Mr. Kim's Wild Ride by Darrel W. Beach Jan, 1997 Chapter 11 Captain Janeway practically exploded from the turbolift the moment it stopped. To say she was anxious to implement her plan to exonerate Harry from his own marriage was putting it mildly. "I have to admit, it is a rather clever idea, even if it is somewhat unusual," Chakotay remarked, jogging up alongside of her from the turbolift. "Well, one thing's for sure, Commander: we certainly weren't having much luck finding a loophole," she replied as she turned a corner. "Sometimes the only way to beat your opponent is to turn their own rules against them." The first officer reflected on her statement for a moment. "Even so, do you think this will work?" Janeway paused only briefly to cast a sly look at him. "It'll have to." Chakotay chuckled and shook his head as he followed Janeway into Sickbay. If he didn't know better, he'd swear his dry sense of humour was wearing off on her. The Doctor was quietly working away at a medical display terminal when the two senior officers entered. Kes noticed them and smiled genially, but the Doctor was apparently engrossed in his work, oblivious to their arrival. "Doctor, are you busy?" Janeway inquired. The Doctor stiffened - it should be obvious to any observer that he was working on something. He wondered if it was a common occurrence among humans to poignantly ask obtuse questions. He certainly had enough corroborating evidence to make such a hypothesis. "Ah, captain. I was merely doing some medical research, but I suppose I can work on it later," he commented with a trace of irritation. "What can help you with?" "Doctor, I was wondering if it would be possible somehow to use the information in Ensign Kim's medical file to determine if he has any royal ancestry." The interface frowned at her. "Might I remind you, captain, that the EMH program was designed for treating medical problems, not to be used as a historian's tool." Janeway eyed the hologram with frustration. "That's hardly the point right now, Doctor. Besides, don't all medical patients have to provide some form of family medical history for their examinations?" The Doctor opened his mouth to make another complaint, but suddenly stopped to consider the argument. "Hmm, I never thought of that. But I still don't see how that can help you. Medical histories don't provide that kind of information." Janeway fixed a grim look upon the interface. "I'll be honest with you, Doctor. It is imperative that we be able to make some tie between Ensign Kim and a royal family in Earth history. Frankly, I don't care if you have to make something up - the Xausans won't have any way of verifying the information we give them. But we'll have to give them something believable enough to pass for the truth if they do contest it. And we'll need it by oh-seven-hundred tomorrow." "Oh, I should have no trouble coming up with something good with *that* much time," the Doctor jibed. The EMH program could act much *too* human at times, Janeway considered. "Then I'll leave you to your assignment, Doctor. Come on, Commander; I'll need your help convincing the other part of my plan to go along with it." Chakotay grinned again. Knowing B'Elanna, the captain was probably right to ask for assistance. While it was true she had set aside differences with Ensign Kim, B'Elanna had a tendency to set on a rampage when cornered into a situation she didn't feel comfortable with. The captain would need someone at least capable of restraining the half-Klingon from reigning destruction upon whatever she got her hands on, including the captain. Once the officers disappeared from Sickbay, the Doctor sighed in exasperation. "Of all the things I could be doing right now. This proposal of the captain's is absolutely ludicrous. Where would I even begin?" Kes had apparently been thinking about the problem throughout the conversation. "Doctor, would there be any way of using the medical database and the computer archives to trace Harry's lineage?" The Doctor contemplated his assistant's suggestion. "It would seem unlikely. The medical database only contains general factual information, not any particular case files." The EMH processed the information a few more times until a possible solution presented itself. The Doctor crossed the room towards a terminal. "However - it may be possible to use a sample of Mr. Kim's DNA string to identify some hereditary conditions and use them to match up with medical information of people in the historical archives. The archives commonly include information about deaths caused by illness and other diseases." He began punching instructions into the terminal. Kes beamed at the interface with respect and admiration. "Doctor, that's brilliant." The hologram shrugged the praise aside. "Yes, I know." What surprised Chakotay the most was not that B'Elanna agreed to cooperate, but by the fact that she didn't put up any resistance to the idea at all. Her eagerness to assist demonstrated to him that you never know a person as well as you might think. Obviously the relationship between the two was closer than he realized. "The moment I heard what Harry was being forced into, I felt I had to something to help him. And if this is the only way to keep Harry out of the clutches of that pampered bimbo, I'll do it." Janeway looked pleased with the outcome in Engineering. Of course, it was natural for Starfleet officers to accept orders from their captains whether they liked them or not, but she knew