Mr. Kim's Wild Ride by Darrel W. Beach Jan, 1996 Disclaimer: The characters of Star Trek: Voyager are the sole property of Paramount Studios. The Xausans, however, are my own creation. Please do not redistribute this story without acknowledging my name or this disclaimer. Please direct all feedback (no flames please) to dwbeach@sasktel.net. Chapter 1 Captain's Log, Stardate 49597.1: In our on-going search for raw materials, Neelix has directed us to a nearby star system inhabited by a people known as the Xausans. He has assured us that the Xausans are a friendly, charitable people, so we aren't anticipating any problems obtaining the supplies we so urgently need. In addition, in light of the recent encounter with the Vidiians, I plan to schedule some shore leave for the entire crew once we contact the Xausan government. Captain Janeway ended the log recorder and turned to look out at the streaking patterns of light. The fact that such a sight was possible was a great credit to the abilities of her chief engineer. The relentless determination (and Klingon temper) of B'Elanna Torres was a catalyst for the incredibly rapid repairs made to the warp propulsion and SIF systems. Granted, the Voyager could only achieve Warp 2, but that still meant reaching Xausa III in a matter of weeks as opposed to several years. The lieutenant was to be commended for her hard work. Also due recognition was her Operations officer who, under extreme duress, saved the life of Ensign Wildman's newborn daughter. The extenuating circumstances of the rescue were rather awkward, however: both Ensign Kim and the baby originated on a duplicate Voyager created by an unusual nebular divergence field and subsequently destroyed by the captain's doppleganger. It was simply easier to think of the two survivors as their own; the semantic paradox of the entire event just gave her a headache. The chirp of the communications channel stole her attention away from the window. "Kim to Captain Janeway." /Were his ears burning?/ she thought with a smirk. "Janeway here." "Captain, we're receiving a response to our hail from Xausa Three." "Thank you, Mr. Kim. Patch it through." She sat down at her desk and activated the monitor in front of her. An alien humanoid figure appeared before, his hair grayed at the temples. "Thank you for hearing us. I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager." "Salutations, Captain Janeway," the man replied. "I am Ambassador Tolis, liaison to His Majesty Prince Gaav, ruler of Xausa III. The prince welcomes you to the Kingdom on behalf of the Queen and the royal court." "Please relay our thanks to the prince for his gracious hospitality. With the help he is providing us, we are assured to get our ship back to full working order in no time." The ambassador supplied a gratified smile. "The Xausa Kingdom has prided itself for its affability for over three millennia. When we heard of your plight, we were moved to extend any assistance you required. It is our way." Janeway smiled and nodded. "Nonetheless, the gesture is still appreciated. Ambassador, if I might ask, would it be all right if my crew were allowed to visit your world for the purpose of relaxation? They are badly in need of a rest." "I am sure His Majesty would insist upon it," Tolis replied merrily. "In fact, he hoped to invite you and your staff to a welcoming feast when you arrive." "That sounds lovely - we would be honored to accept his invitation. We should be entering your system in about five days, barring any difficulties." "Ah, excellent! I will inform His Majesty right away. Be well, Captain Janeway." The ambassador's face disappeared from the screen. She couldn't erase the huge grin plastered on her face. Given the past relationships the crew had established with some of the other races in the Delta Quadrant, the captain more than anticipated an amicable first contact. And hopefully this encounter with the Xausans wouldn't turn out the same way as with the Sikkarians. Ensign Kim worked with due diligence at the Operations console, making sure that the ship's resources were appropriated fairly. Knowing that their supplies were in a critical state only added more pressure to the task. He didn't even bother engaging his duties of scanning the outlying area of space for possible wormholes; he was too distracted with thoughts of his rather unique situation on the ship. By now he was quite comfortable with everyone and everything around him, but the idea of serving on a ship that was and yet was not his still frequented his conscious. He had hoped that by immersing himself in his work the thoughts would recede, but unfortunately they did not, could not, when everything served to remind him of how different and how exactly identical it was. Captain Janeway emerged from her ready room looking like a child on Christmas morning. At