NOW VOYAGER
The Official Newsletter of the Kate Mulgrew Appreciation Society
Volume IV Number 3/4

ALL ABOUT NOW VOYAGER

	Greetings from the Kate Mulgrew Appreciation Society, KMAS Inc., a
Maryland non-profit corporation and member of the National Association of
Fan Clubs. You can reach us at P.O. Box 64539, Chicago, IL 60664-0539, or
online at KMASinc@aol.com. KMAS Inc. is Kate Mulgrew's official fan club.
Current yearly dues are $25/U.S.-Canada-Mexico, $40/Overseas (U.S. bank
funds only). Send Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope for information, or $5
for a sample issue of Now Voyager, or e-mail for the electronic edition of
this quarterly newsletter. If you would like a copy of our submission
guidelines or our bylaws, send a S.A.S.E. Now Voyager is on the World Wide
Web at http://members.aol.com/nowvoy/.
	This is a not-for-profit, amateur publication and is not intended
to infringe upon any copyrights. All material is copyrighted by the authors
except for the trademarks and patents of Viacom, Inc. and other
corporations. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced or forwarded
without permission, in print or electronically. The opinions expressed
herein are not necessarily those of the editors, KMAS Inc., Kate Mulgrew,
or Paramount Pictures.

____________________________________________________

KMAS INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Paul Anderson, Gopher
Lauren Baum, Purser
Peter Castillo, Bartender
Donna Christenberry, Ship's Counselor
Jeanne Donnelly, Auctioneer
Sashi Alexandra German, Doc
Michelle Erica Green, Cruise Director
Beth Schuman, Defender of the Faith
Mary P. Taylor, Chief of Security
Joan Testin, Morale Officer

NOW VOYAGER STAFF
Cheryl Zenor, web page designer.
Nancy Molik, convention coordinator.


***
LETTERS FROM THE CREW
***

July 20, 1998

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of the Salon,

	That is, actually, my vision of and for this newsletter -- an open
and generous forum, a place where opinions, ideas, passions and all manner
of wit are articulated and explored. It was Michelle Green's keen
intelligence that first drew me to this project and it has been the
continuing levels of provocation, challenge and erudition that have kept me
stimulated and deeply allied.
	None of you can ever really understand my total committment to
Janeway, because it emanates from a primal and very selfish need to create.
She is mine and my allegiance to her is inestimable. But I am very
gratified to know that what I do with Janeway -- and, conversely, what she
can do with me (diabolical, isn't it) has reached an audience that I both
admire and respect. I want and need your support, but, frankly, I'm
infinitely more interested in your honest and incisive input.
	Season 5 will be unlike any other -- under the aegis of Brannon
Braga, whose talent I love and whose wit I adore, I think this year may
well lend new meaning to 'science fiction.'

Thank you,
Kate


	Bet you didn't expect to see me here again. Well, a funny thing
happened on my way out...
	Actually, a few funny things happened and some not-so-funny things.
For one, Mary Taylor broke her arm and was quite incapacitated, unable to
work on the newsletter or just about anything else. For another, I
discovered that the European Official Star Trek Fan Club was listing my
home address as Now Voyager's. Then Mary's job situation got crazy. Then
our membership secretary resigned. In the end, I tried to hide from the
club so it could do its business, but it came and found me.
	And then I talked to Kate. Sometimes when I tell people that, they
react with incredulity or annoyance, as though I have failed to realize
what a privilege this is. I'm actually pretty blasé about celebrities as a
rule: my job is reporting on entertainment, and in the past year I've
gotten to interview some of the coolest people in genre, most of whom
turned out to be pretty normal people. If I managed not to babble
senselessly to Rutger Hauer about how much I love him, I should be able to
handle anything, right?
	I figured interviewing Kate for work ought to be a breeze since
I've interviewed her before. I repressed the fact that whenever I talked to
her before, I turned into an inarticulate banshee. I'm past that Fan Girl
thing, OK? Anyway, five minutes into the conversation I did start
hyperventilating; fortunately Kate was on a roll talking about next season
and didn't seem to notice. We got on the subject of fans and I brought up
the fan club. Mary had already told me that she didn't think she could
handle the newsletter, given her increased responsibilities at work. To
make a long story short...um...well, I don't think I threw myself at Kate's
feet and begged her to take me back, but the whole thing is sort of a blur.
	Choosing to resign from the presidency of this club was a very
difficult decision. I thought it was the right thing to do at the time: my
kids were taking up most of my energy, I was increasingly busy with work, I
felt I had a conflict of interest reviewing Voyager for a professional
publication and running a fan club, I thought change might be good for the
club and for myself. I'd accomplished most of what I'd wanted to and a lot
more than I'd hoped for when I started Now Voyager. It made sense at the
time. Still, when Mary called for help, I was delighted. I'd missed it a
great deal.
	You will undoubtedly notice some changes in the masthead, since
we're trying to work out new roles so that none of us becomes completely
overwhelmed as I did and then Mary did. You will also undoubtedly notice
some changes in the newsletter. I know the tone of the last issue was
rather negative because many of us were frustrated by the endless hype over
Seven of Nine and the ensuing changes on Voyager; I've been assured that
that trend is over and the rest of the cast will get its due this season.
This issue we have a huge number of reviews as we play catch-up, and lots
of con reports and photos, plus six months' worth of news. There are
undoubtedly a significantly larger number of errors than usual, as well: it
took us quite awhile to regroup, and once we did so, we wanted to get this
newsletter out as quickly as possible. We hope the mistakes will be
mitigated by the fact that there is a newsletter in your hands.
	As I type this, I am panicking about how I am going to juggle my
job, my kids, and the fan club. We are going to have urgent need for
volunteers, quite possibly even a new publisher. I appreciate all the
welcome back notes I've gotten online, and I want to apologize in advance
for how long it is going to take me to get back in touch with everyone: we
are months behind on the correspondence, so please be patient if you are
waiting to hear from one of us. Thank you for being so patient and I will
do my best to make it up to everyone.

Once again I have a list of thank-yous that I need to say publicly:
Joan: Welcome back to that same old place that you laughed about.
Mary: I'm glad you hollered when you did...I think.
Beth: That'll teach you to avoid overtures you're not ready for.
Gigi: For a hundred phone calls and one Nikita tape.
Deborah: You know why. Now shut up about it before I muzzle you.
Staff: For all your contributions, and your speed when summoned.
Barbara: Thanks for all the help, and for welcoming me back.
Kate: Goes without saying, doesn't it?

Love,
Michelle


	In the coming weeks and months, you are going to be noticing some
changes around KMAS, Inc. and Now Voyager, and I think that they are good
changes that will serve the club well. It is with great pleasure that I
announce that Michelle is resuming her former role as President of the club
and Editor in Chief of the newsletter. I will be stepping back
substantially, although I will continue to serve on the Board of Directors
and to serve the club where I am able.
	Life is a funny thing. Sometimes, the more one makes plans, the
more life seems determined to rearrange those plans. Back in January, when
Michelle first asked me to take on the presidency of the club, I fully
expected to serve for a full term. However, also in January, my position at
work changed substantially, and I undertook additional professional
responsibilities and challenges. I am one of those very fortunate
individuals who truly loves her career, and I have found that attempting to
fulfill both my professional responsibilities and my responsibilities to
the club is much more daunting than I had expected.
	In addition, the club's transition from Maryland to Chicago
involved more logistical intricacies and problems than any of us had
imagined, and we got behind on correspondence and newsletters. Murphy's Law
being what it is, as soon as it seemed that we might be in a position to
get the backlog under control and out the door, I had an accident and broke
my shoulder. Of course, it was on my dominant side. I learned just how
dependant we are on having two functioning arms and hands.
	The good news is that we are now getting caught up. The even better
news is that Michelle is once again editing the newsletter, and it is in
your hands right now. More good news is that we have additional volunteers
who are willing to perform various tasks in running the club and getting
newsletters to you so that Michelle does not become overwhelmed.
	This process has caused me to take a more realistic look at what
needs to be done for the club and at my own responsibilities and
obligations outside the club. My professional position is intensely
demanding and extremely satisfying, and it is my first duty. I have also
been offered an additional and incredible professional opportunity
involving editing a book. I expect to give more details on this in the
future. I have realized that I cannot serve the club as I would wish to and
as I had expected to. So, I am resigning as President and gratefully and
happily relinquishing the duties of the President and any duties I might
have undertaken as erstwhile editor of Now Voyager to Michelle Erica Green.
As I said, I will remain on the Board and will help where I can and will
remain an active member of the club. I will support Michelle as much as
possible, and I trust that everyone in the club will as well.
	There are other changes in the club's operating structure. Several
weeks ago, Anne Davenport resigned from the Board and as the club's
Secretary. The Board elected Beth Schuman to serve in her place. Donna
Christenberry and Sashi German, who both have served the club for several
years and who have done a phenomenal amount of work for the club and the
newsletter, have been elected to the Board of Directors. Our plan is to
spread out as much of the administrative and other work as can be
delegated, so that Michelle can concentrate on her true love, editing Now
Voyager.
	Members who have email will continue to receive Kate Alerts, but
they will be sent by Michelle or other board members from time to time. The
club's Chicago post office box will continue to remain open for
correspondence, and I will sort correspondence and send it to its rightful
place for handling.
	I ask that members be patient while we go through this additional
transition period. Members who did not receive the newsletter before this
issue will either receive their copy shortly or have received it recently.
If you were a member in January 1998 and have not received that newsletter,
or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact [whoever]. Again,
please be patient. Sometimes answers cannot be provided overnight, but you
will receive an answer. Please also give Michelle as much support and
assistance as possible. KMAS, Inc., aka Now Voyager, is your club, it is
our club, and it can continue to be one of the best clubs in fandom, and it
is very much a joint venture involving all of us.

Love,
Mary


***
REVIEWZZZZZZZZ
***

We've decided to print the ratings from now on so people get an objective
sense of how the episodes were received. The first number is total
households; the second, women 18-49; the third, men  18-49.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
RATINGS: 5.7/3.7/4.8

	Voyager's best episode since "The Gift," "Message in a Bottle" had
a great deal going for it: hope, humor, Starfleet, Romulans, two EMHs for
the price of one. In fact, the only really ugly thing about it was Seven of
Nine, but the producers obviously don't share my assessment, since they're
putting her in charge. Torres comments snidely on this fact at the
beginning, but by the end of the episode, the engineer and the captain are
sitting nicely at the end of Seven's leash. Janeway arguably made a
decision dumb enough to warrant needing a new leader, in risking her only
medical staff on a mission that, even if successful, was never likely to
get her a quick trip home, but that didn't really bother me. For once she
decided to take a big risk and it actually worked. But more on her later.
	Picardo and Andy Dick carried this episode, playing off one
another's wonderfully dry wit and contrasting styles of outraged
prissiness. My favorite exchange was the Mark 2 attempting to convince his
predecessor that he's obsolete, but I suspect most people will remember our
beloved Holodoc's announcement that he's had sexual relations, to which the
Mark 2 declared that he lacked the proper equipment...and the Doc rebutted
that he made an addition to his program, at which point his successor
begged the Doc to download those programs to him. The two had nice repartee
on the bridge in the midst of the crisis and were highly enjoyable playing
one-upsmanship in the midst of working together.
	I wavered between being amused and annoyed at their control of the
Prometheus. We've seen people command ships practically single-handedly by
voice command, which one would think the Doc could have done here -- and we
have never seen anyone press one button to make a Federation starship
self-destruct. A little silly, there. I don't understand why the EMH
program needs voice controls and can't interact directly with the computer,
but I'm sure there's some [tech] reason.
	There was nice chemistry between Paris and Kim, too, though it
seemed gratuitous. Also, after two years of Torres telling us that the
Doc's program is irreplaceable, in episodes like "The Swarm," we're
supposed to believe that Harry could write a new one in a day? I liked
seeing Tom caged in sickbay, and I liked seeing Torres without Paris,
though this was not a strong showing for her. Her resentment of Seven
contains no small edge of jealousy at the way the ex-Borg can twirl Janeway
and Chakotay around her fingers. It's a little funny to listen to a
formerly fiery Klingon (now hidden behind a smock to hide actress Roxann
Dawson's pregnancy) tell Seven to get along better with people, especially
a few minutes after she barked at Chakotay herself. I wish she'd argue
substance with Seven rather than style.
	Chakotay makes an excellent lap dog; apparently he takes orders
from anyone who can give them, especially women. He and Janeway had a
couple of nice moments together which were marred by poor directing
choices. We didn't get to see his expression when Torres accused him of
having a new captain, nor when Janeway announced that she was writing a
letter to Mark. The fact that she said not one word about Seven's
improvisation -- nearly electrocuting an obviously powerful enemy with a
relay that they desperately need the use of -- made Janeway look irrelevant.
	Voyager -- the series as well as the ship -- desperately needed
something like "Message in a Bottle" to justify its mission. I have been
wondering why crew members haven't bailed right and left when they reached
friendly planets; we've gotten no indication that the ship's going to get
home in less than the predicted sixty years. Contact with the Alpha
Quadrant ought to do one of two things: either it will convince everyone
that their previous lives are truly gone, so they might as well become
explorers and embrace what life has dealt them, or it will infuse them all
with hope that a Starfleet rescue is imminent -- in which case, again, they
might as well explore what they've got. They needed to redefine themselves
as part of the Federation.
	I do have to wonder what UPN was thinking showing this episode
before a two-week rerun hiatus. The joy of having made contact and the
promise of additional communication via the relay, the threat from the
Hirogenwhom we know from the previews will be with us through sweeps month,
the escalating tensions between Seven (who obviously thinks she should be
running the ship all by herself) and the rest of the crew, all will have
faded by the time we get back to this storyline. For the first time in a
very long time, it seems Voyager has the potential to carry viewers through
an arc. Why are they disrupting it?
	And there are interesting consequences for Deep Space Nine which
may not be realized for months. The EMH explains to the Doc that the
Romulans never involved themselves in the Federation war with the Dominion
(Doc: "Who?"), but the one who took over the Prometheus, initially on
course for Romulus, decides to give the ship to the Tal Shiar. This would
seem to indicate that both the legitimate Romulan government and its secret
defense force are aware of the Starfleet prototype, and consider it enough
of a prize to risk a war over. The EMH said the ship was designed for
deep-space tactical exploration, but what sort of exploration requires
armaments such as this battleship sports? I'd like to believe that there is
a long-term plan for the franchise, and we're seeing the early stages of
something that could tie into both series and the next movie. Hey, I can
hope, can't I?

--Sara Unger

	"Message in a Bottle" drives home the lost-at-sea, Gilligan's
Island metaphor in a big way. Gilligan (Chakotay) and the Skipper (Seven of
9 -- er -- Janeway) are ordered to the Astrometrics Lab by their wild
child, everyone's favorite Borg babe, Seven of Nine. Genius that she is,
she's discovered a Starfleet vessel as well as a way to transmit data
through what appears to be an abandoned sensor net. Trouble is, someone IS
minding the store, and he ain't pretty and he's pissed that someone dares
to use the Hirogen's (that's the ugly alien I just mentioned) relay
network, but more on that later.
	Of course, the first thing they attempt to do is send a message,
but for some reason, it fails. Then, they decide to send the EMH to the
other side. Now, I have a REAL big problem with this. Not only is this a
major BM (boneheaded maneuver), but it shows real irresponsibility on
Janeway's part. She says she wants to get her crew home, but I guess she
doesn't care if it's in one piece, does she? Send the doctor, their only
physician? How stupid can you get? There's optimism, and then there's blind
idiocy. Chakotay once told Janeway that when she's too close to something,
she gets blinded. That is true in more ways than you think. Janeway has
become SO obsessed with this desire to get home that she's taken leave of
her senses. What if something goes wrong? What if they fail? With all the
badass aliens they've been encountering, you'd think that maybe, just
maybe, they'd consider backing up the Doctor's program or something equally
logical before trying something so risky.
	And where are Chakotay or Tuvok's objections? Mr. Vulcan, the voice
of reason, and Mr. Patsy, who's always overly cautious about these things,
don't say a single word to Janeway. And then there's Seven, who crossed the
line a long time ago. She orders everyone around and deserves to be called
rude by a rather annoyed chief engineer. There is no time for politeness
with her, there is only her work and her proprietary occupation of the new
lab. I suppose that as an ex-Borg, she doesn't have time for niceties and
the art of consensus is lost on her. Still, it is clear that she's
extremely intelligent and should know at least some of the rules of the
game by now. When the Hirogen comes on-line and orders them to stop using
the alien network, Seven goes ahead and zaps him without asking anyone's
permission. And what does Janeway do about this? She just stands there,
dumbfounded, not believing what her favorite protege just pulled. A myriad
of emotions cross Captain Kate's face, but instead of subjecting Seven to a
royal tongue lashing that is long overdue, she mutters a few words and
leaves the area. Blinded by her compulsion to get home, perhaps Janeway
figures that she'll deal with Seven later, but she could at least have SAID
this aloud. The bigger issue here is that we can CERTAINLY expect the
Hirogen to retaliate against Seven's rash behavior, and for that more than
any insubordination, Janeway SHOULD have taken Seven's head off. The only
other obvious nitpick was the mysterious disappearance of the holoemitter.
Doc had it on when he left, but when he arrived on the Prometheus, it was
gone and he didn't have it when he returned to Voyager.
	Lest you think I hated this episode after ranting and raving about
the command staff, let me be the first to admit that Lisa Klink has penned
one of the finest episodes this season. For the most part, it was humorous,
moving, and had way cool technology. Andy Dick was also an inspired choice
to play the new and improved EMH, and his moments with Robert Picardo were
priceless. I haven't laughed so hard at a Voyager episode in ages, and
these two literally saved the day, along with the episode. I also enjoyed
the Harry and Tom scenes in Sickbay. Wang and McNeill have good working
chemistry, and when they're written well, they're among the best pairings
on the show. I also thought Roxann Dawson did a fine job, and disagree with
those who think she was over-reacting to the situation with Seven. While
saying that she couldn't be held accountable for her actions was a tad
unprofessional, she made a lot of good points. Chakotay's comments about
acting like a senior officer were a bit like the pot calling the kettle
black. After lecturing Torres, he scurries off to the Astrometrics Lab on
Seven's order. Of course, the Chakotay I've grown to despise is willing to
be everyone's lap dog these days, so why should I expect him to suddenly
grow a spine? And as I said in my last review, the tiny little J/C moments
are too little, too late. I KNOW that this pairing is history, so why
should I waste any more energy on hoping for the impossible?
	So, to wrap it up, this is about as good as "Voyager" gets these
days. "Message in a Bottle" is a definite keeper, even though the writers
are assassinating the characters on a weekly basis and turning this into
the Seven of Nine show, starring Seven and her two biggest assets.

--Elizabeth Klisiewicz

	Although TNG never tried it, DS9 does it splendidly. Can ST:VOY do
comedy? Well? Yes, Virginia, they can.
	This episode was hysterical; I laughed all during the USS
Prometheus (I want one) scenes. My only regret, as I realized within the
first few moments, was that this would be a one-time-only opportunity. Andy
Dick and Robert Picardo were wonderful together. Their comedic chemistry,
on a drama series, was comparable to those on the top situation comedies.
They were great!
	Dick and Picardo had a good grasp of timing, of slapstick, and --
being EMHs -- of the droll. The upgraded EMH's opinion of "scalpels and
leeches" was reminiscent of an insane Dr. McCoy's opinion of "needles and
sutures." Just as a visitor to your home gets the comfortable chair and a
cool glass of juice, Dick got some of the best lines, most notably, "Beep
beep beep. Beep beep beep." But he helped provide proof that our outdated
EMH has an even greater range. Neither Coach Cutup nor Dr. Richards was
particularly extroverted, therefore it was a surprise to see this amount of
funny business from Picardo, even given his drollness of the past three
seasons.
	Janeway seems to be mellowing out on the strictures of first
contact procedures. This is a good thing. I was afraid that she would
severely discipline Seven of Nine for her treatment of that poor Hirogen
representative -- who was in the right after all, considering that the
network was Hirogen property.
	One for the weird books. For the second time, Torres plays ship's
counselor. (Either Tom or Baby Emma is having an effect on her.) She is
becoming as much of a mentor to Seven of Nine as Janeway -- Janeway the
refined professor and Torres being the stern coach.
	My only concern for this episode is the ending dialogue, which
another NV member and I discussed. She found the Doctor's report that
Starfleet was aware of their situation and had started to make the
appropriate contacts good to hear. Like Janeway, she found the knowledge
that they weren't alone touching and worthy of tears. She felt that this
would be a boon for the characters and upcoming stories.
	I, however, remain in doubt of that. And, unfortunately for me,
Janeway's statement had no emotional bearing. ST: VOY has had several
opportunities in the past to use marvelous plot devices to further
characterization, to create whole new stories, or to just fill empty space.
Except for Tom and B'Elanna's relationship, those opportunities have been
lost, because those situations were never really revisited.
	I want to be wrong and I hope that I am. I want this knowledge that
family and friends know of their plight to come up again in the future.

-- Rhonda E. Green

	Now this was an episode that was worth waiting for. I'd known the
basic storyline on this since last October and had been waiting for it
eagerly. I was not disappointed. It was nice to see the crew so excited
about the possibility of making contact with Starfleet for the first time
in four years and I found myself feeling just as excited as though I were a
member of the crew myself.
	Robert Picardo turned in a wonderful performance as the doctor was
sent to the Alpha Quadrant via this alien relay. For once he got to play
the hero without finding a miracle cure or putting someone's DNA back to
normal in the last five minutes of an episode. This episode clearly shows
that the Doctor has indeed grown beyond his programming and become quite a
valuable member of the crew. His quick thinking on the Prometheus when
confronted by the Romulans shows this.
	I loved the clash between the Doctor and EMH II and thought it was
carried off very well. I don't think they could have cast the role of the
EMH II any better. It briefly entered my mind that the EMH II could have
been DS9's Dr. Bashir as seen in their episode of "Dr. Bashir, I Presume"
but I don't think the chemistry would have been as good. Both EMHs here had
attitudes and EMH II's behavior was somewhat reminiscent of the Doctor in
his early days. I would have liked to have seen his "better bedside manner"
in action. The one-upmanship between them was classic and the slapstick as
they tried to pilot the ship and wound up saving the day couldn't have been
better. There was humor in this episode and a sense of satisfaction as
well, knowing that the doctor had made contact with the Federation and that
they now know Voyager is still out there.
	The only thing I can really find fault with was Tom's desperate
attempt to have Harry create a new EMH just in case the Doctor didn't
return. Yes, he's a pilot, not a doctor (that ha a familiar ring to it!)
but I don't think they should have put Paris in sickbay in the first place.
Personally, I would like to have seen an extra put in there as the nurse
after Kes left, perhaps creating a character along the lines of Nurse. One
thing I find quite lacking on this show is the fact that they don't have
the supporting players that we saw on "The Next Generation," such as the
aforementioned Nurse Ogawa or Lieutenant Barclay who showed up from time to
time. We've seen Vorik a few times and he's been mentioned once or twice,
but whatever happened to Lieutenant Carey from the first season, or Rollins
>from "Caretaker"? After " Mortal Coil" will we see Ensign Wildman again?
	But I saw very little in this episode to dislike or nitpick. It was
fun and the story had an ultimate purpose: bring Voyager one step closer to
home even if it wasn't physically. This was a good episode that wasn't
filler and was very enjoyable to watch.

--Kimberly Peterson

	Normally I don't like episodes where Janeway is not a more
prominent character, but I loved this one. What a great episode for Robert
Picardo! I have always enjoyed the Doctor's rather smug personality and dry
wit and this was a wonderful way to show it and have him interacting with
another EMH. What a fun dialog between the two of them. There were several
scenes which were particularly good:
	Correct me if I'm wrong, but does "Disengage your vocal subroutines"
translate to "SHUT UP!"? The doctor finally met his match in the smug
department and found out how difficult it is to get through to an EMH.
	The scene on the bridge was wonderfully written and acted. "Stop
breathing down my neck." "My breath is only a simulation." "So is my neck!
Stop it anyway!" I had to replay this several times. It was priceless! And
with the alarms going off one after the other and the two of them having no
clue as to what was happening -- great interplay between the two characters
done by fine actors. That scene in itself was enough to make this a
memorable episode and high on my list of favorites.
	The scene where Janeway, B'Elanna and Seven were in astrometrics
trying to reason with the Hirogen for use of their network was also great.
Janeway had no idea what happened to the Hirogen when he suddenly spasmed
out. Leave it to Seven to take matters into her own hands without
consulting the Captain first. "What will happen when he recovers?" I'll
tell you -- He's going to be ticked! Janeway looked at her as if to say, "I
shouldn't be surprised by what you do and yet you continue to confound me."
	One of the best aspects of this episode was that Voyager's crew
finally found a way to let Starfleet and their families know they were
still alive and trying to get home. The scene at the end was touching when
the Doctor let Janeway know that his mission had been successful. Starfleet
now knows Voyager and its crew are alive and passed along the message we
all need to hear: "You are not alone."

--Wendy Griffin


HUNTERS
RATINGS: 5.8/3.6/5.2

	The crew hears from their friends and family and Starfleet Command
in the Alpha Quadrant, using the same sensor and communications array that
Voyager used to contact them. Chakotay's warning at the beginning is
prophetic: after four years, not all the news from home is likely to be
welcome. To complicate matters, the species that claims ownership of the
array, the Hirogen, intercepts the transmission and moves to intercept
Voyager.
	After reading Jeri Taylor's PATHWAYS, I discovered that "Hunters"
includes some of the first snippets of "background" that are explained in
detail in the novel. The name of Tuvok's mother (T'Meni) and his eldest son
(Sek); the person (Sveta) who recruited Chakotay into the Maquis, and some
other Maquis comradesinarms; more details of Paris' relationship with his
father. Such crossreferences occur throughout the remainder of the season.
	After the delightfully amusing "Message in a Bottle," the tone of
this episode is distressingly bleak. Almost none of the news from home is
good news. Chakotay and Torres are shocked to learn the fate of the Maquis;
Janeway loses the Mark Johnson excuse for avoiding shipboard romance; Tom
Paris' letter from his father (Admiral Owen Paris) is apparently so
unpleasant that Torres reports it unrecoverable (wink wink). Even Harry's
letter, which is doubtless full of good news and happy times, is delayed
until the end so he stays miserable until it's too late to lighten the
mood. Tuvok's letter is the lone bright spot, but his understated response
fits in well with the somber tone of the hour. 	The other part of the story
involves the Hirogen, introduced briefly the week before in "Message in a
Bottle." There, Seven of Nine shares a rare happy moment with Torres (and
sparks the beginning of the end of her grace period with Janeway) when she
applies a little 50,000 volt diplomacy to the unpleasant gravelvoiced alien
determined to block their access to the sensor array. This week, we get to
see the Hirogen close up...and they still don't impress much. They're tall,
they're vicious, they sound like Barry White with bronchitis. They lumber
around, playing with finger paints and making fun of the "prey" they catch.
We learn a few of their Hunter rules, and that they aren't necessarily
followed to the letter. We discover that they have powerful weapons, but
that their grasp of battle strategy is nothing compared to a captain
scorned. They also picked as victims the two characters on Voyager, Seven
of Nine and Tuvok, least likely to be intimidated by mere size and bluster.
	In short, the first extended look at the Hirogen was less than
compelling. Fortunately, the letters from home dominated the hour, and
Janeway's tacticsif extreme, destroying in moments what had been
functioning for a tenth of a million yearswere certainly effective. (Given
the first batch of letters, it may even have been subconsciously
intentional...) 	I thoroughly enjoyed the character moments. This
was an excellent episode for Dawson's B'Elanna Torres, who had significant
emotional scenes with most of the main cast, having to deal with bad news
from each of the three men that mean most to her: Chakotay with the Maquis,
Paris with his father, and Harry with Seven of Nine and his desperation to
hear from his family. The Torres moments alone made the episode worthwhile.
	Also notable this week was Janeway. The Ready Room letter reading
scene was wonderfully handled; with only her facial expressions to guide
us, we knew exactly what was in Janeway's letter from her fiancé  Mark. Her
role as captain is put in a rare (for Season Four) good light; Seven of
Nine seemed eager for her approval, spoke well of her to the Hirogen, and
Janeway didn't disappoint. Season Four could have used a lot more episodes
like this. All in all, a fairly strong if depressing episode, despite the
weak Hirogen scenes.

--Jim Wright

	The premise of "Hunters" should have been a kick in the seat for
this series. Everyone at home has gone on, folks, so stop obsessing about
your pasts, go explore strange new worlds already. Instead "Hunters"
vaguely reminded me of "Persistence of Vision" and "Coda," two other Jeri
Taylor character stories, in which we found out things about the crew's
backgrounds which we already knew. It also introduced a new alien menace
who reminded me too much of an old alien menace from "Deep Space Nine" --
the ones who hunt the Tosk.
	In this episode, we heard Chakotay and Torres mourn the deaths of
their friends and relatives in the Maquis. But not a word about their CAUSE
being lost? Torres fell victim to a supreme fit of overacting on the part
of Roxann Dawson, both in the scene where she sniveled over her fallen
colleagues and in the scenes where she tried to comfort Tom, whom she's
been dating for. Speaking of whom --
	The only things we know about Tom Paris are that he was a Starfleet
screw-up and his disapproving father was an admiral. So what a surprise to
hear that he was anticipating/dreading hearing from Dad! Real dramatic
moment there. Ditto Harry beaming when he finally heard from his Mommy and
Daddy. And speaking of family, Tuvok's a grandfather! This is surprising
only in that, if Tuvok and his wife were really married for more than 37
years as he said in "Ex Post Facto" and they got married the first time he
went through pon farr as he said in "Flashback," then I'd think he'd have
grandchildren already.
	We have not heard Janeway mention Mark in over a year, his photo's
gone from her ready room, so her sudden renewed devotion to him seems
neurotic. Did Kathryn just forget those months stranded on a planet with
Chakotay -- where she never once mentioned Mark, not even when Chak peeked
down her towel and pledged his heart to her? Or did she merely repress that
episode, as the writers seem to have done? I don't believe for one moment
that Kathryn used Mark as an excuse for celibacy. She uses the ship for
that. To hear her suddenly announce that beloved Mark has kept her from
considering a relationship while in command is the height of silliness.
	At least Chakotay had the sense not to buy the line -- either that,
or Robert Beltran can't stop smirking at the bad dialogue. But give me a
break. Janeway found out she lost her boyfriend. Chakotay found out he lost
hundreds of friends, colleagues, possibly his home, certainly his cause.
And he's comforting her? He'd be better off sniveling to Seven, who sure
looks good with her arms tied behind her back by those nasty Hirogen. I was
really hopingthe aliens would want Seven's implants -- Borg implants -- for
trophies, instead of her intestines. But I guess silicone isn't rare in the
Delta Quadrant. Heh heh heh.
	The directing is usually the one trustworthy thing on Trek, but
this episode let down the standard. The scenes on the Hirogen ship were OK
other than I thought Tuvok had killed a guy he hadn't even wounded. But the
scenes where the ship was shaking were awful, particularly the bridge
shots. The camera jiggled and tried to switch focus among several
characters, becoming impossible to follow without crossing one's eyes.
Sadly, the momentum of this episode was lost because we had two weeks of
reruns sandwiched between it and its prequel, and the Hirogen didn't come
across strongly enough for me to anticipate their return.

--Sara Unger

	"Hunters" was a pleasant surprise that exceeded my expectations,
which admittedly, are not very high these days. What's more, it was written
by Jeri Taylor, who was responsible for that overly bad space opera, "Day
of Honor." This is the best thing that Jeri has written since
"Resolutions," and that's saying a lot. I don't have a very high opinion of
the Voyager writing staff. They seem content to wallow in fluff and throw
continuity out the window, along with their credibility.
	"Hunters" is really all about letters from home, a favorite topic
in the fan fiction community. What would your family say if they knew you
were alive? What would you tell them? How would you react to major changes
in the political arena, or find out that someone you loved has moved on? In
the finest Trek Lite tradition, Taylor's script barely scrapes the surface
of these events, and only gives a glimmer of what could have been in the
hands of someone like J. Michael Straczynshki, creator of "Babylon 5."
Chakotay, whose very identity was tied to the Maquis and the sacrifices he
made, is clearly devastated by HIS letter. As expected, he discusses his
loss with Torres, but what about Captain Janeway? He seems far more
interested in HER letter, and as she mulls over the news that Mark married
someone else, not once does she ask about Chakotay's news. Frankly, this
disappointed me, but their reactions weren't completely unexpected. Have
you ever been so wrapped up in your own problems that you shut out the
world around you? What about putting your own problems on the back burner
and dealing with them later? I think this is what Janeway and Chakotay were
doing in their various scenes together.
	One of the finest scenes in "Hunters" is the one where Captain Kate
reads her letter from Mark Johnson. Her expression starts out with absolute
delight at the news of her pups and degrades to stunned disbelief at the
news that Mark has married someone else. Kate Mulgrew's performance was
tremendous throughout this episode, but never more so than in this scene.
She is a master of facial expressions that speak volumes, and in the blink
of an eye, you can see the cloud of doom appear over her brow. Robert
Beltran was also quite good, but why didn't Chakotay bring up his letter,
and why didn't the captain think to ask him about it, especially when he
was so persistent in asking about hers? Janeway's excuse for not getting
involved with anyone was a real copout, as well as a major continuity
error. How can anyone forget her Sikarian boyfriend from "Prime Factors,"
or the entire "Resolutions" episode? The writers must think we're pretty
stupid, or else they probably believe that all the old viewers have moved
on and the new viewers won't know the difference. Finally, as a coffee
aficionado, I especially enjoyed KJ's comments about java being one of the
finest organic suspensions, or words to that effect.
	I also appreciated Seven's vulnerability, and her need to please
the captain. With the exception of "The Raven", Seven has been painted as
invincible, unapproachable, insubordinate, and rude. Human manners and
diplomacy are bitter pills to swallow, and her journey towards total
assimilation into the Voyager community has had its share of bumps. Here,
we see that she is still a child at heart, with all its resident fears and
uncertainties about life. Jeri Ryan's scene with Tim Russ is probably the
second best thing about "Hunters," and their working relationship and
evolving friendship are a joy to watch. I do have one minor nit with this
scene -- where does Tuvok get off saying he's never lied? Excuse me, but
what about "Prime Factors"? What does he call it when he disobeys a direct
order from the top? I know he explained that away to Janeway, but a lie is
still a lie.
	Unfortunately, the remaining scenes were less than successful.
While it was no surprise that Tom cares about his father's opinion, it
would have been nice to at least hear what dear old Dad had to say. And
what's with Harry Kim, Voyager's resident tenderfoot? After four years on
the job, shouldn't he be a little less wet behind the ears? And since when
does he ever question the captain's orders? When KJ gets that look in her
eye and that tone in her voice, watch out! Neelix was also extremely
annoying, harkening back to earlier seasons when you hoped they'd shove him
out the nearest airlock. Tuvok's letter contained some good news, but I
would have been far more moved if they'd shown him shooing Neelix away with
the pretense of work, then sitting down to read the letter, perhaps aided
by a voiceover from T'Pel with news of their grandchild. As for the
Hirogen, they're about as stimulating as the Kazon. Every time the Voyager
writers serve up a story arc, they tend to use flat, boring retreads from
earlier plots. These ugly dudes are no exception, and I look forward to the
day when we've seen the last of them.
	In summary, "Hunters" was a very enjoyable episode that could have
dropped the Hirogen from the plot and still emerged as a winner.

--Elizabeth Klisiewicz

	Yes! ST: VOY's writers are finally trusting the audience. I was
wrong! They did use a plot device.
	Starfleet's knowledge of the Voyager crew's predicament came back
to haunt them in the form of letters from home.
	This can't be ignored any more than Glenn Close. It's not what I
would have wished, but congratulations to the J/Cers on the "Dear John"
letter. Even I had hoped that Mark had moved on.
	The Hirogen are the villains du jour. They gut their enemies for
trophies. How lovely. We've seen these faceless beings twice now in a
B-story format, and that's what they are, B-bad guys. Like the Caatati,
they don't take up much room, but they're great for filling in spaces. What
I do like about them is that they exist at all. I like that the writers
have written them in as a tiny arc instead of them popping in for 45
minutes, never to be seen again. I like seeing one-timers as well as
miscreants woven into ongoing threads.
	Rumor central states that the fate of the Maquis in the Alpha
Quadrant will have an effect on the crew of the Voyager. Chakotay's letter
may have been an introduction to this. If this bit of information is used
in a later episode in lieu of the Reset button, then this could mean that
ST: VOY is taking itself and its audience seriously.
	I'm curious about something, however. Did B'Elanna lie to Tom about
his letter from his father? Did she read it behind his back and decide to
protect him from something negative that his father said? I wonder, because
I can't think of a reason why she would have had problems in retrieval.
	Admiral Owen's letter to his wayward issue was protected by that
technobabble field that Seven of Nine set up and was being downloaded into
Voyager's computers before, if not long before, our intrepid crew ended up
on the wrong end of a Hirogen attack group and the nearby quantum
singularity. The letter should have already been there; it shouldn't have
been on some traveling data-stream device. Why else would she have taken
the trouble to call him down from the bridge? If the letter was still on
the relay station, how could she have known who the sender was? If any
letter was lost, it should have been the Parents Kim's, whose letter at
best, was on its way, and at worst, wasn't even found yet.
	I'm probably reading too much into this, but, if my speculation about
B'Elanna lying to Tom is correct, and that's what I'm going to tell myself
for now, then this sets up a delightful injection of a plot complication
into their relationship. By the way, where was her letter?

--Rhonda E. Green


PREY
RATINGS: 5.7/3.3/4.6

	Compassion, compassion, compassion. I lost track of how many times
Janeway said that word this week; it was even worse than her repetition of
"we're a family" in "Year of Hell." The woman who flew down "The Chute"
with a phaser rifle and who strode around blasting macroviruses was easier
to take than this caricature of maternal tough love.
	Janeway had the misfortune to encounter Species 8472 once again --
and risked her entire crew to make sure that one vicious alien got to die
in peace? This isn't a matter of Federation values, it's proof of Janeway's
need to be thought of as a nice person. She's not precisely that, not when
she uses "Kill him" as a line on the Hirogen captain she saved to force
good behavior. There's a time and place for compassion toward mysterious,
powerful aliens. A crisis situation that threatens the entire crew isn't
it. Neither the Hirogen captain nor the 8472 dude were the equivalent of a
wounded Horta trying to protect its eggs. These are vicious predators --
worse than the Borg. If Janeway's compassionate, she should show it more to
her own crewmembers and less to aliens trying to kill them.
	I understand that Seven has "saved" the franchise and therefore
apparently has to be treated as the heroine of every single episode, but
this show is not going to survive the demolition of its captain no matter
how many catsuited women come along. I couldn't even fault the mediocre new
director, Allan Eastman, for the final shot of the episode, in which
Janeway stomps off while Seven looks after her triumphantly. I'd rather
Trek never have given us a woman in command than have to watch this one
brought down by the writing, which frequently stems from precisely the
sorts of nonsensical nurturing impulses that reactionaries have argued for
centuries are why females can't be good leaders. Enfant terrible Seven
questioned Janeway's tactics on the bridge in front of her crew, refused a
direct order from the captain when summoned to the ready room, then took
action which was in direct conflict with the captain's commands. Mommy
Janeway tried giving her a nice lecture, then sending her to her room, but
when she let Seven help with chores and Seven was naughty, Mommy had to
tell her no more chores! Now Seven can't do her homework without Mommy's
permission, and she has to STAY in her room or else Mommy will ground her.
Ooh, I bet Seven's scared now. But then Mommy is so obsessed with winning
Seven's affection that she will probably let her out before long.
	Chakotay was right for once this episode: there was no negotiating
with either the Hirogen or Species 8472. The only REALLY smart decision I
can remember all episode was Seven's rejecting the the Doctor's
outrageously offensive lessons in social niceties, which could get him
brought up on charges in this century, let alone the 24th. I miss the
omnipotence of Species 8472. Every time this series has a worthy villain,
the writers immediately turn it into mush, instead of letting it wipe out
Voyager which would be far more realistic. The nasty, derivative Hirogen
were never a worthy villain to begin with, but we're stuck with them for
the rest of the month.

--Sara Unger

	The premise for this episode was good: Voyager rescues an injured
Hirogen and then is invaded by the Hirogen's prey that just happens to be a
very deadly enemy of Voyager's. And right up until the last 15 minutes,
this premise worked.
	Tony Todd was wonderful as the Hirogen predator stalking the member
of Species 8472. He left no doubt as to the very single-minded purpose of
his character and the fact that nothing was going to divert him from his
primary task: killing 8472. The intensity of Todd's performance was great
and I really felt we got a much better lock on this alien species. In my
opinion they are one of the best defined and most dangerous foes we've seen
in the Delta Quadrant since the Vidians.
	Seven of Nine also impressed me in this episode. Her fear of
Species 8472 seemed clear and strong and was very obviously the guiding
force behind her actions and reactions throughout the episode. Her refusal
to assist Janeway in creating an entry to the realm of fluidic space to
send 8472 home was very well done. I enjoyed the scenes of the search for
8472 and felt they were also done well. The ship looked appropriately eerie
and I loved the sound effect of the magnetic boots as they walked in the
corridors.
	But the big question to me became, what is going on with Janeway? I
could understand her rescuing the injured Hirogen and providing medical
treatment for him. I could even understand her wanting to help the injured
8472. Her compassion at not wanting to see even her enemy suffer or be
destroyed is part of who she is and was completely in keeping with her
character. But I think it was carried too far. I wonder if Janeway even
considered the fact that if 8472 were healthy it would not have hesitated
to wreak havoc on Voyager and probably would have killed some of the crew.
Would she have been so unwilling to surrender it to the Hirogen if that had
been the case?
	I also think she was wrong to have risked the destruction of her
ship and the deaths of the crew she has repeatedly pledged to get home. It
was indeed a moral dilemma but when Voyager was facing destruction from the
six Hirogen ships, Janeway should have acted in the best interest of her
ship and crew instead of the 8472 on board. I kept finding myself thinking
of Spock's axiom from Star Trek II and III: The needs of the many far
outweighing the one life of a deadly enemy. Yes, choosing to risk her
crew's lives in a situation with very limited possibilities for survival
would have made that decision a bit more clear. Janeway's resolve to
continue harboring 8472 did not make sense to me.
	Seven's actions saved the ship and crew and while I could
understand the need to punish her for disobeying her commanding officer, I
got the feeling
>from Janeway that she seems to feel she is always right even when she's
wrong. And when Janeway is wrong, who's to say she'd admit it? That might
look bad in front of the crew but I think I'd rather serve under someone
who is definitely not perfect; someone who has the courage to admit when he
or she has made a mistake and take action to correct it. It was also
disappointing that Chakotay seemed to acquiesce to all of Janeway's
decisions. This is one instance in which I would have expected him to
challenge her but the writers seem to have chosen to ignore him in favor of
the Janeway/Seven conflict.
	All in all, this episode had many good aspects to it but there was
far more potential than was realized and the ending was quite
unsatisfactory.

--Kimberly Peterson

	In Janeway terms, this episode is the anti-"Hunters."
	The Hirogen were somewhat more impressive this time out, thanks to
the performance of the excellent Tony Todd as the Alpha Hirogen. On the
other hand, Janeway gets less respect this week than Rodney Dangerfield.
And given her behavior, that's more than she deserves. This is the Stepford
Janeway that pops up from time to time--a greater danger to the ship than
an asset when her personal prime directive changes from "Get My People
Home" to "The Captain is Always Right." 	In "Prey," Janeway plays
the poster child for platitudes in the most inconvenient setting
imaginable. Seven, the former Borg Janeway "rescued" against her will in
"The Gift," seems uninterested in Janeway's morality tales. Chakotay, the
Maquis captain Janeway "rescued" a bit more willingly in "Caretaker," gives
the captain an official 'I Told You So' about Seven; he's been warning her
about the former Borg all season. The Alpha Hirogen rescued here has no
room in him for gratitude. So Janeway directs her hope for appreciation
toward a lone rescued member of Species 8472, who is too close to death to
disappoint her. 	Janeway seems desperate for someone, ANYONE to agree with
her this week; it severely clouds her judgment and puts the ship in clear
and present danger. When others object, hell hath no fury like a Janeway
scorned. The Hirogen steps over the line, and Janeway tells Chakotay to
shoot him at the first available excuse. Chakotay's comments earn him the
notorious Redhead Glare of Death. And Seven's relationship with Janeway
goes in a matter of hours from "take your daughter to work day" to
"rebellion is futile; you will be castigated." 	Of course, the Hirogen
ultimately gets what he wants, Seven saves the ship by defying Janeway's
orders, and in the end Seven comes off looking like the wronged party,
punished for saving the ship because she didn’t do it Mama Kate's way, and
defiantly stands her ground. 	In fact, the Seven of Nine of "Prey" acts
more like Janeway than Janeway. Neither would admit that, of course.
	Back in "Caretaker," Torres once demanded to know what gave Janeway
the right to make everyone's decision for them. Chakotay's reply was
straightforward: "she's the captain." There was a time when that was
enough. But Captain is as Captain does, and this week there's little to
recommend Janeway. She's compassionate when she should be wary, angry when
she should be clearheaded, and vindictive when she should be pragmatic.
Janeway, who has made it her prime directive to get her people home,
repeatedly endangers that mission here, first with the Hirogen, then with
the 8472 alien. The goodwill Seven felt toward her in "Hunters" disappears
utterly here, and the more desperately Janeway reaches out, the more
disenchanted Seven becomes. Finally it becomes a battle of wills . . . and
Seven wins. 	Make no mistake about it: in Prey, Seven of Nine wins on
every front, and she deserves to.  Janeway's punishments given to Seven at
the end make her look like a sore loser in a battle of wills. 	Here's the
thing.  The Janeway of "Hunters" would have found a way to win.  She would
have returned the alien back to its people, saved her ship and crew at the
same time, and Seven could have had powerful visual evidence (as she got in
"Day of Honor") that Compassion Pays Off.  The story, all things
considered, did move well, was visually stunning, and brought up ideas that
Trek often handles well.  Excellent guest star, strong contrast of
opinions, ship in peril--all strong story elements. 	But while this
might have been an intriguing hour of television, the price--tearing down
Janeway to build up Seven--was too high.

