“Harry, we have to make it to that planet!” yelled Captain Janeway. On what was a routine away mission, Captain Kathryn Janeway and Ensign Harry Kim of the USS Voyager ran into some unfriendly fire from some pirate ships looking for anything of value. With their shuttle badly damaged, communications down, and Voyager too far away to assist at the moment, they were forced to land on a nearby M class planet while they waited for help to arrive.
“Yes ma’am.” Harry said as he frantically pushed buttons, keying in the landing sequence as the shuttle jostled while the cabin filled with smoke. “It’s going to be a rough landing. Hold on!”
“Warning! Warp core breach in two minutes.” Blurted out the computer.
Before bracing herself for impact, Kathryn Janeway desperately tried to strap herself in her chair and waited for the inevitable crash. This was not what she had in mind when she went out on a routine mission looking for supplies for Voyager. Smoke filled her lungs and, before she was belted in securely, she was viciously thrown from her chair and bounced around the cabin, bestowing upon her a painful gash on her upper right brow. As blood trickled down her temple, glittering dots speckled and danced before her eyes and she lost consciousness.
Stirring at a snail's pace on the floor, Janeway awoke with an unspeakable throbbing in her head. She did note, however, that she was covered with a blanket, and her crewman was nowhere in sight. If Harry was killed in the crash he would still be in here, she thought. She tried to get up but the pain was too unbearable and she slumped right back down on the floor.
“Captain, you’re awake,” Harry stated with a touch of relief in his tone as he entered the shuttle door. He moved over and sat with her, placing his hand on her hand. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been torpedoed by a Borg Cube,” she said sarcastically. Kathryn Janeway often found humor a source of healing when she was injured which, commanding a single Federation ship in an unknown region of space, was too often the case. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know at this point but asked anyway, “What’s our status?”
“We made it. That’s the good news,” he offered, unsure of how she would handle the rest.
“And the bad news?”
Sighing, Harry said, “The bad news is we didn’t get the distress beacon sent in time, the shuttle is beyond repair, emergency rations are practically gone, our medical supplies are limited, and we have no working tricorders. You might want to take it easy.” Harry was not the type of officer to worry needlessly. He was practical, had a great deal of training, and kept a cool head when conditions got dangerous.
He did not, however, feel comfortable with the captain’s sustained injuries and told her as much as he could without trying to worry her. “Captain, I think you should rest as much as possible. I think you suffered a sever concussion and some broken ribs along with some other internal injuries, but I can’t tell for sure without a tricorder.”
Janeway couldn’t believe this was happening. She was a strong woman, almost indestructible, or so she liked to believe. “How long have we been here?” she hesitantly asked.
“Almost three days,” Harry offered. “Voyager’s probably looking for us now since we missed the rendezvous, so there’s another point in our favor.” He stood up and moved about the cabin gathering various tools he could use for hunting. “I’m going to look for some food before night falls. Can I get you anything before I leave?”
“Yes, can you bring me a pad?” she harmlessly asked. “I would like to write a letter.”
“Of course,” Harry whispered and he handed her a pad, knowing full well she hosted doubts about her survival with her condition being this bad. “I’ll be back soon with some food. Take it easy until I return,” he avowed before he left.
Take it easy huh? I can’t even move. It hurts just to think. Janeway picked up the pad and stared for a long moment before she began writing.
Dear Seven,
I don’t know why I’m writing this. It’s standard for all crewmembers on away missions to write a letter in case they don’t return. I’ve been severely injured and Harry doesn’t have much faith that I’ll survive long enough to be found. I doubt you will even get this because our situation looks so grim so I might as well take a chance and pour my heart out.
Since you came on Voyager two years ago you have exceeded my expectations of you. When everyone else had doubts about a Borg drone being successfully severed from the collective you proved them wrong. You grew into an intelligent, caring, diligent member of the crew. I took you under my wing, hoping that I could somehow show you what being human was all about, and you spread your wings and rose above those surmountable odds placed upon you. Today you are looked upon with great respect and admiration.
But somewhere along the way things changed. Maybe it was your innocence. Perhaps it was something else. When I tried to be your guide, I became misguided myself. When I wanted nothing more than to be your friend and teacher, I found myself eventually wanting more than friendship. You don’t realize this, but many nights I found myself at your alcove, unaware as to how I got there, just watching, thinking about what it would be like to touch your hand, kiss your lips, and run my fingers through your hair. My heart cried out and ached because I knew nothing could ever become of it.
I could never have a relationship with any member of my crew, and that is why it saddens me that things must end like this. My only regret is not telling you this sooner. When love comes to you, you should grab it with both hands and never let go. Love like this only comes once in a lifetime. It deeply saddens me to think I’ve lost such a precious gift forever. Annika, I love you and would give anything for a second chance. Please forgive me for not coming to you with this sooner.
Love,
Kathryn
Yes, that sounds all right…A little over the top, but at least it’s accurate. She’ll probably never see it anyway. And if she does, she’ll think I’ve gone insane. Janeway encoded the letter to be read by Seven of Nine should they return to Voyager before putting down the pad. She had to rest just a little more and put her head down for a few minutes before losing consciousness again.
“Captain, wake up,” sang the doctor, Voyager’s EMH, as he revived her with a hypo spray administered to her neck.
Janeway woke from darkness with foggy vision and feeling very lightheaded. The last thing she remembered was writing a letter to Seven of Nine. She sat up and glanced at the familiar faces around her: the doctor, her first officer Chakotay, Harry, and Seven of Nine. “What happened?” she asked.
“You and Harry were stranded on a remote planet for 6 days,” Chakotay affirmed. “When we found you, your injuries were very severe. You’ve been in sickbay for two days now.”
The doctor moved in closer and observed her with his tricorder. “Thanks to my extraordinary skills you 100% healthy again,” he boasted as he practically danced around his patient. “However, you still need your rest so I’m cutting this short.” He looked around at the others and sang again, “Visiting hours are over now. Let’s cut this short people.” He clapped his hands and shooed the men away.
That was Seven’s cue. She moved closer and looked deep into her captain’s eyes, staring for what seemed an eternity before she smiled and sweetly whispered in Kathryn’s ear, emphasizing each word, “Grab it Kathryn, and never let go,” then kissed Janeway on the cheek and left, glancing over her shoulder before exiting the room.
Perhaps this mission wasn’t a total loss after all, Janeway thought as she smiled and pondered this second chance she had been given. The universe works in mysterious ways.
The End