelix decides to give me a hot chocolate substitute. Then I will agree it is a bad idea." I replied and watched as some Ex-Maquis members wished Neelix a goodbye and left. Neelix continued to putter around the kitchen and started to stir a pot as Kes entered the kitchen from the back door and walked up beside him.
-----
Kes's POV
I walked into the messhall. Neelix was cooking as usual. He was so focused on his cooking that he didn't seem to notice that Bini, Sarah and Micheal were sitting at one of the back tables. There was a sort of tension in the room.
"Neelix?" I asked. He nervously looked up at me with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes like it usually would when he saw me.
"Hello, sweety!" He chirped.
"Have you apologized to them yet?" I asked.
"Apologized? To who?" He asked nervously. I sighed and braced myself against the counter.
"You know who. The Captain's children. It has been two weeks since the incident. They have been avoiding you, and you have been avoiding them. I think this is the perfect time to take that...next step." I suggested with a small smile.
"Now is not the right time. They are clearly with Lieutenant Filters and-"
"Bini!" I called out. Bini looked towards me with a nervous smile. She got up and headed across the room towards us. Much to the distress to the kids as they looked at each other in panic.
She leaned against the counter in front of us.
"So, what's up?" She asked. I elbowed Neelix to action and motioned Bini to follow me. She hesitated before following me as Neelix shifted uncomfortably. Then started towards the table. The kids stiffened up and gave them a younger version of a death glare, the popularity glare of their mother.
"Kes? What is this about?" Bini demanded as I lead her to the back pantry.
"Neelix didn't want to apologize in front of you." I explained as I shifted through the foodstuff to prepare their meals.
"Yeah, what is that about? Sarah and Micheal won't tell me."
"Ah, well. Neelix called Captain Janeway...A moron."
"Oh, geez... Yep, that's gonna do it." Bini agreed as I handed her some of the food in a crate. She grunted as she held the crate close to her chest.
"I hope they all become friends again..." I muttered out loud to myself. Bini rolled her eyes as I picked up some other foodstuff and we reentered the kitchen part of the messhall.
"They weren't exactly even friends to began with. They tolerated each other. At least Sarah and Micheal did." Bini explained. I nodded in agreement as we placed the food down and I started to clean them at the "sink." (For lack of better word. Idk if they have sinks in the 24 century.)
-----
(30 minutes later.)
Micheal Janeway's POV
Neelix kept saying "Sorry." I thought Sarah and I already forgave him the first time. Bini and Kes were still in the kitchen cooking while Neelix seemed to either not care or care too much about being sorry. It is annoying and I wish he would stop.
Sarah had started to fall asleep as she started to drool onto her fist that she balanced her head on. She let out a small snore that seemed to have dragged Neelix's attention away from me. Thank you, Sarah. I desperately looked over to the kitchen, to see if they were done yet. Thankfully Bini was coming over with two plates and Kes with one.
"Neelix, I think they are OK now." Kes said with a kind smile as Bini placed our meals down and grabbed her own from Kes's grasp. Than plopped down with a sigh. Neelix nodded and got up, said his goodbye and left with Kes to clean up the kitchen.
Sarah was still asleep. Bini raised an eyebrow of confusion toward me as she pointed with her fork at drooling Sarah.
"Is...ahhh...Sarah asleep?" Bini asked. I nodded and took a bit of my meal. Which was better than usual. Probably had to do with the chiefs. Bini shrugged and opened her mouth to eat but then her combadge chirped. She sighed and tapped her combadge in annoyance.
"Tuvok to Filters."
"Filters here, Lieutenant. What is it?"
"You are currently late for your duty shift on the bridge."
"Duty? Bridge? Shift?" Bini questioned.
"Lieutenant-"
"Right, right. On my way. Filters out."
She stood up with a scowl.
"Sorry, duty calls." She muttered and walk swiftly out at a jog of panic.
-----
Harry Kim's POV
B'Elanna and I stood at the engineering station on the bridge. Running through the 21166 analysis that the computer ran on the wormhole.
"Okay, we'll be ready to go online in a couple of minutes." I said.
"I'm still worried about the gravitational interference. I don't think the co-variant isolator will be effective with a vocal transmission."
"Let's try inverting the narrow band filter." I suggested. B'Elanna nodded. The Captain walked onto the bridge from her ready room and headed towards us with a small smirk.
"Progress report, Ensign." She ordered. I jumped a little and blushed in embarrassment as B'Elanna snickered next to me.
"I think we're ready to give it a try, though we're pushing through some pretty heavy gravitational interference. I can't guarantee the clarity of the transmission." I reported.
"Let's see what happens." Captain Janeway said and walked back to the middle of the bridge. I quickly opened a transmission to the other ship. "This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. Do you read?"
After a silent moment, static garble came back as a response. She looked towards us with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll narrow the filter bandpass some more. Try again, Captain." B'Elanna said. The Captain nodded.
"This is Kathryn Janeway of the Federation ship Voyager. Is anyone receiving this communication?"
"(skreech, gurgle) vessel (gurgle)" Someone on the other side replied.
"Narrow the bandpass some more. Try again, Captain." I said. She sighed and looked towards the wormhole on the viewscreen again.
"This is Janeway. Please repeat your last transmission."
"(gurgle) cargo vessel (gurgle) quadrant (gurgle) your location." A male voice said.
"Cargo vessel, we're still trying to clear up your last transmission. Please repeat one more time."
"I am Captain of the cargo vessel Talvath, location Alpha Quadrant, sector one three eight five. What is your location?"