--Jim Wright

	Oh boy! ST: VOY has found teeth! The show gained an edge! Direct
disobedience on Voyager! I hate to sound like one of B5's Shadows, but I do
believe that growth is gained through conflict.
	I felt that the primary story of the episode was Janeway's
relationship with Seven of Nine; this was their hour. The Hirogen, once
again holding B-story status, and the Species 8472 alien just provided the
catalyst. The last time we saw them together was in "The Gift," and now we
see the results of the last several months of teaching and learning. The
story was well written with nothing being overly sensitive or overly harsh
-- just honest. The performances, in what I feel is a new realm for them,
were executed quite nicely.
	I can't understand why Seven of Nine's argument about the needs of
the many didn't carry any weight with Janeway. Aren't commanders supposed
to be aware that at times it might be necessary to sacrifice one or a few
crewmen in order to save everyone else? With that knowledge, she shouldn't
have felt the need to interfere so much in the situation. Especially since
(1) the Hirogen, who already didn't like them, were on their way and (2)
the 8472 creature never requested asylum. After the crew's family and
friends have just learned the truth, that their loved ones are alive and
well, Janeway is still willing to risk the crew's lives needlessly.
	Kes and Seven of Nine are the daughters that Janeway will never
have, and thus far, she hasn't been that lucky in her relationships with
these children. The one who waslike her, left. And the one whom she is
trying to create in her image, is finding her own way. Janeway, like any
mentor, wishes her student to follow in her path. Seven of Nine, in
following Janeway's urgings and guidance, has discovered an identity and
individuality for herself. Since The Powers That Be seem to have pulled
back a little from the Reset button, I am looking forward to seeing how
recent events will affect these women in the near future, how Seven of
Nine's "grounding" will be played out. The actresses' interpretations would
be interesting to see, in particular, because both women are mothers and
Mulgrew herself is the mother of two teen-agers.
	I am so grateful that ST: VOY didn't take the easy way out. Knowing
how important the series considers clear-cut situations, I figured that the
creature would probably die or be delivered to fluid space, thereby
relieving anyone of a hard decision. How much better for plot and for
characterizations that both "aliens" were returned to the enemy.
	It was also gratifying seeing Seven of Nine talk about what Species
8472 did to "our ships and our planets." It was a nice reminder that, like
her physical body, she belongs to two species.
	Foundation Imaging's special effects of the 8472 creature walking
on Voyager's hull were excellent. If the desire was to create creepiness,
then it was realized. The whole scene involving Torres and the creature
meeting face-to-face was even creepier and was just as well-done.
	My only complaint is that we didn't get to see more of Tony Todd's
talents. But, since the Hirogen are still around and his character is safe,
I hope that the next time we see him, he is more than the regular-type
bully.

-- Rhonda E. Green

	I've never enjoyed watching the "cat and mouse" games played out
between carnivores and their prey. These Hirogen are about the sickest
bunch of aliens I've seen Voyager run across in the Delta Quadrant so far.
Certainly there have been races bent on killing them before, but those
races usually aren't out to torture their victims first.
	How brave are these Hirogen to hunt down prey that is outnumbered
and unarmed when they are stalking down the lone member of Species 8472?
Tough guys! Not that I in any way like Species 8472. Of all the strange
looking aliens Voyager has met up with, I think they have to be about the
creepiest looking in the Delta Quadrant. Imagine being in B'Elanna's shoes
when she looked up the warp coil and saw that creature lunging at her!
Yikes!
	This episode had many of the aspects I enjoy most on Voyager..
A large role for Janeway
I was glad to see Janeway again play a prominent role in this episode.
She's one gutsy lady to turn the Hirogen loose on her ship. Turned out to
be not such a great idea, but she gave it a shot, trusting in her first
officer to keep him under control. She was everywhere -- the bridge,
sickbay, hunting the intruders, everywhere.
	Humor of the Doctor, Seven and Tom
	The interaction between Seven and the Doctor was fun. However, the
Doctor would not be my first choice to teach Seven how to better relate to
others! Teaching manners to a Borg? She just might learn how to say please
by the time they get home. And Tom's comment to the Hirogen about tracking
a mouse through Jeffries tube 32 was the best! I loved it.
	 Janeway in action
	I like seeing Janeway grab the phaser and get into the thick of
things. She doesn't just stay on the bridge and delegate others to do the
dirty work. She is right there facing all the dangers along side of them.
That would be the only kind of captain I could serve under and not get
thrown in the brig myself.
	Conflict between Janeway and Seven
It was good to see some of the tension back between Janeway and Seven. Of
all the problems the captain faces, the insubordination of Seven seems to
grate on her the most. She is at a loss to know what to do with her short
of throwing her in the brig. Seven just will not back down and submit to
the protocols of Starfleet. She tells Janeway something no one else will
tell her. No. Not only disobeys her by not complying, but flat- out
contradicts her orders by beaming the Hirogen and 8472 off Voyager. What a
scene when Janeway goes to the cargo bay at the end of the episode to
confront Seven face to face. I wouldn't want to be in Seven's shoes. (Not
that I could fit in her shoes -- or anything else for that matter.) How did
the Captain keep from telling her just to SHUT UP already!? It's a good
thing Janeway is not part Klingon.
All in all I liked this episode, regardless of my visual aversion to
Species 8472 and the Hirogen. Even my dog thought the Hirogen was strange
looking.

--Wendy Griffin


RETROSPECT
RATINGS: 5.9/3.8/4.7

	I told myself that I would completely clear my mind and view the
episode, "Retrospect" objectively no matter what previous opinions had been
expressed about it. And that I did. Since I have worked with domestic
abuse, women's issues, and child abuse for over 10 years, and am currently
a court-appointed special advocate with the Las Vegas family courts, I was
curious about an episode that would involve abuse, victimization, and
violation.
	I started having trouble with the episode when the holographic
doctor informed the captain that he had programmed himself with
psychotherapeutic skills and abilities. I had to receive three months'
intensive training before I became a court-appointed special advocate, and
have had numerous other training for my previous social service
responsibilities. Frankly, I don't believe that a holographic program could
program itself with the information and skills that I've received through
my training. How can a machine program itself to respond to and heal human
emotions? It was a bit of an insult actually. And to add to the insult, the
captain swallowed it. It also bothered me that the doctor had to program
himself with the psychotherapeutic skills. I would think in the 24th
century that they would automatically train all medical doctors (program a
holographic one) with the proper techniques that I'm taught today in
training. You mean they just forgot all this stuff by the 24th century? But
somehow, when all the programmers managed to forget the training, a
holographic doctor was able to figure it out for himself.
	Then there was more trouble. The first time that the Doctor
counseled Seven, I was able to accept the information. He asked her
open-ended questions and let her describe the details of her visions. But
upon the second counseling session, he broke a very strong cardinal rule.
As he questioned her, he was putting words into her mouth and practically
telling her how she should think and feel now that she had been violated.
The very reason that McMartin was acquitted in Los Angeles from 100 charges
of child abuse in the famous McMartin preschool case was because staff at
The Children's Institute, who had interviewed the children, had put words
into the children's mouths while interviewing them concerning the abuse.
Once again, I was bothered that this lesson hadn't been learned by the 24th
century and had to be repeated.
	As the show progressed and the evidence turned from positive to
doubtful, the real complexity of abuse cases was revealed. Many times, the
evidence just doesn't prove conclusive and it forces one to make tough
decisions. And that's exactly what Captain Janeway had to do -- make a
tough decision. I believe that Captain Janeway acted correctly throughout
the episode except at the end, but we'll get to that next. She had to go by
the evidence she was presented. First, the doctor convinces her that Seven
was definitely right. Then, as the evidence progressed, it looked as though
Kovin might be right. All she could do was hold a trial and continue to
investigate. She had to make a tough decision and she does. That is why
this field can also be so heart-breaking. Nothing is black and white. The
episode definitely reveals this side to abuse. There are many cases today
that are never really resolved.
	Now we come to the ending. This is where I started squirming. Many
issues must be covered here. First, I'll call it "the glare" that Captain
Janeway throws at Seven when she leaves the bridge. Here is where I think
they missed some crucial issues concerning abuse, victimization, and
tragedy. First, "the glare" signifies that Captain Janeway subconsciously
is blaming Seven for Kovin's death. Wait a minute--Seven somehow caused
Kovin's death? There is only one person who caused Kovin's death--KOVIN.
But the captain and her crew reacted in the normal way that people do when
someone commits suicide or causes their own death. Rather than blaming the
dead person for their own death, out of respect they find someone else to
blame. And Seven became the best candidate.
	But secondly, now the captain commits another counseling blunder.
As she walks off the Bridge, she walks up to the victim of SOME KIND of
abuse whether it be from Kovin or from something else, and glares at her.
Being glared at is extremely intimidating. Now add the fact that you've
been abused and are a victim. Seven should have crumpled. You would
immediately feel shame, guilt, and even some betrayal. While the victim is
trying to deal with tragic circumstances, she is now somehow blamed for
this tragedy.
	Attempting to cope with feelings over being the victim of some kind
of abuse already, this glare should have devastated Seven completely. I
wanted to invite Captain Janeway to some of my training courses at this
point. They desperately needed Counselor Troi here. She could have
counseled the captain and the crew on how to react to this tragedy. But
there was no counselor. Which brings me to the same question I had before.
I believe that the commanding officer of a crew of officers in the 24th
century should also have been trained in appropriate responses to tragedy
and some counseling techniques. What happened? Once again, did they forget
all the training that I've received? Had it been lost in the databanks
somewhere? Captain Janeway and Seven needed to have a talk at the end after
this "glare." A large rift should have opened here. (If I'd been Seven, I
sure wouldn't want anything to do with Janeway after that.)
	And now, as for the last few scenes, well, these seemed
misdirected, too. Instead of changing the focus of the show from the issue
of Seven's abuse to the crew's feelings about Kovin's death, there should
have been some scenes where the crew attempts to cope with their feelings
over Kovin's death AND Seven's response to Kovin's death, Captain Janeway's
glare, and Seven's feelings toward her memories of abuse. Just because
Kovin died, her feelings aren't just going to disappear. They are still
very much alive -- ESPECIALLY AFTER CAPTAIN JANEWAY GLARED AT HER, stirring
up the feelings of shame and guilt. Instead of the conversation between
Seven and the Doctor discussing her feelings of remorse, they should have
filmed a short scene where the Doctor and Seven are discussing continued
counseling to find out what caused her fears and feelings of violation, as
well as discussion of her feelings of remorse. Captain Janeway's scene with
the Doctor was acceptable as she would be struggling with the tragedy of
Kovin's death. But a conversation between Janeway and Seven needed to
happen.
	All in all, the episode had too many flaws to get its point across.
And it was hard to figure out what the point was. The episode kept creating
different victims and the crew kept changing the focus of their reaction.
First, it was Seven as a victim. Then it was Kovin as an innocent man who
gets killed. The issues were left hanging. Nothing was really resolved, not
even Seven's feelings of violation. The only point that I believe it made
was how an advocate can get carried away by emotions and empathy, and thus,
make serious blunders. There have been many court-appointed advocates,
including myself, who have been carried off by the compassion and emotions
of the moment. After all, we're human. But that's the problem. The doctor
is a hologram admitting that he is human.

--Suzanne M. Godfrey

	This is the lowest point of a low decade for Trek. If the point of
this episode was to slam home the way rape victims feel when they're
disbelieved and ridiculed, to make us share their pain and anguish and
disgust, it succeeded. But I didn't get any sense of irony. Instead I feel
violated, and I share Seven's anger. I'd rather be stuck in Janeway's
Victorian holonovel than on her nice, enlightened, misogynist ship.
	We SAW Seven's memories in flashback. They were specific and
detailed. We experienced them with her, and were never given a
contradictory version of events to experience. Technobabble discussions of
how her memories could have been distorted don't begin to compare to that
initial, visceral sharing. "Retrospect" never gave us a reason to doubt
Seven's recollections of abuse -- the scientific evidence may have
indicated that Kovin's explanation was plausible, but no one ever said that
it COULDN'T have happened as Seven believed. SHE WAS A VICTIM. We were all
witnesses. Tuvok could have been a witness too, if he'd used his
all-too-usual investigative tool, the mind meld.
	It's possible Doc was correct that Seven was superimposing current
faces on her past memories, but her hallucinations in "The Raven" (which we
also experienced firsthand with her) were markedly different. I'm not
arguing that Kovin should have been prosecuted for a crime there wasn't
enough evidence to convict him of, although it's not uncommon in rape cases
for it to come down to the victim's word against the assailant's, since
physical evidence can often lead to contradictory conclusions. In the 24th
century, presumably that won't be a problem -- physiological and physical
probes should have been able to prove Kovin's innocence completely if he
were guiltless.
	But Janeway and company still could have listened to Seven,
validating her experiences while demonstrating to her that there was no
means of punishment, no form of revenge which would negate her sense of
violation. There is no doubt that in Seven's mind, she was abused by Kovin,
whatever the veracity of her memories -- and we never got any indication
that she was lying or that her memory was faulty, since we never saw her
access the Borg memory engram which was hypothesized to be the real source
of her anxiety. Even assuming they were right, she's been violated again by
every single person on Voyager who dismissed or condemned her feelings.
Seven ends up like a kid who gets molested by a neighbor and is told by her
mother that it never happened. Her abuser's life is given more value than
her own. Once again, in her great charge to "compassion," Janeway trampled
all over a crew member who genuinely needed her guidance.
	Doc was gung-ho on getting Seven to remember her experiences of
violation and to feel the anger and pain the memories caused when she was
doing a decent job of repression. Where was he afterwards to help her put
the pieces back together, when everyone around her announced that her
memory wasn't to be trusted and she'd condemned an innocent man to death?
He was off sulking because he realized that he was a bad counselor, instead
of trying to remedy the situation! So much concern for Kovin, not a word
for Seven. I suppose that next week he'll go back to suggesting a
flirtatious bedside manner, since he taught her last week that the proper
way to respond to harrassment is to smile and thank the aggressor for his
interest in her.  Even he treats Seven like the boy-toy this series seems
to take for granted is all she's good for. I guess there's nothing poor
Kathryn can hope to do about the ongoing rape of her character.

--Sara Unger

	The first time I watched "Retrospect," I thought it was intriguing.
I don't know anything about repressed memories or how accurate they are,
but I found myself accepting Seven's story without any reservations. It was
plausible, after all, because Kovin was a rather obnoxious fellow, wasn't
he? He's an arms dealer, and we all know what they're like. This is, in
fact, how Voyager's writers suckered me. I accepted the stereotype, just as
they wanted me to. They reeled me in and forced me to watch Kovin die. At
its most basic and superficial level, "Retrospect" is a thought-provoking
story of an investigation, and it works well if you ignore its message. It
was also eminently watchable, due in no small part to stunning performances
from Jeri Ryan and Robert Picardo. This is easily Ryan's finest moment
since "The Raven," and if she keeps this up, I'm almost willing to ignore
the catsuit. I'll get to Seven's victimization in a moment, but first I
want to mention her emotional reactions. After prompting from the Doctor,
Seven experiences her first bout of anger, followed by a wave of remorse.
Those guilt feelings may well be misplaced, but they are real to her, and
were so eloquently portrayed that they became real to me as well.
	The EMH was his usual sparkling self, full of himself and always
ready to throw out some snappy repartee. Driven by his new psychiatric
routine, he queries Seven and extracts a set of strikingly painful
memories. His fervor transformed the ensuing investigation into a witch
hunt, and reminded me strongly of the TNG episode where an admiral (Jean
Simmons) goes after one of Picard's crew. The Doctor and Tuvok follow
through on Seven's memories, and beam down to Kovin's lab. The EMH finds
evidence to support Seven's story, but her version is later refuted by
Tuvok and Janeway's findings.
	At this point, the plot starts to break down and becomes untenable.
I cannot fathom why Kovin's story was completely accepted and Seven's was
cast aside like an old shoe. Janeway even SAYS that the crew tried to rally
around Seven! Clearly, either scenario could have been true, and later
evidence supports Seven's side of the story. Let's look at the facts, shall
we? If Kovin was innocent, then why did he run? Why was he so defensive and
hostile when questioned? If I were him, I would have stayed calm and done
everything in my power to clear my name, whether I was innocent or guilty.
Either way, the Voyager team lacked the evidence to convict Kovin, and he
should have realized that fact. Finally, why did Kovin's ship explode? This
guy is an arms dealer, an alleged weapons expert. With FAMILIAR technology,
he should have been able to handle his ship without any difficulty.
Instead, for some mysterious reason, his ship disintegrates, killing him
and any chance of discovering the truth. We're led to believe that HE was
victimized by Voyager, instead of the other way around. What a crock! And
could you believe the glare that Captain Ice Princess laid on poor Seven?
Oh, man, I really felt for the ex-Borg at that moment, and only later did I
realize why this disturbed me so much. Throughout the episode, there were
several mentions of how dangerous and unpredictable Borg technology is.
	How many hints do you need? Short of a sledgehammer hitting us over
the head, I don't know how much more obvious this could be. I didn't make
the connection right away, but later, I realized that Kovin must have
stolen the technology from Seven and tried to integrate it into his ship's
systems. It's the only thing that makes sense to me, and it validates those
earlier statements about the hazards of nanoprobes.
	Season Four has disturbed me greatly. Besides what they're doing to
the characters, I also dislike the messages they're sending to the viewing
audience. These writers are not talented enough to handle an issue as
sensitive as Seven's violation, which bears close resemblance to rape or
sexual harassment. In the world we live in, many cases like this are
dismissed and the victims are considered to be liars. Seven had no reason
to make up this story. As she has stated on more than one occasion, the
Borg do not lie. She has no cause to resent this alien, and in fact, she
has every reason to cooperate with him and help make Voyager stronger. In
summary, I was supremely let down by what could have been a tremendous
episode that could have worked on multiple levels.

--Elizabeth Klisiewicz

	In the last few episodes, external forces have been little more
than something useful to further the plot. As a result, more time has been
spent on character dynamics, which is always a good thing.
	In this episode Seven of Nine was allowed to express her dissatisfaction
to Chakotay. There was no reason why she should have been comfortable, or
happy, with her situation as it was. Also, Janeway and Paris were shown to
be concerned with ship's defenses. While Voyager and crew shouldn't go out
seeking violence, they should be able and ready to protect themselves
decently. Finally, Seven of Nine found the Doctor to be another person in
whom she could trust.
	As for the story, personally I think Kovin was up to something; I
can't see Seven of Nine losing two hours of her life. If she was adjusting
a device, then I think that she would have remembered something about it.
Nonetheless, the mystery of what really happened in Kovin's laboratory was
nowhere near as important as Seven of Nine being forced to come to
recognize and accept different human emotions. She also found that, despite
her out-of-favor status, the crew came to her defense when necessary.
	My interest has been piqued by this barrier the writers have
created between Janeway and Seven of Nine. I'm glad that they are
addressing the problems a commander is likely to incur if s/he insists on
encouraging subordinates to be individuals, think for themselves, and make
their own decisions. Janeway has allowed her people a little leeway, maybe
due to their circumstances, but still expected -- as was her right --
absolute authority and obedience. I hope that the writers don't abandon
this matter. I was intrigued by Mulgrew's interpretation of the captain as
a woman who, in Janeway's own eyes, is indirectly responsible for someone's
death because of her trust in, protection of, and unquestionable loyalty to
Seven of Nine. That responsibility, the destruction of Kovin's ship,
brought tears to her eyes.
	On a note of deja vu, ST: VOY seems to be in the same position as
ST: DS9 two years ago, in that a character has been brought in at a later
date to improve ratings. As a result, the other supporting characters have
received reduced exposure in order for the cast addition to be explored. My
uncle, who is able to watch the show only sporadically, noted that just in
"Prey" and "Retrospect," Ryan has taken a starring role, with Mulgrew as
her co-star. This may be necessary initially to bring the new character up
to a competitive level with the others, but I would like to learn a little
more about Torres, and I'm sure that the many fans of Tuvok would like to
learn more about him. ("Mosaic" took care of Janeway questions.) I also
hope that the Doctor's subroutine plan as psychiatrist, another Classic
Trek comparison, is not shunted aside.
	As an information note, in the flashback scene where Seven of Nine
was shown in pain on Kovin's examining table because of what he and the
Entharan woman were doing to her, the closed captioning read: "groaning and
panting."

-- Rhonda E. Green

	I understand what they were trying to say with this episode but it
didn't work very well. I know the point was about repressed memories and
that they aren't always accurate. Jeri Ryan was again superb as Seven tried
to deal with what had supposedly happened to her. She was very believable
in portraying that something had happened to her and I liked watching her
try to deal with unfamiliar emotions.
	I also liked that the doctor was attempting to further himself and
his capabilities to be of as much assistance to the crew as possible. He
really has come a long way from "Caretaker." As is the often the case when
people try something new, the doctor went in with an enormous amount of
enthusiasm that carried him throughout most of his investigation and
enhanced his determination to prove Kovin had taken some of Seven's
nanoprobes. But that's about when the episode started to fall apart.
	Kovin's flight certainly didn't make him look good, but when the
innocent are accused of something they often take flight out of fear. Yet
it didn't make sense that he refused to listen when Janeway caught up to
him and tried to tell him they had information proving his innocence.
	If he was innocent and wanted to continue his trading, it would seem more
likely he would want to hear what they had to say. If he was guilty, the
best course of action would have been to hear what Janeway and the
magistrate had to say, since he'd been clever enough so far to have the
evidence go his way. If he didn't like what he heard, he could always run
again. When he learned they thought him not guilty, he could have gone
back, knowing he'd gotten away with it. Eventually he probably would have
gotten into trouble, but for the moment he was safe. That's why I can't
figure out the point of his almost paranoid behavior. It was probably
easier to have him killed off so they wouldn't have to deal with him and so
they could have Seven and the Doctor deal with their feelings of remorse
over his death.
	As for the evidence, it didn't prove him innocent or guilty. It
simply showed that it could have gone either way. Instead of admitting
that, everyone assumed Seven had remembered incorrectly and that Kovin was
innocent. What kind of emotions did Seven experience over the reaction that
the evidence didn't necessarily support her but, more importantly, that
everyone simply assumed she was wrong? Or did Seven later remember that
she'd been incorrect and that was why she was feeling remorse over Kovin's
death? Or was what she was feeling simply interpreted as remorse by the
Doctor because that's how he felt?
	I would think that these events would have left Seven of Nine
feeling more confused about her humanity and her role on Voyager. And while
I have been enjoying the Seven of Nine character, I think it's about time
that someone else took center stage for an episode or two. Almost
everything this season has been about her and her relationship with
Janeway. All in all I was really left feeling somewhat dissatisfied with
this episode. It was an OK filler but nothing really thrilling.

-- Kimberly Petersen

	Voyager's writers tackled a volatile topic this week, and
provocatively left questions unanswered and loose ends untied. I doubt that
there were many neutral viewers by the end of the episode.
	We are neatly enticed into taking sides and getting involved. In
the beginning, the tendency is to side with Seven. Since she is prickly
around everybody, her aversion to Kovin isn't so unusual, but the
horrifying flashbacks introduce a much darker element. It's a rare sight to
see a vulnerable and uncertain Seven, and her sudden human emotions are
almost shocking in their intensity. Jeri Ryan did a great job here, and her
choice to play it with subtlety and understatement make Seven's pain and
conflicts a potent new factor. The spooky scenes in which she remembers
Kovin's exploitation are riveting and unsettling, her worst nightmare. She
becomes so certain of the truth of her memories that we are drawn in and
want Kovin to be unmasked.
	I don't admire the doctor much here; he is way too smug. He is
certainly central, though, displaying a different facet of his character as
he tries out psychology by the book, imposes his findings on the crew and
demands justice for Seven. Picardo, as usual, does it excellently. I enjoy
the fact that Seven doesn't at first see the purpose of some of the
negative emotions the doctor forces her to face. The impulse is to applaud
her good sense. Probably the key sentence is the doctor's assertion that
Seven will feel better when Kovin gets what he deserves. One of the human
lessons she learns at the end of the episode is that this is not true.
	I expected the story to be very one-sided. Evidence would be found
to prove Seven's claim, and Kovin would get his just punishment. Kovin,
however, is pretty convincing in protesting his innocence. He makes it
clear that even the accusation of abuse would ruin him; he would never be
trusted again. He looks desperate. This progression to a less cut-and-dried
situation is well done.
	It is a nice touch to have Kovin remark that Seven is lucky, that
she has the whole crew of Voyager on her side. Considering how often she
has ruffled their feathers, particularly Janeway's, it is a reassuring
glimpse of loyalty to Seven as a member of the "family."
	The nanoprobes' regeneration at Kovin's lab appears to prove
Seven's story, but further investigation indicates that the rifle fire
would also cause regeneration. It seems to me that the evidence is not
unequivocal, so I have some problems from here on. Janeway, the doctor, and
Tuvok immediately distance themselves from Seven's version of events.
Janeway suggests that possibly she is recovering Borg-related memories. (I
did wonder briefly why Kovin wanted to create a Borg, but the one on
Voyager has proven useful a time or two, and the weapon potential is
limitless.) The doctor backtracks also, and Seven is left standing alone,
literally and figuratively. Why do they jump to Kovin's side so readily?
	After Kovin's ship explodes, Janeway's reaction is inexplicable.
She fixes both Seven and the doctor with a level, accusing stare, clearly
meaning, "You are responsible for this!" Both of them look full of remorse,
but why?
	Seven really thought Kovin had exploited her, and there was no
absolute proof that she was wrong. Even though the doctor was too smugly
sure of himself, he really thought he was helping her; he wasn't accusing
Kovin out of personal malice. Surely Kovin's own unreasoning, panicked
flight, and his refusal to listen to reason were partly responsible for the
outcome.
	I like Janeway's measured and authoritative cross-examination of
Kovin. She is resolute, fair, and willing to risk the trade agreement on
Seven's word. She really is committed to making Seven feel a part of the
crew (if we ever had any doubt). I also like her interaction with the
doctor when he wants to delete the additions to his program. She is
realistic, balanced, and compassionate in her encouragement.
	Overall, I thought this was a good episode, and found myself
thoroughly involved. I kept looking for proof that either Kovin or Seven
was giving the "right" version of events, but no unequivocal proof was
forthcoming. In that sense, the episode illustrated very well the
difficulties of dealing with recovered memories, and the fact that when
accusations of harassment or abuse are made, lives are destroyed -- whether
the accusations are true or not.

-- Barb English

	What happened to B'Elanna's Klingon side? Did she lose it somewhere
during their last away mission? Since Seven is there to throw in some
"don't mess with me" behavior, B'Elanna seems to be as tame as a puppy.
Come on B'Elanna, what happened to your spunk?
	 Janeway should have known there would be trouble when the Doctor
said he had been "improving" his programming. Doesn't she remember how his
experiment backfired for him when he created his family? Now Seven is
showing some unusual nervous behavior and he wants to try a new approach to
help her try to uncover some memories he feels she has repressed. Didn't it
ever occur to him that these memories could be from longer ago than this
most recent away mission? The Doctor's attempts to psychoanalyze Seven only
result in her transferring some repressed childhood memories of being
assimilated by the Borg over to the rather arrogant, but undeserving,
Kovin.
	 In retrospect, (no pun intended) I felt sorry for Kovin when he
was interrogated by Janeway and Tuvok. The captain seemed to have already
judged him guilty when she was questioning him. It did look bad for him,
but he only made it worse with his attitude. "Me thinks thou doth protest
too much." Really made him look guilty.
	 The Doctor only made things worse for Seven by trying to get her
to express her feelings. He taught her all the negative aspects of human
emotions -- vulnerability, anger, vengeance.
	 The Doctor really jumped to conclusions in Kovin's lab. He didn't
know how the nanoprobes would react under the circumstances Kovin
described, but instead he tried to convince everyone of his guilt without
really looking at all the pieces. His "I'm right, he's wrong" ego
ultimately lead to Kovin's death.
	 The scene on the bridge toward the end again showed the talents of
Kate Mulgrew. The sadness she felt over their contributions to Kovin's
death was right there in her eyes. And the look she gave to the Doctor and
Seven would have brought a Klingon to his knees. Kate can say volumes with
a facial expression.
	 It was quite ironic that the Doctor told Seven what she was
feeling was remorse and that she would have to live with it for a while,
and then he immediately went to the captain to have his memories and
responsibility for what happened deleted. Again, Janeway handled it
perfectly by not allowing the Doctor off the hook, but also reminding him
that he is a great asset to Voyager and that he has to learn from his
mistakes just like everyone else.
	 In this episode, I am again reminded why I admire the captain of
Voyager. She's human. She's makes mistakes. She supports and defends her
people. She cares about others, even if they are not a part of her crew.
She's Janeway.

--Wendy Griffin


THE KILLING GAME
RATINGS: 6.2/3.8/5.5

	So Janeway's a Maquis, and Chakotay's a captain for the Allied
Forces. Never let it be said that the Hirogen don't have a sense of humor.
I really enjoyed this episode, though as with most Voyager two-parters, the
best aspects were lost to a reset button. In this case, both Fierce Klingon
Janeway and Alluring Resistance Restaurant Owner Janeway vanished much too
quickly, not to mention Seven the Singing Borg. But we also got pregnant
spy Torres, hot young soldier Paris, and Captain Chakotay.
	Things I liked: terrific directing, particularly the lighting, with
a fast-paced and engrossing script. Also the Hirogen explanation for why
the holodeck could be so important to them. They still remind me too much
of the Tosk from Deep Space Nine, but the parallels with the Nazis were
effective and disturbing. I loved the whole idea of "Katrine's," and the
look of the place -- classier than Sandrine's -- in addition to Nazi
headquarters, with pillaged European art adorning the walls. The cast was
very well used, I liked the way Roxann Dawson's pregnancy was worked into
the storyline and the discovery that Jeri Ryan can sing. Chakotay and Paris
had nice moments together; these two should get more casual interaction
within the context of rank hierarchy.
	Things that bugged me: the Doc and Harry have been working for the
Hirogen while their captors tortured the crew for three weeks, without
trying to blow the ship up or anything? Harry appears to have had quite a
bit of access to ship's systems; I'd think he'd have tried some of the
hot-headed stuff he pulled when Tuvok was in command and he didn't like the
Vulcan's orders. Moreover, I can't believe that the Hirogen are incapable
of creating holographic technology but they ARE capable of using neural
implants to hook into it so completely that they can control the crew. And
if the Hirogen are nomadic, where do they keep their women?
	Nonetheless, for once, we got a conclusion that lived up to the
original. Part II was the most enjoyable thing Voyager has done since
"Caretaker," though there were some huge anti-Trek moments which made me
wonder whether the Prime Directive even exists in the Delta Quadrant at
this point. Internally, it was fairly consistent and made great use of the
cast -- Ethan Phillips' turn as a Klingon warrior stood out in particular,
but I liked seeing Harry get a chance to play hero (for once Seven DIDN'T
save the ship), and Janeway made a very strong showing both as a fighter
and as a negotiator. If the writing staff can keep the sense of humor
displayed in this episode, it could go a long way toward redeeming the
series.
	Things that cracked me up in part two: Neelix, drunk, with a
bat'leth. Paris calling Torres' boyfriend a pig (if anyone can remember all
the way back to "The Cloud," Torres called one of Paris' holograms a pig
and added that Paris was one, too); Chakotay getting a crush on Janeway
even without knowing who she is; Tom giving Harry a 20th century movie
quiz, something Harry did to keep B'Elanna focused in "Scorpion"; Tuvok
wondering whether Aryan poster girl Seven could be a Nazi spy; Seven
warning the Hirogen that sooner or later, the Borg will assimilate them, so
she doesn't have to sing for them; Klingons creaming Nazis.
	Things that annoyed me: Torres being able to feel the baby kicking
after her neural implant ceased to function; the Master Race speech the
Nazi made, which was bombastic and heavy-handed even for a Nazi and went on
way too long (I don't think a guy that obsessed would have spared Torres
just because she was pregnant with a half-German child). I also did NOT
like Chakotay joking that the babes back home weren't as fiesty as Janeway.
That's a false attitude about women in the '40s propagated in the '50s to
get the wives to quit work and stay home, when in actuality women were
doing a lot of the work of running this country while the boys were away; I
can't believe it would be programmed into a 24th-century World War II
scenario.

--Sara Unger

	"Killing Game I and II" are lightweight retreads of past holodeck
and time travel adventures, but for pure entertainment value, I give this
two-parter a 10. I haven't had so much fun watching a Voyager episode since
"Future's End".
	For the first time in a very long time, Janeway was both competent
and luminously beautiful in every shot. No one outmatched her, not even
Seven of Nine. Casting Janeway as the resistance leader in the holodeck
scenario was nothing short of brilliant, and her tough-as-nails stance
worked on every level. Clothes, hair and makeup were perfect complements to
Kate Mulgrew's wonderful performance in both parts of this adventure.
	Considering that this was a Brannon Braga episode, it was a minor
miracle that he didn't throw Seven of Nine (Mlle. de Neuf) into the center
of the fray. Jeri Ryan was her usual alluring self, and she has a nice
singing voice, but for once, she wasn't solely responsible for saving the
ship. Instead, she was part of a team comprised of Harry Kim, the Doctor,
and Captain Janeway, and I applauded their decision to push her into the
background and let Janeway shine for a change.
	And what about Harry Kim? They finally gave him something to do,
and boy, did he deliver the goods. Garrett Wang gave us his best
performance ever, and he must have been happy that he finally had something
substantial to work with instead of the usual tripe they hand out to the
actors. I didn't understand why he waited 19 days to work up a rebellious
head of steam, but hey, who's complaining? I loved the little counterplot
with Harry and the Doctor conspiring on the sidelines.
	Pairing Chakotay and Paris on the American side was also kind of
funny, considering that they haven't exactly been allies in the past. They
didn't give either of them much to do, but I liked Captain Miller's little
flirtation with Janeway as they crawled through the Jefferies tube. Captain
Miller's slicked back do looked just as bad as Elvis Chakotay's shellacked
pompadour.
	Roxann Dawson also got some meat to chew on, even if her
holopregnancy made little sense. While it might seem clever to work her
real life pregnancy into the storyline, I found it difficult to believe
that even the cleverest of holoprogrammers could stick an electromagnetic
baby onto a real person. Still, none of this mattered, because I liked her
as "Brigit" and for the first time, her scenes with Paris didn't make me
cringe.
	The Hirogen previously rated as the dullest bad dudes this side of
the Kazon, but these episodes made them substantially more interesting.
Using the holodeck to study the prey was possibly the most ingenious use of
this technology I've ever seen on Trek. Their commandant was effectively
torturing the crew, but he also evinced an unexpected practical streak that
eventually got him killed. The parallels between him and Janeway were also
quite intriguing. We last saw this type of thing in "Year of Hell" when
Janeway, like the Krenim commander who attempted to manipulate the
timestream, turned into an obsessive madwoman intent on getting her ship
(if not her crew) home, even if it killed her in the process. In "Killing
Game I and II," we see the Hirogen commandant continuously butting heads
with the youngest hunters, ordering them not to kill the prey so he can
continue his research. This is strikingly similar to Janeway's conflicts
with Seven, who'd much rather phaser someone than attempt to negotiate with
them.
	I also thought that Janeway and Neelix made great Klingon warriors.
I didn't recognize Janeway at first, but damn, she put up quite a fight.
And Neelix? He fit right in with the pack of drunken revelers. And while
Klingons are far from my favorite aliens, I was hooting when they were let
loose in the simulation. It reminded me of those ridiculous scenes at the
end of "Blazing Saddles" when the cowboys burst into a different set and
completely disrupted activities.
	There were only a couple of missteps, and they didn't detract from
the story, but I still want to mention them. Most noticeable were the
holographic oversights when holographic operations were interrupted or a
holographic bomb went off. Why didn't the holodeck get reduced to the grid?
When the soldiers disappeared, the WWII backdrop should also have
dissolved. I also whined a little when Janeway gave technology to the
Hirogen, but only because they've made such a big deal about protecting it
in the past. In the interest of their truce with the Hirogen and getting
rid of them, I suppose that giving away pieces of the holodeck wasn't such
a big deal.
	In summary, this was an extremely enjoyable episode that made it
easy to suspend disbelief and just go along for the ride. Season Four has
not brought us many good episodes, but "Killing Game I and II" will easily
rank as one of this season's best outings.

--Elizabeth Klisiewicz

	When Seven first arrived on Voyager, I really enjoyed the conflicts
between her and Janeway. While the rest of the crew dutifully obeyed their
captain, we could count on Seven and Janeway inevitably butting heads.
Then, Janeway was at her wit's end trying to get through to Seven and make
her part of the family and Seven couldn't care less about Voyager and her
crew. Now, her goal seems to be to please Janeway and save the crew.
	I, for one, am tired of seeing the Borg to the rescue. And in this
double episode, she's doing it again. Excuse me, but that's Janeway's job,
not Seven's. We start out, in this episode, seeing Janeway as a Klingon
warrior. I wouldn't want to face her wrath as a human, but as a Klingon I
really wouldn't want to take her on! She's one fierce lady (if you can call
a Klingon female a lady?).
	We knew from "Hunters" that the Hirogen were sick puppies, but who
do they think they are?! Their commander dressed down the German soldier
when he claimed German superiority over everyone, but the Hirogen was doing
exactly the same thing, hunting down prey and torturing them before
unmercifully killing them. Two peas in a pod if you ask me.
	While it was nice to see the cast in a different setting and out of
uniform for a change, it was ironic how much their holographic characters
were like their regular Voyager characters...
	Janeway -- captain of Voyager/Katrine -- leader of the resistance
	Chakotay -- second in command behind Janeway/Captain Miller --
leader of soldiers but led into "battle" by Katrine
	Tuvok -- logical, loyal, confidante and head of
security/Intelligence expert -- logical, loyal, confidante
	B'Elanna -- problem solver and keeping everything on line/Brigit --
decoding messages and finding way into German headquarters
	Tom -- crush on B'Elanna/Lt. Davis -- crush on Brigit
	Neelix -- cook, comic relief/Baker -- baker, comic relief
	Seven -- opinionated and headstrong, expert in integrating Borg
technology/ LeNeuf -- opinionated and headstrong, munitions expert
	The holographic program evidently helped B'Elanna subdue her
Klingon side (something I miss) when she didn't rip face off of the woman
who spit on her in the street. That was one of the biggest surprises of
this episode.
Who knew Jeri Ryan could sing? Not bad. Finally, in this episode Harry Kim
shows some real spunk in dealing with the Hirogen! He was smart, sneaky,
tough, and even a little underhanded in outwitting them and finding a way to help his shipmates.
	We find Janeway in this episode again making a deal with
the devil. That she can compromise with the enemy and get her crew out of
seemingly hopeless situations shows what a great leader she is. I always
enjoy her dry humor when faced with the problems these aliens present. When
she enters her ready room that the Hirogen commander has commandeered and
sees all the trophies he has hung, she says, "I see you've done some
redecorating."
	Even if it was only a trap, I didn't like seeing the captain beg
for her life when she lured the Hirogen out where the holographic
projectors weren't working.
	I did find a few things odd about this episode:
- How did everyone know how to use 1944 weapons even after they were back
to themselves?
- How did Seven know where to find the control panel in the German
headquarters?
- How was it that Janeway picked up a rifle where the Hirogen's had just
disappeared?
- Was the Hirogen guard holding a weapon to the Doctor's head? What was
that about?
- Why, when all the other holographic characters disappeared at the end,
was B'Elanna's/Brigit's baby still there?
- When did we "face extinction"? (The Hirogen commander said this to
Janeway in the ready room.)
	Regardless of the oddities and Seven to the rescue, as usual, I
thought this episode was great.

--Wendy Griffin

	Following the example of "Future's End' and "The Year of Hell," we
have another two-parter for sweeps month.
	You know, ST: VOY is starting to turn into a Picard & Data show
knock-off. I was worried that Seven of Nine's presence would override that
of the Doctor's, but I was wrong. The Captain & Machine are taking over
everyone. I realize that the producers and writers would like to explore
this new relationship on-board, another mother/daughter one. I understand
that the actors have such wonderful chemistry together that their scenes
are always exceptional. As a fan of Janeway, I like seeing her often. But
does it have to be at the expense of everyone else?
	I understand that in Star Trek, it is sometimes fun to put the crew
into a completely different environment, to see the personalities operate
under different circumstances: Janeway as a Klingon warrior, Seven of Nine
as a club entertainer, Tuvok as a bar keep, etc. In favor of an exciting
romp, however, in these situations either no or very minor character
development occurs. Wasn't there some other way that the crew could have
been put into another world, much as ST: DS9 did with "Doctor Bashir, I
Presume" or "Far Beyond the Stars"? Couldn't some other involving plot have
been used to engage the audience during sweeps month? After the good
writing of the last couple of months, this episode was a letdown.
	Somebody gave little Brannon and his friend Joey a bunch a toy
soldiers and told them to "go play." Like most children, they didn't care
for any deep story, or related situations, or after-effects of their
actions. They just wanted to have fun. They wanted to do things as big and
as far as possible, without any thought of consequences. And that's fine
for children.
	The only real acting that went on was with Mulgrew -- Janeway's
confrontations with the enemy and limping for her life with a bullet in her
thigh. This was a real waste of the talents of the cast. However, the
episode had cute moments: Katrine in her role as the owner and emcee of a
fashionable nightclub; Bobby, one of the Yankee saviors, using Betty Grable
as a loyalty test; Mlle de Neuf (French for "of Nine") obliterating the
Allies' weapons and soldiers; B'Elanna complaining about the imaginary
pregnancy with the real discomfort. All this wasn't enough, though.
	I can't even say that I found the episode exciting. It was just
wrong. From a writer's standpoint, what was the whole point of having the
crew injured over and over, sometimes resulting in fatalities? I would
think that the characters as creatures important to the future existence of
the series would be too valuable to waste on a story that requires they be
broken and repaired over and over. Has medical technology improved so much
that repeated damage has no long-term effects?
	Also, what was the point in the amount of destruction to Voyager?
Holographic technology turned five decks into Sainte Claire, France. Now,
consider Kim's explanations to the Alpha-Hirogen about having to remove
more bulkheads and install more holo-emitters and being told to cut more
systems for more power. Is the audience now to accept that Voyager's
resources are so limitless that the replicators could be operated non-stop
to produce raw and finished materials to replace what was damaged or
destroyed?
	(One can only pray that Janeway's Leonardo da Vinci program was
lost in all of this. This way, she'll be forced to spend time with her
senior staff and look to them for counsel instead of getting her answers
from a light and energy projection based on the programmer's opinion of the
person.)
	I think I would rather return to the days when a crewman would die
here or there, or the ship would incur "terrible" or "horrible" or
"crippling" damage. Although life was always saved and the ship was always
made as good as new, there was still a sense of danger. Now, I don't really
feel this. The ship is an absolute wreck, but it still somehow must be
capable of getting them home. Furthermore, the genetically enhanced crew of
Khan's S.S. Botany Bay has nothing on that of Voyager. Talk about supermen!
	To be fair, all of this may have some lasting effects. That may be
why there will be such a long period of rebroadcasts -- the time will be
used to make repairs and resume lives. When the show returns, the audience
will learn about rations that had to be replenished, permanent damage to
persons and things, etc. I hope. If the Reset button is used, then the
audience and the characters need never fear anything again. Future suspense
will be voided because all will be made well and perfect; ship and crew
take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.
	We all know how much Braga and Menosky care about things like, oh,
continuity. For me, personally, "casualty" and "fatality" means a death.
Janeway said that both sides took heavy "casualties." That means that
Voyager's understaffed crew is now even more so. Didn't B&M remember that
Voyager came with a limited number of people? Those lost people can't come
back. Overall question: Why?
	As for that final scene in the cargo bay where Janeway and her poor
battered crew handed over holographic technology to the Hirogen, it was as
anti-climactic as the Klingons coming to save the day. Was that last scene
supposed to show the superiority and maturity of the Federation over the
Delta Quadrant's cretins?
	Did B&M forget that they work on a dramatic series? That an episode
of ST: VOY doesn't exist in a vacuum? That its happenings will affect
future episodes? This episode was purposeless. B&M did not produce a
diamond from this lump of coal. It would have worked much better as a novel
where the happenings have no bearing on the canon of the televised series.
	By the way, did anyone else find the non-use of the term "maquis"
slightly disturbing? After all, the word is French. And the crew was in
France. And the 24th century rebels appropriated the word from the World
War II French Resistance on Earth. But hey, it could just be me.

--Rhonda E. Green


VIS A VIS
RATINGS: 4.9/3.2/4.2

	I thought "Turnabout Intruder" was bad enough on TOS! And I thought
Voyager's "Threshold" was a bad Paris and a worse Janeway episode. I keep
underestimating these writers! It's interesting that whenever Tom gets
possessed, he abuses women. Janeway was a lot of  fun with Steth in charge
of her -- she certainly seemed happier with a male brain in her body, same
as Kes did in "Warlord," though the boys sure seemed glad to be boys again
in the end. Can't say I blame them. If I lived in Trek's universe, I'd
rather be a slug than a woman.
	Just look at B'Elanna Torres. Once upon a time, she was chief
engineer. Now they don't need her in that role, since Tom is the only
genius on board who could repair a coaxial warp drive. Not even Janeway
could do that, and she used to be a science officer. Not only didn't anyone
ask for her help rebuilding the alien ship, Paris even refused to let her
see his holoprogram, because, of course, she's not giving him enough space.
That's the problem with women, dammit, they're always too clingy and
demanding, moving in on boys who just want to have fun, whether they're
your girlfriend or your captain or a meddlesome Borg. Kind of makes you
want to get away, quit your exciting job as a starship pilot where you get
perks like replicators and golf on the holodeck and a gorgeous Klingon
bimbo who's all yours, so you can go test exciting new carburetors --
doesn't it?
	But even if I were a member of the mindless young male demographic
at which this show was clearly aimed, I would not scream, "Polaric
modulator? But wasn't it polaric energy which almost got that entire planet
blown up in 'Time and Again,' and Janeway and Paris agreed that no
intelligent civilization would use it?" because I wouldn't remember
something from three seasons ago, having burned out those brain cells
getting drunk too many times like Tom's evil twin. If I were a member of
the demographic, I also would not ask how in heck the alien could have
started shapeshifting into his previous incarnations when he actually
physically switched bodies. Nothing about the body-snatching was ever
explained, so I guess that's supposed to be accepted as One Of Those Things
Clever Aliens Can Do. Ditto the space-folding, which is what Torres called
the technology the Sikarians used in "Prime Factors" which could supposedly
get the ship 35,000 light years closer to home if they could make it work
with their technology. Looks like they're closer, but I bet we don't hear
the words "coaxial warp" any sooner than we hear "Warp 10," the subject of
Paris's last disastrous scientific experiment, the one which turned him and
Janeway into salamanders.
	Have I mentioned recently that if Voyager never did another Paris
episode, they'd still have done too many? Hmm, maybe I should stop
complaining about Seven getting too much air time; she was the least
embarrassing member of the crew this outing. Well, other than Tuvok, who
barely said anything at all -- but wait, he's the security chief, SHOULDN'T
he have said something? Ah, forget it, he's an old fogey Vulcan and Tom is
a young virile male wonder boy. If we're not going to get a scrap of
originality in plotting or characterization and we're not even going to get
internal consistency, let's have some fun. Drive that Chevy.

