NOW VOYAGER The Official Newsletter of the Kate Mulgrew Appreciation Society * Volume I Number 6 [Photo of Kate at Four Captains Dinner] THE BUZZ Happy holiday season, folks! This issue marks the conclusion of Volume I (people keep asking me when we get Volume II Number 1, so I figured I'd let you all know that). We put the first issue together in February but didn't actually get it to people until March last year, so we've been working at a pretty fast clip to get six issues done in 1995; next year and henceforth they'll be out the end of January, March, May, July, September, and November, barring some weird situation like UPN changing the schedule again! If anyone had told me when I started this newsletter that I'd do a Christmas issue, I would have screamed--a nice Jewish girl like me?--but that's what this installment turned out to be. (We refer to #1 as "the we-love-Janeway issue," #2 as "the feminist issue," #3 as "the issue with all the trivia," #4 as "the first-season wrap-up issue," and #5 as "the J/C issue," so since we've inadvertently been doing theme issues, what the hell.) We got a couple of fantastic Christmas-related stories and a review of Roots: The Gift, so it just seemed meant to be. Plus we're giving you Robert Beltran as a present. Becky, our intrepid membership secretary, managed to snag an interview with him at Vulkon after pulling on some connections. Sometimes people ask me whether it's worth all the work putting this newsletter out, and I can say conclusively: yes, because people send me photos like the drool-inducing 8x10 of Robert Beltran and the classy pictures of the four captains at the gala in Dallas, which are in this issue for everyone's enjoyment. On this page, for we present a contrast in styles. Kate is looking elegant and lovely as she speaks before a high-paying crowd in Dallas, while Robert is wearing a "You want me to sign a lizard?" expression in the autograph line in Ft. Lauderdale (note the Now Voyager business card barely visible on the table in front of him...thank you, Diane, for publicizing us...) Next issue we have an interview with Robert Picardo, whom many Now Voyager members were privileged to see at Farpoint in Baltimore last month; he was charming and hilarious, and we've delighted that he spoke to one of our freelancers. We're also expecting reports from visitors to the set and con-goers around the country, and (now that she's gotten The Tattooed One out of her system) our membership secretary will be hard at work on our membership directory. So we have lots of good stuff coming up! Michelle [Photo of Robert Beltran at Vulkon] ALL ABOUT NOW VOYAGER Welcome to the officially sanctioned Kate Mulgrew Appreciation Society. This newsletter is published bimonthly by Michelle Erica Green and Paul Anderson. You can reach us online at tigger@cais.com. Send SASE for information or $5 for sample issue, or e-mail us for the electronic edition. Current yearly dues, $25/U.S., $32/Canada-Mexico, $40/Overseas (U.S. funds only), are subject to change without notice as rising printing and mailing costs affect our ability to produce this newsletter. This is a not-for-profit, amateur publication and is not intended to infringe upon the rights of Paramount Pictures or any other broadcasting or motion picture corporation. All material herein is copyrighted by the authors, except for the copyrights, trademarks, and patents of Paramount Pictures and its licensees. You may not reproduce any part of this newsletter without written permission of the editors and/or writers. If you received this newsletter electronically, you may not forward it, excerpt any part of it, post the illustrations, nor disseminate it in any other manner without permission of the editors. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editorial staff, Kate Mulgrew, or Paramount Pictures. Look for Now Voyager on the World Wide Web at: http://umbc8.umbc.edu/~mpanti1/kate/kate.html. REVIEWZZZZZZZZ PROJECTIONS Really good episodes of Star Trek usually have one of three effects on me: they make me cry, think, or laugh out loud. So far this season, we've had one of each. The crew's loyalty to their Captain in "The 37s" brought a tear to my eye; Chakotay's reaction to the Kazon initation ritual made me think. "Projections" made me laugh out loud. This stands out among Voyager episodes so far in that it could only have been a Voyager episode. This scenario would never have worked on any of the other Trek series--you'd never see anyone on TNG attack an enemy with a wire whisk or whack someone with a frying pan. Nor would you ever have a crewmember attempt to delete his or her mates with a voice command, or kneel down and give a long treatise about flesh and blood vs. light and energy. At last, we're beginning to see scenes