"We're in the Delta Quadrant, but since this quadrant hasn't been charted I can't specify our exact location."
"Please confirm. You said Delta Quadrant?"
"Correct."
"In a Federation starship?" The male voice asked.
"Yes. We were on a mission and we got pulled into this quadrant."
"Pulled in? How?"
"It's a complicated story. Please, if you would just try deconstructing the phase shift of our hailing frequency you could verify."
"You are undoubtedly still in the Alpha quadrant. What are your coordinates?"
"I assure you I am telling you the truth. We are in the Delta quadrant, seventy thousand light-years from you."
"This is preposterous. You are obviously lying. I am terminating communication.
"No, no, wait!" The Captain exclaimed, she desperately looked towards us. "Kim! Hail them again."
"No response, Captain." I replied.
"Why would he have broken off transmission?"
"Well, obviously, the comm link signature of his transmission indicates the message originated from a Romulan ship. Further, there are no known shipping lanes in the sector he identified. Given the precise calibration of his signal I would suggest that he is in fact on board a science vessel." Bini explained from the security console. Tom turned in his seat to look at Bini.
"Who are you? Tuvok? But to the real matter at hand. Why would he pretend to be a cargo captain?" Tom asked.
"If he's engaged in some kind of secret research he might want to conceal that fact." Chakotay reasoned.
"Like I said. We might look like Federation spies to them." Bini added.
"Just our luck. We raise one ship from the Alpha quadrant and it has to be Romulan." B'Elanna muttered.
"That Romulan still can get a message to Starfleet. Mister Kim, hail the Talvath repeatedly. Call me the minute you re-establish contact. Commander, you have the bridge." The Captain ordered and everyone started to move to obey her orders.
"Aye, Captain."
-----
(5 minutes later.)
Captain Kathryn Janeway's POV
I paused just as I passed the sickbay doors. Kes's earlier words brought back a painful reminder of how mistreated the Doctor was. I felt gulity myself for having abruptly turned him off whenever it suited me. I sighed in irritation for myself and the situation and entered sickbay.
When I walked in, I noticed that the area was empty and that the Doctor had been turned off. I walked into his office and looked around one more time. Yep. He was offline. Someone probably turned him off earlier.
"Computer, initiate Emergency Medical Holographic Programme." I barked. The computer beeped in response and after a few seconds, the EMH shimmered into existence at the doorway of his office.
"Please state the nature of the medical emergency." He blurted out as usual since it was part of his program.
"There is no emergency, Doctor." I commented. He simply nodded and left the office to look at samples in the main area. I followed him as he reached the station.
"Well, that's good. I was right in the middle of preparing a culture to test Lieutenant Hargrove for Arethian flu when Ensign Kyoto deactivated me." He explained bitterly as he shook a test tube and carefully examined it.
"I'm sure she didn't realize you were busy." I defended.
"What is it you want, Captain?" He snapped back.
"Actually, I thought we might just talk for a moment." I suggested. He glanced at me with an unconvinced expression than turned back to his work.
"About what?" He asked.
"Doctor, you were originally programmed to serve in a limited fashion during an emergency. Now you're being asked to do much more." I started.
"That's certainly true. I'm providing full-time medical service for the entire ship's crew, functioning both as doctor and nurse, and now as an instructor as well." He complained with annoyance.
"You don't have the luxury of thinking of yourself as the Emergency Medical Programme anymore. You've become a full-fledged member of the crew." I continued.
"I see. Are you suggesting that I be re-programmed?" He shot back.
"No. I'm asking if there's anything I can do to help you."
"Help me?" He chocked out in surprise.
"If there's anything you need or want, I'd like to see that you get it." I insisted. He spun around. His face was fuming in rage.
"What I'd like is to be turned off when people leave. I spend hours here with absolutely nothing to do. When someone does remember to deactivate me they do so without asking if it's convenient. It's extremely irritating. I am constantly treated like a hypospray and not like anyone else on the crew. I am insulted, ignored and whatever else rude behaviour people have they just seem to take it out on me!" He ranted. It took me a moment to come up with at least one solution to his issue.
"What if I gave you control over your deactivation sequence?" I suggested.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I'm sure we can make it possible for you to turn yourself off, or to prevent being turned off."
"I-I might like that." He stammered out.
"I'll have someone look into it. Anything else?" I chirped.
"I'm not sure, I'll have to give it some thought." He muttered. I nodded and started towards the exit of sickbay. Just before I left, I turned around one more time.
"Doctor?" I called out. He raised an eyebrow towards me.
"Would you like to be turned off?"
A ghost of a smile appeared on his face as he shook his head.
"No, thank you. Captain." He replied.
"Anytime, Doctor." I replied and swiftly left to go to my quarters.
---One hour later---
Time: 1935.
Sarah and Micheal did their usual arguing over some new toys that I had replicated for them a few days ago, as I worked at my desk on status reports.
"No! Barbie is mine!" Sarah complained as she held up the perfect blond doll that had wasted hours of my life when I was a child playing with them. Micheal attempted to grab the doll from her grasp but Sarah swatted his hand away in response.
"Come on, Sarah! Share!" Micheal demanded as he tried again.
"No! She is mine! Mine! Go play with something else." Sarah insisted. Micheal grinned with an evil look and took his remote control monster truck and proceed to "try" and run his sister over with it. I had rubbed the sleep from my eyes, yet still exhausted. I thought about making them stop, but were they hurting anyone? I looked back down at my reports over the yelling of Sarah and the laughing of Micheal.
