Mr. Kim's Wild Ride

by
Darrel W. Beach
Jan, 1997


Chapter 3

        Harry was pleasantly awakened when she adjusted her chin deeper into
the crook of his shoulder, her soft breathing tickling the hairs on his neck.
 How wonderful it was to feel the warmth of her body next to his, as if they
hadn't been with each other in ages.  His hand found the arm she draped over
him and caressed it affectionately.
         "Mmph," purred the still-sleeping bed partner.
         Harry's eyes popped open: that didn't sound like Libby!  Suddenly he
remembered where he was.  He jumped out of bed at warp speed and looked back
just in time to see a very startled yet drowsy Celin.
         "Celin!  What the hell are you doing in my bed?" he shouted.
         She looked to be in a total state of distress.  "I-I don't
understand. I thought this was what you wanted!"
         The adrenaline running through his system fully awakened him, but
his mind was still a bit fuzzy.  "I'm afraid I don't follow you.  When did I
ask you to sleep with me?" he asked sternly.
         "Last night - you suggested it would be a good idea that we bed."
         Harry's hand struck his forehead as if in reflex to Celin's
misinterpretation, then slowly he pulled it down over his eyes - wishing that
the awkward encounter was a mere hallucination - then atop his mouth, which
was hanging open.  He was both embarrassed and relieved by the situation,
laughing nervously as a result.  "Celin, I think you misunderstood what I
said -"
         "What, suddenly I'm not good enough for you?" she replied
scathingly. "Don't you find me attractive?"
         "No, no, it's not that," he stammered out at the unexpected turn of
the conversation.  "You are one of the most beautiful women I've ever met.
But that doesn't mean we have to sleep together - I mean, I hardly even know
you!"
         Celin regained some her composure, despite the fact that she was
clothed with only a bed sheet.  "I admit, I thought the decision was a bit
rushed, but we learn never to question how fast the male chooses to mate once
the partner is selected."
         "Well, maybe that's how you Xausans establish relationships, but
that's not how we do it back home," Kim explained.  "On Earth, both partners
have a say in determining how the relationship progresses, and it usually
involves a lot of time and hard work and compromise to make one successful."
         He sat down on the bed beside her and looked at her compassionately.
"That's why it could never work out between us: I doubt that Voyager will be
here for very long.  Besides, I already have a girlfriend back on Earth I
hope to get back to."
         "I'm afraid it is you who does not understand," the duchess stated
flatly.  "I have chosen you.  By law, you must become my husband."

