"Home Again" |
by Christine M. Westing |
"Will I get to make first
contact with the aliens?" Naomi asked excitedly as she
walked down the hall next to Seven of Nine.
The Borg looked down at the girl curiously. "You will be
accompanying the captain, Ensign Paris, and Neelix as they make
first contact with an alien species. You will not be
accomplishing that task by yourself, if that is what you're
suggesting."
"Could I at least say the first word?" Naomi asked.
"The customary greeting of this culture requires that the
leader of the group make first contact," Seven informed her.
"Then can I say the next thing after Captain Janeway?"
Naomi asked.
"That is a possibility," Seven said, not wanting to
disappoint the girl too quickly. She knew that it wasn't highly
likely that the girl would be allowed to have an important part
in the mission as the three-year-old wished. "However, your
primary role in this mission will be to observe and to
learn."
"I do that all the time," Naomi said. "When can I
start doing something?"
"I believe that Ensign Paris has allowed you to pilot a
shuttle numerous times," Seven said.
"Twice," Naomi told her. "Only twice."
"And I also believe that you were allowed to enter in
commands in engineering," Seven told her.
"Only with B'Elanna standing right over me and pointing at
exactly which button I was supposed to press," Naomi
replied. "I want to do something for real, just like you do
when you're in astrometrics or on the bridge."
"I also believe that I have allowed you to operate a station
in astrometrics during my duty shift," Seven pointed out.
"I know," Naomi replied. "But I don't want to just
help out. I want to have a real duty shift. I should start
pulling my weight around here, don't you think?"
"I believe that your presence on this mission is the next
step in achieving that goal," Seven informed her.
"Really?" Naomi asked.
Seven nodded. "Once your have acquired an acceptable amount
of experience, I am certain that Captain Janeway will allow you
to have semi-regular duty shifts."
"You really think so?" Naomi was quite excited now that
Seven was actually suggesting that the captain might make her the
bridge assistant.
"I believe so," Seven said. "Provided that your
duty shifts do not interfere with your studies."
"Oh, they won't," Naomi promised. "When can I
start with my duty shifts?"
"You will have to discuss that with the captain," Seven
told her.
"Do you really think that she'll let me?" Naomi asked.
"Perhaps," Seven replied.
"Neelix to Naomi Wildman," a voice came from out
of nowhere.
"Naomi here!" Naomi called out.
"Are you coming, Naomi?" Neelix asked.
"We're leaving now?" Naomi asked in surprise.
"It's 0900," Neelix replied.
"Oh!" Naomi cried. "I didn't realize that it was
that late."
"Well, you'd better hurry to the shuttle bay so we can
get going," Neelix suggested.
"I'm on my way," Naomi told him
Naomi looked up at Seven. "I have to go now, or they might
leave without me."
"I doubt that they would depart without your presence,"
Seven told her.
"Well, I should still go," Naomi said. "I'll see
you when I get back!"
Naomi ran off down the corridor and Seven stared after the girl
curiously. The child certainly was enthusiastic.
* * * * *
Naomi hopped into the shuttle and cried, "Naomi Wildman
reporting for duty!"
Captain Janeway smiled at the girl's willingness to come along on
the mission and to help out.
"Hey, Naomi, running a little late there, huh?" Tom
Paris asked from the helm of the shuttle.
Naomi blushed. "I'm sorry. I was talking with Seven, and I
lost track of the time. I didn't mean to be late."
"The first lesson you should learn before becoming bridge
assistant is to be on time," Neelix told her.
"I promise I'll never be late again," Naomi responded.
"Well, now that the crew's all here, let's get under
way," Captain Janeway announced.
The doors to the shuttlecraft were closed and Tom powered up the
engine. A rather excited Naomi sat on Neelix's lap. The doors of
the shuttle bay opened and they were soon off.
* * * * *
"Are we almost there?" Naomi asked.
"We'll be ready to begin our descent into the planet's
atmosphere in about seven minutes," Tom replied.
"Is that the planet there?" Naomi asked, pointing to a
large planet with swirling green and blue clouds.
"That's it," Tom confirmed.
"It's pretty," Naomi commented.
"After I give the customary greeting, would you like to
greet them as well?" Captain Janeway offered.
"Me?" Naomi asked in surprise.
The captain nodded.
"Yes, ma'am!" Naomi cried. "I would love to!"
