NOW VOYAGER THE NEWSLETTER OF THE OFFICIAL KATE MULGREW APPRECIATION SOCIETY, INC. VOL. 5 NO. 2 * * * * FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK I talked to Kate in June the week before she went back to work on Voyager. Here's what she had to say: "I'm unbelievably happy, and I thought I was very happy before. Tim and I got married on the 19th of April in Sanibel, Florida. I met him six years ago in Ireland through my mother, and we actually fell in love then, but it couldn't work out because he was the commissioner of Cuyahoga County and then I got Star Trek. Everything conspired against us, but we met again in July, and that was that. I think that he's exceptionally gifted - certainly if you saw his work in Cleveland, you would see what he's done for that city. He's just remarkable, very deep, very fine. "I will be returning for the seventh season of Voyager. So much has happened to me in the past year, from looking at myself in the mirror and realizing that time is very precious. I was prepared, I think, to make some very significant changes at Voyager if my bosses were not inclined to acknowledge my need for time, and they did. I wanted to finish the series because Janeway would not reneg - she would complete this mission, and that's what I'm going to do. My ego is involved in this, my deepest feelings, not the least of which is the fact that I was the first female captain. So I'm going to complete this with as much panache as I can. "I had a great dinner with Brannon Braga, went over my great wishes for this season. I really want a featured episode with Roxann and one with Bob where they are integral to what's happening not only on the ship but with me. I have a very close personal relationship with both of them, and I feel that Roxann has suffered a bit in the past year. We talked about a love interest - I think that there will be love for Janeway this season in an ongoing arc. It's got to be big, and it's got to be real; it's also got to be intriguing. So we're hatching that right now. I want it to be very provocative, I don't want it to be even remotely predictable. I think it's a big, growing surprise to Janeway, it dawns on her, this need, and then she just goes like nobody's ever seen her go before. And we'll see the consequences of that. "I have heard that they are hatching another show as well. In this year that we stand alone, I want it to be really great. It's like being a member of a large family and suddenly everyone goes away to college and you have the house to yourself. I have a pretty good feeling, with the Braga-Moore combination, there's going to be a lot of action, and science fiction at its very best. Brannon is a provocateur, his intelligence is borderline dangerous. I think that he will take science fiction to new heights. "I think Arachnia was a surprise to them - that I do farce, that I do comedy, thatI do love, that I do all of that. Now they just have to let me go, so I can do that in the confines of, say, the bridge, with the same ease. There's no reason there can't be laughter, there's no reason why there can't be badinage and a degree of farce in all of this. We all get to change. Part of it is my relaxing, just letting myself go. I have pretty high confidence now, and I think that they see that. I don't have any problems any more with her professionalism, her demeanor. Her command is in place. Now it's time to give it a much broader base and let everybody else fly too. I feel better than I have ever felt about it. Relaxation and personal happiness have so much to do with what goes on at work. I feel a renewed sense of committment and fun, so I'm just going to go in there and kick it, as my son would say." KATEWATCH IN THE NUMBERS by AJ Nordall I've been a student of numerology for several years, and have used my knowledge to help people understand their particular personalities. Well, I've finally decided to let my personal curiosity out in a slightly more formal setting like this. Below is a numerological comparison/contrast of Ms. Mulgrew and her character Kathryn Janeway. The analyses given below are based on my personal interpretation of the information given in Jean Simpson's 1986 book, HOT NUMBERS. For ease of reading, I will give the basic formulas for each set of numbers analyzed below. The first three areas analyzed are based on the letters in the person's full birth name. All of the letters determine the Name Number; the consonants determine the Personality Number; and the vowels determine the Heart Number. NOTE: According to the canonical information I searched, there has been no middle name established for Kathryn Janeway. This normally would affect the outcome of the analysis, but I have done my best to compensate for this. The final two sets of numbers are based on the person's birthday. The Life Lesson Number is based on the person's actual birth date, whereas the Personal Year Number is based on the most recent birthday that passed [this number changes from birthday to birthday]. NOTE: The canonical information I've gleaned has stated Kathryn Janeway's birth date as May 20, 2336, and the current [5th] season of Voyager as being 2375. Therefore, the Personal Year Numbers will be calculated as follows: Mulgrew - 1998, Janeway - 2374. As to the analyses themselves, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the outcomes for both Ms. Mulgrew and Janeway. Both have quite interesting lives, according to the numbers in their names, filled with all sorts of wonderful things. And now, without further ado, the analyses themselves. Katherine Kiernan Mulgrew Name Number: 1 Personality Number: 3 Heart Number: 7 Life Lesson Number: 8 Current Personal Year Number: 6 Name Number 1 A leader with a pioneering spirit, strength, independence, and determination. Personality Number 3 Others perceive her as friendly, optimistic, talkative, lighthearted, and entertaining. Heart Number 7 Her inner feelings and talents motivate her to spend time alone to search for the truth and contemplate the quiet side of life. The 1-3-7 Combination A woman who relishes her privacy, but when so moved to company, will throw wildly creative parties. A true queen of her castle, she is not easily swayed by current trends in anything, choosing instead to blaze her own trail. A take-charge kind of woman, she is very discriminating about her choice of friends, and always looks out for those so graced as to be in her inner circle. Always enjoying a good chat with others, if someone becomes too personal or possessive for her tastes, she retreats to regroup in private. Others may be surprised to learn that there is a very shy, introspective side to this otherwise bold, confident, outgoing woman. Direct and to the point, she is also very passionate and creative in the area of love and lovemaking, and absolutely adores having attention lavished on her. Her children are important to her, but never does she attempt to compare them to each other. She welcomes their differences, supports them completely and unconditionally, and does her best to make sure they know their importance in her life. To their friends, she is known as the mom to host the most creative, interesting, and fun birthday parties. But if they should require it, she is a firm disciplinarian, creatively fitting a just punishment to the crime while being compassionate to her children at the same time. In her career, she is equally able to work in a team or lead. Her competitive nature, as well as her love of challenges, allows her to engage in a variety of tasks that show her intense joy in her work. Her highly evolved creative streak enables her to add new and innovative approaches and advances to her chosen field. Beware, once she makes a decision, she sticks to it, no matter what the outcome or opposition. Working for her means that you are expected to work as hard as she does, and have it "done yesterday." She is a creative boss who has more than enough work for you to do, and she will not hesitate to reward you for a job well done. Her routine for fitness and health doesn't follow any established routine, but is one uniquely hers. If you're sick, she's there to nurse you back to health, but can be rather demanding as a patient. A world class traveler, she is always ready and willing to take a trip, or plan your next trip based on one of her own personal favorites. Always one to graciously receive gifts, she nevertheless lets you know what to get her. And if you don't get her direct clues, gift certificates will suffice, allowing her the chance to take you shopping and show you what she prefers. Life Lesson Number 8 Learn to be organized, handle money, and balance your emotions. Tend to health, diet, and exercise. In order to get the most out of life, your lessons should include finding ways to balance your emotions, health, money, and the power and success of your chosen field. Also you would do well to learn ways to create and execute your ideas, and become a master of delegation and management. Personal Year Number 6 A year centered around love, home, family, responsibility, and adjustments. You may beautify yourself or your surroundings. Be a magnet and attract people. This year of growth is more personally centered than other years. Family is very important, solidifying your place and theirs in your inner sanctum. Introspection over your life up to now, and your continued happiness is paramount. Take stock of your emotional well-being, make sure it is regarded as equal to your career, health, and those around you. Take time for yourself and make sure your needs are being met. If not, find ways to ensure they are met. * * * * Kathryn Janeway Name Number: 5 Personality Number: 6 Heart Number: 8 Life Lesson Number: 3 Current Personal Year Number: 5 Name Number 5 A freedom-loving traveler who thrives on variety and change, and is able to do many things at one time. Personality Number 6 Others perceive her as loving, adaptable, supportive, responsible, and fair. Heart Number 8 Her inner feelings and talents motivate her to take charge and organize her efforts to acquire money, power, and success. The 5-6-8 Combination A love of wide, open spaces is a given for this woman. She can, and does, do many things at once, and loves to whip up incredible parties on the spur of the moment. "Mundane" chores are done quickly and efficiently, usually allowing her the chance to redecorate the furniture on a regular basis, "just for a change." Variety is the spice of life for her, and you'd better get used to the constantly changing variety, or she'll leave you in the dust of her wake. If you're going to spend any sort of time with her, make sure you're prepared for anything and everything. You'll never know where her whims will lead her. Her constantly-working, high speed mind is rivaled only by her equally quick mouth. And be careful what you think, she can usually tell what it is and will very pointedly ask the questions to get the answers to whatever it is she wants to know. Just make sure not to offend her in your answer, or lack thereof. Curiosity will definitely kill this cat, but remember a well-placed secret will endear you to her for life. Her adventurous and playful side is more than evident, both in and out of bed. Her sensuality and provocative nature are always seen to creep out into her behaviour, usually when it's completely unexpected. But with all this spontaneity and vibrance of life, she is often remiss in the basic needs of life [sleep, eating] and requires reminders >from others in this. You're never in need of a chaperone for field trips when her child is in your class. She is the mom that everyone loves and wants to spend time with because she can relate to things the same way the kids do. But her children also know that she will not tolerate anything but the truth. Anything else wastes time and makes her impatient and annoyed. And this is one mom you don't want to have annoyed with you. A born leader, she is never at a loss for projects to work on, or the people to help her. Everyone wants her as a boss because she's fair, but disciplined. Her adventurous streak and love of new things allow her to push the envelope of conventionality in the workplace. And always one to meet and greet new people, you can rest assured that your business contacts will be well entertained and cared for when she's around. Never one to allow boredom to set it, she's always doing several things at once, but still has the time to listen to you. Even if it looks like she's not paying you one bit of attention, she's heard every word and is formulating the best answer to your queries. Searching for the perfect gift for her? Something that will appeal to all of the facets of her personality? Set up an old-fashioned scavenger hunt for her. Shroud it in secrecy, then let her loose, and be prepared to tag along as she'll drag you into her excitement and fun. If that doesn't work, don't forget that she loves to travel to new and exciting places, so book a journey neither of you will soon forget. Life Lesson Number 3 Learn to socialize and use words. Do things creatively and develop self-confidence. In order to get the most out of life, your lessons should include finding ways to develop your verbal skills, your imagination and creativity, cultivating your particular sense of humour, learning to handle and accept being the center of attention with the humility, learning to overcome your shy side, and projecting your positive, optimistic side. Personal Year Number 5 Keep your suitcases packed, and expect the unexpected. A year of fun, freedom, sex, change, and travel. Get out of the rut and enjoy yourself! This year of growth focuses on the new, unexpected, and unknown. Conquer your fear of these things quickly, or your growth will be stunted. Remember to remain flexible, and try to break out of the monotonies you've grown accustomed to. Any new opportunities you encounter should be taken and explored thoroughly. Your restless and curious nature will lead you on several new and exciting adventures; capitalize on this, and expect to be very busy, but have a great deal of fun doing it. Kate Mulgrew told WOR-TV in New York that she has signed a contract to stay on Star Trek Voyager for a seventh season. Though Mulgrew has been quoted several times recently as wishing to move on, she cited her allegiance to the cast and crew, saying she didn't want them to suffer if she left. She also expressed her belief that Deep Space Nine fans would switch their loyalty to Voyager now that the previous series has wrapped production. Cleveland affiliate WUAB also quoted Mulgrew as saying that she intended to remain in California for the remaining two seasons, then split her time between theatrical work in New York and her new husband's home in Ohio. REVIEWZZZZZ.... Beginning with this issue, we are inviting members outside the United States who don't see "Voyager" at the same time as U.S. and Canadian viewers to submit reviews on older episodes they have just seen. The goal is to offer more involvement to all our members. We can't guarantee that all will be published, due to space limitations, but it might be fun to take a look back and view episodes through different sets of eyes. Overseas reviews will be found at the end of the reviews section. If anyone wants to submit reviews for the overseas section - for want of a better term - or the U.S.-Canada section, send them email to vulcan@iquest.net or mail them to Donna Christenberry, 1315 South Fifth Street, Terre Haute, IN 47802, USA. We reserve the right to edit reviews for length, content, grammar, etc., and reserve the right not to print every review sent. Also beginning this issue, a synopsis of the episode will be included before each set of current reviews. The Nielsen rating for each episode covers only the Wednesday night UPN showing and does not include showings by other stations at other times or days. BRIDE OF CHAOTICA Nielsen rating 4.0 Synopsis: Tom Paris' fantasy life gets the better part of Janeway as multi-dimensional energy aliens find the holodeck more real than Voyager and wage war in Captain Proton's universe. Janeway saves the day with the sci-fi-Joan-Crawford look as Queen of the Spider People. Okay. Now, this episode was certainly - different. And interesting! Yes, very interesting. Historical. It was a slice of our grand Hollywood history, a spoof, as it were, but not a complete spoof. After all, in a complete spoof, Janeway would have played the role of Arachnia perfectly, which she didn't. She's perfect every week - why would we want to see her like that again if we didn't have to? The pivotal roles, portrayed so cleverly (albeit reluctantly) by Captain Janeway and so enthusiastically (albeit with some embarrassment) by Ensign Paris were certainly.......... We interrupt this regularly scheduled and probably boring review to bring you the further adventures of ... THE STARSHIP VOYAGER! Episode 4747: THE BRIDE OF CHAOTICA! Caught in a mysterious subspace distortion field, Voyager is trapped, unable to continue its journey home to the Alpha Quadrant! The warp engines fail, the thrusters fail, the replicators are down, and there are only four working bathrooms! Worst of all, Captain Janeway is in severe coffee withdrawal! Not even Janeway's previous experiences as science officer on board the Al Batani has any effect! (As if it would in the Delta Quadrant!) They are at the mercy of Fifth-Dimension aliens and the whim of an intergalactic holographic madman named CHAOTICA! What, or who, can save them? Enter our hero, Ensign Paris, a.k.a. CAPTAIN PROTON! Not only is he dashing, suave, and looks good in black and white, but he's the only one on board who understands the ins and outs of the 1930s space serial currently keeping the ship in limbo. (He's also the only one who even pretends to take it seriously.) Along with his eternal sidekick, Harry Kim (poor Harry!), Paris has a plan to help the Fifth-Dimension aliens defeat CHAOTICA and free Voyager. Paris and Kim will destroy Chaotica's evil Death Ray (death ray?), housed in the Fortress of Doom (the fortress of doom?!?), but to do that they will need assistance from the treacherous QUEEN ARACHNIA! Horrified at the part, and looking horrendous in the authentic space serial costume (complete with shoulder curls, a slit up to her thigh, and an enormous neck - uh - thingy), the courageous Janeway takes on the role (with a noted lack of teasing on the first officer's part) and plays it with, if not willingness or complete confidence and her usual command efficiency, then with extreme gusto! It's a new, previously unrevealed side of the usually dauntless Janeway! Together she and Paris will defeat the bad guys, free the universe, and save VOYAGER once again! It's an episode of great derring-do, where all the sets really are the same, the captain gets to woo the fiendishly clever madman, and the doctor gets to push the little red button! Don't miss it! Only on Star Trek could anything so ridiculous be so much fun! Quotes, quotes, quotes! "The clever fiendishness of your evil plan is brilliant!" - Tom "Invaders! Invaders!" - the robot from hell The Music The doctor's patch/insignia that said "The President of Earth" "If it weren't beneath my dignity, I would weep!" - Chaotica "Isn't anyone going to sing Hail to the Chief?" "Mr. President! How'd it go?" "My performance was unimpeachable." - the Doctor and Harry "AAAAAAAHHHHHHH! (cubed)" - Constance Goodheart "We have a saying on Arachnia: it's lonely at the top." - Janeway "And remember: YOU'RE THE QUEEN!" - Tom - Linda Bindner This episode was admittedly more fun than any of "The Next Generation's" Sherlock Holmes mysteries or "Deep Space Nine's" James Bond ripoffs, but the gimmick was essentially the same, and my heart sank at the end when Chaotica threatened to return. If they didn't have anything original to say with this amusing but trivial diversion, why bother to revive it? The cast appeared to be having a great time and I loved seeing Kate Mulgrew vamp. I can't decide whether I loved seeing Kathryn Janeway vamp, however. There was a time when I would have, unreservedly, but given what this captain has become, I'm still sorting out my reactions. I'm not even sure I believe Janeway CAN vamp. Picard never chewed scenery except when he was reciting Shakespeare or the Prime Directive, and they don't count. Sisko chewed scenery magnificently in "Dr. Bashir, I Presume" and in that episode where Dax's unstable former host Joran borrowed his body, but in both cases he was clearly possessed. Janeway came pretty darned close to the same level of hysteria in "Persistence of Vision" before she was possessed, but I'm not sure how to take the gusto with which she threw herself into Arachnia. Was she trying to save her ship, or was she reliving her Lord Burleigh fantasies, with a man who wanted to be called Sire and made vague rape threats? I don't like the whole idea of Captain Proton, despite the cheesy humor aspects of the Flash Gordon visuals. Why do men like Bashir and Paris and Kim, in a universe with women like Kira and Torres and Seven - whose breasts are still bigger than Miss Goodheart's - want to relive sexist old literary conventions? Kim can't wait to meet the slave girls, and Paris has an adoring secretary who screams for him to rescue her. Janeway has power over Chaotica, but it's based on a sexuality which is not even her own - it's Arachnia's, bottled in a vial and used to drug weak-minded men. Janeway's reaction to sex - in this episode as well as in "Tuvix" - is to snap, "I beg your pardon?" at its mere suggestion. Once more, the captain can't have a sex life; if she even smells like she has a sex life, she can't be the captain. It occurs to me, watching Paris' fantasies, that gender roles in the 24th century are as restrictive as the 1930s. Far in the future, women are still viewed in black and white. It's not really very funny, and moreover it's not necessary. When old movies are remade in later decades, producers generally rectify their more egregious prejudices. People have a lot less tolerance nowadays for blatant racism and cultural insensitivity, though sex roles seem to be the final frontier (hence we have a female starship captain played by a woman who says that feminism has nothing to do with Captain Janeway, or her own career). The Trek producers may believe that their audience is largely young males, but they continue to alienate a large segment of progressive-minded women who enjoy the series precisely because it does NOT have to fall into 20th century gender traps. Disney took the pickaninny centaurs out of the most recent print of "Fantasia," this summer's "Godzilla" gave women at least nominally scientific roles. What is "Star Trek's" excuse for not doing the equivalent, or at least permitting the women a role-reversal equivalent in which Torres plays heroine to a bunch of incompetent, screaming men? All these role-playing games make Trek's woman captain seem less and less captainlike - that and the fact that Janeway either snivels or snaps at everyone in just about every episode this season. In "Bride of Chaotica," she blew off a report on the failing state of the replicators to demand a cup of coffee. I'm sure she's stressed, but how does she think her engineers who are working round the clock feel? Pardon the phrase, but this woman sounds like she needs to uncork her pheremones. I would be remiss if I failed to note how well-constructed the '30s dialogue is, and the directing was superb. By far my favorite Captain Proton character was the robot. I think Tom should construct one of those for Voyager. Listening to it yell, "Help, help" and clang around had me in hysterics. I also adored Tuvok's response when Paris told him about the Death Ray: "It's a shame we don't have one." And then there are Doc's lines as the President of Earth: "Isn't anyone going to sing 'Hail to the Chief?'" followed by "My performance was unimpeachable!" The timing of that, at least, could not have been funnier. - Sara Unger This episode is like Tom Paris' holodeck program. It was just there for the fun of it. I've always liked the Captain Proton scenario. It's been an amusing way to throw some 20th-century oddities into Voyager and setting it in the black-and-white color-adjustment mode was a nice touch. It was only a matter of time before Captain Proton got out of hand, though. The fun in this episode is seeing the main characters deal with a blatantly ridiculous situation that begins with aliens who think that Paris' and Kim's adolescent fantasy world is real and Voyager is fake. One of my favorite guest stars in the Proton scenario is the robot. It's a typical 1930s tin-can man that starts out working for Chaotica, but when Paris fixes it and takes it back to Proton's "spaceship" the robot gets adopted by the good guys like a stray dog, and immediately it gets into everyone's way. The photonic aliens who get caught up in the holodeck don't actually leave much of an impression. The two that are seen are a bit bland and plain in their 1930s suits and hats. And gullible when they get into conflict with the holodeck characters as well as when the doctor convinces them to join Captain Proton to defeat Chaotica. Janeway has the best moments - and the most melodrama - when she gets sucked into saving the ship as Queen of the Spider People. It's a pity we didn't get to see the crew's first reaction to her in her makeup and sequins. But they likely would have known better than to even smirk in her presence. Tom Paris was certainly all business when he explained the Captain Proton technical jargon and how she was supposed to foil Chaotica with her feminine charms. Once she got rolling Janeway got the better of Chaotica with the right kind of overacted style. I didn't think the Arachnia dress was very flattering on Janeway; it was a straight up-and-down style and it didn't look like it fit right on her. But I would love to have seen the sequins and beading on that dress close up, and her make-up and hair with that high, villainess collar were just fabulous. The episode ends with a question mark - a faint promise of more adventures to come even though Tom Paris has sworn off ever playing Captain Proton again. Perhaps the captain will have to save the universe with Neelix next time? - Anne Davenport GRAVITY Nielsen rating 4.0 Synopsis: Voyager loses yet another shuttlecraft (this time to a gravity well), letting Tom Paris and Tuvok spend some quality, relativistic, time-dilation together. While dealing with a stranded woman's emotional interest, Tuvok flashbacks to his misspent Vulcan youth with aVulcan master in Vulcan juvenile detention. Janeway and Voyager rescue everyone with seconds (Hours? Minutes?) to spare. "Gravity" was not an episode that will go down in the Voyager book of grand adventures, but it was entertaining. Tom, Tuvok, and the doctor crash on a planet after being dragged through a subspace gravity well. They meet Noss, another victim of the gravity well, and she helps them survive the harsh planetary conditions and repeated attacks by the generic evil alien of the week, while she falls in love with Tuvok on the side. Noss' character was engaging and fresh, and though falling in love with a Vulcan is not a new plot device, Noss brought a sense of innocence to this particular tour that was endearing and kept my interest to the end. Tuvok's reaction to Noss was predictable - he refused to even entertain the idea of feeling anything beyond respect for her. But the tie-in with the younger Tuvok's struggle with the same situation was a nice twist to Tuvok's history. Without it this episode would have been boring and trite. I thought Paris came on too aggressively in his mission to convince Tuvok to accept Noss' endearments, and Tuvok's choice to handle Tom's enthusiasm by ignoring him was poorly made. Simply asking Tom if he would abandon B'Elanna after only a few months would have shut Tom up much faster - but Tuvok's behavior was characteristically consistent. I had several questions about the aliens' behavior: Why did they continually attack Noss, why were they in the region of space near the gravity well in the first place? Also I wondered why Janeway didn't offern to make a deal with the aliens and attempt to rescue their stranded people as well as the away team. But watching Tom hunt for spiders sort of balanced the holes in the storyline! I was glad to see an away team have to hunt for food for a change. It was unusually realistic for Star Trek (what did they eat during "Basics" anyway?). They lost another shuttle and a probe, but the subtle commentary on emotional attachment - Tuvok's (and possibly Janeway's?) inability to accept a new situation and move forward - and Noss' character made this episode worth watching. Quote of the week: "I'm a doctor, not a battery!" - an irate Doc - Linda Bindner This episode started with promise - a Vulcan ritual in flashback, an unknown alien on a desert world, the discovery of Wrecked Shuttle #113 (oh, I'm exaggerating, Voyager has probably only lost 50 or so shuttles since the series started). But then it turned into "Dune" - the only desert movie where people wear leather - though in this case only the woman wore it, and tight enough to rival Seven's bodysuit, while the guys stripped down to T-shirts. And then it turned into the classic Trek "All Our Yesterdays" without the sex. I love Mariette Hartley and I even like Lori Petty, who played Zarabeth - I mean Noss - but once was enough, folks! It went downhill from there. Like the superlative "Distant Origin," this episode showed us Voyager's crewmembers from the perspective of an outsider, but that outsider turned out to be just another whiny human female, who was reduced to cooking and sponging Tuvok's forehead. At least she didn't turn into a psycho stalker like the spy who loved him in "Alter Ego," but we didn't learn a thing about her other than that she was lonely and she knew better than to go for Tom, considering he was still hung up on B'Elanna. Instead we got a little backstory on Tuvok, but it pretty much contradicted not only what Jeri Taylor wrote in "Pathways" but also what Tuvok himself explained in "Flashback." From what we know of Vulcan history - which has been thoroughly trashed on the present generation of Trek - lapses into emotionalism are a big deal. Spock was shamed his entire childhood for not being able to control his emotions, a sign of human weakness. Are we now to believe that all Vulcans go through similar crises - that Vulcans are just like humans only with better mechanisms of repression, rather than that they are genuinely DIFFERENT from us? On Classic Trek, the implication was that Vulcans had become unemotional genetically as well as psychologically. And what are we to make of Paris thinking Tuvok should break his marriage vows after just a few days of being stranded (amazing how they didn't need a bath or even a shave after all those weeks)? Boy, if Janeway had been alone with Tom in "Resolutions" instead of Chakotay, she might not be theVirgin Queen anymore! Seriously, I was starting to wonder if Tom was afraid he might be the lucky choice when Tuvok experienced pon farr, and wanted to divert the Vulcan.Otherwise his "logic" made no sense - he misses B'Elanna, so he wants Tuvok to cheat on his wife. Uh-huh. I realize that Vulcans have become THE major scapegoat on Trek, even mores so than Cardassians, and no one takes them seriously at all. The recent DS9 episode "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" pointed that out graphically. TheVulcans were ludicrously supremacist in their sense of superiority, and a personal grudge was elevated to the level of race-bashing. Many of the cracks directed at Tuvok and various other Vulcans are pretty damned offensive even considering that Vulcans are not a real species. When no one's allowed in a series to use epithets based on skin color or human cultural traditions, I want to know why it's acceptable to insult the population of an entire planet. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, indeed. At least in Classic Trek's version of this story, Spock had major historical distortions to blame for his rising emotions. Tuvok's never acted much like the Vulcans of that series, but I'd hoped they would leave him a shred of integrity. Performing a mind-meld without asking permission or explaining the procedure would have been tantamount to rape for Spock or even Tuvok himself, first season, but he no longer even blinks. It's so disconcerting that even little things like Noss' pathetic crush on him pale by comparison. There was one brilliant Classic Trek reference I must mention: when the others wanted to shut the doctor down to save the energy in his emitter, he said, "I'm a doctor, not a battery!" Now there is a worthy successor to Roddenberry's Trek. He may be the only thing on this series which is. - Sara Unger BLISS Nielsen rating 3.9 Synopsis: A giant space monster eats Voyager, but everybody has a really great time anyway. An obsessive alien space-monster hunter, Seven of Nine and Naomi Wildman gang up on the space monster and give it indigestion. Brace yourself - I basically liked it! Winsome Naomi Wildman has finally wrapped herself around my finger after my initial rejection of her character in "Once Upon A Time." I really enjoyed her scenes with Uncle Paris and Auntie Seven (although I long for a Janeway-Naomi scene). I loved Paris letting her fly the shuttle (in spite of Seven's reproving "Ensign") and hauling her around Voyager, as big as she is. I was pleased that she didn't have much to do with saving the ship, her primary function was as sidekick material, to provide a contrast to Seven's Borg efficiency and to coax forth warm, human responses from Seven. And Naomi does this in the most engaging, natural way. I also liked Seven in this episode - she was resolute, determined, provoking, but not obnoxiously rude (which has been an ongoing gripe of mine). She had strong conversations with both Tuvok and Janeway where she challenged their assumptions without resorting to offensive remarks. I thought it was a nice touch for Seven to succumb to the beast's influence near the end. It confirms her fear of earth as well as her human vulnerability. And I enjoyed her scenes with Naomi - when she showed tolerance and allowed Naomi to tag along, when she comforted Naomi by carrying her to the bridge, when she responded "I am here" to Naomi's cry of fear. Her last conversation with rugged alien Ahab was nice, too; Seven shows some concern and compassion. It was interesting to learn about the crew's deepest wishes, and I wish this had been fleshed out a little better. Neelix wants to be an ambassador, Chakotay wants to be reinstated and pardoned by Starfleet and offered a professorship (this last bit comes as a surprise); B'Elanna wants the Maquis to be alive; Tuvok wants to see his wife and family; Paris wants to be a test pilot; and Janeway wants to get her crew home (her first letter) and for Mark to break off his engagement (second letter). Janeway hasn't moved on in her romantic life. She could have, perhaps, by allowing herself a relationship with Chakotay, but she nipped that in the bud. Aliens of the week don't count. The lack of real romantic opportunities means she can't fully move beyond her last relationship because there is nowhere for her to move. Having said this, I really don't want to hear about Mark anymore. Otherwise, not much to say about Janeway this week. I did like the fact that she was clever enough to put Seven into stasis when her loyal sidekicks failed to corner Seven, even though this had the unfortunate effect of getting Voyager swallowed by the beast. Okay, now for some nits. This episode required a large tolerance of Seven's shapely bod being filmed from as many flattering angles as possible. And granted that Seven and Naomi weren't mentally affected by the monster because they didn't want to get to earth, but why weren't they physically affected by whatever made the crew pass out? And how could the beast sense that the holographic doctor was a threat? Why didn't it see Naomi as a threat? Why wasn't Naomi more concerned about her mother, especially after seeing Neelix? And why wasn't Naomi interested in seeing her father on earth? My biggest gripe is how similar this episode was to the second season's "Persistence of Vision." In that show, the crew similarly zones out facing their deepest desires (and those were decidedly more colorful - B'Elanna's love scene with Chakotay for example!) and their fears (Paris and his father) while a sweet little Ocampa saves the day. (An aside - I do miss Kes. She had a very specific feminine, empathetic character niche that is no longer being filled. As much as I like Seven, she sort of makes Tuvok's emotionless logic, Chakotay's advisory capacity, and B'Elanna's engineering expertise redundant.) Nevertheless I still liked this episode. I was entertained, I enjoyed the characterizations of Naomi, Seven, and Paris, and nothing unduly annoyed me. So I'm giving this episode a 7.0 - A. Goodhart In technoterms, it's a huge, telepathic, bioplasmic organism that assails the ship and the crew, luring them to a slow death in its monstrous digestive system. On screen, it's an ugly red cloud that shoots out random bursts of lightning that sporadically illuminates rows of shadowy teeth. Off screen, it's a beautiful wormhole that hypnotizes the crew into believing it will lead them exactly where they want to go. The beast probably never happened across a ship with a crew so easily manipulated, for amazingly enough, they all want the same thing - to go home to Earth. But, alas, not everybody wants to go to Earth. (It might have been more fun if the monster had attempted to lure them in by promising something thoroughly outlandish, like sexual fulfillment, but I suppose not everybody would have wanted that, either.) Seven and Naomi Wildman are immune to the monster's telepathic promise, which made me wonder why the monster just didn't create a new, individual promise for each of them, but that would have ended the episode practically before it began. On the other hand, does this mean that Seven and Naomi don't want anything? The best part of the episode was definitely the contrast between what the crew thought they were seeing on the viewscreen as they entered the beast to what was actually there. The warm, inviting blueness of the wormhole, a color reminiscent of Earth itself, along with the soft backlighting and slow motion of the scene was so starkly opposed to the monster's sickly red appearance and the crew's unconscious forms lying prostrate all over the bridge that I jerked and caught my breath. I like being surprised that way. I replayed that scene three times just to experience the jolt again and again. That was nicely done. On the picky side of commentary, I thought Qatai was an interesting enough and querulous alien, though he growled a bit much in his role as the Delta Quadrant's Captain Ahab to the creature's Moby Dick. The title "Bliss" was appropriate, yet incomplete; this episode was only marginally about the crew's interpretation of their greatest desires. I felt "Siren Call" would have been more descriptive - not only does it aptly explain the reason for the crew's behavior, it also harkens to another ancient classic (andStar Trek is certainly stuck on the classics). However, that might have given the episode away before Seven could figure out what was going on. It makes sense that Seven, Naomi, and the doctor are the three to save the ship - Seven gets to play savior and mother all at once, and the doctor is free to have all the best lines, and what good lines they are, too! The episode's only truly irritating moment came when Janeway told Chakotay that her ex-fiance, Mark, had broken off his current engagement, leaving him free for a reunion with her upon Voyager's imminent return. Good grief, are they ever going to let her get over Mark? I thought we had taken care of that a year ago in "Hunters," an episode that detailed Mark's marriage, not engagement, to a woman he works with. What's with the continuity department? Paramount spends millions of dollars to make an ugly red cloud, but they can't figure out a simple detail such as a man's marriage versus his engagement. If fans can catch such things, why can't the people who are paid to watch for these things? I can let an incorrect techno term slip by much easier than a mistake with a character's history. Such mistakes are unprofessional, and unfortunately for the show, memorable. Plus, making Janeway continue to pine for Mark delegates her as a stagnant character. Who's interested in watching a captain incapable of growth? I realize there are time constraints with each episode, but less time and money spent on CGIs and more of both spent on scripting details might be more useful to the ultimate perfection of the show. Quotes of the episode: "I'm something of a Renaissance EMH." - the doctor "She's sleeping." - Naomi, speaking of the captain and, perhaps, the production crew as well? - Linda Bindner First off, one of the best sources of enjoyment for this episode was the guest star. W. Morgan Sheppard, who portrayed the alien monster-hunter, Qatai, also played Blank Reg in one of my all-time favorite SF-type series, "Max Headroom" in the 1980s. So, I was quite predisposed toward liking this episode and I was not disappointed. The story was OK. We've seen giant space creatures before, but Sheppard added the right obsessive flair to this adventure. Bliss also featured Naomi Wildman. Scarlett Pomers has been a real gem on Voyager as Naomi. She interacts wonderfully with the other characters, from Janeway to Neelix and especially with Seven. Emotionally, Seven and Naomi are about the same age. Seven just stopped her life when she was a kid to become a Borg drone for 20 years. Now she's picking it all up again with Naomi. They make a good team saving the ship. They united so well on the issue that neither of them really wants to be moved away from their Voyager home, like best friends in second grade, but with Seven's adult knowledge of what can be done about their prospects. However, I'm glad that it wasn't all that easy for Seven to hijack the ship away from danger and that Janeway was the person who stopped her even if the captain's motives were misguided. The effect on the space creature on Voyager's crew was the weakest element of the show. It's not very satisfying whenever the whole crew get an alien influence buzzing in their ears and abandon their normal behavior over it. They just act strange for a little while and they go back to what they normally do. Ho hum. But I could sympathize with some of the crew's fantasies about getting back to the Alpha Quadrant being a wonderful, care-free experience with no court martials, weeks-long debriefings, criminal charges, family crises, paperwork, real-life, etc., etc. Fantasy is, after all, why we're watching this show in the first place. - Anne Davenport DARK FRONTIER Nielsen rating 4.7 Synopsis: Janeway decides to get aggressive with the Borg, steal one of their transwarp drives and take some time off their trip. But the heist is a set-up by a Borg Queen feeling maternal for her stray drone, Seven of Nine, who finally reviews the family diaries of her parents' long-term, behavioral study of the Borg before they were assimilated. Seven is forced back into the Borg collective, but Janeway takes her back. Visually and dramatically, this was a terrific episode, though it made mincemeat of all previous Borg history on Star Trek and even discarded most of what we learned about Seven of Nine's human parents in fourth-season episodes. I thought the first hour was better directed than the second, particularly the dark shots on the Borg ship, but both halves of "Dark Frontier" were creepy and gripping. The performances by Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, and Susanna Thompson were all first-rate even if Thompson didn't quite have the bite of Alice Krige in "First Contact." Despite her tamer persona, I found the Borg queen considerably more compelling here than in "First Contact. " She didn't resort to cheap sexual ploys with Seven as she did with Data. There were some interesting erotic overtones to her maternal possessiveness, though the Queen and Janeway both put their hands on Seven's face whenever they felt like it. Then again, all along there have been odd overtones to Janeway's obsessive desire to recreate Seven in her own human image. I really dislike how dowdy Janeway is made to look all the time beside Seven's outrageous catsuit, but in this case, next to the too-skinny Borg queen, she had a reassuring strength and solidity that was attractive in the earthy, maternal way being emphasized. I want to mention the fragmented female bodies in this episode: Janeway announces at the start that she likes her Borg in pieces (which is exactly how we see the queen when she first arrives), and the portrayals of good mothers and bad mothers, dutiful daughters and deceptive ones, an exobiologist who has to drag her scientist-husband away from research to eat his dinner, and a child who suggests to the captain a plan very similar to the one ultimately proposed by a Starfleet officer to find a missing crewmember. Pretty much everything about this episode concerned women, with the pathetic patriarchy of Annika's youth replaced by the warring matriarchies in which even little Naomi Wildman wants a place. "Keep your shirt tucked in, go down with the ship, and never abandon a member of your crew," says Janeway to the little girl, explaining what it takes to be captain. Picard might agree with the shirt business, but he and Kirk both avoided going down with the ship on more than one occasion, and sometimes it's absolutely necessary to abandon a member of the crew. Was this one of those times? Arguably, yes. They got the transwarp conduit, Seven appeared to defect of her own quasi-free will, they could have taken a chunk off their journey without taking the terrible risks of continued contact with the Borg. It's gotten almost silly that Janeway hasn't been assimilated yet; I wish that made her look smart, but it just makes the Borg look dumb. Of course that also has a lot to do with the radical rewriting of "The Next Generation's" Borg. Starfleet didn't know about the Borg until Q introduced them, but here the Federation sent the Hansens to research them a decade earlier. Not only Locutus, but Hugh and Data were able to break away from the collective (the queen claims that Seven was the only one), which had no queen; virtually nothing could stop assimilation except putting the hive to sleep, something no one thought of doing here. But back to Janeway's chase across the cosmos to retrieve Seven. Admittedly Seven has saved the ship 300 times and become the captain's only real friend now that Chakotay doesn't count. (Since when does Janeway fiddle with her comm badge when she's about to drop a bombshell? His statement that she does was one of those faux character moments which have popped up all season. Instead of sticking to continuity and having him comment on something we have all actually seen her do, like put her hands on her hips or clutch her throat, there's a random line of dialogue telling us something we have never observed.) Continuity's a pain in the butt, but it gives a series texture and emotional power. If this series picks up on what we learned in "Dark Frontier," it will have made the grave risks taken for Seven make sense. One of these days, I'd like to see a little honesty in writing: Janeway rushes off to save one crewmember and inadvertently gets another killed in the process. She doesn't look noble, just outrageously lucky. If she really values Seven, above and beyond what is reasonable or even expected, that's OK; Kirk would have risked a lot more for Spock than for some random ensign. But we need to see such a distinction. We need some ongoing sense of the stakes here. Sometimes it's "get the crew home at any cost," sometimes it's Starfleet values and Federation principles. Is it ever just loyalty or love, and if so, when, and when is that enough? - Sara Unger This episode reminded me of times I've taken a big gulp of soda and discovered it was flat. While it was for the most part enjoyable, I was definitely a little disappointed. I expected to see a real "battle for Seven's soul." Unfortunately, Seven was never convincingly tempted or seduced by the Borg queen. Seven returned to the collective as a sacrificial lamb for her new collective, Voyager, not because she was yearning for perfection or tiring of the trials of individuality or being annoyed by the inefficiencies of human nature. At heart, Seven was always in the Voyager camp. Captain Janeway's face off with the Borg queen would have been far more powerful if Seven had been conflicted about her loyalties. Well, maybe it was nice to know that Seven was so thoroughly NOT Borg anymore, and to know she cared enough about Voyager to risk losing her fledgling individuality. But it reduced the episode to just another Voyager rescue mission. This is unfortunate because there were so many ways to elevate the tension - making the queen Seven's biological mother whose rationale for luring Seven back was to groom her as the new queen and bring the Borg to a new era of perfection, for example. Or perhaps Seven could have had a really lousy day on Voyager, either experiencing emotions or being the brunt of other people's emotions, and Janeway could have inefficiently refused to put her on the away mission, thus giving Seven a reason to long for cool Borg logic and harmony. Okay, maybe it's obvious why no one has hired me to write screenplays for Voyager, but my point is that there were many possibilities for a richer storyline. Another consequence of Seven firmly being Janeway's protÈgÈ is that the queen had no real manipulative leverage with Seven. Seven cooperated with the queen to retain her humanity, not because she admired what the Borg stood for. Thus the queen's conversations with Seven were filled with pallid insults, "humans are weak and small," and threats of assimilation, rather than anything that might elevate tension by convincingly tempting Seven to return to the collective wholeheartedly. Seven was well drawn for the most part, her emotional humanity alternating as appropriate with her emotionless Borg efficiency. Seven's pride made her rise to Janeway's bait and agree to read her parents' logs after Janeway said she would turn them over to Chakotay. After reading the logs, Seven was unable to control her emotions, making her snap at the doctor and lose precious seconds in the Borg simulation. My favorite scene was when Seven abandoned her more arrogant tactic of "put me on the away mission or you will fail" in favor of an admission of how much Voyager meant to her and a heart-rending "Please." But I also liked her angry sarcasm with the queen, her brusque but not unkind treatment of the aliens as she tried to save them from assimilation, and her understandable terseness with Naomi when Naomi appeared in her vision and persisted in asking uncomfortable questions. I did struggle with whether or not Seven would really withhold information from Janeway regarding the queen's contact with her, but for the most part Seven was naturally and believably characterized. I had a few nits with the Janeway characterization - the initial wild-child Janeway threw me off a bit. Janeway messing with an alien ship and inadvertently destroying it with nary a grimace? Janeway stealing technology to get home faster? (In the episode "Prime Factors" during first season, didn't Janeway call B'Elanna and Tuvok on the carpet for their black market trade for technology?) This isn't typical Janeway and should have been explained or justified or rationalized somehow. Perhaps a scene with Chakotay - who is her first officer after all - where she shows a bit of angst before making these decisions would have helped. It also would have been natural for Janeway to demonstrate or express a deeper sense of betrayal or loss before she figured out Seven was coerced to leave Voyager. This was hinted at by Janeway's refusal to turn off Seven's alcove, her passionate "I'm not leaving without you!" and her unrelenting determination to get Seven back., but she was too restrained. I'd expect Janeway's steely self-control to falter a bit when her special reclamation project deserted her. But for the most part there were some terrific Janeway characterizations. Her wonderful scene with Naomi - which I've been hoping for - leaps to mind. Janeway was at first amused and impressed by Naomi's earnestness and resourcefulness, willing to indulge her but only briefly so she could get back to work. But when Naomi hesitatingly asked if Janeway would give up on rescuing Seven, Janeway was wholly focused on the little girl's loss and anxiety and came around from her desk to reassure Naomi at eye level and with physical contact. Very nicely done. Janeway's summary of being a captain was also quite good - keep your shirt tucked in (if this is an expression I'm not familiar with it, but it sounds like a reminder to exercise restraint and be prepared), go down with the ship, and never abandon a crewman. The last statement in particular explains so many of Janeway's decisions and actions during their five-year plus journey through the Delta Quadrant. Janeway's conversations with Seven were also enjoyable to watch. In the beginning Janeway had a mission to accomplish and therefore she WAS a bit tough and demanding of Seven and she certainly challenged her - "Are you sure you're up for this" - quite a bit. Nevertheless Janeway's proddings contained a clear undercurrent of concern for Seven's well-being. The captain relenting to Seven's pleadings to go on the away team was also telling - she gives her crewmen the benefit of the doubt. In the wrap-up scene Janeway was downright maternal. When Seven expressed surprise that Janeway came after her and conceded that she doesn't know everything about humanity, Janeway took advantage of Seven's momentary humility (in Seven this characteristic is always rather fleeting) and ordered her to get some rest. I loved their expressions and smiles as Seven at first protested and then docilely complied. And then Janeway literally tucked Seven in by initiating the regeneration cycle and wishing her sweet dreams. I'm sure neither of them expect smooth sailing from here on in their relationship, but they've risen to a closer level of understanding that hopefully will be reflected in future episodes. The Borg storyline raised a million questions, perhaps due to my never having seen the Borg in TNG. How does the concept of a sentient, autonomous queen fit in with the idea of a bunch of drones? Why did the queen let Seven's four aliens go? Why didn't the queen assimilate Seven, how was Seven valuable to them with her humanity intact? Why did the queen care that Seven was unique - isn't that what the Borg do, assimilate unique individuals? How exactly was Seven supposed to help the Borg assimilate humanity anyway? Surely they didn't need Seven's expertise to develop their Borg bomb. Did Seven's Borg father know he was looking at his daughter? How do the Borg assimilate knowledge and experience without assimilating emotion? Why didn't the Borg immediately detect Voyager's crew and shuttle, given that they assimilated the creator of the technology Voyager was using? How can it be said that the Borg only assimilate threats when historically they have been aggressors? Is it even remotely plausible that Seven was a plant on Voyager (which was a bombshell that got glossed over way too quickly)? As for the flashbacks, young Annika seemed wooden next to the phenomenal Naomi, and the scenes didn't give much insight into Seven. Seven's parents were kind of interesting, but what parents would take their 4-year-old daughter into an unknown war zone? The flashbacks ended too early; it would have been good to see the scene when the Borg assimilated them or boarded their ship. What were their last words to their