the significance of having Maquis crewmen under her command, especially crewmen who were as temperamental as B'Elanna Torres. "That definitely went better than I expected," she commented as they piled into the turbolift on the way to the bridge. "We're only missing one piece of the puzzle now, and I'm afraid there's only one person who'll be able to help us with it." Before either of them realized, Janeway and Chakotay found themselves in the captain's ready room. Q was reclined comfortably in the captain's chair, his feet propped up on her desk. "Greetings, Madame Captain. I was just in the neighborhood and I couldn't resist passing by without saying hello." Janeway glowered at Q for sitting in her chair. "What a coincidence, we were just talking about you." "Moi?" he exclaimed with mock surprise. "I'm flattered, Captain. But then I suppose I'm all you ever talk about, don't you?" He dissolved in a flash of light, only to reappear behind the captain's shoulder. "Face it, Kathryn, you just can't get me out of your head, can you?" Janeway squirmed away from Q's close proximity. "Knock it off, Q. I'm in no mood to play games." The omnipotent entity grinned devilishly. "Then what *are* you in the mood for, Kathryn?" Chakotay stepped in before Q could cause an incident. "We don't have time for this, Q. We know you're the one responsible for Harry's little history lesson. Why don't you do us all a favor and bring him back, now." "Oh, keep your loincloth on, Hiawatha," Q answered testily. "I'll return your precious little Harry safe and sound as soon as he's finished his vacation. I promise, he won't miss the party being planned for him." Q vanished before either one of them could get a word in edgewise. "Damn him," Janeway muttered, pounding her desk with dissatisfaction. "Well, at least we know Harry will be here for the ceremony," the first officer commented, trying to be optimistic. Janeway looked at him grimly. "I'm afraid that doesn't exactly instill me with much confidence, Commander." Chapter 12 0700 rolled around too quickly in the captain's opinion. Time always seemed to fly out the proverbial window whenever there was a crisis with a deadline. Despite all hopes, Harry failed to show up during the middle of the night, and as a result affected her own night of sleep. Sickbay was completely devoid of life when Janeway entered, which really wasn't unusual; however, given the current dilemma, she half-expected Kes and the Doctor either working or waiting for her at the door. "Computer, activate the medical emergency holographic program," she barked out. In an instant the Doctor shimmered into existence. "Good morning, Captain," the hologram responded, almost chipper. "I believe I have something for you." He led Janeway to a display terminal and pulled up a file which resembled a crude tree structure. He spoke while scrolling through the file. "I used my superior medical expertise of DNA tracing to infer that Ensign Kim is a direct descendant of Emperor Akihito, the sovereign ruler of Japan in the late 20th and early 21st century. I was able to determine that the ensign is - or was - susceptible to the same degenerative disease that killed the emperor. The disease itself is completely curable nowadays, but it should be enough to convince the Xausans." "Good work, Doctor," she commended. "You obviously did a thorough job here. But I do have one question: why didn't you call me as soon as you were finished?" The Doctor gave her an odd look. "You never indicated that you wished to be informed immediately, Captain." /Well, ask a stupid question/ Janeway mused. And no point in dwelling on the matter either: the wedding was now less than four hours away, and they still needed a groom to rescue. Harry would have left long ago, had not the king invited him to stay so the queen could thank him properly. He felt that the queen's gratitude had already been sufficiently expressed before she wound up in the clinic, but he couldn't refuse: it would be rude to do so. Ultimately he was tracked down by Stefik and dragged away to recount the details of his daring rescue of the queen and his other adventures, until such time as Queen S'Ral called for him. He only hoped they didn't have too much trouble with the baby's delivery; it was only premature by about three weeks. It had been a long day, just waiting for the word. Not even his own stories could distract Harry from the passage of time. Daylight faded; the twelve hour mark came and went without notice. The next thing Harry was aware of was being prodded awake by Naria - he had fallen asleep in his chair in the lounge of the Dragon Horn. Dawn had already broken, bathing the skyline in a ochre hue as Naria escorted the sleepy ensign through the city streets to the clinic. From what the attended told him, the queen finally gave birth to a baby boy after fourteen hours of labor. Both mother and son were healthy and well, thankfully. Queen S'Ral decided to take a nap shortly thereafter, not waking up until six hours later. As tired as she no doubt was, she still exuded a regal and composed appearance, undoubtedly through no small effort either Harry mentally noted. "Ah, Mr. Kim, I'm so pleased you could be here," she calmly addressed him. "Please, come to me." Harry obliged her, taking a position at her bedside. "I cannot thank you enough for saving my life and my son," she stated. "I would also like to thank you for exposing my brother of his debauchery. What a fool I have been to