Just then, a massive cloud of swirling gases appeared directly in
front of them and the shuttle rocked in response to the sudden
appearance of the phenomenon.
"A wormhole!" Naomi cried excitedly.
"Captain, the wormhole's gravity is pulling us in," Tom
reported. "I can't fight it!"
"Where did it come from?" Captain Janeway demanded.
"I think it's a randomly occurring phenomenon," Tom
replied. "Hold on, it's going to be a bumpy ride!"
"Can't we get out?" Naomi asked just as the shuttle
entered the mouth of the wormhole.
That's when the real action started. Lights and alarms blinked
everywhere and sirens began to sound. Naomi watched as the three
adults did everything they could to correct the problems and get
the shuttlecraft out of the wormhole. The shuttle was shaking
violently, and Naomi was beginning to get scared.
"What's happening?" Naomi cried.
"The hull's going to breach!" Tom shouted, more to the
captain than to the girl, but it certainly answered her question.
Naomi held tightly onto Neelix in fear. She knew what a hull
breach would mean. She stared out the window of the shuttle as
they traveled through the wormhole. Finally, they reached the
other side and they were spewed out into space.
"I'm going to have to make an emergency landing!" Tom
cried.
"There's a Class M planet straight ahead," Captain
Janeway reported.
"I see it!" Tom cried. "I'll take it."
The shuttle flew towards the planet at incredible speeds as they
came into the atmosphere.
"We're coming in too fast!" Captain Janeway cried.
"I'm trying to slow us down," Tom said. "Everybody
hold on!"
Naomi hugged Neelix tightly and closed her eyes. She knew that as
long as she was with him, she would be safe. Just a few moments
later, everything in her world went dark.
* * * * *
Naomi opened her eyes slowly and looked up at the strange ceiling
overhead. She was not on the shuttle. And she definitely wasn't
anywhere on Voyager. It took her several moments to remember what
had happened, but finally she remembered the wormhole and their
rapid descent to the surface. Everything past Tom's cry that
everyone should hold on was just a blur to her.
"She's awakened," a voice said.
Naomi tried to sit up, but she got an incredibly strong headache
and she laid back down. She could feel the adrenaline pounding
throughout her entire body. She was incredibly frightened. She
did not know where she was or who was in the room with her. All
she knew was that she's just been in a shuttle accident and she
wanted Neelix or Tom or even Captain Janeway.
A strange man appeared over Naomi with a look of concern on her
face. "My name is Kipta, and you are on the planet L'Nor. We
found you in a shuttlecraft on the surface. You are all right. Do
not be afraid. What is your name?"
"Naomi," the three-year-old replied. "Naomi
Wildman."
"Where did you come from?" Kipta asked.
"I live on a starship called Voyager," Naomi replied.
"I was on a shuttlecraft and we went into a wormhole."
"A wormhole?" Kipta repeated.
Naomi nodded. "We didn't want to go through it, but the
gravity pulled us in. Tom said that there was going to be a hull
breach, so her landed the shuttle. I think I fell asleep."
Naomi looked around. "Where's Neelix? I want Neelix."
"Neelix?" Kipta said. "Was Neelix one of the
people that were with you in the shuttle?"
"Yes," Naomi replied. "He's my godfather. Where is
he?"
"I am afraid that no one else from your shuttle survived the
crash," the man told her.
Naomi frowned as she realized what Kipta meant. "You mean
they're all dead?"
"I am afraid so," Kipta replied.
"I want to go back to Voyager."
"I am not sure if that will be possible. You said you came
through a wormhole. Your ship could be hundreds of light years
away."
"I can't go back?" Naomi asked.
"We'll try to bring you back," Kipta told her. "I
just don't know if we can find your ship."
Naomi Wildman had never felt so alone in her life.
* * * * *
Five years later
* * * * *
"Captain, I'm detecting a distress signal," Harry Kim
announced. "It's Starfleet registry."
"Starfleet?" Chakotay repeated in surprise. "We're
still years away from the Alpha Quadrant. Can you identify its
registry number?"
"I'm trying," Harry replied, then his grace grew stone
cold in amazement, surprise, and wonder. Finally, he recovered
from the shock and reported his findings. "Captain, it's the
shuttle that disappeared five years ago."
"The shuttle?" Chakotay repeated. "The one with
Captain Janeway and the others?"
