TITLE: As Long As We’re Here
AUTHOR: MikeJaffa
SYNOPSIS: Answer to Trek BBS Time Travel Challenge: At the conclusion of a time travel incident, Captain Ducane of the Timeship Relativity indulges Tuvok
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I didn’t have a short, quick idea for this challenge. I wanted to save myself a lot of typing. But a video that I kept rewatching inspired me.
DISCLAIMER: Star Trek: Voyager is owned by Paramount, and Doctor Who is owned by the BBC.
8
8
8
8
8
Captain Kathryn Janeway leaned back in her ready room chair and let her eyes close. The last few days had been exhausting: Displacement in time to 21st century earth. Multidimensional aliens that looked like floating geometric shapes from…she didn’t want to try and remember. Seven of Nine had complained the aliens’ origins had given her a headache, so Janeway did not want to think about it. And last but not least, another encounter with the timeship *Relativity,* under the command of Captain Juel Ducane.
The door chimed.
Janeway said, “Come in.”
Tuvok entered. His Vulcan control did not hide his fatigue.
He had a PADD in his hand. He said, “Repairs are almost completed. Lieutenant Torres estimates we can be underway within the hour.” He sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk and handed Janeway the PADD.
Janeway studied it. “And we have to be on our way toute suite according to Captain Ducane.” Unspoken was Captain Ducane’s admonition that the Voyager would be returned to the time and place they had left in the Delta Quadrant because they still had “much to do” and the timeline had to be repaired. It was a harsh reality Janeway and the rest of the crew tried to think of as little as possible.
“A pity,” Tuvok said. “A more detailed study of this time period could yield fascinating data.”
“2024?” Janeway looked up. “Hmmm…I don’t remember anything major happening in January. Now, November…” She broke off as a transporter effect shimmered next to Tuvok’s chair. It resolved into Captain Juel Ducane. Although only months had passed since Janeway and Seven of Nine had met him, fifteen years had happened for Ducane. He looked slightly older and sported a beard, but his eyes still had a youthful twinkle.
Ducane said, “Captain, we’ll be ready to get underway as soon as you are.”
Janeway said, “Of course.”
Tuvok said, “And there is no margin for error, Captain?”
“No, Mr. Tuvok. The longer Voyager stays here, the greater the chance of inadvertent temporal corruption.”
“I see.”
Ducane looked at Tuvok for a long moment. Then he said, “Mr. Tuvok. My first girlfriend was a Vulcan. I know all the tells, so don’t even try BS’ing me. What is it?”
Tuvok shifted uncomfortably. Then he gave his answer.
Janeway’s eyes widened. “Seriously!? Uh, Tuvok, I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but I don’t think they gave it that name because they’d found a habitable planet orbiting 40 Eridani A.”
“There has been some debate in Vulcan historical circles about when first contact actually happened,” Tuvok said. “Regardless, my eldest son, Sek, and I have been particularly interested in this particular Terran launch vehicle. But as Captain Ducane said, we must leave as soon as possible.”
Ducane couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “I don’t know, Mr. Tuvok. There is something romantic about the days when Isaac Newton was at the helm after you road a bomb out of the atmosphere. And I have standing orders about collecting data on historical events as long as the timeline isn’t disrupted. So as long as we’re here…and we all behave ourselves…”
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8
Janeway couldn’t prevent herself from looking at the weeping angel standing next to her. It was night, after 2 AM local time; and Janeway, Ducane, Tuvok, and other officers and crew from both the *Voyager* and the *Relativity* were milling around on the Florida beach in 21st century attire. Tuvok wore a hoodie, the hood covered his ears. The other Vulcans from both crews wore either hoodies or wool hats. Except for Janeway, their attention was riveted at the launch site a few kilometers to the north. Tuvok held a tricorder playing the audio from launch control.
The weeping angel had her hands covering her eyes as she faced the launch complex. She had a metal ring on one ring finger.
Ducane was standing on the other side of Janeway from the angel. She turned to Ducane and whispered, “Are you sure about this?”
Ducane still looked at the distant launch pad as he said, “Don’t worry, Captain. Amber is projecting a psionic field. As long as we don’t attract attention, anyone from this time period who sees us will have forgotten about us by the time they get home. And her ring is recording the launch in every detail. Tuvok and Sek will be able to watch the hologram replay from the top of the crew access tower if they want.”
“Captain!” Tuvok hissed. “Forgive me. Thirty seconds to launch.”
“Sorry,” Kathryn said. She turned towards the pad.
From the crowd, Tom Paris muttered, “Sound suppression water system starts soon.” B’Elanna shooshed him.
The countdown reached zero, and light erupted from the distant launch pad. Tuvok and the other Vulcans from the two crews were the only ones who didn’t ooh, ah, and applaud, but like their emotional crewmates, they were riveted to the sight of the tiny metal sliver rising from its pad on a column of flame and smoke. Then the sound of the engines’ roar reached them. Janeway allowed herself to keep smiling as she followed the United States of America’s first Vulcan Centaur rocket as it arced out over the Atlantic Ocean.
She said, “Thank you, Captain Ducane. I do appreciate this. It was great for morale.”
“No problem, Kathryn. This is the first time I’ve ever taken a group to January 8, 2024. It shouldn’t be hard to clean up. Now, July 16, 1969…let me put it this way: Cleaning that up is almost a punishment job. And that’s without…” He cleared his throat. “Kathryn, I like your Doctor, but I really wish he had chosen a different name.”
“Huh? What do you—Oh. Him.”
“Yes. Her.” But Ducane smiled.
“I don’t want to know,” Janeway said.
THE END
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Yes, the Vulcan Centaur is a thing, and it really did have its first launch on January 8, 2024.