--Sara Unger

	We should all be glad that they're finally giving Robbie McNeill
something to do, shouldn't we? Based on his performance in "Vis-ŕ-vis,"
it's clear his dramatic skills extend far beyond that of "Helmboy."
Unfortunately, McNeill's performance couldn't make up for a poorly executed
plot or the assassination of Tom Paris' character.
	First off, did anyone understand why this shape-shifting alien was
stealing bodies? For the vicarious and rather dubious pleasure of working
in Sickbay? How about batting his eyelashes at a besmocked B'Elanna, who
has been turned from a highly competent engineer into "Tom's girlfriend"?
And what about his mouthing off to the captain, one of the few people who
gave him a chance when no one else would? You see, I thought Tom was so
unpleasant in this episode that I wasn't sure if it was Steth talking or
Thomas Eugene Paris. OK, I liked his grease monkey act and his scenes with
Holodoc. I also liked his competence on the bridge when they encountered
this coaxial warp drive, and I enjoyed his comments about advanced subspace
geometry, the only course he actually paid attention to at the Academy.
Even the alleged male bonding we saw between him and whoever that alien was
who stole Steth's body wasn't too bad. As for the rest, it mostly deserves
a big fat raspberry.
	For example, I hated the scene in the mess hall with Torres. Tom
was whining so much I'm surprised that B'Elanna didn't deck him, and could
you believe him accusing her of histrionics when he was the one who was
overreacting? There was no explanation for his bizarre behavior, and at
that point, Steth hadn't taken over his body. This business about having an
adult conversation when he was this close to having a tantrum himself was
way over the top and totally ridiculous.
	Besides being a shapeshifter, alien Steth had a few more surprises
in his bag of tricks, like that cool tool he used to gain access to Tom's
files, and later broke into Janeway's logs. That brings me to another
problem I had with this show: What about the coaxial technology? This is
the totally awesome propulsion technology that Paris made such a fuss over,
isn't it? This is the stuff of dreams and legends; this is the kind of
concept that made a very young Tom Paris sweat. This is what they used to
retrofit the shuttle that Janeway used to escape, right? So after making
such a big deal out of it, they dropped the concept like a hot potato. I
don't know why I should feel so disappointed, because after all, this is
"Voyager," the show with the writers who don't give a damn about continuity
or scientific principles.
	And why is Seven the only person who never seems to make mistakes?
She wasn't dumb enough to be taken in by Steth/Tom's chicanery, but
everyone else on the ship was fooled. In warning Janeway, she threw the
captain into Steth's clutches, and as a result, we got to see one of
Janeway's best scenes this season. Kate Mulgrew reveled in this brief
moment of delicious evil, and it's quite a testament to her acting skills
as well as to how far Janeway has fallen when you realize that you like her
alter-ego a lot better than the original character.
	So, in summary, Season Four continues to plod along, punctuated by
the dull thud of clunkers like "Vis-a-Vis."

--Elizabeth Klisiewicz

	Tom Paris is replaced by pod people BEFORE the episode starts, then
is replaced by another body snatcher during the show. A more realistic Tom
Paris early on would have made this a much, much stronger outing, but take
away Paris' early idiocies and this one isn't too bad.  Especially amusing:
watching Mulgrew play the alien Steth--slouching, taking phaser shots at
Seven of Nine, and chortling.  Biggest regret: not getting to see Robert
Duncan McNeill put his hands on his hips and acting Captainly.

--Jim Wright

	A body-stealing alien shows up just in time for Tom Paris' early
mid-life crisis, switches places with Tom, and makes him realize that where
he is and what he's got going for him on Voyager is just where he wants to
be. Uh-huh. OK.
	First the good things: Dan Butler's good job of taking on Robert
Duncan McNeill's mannerisms as he played Steth with Tom's consciousness
inside that body; B'Elanna's verbal mangling of Camaro and Tom's wincing at
it; Tom, finally having earned the respectability that he's seemed to long
for and then seeming to be discontented.
	But I found that this episode presented a lot of questions and no
answers whatsoever. Who or what was this alien and was its sole purpose to
travel the galaxy taking over the bodies of other people or was it running
from something? Was the ship with the coaxial drive really the alien's ship
or did it belong to the real Steth or had it been taken from some other
hapless victim? Was the alien, when in Tom's body, coming on to B'Elanna
because it felt it was supposed to because of Tom and B'Elanna's
relationship or was it really attracted to B'Elanna? Why did it try to take
over Janeway so quickly when it had been in Steth's body for about a year
and Tom's for only a few days? Did it take over Tom's body because at the
time it was the only accessible one and it had really wanted to take over
the captain's body in the first place so it could be in charge?
	I don't have answers for any of those questions and when an episode
leaves me with so many questions and no answers I feel somewhat cheated and
very dissatisfied. It was as though they just needed something that
resembled a story to fill a time slot without caring in the least what it
was, whether it made sense, or would be thought-provoking and interesting.
This episode was exactly that. Filler. The cream inthe middle of a twinkie
that keeps the sponge cake from collapsing.
	This episode had some great potential and didn't need to be simply
filler. If the switch had been done sooner I think there could have been
some very interesting scenes with the alien trying to pass himself off as
Tom, scenes more along the lines of when it couldn't find sickbay. And what
about when Janeway was in Tom's body? That definitely should have been
played up instead of keeping Janeway/Tom unconscious in sickbay. I could
just see the crew trying to decide whether or not to respond to commands
that sounded as if they were issued by Janeway but seemingly came from Tom.
Or a scene with Tom trying to explain to Chakotay that, for the moment, he
was really Janeway and they had to do something to fix this and/or, for
that matter, Chakotay realizing that Janeway was in Tom's body and HIS
reaction to that. I think it also could have been interesting to see
Janeway having to deal with being a female in a male body.
	As has been the case with more "Voyager" episodes than I'd like to
recall, the potential here was never realized and the resulting episode was
desultory at best. It's past time to give us some challenging,
character-driven and thought-provoking episodes that we can sink our teeth
into instead of what The Powers That Be think will draw in that young male
demographic they seem to have decided to go for. If they'd just write Trek,
they'd pull in all the viewers they want. Instead they give us an episode
like "Vis a Vis" which was definitely not challenging except to watch.

--Kimberly Peterson


THE OMEGA DIRECTIVE
RATINGS: 5.8/3.3/4.5

	I'm not even going to get started on a Starfleet directive which
orders the immediate destruction of a technology so sophisticated that only
a highly advanced race could produce it (and, presumably, defend it). And
to protect against a "perfect" unstable deadly radioactive space-destroying
molecule which might hold the key to the beginnings of the universe? "The
Omega Directive" isn't worth taking seriously as a directive, though it
sure would have been interesting to see it on TNG -- I picture scientific
assassination teams swarming the Enterprise, with Picard making demands for
science and reason. Janeway's supposed to be a scientist -- well, she sure
wasn't this week.
	Just once, I would like to see Kathryn Janeway make a big gamble
that pays off. It's quite common for her to take enormous risks and nearly
get her entire crew killed: in fact, between her trigger-happy
self-destruct finger and her desire to prove her fortitude to evil aliens,
it's a wonder she hasn't gotten the ship blown up in non-alternate
realities. But when she has a chance to do something great, to harness a
kind of energy that's never been explored before, which could get her home
in an instant and revolutionize the galaxy, she chickens out. Why, why, why
do the writers do this to her? "The Omega Glory" was a better episode than
"The Omega Directive." Janeway reciting the Preamble to the Constitution
would have been more inspiring than the pat speech we got at the end.
	But that isn't what I hated most about this installment. What
really bugged me was that Janeway didn't shove Seven out the airlock along
with her perfect particles, so we're going to have to suffer through more
episodes with her single-handedly coming up with plans to save the
universe. In this episode alone, Seven ordered Janeway to assist her
(Janeway obeyed), gave Harry a Borg designation (Chakotay told him to get
used to it), threatened to risk the entire galaxy so she could see the face
of God (Janeway and Chakotay were sympathetic), and demonstrated that she's
smarter than Tuvok at Vulcan disciplinary games. The Borg don't have to
assimilate Voyager. They already control it through one individual who has
everyone thinking like her -- well, except the Doc, but even he got out of
her way. I used to hate Seven's catsuit. Now I wish she'd stand there and
look pretty and SHUT UP for a change.
	There's not much to say about the rest of the crew because who
needs the rest of the crew? This was very much an installment of the Seven
and Janeway show, the ongoing series in which Janeway represents the Voice
of Starfleet, Seven tells her all the reasons that she's a jerk, and Seven
ends up being right. Kirk was allowed to make decisions which even Spock
labeled incredibly stupid, but which turned out to be strokes of genius in
hindsight. Janeway isn't a woman in any stereotypical sexist action series
sense, other than she appears to be designated as proof that women are
unfit to command.

--Sara Unger

	"The Omega Directive" is another pointless episode that pits
Captain Janeway against Seven of Nine. Don't these writers have something
more interesting to write about than the constant squabbles between Mama
Janeway and her wayward protege? Frankly, Janeway's command decisions have
been so risky and illogical all season that it makes me wonder why anyone
would look up to her.
Besides the power struggles to establish pecking order in the coop, this
episode also makes a botched attempt to explain the Borg's equivalent of
religion. Not only do Trek writers not know how to write realistic
relationships, they've rarely succeeded on the religious front either. I
liked Janeway's test of faith in "Sacred Ground," but "The Omega Directive"
was a cheap ploy to tug on our heartstrings and proclaim that yes, Seven
does have feelings, and yes, she is capable of spiritual enlightenment. I
have no problem with any of this except for one thing: Why would anyone
worship a silly molecule? Why is the Omega molecule so perfect? Oh, I
suppose that its energy output is fairly impressive, but other than that,
this whole exercise bordered on the utterly ridiculous.
	In one corner, we have Janeway following her beloved Starfleet
orders and feeling utterly alone. She is 60,000 light years from home, but
that doesn't stop her from attempting to follow procedure. The trouble is,
in the process of obeying orders, she has to rescind the Prime Directive.
She's done it before, and we know she'll do it again in the blink of an
eye. So, if it's no problem to toss the rulebook on its ugly head, then why
can't she lower the barriers and have a real relationship for a change?
Wait a second, that's next week's argument. Anyway, as I was saying, our
dear captain has grown into an unpredictable leader whose logic has strayed
far from the path of her hallowed scientific principles. Even Chakotay, her
loyal lap dog, tells her that "that's a reasonable argument, but you're not
always a reasonable woman." Great line that, and a wonderfully annoyed look
on Kate's face when her XO dared to cross her.
	Mulgrew was good throughout this episode, but the real star was the
molecule. In its perfection, it managed to outshine even this veteran lady
of the boards, and how could it not? Omega is a simple concept, but the
Treknobabble that filled this outing's bladder to capacity dragged it down,
along with the actors. In the other corner was Jeri Ryan, who was also
quite excellent, but then, has she ever had a bad moment at any time this
season? If I were in her shoes, I would have no reason to complain. The
publicity blitz has done wonders for her career and has jacked her up to
star billing every week. The credits should rightly say, "Starring Jeri
Ryan, and co-starring Kate Mulgrew and a faceless cast of thousands." In
Braga's hands, Seven is the smartest person in the universe and really
doesn't need other lifeforms. If you locked her in a chamber with Omega,
she'd have a Borgastic fit and be forever in heaven. Who needs boring old
Harry when you can trip the light fantastic with the perfect particle?
Hell, Harry can't even win at kalto, and he's had plenty of time to
practice as he waits on the sidelines for the writers to throw him a few
miserable lines.
	But let's get back to the smartest lady in the galaxy. If she's so
intelligent, then why this blind adoration of a particle? It all comes down
to one thing: This was a stupid episode based on a lame concept which is an
insult to even the most average viewer's intelligence. Just when I think
"Voyager" can't get any worse, it does.

--Elizabeth Klisiewicz

	I thought this was a terrific episode. It was coherently written,
with a serious moral and scientific dilemma, and some good character
interaction.
	It is an enormously intriguing idea that Voyager has encountered
something so important and so powerful that Starfleet has kept it a secret
for 100 years, authorizing only the captains on starships to deal with it.
The decision to be made and the stakes in the outcome are of epic Trek
proportions. The Omega molecule is the most powerful substance known to
exist. It has the potential to be an inexhaustible power source or,
conversely, the potential to destroy subspace, thus making warp travel
impossible and ending space-faring civilization. It's very effective to put
such a huge problem before Janeway as a captain and as a scientist. The
scientist wants to study the phenomenon and use it for good; the captain is
ordered to destroy it at any cost. For this particular captain, not only is
it a threat to the galaxy, but a very immediate threat to Voyager, because
they could lose the ability to get home. And we all know how Janeway feels
about getting home. Kate Mulgrew did a great job of conveying the tenseness
of the situation and the weight of responsibility on Janeway's shoulders.
	It becomes evident early that this is going to be another
Captain/Seven confrontation episode. Somehow, we just know that Seven is
going to argue with whatever Janeway proposes. This time, in spite of their
differences, she agrees to help Janeway, but only because she wants to
understand the perfection of the molecules. The episode "Prey" made it
clear that Seven can't be ordered to help. Seven hasn't seemed to progress
beyond the point where she must argue with everything, question everything
and demand justification for everything. When she argued her point with
Chakotay, I heard myself saying, "Not again." The Janeway/Seven exchanges
are energetic and interesting, and Seven does make an effective devil's
advocate. But the captain's patience with an insubordinate crew member is
so inexhaustible that it is becoming almost inappropriate. Besides, Seven
seems to be always right, which I find uncomfortable.
	This time she's also right. Though she worked on it without
authorization and ignored the job she was supposed to be doing, Seven's
harmonic resonance chamber is needed. I do like that side of Janeway that
can acknowledge Seven's work, even when she is at her most difficult and
obstructive. Their amicable discussion about the Borg's encounter with
Omega was a pleasant change, as Seven answered queries and casually
dismissed the mythology that explained Omega's power. The exchange
reinforced both Janeway's scientific curiosity and Seven's Borg
single-mindedness.
	There were some other nice interactions: Janeway and Tuvok working
together with their usual compatibility, Seven appealing to Chakotay's
spirituality, Harry's impatience with Seven's "collective," and of course
Chakotay's concern for Janeway's safety. Some dialogue made me think that
writers do read reviews and listen to criticisms. Some criticisms after
"Scorpion" suggested that Janeway was arrogant and didn't listen to
Chakotay's input at all. In this case, Chakotay chided Janeway for trying
to go it alone, dared to tell her she wasn't always a reasonable woman, and
suggested she should accept help. This time she listened, and acted on his
suggestion. Her conversation with Tuvok also seemed to address this. She
acknowledged that it would be arrogant to risk the quadrant to satisfy her
curiosity; that she "occasionally" knew when to quit. (I noticed that in
"Hunters" we also got an explanation, lame though it was, for her lack of a
partner, but that's another story.)
	Seven is becoming more multi-dimensional. In "Retrospect" she
showed vulnerability and remorse. At the end of this episode, she tries to
understand her moment of clarity, and to grasp the concept of spirituality.
I found it interesting that the molecule's stabilization, which Janeway
sees only in scientific terms, is seen by Seven as perhaps something more.
It reminds me of "Sacred Ground," when the doctor had the scientific
explanation, and Janeway saw something more.
	I'm ignoring the nitpicks in this episode. They are insignificant
against the magnitude of the story and the sheer fun of seeing it unfold.

-- Barb English


UNFORGETTABLE
RATINGS: 4.8/3.3/4.6

	Unenjoyable. Beltran looked bored, an unfortunate approach when
you're the romantic lead.  The less said about this one, the better.

--Jim Wright

	Robert Beltran is the closest thing Trek has to a heartthrob at
present. As far as I'm concerned, he can't hold a candle to Jonathan
Frakes, but I saw him at a convention this spring surrounded by
innuendo-spouting hormonal women who were wildly in love with him. Almost
all the questions he was asked were suggestive. In fact, the primary
interest in Beltran as an actor seems to be sexual, which makes sense
because his performance has been so wooden all season, it's hard to
remember that he can act.
	Chakotay's character development over the past three years has
mostly consisted of slimming his waistline, dyeing his hair jet black, and
flashing his dimples more often at women. His two major episodes in the
past two seasons have involved alien lovers of the week. Chakotay is the
male equivalent of Seven of Nine -- shot from all the right angles to look
attractive, though he doesn't even get the snappy dialogue which she does.
No longer do the writers bother with Chakotay's spirituality, his Native
American background, his role as a rebel. He's Voyager's pretty boy, a
bridge ornament. Nothing more.
	The biggest waste about all this is not just that he's boring and
annoying, but that Chakotay was once such a unique guy -- an angry warrior
who lacked violent baggage, a Maquis leader who could take orders from a
Starfleet woman without angst about his macho ego. He could take on her
mission as his own and even fall in love with her without turning into her
lap dog. An adult, a real man -- not the type who'd find a fling with an
alien more emotionally satisfying than lasting love with his best friend,
faithful compatriot, and respected leader. He was a storyteller -- it was
the story about himself which he told Janeway in "Resolutions" which
cemented their relationship, and it was the stories about love he told
Neelix in episodes like "Twisted" which made me think that he actually knew
something about love which only maturity and sensitivity could provide.
	In this episode, Kellin (looking like an older, dowdier version of
Kes, the former Voyager babe) recites three times that Chakotay is a very
kind man. But he's also the kind of macho dope who'd grab an alien in the
brig by the collar. Chakotay says at the end that he fell in love with
Kellin twice. He calls that love? A few conversations about how she wants
him and a tussle on the couch, behind the back of the woman he once
described as his savior? Then there's his taking romantic advice from
Neelix -- now that's a role reversal. He's completely passive, a man who
takes orders from women -- ANY woman. What a cliche, and what a joke.
Chakotay's nothing
but a typical Star Trek guy, except he doesn't have the values,
intelligence, or strength of a Kirk or Riker. He contributes nothing to
this franchise beyond his good looks. Even Seven does more than that.
(Janeway, thankfully, was not in this episode much, being off repressing
her humanity on the holodeck or something.)
	"Unforgettable" was stupid from a story standpoint, like the
ridiculous gimmick which made people and machines forget all contact with
the Ramora via some unexplained magic. Plus the directing was dreadful --
close-ups of Beltran and Madsen which made them look bloated, bad mood
music, gratuitous physical contact. Madsen's performance was flat, though
it's not her fault that the script called for her to fall into a swoon in
Beltran's arms on three separate occasions. Nor is it her fault that
Robinson, director of the sexploitation episode "Blood Fever," made sure
Chakotay's first view of Kellin was of her shapely stockinged legs sticking
out beneath a console. It's obvious, cliched, and boring. My father (a
member of Voyager's target audience by definition, being male) called me
when the episode was over to announce that it was the most boring episode
ever. I agree, but I thought the guys were supposed to like it!
	Since I'm a woman and it's my duty, I turned on UPN's new "Love
Boat" series this week. On that show, the former navy captain (who DOES get
to get laid) has an obnoxious pot-smoking 15-year-old son who wears a
Voyager T-shirt. In case we somehow missed it, this fact was pointed out by
both the cruise director and the teen's pert little girlfriend, who said,
"So, you like Star Trek?" like that was sooooo coooooool! I'm sure all the
teen-age boys who watch "Love Boat" and don't watch Voyager will be sure to
tune in now. It's The Love Boat where you never have to grow up or stop
meeting new babes.

--Sara Unger

	I've never been one to mince words, and with that said, I thought
this episode was pretty lousy. Normally, I would be happy to see so much of
Robert Beltran, but with scripts like this, he's better off in the
background. The alien bimbo of the week was a cross between Kes and Riley
Frazier, except she had different ears. I've never heard of Virginia
Madsen, and frankly, she made so little impression on me that I don't care
if I hear from her again. "Unforgettable" was so mind-numbing that I had
trouble concentrating on what little plot there was. Perhaps the aliens
zapped me with their ray gun, and after forcing myself to stay awake for 60
interminable minutes, I wished they had.
	I'm sure that Robert Beltran was happy to finally get laid and put
an end to his role as Janeway's lap dog. Kellin, the alien bimbo of the
week, stormed right into his life and into his bed without a moment's
thought on Chakotay's part. Let's forget about competing with a monkey for
Janeway's attention, and let's pretend that New Earth never happened,
because for JetSkiers, the romance is officially over. A year ago, or maybe
even a few months ago, this would have bothered me, but after seeing how
pathetic these writers are at writing relationships, I am GLAD they've
called it off. Kellin's little seduction scene was about as lame as they
come, and in the instant where she kissed Chakotay, his face looked as waxy
as something out of Madame Tussaud's. Both players could have been replaced
by cardboard stand-ups and no one would have noticed, and I can only
imagine the glazed look in their eyes as they rehearsed this scene. Some of
you may be familiar with Beltran's work in "Kiss me a Killer," and rest
assured, he was far more lively in that flick than his leaden performance
in "Unforgettable."
	And let's not forget Janeway, shall we? Tell me, if you were
commanding a starship, would you instantly trust an alien's word, give her
asylum, provide her with access to your security systems and astrometrics
lab, and make her a member of the family? Kellin made herself real cozy
next to Seven of Nine, and I started to wonder if they even need Janeway
anymore. She had so little screen time that I wondered why they even
bothered. In recent weeks, Seven has assumed the captain's role. She orders
senior officers around, and they're dumb enough to obey her. Every command
decision Janeway makes is countermanded by Seven, who usually manages to
make Janeway look stupid and incompetent. For the brief moments we got to
see Janeway, I thought she looked foolish. Pardon me, but they're a long
way from Kansas, and continually putting your vessel at risk is suicide,
especially for one person you don't even know. When Janeway did this in
"Basics I," it was a little different, because she was going after
Chakotay's alleged son. But Kellin is an unknown factor, and therefore too
great a risk.
	"Unforgettable" did have a few bright moments, and they had little
to do with the main plot. Seven and Harry's discussion about procreation
was quite amusing, and I also enjoyed Tuvok's discussion with Chakotay
about where Kellin would fit in. That'sit, folks, two little scenes; the
rest was pointless garbage.

--Elizabeth Klisiewicz

	Well, this one was definitely mistitled; "Forgettable" would have
been more appropriate. While it was nice to see Chakotay get some screen
time, this episode was a definite disappointment. I don't know that I can
find anything nice to say about it.
	First of all I felt that the whole story was rather absurd. An
alien race that emits a pheromone causing anyone who comes into contact
with them to forget them within hours of their departure? How could those
pheromones have caused the Doctor's tricorder not to read her? Furthermore,
how can it be that pheromones would produce the exact same response in
different species? In my opinion the pheromone aspect of this story was a
rather lame attempt on the part of the writers to explain why this species
was forgotten.
	If the writers were looking to use this episode to destroy in the
minds of the J/C fans the possibility of that relationship going anywhere,
they could have done a much better job in almost any other way. Better yet,
they could have just continued to ignore it completely. Instead they threw
this plot at us trying to convince us that Chakotay has given up on Janeway
by falling in love with an alien woman. I can't help but wonder just how
much in love with her Chakotay really was. Could it be he'd just gotten
tired of waiting for Janeway to make up her mind? Kellin was beautiful and
very obviously adored Chakotay (not that I blame her for that!) and I think
it would be difficult for Chakotay to resist her. He's been pretty much
alone for four years now and of course, he wouldn't have wanted to hurt her
feelings just because he couldn't remember her. I also think it quite
possible that he could have been influenced by guilt for the same reason. I
think Chakotay would have a hard time willingly hurting anyone, let alone a
woman who claimed to be in love with him.
	I just don't believe that Chakotay was really in love with Kellin,
though. But since he became so involved with her, there should have been
some scene between him and Janeway where they resolve to remain friends and
nothing more. In fact, I feel that it was out of character for Chakotay not
to discuss his feelings with Janeway.
	While Robert Beltran seemed to do the best with what was given to
him, I think the story was awful, the pheromone aspect difficult to
swallow, and I really hate these kinds of endings. Because the crew will
forget everything relating to Kellin and her people there is NO resulting
character development or any progress in the stories of these people's
lives. Because there couldn't possibly have been any character development
in this episode -- as with "Time and Again" and the "Year of Hell" episodes
-- I feel that I wasted a good hour of my time on nothing. 	Oh, but I
did find something nice to say: It was good to see them recycling Kes'
ears.

--Kimberly Peterson

	I tried to keep an open mind during this episode. I really did.
Admittedly, I've always loved the Janeway/Chakotay dynamic, and hoped that
they would share more than command. Because that seems unlikely at the
moment, a bit of romance for Chakotay might be a welcome change of pace, or
so I thought. He can't wait forever to see if Janeway can handle a love
life. I tuned in with some interest.
	The interest was short-lived. The story was pure fluff, pleasant
enough to watch, but very superficial, with none of the moral dilemmas,
mysteries, crises, or character development that make Trek so engrossing. I
realize there are only about 45 minutes of actual show time, but there is
no credible buildup for Chakotay's falling in love. Kellin keeps telling
him that he previously shared her feelings, but he isn't convinced. He
tells her to stick to the current facts, and stop talking about feelings.
Even when Chakotay becomes convinced that Kellin is telling the truth about
the previous visit, and commits Janeway to firing on the pursuing ships, he
doesn't exhibit any strong personal feelings for her. Then, after only a
couple of further shallow encounters, she confronts him about staying or
leaving, and he tells her to stay. The die is cast. Already.
	Later on, Chakotay does tell Kellin that he's in love with her
(otherwise, we'd never know), but the idea is so unconvincing that
Chakotay's feelings have to be brought to our attention by Neelix, the
tracer, and Seven with her speculations, in case we don't understand that
he is in love. As for the kissing scene, Chakotay's participation gives a
new meaning to the word "wooden." If he is supposed to appear mysterious
and intense, it doesn't work. He just sits there like a lump, so it's
fortunate that Kellin knows what to do. Perhaps it is the camera angle that
makes him look so passive. Or perhaps I'm comparing it with a spectacular
kiss on DS9 the same week. It makes one hope that if Chakotay ever has a
love scene with Janeway, (loud cheer) he will have a good director.
	Even character development for Chakotay seems unfortunate in this
episode. It is disappointing that he capitulates so quickly to a pretty
woman with her own agenda. He comes across as easily led, with little
personal authority or depth. It doesn't jibe with the more interesting and
engaging person we've seen in many episodes so far, and it certainly
doesn't match the Chakotay who was single-minded in his dedication to
Janeway and to Voyager and the crew. The guest star, Virginia Madsen, is
more believable and does a decent job with pretty flimsy material. She
reminds me of Kes - it must be the ears.
	Other nitpicks: 1) I did mention the less-than-stellar writing, and
I think these are new writers for "Voyager." This episode and "Vis-a-vis"
(also by a new writer) are, in my opinion, the weakest of Season Four. 2)
The director should not have retained that shot of Janeway leaning over the
biobed; it was extremely unflattering. (Actually, I don't find the newest
flat hairdo very flattering. Why didn't they keep the one from "The Killing
Game" with the sides swept up and the back loose?) 3) Neelix's final speech
on the nature of love is cringe-inducing. 4) This is the pettiest of
nitpicks, but Kellin had long blond hair, Kes had long blond hair, Seven
(in "The Killing Game") had long blond hair, Riley had long blond hair...
	With all this out of my system, I still love Voyager and everybody
on it, but couldn't love this episode. As others have probably said, it was
eminently forgettable.

-- Barb English


LIVING WITNESS
RATINGS: 5.4/3.5/4.2

	This, like "Tuvix," was an excellent but disturbing episode. At its
crux, "Living Witness" asks whether we can ever truly know the facts of
history, or if they're always so subject to interpretation that the truth
can never enable us to move beyond the old conflicts. It suggests that in
most cases, we can't -- and maybe we shouldn't try -- which is a very scary
attitude.
	It seems obvious that the U.S. Holocaust Museum was a model of
sorts for the Kyrian museum. I have always been bothered by the extent to
which contemporary Judaism is defined by the Holocaust -- the fact that a
museum commemorating the near-genocide gets more attention than museums
celebrating living, thriving Judaism. The emphasis on death in the
fictional Museum of History, rather than on what Kyrian culture was all
about, is quite unnerving in a similar way. On the other hand, I don't
think there are many people with any education who have not been educated
about the Holocaust or who fail to understand the historical and social
implications of what the Nazis did, which is vitally important on a global
scale to prevent its reoccurence. Yes, there are revisionist nuts who claim
that the Holocaust never happened, but most people understand that the
atrocities were real, and were carried out by ordinary people, not an
isolated group of monsters.
	Is this episode suggesting that it's not fair to have only the
perspective of the slaughtered represented, and we need equal time for the
Nazi point of view? It's interesting that the Kyrians are obsessed with the
origins of the genocide (and with proving their innocence, as if one should
have to prove innocence to be spared ethnic cleansing) rather than with the
effects of the crimes. The ending of this episode is ridiculously pat.
We're supposed to believe the Kyrians agreed a false myth of origin
justified centuries of oppression and slaughter? And the Vaskans agreed
that being restored to the role of good guy during the initial conflict
made them feel empowered enough to look for common ground with a
millennia-old enemy? It's thoroughly unrealistic, and doesn't address the
troubling questions raised. If Janeway wasn't really a Hitler, does that
mean that it's fine to believe Hitler wasn't really a Hitler, or was only
"a Hitler" from the point of view of the winners, because he would have
justified his actions had he successfully conquered the world and wiped
away anyone who spoke against him?
	I thought the Voyager episode "Remember" did a more subtle job on
those kinds of issues. Revisionist history is a very dangerous subject for
Trek -- which is not known for subtlety in dealing with big political
issues like this one. We never learned anything about either the Vaskans or
Kyrians beyond their hatreds: I still have no idea what the war was over in
the first place. Is that irrelevant? If so, then the Doctor was right, and
all of history should be irrelevant -- only its effects are real. Of
course, that would suggest that people are doomed to repeat the same
mistakes, as they so often do anyway. I have an impossible time relating to
the young Kyrian who fantasized about the heroic explorers despite the fact
that they were considered mass murderers. There was never a time when I was
so young that I could have had idealistic fantasies about Nazi heroes
separate from the knowledge of what they'd done to my own relatives. I
guess things change over 700 years, but if that's the case, one would think
-- or hope -- that the fighting wouldn't break out again quite so fast.
	The cast was great in this episode, particularly Kate Mulgrew, who
was Janeway enough to be recognizable and also pure evil. I am sorry to say
that I dug some things about her, from her casual friendliness with Tuvok
to her apparent relaxation in her own skin, lounging comfortably on the
bridge as if it's obvious she owns the place. I also thought the slick hair
was considerably sexier than the dowdy bob. Yum. Robert Picardo gave an
elegant, restrained performance, but I almost wished for more emotional
intensity at the end, when the Doctor realized how much was at stake.
However, I must ask: backup EMH? A handful of episodes ago, when Tom took
over Kes' duties in Sickbay, it was clearly stated that Voyager does not
have a backup EMH! Come on, lazy writers, at least give us a one-line
explanation!
	I wish the characters got dialogue this witty when they were NOT
alternate-universe versions of themselves. Why is it that Trek does evil
twins better than ongoing characters (like Torres, who was completely
absent from this episode except in mention due to Roxann Dawson's maternity
leave, but when the alien said she was chief transporter operator and the
Doc remembered mostly her beauty and sensitivity, I had to say that was
about right). Although I mostly liked the writing of "Living Witness," it
seems necessary to mention the similarity in concept to "Babylon 5's"
superlative last-season-ender "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars," which
also contained a holographic simulation from out of the past which decided
to correct the present.
	I am not going to bother to worry about all the stuff Voyager
apparently left behind or the three dead engineers, because I'm sure we're
expected to treat this as a reset button episode. I did flinch when the
Doctor announced that Earth was home to the crew, considering that many if
not most of them aren't human. If the point of this episode is that real
accounting is necessary to avoid social tragedies that can lead to the
repression or erasure of people from history, that seems more than a minor
point. But don't get me wrong: this was a well-done episode, superbly
directed, and quite enjoyable to watch.

--Sara Unger

	"Living Witness", written by a raft of writers, is easily one of
the best episodes of Season Four. The story opens in Janeway's ready room,
but it quickly becomes clear that we are in some sort of alternate reality.
KJ swings around, and as the camera pans across her slicked back 'do,
lusciously dark lipstick and black gloves, you half expect "Babylon 5's"
Bester (Walter Koenig) to step into the picture. We soon learn that this is
a simulation of events recorded by the Kyrians, a race who believe that
Voyager and its crew were evil incarnate and were responsible for
destroying their civilization.
	The Voyager simulation is framed by a Kyrian museum curator
(Quarren), ably played by Henry Woronicz who last appeared as Gegen in
"Distant Origin." Not only is this simulation completely erroneous, it
takes place 700 years into the future, or so we think. You see, Brannon
Braga is responsible for this story idea. Remember that totally cool Season
Two episode called "Projections" where Reg Barkley appeared and played with
the Doctor's mind (and ours) so he didn't know what was real and what was
fantasy? Well, this is strikingly similar to that, because at the end, it
turns out that yet another group of aliens are watching Quarren watching
the Voyager simulation. Kind of like the old Trek infinity mirror. They did
it with TNG's "Ship in a Bottle," and it will no doubt be recycled again in
the future.
	So in one corner, we have the Kyrians, with their version of
events, and in the other, we have a resurrected Holodoc and the Vaskans.
They look similar to the Kyrians, but they have darker complexions and
different nose ridges. This alien world is fraught with racial strife, and
the Doctor is thrust into the middle of race riots and attacks on the
Kyrians' revisionist history books. You might wonder what the Doctor has to
do with all this. In other words, what is he doing in the future? It seems
that the Kyrians found his backup module buried somewhere. Funny thing
that, because I wasn't aware that the Doctor was backed up in any way,
shape or form. Back in "Message in a Bottle," the Doctor's program was
transmitted over the Hirogen's array to the Alpha Quadrant. If there had
been a backup module, then why was Tom Paris forced to act as a medic? And
how did the Doctor get around without his mobile emitter? What about all
those artifacts? Where did they come from? Did the Kyrians take them when
they invaded Voyager? Finally, how were the Kyrians privy to all those
conversations which only involved the Voyager crew? I doubt Tedran was
talking; he was shot by the Vaskan ambassador Daleth. Daleth was present
for a good part of the simulation, but do you think he'd villify his own
people? Ah, no, I sincerely doubt it. How much time did Voyager spend with
these aliens anyway? From either standpoint, it doesn't appear to be much
time at all, so there's no way these aliens would know that Tom used to be
a skirt chaser and other small factoids like that. Despite all these
nitpicks and despite the dark subject matter, I loved this episode and
thought it was a total hoot.
	If you believe the Kyrians, then you accept that Voyager is a
warship with a triple-plated hull and approximately 30 torpedo tubes. The
senior staff has been transformed into a sullen bunch of card-carrying
Nazis with black gloves, cool hairstyles and sneering attitudes. This
Janeway likes to slouch in her chair and shoot people with a casual ease
that barely stirs the gelled back hair on her head or smudges her lipstick.
Pair Janeway with any gun and she goes ballistic; add Chakotay watching
Janeway shoot people with a dramatic heave of his chest and you have
absolute gold. Oh, Chakotay (Chack-o-tay to you) is still the captain's lap
dog, a "man of peace" who wants to give the order to stop the neural
solvent, but hey, he has way better hair and a wild tattoo, and I dug the
way he got off on violence. Harry Kim is a churlish bully who enjoys
slapping people around, and Tom has reverted to skirt chasing, name
calling, and baiting Chakotay. I absolutely loved the little squabble and
Tom calling Neelix a hedge hog. That's an insult to hedge hogs everywhere,
but that's OK. The Doctor's evil twin is some sort of cybernetic organism,
and Seven has de-evolved into everybody's favorite drone. In an
unintentionally funny sequence, Seven hits a bunch of buttons and out pop
her army of drones. For some reason, I expected them to goose step and
dance out from their alcoves with a salute. And let's not forget Tuvok, who
smiles and simpers at the captain, something which forces you to wonder if
they have some sort of "thang" going on below decks.
	Kate Mulgrew and Robert Picardo were simply superb in this episode,
and the rest were also good. It's clear they had as much fun making "Living
Witness" as I had watching it, and I only wish their real characters were
half as interesting as their alter-egos. Revisionist history is a touchy
subject, and suffice it to say that the sheer entertainment value of this
episode more than made up for any inadequacies in dealing with such heavy
subject matter. In summary, "Living Witness" was a fun and rather
compelling episode that is a definite keeper.

--Elizabeth Klisiewicz


DEMON
RATINGS: 5.3/3.3/4.3

	This episode is certainly a dream for fan fiction writers who
always wished the crew would settle on a nice (?!) planet someplace where
they didn't have to act like Starfleet officers. I enjoyed it, particularly
the performances by the regulars, but sheesh, was it silly! I'm not even
going to wonder how that liquid stuff managed to replicate a lifetime of
memories along with the DNA from the crew, nor how the ship managed to keep
going at the end since it apparently never got the deuterium it needed --
that deuterium (a relatively common form of hydrogen ANYONE should be able
to find) was encased within the very substance of the alien liquid
lifeform. I also don't know how the ship had power for transporters when it
only had an hour of basic life support left, nor which of the endless
supply of shuttles got abandoned this time. Plus I suppose it would be
moronic to ask why they DID waste energy to keep the Doctor running when
there were no patients, since the answer is so obviously "comic relief."
	I liked the "Resolutions" plot stranding Kim and Paris together
forever like "The Blue Lagoon" -- OK, seriously, I liked the fact that Tom
and Harry seem to have abruptly remembered that they're friends and they
have senses of humor. I was glad to see Torres has come back from Roxann
Dawson's maternity leave, but the moment she started playing sniveling
worried girlfriend, I wished she'd leave again. The old Torres would have
thrown Chakotay against a wall and DEMANDED to be on the away team. I also
had to scream when she asked him to take Little Miss Perfect along,
especially since Seven had already disobeyed orders and come up with a plan
the captain was too chicken to try. But at least Seven's interactions with
others this episode were restricted to trying to save Chakotay and a couple
of other people, rather than saving the entire ship (which according to the
previews she will do again next week). I wonder when Seven became more
cool-headed that Tuvok, as Torres and Chakotay agreed? Tuvok didn't do
anything of note other than carry out Janeway's technobabble instructions,
so maybe he's been displaced as First Vulcan.
	Janeway had a pretty unfortunate episode, trying to panic and turn,
then inexplicably deciding to land the ship after she'd already concluded
that the planet was too risky to send another shuttle (or, rather, that is
was too risky to send Chakotay). I also think it's pretty bad form to roll
one's eyes at one's first officer on the bridge in front of everyone even
if he did do a pretty bad job landing the ship. And since when does the
captain leave the bridge during a crisis to see if her sick crewmen are OK?
Oh yeah, she did the same thing when Ensign Wildman had her baby in the
middle of a crisis, but still. Ensign Vorik was back, imitating Paris for
Torres. Enough said on that subject.
	Where in heck was the discussion on the ethics of cloning, the obligation
of the crew to the duplicates they were abandoning, and all that? Hmm,
since it's silly to believe that clones inherit one's memories, I guess the
whole debate would have been silly, too. The science was a joke, the plot
had holes bigger than those pools of deuterium, and once again Seven showed
more initiative and gumption than either the captain or first officer. But
then again, so did Ensign Kim. Still, the episode used almost the entire
cast, some with restored personalities from previous seasons, and I wasn't
bored even when I was snorting in disgust. All in all, I'd have to say this
was one of the better episodes of the year.

--Sara Unger

	The Hour of Hell. Well intentioned, abysmally executed.  Comedy
anti-matter...even the few good lines get annihilated in a vast apocalypse
of unfunniness.  Why they thought this would make a good lighthearted romp
is beyond me.
	Only bright spot: Harry got to keep his new attitude the rest of
the season. Well, that and the flashing nipples on Seven's environment
suit, offering Morse Code answers to Frequently Asked Questions. ("one stop
yes they are real stop").  These high points aside, "Demon" is one of the
few Voyager episodes I'd actually consider taping over with an episode of
Family Matters.

--Jim Wright

	"Demon" is destined to be one of those episodes that divides fans
down the middle. It was light on special effects, devoid of compelling plot
points, and full of specious technobabble. Directed by Anson Williams
(Potsie from Happy Days) and scripted by Ken Biller, who is generally a
captain's worst nightmare, "Demon" reminded me forcibly of old and
much-loved Voyager episodes with its long absent character interaction. Oh,
I suppose you could say the dialogue was lame, but let's face it, Tom
Paris' jokes have always been lame. And did you see that long, lingering
hand that Janeway placed on Chakotay's shoulder? When is the last time you
saw that happen? Not only that, but for the first time in recent memory,
Seven was not the hero of the hour. She assisted in the search for our two
errant crew members, but Chakotay upstaged her when she overlooked the
footprints in the dirt. I liked that, and I also enjoyed his little quip
about Indian scouts. I've always felt that Chakotay has a sense of humor,
and it's about time we saw a glimpse of it.
	The long-absent Roxann Dawson was finally present, even if only for
a few brief moments. And while Vorik is one of those annoying peripheral
characters they allow to live because his real life counterpart is related
to screenwriting royalty, I didn't mind him too much. He has about as much
screen presence as an orange rind, but I'd rather hear him drone than
listen to Neelix whine about his pillows. OK, I'll admit that the scene in
Sickbay had its moments, but those were due to Robert Picardo's skill in
rescuing even the most vapid scenes, not in Neelix's sorry attempt at comic
relief.
	Harry and Tom are one of the better pairings on this show, and I
like their buddy humor. Some of their lines sounded kind of forced, but it
doesn't matter, because Wang and McNeill have great chemistry, and their
characters' friendship is well-established. Just as "Resolutions" and "The
Chute" spawned a flurry of fanfic, so will this episode. Not only is there
great P/K potential, but we also have the clones of the rest of the crew.
	Plotwise, "Demon" was a great heap of cow dung. I can buy the fact
that Voyager is running out of fuel, but they never told us whether they
got anything beyond those few kilos they beamed up at the show's halfway
point. I guess we can safely assume that if Janeway mandated that the crew
supplied the silver blood people with DNA, then she made damned sure she
got her deuterium before leaving orbit. In summary, I give this a 1 for
plot and a 9 for character development.

--Elizabeth Klisiewicz

	As a Trekkie, after watching episode after episode of four
different series, I am used to figuring out an episode and the path it will
take, before the episode ends. It's unconscious. However, with this week's episode, I could not get a handle on how the episode would end itself, not until
Other Kim explained things to Janeway.
	I was so glad to see that the writers finally remembered Paris' and
Kim's friendship. And most importantly, I'm glad that they gave Kim a
chance to grow up. It's about time.
	I really liked this episode. It was another one that kept me
guessing just as I do with other programs that I watch. Did the deuterium
purposely deteriorate Paris' and Kim's environmental suit? Are Kim and
Paris dead? They're alive, but have they been taken over by an alien force?
They can't be left behind, so what's the solution to anti-bioforming? Is
this stuff really a branch of the Changelings? This is just some of the
stuff that went through my head throughout the hour.
	The ending was great! Especially because when the ship ascended and
showed more than a hundred bodies standing on the surface, I couldn't help
my gasp of shock -- even though I knew that the crew would accede to Other
Kim's request. Things are really going to get interesting when Alpha
Quadrant scientists come across the Demon planet in the future. I thought
that the way the scene was presented by the director and the
cinematographer was fabulous because it evoked something. Just as the
writer, evoked something with Other Kim's poignant speech about sentience
and survival.
	Finally, because I'm a Trekkie, I nitpick. And I want to know why
Tuvok wouldn't let Neelix carry that little itty bitty book with him. What
was the harm. Furthermore, wouldn't carrying his blanket mean that he
wouldn't need to be issued one from stores or used needed power for
heating.

-- Rhonda E. Green


ONE
RATINGS: 5.3/3.4/4.7

	Well, Voyager's writers have finally found a way to perfect what
they've been doing in principle all season: declare the rest of the crew
irrelevant and make it the Seven of Nine show. Actually, although I became
tired of her attitude (the Doc shared those sentiments, but then became
such a whiner that we HAD to root for Seven instead), this was a reasonably
engrossing episode, not sticking too long with any one genre and permitting
Jeri Ryan to show some range.
	"One" started as an adventure story, with Captain Janeway making
yet another bad decision that paid off only because of sheer dumb luck. If
the bioneural gel packs had failed simultaneously instead of sequentially,
the ship would have rotted in the nebula forever, and if Seven's implants
had rotted just slightly more quickly, they all would have died anyway. A
year out of the way doesn't sound so bad, given the odds and the longevity
of the journey. I laughed when Chakotay lamented that Seven is now
Janeway's pet instead of himself -- that is, when he commented on the trust
between the captain and the Borg despite the enfant terrible's behavior.
But he tucked his tail between his legs and went along with her once
Kathryn patted him on the shoulder like she used to do.
	Then the episode became a twisted sort of character comedy, with
Doc accusing Seven of acting too Vulcan and Seven accusing Doc of whining
too much. They were both right, and the Spock-McCoy parallels were cute.
The segue into girl-in-danger thriller was a bit too unsubtle, as it was
obvious from the moment the arrogant alien saw her catsuit that he was
going to try to rape Seven. The bad news in terms of drama is that it was
impossible to fear for her breasts of steel, though that was also the good
news, because I find gratuitous threats of rape extremely offensive and was
glad I didn't really need to worry.
	Once the alien was dispatched, however, the episode got
interesting. I liked seeing Seven vulnerable, exploring what it means to be
Borg among humans. Her nightmare of frigid isolation was very telling. I
wonder what it means that she programmed a holographic Janeway in a sexy
red dress? NOT that I am complaining. For all the misogyny of Seven's
costumes and her gratuitous questions about sexuality, she and Janeway
don't seem to have much use for men, so maybe I should look at this as the
ultimate feminist statement. But thenagain, Seven and Janeway spend more
time bailing each other out than exploring strange new worlds.
	I wish Seven would develop a better sense of humor; hers is flatter
than Tuvok's, so her banter with the Doctor has a nasty edge rather than a
witty one. Nonetheless, if we're stuck with seeing her at the expense of
virtually every other character, I prefer episodes like this which show us
what makes her tick, rather than the sort where she saves the ship without
learning anything at all.

