Star Trek Voyager: Eternity

Star Trek Voyager: Eternity (Chapter 8)

Closing his fist tightly round the ring, his only proof that any of it had actually happened, Chakotay leaned heavily against the wall, allowing his eyes to close momentarily as he tried to corral his scattered thoughts. “Chakotay? Are you all right?”

Jumping violently at the voice he opened his eyes to see Kathryn peering at him in concern. “Captain…” he mumbled shakily.

“What’s happened with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” That ghost is you, where I was you were long dead, well I was dead too, oh I’m getting a migraine.

“Kathryn, can I talk to you about something?”

Janeway had been about to relax in her quarters, but she looked at his pale face and wild eyes and decided that could wait. “Yeah sure, we’ll go to my quarters.”

“I’d prefer your ready room Captain.” He wasn’t about to have such a complex conversation in her quarters.

“My ready room? Is something wrong with a crewmember?”

“No…I’ll explain I promise.” Having a brainwave he pressed his comm. badge, “Seven, can you meet the Captain and I in her ready room?”

There was a slight pause before the voice he’d been longing to hear answered. “As you wish Commander.” Thank you for not asking any questions my darling, he thought deeply relieved at the prospect of seeing her.

The Captain meanwhile was even more confused. “What’s Seven got to do with anything? Has she done something wrong?”

“No! I just need her to prove something to you that’s all.” Chakotay wished at that moment that Janeway would follow Seven’s lead and not question him but he knew that was never going to happen. Seven would find Temporal Anomaly whatever it was and the Captain would have to believe him. “Let’s just go meet her, okay?” he said in exasperation.

“Alright Chakotay, fine, but I’m expecting an explanation.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get one.”

They walked into the ready room to find Seven standing waiting for them. The beaming smile he gave her must have unnerved her because her eyes met his only briefly before moving on to the Captain. I’d better wipe that stupid grin off my face, I’m freaking her out. Despite these thoughts his eyes kept on thirstily drinking her in.

Seven shook off the unease she was feeling. “Good evening Captain, Commander.” She nodded her towards him hurriedly not wanting to become absorbed with analysing the dark eyes which were permanently fixed on her.

“Good evening Seven.” The Captain replied, “Right Chakotay, you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Chakotay nervously rubbed the palms of his hands on his trousers. “I’ve just returned from 2382, I was there for three days.”

Janeway and Seven stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Commander I saw you in Cargo Bay 2 fifteen minutes ago…” Seven started.

“From your perspective I know you did, but from my perspective that conversation was three days ago before all this happened.” The Captain began to speak but he cut her off. “Look Seven, your future self told me it was something called Temporal Anomaly 8564 that did all this, she sent me back by doing something with the deflector…”

Understanding must have dawned on Seven because she immediately ran to the wall console and began running scans. “He is telling the truth Captain, I’ve checked the Astrometrics scans and Temporal Anomaly 8564 occurred at precisely 1930 hours and again half a second later.”