More the chaos of my children I managed to hear the sound of a chime at the door. I sighed and got up. Pulling my robe closer to my body and pressed the enter button. The door slid open to reveal Commander Chakotay.
"Commander. Sorry, did the noise disturb you?" I asked.
"Ah, no, Captain. Sorry for dropping in so late. I forgot to give you Harry's report." He nervously said. I nodded and took the padd from his outstretched hand.
"Thanks, Commander." I said. Chakotay nodded back and looked above my shoulder to probably see Sarah and Micheal fighting since they were still screaming at each other.
"If you don't mind me asking. What is going on here?" He blurted out.
A passing ensign in the corridor gave us strange looks with a slight blush as if she just saw two people that- Ugh. Nevermind. Don't go there.
"You may as well come in. You might be able to separate them from whatever they are fighting about anyway." I muttered in exhaustion as I almost collapsed into my seat as Chakotay crossed the room towards them. At this point, Sarah was fighting off the badly controlled car with one hand and held onto the doll's body with the other as Micheal tried to control the truck with one hand and had a firm grasp on the doll's head, yanking against his sister's grip in the process.
"What is happening over here?" Chakotay asked. His voice cutting through their protests and they looked up at him with annoyed/angry expressions.
"I need to run an experiment and I need the doll. Sarah is too dumb to understand how important it is." Micheal explained.
"He is going to blow her up! That is what he did last time at Grandma Gretchen's!" Sarah protested.
"I said I was sorry!" Micheal snapped.
"Doesn't matter. Pants of fire." Sarah snapped. Micheal looked back at her with confusion.
"You mean liar, liar pants on fire. Dummy."
"No! You are the dummy." Sarah pouted. Micheal rolled his eyes and muttered "Idiot brain." under his breath.
"Micheal. Language." I barked. Micheal nodded and looked down at the ground in shame. Chakotay sat down on the ground in front of them and held up the doll.
"How about this, you just replicate another doll? Simple." He suggested. I shook my head in disappointment. It seems easy in theory.
"Nope! We used up all our rations." Micheal stated. Then my kids looked at me for the blame as Chakotay looked at me for answers. I sighed and shook my head.
"Most of the rations were spent on the toys-" I explained.
"The rest on coffee." Sarah and Micheal both added. Chakotay tried to hide his amusement but failed. He got up and walked over to the replicator. With a few taps of the replicator, a doll appeared. He picked it up and handed it to Micheal. Micheal examined it for a moment, then he seems satisfied and thanked Chakotay before running into their room.
"How-"
"I used my rations." He simply stated.
"You didn't need to do that. I could have just given him one next week." I insisted. He shrugged with a smirk as Sarah watched us curiously.
"But by then, Sarah's doll would have been long gone." He insisted. I shrugged with agreement and looked back at the padd. He said one last goodbye and left to his quarters. Sarah tilted her head to the side a little then looked at me with sad eyes.
"He acts like Daddy."
"A little, Sarah."
---Three hours later---
I carefully rubbed the sleep from my eyes as my combadge chirped on my nightstand next to me. I let out a big yawn and grabbed it.
"Kim to Captain Janeway."
"Janeway here." I mumbled into the badge.
"Captain, we've got him back. The Romulan." Harry said with an unusual chipper voice for so late in the night.
"Good work. Put him through to my quarters." I ordered and threw back my covers. I got up and entered my living room. Quickly going to the replicator to get a coffee.
"This is Kathryn Janeway."
"This is the cargo vessel Talvath." The Romulan replied to the channel.
"Thank you for answering our hail, Captain. What is your name? How may I address you?" I asked.
"I'd prefer not to give my name." He replied.
"Very well, I understand that you must have been skeptical when I told you where we are. I hope you've been able to verify our position."
"My analysis of your hailing frequency seems to indicate that it originates in the Delta quadrant, but I am not precluding the possibility that you've been able to create that illusion somehow." He replied suspiciously.
"To what end?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. That doesn't negate the possibility."
"How can I assure you of my truthfulness?"
"You say you are a Federation ship. Are you a Starfleet vessel?"
"Yes, we are." I confirmed, once again.
"And your mission in the Delta quadrant?"
"Our mission was originally in the Alpha quadrant. We were pulled against our will to our present location. Now we're trying to get home." I explained.
"Aren't you in fact Starfleet spies on a surveillance mission?"
"Captain, I understand your concern. Naturally, the Romulan Empire doesn't want Starfleet spying on its science vessels, but since we're seventy thousand light-years from Romulan space and a subspace message to Starfleet would take years, I think you have to admit that we can't be much of a threat to you. You have nothing to fear from us."
"Soothing words, Captain, but they are only words."
"If we were spies, we wouldn't be asking what I'm going to ask you now. We have no way of communicating with Starfleet, with our friends and families. We're hoping you might be able to relay a message for us. Our crew is not large. Each of them could write a short personal message. You'd be welcome to read them all before passing them on. I think you'd be convinced that they're nothing more than the heartfelt words of some very lonely people." I insisted.
"Captain, it would ease my apprehension if I could see that you are who you say you are. I have a signal amplifier onboard. I've been working to reconfigure the protocols to penetrate the radiation stream of the wormhole. I think it might be possible to establish a visual link between us." He insisted.
"I have no objection. When that's done, will you help us?" I asked, hopeful.
"I make no promises. Let us proceed one step at a time. Have your officers contact me to attempt the visual link."
"Mommy?" A small voice chirped. I spun around, almost spilling my coffee to see Sarah standing at the doorway of her bedroom. Holding her teddy bear.