daughter? Was Annika afraid or not? All that could be gleaned from the flashbacks was that Seven's brilliant, curious, and rebellious parents put science before their daughter and that Seven was justifiably angry with them. Now for a 10-second wrap-up. I loved the conversational echoes in the episode: both the queen and Janeway making comments about pushing Seven too hard, both Janeway and Annika's mother setting a course to follow a Borg vessel, and Seven saying "please" to both Janeway and the queen. Great performances by Mulgrew, Ryan, Pomers, and the Borg queen. Impressive special effects, especially the disembodied queen, the Borg city, and Borg implants sprouting out of Naomi's cheek. Pretty big nits, though, with the Borg storyline, the flashbacks, and the lack of real battle for Seven's soul. Call it a 7.5 out of 10. - A. Goodhart "Dark Frontier" is one of those incredibly deep, multilayered episodes that has so much going on that it's impossible to do justice to every nuance of the plot and characterization. The crux of this storyline is, obviously, Seven of Nine. Seven deals with several plot devices and character growth scenarios: her memories of her parents, her relationship with the Borg, her dealings with the Borg queen, her relationship with Janeway and Voyager, and her inner struggle deciding what it is she really wants out of life. Also going on is Janeway's endless battle to find a balance between her need be an authoritative captain and her need to be a sympathetic human being, as well as her inherent fear of anything Borg and what that fear drives her to do. I'll start with Janeway. Janeway's reaction, or I should say her lack of reaction, to the accidental destruction of the Borg probe in the teaser was distressing; she is cold, merciless, and mercenary. She's far more interested in retrieving any salvage from the ship than in the lives she's just snuffed out. Her comment in the cargo bay full of the salvaged Borg technology - "Now this is how I prefer the Borg - in pieces," - simply made me cringe. My mind instantly took her comment one step further: "The only good Borg is a dead Borg." Her prejudice and fear are so apparent; she doesn't show a shred of remorse for all the drones she kills. If I were Chakotay, I would be at my wit's end as to what to do with her. Her obsession with getting the crew home is present in this episode again; she takes extreme risks in attaining the transwarp coil, all in the name of getting home. The fact that every member of the crew survived the heist without being assimilated is an unrealistic miracle. Somehow, it seems as though Janeway hadn't even considered the possibility. It's as if she enjoys the outlandish risks she takes. The risks turn into her personal highs, acting as replacements for the more natural emotional highs she would receive if she ever let herself engage in any kind of relationship. This is not an attitude indicative of a good captain. Thank goodness for the scenes with Naomi Wildman and Seven of Nine. Just when Janeway seems to be a lost cause again, she has a scene that saves her humanity. As a character, Janeway often skates on the edge of being downright mean, to the point of possible mental damage to herself and the crew. This tendency was tempered by Janeway's concerns for Seven's state of mind and well-being; this came off as very real, and went beyond a typical captain/crew relationship. She really does care about Seven as a person, not just an asset to her crew. And I loved the scene with Naomi in the ready room! Naomi is such a real kid. She's smart, but not too smart, yet she's not dumbed down, either. Janeway treats her with respect and equality; there was no evidence of the stupid condescension many adults use when dealing with children. Plus, Naomi's solution of rescuing Seven by boosting the sensors with the deflector dish was a hoot! She was making fun of at least two-thirds of all Voyager episodes ever created, where the deflector dish repeatedly saves the day! That ready room scene was simply wonderful. Jeri Ryan was also an awesome part of this episode. Her portrayal of Seven's confusion, reluctance, biting sarcasm, compassion, and all-around frustration is what gives this episode its energy. Seven has so many different conflicts going on at once that it's a wonder she retained her sanity. Her divided loyalty between Voyager and the Borg is bad enough, but her parents are also dumped on her (parents that were perhaps less than perfect), as are Janeway and the Borg queen, and they all want a piece of her. In essence, Seven is the trophy in a custody battle between two crazy foster parents. For a show that was basically about two groups' refusal to give up Seven of Nine, it was certainly about the more base human emotions and motivations than about loving someone too much to leave them behind. And while the Borg queen's desire to keep Seven because of her "uniqueness" was understandable, I failed to see the value of keeping that uniqueness around. It was supposedly to help assimilate humanity, but the Borg had already concocted that plot to deploy a nanoprobe virus in Earth's atmosphere (a brilliant idea, by the way!), so why was Seven needed? Why need a Borg queen, for that matter. That's anti-Borg, isn't it? Though the Borg is a beehive-like community, their lack of individuality is their greatest terror for us. Having a queen simply provides an individual to aim our animosity toward and a single entity to defeat. A Borg singled out to be queen ruins that big, huge, evil collectiveness. A queen that's also seductive is plain ridiculous. I thought so when I saw the movie "First Contact" and I still think so. Why would a Borg bother with sensuality, anyway? To attract the right audience, of course. Alice Krige's queen dripped sex during her scenes with Data in "First Contact," and that completely ruined the movie. Sex and Borg should be incompatible, right? Susanna Thompson's queen was more believable because she had the draw of Seven's uniqueness to dampen her sensuality, but in reality, Seven would be of little help in assimilating humanity; she has only a 4-year-old's perceptions of the Federation and Earth. I won't even go into the time discrepancy concerning the backstory of Seven's parents - I'll only say that the idea of the Hansens being Borg experts is impossible in the time-frame already established in "The Next Generation." Also, "Voyager's" episode "Raven" clearly revealed that Annika did not know who the Borg were; during her assimilation, she only described them as "the men," not "the Borg." Seven is still the best part of this episode. Her inner battle between Borg and Voyager is at last settled here. Seven has tasted Borg perfection, and still denies it in favor of her individuality. What a slam on the Borg! Go Seven! Quotes of the frontier: "I expected re-assimilation, not conversation." - Seven "We've delivered them from chaos into order." "Comforting words. Use them next time instead of resistance is futile." - Borg queen and Seven of Nine "Maybe I should go to red alert now and get it over with." - Chakotay - Linda Bindner DISEASE Nielsen rating 3.4 Synopsis: Harry and a group of aliens on a multi-generational ship experience growing pains as Voyager lends a hand to yet another xenophobic alien species. So, Kathryn just now realized how much Harry's passion for something he believes in could make him disobey orders? I guess Tuvok forgot to tell her exactly why it was he turned the Voyager around and headed back to New Earth. Overall, the concept of Janeway and Harry having a professional tiff is a good one and five years into a voyage is the best time for it. Commanders expect high standards as well as loyalty from their subordinates; senior officers tend to push junior officers because they want them to learn and succeed. Speaking from experience, leaders do form opinions of their subordinates based upon previous actions and when junior officers go astray, it hurts. Janeway wasn't too far off the mark when she said that she expected such behavior from Tom Paris, not Harry Kim. For her to be angry at Harry is justified: Not only did he disobey protocol and her direct orders to stay away from such a xenophobic race, but he did so with such passion and belief in what he was doing was right. However, I don't think Harry is the type of officer to openly defy the captain by following her out on the bridge and arguing with her, no matter how upset he is. And I don't believe for one moment that Harry was so deeply in love, otherwise Tal would have joined him on the Voyager. Harry was so willing to disobey orders, argue with the captain and lie to his superiors about his whereabouts to be with the one he loved, yet he never asked his young lover to join him. (Or beg to join her.) It just doesn't make any sense. What disappointed me about this episode was the reliance upon the fifth season's formula for character development: Females have nervous breakdowns and males have sex, even if it's pretend sex on away missions. Harry could just as easily been involved with a group of young people who intended to sabotage the generational ship. His close interaction in such a group, with a bit of creative writing, could have caused the same chemical reaction as his and Tal's nights of passion. I also don't understand the writers making things up as they go along. Who has ever heard of these rules that forbid intimacy with an alien race without permission? They've never stopped anyone before. Riker must have conferred with Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher many times in "The Next Generation" about that topic. The touching final scene between Janeway and Harry was nice although it was borderline saccharine. She was right in not forcing the doctor's treatment on him if his condition wasn't fatal, yet making him report for his regular duty shifts, no matter how badly he felt. For Janeway to open up a bit and let Harry know that she is both disappointed and impressed with him lets Harry know that he was wrong, but his actions are redeemable. I had forgotten since last week's "Dark Frontier" (and through most of the fourth and fifth seasons as well) that Seven of Nine is a former Borg on her own personal odyssey of discovery of human emotions. Luckily, The Powers That Be saw fit to add a touching final scene after the aforementioned touching final scene to remind me. Instead of ending the episode properly - with Harry and Janeway making amends - we are reminded that Seven's discoveries have to be present in almost every episode of Voyager. A conversation between Seven and Harry about his "disease" was appropriate, but that wasn't the theme of the story - the fallout between captain and ensign was - and it shouldn't have been the final scene. It would have made more sense to reverse the two scenes and have the episode end with Janeway and Harry. - Annmarie Daneker I'm wondering if these mysterious "protocols" KJ kept talking about, and which we've never heard of before, might not be an attempt to do things properly, that is, something that damn well should've existed years ago. I will try to explain. In the Good Old Days (TOS), there were no rules about interspecies sex except those made by personal morals and biological impossibilities. Kirk was always getting into some kind of weird/dangerous situation, and occasionally risking his crew, for indiscriminate sexual activities. Even in the Good Not-so-Old Days (TNG), there didn't seem to be many rules. Personally, I've never understood why Riker wasn't court-martialed for having a fling with a spy and bringing back to the ship a mind-control device that nearly ruined the entire Federation in the episode "The Game." He certainly should've had more brains, but he always did seem to keep his in his pelvis. Perhaps the 3-centimeter-thick book of protocols is the result of Starfleet finally waking up to the fact that, like it or not, indiscriminate sexual relations can cause permanent, sometimes far-reaching, harm. This doesn't seem to be any less true in the future than now. To digress a minute on military topics, let me tell you about the time I trained for a part-time job teaching French at our local military base. We were given a certain amount of indoctrination into what was expected of us on a military base. Some trainees just couldn't understand that the rules were different. They didn't want to use the curriculum! They didn't want to use "vous" to anyone, even an officer, having used "tu" all their lives to everybody (formal and informal forms of "you" in French). They didn't want to respect a really fairly liberal dress code (denim was the only thing forbidden, if I remember correctly). They didn't want to back into parking spaces (one of the most cherished tenets of the Canadian Armed Forces). They didn't understand that officers and enlisted personnel usually come from vastly different backgrounds, have different amounts of education, and will think differently. The company providing the training lost the contract. Tthey couldn't manage to get their employees to behave as the military wanted. One of the several reasons I stayed out of the military is that a CO does indeed have the power of life and death over subordinates. This was shown clearly in the TNG episode where Troi, to pass her bridge exam, had to send Geordi to his death to save the ship. This sucks big time, but we can't have militaries without it, and I think we've had enough proof that Starfleet is basically military. We're mainly used to seeing Starfleet in the Alpha Quadrant. Probably there are "blanket" permissions for various species. That is, everyone knows that Humans and Vulcans can mate safely, so a Human and a Vulcan wanting to have an affair (or marry, or whatever) don't need the same sort of permission or medical clearance as a Vulcan and a member of species @#$%^&*. To have a universe like Trek, we need to presume that some interspecies contact is possible. Now suddenly someone wants to act responsibly, pulling out a whole raft of probably sensible but heretofore unheard-of rules, and it violates the reality we've grown to love. It's a big, sometimes nasty, galaxy out there. Frankly, "in love" or not, wouldn't you say that Harry is pretty lucky that all he caught from his lover was glowing skin and gastroenteritis? The moral? As our military recruiting campaign says here in Canada, "There's no life like it!" Take it any way you choose, good or bad, but by gum it's different. - Faith J. Cormier This is one of those stories in which the B story is as intriguing as the A story. That's been rare on "Voyager" in past seasons, but is becoming increasingly more frequent in the fifth season and not a moment too soon. What distinguishes this episode from the laughable "Favorite Son" is the presence and interaction between Harry and Janeway. With the focal scenes between Harry and Janeway, one is reminded not of a relationship between captain and ensign, but rather mother and child. The dressing-down Harry gives Janeway and the expression on Janeway's face give a glimpse into the depths of both prior experiences and paths not taken, for whatever reasons. Both Mulgrew and Wang anchor the episode, giving us some fine and true performances. A strong episode overall, it loses ground at the closing scene with a pointless meeting between Harry and Seven, giving us yet one final glance at the Borg for all seasons. Garrett Wang has grown into the Harry Kim role as both he and his character have matured, thus making the final conversation between Harry and Janeway very poignant. None of this would have been possible without the increasingly great performance Kate Mulgrew has given of late. Her Janeway in the fifth season has become more focused on her crew. While her personal life remains a shambles (sorry all you J/Cers), the relationships Janeway has with the individual crewmembers has never seemed clearer. - Dianne Bloom Previous Harry Kim love story episodes have not been successful. Harry Kim's old flame in "Non-Sequitur" was unconvincing, "Favorite Son" had a rather far-fetched story and Tuvok got the girl/hologram in "Alter Ego." But "The Disease" finally hit the mark. There was good chemistry between Kim and his love interest, Tom Paris gets to needle Kim, and best of all, Kim grows up in the eyes of Janeway. Their confrontation was set up well. Kim's love interest (a rebel herself) was likely lusting after something more exotic than her xenophobic shipmates and she and Harry Kim hit it off. Ensign Kim suffers the angst of really breaking the rules for the first time; it was like losing his virginity. It caught Janeway completely by surprise and she can be pretty nasty when she gets a surprise from her crew. She hasn't been quite this off-balance over a crew problem since Tuvok tried to make a deal behind her back to get a short-cut back to the Alpha Quadrant in "Prime Factors." It was a great opportunity for Kim to show his stuff, and he did it on the bridge, too. He had it out with Janeway when she was wrong and took his punishment well for starting the whole problem in the first place. Janeway had the great wisdom to admit her mistake and talk to Kim directly about it. We need MORE of this in "Voyager." "The Disease" also provides a significant source of amusement, though I am sure that the show's producers didn't intend it that way. After four TV series and nine motion pictures (I don't count the cartoon) we are for the first time introduced to fact that Starfleet actually has a manual for alien interactions - regulations for sex! They teach courses about it at the Academy, too. We know that the writers have just been making up the Star Trek universe as they go, but this new complication has the wonderfully great potential of getting in the way of so many standard Star Trek plot devices of the past. It's more than likely that the show's writers will just ignore the precedent they've set in "The Disease" as they have with so many others in the past. But this one has such good potential for getting into the pants of so many Star Trek plots - past, present and future - that we can get our laughs out of this one no matter what they do. - Anne Davenport Harry Kim is at the center of this story about love and growth, light years away from his blood family but with a pretty big adoptive family in its place. There is big brother Tom, who goads Harry about his forbidden alien sweetie, offers him unsolicited advice, and protects his illicit relationship from being discovered by nosy neighbor Tuvok and Uncle Chakotay. Then there is big sister Seven, whom Harry actually consults for advice about love. Seven is a bit brusque but not unkind. She is clearly in Harry's camp. She tries to answer his questions, she marches him off to sickbay amid his protests when his skin luminesces, she responds to Harry's request to depart when he whispers the magic word "Please," and she pays him a visit at the end of the episode to show her concern for his "emotional damage" and to wish him well. Papa Doc makes a brief appearance as an uncharacteristically terse and humorless authoritarian. First the doctor forces Harry to explain precisely what went on between him and the alien, and then he lectures Harry about the consequences of not thinking. Finally Papa Doc delivers the ultimate blow; he is going to have to tell Mama Kate about Harry's little escapade. Uncle Chakotay doesn't interact directly with Harry, but meddles with Captain Janeway's disciplinary tactics at a nicely handled dinner scene. With all the frankness of longtime friends, he tells Janeway what she doesn't want to hear: she was too hard on Harry because she took his disobedience personally, Harry is deeply pained, and Janeway should reconsider her decision to formally reprimand him. Chakotay fails to change her mind then and there, but his words clearly have an impact on her later in the episode. Chakotay also leaps to his feet in a nice display of visible concern when Janeway storms onto the bridge followed by an overwrought Harry shouting, "Captain!" But the crux of the episode is Harry's relationship with Mama Kate. Captain Janeway is deeply upset to learn that Harry Kim, her golden crewman, has - for presumably the first time ever - disobeyed her orders. (The Varros are extremely xenophobic, so Janeway forbade personal relationships between her crew and the Varros - perhaps even at the Varros captain's request). When Ensign Kim arrives in Janeway's ready room, she is too disappointed to look at him directly. In a carefully controlled, unmistakably angry but simultaneously sorrowful voice, she says, "I expected more from you." She proceeds to lay on the guilt trip: Harry violated Starfleet protocol regarding intimate contact with aliens (things sure have changed since Captain Kirk roamed the galaxy - or maybe his hanky panky is the reason Starfleet created a book of guidelines 3 centimeters thick), he jeopardized the hard-earned trust between Voyager and the Varros, he may have introduced a biothreat to the Varros population, and he threatened the success of Mama Kate's goal to obtain technology and assistance from them. The captain concludes by issuing a formal reprimand and ordering him to break off the relationship. Harry is duly chastened and contrite, satisfying Mama Kate that she needn't expect any more trouble from her wayward crewman. Without any visible signs of remorse or self-doubt, she dismisses a thoroughly miserable young man. In fact, at dinner with Chakotay, Janeway is supremely confident of the correctness of her position. "He's just an ensign, he hasn't earned the right to question my orders," Janeway breezily tells a concerned Chakotay. She also admits - with a bit of a SMILE no less - that she was particularly hard on Harry to "make a lasting impression." She has no doubt that she has done so and dealt effectively with Harry's "growing pains." She expects complete obedience from Harry, no explanations necessary and no questions asked. Janeway has set herself up for a rude and painful awakening. (Note: I for one don't mind seeing character flaws in Janeway as long as they are somehow noted or addressed or used as the basis of character growth.) The next Wang-Mulgrew scene was phenomenal; they have wonderful screen chemistry. Janeway rolls her eyes and clenches her teeth when her former golden crewman stands behind her and whispers to Tal in the conference room. Again she can barely even look at him. She has been shaken to her very core by the magnitude of Harry's defiance, alien biochemicals notwithstanding. "Stow it, Ensign," she snaps as she interrupts him and orders him to sickbay for treatment. She wants Harry fixed, she wants her crewman restored to his former cheerfully obedient self. When Harry follows her on to the bridge to protest, she can't even contain her rage. She loses her legendary self-control and shouts, "I told you to report for treatment!" White-faced and seething at Harry's continued defiance, she orders him to her ready room so she can tear him to pieces privately. But Harry doesn't back down. He might be near tears, on the verge of losing everything dear to him, but he is DETERMINED to make Janeway understand, and he continues to plead desperately in order to make Janeway listen to him. Janeway stares at him with disbelief as he embarks on a tirade. "Listen to yourself," she hisses, "you don't sound a bit like the Harry Kim I know!" "Good!" Harry retorts. And it finally begins to sink into her stubborn red head that Harry Kim has fundamentally changed. He's as loyal to her as ever, obvious pain written all over his face at having incurred her wrath. But he wants to have his say. He is vehemently opposed to being treated medically for his Olan Vora (Tal had no similar qualms about medical treatment), and justifiably believes he should be able to make that decision for himself. In a last ditch effort to make the captain see him differently, he appeals to Janeway's own experience with love. Would she have wanted to lose her memories of loving and losing Mark to avoid mere pain? No. Similarly, Harry wants to live with and learn from his experiences, even if they have been biochemically heightened. He doesn't want them wiped out (echoes of "Latent Image" here). Faster than Voyager can be rocked by breaches in the Varros vessel, Janeway relents, reconsiders her decision and allows Harry to bypass sickbay and resume his post. In their last scene, Janeway and Harry renew their relationship in a very honest and poignant conversation. Janeway actually tries to explain herself to Ensign Kim, demonstrating her new respect and appreciation for him. As captain, she will still punish him for violating her orders and Starfleet protocol, but she won't try to mold him into who she thinks he should be or wants him to be. In essence, she severs her protective apron strings. She lets him go. The aliens were used effectively to tell a parallel story about letting go, where Tal and her group seek freedom from the restrictive, cloistered life the alien captain confines them to. I was quite relieved that Tal wasn't like Kashyk in "Counterpoint," trying to manipulate Harry and Voyager. Speaking of Tal, she was quite a charmer, no complaints here aside from a mild gripe about the gratuitous nude alien scene. Tal was a very engaging, lively young woman bursting with the merriment, restlessness, and energy of youth. I quickly accepted that her relationship with Harry was somehow more than sex in spite of its short duration, which is a credit to both actors. Harry Kim was believably drawn, aside from an awkward scene with Tal where he seemed a bit stiff and abashed. But his agonized musings about duty and responsibility and orders versus love were good, and his transformation from the penitent ensign whom Janeway first confronts to the emboldened, passionate young man in their second confrontation was very real. Again, he and Janeway really shone in these scenes. Chakotay was well characterized in this episode as well, as Harry's concerned uncle and more importantly as Janeway's first officer. We get an idea of what he does all day, and see strong evidence of a spine. Chakotay organizes the crew to search for hull microfractures on the Varros vessel, deals firmly with the Varros stowaway, "Your next step is the brig," and carefully but strongly defends Ensign Kim to the captain at dinner. We need to see more of this. Other nice Janeway moments - her buoyancy with the alien captain in the opening scene where she is down and dirty from hard work, and her diplomacy when she convinces Tal to cooperate with the Varros captain. I didn't really care for the idea that sex with a Varros causes powerful biophysical changes to the lovers, but it provided an excuse for Harry's literal glow of love that betrays his relationship. And it gave Janeway an out for not throwing Harry in the brig when he defied her direct orders the second time. For watchability and strong characterizations, I give this episode a 9 out of 10. - A. Goodhart This is the first time in a long time that I feel a "Voyager" episode is about something that could really happen, something worth the drama, something that's real. The basic plot is fairly simple: Harry Kim falls in love with Tal, a member of the Varros, a species that is so xenophobic that personal contact is off limits. It's not the first time a crewmember has fallen in love. It's not even the first time Harry Kim has fallen in love. But it is, if not the first time, then one of the first times that a crewmember's actions and decisions concerning a personal problem have affected everyone else on the ship. Harry's dilemma instigates conversations, debates, displays of friendship and anger and emotion that have been practically nonexistent on the show in the last several seasons. His relationship is inconvenient foreverybody, and though Janeway tries to use Starfleet regulations and protocol to discourage it and even give it an untimely death, Harry insists that he be heard and his situation reckoned with. He fights, he argues, he disobeys orders, publicly yells