Chapter Text
Harry Kim opened the case but made no move to remove the clarinet inside. He had saved up his replicator rations for the past two months to make the instrument, and he wanted to prepare himself mentally before playing it for the first time. Every instrument had its own qualities - its own character, so to speak. He’d been playing clarinet for years, beginning at age six, and had done a stint in the Julliard Youth Symphony before he was accepted to Starfleet Academy. His mother had even entertained thoughts of him becoming a professional musician, but he’d always known his destiny lay in the stars.
The new clarinet lay there, nestled in the red velvet lining the interior of the case, so full of promise. Yet at that moment, Harry resented the new instrument, wishing with all his heart that it was his old familiar companion. But In his excitement and haste to arrive at his first Starfleet posting on Voyager, he’d forgotten to bring his clarinet with him.
His mother had actually asked Captain Janeway if she could send it to him while they were still at Deep Space Nine, but Janeway had regretfully told her there wasn’t time before the launch. The story embarrassed Harry to no end, but he still thought fondly of his mother for having remembered - and realizing he would regret not having it with him.
Enough procrastination. He picked up the slender clarinet, running his thumb over the smooth ebony exterior, and began to play. He started simply with a scale exercise, then gradually picked up the pace until he was playing old favorites, culminating with Brahms Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E flat, a piece he’d been practicing shortly before he’d traveled to Deep Space Nine. The music comforted him, reassured him that in a world so changed from what he’d once known, some things still endured. At the same time, the music was bittersweet, as it also reminded him of his girlfriend Libby. They’d met three years ago at a Ktarian music festival, when he had inadvertently sat in her seat. Libby was also a musician, though her preferred instrument was the cello. She was beautiful and accomplished, and after the music festival, it took Harry three weeks to work up the courage to ask her on a date.
Harry was suddenly conscious that he had stopped playing, and sighed. Voyager had just made contact with a new species called the Sikarians. Unlike many others they’d encountered so far in the Delta Quadrant, the Sikarians seemed to be friendly and welcoming, and the captain had decided to grant shore leave for members of the crew.
As a member of the initial landing party, he’d met a woman named Eudana, who was using an instrument which Harry had mistaken as being musical in nature. However, when she said it measured weather patterns, he correctly deduced it vibrated due to nonlinear resonances in the atmosphere. One thing had led to another, and before he knew it, he’d arranged to see her tomorrow.
“So, you’ve got a date!” Tom said, seemingly gleeful at the notion.
Harry glanced around the Mess Hall, hoping no one had overheard. “No, it’s not a date,” he protested.
“She said she wanted to be alone with you, right?” Tom asked, leaning forward.
“Yes,” Harry admitted.
“She said she’s going to show you something amazing, right?”
Harry confirmed this as well.
“Face it,” Tom said, with the air of one who knew. “You have a date.”
Thinking about Libby now, Harry had some mixed feelings, but he couldn’t deny that he was looking forward to seeing Eudana again.