        Chaos still reigned inside Harry's head while Celin escorted him down
for breakfast.  /This is utter lunacy/ he thought fretfully.  /We've known
each other for less than twelve hours, and she wants to marry me?/
         When they reached the parlor where the morning meal was to be held,
he noticed Tom and Driva were already present, the former closely evaluating
the exotic dishes already set out.  Fresh thoughts of last night's
confrontation made the ensign irresolute to confide his current problem with
the audacious pilot.  Tom was his closest and best friend, but he still hated
him for bashing his fidelity to Libby.  Only when the lieutenant looked up
and gave him a happy grin did he decide that he was still too angry to
reconcile.
         "Hey, look who's finally up!" noted the chipper Paris.  "Sleep well,
Harry?"
         Total silence greeted him, as the young ensign ignored the question
in favor of perusing the table of fruits and sweet breads.  It was a surefire
method of breaking the lieutenant's cheerful mood.  Somehow he didn't think
now would be a good time to tell Harry of the miraculous hangover cure Driva
had introduced to him.  For whatever reason, he suspected he was the cause of
Harry's ill disposition.  However, he just had to make sure his suspicion was
right.
         "You ought to try the mehsla," he offered, pointing to the lime-
colored fruit.  "It tastes just like honeydew melon."
         He watched as Harry picked the mehsla from his plate and put it back
on the table.  /Yep/ he concluded, /he's mad at me all right./  He would have
to devote some time to remembering what he said or did to get on Kim's bad
side.
         "Oh!  This is marvelous!" came the gleeful cry from Neelix, who had
just been shown in, Kes by his side.  He scurried over to the tables and
poked about the displays.  "Fresh gullberries, mehsla, gehr-kesh, Prellian
sweet buns!" his eyes dazzled.  "Food fit for a king - or, in this case, a
prince!"
         In the meantime, Kes spotted Harry sitting quite apart from the
others, picking away at the morsels on his plate.  While Neelix delved into
the breakfast selections, she pulled a chair up alongside the somber-looking
ensign.
         "Good morning, Harry.  Are you enjoying the buffet?" she asked, a
perfect lilt in her soft voice.
         Harry briefly glanced at her, then back at his meal.  "It's all
right, I guess."
         The Ocampa studied him carefully, as if reading his emotions like an
open book.  "You know, you look pretty serious for someone who's supposed to
be relaxing.  Would it be okay if I ask what the problem is?"  She paused to
take a peek across the room.  "Does it have something to do with Tom?"
         Kim heaved a sigh.  He didn't really feel like talking to anyone
about it right now, but the concerned look on Kes' adorable face buckled his
reluctance slightly.  "Tom and I had a little disagreement last night, and it
looks like he isn't having any regrets about what he said."
         "Oh, I'm sure he'll come around," she replied, giving a fond look to
the pilot, who was busy conversing with the two duchesses.  "He just needs a
little time to sort things out."
         "Ah, there you are, my dearest!" called out the Talaxian.  "You
really must try these - they're the finest fruits you'll find in this
sector!" Noticing Harry's dour expression, Neelix handed the heaping dish to
his companion and lowered his voice to an acceptable level.  "Looks like
someone could use a boost in morale.  Troubles, Mr. Kim?"
         Harry looked reluctantly at the two.  /Great, now they're ganging up
on me/ he thought wistfully.
         "I know I usually find it helpful talking to someone when I have a
problem," he further prodded, trying to get the ensign to open up.
         "Harry considered the suggestion.  "Maybe you're right, Neelix, but
I think this is a matter I should discuss with the captain or the commander
first.  Thanks anyway."
         "Well, we did bump into Commander Chakotay on our way here," Kes
suggested.  "I believe he was going to meet the captain in the courtyard.
They might still be there."
         Harry thanked the couple for their helpfulness and left the parlor,
brushing aside Tom's attempts to corral Harry into the little group's
discussion on the way out.  With any luck, Captain Janeway and Commander
Chakotay would still be in the courtyard.
         Unfortunately, the two senior officers were already gone, obviously
being escorted about the premises by Prince Gaav as Celin had mentioned.
Dejected, he looked out across the lush expanse of scenery as the morning sun
cast its warming touch upon his face.  He needed to put some distance between
Celin and himself, but didn't think stepping outside the castle walls was
adequate enough.
         Leaving a message for the captain with one of the palace servants,
Harry contacted the transporter room to beam him back.  Perhaps B'Elanna
could use an extra pair of hands in Engineering.


Chapter 4

        Captain Janeway walked into Main Engineering to find a bustling team
of officers steadily working away.  Her heart leapt with pride at the sight;
even knowing that the Voyager would be here for a couple of weeks didn't stop
the Engineering crew from working as hard as they could.
         She found Ensign Kim hunched over one of the consoles with Lt.
Carey. As she closed the distance between them she could hear them talking
about the structural integrity field generators.
         "My guess is that some of the graviton polarity sources were taken
out by those proton bursts, and they're probably not isolated to the primary
generator either," Carey remarked as he guided Harry over a display of the
ship's energy flow.
         "Yeah, you might be on to something there.  We should take a look at
the secondary units first though; it would be a good idea to degauss the
primary generator while we're here, so the other one should be operating at
full strength when we take it off-line.  Still, we might want to inspect the
waveguides, just in case."
         Janeway smiled; she couldn't have asked for a better Ops officer
when they embarked from Deep Space 9 over a year ago.  So eager to
contribute. "Ensign Kim, I understand you wished to speak with me?"
         Harry jerked his head over his shoulder in surprise.  He had been so
busy helping out in Engineering he had forgotten the message he left at the
palace.
         "Captain!"  He glanced over at Carey.  "You'll have to get started
on this without me, sir."  Then he turned back to Janeway.  "If you don't
mind, Captain, I'd like to go somewhere more discrete."
         Kathryn regarded the sudden veil of seriousness that shrouded itself
over the ensign.  "All right, to my ready room then."