"Yes, sir," Harry replied.
"Can we respond?" Chakotay asked.
"I'm trying," Harry said. "I'm not getting any
response. But it's been five years. They could have found a
friendly planet or ship to settle down on."
"There's no way to tell if they're dead or they're just not
around," Chakotay murmured softly. "Can we scan for
life signs?"
"Not yet," Harry replied. "We're still too far
away."
"I want to know the moment that we can scan it,"
Chakotay said.
"Yes, sir," Harry replied.
The next several moments were very tense for the entire bridge
crew. The prospect of finding the captain and the rest of the
shuttle crew after five long years certainly was very exciting
and nerve-wracking.
* * * * *
Naomi sat in the grass and looked across the linola flowers to
watch her two younger siblings at play, as they tossed a brightly
colored ball back and forth.
"Naomi, come play with us!" Ranyo called out.
"Not now, Ranyo," Naomi said. She stared at the small
board in front of her. "I'm trying to finish my work."
"Please," Ranyo pleaded.
"Ranyo, I'm a little too old for these games," Naomi
said.
"You're only eight," Ranyo told her. "That's just
one more than me!"
"Yeah, but I come from another planet," Naomi reminded
him. "I age faster than you."
And that certainly was true. Although she'd only been born eight
years prior, she looked and acted like she was about fifteen
Earth years old.
"Come on, Naomi," Ranyo whined.
"All right," Naomi agreed finally. She found it a
little hard to resist her younger brother when he begged with her
for anything. He was just simply too cute and too angelic for her
to knowingly disappoint him like that.
Naomi got up off the grass and went to play with her brother and
sister. As they ran and played together, Naomi felt completely at
home and incredibly happy.
* * * * *
"Captain, I'm within sensor range of the shuttle,"
Harry said.
"Scan it," Chakotay demanded immediately. He'd been on
the edge of the seat ever since the distress signal had been
detected.
"I'm not reading any life signs in the shuttle," Harry
reported. "But the shuttle appears to have crashed on a
planet."
"Scan the planet," Captain Chakotay said.
"There are over ten billion people living on the
planet," Harry Kim replied.
"Can you narrow the search to detect only human life
signs?"
"I'm picking up a half-human-half-Ktarian female. That's
gotta be Naomi."
Everyone on the bridge perked up at the news that the girl was
safe and sound on the planet.
"And the others?"
"I'm not reading any other human life signs. Or
Talaxian."
"No one else survived," Chakotay surmised softly.
"I believe that would be jumping to conclusions," Tuvok
spoke up.
"Oh?" Chakotay asked.
"It is possible that the other members of the shuttle crew
are on a ship somewhere offworld," Tuvok said.
"Thanks for the optimism, Tuvok," Chakotay said.
"I was merely exploring all the possible options,"
Tuvok replied.
"Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out. Hail the
planet."
"They're responding," Harry Kim said after a few
moments.
"On screen," Chakotay ordered.
* * * * *
"What do you mean 'my ship is here'?" Naomi asked,
bewildered.
"Your ship is here," Kipta responded. "The one
that you came from. They've come back for you."
"Voyager?" Naomi breathed softly.
Kipta nodded. "But don't worry, Naomi. We won't let them
take you away from us. They're demanding to see you, though. Is
it all right if we let them take you back up to their ship, just
for a little while?"
"You want to know if I want to go back up to Voyager?"
Naomi asked, more than just a little surprised and confused.
Kipta nodded. "Just for a little bit."
"Yes," Naomi replied.
"All right. We'll make arrangements for you to go visit
them."
"What if I want to do more than just visit?" Naomi
asked slowly.
Kipta paused and analyzed what the girl had just said to make
sure that he understood what she was suggesting. "We'll
think about that when the time comes."
Naomi nodded and turned to stare out a window at the beautiful
landscape. This planet had been her home for five years. Voyager
had only been her home for three years. If she went back to
Voyager, she'd be returning to her first home. But she'd be
leaving her other home behind. She didn't know what to do.
* * * * *
Naomi appeared on the transporter pad and immediately looked
around. Everything looked so familiar, but still very strange.
She hadn't seen any of it since she was a little girl. And then
she saw her mother standing there in the transporter room. Naomi
immediately felt uncomfortable at the odd situation, but her
mother seemed extremely ecstatic.
"Naomi!" Samantha Wildman called and raced to embrace
her daughter.