--Sara Unger

	 "One" may be one of the last episodes written by Jeri Taylor, and
it will certainly stand as one of her least memorable scripts. You may
remember "Persistence of Vision" and "Coda" with fear and loathing, but at
least you remember them. "One" may only be remembered for the rather
shallow pleasure of seeing Janeway in red velvet, because there certainly
wasn't anything original about seeing Seven save the day for the umpteenth
time. Jeri Ryan can carry a show, but enough is enough. Haven't we seen
enough of her for one season? Raise your hand if you're heartily sick of
seeing her plastered on every magazine and featured in every promotional
advertisement for the show. If she's so great, then why don't they kill off
the rest of the cast and be done with it? Great physical features can only
take you so far, and in about 15 years, she won't be able to count on that
either. Lucky for us that she's a decent actress, because otherwise, they
might as well have put the viewers in stasis, too.
	 Even though Seven is rude and arrogant, I still enjoy her
encounters with the rest of the crew. Pairings with Tuvok and the Doctor
are especially effective, so this episode worked until the Doctor went
off-line. By that time, Seven's only company was a pack of hallucinations.
I wasn't even sure that her initial encounter with the alien was real, but
how could she have imagined something so visceral? And was anyone
disappointed when she woke up in Sickbay? If the Doctor was off-line and
Seven was out of commission, then who woke up the crew? And how did her
implants protect her from the nebula's radiation? And did they explain why
the ship's shielding was ineffective against the nebula? I'm used to this
kind of sloppiness from other writers, but there's no excuse for someone
like Jeri Taylor. I'm also used to blatant omissions like forgetting to
mention the alien's fate, but perhaps he was merely an illusion.
	 Like other recent episodes, "One" contained some unintentionally
funny scenes. Perhaps the most comical sight was seeing the bridge crew
gasping for air. As they lay there like dying fish on the deck of a
trawler, I couldn't help but imagine that we were actually viewing an
outtake of the actors' reaction to being blessed with such leaden prose.
Let's hope Jeri Taylor has better luck with her fiction writing career.

--Elizabeth Kliziewicz

	I don't know about you guys, but I remember that when I was a
latchkey kid, my mommy told me never to open the door for a stranger and
only to neighbors who had already been authorized. Either Seven of Nine
decided that Janeway didn't know best or she felt that she was following
this "Starfleet" way, i.e., open-door policy, of treating the unknown by
letting this alien on board the ship. Thankfully, I found out that she was
merely going insane.
	Although I was disappointed with another Seven of Nine episode,
this one was very good. I liked the idea of learning how Seven of Nine
would deal with having only one other person to talk to for over a month.
It got even more interesting when the Doctor was made unavailable to her 30
percent into their journey. I was right there with her and the Doctor as
they growled at one another and as they repaired the ship's systems. I
truly thought that there was an alien on board the ship. I feared for the
Doctor's loss. I was on edge as the clock counted down to the edge of the
nebula, cheering for her to hang in there. I was upset with her as the crew
accused her of having no feelings, wanting to sacrifice some to save the
rest. I was proud of her when she sacrificed herself to save those same
some.
	Last season started out strong and then the episodes leveled off.
The episodes which are memorable, are so for the performances of the actors
in them, not necessarily the story idea or the story's writing. I feel that
this episode was an example of how The Powers That Be have been able to
continue having good stories throughout the season, "The Killing Game" and
two hours forever lost from my life notwithstanding. This story was well
told, but the timing was on target. I have come to expect spending more
than half of the episode setting up the situation and a third of the
episode dealing with it, leaving the ending of something very complicated
and convoluted to be solved in the remaining five filmed minutes. It was
really nice to see all segments of the situation given a proper amount of
time -- not too much or too little. It was good to see that some planning
went into effect during the writing process.
	This episode also finally ended the season-long socialization of
Seven of Nine by giving her an example of what life was like alone. What
the Doctor's, and everyone else's, lessons could not do, experience did. I
was impressed with the writers for this episode, considering that the
serious subject of psychology was not only tackled, but handled quite
adequately.
	I thought that the final scenes were fabulously done. I myself was
ready to scream with all of those voices speaking at the same time,
relaying how awful a person Seven of Nine was and what she was surely
thinking of doing to save her own hide. Therefore, I am pretty sure that
she was ready to go ballistic. It's one thing to have a thousand murmurings
in your mind's background. It's a whole other thing to have a selective
group of distinct voices and personalities screaming at you calling you a
killer!
	As a note, as a Classic Trek fan, my heart sang when I heard the
words, "mutara and nebula." It was the second time that ST: VOY was able to
mention something from the original series without being derogatory.
	And as a nitpick, could someone please tell me why, after four
years of living together and since Seven of Nine has eidetic memory,
pronouncements such as "This crewman is dead" are made? Don't they know one
another's names? Wasn't that crewman deserving of more? What could have
been wrong with "Ensign Santiago is dead"?

-- Rhonda E. Green


HOPE AND FEAR
RATINGS: 5.9/3.5/5.2

	This was one of Voyager's better episodes this season, but like
most of the better episodes this season, its plot was recycled from a
previous science fiction series. In this case, the original was Space
1999's "The Bringers of Wonder," where evil aliens pretended to give the
crew super-fast ships but were really only trying to lure them to
destruction. What made "Hope and Fear" work was the unexpected motivation
of Arcturus: he had a personal grudge against Janeway, which explained why
he would go to all the time, trouble, and expense of manufacturing a
Starfleet-model ship which appeared to have been made in the Alpha
Quadrant. Having one's species destroyed by the Borg is a believable reason
for squandering one's life work on punishing Janeway and crew.
	That the linguistic expert would turn out to be a liar and a forger
was predictable, but that wasn't really a problem. The suspense built well,
especially when it became apparent that his technology was right on the
money even if his motives were not. The new propulsion drive made no sense
-- why didn't it just open a rift into fluidic space, or something? But
then again, warp doesn't, either, and I will dispense with nits like
Voyager locking onto Janeway even though she wasn't wearing a comm badge.
From an entertainment standpoint, "Hope and Fear" was fine.
	The problem is that Arcturus was absolutely right. The season
closer deals with the question Chakotay posed in last season's final
episode, "Scorpion Part I," namely whether a Starfleet crew has any
business altering the balance of power in the Delta Quadrant and defending
the Borg for their own selfish purposes. Even without getting into a debate
about the Prime Directive, the answer would seem to be a resounding NO.
Sure, maybe Species 8472 would have destroyed Arcturus' people even if the
Borg didn't get there first, and maybe the Borg would have found a way to
assimilate them no matter what Species 8472 did. But as Arcturus pointed
out, the decision never should have been up to Janeway, an outsider acting
from selfish motivation.
	Janeway at least looked good in this episode, even if her tennis
dress couldn't compete with Seven's bodysuit. Winrich Kolbe always seems to
catch Kate Mulgrew's best angles, and he's one of the more interesting
directors in terms of angle and length of shots. Still, I'm sick of the
endless mother-daughter captain-Seven debate routine. How did they fall
this far after last week's "One"? This has been a dismal season for Kathryn
Janeway. Her relationship with Seven has proven bad for crew morale and for
her own decision-making processes. Her insistence on getting the crew home
no matter how many millions have to die is frightening.
	My very favorite part of "Hope and Fear" was when Seven warned
B'Elanna that as an ex-Maquis, she could be prosecuted on Earth, and
B'Elanna sniped back that as an ex-Borg, Seven would be even less popular.
Good honest disagreeable behavior is a lot more interesting than the
contrived philosophical debates between Janeway and Seven, and the forced
bonding between them. But amid the unrealism of Voyager, the farcical human
relationships are silliest of all.

--Sara Unger

	Again?! Did the season have to end with them, also? I like Seven of
Nine as much as the next person. I find this mentor situation interesting.
But, jiminy Christmas! Enough's enough! It might be more bearable if
Jennifer Lien as Kes had received the same exposure. However, she didn't.
Kes was on the same level as the other seven supporting characters. Don't
get me wrong. The scenes between Mulgrew and Ryan are good. But so are the
scenes between Mulgrew and Beltran and Mulgrew and Picardo. Even, I must
admit, Mulgrew and Russ. Where are they?
	I was glad someone finally remarked on Janeway's pushing Seven of
Nine to be something Janeway wanted, instead of asking for Seven's own
opinion on the matter, for assuming that Seven would want to be human.
Truly, I feel that such actions on Janeway's part are only natural and
expected. But, as a viewer of a particular program that has usually sought
to ignore an issue, it was good to see it confronted.
	While the idea of the ship being an alien trap didn't occur to me,
I did wonder why Starfleet would send a ship without replicators. Aren't
they standard equipment everywhere? Ships, bars, apartments? And, no
shuttlecraft? How was the crew supposed to replenish supplies if it became
necessary to do so, since there were no replicators? In an organization
which lives on redundancies -- backup systems for the backups -- the lack
of any kind of safety net would have raised my hackles.
	The scene between Torres and Seven of Nine was a good one. Here are
two outcasts musing about the reception they would receive. The two women
share the same high levels of knowledge in engineering matters and the same
low levels of tolerance; therefore, they could never be best buds. But,
they still have a lot in common: a heritage that they are in denial of;
needing to belong but wishing that that need didn't exist; a mentoring
relationship with a commanding officer who that brought them into a
particular situation; etc. I wonder if this will ever be explored?
	In that vein, it was also pleasing to see a bit of continuity
combined with thoughts of far- reaching effects, in that we see Voyager's
relations with the Borg had different results for different people. As I
was supposed to do, I felt for Arturis and his loss. Like Janeway, I could
only think of winning the battle against Species 8472. It didn't occur to
me that they had cheerleaders among the Delta Quadrant's denizens.
	A mundane at my workplace found the episode implausible and didn't
like it, but I thought that it was a fairly good ending for the season and
a good episode in its own right. It brought to light many questions about
the resident cyborg, who I had hoped had more to offer the show other than
her physical subsidies. Will Seven of Nine ever oppose Janeway's
instruction? How will Seven of Nine feel about going to Sector 001? What
other Borg technology remains in Seven of Nine's body?
	The episode brought closure to events of the past year: Seven of
Nine becoming less of a machine, more of a person; Starfleet's message from
"Message in a Bottle"; and the conflict with Species 8472. For these
reasons alone, the episode deserves recognition. The show seems to be
taking itself seriously as a drama program with an intelligent audience.
Situations were solved in months' time instead of minutes.
	The only problem I had with the season ender, other than the new
"co-star," was that it signaled the end of any opportunities to revisit
unresolved emotions between Starfleet and Maquis, leaving the small scene
between Chakotay and Torres in "Message in a Bottle" as the only reference.

-- Rhonda E. Green

Hope and Fear

	The anti-"Prey."  One of the better Janeway episodes of the season.
A bookend to "Scorpion/The Gift." Janeway exhibits some much needed
skepticism, scientific ability, escape ingenuity, humor, grit and skill.
She whups Seven in sports, bests her in arguments, sees through her and
names her fears, is privy to Seven's first joke, and is there when Seven
makes the conscious decision to give up her Collective past for good.  And
she looks good in 24th-century sportswear.
	Harry gets Seven to smile. Paris gets to once again showcase his
knack for unconventional engines (vis a vis).  The crew gains another three
months toward their destination.  The Borg get a new drone.  The Starfleet
message is decoded, and plenty of new information directly relevant to
their journey home gets added to their databanks.  Seven of Nine gets a
little less uppity, Voyager grabs a new alien drive technology that could
really speed their journey home.  A rare embarrassment of riches in a
season where good luck was harder to find than deuterium in "Demon." 	It
was a decent season ender. And I was relieved it wasn't a cliffhanger.  As
good as many individual episodes were, I greeted the end of the season with
relief.

--Jim Wright


GREWPIE TWINS SHALLOW REPORT ON "MORTAL COIL"

*For this week's episode, N. leads off the discussion about the great
Goddess Kate in Mortal Coil:*

N: As for the ep tonight, DAMN Kate looked good in that white suit with the
top unbuttoned like it was. I was so distracted it wasn't even funny! The
conversation with Neelix at the beginning was cool, and the way she lowers
her voice to a whisper and puts her hand on his shoulder...mm mm mm! Her
conversation with Seven was neat, but I was so distracted by that top of
hers being unbuttoned that I missed most of it. And when Neelix told the
computer to put on the music, I was BEGGING for Janeway and Chakotay to
dance...

B: Yes, many buttons undone. It was rather un-captainly, don't ya think?
Not that I'm complaining, but it just surprised me!!! I was speechless!

N: Oh, yes, that was quite unCaptainly. *drool* I could do with a LOT more
unCaptainly behavior in that case!

B: I guess they thought they'd better up the babe factor again since Seven
wasn't prominently featured and she probably won't be wearing any "civvies"
for awhile!

N: Hey, they can make Kate the babe anytime they want! Making Seven the
babe is too easy: she's got a tiny waist, full-sized breasts, and great
shaped hips. Not to mention that she's blond and has a very nicely
proportioned face. The stereotypical "babe". But, when they show Kate as a
babe (which she is ALL the time, but anyways...), it's so much more than
what they could ever do with Seven. Here you have an accomplished,
40-something year old woman, who I happen to think is gorgeous *drool,
slurp* who has a body that looks more like your average thin woman: smaller
hips, smaller breasts, less hourglass-shaped. They put her in something
relaxed and laidback, with just a hint of seduction: her shirt is
unbuttoned. And I am a pile of goo on the floor, drowning in my own drool.
Just the way she talks to Seven, the nurturing she does. I absolutely adore
that. I could easily fall for that.

*B. stares dumbfounded at N. momentariy, thinking N. is getting a little
too cerebral.*

N: Oops. Sorry. *N. blushes at her outburst of rationalization.*

B: My favorite part was at the very beginning when she told Neelix that his
brew the last time made her "a little lightheaded." Too cute!!!!! *drool*

N: YES! The way she leaned in to him and kinda said it in an offhanded sort
of way. *drool* I LOVE those moments that don't look forced! I saw SOOO
much of Kate in that scene! *happy sigh*

*Meanwhile, a crowd of the friends of the Grewpie Twins has gathered.
Someone mentions how good it is to see a gathering of the crew in an
off-duty, festive setting. N. cannot help pointing out the most important
element of the crew being in civvies.*

N: Especially when the Captain is in civvies that are unbuttoned down to
the middle of her chest... Oops! Did I say that out loud? *grin*

B: N. says *grin*, however I think perhaps a *drool* was more appropriate.
God, N., you can practically hear it dripping off your chin! (I'm so proud!)

N: *drip, drip*

*Someone mentions that they would've liked to have seen more of the Captain
in Mortal Coil.*

N: Ya mean, maybe have that shirt unbuttoned to her navel instead of just
halfway down? Yeah, I would've liked that, too....Oops! Am I talking aloud
again?

B: Ha!! I think you're speaking/thinking for the both of us! Can you
believe it? It's almost like we're twins or something! I think we have just
witnessed the beginnings of the Grewpie Collective. Be afraid ... be very
afraid. BWAAHAAHAAAA!!!

*And, thus, the Grewpie Collective has been established. All will be
assimilated. The drooling continues next week...*

--Beth and Nance

GREWPIE TWINS SHALLOW REPORT ON "THE KILLING GAME"

Twice the episode, twice the fun...twice the drool! "The Killing Game" is a
Grewpie Twin's dream come true. From the first scene, with our dear Kate in
fierce Klingon garb (Yum!), to the very last smug grin, we drooled,
swooned, and screamed until exhaustion set in, at which point we slept
soundly with wonderful dreams of our Captain in a black turtleneck and
loaded pistol...

N: Starting from the beginning: Seeing Kate kick butt in Klingon garb
REALLY got my hormones up and running from the first instant. I *love* when
Janeway gets to be nasty and sweaty!

B: Oh yeah! Lots of grunting and groaning, and for once, it was coming from
the TV!  Hee!!

N: Yeah, it was nice to be drowned out by the TV for a change!

B: And then we see her injured on the bio bed, back in Kate Face.  Yowsa -
what an opening sequence!

N: Oh, yeah. Kate is a TOTAL babe when she's vulnerable! *slurp*

B: Yes, the Babe Factor goes up significantly when she's injured and/or
lying down.  Not that she isn't a babe all the time; this just brings out
my protective nature.  *sigh*

N: Yup, I'd love to just doctor her up myself! While I must admit that the
white tux really didn't do anything for me, that gorgeous front-upswept
hair sent me into serious spasms. And that attitude to go with it! Yowza!
Kate being coy is absolutely, totally irresistible, and she kept it up for
TWO HOURS! :P~~~~~~

B: See now, I liked the tux, although I mostly liked it due to her
Attitude. What a strut. You're right about the hair, twin of mine.  They
should keep that 'do.  You know what else I loved about the tux - it had
pockets. Something about seeing her "cop a 'tude" with hands in her pockets
does me in completely!!  My drool bib started getting wet at this point.

N: Kate in the '40's dress was an improvement over the tux, especially when
she wielded that loaded pistol (The way she slams a cartridge into a
pistol...mm mm good!), but nothing could have prepared me for the black
turtleneck, pants, belt, and jacket. Particularly against those gorgeous
auburn locks and creamy ivory skin. I almost drowned in my drool right then
and there! That first scene where they panned up from her hand to the full
above-waist shot almost did me in completely. I needed the next commercial
break to fetch a cold washcloth and smelling salts.

B: I vote for the black outfit to be standard Starfleet issue - only for
Janeway, though.

N: Oh, yes. Agreed. We should start the petition circling very soon now.
But only if they're going to keep the 'do.

B: I don't know if I could concentrate if she always wore this outfit,
though. Maybe they should just reserve it for special occasions.  That way,
our drool bibs could dry out. Sexiest scene, in my humble opinion, her
slapping that cartridge into
the gun while she tells Seven, "Let's hope not."  She gives a little cock
of her
head and slams that cartridge in - yowsa!  My heart goes pitty pat.

N: Yep! Attitude! I LOVE that scene! I thought I had somewhat composed
myself by the time part two got started. I was fine for the first few
scenes, but then we had a shot of Seven and Janeway running down the
corridor, Janeway belting a guard, and Janeway grabbing a BIG honkin' gun!
*scream!* *thunk* The neighbors started complaining at this point. The
opening credit started just in time to save me from serving jailtime for
disturbing the peace. Chakotay following Janeway into the tunnel made me
wish I was him, plain and simple!

B: Side note: Neelix as a Klingon had me in hysterics.  Can we even TRY to
guess how many out-takes they had during those scenes??  Go, Nee Nee!

N: I have to admit, though, that the sexiest part of this whole episode was
Janeway losing the jacket. Oh, but yes. Delicate, but strong, arms ending
in long slender fingers...*ahem* Janeway negotiating with the Hirogen
leader in her ready room deserves a drool bib all its own - that look she
gets when a flicker of compassion crosses her face coupled with that
babe-a-licious outfit. Yum! Janeway blowing away the Hirogen with the rifle
toward the end was pretty darned sexy, too! Go, Captain Kate!

B: I love how clever she was by tricking that Hirogen into thinking she was
weak and afraid.  And then she bonks over the head with a stick. Yeah!  And
all this while injured in the leg...whattawoman!!!  She is our hero!!

N: YES! I'd take this lady over Sylvester, Arnold, and Sigourney any day!
Go sister!

B: And she's FAR more attractive than anything else they've thrown at us -
let's be realistic here.

N: Oh, well of course! Who can possibly even compare?! No Borg implants
needed  here, baby! Well, I was personally exhausted after this viewing. I
think they should keep the hair, personally. I'm giving it the full five
drool-bib-rating. It deserves it: I required a tranquilizer to calm down
after this one.

B: Yup.  This episode had it all - great hair, great clothes, great acting,
many drool bibs required. I'll give it the full five drool-bib rating as
well. What can I say - a total thumbs up.  All Kate, All Black, All The
Time; that's my new motto. I need to go lie down...

N: Scoot over...

--Beth and Nance


***
THE FUNNY PAGES
***

TOP 10 WAYS CAPTAIN JANEWAY CAN ADJUST HER SCHEDULE SO SHE'LL HAVE TIME FOR
A SEX LIFE
By Brenda Shaffer-Shiring and Kathleen Speck

10. Four words: wash-and-wear hair.
9. Consolidate departments so she'll have fewer reports to read.
8. Substitute tennis shoes for high-heeled boots so she can get around the
ship faster. (If that doesn't make enough of a difference, she could always
try roller blades.)
7. Pencil in `sex life' in the 'exercise' slot on her calendar. (Just think
how happy the doc would be to find out there is an exercise slot on her
calendar!)
6. Stop painting on holodeck. Take photographs instead.
5. Reduce holodeck visits to one a day or less.
4. Reduce holodeck visits to one a week or less.
3. Reduce holodeck visits to...are you getting the idea, Kathryn?
2. Spend less time complaining about how lonely she is.
1. And finally: Delegate, delegate, delegate!


NO TIME
By Anneke Apperloo

Characters are Paramount's. This is based on Dee's report of the Four
Captains' Panel at Grand Slam, 1998.

	"I don't think I've ever heard that as an excuse for not getting laid."
	Captain Janeway's mouth fell open in shock. She couldn't believe
what she had just heard Jean-Luc Picard say. It took her a few moments to
recover, and say:
	"I beg your pardon?!"
	"Oh, come on, Kathryn -- we're off duty!"
	She raised an eyebrow. "And that's a reason to be rude?"
	"OK -- I apologize. I'll rephrase my statement. No--let me ask you
something: Did you have time to go to the loo in the Delta Quadrant?"
	She gave him the look she used to reserve for hostile aliens and
the Doctor. However, he firmly met her gaze. After a couple of minutes, his
grey eyes still boring into hers made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. She
felt a blush creep up her cheeks.
	"Well?"
	That was her undoing. She looked away, blushing fiercely.
	"That's not fair, you know..."
	"What's not fair?"
	She looked at him again. "What was I supposed to do? Jump into the
sack with my first officer?"
	"I didn't say that -- I just said..."
	"I heard what you said!" It came out a little sharper than she had
intended. "I'm sorry -- I..."
	He gave her a sympathizing smile. "It must have been pretty lonely
out there at times."
	She nodded. "It was." She took a sip of her coffee before she
continued. "There have been times when I seriously considered..." She
hesitated. "But I just couldn't."
	"Why not?"
	His question came as a surprise for her. Her eyes widened. "Why not?"
	"Yes -- why not?"
	She thought for a moment. "Well, what if we had had an argument,
for instance?"
	"I guess I could say you could have set your phaser on stun and
shot him, but somehow I think..." He grinned at her.
	She laughed at that, despite herself. "Any more bright ideas?"
	"Well, you could have created a holo-image of a fellow Starfleet
Captain -- James T. Kirk, for example..."
	She shot him a look. "Kirk's not my type."
	"Sisko?"
	"No."
	"I see -- well, then, who is your 'type'?"
	She licked her lips. "Looking for a opportunity to get...eh...laid,
Captain?"
	He didn't immediately know what to say to that. "Touché." The
corner of her mouth crooked into a self-satisfied half-smile.
	"Well, it's already late -- I think I'd better be going. Nice
talking to you, Jean-Luc. Goodnight."
	"Goodnight, Kathryn."
	Kathryn Janeway walked out the doors of Starfleet headquarters'
restaurant, followed by Jean-Luc Picard's eyes. He shook his head, thinking
to himself: "Poor Chakotay..."


FROM HAIR TO ETERNITY
By Sr. Mary Kathryn

	Our favorite Voyager crew sit in yet another gloomy briefing gazing
at a map of the area.
	Paris: Hey! Don't look at me! It's not my fault.
	Neelix: At least we have a map of the area.
	Janeway: This is the only way, Tom?
	Paris: Yep. If we try to go around it, it will add 110 years to our
trip.
	Janeway: Neelix, have you been able to find out any more about this
area?
	Neelix: Only that going through it will provide you with a really
short cut. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to start supper. (grins) Hair
pasta on the menu tonight.
	Janeway: (shakes her head and runs a finger through her hair) All
right then. The course seems to be set. We go through Hell Ally. Mr. Paris,
I'm expecting some hair raising flying out of you.
	Paris: (grins) And you'll get it, Captain.
	Kim: In the mean time, I'll send a probe to comb the area ahead of us.
	Janeway: Good work. You all have your orders. Let's go.
	The crew file out of the conference room and onto the bridge. In no
time at all, Tom has flown Voyager straight into Hell Ally. The ship
lurches. Crew members jerk in place. One red shirt wanna be throws himself
from the back of the bridge to the front three times before Janeway finally
tells him to knock it off.
	Janeway: (shaking and beginning to squirm in her seat as she pushes
her hair back out of her eyes) Can you do anything to avoid the turbulence,
Tom?
	Paris: (riding on his pilot's chair like a cowboy on a bronco) Nope
Captain, this was the smoothest place to cut through. (turns around and
grins at Janeway and adds) But it is a short cut, after all.
	Chakotay: (jerking around and nervously watching the captain as she
continues to squirm and tug at her hair whispers) Kathryn?
	Janeway: (suddenly jumps up out of her chair) You have the bridge,
Commander. I'll be in my ready room.
	Janeway disappears into her ready room as Chakotay shakes his head
and groans.
	Tuvok: Is something wrong, Commander?
	Chakotay: (looking over his shoulder in disbelief at Tuvok's
ignorance) You saw her, Tuvok. You know what she's going to do.
	Paris: Surely you don't think she'll do it again?
	Kim: Will someone clue me in? Do what?
	Paris: (shaking his head) We probably shouldn't have told her this
place was called 'Hell Alley.'
	Kim: Why not?
	Paris: Harry, Harry, Harry.
	Chakotay: (looks about as miserable as any one man can look)
	Kim: What?
	Paris: Remember Planet Hell?
	Kim: Yeah, what of it?
	Chakotay: (begins to sob a little)
	Paris: Don't you remember? She cut her hair. We called her
'Hell-met Head.'
	Kim: Yeah, but that was only for a week. I never did figure out how
she grew all that hair back in one week.
	Paris: And then there was 'The Year of Hell.'
	Kim: What year of hell? I don't remember any year of hell.
	Paris: Aw, Harry. Open your eyes. Don't you remember that day she
just showed up on the bridge with this (he throws his head in the direction
of the ready room) short hair style? No howdy-doody. No thank you ma'am.
Hardly no hair.
	Chakotay: (begins to sob loudly)
	Paris: Don't worry, Chak. It's already short. She can't cut it much
more than she already has.
	b Indeed. To go any shorter would mean --
	The ready room doors whoosh open. Janeway enters the bridge and
takes her seat.
	Everyone (except Janeway): BALD!
	Janeway flashes a toothy grin at Chakotay who mutters something to
himself about never being able to build a fire now.

END


[Anneke (who obviously can't be trusted with a Borg first name like THAT)
sent us the following, which she claims she got directly from the source.
We have suspicions...]

CAPTAIN KATHRYN JANEWAY'S PERSONAL LOG
Stardate 5980122

	After having made contact with a race that calls themselves "Now
Voyagers," I was invited to be the guest of honor at a special
'trans-atlantic' meeting of theirs. With two women, named Anneke and Ute,
and a man named Marco, I traveled to the location where we were supposed to
meet a woman named Robin.
	I have to admit, their means of transportation weren't that
comfortable, but, as a Starfleet Captain, you're expected to keep a
straight face any time, right?! Besides, the "Now Voyagers" were very
friendly to me -- although some of their questions made me feel a bit
uncomfortable as well, to say the least...
	"So, Captain, how come you still haven't grabbed the Commander
yet?" Anneke bluntly asked, out of the blue.
	"Oh, Anneke, come on -- leave the Captain in peace!" Ute shook her
head.
	"Besides, it wouldn't work," Marco tuned in.
	"What do you know about that? You're gay!"
	"That's below the belt, Anneke!"
	"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way -- you think she should take
B'Elanna, then?"
	Suddenly, I was very glad Chakotay hadn't joined us - although I'm
sure he would think otherwise, if he ever got to read this log entry --
since, at first, the both of us were invited, but on second thought we
didn't think it was a good idea for the Captain and the Commander to leave
the ship together for several days. Luckily, in retrospect, because the
looks he would have been giving me hearing this conversation would have
raised the 'sensory temperature' of the cabin by at least five degrees.
	"Yes, I really think Kathryn and B'Elanna would make a nice couple,
too..." Anneke mused.
	"B'Elanna's already seeing Tom Paris." Ute seemed somewhat
embarrassed by Anneke's frankness.
	"Paris can have Chakotay!" Marco grinned. It struck me how strange
these people's ideas were of the relationships between the senior officers
of a starship's crew.
	"No way -- if the Captain doesn't want him, I'll take him!"
	"Yeah, dream on, Anneke..." Ute slapped her friend on the shoulder.
"Besides, you've already got Marcel."
	Anneke made a face at her. "Thanks for reminding me!"
	Finally, we arrived at our destination. Robin seemed pleasantly
surprised to see me -- she obviously hadn't expected me to be there.
Unfortunately, she didn't have much time, so we already had to say goodbye
again, after a nice cup of (real!) coffee. Soon, the time had come to say
goodbye to Marco, as well -- he still had a long way to travel, too.
	On the way back, Anneke and Ute were quite silent. That might have
had something to do with the fact that we had left rather early that
morning -- Anneke had already confided me that she wasn't really an early
bird.
	Just when I had started to think: "Thank God -- no more
embarrassing questions...", Anneke suddenly stated: "You know, Captain --
sometimes, I think you just don't want to be happy."
	I didn't know what to say to that, then -- and I still don't know,
now. There's just that little voice inside my head, that keeps nagging me
that she might have had a point, there...

COMMANDER CHAKOTAY'S PERSONAL LOG
Stardate 5980411

	Those "Now Voyagers" are really weird people. Kathryn had already
had a meeting with some of them some time ago, but this time I was supposed
to come along, as well. And, somehow, I had a feeling Kathryn wasn't
entirely pleased with that.
	After having beamed down, we met Erna, Ute, Anneke and Marcel. I
don't know why, but he obviously didn't like me from the moment he saw me.
The three women, however, were very friendly. (If Kathryn ever got to read
this log entry, she would probably snort and make a 'smart' remark -- well,
she won't!)
	Suddenly, one of them came up with the idea to have "our picture
taken" -- very soon, it became clear that she was referring to an ancient
photographic technique, like the one used on Earth in the 20th century. So,
we had to "pose" -- how embarrassing. Naturally, Kathryn didn't turn a hair
-- there was really no other option for me than to 'play along' as well...
	To make a long story short, I can't tell you how relieved I was
when we finally were beamed up again.
	My people have a saying: "If anything can go wrong, it will" -- in
other words, the "Now Voyagers" weren't 'finished' with me, yet. They
wanted me to accompany them to a special meeting, like Kathryn had some
time ago.
	I already told you these people are a bit weird -- well, they have
really strange ideas about privacy as well. (A good thing Kathryn didn't
join us here -- I'm sure she wouldn't have liked it...)
	When we arrived at our hotel, Anneke tucked me in in the bed next
to hers, told me they were going to "check things out" and wished me "sweet
dreams". Well, I was quite tired, so I didn't really mind to get some sleep.
	Later that evening, right after I had heard them come back, she
rushed into the room, said: "Don't look at me that way -- I've just had the
most embarrassing experience of my life," and rushed out again. The next
day, she introduced me to Maaike, who would take me 'under her wing' for
the rest of the weekend. She even took me with her on stage -- I don't
think I've seen so many people together since the revolt against the
Cardassians on Dorvan V.
	Well, after a tiring weekend, I was finally 'released' on Sunday
evening.
I'm still wondering what happened to Anneke on Friday night, though.


PILLOW TALK
By Michael Emond

	MICHAEL: Hi and welcome to Pillow Talk, the radio programme where
you get to ask us, the experts, about all the personal stuff you are too
ashamed to ask your closest friends but don't mind airing to two total
strangers with thousands of people listening in. I'm Dr. Michael, a trained
psychologist, and with me today is the famous fan fic writer known as Mary
Sue.
	MARY: Hi everyone.
	MICHAEL: So Mary, can you tell our listeners a little bit about the
current story you are writing?
	MARY: Sure Michael. It is set on the Enterprise, and the Enterprise
is about to be destroyed when this new female member of the crew comes in
and saves everyone. And naturally all the male members of the crew,
especially Picard, fall in love with her.
	MICHAEL: Wow. Where do you come up with this stuff? Brilliant. I've got
goose bumps. Well I could talk about your writing all day but we have a
show to do. Why don't we jump right into the first caller. Hello Buffy?
You're on the air.
	BUFFY: Hi. I've been having a little bit of trouble with my
boyfriend lately.
	MARY: What kind of problem?
	BUFFY: Well he lost his soul and he's been really impossible to
talk to lately. All we seem to do is fight.
	MICHAEL: Buffy, I have a feeling you're not telling us everything.
When did you notice this change in him.
	BUFFY: (pause) Well, I guess after we slept together.
	Knowing looks are exchanged between Michael and Mary.
	MARY: Listen Buffy, men can be real dicks sometimes. They say they
love you, they want to be with you and then you have sex and everything
changes.
	BUFFY: But he lost his soul...
	MICHAEL: I'm sure it seems that way to you. He's probably abusive
towards you, cold, plays head games with you...in short he is soulless. It
seems to me he wasn't ready for a commitment, maybe he is a bit too young.
	BUFFY: Actually, he is over 200 years old.
	MARY: Believe me Buffy, men never grow up no matter how old they
are. I think you should dump this loser and move on.
	BUFFY: Well...I did trap him in a vortex of eternal hell last week.
	MICHAEL: That's a good start Buffy, you got him out of your life
and you can start to move on. You also probably should burn any pictures
you have of him. Thanks for your call Buffy.
	MARY: I can't tell you how many times I wished I could have pushed
my ex boyfriends into a vortex of hell.
	MICHAEL: Next caller? You're on the air.
	KIRK: Hello...my...name...is...James T....Kirk.
	MICHAEL: Caller, I think there may be something wrong with the
connection we seem to be having a delay in your transmission.
	KIRK: No...there's...nothing wrong...I just...speak......... likethis.
	MICHAEL: Ah...so what seems to be the problem?
	KIRK: (continues in Kirk-speak) I seem to have a problem forming
long term relationships with women.
	MARY: (rolling eyes) Oh, that's a unique one.
	KIRK: I go from woman to woman as I search the galaxy. My first
officer Spock finds it highly illogical.
	MICHAEL: Sometimes it feels as if we search the galaxy looking for
that one true love when in reality we didn't have far to look.
	KIRK: What do you mean?
	MARY: Well perhaps instead of slutting yourself around the galaxy
maybe you should look for your mate in the women you already know.
	KIRK: Believe me I have tried but none of them interest me. Spock
says its because I love my ship more than I could any woman.
	MICHAEL: You mention this Spock. How do you feel about him?
	KIRK: Spock? He's my first officer. I value him as an officer and
he is my closest friend.
	MARY: You go everywhere with him?
	KIRK: I have to you see we are on this five year...
	MARY: (cutting him off) Riiight. and how long has it been since
Spock formed a long term relationship with a woman?
	KIRK: Over seven years now...at least.
	MARY: I see. I think it's obvious. You love Spock and you want to
have sex with him. Case closed.
	KIRK: What!
	MICHAEL: Now Mary, don't you think you're jumping to conclusions
here? Don't you think it is possible for two adult males to have a close
friendship or professional relationship without them being sexually
attracted to each other.
	MARY: No.
	MICHAEL: (shrugs) Shame. Well you heard her Mr. Kirk, you had
better resolve this sexual tension with Spock right away.
	KIRK: But I...(click)
	MICHAEL: Next caller, you're on the air.
	MULDER: Hi my name is Agent Mulder, I am an FBI agent. My partner,
Scully, just got shot and I need help.
	MICHAEL: Agent Mulder we are not that type of show. Perhaps you had
better call 911.
	MULDER: She's in a coma and won't wake up. I need your help...
	MICHAEL: I'm not sure how we can help you..
	MARY: Let me handle this one. Mulder do you have a lot of unvoiced
feelings towards Scully?
	MULDER: Yeah.
	MARY: Here's what you have to do...make a long speech to her about
those feelings, making sure to use her first name...
	MULDER: Dana.
	MARY:.... her first name Dana, a lot. Let her know how you never realized
how much you needed her until you almost lost her...yada yada yada...and
how you'll make it up to her if she would only wake up and give you a
chance...blah blah blah...and she should wake up just as you are saying "I
love you, Dana".
	MULDER: Thank you. Thank you so much.
	MICHAEL: The next caller comes to us from the Delta Quadrant. Hello
Kathryn, you're on the air.
	JANEWAY: Hello, Janeway here.
	MICHAEL: Hi. You're on the air.
	JANEWAY: Do you have any idea of the loneliness of command? The
pressure of having to guard yourself from your own feelings every second of
the day?
	MICHAEL: Um...no.
	MARY: Not a clue.
	MICHAEL: Do you have a relationship problem to talk about?
	JANEWAY: Mister, I'm responsible for over 150 -- give or take, 150
-- lives up here on Voyager. We are lost, they are frightened and they are
relying on me to get home. I don't have time to even consider the
possibility of a relationship.
	MICHAEL: Then may I ask why you are calling, Janeway?
	JANEWAY: (pause) If I was going to consider a relationship...
(pause) I'd really like to do the wild thing with my first officer
Chakotay. He has these obsidian eyes that can melt your soul and the way
his velvet voice can eat right through you...
	MARY: Right...we get the picture.
	MICHAEL: Janeway. Why don't you just tell him?
	JANEWAY: Listen mister, I can't for one second stop being the
Captain if I...don't you think I want to...
	CHAKOTAY: Kathryn. You just did tell me.
	JANEWAY: Chakotay? You heard that?
	CHAKOTAY: Yes I did. The whole crew did. You left the comm channel
open.
	JANEWAY: Ooops. Screw it then. Chakotay, report to my quarters in
one hour for a quick debriefing. (click)
	MICHAEL: That sounds like it'll have a happy ending.
	MARY: See what I said about close professional relationships?
	MICHAEL: I know...there is something about having to work side by
side with someone you respect and are attracted to. But knowing you can
never tell them...
	MARY: Makes the desire almost too much to bear...
	MICHAEL: Oh Mary...
	MARY: Oh Michael...
	MICHAEL: Ahem. We have to go to commercial but when we get back our
next caller Duncan McCloud thought he was the One but then found out she
engaging in swordplay with another man. He wants to know how to make love
last forever. We'll answer him when we return to Pillow Talk.


TECHNO-FANTASY
by Anne Davenport

	We love our fantasies.
	When Captain Janeway says, "Deploy the sensors," she gets:
	-- nubile, young Ensign Kim pushes a button and the sensor probes
launch right away
	-- never a problem with the sensor vehicle -- special,
made-to-order modifications to the sensors in a few hours if she needs them
	-- lines and lines of error free computer code with modifications
whenever she wants them
	-- data that is always correctly calibrated and if there is any
noise in it, Kim
	-- and Torres can remove it in about 30 seconds
-- a possible hissy fit from Seven which will in the end result in better
data --- great discoveries whenever the data comes in (usually 3 minutes
after the sensor goes out)
	When someone where I work (at a navy lab doing R&D for underwater
mine detection systems) says, "Deploy the sensors," we need:
	-- 6-12 months planning with at least 10 trips up to our funding
sponsor in Washington DC
	-- the sensor
	-- the contractor that goes with the sensor -- the funding that
goes to the contractor that goes with the sensor -- a test plan
	-- the undocumented, un-commented computer code that goes with 	the
sensor's data acquisition system
	 a project manager, project engineer, project scientist and a
handful of valid job order numbers
	-- programmers who can talk to each other -- electrical,
mechanical, and all-purpose engineers and technicians to do the displays,
the tow body for the sensor, and stake out their own turf on the project
	-- a laser safety plan and a laser safety officer (if we're using
that particular sensor)
	-- an environmental impact assessment for the test area -- 6
emergency trips to Washington with view graphs so the Office of Naval
Research doesn't cut our funding
	-- 2 riggers and a crane operator
	-- a boat
	-- 3 divers and a chase boat to keep the jet skiers away from our
sensor
	-- 3 guys named Phil
	-- good luck and hope that the Office of Naval Research doesn't
cancel our project anyway before we get a chance to look at the data we've
collected
	Yep, we do love our fantasies.


***
KATEWATCH
***

Kate Mulgrew was named the honorary mayor of Brentwood, California late
last year. Kate has lived in Brentwood for more than a decade, and promised
to bring style back to the neighborhood.

Kate was awarded the Golden Satellite Award for Best Performance by an
Actress in a Dramatic Television Series and the Saturn Award for Best Genre
TV Actress. UPN took out full-page ads in Variety and The Hollywood
Reporter to congratulate her.

Kate and Robert Beltran won a UPN poll for the couple viewers would most
like to see together on Love Boat: The Next Wave this fall. "Will there be
mischief on the Lido Deck? Star gazing starboard?" asked UPN's online
survey, which ran this spring. Kate and Robert beat out David Duchovny and
Gillian Anderson of The X-Files and Bill and Hillary Clinton, among others.
Robert Picardo, who expressed an interest in being on The Love Boat
himself, said, "I think they should do it. Keep it all in the UPN family."

Voyager's premiere episode of the fall season, "Night," will premiere on
Wednesday, October 14th at 8 p.m. (check your local dates and times). UPN
will also feature a "Way Out Movie" every Thursday at 8 p.m., one of which
will be the original film Riddler's Moon, starring Kate and Corbin Bernsen,
which Kate filmed while on hiatus in Europe this summer.

The US Postal Service announced that Star Trek has been selected as one of the
Arts and Entertainment stamps for their new '60s stamp series.


GRAND SLAM VI
Los Angeles, California, April 1998

	When I received the news that all four captains would be appearing
on stage together at this year's Grand Slam, I confess to having felt
deeply disappointed. Instead of being able to see an hour of each captain
alone, we would be given an hour of all four captains sharing the stage.
(I'm sorry. I couldn't imagine Shatner sharing the stage with anyone.) This
news, accompanied by the announcement that Kate needed to cancel her
autograph signing, resulted in depressed and pessimistic expectations of
what this year's con might produce. I should have been more trusting of the
talents of these people. The mixture of these four personalities produced
alchemy easily potent enough to richly entertain the 2,000 plus people in
attendance.
	Kate was the first captain on stage. She graciously talked of the
wonderful and good job she had. She thanked the fans for attending and then
made an alarming statement. She stated she was delighted and honored to be
there with the other three captains, "as it will be the first and last for
some of us". What did she mean? Did this mean she might not be doing this
con next year? I had just finished purchasing my ticket for next year's
Grand Slam a few hours before! Anyone interested in a sixth row, center
stage seat?
	Kate then went on to talk about the most recent season of
"Voyager." She felt this year had been challenging and marked a turn in the
series. She asked if the audience agreed with her and was met with a strong
positive response. She stated she was anxious "to see what the fifth year
brings. With Mr. Braga at the head it will be dark, mysterious, compelling
and pretty damn good." She continued to say that she loved Captain Janeway
>from the first day she walked onto the bridge. Kate acknowledged her love
and deep familiarity with Captain Janeway as a true marriage between
herself as an actress to that of the character. She stated she felt
blessed, privileged and honored to have the opportunity to experience this
union.
	Kate, in contrast with Shatner, expressed her gratitude for the
support she felt from her fans. In fact she characterized Trek fans as
possessing intelligence and a thirst for knowledge. (Shatner wanted one of
the ground rules to be that fans ask intelligent questions. Kate's response
was one of apparent shock, which was followed by a verbal reprimand. Yay
Kate!) Kate made some wonderful comments, which provided quite a few
laughs. She admitted to feeling exalted by the unconditional support from
her fans. This support she declared as "rather daunting, sort of
breath-taking, and absolutely remarkable, because I certainly don't get it
at home." Those boys!
After each captain had individual time on stage, Creation showed a
videotape collage featuring all four captains. There were strong reactions
to every captain at some point during the video, but I noticed the most
exciting, loudest response to clips of Janeway and Chakotay, and Janeway
and Q. This was the beginning of many strong messages sent by the audience
to Kate encouraging a relationship of some kind.
	When all four returned to the stage, they got down to the business
of answering questions. This started a fun-filled, witty volley of
conversation that, surprisingly, allowed each captain equal amounts of time
in the limelight. (My apologies to Shatner. He was able to share the stage.
At times, he was slightly endearing.) It was apparent during this event
that society outside the world of Trek is becoming more aware of the
feminine command role vs. the masculine command role: the feminine heroine
versus the masculine hero. Star Trek has always been popular in promoting
this type of thinking. Kate was quick and witty in her responses to some of
this male-oriented dialogue. As this question continued its volley, Patrick
Stewart noted that fans would ask him what was the difference between
himself and Captain Kirk or himself and ah -- looking at Shatner, "What's
your name again?" Shatner responded with, "In a moment of stress,
everything goes, doesn't it? Actually what I've heard is that your memory
is the second thing that goes." As the audience is howling, Kate calmly
stated, "Your gender saves you again." Touché. Also relating to gender was
Kate's answer to the question, "If you had one thing to say to your friends
in Trek, what would that be?" Kate replied, "Mine is easy, cause I'm a
girl. I don't know of another actress in the history of prime time
television who has been able to play such a dignified and marvelous,
victim-free, proud lady".
	Sadly her gender did not save her from a couple of comments. At one
point, Kate stood up to receive a gift from a fan. As she walked across the
stage, Shatner made a comment on how beautiful her legs were. Shatner! Such
a typical "boy" thing to say. The second incident where Kate was not saved
by her gender occurred when a female physician stated that she liked Kate's
hair better the first two seasons than the way it is now short. With almost
no visible reaction, Kate quickly tossed that one to Patrick Stewart by
asking his opinion on the matter. Patrick answered that he had no problem
becoming an innovator of style. A little later when the question was asked
about how much they used or didn't use from the previous captain, Kate
responded with "Well, we just settled the hair question." The audience's
response was quite supportive of Kate.
	Reflecting back to Shatner's comments, a London fan asked about
that infamous "Saturday Night Live" skit, where Shatner supposedly was at a
Star Trek convention and told fans to "Get a life!" There was a lot of
stumbling and stammering from Shatner on this one. In the end he pulled off
a beautiful explanation. He stated that "What I didn't understand though
for the longest time until I started going into the audience, is the amount
of love, the amount of universal acceptance that the audience makes amongst
itself and us. And the thrill I now have at being able to be a part of you.
But the audiences of Star Trek are unique and wonderful. And 'Get A Life'
was meant in humor and now is meant in love." Nice answer. However, the
very next comment out of his mouth, in response to the next question,
totally destroyed the effect. It went as follows:
	Female Fan: "Mr. Shatner I want to say as an 11-year-old girl growing up
in California, Star Trek was the only thing I had to look forward to and it
is one of the most important things in my life next to my marriage and my
children."
	Shatner's response? "I am really sorry to hear that." It is a
groundbreaking television series that has put money in Shatner's pocket.
Too bad he doesn't get it. It was interesting watching the other captains'
responses. Kate appeared shocked. It seemed obvious she did not approve.
Stewart tried to stifle his laughter, but was not very successful.
	A member of Kate's own fan club, Karla, initiated the question of
the hour, in my opinion. Several of the Now Voyager members had gotten
together several times during the three-day convention. We had wanted to do
something special for Kate, but confusion and our disorganization got in
the way. It was the first time for some of us. (Flower shops were closed.
Oh! This is another long story.) We ended up with two cards and an idea for
a short statement to go along with them. We checked with the Creation
people, and Karla was going to present the cards and tell Kate they were
from the Now Voyager contingent at this year's Grand Slam. Nowhere on the
cards did it explain we were members of Now Voyager. We will know better
next year. (But Kate may not be there.)
	Anyway, I was anxious to see if Karla would even make it to the
mike as the question lines were incredibly long. When Karla got to the mike
this is what she said: "In just watching the video I noticed there was a
tendency that Kirk had his ladies, Picard had his ladies and Sisko had his
ladies, I was just wondering when is Janeway going to get her man?"
Surprise! (I think Kate did get the cards after everything was over. She
just didn't know we were Now Voyager members.) Karl's question ended up
being a hot topic! The fun began. Kate answered, "Thank God she said man
and not lady! You know we've gone around and around on this one and I don't
think that Janeway can go to bed with anybody. She's got to get this ship
home. I mean, it could lend a whole new meaning to Red Alert! And I'm not
prepared to take responsibility for it. She's a little too busy, I think."
At this time it was obvious that more than 90 percent of the people there
believed Janeway should have a relationship. As a single woman myself, it
is important to me that Janeway remain independent. I started to show my
support of Kate, then I noticed the JetCers looming around me. I envisioned
them wrestling me to the ground and sitting on me the rest of the program.
Kate was STRONG to state that opinion if front of this group!
	 They were rabid. Shatner and Stewart did not help. Patrick Stewart
remarked, "I was just quietly contemplating what Kate just said about being
too busy. I don't think I have ever ever heard that before as a reason for
not getting laid!" Kate is NOT saved by her gender on this one.
	Actually, this is yet another example of viewing the female
captain's role from our current societal expectations. We take this
perspective for granted. I believe what people want to see is a little more
of Janeway's feminine attributes brought to her role as captain. Is Janeway
just filling a male's job as a male would? By the 24th century there should
be more of a balance for women. What the feminine can traditionally bring
to leadership is nurturing. Is this quest for a romance for Janeway a
straining on the viewers' part to see the feminine, or heroine, side of
Janeway?
	All in all, it was a wonderful convention. Seeing the four captains
on stage together was indeed a historical event. I am glad to have
witnessed it. Seeing Kate was my favorite part of the three days. Meeting
members of this fan club was fun, too. We are a nice group of people. Going
back to work was hard. I heard Shatner's voice saying, "Get a life." Well,
I have one. A good one. It includes Star Trek conventions and I wouldn't
have it any other way.