        She looked exactly like a deer caught by a set of halogen beams.
"You're engaged to be married?" she cried, her voice increasing in volume
with each word.  She didn't know with whom to be angry: Harry, Lady Celin, or
Tom for chasing after the duchess in the first place.  "Mr. Kim, could you
please tell me how something like this could possibly happen when we've only
been here for one day?"
         Harry was obviously humiliated by the way his cheeks colored.  "I'm
not sure what led her to choose me to be her husband, Captain.  All I know
for certain is that she took my statement out of context when I said Tom and
I should be shown to our rooms for bed.  Next thing I know, I wake up and
find her sleeping next to me and she tells me she's picked me to become her
mate!"
         Janeway paced the floor, working out all the information in her
head. "Sounds like some sort of cultural practice to me.  I think I'll to
have to have a discussion with Prince Gaav about this.  In the meantime, I
think it might be best if you remain aboard - resume your activities in
Engineering - until this situation is resolved."
         She tapped her badge.  "Janeway to Chakotay."
         "Yes, Captain?" the badge responded after a few seconds.
         "Commander, I have a research assignment for you to perform.  See
what you can dig up on Xausan courtship and mating rituals."
         "Captain?"  It sounded as though she had just caught Chakotay's
attention.
         "I'll explain later, Commander - oh, and if you run into Lieutenant
Paris tell him to report back to the ship immediately.  I'd like to keep him
out of trouble if I can," she added, speaking more directly to Harry than her
first officer.
         "Aye, Captain," answered a confused-sounding Chakotay.  "Chakotay
out."

        For the rest of the day Harry absorbed himself in Engineering,
assisting B'Elanna with various problems.  He had even taken time to inspect
and repair a few of the triphase waveguides that were discovered to be
damaged.
         During a brief lunch break he finally broke down and told the chief
engineer what had transpired earlier that morning.  She responded in true
Klingon form, balling her fists in barely contained rage and asking if he
wanted her to talk some sense into the duchess, Klingon style.  He reminded
her that it was usually bad for relations when you manhandle a relative of a
planetary ruler, but thanked her for the consideration.  Feeling somewhat
embarrassed by the outburst, B'Elanna promised to bring him some leftovers
from the upcoming banquet, stating that they'd be a far cry better than what
Ensign Chell might be preparing in the mess hall - not that it was a knock
against the Bolian's culinary expertise.
         Lt. Paris had wandered through Engineering later in the afternoon,
hoping to pull the ensign away from his diagnostics to shoot some holographic
pool.  However, he was met with less than amenability from the young man.  In
fact, Harry acted as if the lanky pilot didn't occupy normal space-time,
which didn't go over too well with Tom.  But before he could pursue the
conversation further, Torres intercepted him and dragged him out of the
engineering section.
         "B'Elanna!  What do you think you're doing?  Let go!" he growled,
struggling to break free of her tritanium-like grip.
         "Can it, Paris," she barked, pinning him against a bulkhead to stop
his squirming.  "Harry's got enough problems already without you trying to
pick a fight."
         Tom quickly submitted.  "Huh?  What kind of problems?"
         B'Elanna looked at him with surprise.  "You mean he didn't tell you?"
         His expression turned to annoyance.  "He hasn't said a word to me
all day.  He's obviously mad at me about something, but he won't say
anything. Tell me what?"
         She was conflicted: if Harry had wanted Tom to know he would have
told him already, but Tom still deserved to know.
         "Lady Celin is forcing Harry to marry her."
         Tom's jaw dropped to the floor.  He tried to say something, but
neither his mouth not his vocal chords would respond.  Fragments of last
night's altercation began to return.  /Jeezus!  I knew she had a thing for
him, but whoa!  No wonder he's so upset./
         "He just needs a little time to himself right now," she added.  They
looked at each other for a few uncomfortable moments, trying to think of
something to change the subject.
         "So," she said at last, "are you going to the dinner again tonight?"
         "Uh, yeah, I was planning to.  You?"
         "Yeah, me too."
         Tom regained a small measure of his confidence.  "Hey, want me to
come around and pick you up?"
         Torres returned an awkward half-smile.  "Okay.  Stop by my quarters
around 1730 hours."
         Both lieutenants tried to collect themselves, then headed off in
opposite directions: Paris off to the holodeck to challenge Gaunt Gary to
some 9-ball, and Torres back to Engineering.

