Star Trek Voyager: Eternity

Star Trek Voyager: Eternity (Chapter 7)

The Doctor responded to Seven’s call immediately. As soon as he saw Chakotay’s confused, pain wracked face he ordered an emergency transport, but Seven shook her head. “The transportation process will only destabilise him further and may send him into another time period.”

“Then, we’ll need to help him walk to Sickbay and hope that I can stabilise him for the time being while we think of a more permanent solution.” Seven didn’t need to be told twice, she bent over Chakotay and helped him to stand, murmuring soothing and encouraging words to guide his frightened mind. He obeyed her with difficulty unable to fully comprehend what was happening to him. Thankfully they got to Sickbay just as he began to fade away again and the Doctor could scan him more fully as they laid him on a biobed. “Every molecule in his body is temporally unstable; I’ve never seen anything like it! Seven you seem to have an idea about what’s happening can we do anything?”

Seven tore her eyes away from Chakotay as his body flickered in and out and turned to the Doctor. “There is a temporary measure I am aware of; an injection of Menilizone would stabilize his cells for a maximum of six hours.”

The Doctor stared at her angrily. “Menilizone? You can’t be serious! That can cause heart failure in humans!”

“Do you think I would suggest it if I knew of any other way!” Seven retorted hotly, “We must do it soon or it will be too late and he will be gone!”

The Doctor heard the sincerity in her voice and knew she wouldn’t be suggesting something with side affects if she had no other choice. He glanced at his patient and made his choice. “All right.” He didn’t rush; the dose had to be just right to avoid cardiac arrest and allowed Seven to hold Chakotay’s hand as he did the injection. A few painfully tense seconds passed before Chakotay’s body became solid, but an urgent alarm told him that his heart had stopped. Mercifully one shock with a cortical stimulator brought him back with a gasp, his body and mind fully with them once again.

The Doctor looked at a horribly pale Seven dreading to ask the question which needed to be asked. “How long before he destabilises again?”

Seven didn’t take her eyes off of Chakotay’s still body. “Three hours maximum.” She whispered, swallowing the lump of tears in her throat as she saw Chakotay stir.

He was barely awake before he asked after his main concern. “Seven?”

Seven stepped forward and gently took his hand which he grasped for dear life. “I am here…” she murmured. The Doctor looking into their faces suddenly had no doubt that Chakotay knew everything, for he was gazing at Seven with the expression only given to a lover and she no longer hid her emotions from him. The Doctor couldn’t feel happy for them, he knew there was too much heartbreak ahead for that but at the same time he felt it was right that they be together again in whatever form.

At that moment Tuvok entered and was instantly made aware of what the Doctor had just realised when the couple let go of each other’s hands and turned to face him. “What has happened?” he looked Seven directly in the eye but the Doctor answered.

“His body went almost completely out of sync with the rest of us, the treatment I gave him will only last three hours.”

“What can we do to make this cease?”

Seven now quietly but firmly spoke. “He must return to his own timeline.”

Chakotay felt grief stab him and it must have been visible on his face for Seven touched his arm as she addressed them all. “The only…cure…for the effect of Temporal Anomaly 8564 is to return to the instant of the event, or else you may be taken into any period of time until your body permanently destabilises.”