--Dianne Dressor


FEDCON
Bonn, Germany, April 1998

	I have always admired the German enthusiasm for Raumschiff
Enterprise. At many of the U.S. conventions I've attended and on last
year's SeaTrek cruise, there was a large group of Germans who had traveled
great distances and were quite noisy and funny. So, for me, attending a
convention in Germany was a real treat. It certainly is probably the only
time I will ever see a Starfleet uniform worn with a kilt. German cons are
different from American ones. For starters, there were hardly any children
there. I saw maybe four children under the age of 10, two or three under
the age of 18 and a few infants. And the main celebrity acts went on first
thing in the morning instead of the afternoon. Almost everyone dressed in
some form of uniform -- Starfleet or alien -- and even a few from "Star
Wars" and "Babylon 5." In fact, those of us not in uniform were the
minority. Episodes of "Star Trek-Raumschiff Voyager" are dubbed by German
actors, so this was the first time most of the audience had heard the
voices of Robert Beltran, Kate Mulgrew and Tim Russ. Someone in the
audience mentioned this to Robert, and I heard the young woman sitting
behind me state that Kate's voice was "much deeper than I thought it was."
	Saturday's program opened with a very professionally done film
about the Enterprise-E and her crew going back in time to save people at
the Maritim Hotel from a Cardassian fighter that was threatening to blow up
the hotel. There were excellent special effects in this short film,
including crew members being beamed into the Reception area of the hotel
and running down the corridors. Robert Beltran took the stage at 9 a.m. and
spoke until 10:30, then Kate appeared. I would like to have seen them on
the stage together, but it didn't happen. Kate was dressed in a beige knit
sweater, long white skirt, sandals and a colorful scarf around her neck,
but the scarf didn't last too long and wound up downstage on a prop
shuttlecraft.
	After a few minutes for photographs, Kate settled into her
monologue, starting with, of all subjects, Janeway and Chakotay. "It's
always about sex, isn't it?" she asked the audience. "It's always about
sex, and it should be." She went on to say that she thought something would
happen this year, more moonlight champagne on the holodeck with her first
officer because "she's not dead yet, right?" There was a lot of clapping
and cheering from the audience. However, before the end of her two hours on
stage, she corrected herself and said "having an intimate relationship with
him, just not sleeping with him." She also stated that sex is different for
women than it is for men -- more passionate and emotional.
	Because the Germans are far behind in the episodes (a quick glance
into the TV Guide revealed this week's prime time episode was "Basics, Part
2") she stated that she did not want to reveal any secrets. Then she noted
that they don't even know who Seven of Nine is and that they were in for a
"real treat." Later, on that subject Kate said, in a clipped voice, "Last
season, it's all Janeway and Seven of Nine and I personally think it's
overkill. It's an ensemble show and everyone should have a chance to save
the ship." The four of us in the balcony who knew what she meant clapped
wildly at her words, and I find it ironic that the headline celebrity lined
up for next year's FedCon is Jeri Ryan.
	Kate answered several questions from fans in the audience. The
lights were very bright and she couldn't see anybody in the auditorium. The
fan at the microphone would have to say "to your left" or "I'm on your
right" or even what became the joke of the event: "I'm in the balcony."
Kate would move around the stage to at least be facing the questioner, even
if she couldn't see him. Also, some of the words spoken by the fans were
either lost in translation or hard to understand because of heavy accents.
But Kate handled each question well and tried to put nervous fans at ease.
	One of the more difficult questions to understand was one asked
about the slash stories that are found on the Internet and I'm not sure
Kate actually ever understood what the woman meant. She replied, "You mean
homoerotic stories?" "Ja!" the audience replied. "These are on the
Internet?" "Ja!" the crowd answered. "You mean Janeway does this?" "Ja!"
the crowd replied again. "Is she any good?" We all cracked up at this
question and clapped enthusiastically and Kate seemed to take it in stride.
However, a few minutes later someone put a slash zine up on the stage at
her feet and when she picked it up and looked at it she said, "I am not
interested in this pornography," then tossed it onto the shuttlecraft. All
throughout her time on stage fans gave her presents of flowers, stuffed
animals and pictures and she graciously thanked each person before placing
the item on the top of the shuttlecraft. A lengthy discussion about gay
crew members being portrayed on the show followed the original question and
Kate agreed but pointed out that it couldn't be any of the senior staff
because "it's already been established that none of them are gay."
	A young man asked her how long she had been married and where did
she meet the man? She looked at him (well, in his direction anyway) and
stated "I'm not married." The fan persisted with "How long have you been
living with this man?" She replied "keep going." The man was at a loss for
words and she finally answered that she wasn't living with anyone except
her two sons and her housekeeper but she had an "intimate significant
other" and that she felt very lucky that he was a part of her life. "He's
part of the business so he understands the long hours and the commitment it
takes for this kind of show."
	She got onto the subject of hair and stated that she hates all the
fuss required to turn her into Captain Janeway. The latest hairdo is a
result of her gathering all The Powers That Be into one room and telling
them that she was no longer dealing with the ponytail -- and they relented.
(Remember that German fans still have the famous Bun of Steel.) "Which
means next year I'll have blond hair and a ponytail!" she quipped. "Now I
can go through make-up, hairstyling and wardrobe and be ready to film in
seven minutes. It only took me four minutes to get into my wedding dress!"
Hairstylists on the set are constantly picking at her between takes and she
tries to get away from them but they always catch her before she gets too
far.
	Someone asked her if she is as protective of her loved ones as
Janeway is of the crew and Kate told a little story of when she was at home
with the nanny and her two babies. "Someone broke into the house when we
were all alone there." The nanny turned to Jell-O and Kate forced her under
the bed with the babies and told her to stay there under "penalty of
death." Then she went downstairs, grabbed a butcher knife and demanded that
the intruder show himself. After a few minutes she heard shuffling of feet,
then a window smashing and then he was gone.
	She told several of the anecdotes she always tells: how she got the
job, "You know, after that other woman quit -- that French-Canadian woman
-- do I need to mention her name?" and how Rick Berman left the message on
her answering machine; the endless pranks that she and Tim play on one
another, including the spitballs on her close-ups, her taking his clothes
out of his trailer and him hanging pictures of his backside all over hers.
She calls the men on the set "the boys" and confessed that sometimes they
get her giggling so hard that she wets her pants. She didn't like the way
the tension between the Maquis and Starfleet crew members was dropped so
quickly. Hours on the set are long, often up to 16 hours, and she doesn't
have much of a life outside of "Voyager," her children and studying the
script for the next day, but she's too happy to complain much.
	A fan brought up "Manions of America," with Pierce Brosnan, and
asked what it was like to kiss him. She stated there had been absolutely no
chemistry between the two of them. "Zero. Nothing. Not even during the
passionate kissing scenes. Maybe it was because I was recently engaged and
he was married. We were both too distracted."
	Perhaps the funniest thing Kate did was to demonstrate how the cast
has to throw themselves around the setwhen the ship tumbles. "At first we
were all embarrassed, but now, after a few years, it's second nature.
Visitors on the set must have thought we were crazy." Then she started
jumping around, flapping her arms and throwing herself from one side of the
stage to the other. The audience was in hysterics -- it took us a few
minutes to recover and for Kate to fix her hair. "The hard part," she said,
trying to catch her breath, "is to get everyone to bounce in the same
direction." She went on to state that she doesn't want to direct, because
she just doesn't have the spatial sense necessary to direct an episode. "A
director would be aware of everyone in this room, where they were, what
they were doing. Me, I only focus on the person I am currently speaking
with and then I move on."
	Her hiatus so far this year has been spent with her two boys
swimming with whales in the Sea of Cortez. After FedCon, she and her mother
are going on a cruise along the Turkish coast before she has to return to
Los Angeles for filming to begin. She mentioned having been on stage two
weeks earlier with Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks and William Shatner at the
Grand Slam convention in Pasadena in what was the first time all four
captains had appeared together. She said Stewart pulled her aside backstage
afterwards and warned her, "It never ends."
	At a fan's request, and some encouragement from the audience, she
sang a verse of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for a small child. Kate
requested that the fan prove there really was a baby and he held up a
sleeping infant. Every time one of the few babies there started crying she
would stop talking and try to see where the baby was. Later, a woman passed
in front of the stage pushing a stroller and Kate stopped her, sat on the
edge of the stage and held the child for several minutes. "I just love
German babies," she said. "They have the cutest little red cheeks and I
love the way that they say [Kate does baby voice here] 'Danke.' "
	When asked about how she handled the Trek merchandise with her face
on it -- the dolls, cutouts, T-shirts, mugs, Kate replied that she didn't
think about them too much but when she does they don't bother her. Except
the Janeway action figure. "That's a rough looking woman -- I wouldn't want
to meet her in a dark alley." She then told the story of the time she was
driving home from the studio and she pulled up next to a luxury car with a
professionally dressed male driver and a Janeway doll hanging from the
rearview mirror. She tried to get the driver's attention by honking her
horn a few times, waving and smiling, but only got an angry "Whaddya want,
lady?" as he sped away.
	The subject of exercise was mentioned and Kate said that a year ago
she said she would never exercise -- that she hated it. But now, it's
different. "I exercise and run two miles a day. And yes, I have a personal
trainer." She brought up her size 4 spacesuit that she has to fit into and
the audience groaned. But she still didn't understand why women would want
to go and do this "four of five hours a day -- that doesn't make sense."
	Kate mentioned her involvement with the ICC and how this charity
benefits children with AIDS. Her voice cracked a bit as she talked about
all the children there and how their lives are so tragic and how family
members often forget them. "All of us have our problems -- all of our lives
are filled with tragedy. But the saddest thing is to die alone."
	She received several accolades from fans as they thanked her for
creating a character that women could look up to. One woman said that
Kate/Kathryn had actually helped her through a hard time in her life and at
Kate's request, came up onto the stage and gave her a big hug. Another
young woman had dressed up as Janeway/Lucy Templeton and also was summoned
to the stage. When Kate's time was up and she prepared to leave the stage,
three members
>from Now Voyager presented her with a bag containing a T-shirt, a scrapbook
with letters from fans, and some coffee.
	Judging from the lack of Kate stuff in the dealers' room, I'd guess that
she won over a lot of fans that day. Table after table had notebooks with
pages where a picture of Kate used to be, and trying to find a Janeway
action figure was almost impossible. Several of the dealers had flown over
>from the States so their merchandise wasn't anything new, although other
tables had lots of books in German and several videotapes available, in
English and German. In Germany, "Voyager" is available on videotape up to
"Resolutions." Kate didn't sign autographs at the convention (Robert did)
but she had before she arrived and the photographs with her signature on
them were available for sale at a reasonable price. I seem to recall the
emcee stating that proceeds from the sale of the photographs would go to
charity.

--Annmarie Daneker


THE OPENING CEREMONY

	The convention was officially opened by Marc Lee, who was a very
entertaining host during the whole weekend. Marc introduced the guests one
by one: Richard Arnold, Lolita Fatjo, Nichelle Nichols, Max Grodenchik, Tim
Russ, Robert Beltran and -- Kate Mulgrew!!! To our surprise and delight,
Kate was present at the opening ceremony; we had heard beforehand she would
be there for only a few hours on Saturday.
	Max pleasantly surprised the audience by greeting them in fluent
German: "Guten Abend, Bonn!" Moreover, we were absolutely thrilled by his
statement "Ich... bin... ein... Ferengi..." (During which he pulled his
mouth wide with his fingers.) Robert's remark when he saw the shuttle model
on stage -- "That looks like one of the shuttles I've crashed." -- caused
quite some hilarity as well.

KATE MULGREW PANEL

	What can I say -- she was simply GREAT!!! Even people who claimed
not to be fans of hers at all seemed to be duly impressed by her elegance,
charm and humor. I think Kate Mulgrew and Kathryn Janeway are very similar
persons -- Kate just seems to be a little happier. It really struck me that
she said she thinks the most important thing in life is love. If only
Paramount agreed with that!!!
	Kate obviously tried to make people feel comfortable -- she was
very friendly to everyone, asking for people's names, etc. She told us
quite a bit about herself -- about her children and about her partner, Star
Trek director Rick Kolbe. There was some uncertainty in the audience about
whether they were married or not. She made it clear that they aren't, and
they aren't living together either, because her children are most important
to her right now. When she recently discovered her 13-year-old son in an
animated discussion with an 87-year-old lady, and hugging her afterwards,
she concluded that such things make life worth living for her.
	She also told us some anecdotes from the set and how she and Tim
Russ played some practical jokes on each other. Apparently, she finally
said to Tim: "Did you like your life so far, Tim?" And when he answered in
the affirmative, she continued: "Good, 'cause now it's over!" This all
happened at about 2 p.m., while they had started working at about 5 a.m. --
which seems to be a normal schedule on Mondays and Tuesdays. By the way,
"Threshold" is her least favorite episode: "The ONE chance Janeway has of
having kids, and what does she have? Little lizards!" Someone also asked
her whether she had gotten any advice from the other Starfleet captains.
Then, she told us about a convention she attended together with them --
everyone stayed within the time limit of 15 minutes, except for Shatner. He
was on stage for about an hour, talking about copulating elephants, etc.
	Someone congratulated her in advance on her birthday, which is
April 29; she said she was going to be 43 then. In contrast to Robert
Beltran, she didn't make a big secret out of her age. (However, in response
to a drawing she got, she said: "Oh, I LOVE drawings on which I look like
I'm 20...") She also shared with us that she would be on a cruise with her
mother on her birthday.
	A very moving moment occurred when someone in the audience told her
how "Voyager" in general and Janeway in specific had helped her cope with
the loss of her father. Kate asked the woman to come on stage, gave her a
big hug and arranged for a photo to be taken by one of the woman's friends.
She also invited on stage someone wearing the dress Janeway used to wear in
her Gothic holonovel, after one of the look-a-like's friends had drawn
Kate's attention to her. She extensively complemented the girl on her dress
and had another photo taken.
	Of course, the sex issue was put forward, too. Kate thinks Janeway
should have sex with someone at some point "because she isn't dead, yet"
but -- NOT with Chakotay. (Hmmm... She must have been glad about
Paramount's veto to the original "Hunters" script, then.) And she also
thinks the longer Janeway waits, the better it will be. (???) Then, someone
asked her whether she was aware of the slash fan fiction on the Internet.
Her reply: "Janeway in homoerotic stories? Is she good?" Later, she was
offered a slash fanzine -- she said something like she wasn't too keen on
porn but she accepted it anyway.

When one of the Dutch Now Voyager members got to the stage to give Kate a
present, she asked whether there were more of us present. To that, we stood
up from our seats on the balcony, yelling and waving. Suddenly, a baby
started crying. Kate was asked to sing a lullaby for it, which she did.
Unfortunately, I missed that because things had started to go wrong then.
Everybody started giving her presents, so we thought we'd better queue up
as well. However, when we arrived downstairs, we were told in a typical
German way (and Ute agreed with me on that!!!) that we couldn't give
presents to her anymore. We replied that we were members of her fan club
and that they had promised us beforehand that we could give Kate our
booklet (we had put together a booklet with letters, stories, poems, etc.
the European Now Voyager members wrote for Kate). They told us to go to the
FedCon office, for crying out loud!!! Well, I figured I had two options,
then: 1) making a scene right there; 2) making a scene in the FedCon
office. I chose the latter.
	In the end, they let three of us go on stage, just in time to catch
her after her performance. (She already had her arms full of flowers -- we
were lucky we had put the booklet in a bag.) Anyhow, she was REALLY
wonderful. We all got a hug (YES!!!) and at least I got the chance to tell
her that she had changed my life and that I owed her for that. She must
have been exhausted by then, because she had been on stage for two straight
hours, giving a GREAT performance!!!
	By the way, Kate DOES think aliens exist, somewhere out there...

ROBERT BELTRAN PANELS

	In short -- I was more impressed by Robert in person than by his
stage appearances. To be fair, before I start with this not entirely
positive report, I should tell you what happened when Holly and I took a
little walk in the Maritim hotel on Friday evening, April 17.
	Suddenly she said: "Look who's sitting over there!" I just said:
"No!" while looking the other way. Then Holly said: "Let's go talk to him!"
and I said, a little louder this time: "NO!!!" But she dragged me along. I
couldn't say a word except for "Oh my God," or something, repeatedly.
	In the meantime, Holly yelled: "Hey, Robert!" AND HE TURNED AROUND
AND CAME WALKING TOWARD US!!! I was in a state of sheer panic by then --
words completely failed me and I was more or less leaning onto Holly for
support. I think I managed to say something like: "Yes," when he shook my
hand and said: "Nice to meet you." Then, two other women started harassing
him for an autograph, so his attention was drawn away from us -- luckily
for me, I guess.
	Saturday, April 18. Robert started his panel by reading to us from
a German newspaper -- I know my German's not stellar but it was completely
incomprehensible to me. Then, he asked for coffee. (Well, he more or less
demanded it.) While someone from the FedCon personnel got it for him, he
told us that he had only had one cup of very weak coffee that morning and
that he wasn't an average American, who liked it that way. After he had
emptied three cups of coffee, he asked whether people had questions. The audience seemed more or less stunned by that. We had expected him to tell us a l
ittle bit about himself, or some anecdotes from the set, maybe.
	I had the impression he didn't feel very comfortable on stage. I
must say, that really surprised me. I can imagine it was annoying for him
that the spotlights were blinding him and he couldn't see the people who
were asking him questions, but since he's been a theater actor for quite a
while, I thought he'd be used to that. Moreover, none of the other guests
complained about it.
	Robert also seemed to have a hard time remembering people's
questions. Maybe if he hadn't found their accents so extremely amusing, he
would have been able to listen to what they were actually saying...
	Because Chakotay wrecked so many shuttles on Voyager, someone in
the audience asked how many cars Robert crashed so far -- the answer was
three "but not really bad." By the way, he thinks the seemingly endless
supply of shuttles on Voyager is a typical example of the "easy way out"
solutions, common in science fiction. He's not that fond of science fiction
himself, unless it has a real plot to it.
	A lot of people came toward the stage to give Robert presents.
Apparently, one of them was a woman who had been harassing him the night
before, as he said: "So you give me a present to make up for bugging me
last night." (I must say he had a point there.)
	Sunday, April 19. Robert seemed to be a little more awake than the
day before. It was an hour later than the day before, so that might have
had something to do with it...
	He stunned the audience again by immediately asking for questions.
Someone asked whether his family had been involved in his career, since
he's the seventh of 10 children. He replied that they'd rather have seen
him become a lawyer or something until he actually started making some
money. Moreover, his nephews and nieces seem to be more interested in "The
Simpsons" than in "Voyager."
	Another interesting question was whether Paramount made the actors
do conventions. The answer to that was an explicit "No!" And since he'd
been explicit the day before about Jen Lien having been fired, I'll take
his word for it. The next question was whether he "had someone to handle
his affairs." The reply was [insert huge grin]: "I handle my own affairs!"
When it was made clear the person asking was referring to his business
affairs, like fan mail, for example, a somewhat shy "Um... no." came out,
to which someone else shouted: "So that's why you don't reply!" Then Robert
asked the person who'd been asking the question: "You want to do it?" (That
person told me later she deeply regretted having said no to it.)
	When someone asked him about something she'd "read on the
Internet," his instant reply was: "I read something in the men's room -- so
what?!" He didn't answer the question, by the way.
	I have to admit there were moments, that day, when I actually
enjoyed Robert's crude sense of humor, such as when he said to an American
soldier: "When are you guys finally getting your butts out of Germany?!"
However, I don't think I'm entirely objective, as far as this topic is
concerned.
	Another great remark -- which could have been considered sexist, if
his affection for Kate hadn't been so obvious -- came when someone asked
why the captain of Voyager never asks for her first officer's consent when
the self-destruct mechanism is activated, like the other Starfleet captains
do. "Because the captain's a woman!"

During the autograph session, that afternoon, we found out that -- even
after four (yes, FOUR!!!) straight hours of signing photos -- Robert was
very personal and friendly to everyone in line -- he obviously feels much
more comfortable when he can see people in the eye.

TIM RUSS PANELS

	Friday, April 17. The highlight of the day definitely was Tim Russ'
panel. Tim appeared to be a very friendly and open person with a great
sense of humor. Depending on the nature of the questions, he gave serious
or funny answers but he was never once inconsiderate or rude.
	He also told us some amusing anecdotes about the practical jokes the crew
played on each other, especially Kate Mulgrew and himself. He had plastered
the walls of her trailer with photos of his bare butt, after she had had
all his clothes removed from his, which in turn had been in revenge for his
throwing spitballs at her during the shooting of some important scenes.
Just like Kate told us the next day.
	Furthermore, Tim's delivery of the song "Feelings," as Tuvok would
have "sung" it, was very humorous -- completely spoken, without a hint of
feelings.
	His "least favorite character" (insert Tuvokian intonation) is --
surprise!!! -- "Neeeelix." Tim told us about Ethan Phillips' inclination to
drop his pants all the time, especially in the turbolift, just before the
doors open and while they're shooting a scene.
	Later that evening, Tim sang a song for us during the performance
of and together with Bernd Felsberger -- Paul Simon's "The Boxer" -- and he
promised we would hear more from him during the closing ceremony. We really
looked forward to that, because he's got a GREAT voice!!!
	Sunday, April 19. According to the program, we expected Tim and
Robert Beltran on stage together, but Tim came on first. Although it was
still early in the morning, he was just as entertaining and friendly as he
had been on Friday evening.
	He told us about "Roots, The Gift," a film he had done with both
Kate Mulgrew and Avery Brooks -- and he said we should definitely try to go
and see Avery Brooks on stage one day, because he's very entertaining. To a
question from someone in the audience as to whether he thought Seven of
Nine and Tuvok should get involved, Tim replied that, first of all, Tuvok's
married, but since Seven finds everything "irrelevant" and Tuvok considers
everything "illogical," they would probably bore each other to death.
Moreover, he said we would get to see more of Seven's human side shortly.
In response to his anecdote about the bare butt shots on Friday evening,
someone in the audience asked if she could have one. Tim's answer: "And
then I'll get to see it all over the Internet?! No way!!!" Well, at least
he realizes the power of the Internet.
	After about an hour, Tim introduced Robert Beltran, who more or
less jumped into his arms -- to the audience's great amusement.

NICHELLE NICHOLS PANELS

	Saturday, April 18. Apparently, Murphy's law applies for
celebrities as well -- at least for Nichelle Nichols.
	She told us that when she went to the airport on Friday, she found
her passport had expired. Luckily, one of the airport personnel recognized
her as Uhura, so she was able to get a new passport in four hours instead
of four days. However, she missed her flight anyway. With quite a few
hours' delay, she finally arrived in Europe. Unfortunately, her luggage
hadn't come with her, so she had to come to the opening ceremony in her
traveling outfit and her coat. I don't think anyone even noticed. She
looked very charming and, besides, she's a very charismatic person
anyway!!!
	Unfortunately, I couldn't see her whole panel because of other
obligations, but from what I did see of her that day, I had already come to
the conclusion that Nichelle Nichols is a very genuine, caring and wise
woman.
	Sunday, April 19. My conclusion of the day before was absolutely
confirmed: I think Nichelle Nichols is really a very special person.
	She said her autographs would probably never be worth much, because
she always tried to sign as many as possible -- and she never signs for
professional autograph hunters!!!
	When someone in the audience asked her whether she thought Star
Trek denies the existence of God, she replied that, in her opinion, Star
Trek stands for tolerance and freedom of beliefs. Moreover, she said it
doesn't matter whether He really exists or not, because as soon as you
believe in Him, He does.
	To our surprise, she even got back to a couple of questions people
had asked her the day before, to add something to what she had said, so she
had still been thinking about the questions afterwards. She also supported
someone's request for a moment of silence for the Trek actors who had died
since the beginning of the series. She sang a very beautiful song while
everybody was standing -- as I said, Nichelle Nichols seems to be a very
special person, indeed.

MAX GRODENCHIK PANELS

Saturday, April 18

	I only saw a very small part of his performance, but Max generally
came across to me as a very nice and down-to-earth person. He even came
back on stage because Nichelle Nichols was delayed and entertained the
audience for another half hour.
	Sunday, Max was doing a panel together with Lolita Fatjo, who
appeared to be his girlfriend. (They'd met on a Star Trek cruise.) Lolita
supervises the processing, printing and distribution of all Star Trek
scripts. She also coordinates the evaluation of freelance scripts -- she
advised people who want to write a Star Trek script to do a writing
workshop at a convention. (Unfortunately, there weren't any in Bonn this
year.)
	Max and Lolita started their panel by asking us which of the Star
Trek series we liked best, measured by the applause intensity. Someone in
the audience told them later they shouldn't encourage competition among the
different series. Personally, I don't think it was their intention to do
that.

During the next half hour, they answered several questions about the daily
routine at the set, certain episodes, rumors, etc. I don't remember all the
details anymore -- I think my brain was about to overload by then -- but
Max and Lolita interacted very nicely with each other as well as with the
audience. Max told us in detail how his Ferengi head was glued onto his
face. Oh, yes, and Grodenchik is a Russian name. Someone in the audience
said it sounded Dutch -- well, as a "Dutchy," I can tell you this: it
doesn't!!!)

THE CLOSING CEREMONY

	The highlight of the ceremony was without doubt Tim Russ singing
"Rosalinda's Eyes" and "Louisiana" -- the guy should really record a CD!!!
	The ceremony started with a Janeway music video that was very well
done. For the rest, I found Max and Lolita's song - partly in German --
about their sore hands from signing autographs quite amusing. Because we
were sitting on the balcony, we probably missed the best part of the laser
show. People sitting downstairs told us afterward it had been very good.
Finally, part of the con video-to-be was shown to give us a general
impression of the whole weekend, which I think was a success. We definitely
had a good time!!!

-- Anneke Apperloo


THE OPENING CEREMONY

	The convention's opening ceremony started at 7 on Friday. To our
surprise, Kate was there as well and made a short appearance on stage with
the others. We had initially been told that she would only be there for a
couple of hours on Saturday, but it turned out that she was still in Bonn
on Sunday, although she didn't show herself at the con any more after her
panel on Saturday. The ceremony started with an introductory film,
featuring the FedCon staff and telling the story of a time-traveling
"Enterprise" which protected the hotel in which FedCon VI took place from
an attacking ship -- really neatly done and certainly quite amusing. As for
the ceremony itself, the stars were called on stage one by one and briefly
introduced; they spoke briefly and then disappeared again.

KATE MULGREW PANEL

	Of course Kate was greeted with a round of loud applause when she
made her appearance on stage, elegant and graceful as always. Kate made a
big effort to help the audience feel at ease, answered every question very
graciously and patiently and was generally warm and friendly. If she would
have rather been somewhere else instead, it never once became obvious. Kate
began her panel by making several remarks on how happy she was to be in
Germany, especially since she was in love with a German, evidently
referring to Rick Kolbe.
	She also told us that she found German babies adorable and actually
sang a lullaby for one baby who wouldn't stop crying. Then, when a lady
passed by the edge of the stage with a pram toward the end of the panel,
Kate asked if she could hold the little girl for a while, which was of
course a moment every photographer in the audience was happy to put on
film.
	People jumped at the opportunity to ask Kate lots of questions,
which sometimes revealed certain misconceptions about her private life, for
instance when someone from the audience referred to Kate's supposed
marriage to Winrich Kolbe. Kate corrected this, stating that she was not
married to him, but the person from the audience still needed to be
convinced that they did not even live together as a couple. Kate emphasized
that her teen-age sons needed her attention most at the moment, and she
generally seems to be quite proud of their development. One example she
cited was an occasion on which she discovered her son in an animated
discussion with an elderly lady. Kate was also quite clear about her own
priorities in life.
	One member of the audience asked her if she was indeed the niece of
Katherine Hepburn, to which Kate replied in the negative. But she added
that she admired Katherine Hepburn, because she had set herself the goal of
becoming an excellent actress and had dedicated herself entirely to that
goal. Nevertheless, Kate also underlined that if given the choice between a
career and love, one should always choose the latter, because that was what
counted.
	Among the other anecdotes told by Kate was one from another
convention, during which each of the present captains was supposed to talk
for about 15 minutes on stage. All of them kept to that time limit - all
except one, that is. After about 50 minutes, William Shatner was still
heard on stage, telling the audience that "By G..., those elephants were
copulating!"
	Another very nice scene was the appearance of a girl who was
dressed up like Kate in her holonovel costume. Kate invited her on stage
and let the audience view the two of them side by side, which was greeted
with yet another round of applause. Kate was also given several presents
while she was on stage, always exchanging a couple of words with the
persons who gave them to her. She even accepted a little boy's invitation
for a Coke in honour of her upcoming birthday. This scene was also quite
funny insofar as the little boy's English was not quite perfect. The German
word for buying someone a Coke or other item is "spendieren," which the
boy, for lack of the English equivalent, simply adapted to his needs and
said "spend you a Coke." Kate did not quite understand that and repeated
"What? He wants to spank me with a Coke?" One present was not quite so
welcome, however - a fanzine containing slash. Kate accepted that gift, but
also stated right away that she did not at all care for this kind of thing.
This reaction was slightly surprising, because earlier someone had asked
her whether she was aware of the slash involving Janeway on the World Wide
Web. Her answer consisted of asking, "Well, is she good?" Maybe Kate missed
out on the literary birth of another D.H. Lawrence and a second "Lady
Chatterley's Lover" by refusing to read that zine.
	As far as meeting Kate in person is concerned, we ran into a lot of
obstacles (most of them were alive and were called security guards) before
Holly, Anneke and I were finally able to give her the present we had
prepared. In spite of the fact that security knew about our presence and
had promised us to let us on stage toward the end of Kate's panel, they
seemed to have forgotten all about it when the moment finally arrived. As a
matter of fact, we got less time with Kate than a couple of other people
from the audience whom she called on the stage herself (to show their
costumes, tell their stories, or whatever). What all three of us did get
was a hug and a "Hello," which of course was very much appreciated.
Needless to say, Anneke and I missed a part of her (only!) panel when we
rushed around, trying to find a way to give her our present. Anneke ran off
to the FedCon office, I ran off and joined the queue behind one of the
microphones in order to deliver a nice, ironical little speech about
security stopping the members of Kate's own fan club from speaking to her.
Well, Anneke had more success more quickly, but by the time we finally got
to the stage, Kate was already leaving with about 10 kilos of flowers in
her arms. She had to be called back to even realize that we were there, and
she took the present without even being able to look inside the bag. I
heard from Anita, who's another NV member and was working for FedCon at the
same time, that everything Kate received was shipped to her later on.

ROBERT BELTRAN PANELS

	Robert Beltran's was the first panel on Sunday. Apart from the fact
that he was not quite awake and constantly asked for more coffee, Robert
also failed to impress me from a human point of view. The answers he gave
to the various questions were mostly rather superficial, if not downright
rude. There were a couple of funny moments as well, but these witticisms
really couldn't cover the fact that his whole performance was simply
unprofessional in my opinion.
	Robert forgot or pretended to have forgotten several questions the
minute they were asked and imitated the accents of those people whose
English was not quite so good. Well, some people may find this funny, but
they should maybe think twice about the fact that speaking to a TV star you
admire, in a foreign language and in front of nearly 3,000 people, is not
something everybody would have the courage to do in the first place.
Besides, Robert's own few German words were almost incomprehensible.
Furthermore, Robert also often replied a load of nonsense to questions that
were evidently important to those who had asked. Apart from that, he made
the blunder of stating that Jennifer Lien had been fired, whereas
Paramount's official statement has always been that she left of her own
free will. But instead of simply letting his statement stand, Robert
corrected himself in a rather awkward manner that made his blunder even
more obvious. I don't think I would go to a convention again in order to
see him. Maybe he hides the better part of his personality on purpose, but
I really got the impression that he is quite superficial and relies too
much on his wit and his good looks.
	As for Robert's panel on Sunday, one of the few questions I
remember, because it was properly answered, was whether Robert had anyone
to take care of his fan mail. He answered no, which in turn prompted
another fan to yell "That's why you never answer them!" Robert also asked
that fan whether he would be interested in doing the job -- an offer which
was immediately declined. I'm no longer sure whether it was on Saturday or
on Sunday when Robert told an American soldier to "get his butt out of
Germany," adding the good piece of advice not to land his plane on a ski
slope in the process. Pretty tasteless, in my humble opinion.
	Someone else wanted to know when Robert had decided that he wanted
to be an actor. He replied that it was during the afternoon when he had
first watched "Ben Hur," because he liked the idea of getting to ride
horses, having adventures and all the rest of it. He also stated that his
nieces and nephews were all pretty much unimpressed by the fact that their
uncle was a well-known actor; apparently, they prefer to watch "The
Simpsons" instead.
	Robert was a lot friendlier in the autograph session on Sunday
afternoon. He is evidently more comfortable with people on a one-to-one
basis...

TIM RUSS PANELS

	Tim Russ's panels were certainly worth attending. He turned out to
be a very open and friendly person who managed to alternate funny and
serious answers with interesting and amusing anecdotes as well. Tim told us
a couple of things about the practical jokes the members of the cast play
on each other, sang a couple of songs (he has a beautiful voice!), and
although he also made fun of some questions, he was never insulting or
inconsiderate. He was kind and amusing and yet managed to keep his distance
when he found a question too personal.
	One member of the audience inquired whether there was a chance of
Tuvok and Seven of Nine getting involved with each other in some future
"Voyager" episode. Tim responded that there was not much of a common basis
for a relationship there, with Seven calling everything irrelevant and
Tuvok finding things illogical all the time.
	Generally speaking, my memories of his appearances on stage during
FedCon VI are such that I would go and see him again any time and any
place!
	He also made a great effort to please people in the autograph
session, and seeing him sign pictures and other objects at warp speed is a
sight to behold. Live long and prosper, Tim!

NICHELLE NICHOLS PANELS

	After Robert Beltran's panel, there was a short break and then came
the treat of that Sunday -- at least for me. Nichelle Nichols, Uhura from
TOS, is an incredible lady with a voice like an opera singer (she sang a
couple of songs for us) and a heart of gold. Among other things, she told
us that she always signs as many autographs as she possibly can, so that
their value never rises too much, and she added that she never signs
autographs for professional autograph hunters!
	When someone brought up the issue of whether Star Trek denies the
existence of God, she replied that no, on the contrary, the Star Trek
universe stood, in her opinion, for tolerance and freedom of beliefs. She
also added that it didn't even matter whether or not God really existed,
because as soon as you believe, He does.
	Another surprise Nichelle had in stock for us was her statement
that she had thought about a couple of answers she had given to people the
previous day, and that she would like to add a couple of comments to what
she had answered then. So, here was someone who indeed cared, and didn't
just want to get the panel over and done with. Nichelle also supported
another fan's request for a minute of silence for all those Star Trek
actors who had died since the beginning of the series.

MAX GRODENCHIK AND LOLITA FATJO PANEL

	After Nichelle's, we attended part of Max's and Lolita's panel
which was quite funny. Among other anecdotes, Max told the audience how his
Ferengi head is fixed to his real head during make-up. His explanation was
rather lengthy, so I won't repeat it, but one thing is for sure: no safety
helmet on any building site could possibly represent a better protection
against bumps, cuts, bruises and the like!
	Both actors also answered very graciously the question of one
member of the audience who wanted to know whether Max and Lolita were
indeed a couple in real life. They told us how they had met on a cruise and
then fallen in love with each other. Max also mentioned that he had tried
to make the line "Hello, Leeta" in one of the "Deep Space Nine" episodes
sound like "Lolita," which was quite amusing. Unfortunately, we had to
leave this panel early, in order not to miss our turn in the autograph
line.

THE CLOSING CEREMONY

	The final part of that Sunday was of course the closing ceremony,
which in my opinion was far too commercialized. All the FedCon sponsors got
their names mentioned, the winners of some raffle were drawn and the part
that was actually dedicated to the stars was rather short. A live phone
call to the States was organized, so we could all sing "Happy Birthday" to
George Takei, who was highly amused and surprised! The stars all sang a
couple of songs (not together though), and once again I was pretty
disappointed in Robert. It was quite evident that he had not prepared
himself at all for that performance and thus violated a beautiful song by
Franz Schubert in a most embarrassing manner. His comment at the end? If we
didn't like it, we could write to the composer. Tim Russ, on the other
hand, was quite impressive. It really is a pity that Vulcans are known for
logic, and not for singing -- that would definitely be another major
attraction for "ST: Voyager."
	We also got to see a laser show, but as I was sitting on the
balcony, I didn't really recognize the patterns of light which evidently
fascinated that part of the audience that was sitting below.

-- Ute Koberstein


STAR TREK: THE EXPERIENCE
Las Vegas, Nevada, March 1998

	Well - Wow!
	I went through twice - about two hours apart as I was only in Vegas
a short while. There is NO question this is an experience Trekkies and
Trekkers will enjoy. The rest of the world will just have to enter into
their world if they wish to enjoy this experience.
	Now, if you cannot suspend reality and really enter into Trekdom,
this is just going to be a ride, but a good one. But, for us
Trekkies/Trekkers, it's a trip...a multi-parter.
	The tickets are fairly priced, maybe even too inexpensive given the
length of time one is in the experience and on the ride: $14.95
	1) One can see the suspended models as one comes out of the hall to
pay, but they are much more impressive when you are right there with them.
Now, given that I'm "into" Trekdom -I'd like to be able to get around and
above them, rather than just having them "over there". I'm a Voyager Fan,
and Voyager is the hardest to get a good shot of. The two Enterprises are
pretty easy to get most angles except top; ditto the Klingon ship. They're
all lighted, so they appear "powered up." They are great! Maybe an
additional ramp could be considered for the future. Also, I think pictures,
posters, slides and models of these ships should be for sale - somewhere.
(Yes, I know models are available at some toy stores, but not readily
available.)
	2) One passes on ticket stubs and enters the turn-style to walk up
a short ramp to two parallel time lines. One is of trek memorabilia, the
other is a straight time line. Both begin in early history, but quickly
progress to Trek-history. On one side you see the first uniforms and
various accouterments of the original series. Some of them will surprise
you! On the other side Star Trek becomes real - with each date of each
character's birth and each episodes occurrences dated and plotted (James
Kirk born, Treaty of Kitomer signed, etc.) One follows along being
continually wowed by one thing after another. I think I'm up on my Trek
History, but there were a few surprises for me. I'd like a copy of both
sides for sale in a remembrance book. The last corridor wanders through
various alien races, their looks and costumes. Additionally, there are
several screens playing scenes from the various series and movies while you
move through the line. Now, I think this should be AFTER the experience,
because I was experiencing "being rushed along" by the group as they all
wanted to get on to "the experience," even though they WERE interested in
seeing the museum.
	3) One is greeted by a Star Fleet Ensign and taken into a
"pre-boarding" area where we were told what was expected of us on board the
shuttle we were about to enter to reach DS9 and "the Experience." Now, the
rest of the experience is supposed to be a secret, but enough of it has
been written about I'm going to tell you what happens. If you don't want to
know, don't read on. You will enjoy the ride, I promise. However, if you
get car sick on roller coasters or winding roads, think about taking some
medication before you go.
	The instructions were interrupted and we were transported onto the
Enterprise D - this effect is very well done, except they might use colder
air. Anyway, we were greeted and whisked to the Bridge where Commander
Rikker explains what's happened. Yep, it's the Bridge (made a bit larger to
accommodate all of us). Rikker and Geordi were working in the Cargo/Shuttle
Bay. We were told Picard disappeared because one of us(!) is an ancestor of
his. The Klingons were trying to capture us to keep Picard from being born.
So, the crew must get us back to our own time line so they can have Picard
back! We're rushed into the turbo lift so we can board another shuttle, but
the ship is attacked and the turbolift has some problems. After the crew
get the lights back on and pry open the door we were in another
pre-boarding area. This time we got the full how-to-act on the shuttle
briefing. We boarded and the "ride" began.
	The ride is virtual reality, as you all have read. Since it
surrounds you, and the motion corresponds - you really do feel like
everything IS happening. It's exciting and great fun to swoop in and around
the Enterprise D and the attacking Klingon ships. The battle rages around
you, your shields shimmer and bursts of explosions go off. You are tossed
this way and that as you dive and drive into the heat of the battle.
	We swooped into a "time rift" and Geordi discovered a cloaking
device - which your crew and your paired shuttle manage to take out just
before we were blown to bits! Safely back in Las Vegas our shuttele headed
back to the Hilton, only to be waylaid by the Klingons!
	They'd followed us back! BUT, since our shuttle got back to 1998,
Picard was restored and he brings the Enterprise D in to save us! He thanks
us all and re-enters the rift. We are deposited in the basement of the
Hilton, rescued by a trusty janitor who shows us up to the ride we
"supposed to take." He lets us in and we enter DS9's promenade. Here you
will find Quark's bar and more stores.
	Quark's Bar was fun and reasonable - and good.
	The stores need more Star Trek merchandise, with a larger variety
of prices, as there will be many who only experience ST at "the Experience"
and not at conventions or toy stores. As you might expect, most of the
items for sale are of "The Experience" - but there were not pictures of it
- or of the museum - those I would have liked. There is a book, filled with
drawings and but it lacks pictures. The expensive ST merchandise was fun to
see, but well out of my price range. There seemed to be a large variety of
inexpensive key rings, t-shirts, magnets, glass wear and videos - but then
the price jumped into the hundreds and more.
	I would have enjoyed seeing a few more aliens. I saw NONE (and I
went through twice and to Quark's once). The first time I went through the
"cast" was not as "ON" as the second. My compliments to the "Ensign" on the
Enterprise D the second time I went through, she was a young woman with a
bit of a British accent. She was right in character and made the experience
much more "real" for everyone. Those in the Turbo-lift commented on it
even. She gave it the "edge" of haste and this-is-important the first time
through was missing. Anyway, everyone was GOOD; she was just EXCEPTIONAL.
	Would I go again, yep - sign me up. I'd take my time going through
the museum (the ride will still be there), and I'd sit in Quarks a bit
longer. I enjoyed the whole experience and got much more than my $14.95
worth! Go if you get the chance, and plan to spend some time seeing it all!

--Jonni Pettit

[Robert Beltran makes love to a cardboard Janeway at Vulkon in Towson,
Maryland, March 1998; he commented that she was about as responsive as the
real Janeway has been to Chakotay. After he had his way with her, Robert
stood the standee back up, but she fainted dead away...]


***
ONCE IN LOVE WITH JANEWAY
***

HOW OVERRATED IS SEVEN? AN ANALYSIS OF UPN'S RATINGS GAME
By Donna Christenberry

"The recent highly hyped arrival of Jeri Ryan as 'Voyager's' drop-dead
gorgeous Seven of Nine - who is part human and part evil cybernetic Borg -
brought the show its best ratings since its phenomenal premiere in January
1995."

-- TV Guide, Nov. 8-14 issue.

"For Jeri Ryan, 29, SCI-FI  'A newfound interest.' An interesting new find
herself, Ryan joined UPN's 'Star Trek: Voyager' last fall as the slinky
half-Borg, half-human called Seven of Nine and swept the series to its
highest ratings."