at the captain, puts his career on the line for his right to love Tal, and he refuses to back down. Garrett Wang gave the performance of his Star Trek career with this one, and this episode impacted several characters. Harry Kim grew as a result of his emotional and professional struggles. Chakotay challenged Janeway to question her reasons behind her anger with Harry (in a scene where these two actually behaved like the equals and friends that everybody claims they are). Tom showed his loyalty by putting his neck on the line to cover for Harry, and Janeway was forced to admit that she was harsh with Harry's discipline because she harbored an uncaptainly soft spot for the young ensign who had come to her "fresh out of the Academy." For the first time in a long time I felt that these people were actually living their lives and not just their jobs on this starship stuck in the middle of nowhere. There was so much that I liked about "The Disease" that I could rave about it for a long time and still have more to say. What struck me the strongest, though, were two things: the power and intensity of the scenes between Harry and Janeway, and Harry's unending upbeat attitude. He was ordered to break off his relationship with Tal several times, and though he's sad about the inevitable ending of that relationship, he doesn't mope, grouse, or resent either Janeway's orders or his and Tal's situation. Instead of wasting energy on being angry, he supports Tal's decisions and listens to her concerns. He deals with his lovesickness later, when he won't be wasting any of their precious time together. As to Harry's scenes with Janeway - god, they were great! That fight in her ready room had more emotion and energy than the last three seasons' worth of action and explosions all put together! And that last scene in Sickbay was wonderfully sensitive, a little more typical of scenes between these two characters, but still powerful and provocative. I don't know how I can be so mad at Janeway and still love the character as much as I do, but there you have it. I guess love is like that. And speaking of love, this episode prompted me to take mental stock of the history of relationships on "Voyager," just to get a better idea of what a breakthrough this storyline was for the show. The other characters' previous explorations of love and relationships have not had nearly the success that Harry did. Tom and B'Elanna's relationship seems to have ended when it started in "Day of Honor." Anybody interested in Tuvok is given the emotional equivalent of the Vulcan neck pinch. Neelix's love life is nonexistent because his partner turned into a vapor. Chakotay - oh, where to begin - has been manipulated, used, and abused by a plethora of love interests, the most recent of which was conveniently forgotten, and the captain is too busy being a captain to have a life at all, to say nothing of a love life. In a series that for more than 30 years has endorsed isolation, one-night stands, and the odd semi-commitment wrapped up in a nice package and shelved by both characters and writers the minute the episode ends, "The Disease" takes a much needed and refreshingly new look at love and relationships in the space that belongs to Star Trek. Quote of the week: "If you believe in something strongly enough, you can't ignore it, even if it means breaking a few rules." - Tal - Linda Bindner COURSE: OBLIVION Nielsen rating 3.7 Synopsis: Voyager thinks it suffers massive cellular decay, but Tuvok and Chakotay discover that the problem is that they really don't have cells. The duplicate Voyager crew left behind in last season's episode "Demon" forgot where it came from and headed for the Alpha Quadrant. Duplicate Janeway's heart is still Starfleet, but it's heading in the wrong direction. For the first time, I have begun to doubt that this crew will make it home. And that feeling of hopelessness left me feeling depressed for a full day after watching this episode. While such an emotional reaction may delight the writers, it makes for very bad fan reception of "Voyager." Since "Course: Oblivion" aired, I no longer rush to watch the episodes my husband tapes for me on evenings when I work. Sometimes almost a week will go by before I watch the tape. Never before has an episode shown such a loss of hope, a loss of dreams, a feeling of futility. It doesn't matter that the real Voyager shows up safe and sound at the end. The doomed crew were, after all, doppelgangers of the people aboard Voyager. They felt the same. They believed the same. They thought the same. They acted the same. And that's the scary part. This alternate Janeway was willing to risk everything to make it home, even after she realized "home" was no longer in the Alpha Quadrant. Her crew obeyed her, even though they questioned the wisdom of continuing. And they lost it all. What does that say about "our" Janeway? Will her promise to get the crew home make her blind to some future situation that could endanger the crew and the ship, just as her double did? Will the guilt she showed in the episode "Night" continue to hover at the edge, making her take reckless chances to return home as she did in "Timeless"? The answer, as provided by the alternate Janeway, would seem to be yes. That's a very bleak view of this particular Star Trek universe, and nothing at all like the hope for the future expressed in Gene Roddenberry's original series. Sorry, Powers That Be, you may not like having that comparison forever before you, but it exists. The Star Trek crews of the various series provide us with mythic heroes for our modern 20th century. Janeway and her crew are like Odysseus, who strove to make it home to his native Ithaca in spite of all obstacles. Mythic heroes conquer obstacles rather than being conquered by them. However, these days in the Star Trek universe, it seems that the obstacles are the conqueror. That makes for an emotional tale, but bad drama in the classical sense. One major plot hole existed in this, by the way. If the doppelgangers forgot who they were and truly believed they were the original crew, they would have set up an M-class environment in the ship, which would have been deadly to them. If they had had to set up a different environment, that should have alerted them that something was wrong. Perhaps something in the episode explained this away, but I really didn't feel like watching it again to check. - Donna Christenberry I call this one the goo review, for obvious reasons. My husband (a continuing Voyager fan mostly due to coercion on my part) and I were watching the previews for this episode together. About 15 seconds into the random, mixed-up flashes of scenes and clips of dialogue, he turned to me and, in a voice full of amused disbelief, hollered, "Is it the goo people?" Considering how this episode turned out, goo is an accurate description. Yes, it's the return of the goo people, the people of the silver blood, the demon clones from Planet Hell, a.k.a. stage 16! Fortunately, it wasn't too hard to tell that something was amiss - Janeway called Paris by his previous title of lieutenant in the teaser - or I would have been amused myself at the amazing progress the crew had made toward bonding and building a real community that transcends mere Starfleet regulations. In the first few minutes alone we see Tom and B'Elanna getting married - are crewmembers allowed to do that? -,Janeway mentions the birth of a new baby, and she and Chakotay think that the crew won't mind a few months added to the journey so the captain can go off exploring when they're less than three years from the Alpha Quadrant. Not only that, but they actually flirt! It was so perfect it was almost obscene. Knowing "Voyager" as we do, we should all have been extremely suspicious by this point. Only in an alternate reality could anything so normal happen on "Voyager." Well, not only is this an alternate reality episode, it's one of those non-episodes. You know, an episode where nothing happens! There's nothing more fulfilling than watching an hour filled with pain and agony and death when you know none of it really matters. "Course: Oblivion" can now join the ranks of other favorite non-episodes such as "Year of Hell," "Time and Again," and "Unbelievable"...? "Unforgivable"...? "Unforgettable"...? What's the name of that episode? I forget. The only scene of note in this particular adventure that "didn't happen" was that Chakotay tells Janeway she's made a mistake in continuing on to earth when the ship is decomposing around their very feet. My husband loves it when Janeway makes those dumb decisions that are based on everything but common sense, but at least this time Chakotay tells her she's wrong. Yet even in the goo reality, Janeway refuses to take the time to mourn the death of her closest friend. At least she's consistent goo. The worst part of this "nothing happens" episode is that nobody knows it happens by the end. To have the real Voyager show up in time to see a cloud of goo out the viewscreen, make a note in the ship's log, and continue on its merry way is the most wrenching use of the reset button The Powers That Be have devised to date. My sister, the historian, appreciated the implications of that decision - "Do any of us really leave much of a mark on the universe?" - but my appreciation would be a lot greater if something real could happen for a change. What did I get from this episode? The blood will tell, the truth is out there, and who says the past doesn't come back to haunt you? The quote that didn't happen: "Behold the primordial soup." - the doctor, a man who doesn't exist anyway - or does he? - Linda Bindner Voyager seems to be doing well. Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres get married, they'll be home in a little over two years, Janeway looks good in her dress uniform, etc. But we see even before the opening credits that the whole ship is falling apart. Trek has done many "fake-out" episodes before where total tragedy strikes; they go back in time, they're in an alternate reality, they're holograms, etc. "Course: Oblivion" doesn't try to fool the audience by surprising us with the revelation that the ship and whole crew are duplicates of the originals; that comes out in the first half hour of the show. The strength of this episode is in the tragedy of how Janeway and the crew work with their in-humanity. The tragedy is lessened by knowing that this ship and crew are just copies, but I still felt for them. The duplicate crew was just as likable as the real one with all their best qualities. And the duplicate Voyager could cause just as much havoc and mayhem in the Delta Quadrant as the original. We lost all that potential when they couldn't hold their ship together as well as the intriguing complication of what Starfleet Command would have done with them if they'd made it back to Earth. Duplicate Janeway's Starfleet instincts are just as strong as the original's. That's why I liked her so much. I was really sorry to see her slip away. In her last talk with Chakotay when she asks "What life?" about their pre-sentient existence, she'd been having fantasies about reverting back to a pool of bio-mimetic fluid, too. Losing Chakotay and then turning the ship around back to their real home broke her. Once Janeway gave up, the duplicate ship didn't have a chance to make it, though Kim and Seven gave it their best try. Janeway's greatest strength is her greatest flaw: her absolute focus on her goal. The duplicate captain and her ship suffered the consequences of that when she kept course toward the Alpha Quadrant even after she knew her true origin. Without Janeway's stubbornness, the real Voyager crew would have given up years ago and settled down on a nice planet somewhere in the Delta Quadrant. The real Janeway would likely suffer the consequences of her determination as well. It keeps the ship on course but it makes change difficult. We already know from "Night" that Janeway does not deal well with inactivity, so she would likely suffer a serious emotional crash once her immediate reason for living disappears with the success of reaching the Alpha Quadrant. Real or duplicate, what will Janeway do with herself once she returns to Earth? - Anne Davenport The ending ruined this episode for me. By destroying the beacon of personal logs and records, The Powers That Be turned the show into a dark and morose tale about the potential meaninglessness of sentience, of existence. This was especially disturbing because the alternate Voyager crew fought oblivion with their dying breaths. Their last, passionate attempts to leave something, ANYTHING, about themselves, their lives, and their experiences were a heart-rending exercise in futility. I can imagine that the real Voyager crew was deeply affected to see the remains of the ship that sent them a distress call. Perhaps the tragedy of the ship's fate will affect them somehow, make them more appreciative of each day they survive in the hostile Delta Quadrant. This is of some extremely minor consolation. And of course, the big chunk of screen time the alternate Janeway got was also a consolation. (I did think it interesting that the alternate Janeway retained her alter-ego's formidable stubbornness - she should have turned the ship around IMMEDIATELY after she knew she - and everyone else - was a clone and therefore might not survive off a Y-class planet. At least she eventually changed her mind.). The wonderful Torres and Paris wedding scene was another minor consolation. And the way the crew teased Seven was also enjoyable. But overall the tale was too dark, too HOPELESS. In my humble opinion, valiant and heroic efforts should yield SOME fruit, however small, but for the alternate crew, this was not the case. They were completely and utterly destroyed, leaving absolutely no trace of themselves. I simply could not endure this episode. So it gets a 1 out of 10. - A. Goodhart THE FIGHT Nielsen rating 2.9 Synopsis: Voyager is swallowed by a traveling anomaly called chaotic space, which renders the ship's navigation and sensors useless. The crew is helpless until aliens living in the anomaly contact them through Chakotay, whose genetic trait, the crazy gene, leaves him vulnerable to manipulated hallucinations. Chakotay thinks he's stuck in a holodeck boxing simulation while the aliens use boxing metaphors in an attempt to explain how Voyager can get out of chaotic space. This is an anomaly episode. Voyager spends the whole time trying to get out of a weird area of space while the aliens who live there try tell them how to get out by activating a dormant genetic defect in Commander Chakotay's brain. We never see the aliens, so, most of the serious action takes place inside Chakotay's head. Chakotay's hallucinations had a nice surreal look to them. They start out slowly with little objects and special effects advancing to Chakotay picking fights with Tuvok on the bridge, vision quests with the grandfather from whom he inherited the bad gene and a mystic prize fight. But from the beginning, Chakotay is all over the place, alternating wildly between refusing to have anything to do with the aliens and doing his first contact duty to communicate with them and save the ship. So, while the visuals convey what's going on well, it's tough to get a handle on what Chakotay is doing. It does solidly hit home that Chakotay really isn't all there when Janeway and the doctor confer over him in sickbay while he rants at them in technobabble-flavored boxing jargon. I would have expected Janeway to be a little more disturbed by Chakotay's obvious derangement, but since the ship was in mortal peril of being squashed by wacky space at the time I suppose that she had bigger concerns. Boothby appears in Chakotay's boxing holodeck program and the following hallucinations as his coach. Apparently Boothby has turned up in the Academy careers of just about everyone in Star Trek; Voyager's crew should get together in the mess hall some night and tell Boothby stories. The excuse for getting the character into this episode is a bit thin, but any pretense for including Ray Walston in "Voyager" is good enough for me. "The Fight" was a bit disjointed, like Chakotay, but enjoyable. I did like Chakotay's visions of his grandfather and would like to see him turn up again. And it should be noted that this episode, like previous ones, yet again passes on a chance to show Chakotay bare-chested; he is a very modestly dressed contender. - Anne Davenport "Boxing Chakotay" Tom Paris has been lusting after Chakotay for years, but Chakotay constantly spurns his advances, instead flirting shamelessly with Captain Janeway. One day, Chakotay gets run over by a rogue shuttle right outside Tom's quarters. Tom drags him in and saves his life by amputating his legs (being a medic and all) and keeps him hidden away from the rest of the crew. But even though Chakotay is now dependent on Tom for nearly everything, he still spurns Tom's advances, instead giving him tips on how to seduce B'Elanna. Chakotay watches through a crack in the door as Tom schtups B'Elanna raw, but Tom still wants Chak. B'Elanna is just not an acceptible substitute. Chak, fed up with his increasing dependence on this obsessive suitor, has a fit and smacks Tom in the face, so Tom amputates his arms in revenge. Now Chakotay is completely dependent on Tom for everything, and Tom keeps him all dressed up and beautiful in a little box on the coffee table. But one day, Janeway realizes Chakotay is missing and tracks him down... Hey, Jen! This is actually about boxing. It is? Yeah, you're just daydreaming about the all-Trek version of "Boxing Helena." Oh. Damn. So, what do you think about "The Fight"? I liked it, actually. I'm probably one of the few people I know who did. It was one of the most different episodes I've seen in a very long time. And any episode that has Chak gripping wildly at Tom is a-okay in my book! Still, I like my version better. Figures. - Jennifer Pelland (Siubhan) I enjoyed this episode quite a lot, not only because Chakotay finally got something to do besides saying, "Captain?" every time he thinks Janeway is about to do something stupid, but also because I was interested from the minute it started. Despite some editing choices that caused confusion, I was on the edge of my seat as I waited for all the scrambled scenes and bits of information to unfold into some sort of solution that could save the ship. The garbled scenes, something that originally seemed a detriment to the episode, turned into a subplot of their own. The confusion caused by the jumbled sequence of events became the atmosphere of the episode. Viewers experienced the same feelings Chakotay did as we all tried to figure out what was going on. The episode started in medias res, seemingly an odd plot device at the time, but one that caught my attention. That sense of being thrown in without a life preserver grew as we jumped from Chakotay yelling, "Get them out!" (in a bit of overacting on Beltran's part), to his boxing simulation, to his boxing hallucinations, to his vision quest, to his fears that he was going crazy like his grandfather, to his eventual contact with the aliens. I was sucked in as surely as Chakotay was. It's always fascinating to watch someone face his inner demons; to learn how a character deals with fear is to learn how to deal with fear ourselves. The most interesting editorial choice was not letting the viewers know that Chakotay was stuck in his vision quest. Using the vision quest to make first contact was a great idea, but keeping Chakotay there when it seemed clear that he was back in his normal routine was jarring. For me it was confusion overload. And it was also something of a letdown to watch Janeway and the doctor piece together the clues of the aliens' existence when the viewers already knew about the aliens from the teaser. It's no fun to know the answer to the puzzle when the whole point of the show is the puzzle. Still, it was a nifty use for a vision quest. The characterization was a bonus in this episode, most notably that of Chakotay's grandfather, that "crazy old man." I loved the grandfather! He was a wonderful character, a man more at peace with himself than his grandson. His commentary on the word "home" in the vision quest could be yet another episodic metaphor, this time pertaining to Voyager itself and Chakotay's views on life rather than alien contact. The grandfather's lines, "I'm going to the place where my spirit lives," and "This is a nice place. A nice place to call home" add more jumbled clues to the mix and mess of crazy genes, hallucinations and chaotic space for Chakotay to sort out later. As far as titillating information goes, that was one hell of a vision quest! I hope we get to see more of the grandfather and vision quests in the future. Another bonus was the two sickbay scenes between Janeway and Chakotay. The conversation where Chakotay reveals his knowledge of the crazy gene and his fears associated with it was especially nice. Janeway and Chakotay were at ease with each other; it was a peaceful scene between two good friends, full of sympathy and empathy. The pacing fell a little at the end of the episode and the wrap-up was too quick. So much time and effort was spent on building the "aliens are trying to communicate if you'd only listen" scenario that the brevity of the actual communication was another letdown. The one-word-at-a-time approach was fascinating and nicely filmed, but they needed one more round of this to make the episode feel balanced and complete. Still, on the whole, this was an enjoyable adventure, and once again the deflector dish saves the day. Who knew that wonderful invention was going to be such a useful piece of technology? It seems that the crew always triumphs, but in reality they just push the little red button; in the end it's the dish that saves the ship. All hail the deflector dish! - Linda Bindner "The Fight" is yet another lame attempt to give Robert Beltran some screen real estate. Unfortunately, it mostly falls flat on its face, along with Beltran's flaccid performance. It seems like Beltran outings are either episodes where he romances an ABOTW (alien bimbo of the week) or flexes his macho muscles. In fact, Robert hasn't been so over-the-top since his over-emoting in "Coda" where he yells out "Breathe!" to a dying Janeway. Ray Walston gives us his second guest appearance of the season, this time as Chakotay's boxing trainer. Funny, I didn't know that Species 8472 was into boxing. It's also a bit difficult to watch a 45-year-old man try to pass for a 20-year-old Academy cadet. Sorry, guys, but the hair dye just doesn't cut it. Even the distant camera shots of Beltran sparring with his faceless opponent don't pass muster either. Back in "Tattoo," they used a young actor to play a 15-year-old Chakotay. Why couldn't they have brought him back for this episode? The premise of this episode is that Voyager is caught in chaotic space. Something in the maelstrom turns on a bad gene in Chakotay that makes him somewhat crazy, like his addled grandfather. Chakotay keeps having these visions that seem to stem from his holodeck boxing program. Somehow, aliens have found a way into his head and are trying to communicate with him. After numerous attempts to unscramble the poor man's thoughts, they finally get through and he sees the light and saves the day by the end of the show. Janeway/Chakotay fans must have also been cheering at the number of times that our dear captain touched her first officer. I don't think she's been this touchy-feely in ages. In summary, "The Fight" was pure eye candy and not much else. Beltranistas had much reason to rejoice, but the writers (including Michael Taylor, writer of DS9's "The Visitor") deserve a slap on the wrist for another silly entry in the Voyager canon. - E. Klisiewicz OVERSEAS REVIEWS NIGHT "Night" was released on videotape on March 9 in the Netherlands. We had to wait for three months but it was worth waiting for. A very good start for a new season. After putting the tape into the VCR I thought the VCR stopped functioning. Who expected to begin a new season in black and white? There was Tom Paris as Captain Proton and Harry Kim and then suddenly the appearance of the doctor, who was eager to start his own program and who was very annoyed to find out that Tom was still using the holodeck. Then came the scene with the staff in the meeting room. Tom was annoying as always, B'Elanna displayed her incredible temper, Neelix worried about the captain and Chakotay was trying to handle the situation as well as possible. Finally came the scene with a very depressed captain. I didn't expect to see her this depressed; it is not what you think of when a new season starts, but it was good, it was very good. I loved it when she said she would do anything for a few Borg cubes. Of course she couldn't sit too long in her room and soon ran after the alien with a huge phaser. Neelix was doing an excellent job sitting on the ground hyperventilating. When Janeway asked Chakotay if he was ready to be the captain I started to hyperventilate myself. What a relief the crew didn't obey her orders! In the last scene when Janeway asked Harry what he saw, I thought I saw tears in her eyes. All in all a great episode and a great beginning of season five. Totally unexpected. An episode with humor, excitement, depression, fear and a good end. Monique Hondtong, The Netherlands WAKING MOMENTS I liked this episode, and as I hadn't read any spoilers I didn't know that the opening scenes were actually dreams. I found it quite ironic that Janeway's dream took on the form of her deepest fear, that she wouldn't get her crew home. In fact, it was only boring Harry who had a dream that wasn't about a fear or dislike. (Mind you it depends on how you feel about being seduced by Seven.) I thought it was amusing that Neelix dreamed about being boiled in a pot of Leola root stew. Both Janeway and Chakotay had a very lax attitude regarding the lateness of Tom and Harry on the bridge, if you compare this reaction to how Chakotay was with Tom during the story arc way back in the second season. Chakotay said he'd decided to give them an extra five minutes but would call them if she wanted and all she said was "That's all right, I'm a little late myself," even though she'd come from the direction of her ready room. I found it difficult to believe that all she did was nod her head when Tom finally arrived with a cup of coffee in his hand. There were some good moments between Janeway and Tuvok (I like this relationship and wish they would explore it more). The scene in the turbolift was amusing where Janeway asked Tuvok what his dream was about, then his discomfort at admitting he was in the turbolift undressed and Janeway trying to suppress her laughter. Then we had the other end of the scale with Tuvok showing his concern after she chose to go back into engineering when a warp core breach was imminent. A slight digression here - when they were in engineering and the warp core breach was imminent, they were bathed in a bluish light and I thought that it made Kate's features look very soft. I found it an interesting concept that a species that is vulnerable to most life forms finds a way to fight back when their opponents are at their weakest. But if, as Tuvok said, they entered their dreams to learn about them and discover their weaknesses, surely they would've learned that basically they had nothing to fear from Voyager's crew and why not just communicate with the crew or just let them pass through their space. I must confess, though, I found the scene where Chakotay beamed down to the planet with all the aliens asleep quite creepy and could understand their fear of "waking species." Just a couple of nit picks: Chakotay said that he would use a picture of the moon as a visual cue so he would know he was still dreaming and would be able to waken himself from his lucid dream. So why didn't he see the picture of the moon until he was in the cargo bay with the rest of the crew instead of on the big screen when