least that's how Chakotay would have described her when he moved to give her possession of the center seat. "I take it your conversation with Ambassador Tolis went well," he commented, taking the station to her left. "I'd say it went very well, Commander," she replied cheerfully. "Mr. Tuvok, please open ship-wide communications." Tuvok entered in the key sequence. "Channel open, Captain." "Attention, all personnel, this is the captain. As all of you may be aware, we are en route to Xausa Three in search of supplies needed to completely repair the ship. I have just been in contact with their ruling body, and they have consented to give us any assistance we require. In addition, they have allowed us access to the planet's surface; thus, I have prepared shore leave schedules for the whole crew. Be sure to check the crew roster at least twelve hours prior to orbital entry. Janeway out." She glanced about the bridge to observe the reaction to her news, and wasn't surprised with what she saw. With the exception of Tuvok, she saw many tired faces smiling with relief and happiness. It wasn't hard to imagine that everyone on the ship looked the same way. She turned to her first officer, who was just barely able to keep from bearing his pearly whites through a grin. "Commander, I want you to assemble the senior officers for a meeting in the Observation Lounge at 1500 hours. I have some news I wish to share with them." Chakotay studied her intently with curiosity. "I don't suppose you're going to let me in on your little secret?" Amusement sparkled in her eyes. "Not a chance. You'll just have to wait along with everyone else." His bright smile finally broke free. "Aye, Captain." He began making preparations for the meeting, laughing inwardly the whole time. The crew had been buzzing with excitement the moment the Voyager dropped out of warp. By this time, details of their hosts was common knowledge. It was very unusual to encounter an entire star system ruled by a monarchy, even with the level of technology they possessed; the sheer magnitude of the population alone made the choice of political system seem rather ridiculous. Ensign Kim was still trying to wrap that idea around his head when the electronic chime of the door sounded. He was greeted with the presence of his two best friends. "Well, Harry, ready to go?" inquired the fair-haired pilot. Tom had been one of the people most eager for shore leave. `After spending three weeks down in Engineering with B'Elanna, you'd be ready to get off the ship, too' he had joked. Harry smiled back at his friends and moved to the door. "Sure, let's go." Making their way to the transporter room where the officers would beam down to the reception, B'Elanna, Tom and Harry chatted idly about their time off. Rather, B'Elanna and Tom chatted; still preoccupied with his former train of thought, Harry supplied barely more than one or two word responses. It didn't take long for the other two to notice. "Harry, you're being awfully quiet," the half-Klingon remarked. "Something on your mind?" The ensign looked startled, as if he had been caught sleeping on duty. "Oh, sorry. I guess I'm still trying to figure out how a monarchial structure could successfully govern a planetary system with over half a billion inhabitants." "Hey, whatever works," Tom casually noted. "Ours is not to question why, as they say." As they reached the turbolift, Tom moved his hand over his mouth as if to engage in a confidential discussion. "Hey, maybe if we get lucky, we'll run into a couple of duchesses willing to show us a good time, if you know what I mean." The comment received the anticipated response: B'Elanna's death glare rivaled in intensity to a Level 12 phaser blast. Harry couldn't help chuckling at Tom's blatant baiting as the turbolift doors closed. Chapter 2 It was like emerging from a time warp to find one's self in the Middle Ages - well, almost. The illusion that the Xausans were a pre- industrial civilization was marred only by the telling signs of advanced technology that dotted the huge palace they found themselves walking through. Still, the great stone archways and halls bespoke a history centuries old. Harry imagined he could wear his Beowulf costume and inconspicuously walk among the masses. Suddenly the passage opened up into a huge dining hall. The senior crew looked about in utter fascination at the expansive room, from the tapestries that lined the walls to the colossal hardwood dining table adorned with an uncountable number of prepared dishes and nearly as many guests standing before their chairs. They were escorted to the head of the table where Prince Gaav awaited, flanked on one side by Ambassador Tolis and by a woman on the other. "May I present His Honored Majesty, Prince Gaav of the Kendri House," flourished the ambassador, "and his wife, Princess Salia." The