Joseph Carey Lieutenant Joseph " Joe " Carey was a 24th century Human Starfleet officer . He served as assistant chief engineer on board during its seven - year journey through the Delta Quadrant . He had a wife and two sons . ( ) Aboard " Voyager " . After the death of his department head upon " Voyager " s violent transfer to the Delta Quadrant , Carey became the acting chief engineer . ( ) As such , he was Captain Kathryn Janeway ' s natural selection as the new permanent chief engineer . However , former Maquis member B ' Elanna Torres was suggested for the position by Commander Chakotay , as he believed her to be the better engineer . The suggestion was , at first , improbable and turned down by Captain Janeway , who did not believe Lieutenant Torres ' behavior to be exemplary and worthy of such a position . In a recent disagreement , Carey had been struck by Torres even though he was , at that time , her nominal superior officer . The blow had broken Carey ' s nose in three places and had narrowly missed causing him brain damage . For a time , tensions between the two were predictably high . While both were under consideration for the job of chief engineer , however , Carey was forced to recognize Torres ' superior engineering expertise . After Torres was chosen over him for the position , they quickly made a genuine effort at reconciliation . ( ) Within a short period of time , he indicated he had been working hard to make himself a valuable member of Lieutenant Torres ' team , while she , in return , had issued no complaints about his performance . ( ) Several months after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant aboard " Voyager " , Carey – along with Torres and Seska – conspired to trade a downloaded Federation library of literature to the Sikarian s , in exchange for a folded - space transporter that the Sikarians called the " spatial trajector " . The officers ' plan was uncovered by Tuvok , who made the exchange himself , in defiance of Captain Janeway ' s orders . The Sikarian technology ultimately proved incompatible with Federation systems , though this proved less important than Carey discovering that the quartz mantle of Sikaris was a focusing method crucial to the system ' s function . ( ) Later in 2371 – while on a scouting expedition with Commander Chakotay and an away team – Carey discovered a type of delicious - looking apple and happily announced that there were trees filled with them over a nearby ridge . However , Neelix pointed out that the apples ( called Kaylo s ) were extremely poisonous . Tuvok discovered , later that day , that someone on board " Voyager " had secretly given Starfleet technology to the Kazon . To hide her tracks , Seska tried to frame Lieutenant Carey . He was confined to quarters during the investigation , until after he was cleared of the accusations . ( ) Later in 2371 , Carey was working at a console in one of " Voyager " s cargo bays when Tuvok walked into the room . Carey asked if he was all right . ( ) In 2378 , Carey was part of an away team that visited an unidentified planet in Grid 310 , which was irradiated with antimatter radiation , searching for fragments from the " Friendship 1 " probe . The people ' s then - leader Verin took the " Voyager " away team hostage , demanding that Captain Janeway should relocate her people to another planet . Janeway first suggested , though – as a sign of good will – that Verin should return one of the hostages in exchange for food and medical supplies . Verin agreed to this exchange and told Carey to set up his transport enhancers , so he could be beam ed back to " Voyager " . However , seconds before Carey ' s transport , Verin shot him with an antimatter weapon . Carey was beamed back to " Voyager " but arrived in sickbay dead , having been shot through the heart . After his death , it was discovered he had been building a " ship in a bottle " model of " Voyager " . The miniature was mostly completed , with only one nacelle left unfinished . ( ) Alternate realities and timelines . In an alternate timeline wherein " Voyager " was still in drydock , Carey was working in engineering when he met Seven of Nine , who had been sent back in time by Captain Braxton . Carey tried to engage her in small talk – interested in becoming acquainted with the new crew and saying the two of them should have lunch together sometime – but Seven excused herself , stating she was temporarily assigned to " Voyager " from Utopia Planitia . Later , while Captain Janeway and Admiral Patterson were conducting an initial tour of Engineering , a malfunction crept up in the EPS conduit s . Carey planned to run a diagnostic on those systems that morning and offered to fix the malfunction , but Janeway noted that she wanted an opportunity to get her hands dirty . ( ) In another alternate timeline , Carey was killed during the so - called " Year of Hell " conflict with the Krenim . ( ) Appendices . Background information . Carey was played by Josh Clark . Clark had previously played an unnamed tactical ensign in . Even though the two roles were many years apart , Clark is very recognizable , so it seems as though Carey may have served on the " Enterprise " - D earlier in his career . In the first draft script of , Carey was described as " an Ensign in his thirties " . In the final draft of the teleplay , this description was instead changed to " a Lieutenant in his thirties " . Carey ' s precise position on Torres ' team was never explicitly defined . While presumably he remained the assistant chief engineer , Carey ' s virtual disappearance after the first season of might suggest otherwise . Indeed , if he remained Torres ' assistant , it is somewhat curious that he was not present at some of the more major accomplishments of the engineering section , such as the debut of the quantum slipstream drive . However , he may have just as likely been assigned by Torres to head the department when she was off - duty . Following his first season appearances , Carey was primarily used in time travel and alternate timeline stories which needed to imply the past . was his only appearance in the " real " , post - season - one timeline . Apocrypha . In the " " short story " The Ones Left Behind " , Joseph M . Carey lived with his family in Cobh , County Cork , Ireland on Earth by 2371 . The same year , he turned down a position on the USS " Enterprise " - D , in order to transfer to the " Voyager " to serve as the ship ' s assistant chief engineer . His wife is named Anne Carey and his sons are named JJ and Patrick . In the short story " Letting Go " , Carey ' s wife is named Abhaya Parekh and his sons are named Devraj and Michael . In the video game " " , Carey ' s wife is named Dina Carey and his sons are called John and Josh . Carey was born on Danula II . He previously served on the USS Ulysses , the USS Deneva and the USS Sutherland . In an alternate timeline featured in the " " novel " Places of Exile " , Carey was killed during an attack on " Voyager " by Species 8472 .