"Ah, Sarah? This isn't a good time right now." I told her.
"Who are you talking to?" She asked and pointed towards the badge in my hand.
"Sarah! Go back to bed. I will explain later. I promise." I begged.
"Is that your daughter?" The Romulan asked on the line. I swore to myself and sighed.
"Yes, I have a daughter and a son. I am sorry about this-"
"No need to explain. I understand. I have a wife and daughter waiting for me at home myself who I haven't seen for quite some time."
"Oh, well. Certainly, you understand how we need to go home."
"Yes of course. I must go now. Goodnight, Captain." He replied.
"Goodnight." I said softly and ended the call. Sarah still stood in the doorway.
"Who was that?" She asked. I sighed and rubbed my eyes and I collapsed on the sofa.
"Just somebody at home."
Sarah yawned and clearly did not understand me but she was too tired to argue and figure out more answers. I got up, placing my now cold coffee on the table and guided her back into her room. She hopped back into bed. I quickly kissed her on the forehead and tucked her in.
"Goodnight, Sarah. Love you."
"Love you too, Mommy." She muttered as her eyes fluttered close to fall asleep.
-----
(Next Day: Breakfast.)
Lieutenant Bini Filters POV
B'Elanna and I sat eating in the messhall. B'Elanna refused to take her eyes off the padd in front of her and kept picking at her food as I regrettable shoved nutritional supplements into my mouth because according to the Doctor, I can't survive off of Hot Chocolate. Then he proceeds to cut me off of HC and made me eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
I want Hot Chocolate right now.
I also want B'Elanna to stop growling and acting like a klingon for once. But, let's not lie to ourselves. That won't happen anytime soon. B'Elanna slammed the padd down. Making the small ensigns next to us jump a little and shoot us hostile looks since we are still being labelled as Maquis.
"B'Elanna. What the hell is happening over there?" I demanded.
"I figured out something last night, and so far I have been correct in my calculations. I just need to finish this so that I can confirm my next action with the Captain." She explained. Without really explaining what it was about, but she gave me more info then she usually does.
"And this something is?" I pushed. She finally looked up from her padd and glared at me.
"Figure it out yourself." She snapped and abruptly got up and left, just as Chakotay walked in with the Captain and her kids (+Mollie.) walked into the messhall and passed us. B'Elanna headed towards the exit blushing. Blushing.
I am going to annoy the hell outta her about this later.
I looked over to the table were the Captain and her family were...with Chakotay. I looked at everyone else in the messhall. Silently praying that I wasn't the only one confused about when slick Chakotay over here decided to insert himself into Janeway's regular meal schedule. I seemed to not be the only one as everyone else was also looking at them and whispering rumours to each other about what they suspect was going on.
Even Micheal and Sarah looked confused as hell across from them. Mollie did her usual thing by sitting next to the Captain and a dog's version of a death glare at Chakotay beside the Captain. Neelix had come over and had given them their usual breakfast special while blissfully unaware that Chakotay couldn't seem to stop staring at her.
Micheal kept stabbing his meal and glaring at Chakotay. Sarah kept giving her mother and Chakotay confused looks but didn't dare interrupt the conversation between the Captain and Neelix as he complained that she drank too much coffee and she tried to explain the benefits of caffeine with Chakotay pitching in every few moments.
Tom, suddenly, slipped in across from me with a big grin on his face.
"So, what do you think?" He asked, clearly very happy about something.
"About?" I asked, then shoved more food into my mouth.
He gestured towards Janeway's table.
"I think it has been confirmed. I cannot be the only one thinking this."
"Are you talking about the J/C thing?" I asked. The J/C trainwreck that everyone is convinced that either Janeway and Chakotay are um...sleeping together, which, let's be honest here, impossible. Or that they might be later on in the journey. Some really screwed up thinking patterns but I have been pulled into it and am now part of the popular people when the crew want info on their relationship just because I hang out with her kids.
"Of course, I think this has confirmed the start of a blooming relationship." He said.
"Why? Just because he sits with her and her family a couple of times a week. Besides, don't you think their...relationship kinda just shot off very fast in the past couple days. Yesterday, he was nervous to even go near her kids and today he is staring at her. What the hell was up with that?!" I demanded as we watched them again.
"You are over-analyzing this, Shadow." Tom insisted.
"Well, someone should! Everyone seems to be falling headlong into this without really thinking about it." I argued. Tom raised an eyebrow towards me and leaned back into his chair.
"I thought you supported it. I know how much you despise "love" and yet if it did happen, you claimed you would be fine with it. Do you think differently now?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.
"I am still fine with it but I won't support it so willingly like everyone else is."
"Seska and multiple members of the Maquis, probably parts of the Fleet too, don't agree with it still."
"First of all: Seska is a jealous maniac so of course, she wouldn't support it. No thinking involved there. The ones against it in the Maquis are probably thirsty for either of those two so let's not go there and keep in mind Chakotay is a Maquis criminal and to the eyes of young Starfleet officers, the Captain is the perfect Starfleet Captain. If they got together, those crewmembers reality of what is what and who is who would be destroyed and they would have to reevaluate a whole lot." I ranted.
"You have good points there." Tom admitted. I finished the last of my meals and pushed the tray away. Starting to feel sick to my stomach as I considered the whole relationship once again.
-----
(30 minutes later.)
Ensign Harry Kim's POV
"We're ready to try a visual link with the Romulan ship, Captain." Tuvok said as the Captain exited the turbo lift, followed by Mollie and Chakotay.