the aliens made contact? Because later in the episode he did see the moon on the big screen. And how did B'Elanna dream about the aliens? In the soppy scene between her and Tom which we were forced to endure, she said she had just finished the night shift, yet in a meeting which Janeway called about one and a half hours later B'Elanna said they had all dreamed about the same alien. But being a die-hard J/Cer I liked the J/C scene in sickbay where Janeway rests her hand on Chakotay's shoulder and gives him one of those looks. It was quite reminiscent of the scene at the end of the first season episode "Cathexis." And I just love to see Janeway with a phaser in hand and that kick-ass look on her face. Nit-picking aside, I thought it was a good solid episode. It was nice to see Chakotay save everyone for a change and not being a big Seven of Nine fan it was good not to have her in almost every scene. Jeanette Warran, England BLISS He who hesitates is lost In this episode I really liked Seven of Nine. It started when Naomi, Tom Paris and Seven were seeking for some deuterium. It was Naomi's first away mission and although she thought that she had nothing to do Seven told her that she familiarised herself with the vessel, and even when Tom allowed her to sit at the helm Seven agreed. When they beamed back on board the whole crew has changed. Sensors picked up faint signals from probably Starfleet. I loved the scene when Janeway is in her ready room arguing with Seven. Then Chakotay comes in and hands over two more letters. The look on Janeway's face is incredible when she reads that Mark's engagement has been broken off. Chakotay tells Janeway that he will accept a job as professor of anthropology. Janeway can't believe he accepted it. She can't work without him. Now why didn't they show that scene instead of Seven staring like she sees a bunch of lunatics? Seven records the files of Janeway. Why wasn't that detected? Naomi was doing a great job hiding from the crew in the cargo bay. She really looked frightened and worried that the crew behaved so strange. Voyager is her home and she loves Neelix. She doesn't want to leave him. She doesn't want to leave anyone and can't understand why everyone is so excited to go back to Earth. It must been hard for her when both Chakotay and Seven gave her an order. She had to decide what order she followed and that is not easy for a little girl. You could see the doubt in her eyes. I felt sorry for Seven when she was put into stasis. She was only trying to rescue the crew from going into the fake wormhole. Naomi is a very clever girl. She understands when Voyager is really in trouble and despite her youth she wants to help instead of hiding in a dark corner somewhere on the ship. It was funny to see that Seven was also fooled by this monster when the hunter Qatai was back on his own ship again and they started to burst plasma torpedos to try to force it to expell them. All in all a very good episode with excitement. Given this crew's determination to return home I have no doubt we will see Earth for ourselves. Monique Hondtong, The Netherlands KATHRYN JANEWAY, FEMINIST HEROINE WHAT WOULD JANEWAY DO? by Linda Bindner One day my husband came home from a church youth retreat and handed me a small package wrapped in paper. It turned out to be a pencil with the letters WWJD in bold print on the side. I looked up at him, ignorant and highly confused, and said, "Uh... what's this supposed to mean?" His answer was blithe and energetic. He threw out his hands and bellowed, "WWJD: What Would Janeway Do!" My face brightened in delight. "No kidding!" I yelled. In my own brand of blissful naivete, I believed him. I had been a Voyager fan, in particular a Janeway fan, for years, and I thought it was about time the rest of the world acknowledged Janeway's innate greatness. My husband was playing my preoccupation to the fullest. After he finished laughing and explained the actual reference of the letter "J" in the initials, I began to see the humor of this situation. I also started to comprehend just how much I needed to stay awayfrom my computer, not to mention the television, and get out more. My only consolation for making a fool of myself was that I did it in front of one of the few people who thinks well of me no matter what I do. The idea of equating Kathryn Janeway to an accepted deity aside, this situation, as hilarious as it was, does reinforce my original interpretation of the message: What would Janeway do? This is a question that I've asked myself on countless occasions over the last five years. When I'm attempting to predict the plot of an episode, the question mutates to "What will Janeway do?" Sometimes I know the answer, sometimes I don't. If I don't know the answer, I can make a guess, and sometimes I'm right, and sometimes I'm not. Sometimes I'm not even close. Sometimes I think she reacts inappropriately, or the writers don't let her react at all, which is just as disappointing. My point is, I can spend hours at a time happily creating my own scenarios and hypothesizing about what the captain would do in any given situation. For example, what would Janeway do if... ... Chakotay threw himself at her in a turbolift? ... another woman threw herself at Chakotay... at a time when neither party had been brainwashed or were being otherwise manipulated? ... she was forced to choose between her life and the life of one of her crew? ... she was forced to choose between her happiness and her command? ... Star Fleet betrayed her? ... she was afraid to take a risk, but submission to the status quo might perpetuate either professional or personal apathy? ... one of the senior officers yelled, "I don't care if you are the captain, you're still WRONG!" ... one day she woke up and knew she just couldn't do it anymore? ... she successfully brought Voyager home only to discover that the Alpha Quadrant no longer held anything for her? Janeway is tough, vulnerable, decisive, levelheaded, rash, gutsy, brave, loyal, resolute, obstinate, capable of making mistakes, and capable of owning up to those mistakes when she makes them. Extrapolating Janeway's decisions and emotions in any given or imagined set of circumstances often turns into a lively debate, and occasionally into a fanfiction story or, better yet, an episode. (I'm willing to bet my computer that most of us spent at least some time wondering what she might do if she ever hit rock bottom, as she did in "Night," and how the rest of the crew would handle such a defection from control.) Just as often, the debate rages even more after one of these ideas is put into form. Janeway's character is complex enough, fascinating enough, to catapult such a "what if" diversion into the realms of infinity. It will surely keep me engrossed for the remainder of Voyager's run, and probably beyond. What's interesting, though, is how often I take this simple question and apply it to my own actions. If I have a tough decision to make, or find myself wallowing in indecisiveness, I will inevitably reach that point where I force myself to ask the fatal question - what the heck would Captain Janeway do in this situation? How, in essence, would she face her fears? By asking myself this question, I put myself into the position of becoming Janeway. For a brief moment, I am the character I admire so much, and her personality traits become my own, or more accurately, enhance my own. Suddenly I have the strength to face my own fears. Deep down, I know that I'm perfectly capable of taking risks, of making tough decisions, of standing up for myself. But there are times that this knowledge is buried so deep under the every day battering of self confidence that I need that extra boost to find my inner strength. Plus, it never hurts to have my own personal cheering section, and I can say from experience that Kathryn Janeway is always on my side. My conclusion to the WWJD question is also inevitable - no matter the situation, no matter the circumstances, no matter the players, Janeway would refuse to accept anything less than the best from anybody, either supervisor or subordinate, student or teacher, husband, wife, sister, boyfriend, girlfriend... herself. Just as Kate Mulgrew continues to strive for excellence in her work and from herself, Janeway does the same. With Mulgrew behind her, she has no choice. And because Janeway has such high standards, and Janeway is unarguably one of my role models, I can't help but have the same set of standards. I've often heard it said that you should look no farther than your own family for role models. That's a noble concept... unless you're like me and you occasionally feel as if you were switched at birth and somehow ended up with a group of people you have nothing in common with who they call themselves your family. Finding no compatible role models in the available pool, we start looking elsewhere. I'm lucky enough to be married to my chief role model, but let's face it; he's a guy and there are certain things about me that he may never fully understand. For help in those "other" situations that life and society may throw at me, I've adopted three role models over the course of time, all fictional characters, all women, and all from the genre of science fiction where strong women are becoming the norm. If I could have the spirit of Princess Leia, the presence and conviction of Captain Janeway, and the sensitivity of Ambassador Delenn, I would be a perfect person. I constantly endeavor to live up to the best in all three characters. Leia reminds me to go with my guts, and that some situations require me to be audacious and brash. Delenn helps me understand the importance of each individual's unique relationship with the universe. And Kathryn Janeway refuses to let me slack off. If I want to take the easy way out, she guilts me into working even harder. If I'm too tired to accomplish what I need to do, she lets me rest, but she won't let me leave any project unfinished. When I'm in a situation where I'm insecure, all I have to do is think "Bridge pose!" and I'm instantly in a better position to stand up for myself. Through watching her I've learned that it's okay to change my mind, as long as I do it with dignity, and I must accept the consequences with grace. Janeway has helped me to comprehend the difference between aggressive and assertive. She has encouraged me to become a stronger person, one more sure of myself, more accepting of my natural limitations, and certainly one more willing to push myself that much further towards excellence. (Not to mention she introduced me to the magic of gourmet coffee.) She's not a member of my family, but in spite of her fictional status, she has inspired me in ways that I never could have predicted. In truth, does it matter where we get our inspiration? Or just that we get it? It's highly possible that I would have reached this point of self-empowerment on my own as I grew older. Age is a great instigator of wisdom. Yet it doesn't hurt to have that extra incentive when I need it. Every time I see the initials WWJD, I think of that innocent conversation with my husband and his simple gift that mistakenly, certainly unwittingly, and probably fatefully, turned into major inspiration in a way that was wholly unintended. I still laugh at the memory, and feel faintly like a fool, but the message has not diminished. Janeway never lets me get away with giving less than one hundred percent, with doing anything that's not to the best of my abilities. This philosophy makes my life hard, hectic, and sometimes a living hell. I occasionally think she has become the bane of my existence. But in the end, it's an existence that's far more rewarding. And now that I've become addicted to the Janeway ideal, I expect I'll spend the rest of my life asking that damn question: What Would Janeway Do? OFFICE MANAGERS by Judith Iserloth, Sales Administration Supervisor, Planar Systems, Inc. Wisconsin Site I'm a new member of the KMAS club, but certainly not new to Star Trek. I remember vividly my husband and I tucking the babies in bed and waiting for the original weekly series to begin. It was fun. We discussed some of the messages it presented, and we watched it regularly. We were very disappointed when it was cancelled, and sent a letter or two expressing that disappointment. The years passed. My husband and I moved up our respective corporate ladders, and those small babies became college-aged "Next Generation" fans. I was told their entire dorm turned out to see the program. So we again started watching regularly with our youngest daughter and continued when DS9 came along and she went to college. Then 'lo and behold what happens... Voyager! Immediately interested because there would be a female captain, I found myself very critical of every person they suggested for the lead. When Kate Mulgrew was named, I thought of the great job she did in the "Murphy Brown" episode where she played an alcoholic. I thought she would probably be okay as the Voyager lead. I was totally unprepared for how great she was as "The Captain". I was hooked from the first night! My entire family (with husbands, wives and babies that had to be tucked in) watched it together. And make no mistake - we were watching the Captain! I couldn't wait >from one week to the next. I even joined this fan club, the only one I've joined in my life. My avid interest was an enigma to me. I told my husband: "I know this sounds stupid, but I want to be Janeway. What's the attraction?" He laughed and said, "Do you want to study quantum physics?" I said "No, of course not!" He continued, "You know honey, she sits on that bridge, completely in control, giving orders, and doing whatever part of the job she wants. She's a frigging' office manager, and you wonder why YOU relate, give me a break!" I socked him, but he's right. Women in the business world do relate. In my position as a manager for my company I constantly look for ways to do my job better. Janeway's patience (something I strive for continually) is astounding. I carefully scrutinize how she relates to, and orders the members of her crew. I'm sure the same can be said of others that find themselves in charge of a staff of both men and women. "Parallax" gave me a lot to think about. Who among us hasn't had to make similar decisions on who's best for the job? There have been many bits of wisdom that have made me laugh and think- I wish there was room to share them all. Little girls that "want to be the Captain's assistant", will also be watching and learning. So let's give them something to think about. Gene Roddenberry was a trailblazer, but I hope that he wasn't the last. There are other women-related issues that can and should be addressed on this show, which are being avoided. It doesn't make sense, because I believe that Kate Mulgrew could handle anything they give her to do. Her position at the very top of the ladder is unlike any other I can think of on TV. No family; no friends; no peers. For heaven's sakes! So what's the woman like? Why can't she have a personal life? Relationships in the workplace, particularly on a senior staff, are certainly a touchy subject, but it happens. I'd hate to see the captain become too hard. Even when she's alone we never get to see her cry. Compassionate people can, and do cry, it doesn't weaken them, and it allows us to relate. We're not automatons! Although her position is graver than any of us will ever know, I believe this captain, like many professional women in today's world, could balance her position and a personal life. We critically watch this Captain's dealings with her crew. Trek Fans have always done that. Those episodes that really touch our souls are not necessarily the ones that boost the ratings or thrill those viewers who only tune in once in a while. We all know what those episodes are - Kirk and Edith Keeler. Spock in "This Side of Paradise". Picard's pathos about his role as a Borg, or "The Inner Light" (a whole lifetime as a family man in only minutes). And who can ignore Sisko's painful trek back to a past of bigotry and prejudice. Captain Janeway is a woman, a woman who was introduced to us as a woman first and foremost. What happened to the Janeway who said "You only bother me in the way I like to be bothered." Did she die along with the first officer, Dr., Chief Engineer, and Lt. at the Conn.? While I still love the show, I'm very concerned that Jeri Taylor's presence is only that of a consultant. This show desperately needs a woman's input. Like it or not we're different. We might arrive at the same conclusion, but we do not always follow the same paths to the solution. CINDERELLA'S RIGHT HAND MAN by Rachel Gluck Even the King of the World must be humbled. Standing on the precipice of Earth's most tragic vessel, Jack Dawson supports the tightly-corseted waist and back of a woman who is finally looking at the world through less gilded, and more adventurous, eyes. It is a defining moment, one of thousands in the age of seeing with the persistence of vision. The two look like the Odd Couple: her, clad in Edwardian splendor, and him, dressed in pauper's clothing. They also appear to be reveling in an ideal moment. This is the eternal vision of equality, simplicity, and peace. The ideal, however, should be stressed, here. In an environment that tends to see the woman as the sensitive and, thus, mutable force in most film and television programs, what does it mean when we see Jack's hand on Rose's back? The importance of the supporting role in film and television is often overlooked by the need to find structures and control in such male characters. These roles, however, have much to offer contemporary audiences and image creators, not only in terms of criticism, but also by providing the impetus for creating new versions of such characters for our enjoyment and study. In film and television, as in most other parts of society, strong roles for women, and the men who support them, have been long in coming full force to the screen. It often seems as though roles such as these come and go in waves, much like trends in fashion magazines. However, many of the most notable actresses have been those whose strength has carried them across the screen: Marlene Dietrich, Katherine Hepburn, Sharon Stone, Madonna, Gillian Anderson, Lucy Lawless, Kate Mulgrew, et al. These are the women who have shocked us with humor, style, and, sometimes, sheer simplicity from the absurdity of the arguments that have shaped their characters. From the early days of film, one of the most memorable examples of the supporting role is that of Tom Brown played by Gary Cooper in the film Morocco (Sternberg, 1930). Brown is a Legionnaire who wants to win the love of Amy Jolly, Marlene Dietrich, a German singer working in a cabaret with the Foreign Legion. In this film, Amy is an androgynous character who goes so far as to, "Kiss a woman on the mouth in a nightclub scene" (TVGuide.com, Morocco). As shocked as Cooper's character may appear to be, at the end of the film, the two still become a couple and solidify the Hollywood ideal. What makes Morocco, and other films and television programs like it, so wonderful is the fact that the support characters such as Tom Brown give their female co-stars is basically unquestioned. Morocco, in particular, is probably one of, if not the best, example of sexual ambiguity in any Hollywood film. The audience is not forced to determine whether it is Amy, or her persona of the singer, or both which happens to be genderless. It is simply an accepted part of a film which garnered four Academy Award nominations and launched the successful career of several German ÈmigrÈs to the United States. A contemporary, and possibly much more complex, example of a good supporting male role is that of most of the men in the film G. I. Jane (Scott, 1997). In this film, Demi Moore plays Lieutenant Jordan O'Neil, a Naval intelligence officer, frustrated that she's been passed over for promotion while less competent men rise through the ranks. Her zest for a good challenge lands her the guinea pig spot as the first woman trainee of the Navy Seals, the toughest company of the entire U. S. military. The film culminates in her successful completion of the Navy Seals program, a rescue of Master Chief John Urgayle (Viggo Mortensen), from whom she finally receives long overdue praise, and reconciliation with her boyfriend. Throughout the film, nearly every man who comes in contact with Lt. O'Neil must deal with some of his own doubts about the ability of women to learn, develop, and command in different stages of military capacity. It is this sense of realism that makes the film a truly gritty portrayal of the difficulties women have encountered as they have broken through the military's glass ceilings. Surely, after reading about these two films, one might wonder why the lead characters from the multi-billion dollar film Titanic (Cameron, 1997) are included in this study. The answer lies in ambiguity. Many roles, both good and bad, that portray men as secondary characters to women, are often not seen as such, or disguised in a premise which puts the two leads together at the end of the film. It is interesting to note that both of the most recent Best Picture Oscar winners, Titanic and Shakespeare In Love (Madden, 1998), feature story arcs which ultimately allow the women in these films to "steal the show." In both films, the male leads (played by Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic and Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeare) are shoulders and escape routes for the female leads (played by Kate Winslet in Titanic and Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare). The men help both women to discover, and become comfortable with, their independence. Then, when faced with nearly impossible circumstances (the Titanic sinking and Viola having to prove a bet she makes with Queen Elizabeth I), the characters' unions serve as the forces which at last bring them to safety and guarantee the women's characters their freedom in, respectively, the New World and America. In television, one of the earliest and best-known examples of the male supportive lead is that of Lou Grant from the popular, ground-breaking show The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Played by Ed Asner, Grant is the boss of Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore), a single woman wanting a career in broadcast journalism and escaping a marriage. The Nick-At-Nite web site has this to say about the show: "Mary" was created at a time when TV sitcoms were first beginning to explore contemporary controversial issues such as women's liberation, anti-Semitism, homosexuality, divorce, and racism. But the show makes its points with skill and subtlety in the context of character rather than through didactic preachiness. Indeed, many of the shows most humorous and memorable moments stem from scenes between Richards and Grant and their ability to have an intriguing and complex relationship which still mirrored American society during the 1970s: Beyond its consummate writing, the show's enduring appeal is probably due to its main characters' underlying affection for one another (TVGuide.com, Moore). Often, the serials and films which do the best, and sometimes the worst, job of exploring this type of relationship tend to revolve around an assumed serious relationship between the leading woman and supportive leading man. One example of excellent writing is the dialogue between FBI Agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) on FOX's series The X-Files. The X-Files is an unusual show in that both the male and female leads are considered the main stars of the series. Neither is a "support" character. Instead, Scully and Mulder have their individual strengths and weaknesses which create most of the banter between the two characters. Dana Scully is the consummate scientist, whose head is always thinking before her heart and questioning every theory that comes out of her partner's mouth. Fox Mulder is her opposite. Science fiction's ultimate surrealist, Mulder believes in the supernatural and must usually back up every sentence with phrases such as, "The truth is out there," the series' doctrine. What makes the Scully-Mulder relationship work is that, through all of the ups and downs of the job, including encounters with pesky ex-girlfriends, Fox has maintained his loyalty to Dana. So much so, in fact, that in the sixth season's third episode, "Triangle," in which Mulder goes in search of a ship that has disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle in 1939, he tells Scully, post-rescue, that he loves her. Scully waves it off as post-traumatic delirium, but the poignant direction of series creator Chris Carter, the intensity of the kiss of between Mulder and the 1939 Scully look-alike, many scenes of previous episodes, and the film, "The X-Files: Fight the Future," discount that notion for the audience. A more difficult example to analyze is the role of First Officer Chakotay from Star Trek Voyager. As appropriate as it is for shows similar to Star Trek to be "complex" in their story lines and deal with tough issues ranging from diversity to epidemic illnesses, the Trek franchise has often had a problem dealing with the area of relationships. In fact, it is considered a joke among many fans of Trek and other science fiction that the genre, in general, has needed, and still needs, a good dose of humanization. Kate Mulgrew, the actress who portrays Captain Kathryn Janeway, has often stated at various conventions and in interviews, including one from Canada's February 6-12, 1999, TV Week Magazine, that Janeway's reason for not developing an intimate relationship with Chakotay is because as a woman, it would not look right for her to be sleeping with her First Officer: We missed that dance, and I called it. I didn't call it ultimately, of course, I'm not the boss, I'm just the actor, but I certainly had some input and I didn't feel it was a good idea. I felt that it would be more interesting and far more genuine if they had a deep and intimate and wonderful relationship and didn't go to bed, because I think bed rocks the boat. A captain loses her nobility; Janeway would not do this (Roberts, 8). This may, indeed, sound wise, after all, the two characters' working relationship would appear to need to be the main priority. In the quote, it is a bit unclear if Mulgrew is really discussing how she would handle this situation or how her character would actually work through the problem (if, indeed, a relationship such as that would be truly "problematic" at all). However, the major story arc of Voyager is that the ship is stranded in another area of space and that, even if they are lucky, it will still take them several more years to get home. It was originally seventy-five years, but advances have been made in the last two seasons which have pushed them about another thirty years closer to Earth. Even so, after many years of relying only on her fellow Voyagers, it can be assumed that integration back into regular society might be problematic for everyone on the ship, including the captain. That said, it would make the most sense for her to form bonds with those who live and work with her every day, not to turn to aliens who might only be around for as much as a couple of months. So why is it a problem, then, that relationships such as those between Commander Chakotay and Captain Janeway aren't fully fleshed out for the viewing audience? It should be noted that, because of their lack of realistic intimate connection, these two characters are probably also the most sexually ambiguous characters in the entire history of the franchise. Two keys to deciphering the puzzle of image creation versus audience response are negotiation and gap filling. Negotiation, "Is significant, for it implies both that there is a conflict of interests that needs to be reconciled in some way and that the process of reading television is one in which the reader is an active maker of meanings from the text, not a passive