Naomi returned the embrace, although she wasn't nearly as excited
as her mother was. Still, seeing her mother after so long of a
time did make her very happy.
"Are you all right?" Samantha Wildman asked.
"Yes," Naomi replied.
"I want to hear everything about what I missed in your
life," Samantha said. "Where have you been
staying?"
"A family adopted me," Naomi replied. "I have a
little brother and cute little sister, too. My parents are
wonderful to me. I love it on L'Nor."
"You're back home now," Samantha told her daughter
lovingly. "You'll never have to worry about being alone like
that again."
"But I didn't feel alone," Naomi insisted. "Maybe
at first, but not after I'd found a home."
"This is your real home," Samantha said. "And
everyone's so excited to have you back. Would you like to go back
and see your room?"
"My room?" Naomi repeated.
Samantha nodded. "I took out some of your old things when I
found out that we found you."
"I guess," Naomi replied.
So mother and daughter walked out of the transporter room;
together once again.
* * * * *
"Flotter!" Naomi cried, racing to pick up the stuffed
doll that was laying on her bed. She picked up the blue, shiny
doll and stared at it in wonder. "Flotter!"
Samantha smiled. "Do you remember when Neelix replicated
that for you?"
"Yeah," Naomi said, searching her brain to retrieve
memories that she'd been forcing herself to forget for the past
five years. "It was when you were missing, after the shuttle
crashed on that planet. He was trying to cheer me up."
Samantha nodded. "We can go to the holodeck and see Flotter
and Treevus again, if you'd like to."
"The holodeck," Naomi repeated slowly. "I remember
playing with them. But I'm too old for that now."
"You're only eight," Samantha said.
"On L'Nor most people consider me to be a teenager,"
Naomi said. "I'm not a little kid anymore. Aren't I the
equivalent of a Ktarian teenager?"
"Yes, you are," Samantha replied.
"Neelix," Naomi said softly, seemingly jumping from one
topic to a completely different one. "He isn't here anymore,
is he?"
Samantha shook her head slowly.
"He was on the shuttle," Naomi said. "With
me."
Naomi's mother nodded slowly.
Naomi put the doll down quickly. "Is Seven still
around?"
"Yes," Samantha replied. "But she'll probably seem
different to you."
"Different?"
"She's more human now," Samantha told her daughter.
"It's almost like she never was a Borg. Except for a few
things, of course."
"Can I see her?"
"I don't see why not."
* * * * *
Naomi stood in the doorway to astrometrics and stared at Seven's
back. Either she didn't realize that someone had entered or she
simply didn't care. Either way, Seven was not responded to
Naomi's entrance.
"Seven?" Naomi asked after several moments.
Seven turned around and looked at the girl. "Naomi."
Naomi frowned and stared at Seven almost as if she was frightened
of her.
"What is wrong?" Seven asked.
"Your face," Naomi said. "Seven, where are your
Borg implants?"
"The doctor found a way to remove most of my Borg
technology," Seven replied.
"You called me 'Naomi'," the girl said. "You never
called me 'Naomi.' It was always 'Naomi Wildman.'"
"I speak less formally now," Seven explained.
"Would you prefer that I address you using your full
name?"
"No, that's all right," Naomi said. "I was just a
little surprised, that's all. It's like...it's like you're not
you anymore."
"You have grown," Seven commented.
Naomi stepped further into astrometrics to stand next to Seven.
"I guess so. Little girls do that, you know."
"You appear to be unlike yourself as well," Seven
observed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Naomi demanded.
"I was just saying that you have changed as well,"
Seven said.
"Are you saying that's a bad thing?" Naomi asked.
"Were you saying that it's a bad thing that I am
different?" Seven asked.
"Point taken," Naomi replied.
There was an odd silence between the two of them for a long time.
"I'm going to head out now," Naomi announced.
"Why?" Seven asked.
"What else am I supposed to do?" Naomi asked.
"I'd like to talk with you more," Seven said.
"Maybe later," Naomi replied.
"Then I will see you later," Seven told her.
Naomi left astrometrics with an odd feeling. She knew she'd just
had a conversation with Seven, but it sure hadn't seemed like
Seven. She'd looked different, acted different, and talked
different. It wasn't the same Seven that Naomi had become friends
with when she was living on Voyager. As Naomi tried to remember
her the last time that she'd seen Seven, she recalled that it had
been just before she left on the shuttle. She remembered asking
if she could make first contact with aliens. And now, five years
later, Naomi realized that that's just what she'd done. Knowing
that was an even stranger feeling than meeting a completely
different Seven of Nine.
