Chapter Text
Chakotay was bored.
That was not particularly unusual at middle-shift when nothing much was happening. He supposed he ought to work on requisition analyses, but sometimes it was easier just to daydream. Beside him, Janeway was busily signing reports and perusing a copy of something from B'Elanna that had too many words that ended in -ity or included "particle" for Chakotay to follow. B'Elanna and engines were something he preferred to count as part of the great mystery that lay at the heart of the universe. Perhaps Janeway was better for B'Elanna Torres than he. Chakotay had been the young woman's mentor, but he did not share much common ground with her. Janeway did. And to be honest, B'Elanna was in need of a strong mother-figure more than a strong father-figure. Chakotay was simultaneously glad and a tad jealous to see her relationship with Janeway progressing so well. He buried the jealousy under a proprietary pride at having helped bring them together.
"Captain." Harry Kim's voice broke over Chakotay's musings. Chakotay turned his head, still responding instinctually to the title despite over three years of hearing "Commander."
Janeway had glanced up as well. "Yes, Mr. Kim?"
"I'm receiving readings consonant with...a wormhole, captain."
Janeway stood up abruptly, joined him at his station. "Coordinates?" He gave them. She turned to the conn. "Mr. Paris, let's take a closer look."
"Aye, captain."
The shift would not, it seemed, be boring after all. Chakotay sat up straighter in his chair.
As Voyager moved closer, the readings became clearer. The wormhole was about a day's trip sidewise of their course but appeared to be highly unstable. Nevertheless, Janeway seemed to think it worth investigating. One did not run across wormholes every day. So a course was laid in, and the day's shift ended for Chakotay with the promise of something interesting for tomorrow.
A comcall woke him in the middle of the night. "Janeway to Chakotay."
He sat up and rubbed a hand over his face, then fumbled for his com. He might have called for lights, but lights always abused his eyes before he woke up fully. "Chakotay here, captain."
"Commander, sorry to wake you, but I have interesting news. There appears to be a ship of some kind, caught in that wormhole. Can you come to the bridge?"
"I'm on my way."
Third shift had the bridge when he arrived. Janeway was bent over the ops station, together with Tuvok. Apparently, she had summoned him from sleep as well. Chakotay, who felt rumpled and cross, was annoyed to see the Vulcan so together. But what else would one expect from oh-so-proper Tuvok? The third-shift ops officer hovered. "You wanted me, captain?" Chakotay said to Janeway.
"Yes." She beckoned him over, her mind clearly on the console. She was pretty when she was vaguely distracted. "Take a look at these readings."
Dutifully he looked. They made no sense to him. "And?" he asked.
"The ship is showing an energy signature remarkably similar to a Federation type vessel," Tuvok replied, as if to a dullard.
Suppressing annoyance, Chakotay blinked and studied the readings more closely. "Yes," he muttered after a moment. "I do see."
Janeway tapped the screen and gave a frustrated little sigh. "But we're still too far out. I can't decide just what kind of ship this might be. Too small to be Starfleet, I think. We'll just have to wait." She began to pace, did not speak again. Chakotay spared a glance at Tuvok but Tuvok stood quiet, all drawn into himself in that peculiar way Vulcans had. Sighing, Chakotay gave up on sleep and went down to take his place in the secondary command chair.
A little over two hours later, the ops officer called Janeway back up to her station. "I have something clearer," she said. Almost leaping, Janeway joined her.
For a long time, Janeway did not speak. Then, in a soft voice, she said, "This is a Vulcan shuttle."
Every head on the bridge jerked around to look at her.
"They're sending out a distress call."