"Good work." She said and stood in the middle of the bridge as Chakotay sat down and Mollie stood beside her owner and let out a small woof for attention.
"We didn't have any trouble configuring the protocols, but that phase variance in the radiation stream gave us a few problems. Torres is going to balance it manually from Engineering." I reported.
"Okay, we've got the communications frequency locked in." Tom called out.
"On screen." The Captain barked out. The viewscreen changed from the wormhole to a static screen, I adjusted it to shimmer into the head and shoulders of a Romulan man almost scowling at us.
"I presume you are Captain Janeway."The Romulan guessed
"Yes. I want to thank you, Captain, for maintaining contact with us. It means a great deal to me and to my crew." The Captain greeted. The Romulan's eyes narrowed.
"I am not familiar with this class of ship." He commented.
"It's new, but it isn't classified. I'm a little surprised your intelligence hasn't provided you with the information."
"I've been in space for over a year, Captain, and am not privy to the latest intelligence, but I'm sure that our operatives provided the government with detailed information about your new ship."
"No doubt. Captain, have you been able to communicate with your government about sending on our messages?" The Captain asked.
"I have. They've promised to take the matter under advisement."
"I see. And when do you think they will have an answer?"
"It is impossible to predict the time table of the Romulan Senate. When they've made their decision I will hear from them."
"We don't have the luxury of a great deal of time. My officers are predicting that the probe will become inoperable in the next forty-eight hours."
"Captain, I am a low ranking scientist, a minor functionary. It is not my place to tell the Romulan Senate to speed up their decision-making process." He insisted bitterly.
"You said you've been in space for over a year. You did mention that you have a family? Correct?"
"Yes. My wife and my daughter are on Romulus." He said. A fact that the captain seemed to know since she wasn't surprised by this.
"A daughter. How old is she?"
"She is seven months."
"Then you've never seen her."
"To my sorrow, no. She'll be two years old before I get back."
"You must miss your family very much."
"I knew when I accepted this assignment there would be a price to pay. Perhaps I didn't realise how high that price would be."
"Captain. Every one of us on this ship has left behind friends, family, loved ones. We may not see them again for years, maybe never, so we can all understand how lonely you must be. My children might never see any of their family again. It is a dangerous quadrant. I might not be around to watch them grow and mature. Surely you must understand our feelings as well. We would be deeply grateful for any efforts you might make to persuade your government to send our messages."
"I cannot guarantee success, but I will try to persuade my superiors to make their decision quickly and positively." He replied. Captain Janeway smiled at him with a nod.
"Thank you."
"I will contact you again." He said and gestured towards someone off-screen to cut the transmission. The transmission ended and the viewscreen switched back to the wormhole. The Captain turned back to Chakotay.
"Commander, let's assume he's going to be successful. Tell the crew to prepare personal messages and have them ready within the hour, they may go off their shifts."
"With pleasure, Captain." Chakotay beamed. Suddenly, the turbo lift opened to B'Elanna sprinting onto the bridge. She was out of breathe and held up her finger for a moment to catch her breathe. Then when her breathing was almost back to normal she finally spoke.
"Captain, I have to talk to you." B'Elanna said as she wheezed.
"Go ahead, Torres." The Captain said, turning towards her to give her full attention.
"No. I mean, in private." B'Elanna insisted. Captain Janeway was silent for a moment then walked towards her ready room.
"Very well. Commander, you have the bridge." She replied and entered the room, followed by B'Elanna.
-----
Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres
"I think this will work, Captain, but I didn't want to bring it up in front of the crew. It wouldn't be right to get their hopes up in case it doesn't work, although I think it will." I blurted out in excitement as we entered her ready room. The Captain held up her hand to silence me as she sat behind her desk.
"Slow down, Torres, and tell me what you're talking about." She insisted.
"The phase-amplitude of the visual link with the Romulan ship is within just a few megahertz of meeting transporter protocols."
"Are you suggesting-"
"We might be able to piggyback a transporter beam onto the visual link. We could transport the entire crew back to the Alpha quadrant." I interrupted.
"You'll have to reconfigure the matter transmission rate."
"Fairly substantially." I said.
"And we risk losing whatever we try to beam out."
"We'll have to run a series of tests first."
"See to it, Lieutenant." She approved.
"I'll need some help."
"You have my authorization to use any of the ship's personnel you need. This has top priority. And don't worry about secrecy. I doubt you'd be able to keep this quiet for very long." She joked. I nodded with a chuckle and ran out.
-----
Lieutenant Bini Filters POV
(Five minutes later.)
I slumped in my seat in my quarters, I stared down at a letter format. An empty letter format. I can't even get past who I am sending it to because, at this point, I have no living family or friends. Unless you count the crew on Voyager.
I heard a chime. I looked towards my door. Surprised and confused.
"Come in." I called out. Micheal and Sarah nervously walked in with two padds.
"Hi, Bini. Um, can you help us with the letter? Mommy is busy." Sarah explained.
"I am afraid I won't be much help, you two. I can't even write my own for goodness sake." I complained and tossed my padd on the floor.
"Who are you writing to?" Micheal asked as they sat on the sofa beside me. I gave a frustrated sigh and curled myself into a ball.
"I don't know! Everyone in the Alpha Quadrant who cared about me is dead." I replied. Micheal and Sarah shared a look.
"Why don't you write to Grandma Gretchen?"
"Who is 'Grandma Gretchen'?"
"Our grandma."
"Now, why would I write to your grandma?"