be so completely trusting of his counsel when all along he designed to overthrow me. You think I would have noticed something about him in all the time we grew up together." Harry wished he could have said something to raise her spirits. How awful it must feel to be betrayed like that, by your own flesh and blood. Instead, S'Ral's mood lightened at the sight of her newborn carried into the room by the waiting nurse. The new prince had apparently woken up from his own nap, and now demanded his mother's attention. She was more than willing to accept him as the nurse offered him to her. "Mr. Kim, I'd like to introduce you to my son, Prince Nial," she announced. "In light of my debt to you, I would consider it an honor if you would consent to being my son's guardian protector, and such rank as to befit those responsibilities." The offer was not unexpected, but it still came as a bit of a shock to Harry. "I'm, uh, flattered you think so highly of my abilities, Your Majesty, but I'm afraid I can't accept your offer. It's not that I wouldn't want to, but I'm separated from my friends, and it's really important to me that I rejoin them. You see, we're trying to find our way back home; it's a mission I can't abandon. I hope you'll understand why I can't accept." Queen S'Ral lowered her head despondently; even the child fussed and whimpered to lament the ensign's decision. "It is indeed regrettable, Mr. Kim, but I do understand your loyalty. Here, I would like to at least give you the privilege of holding my son." Nial didn't appreciate the gesture much, however, and made his feelings quite well known as he was transferred into Harry's arms. Harry had to laugh over the sudden tantrum. "Whoops! Maybe I wouldn't have made a very good guardian after all! We wouldn't want him cranky like this all the time, now would we?" He cradled and rocked the infant prince until he finally settled down and eventually fell asleep. "That's better." He gently handed the child back. "You have a great son there, Your Majesty, and I get the feeling he'll be in for some great things in his life. Now if you'll excuse me, I really should be getting on my way." With a brief farewell, Harry exited the clinic and started on the way out of the city. Heeding the call of his stomach but remaining conscious of the time, he picked up some fresh fruit from a farmer's kiosk for breakfast. Then he quietly passed through the west gates of Boltec and dissolved into the roadside brush of the Xausan countryside. Minutes later, no one would even have guessed Harry had ever been there. Tom hustled down the corridor. As usual, he was running behind schedule for bridge duty and had yet to get breakfast. He'd probably have to settle for a single cup of Neelix's coffee again and stomach it for four hours. He started into the turbolift and stopped dead in his tracks. In the lift was a person dressed in a grungy warrior costume and looking as though razors or scissors had never been invented. But despite the appearance, Tom was surprised to find that he knew this person. "Harry?" The ensign himself looked a bit bewildered, busily chewing on the sweet tangerine-like fruit he had just recently purchased. "Tom?" he returned, his mouth still half-full. Swallowing, Harry cautiously reached out to touch Tom's cheek, hoping he wasn't hallucinating. Finding his friend not to be a figment of his imagination, Harry enthusiastically embraced his friend. "Tom! It's you!" "Ugh! I'm glad to see you to, Har, but do you mind? I just showered," the navigator reviled, attempting to pry the foul-smelling wanderer off. "Oh, sorry. I didn't get the chance to wash up last night. Maybe I should change clothes." Before he could go anywhere, Harry was pulled back into the turbolift. "No dice, Harry," Tom replied, waving a hand in front of his nose. "As ripe as you are, the captain will want to know you're back. There are a few things you have to get caught up on. And since I'm on the way to the bridge anyway, I'll escort you." Tom's explanation was punctuated by the rumbling of his empty stomach. Harry pulled a second piece of fruit from his pouch, and held it up to Tom's face. "Tengar?" he offered, smirking. Chapter 13 All that occurred since Harry suddenly found himself in the turbolift passed by in a blur. It was he could do to keep his attention focused on the activity going on around him. The looks of surprise and relief from everyone he saw were comforting in a disconcerting kind of way. He found it particularly odd - yet gratifying - when B'Elanna hugged him hard enough to crack a few ribs before his smell overpowered her. After his briefing with the captain, everything made a lot more sense, even if it did seem inconceivable. Apparently his marriage to Lady Celin was scheduled to take place in just over three hours, and the only way out was to convince the royal family that he was a noble descendant to a former Japanese emperor. This cooked-up scheme would then give him the right to select his own bride, to which B'Elanna had volunteered. Harry found himself in awe of the engineer's sacrifice; while they had become close friends since the incident with the Caretaker, he never once believed she cared for him enough as a friend to walk down the aisle for him. He'd certainly have to thank her for her bold commitment. But that would have to wait for now. He still had several things to do to get ready for the wedding. A shower, a shave, and a clean uniform were foremost on his list of activities. The