* * * * *
Naomi stood just outside the door to Holodeck Two and tried to
get up the nerve to go into the program that she'd just told the
computer to run. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to, though,
but something told her that she should. Another part of her told
her not to go in there.
Finally, one of her two opposing sides won and she stepped
through the doors and entered into the holodeck. The doors closed
behind her and she stood in the middle of a large, colorful
forest. She looked around in wonder.
"It's just how I remembered it," Naomi said softly.
She ran down the path that she knew would take her to the pond.
It was just as if she was three years old again. She sure felt
like she was a little kid again. Finally, Naomi reached the pond.
She stood at the edge of the pond and threw in a rock, knowing
that it would wake Flotter up.
"Who's there?" Flotter asked.
"Naomi," Naomi replied.
Flotter rose up from the water and looked at the girl in excited
surprise. "Naomi! Long time; no see."
Naomi smiled. "Hi, Flotter."
"You've grown," Flotter said. "Now...how long has
it been?"
"Five years," Naomi replied.
"Five years?" Flotter said. "Where have you been,
Naomi?"
"That would take a long time to explain," Naomi
replied.
"Well, it doesn't matter where you've been. It only matters
that you're back now. Come on, Naomi, let's go find Treevus.
He'll be so happy to know that you're back."
The two ran off together and Naomi actually found herself
laughing as she ran off with the blue holodeck character. She
felt like a little kid again; that was for sure.
Naomi stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Chakotay standing
there at the entrance to the holodeck. She felt very foolish and
very embarrassed.
"Commander Chakotay," Naomi said. "I..I..I was
just...um..."
Chakotay smiled. "No need to explain, Naomi. And, actually,
it's 'Captain' Chakotay now."
"Of course," Naomi replied. "I guess I
forgot."
"That's all right," Chakotay said.
Naomi looked at Flotter, and, feeling incredibly embarrassed that
the captain had found her playing in the holodeck, ordered the
computer to end the program. The forest faded away and Naomi and
Chakotay stood on the black and yellow holodeck grid.
"I was wondering if I could talk to you," Chakotay
said.
"Sure," Naomi replied. "What do you need?"
"Actually, I was just wondering how you're doing,"
Chakotay replied.
"I don't know," Naomi told him honestly. "I
thought it would be so wonderful to come back and see Voyager,
but I don't know. I can't explain it."
"Can you try?" Chakotay asked.
"Everything's so different," Naomi said. "This
doesn't feel like home. It doesn't even feel like Voyager. It's
like everything's changed. And some things that should have
changed haven't!"
"Like what?"
"Mom took me to see my room. She'd taken out some of my old
things to make me feel more at home. But when I looked at the
things, I just felt disconnected from them. There were dolls and
toys and clothes that have been too small for me for five years.
It was all little kid stuff. And Mom's still treating me like I'm
three years old. I know she's trying hard not to, but I still
feel like she thinks I'm just a little kid. I went down to the
mess hall and it just didn't feel like the mess hall anymore.
Maybe it's just because Neelix isn't there. And I came here to
the holodeck to see Flotter and Treevus, but now I just feel
foolish for playing in a make-believe forest."
"You looked like you were having fun," Chakotay pointed
out.
"Maybe for a little bit," Naomi said. "But I'm
older now. This holodeck program isn't for me anymore."
"But we're still the same people," Chakotay said.
"Seven's here and I'm here and Harry's here and your mom's
here and the Doctor's here. Doesn't that make this 'home?'"
"Neelix isn't here," Naomi told him softly. "And
neither are Tom or Captain Janeway. I went to go see Seven and
she's just not Seven anymore. I looked at her, and I couldn't
even tell that she'd ever been a Borg. All of the Borg implants
that used to be on her face and her hands are gone. And she acted
different, too. She talked normal and she acted normal. She even
called me 'Naomi,' and not 'Naomi Wildman.' She just doesn't seem
like Seven any more. At least not to me. And I'm afraid to go see
the Doctor. I'm afraid that he'll be different, too. I don't want
things to be different. But I don't want things to be the same,
either."