"Because you need to write to someone." Micheal chirped. He got up and picked up the padd. He typed in her sending info and handed the padd back to me.
"I don't know about this..." I muttered.
"Come on, Bini! Come on!" They begged.
"OK! OK! Geez, you know how much I hate it when you guys whine." I complained. I shifted in my position to be more comfortable. "Wait, why are you guys here again?"
"We actually need help with writing too. We want to write to Uncle Owen-Admiral Paris but we don't know what to say to him." Micheal said. I must have gone pale as I stiffened up at the mention of Admiral Paris. Micheal and Sarah gave me concerned expressions.
"I have an idea. You write to your grandma Gretchen and I write to Admiral Paris. I am sure your grandma misses you very much and wants to hear from you. Now, go on now. I have some writing to do." I insisted and shoed them out of my quarters. They both quickly ran out and I looked down at the padd.
"Computer. Start a letter:
To Admiral Owen Paris. Starfleet Command.
From: Lieutenant Bini Filters. USS Voyager.
Hello, Admiral. I am sure you are wondering why I. Out of everyone, have chosen you to write my letter to. I actually have a good reason for once and this time I am going to address some...things that I never got to tell you while I was in custody of Starfleet.
I know that you remember what my mother said that day at the funeral. I remember it still to this day. Long after the death of both my parents but you remember it because of your gulity consequence. Something that is built into you by force of Starfleet training. A few months ago I would have claimed that you didn't care who died or who lived, just as long as the battle or war was won.
But, I noticed in my time on Voyager that it may not be true. I have become aware that Captain Janeway herself suffers lots of guilt for stranding us out here or when someone is injured. It is just the little things that set her off and as much as Chakotay tries to make her see reason, which let's be honest here, is very hard to do. She still feels like sh*t. Excuse my language.
She was your student after all so I assume some of this gulity death wish she has is brought on by you and the way she was raised. So what I am trying to say is that...I don't blame you for my Father's death. Maybe that will help you sleep a little better at night. Knowing at least someone...even if they are 75 light-years away...doesn't blame you for a death that couldn't be prevented. I mean it could've. But it is not because the borg showed up.
And if you think that I blame you for the fact that I was in jail for a couple of months then you are about half correct there. Congrats on that one.
I hope you are able to sleep tonight.
-Lt. Bini Faustina Filters. Second in command of Security. USS Voyager.
P.S: When you get the chance, make sure the replicators as the penalty colonies are improved. I know we are meant to suffer and think about our horrible crimes there but if I ever make it back I at least want the food to be edible.
Computer. End Letter and send to Commander Chakotay."
-----
Kes's POV
The news was spreading fast. I know that listening to rumours is bad and most of them aren't true anyway but this rumour was confirmed by B'Elanna herself. Herself.
We might be leaving Voyager, leaving the Doctor behind. I entered into sickbay. The Doctor was still puttering around and working on new experiments.
"I've finished these and I'm ready for more." I said and handed the padd with finished lessons.
"You've finished those already?" He replied, surprised as he took the padd back and quickly scanned the info.
"I enjoyed studying anatomy. It would be interesting to see an autopsy sometime." I explained. He placed it down on the nearest console and straightened up.
"What are the bones of the middle ear?" He quizzed.
"Malleus, incus and stapes."
"And the connective tissue between the middle and the external auditory canal?"
"The tympanic membrane."
"Hmm. I suspect you have an eidetic memory. An astonishing gift. I'll do a full neural scan on you at some point." The Doctor said with a satisfied smirk and entered his office, I followed after him.
"I've been thinking. If we do get back to Federation space, I'd like to explore the possibility of going to Medical School." I said. He nodded and sat down behind his desk.
"If you continue to apply yourself as you have, by the time we get back you may already have the equivalent of a medical degree."
"Then you haven't heard?"
"Heard what?"
"That we might be getting back soon."
"If there's one thing you can count on, it's that I am the last to be told about anything that happens on this ship."
"Everyone's talking about it. There may be a way to transport all of us to the Alpha Quadrant. Chief Torres and half of engineering are working on it right now." I explained.
"I see. Well, I'll say goodbye now. I won't be transporting with the rest of you." He replied sadly and turned on his computer.
"But can't we download your programme and take you with us?"
"My programme is fully integrated into the sickbay system. At present, I cannot be downloaded." He shot back. By imulse I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, he gave me a startled look.
"Thank you for everything." I added.
"Wait. I'd like. That is, could I ask a favour of you?" He asked.
"Anything."
"If you do leave, before you go, would you check to make sure I've been deactivated."
"I promise."
-----
Captain Kathryn Janeway's POV
I looked up at the Romulan on the viewscreen. Hoping to find the right words to explain the discovery.
"And our Chief Engineer has managed to bind a transporter beam to the visual link between us." I explained.
"Then you've matched your data transmission to the phase-amplitude of our comm. signal?" He asked. I nodded back.
"Exactly." I replied.
"Apparently our intelligence operatives are not doing their job. You clearly have technology that we are unaware of. This would be an incredible breakthrough in subspace field mechanics." He replied amazed at our work.
"If it's successful, we'd like to try transmitting a test cylinder to you." Chakotay pitched in.
"A test cylinder of what sort?" He asked suspiously.
"It is a standard Starfleet mechanism with a varietal molecular matrix. It simulates most organic and non-organic compounds. It is not classified technology." Tuvok explained in the Vulcan way of using too much info.
"Ah, I am aware of this mechanism. We use a similar device. I will allow the transport." He approved. I tapped my combadge.
"Bridge to Transporter room one." I said.