assembly of guests in the cathedral was considerable, a full house to be exact. Royal marriages had a penchant for attracting large numbers, and today was no different. The hall was heavily scented with the fragrant perfumed flowers dressing the walls and pews of the church, the sunlight softly blended by the mute colors of the stained-glass windows. Prince Gaav glanced at his timepiece and stifled a sigh: things were not looking good for his Alpha Quadrant guests. It now seemed evident to him that they had failed in their efforts to stop the proceedings; he surely would have heard from them before the public had been welcomed into the affair. He looked over to his left at his mother, Queen Siwara V, and father, King Mevit - twin models of stoic reserve, perched in their thrones directly behind and above the archbishop. He could only speculate how they would react if they knew exactly how their niece had coerced her fiancee into this ceremony. Moments later the head usher escorted Voyager's senior crew to their reserved seats in the front row. The men wore the traditional dress uniform, while the female officers exercised the option of wearing formal apparel. Janeway wore an elegant and traditional garb; a turquoise chiffon full- length ballroom gown and white ballroom gloves. B'Elanna's attire was more unconventional, as she sported an ivory knee-length strapless dress and a matching bolero jacket. Kes modeled a "Midsummer Night's Dream" appearance, wearing a soft green cotton dress and stockings, and a small Xausan whiteshade tucked behind one ear. Despite the diversity of clothing, it could been upon that all of three were stunningly fitted. Once they settled into their seats, the fluting strains of the cathedral organ began to echo through the rafters, bringing a loud murmuring crowd to a still. Almost in unison, Harry and Lady Celin emerged from opposing vestries to convene before the clergy. Celin carried a triumphant and joyous expression right up to the pulpit. Curiously, Harry returned an odd little smile when they at last met, just prior to the fading of the organ's tune. The priest stepped up to the pulpit and signaled for quiet in the great hall. He prepared to give his sermon, but nary a word had been uttered before the ensign stepped forward past the pulpit, approaching the queen's throne. Nearly all in attendance - including the Queen herself - were ruffled by the sudden disruption. "Your Majesty, my apologies for causing a disturbance to this ceremony, but I refuse to lend myself to this marriage." A collective gasp of horror and shock rumbled through the church. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Celin was so enraged she was speechless, a scarlet flush blossoming from her neckline to her cheeks. After a moment Siwara managed to find the words the bride could not express herself, still maintaining the poise of a calm exterior. "Young man, I may not have had the luxury to acquaint myself with you or your particular culture, but I would gather that you could not have remained so ignorant of ours to not realize the blasphemy you are committing. Explain yourself." "Certainly, Your Majesty. It is true, that this arrangement was committed through a lack of understanding of your laws, and that a plead of ignorance was futile." Harry pointed back to his colleagues seated behind him. "Our failed efforts in this mattered spurred us to much research of your laws and customs to prepare for this ceremony. It was thus raised to our attention that any man of royal heritage has the right to decline any proposal in the event he has designs on another woman, as it is specified in your scripture. I'd like to exercise that option now." "*What?*" Celin blustered out. "How is this possible? Since the first night, I have heard your friends refer to you by your common name. If you are of royal stature, why do your peers not speak of you by rank or title?" "Celin, where I come from, people are not concerned with social status, because in effect it no longer exists," he deliberated. "No one is separated into upper or lower classes; we are all equals. I deserve no more privilege than the rest of my friends; I have to earn their respect, just like anyone else." "Do you have any proof to substantiate your declaration of rank, young man?" the queen conducted. Before Siwara completed the request, Captain Janeway produced a PADD from her handbag and delivered to Harry. In turn, Harry passed it to the queen. "This PADD shows a trace of my family history." Minutes passed as she examined the information on the tiny screen, her face betraying nothing to the eyes fixed upon her. Finally she set the PADD down and looked at the ensign. "Very well; I will admit this as valid. You will hereby be acknowledged as Lord Harry Kim, executive of the province of Tochigi." The announcement caused a stirring among the guests, astounded by the unfolding events. Lady Celin, her confidence utterly shaken, scampered off to the vestibules, not wanting anyone to see her burst into tears over her life-shattering crisis. Janeway was ready to notch up a victory when Queen Siwara decided to make the day more interesting. "So, Lord Kim, where is this woman of yours that was chosen over Lady Celin? I did not travel all this distance to witness a joining that never occurred." Harry fought to suppress a look of disappointment from showing - it appeared there would be no easy outs this day. At least the captain had the foresight to prepare