AUTHOR: MikeJaffa
SYNOPSIS: Answer to Trek BBS Time Travel Challenge: At the conclusion of a time travel incident, Captain Ducane of the Timeship Relativity indulges Tuvok
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I didn’t have a short, quick idea for this challenge. I wanted to save myself a lot of typing. But a video that I kept rewatching inspired me.
DISCLAIMER: Star Trek: Voyager is owned by Paramount, and Doctor Who is owned by the BBC.
8
8
8
8
8
Captain Kathryn Janeway leaned back in her ready room chair and let her eyes close. The last few days had been exhausting: Displacement in time to 21st century earth. Multidimensional aliens that looked like floating geometric shapes from…she didn’t want to try and remember. Seven of Nine had complained the aliens’ origins had given her a headache, so Janeway did not want to think about it. And last but not least, another encounter with the timeship *Relativity,* under the command of Captain Juel Ducane.
The door chimed.
Janeway said, “Come in.”
Tuvok entered. His Vulcan control did not hide his fatigue.
He had a PADD in his hand. He said, “Repairs are almost completed. Lieutenant Torres estimates we can be underway within the hour.” He sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk and handed Janeway the PADD.
Janeway studied it. “And we have to be on our way toute suite according to Captain Ducane.” Unspoken was Captain Ducane’s admonition that the Voyager would be returned to the time and place they had left in the Delta Quadrant because they still had “much to do” and the timeline had to be repaired. It was a harsh reality Janeway and the rest of the crew tried to think of as little as possible.
“A pity,” Tuvok said. “A more detailed study of this time period could yield fascinating data.”
“2024?” Janeway looked up. “Hmmm…I don’t remember anything major happening in January. Now, November…” She broke off as a transporter effect shimmered next to Tuvok’s chair. It resolved into Captain Juel Ducane. Although only months had passed since Janeway and Seven of Nine had met him, fifteen years had happened for Ducane. He looked slightly older and sported a beard, but his eyes still had a youthful twinkle.
Ducane said, “Captain, we’ll be ready to get underway as soon as you are.”
Janeway said, “Of course.”
Tuvok said, “And there is no margin for error, Captain?”
“No, Mr. Tuvok. The longer Voyager stays here, the greater the chance of inadvertent temporal corruption.”
“I see.”
Ducane looked at Tuvok for a long moment. Then he said, “Mr. Tuvok. My first girlfriend was a Vulcan. I know all the tells, so don’t even try BS’ing me. What is it?”
Tuvok shifted uncomfortably. Then he gave his answer.
Janeway’s eyes widened. “Seriously!? Uh, Tuvok, I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but I don’t think they gave it that name because they’d found a habitable planet orbiting 40 Eridani A.”
“There has been some debate in Vulcan historical circles about when first contact actually happened,” Tuvok said. “Regardless, my eldest son, Sek, and I have been particularly interested in this particular Terran launch vehicle. But as Captain Ducane said, we must leave as soon as possible.”
Ducane couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “I don’t know, Mr. Tuvok. There is something romantic about the days when Isaac Newton was at the helm after you road a bomb out of the atmosphere. And I have standing orders about collecting data on historical events as long as the timeline isn’t disrupted. So as long as we’re here…and we all behave ourselves…”
8
8
Janeway couldn’t prevent herself from looking at the weeping angel standing next to her. It was night, after 2 AM local time; and Janeway, Ducane, Tuvok, and other officers and crew from both the *Voyager* and the *Relativity* were milling around on the Florida beach in 21st century attire. Tuvok wore a hoodie, the hood covered his ears. The other Vulcans from both crews wore either hoodies or wool hats. Except for Janeway, their attention was riveted at the launch site a few kilometers to the north. Tuvok held a tricorder playing the audio from launch control.
The weeping angel had her hands covering her eyes as she faced the launch complex. She had a metal ring on one ring finger.
Ducane was standing on the other side of Janeway from the angel. She turned to Ducane and whispered, “Are you sure about this?”
Ducane still looked at the distant launch pad as he said, “Don’t worry, Captain. Amber is projecting a psionic field. As long as we don’t attract attention, anyone from this time period who sees us will have forgotten about us by the time they get home. And her ring is recording the launch in every detail. Tuvok and Sek will be able to watch the hologram replay from the top of the crew access tower if they want.”
“Captain!” Tuvok hissed. “Forgive me. Thirty seconds to launch.”
“Sorry,” Kathryn said. She turned towards the pad.
From the crowd, Tom Paris muttered, “Sound suppression water system starts soon.” B’Elanna shooshed him.
The countdown reached zero, and light erupted from the distant launch pad. Tuvok and the other Vulcans from the two crews were the only ones who didn’t ooh, ah, and applaud, but like their emotional crewmates, they were riveted to the sight of the tiny metal sliver rising from its pad on a column of flame and smoke. Then the sound of the engines’ roar reached them. Janeway allowed herself to keep smiling as she followed the United States of America’s first Vulcan Centaur rocket as it arced out over the Atlantic Ocean.
She said, “Thank you, Captain Ducane. I do appreciate this. It was great for morale.”
“No problem, Kathryn. This is the first time I’ve ever taken a group to January 8, 2024. It shouldn’t be hard to clean up. Now, July 16, 1969…let me put it this way: Cleaning that up is almost a punishment job. And that’s without…” He cleared his throat. “Kathryn, I like your Doctor, but I really wish he had chosen a different name.”
“Huh? What do you—Oh. Him.”
“Yes. Her.” But Ducane smiled.
“I don’t want to know,” Janeway said.
THE END
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Yes, the Vulcan Centaur is a thing, and it really did have its first launch on January 8, 2024.