"Torres here. We're all set, Captain. The lock is active and we're focused on the Romulan's transporter coordinates.." B'Elanna replied back on the channel.
"All right then. Let's give it a try.
"Energise." Chakotay ordered.
"The cylinder has dematerialized, Captain." B'Elanna reported. On the viewscreen, the cylinder appeared beside the Romulan. The Romulan slowly picked it up to make sure it was real. Then he placed it back down.
"Can you get it back?" I asked over the channel.
"The pattern buffer is having trouble accepting the matter stream." B'Elanna replied with a hint of bitterness. Harry tapped his own combadge.
"I'll increase power to the phase transition coils." He said.
"No effect. Ramp the coils to thirty-seven megajoules."
"Thirty-seven megajoules."
The cylinder dematerialized from the other ship and probably rematerialized in the transporter room than appeared on his ship again for the final test. He took hold of it again as a test.
"Congratulations, Captain. You've done it. Very impressive." He congratulated.
"We should run a series of these tests just to make sure, but we have to act quickly before the probe is crushed.
"I understand."
"Eventually we will have to try transporting a person. One of our crew will beam to your ship if you'll allow it."
"I'm afraid I can't permit that, Captain, my government would never allow Starfleet personnel on this ship. I wouldn't want my logs to show that activity." He insisted.
"Then what would you suggest?" Tuvok asked.
"I'll volunteer to transport to your ship and back again."
"But Captain, if we can't transport to your ship, how are we to get back?"
"If the procedure is successful, I'll arrange for a troopship to join me. That would easily accommodate your crew."
"Very well. We'll be in touch."
-- 20 minutes later (In a corridor: heading towards the Transporter room.)--
"Kim and Torres have made more than twenty transports of the test cylinder, even though she's still having trouble with that phase variance. Every one of them has been successful." Chakotay reported. I fiddled with my combadge in nervousness as I considered all that was at stake if this didn't work.
"Let's hope it goes as well with the Romulan." I said as Tuvok raised an eyebrow at Chakotay and Chakotay scowled back at him.
"Captain, I must insist that I stay with him at all times while he is on board."
"Agreed." I replied as we entered the transporter room where B'Elanna and Harry stood in deep conversation. They went straight to attention the moment they noticed us.
"We're locked onto him. Whenever you're ready, Captain." B'Elanna said.
"Well, let's try it. Energise." I ordered. Several beeps went off which caused B'Elanna to panic a little. "What's the problem?"
"It's the phase variance in the radiation stream. I'm balancing it manually." B'Elanna reported and after a few moments, the Captain solidifies on the transporter padd. Tuvok quickly pulled out his phaser for protection.
"Welcome to the Delta quadrant, Captain. My first officer, Commander Chakotay. Lieutenant Tuvok, head of security. Chief Engineer Torres and Operations officer Kim." I greeted. Tuvok pulled out his tricorder and put away his phaser
"My congratulations on your remarkable accomplishment. This is an astonishing breakthrough." He said as he looked around the transporter room.
"For a while there I didn't think you were going to make it. There was a strange phase variance in the radiation stream. It almost kept us from pulling you through." B'Elanna informed him.
"Mister Tuvok, you may begin evacuation procedures." I ordered. Tuvok moved closer to me.
"I suggest we delay that for the moment, Captain. I'm afraid I've found the reason for the unusual phase variance."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Captain, what year is it?" Tuvok asked the Captain.
"What year?" He repeated in confusion.
"If you please."
"By your calendar, the year is 2351."
"But this is 2371." Chakotay pointed out.
"Exactly. Our Romulan visitor is a person out of time. He is showing clear evidence of temporal displacement. I would surmise that the wormhole is a rift not just in space but in time. The unusual phase variance we detected was actually an indication of a temporal shift. We have transported him from twenty years in the past to our present." Tuvok explained. Not knowing that he had just crushed a lot of dreams in the process.
-----
(12 minutes later.)
Lieutenant Tom Paris's POV
We all sat in the briefing room with the Romulan. There were an uncomfortable silence and tension that filled the room as I know most people in the room wanted to go home. Personally I didn't. I have found I have evolved more than I ever did in the Alpha Quadrant. Besides. Even if we did get back, Bini and I would probably be sent back to prison and the rest of the Maquis with us.
B'Elanna seemed to have broken the silence by finally giving a confirmation of what we already know. "I've gone over and over the transporter logs. There's no question that if we try to transport ourselves through that wormhole, we'll end up twenty years in the past."
"Then let's do it. It's better than trying to spend the next seventy years trying to get back." Harry argued. He looked like a little kid that just lost his dog. Despite the fact that Mollie was in the room but she was trying to make the Captain feel better as she seemed to be going through some sort of shock as she stared at the briefing room table.
"How can we do that? We'd be going back to a time when you were only two years old." I reminded Harry. The Captain seemed to have snapped out of whatever trance she went into and slipped on the "Captain's mask" to prevent anyone from seeing what she was really thinking.
"I know you're disappointed, Harry, we all are. It seemed we were so close. But clearly we can't go back. It would pollute the timeline to such an extent that the consequences would be unimaginable." She explained to us, then looked directly at the Romulan. "I'm afraid we'll have to send you back alone and ask that you not reveal anything that has happened here."
"I can assure you, Captain, that I would not do anything that might contaminate the future and perhaps harm the Romulan Empire, but, in twenty years I could alert Starfleet not to launch the mission which sent you here." He said.
"I'm afraid that's not possible either. We've already had a huge impact on this quadrant. People and events here would be drastically affected." Chakotay explained.
