Starfleet engineering labs; Kathryn


We’re sitting in the lab, waiting for the MIDAS array to power up. After three weeks of work, most of it produced by Jack and B’Elanna, we finally have the solution to destroying Baldy Rock.

My communicator chirps. “Paris to Janeway.”

This can’t be good news. Tom is supposed to be with Neelix, so I slip outside to take the hail. “Yes, Tom.”

“Neelix … he’s taken a turn for the worse. Doc says you need to come now.” He pauses, and I can hear him take a ragged breath. “He won’t last much longer.”

The news crashes into me, and I can barely keep my voice steady. “I’m on my way.”

I go back into the testing room, trying to keep that command mask on. But I can’t do it today. Both Jack and B’Elanna look at me in alarm. “Kat, what’s happened?” Jack asks.

I take his hand … a breach of protocol to be sure, but right now, protocol be damned.

“Neelix doesn’t have much longer. I have to go.”

B’Elanna is near tears. “I’m going with you. I … I want to say goodbye.”

“I’ll tell Reg to stop the test, and I’ll come, too.” Jack says gently

The three of us walk over to Medical in silence, though when the turbolift doors close, Jack lays a hand on each of our shoulders and gives them a gentle squeeze, giving us strength for what we’re about to face.


****

The room is silent, save the beeping of the monitor over Neelix’s head. Tom looks up with a sad smile as the Doctor walks over to us.

“He’s in a coma, though it’s possible he can still hear you if you’d like to talk to him,” he says, the sadness showing in his eyes. “Sam and Naomi are on their way.”

B’Elanna moves to Neelix’s side and talks to him quietly for a few moments, then goes to sit by Tom.

I approach the bed and take Neelix’s hand, trying to steady myself with a deep breath. “Neelix, I’m happy that you had a good life, and that we got to see each other again. But I’m so sorry we couldn’t get you home, old friend. I feel like I’ve failed you. I promise to tell Dexa how much you loved her.”

Whether he heard or not, I’ll never know. But I’ll always hope so ...

A half-hour later, as Naomi held his hand, Neelix took his last breath.


***

Baker Point: Jack

Kat hasn’t said much since we left Medical. When we get home, I pour two shots of whiskey and take them into the study where’s she’s sitting, staring at nothing. She smiles gratefully and takes a glass.

“To Neelix.”

“To Neelix,” she answers softly as we both drink down the liquor.

I sit next to her, and she slides into my arms, her head on my chest.

“You didn’t fail him, you know.”

“Didn’t I?”

“No … you ... we all did our best to overcome an impossible situation. If nothing else, Neelix got the one thing he needed.”

“What’s that?” Her voice has a bit of an edge.

“He got to spend his last days with his Voyager family. That thing could have thrown him anywhere. He could have died alone, or in terror on some godforsaken planet. It may have been sheer luck, but at least he died among people who loved him. And that’s all any of us can ask for.”

She raises her head to say something, but the tears begin to fall and she can’t get the words out. She rests her head back against my chest and sobs as if her heart is breaking. I hold her close and stroke her hair, letting her cry for Neelix, and all the others she lost on Voyager.



***

Starfleet engineering labs: Kathryn


Three days after the funeral, we return to the lab. This time, we send through a pulse that shatters Baldy Rock to bits. From a security standpoint, our efforts are a roaring success. From a personal standpoint, there’s not much to celebrate.


***

A few days later, the Doctor and I wait while MIDAS beams a connection to the Talaxian asteroid colony. While we wait for Dexa to come to the vid, we chat about various things … the weather, Naomi’s new job … anything to avoid the real reason we’re sitting there.

Finally, Dexa’s face comes on the screen. I expected the surprise, but not the sorrow I see.

“Oh, Captain Janeway! It’s so good of you to call us!”

The Doctor opens his mouth to correct her, and I nudge him. Right now, rank isn’t important.

“But … I’m sorry to tell you that you’re too late to talk to Neelix.”

“Too late?” I repeat, puzzled. Perhaps she’s referring to him being missing …

“I’m so sorry, but Neelix died a few days ago.”

The Doctor and I look at each other in shock. There’s no way she could have known.

“When did this happen?” The Doctor asks. Her answer shocked us again: the same date that Neelix died here.

“He died there?” I ask. A stupid question, perhaps, but something strange is going on here.

“Yes, of course,” she says, looking at me like I was daft.

“Dexa,” The Doctor says kindly, “could you tell us what happened?”

“It all started after he went to that planet to pick leola root. He was several hours late … said he thought he’d passed out.

“He seemed all right at first, but as the weeks went on, he became weaker. It was like his body was shutting down on him. Our medics had no idea what was wrong, or what to do,” she said, her voice catching.

“Did he mention anything about seeing Baldy Rock that day?” I ask.

She thought for a moment. “Why yes. He said that the last thing he remembered was that something flashed on it. How do you know about Baldy Rock?”

The Doctor and I look at each other in shock as we both realize what happened to Neelix. I swallow hard and turn back to the screen.

“Dexa, we knew that Neelix died. But something else appears to have happened. And there's no easy way to explain this.


***

Officers’ Club: Jack

“Let me get this straight. You’re telling me that wormhole generator made a duplicate of Neelix and his ship. Then it threw one ship into the Alpha Quadrant and left the other in the Delta?”

“’Fraid so,” Kat says quietly. We’re sitting in a quiet corner of the Officers’ Club with Tom, B’Elanna and the Doctor, trying to figure this out.

“How is this possible?” I ask. “I’ve never seen a wormhole do that particular trick.”

“I’ve gone over Seven’s report. The schematics indicate there may have been some form of transporter technology in Baldy Rock, but it’s nothing that I’ve ever seen,” B’Elanna says.

“And there have been cases of duplication caused by transporter technology,” the Doctor adds.

“True,” Kat says, “it happened to Will Riker.” She gestures toward B’Elanna. “By the way, we should run some more tests on that ship. I’m leaning toward it being the copy, and I’d be curious to see how many of its systems actually work.”

“You know,” Tom says, “I keep thinking that the poor guy died three times.”

“He did … and I find that profoundly disturbing,” Kat says. She shook her head. “I keep remembering what Dexa told me: that his one regret was that he couldn’t see us all again.”

“And when he was here, his one regret was that he couldn’t see his family again,” I say.
“Sounds like he got what he wanted on all counts,” B’Elanna adds.

Our conversation is interrupted by the server delivering our drinks. When he leaves, the Doctor raises his glass, and we follow.

“To the irrepressible Mr. Neelix,” he says. “May he live on in the hearts of both of his families.”

 


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