"I think I understand what you're saying," Chakotay
told her.
"I doubt it, but thanks for trying," Naomi replied.
"I was talking with one of the people from L'Nor...Kipta, I
think he said his name was," Chakotay began.
"He's my adoptive father," Naomi interrupted.
Chakotay nodded. "He said that you wanted to stay on the
planet. Is that true?"
"I don't know," Naomi told him. "Honestly, I don't
know what I want. Yesterday, I was playing happily with my
brother and sister, without a care in the world. I felt like I
was at home, and I knew that I was in a place where I was
accepted. Everything was so simple. But now, everything's
different. Voyager's come back for me and I don't know where my
home is anymore. I don't know where I belong anymore. I just
don't know."
"I can understand why you'd feel that way," Chakotay
said. "But try to remember, Naomi, this was your first home.
This is where your real mother is. She loves you very, very much.
You loved it here. I remember how you used to say that you didn't
want to go back to Earth because you'd have to leave Voyager. At
one point, you were absolutely positive that Voyager was your
home. If you were to decide that you wanted to stay on L'Nor, it
would just break your mother's heart."
"If I decided that I wanted to stay on L'Nor, would you let
me?" Naomi asked.
"I'm not sure if I can answer that, Naomi," Chakotay
said.
"Why not?" Naomi asked.
"I'd have to talk with your mother about it," Chakotay
told her.
Naomi nodded. "Is there anything else you wanted to talk to
me about?"
"Not unless you want to try to explain what happened on that
shuttle."
"Not right now," Naomi told him. "Maybe
later."
Chakotay nodded. "There's an old saying on Earth that says
'Home is where the heart is.' Try to decide where your heart is,
Naomi. And that's your home."
"Thanks," Naomi said.
Captain Chakotay left the holodeck and Naomi stood there in the
silence. There was so much running through her mind and she just
didn't feel like she could handle all of it. She felt a tear
running down her cheek, and she tried to wipe it away and stop
any other tears from coming. She longed to be back on L'Nor and
to never have heard about Voyager coming back for her. She wished
that the shuttle had never gone through that wormhole and that
she'd lived her entire life safe and sound on Voyager. She knew
she couldn't have it both ways, though. And she also knew that
she didn't want to give up either one of her homes. But she knew
that she'd have to make a decision, and no matter what decision
she made, she'd be giving up so much, and she'd be breaking so
many people's hearts. And she wouldn't be able to change her
mind.
* * * * *
"Naomi, why don't you come home now?" Kipta asked as he
talked to Naomi over the communications channel. "You've
been up on Voyager for almost six hours now."
"I know," Naomi said. "But there's so much here
that I still want to see."
"You can come back tomorrow," Kipta told her. "But
it's dinner time now and we want you home."
"Can't I stay here?" Naomi asked. "It's been five
years since I've had anything even remotely similar to Earth
food. I want to eat some of my favorite things again."
"All right," Kipta agreed rather reluctantly. "You
can stay for dinner."
"Can I stay here overnight?" Naomi asked, hoping she
wasn't pushing her luck.
"Why would you want to do that?" Kipta asked.
"Because this used to be my home," Naomi said.
"I'd like to visit for more than just six hours. Please.
I'll come back down to L'Nor tomorrow. I promise."
"All right," Kipta agreed. "Just for tonight. But
you must come home tomorrow."
"Can I come back after that?"
"I would assume that Voyager would leave after that."
"They won't just leave just like that. My mom's up here - my
real mom. And all my old friends. These people really care about
me, and they've missed me. They won't just leave me here after
they've visited with me for a day."
"Maybe you're right," Kipta said, "but they'll
have to leave you behind eventually."
"What if I want to stay here?" Naomi asked.
Kipta's expression became a frown. "If you decide that you
wish to stay on Voyager, I will allow you to do what you decide
is best for yourself. But, Naomi, L'Nor has been your home for
five years. I just don't see why you'd want to go back to
Voyager."
"I haven't made a decision yet," Naomi told him.
"But I'm trying to. I have to go now. Captain Chakotay
wanted me to come up to the bridge. Naomi out."
Naomi turned off the screen and watched as her adoptive father's
face disappeared from her view. She knew that she loved him and
she knew that he loved her. But she also knew that she loved
Samantha Wildman and that Samantha loved her. She couldn't
disappoint either one of them. What was she going to do?