"I'm afraid we're left with our original request. In twenty years, would you relay our personal messages to Starfleet?" The Captain asked once again.
"Of course. At the proper time, I will transmit them. If you should find a way back within my lifetime, I'd be an old man, but I would welcome a message from you. I am Telek R'Mor of the Romulan Astrophysical Academy." The Romulan...Telek said with a small smile.
"I promise you'll hear from us. Because we will get back." She promised. Mollie gave out a bark in agreement.
-----
(5 minutes later.)
Lieutenant Bini Filters POV
I yawned as exhaustion started to set in as I stood watch in engineering with my security team. This was probably the most boring job in the quadrant. My entire reason for being here is to watch. Watch. I suppose it is better than jail but seriously? I have been doing this for a couple of months now and I am wondering if I should demote myself to something more fun. Like scrubbing plasma from the EPS relays like Crewman Frank Darwin.
"Tuvok to Filters." I internally started to scream in irritation. If this was about the report I missed, I was going to snap. We might be getting home soon and I am sure Starfleet won't mind if I miss one damn report. I tapped my combadge with bitterness as I considered how I was going to get myself outta this one.
"Filters here. What can I do for you now, sir?" I snapped with sarcasm.
"I require information about Telek R'Mor of the Romulan Astrophysical Academy. I need assistance in finding information about him." I rolled my eyes. Knowing better than to question why I was looking up whoever this was but also well aware that it wasn't my place to question my superior's orders. No matter how much of my time is wasted. But at least I am doing something.
"Alright. How much info are we talking about?" I asked as I went to one of the side consoles in engineering and logged into it.
"Information about his life, family and whichever other important info for the year 2371."
After a few moments of skimming this Romulan's rather impressive service record and bio, I concluded that I have info that Tuvok won't like.
"Tuvok, I have some info about him that you probably aren't going to like." I warned as I reread the section.
"Lieutenant. I am Vulcan. Vulcan cannot-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. For goodness sake. Anyway. There is nothing for this year on this Terek guy. He died four years ago from some sort of disease. He had a daughter and two sons. His eldest son went into the military and last the computer check, he is still active. Unless he has been killed in the few months that we have been out here. Which, I seriously doubt but then again we are 75 years from Earth." I ranted.
Commander Chakotay's POV
Tuvok handed and yellow isolinear chip to Terek as he stepped onto the transporter padd.
"These are our messages." Tuvok said as Terek looked down at the chip in his hand and tightened his fist around it.
"I wish you luck on your journey." He said.
"And I thank you for your help." Janeway replied. She nodded towards B'Elanna. "Energize."
Terek disappeared from the padd as B'Elanna started up the transport sequence with Harry beside her.
"The signal's in the pattern buffer. Transferring to the emitter array." B'Elanna. called out
"Phase variance is out of synch again."
"Compensating. Transport complete, Captain. He made it."
"I'll tell the crew. They can have the satisfaction of knowing that their messages have reached their families." Janeway said with a little hope in her eyes.
"Captain, I did not want to mention this until after our guest had left. I checked the databanks of the computer for a Romulan scientist named Telek R'Mor." Tuvok interrupted.
"And?"
"I'm sorry to report Doctor R'Mor died in 2367."
"That was four years ago."
"That is correct. Before he would have sent our messages."
"Maybe he left a will telling someone else to transmit the messages. Or he could have given our computer chip to the Romulan Government." B'Elanna suggested.
"It is possible. Unfortunately, there is no way to know. Although the database does show that he has a son in the Romulan military this year."
"Then let's move on. We've got a long way to go." The Captain insisted.
-----
(Starfleet Command: 75 light-years away. (Two weeks later.)
Admiral Owen Paris POV
"Computer. Start Personal Log. Two weeks ago we had received a transmission from a Romulan Warbird that they had messages from the lost crew of the USS Voyager. Katie's ship. We have been able to confirm that they are indeed authentic and from the real crew, we have not been able to confirm how they...well...appeared. The Romulan in question says that his Father gave the chip with the messages to him on his death bed and did not have enough time to explain. All he said about the matter was that there was a wormhole with temporal displacement.
Neither the less. I am still thankful that the crew is alive. Even if they are in the Delta Quadrant and that Tom is alive. I quickly looked through who was getting their own letters. Katie had written to many of the "deceased" family members and one to her sister and mother while the kids had written to her mother.
Tom, of course, sent me a letter. Explaining how he had become a new man out there and how he thinks about what I would think if I know who he has become. I miss him every day. I am just so...pleased. To know that he is still alive. But, I did get a surprising letter from Bini Filters. The poor girl I had sent into a penal colony. It was a rash decision. Not to mention sent her Father to death at Wolf 359.
She said that she had forgiven me. How my gulity consequence was probably weighing me down and causing me to not sleep well. She had a point here. I couldn't help but chuckle as she added in the last request at the bottom. I quote:
"P.S: When you get the chance, make sure the replicators as the penalty colonies are improved. I know we are meant to suffer and think about our horrible crimes there but if I ever make it back I at least want the food to be edible."
She always did have a strange way with words. I have just filed a request for that very thing. Many Admirals on the board thought it was strange that I was suddenly so focused on the food in penal colonies and asked if I was planning on spending my retirement there. I told them if I got court-martial then yes.
That is all I have to report for today. Hopefully, Voyager will find a way to return home sooner than 75 years. I know Katie can do it. Computer. End Log."
---End of Chapter 19: Next chapter: ??? (Yet to be determined.)---
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