recipient of already constructed ones" (Allen, 292). In other words, the T. V. set isn't just turned on to a channel and left on while people are doing other things. People are actually watching what is being shown and comprehending it like they would a novel or a feature film. This is problematic because it has often been assumed that television is a medium for advertising, when, in fact, the growing sophistication of both television writers and the viewing audience is making it more difficult to write anything "dramatic" and assume it will supply a good amount of consumers in exchange for an hour of a company's dollars. Gap filling, "Is the process by which the imaginary world suggested by words in the text is constructed in the mind of the reader" (104), and is often used in phenomenology. In this school of thought, "Reality... has no meaning for us except as individually experienced phenomena" (103). In the world of television, this means that whatever the creators of programs might wish to give to an audience is particularly meaningful because the individual viewer will take that half-hour or hour long text and "fill in" whatever blanks are left open for her or him to read into the show. How does this apply to Voyager? Like most other shows, Voyager is produced in a society that often expects its characters, along with themselves and everyone else, to conform to multiple standards of thought and behavior. Now, more than ever, it is important for writers of shows to be in tune with the attitudes of their audiences, and, in this case, the reality of a thirty year history. Audiences is key because there is no longer a set "type" of average viewers that watches most of television. Although this sounds like the ideal group of viewers for Star Trek, this is particularly difficult for major television networks which rely on free bandwidth for broadcasting, such as the network that airs Voyager, UPN. Since audiences do not pay networks a fee to watch their stations, they must rely solely on money from advertisers, who then also tell the networks what it is that they, and their viewers, will want to see on the air. Obviously, this leads to a conflict between the advertisers who directly influence the network on a daily basis and the audience members who write letters and send electronic mail messages randomly to the executive producers and to the network and may or may not have their letters thoroughly read and used. The result of this is that instead of exploring a relationship of any depth, Chakotay has been interpreted by many male viewers to be less than equal to Janeway. His false sense of positive power comes from having relationships with other women similar to Janeway, but not exactly like her. It would be a pattern more reminiscent of Captain Kirk from the original series were it not for the fact that the current season, season five, is seeing Janeway turn, so far only once in the episode "Counterpoint," to the occasional alien who is not around her every day for intimate support. Would it be interesting for Janeway to start looking and sounding more like Kirk? If there was not already a need to deal with Janeway as her own individual, it might be an intriguing parody, of sorts, of her character. However, there is already so much to analyze that, at this point in the series, it might be a more of a major distraction than a notably amusing psychoanalytic analysis of a woman captain. One of the biggest problems associated with any science fiction series is that while it is a representation of a "future," it has to be written to accommodate the current audience. For example, in the "real" twenty-fourth century, women and men might not need to worry about relationships and the safety of the affected command decisions. By this time, human military culture simply might have evolved to accept the fact that certain human beliefs and practices, such as love, are the sole responsibilities of the participants. People would not be court-martialed for homosexuality, they would not be discharged because of adultery, and they would be allowed to form relationships with whomever they chose. For better or for worse, this is not how a large percentage of contemporary America views representations of mixed personal and professional lives. However, with the ambiguity fostered over the Clinton marriage and political partnership, it seems as though the lines are becoming tougher both to see and to draw. This can be viewed in such films as Wag the Dog (Levinson, 1997), where scandal is muffled over by a false war in order to garner a reelection to the presidency of the United States, An American President (Reiner, 1995), in which the president must go to extreme lengths to win reelection and rebuild his personal life years after his first wife's death from cancer, and Primary Colors (Nichols, 1998), in which the actual Clinton White House is exposed to a populace that never used to hear of anything private from its media, let alone the entire story of an administration built on personal scandal. In an era where people suspect that the First Lady is really the person running the country and which may see incidents such as the Monica Lewinsky scandal as a springboard for finally electing a woman to the White House, one might be inclined to wonder why UPN is reluctant to explore the intimacy between Janeway and Chakotay. With the national atmosphere in its current state of ambivalence, it would appear to be the perfect opportunity to explore such dynamics in a "power relationship." It is interesting to note that authors outside of the visual mediums are utilizing the supportive male role. One such writer is Richard Bowes whose recent piece for Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine, "A Huntsman Passing By," illustrates a conversation in which the huntsman character informs a Fairy Godmother archetype, in the form of the reader, about the events that led up to his life working at the premiere of a film about a deceased artist in New York City. The following is a description of what inspired the writing of this story and is taken from its introduction on page fourteen of Fantasy: In her new book No Go the Bogeyman, British scholar Marina Warner set out to study male characters in fairy tales...and wound up on the theme of ogres "since princes were on the whole too insipid." Bowes sat down to watch the film Basquiat and was inspired to write this lovely story, which investigates the roles of men in fairy tales in an entirely different manner. This introduction, in and of itself, is an interesting read. As the story progresses, it becomes apparent just how inspiring the subject is and what can be done to incorporate it into current fictional work. The following is a sample from the story, itself. Keep in mind that the Huntsman is dyslexic, a Vietnam veteran, grew up poor, and, due to his disability, the only book he has read in full is the Grimm brothers' collection of fairy tales: I put the idea of the discharged soldier behind me. There's another kind of guy in a lot of the stories. He never has the major role. But I didn't want stardom. He gets different titles: forester, game keeper, the hunter. He plays key parts. And I have the feeling he's around even when he's not talked about. Every king or queen needs a royal huntsman. That at least is how it worked in the dark woods of Manhattan (Bowes, 17). "He never has the major role, [but] he plays key parts." This summarizes what a good supporting role should be and, in the case of Bowes' story, certainly is. Why is it that roles such as these are not thoroughly analyzed? It might be because people sense the most impact of a supporting role of a female lead while watching programs such as Xena or movies like Thelma and Louise (Scott, 1991), which have female co-stars and supporters, instead of something like Working Girl (Nichols, 1988). In Girl, the male supportive role of Jack Trainer is overlooked by the conflict between Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) and her boss, Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver). Tess wants to become something other than her current position of secretary, so she takes the position of secretary to one of the few women executives in her place of employment, a brokerage firm. When Parker does not credit her for an idea she has to make a deal with a client of the company, Tess realizes that Katharine is not out to help her move up the ladder, so she conspires with Trainer (Harrison Ford) to broker the deal and solidify her position in the company as something other than a secretary. Ironically, Ford seems to have the most positive impact onGriffith's character and does an excellent job of playing the mentor and "co-conspirator" in this film. Unfortunately, Ford is the only major supporting star in Girl who was not nominated for an Academy Award for a supporting role in this film. Another reason might be that most stories which filter into the American mythos have been rewritten to lose some of the meaning that was once meant to be directed toward girls as they grew older and developed into adults. This is a point argued by some Jungian psychologists who, like Dr. Clarissa Pinkola EstÈs in her book Women Who Run With the Wolves, analyze old fairy tales and myths from different regions of the world and attempt to draw connections between them and rebuild them for current generations of women. It is quite possible that this argument is still a bit too new to be particularly widespread in the largest storytelling industry in the world, but it is certainly something to examine both now and in the future. Following up on rebuilding women's myths an stories, the last major reason is probably organized religion and the patriarchal culture which has grown from its inception and now is a part of most of earth's communal structures. It has only been within the last forty years, or so, of this century that major religious movements, including Reform and Conservative Judaism and, more recently, the Catholic Church, have begun to investigate the "lost" value of many of these religions most cherished symbols. More extensive research on the archetype of the supporting male lead is obviously something that is needed in order to fully grasp the significance of these types of roles and their impact on American society. In the meantime, what can be done to help develop these characters more extensively? Initially, men and women should ask themselves about how they see themselves in their everyday lives. Then, we could move to more in depth questions. "Who have been my mentors?" "Who have been the most influential people in my life, and why?" "How have these people effected the decisions that I make every day?" "How do I value their impact on my life and the lives of those close to me?" When we begin to examine how we, ourselves, have been effected by the real people who mirror the types of "supporting" characters examined in this study, then we are sure to be given a blueprint for not only furthering the study of these characters, but also giving more importance to them and working to make them more recognizable in the films and television programs that are currently produced. Summarizing this topic is a bit difficult because there are so many different interpretations of supporting roles that need to be addressed. However, by beginning to look at the supporting male lead in film and television, we can open a curtain to a fresh topic that can energize the creators of our mass media and give us all something to ponder as we face the challenge of accepting more openly-complex roles on our screens. WORKS CITED Allen, Robert C, ed. Channels of Discourse Reassembled: Television and Contemporary Criticism. Second Edition. p. 103-104, 292. The University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill, NC. 1992. An American President. Dir. Rob Reiner. Columbia Pictures. 1995. Bowes, Richard. "A Huntsman Passing By." Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine. p. 14-28. Edward L. Ferman, publisher. New York, NY. June, 1999. "Counterpoint." Star Trek Voyager. Written by Michael Taylor. UPN. 1998. EstÈs, Clarissa Pinkola. Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of theWild Woman Archetype. Ballantine Books. New York, NY. 1992. G. I. Jane. Dir. Ridley Scott. Hollywood Pictures. 1997. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Viacom, Inc. Nick at Nite Online. http://www.nick-at-nite.com/tvretro/shows/2.153/. 12:20 PM. May 2, 1999. Morocco. Dir. Josef von Sternberg. Paramount Pictures. 1930. "Morocco." TV Guide. TV Guide Online. http://www.tvguide.com/movies/mopic/cgi-bin/page.c?type=mpg&page=/movies/mopic/d ata/7/7602.htm. 4:30 PM. May 3, 1999. Primary Colors. Dir. Mike Nichols. Universal Pictures. 1998. Roberts, Robin. "Star Trek Dark Frontier: Two Hour Voyager Episode Stages A Royal Battle Over Seven of Nine." TV Week. Vol. 24. No. 6. p. 8. Canada Wide Magazines and Communications, Ltd. Burnaby, B. C. February 6-12, 1999. Shakespeare In Love. Dir. John Madden. Miramax Films, Inc. 1998. Thelma and Louise. Dir. Ridley Scott. MGM-Pathe. 1991. Titanic. Dir. James Cameron. Twentieth Century Fox and Paramount Pictures. 1997. "Triangle." The X-Files. Written by Chris Carter. FOX. 1998. Wag the Dog. Dir. Barry Levinson. New Line Cinema. 1997. Working Girl. Dir. Mike Nichols. Twentieth Century Fox. 1988. ONCE IN LOVE WITH JANEWAY A BIRTHDAY WISH FOR KATE by Karla Sanders Awesome Birthday wishes for Kate Mulgrew, for happy times and a little home brew. You mean so much to me and others too I think you should know of our love for you. Whether on stage or commanding the crew your grace and strength always shines through. Here's to the one who picked up a pool cue and showed by deed what a woman could do. Lost in the D- Quad. she made her debut, With a rebel First and his handsome tattoo. (Avoiding a plea from JetC'ers true about this man she could .....ahem....speak to?) I won't go there - but continue on through about the rest of her valiant crew. A rogue of a pilot with eyes bright blue, And a feisty Klingon engineer who patches ships together with crazy glue. Tuvok writes a security review, Neelix cooks up some leeola root stew. Seven teeters high on silver heeled shoe, Harry plays something long like a kazoo The Doc with no name who can treat the flu And to young Kes we bid a sweet adieu. So Kate, a Voyager Birthday to you Thanks for the laughs and the coffee fondue Thanks for bringing us fans together to dream a better world for us (like Lil' Roo who helps, then dares me to use the word, spew) I could go on and on and even coo about how wonderful and fine are you but I couldn't work how to use 'askew', 'anew', 'yew', 'whew', 'phew', 'canoe' and 'bamboo'. So, I'll quit before getting this you rue. Happy Birthday, Kate Mulgrew MAKING A DIFFERENCE by Catherine Tyrney My first introduction to Kathryn Janeway, and Kate Mulgrew, was very similar. How does one know how to find something if they aren't looking for it? I searched haphazardly through my life. I tried the military, college, and even worked in a prison for a while. Then with an ironic twist of fate, I found myself a registered nurse working on a trauma unit. Suddenly, it was as if I had opened my eyes and took a good look around me. This world is hell sometimes, and I found myself working within it on a daily basis. Tragic stories greeted my every day: The sixteen year old who was brain dead because she had thrown herself in front of a train when she found out she was pregnant. The kids who shot each other up at night as if they lived in some kind of war-zone. The minds stolen because of a car wreck. But, I found a way to survive, and it was simple. If you don't care, then you don't get hurt. So I walked through each day trying very hard to get my eyes to close again. I became focused on only taking care of myself and to hell with anyone else. However, life has a way of being very ironic. It was then that I met John. John (not his real name) was a Hobo. That means he rode trains by running and jumping onto them as they pulled away from the station. One fateful night he slipped and found himself missing two legs and an arm. I was now his nurse and we were locked together in a long-term relationship of pain and healing. I remember how one night each week we managed to get through the bandage changes by watching Voyager. He would turn on his television as I worked on his mangled limbs. We talked about the episode as we worked. It seemed to help him with the pain since he had developed a strong tolerance towards any pain medicine I could give him. John loved the show. He enjoyed discussing each plot in detail, but each week our conversations would eventually turn to Janeway. To John, Janeway was the model of strength and intelligence. "She's strong, she's a survivor" he would tell me. That seemed so important to him. That Janeway knew what she wanted and would fight for it. "She has a kind heart. She wouldn't turn me away from her door if I asked for some food." That statement struck me. 'She wouldn't turn me away from her door.' I had watched Voyager from the beginning, but apparently I had missed something that John had found. However, I hadn't been looking. As our discussions became more focused on Janeway, I became more interested in what was happening around me. Slowly, I saw a change in John. He was more willing to help with the dressing changes. "Janeway would do it herself." He told me one night. Instead of coming in each afternoon to a depressed man, I found a man clean and ready for the evening's work. "So what d'ya think Janeway'll do tonight?" was John's standard greeting to me on our Voyager nights. John healed a little each week. After two months, he didn't even look, or act, like the man who had been placed in my care that fateful evening. I told him I had a surprise for him. I was going to check out this Janeway in person. I had seen an advertisement for a convention nearby where Kate Mulgrew would be speaking. John insisted I go see what she was like and tell him all about it. I didn't realize how popular Kate Mulgrew was until my fellow nurses discovered I was going to see her. They said to tell her hello. Two days later, my husband and I went to this convention. I had been dragged to them before by my husband and was jokingly interested at those times for his benefit. This time it was different. I had watched Voyager several times so far and was looking for something I saw on the screen. Although I can't say I had an open mind, I could say I was at least willing to listen. I got a ticket up front so I could get a real look at the woman. For one hour I listened to her talk and answer questions. She was charming, witty, intelligent, beautiful, and she had won me over. I began to see what John had seen weeks before. She radiated a strength of the soul that caught me off guard. I ended up in line for an autograph thinking the illusion would shatter at any moment. Some gesture or slight to one of the attendees would betray the whole act. But it didn't happen. As I finally looked down into her face, I was taken aback. I wish I could have told her what really brought me there. I wish I could have begged her to visit the trauma unit. In the split seconds that our eyes met, I managed to see the patients who watched the show and the difference it made in their lives. All I could summon was a polite. "You are incredibly charming and a warm hello from the trauma nurses at ********** University Hospital". My piece said, I walked away with a signed autograph, not realizing I had two pictures in my hands. My husband stopped me as I walked away from the table. He pointed to where I had come from because Kate was calling my name to come back. (I guess I had managed to give her my name.) She asked to sign my other picture. As she signed it, she asked me where I worked again. We talked for a brief minute and then she threw me a big one, "What you do is exceptional. All of you are saints and you should be canonized." I managed to say an astonished "Thanks...I think." She smiled and finally let me go with my picture saying, "What you people do makes such a difference". As I got back to my husband, I asked him. "What in the world does it mean to be canonized?" I had pictures in my head of being shot out of a canon, and it fit the insanity of my job. I looked it up later. I didn't know what to say then, and I still don't know what to say now. When I returned to work a day or two later, John was waiting. "So was she pretty?" "Yes, John she was." "I'll bet she was smart." "That she was John, but it was more. If you took the Janeway we see and put in her laughter, charm, and grace, then you would have Kate Mulgrew." We sat for a few minutes together while I recanted my experience to him. We finally agreed that there was a strength inside her which seemed to touch onto others. I didn't get to say too much in the next few hours. It was a busy shift and John was leaving soon. He had recovered enough to leave our trauma unit. We had a short farewell because they brought in my newest patient and biggest challenge. But to this day, I haven't forgotten John and Janeway (Mulgrew). They had a special relationship she never knew about. In her work and struggles, she had managed to take a broken man and make him whole inside. And while she did this, she took a disheartened nurse and made her want to care again. I didn't know what I was looking for because I didn't realize I had lost it. But I found a caring in Mulgrew that went to others. Did she know I was looking for something that day? I doubt it. Did she simply take the time to touch an individual? I believe so. In the years that have passed, I have become an avid Voyager fan and admired Kate from a distance. I would love to tell her about John. I don't know how I would start such a conversation. "Thank you Kate for being in love so much with Janeway that you, and she, gave some of us people the chance to look inside ourselves and find strength and courage." Who is to say? I would at least say a solemn thank you from myself for calling me back and making me wonder at her grace and what I saw there. Since that day two years ago, I have left trauma. I also discovered that when I found a way to touch others, I found a way to care again. I want to make a difference in more than just my own life now, and I believe I found this when I wasn't looking. Many times, we don't know what we are really looking for in our lives. Whether it is happiness, wisdom, love, or faith. But perhaps it is something too simple to find. Perhaps we are looking for the ability to care outside of ourselves. The ability to look into another's eyes and infuse them with strength. I discovered a simple grace that day when I met her. It doesn't make her a saint, or perfect, or able to conquer all evils, but it does make a connection with others. Perhaps when we look at Janeway or Mulgrew, we are looking at what could be in each of us. We are looking for our own Janeway inside of us waiting to come forward, touch another, and make a difference. VOYAGER PEOPLE THE YOUNGEST ASTRONAUT: AN INTERVIEW WITH SCARLETT POMERS By Michelle Erica Green She's only eleven years old, but Scarlett Pomers has already been acting for more than half of her life. As Naomi Wildman on "Star Trek Voyager," she's the youngest recurring character on a Trek series since Jake Sisko, though her character is even younger: a quick-maturing half-Ktarian, Naomi is only three, born after the nearly two-year pregnancy of her mother Samantha Wildman. Viewers hadn't seen much evidence of Voyager's only child since her birth, so it was a delightful surprise to many when Pomers turned up this season in half a dozen episodes. Unlike precocious genius Wesley Crusher from TNG or sophisticated teenager Jake from DS9, Naomi is very much a kid - her first adventure took place mostly in a holographic fairy tale simulation, and in later episodes she taught Seven of Nine to play games. She's not all that afraid of the Borg, but she's quite fearful that if Voyager gets home, it might break up the only family she's ever known. Executive producer Brannon Braga - who called Pomers "a great actress" in the May issue of "Star Trek:The Magazine" - has hinted that a homecoming might happen as early as the first episode next season. Pomers has already been asked to come back when shooting resumes after the spring hiatus. The young actress herself wouldn't mind the ship returning to the Alpha Quadrant, because she wants to play a Klingon...though the hours of prosthetic makeup required for that species contrasts markedly with the ten minutes it takes to put Ktarian spikes on her head. "I get asked how long the makeup takes a lot, and the answer is ten minutes," Pomers noted last week after completing work on Voyager's season finale. Unlike actor Ethan Phillips, who has to arrive at the set between 3 and 5 a.m. to get Neelix's prosthetics put on and who suffers under the sweltering lights, Pomers bar ely remembers that her own makeup is there. "Sometimes I go to scratch my forehead, and I'm like, 'Auugh! Oops!' They have to paint it a little bit to make it look white on the base, so then they have to fix it." The initial script for the episode "Once Upon a Time" gave her little warning about what to expect. "The first part where she's running through the holodeck, it said, 'Naomi Wildman, a Ktarian, runs through the forest on a path.' And we were like, 'Ktarian? What's that?'" She found out the first time she saw her face in the makeup. "The first time I saw myself on Voyager, I said, 'Oh my god, that's me! EEEE!'" Viewers still don't know much about Naomi's father's species - nor about the man himself - but if Voyager reaches home next season, that could change. Alien appearances aside, the young actress said she relates to her character. "I think I'm kind of like her, because she really likes to learn." While Pomers isn't as interested in science as the Ktarian girl, she adds that she has learned a lot from the series technobabble and from Naomi: "She's really smart." Pomers did not watch Voyager before her casting call, but her older brother was a fan. "When we found out that I had an audition, we watched it one time, and I really liked it - I thought it was cool how they had the computer talking." She also noticed last season's most prominent character. "It was one about Seven of Nine, and I thought she was cool because my brother told me all about the Borg." Though she names Kate Mulgrew and Ethan Phillips as her favorite people to work with on the series - unsurprisingly, Captain Janeway is her favorite character - Naomi Wildman's prominent scenes have involved the Doctor and Seven of Nine. Though the little girl was initially terrified of the ex-Borg, she opened up to her in "Infinite Regress" and went to Captain Janeway with a plan to save Seven in "Dark Frontier" which ended up being close to the one used to track the Borg Queen's ship. Of Naomi's ability to march into the captain's ready room with suggestions, Pomers said, "That's really fun." She's the only kid on the series, but Pomers noted that doesn't bother her, "because the adults on 'Voyager' don't treat me like, 'Oh, a kid, go away!' or anything. That's cool!" Jeri Ryan described her young co-star as "such a little professional it's unbelievable...she holds her own for the big guys." Pomers' co-star in "Once Upon a Time" was Wallace Langham of "The Larry Sanders Show" and "Veronica's Closet," but Pomers' mother Michelle Galvin laughed that her young daughter wouldn't have known who he was even without all the blue makeup. A California native, Pomers names Naomi as her favorite role thus far and said she was initially sad after filming "Once Upon a Time" because she didn't think she would be appearing on the series again. "It originally wasn't going to be a recurring role, but then they turned it into one," she reported. "I said, 'Mom, I miss Voyager!' And then I came back on 'Infinite Regress.'" Now she's a fixture in the Star Trek universe, having won a Young Artist Award for best