A Moment of Your Time
by ALM_Voyager- (c) May 4, 2000
- Disclaimer: Voyager belongs to Paramount Pictures. No infringement intended.
- Note: There are some weak points in the plot that I intend to work on -- I just don't have the time right now. Anyhow, enjoy it for what it's worth! :o)
It had been the birthplace of many radical thoughts for Chakotay. His away mission, that he had so readily agreed to, had given him the time and space to think about the lack of direction his relationship with the Captain held.
"Home sweet home," he stated at the Delta Flyer's helm, while punching in directions to the small ship's main computer system.
"This is the Delta Flyer to Voyager," he waited as the ship came closer and closer into view. No response. "Computer," he stated and was acknowledge by a mechanical beep, "state current status of the Starship Voyager."
"Status unknown," it stated.
Odd. The ship wasn't under attack, it wasn't even at yellow alert it was just -- sitting there. Chakotay shook his head and sighed, and laid in a course to dock in shuttle bay two. "Someone better have an explanation for this one," he stated as he took the shuttle in.
No one had greeted him by com-link, nor had anyone rushed to the shuttle bay doors with an acknowledged gesture of, 'Commander.' He wasn't surprised -- the crew had entered their third year onboard and already things were starting to fall apart -- no more bonding nights at Sandrines, no more pool tournaments -- fewer and fewer dinners with Kathryn. He reflected that the Maquis and Starfleet had integrated so well that it seemed as though they needed less and less time together -- people were either in couples or in solitary individualistic states of activities.
Shutting down the systems was rudimentary and when he finally locked things up and grabbed his duffle bag, he had to run his hand through his hair in uneasiness at returning. He was trying to remember what he had discovered about himself in the time he had taken to get away: away from Voyager, away from the duties of Commander -- he refused to lose sight of himself, Chakotay, again.
The doors opened and stepping out he ran straight into Ensign Daley. "Excuse me, Ensign," Chakotay looked up briefly but stopped, his mouth dropping slightly, at the realization that Ensign Daley wasn't moving. In fact, no one in the corridor was moving -- it was as if they had just . . . stopped . . . frozen in time. Chakotay edged his body around the frozen man and did his best not to run in the opposite direction. He allowed his feet to move him forward, past Ensign Delaney, past little crewman after crewman who were neither moving nor breathing or talking. He turned his head to look back at what he just departed from when he tripped over a repair kit that had been on the floor. Falling to the ground his breathing increased as he realized what being an outsider really felt like -- separated from crew -- this is what he had been trying to escape from yet he had returned to the nightmare of it all.
Just as suddenly as that thought came to him everything regained its natural course. People were moving.
"Commander!" the man who had been working, at the bulkhead, with a repair kit seemed just as startled as Chakotay had been. "What happened? I didn't see you here a minute ago sir!" the man offered Chakotay a hand up.
"I-- fine," he paused, looking around.
"Sir?" he asked further, sensing the distress from the commanding officer.
Chakotay shook his head, and picking up his bag continued on to his quarters. He thought for a moment about telling Kathryn, but instead, gave into his curiousity of letting things play out . . . without any interference.
"Captain," Tuvok stated from his console, and looking directly ahead with a raised eyebrow, "Sensors indicate that the Delta Flyer has been returned and is fully docked in Shuttlebay two."
Kathryn Janeway whirled around at shock with the news. "What?" she asked and started to move forward, across the bridge. She stepped up to where her tactical officer was at and stood beside him, "When did that happen?"
"I have no logical explanation," Tuvok offered her and he knew that it would not satisfy his Captain. In this Quadrant Kathryn Janeway had learned to never discount one unusual event as just random activity -- something always ensued.
"I want a better explanation than that, Mr. Tuvok," she stated and headed towards Harry Kim's station.
"Operations didn't detect anything unusual, Mam," Harry snapped to attention the moment he saw her heading towards his line of work. "Have a look and see," he offered and stepped aside, watching Janeway punch in command codes and then nodding her head at the typical data that appeared.
"It figures," she muttered.
"Captain?" Ensign Kim asked.
"Tuvok," she stated heading towards the main lift, "you have the bridge."
CONTINUED IN PART 2!
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