-- Mid-January Newsweek, Newsmakers section

	To Borg or not to Borg, that is the question. For upper management
at UPN, the answer was obvious after the commercial success of "Star Trek:
First Contact" in late 1996 and its critical acclaim by non-Trekkers and
critics alike.
	The USS Voyager was in the Delta Quadrant. The Borg came from the
Delta Quadrant. What could be more natural than for the two to meet? The
first attempt, "Unity" in the spring of 1997, gave viewers a decidedly
non-threatening group of Borg.
	Then came "Scorpion," abruptly shifted into place by network brass
as the cliffhanger for the 1996-97 season. "Scorpion I" fairly breathed
danger and tension. "Scorpion II" left behind on Voyager an unknown
quantity, a Borgified human who didn't fit in, who added suspense. Not only
that, but she looked good, too, with all that Borg technology removed.
	So, has the addition of Seven of Nine boosted Voyager's ratings as
indicated by the magazines above?
	Well...no.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

	Let's set the PR hype straight here. The highest ratings for
"Voyager" came with its premiere, with a 15 rating in the Nielsens.
"Scorpion I," where Seven of Nine was introduced, earned a 7.3, and
"Scorpion II" earned an 8.5 in the overall ratings from UPN affiliates and
syndicated (secondary affiliate) stations, compared with other Season Three
episodes such as "Basics Part II" at 8.2 and "Future's End Part II" at 8.5.
	In ratings for UPN primary affiliates only (I don't have total
ratings for early seasons, these are usually about 2 points higher once
syndicated stations are added), "Time and Again" earned an 8.8 in the first
season, while "Phage" earned an 8.5.
	Compared to last season, in fact, Voyager's overall composite
ratings are down. For the 1996-97 season, the total audience rating was
6.2, this season it was 5.4. For women ages 18-49 in the 1996-97 season, it
was 4.2, this season 3.4. For men 18-49 last season, 5.1, for this season,
4.4.
	In a comparison of last season's November sweeps vs. this year's,
all of last season's episodes had higher Nielsen ratings, meaning Voyager
was doing better with the audience before Seven of Nine was added.
"Future's End Part I" (7.9) topped this season's "Year of Hell Part I"
(7.2); "Future's End Part II" (8.5) topped "Year of Hell Part II" (7.4);
"Warlord" (6.7) topped "Random Thoughts" (6.5); and "The Q and the Grey"
(6.7) topped "Concerning Flight" (5.6). All figures are total ratings.
	UPN still had its full complement of affiliates and syndicated
stations in the fall. Stations began switching to the WB network in
January, on the three-year anniversary of Voyager's premiere and that of
the UPN network. Thus, adding a Borg did NOT help ratings in the fall. If
UPN or Viacom spin doctors try to blame the decline in fall ratings on
station defections, don't believe it.
	The February sweeps were definitely affected by station defections,
which will be discussed in more detail later. I'd like to point out that
last season's "Rise," a Neelix-Tuvok episode that received lukewarm
reception from the fans, earned a 6.3 in overall ratings, defeating this
season's much-hyped two-hour "Killing Game," which attracted a 6.2 audience
despite its heavy budget for costuming and special effects. Both ran at the
end of the February sweeps in their respective seasons.
	Jeri Ryan has proven herself a fine actress and plays the part of
Seven well. But it's very unfair to her for UPN to place such pressure on
her for ratings this season. It takes far more than adding a Borg to make a
difference, nor can Jeri Ryan be the savior of all UPN shows, as shown by
the dismal 2.3 (UPN affiliates only) rating for the season finale of "The
Sentinel."
	Those episodes which focused heavily on Seven did not bring in the
highest ratings. For example, the Seven episode "The Raven" (6.4) was
outdone by the love story "Day of Honor" (7.4), and even the coveted male
demographics in the 18-49 year range were higher for "Day of Honor" (6.4)
than for "The Raven" (5.5).
	One would be hard-pressed to find many Voyager episodes this season
in which Seven did not play a major part, but it's interesting to compare
episodes which were heavily Janeway from last season to Seven episodes from
this season. Janeway stories last season included "Flashback" (7.1), "Q and
the Grey" (6.7), "Macrocosm" (6.8) and "Coda" (6.7). Seven episodes include
the aforementioned "The Raven" (6.4), "Retrospect" (5.9), "Omega Directive"
(5.8) and "One" (5.3).

MANAGEMENT CHANGES

	Early in the season, UPN underwent management changes at the top.
Dean Valentine is now CEO of UPN, and Tom Nunan, former senior vice
president at NBC, has joined UPN. It's interesting that after the change of
management, the promos for Voyager initially were toned down a bit,
concentrating on action instead of sexual innuendo.  Unfortunately, that
aspect returned in the promo for the episode "Retrospect," where Seven
says, "I've been violated," as the faces of the male crew members flash by
on screen. No, it wasn't rape, it involved the taking of Borg technology,
and none of Voyager's crew was involved.
	According to Variety, in Hollywood circles, Valentine, a former
journalist, is considered a sharp and straightforward executive, which has
earned him respect from some quarters, but has created some detractors.
Prior to the beginning of this season, Valentine declined to lay out his
vision for UPN or any potential changes. He praised Star Trek: Voyager,
Good News and Clueless, but said, "We probably need to broaden our audience
a little bit (and) create a clear identity of who we are.''
	By June, as UPN continued to lose ground to WB and its
broader-based appeal, including shows aimed at the female audience,
Valentine said in a press conference that UPN will widen its focus to "the
American middle class" when it kicks off its new season later than usual in
October 1998. Valentine admitted that the network had made its "share of
mistakes" by not always defining itself to the entertainment community,
advertisers and viewers. He spent much of his speech outlining UPN's new
direction, with the target audience being the American middle class.
	Perhaps Viacom should ask itself if its advertisers on Voyager are
interested in a clientele lured by the possible rape of Seven, as indicated
in the "Retrospect" promo mentioned above. And perhaps Valentine can help
upper management at Viacom or the advertising company realize that while
viewers like hints about the next episode, Viacom can't mislead them about
the content week after week, then expect viewers to believe the promos and
return. As a Scottish engineer once said, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool
me twice, shame on me."

THE STATIONS DEFECT

	Factors in UPN's declining ratings have been the loss of primary
affiliates and syndicated stations and a quixotic marketing strategy.
According to newspaper accounts, UPN management has taken an aggressive
stance in renegotiating contracts with stations, pushing some stations to
become full-fledged UPN affiliates rather than allowing them to purchase
only Voyager.
	As a result, some stations have told UPN to take a hike after their
initial three-year contract ended in January 1998. In its negotiations with
the Sinclair Broadcasting chain, contract disputes actually resulted in a
suit by Viacom and a countersuit by Sinclair, which Sinclair eventually
won, according to a Sinclair employee. As of this past January, that
dispute cost UPN major stations in Kansas City, San Antonio, Baltimore,
Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Las Vegas. Some of those markets
have since been recouped, but the replacement stations haven't helped UPN
as much in the ratings. For example, the loss of Sinclair's WTTV in
Indianapolis lost UPN a well-established station that had statewide
distribution on cable-TV companies. Its replacement, the fledgling
low-powered UHF station WNDY in Kokomo, barely makes the map of Indiana
viewers. Baltimore experienced a similar situation when WNUV dropped UPN
and UPN signed up with WUTB. The Feb. 8 Baltimore Sun noted that the Jan.
14 episode of Voyager on WNUV drew a 5.4, while the Feb. 4 episode on WUTB
drew only a 4.
	The irony of UPN losing Sinclair's stations is that Las Vegas,
where the multi-million dollar Star Trek Experience at the Hilton just
opened in January, found itself without Voyager earlier this year.
Eventually a new station was found to carry the show.
	A listing of many of the cities which have Voyager  can be found at
http://www.ncc74656.com/index.html
	We'll have to wait and see if CEO Valentine delivers on his
promises to broaden UPN's appeal.
	 In the meantime, perhaps he should talk to UPN's advertising
department about the image it presents. Witness the following comment from
Gail Shister's TV Talk column in the May 18 Philadelphia Inquirer:
"Press-Release headline of the week comes from UPN: 'Who needs Viagra? Star
Trek: Voyager arouses male demos (demographics) to 10-week high.' " (It
should be noted that for the episode the following week, in which both
Seven AND Janeway played a prominent role, the male demographic was even
higher, proving Janeway's appeal.)
	According to one source who has been in the advertising industry
for 20 years, she considers advertising rates on Voyager inflated and she
doesn't place her clients on the show. She explained that UPN can afford to
run several non-paid promos for its other shows by inflating rates during
Voyager . However, she said many colleagues are more than willing to have
their clients pay those prices, because Voyager is the only show on UPN
with any ratings of note.
	That, at least, is hopeful.

	My thanks to Now Voyager members too numerous to mention who
contributed news stories and figures to help with research on this article.


GUERRILLA TEACHING TECHNIQUES USING STAR TREK VOYAGER
By Leslie Magowan

	A few years ago, I changed careers and went to become a Grade 7 & 8
teacher in a notorious housing project in Toronto's east end. At first, I
couldn't figure out why my students wouldn't speak and write Standard
English in appropriate situations, even though they could. I kept asking,
and eventually, it came down to: if we learn your ways, we won't belong in
the 'hood anymore. They feared the loss of their own identity if they took
on mine. I tried to convince them that they could gain fluency in many
different registers (degrees of formality) of speech without losing any of
their own, but they were skeptical. Once I figured out why they were so
resistant to learning what was on the white, middle-class curriculum, I had
to find a way to teach them that would have some meaning for them. I asked
some more about what was important to them and what they liked. They came
up with two answers: music, and TV. Many of them spent far more time with
the TV than with me.
	OK: we would just have to learn language using music and TV. First
order of business was to close the door so that my principal, who had all
the imagination and creativity of a dead cat, wouldn't find out what I was
doing and fire me. My students learned the International Phonetic Alphabet,
which can be found at the front of any dictionary. When they had developed
some proficiency in it, I got them to transcribe one another's actual
speech patterns into IPA. With this experience under their belts, I asked
them to transcribe one sentence as spoken by their favourite character on
their favourite tv show as homework. They were thrilled with the assignment.
	I was not thrilled with what I got back. Among the shows most
watched by kids that age, there are several with all-black casts, even more
with all-white casts, but almost no instances of people of different races
interacting in more than an incidental manner, and if you're looking for
anyone else, forget it. Even more, the registers of speech change very
little during these shows, even between characters, and certainly not
within one character during the show. They're aurally monochromatic.
	As a Trek fan, I instantly thought of three examples I could make
into assigned viewing. Even though the 20th century biases of the people
who envision the future may have crept into it and it's far from perfect,
it's a damn sight better than anything else on offer. Not only did it have
all different varieties of humans and aliens interacting, but there were
some great role models for just about everyone, and lots of examples of
different registers of speech. I was sold.
	They weren't. "STAR TREK?! That's a GEEK show!!" I dealt them my
best death stare, and they began glancing furtively  around the room at my
Voyager calender, my Voyager wall poster, my Voyager mug....oops, wrong
answer. "Um ....ok." I went over the schedules for the syndicated TNG and
first run DS9 and Voyagers with them, assigned them to watch at least
twenty minutes of each that first week, and report on their favorite
regular character from each show in their response journals. That would
give them a sampling of what each show had to offer, and get them attached
to one or more of the shows and characters. I made no secret of my
preference for Voyager -- or of the fact that a woman character of about my
age in command had had a lot to do with it -- but they were allowed to
choose where they would. There was a bit of grumbling during the first
week, but the irrestisible lure of being assigned to watch TV at certain
times, and being able to kick siblings off the set, gradually took over.
	They were assigned to do a phonetic analysis of a character's
different range of registers of speech, and to figure out what change in
the circumstances or plot had prompted a change in use of register. I asked
them to pay special attention to characters who were in command situations,
even temporarily, how they changed their use of language when they expected
to be taken seriously in a position of authority, and how they spoke
differently when they were addressing friends, equals, or superiors. After
a few weeks, they began to see that a character could step from friendly
banter up in formality to command mode, and not lose the right to go back
to the previous register(s). Yippee!
	Sisko and Janeway were the unanimous command choices; I guess most
12-14 year olds don't need a bald role model. I told them that was fine,
and that I would keep him for myself. They gave me that look that
adolescents get when they're trying to imagine what possible use a parent
or teacher could have for a sexual attraction to anyone. Aren't we, like,
sorta supposed to be over that by our age? Grrrrrr! My tough "hoodchicks"
seemed divided between Major Kira and B'Elanna Torres for their
take-no-prisoners attitudes and hand-to-hand combat skills, with a few in
Janeway's camp, "because she does it with words (and phasers!, interjected
some of the boys) instead of her fists." Some of them obviously wanted to
know how to do that.
	 The quieter, more introspective girls were firm followers of
Janeway, for the same reasons, and a small but surprising (to me) number of
boys liked the talk-first, shoot-later approach as well. Janeway's star
rose considerably with the shoot-it-up crowd, boys and girls, after the
episode when she popped out of the giant laundry chute with a "big-ass gun"
and rescued her crewmembers. "Attitude...awright!" The same crowd allowed
after "The Killing Game" that Janeway had acquitted herself well as a
Klingon Warrior, but she lost a few points because "she hadda use that
sword thing. Kira woulda just punched him out."
	"Besides," added one of the boys, "No way she's gonna be usin' all
them big words while that guy's tryin'ta slice'er up; that's howcome she
got stuck (stabbed) at the end - not payin' attention." I didn't ask him
how he knew this. Regardless, the fight did win Janeway quite a few
converts, who then stayed on for her finer qualities. I'll take 'em anyway
I can get'em! (NOTE TO VOYAGER STAFF WRITERS: could we please have Janeway
in a fist fight this season? She has to win, preferably against a bigger
opponent - which shouldn't be too difficult - and fighting dirty is
encouraged. It would really help me out. Thanks.)
	Chakotay was a big hit, especially with the Native and Central
American kids. They wanted to know what his tribe is, because it's very
important, and it's never been established on the show. All I could tell
them was that I'd read that the actor who portrayed him was very proud of
being Mestizo, and since his ancestry was Mexican, they'd have to go from
there. They went to the library and did some research, and figured out that
he must be part Aztec, or some other Nahuatlan tribe. They were a little
disappointed that he wasn't Inca like them, but they were relieved to have
found him a tribe. As far as my class was concerned, Chakotay is Aztec
because Robert Beltran is. Someone should tell TPTB.
	As the seasons progressed, and they grew more familiar with the
show, some of the kids would start asking whether Janeway and Chakotay
"liked" each other. Some of the questions were more to the point, but we'll
just leave it at that. This was not in any way a controlled study and I'm
not prepared to swear in court that I didn't influence them, but it
happened every year. I tried to give a neutral answer while leaving my own
opinion out of it: that some people thought so, but there wasn't anything
in the shows themselves to indicate that they were any more than friends
(and more's the pity; I only hope they don't stumble onto a.s.c.e.m. until
they're at least 18!) Toward the spring, when the hormones were well and
truly flowing, the subject started to come up more often, and they became
increasingly curious as to what the problem was. After all, "They fight
like they like each other, and when they're by themselves, they change
speech registers..." (this last was produced with a flourish, as
irrefutable proof.)
	I brought up the fiancé in the Alpha Quadrant. "All the way over
there?! What, like someone's gonna phone and tell'im? Yeah, like HE'S not
gettin' any action by now!" I brought up some of the bullsh...oops, excuse
me, several of the excus...sorry, I meant reasons...TPTB keep putting forth
for not permitting the relationship. Shot down, every one. I'm sure my
occasional snickers did nothing to discourage them, but they were making a
lot of sense as far as I could tell.
	Advice from Class 7/8D to Captain Kathryn Janeway:
	"He FINE, honey...go get'im!"
	"She better zoom him 'fore he start zoomin' somebody else, and then
she be stuck wit'im for 70 years!"
	"They're out in the middle of nowhere - who cares about all that
stuff?"
	Enough to warm the cockles of a J/Cer's heart, isn't it?
	Voyager was proving to be a valuable teaching tool until the fourth
season. Yup, 7 of 9. And the extremely sexist manner in which her character
was used. I think Jeri Ryan's done an excellent job with an interesting
part, but when the kids asked me why she was dressed in such a blatantly
sexual manner for life and work on a starship, I had no answer for them.
Some of the boys liked it just fine, but many preferred the greater number
of explosions to be found on DS9, and defected. It's too bad, too, because
her speech transformation would have been an interesting challenge to
transcribe, but the kids have been taught to recognize manifestations of
sexism, racism and homophobia as well as media manipulation, and they
spotted it right away.
	"They ain't work clothes, they club clothes." Quite true.
	I was surprised at the number of boys as well as girls who
recognized the sexual politics implicit in the gradual supplantation of a
powerful experienced woman by a young woman with DD cups and a spandex
suit. They identified it as a blatant attempt to manipulate them by
appealing to their hormones. That's not to say that they didn't find 7
extremely pleasant to look at, but they didn't regard her as part of the
plot, but rather as one of the props.
	After a while, many of the boys got bored and tried to join one of
the other shows in midstream, which was difficult for them. The girls were
uncomfortable in ways they found difficult to articulate, until they
finally boiled it down to this: T&A is valued more in our society than
class and subtlety, and if you have enough T&A, you can push your way
around. I found this just as insulting and discouraging as they did.
	"Hey, Cap'n Janeway, yer Borg's dissing ya up; show'er the back of
yer fives!" A backhand across the jaw is the hoodchicks' preferred method
of dealing with a female rival attempting to move in on her territory.
Either the rival backs down, or they fight until only one is left standing.
Needless to say, this was not one of the values to which I was trying to
expose them.
	I started hopping onto the Internet to check out the next week's
plot synopsis, and if it revolved around 7 of 9, we just skipped that week.
At first, I tried leading the way back to the story of 7's struggles to
cope with suddenly becoming human again, and Janeway's attempts to help
her, but they couldn't get past the spandex. Eventually, the whole thing
just fell apart and we quit and moved on to other things. Last year was the
only year we didn't stick it out till the end of the season; it was a
depressing year to be a Voyager fan. I'm going to try again next year, and
I'll give it several episodes to get off the ground, but if it's more of
the same, I'm not going to beat a dead horse.
	Here's to the fifth season.


JANEWAY/CHAKOTAY, ROUND 5
By Michelle Erica Green

"'I have begged that Chakotay and Janeway have a deep and intense
relationship. I want him as my confidant, and that means that we're going
to cross over all kinds of lines together, in the privacy of my quarters,
or his. Things will be said between us that nobody else on the crew will
know about. We're going to have secrets, like good friends do-- they don't
talk about their relationship to their acquaintances. I'm not going to
sleep with him; it's too late now, if it would have happened it would have
happened before.'"

--Kate in Mania Magazine, August 1998

" 'I think it's time something happened between them,' she admits. However,
Mulgrew explains that she would like to see her character have a serious
relationship or none at all. 'I think sex for a female Captain is not the
same as for a male captain. I'm not being sexist, but who wants to see
their female captain running around having love affairs? I have a ship to
run! I don't think I can afford that kind of indulgence at the moment but I
can afford an intimate relationship with someone I love very much.'"

--Kate in Star Trek Monthly, August 1998

	Remember in the last issue how I took back all the stuff I'd said
about wanting Janeway and Chakotay to get together? Well, guess what? I
take it back.
	Look, who am I kidding? I have my 9" Janeway and Chakotay action
figures dressed in Barbie and Ken wedding clothes, and I don't even want to
talk about what my 5" action figures are doing with thir lovely articulated
limbs. Go ahead, accuse me of being a loser fan girl with no life. You're
right on the first part, but actually, I do have a life. And it is
precisely because I have a life that I just can't bear the thought of
Janeway not having the life she has indicated time and again that she
wants.
	Yes, I love Janeway smart and strong and independent, but you know
what? I still think she should have passion. Even if it's with a member of
her own crew, even if it's with a guy who doesn't deserve her. If she wants
a lover or a child or two dozen naked Bolians, she should get them. Being a
captain should NOT hold her back.
	Deep Space Nine did something last season that I'd been
anticipating and dreading literally for years: they got Odo and Kira
together. Finally. After I thought I'd stopped caring, because Kira changed
and became a babe in a catsuit, and then Odo changed and became an actual
humanoid. They both changed back, but at that point the damage was done, or
so I thought. It no longer mattered as much that they had chemistry, that
Rene Auberjonois had been playing Odo as if he were in love with Kira for
months before the writers put anything overt into a script, that Kira
trusted Odo more deeply than she trusted anyone else in her life, that Odo
loved her enough to abandon his own kind and trade the futures of the
entire station's descendants on her survival. I thought I was over it.
	Then I watched "His Way." It was an imperfect episode. Kira was a
little too passive, Odo was a little too manipulative, the ending was a
little too rushed. You know what? I didn't care. The minute they kissed on
the Promenade--right in front of the entire crew, meaning there was no
chance they could pretend it didn't happen next week--I screamed. I
cheered. I cheered even louder the next week, when it was obvious that they
were still together, although the romance itself was not a focus of the
episode. And the week after that, and after that. During the season finale
of Deep Space Nine, it occurred to me that more of the senior crew were
involved in intimate relationships than not: Worf and Dax, Kira and Odo,
Sisko and Yates, Miles and Keiko, Bashir and Garak...whoops. Those
relationships enhance the show, they make us care about the characters,
they add another dimension when anyone's in danger orexperiencing something
transformative. And for the record: Worf and Dax were in the same chain of
command, and have given each other orders on many occasions. Odo has served
directly under Kira since before Sisko arrived on the station. At present,
since Sisko went on leave just before the season ended, Deep Space Nine is
under the command of a woman who is having a love affair with the closest
thing she's got to an XO. I think I might be in love with Ron Moore. On my
other favorite show, La Femme Nikita, Nikita and Michael are having a
relationship and it sure looks like Ops and Maddie are having a
relationship even though they have to practically get one another killed
every week.And they all work for each other.
	One of the arguments which is frequently offered by the producers
for not wanting Janeway and Chakotay to get involved with one another is
ratings. Elsewhere in this issue there's an article about Voyager's ratings
which makes a couple of things abundantly clear. One is that the writers
are kidding themselves when they say people don't watch Star Trek for crew
romance, as Executive Producer Brannon Braga stated recently on America
Online. "Day of Honor" got higher ratings than any of the Seven of Nine
episodes last fall. "Coda" got higher ratings than "Blood Fever." Yet
"Unforgettable" got the worst ratings ever for a new episode of the series:
nobody, not adult women nor teenage boys, wanted to see Chakotay boff
Virginia Madsen. Braga has said repeatedly that he doesn't want to tie
Janeway and Chakotay to one another because he wants them both free to date
other people.  If "Unforgettable" is any indication, that might be the
quickest possible way to kill the series.
	Then there's what's called Moonlighting syndrome, which writers
claim is inevitable when two characters in a courtship dance finally get
together. It happened on Remington Steele and Lois and Clark, they say: the
couple consummated their relationship, the ratings went down. What they
fail to mention is that in all cases, the ratings were already
slipping--often because the audience had gotten tired of of the stalling
games. The couples were tossed together by burned-out writers as a
last-ditch effort to bring ratings up, and it didn't work. But it was not
the cause of the decline; rather, that was caused by the failure to develop
the relationships naturally.
	Does this mean I think every couple with chemistry should have
onscreen love affairs? Heck no. I liked Delenn a lot better before she
married Sheridan on Babylon 5, when she was independent and vital in her
own right. I think it would be death to The X-Files to let Mulder and
Scully get married and live happily ever after, or even get married and
spend the rest of their lives saving one another from alien conspirators.
Any given show can come up with such compelling, moving stories about the
lead characters that the issue of their romantic lives becomes entirely
secondary: people seemed to think it was weird that Chakotay didn't get
laid for three years but nobody seems to think it's weird that it's been as
long for Mulder. Like everything in storytelling, it's contextual.
	Even when I didn't want it to, J/C's something that has always
worked. It works on a character level, it works on a dramatic level.
Everyone's always yammering on about whether or not they should make love,
but the truth of the matter is that the most subtle, un-sexy moments have
been the really wrenching ones: Chakotay grabbing Janeway's arm to stop her
from going down with the ship in "Dreadnought," Janeway reaching out to him
after he's saved the ship and come back from the dead in "Cathexis,"
Chakotay crying over her dead body in "Coda," Janeway refusing to risk him
in a shuttle in "Vis a Vis." The question of whether or not they have sex
is supremely irrelevant to scenes like that; what matters is whether or not
they love each other. The more bimbos Chakotay fools around with, the more
Janeway distances herself from emotional ties to subordinates, the less
it's possible to believe that they do. And that takes a huge dramatic,
emotional toll on the series and on the characters which no
aliens-of-the-week or bouts of heroism are going to fill.
	Methinks my beloved Kate contradicts herself: she says it should
have happened already, yet she says they should be in love before anything
happens. I think it's obvious to everyone, even people who hate the idea of
J/C, that this issue isn't going away, this chemistry isn't going away.
This is the fifth season of the series: it's a little late to rewrite these
characters and their relationship, but it's definitely not too late to
write this with passion and dignity. In fact, it's the logical thing to do.


***
VOYAGER  PEOPLE
***

LAWRENCE KRAUSS
By Donna Christenberry

	Lawrence Krauss is the author of The Physics of Star Trek and
Beyond Star Trek: Physics from Alien Invasions to the End of Time. In
February he spoke at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, IN. The
following article is compiled from an interview, his lecture at ISU, and
excerpts from his books.
	Krauss is a theoretical physicist, professor of astronomy and
chairman of the department of physics at Case Western Reserve University in
Cleveland, Ohio. Another of his books, The Fifth Essence: The Search for
Dark Matter in the Universe, has been translated into 12 languages and was
named Astronomy Book of the Year by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
	So why did he pick Star Trek for a book?
	His goal, he says, was to "try to reach a wider audience with each
book." While the idea of using Star Trek as the theme for a book began as a
joke between him and his editor, the idea grew on him. "After the fact, it
seemed kind of obvious because it was something that hadn't been done
before."
	Initially, he worried a bit about losing credibility with his
colleagues if he used Star Trek as a vehicle for his next book, even though
he knew the show has captured the public imagination for 30 years. He sent
out some e-mails late one night to colleagues to feel them out about the
idea.
	"The reaction was quite incredible especially once they realized it
was a science book. Within two to three hours, I started getting e-mail
back from the coast."
	In his book, Krauss says Voyager wins the prize for technobabble
over the other series. "As each series has come on the air, and more
traditions have been established, there's a pressure to be wilder, to probe
more, to borrow the more exotic aspects of physics."
	The more that is borrowed, the greater the tendency for error. "It
took a while for the show to get on its feet," Krauss said, noting that
this season, the show has decided to rely not just on science, but "good
old-fashioned sex with Seven of Nine."
	In fact, Voyager made Krauss' Top Ten list of Star Trek bloopers in
his first book The Physics of Star Trek. It's called, "If The Plot Isn't
Cracked, Maybe the Event Horizon Is." Referring to the "Phage" episode, he
writes:
	"A 'crack' in an event horizon is like removing one end of a
circle, or like being a little bit pregnant. It doesn't mean anything. The
event horizon around a black hole is not a physical entity, but rather a
location inside of which all trajectories remain inside the hole. It is a
property of curved space that the trajectory of anything, including light,
will bend back toward the hole once you are inside a certain radius. Either
the event horizon exists, in which the black hole exists, or it doesn't.
There is no middle ground big enough to slip a needle through, much less
the Voyager."
	A random poll by Krauss showed almost everyone has heard the phrase
"Beam me down, Scotty." But he has bad news for us. The transporter is the
most implausible of the Star Trek gadgets. To transfer just one human being
into energy for transport would release the energy equivalent of 1,000
1-megaton hydrogen bombs. That doesn't even include the fact that it would
take 10-gigabyte hard drives stacked one-third of the way to center of our
Milky Way galaxy to store the information. Plus, just imagine how long it
would take to download!
	Oh, and as for a physics experiment on copying photons which made
headlines last fall and was ballyhooed in the media as a precursor of the
transporter, Krauss said a working transporter is still impossible. That
experiment has greater implications for the development of quantum
computers, which could operate much faster and encode information in a
different fashion.
	But Star Trek has also had its moments, such as the 1967 episode
which referred to black stars, shortly before a noted physicist coined the
name by which they are known today -- black holes.
	World-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, who made a cameo
appearance in a scene with Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein on Star
Trek: The Next Generation, wrote the forward to Krauss' first Star Trek
book. It created quite a stir, Krauss said, because in it, Hawking said for
the first time that rapid interstellar travel would make time travel a
possibility.
	However, first humans have to deal with the laws of physics, Krauss
said. For example, to accelerate to one-half light speed at 3 G's -- the
maximum gravitational force the body can stand -- would take three and a
half months. "That doesn't make for exciting drama," he said. In reality,
if the Enterprise went into warp instantaneously when Jean-Luc Picard said
"Engage," Krauss said "You'd be turned into chunky salsa on the back of the
spacecraft."
	In his second book he also pointed out that in space, there's no
need for the Enterprise to bank as it turns. Within earth's atmosphere,
planes must bank due to air pressure, but that pressure doesn't exist in
space. So why do it? "Well, the answer is the same as that for another
question I'm sometimes asked: 'Why does the Voyager lift its warp nacelles
just before going into warp drive?' Simple: it looks good."
	As for those quantum singularities that pop up so often in Star
Trek: Voyager, not only do they roll trippingly off the tongue, but there's
quite a bit of fascinating physics behind them. On the web site New
Scientist, where Krauss answers questions about physics and astronomy, he
receives many questions about quantum mechanics. "That's why the second
book is so heavily devoted to quantum mechanics."
	And as he said in his book, "In a quantum singularity, anything
goes!" That's because "there are two places in nature where particles will
get so close together that the quantum nature of gravity becomes important:
(1) in the final stages of the collapse of matter into a black hole, and
(2) at the beginning of the universe." In those situations, the laws of
physics break down.
	Prior to writing his Star Trek books, Krauss borrowed tapes from
some friends and watched all the episodes closely. Since his first book
came out, he's been invited to the Paramount sets. "The Star Trek writers
are fans of mine, because I was kind to them," said Krauss. They've sought
his advice, because, as he said, "It's not their job to figure out coherent
physics."
	He enjoys other science fiction shows as well, such as The X-Files.
Regarding the female lead of Dana Scully, he wrote, "I will be forever
grateful to the series' producers for giving us this role model of an
intelligent, attractive, and relentlessly pragmatic female physicist. She
is the foil to Mulder's ineffable eagerness. She is always there to ask
'Why?' And she sometimes does."
	Those who would like to ask Krauss a question about astronomy or
physics can contact him on the Internet at
http://www.newscientist.com/nsplus/insight/trek/trek.html.


ROBERT PICARDO
By Michelle Erica Green

	Ever since he got that portable holographic emitter, the Emergency
Medical Hologram has been the luckiest character on Voyager. He can roam
the ship, go on away missions, and reprogram his own personal quirks. As he
told his designer replacement, the upgraded EMH which appeared on "Message
in a Bottle," he can even have sex.
	"I must have missed the experience," laughs Robert Picardo, who
portrays the Doctor - as of the start of the fifth season, the character
still hasn't settled on a name. When the question is inevitably asked at
conventions, Picardo jokes that he'll get a name when Viacom Consumer
Products' licensing division strikes the appropriate promotional deal:
"Then I will be named Dr. Pepper or Dr. Scholl's." He thinks it's more fun
anyway for the Doctor to have a succession of names each season, and isn't
sure whether the writers will ever settle on one.
	Picardo, whose dry sense of humor and focused intelligence are
shared by the EMH, has won many fans with the contrast of sarcasm and
sensitivity he brings to Voyager. Over the course of four seasons, The
Doctor has evolved from a caustic, paranoid figure into a warm, witty
character whose influence extends far beyond sickbay. His reprisals of Dr.
McCoy's famous "I'm a doctor, not a ____" running complaints and his
ability to recite the career contributions of every doctor who ever
appeared on Star Trek create a welcome sense of continuity with the old
shows, even though the Doctor himself wasn't activated until his ship was
outside the quadrant where they were set.
	As for The Doctor's romantic life, Picardo quips that it must have
climaxed (so to speak) in the episode "Life Signs," when he discovered love
with Vidiian scientist Denara Pel during a tasteful fadeout with the two
snuggled in a '57 Chevy. "I thought it was just a good night kiss," the
actor recalls. "I had to find out long after the fact that I indeed had sex
- much like our President." Picardo believes the line about the "big
addition" to his programming came from his convention patter, in which he
often asks an audience whether they think The Doctor is anatomically
correct. "Why would you give him a...you know...if he is programmed for
emergency medical situations? What kind of 'emergency medical situations'
do you have in mind?"
	The actor is very popular on the convention circuit for his humor
and showmanship; unlike actors who primarily answer questions during con
appearances, Picardo has several song and dance routines which he performs,
occasionally accompanied by his wife on the piano. While he had to retire
his hilarious Sonny and Cher routine after the tragic death of Congressman
Bono (Picardo played both parts, holding up a sign to indicate when he was
Sonny and when he was Cher), it's clear that he was a lounge act waiting to
happen.
	"I have to admit, I have fun at the conventions - it satisfies the
desire for live performance that I cultivated starting out my career in
theater," he confesses. He calls Star Trek fans "the most generous fans in
the world," which helps compensate for the grueling schedule he must keep
to attend conventions during the shooting season. Picardo says that
overall, he's at home with his children much more than he would be in any
other profession, since an entire week can go by in which his character
does not appear in a scene. That situation has arisen less often, however,
since the Doctor was given a portable emitter during the season three
episode "Future's End." Now the character once confined to sickbay and the
holodeck can appear anywhere on or off the ship.
	"I used to tease the other actors, and they hated me, because they
would come in and have a 'bridge day' where any one actor could have a
twelve-hour shooting day and literally say one line, and that never
happened to me," he laughs ruefully. "If the scene was set in sickbay in my
arena, then usually I drove the scene. Now, with the mobile emitter, I have
those wonderful days where I'm in an all-day briefing room scene that goes
on for four pages, and I say one thing. But it's payback time, so it's
completely fair."
	Some of the other recent changes have bothered Picardo more. While
he jokes that his biggest regret about this season is that he used to have
the nicest butt on the cast but now Jeri Ryan does, he confesses to missing
Jennifer Lien as Kes, both personally and in terms of his character's
development. "I have suffered a great deal this season," he states. "The
heart of the Doctor's performance was tied up in his relationship with Kes,
so I think there was a big hole in this season for me. She [was] both my
student and my mentor, my confidant, my sounding board. I have no one else
to reveal myself to, no other close friend on the crew. So that whole side
of my character - the underbelly of this pretentious, stuffy, pompous,
self-important thing - is now gone."
	Picardo expressed these concerns to new executive producer Brannon
Braga at the start of last season. "He agreed, and to their immense credit,
they have written moments alone to show my vulnerability - the Sophie's
Choice moment [in "Year of Hell"] where the Doctor has to close the hatch
and sacrifice part of the crew to save the rest of them, for instance. I
was glad they still gave me really good work. 'Message in a Bottle' and
'Living Witness' were two of the three most popular shows last year as far
as the online commentary."
	The actor is also pleased with the development of his relationship
with Seven of Nine, but as for the suggestions in the media that the show
was failing and the addition of Seven of Nine "saved" the series, he's
skeptical. Picardo says that his initial reaction was that anything which
attracted attention to the show was "a good thing," and that "once you got
past the extraordinary way Jeri looks, she's doing a very nice job - her
character can stir the pot with virtually every other regular character,
and that's a good thing." But having played one of the most popular
characters on the series for three years, "to hear that we were failing and
that we needed this infusion, that's a little overdramatic. It's a classic
example of how network decisions are made. If a show with a predominantly
young male audience is failing, you put a new babe on."
	Picardo says that he's troubled neither by the addition of the
character nor by Jeri Ryan's performances, which he says "have all been
wonderful." He's more disturbed by the way her image is being promoted as
the primary reason to watch the show. "It's not really fair to the rest of
the characters and to the show conceptually - and it's ultimately not fair
to Jeri, because by flashing her body all the time, they're sending the
message that that's all they're interested in. It hurts the credibility of
her work, it hurts the credibility of the show as a whole, and it isn't
fair to the other actors." He agrees that it also isn't fair to the
audience: "The groundbreaking aspect of our show, obviously, was that we
had a woman in command, so it was inherently a feminist statement. To go so
completely opposite in direction as far as the central image that we're
promoting is ironic to say the least. I think it's all going to normalize."
	The actor has developed a relationship with the writers which
permits him an unusual degree of input into his own character, and he often
suggests his own lines. "I have about a half a dozen [lines] in 'Message in
a Bottle' that I pitched to Brannon Braga, so I have a fairly good success
rate - [but] there are many times I call them with a joke, and they go,
'No.'" He feels that over the course of the past three years, the writing
staff has played to his strengths as an actor, so the Doctor's humor and
pathos call for Picardo to rise to the occasion. He did suggest one
storyline - that the Doctor meet an earlier version of himself, whom he
would thoroughly dislike - and when he asked to sing opera on the series,
they wrote a scene in "The Swarm" allowing him to do just that.
	The Doctor was a difficult character for the Yale-educated Picardo
to approach, because the character has absolutely no backstory and indeed
came into existence during his first scene in Voyager's pilot, "Caretaker."
"I had method acting training, but I remember being in a seminar with
Estelle Parsons once and she didn't call herself a 'method actress' as much
as a 'text actress,' meaning she studied the text very carefully and did
whatever she had to do to serve the text. There are certain kinds of
material where the method acting approach does not necessarily help you
serve the material in the best way."
	He looked for clues in the script to give him insight into the
Doctor, and noticed there were at least three stage directions that said
that the character, already described as colorless and humorless, was
supposed to frown. "He's just activated, and he frowns, he complains, he
seems paranoid and also a bit arrogant? Why? What would motivate him to act
in this way? I came up with the relatively simple notion that there was a
dichotomy created by his incredible command of his field, his knowledge,
and the vulnerability of having no control over his destiny, with everyone
turning him on and off." He used those cluesto extrapolate what have become
the Doctor's familiar personality traits.
	"Also," Picardo adds, "There's the theory that if you have 27
individual doctor personalities inside of you, if you distilled 27
different doctors, the overwhelming personality traits you would come up
with are arrogance and paranoia." He's kidding, however; the actor nearly
became a doctor himself before famed conductor and composer Leonard
Bernstein suggested that he leave his pre-med studies for theater. "He
said, you have true energy on stage, not phony Broadway energy, and he said
that's a gift. And I said, tell my mother." That was the beginning of
Picardo's professional ambitions. Though he did not become a doctor, he has
played several, most notably on China Beach.
	The actor has quite a bit of science fiction on his resume, most
notably several Joe Dante films. A great fan of horror movies, he pursued a
role in The Howling because of his childhood affection for werewolf and
mummy movies. He says he'd much rather play monsters than victims: "The
best victims are screaming women, and having played two drag roles, I know
that I make a very homely screaming woman." The role of which he is
proudest was a theatrical performance for which he won awards: the San
Francisco production of The Normal Heart, a controversial play about AIDS.
"I felt a tremendous burden of responsibility of opening that show in the
gay consciousness capital of the United States, not only being a straight
actor, but studying to acquaint myself with the historical background of
the beginning of the epidemic. It was an exhilarating experience but very
difficult. I'm proud of the recognition that that production got, but more
importantly, I think the emotional breakthroughs that I was able to have
working on that role were very beneficial...I learned how to address my own
personal emotional risibility as an actor, if you want to put it that way. "
	Picardo was working on a play when he was cast in Voyager, and
intends to go back both to the stage and to comedy when the series
concludes. "I would love to be on Frasier," he says. "Usually I get offered
a couple of guest stars and pilots every year. Which is nice, because
you're not usually allowed to be able to do two things in show business -
if you're on an hour show you're considered a dramatic actor, whereas if
you're on a sitcom you get offered half-hours." He describes himself as
"mamby pamby" about future ambitions, in part because of the opportunities
that the Star Trek franchise has offered him. "'Do you want to work on a
bad TV movie for a week and a half, or would you like an all-expense-paid
trip to Australia?'" he laughs. "You weigh bad TV movies, of which I've
done 20, or a trip with the family. That's how I make my decisions. The
convention circuit has been treating me extremely well."
	Picardo directed the episode "Alter Ego" last season and is hopeful
that he will direct again next season, having known that he would not have
an opportunity last year. "We have a stable of directors; you simply cannot
surpass their abilities without years of experience," he points out. "I'm
sure I will do significantly better for my second time out, but I just
simply have to wait for the wheel to come around to me again." He's open to
more directing once the series is off the air, but says he has no desire to
make the transition to doing it full-time: "I can't imagine not acting
anymore."
	The actor had to interrupt his brief winter vacation from Voyager
last year to film his big scene in Small Soldiers, but he didn't mind a
bit. "I owe it all to Joe Dante,he was the first one who placed me on a
Star Trek set," the actor explains. Dante's film Explorers features a
film-within-a-film called 'Captain Starkiller' - "a very bad cheeseball
ripoff of like a Buck Rogers-kind of space serial, if you can imagine a
cheeseball ripoff of something that's relatively cheesy to begin with."
Picardo played Captain Starkiller, which was filmed in a Klingon torpedo
bay from Star Trek II. "So Joe placed me on a Star Trek set some 18 years
ago, which I think shows tremendous clairvoyance," Picardo laughs.
	Small Soldiers represents the latest phase in Picardo and Dante's
long-time working relationship. The actor was fortunate that the film was
shot on such a tight schedule. Most of it was filmed during Voyager's
shooting season when he is unavailable for other work, but because Dante
worked through Christmas, Picardo was able to squeeze in a cameo. Dante
originally asked him to play a school principal - "and that would have been
fun, and sort of up my alley" - but Picardo was interested in playing a bad
guy for a change. "I am responsible for the carnage," he says gleefully. "I
have designed a microchip, a smart chip that improves any military weapons
system, and some ambitious toy manufacturer uses it elsewhere!"
	Plot-wise, Picardo has a pivotal scene in which he explains what's
happening to the toy soldiers in the movie. "In contrast to what I do on
Voyager, which is strictly software, I'm the hardware guy in Small
Soldiers. I'm obsessive as usual, and I do something - let's just say I
have a minor mishap in a clean room suit." The actor went in with an idea
for what he wanted to do with the part, "and I think the other actors,
who'd been working on the movie for three months, their jaws kind of
dropped, because they look at me and I come in for the day and sort of
commandeer the scene!" Because he had to return to Voyager, the actor spent
very little time on the set and was surprised to hear during this interview
that Tommy Lee Jones provided the voice of Chip Hazard, the head commando.
"I didn't even know that! During the shooting I knew what the cast was, but
he would have done that in post-production," Picardo points out.
	Dante discovered Picardo twenty years ago in the Broadway
production of Tribute, in which the young Picardo played Jack Lemmon's
tormented son.  "For some bizarre reason, when he was casting The Howling
and looking for his werewolf-psycho, he remembered my tormented young man
in Tribute, who was anything but a psycho, but I had a couple of explosive
scenes where I laid into Dad with tremendous anger. For whatever reason,
Joe saw werewolf potential in me, which I suppose is a very back-handed
compliment!" That role represented Picardo's first experience with
prosthetic makeup, which of course he is very familiar with now on Voyager.
	In addition to Captain Starkiller, Picardo also played the two
aliens in that movie, a father and child - "the first time I ever played my
own parent, which of course is something every actor longs for," he jokes.
"I did get to yell at myself, and I got to wear bright blue lame and a
blond pompadour, which was also appealing." The experience did not,
however, leave him enthusiastic about prosthetics, and when Voyager's
producers asked him this season whether he wanted to be turned into a Borg
during an episode where a transporter malfunction causes Seven of Nine's
Borg implants to interface with the Doctor's holographic emitter, "I
reacted with extreme lukewarm response - the expression 'Been There, Done
That' leaps to my mind." Ironically, Picardo had originally auditioned to
play not the Doctor but Neelix - the most makeup-heavy role on Voyager. "It
does seem somewhat hypocritical, in retrospect, since I've done prosthetics
a number of time for Joe, but I have no defense for hypocrisy!"
	He is grateful to Dante for offering him such opportunities as
letting him choose his part in Runaway Daughters: "He had me in mind for
another character, but I said, 'Let me do this.' Often with Joe, when he
hands me something, we'll sit down and have a meeting early on where I'll
pitch a theme or a prop gag." Picardo is known as a prop actor, so he and
Dante will have meetings with the prop department to devise his inventions.
"In Gremlins II I wanted to play a management personality who totally
depersonalized the people who worked for him, so instead of having name
tags for everyone in the giant corporate headquarters building, I gave all
my employees a bar code badge, and I had a computer with a
switchblade-opening scanner. I would scan everybody and never look at their
faces - just the printout with their records and their names. So that
involved the manufacture of hundreds of these bar code badges for the
extras, and this cool switchblade bar code opener, and all this other stuff
that they do at my whim!"
	Picardo feigns disgruntlement, however, at the fact that he could
have played the David Cross role in Small Soldiers...ten years ago. "David
Cross looks a little like me at age 27 - Joe finally cast a movie I could
play a lead in, and I'm too old for it! There were people who saw the
previews who think that I have David's part. I say, that's very flattering
but if you look closer you can see that he's a good dozen years younger
than me!"
	Of course, the man behind the Holographic Doctor was also a bit too
busy to play a lead in Small Soldiers. Voyager has been undergoing some
changes with the new season and the change in leadership. "We had been
aiming for more action, I think that will continue," the actor notes. "Last
year was very much a transition year, since [executive producer] Jeri
Taylor knew she was leaving the series, so Brannon Braga was assuming a lot
of the helm. So it's been a very easy transition this season - the second
half of last season in particular, Brannon was pretty much running the show
as much as he is now that Jeri's gone. Brannon is an incredible workhorse
who can rewrite so many scripts in a season, even ones which aren't
necessarily his particular stories or his first drafts. He's kind of
tireless - he can do a rewrite in two and a half, three days."
	There are new writers on the show's staff as well, but "believe it
or not I haven't even met them yet," laughs Picardo. "We can go a whole
season without meeting a writer - we'll meet at the wrap party!" He does
express pleasure with the material the unknown scripters are turning out.
"We're in our third story, and the first two scripts have been really good.
I've had fun supporting things to do, but I don't think I'll be featured
until show five, which is very much the way it was last year." The slow
start is fine with Picardo: "I like easing into the season, I never envy
the actors who have the big role the first or second time out, because
you've been off and you have to find your stride again before you go into
the total immersion mold."
	Picardo does have a funny moment in the opening scene of the
season, set on the holodeck in a 1930's-style black and white sci-fi movie
serial. "Talk about Buck Rogers! It turns out to be a holodeck program that
Tom Paris, who's always been kind of a 20th century hobbyist, is fooling
around with - visions of what the future would be - so he's cast himself in
this romantic retro program as Captain Proton. It's all in black and white
until the Doctor enters in full color, complaining that Tom is now three
minutes into his scheduled time to practice a duet from Don Carlo!"
	As for what's coming up on Voyager, "I know Brannon has a major
surprise in store I think for late in the season, this is what I've heard,
but I'm not even sure what it is." The long-anticipated return of Voyager
to the Alpha Quadrant, perhaps? "I have my theories, but I honestly don't
know!" laughs the actor. "My theory has always been, they will bring us
home the moment Deep Space Nine is going off the air - I would think, if we
go home, it won't be till May sweeps."
	Any chance of a crossover between the Voyager and Deep Space Nine
casts before the older series concludes? Picardo once appeared as Dr. Louis
Zimmerman, the Doctor's programmer, on Deep Space Nine, but isn't sure
he'll be returning to the space station. "It's hard to do much crossover -
it would be wonderful if Deep Space Nine was on a network for the sake of
having a regular air time, and they could plan the kind of crossover things
that have been done on Ally McBeal and The Practice, where they did a
same-night airing. Of course that's impossible. We could have a little bit
of crossing over - probably from them to us makes more sense than from us
to them, though if you're having a show where you're kind of saying goodbye
to the whole facility of Deep Space Nine, it would be fun to see at least
one Voyager guy roam through, or have a scene with Neelix where he's
getting advice or supplies from Quark for some reason. I think the fans
would get a big hoot out of that."
	Picardo doesn't expect to be making any appearances in the next
Star Trek movie, noting, "We've done that joke once and it worked
surprisingly well, but to me the only rationale to have put me in the next
film is that I think it would be very gratifying for the fans to see a
scene between me and Data. I hope it happens, I think it would be great
fun." He imagines that if Paramount ever goes ahead with the planned IMAX
Star Trek film, maybe he could have a scene with Data, "but that's
completely fantasy because I don't even know what the status of that
project is." Next Generation's Jonathan Frakes, who is directing the next
feature, was at one time rumored to be the planned director of the IMAX
film, but is now rumored to be planning Total Recall II after he completes
Star Trek IX, assuming that Arnold Schwarzenegger can work the sequel into
his own busy schedule.
	Picardo, who played the voice of Johnnycab in the first film, is
hopeful that that project will go forward. "I would think they would try to
sign Johnnycab first, before Arnold - obviously I am going to be a
significant part of the success of any Total Recall movie!" he jokes  "I
would hope they would have the voice of Johnnycab back, and I'm sure they
saved my rubber head somewhere - no more molding!" He reacts with
mock-indignance to the suggestion that Johnnycab might have aged. "I don't
think we're trying to encourage the fans to think of Johnnycab as the
Doctor moonlighting."
	In the meantime, his job on Voyager looks secure for the immediate
future. "I would say that the fact that Deep Space Nine has come back for a
seventh year bodes awfully well for us - we were a more robust child out of
the gate," though he admits that with the addition of Michael Dorn and the
exciting storylines on the other Trek series, "we're probably neck in neck
in popularity." He expresses mystification at UPN's decision to hold the
season premiere until October, after bringing the cast back from hiatus on
June 1st to aim for a start date the first week in September. "When you go
to Rick Berman and ask how we're doing, though, he says stuff like, 'Buy
the better tiles for your bathroom.' I think UPN needs us for brand-name
recognition."
	In non-genre work, Picardo is hoping to do an Albert Brooks
project, "probably five minutes of screen time in the movie which would
shoot over the course of three days, it would be the kind of role that I
could easily shoot during the shooting season. It's very hard to schedule
any movie work when you're shooting a television series where they don't
know what the next episode is, and whether you'll work seven days or two
days." In the meantime, he hopes that Small Soldiers lives up to its
impressive buzz. "I really hope it's a big success, because I adore Joe,
and I'd love him to have a big hit and then be flooded with scripts. And
ultimately it will be good for me, because there will be a part for me in
that flood of scripts!"
	The Broadway veteran says that shows like Voyager and China Beach,
which allow him to carry most of the humor during a dramatic hour, are his
ideal type of work. Both his quick wit and his pathos can be brought into
play. "I like that situation more than being in a situation comedy...but I
have a lot of background in situation comedies, and I think if I were to do
another series after Voyager, it would most likely be a comedy show."
	His goals, however, have not changed since he was a young actor.
"When it's all working at its best, you are communicating something to your
audience, and in an essence, giving them a gift," he says. "And, of course,
taking something for yourself - taking negative or unhappy experiences that
are simply baggage in other people's lives and using them to create. Those
are the two aspects of being an actor that I value most, and that I work
towards."
	(This article originally appeared in Mania Magazine.)