performance in a drama series in a supporting role (her fourth win out of four nominations), and she's beginning to attend conventions. "It's really funny because you go there and there's so many people that love Star Trek," she observed. "One time I got fan mail that was from Africa. It's really neat." She did not stay long at Grand Slam in Pasadena this year - she attended as Garrett Wang's guest - because she was mobbed in the halls, but she and her family are traveling to several east coast venues during hiatus. Pomers also has her own official web site [http://surf.to/pomers] and an unofficial club on Yahoo founded by a twelve-year-old fan. "She made this web site that is really adorable; it's called 'Naomi's Journal,' she writes day to day as if she was Naomi, what actually happened in the episodes Naomi is in - it's the cutest thing," said Galvin, who authorized the official web site and supplies it with pictures. Pomers herself reads various Trek message boards and e-mails friends online. Though she has not yet gotten to do any stunts on "Voyager," she was in a movie called "Slappy and the Stinkers" which required her to ride with four boys inside a bathtub on a flume and stop short before the bottom. "It was fun - I did a lot of screaming!" she recalled, adding that when she watches that movie now, "it's kind of for younger kids, and I go, 'Oh, god, that's so silly!'" In a more serious role, she appeared on UPN's "Seven Days" last week as the hostage of disgruntled veterans suffering from Gulf War Syndrome. "I get gassed and blown up in a subway tunnel - they have to come back and save me and my friends on a field trip." Pomers has never played a villain, "but I think it would be fun to! I have played brats before." When she heard that someone was making a "Tomb Raider" movie, she was sorry she was not old enough to play Lara Croft, but she'd settle for making an appearance from the other realm on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." Her fantasy role, however, would be a remake of "National Velvet." A rider for many years, Pomers has a thoroughbred named Salem and nurses dreams of competing in the Olympics. "I haven't ridden in awhile because it's kind of been busy, but we found a good teacher at an equestrian center so we're going to see him tomorrow," she reported. She takes voice lessons from a church choir director and studies dance, but regular school hours get tricky. "I used to be home-schooled, but I might go to a school they've made for kids that are in acting - it's only four hours, so it's a professional school." A professional since she was barely three, Pomers' mother found her an agent who got her a role in a Michael Jackson video before the girl was old enough to know who Jackson was. Then she did a voiceover for a squirrel in a Smokey the Bear commercial. Currently visible in television ads for Polaroid and Campbell's Soup, she recently did voice work for Carrie in "Baby Geniuses". Pomers also appears in "Happy, Texas," the hit of this year's Sundance Film Festival which was snapped up by Miramax and will open later this year. "I play Jency Polk - she cries a lot," explained the actress. "She does a flaming baton trick and sometimes she burns everything down!" "We just saw it; it's really pretty hilarious, and she has a pretty goofy role in it," added her mother. "The child that she plays wants to be the perfect little pageant girl in this small town where pageants are everything, and her talent is twirling these flaming batons, but she keeps setting everything on fire - you always hear the sirens going because Jency's burning down another building. It's the funniest thing." Last week Pomers was planning to work on the soundtrack for the new Disney "Geppetto," in which she might also appear on camera. "Certain times of the year are really busy," added Galvin. "She's actually up for three movies right now and we're hoping she gets one because it will give her something to do over the summer besides just classes and lolling around. Summer is such a dead time, it's nice to have a movie to work on for a few weeks." Named for the heroine of "Gone With the Wind" - her brother Shane was named for the hero of the cowboy movie - Scarlett Pomers can foresee college in her future, but she already knows what she wants to study: "Acting is something that I want to do until I'm too old to do it." Star Trek has made opportunities available to her such as signing autographs for charity at a Ronald McDonald camp benefit, and she's likely to receive convention invitations for some time to come. How does she feel about that legacy? "They said that I might get a collector card, but I'm not sure about an action figure," she reported hopefully. Naomi Wildman's going to be fine when her ship comes in. This article originally appeared in Mania Magazine. BOOKS AND COLLECTIBLES Q'S GUIDE TO THE CONTINUUM A Pocket Book by Michael Jan Friedman and Robert Greenberger If you're looking for a complete, detailed, and absolutely accurate reference guide to the various Star Trek series - well, then you probably want "The Star Trek Encylopedia," or the Okudas' "Star Trek Chronology." If, however, you're looking for a nifty little book packed with eclectic trivia, a variety of photos, and all the attitude of the universe's most egotistical omnipotent being, then you want "Q's Guide to the Continuum." Written by one of Pocket's most prolific Trek authors, Michael Jan Friedman, and his longtime co-conspirator (ever since the TNG novel "Doomsday Planet"), erstwhile comic-book editor Robert Greenberger, "Q's Guide" is a delightful collection of odd facts and comparisons that span the Trek universe, from the original series to Voyager. Categories include subjects ranging from "The Galaxy's Longest Dog-Sitting Assignment" (Janeway's boyfriend Mark), to "The Galaxy's Worst Vacation Spot" (Rura Penthe), to "The Galaxy's Most Boring Epic" (the Cardassian classic "The Never-Ending Sacrifice") to "The Galaxy's Most Accurate Description of the Human Anatomy" ("ugly bags of mostly water"). Presented in a Barnum-esque style, each item's hyberbolic title appears in a large old-fashioned-style font, and 19th-century advertising graphics adorn every page. As you might anticipate from the title, the book is written in Q's "voice," and his opinions flavor each entry. (Thus, of course, "The Galaxy's Least Likable Humanoid" could only be Guinan.) The authors have Q's intonations and attitudes exactly right, and the book is a hoot from start to finish. No way around it, though: the darned thing is WAY overpriced. I know Q would expect the average reader to go top-dollar (or top-credit, or top-strips-of-latinum) to read his golden prose, but for Pocket to ask $16 for what amounts to a half-hour's light reading is just ridiculous. -Brenda Shaffer-Shiring QUOTABLE STAR TREK A Pocket Book by Jill Sherwin "Quotable Star Trek" demonstrates the truly universal appeal of Gene Roddenberry's extraordinary creation. Words of wit, wisdom, and compelling insight applicable to everyday life...Intensely thought-provoking...." That's what it says on the back cover, anyway. Wouldn't you like to find the flaks who write this kind of pompous prose, stick them with very large pins, and see how far they fly? I know I would! Needless to say, the book doesn't live up to all that - unless you can apply "Get the cheese to sickbay" or "It's a song, you green-blooded Vulcan. You sing it" to your everyday life, in which case your life is different from mine. Not much could live up to such bombast. But "Quotable Star Trek" does showcase a wide variety of moments that have made Star Trek memorable, enjoyable, and uniquely itself. With quotations >from all four series as well as the movies, it's a Trekker's treasure trove that offers hours of enjoyment. Want the text of Kirk's `mechanical rice picker' explanation of Spock's ears? How about Picard's "Ahab" speech? Or Chak's "Angry Warrior" legend? Or an assortment of "Rules of Acquisition"? They're in there, along with hundreds of other references, significant and insignificant, ranging from every variation of "Space, the final frontier...." to the first time anybody ever said "Engage." (It predated Picard's first appearance by 21 years.) If you want to know exactly how something was said, exactly when it was said, exactly what other Voyager and Trek characters had to say on the same subject, this is exactly the book you want. It's also a wonderful choice for strolls down Memory Lane. With this book in hand, you don't have to get out your tapes to relive some of your favorite Trek moments. In fact, it reminded me of a few, like "Learning Curve" or TNG's "The Defector," that I might not have thought of otherwise. The book is divided into 32 chapters by subject, with topics ranging from the specific, such as "Medicine" or "Technology," to the general, such as "Dramatis Personae" or "Personal Favorites." Within each chapter, quotations are organized first by series - TOS, then TNG, then DS9, then Voyager - then by chronology within each series. (DS9 is covered through Season Six, Voyager through Season Four, and the movies through First Contact.) Each section is prefaced by a handsome black-and-white photo of an appropriate character or characters. While the organization, of the book in general and each section in particular, is clear and understandable, some cover choices are annoying. When there are pics of Azetbur (a small role in one movie), Ezri Dax (not even seen on Trek during the period this book covers), Gul Dukat (a villian), two babes from the holodeck beach program, and more Datas than you can shake a circuit at, I think it's irritating that so many regular characters are completely ignored. Voyager no-shows include Chak, B'Elanna, Tom, Kes, and Harry. And it must be said that, while some quotations are inspiring (sf writer Benny Russell [DS9]: "You can pulp a story but you cannot destroy an idea."), some are entertaining (The Doctor to Seven of Nine: "Between impulse and action there is a realm of good taste begging for your acquaintance."), and some actually offer new insights (Spock: "After a time, you may discover that having is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as wanting."), others aren't as impressive. I mean, Janeway didn't exactly originate the concept "As long as you're alive, there's hope," and it seems to me I heard "Nothing's impossible if you want it badly enough" long before I heard it from B'Elanna Torres. And at least a few good lines got missed. In my opinion, no book of great Trek quotes is complete without Worf's "You have dilated ten centimeters. You may now give birth." Even with those quibbles, though, I find this book tremendously entertaining. At $16, it may seem overpriced relative to its length (374 pages), but in terms of reference value, readability, and plain old fun, it's actually not a bad investment. . -Brenda Shaffer-Shiring DELTA QUADRANT 8 An Orion Press Fanzine "Delta Quadrant 8" is another decent offering from Orion Press, a fan-run press that continues to battle against the overwhelming odds of the Internet and a shrinking market. You've got to give credit to Randy Landers and company for their perseverance. Most of the stories here are far superior to anything we've seen on the boob tube of late, so I thought it was worth reviewing this latest collection of Voyager stories. "Your Own Worst Enemy" is a rather odd story about Tom Paris's induction into the Maquis. He is tortured by a Bajoran woman and Seska. It is not especially notable except for the fact that it shows an early version of Seska's mind games. "Initial Standing" is also a Tom Paris story that recounts his first days in the Delta Quadrant. The Maquis crewmembers are beating him up, but Tom doesn't want to rat on them and make things worse for himself. Unfortunately, his silent suffering causes problems with his commanding officers. "A Childless Man" is a sad little reflection about Chakotay and the son that might have been his. Brenda Shaffer-Shiring , who I believe has recently become a new parent, does a fine job of sorting through the troubled thoughts that plague every person when they consider the possibility of having (or not having) children. "The Question" is a finely drawn portrait of the J/C relationship. I normally don't enjoy these stories like I used to, but in this case, Cat Lain does a nice job with Chakotay's anger about the way Janeway's been stringing him along all these years. "A Private Grief" and "Mixed Feelings" both deal with letters from the Alpha Quadrant. In the former case, Chakotay shares his feelings in a series of taut little exchanges with Captain Janeway. I really liked the way Brenda Shaffer-Shiring portrayed the friendship between Voyager's top two officers. In the latter case, Pat Hammer starts off the story in a public venue and moves it to a private setting where Chakotay shares his news with Janeway. Both are fine but very different tellings of the same scenario. "Just Kidding Sir" is an extremely amusing story about Tom Paris's first deep-space posting under Captain Jellico. He and a fellow ensign decide to play a transporter prank on the captain which ends up backfiring big time! I won't ruin the premise by spoiling it here. Suffice it to say that William Vodrey is a talented writer who injects a much needed dose of humor into a genre that often takes itself too seriously. "Naked in the Rain" was OK, but was one of those stories that went on for way too long. Basically, Janeway loses her memory and goes native on an unnamed planet somewhere in the DQ. Chakotay is convinced she's alive, so they go back to find her. I could have done without the cardboard Indian dialogue that plagued this story, as well as the basic premise. This is one J/C story that failed to move me. "Freedom" is an alternate universe story that also didn't cut any mustard for this reader. I am so tired of stories where J/C get together and have children and one of their children is threatened in some way. This story takes place in the future, and the writer has the gall (or the guts) to kill off a major character. "Acapulco Risa" is a B'Elanna story where B'Elanna goes to the holodeck to try and relax. Pointless, but OK. "Endings, Memories, and Letting Go" is a decent story where one of the former Maquis dies under Chakotay's command during an away mission. It causes the first officer to reflect on his dark past. I liked this one quite a bit. It's a painful ride, but well worth the trip. For a show and a character that are so shallow, this story brought a welcome bit of depth. "The New Cook" makes the mistake of thrusting a new character created by the author into the center of the story. It's certainly fine to create new characters, but they shouldn't draw attention away from the regular characters. It's also a difficult feat to make anyone care about an unfamiliar character. In this instance, an alien female (can anyone say Mary Sue) joins the Voyager crew. Her past has damaged her emotionally, and she bonds with Tom and B'Elanna. It's not badly written, but like "Naked in the Rain", its length is inappropriate. "Long Way Home" is a fairly decent story about Paris and Chakotay (calm down C/P fans). Paris is lost during an away mission while under Chakotay's command.....hey, does this sound familiar? Anyway, they think he's dead and we get to root around in Chakotay's brain about the guilt he feels. "A Prayer for the Assimilated" pairs Q with Seven of Nine. He takes her to Wolf 359 so she can revisit what the Borg did to the Federation. It is an interesting story that manages to sneak a familiar TNG character into the mix. "Unforgotten" is Kathryn Janeway's journal entries from that largely forgettable episode from last season called "Unforgettable." You know, the one where Chakotay falls in love with a blonde bimbo of the week, then forgets about her? Since that episode bored me, I was largely uninterested in this story. "Personal Log" is a short story about the "gift" that Arturis gave to the Voyager crew. Once again, Brenda Shaffer-Shiring does a nice job with Chakotay's internal reflections. Short, and very sweet. "A Time for Tradition" takes place at Christmas, and involves Naomi Wildman and Neelix. Although I like this child character, I am not particularly fond of stories with Naomi and Neelix at their center. However, I have to say that it's nice to read a story about something different than the particle or anomaly of the week. All in all, this is another decent collection from Orion Press. If you are thirsting for some summer reading, then you could do far worse than picking up the eighth issue of the Delta Quadrant. -Elizabeth Klisiewicz THE FUNNY PAGES EARTH ANGEL by Sr. Mary Kathryn For a few moments everyone just gazed at the vision on the view screen. From their perspective, it was no larger than a child's marble. It was blue with swirls of white. And it was right in front of them. A tear ran down Chakotay's cheek as he reached across the console and ran a hand down the metal box that had replaced the captain's chair. "We're home, Kathryn." Tom Paris grimaced. He could hardly stand it when Chakotay talked to her. It was almost as if he half expected her to answer back. And today, Paris really wished she could. It was a shame Captain Kathryn Janeway hadn't lived to see the crew return to earth. Fortunately for Janeway, Paris supposed - he had other ideas on the matter - Chakotay had seen to it that she was still with them after all these years. In a coffin. Which he dragged around. All the time. Every morning the bridge crew would watch the turbolift doors, and there would be Chakotay, a little bent over at the shoulder dragging that coffin all the way out of the turbolift and over to where the captain's chair used to be. If there was a meeting of the senior officers, Chakotay sort of propped the coffin up at the end of the oval table. In the mess hall - well, Tom didn't even want to go there any more. And then there was Harry Kim. Every three or four days he had broken Chakotay's sobbing on the bridge with yet another bright idea about how to revive Janeway. At that point, Tuvok always had to strain to be heard over Chakotay's wails as he reminded Harry just how long Kathryn Janeway had been dead and that even if they did revive her, it probably wouldn't be pretty. Then Chakotay, who was usually on his knees hugging Kathryn's coffin by the time Tuvok had finished with the logistics of it all, had to be transported to sickbay for a tranquilizer or two. Once, the Doc had commented that it would have been cheaper if Chakotay had died instead of Janeway, and informed everyone that it cost a whole lot more replicator rations to replicate Chakotay's tranquilizers than it had for Janeway's coffee. And then - Tom remembered and smiled - there was that day ten or fifteen years ago when right out of thin air two men materialized. The crew had watched in astonishment as one went over to the coffin, then turned to the other and said, "She's dead, Jim." Chakotay had just about had a cow when this Jim guy had informed him that he had to take Kathryn with him. Kathryn Janeway was long overdue to tell a story or two at the captain's table, Jim had informed Chakotay. There'd been quite a battle, but when the two men finally decided to dematerialize, Chakotay still had Janeway right beside him, although the coffin did have a dent or two. But B'Elanna assured Chakotay that she could just run a tricorder or two over that metal box and it would be just like new. Without Janeway around getting knocked over the head all the time, the Doc had had a lot more free time on his hands, but B'Elanna couldn't even begin to count the number of nights she'd stayed up fixing the coffin after Chakotay had scuffed it against a corridor wall or knocked it into a console. Once, when he was working on a ladder between the fifth and sixth decks, he'd dropped it all the way to the bottom. That had been a real mess. But it wasn't nearly as bad as the time the transporter had been offline and he'd gotten the coffin stuck in a jeffries tube. But, Tom thought and grinned as he waited for Starfleet's docking confirmation, that was all behind him now. It was behind all of them now. Kathryn Janeway had finally gotten what she wanted. She was home. The rest of them could go on with their lives now. Although, Paris reasoned, a hint of sadness in his eye as he listened to Chakotay tell the captain their plans for their first night back on Earth, going on with their lives was probably going to be harder for some of them than it was for others. But then, Tom figured those were just the breaks. TOP TEN REASONS WHY J&D CAN BE TOGETHER, WHILE J&C CAN'T by Anneke Apperloo 10. On ST:VOY, SHE's the captain (apparently even in the 24th century, it's impossible for a woman to date someone lower in rank - I think this should worry us all...) 9. On B5, there are no holodecks where one can avoid talking to real people 8. Chak's in love with Paris 7. Too much caffeine is bad for the libido (Based on over four years of research, watching ST:VOY - maybe, I should do a PhD on that...) 6. Minbari mating rituals are simply more interesting than Native American ancient legends 5. & 4. BB's probably still a virgin and JT left (well, at least she gave us "Resolutions") 3. On B5, JMS decided what should happen, not the 'bobos' or the actors themselves 2. On ST:VOY, the "Baywatch" crossover took too much screen time However, the NUMBER ONE REASON why J&D can be together, while J&C can't: 1. ST:VOY has a considerably higher budget than B5 - and we all know money doesn't buy happiness! IF YOU LIKE CAPTAIN JANEWAY CLAP YOUR HANDS by IrenÈe Johnson (to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know it") If you like Kathryn Janeway, clap your hands If you like Kathryn Janeway, clap your hands I know this song is odd But if you like her, please just nod If you like Kathryn Janeway, clap your hands The issue of her gender is talked a lot We get the point so please now let's move on It's importance is rather clear Let's give her a rousing cheer Among those guys, she really can hold her own. Let's take a moment to talk about her hair I know you'd rather not, but I don't care I hate it that she cut it And I hate the bun as well But where she sits Is more important than her hair Some say that she is a role model The 4 pips on her collar are really swell That's probably is true But you know what made me drool The kiss with Kashyk, I must admit was cool The TPTB don't do what we want them to So I'll tell you fans what we really otta do Let's lock them all away So the characters will do what we say Perhaps even find a lover for Janeway I know this song can really go on and on But if you didn't like it, you'd be long gone So why don't I say What I really came here to say I truly adore the character, Kathryn Janeway I'll bet you thought this song was at an end I really cannot stop what I began So please don't rant and curse Or even put me in a hearse Ha ha, I made you read just one more verse. TOP TEN REASONS WHY SEASON FIVE VOYAGER IS TEN TIMES MORE INTERESTING THAN SEASON FOUR by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring 10. Okay, so I couldn't think of ten. But who ever heard of a "Top Nine" list? 9. Vive le Maquis! Except for B'Elanna's and Chakotay's rank insignia, we didn't see any sign of the pesky little buggers on Voyager for the last two years. Even the episode where they learned their Alpha Quadrant colleagues had been slaughtered didn't seem to have any lasting effect on anybody. But in "Extreme Risk," we finally saw B'Elanna and Chakotay react to the loss of their comrades. And "Nothing Human" presented a *very* Maquis sensibility, as the former resistance fighters reacted to the (holographic) presence of a Cardassian war criminal. Regardless of how you feel about the Maquis as a group, it's nice to see our favorite crew being a little less monolithic in their outlook. 8. Say hello to the Chief Engineer! Thanks in part to Roxann Dawson's pregnancy, we saw very little of our favorite hybrid Klingon last year. Most of the time we did see her was in romantic scenes with Paris, while Engineering was apparently being run by Seven and Tom. This year, she's very much in evidence, as Chakotay's friend ("Extreme Risk"), and a Maquis ("Nothing Human") - and yes, even as an engineer ("Timeless"). 7. The end of Tommy Terrific. Formerly the most talented guy on the ship (pilot, engineer, *and* medic), and a sweet-tempered fellow loved by all, this year Paris is proving he's still capable of screwing up. Even better, in episodes like "Thirty Days" he's showing more of the temper, and tension, that made him an interesting character in the first place. 6. Paris/Torres moves out of the realm of cheesy romance novels. From the confession-of-love-at-death's-door in "Day of Honor" through the mad-bunny bit in "Scientific Method" to the feeling-confined riff in "Vis-a-Vis," there wasn't a cliche this pair didn't hit in Season Four. In Season Five, the romantic/sexual pyrotechnics have been scaled back, and we see the two of them dealing with the business of making a relationship work. Of course, things don't always work out; in "Extreme Risk" Tom needed some help from Chakotay, who'd sharedB'Elanna's experiences. (Though it's significant that Tom wasn't threatened by the fact that the friend who helped B'Elanna was male.) But the scene in "Thirty Days" where B'Elanna tries to help Tom deal with his conflict with the captain and the Prime Directive, and the bit at the end of the episode where we learn she's waiting to see him - those were terrific. To me, things like that are far more the stuff of love than two people getting it on on a computer console. 5. Seven of Nine is an actual character. With her mighty Borg endowments (which were, of course, amply showcased in her skintight costume), Seven of Nine spent much of last season saving the ship. But for all her heroics, most of what went on seemed to have little impact on her personally. This year, they actually waited until the February sweeps to let her save the ship - believe it or not, *Harry Kim* saved the ship before Seven did! Better yet, in episodes like "Drone," "Infinite Regress," and "Dark Frontier," the talented Jeri Ryan got to prove she can play some emotions other than disdain- and Seven had occasion to reconsider some of her opinions about Borg superiority. And whoever came up with her friendship with Naomi Wildman was inspired. 4. Issues without answers. After watching "Nothing Human," Chuck and I seriously debated the ethics of using research obtained in "war crimes" experiments like those conducted by the Cardassian doctor. (And I learned this was an actual issue after World War II and the Nazi camps.) And, while he and I were of the same mind on this one, I can certainly see people questioning the morality of the Prime Directive after watching "Thirty Days." What was there to discuss after Season Four's "Scientific Method," besides what a heavy-handed tract it was? 3. Chakotay's not such a wuss. With a romantic track record pockmarked by tendencies to fall in love with *way*-wrong women like Seska, Riley, and Kellin, an unfortunate talent for ending up in situations where he could get brainwashed, and a gift for being on the wrong side of every argument he had with Captain Janeway (his position in "Scorpion 2" was at worst debatable - but it's interesting to note he felt obliged to apologize for his actions), Chak hasn't exactly come across as the strongest or most capable guy. But: in this year's "In the Flesh" he adroitly dealt with an alien seductress, to whom he did seem attracted, *without* falling in love with her; in "Night" he capably handled a depressed captain, a restless crew, and an unusual situation; and in "Timeless" he disagreed with Janeway - and was right! And "The Fight" was the first episode in a long time to reveal new, believable facets to Chakotay's character, interesting enough even to wake up Beltran. 