* * * * *
Naomi Wildman stepped out onto the bridge and looked around in
awe. When she'd been on Voyager, she'd almost never been allowed
onto the bridge and now, after five years of being gone, she was
finally back there again. And somehow, it still had the same
magical wonder that it had had when she was three. Maybe even a
little bit more.
"Naomi," Captain Chakotay said when he saw her,
"do you have a minute?"
"I guess so," Naomi replied. "I was supposed to
come up, wasn't I?"
"Yes, of course," Chakotay said. "Could I talk to
you in my ready room?"
"Sure," Naomi replied.
So she followed Chakotay into the ready room. The two sat down on
the couch next to each other. Naomi was reminded of a meeting or
two that she'd had with Captain Janeway.
"Naomi, I know that you probably don't want to talk about
this right now, but we're trying to find out what happened to the
shuttle five years ago," Chakotay said. "Now that we've
found you, everyone's starting to ask questions again. And I
don't know what to tell them."
"And you think that I do," Naomi surmised.
Chakotay nodded. "You were on that shuttle."
"I was three years old," Naomi said. "It was a
long time ago, and I was very little. I didn't understand what
was happening."
"Is there anything that you can remember at all?"
Chakotay asked. "If you don't want to talk about it, I
understand."
"It's all right," Naomi said. "I can talk about
it. I just don't know if I'll be much help."
"Naomi, anything you can tell us would be a load of
help."
"Well, we were getting closer to the planet," Naomi
said. "I remember seeing it out the window. It was big and
beautiful. But then a wormhole formed from out of nowhere. I
don't know where it came from. I think Tom said that it was a
randomly occurring phenomenon. He said that the gravity was
pulling us in - he couldn't stop the shuttle from going through.
The shuttle was rocking and we went into the wormhole. I don't
know what happened, but when we got out to the other side, the
engine was out, and Tom had little to no control of the shuttle.
He said that we had to find a planet to land on. The first one
that he saw that was even within range was L'Nor. We began our
descent, and I think Captain Janeway said something about coming
in too fast. All I can remember is holding on to Neelix. The
shuttle must have crashed on the planet. I must have been knocked
out by the impact. The next thing I can remember is waking up in
a hospital on L'Nor."
"Naomi, you would not believe how much that helps,"
Chakotay said. "But, can you remember anything else?
Anything at all?"
"It was five years ago," Naomi said, frustrated.
"I was three years old. How much do you expect me to
remember?"
"I'm sorry," Chakotay said. "I didn't mean to push
you too much."
"It's all right," Naomi said. "Is there anything
else you need from me?"
"Not exactly," Chakotay replied.
"Not exactly?" Naomi repeated.
"How would you like to sit at the helm of Voyager?"
Chakotay said.
"Sit at the helm?" Naomi repeated slowly.
"And operate it for a little while," Chakotay added.
"You can't be serious," Naomi said.
"I sure am," Chakotay said. "Tom let you fly the
Delta Flyer when you were three. He didn't exactly have the best
judgment, but I think you're capable of flying Voyager for a bit.
Besides, we're just in a standard orbit. It's nothing
complicated."
Naomi smiled. "You want me to fly the ship. That was my
dream when I was little."
"Dreams have a strange way of coming true," Chakotay
said.
Naomi's smile widened. She was finally having the chance to pilot
Voyager, even if they were only orbiting a planet. It was the
chance she'd been waiting her until life to get.
* * * * *
"Can I have some leolo root casserole?" Naomi asked
after her mother inquired about what she wanted for dinner.
"Like the kind Neelix used to make?" Samantha asked.
Naomi nodded. "Does someone else know how to make it?"
"I'm sure it's on file in the replicator," Samantha
said. "You've got five years worth of replicator rations
stored up. I'm sure it won't be a problem."
Naomi smiled. "Great!"
"I never understood why you like that stuff," Samantha
told her daughter. "Everyone else hates it. I don't think
anyone's had it since you left."
"I just like it, that's all," Naomi said.
"Maybe it's your Ktarian taste buds," Samantha
suggested.
"Maybe," Naomi agreed.
"Would you like to eat in the mess hall?" Samantha
asked.
"Sure," Naomi replied.
"Then let's go!" Samantha proclaimed.
So the two walked out of their quarters and down to the mess hall
as if they'd never been separated at all.