***
BOOKS AND COLLECTIBLES
***

Upcoming Pocket Books

Available now:

The Captain's Table #4: Fire Ship
by Diane Carey
Her ship destroyed, Kathryn Janeway must join an alien crew to save the
Delta Quadrant from a deadly menace.

Pathways
by Jeri Taylor
The histories of the people who comprise Voyager's crew -- Chakotay, Tuvok,
Paris, Kim, Torres, Neelix, and Kes.

Pathways (Audio)
Read by Robert Picardo

August:

Star Trek Voyager 1999 Calendar

Q's Guide to the Continuum
by Michael Jan Friedman and Robert Greenberger Everything you always wanted
to know about the Q, by our favorite.

Star Trek Voyager #16: Seven of Nine
by Christie Golden
The story of the woman who was once Annika Hansen, and became a Borg.

October:

Star Trek: Action!
Terry J. Erdmann
Follows the creation of sequences from Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and the
upcoming feature film.

The Janeway Hallmark Christmas ornaments are out now! $14.95 at your local
Hallmark store.


AN EXCERPT FROM JERI TAYLOR'S PATHWAYS, A POCKET BOOKS HARDCOVER:

	 One of the doors in the far wall was opening, and several figures
had emerged. Neelix moved back to his group, and saw Tuvok staring into the
distance, tensed and alert. "Vorik," he said quietly to the young Vulcan
next to him, "go at once to Commander Chakotay's group.
	"What is it? What do you see?" asked Neelix, who didn't possess the
superior eyesight of the Vulcans.
	Tuvok turned to him and said something that so stunned Neelix that
he thought he must have misheard. For what Tuvok said was "I believe
Captain Janeway has entered the camp.
	Chakotay had become aware of the shift in attitude among the
prisoners which always heralded the arrival of guards, and like the others,
he and his group busied themselves with mindless activity in order to stay
anonymous. He caught in the corner of his eye a brief flash of color, and
realized someone was with the Subu guards, but it wasn't until the
contingent was almost on top of them that he realized who it was. He heard
a woman's voice saying, "With all these laborers, I'm surprised the price
for your psilminite is so high."
	Reigning in his shock, Chakotay allowed his eyes to flicker upward,
and when they did, his heart suddenly constricted.
	Kathryn was walking next to the commandant, old whalehead himself,
who strutted officiously in his three-legged gait. She was dressed in a
kind of robe of blue and purple, with heavy earrings dangling from her
lobes and ornate rings on several fingers. She looked, to Chakotay, like a
goddess.
	"Not all may work," whalehead growled. "Only the trusted ones."
	Suddenly Kathryn came to a stop, looked directly at Chakotay, and
pointed. "Who are those people?" she demanded.
	 "I don't know what they call themselves. They were discovered
invading one of our small planets. Undoubtedly they're mercenaries working
for the Rai'."
	Kathryn's eyes narrowed and she walked closer to Chakotay. "They're
human," she said angrily, "or at least some of them are. I've run into them
before. They're mercenaries, all right. They attacked my holdings on Grivus
and killed members of my family."
	She was right in front of Chakotay now, staring at him with furious
eyes. He had no idea just what was happening, but he trusted her enough to
go with her game.
	"Sorry I missed them all," he said casually.
	Her hand exploded across his cheek, backhand, and he recoiled at
the blow. Kathryn had a mean punch. He touched his cheek and felt dampness,
and saw that his fingers were red with blood. One of her rings had ripped
the skin of his cheek.
	"Commandant, I would hate to think these wicked beings could escape
to kill others.
	"No danger. Many security measures."
	"I certainly hope so." She gave Chakotay one last angry glance,
then walked on. "Let's finalize the price, shall we? I've lost interest in
this filthy place."
	The small entourage moved back toward the wall from which they had
emerged, the prisoners still occupied with busywork. Chakotay and the
others stared after them.
	"What was that all about?" wondered Harry. Chakotay, still putting
pressure on the cut in his cheek, let his mind consider all the
possibilities. "She's in disguise for a reason. Probably to see if we're
here, and what our situation is. Trying to figure out some way to get us
out."
	"But what could that be? And why did she hit you?"
	"I guess to put on a good show." He looked around at the others.
His cheek had stopped bleeding. "Let's get moving. We have work to do." And
once again they spread out to see if they could find what they needed.


AN EXCERPT FROM DIANE CAREY'S FIRE SHIP, FROM POCKET BOOKS' THE CAPTAIN'S
TABLE SERIES:

	"I, Kathryn Janeway, pledge my service and allegiance to this ship
and this crew. I pledge to abide by the rules of engagement, to obey the
order of any senior unless it violates the Ship's Pledge, and to put the
ship and crew above my own life. I will not falsely accuse any crewmate. I
will be honest in all pursuits. I accept the right of senior officers to
punish me up to and including death if I violate the Ship's Pledge. If at
any time I cannot keep to the Pledge, I will inform a senior officer and
refrain from any activity until I can be put off the ship. I understand
that all around me at this moment have also taken this Pledge, and to them
I promise my devotion. From this moment forward I will use all my
knowledge, experience, and talents to help and support my ship and my
crewmates. I swear solemnly that this oath will.. . that this will
supersede any previous oaths or obligations. On this day I, Kathryn
Janeway, so pledge."
	"Now turn, and face your ship and your shipmates." Shivering like a
midshipman, I turned. Before me, the main deck sprawled like a small
stadium. Crowded before me was Zingara's crew of one hundred nine, missing
only the seven who were in the infirmary, still unconscious. They all
looked at me, seeing weakness in my manner for the first time since I'd
come on board, and I wondered if they held in full comprehension the reason
for my little pauses.
	My heart was splitting. That was the reason. Beside me, having
cleaned his hair to a soft pine shroud and changed into a fresh shoulder
cape, Quen appeared more captainlike than I had seen him yet. He was quiet
and circumspect, probably wondering whether or not he were making a
mistake, pledging a woman, and someone whom they had met only a few short
weeks ago.
	We'd made our light kick. Now we passively drifted near a
completely different star from the one we had used to power up the tiles.
Hyperlight-speed had brought us to a place of relative safety, and we were
slowly making repairs. Things were still very hard. There were almost no
resources in this miserable solar system and scarcely any connections with
which to get supplies. We were quite on our own, moving between distant
settlements and deposits, trying to bribe, buy, trade, or collect what we
needed to get along. And that was down to food and water, not just fancy
composite for the ship's systems. I needed answers. Sooner or later, I'd
get them. For now, there was only crushing emotion filling this rite of
passage.
	Sadness lay upon my chest. Tears pushed at the backs of my eyes. My
own words, my new oath, galvanized the deep emotions that I could no longer
banish. A profound weight had been lifted, and another came to rest on me.
The universe had turned without me, and I was in a whole new place, never
to see any other.
	This was my life now. This was my place, my ship. I had a living
duty, crewmates, and I had a captain to serve. There was nothing left
between Voyager and me but misplaced fidelity. For me there was no more
Prime Directive, for there was no more Federation, zero chance of ever
returning, ever again fulfilling my oath as a Starfleet captain. Even the
wind must someday accept that the storm has changed course.
	Starfleet didn't expect us to sacrifice all that we knew and could
offer to other life-forms; the Federation wasn't that stingy. If we were
trapped, as I now was, in some distant place, they'd rather we live and
survive, but not live like hermits. I'd want my crew to join a culture if
they could, to assimilate and use what they knew to the betterment of any
and all, wouldn't I? Even when Voyager was displaced, we were still all
Starfleet officers. We always had that to cling to. But I couldn't cling
all by myself.
	Now, as I jumped up a step in rank on my new ship, I had
obligations that no previous oath could smother. I needn't let go of my
identity, hide my abilities, or forget my Earth heritage. The Federation
had something to offer to this culture...and that something was me.
	"I, Quen, pledged captain of the Zingara, promise to stand behind
Kay Janeway, to consider her suggestions, to believe her words, and to act
in her defense. Kay, your crew accepts your Pledge, and we pledge ourselves
to you."
	A miserable thank-you rattled in my throat, but my voice utterly
failed. Not exactly graduation at the Academy, yet...a blessed moment in
its way. A glance back, a step forward. Today, with my heart aching and my
mind clear, I made a new oath, devoting myself to this ship, these young
people, and this culture in upheaval. The real had to take precedence over
the hypothetical. I was here now. I was here now.
	That was all there was to it. Another major change in my life. No
champagne reception, no shaking hands with admirals, no wondering whether
my father would be proud of me. Deep sorrow for the crew engulfed me as
they murmured their congratulations and shielded their doubts. This was all
the ceremony these poor boys had. They didn't have much, but they were
betting it all on me. This was much more poignant than momentous accolades
and fanfare and pageant.


A VISION OF THE FUTURE: STAR TREK VOYAGER
A POCKET BOOKS TRADE PAPERBACK BY STEPHEN EDWARD POE

	Though you wouldn't know it from the author's name, this book on
the making of Voyager was penned by the writer of the classic The Making of
Star Trek, who was then using the name Stephen E. Whitfield. Stephen Edward
Poe has ample credentials to describe the making of Voyager -- he knew Gene
Roddenberry and had access to the original series production staff, he's a
screenwriter and producer so he knows the television industry, he has
inside access to the current managers of the Trek franchise. Unfortunately
some of the very things which make him a qualified chronicler also make him
a biased one -- he states at the outset that he intends to be positive, to
ignore any dirt and gloss over the rough spots. This is a very pretty
picture of the cast and crew, which does a lot of lip service to the
strength of the Trek franchise.
	What's ironic, therefore, is how depressing I found this book. I
knew that Voyager was always a commercial product which stemmed from the
desire to create a Paramount television network rather than from a desire
to further the ideology and goals of Star Trek, but this nuts-and-bolts
look at how it was created left me nostalgic for Poe's earlier book, and
the earlier Trek incarnation he chronicled so effectively. There's not one
person interviewed in A Vision of the Future who has the passion and spirit
of Roddenberry. The producers come across as hard-working, well-meaning
hacks caught between the network and the fans, with no real "vision of the
future" at all. On the first page, executive producer Rick Berman says that
he "learned Gene's vision directly from Gene," and adds, "It wasn't my
vision of the future...it was like learning a foreign language." That
explains why Star Trek has had such a strange, dark accent since
Roddenberry's death.
	Poe's analysis of the Trek phenomenon is more cynical than it was in The
Making of Star Trek: he still credits the series' success to the optimistic
view of humankind, but spends a lot of pages explaining how the shows are
marketed and distinguishing among categories of fans -- the hardcore ones
who have kept the franchise afloat, the casual viewers who make up the bulk
of the ratings numbers. That won't be news to Trekkers; what's more
enlightening is the explanation of exactly who has power over whom. Rick
Berman may be the current Great Bird, but two Paramount executives -- Kerry
McCluggage and Tom Mazza -- oversaw and approved every decision he made
about Voyager, from the use of the Prime Directive in the pilot to the
casting of the captain. It's a portrait of compromise by hardened
professionals who never seem to catch fire about the ideas and visions they
put on our television screens.
	Maybe all television shows are like that, though I don't think it's
true particularly of science fiction. Neither The X-Files's Chris Carter
nor Babylon 5's J. Michael Straczynski talk obsessively about franchise
approval and commercial tie-ins. This book seems to be about the decline of
the franchise; in an ongoing effort to make money and launch a television
network, the talents behind Star Trek, particularly the people from The
Next Generation, were spread so thin that little remained of the reasons
their show was a success. It's odd that this book has Paramount's
sanctioning because although it doesn't dish the dirt on Genevieve Bujold's
departure from the role of Janeway or say anything about Kes's being dumped
from the series, it reveals all sorts of warts that casual viewers might
not have noticed were there.
	Poe's analysis of Voyager's appeal makes copious notes on its
wonderful set design -- what he does not even have to say is that it may
have wonderful sets, but Classic Trek's appeal was always in spite of its
cheesy furnishings. While Poe clearly respects Berman's business acumen, he
seems to see Michael Piller as the real heir to Roddenberry's ideology.
There's a lot more detail about Piller's specific contributions -- in one
instance Piller is described as giving a note to writer Ken Biller about
Roddenberry's goals which make a big impact on the young writer. Poe
clearly has little sympathy for actors, however: he suggests that the TNG
cast's outrageous salary demands and high level of burnout were responsible
for the cancellation of the well-loved series, and says repeatedly that
clauses needed to be written into the current actors' contracts to avoid a
similar case of escalating costs.
	Surprisingly, this book contributes little to the popular myth
about the exit of Bujold and the hiring of Mulgrew, who apparently
impressed Berman but not Piller or Taylor at her initial reading, and was
not brought back until Bujold had decided that the unsubtle style of Trek
acting was not for her. Berman repeatedly brought in actress Susan Gibney,
who had appeared on TNG and DS9, but each time he was overruled by the
Paramount executives who felt she was too young for the role. Mulgrew's
casting was a last-minute compromise, though everyone breathed a sigh of
relief when she made such a strong showing...well, except for her hair,
which necessitated expensive reshoots with a wig (ironically, to get rid of
the hairstyle which Janeway currently wears).
	The fact that Berman managed to cast a woman at all despite the
network's reservations seems extraordinary, since McCluggage wanted "a
babe" to placate what Poe characterizes as the core audience -- males
25-45. The bickering producers sound a lot like Janeway and crew in the
briefing room on the show: one of them says, "Suggestions, gentlemen?" and
the rest throw out ideas until someone comes up with something that nobody
else can immediately shoot down. McCluggage, who comes across as the
smartest of the lot despite his own sexist assumptions about what makes a
good captain, prophetically worried that a show about trying to get home
would be depressing and stagnant. Piller saw the show as more of a metaphor
for fin-de-siecle America, where problems which appear insurmountable must
be worked around to move forward. (Piller and Taylor are often referred to
as "Michael" and "Jeri," while Berman is Berman.)
	It was news to me that Voyager employed a Native American expert to
help construct Chakotay -- a character who still doesn't have a tribal
background -- and that Taylor's assistant consulted with a parapsychologist
to help determine Kes' supernatural abilities. Most interesting was the
revelation that the Maquis were created with the new series in mind back
when they first appeared during DS9's third season. The backstory is
extensive and Poe's accounting of it is exhaustive. With all this homework,
one wonders why there wasn't a stronger series at the outset.
	It may have been a problem with too many cooks...or with trying to
please too many segments of the audience, rather than focusing on telling a
good story. The book offers a lengthy account of how burned out the crew
was from working on TNG, Generations, DS9, and Voyager all at once, and
details all the plot and character points which Voyager had going against
it. The dates get muddled -- Robert Beltran goes in to audition on August
31, then gets the part "two days later" on September 1. Plus there are some
factual errors, such as Bujold twice being called an Academy Award winner
(she was nominated, but never won) and Mulgrew being described as "the
oldest of eight girls" (she's actually the second of eight children, four
of whom were boys). Maybe these are nitpicks, but in a book which is
supposed to be the official version of the truth, they're troubling.
	Because of the contradictions, I don't know how seriously to take
some of the stories about the filming itself. In this book, Jennifer Lien
fled a costuming session, but on the E! special filmed right before the
series premiered, she appeared genuinely bemused by a question about how
she felt about her costumes and said she'd never thought about the matter.
Since Lien is described in the book as incompetent at dealing with the
press, one is inclined to believe her sincere word-of-mouth. While there's
a nice story about Robbie McNeill almost giving up the part of Tom Paris to
salvage a play he was doing, it differs from McNeill's own account of
lobbying to be allowed to audition for a part which was based on a
character he himself created, which then caused the producers not to want
to repeat themselves in the casting department.
	I really lost it when Poe described Seven of Nine -- whose abrupt
hiring gets a late chapter, though Kes's concurrent departure is not
explained -- as a feminist heroine. The main character on Voyager is a
woman -- how does the addition of a network-concocted ratings babe in a
catsuit constitute progress for women at all, especially when she talks
back to the female captain whose legitimate authority is being eroded?
There's a lot glossed over. While this book is well worth owning for
Voyager aficionados -- it has a great many photos of the sets and designs,
plus the entire production history and credits -- I doubt it will make
converts out of any non-viewers. And Classic Trek fans may find themselves
feeling that this new series isn't in any way a legitimate heir to the
legacy.

--Michelle Erica Green


ECHOES: STAR TREK VOYAGER #15
BY KRISTINE KATHRYN RUSCH, DEAN WESLEY SMITH, AND NINA KIRIKI HOFFMAN

	You remember in Future's End when Janeway says that time anomalies
give her a headache? Well, I totally agree with that statement. One
universe is hard enough to keep track of, but this triumvirate of authors
with three names each decided to describe three parallel universes out of
thousands. Lucky for us that they write clearly and have a good handle on
the characters, otherwise this would be a nightmare of gargantuan
proportions.
	Using the "Deadlock" episode as a backdrop for this anomaly,
Voyager encounters a series of subspace waves along with a distress call.
As expected, they go to investigate and are caught up in a series of time
shifts that threaten billions of lives and manage to transport the away
team to the wrong universe. In one universe, the away team is doubled up,
which leads to some rather amusing moments between Torres One and Torres
Two. In each universe, hairstyles, tattoos, alien markings, and uniforms
change, but the characters are essentially the same.
	We also get to sneak around inside Kathryn Janeway's mind, and that
makes Echoes a real fun ride. In recent months, TV's Janeway has been
portrayed as a foolhardy person who endangers both herself and her crew to
satisfy her obsessive drive to get her crew home. Here, each Janeway is
drawn as a strong and compassionate leader at the end of her rope, one who
relies heavily on her ersatz crew to come up with a workable solution to
their problem. This Janeway stresses teamwork, and knows she can't do this
alone.
	In summary, although this novel treads the same old ground, its
writers manage to do so with enough finesse to keep it interesting. A
worthy addition to a mediocre series of books, and one which surpasses many
of the recent Voyager episodes.

--Elizabeth Klisiewicz

	Echoes was written by the same authors (with one additional) who
wrote The Escape. Here, instead of revolving around time travel and the
resultant paradoxes, the story is based on the episode "Deadlock" and deals
with the complexities of alternate universes. Voyager encounters a subspace
wave emanating from a nearby planet. The planet sends a distress signal and
after responding Janeway learns that the residents believe it is the result
of their new transportation system. While speaking with a planet
representative, there is another wave and Janeway sees thousands of
universes with a Voyager over every other planet. After the wave the
representative seems to have no knowledge of having ever spoken to Janeway.
	We later learn that each wave shifts those on the planet, including
an away team, to another universe. Eventually they will shift to a universe
where the planet itself is not there and everyone dies in the vacuum of
space with Voyager there frantically trying to find a way to stop the
shifts. In addition to following the story with the characters as we know
them, we also get to see it unfold in a couple of the other universes that
have the same characters but with some differences.
	The detail, from Janeway's hair, and Neelix's spots to different
uniforms and behaviors -- one Chakotay drums his fingers -- makes for some
interesting scenes. It's interesting to see that despite these differences,
the characters are all essentially the same in the way they work together
and in each universe they come up with the same solution and work together
to make it work. There are also some amusing scenes with some of the
characters meeting themselves a la "Deadlock".
	Speaking of "Deadlock" there were a rather large amount of
references to the episode, possibly for anyone who hadn't seen it.
Eventually Voyager finds a way to send messages during the waves and
through this mode of communication, and the fact that the characters in
each universe make the same kinds of decisions, all the Voyagers reach the
same conclusions and solutions. This results in a mass effort of the
Voyagers and her crews that sets the situation back to rights.
	Some of the technobabble went way over my head but not only did I
enjoy that the novel didn't center on finding food or looking for an
appropriate place for shore leave, I enjoyed seeing how the situation was
handled in each universe. I also felt that carrying the characterizations
from universe to universe was a difficult task that came off well and that
there were no glaring inconsistancies in how they were written. My only
real quibble with Echoes was the ending. I won't give it away, but this is
the kind of ending that always leaves me feel somehwat cheated.

--Kimberly Peterson


PATHWAYS, A STAR TREK VOYAGER NOVEL
BY JERI TAYLOR

	In  Pathways, Jeri Taylor does for the remainder of Voyager's
characters what she did for Kathryn Janeway in Mosaic, tracing the
histories which brought them together in the Delta Quadrant. When she wrote
the previous novel, Taylor was an executive producer of the series, able to
incorporate much of its content into some of the episodes; now that she has
retired, it's unclear whether the backstories she has given the characters
will remain canonical. I hope so, because Pathways is longer and more
detailed than most Trek fiction, dropping familiar names from previous
series and utilizing established settings like Starfleet Academy and Mount
Seleya. It begins with most of the command crew getting stranded in an
alien prison camp; to pass time while they attempt to devise an escape
route from the horrific place, the crewmembers tell one another their
stories.
	This book veers from established canon in certain instances, such
as the long history of Janeway's friendship with Tuvok and the locale of
the incident which got Tom Paris courtmartialed. It also changes the
species of Chakotay's animal guide as set down in the Voyager "Bible," and
alters a major event from Neelix's life as he himself explained it in the
episode "Jetrel." Still, it's a satisfying read, juggling past and present
tenses more effectively than Mosaic and offering quite a lot of material in
its 400-plus pages.
	My favorite thing about this novel redeemed my least favorite thing
about Taylor's previous one: Captain Kathryn Janeway comes across here as
smart, resourceful, gutsy, and sensitive, much more strongly than she's
been portrayed on the series for the past season. Some of the
Decameron-like tales are more engrossing than others, but since all the
stories are flashbacks unrelated to the events set in the present, one can
skim any given character's chapter without losing the thread of the
narrative.
	Chakotay is the first to speak, when Harry Kim asks him how he came
to forego Starfleet for the Maquis. His self-characterization, as a
directionless boy growing up in a tradition-bound tribe, unfortunately
continues his portrayal as a passive-aggressive contrary begun in the
episode "Tattoo" during <i>Voyager</i>'s second season; I much preferred
the pro-active, committed spiritualist of the earlier episodes, but that
Chakotay has vanished from the series. Taylor describes in past tense his
reactions as a Starfleet officer to the horrors of war, rather than showing
us his experiences, which makes him seem even more passive. It's
particularly disappointing that while his father's death triggers his
decision to join the Maquis, his former Academy girlfriend Sveta is the
catalyst.
	Chakotay spends most of his life being manipulated by women like
Sveta and like Seska. This characterization makes Chakotay's instantaneous
decision to follow Janeway understandable -- he's a woman's man all the way
-- but I'd much rather have learned that his devotion to Janeway stems from
their common ideological values and mutual suffering at the hands of the
Cardassians. I also can't help but wish that we'd gotten to hear Chakotay
telling his story to Janeway or even to Seska, who's more intriguing than
Chakotay himself -- especially in light of our knowledge that, contrary to
Chakotay's and Torres' assumptions, Seska's true aim is not to win
Chakotay's love but to spy on his organization. It's a real shame the
Cardassian spy died before telling her own story.
	Chakotay and Kim have a common figure in their pasts, an Academy
instructor who serves as the bridge between their tales. Harry's life story
is sweet and a little predictable, much like Harry. However, his tale does
lead me to wonder how someone who worked so hard to impress his survival
training instructor doesn't know enough to boil the polluted water the crew
must drink in the prison camp. I appreciate the fact that Harry had a gay
Academy roommate, as well as the fact that there's a gay couple from
Voyager on the away team -- details which I am certain will be taken out of
canon by the television producers. In several other places, most notably
the characterization of Janeway, Taylor seems to be trying to compensate
for the shortcomings of the series where network demands might have
prevented her from more progressive developments.
	Janeway is adored by all. Tuvok finds her compelling, Tom finds her
attractive, Torres credits her with turning her life around. Neelix finds
her voice "husky as old velvet." Chakotay thinks at one point that she
looks like a goddess. We never learn precisely how she tracks her crew to
the prison planet, but when the captain finally enters more than halfway
through the novel, her actions are both shocking and unexpectedly
brilliant. This is the Janeway I hoped to discover in <b>Mosaic</b>. The
novel contains a touching, tender scene between captain and first officer
which I am not sure whether to read as a sop to Janeway/Chakotay fans or a
reflection of what Taylor genuinely wanted for the series, but in any case
I adored it. After all of Taylor's tradition-bound backstory about Janeway
and her relationships, the author seems to be indicating that she
understood all along what a 24th-century woman might be like unfettered by
20th century restrictions -- just couldn't work it into a 20th-century
network series. (J/Cers: make sure to read the front flap summary.)
	Still, I have some of the same annoyances with Torres in Pathways
as I had with Janeway in Mosaic, particularly the obsession with an absent
father and subsequent male figures. (With the exception of Tuvok, none of
these characters has a fleshed-out mother.) Torres's potentially volatile
Klingon sexuality is dealt with in a frustrating, repressed manner,
culminating in a threatened rape by a Cardassian and then a crush on her
paternalistic savior, Chakotay, a passion which is at least more believable
here than in the episode "Persistence of Vision," in which we were led to
believe she'd repressed those feelings for years. Why Torres fell out of
love with Chakotay, and in love with Tom, remains vague. There's also some
annoying coyness about whether she had sex with her high school boyfriend
when there was no doubt about the men's intimate lives. In general, I
thought there was too much emphasis on her relationships and not enough on
her skills as an engineer, but that does spare the reader the technobabble
details of her work.
	Kes is for me the most compelling character in Pathways. Because
the character is no longer on the series, her story must be told as a dream
sequence, but that allows a moving introduction by way of Neelix's
memories. Kes comes across as wonderfully courageous, proud of who she is
even when she makes mistakes, unrestricted by her gender in thought or deed
although she has been threatened as a result of it. It's easy to understand
why Neelix adored her, particularly after reading his own dark history --
including a gritty and vivid descent into drug addiction and recovery.
Neelix's tale may be Taylor's greatest dramatic achievement; it contains
the greatest emotional range, from the giddy joy of a birthday surprise
which changed his life to the utter devastation of the holocaust that
killed his family. The character is often treated as shallow comic relief
on the series, but this novel gives him depth and insight.
	Tom Paris's story comes as a bit of a letdown: I had expected his
rebellion against his famous father to go much deeper. It's hard to swallow
the rapidity with which he progresses from a nearly pathological fantasy
life which got three people killed to repression to admission to jail to
Voyager to recovery. Like Janeway's coming to terms with her past at the
end of Mosaic, the sequence is so rushed as to seem superficial, which
makes me wonder whether he's even begun to resolve the issues underlying
the crisis.
	Tuvok's is the final story in the novel, a wise choice because it's
also the longest: he has a brief career in Starfleet, attempts Vulcan
mental mastery, goes through pon farr and fathers four children, then
experiences months of ardurous travel in the desert on a pilgrimage to
sacred Mount Seleya. Sometimes he sounds very un-Vulcan -- "You do us
proud, Ensign" -- and there are annoying details such as the revelation
that Vulcans can't participate in many Academy sports because their superior strength gives them an unfair advantage; is the whole Federation stuck with h
uman standards? It would seem so in terms of Tuvok's concerns about his
kids. But it's appealing to see him in the role of father, though I'm sorry
we don't learn more about his wife.
	I'm a bit amused that Taylor included the young Vulcan Vorik,
played on the series by her son Alexander Enberg; I'm also a tad
disappointed that Seven has no memories of her life among the Borg, but at
the same time, it's a huge relief to read something about Voyager which
barely mentions her. This isn't a novel which will please everyone, but
Pathways is an entertaining and engrossing read, with far more substance
than all of last season on the series. Taylor exits on a high note.

--Michelle Erica Green


DELTA QUADRANT 6
AN ORION PRESS VOYAGER FANZINE

	In the past, I read zines to quench my thirst for new and
interesting Trek material. Now, the tide has turned, and I consider them
essential and generally superior to the televised series. While this zine
is still marred by sloppy editing, it is filled with terrific stories that
should assuage any viewer's specific needs. While the artwork has always
been decent in past issues, the printed reproduction always lost something
in the translation. This time, however, the artwork looks great on the
printed page.
	In "A House Divided," Andra Marie Mueller explores the offscreen
scenario where Janeway asks Chakotay to be her first officer. Since this
qualifies as a 'scene I'd like to see,' I thoroughly enjoyed this short
vignette. J/C are the likable individuals we remember from Season One,
showing both a sense of humor and the rapport needed to pull off the
greatest trick of all, which is merging the Starfleet and Maquis crews. In
"Ghosts," Mueller describes how Chakotay feels after the "Coda" episode,
and ends this journey with J/C taking an important step forward in their
relationship. Her final contribution, "A Matter of Time," messes with the
timeline as J/C's daughter arrives from the future to save her parents from
an assassin. Time travel stories don't interest me much, so I liked this
one less than the other two stories.
	Brenda Shaffer-Shiring brings us "Lovers and Friends," where
B'Elanna upbraids Tom Paris for not accompanying Chakotay down to the
planet in "Nemesis." In the course of their discussion, Tom learns that
Torres has very strong feelings for her former captain. Then, in Brenda's
story "Evening Thoughts," Tuvok contemplates Kes's passing out of his life
and what it means to him.
	BEKi not only drew the front cover, she also wrote "Fresh Deck," a
first season hurt/comfort story about Tom Paris and how he is perceived by
the crew. As usual, her characterization is spot on and she creates
interesting new peripheral characters who managed to touch my heart by
story's end. If the Voyager writers wrote Chakotay half as well as BEKi
does, it would still be a damn sight better than what they've been throwing
at us for the past few seasons.
	Morgan Stuart, author of the superb "And Not Fade Away," treats us
to "Survivor's Epitaph," a dark tale where a Voyager crew in an alternate
timeline is captured by the Vidiian ship from "Deadlock." This grim little
epitaph visits Janeway's heart of darkness, and allows us to see a side of
her you'll probably never see on the small screen.
	Ann Harding, a frequent contributor to this zine, brings "This Man
is My Friend" to the table, which deals with Harry's emotional state after
he and Tom are rescued from the Akritirian prison from "The Chute." With
the right editor, this story could have packed a far more powerful
emotional punch, but 34 pages full of grammatical errors made my eyes glaze
over after awhile.
	In summary, Delta Quadrant 6 is a good fanfic collection that is
well worth the money and is easily the best issue out of the six.

--Elizabeth Klisiewicz


MAQUIS
AN ORION PRESS FANZINE

	This "Resistance fanzine" was excellent! Every story was good! As
expected, because the subject matter concerns persons who rejected the
Federation in favor of murder and mayhem, the stories are not exactly
comedic, whimsical, or cute. They are serious, sometimes dispiriting,
involving mature situations and circumstances. I recommend this 'zine not
just for fans of the particular Maquis characters, but for anyone who
enjoys well-executed drama.
	Once again, BEKi did the cover artwork -- a portrait of Chakotay
and his younger and older brothers. "The Sons of Kolopak" by BEKi and a "A
Rude Awakening" by Charles H. Shiring both offer opinions on how and why
Chakotay made the choice to go from decorated Starfleet officer to wanted
outlaw. Both were good expositions into the character and into possible
scenarios that, based on the lack of canon information, were quite
conceivable. The difference came in the environments. In "The Sons...,"
Chakotay the Individual returned to Dorvan V for his father's funeral and
had to deal with his people's feelings that he had forsaken them for
Starfleet In it we saw BEKi's version of Chakotay, intimated at in the
show, but never seen except for her "Assimilation." In "A Rude...,"
Chakotay the officer returned to Dorvan V after his father's murder and saw
and experienced firsthand why choices had to be made.
	"Parameters" by Robert J. Stouffer was an very interesting story
which took place in an alternate ST: VOY universe and indicated how things
could have turned out before and during "Caretaker." To lighten the sober
mood just "a little bit," editor Brenda Shaffer-Shiring included her filk,
"Vulcan Agent Man."
	"Charting a New Course" by Kathleen Speck and "The Needs of the
Few" by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring were both introduction stories relating how
Captain Kasidy Yates and Lieutenant Michael Eddington, respectively, got
involved with the Maquis. Kasidy's entrance was pretty much uncomplicated
as someone made her an offer she wouldn't refuse; but the story itself
provided worthy insight into the character that has yet to be seen on the
screen. Eddington wasn't so lucky as his tete-a-tete forced him to question
who and what was right in this darkened account of events.
	"Big Lesson, Little Package" by Diane Bellomo was a really nice
tale about a young girl who decided against joining the Maquis after
learning what was expected of her and after meeting Ziyal.
	Finally, there was "Habeas Corpus" by Gill Marsden, a novelette
featuring Sito Jaxa, Tom Riker, and Ro Laren. After escaping, Sito and
Riker headed for Sito's Maquis cell where they had to make choices. This
story was the best. Its length allowed for full explanations and
descriptions and satisfying character development.

-- Rhonda E. Green


THE CAPTAIN'S CHAIR
A SIMON AND SCHUSTER INTERACTIVE CD-ROM

	Game reviewers on the internet generally gave Captain's Chairs low
marks. It's true; as a game, Captain's Chair is a bust. You boot up, you
look around, you push buttons, you look around, you visit all the ships'
bridges, you look around... It's not very filling fare for a computer game
fan. But for joy stick-impaired techno-geeks like me, it's just fine.
	Captain's Chair gives the user the bridges and related areas of
five starships:the original Enterprise, the Enterprise-D, the Defiant,
Voyager and the Enterprise-E. The user can  'stand' at specified places on
their chosen ship and look around in a 360 degree circle, plus about a 45
degree up look and a 45 degree down look range. The areas the user gets to
explore are:

Enterprise -- bridge only
Enterprise-D -- bridge, captain's ready room, conference room
Defiant -- bridge, corridors behind bridge, turbolift
Voyager -- bridge, captain's ready room, conference room, turbolift
Enterprise-E -- bridge only

	Unlike earlier Simon and Shuster interactive products, I didn't
have any trouble loading this software. It appears to run fine and the user
hardly needs any instructions to move about and find everything that there
is to see (which is good since I didn't find any in the box other than the
installation instructions and the read-me file). The user can either turn
and move about by dragging the mouse cursor over the image, use the motion
controlsor select a location on a map. The mouse drag would occasionally
stop working, but otherwise Captain's Chair has a very user-friendly
interface.
	Aside from looking around and getting close up views of various
equipment scattered on chairs and tables and the exterior view of the ship,
the user can click on the bridge stations for close-up views of control
panels. But the close ups are regrettably NOT good enough to see those cute
in-jokes, 20th century references and nonsense sayings written on the
panels that Trek fans have heard about. Those were regrettably not included
in this CD-ROM.
	The various control panel functions are pretty basic and most
activities (which appear in a Quicktime video window) can be done from
multiple places on the bridge. The user can go to warp (but only after
starting the warp drive), use the thrusters, turn the ship (but only to the
right), travel at impulse (but only after turning off the warp field),
launch an infinite number of shuttlecraft from Tom Paris's station (just
like the show!) and sundry other button pushing adventures with all the
sound effects included. The replicator in Janeway's office produces dinner,
but it doesn't serve anything other than 24th century deli salads and beets.
	The box for Captain's Chair does advertise Kate Mulgrew (along with
George Takei, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes and Avery Brooks). How much
Kate do you get for your money (along with the others)? Not a whole lot.
She narrates the automated tour of the bridge, which lasts a minute or so.
Kate is also hidden in a 20-30 second Quicktime video message about her
time with Star Trek: Voyager. The trick is to find the message. This
message, along with the others, is one of the little surprises that the
user will find whilst poking through all the control panels. The
self-destruct is very amusing.
	When exiting the game, the user is given the option to restart,
quit or look at the game credits. DO look over the credits; that's where
all the fun in-jokes are and credit is given to the real heroes of Trek,
the set designers and the art department. From the lurid thanky-dance to
the credit for Kate's accountant, there is as much story in those credits
than on the five starships. And it gives the user a chance to look over the
names of and pay proper homage to the people who produced Captain's Chair.
	CD ROM from Simon & Schuster Interactive, developed by IMERGY, for
Windows and Macintosh computers. Minimum system requirements: Windows 95:
Pentium 100, 16 Mb of RAM, 256 colors (16bit color recommended), 4x CDROM,
12 Mb hard disk space. Macintosh: Power Mac, 16 Mb of RAM (24 Mb
recommended), 10,500Kb free, 256 colors (thousands recommended), 4x CDROM,
12 Mb hard disk space.

--Anne Davenport


***
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION CORNER
***

Paramount owns the financial rights ("If money is what you love, then
that's what you'll receive" -- Princess Leia) but Janeway should think
about suing for defamation of character.