2. Janeway's back in command. After spending a year blustering ("Day of Honor," "Year of Hell"), making dubious decisions ("Scorpion," "Random Thoughts"), letting other people - notably Seven - call the shots ("Message in a Bottle," "Hunters"), and spending more time with her holographic playmate than with her own officers ("Scorpion," "Concerning Flight"), the captain is back in control, and looking much more comfortable with both her command and her crew. Though "Night" began with a depressed captain, it ended with one who was able to accept the support of her officers, and come up with a clever resolution besides. In episodes like "Timeless" and "Nothing Human" she had to make difficult decisions, and did. Janeway was secure enough in her command to reverse an earlier decision, in "Latent Images" - and to seize the reins back from a rebellious Paris, in "Thirty Days." In "Counterpoint," she played a tight, superb game of brinksmanship, and stood on principle without resorting to pompousness or windy speeches; in "Think Tank," she outwitted a band of alien geniuses at their own game, again without pompousness or verbosity. And say goodbye, Leonardo - Madame la Capitaine was actually seen joking with her bridge crew in "Latent Images," and flirting with Chakotay in "Timeless." She's capable, intelligent, and relaxed; not only a better leader than before, but also a far more likable person. 1. "Captain Proton" rocks! This homage to the old sci-fi movie serials is easily the coolest holodeck program ever invented. Visually dazzling, stylistically right-on, it boasts screaming damsels, clunky robots, oversized computers, a distinctly Ming-of-Mongoish villian, and (in a perfectly-cast Tom Paris) the requisite clean-cut, square-jawed, white-bread hero. I miss John Rhys-Davies as Leonardo daVinci - but I'll take Janeway as Arachnea, Queen of the Spider People, any day! COPYRIGHT VIOLATION CORNER THE NEW LIFE by Carol Kassie and Michelle Erica Green This epic poem of passion lost and found Derives from Paramount. Sing, Muse, in praise! May spring ratings on UPN rebound, And Dean Valentine give himself a raise. We tell their tale in humble paraphrase, Lest this imperfect parody we write Should violate Viacom's copyright. And should this rhyme royal verse vex the reader, Forfend our good intentions be mistook. Please note that we took our cue from the leader Of Voyager - the Captain's favorite book, Dante's "La Vita Nuova." Go look: The stanzas of his comedy divine Follow this metric pattern line for line. On Janeway and Chakotay we reflect, Voyager's faithful captain and first mate. Has Star Trek seen a couple more perfect, Well-matched in temperament, in valor great, And bonded star-crossed by hand of fate? Yet cruelly has their romance been repressed By hack writers of talent little blessed. When these two met at first, they were opposed. The quarry and the hunter roles they played. She found his rebel ship and she proposed A partnership. He claimed he was betrayed. But when the situation was surveyed A union of their crews was deemed to be The only option that the two could see. This combination did evoke response That shocked and frightened scribes who did travail At Paramount. There was no renaissance. No concession to that spark that might entail The telling of their epic journey's tale As a love song. No, they chose another path That would bring upon them unanticipated wrath. For as we watched the Captain form her crew And as we saw Chakotay take his place We saw our screens light up with fire. We knew What they had wrought had caused us to embrace This heroic pair so lost in space. We sighed and listened as they did entrance Us with a ritualistic lover's dance. Yet has their passion sadly grown lukewarm Here near the climax of this season five. Before doing irreparable harm To these screen characters who once did thrive On chemistry no meek scribe could contrive, We summon the recourse which now does seem The TV standard: make it all a dream. Thus journey with us back to season two, As fondly we imagine the rebirth Of Voyager, had "Basics I & II" Not followed in the footsteps of New Earth. We join our heroes, now knee-deep in mirth And in the muck of Kathryn's garden dirt Where they cultivate vegetables, and flirt. Her thoughts are centered on the night before: His talk of love had taken the disguise Of legendary warriors of lore His truth reflected in obsidian eyes. Her hand that laced with his then signifies Her own admission of her adoration; He is, if truth be told, her sweet salvation. And he, in turn, at play amidst the vines Reflects and smiles upon his good fortune Then asks her with a grin that redefines The beauty of a golden harvest moon, "My love, I have a plan for afternoon. If you would tell me what you think of this I might extract one long-forbidden kiss." 'Midst seedlings of tomatoes of Talax, The flame-tressed lady quickly hides a smile, For lest her guard she too soon should relax, No more with teasing could she then beguile Her warrior faithful to a lover's trial. Thus placing hands upon her slender hips, She speaks: "Chakotay, if you crave my lips, Impress me with this scheme you now concoct, But let there be no talk of skinny-dipping!" Her first mate chuckles. "Captain, I am shocked! Though at your taunting words my heart is skipping, I had thought rather that we might go tripping Through these woods to the river's swollen shore: Like scientists, we shall its banks explore." "Oh dear companion of my forced exile You've found the key that will unlock my heart," And with those words another saucy smile Crosses her features as she does impart Instructions for a navigational chart. But at that very moment as they plan Fate intervenes: the voice of a Vulcan. His monotone invades their idyll sweet With news of a Vidiian fever cure, Intones the nearing time when they will meet, Apologizes for the slight detour, Explains the trial with which they did procure The antidote that might it seems put paid To the lover's game that of late they've played. An end thus to Chakotay's newfound bliss, His heart aches as the comm falls silent. Then, At Kathryn's glance, "You still owe me a kiss," And clasps her hand in fellowship again. For moments he sees only the Captain. But melancholy melts her sterner eyes, And softens her raised lips to his surprise. "My angry warrior, know I cannot give To you alone my heart. I pledged an oath: For my crew have I vowed to die and live, For no one in exchange to plight my troth. Here you stand by my side. Can I have both, Allegiance prior promised of my crew, And the true meaning of peace lodged in you?" "Ah, Kathryn I will not beg you to break A promise made. To ask that of you would Betray us all. My love, I will forsake My dreams of us; my hopes have long withstood All the trials and the obstacles that could Lead to the separation of our lives." She smiles at this and fantasy survives. The sparkling beam of Voy'ger does transport The unrequited lovers as they stand Together in their hearts and yet apart So willing to give in to the demand Of the protocols of their ship's command. But wait, is not the purpose of this verse To compose an alternate universe? Thus back aboard their ship, their hearts united Yet torn asunder by their sacrifice, Knowing their mutual desire requited Yet hopeless after tasting paradise, Each privately determines that the price To keep the protocol they typify Through stiff-necked decorum may be too high. So well past bridge call as he lies in bed With tormented dreams keeping him from sleep, Chakotay's thoughts of what he could have said To draw her near are silenced by a beep. Summoned to the holodeck does he creep, Wherein his lady awaits with a speech. Raising her shapely chin, she does beseech: "My brave and angry warrior, might I ask Of you this question that torments me now: How can we both continue with this masque? My own true love I cannot disavow. I thought to sublimate - to disallow These urges that I find within my heart But cannot find the will to break apart." And here as poets we must interject And point out to the readers we might see... Those of course who enthuse to our subject As well we hope, as The Powers That Be That one can maintain credibility Words can indeed be written, give a glance To add to Trek an aura of romance. Chakotay, noble hero of this saga, Is unafraid romance leads to oblivion- Unlike exec producer Brannon Braga, Who thinks love causes one to act amphibian, And therefore writes sexual stories plebeian For apathetic fifteen-year-old geeks. Kneeling by his captain, the Maquis speaks: "Kathryn, our strength has always been combined, The merger of our joint goal and our will. Should protocol our partnership unbind, I fear our quest for home will come to nil. We have the same committment to fulfill, And since our duty's burdens we must share, Surely we would be stronger as a pair." She nods and her joy now is plain to see. His words and thoughts have base in logic sound: As two they'll better face their destiny When their lives and hearts are together bound. "We'll face the world as one, we will confound Naysayers both on board and in the suits; We'll brook no interference or disputes." With these words Kathryn offers to her love Those lips that he has craved since first he'd seen, That he's been dreaming - fantasizing of Since the moment she appeared on his viewscreen. And at that instant who should intervene? Vulcan Tuvok, his voice a monotone. Chakotay sighs, "It seems we must postpone." Yet after the vow she has just proclaimed, The captain chooses to brook no delay, And before her emotions can be tamed She quickly kisses joyful Chakotay. The warp core breaches! The crew blows away! Just kidding. For although she may see stars, The ship survives their passion with no scars. "Ahem," repeats the pointy-eared intruder, Having heard on the comm their moans and sighs, "Captain, my call untimely may seem ruder Since of a new concern I must apprise: A signal, which our scan identifies As Kazon, has been beamed towards the ship. Its presence may not be a sensor blip." A breathless "On my way." A gentle touch Assures him of the promise of her lips. "You know I must respond to this as such Occurrence any passion must eclipse." This reappearance of Kazon outstrips Any of the needs that might arise >From the look he has glimpsed in Kathryn's eyes. Upon the Bridge the senior staff await Decryption of this unknown transmission. The ship's Captain and her tattooed First Mate Arrive on deck and assume position. They turn to face the Vulcan logician: "Tuvok, have you analyzed the data Contained in this unusual schemata?" Ensign Kim's voice causes a disruption, Heads turn to face the officer at Ops. "Captain, please excuse this interruption But I believe the signal level drops To reveal a beacon pulsing non-stop. The tone and calibration of this beat Leads to the conclusion it is Starfleet." "A Starfleet signature, a Kazon beacon?" This mixed news gives the First Officer pause. Kim's enthusiasm begins to weaken As all gathered officers guess the cause. "I know of only one whose knowledge draws On both Alpha and Delta Quadrant tech: It's Seska's work that interrupts our trek." Seska, nemesis of Janeway's command And thief of Chakotay's own DNA - The senior staff wonders what new demand The traitor's message might wish to convey. "We should ignore it, and be on our way," Chakotay says, expecting threats and taunts. Sighs the captain, "We should hear what she wants." She orders Kim to open a channel, And Seska's image flickers overhead Kim makes small adjustments on a panel So all can hear just what will soon be said. "If you are watching this, then I am dead. But Chakotay, you must these words believe I leave our child for you to retrieve... I know from the Doctor's scans you will think He's Culluh's. But Chakotay, he is yours, I swear. I made a trans-organic link And changed all the bio-genetic scores. Check. You will see your DNA endures." (Aside: Another plot the writers missed - Dramatic opportunity dismissed.) "To find your son, you must head to the heart Of Kazon-Nistrim space. If you explore The nearest sector to you on the chart, You'll find the Hanan system. Hanan Four Is where our son is. An ambassador Who worked for me will take you to the place Where Culluh hid the child from his own race." Chakotay shakes his head. "This can't be true." But Janeway takes him to her ready room. "If we go on without him, I fear you Will burn with doubt that will your thoughts consume. It might be a trap, but we must assume Her son may be your child. If it's true, And you would seek him out, I stand with you." She ponders for a while as he does pace, And then she issues one more directive. She turns to him, a smile upon her face - "I've made a calculation corrective, I believe that this will be effective In determining the truth of Seska's claim: I still assume disruption is her game." She quickly enters some coordinates; He nods. He trusts her instincts once again. He waits, and his hope he subordinates. The she smiles once more and starts to explain: "I questioned a return to that domain And thought that Seska might try to control Our approach to a critical wormhole. I've reversed the figures she transmitted And I have plotted an opposite course If we had followed the route she submitted We'd encounter gravitational force. We must carefully consider the source. There is no child, Chakotay, but instead A way home - and we will not be misled." Chakotay checks the data himself, sees The astronomical figures are clear: The Kazon route is littered with debris, While the wormhole is less than a light year Past the next system. Gravometric shear Could make their trip through dangerous, but he Thinks only of the home they may soon see. The course set for the journey hours hence, The shields enhanced, the thrusters are firing, Inertial dampers set for turbulence, The engineering crew completes wiring For EPS enhancement. It's inspiring To have the end in sight, to know its worth: A last push which could take them back to Earth. A burst of light from the anomaly, Voyager heads once more unto the breach, The ship compressed by forceful gravity, The shields protect the hull against a breach, Till the end of the passage it can reach. To the Alpha Quadrant the ship is thrown... Deep inside the Demilitarized Zone. Now our scribes face a new predicament The Alpha Quadrant. Home is close at hand. How can they incorporate this event Into a ratings triumph and withstand The anger of that very vocal band Of Trek fans who will most surely critique And threaten to stop watching every week. Of course. We'll give them what they want to see: Battle Royale will Voyager now wage With explosions, confrontations, Maquis Warriors, and Cardassians to engage, And this those teen-aged geeks should well assuage. Voyager is already battle-scarred But she enters in the fray no-holds-barred. To their surprise, no Cardassian foe Comes to meet Voyager, nor to engage. It is instead the Captain's private woe When Starfleet orders command that she cage Her dissidents. She puts aside outrage, And calmly tells the admirals that she Will imprison not a single Maquis. Only after this terse communique Do Voyager's aft sensors spring to life: Starfleet had negotiated away The rebel crew's rights, to avert the strife Of further Cardassian struggle, rife With the threat of civilian war. Yet they Had not counted on resourceful Janeway. She gathers her intrepid staff around With total intention of defending All the crew. Her suggestion does astound Them. She says, "Consider the impending Trials that are to come. The never-ending Questions we must answer. An alliance With Cardassia? We'd have little chance. So our options for survival are few. Under no circumstance will I allow Even one single member of this crew To be detained. I made a solemn vow. One time I gave this crew a choice, and now Here is another: To battle our own Kind, or return now to the Delta zone." Before a single crewmember can speak, The ship is rocked by a violent blast. Back to their posts the officers now streak, The viewscreen shows a nightmare from their past: A Cardassian warship, closing fast. Torpedos armed and phasers standing by, Janeway hails the enemy. No reply. A sudden ripple...and the ship is gone! The crew looks to the captain for advice As on the staff it now begins to dawn Their foes are using a cloaking device. The new intelligence is not precise: Does Starfleet know that the Cardassians Seem to have gained the tech of Romulans? "Captain, these readings seem to indicate This cloak is like none we have ever seen. It isn't Romulan; in fact, I'd state That while it could be Borg or even Breen, Recent reports by someone named Bentene Warn Starfleet that their new foe The Dominion Have cloaks which work similarly to this one." "B'Elanna," Janeway hails engineering, "Do we still have the Voth phase shift device?" "Aye, Captain and we have been re-gearing It to our own specs just for this precise Type of situation." Her orders concise Janeway now instructs her crew to engage The enemy. One last fight they must wage. Voyager flies fearlessly in the face Of the Cardassian ship. She prevails As we know she will, with much style and grace. They board the vanquished ship. Chakotay hails The Captain: "I have proof here that entails Evidence the pact that Cardassia made With Starfleet is merely a charade." Janeway quickly contacts Starfleet Command An obvious solution to propose That will allow them to reach their homeland. "I hereby promise you we won't expose That treachery if you will not oppose My crew's re-entry and welcome to Earth. You must surely agree they've proved their worth." Despite some protest from Admiral Ross, Who insists the Maquis must all debrief Before to their home planets they may cross, Headquarters takes these terms, to great relief. While some Maquis express their disbelief, Most of the crew are finally overcome With happiness: they've done it. They are home. Escorted through the Alpha Quadrant by An honor guard led by the Enterprise, To the Sol system Voyager will fly Until it orbits high above Earth's skies, Where the familiar oceans mesmerize The captain, waiting in her ready room With her first officer in dress costume. "You've done it, Kathryn. You have brought us home." "We have done it, Chakotay. Together." "What now, Kathryn? Now we no longer roam Through the Delta Quadrant and the nether Regions of deep space, dare I ask whether We have a future?" She reaches up to Gently trace the outline of his tattoo. "I cannot see a future without you." She whispers her reply. He gathers her Into his arms. (Our tale is almost through. We insert this scene for each J/Cer Who has hoped for this image to occur For lo these many years.) They proceed! And for once there is no-one to impede! Well, almost no one. For just as her lips Slide over his, and just as his warm palm Smooths down her back and strokes across her hips While she returns the gesture without qualm, Relaxing in the solitude and calm That let her be more daring with her hands Which he with only kisses reprimands, A shrill sound interrupts their loving bliss, Making them stop and shudder with frustration. A call from Starfleet she cannot dismiss Formally calls them to the celebration To honor them and offer acclamation. This final duty must they now perform; Then each can strip out of the uniform. All Starfleet brass are gathered in the square, Voyager's crew stands tall for inspection, Captains, Commanders, Admirals all there. Not one of them has had an objection To Janeway's most passionate protection Of her melded crew. All are commended, Each needed formal pardon extended. Admiral Necheyev speaks at long length Of Starfleet's welcome, pride, and gratitude. Janeway's fleeting thought is "Give us the strength To face this final test." A last platitude And eventually the remarks conclude. They are free to go. This Trek is complete. But stay...what of our lovers so discreet? Some quick communiques to family, Some hugs for friends, a few tearful goodbyes, The Captain and Commander finally Make their escape. Now they can fraternize! Regrettably, this poem cannot apprise The reader of their means of celebration, Which would betray our circumspect narration; Suffice to say that when she takes the conn While he drops shields, gives the nacelles a lift, Breaching the hull with his equipment on A course to penetrate the subspace rift, Their homecoming is ecstatic and swift. Exeunt! Now our hero and heroine We leave in peace, only to imagine That they will return quickly to their ship To explore further the vast galaxy, After embarking on a secret trip To honeymoon...we're betting they marry, And if you dare suggest this is sappy, We must agree that you are likely right, Since this is lyric poetry we write. Now we have proven beyond any doubt With this epic tale in iambic rhyme The theory that all Trekkers won't freak out If relationships are forged in prime time. Technobabble, evil aliens, space crime Are included-next tim, supernova- And in the scan of "La Vita Nuova." So ends our saga of Trek and passion Our journey to another universe In which we have attempted to fashion A situation in which we reverse The minds of all Powers That Be adverse To the pairing of Star Trek and Romance For fear it will the ratings not enhance. To UPN we issue this challenge: Program for those television viewers Who are far beyond the age of Stonehenge. You might find then that Star Trek reviewers, Along with fansand network renewers, Will indeed begin to watch and will raise Voices to Paramount. Sing, Muse, in praise. SOMEDAY, KATHRYN By Veronica Jane Williams Someday, Kathryn, you will forget that the sky was once blue. You will forget that yellow daffodils could make you wish for days of golden sunshine. You will forget that you could see the universe in a single molecule. The world will pass you by, with all its wonders, all the promise of red dawns. All the promise of hazy evenings you could walk along the shores of the lake, hand in hand with your friend, your beloved. Someday, Kathryn, you will forget you had friends, you will forget the men and women who were close to you. Who wanted you to take some time out. To remember that you are a woman with a heart, a soul. To remember that more than wanting to take them home, that you could find the simple pleasure of their company. That more than wanting to claim the ship as yours, and the crew your people, that you remember that the ship is your home and the crew your family. That more than wanting to die for you, that you remember they want to live for you. Someday, Kathryn, you won't be able to expiate the guilt that consumes you. That corrodes your being. You will forget that you have loved ones, right here, on this ship who want to share that burden with you and make it a little lighter to bear. Someday you will forget your very words you uttered so long ago: we are a family and all adversity we can conquer because we know that value of standing together. Of sharing pain, disappointment, that sharing pain we lesson its impact. Someday, Kathryn, you will forget the things you and I once shared. You will forget that once a warrior pledged his undying love, his undying support and devotion. You will forget the moments we shared, when we thought there was no world that could separate us, that nothing could keep us apart. That when my fingers laced through yours on that fateful night we shared our innermost feelings, without utterances of love, that those would be but dross blowing away in the wind. You will forget I held you in my arms, and comforted you when all around us the storm raged. You will forget the exquisite moment you held the first of the little tomatoes born from your hands and fingers, and held it to my lips. The moments your fingers touched my lips and you closed your eyes, wondering how you could let the moment last forever. Someday, Kathryn, you will lose one by one the respect you once commanded from those around you. You will forget that you were once human, soft and warm, amiable and willing to be what the crew wanted you to be. Their guide, their stay. We have traveled thousands of light years, braved almost insurmountable odds, met wondrous and strange peoples from strange new worlds. Yet all of those have melted away from your memory, and all that is left is a hard shell that once was Kathryn. Someday, Kathryn, you will understand these words, when all that we do, we do out of duty. When all that we are, we are out of compassion, when all that we were, we will be no more. For you have become someone else, Kathryn. Someone I don't know. Someone who walks the corridors of this ship and no more stops by to talk to this officer, or that ensign. You have cloistered yourself away from us, out of guilt. You live in darkness and let darkness be your guide. You think you are alone when you are not. You think that this decision or that decree breaks down and chips away inch by inch at your resolve to remain strong. So you fight not your guilt, but let it conquer you. You fight not isolation, but let it master you. Your fight not your loneliness but let it drive you to become hard, resolute, implacable, feared. Someday, Kathryn, I would like you remember the things you once were. Remember New Earth and the peace that settled around you. Remember that you almost died once, and I cried holding your still body in my arms. Remember that we went sailing and drank champagne. Remember that we laughed, remember that we were free of bonds, remember that you werehuman. Yes, someday I would like you to remember that you are a woman, Kathryn, and not just Captain. For now, my Kathryn, I don't see what you once were. I just remember. It remains in my memory as a treasure. You have changed so much, I hardly recognize Kathryn under the skin of the Captain. Yes, you will forget that the sunrise can be the most beautiful thing you see, you will forget sunsets that turned the sun into balls of golden light. You will forget the smell of roses, forget the beauty that lies in all things. Someday, Kathryn, all you will be is Captain Janeway. That someday, Kathryn, as I see it, I have lost my beloved. That someday, Kathryn, is here, now. ALL ABOUT NOW VOYAGER Greetings from the Kate Mulgrew Appreciation Society, KMAS Inc., a Maryland non-profit corporation. We're at P.O. Box 88341, Carol Stream, IL 60188-8341, and online at KMASinc@aol.com. KMAS Inc. is Kate Mulgrew's official fan club. Current yearly dues are $25/U.S., $30/Canada-Mexico, $40/Overseas (U.S. bank funds only). Send Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope for information including copies of our submission guidelines or bylaws, or $5 for a sample issue of Now Voyager. E-mail us for the electronic edition of this quarterly newsletter. Now Voyager is on the World Wide Web at http://members.aol.com/nowvoy/. This newsletter 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. PHOTO AND ART CREDITS* *Many apologies for the lack of credits in these last two issues. We seem to have worked out the bugs in producing a newsletter via cyberspace (with contributions from all over the world), but we're still working out the bugs with attachments. They're coming through clear now, but without the artists' names attached, and many times deadlines do not permit us to track them down. We will be solving this problem before the next issue, and will have a page of "back credits" at that time. Thank you for your patience and for sharing your incredible talents with like-minded fans! ____________________________________________________ KMAS INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michelle Erica Green, President Joan Testin, Vice President Beth Schuman, Secretary Connie Bell, Treasurer Paul Anderson, Assistant Secretary Donna Christenberry, Assistant Editor Peter Castillo, Legal Advisor Jeanne Donnelly, Charity Coordinator Sashi Alexandra German, Newsletter Coordinator Cheryl Zenor, Web Designer NOW VOYAGER STAFF Erin Blalock, Membership Director Nancy Molik, Convention Coordinator Lauren Baum, Treasurer Emeritus Member of The National Association of Fan Clubs