for this contingency. B'Elanna stood up to get the queen's attention. "I'm here, Your Majesty." "May I present B'Elanna Torres, a fellow officer and very close friend of mine from the starship Voyager," he announced. Siwara eyed the lieutenant. "You have consented to this bonding, Ms. Torres?" "I have, Your Majesty," she replied resolutely. "Very well then, proceed with the ceremony." Retreating from the dais behind the pulpit, Harry walked down to escort his bride-to-be to the podium, gracing her with an appreciative smile. "I really want to thank you for doing this, B'Elanna. As a friend, this really means a lot to me," he said softly. "Hey, I couldn't let that scheming little harlot steal my friend away. Besides, you're the best Ops officer Voyager has," she whispered back, an impish smile on her lips. Then with a stony look, she added. "But I wouldn't be expecting much of a honeymoon, Starfleet." Captain's log: supplemental. It is with great relief and pleasure to report that we succeeded in our endeavour to keep Ensign Kim a member of our crew, even if we did have to resort to some unorthodox methods to do it. Both Ensign Kim and Lieutenant Torres have agreed to consider the event null and void, although I'm sure the Xausan ceremony will put their friendship under new scrutiny. A week has passed since that event occurred, and we are nearly ready to resume our course for the Alpha Quadrant. My compliments to the crew for doing such a fantastic job of getting the ship back to working order. Everyone and everything on the ship appears to be returning to normal. Harry spotted Tom retreating to his quarters. Now that repairs were essentially complete, he finally had some time to make amends with his best friend. "Hey, Tom, you busy?" The navigator peered back over his shoulder. "No, not really. I just got off shift. What's up, Har?" "We need to talk about that argument we had, Tom." He looked glumly at the ensign. "Oh, right. Come on in, make yourself comfortable." They entered Tom's quarters and sat down facing each other, saying nothing. Neither one knew exactly how to start or who should go first, but each knew what had to be said. "OK, Harry, here's the deal," Tom finally uttered. "I sometimes get pretty opinionated when I have too much to drink. The stuff I said about you and your commitment to Libby, that was out of line. I stepped all over your private life, and I want to apologize for that; I had no right." Harry held up a hand. "No, Tom, you were right, in a way. I've been so completely obsessed with this notion of finding a way home and picking up right where we left off, that I haven't considered that there might not be an easy way home. Up until recently I think I couldn't accept the reality of our situation, that it'll take a whole lifetime to get home. It's just that so much of my life is back there, and all of a sudden it's gone, out of reach. "Are you familiar with the concept of soul mates, Tom? Libby was mine; she was what made my life complete. Some people can live their whole life searching for their kindred spirit and never find it, but how many people can claim to have found theirs and face the prospect of never sharing a life with that person? I felt like dying when the captain ordered the Caretaker's Array destroyed, even though I knew it was the right decision. But when Q stranded me in the past, I finally realized how foolish it is to forsake all that I have now in the hopes that everything will return to normal tomorrow - after all, tomorrow may never come. I suppose maybe some soul mates are meant to spend some time apart from each other for a lifetime or two, you think?" Tom smiled playfully at his friend. "Anything's possible, I guess, although personally I don't believe in that stuff. Everything in life is opportunity, Harry; it's up to you to decide when to take it. And speaking of which, you certainly got a good deal out of that Xausan wedding, if I may say so." Harry colored with embarrassment. "You know, it's surprising how similar the Xausan culture is compared to our own. Maybe it's one of those socioevolutionary things that comes from being a humanoid species - you know, species with common characteristics develop common beliefs and customs.... So, what kind of kisser is Lieutenant Torres anyway?" The ensign chuckled - same old Tom. "You don't expect me to kiss and tell, do you?" A glint of mischief flashed in the pilot's eye. "Just consider it research, Harry; I have to familiarize myself with the field, don't I?" Epilogue Harry Kim gazed out the port in his quarters at the starfield warping by. There was a small comfort in watching the peaceful void of space distort around them: it looked just the same as it would in the Alpha Quadrant. He reflected back upon the events that occurred during their hiatus on Xausa Three and what had resulted from them. It was a disaster, no doubt about that, but it had not been without a productive element. Because of that fiasco, he had managed to move on, to make a peace with himself he once thought was unattainable. He picked up a framed photograph of his former fiancee from his night stand and studied the exuberant expression on her face. Libby would always remain a part of his life, he knew, but no longer would it be unfulfilled by her absence. Opening a storage compartment, Harry took one last look at his soul mate, then buried the picture underneath the drawer's contents. It was time to look for a new kindred spirit, here on Voyager.