princess curtsied at her name; the prince bowed slightly. Janeway took a step forward and curtsied before the royals. "I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager, and this is my first officer, Commander Chakotay," she indicated with her hand. Chakotay bowed to the hosts. "May I also present the rest of my senior staff: Lieutenant Tuvok, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, Ensign Harry Kim, Lieutenant Tom Paris, Neelix and Kes." Each bowed or curtsied as their names were given. This time the prince bowed more graciously, and a smile blossomed on his lips. "Welcome, all of you. It is an honor to have such noble- hearted travelers as you present in these great halls. We have heard tales of your plight for many intervals. Imagine our delight when we had the opportunity to meet you in person and possibly assist you in your endeavors to return to your home." Then, sweeping his gaze across the table, he continued. "Now, please, come sit and eat. My attendants have prepared a most wonderful feast for your arrival. It would be best to enjoy it while it is still hot," he added with levity. The evening had turned out to be quite pleasant. The feast itself had proven to be extraordinary, with superbly delectable food and lively conversation. Prince Gaav was enraptured by Janeway's and Chakotay's tales of the fated crews and their lonely escapade homeward through unfamiliar and hostile territory, almost to the point of weeping, and made it a point to provide a copy of the Xausans' small library of navigational star charts. Now it was Janeway's turn to almost cry. A social reception followed the banquet, during which the officers were introduced to the other guests, mostly other members of the royal family and the prince's ministerial staff. Paris' eyes had lit up when introduced to one of Prince Gaav's nieces, who was quite coincidentally a duchess, very attractive and even more single. Not long after the introductions were concluded he had stalked off in search of the young dignitary, dragging a hapless Ensign Kim behind him. Before anyone had realized, twilight descended upon the festivities. Janeway and Chakotay both agreed that the evening was a huge success, and thought to corral the rest of the party to retire for the night. As they looked for their hosts to bid them good night, the captain slapped at her comm badge. "Janeway to away team: please rendezvous at the main foyer in five minutes." She figured that would be enough time; none of them would have left the palace grounds. By her last recount, Neelix and Kes were going for a walk through the garden, Tuvok was busy studying the various species of flora, and the other three were off mingling with the other guests. They could find neither the prince nor his wife on their way to the foyer, but they did spot Ambassador Tolis. "Ambassador," Janeway called out. "Have you seen the prince or his wife? We were going to wish them a good night." Tolis smiled apologetically, if not also mirthfully. "I'm afraid that His and Her Majesties have already retired for the evening. They tend to tire easily." Chakotay and the captain grinned at the subtle fib. "That is unfortunate. I was hoping to see them before we return to our ship." Tolis looked surprised. "You're not staying? We have rooms already prepared for you." That was unexpected news. "I'm afraid we weren't prepared to stay here overnight. Perhaps tomorrow." "Captain," Chakotay interjected, "perhaps this is a decision left up to every member of our party; there might be some people would like to stay down here." Janeway cocked an eyebrow at her second-in-command. She wanted to burst out laughing at the way he asked to stay ashore without saying it, but suppressed it. "I suppose you're right, Commander. We'll be convening with them in a couple of minutes - we'll take a head count then. Good evening, Ambassador." Everyone except Tom and Harry were standing at the foyer when they arrived, but they still had another minute. "Well, everyone, it appears as though we've been offered overnight accommodations. I know it's a little short of notice, but you have the choice of staying here tonight if you want to. I believe Commander Chakotay has already expressed an interest in staying," she added, turning to show him the laughter in her eyes. "Oh, Neelix, wouldn't it be so romantic to spend the night here?" Kes purred, wrapping herself around the Talaxian's arm. The effect had certainly not escaped the attention of Neelix, nor the crowd who watched him fidget with excitement. "I - well, that is - ah, I think that sounds like a *very* good idea!" Both Tuvok and B'Elanna asked to return to the ship, stating that their jobs demanded it. "Fine. That leaves Tom and Harry. And speaking of which, where are they?" Janeway asked, annoyed that the two hadn't shown up on time. Chakotay