* * * * *
Naomi Wildman woke up after a long night's worth of restful
sleep. She sat up in her bed and for just a brief moment didn't
know where she was. Then, everything came back to her and she
smiled. She was on Voyager again, in her room. Even though there
was a doll or two laying around, it felt wonderful to be back.
"Hey, Naomi," Samantha said as she popped her head into
her daughter's room. "Did you sleep well?"
"Wonderful," Naomi replied. "Just wonderful."
"Great," Samantha replied. "Glad to hear it."
"Mom?" Naomi said after several moments of thought.
"Yes, honey?" Samantha said.
"I've been thinking for a long time, and I've made my
decision," Naomi said. "About where I want to stay, I
mean."
"And?" Samantha prompted after several moments.
"I want to stay here," Naomi said after a long time.
"Oh, Naomi, I'm so glad," Samantha said as she hugged
her daughter.
"Now all I have to do is tell my family back on L'Nor,"
Naomi said quietly. "They're not going to like it. Not one
bit."
Samantha sympathized with her daughter. "Do you want me to
help you tell them?"
Naomi shook her head. "No. I can do it by myself. Can I beam
down to L'Nor and tell them myself?"
"Sure, honey," Samantha replied. "I know how much
they mean to you. Take as long as you need."
* * * * *
"Naomi, I won't let them take you away," Kipta said.
"Take me away?!" Naomi cried. "I want to go! This
is my choice; Voyager's my home!"
"L'Nor is your home!" Kipta replied angrily.
"Naomi, don't you like us?" Ranyo asked.
"I love you, Ranyo," Naomi said. "I love all of
you. You've been so kind to me. You've made me feel at home. But
being back on Voyager has been like a dream come true. At first,
it seemed so different, but now it just seems like home again.
It's where I want to be. It's where I was meant to be."
"Naomi, I won't let you," Kipta repeated.
"You have to!" Naomi cried. "That's my mom up
there! My real mom!"
"And what about me?" Naomi's foster mother demanded.
"I love you very much, but you're not my real mom,"
Naomi said. "This isn't my real home. Voyager is. Please,
let me go. You have to."
"Naomi, don't go," Kipta pleaded.
"You said that I could make my own choice," Naomi said.
"You said that I could decide where I wanted to live. I want
to live on Voyager. Please."
Kipta's eyes filled with sorrow and he nodded slowly. "I did
say that you could make your own decision. And I just want you to
be happy."
"I'll be happy on Voyager," Naomi said. "I swear
it, I will. And, we'll be able to communicate with each other for
a while, until Voyager's too far away for us to send messages.
But I've been away from Voyager for five years. It's where I was
born. It's where I grew up, at least for a little while. I want
to live there."
Kipta nodded. "You are a teenager now. At least, you look
and act like you're a teenager. And I now that's how mature you
are. If this is your decision, then I respect that, and I'll let
you go back to Voyager."
"Oh, thank you," Naomi said. She embraced her adoptive
father and held him tightly. "I'll always love you and I'll
never forget you, Daddy." Naomi felt her eyes well up with
tears. It was horrible saying good-bye to her family and her
home. But she knew that her real family and her real home were
waiting for her on Voyager.
* * * * *
Naomi strode the hallway of Voyager with a smile on her face. She
was finally home again, for good. And while she was there, she
intended to set things straight. She entered the mess hall and
paused for a moment as she stared at her designated target. For a
split second, she thought about turning around and going back to
her quarters. But she knew what she had to do, and she intended
to do it.
Naomi walked up to the table and stood there for a moment until
Seven of Nine looked up at her quizzically.
"I...I'm sorry for acting a little bratty before,"
Naomi apologized.
"That's all right," Seven assured her. "You were
confused and not thinking correctly. That is
understandable."
"I was wondering if I could make it up to you," Naomi
said.
"How?" Seven replied.
"Well, it's quite obvious that both of us have changed a
lot," Naomi said. "So, I was thinking that we might
want to get to know each other again."
"How would you suggest doing that?" Seven asked.
Naomi almost smiled. She could still detect a hint of the Borg
personality that had once shown through so clearly in Seven.
"I was thinking maybe we could play Kotis Kot. My quarters,
1700."
Seven smiled. "I think I'd
like that."
"See you then," Naomi said.
She walked out of the mess hall with an even wider smile than the
one she'd walked in with. She was finally home again.