AN OLD-FASHIONED REMEDY
By Patricia Leathem

	The Captain and Chakotay walked softly through the cave, exploring
with wonder and excitement. They had been searching earlier in the day for
a certain mineral that Torres has assured them would increase the engine's
efficiency by at least 30%. They had been delighted early on in their
search, when they found several deposits. After establishing several mining
parties, Janeway and Chakotay had decided to do a little exploring of their
own, to see what else this young planet might have hidden in its lush
greenery and numerous caves.   The cave they were now in held many exciting
treasures, not to mention several bat-like creatures that hovered near them
-- more out of curiosity, they hoped, than ill-intent.
	In an instant of sudden excitement, the creatures quickly
retreated. The beating of their wings and incessant screeching at first
masked a low rumble, but the echo grew. Janeway and Chakotay exchanged
startled glances. They both knew the distinctive sound of falling debris.
Janeway felt Chakotay's strong grip on her hand as he propelled them
forward atsuch an alarming rate that she could barely keep her footing.
Chakotay guided her toward the wall of the cave to avoid being pummeled by
the sharp, piercing small ones. The dust in the cave was rising quickly,
filling their lungs and burning their eyes. Their field of vision was
becoming increasingly narrow.
	"Hang on, we're almost there," she heard Chakotay shout. Finally, a
few rays of sunlight could be seen filtering in through the dust, and both
found an extra burst of adrenaline to drive them forward.
	It wasn't enough. With a sickening crack, the entire ceiling
collapsed, and Janeway felt herself slammed to the ground with such force
that it immediately knocked the wind from her. When she had caught her
breath, she looked up to see Chakotay sprawled out in front of her. As far
as she could, he was unhurt. She tried to struggle to her feet, but found
she was completely unable to move. She looked behind her to see that a
large boulder covered one of her legs and was evidently crushing her foot,
although she felt no pain.
	Her head began to spin and she tried to grab Chakotay's
outstretched hand. He was saying something to her, but it sounded muffled
and far away. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice would not come.
The blackness of the cave seemed to move in closer and closer, as though it
was trying to smother her. Though she fought it, the darkness continued to
overtake her rapidly until it completely encased her, and Chakotay and the
cave disappeared from her vision.
	When she again opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the
concerned expression on Chakotay's face as he huddled near her. She tried
to focus her eyes, but found that the cave walls refused to take form. She
shook her head, trying to completely rid herself of the fuzziness that
seemed to have invaded her brain.
	"Captain?" Chakotay spoke softly and gently laid a hand on her
shoulder. "Are you..."
	"I'm fine," she managed to say. "Let's just get ourselves out of
here."
	"That's easier said than done," Chakotay replied grimly. "The
entrance to the cave is pretty clear, but I've been unable to free you."
	Janeway turned to look at the huge stone that held her to her
place. Her foot literally disappeared under it. She was amazed that she
still felt relatively little pain, knowing full well that her foot must be
crushed under the ton of rock.
	Chakotay pointed. "If we move even one rock, it could bring the
rest down on top of us -- too fragile to use a phaser."
	"Why can't hey just beam us out of here?"
	"They probably could -- if we could just communicate with them."
She looked up to find Chakotay's communicator gone. She felt for her own,
finding it missing also. Chakotay reached for something and held up a shiny
object -- a communicator.
	"This one's yours," he told her. It was almost unrecognizable.
	"I've been trying to repair it," Chakotay admitted, "but I haven't
had much luck."
	"Well, they are bound to come looking for us eventually. Maybe they
can still get a partial signature reading from it."
	Chakotay put it aside. "Maybe."
	Janeway tried to dislodge her foot for the dozenth time. But this
time was no different from the others. It stayed firmly where it was.
	"I don't think you should struggle, Kathryn," Chakotay softly
reprimanded her. "You know it will only make it worse."
	"I don't know how it could get any worse," she replied bitterly.
	As though she had somehow challenged the fates to answer, what was
left of the ceiling above them once again became unsteady, and they began
to get showered with falling debris. In an instant, Chakotay leaped over to
where the Captain was trapped and leaned over her to protect her from the
dangerous falling rock as best he could. When the walls around them began
to collapse also, Janeway grabbed Chakotay's collar.
	"Get yourself out of here, Chakotay!" she shouted above the din.
When he did not immediately respond, she pulled him closer, so that they
were eye to eye. "That's an order, Commander!"
	"I won't leave you here," he stated flatly, matching her intensity.
	"That's ridiculous, Chakotay. We'll both die!"
	"Then we'll both die," he stated matter-of-factly. "Besides, I've
never known you to give up so easily."
	For what seemed hours, they huddled there together as the walls and
ceiling continued to collapse around them, bit by bit.
	Suddenly, Janeway felt the rock around her leg give just slightly.
She took the opportunity and wrenched her leg from its relentless hold.
Chakotay was still bent over her.
	"Chakotay," she whispered, her voice desperate. Chakotay turned his
head and saw that her foot was free. It took him only seconds to grab her
in his arms and race towards the exit, the walls still crashing down behind
them. The exit was only feet from them now. Chakotay literally threw
Janeway from his arms, and she crawled out into the dim light of twilight.
The wind had picked up, and was now cold and brutal. She turned back toward
the mouth of the cave, and watched as it collapsed farther, followed by a
thick blanket of dust. She pushed her face to the ground to avoid the heavy
grit that wafted toward her.
	When she could no longer hear the horrendous sound of the cave in,
she lifted her head slowly, blinking. Her heart began to thunder inside her
chest when she did not immediately see Chakotay. She called out to him, but
got no response. Then she saw him.
	He lay motionless, just past the entrance to the cave. She realized
then, that he was still in danger. She knew she had to move him away, or
the still-fragile rock structure around the cave could crush him. As she
crawled closer, she could see that blood was flowing freely from his
forehead, almost completely obscuring his tattoo.
	She was almost close enough to touch him, when the unbearable,
agonizing pain shot up from her leg and overtook her entire body. She heard
a scream and realized, to her horror, that it was her own. She lay on the
ground paralyzed with pain. But what was uppermost in her mind was getting
Chakotay out of danger. She continued to crawl toward him, slowly and
steadily.
	When at last she reached him, she pulled herself up to him, and
wiped away a good portion of the blood. His wound was serious, there was no
doubt about that. It might even be fatal, if they didn't get back to
Voyager soon. She was weighing the risk of moving him when she heard his
soft moan.
	"Chakotay? Can you hear me?" She tapped his cheek vigorously trying
to get him to come around. She was finding it harder and harder to ignore
her own pain. Suddenly, Chakotay's eyes flickered open and he stared at
her. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "It's about time, Commander.
C'mon, we've got to get out of here."
	Supporting each other, they crawled as far as they could from the
cave, finally collapsing in exhaustion. Chakotay put his arm around her
shoulders. They watched in horror and in awe as the cave gave way entirely,
as though it had never existed.
	The realization of their near-miss was just sinking in, when the
familiar and much welcomed tingle of the transporter surrounded them.
Janeway felt the warmth of the ship on her face, and released the breath
she'd been holding in. She looked over at Chakotay, smiled at him -- and
promptly passed out.
	Janeway was startled back into consciousness by the Doctor's grim
face hovering inches above her own.
	"Ah, Captain. You're awake."
	Janeway turned away from the bright lights above her. She knew she
was obviously in sickbay, but could not quite pinpoint the reason. She
tried to pull the memory to her, but the only image she could manage to
summon was that of...bats. As she tried to make sense of this strange
image, the Doctor continued to scan her.
	"What happened?" she asked groggily, rubbing her temple fiercely.
	"It seems you and the Commander had yet another brush with death
this afternoon."
	As he spoke these words, the events of the day became crystal clear
in her mind. She heard the doors his open, and Chakotay was instantly by
her side.
	"Doctor?" he questioned as he laid a hand on Janeway's shoulder. He
looked down at her and smiled. She tried hard to smile back, but decided
the struggle was too great, and merely grimaced.
	"How are you, Commander?" Janeway asked with effort.
	The Doctor answered for him. "He's fine, Captain. A minor
concussion. You, on the other hand, did not fare as well."
	"What do you mean, Doctor?" Janeway asked. Both she and Chakotay
studied him closely as he answered.
	"Captain, I've anesthetized your leg from the knee down. There
isn't much left of it, to be blunt. But, I should be able to replicate and
replace most of the tissue and bone..."
	"I want to see it," Janeway blurted out.
	"I wouldn't advise that, Captain," the Doctor replied calmly.
	"I'll be fine. I want to see it!" Janeway said much more firmly.
She struggled to sit up.
	The Doctor stood looking annoyed, and slightly perplexed. He looked
to Chakotay for assistance.
	Chakotay pushed Janeway back down. "Do you trust me?" he asked firmly.
	"Of course I trust you, Chakotay," she replied, "with my life."
	"Then trust me know -- and follow the Doctor's advice. You know
you're in good hands."
	She sighed deeply. "You're right. I am sorry, Doctor. Please,
continue."
	"Thank you," the Doctor said grudgingly, "I'll, of course, have to
perform very delicate surgery. And hopefully, when I'm finished, Captain,
you will be able to walk again. However, you will have to take the
appropriate steps during recovery, and follow my instructions precisely."
	"Understood, Doctor," she said quietly. She laid her head back and
tried to relax. "Please, proceed."
	She watched as he filled the hypospray and prepared for surgery.
She lay quietly as he pushed the hypo to her neck. She felt her eyes
growing heavy, but before surrendering to the medication, she took one last
look at Chakotay. He gave her a reassuring nod, and smiled. She returned
his smile, took a deep, cleansing breath, and allowed her eyes to close.
	Once she was asleep, the Doctor turned to gather his instruments.
Chakotay gently grabbed his wrist. "I'm expecting a miracle from you,
Doctor. You know that."
	"I fully intend to give you one, Commander," he replied. "Of
course, if you and the Captain and the rest of the crew would take my
advise more often, and use more precautionary measures, I would not have to
perform these miracles quite so often -- especially the Captain. In my
opinion, she takes far too many risks with her life. If just once, she
would stay out of danger's way and let the others do the exploring..."
	Chakotay smiled. "Doctor, if you could get her to do that, now that
would be a miracle."
	As Chakotay walked down the corridor toward the Captain's quarters,
he silently wondered what he might find when he got there. Yesterday's
surgery had been successful, but the Doctor had ordered the Captain
off-duty indefinitely. Rest was essential to her recovery, he had explained
to her. Yet, she was resistant to being confined in sickbay. The Doctor had
finally relented and released her to her quarters, with direct orders to
stay off her feet.
	Chakotay stopped in front of her door, and pushed the button.
	"Come in," he heard the Captain's surprisingly cheerful voice
reply. The doors slid open and Chakotay stepped inside. He was not
surprised to see numerous computer padds and even a tricorder or two
scattered on the table in front of her.
	She looked up and greeted him. "I know," she said, holding up a
conciliatory hand, "I'm supposed to take it easy."
	Chakotay shook his head and held up the tray he had brought with
him. "I brought dinner, because I know you, and I know you might not eat if
I didn't." He didn't give her a chance to answer. "It comes straight from
Le Chateau de Neelix. Your favorite entree so I'm told."
	"Perfect," she replied. "And I hope," she continued, "that you
brought enough for two because I hate to eat alone."
	Chakotay nodded and went about setting the table. When he was
finished, he walked to her and held out his arm.
	"Ma'am."
	"Sir," she replied, and firmly grabbed on to his arm. With as much
grace as possible, she hobbled to the table. She took a minute to look it
over and turned to Chakotay.
	"Very impressive, Commander." He helped her sit down and walked to
the other side of the table.
	"But wait, there's more," he said, and reached behind him. He
pulled out a bottle of wine from behind his back, and held it out to her.
"2369." He uncorked it, and poured it into glasses. He sat across from her
and held his glass high. "Cheers."
	"Cheers," she replied, and they clinked glasses. Over the next few
minutes, they sat quietly, enjoying the meal that Neelix had so lovingly
prepared for them. Chakotay was pleased to see the Captain had not lost her
appetite. A comfortable silence permeated the room. Chakotay was the first
to break that silence.
	"Kathryn," he questioned. She looked up. Do you ever worry about
what we might find if...when we get home? How we'll...fit in."
	She sat silently for a minute before answering.
	"Well, we'll no doubt have some adjusting to do, as will our
friends and families. There has probably been births, deaths...," she
paused, " ...marriages, even wars we've not been privy to, but I think it's
worth the risk." Then she stopped suddenly, as if gaining new insight into
his question. "If you're worried about what will happen to the Maquis, I
assure you..."
	He stopped her there. "I'm not," he stated firmly, then chuckled. "
The wine just makes me a little philosophical, I guess." He looked up to
see she wasn't buying it, and seemed to be waiting for a further
explanation. He knew he'd have to give her one.
	"It's just that sometimes," and he held up his hand and reiterated,
" just sometimes, it feels right...being here. Being out here."
	She dipped her eyes away from his gaze, as if gathering her own
thoughts. When she looked up, she wore a familiar half-grin on her face.
She met his gaze again, and with an acquiescent sigh, replied quietly, "
Sometimes." She smiled broadly now, and emptied the last of the wine from
her glass.
	Chakotay rose to fill both their glasses, and when the last drop
fell into his glass, he held the empty bottle up for her to see.
	"No wonder you're so philosophical," she teased.
	He sat again, and began to fill her in on the events of the day
which he knew riddled her with curiosity. He specifically told her how
everything was being handled, so she would not feel the need to make
decisions. As he spoke, he noticed that she had not responded, or even made
a sound in the last few minutes. He looked over at her, and became alarmed.
She had placed both of her palms flat on the table and had gone quite pale.
Her eyes were unfocused and her breathing shallow. He was at her side
immediately.
	"Kathryn? What is it? What's wrong?"
	She sighed heavily, looked at him curiously, and then waved him
off. "Nothing, Chakotay. I'm fine. I think I just ate too much." She sat
back in her chair. "Or perhaps...drank too much."
	"Whatever the case, Kathryn, you need to rest." He helped her to
stand and began to guide her to the sofa by the window, when she suddenly
gripped his arm tighter and nearly passed out. He grabbed her before she
hit the floor, and lifted her onto the sofa. She laid back and closed her
eyes.
	Chakotay slapped his combadge. "Chakotay to sickbay."
	It was only seconds later that the Doctor's voice replied, although
it seemed much longer.
	"Yes, Commander. What can I do for you?"
	"The Captain needs something for the pain. Please bring it to her
quarters immediately." Chakotay was surprised when the Captain did not
argue.
	"Aye, Commander. I'm on my way."
	He turned to her "Kathryn, if the pain was getting to you, why
didn't you say something?" he asked, his voice sounding more stern and
angry than he had intended. "Oh, that's right, you're indestructible. I
forgot."
	She opened her eyes long enough to shoot him an icy glare, then
snapped them shut again.
	Chakotay found himself pacing while he waited for the Doctor's
arrival. When the door chimed, he practically yanked the Doctor inside.
	"Nice to see you, too, Commander," the Doctor quipped, but walked
directly to the Captain. He took out his medical tricorder and began to
scan her vital signs. Then he simply stated, "Captain, you needed only to
ask if the pain was..."
	He stopped abruptly, mid-sentence when the Captain opened her eyes
and stared at him with a look he didn't quite understand. He understood
enough, however, not to finish his sentence. He administered the medicine,
and almost instantly, relief washed over Janeway's face.
	"That should help, Captain. Please let me know if the pain continues."
	"Thank you, Doctor," she replied and smiled. "I feel better already."
	Chakotay walked him to the door. Quietly he asked, "Is there
anything else I could do for he to make her more comfortable?"
	"Well, Commander," he began as he looked over at the empty wine
bottle and two place-settings at the table, "you might try an old-fashioned
remedy."
	"An...old-fashioned remedy?" he questioned tentatively.
	"Yes. I am speaking of the art...of massage."
	"Massage?"
	"Yes. I've been studying alternative healing techniques. It's quite
effective, I assure you. It will serve to loosen and relax the muscles, and
probably help her get back on her feet a lot sooner."
	"Massage?" Chakotay again repeated, this time mostly to himself. "
Thank you, Doctor," he replied and ushered him out the door.
	Chakotay slowly turned back to look at the Captain. She still lay
on the sofa, but now she was no longer pretending not to feel any pain. It
was evident on her face. He walked over and sat down at the opposite end of
the sofa.
	"Feeling better?" he asked.
	"A little," she replied. She obviously had noticed the rather odd
expression on his face, and prodded, "What is it, Chakotay?"
	He cleared his throat. "The Doctor has suggested a supplemental
treatment plan."
	"Supplemental?" she asked, curiosity rising in her voice.
	"Yes." Chakotay did not explain further. He simply lifted her foot
onto his lap, and removed it from the device that held it motionless.
Gently, at first, and then a bit more firmly, he did as the Doctor
suggested.
	The Captain stared at him for a moment, open-mouthed. After a
minute, she pulled her foot away.
	"Thank you, Chakotay, but you don't have to..."
	"Kathryn," he stated firmly, "would you please, for once, stop
being so stubborn, and let me help you?!" He did not give her the chance to
refuse, too the injured limb back into his grip, and continued to massage
it.
	"Doctor's orders, huh?" she said lightly, as she laid her head
against the pillow, smiling.
	He did not reply, concentrating his full attention on his task,
being careful not to cause her any more pain. He did look up long enough to
see her relaxed expression. He smiled to himself. Soon after, he heard her
light, even breathing and realized she had fallen asleep. He gently put her
foot back into the protective device, and snapped it shut. He rose and
pulled a blanket over her.
	"Sleep well, Kathryn," he said quietly, and gently squeezed her
hand. She responded with a contented sigh. He quietly put the dished into
the replicator, and tip-toed toward the door -- looking back one more time
to make sure she was comfortable.
	"Computer, lights out." The lights dimmed and he was about to exit,
when a thought occurred to him. "Computer, what time is the wake-up call
set for?"
	"The wake-up call is set for 06:00 hours," the computer's even
voice answered.
	The Captain stirred slightly at the computer's voice, but fell back
asleep.
	"Computer," Chakotay said in a low voice, "Delete wake-up call." He
walked to the table in front of the sofa and gathered the tricorders,
computer padds, and other ship's paraphernalia in his arms, and slipped out
the door. Chakotay knew that the Captain would be furious with him tomorrow
-- but that was tomorrow.


UNFORGIVABLE
By Em Wycedee

	Personal log, stardate 51818.6.
	There's a note on my table dated this week. I wonder if it's a
joke, even though it's in my handwriting and I analyzed the ink --  which
is from the one pen I own, given to me by Kathryn as a birthday present.
She said I should sign my artwork in ink. So I made her a sand painting and
signed it on the back, with aninscription. But I can't think about that
right now.
	The note is an account of a love affair I supposedly had with a
woman named Kellin. It's very detailed, though it looks like it was written
in haste, and things get a little fuzzy at the end...like I was having
trouble remembering. It never happened. I'm sure of it. I don't remember
anything, not the woman nor her ship, not her entire species. I tell myself
in the first paragraph of the note that that's going to happen -- I'm going
to forget her and everything about her -- but that doesn't make it any
easier to believe.
	Because I don't want to believe it.
	It's got nothing to do with Kellin. She seems like an interesting
enough woman. Just my type, scientific background, works in a command
position. In trouble for standing up for what she believes in. Sounds
familiar. I describe at length her long blonde hair and big eyes, and how
forward she was...just my type, a little too much. Like Riley, and like
Seska when I first met her.
	I make the same mistakes with women over and over; Kathryn's been
my exception. There's no way I'd throw out what I have with her just
because I met some young blonde. Is there? I can't figure out how Kellin
was manipulating me, but if she could wipe out my memories, I'm sure she
could control my brain in other ways. Maybe she made up the whole story and
stuck it in my head, or fed it to me the way she did the first time,
telling me we'd fallen in love before. It can't be true.
	I don't want it to be true.
	Kellin's not the problem: it's me. I don't want to be the man in
this story. And I can't believe that Kathryn's the other woman in this
story. "Other woman" is the wrong phrase, really; she's not a woman at all
to hear me tell it, not in any sense that matters. She's my commanding
officer, that's it. I don't feel anything for her other than loyalty. She
pushes me straight into Kellin's arms, and I go.
	I'm not that kind of man. I'm not someone who'd decide a fling with
an alien could be more satisfying than my relationship with my closest
companion and respected leader. I know she has feelings for me which she
won't act on -- I've known that for almost as long as I've known I loved
her. I'm not happy about it, but I've accepted it, and it doesn't change my
feelings for her -- even when another woman catches my eye, or when I
sometimes think about forcing the issue with Kathryn, one way or another.
	I said in this note to myself that I fell in love with Kellin
twice. I called that love? A few conversations about how she wants me, a
tussle on my couch behind the back of the woman I think of as my savior? Am
I really so pathetic? So desperate to feel wanted in an old-fashioned macho
sense that I'll fall all over any woman who says she needs me? Like a boy
who doesn't know who or what he's about. It's grotesque -- a parody of love
out of a dirty holozine.
	Paris must have been behind this somehow. I know he's having some
problems with B'Elanna, she told me he's been going on about needing space
and wanting freedom. This sounds like a fantasy of yours, Tom -- meeting a
beautiful woman who already thinks you're strong and powerful and virile,
who's in love with you for heroic deeds you can't even remember doing. When
you ask your steady girlfriend how she feels about you getting it on with
the new one, she doesn't even react. So you have a responsibility-free
fling with someone who forgets all about you afterwards, which is hard on
your ego but at least you won't even have to remember the pain of parting.
	Then you write down your memories as a souvenir for when you need
to gratify yourself. A dream affair that no one ever has to know about. The
oblivious chaste soulmate can be kept in the dark. And no possibility of
latent responsibilities or paternity issues later on.
	Whoever wrote this fantasy went into excruciating detail. Snippets
of conversations with Harry about Seven. A long account of rescuing Kellin
from her ship, after she hailed me by name on the bridge. The Doctor
treating her in sickbay, specific notes about her injuries. The captain
hovering around but also shoving me at Kellin, almost as if she wanted me
to get together with the woman. Telling me I'd better decide whether I
trust Kellin before I figure out if I want her around forever. Not one word
about how she really feels. I can't stand reading those parts. Is she that
timid? Not my Kathryn. No.
	And the idiotic things I say! Kellin tells me we've met before, I
gush that I'm sure I would remember if we had. She keeps announcing that
she's in love with me, I keep blushing like a first-year cadet. Getting
romantic advice from Neelix, of all people. Crawling all over Kellin in
access hatchways. We have stupid conversations about what food I like and
how I helped her on her mission -- me, me, me, that's all we ever talk
about. I don't know anything about her from this note, really, other than
what she looked like and how her narrow-minded, isolationist species
behaves.
	At the end I claim I wrote this down because pen and paper are the
only things that won't be affected by the memory wipe, which works on
people and machines alike. I understand how a targeted computer virus might
work, but a species whose readings can't be retained in the synapses of
other races? I'm going to have to ask the Doctor whether this is even
theoretically possible, or whether there would be repressed memories in all
of us. It sure sounds phony to me. You know what the last thing I wrote is?
"Love works in mysterious ways." That sounds more like something Neelix
would say while trying to cheer up a lovesick junior officer. I must have
had some kind of alien virus affecting my brain.
	I look in the mirror and I'm not sure who I am anymore. I've taken
some weight off since I started playing hoverball with B'Elanna again, and
the Doc's anti-aging treatments have made my hair turn back to black from
the salt-and-pepper that was starting to come in when I was in the Maquis.
I know it's important that we stay healthy for as long as possibly on a
mission which could be as long as this one, but those treatments seem wrong
to me somehow. Like I'm trying to deny who I am, how old I am, how much of
my life I've lived. I don't want to start over. I got a second chance
already, when we were stranded out here. I have no interest in throwing
that away, turning into some guy whose spirituality and background don't
matter anymore. I'm defined by my ancestry, my beliefs, the people I love.
Take those away and I'm nobody. An angry warrior.
	I wonder whether Kathryn's been letting the Doctor perform the
anti-aging procedures on her. They can have unpleasant effects -- hormone
surges, jitteriness, things she can't afford as a starship captain. It
seems to me that she's aged recently -- not her appearance, but her
attitude. Her decision not to let Seven harness Omega energy seemed very
out of character with the woman I first met in this quadrant, the one who
destroyed the Array. She keeps saying that the final frontier has barriers
which shouldn't be crossed -- that's not my Kathryn.
	But it also is my Kathryn, the one who shut me out after New Earth,
who's still shutting me out. Maybe I do recognize Captain Janeway in this
story. I just don't want to. I wonder what she'd say if I showed her this
-- I'd like to believe it would upset her, but it might make my worst fears
come true: she might dismiss me to find happiness wherever I can. It would
be worse than finding out she never felt anything for me at all.
	Paper burns. Without this accounting, no one need ever remember --
not even me. I'm going to go light a candle, and pray for purification.


LUNCH DATE AT THE JOURNEY'S END
By Candace Hill

	"This is it." Captain Kathryn Janeway and First Officer Chakotay of
the Federation Starship Voyager looked up at the tall office building.
'Chronowerx' said a large, pretentious sign at the top. She pointed the
tricorder directly at the sign. "The timeship is in there, or I should say
up there." After watching so many people walking down the streets talking
into what looked like old-style communicators, the captain was no longer
trying to hide her mini-computer.
	Chakotay put his hands on his hips and breathed a quiet sigh, "Now
we just have to figure out how to get at it."
	"Oh, it shouldn't be too difficult," said the captain sounding
confident. "We'll just go in the front door and up the . . . whatever they
have in this time, and look until we find it. The key is to act like you
know exactly where you are and that you have a perfect right to be there.
Works every time."
	"Is that what they teach in the command seminars at the Academy?"
Chakotay teased.
	"Oh, no!" She pretended to take him seriously as they crossed the
street and walked up to a pleasant open plaza at the foot of the
skyscraper. "The demanding school of experience. Which also teaches that
the fewer people around to see you the better. What time to people leave
their work here?"
	Chakotay looked at his watch, and had to think for the smallest
moment about how to read it. It's two o'clock now, most workers are done at
five or six, if I remember my social history right." He motioned to a bench
by the fountain and they both sat down.
	"That sounds right to me, too." She looked at his watch.
	"Did the computer give you that? It seems quite elaborate for a
clock."
	He took it off to show her. "It's a wristwatch, see here, a Rolex.
No, I told the computer to give me a personal item that was easily
exchangeable for currency. It's an old Jim Kirk trick. If you must
time-travel, have something that you can sell for money if you need to."
	"Chakotay!" His captain looked surprised; "Didn't you get any money?"
	"Certainly, Tom Paris made sure of that, but you never know how
much you need or how long it will last. Better to be prepared. That's the
Maquis school of experience." He looked at the watch again as he slipped it
on his wrist. "Six o'clock. It seems we have a few hours to kill. What did
people do for a break in 20th Century Los Angeles." He said this looking at
her full in the face, with a hint of a smile. It meant that he was pleased
to have some free time to spend with her.
	Kathryn thought about that and smiled back. She had to admit she
felt the same way. Especially after spending the morning tracking down a
crazy 26th Century timepilot and then the now wealthy opportunist who had
stolen the ship that had brought Voyager back to an Earth several hundred
years before she was born. This was why she had always tried so hard to
avoid time travel. It took constant figuring just to remember exactly when
and where and how you were. Looking over her first officer's shoulder she
had an idea.
	"Commander Chakotay, as we do seem to have some time to spare
before saving Earth from destruction, would you like to have lunch with
me?"
	"Captain," He turned around to look behind him. "Are you offering
me real food? In a restaurant?"
	"Why not?" She now smiled broadly, "Twentieth century, home-grown,
freshly cooked, off the menu, and you can have anything you want!"
	Within a few moments they were seated at a comfortable table in a
large multi-level restaurant decorated with many plants. The waiter had
given Kathryn a special menu listing just the varieties of coffee served.
She was deciding if she could risk a double-expresso with an extra shot
when the breadbasket appeared. It looked wonderful, with rye rolls,
sourdough slices, lavosh crackers, and even a baking-powdered biscuit. And
there was butter. Real butter.
	Chakotay noticed her look of weakness. He leaned over and
whispered, "Kathryn, you only visit the twentieth century once, you can
indulge yourself a bit."
	"You're right. An iced coffee please," she ordered, "your largest
salad and more bread."
	Chakotay closed his menu. "I'll have the same, with your roasted
vegetable risotto, but bring me a Coca Cola."
	"Coca Cola?" asked Kathryn.
	"Ancient drink of my people," he replied.
	When Kathryn Janeway allowed herself a few moments reflection, on
those nights she did not find sleep quickly enough after a day of exploring
unknown space, she would remember this lunch. Had they really laughed so
much? They had recalled good restaurants on different planets and bad ones
on space stations. She had wondered aloud if they could send Mr. Neelix
here for a few lessons or at least to experience an authentic human meal.
Could they take the leftover bread back to Voyager, or was that allowed? It
was a moot point; they buttered every slice and ate every crumb.
	Too soon it seemed the now very patient waiter rolled up a dessert
cart. Chakotay had the flan, and it reminded him so much of his childhood
that he told her some touching stories, ones she had not heard on New
Earth. Kathryn had surprised him by ordering the triple layer cappuccino
fudge cake. But she knew that he would share it with her. As they took
turns digging out forkfuls of frosted cake she had thought that she
couldn't remember when a meal had been so pleasing, and relaxing, and
romantic. She liked sitting across the table from Chakotay, enjoyed the
frank way he looked at her. And she noticed that more than one woman had
walked by their table looking very closely at him and with envy at her.
When the bill had come they decided leave the waiter a little something
extra. The one hundred dollar bill did look so neat sitting in the folder
next to the check.
	"Thank you for the lovely lunch, Kathryn." Chakotay seemed to
almost glow with good will. "Let's walk around the plaza, we have another
hour to go and if I sit down, I'll fall asleep."
	"You won't save the future that way, Commander." His captain teased
as she turned to scout the area. She stopped a moment and then put her hand
on his arm. "I think I see another place where you might like to go. Look
there, across that street." She pointed through the plaza. "What do you
see?"
	Chakotay peered through the trees and hanging planters. "McDonalds?"
	"No, on the other side. That store, there." She began to walk
briskly in that direction. He had to increase his step to keep up with her.
When they got to the corner he could see the sign.
	"Oh, Kathryn, a bookstore!" He reached out to hold her arm so that
she wouldn't walk into the traffic. Once they were in the store he couldn't
believe his eyes. Never had he smelled so much paper in his life. Never had
he seen so many books, and never had he ever seen a book that looked like
it was new. There were stacks, piles, shelves, tables, counters full of
books, and what could be, yes. magazines!
	Kathryn walked all the way inside to the center of the store and
then turned to him, arms upraised, her eyes flashing.
	"Chakotay, we have exactly one hour before we are due to go back
across the street. This purse has room in it for my tricorder and perhaps
two small books, one for each of us. Meet me at the door at six o'clock."
With that she turned away and soon disappeared deep into the bookshelves.
	Chakotay let himself wander. Many years later, when he at last had
a home of his own, with a shelf for books and a big chair to sit and read
them in, he would remember that magic hour. He spent most of it looking at
the covers of the magazines, almost afraid to touch the fragile paper and
ink. There were magazines about every subject he could think of, and a few
subjects that were very strange indeed. He looked at a few science
magazines and had to chuckle. When he remembered to look at his watch he
realized that he had better find the section that would have the book he
wanted. When he did find the author he was looking for he was astounded by
choices. There were collections, special editions, quotations, biographies
and on the bottom shelf, there was a small volume, only $12.95, just the
right size for Kathryn's bag.
	When he met her at the counter she had already made her purchase
and was very carefully wrapping the paper bag around it and positioning it
in her purse. She was smiling softly, as if she had met an old friend that
had brought on wistful memories. He did the same to his book and handed it
to her. She tucked them in together, side by side.
	"What did you get?" he asked her, eager to know what she considered
such a treasure.
	"I'll show you when we get back to Voyager," she said, and quickly
became hiscaptain again, forthright, courageous, ready to fix this mess and
go on to the next one. "Right now, we have a job to do if we are ever going
to see our home time again."
	Which, as we all know, they did. And during one rare month of
quiet, when no one in the Delta Quadrant was trying to steal their ship or
blow them to bits, they made another lunch date. This time in the holodeck,
a quiet coffeehouse with soft music, and they read to each other from their
books.
	Now here is the question: Which books did Kathryn Janeway and
Chakotay buy, and why?


INTROSPECTION
by Heather Swails McCarron

	It was just the way she remembered Earth's ocean. Maybe the water
was more purple than blue, but it magnified the size of her submerged feet
the same way, making them appear slightly bigger than they really were. The
waves rolled the same way, forward and back inexorably according to the
waxing and waning of the moon, tugging on her legs and pulling the pale
sand out from under her feet, so that she hadd to shift her position every
once in a while to keep upright.
	The air had the same salty taste she remembered, and it made her
hair feel the same sticky way. The water lapped her skin in the same gentle
manner it always did after the waves broke and spread out over the sand.
The heat licked away the liquid as quickly, and left a thin white residue
of brine crystal on her skin, just as it always did on Earth. But this
wasn't Earth.
	Above her, twin stars moved across the sky instead of one, and a
gigantic blue moon was visible day and night in the perpetually lavender
sky. Instead of Cassiopei and Orion rising and falling over the vault of
sky, there were other star patterns with alien names she couldn't even
imagine. She might have ignored the sky and imagined, just for a moment,
that this was Earth, and that she was standing on her favorite beach with
the warm Pacific waters rolling around her legs. It might have been easy.
It had been so long. Maybe she had forgotten the details. Maybe the oceans
of Earth were purple, and she only imagined they were blue. But she
couldn't quite reconcile herself with the blue sand. It was just too
strange. Too alien. She could never imagine this on Earth, no matter how
faded her memories.
	She scanned the young people laughing in the cool waters of the
alien sea. They had been born among the stars and never known Earth, nor,
for that matter, any of the other planets their parents had come from. Yet,
they called these places "home." But what did that really mean to them, she
wondered.
	Standing in the purple surf, with the water beginning to soak the
bottom edges of her pant legs that she had rolled to just below her knees,
an all too familiar twang wrenched her soul. The thought saddened her.
Home. It will be as alien to them as this blue sand is to me.
	She looked down into the water and saw that her feet had been
sucked under the alien sand. Her blue eyes watered. If they ever get there.
She fought the tears back, struggling to maintain the stalward dignity she
still felt compelled to maintain because of her position.
	"Mother! Look what I've found!"
	She looked up, pulled her feet from the sandy burrow the waves had
dug for them. A spray of indigo moved into her line of vision as a petite,
dark-haired girl held up an alien sea creature for her inspection. Eyes
that were the same deep blue as her own swept admiringly over the creature.
The lavendar light reflected up into the young face by the purple water
made the delicate, swirling tattoo on her temple appear bolder than usual.
The girl had insisted upon the decoration, in recognition of her father's
people.
	"It looks like a sea urchin, doesn't it mother?" Like the ones you
showed me in the tidepools on the holodeck."
	And it did look like one. The same forbidding-looking spines. The
same indescribable coloration. And yet, a whole galaxy apart from one
another.
	She nodded approvingly, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips
as she took the angled creature from the little hands that were the same
cinnamon color as the girl's father's hands. She turned the creature over
and over in her own hands, her long. slender fingers cradling its body
gently as she studied it.
	Her scientist's eye could discern no apparent difference between
the alien version and the Terran one, although her scientist's brain told
her that it was very different. But, somehow, this little creature, looking
so much like its Earthly cousin, comforted her.
	The girl's little hands reached out for the creature. "I should put
it back," the girl half whispered, as though afraid that talking too loud
would startle the creature, "before it gets dried out." She released the
creature into the girl's brown hands, smiled the gentle smile that had
captured the attention of the girl's father so many years ago. It hurt her
the most to think that the girl -- her girl -- was growing up without
knowing the planet that her mother loved so much. And the next moment, she
felt irrationally guilty about implanting the vision in the girl. Was it a
hopeless vision? Had she set this child up for disappointment?
	The girl started to walk away toward the line of jagged rocks that
marked the edge of the alien tide pools, but then stopped and turned, the
water sloshing up over her knees and leaving a broad wet stain around the
bottom edge of her royal blue tunic. The light of the twin suns glinted off
the silver and gold badge that hung on the left side of the girl's chest.
"I'm going to designate this creature as a sea urchin in my catalogue. I
know it doesn't have the same biological structure, but it does appear the
same as the Earth sea urchins you showed me," she reported. "Urchinis
TerrRixa, I think I'll call it."
	She nodded, her eyes flashing blue with pride as she watched the
girl, tall and lithe, retreat to the tidal pools. She watched her place the
Earthlike creature gently back into the water. Another smile tugged at her
lips as she watched her girl wad slowly through the shallow pool, tricorder
in hand, her single pocket bulging with her catalogue padd and a small bio
scanner. She watched as the girl put the tricorder aside, rested
precariously on the apex of a jutting tooth of stone, and retrieved another
creature from the bottom of the tidal pool.
	"It's a good name, don't you think, Kathryn? Terra for its
similarity to an Earth urchin, Rixa in recognition of its home planet."
	She shifted her balance again on the blue sand under the waves,
flashed a glance up into his brown face. She hadn't realized he was
standing there so close, she had been so lost in her thoughts. But he was
used to that and rarely interrupted her introspections. He didn't begrudge
her those moments. He had given up long ago, she knew, on trying to
convince her that her introspection only made th ings more difficult for
her. He had realized that she needed them like a planet needs its orbit --
something greater than and beyond herself to follow, even if it meant
sometimes being hit broadside by an asteroid.
	He smiled down into her blue eyes. The twin sunlight played over
her red-brown hair, and he reached a big brown hand out and tucked a stray
wisp behind her ear.
	"Like her mother before her, she'll always know Earth as her home.
No matter where she is, it'll be home to her, even if she never actually
sees it," he said. "Look, she has already found a piece of Earth here.
She's attracted to it because it is like home." She scanned his face, taken
briefly off guard by how accurately he had read her thoughts. But then, she
shouldn't have been so surprised. He always could guess her thoughts, and
she could do the same with him. It came with knowing each other well.

	His eyes moved from her face to peer over the top of her head at
the slender girl in royal blue bending over the tidal pool. The girl's
fingers, long like her mother's and dark like his, danced over the
tricorder. A glint of pride shifted across his expression. Even at her
young age, his daughter was already quite an accomplished scientist, and
she was turning out to be something of a leader, too. Just like her mother.
He shifted his gaze from the girl and returned his attention to the blue
eyes searching his face. He took one of her slender hands. "Earth is your
legacy to her. Our legacy. Even if she never sees it, it is a part of her
because it is a part of us."
	She averted her eyes, lashes sweeping downward as she studied the
purple water swirling around her feet, and the blue sand beyond, her toes
white against the alien grains. Tears collected again at the corners of her
eyes as a realization hit her with the force of a meteor hitting a thick
planetary atmosphere.
	"I'm afraid I'm losing it," she confessed, finally coming to a full
understanding of the real source of her present disquietude. "After all
this time, it doesn't seem real anymore. It's a dream." A gentle smile
skimmed his face and he brushed his thumbs lightly over her cheeks,
stopping in mid stream the wet trails that had begun to flow from the blue
pools of her eyes. The twin sunlight glinted off his graying hair, making
it shine like lavender mica.
	"If it was, Kathryn, we wouldn't be here right now, because we
would have stopped a long time ago."
	He looked up into the lavender sky, shot through with the blue and
gold light of the binary stars. "But Voyager is up there, and we'll be on
our way again, just as we always are, because we have someplace to go. We
have Earth to go to. And it is you, Kathryn, who have kept that goal alive
for us all, and passed it on to our children." She allowed her eyes to
survey the sky, and she smiled, feeling encouraged by his words. He was
right. Right about it all. He bent, kissed her lightly on the top of her
head. "For now, I expect you to follow your own orders and get some R & R."
He chuckled, noticing some of the younger children playing in the blue sand
on the beach, where they were piling up what were started to look like
ramparts.
	"So, what do you say, Captain?" He tugged gently on her arm and
pulled her out of the purple surf onto the beach, smiling playfully as he
lead her toward the children. "How about a nice blue sand castle?"


***
A NOW VOYAGER AUCTION
***

Now Voyager is pleased to once again to offer exclusively to its members
the opportunity to bid on items sent by Kate Mulgrew to raise funds for
charity and club operations. Funds will be donated to: Incarnation
Children's Center.

Items for bid:
1.	Complete Set - Season 1 Series II  (#1-90) - Chase (special
inserts) Cards not included  (unsigned) (donated by Margaret Hill)
2.	Complete Set - Season 1 Series III (#91 -190) - Chase (special
inserts) Cards not included (unsigned) (donated by Margaret Hill)
3.	Cast Photo - Season 4  - Kate Mulgrew signed (donated by Kate Mulgrew)
4.	Season 4 Individual Cast Photos  (all) - Janeway signed by Kate
Mulgrew - others are unsigned (donated by Paramount Pictures)
5.	Script - Resistance  - Kate Mulgrew signed (script donated by
Lolita Fatjo and Paramount Pictures)
6.	Script - Resolutions - Kate Mulgrew signed (script donated by
Lolita Fatjo and Paramount Pictures)
7.	Script - Coda - Kate Mulgrew signed (script donated by Lolita Fatjo
and Paramount Pictures)
8.	Script - Unity - Kate Mulgrew signed (donated by Lynda Foley)
9.	Script - Living Witness - Kate Mulgrew signed (donated by Kate Mulgrew)
10.	Voyager Season 2 card #151 "Death Wish" John DeLancie signed
(donated by Gigi Knell)
11.	Voyager Season 2 card #190 "Death Wish" John DeLancie signed
(donated by Gigi Knell)
12.	Voyager "Caretaker" card #47 - Kate Mulgrew signed (donated by Kate
Mulgrew)
13.	Voyager "Caretaker" card #12 - Kate Mulgrew signed (donated by Kate
Mulgrew)
14.	Voyager Season 1 card #28 "Eye of the Needle" - Kate Mulgrew signed
(donated by Kate Mulgrew)
15.	The Next Generation - (1992) card #10 "Dr. Crusher" - Gates
McFadden signed (donated by Gigi Knell)
16.	8 x 10 (color) John Delancie "Q" Photo (in Q robes) - John DeLancie
signed (donated by Gigi Knell)
17.	8 x 10 (color) Nana Visitor Photo (not in character) - Nana Visitor
signed (donated by Nanites)
18.	8 x 10 (color) Alexander Siddig ("Bond" tuxedo) - Alexander Siddig
signed (donated by The Doctor's Exchange)
19.	8 x 10 (color) Kate Mulgrew (Janeway) - Kate Mulgrew signed (donated by
Kate Mulgrew)
20.	Playbill from "Hamlet" starring Robert Beltran - signed by Robert
Beltran (donated by Sue Henley)
21.	9" Janeway Action Figure - Kate Mulgrew signed
22.	5" Janeway Action Figure - Kate Mulgrew signed
23.	5" Kes Action Figure - Jennifer Lien signed (donated by Sue Harke)
24.	3 x 5 (color) Janeway postcard (publicity pose) (unsigned)
25.	3 x 5 (color) Janeway postcard (from "Caretaker") (unsigned)
26.	Voyager Comic Book #14 February 98 - Kate Mulgrew signed (donated
by Michelle Green)
27.	Brentwood News newspaper- announcing "Mayor" Mulgrew - Kate Mulgrew
signed (donated by Kate Mulgrew)
28.	Heartbeat Publicity Photo (B&W) - Kate Mulgrew, Gail Strickland,
Laura Johnson - Kate Mulgrew signed (photo donated by Alana Voeller)
29.	Heartbeat Publicity Photo (B&W) - Kate Mulgrew, Laura Johnson -
Kate Mulgrew signed (photo donated by Alana Voeller)
30.	Heartbeat Publicity Photo (B&W) - Kate Mulgrew, Ben Masters - Kate
Mulgrew signed (photo donated by Alana Voeller)
31.	Plaque - 8 x 10 photo mounted on faux marble with brass plaque.
Limited Edition  595/995 - Kate Mulgrew signed
32.	1975 Star Trek (original series) Official Space Emblems Fabric
Patches - Individually packaged Uhura;  McCoy;  Spock ; Enterprise -ship;
Starship Enterprise; Command Badge emblems (3). (donated by Randi Dackerman)


Bidding Rules and fine print

1.	 All bidding is done  with bid increments, which vary from item to
item.  Minimum bid is set by the club.
2.	To place a bid, simply select the item from the bid form and write
in your MAXIMUM amount you are willing to pay for an item.   Bids will be
made on your behalf as necessary as other bidders increase the bid price.
(You will never bid more than your maximum, or more than the necessary
preset bid increment to outbid other bidders.)

Example: item A has a minimum bid of $30 and bid increment of $5.  Member 1
bids a maximum of $100 dollars. Member 2 bids a maximum of $80 and Member 3
bids a maximum of $85.   Member 1 would get the item with a bid of $90.
(Highest bidder wins = cost of item second highest bid plus increment)

3.	In the event of a tie, each bidder is asked to fill in the "in case
of tie" $_____ ." (whole dollar amounts only!)   If this item is left blank
your high bid will be your final bid.

4.	Bids will be accepted until September 16, 1998.  Any bids
postmarked AFTER September 16, 1998 will be eliminated from consideration.

5.	Only bids in WHOLE dollar amounts only accepted.  Any bids received
not in WHOLE dollars (U.S) amounts will be rounded DOWN.

6.	Bids will be opened by a non-participating club chairperson.  The
date of the unsealing is September 21, 1998.

7.	In order to allow as many members as possible to participate, no
one member will be allowed to outbid on more than 2 items.  In the unlikely
case that this should occur, the high bidder will be allowed his/her
preference on one or two favorites, the remainder will be awarded to the
next highest bidder(s).

8.	U.S. winners must submit FULL payment by check or money order by
October 15, 1998.  Bids not forwarded by said date will be voided and the
items awarded to the next highest bidder.  Your awards will be shipped via
insured mail as soon as your funds clear the bank.  Winning bids outside
the United States will be given an alternative deadlines based on distance
and accessibility of U.S. Funds.

9.	E-MAIL BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.  All entries must be mailed.

10.	Bids may only be submitted by Now Voyager members in good standing
at the date of the unsealing on September 21, 1998.

11.	Questions about the auction may be submitted with SASE to or
directed by e-mail to jeannier@ix.netcom.com or Jeanne2121@aol.com.

RETURN THIS

Items for bid - Minimum bid:  Please see corresponding number on Flyer for
details:

1.	Complete Set - Season 1 Series II  (#1-90)
MINIMUM BID: $5.00 (BID INCREMENT $1.00)
MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

2.		Complete Set - Season 1 Series III (#91 -190)
MINIMUM BID: $5.00 (BID INCREMENT $1.00)
MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

3.		Cast Photo - Season 4  - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $5.00 (BID INCREMENT $1.00)
MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

4.		Season 4 Individual Cast Photos  (all) - Janeway signed by
Kate Mulgrew
MINIMUM BID: $25.00 (BID INCREMENT $1.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

5.		Script - Resistance  - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $50.00 (BID INCREMENT $5.00)
MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

6.		Script - Resolution - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $50.00 (BID INCREMENT $5.00)
MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

7.		Script - Coda - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $50.00 (BID INCREMENT $5.00)
MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

8.		Script - Unity - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $50.00 (BID INCREMENT $5.00)
MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

9.		Script - Living Witness - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $50.00 (BID INCREMENT $5.00)
MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

10.		Voyager Season 2 card #151 "Death Wish" John DeLancie signed
MINIMUM BID: $10.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

11.		Voyager Season 2 card #190 "Death Wish" John DeLancie signed
MINIMUM BID: $10.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

12.		Voyager "Caretaker" card #47 - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

13.		Voyager "Caretaker" card #12 - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

14.		Voyager Season 1 card #28 "Eye of the Needle" - Kate
Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

15.		The Next Generation - (1992) card #10 "Dr. Crusher" - Gates
McFadden signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

16.		8 x 10 (color) John Delancie "Q" Photo (in Q robes) - John
DeLancie signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

17.		8 x 10 (color) Nana Visitor Photo (not in character) - Nana
Visitor signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

18.		8 x 10 (color) Alexander Siddig ("Bond" tuxedo) - Alexander
Siddig signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

19.		8 x 10 (color) Kate Mulgrew (Janeway) - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $25.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

20.		Playbill from "Hamlet" starring Robert Beltran - signed by
Robert Beltran
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $5.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

21.		9" Janeway Action Figure - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $35.00 (BID INCREMENT $5.00)
MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

22.		5" Janeway Action Figure - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)
MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

23.		5" Kes Action Figure - Jennifer Lien signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $5.00)
MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

24.		3 x 5 (color) Janeway postcard (publicity pose) (unsigned)
MINIMUM BID: $5.00 (BID INCREMENT $1.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

25.		3 x 5 (color) Janeway postcard (from "Caretaker") (unsigned)
MINIMUM BID: $5.00 (BID INCREMENT $1.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

26.		Voyager Comic Book #14 February 98 - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

27.		Brentwood News newspaper- announcing "Mayor" Mulgrew - Kate
Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

28.		Heartbeat Publicity Photo (B&W) - Kate Mulgrew, Gail
Strickland, Laura Johnson - Kate Mulgrew signed  MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID
INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

29.		Heartbeat Publicity Photo (B&W) - Kate Mulgrew, Laura
Johnson - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

30.		Heartbeat Publicity Photo (B&W) - Kate Mulgrew, Ben Masters
- Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $15.00 (BID INCREMENT $2.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

31.		Plaque - 8 x 10 photo mounted on faux marble with brass
plaque.  Limited Edition  595/995 - Kate Mulgrew signed
MINIMUM BID: $75.00 (BID INCREMENT $5.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

32.		1975 Star Trek (original series) Official Space Emblems
Fabric Patches - Individually packaged Uhura;  McCoy;  Spock ; Enterprise
-ship;
Starship Enterprise; Command Badge emble (3).
MINIMUM BID: $1.00 (BID INCREMENT $1.00)

MAXIMUM BID
IN CASE OF TIE

NAME

TELEPHONE NUMBER (DAY):
TELEPHONE NUMBER (EVE)
ADDRESS:

CITY:
ST/PROV:
ZIP/POSTAL CODE:
COUNTRY:
E-MAIL ADDRESS (OPTIONAL):

SEND BIDS TO: KMAS, INC., P.O. Box 64539, Chicago, IL 60664-0539

Questions:  E-mail jeannier@ix.netcom.com or via snail mail to:
Jeanne Donnelly, 13021 S. 48th Street #1111, Phoenix, AZ  85044
(NOTE: QUESTIONS ONLY - bids arriving at Jeanne's address will be
disqualified!)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VOYAGER FAN CLUBS

NOW VOYAGER
Official Kate Mulgrew Fan Club
P.O. Box 64539
Chicago, IL 60664-0539
kmasinc@aol.com

THE COMMANDER
Official Robert Beltran Fan Club
330 Greenwich Street
Reading, PA 19601-2821
oleary1@uscom.com

B3 PRIME
Official Roxann Dawson Fan Club
1630 Ft. Campbell Blvd., Suite 143
Clarksville, TN 37042
blilsism@aol.com

RANDOM FLIGHT
Official Robert Duncan McNeill Fan Club
850 Mellowood Avenue
Orlando, FL 32825-8085
rdmfanclub@aol.com

EPIC
Official Ethan Phillips Fan Club
P.O. Box 4818
Waterbury, CT 06704
randeg@aol.com

CARPE
Official Robert Picardo Fan Club
Box 373, 1277 Linda Mar Shopping Center
Pacifica, CA 94044
traceldel1@aol.com

VULCAN INSIDERS
Official Tim Russ Fan Club
P.O. Box 8248
Long Beach, CA 90808
vinsiders@aol.com

SESKA'S SCANDAL SHEET
Official Martha Hackett Fan Club
3699 Barnard Drive #517
Oceanside, CA 92056
southpawdj@aol.com

DEEP SPACE NINE FAN CLUBS

EMISSARY
Official Avery Brooks Fan Club
P.O. Box 621719
Oviedo, FL 32762-1719
emisary1@aol.com

ORACLE
Official Rene Auberjonois Fan Club
2604B El Camino Real #377
Carlsbad, CA 92008
lwilcox@aol.com

OASIS
Official Armin Shimerman Fan Club
26 Dogwood Street
Jersey City, NJ 07305
kathybayne@aol.com

THE DOCTOR'S EXCHANGE
Official Alexander Siddig Fan Club
P. O. Box 1363
Minnetonka, MN 55345-0363
verba001@maroon.tc.umn.edu

NANITES
Official Nana Visitor Fan Club
8824 Cross Country Place
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
nananut@aol.com

D'ABO!
Official Chase Masterson Fan Club
P.O. Box 611
Waterbury, CT 06720
kaimichele@aol.com

OTHER FAN CLUBS

THE PATRICK STEWART NETWORK
Official Patrick Stewart Fan Club
P.O. Box 4990
Riverside, CA 92514

JONATHAN FRAKES APPRECIATION SOC.
P.O. Box 632
Enfield, CT 06083-0632

GRMC
Official Gene Roddenberry Memorial Club
P.O. Box 3177
Greensburg, PA 15601

WALTER KOENIG FAN CLUB
c/o Miss C.A. Heslop
Fens Crescent
Hartlepool, TS25 2QL UK

JULIE CAITLIN BROWN FAN CLUB
P O Box 191
Kerman, CA 93630
dkountz@aol.com

STAR TREK WELCOMMITTEE
P.O. Box 12
Saranac, MI 48881


TO CONTACT TREK TALENT

PARAMOUNT PICTURES
TNG/DS9/VOY Actor, Producer
Star Trek: TNG/DS9/VOY
5555 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038

LINCOLN ENTERPRISES
Classic Trek Actor, Producer
14710 Arminto Street
Van Nuys, CA 91402