        "Good evening, Commander," Janeway said pleasantly once the transport
completed.
         Chakotay returned a welcome smile, then glanced upward at the quiet
sky.  "I'd say we're in for another pleasant evening, Captain."
         Janeway matched his gaze.  "Yes, it certainly is quite wonderful.  I
wonder if they deploy a weather control system of some sort?"
         Chakotay's eyes flashed with amusement.  /Always the scientific
mind,/ the first officer mused wryly.
         The landing party was once again escorted to the dining hall.
During the passage, the two senior officers fell back from the group.
         "So, were you able to uncover anything about these people's courting
practices?" the captain whispered.
         He looked at her grimly.  "Some - they won't let anyone into their
Hall of Records without prior permission.  Apparently, it is the woman's
responsibility for choosing a suitor whom she sees as the ideal partner to
produce offspring.  Once she makes that decision, the male is basically
bonded to her; a marriage ceremony is usually nothing more than a symbolic
announcement.  The only power the male has is deciding when to sire."
         "Oh, great," she murmured irritably.  "We're at the whims of a
starry- eyed teenaged duchess."
         The pieces of the puzzle seemed to suddenly come together for
Chakotay.  "You mean - Paris?"
         The captain shot him a discouraging look.  "A good guess, Commander,
but I'm afraid you're wrong.  It seems the Lady Celin has developed a crush
on our Ensign Kim."
         He felt the wind get knocked out of him.  "*Harry?*" he choked out.
         She tipped her head once in acknowledgment.  "I know; it surprised
me as well.  In any case, it looks like our top priority is getting passage
into their Hall of Records - we need to get as much information about this as
possible - and I think I know exactly who can help us," she added just before
they entered the huge dining hall.

        He was absolutely exhausted.  Harry couldn't remember the last time
he had spent so much time in front of an engineering console since graduating
from the Academy.  It wasn't even 2100 just yet, but all he wanted to do was
sleep.  *No clarinet tonight - probably don't have enough energy to blow* he
chuckled.
         Slipping out of his uniform and into his pajamas, Harry turned the
bed down.  But before he retired, he moved to the viewport and looked down at
the blue-gray planet below.  He smiled at the thought of B'Elanna's promise
to bring him a doggie bag from the banquet: she hadn't realized that he
would've had to eat in the mess hall anyway.  However, his humour was eaten
away by melancholia and bitterness.  Celin's selfishness had robbed him of a
great opportunity to experience the surroundings of Xausa III.  He hoped
Captain Janeway could straighten out this quandary soon before they were
ready to break orbit.  Catching the sight of a twinkling star, he wished he
could still be back exploring the Xausan terrain.  Then he settled into bed
and drifted off.

        An hour later Lts. Paris and Torres walked up to Ensign Kim's
quarters.
         "I hope Harry decided to eat in the mess hall; I'd feel awfully
stupid if he waited all night for this," B'Elanna commented, holding up the
foil-wrapped package.
         "Are you sure Harry's here?" Tom queried, pushing the door chime.
"He's not answering."
         "Yes, I'm sure; Andrews told me he was coming right here after he
finished calibrating the field emitters."  She was getting irritably
impatient - what was Harry doing?
         After a few more unsuccessful hails, she'd had enough.  She ordered
the computer to override the lock.  The doors hissed open and the two
solicitors entered the room.  The bed looked like it had been slept in, but
Harry was nowhere to be found.
         A pang of worry stabbed at the half-Klingon's heart.  "Computer:
what is the location of Ensign Kim?"
         "Ensign Kim is in his quarters," it replied.
         Her temper boiled.  "No, he isn't.  What the hell is wrong with the
computer?"
         Nothing, I'd say," Tom broke in, holding up Harry's uniform, the
commbadge still fastened to the left breast.
         "Computer, confirm using biosignatures: where is Ensign Kim?" she
barked out, worry clearly registered in her voice and facial features.
         It was a few seconds before the computer announced, "Ensign Kim is
no longer aboard the ship."