hit his commbadge. "Paris, Kim, what's keeping you?" The ensign's excited intonations answered. "Sorry for not reporting in, Commander. Lady Celin and her sister offered to give us a tour of the palace, and, uh, we're actually still in the middle of it. But Lieutenant Paris and I were wondering if we could have permission to stay planet-side. They say they can get rooms for us." The captain took over the comm line. "Yes, ensign; Ambassador Tolis has already made preparations, and you can stay. But let me make one thing clear:" she reprimanded. "You are still Starfleet officers; I expect you to behave as such." "Understood," Harry replied with masked helplessness, glancing behind him to see Tom snaking his arms around the two young women. He had a sinking feeling that Tom wouldn't be thinking too much about Starfleet behavior as the night progressed. "Well, ladies, I think it's time we resumed our tour," he stated with mock seriousness. Still giggling like a school-girl, Lady Celin - Celin, Harry had to remind himself; she preferred to be addressed without any titles - entwined her arm with the ensign's and continued leading him down the broad stone staircase, followed closely by the Conn officer and Driva, Celin's sister. Celin indicated that they were headed down to the palace dungeon before the interruption, and now Harry's excitement returned. Much of the Xausan castle reminded him of the ancient structures he'd visited in Middle Europe during his days at the Academy. His adrenaline always surged when he thought about the times of savage survival, nobility and chivalry. The Xausans seemed to embody all of that, although savagery had given way to technology. The smell of mildew strengthened as they neared the end of the staircase, the electric torches on the walls casting a sickly white glow about them. After another fifty feet they encountered a small alcove and two huge wooden doors. A small stool was perched in the corner between the two doors - the guard's post, Harry surmised. One of the doors was already ajar, but the room within was quickly enveloped by darkness. "Are we going to need hand torches?" he asked, staring into the dark unknown. "Not necessary," Celin answered. "Thermostatic lamps were mounted into the walls a long time ago. Just walk in." Sure enough, as he ventured into the chamber a series of lights began to click on, illuminating the once-hidden cells. Both men marveled at the sight: the prison cells were amazingly sterile and bright. Noticing the apparent awe of the spectators, the duchess answered the unspoken questions: "The dungeon cells haven't actually been used in over fifteen centuries, but maintenance crews are brought in every few years or so to keep the rooms in good shape. Our great ancestor, King Nial IV, used to show them off to visitors such as yourselves, and it's become somewhat of a tradition. No doubt your captain will be brought down here during your stay." Tom looked at his friend ruefully. "Hey, Harry, do you think the captain will look good behind bars?" The two women both giggled, and Driva playfully slapped the pilot's arm. "Oh, don't be silly, Tom. All offenders stay in the garrison down in the city," she teased. The four exited the dungeon; Celin, Driva and Tom started up the stairway, but Harry remained in the alcove. "Hey, what about the other room?" The stair climbers hesitated; both girls looked uncertainly at each other, then at him. "Um, I didn't think you'd want to go down there," Celin replied sheepishly. "No one's been down there for centuries." That only fueled the fire in his eyes. "C'mon, Tom, help me with the door." With a considerable effort, the door slowly swung away. Kim and Paris were affronted with a cloud of dust and stale air, forcing them both into coughing fits. The haze made it impossible to tell if there was anything in the room, but fortunately there was a wooden torch hanging on the wall two meters into the interior. Unholstering his phaser, Ensign Kim grabbed the torch and ignited it, the phaser beam's intensity compensating for the extreme period of neglect. The bright orange flames conducted an eerie dance of shadows along the walls as he motioned the others to follow him down the next set of stairs. Tom looked about with timid curiosity; the ladies followed with trepidation. Harry lit more torches as he encountered them, providing slightly more illumination. Wanting to share the experience, Tom grasped a torch of his own, waving it experimentally in front of him. By now there was enough light to discern the contents of the room: it was a torture chamber. At first glance, Harry marveled at how similar the various apparati were to the ones he had seen on Earth. Upon reflection, however, he realized that the parallelism inherent to the devices would be attributed to the similarities in humanoid physiology and skeletal structure. Still, it was a thrill inspecting each ominous instrument of rusted metal and rotten wood. "Um, Harry?" the helmsman meekly asked, nervously eyeing a gruesomely dilapidated truss. "Can we get out of here? This place is really starting to give me the creeps." The hairs on his neck were standing on edge; he couldn't get over the impression that someone or something was watching them. The ensign snapped his head around, as if suddenly wakened from a trance. "Hm? Oh, yeah, I guess so." He was disappointed he couldn't stay longer and drink up the history of the macabre chamber, but he could clearly see how uncomfortable the other three were. With a resonating thud, the torture chamber was sealed off from the outside world once more. Celin wasted no time in clinging to Harry's arm. "Oh, I am *so* glad that's over! I don't think I've been so scared in all my life!" Harry was just now getting a bit uncomfortable with the duchess' constant closeness, but he contributed it to her acclaimed fear of their last tour. His friend's questioning look, however, was not making him feel any more relaxed. "Well, it's getting awfully late. It would probably be a good idea if we went to bed." Celin looked at him hesitantly. "Of course; we'll show you to your rooms," she replied, leading him back up the stairs. Harry couldn't help but make a mental note of the integration between the ancient and the modern as he looked about the room. The vestiges of modern comfort, from the heat element to the lighting modules, almost seemed out of place with the stone hearth and portrait paintings. Most peculiar and symbolic of the melding was the central piece of the chamber: the bed, having a sleek, angled frame affixed with an antique brass canopy. He was about to turn down the sheets when a visitor rapped on the door. Crossing the room and donning a night-robe, he opened the door to Tom Paris, brandishing a bottle of Xausan rum. "Hi, Harry. Care for a nightcap?" "You know very well I don't," Harry said sourly. "Acid indigestion, remember?" Tom pushed his way into the room. "Yeah, I know," he admitted, a smirk playing at his features. "But I needed some excuse to come talk to you." He dropped himself into an easy chair and took a swig from the bottle. Harry watched him with suspicion. "All right, let's talk; what's on your mind?" The lieutenant gazed languidly about the room. "Well, I'm not the one to make any hasty conclusions, but it looks like Celin has got a thing for you. Too bad, really - I was hoping to put a move on her myself." Harry gaped at him in bewilderment. "What are you talking about?" he sputtered, although he knew to what he was referring. "Are you kidding me? She was hanging on you all night! Face it, Harry - she wants you." The young man's eyes were wild with panic. "My god, yes, I know. I didn't want to see it. No, I can't let her do this - I have to tell her about Libby." Tom was absolutely floored. "Harry! Have you lost your mind? A very attractive woman is fawning over you, and you're not going to make nice with her because you're still hung up on a girlfriend who's probably moved on with her life already? Geez, it's been over a year - I think you should be re-evaluating your priorities." Kim's features hardened into steel. "I think you should go now." Tom returned an indignant expression. "What? You expect me to feel sorry for what I just said? Harry, you're going to be one very lonely, stressed-out guy if you don't stop living in the past. I'm just looking out for your best interests." The ensign wordlessly held the door open, his face still awash with cold fury. Tom grudgingly got up and walked out reiterating his feelings on the matter. Harry was too worked up to go to bed yet, but all he could do was pace the room. Tom was his best friend, but the pilot always insisted on looking at the negative and prodding him to do the same - same as always. Was Tom so jaded by life that he only expected the worst out of every situation? If so, was it right to force others to lose hope as well, to abandon everyone and everything back home so easily? Harry wasn't about to give up that hope yet - he couldn't. This line of thinking wasn't helping him relax at all. To free his mind he studied one of the paintings that decorated the chamber: two warriors engaged in combat in a forest. The rich, dark natural colors contrasted nicely with the grey and white metals of armor and blade. Harry swore he could hear the sounds of metal on metal and the primal cries of aggression. To live that life, fighting for honor and survival - that was something you couldn't get from any holodeck. Fatigue finally came to him, and he welcomed it. Disrobing, Harry settled into bed and succumbed to slumber. He dreamed of a young courageous knight, battling against all odds to keep the love of his fair maiden.