writen solely for these characters, even if they were only part of the Doc's holographic delusion. Self-reflexivity has never been one of Trek's strong points, but Voyager seems to dwell on its own nature frequently. The, "Oh, look! Another nebula!" discussions in "The Cloud" signalled the beginning of this trend; "Projections" brings it up again by telling us the Voyager is really just a holographic simulation and that our heroes aren't lost in space at all. The flashback to "Caretaker" was a brilliant self-reflexive touch that definitely made me giggle--and think. As usual, Robert Picardo was a hoot as the Holodoc, complemented well by Dwight Schultz's Barclay. I was skeptical when I heard he was going to do a Voyager guest shot; Barclay was never one of my favorite characters. But watching Barclay and the Doc together had me in stitches; a couple of walking neuroses discuss the nature of existence. Wonderful stuff! Finally, "Projections" actually ended, it didn't just stop, as so many of its predecessors have. Most of the loose threads were tied up neatly, and there was even time for a final smirk at the Holodoc, reminiscent of so many last-joke-on-the-Bridge scenes from the original series. This is great stuff; I hope the rest of the season shapes up this well and continues to make me laugh, cry, and think. --Laura A. Williams In a word, the holodeck is the living embodiment of that most heinous of literary crimes--the plot contrivance. Much like the "imaginary stories" of the early Superman comic book days, the holodeck lets the writers get away with anything and without paying the price. Characters die and come back to life. Holocharacters both can and cannot hurt you. Laws of nature work and do not work. In the holodeck, the hero can win, even while the villain is winning. The only losers are the audience. Nevertheless, in "Projections," the holodeck idea works--perhaps because the doctor is a hologram, the holographic world is something that we can suddenly identify with. Because he has become important to us, the phony, Alice-In-Wonderland world takes on meaning. Chakotay is speaking for the audience when he says of the Holodoctor, "he's our friend and we want him back." Modeled after the spirit of some of the better TOS episodes, "Projections" begins with the quality of a genteel nightmare and never loses it. Even the levity of Neelix's appearance and the comedy of Dwight Schultz serve only to put an edge on the Holodoc's journey to holohell, in large part due to excellent acting on the part of all and Picardo in particular. If the last two episodes seemed to drag in comparison to what we've gotten used to, "Projections" more than made up for it. It seems as though the writers were told that everybody' would need to be in this episode and everything needs to be on fast forward. Paris and Kim, B'Elanna and Janeway, Neelix and Kes, Chakotay and Barclay all whirl around the doctor like leaves in an autumn gale. He's confused--we're confused, and when Janeway tells the computer to end the simulations and disappears herself--well, it's quite a moment. For those who remember him from the good old days of The A-Team, it's always a pleasure to see Schultz (a.k.a.Mad Dog Murdoch). The scene where he slaps Zimmerman and gets slapped back is high comedy on the part of both actors. Barclay's initial urge to escalate the slap and then backing down and trying to be reasonable is a classic; another victim of the Troi sensitivity training course. Kes' part in the drama is particularly well handled, for it plays off of a certain unconscious coyness that has become part of her character. I for one was fooled in the end [before the real end] when her seemingly innocent banter about the doctor's calling her beautiful ends up sending him back into the nightmare. Kate Mulgrew played her role with tremendous subtlety. There's a vaguely dreamlike quality to the captain throughout the episode. She is Janeway, and yet... At the end, I felt somewhat like Barclay in TNG's "Ship In A Bottle," wanting to say: "Computer, end program," just to make sure. And why destroy the ship? Actually, I feel that even this is more than just a plot contrivance to add a little dramatic tension to the plot. There is a nihilistic quality to the holodoctor that has shown up more than once. Note his continuing concern that the crew might forget to shut him off in a hopeless catastrophe. Note the constant need to remain busy. The Holodoctor has a definite sense of loneliness, a feeling of being set apart in every measurable sense leading to rather petty attempts to define a personal territory. His entire world, from first memories onward, center on Voyager, and yet he does not have any real place there. Turned off and on at the whim of others, his existence is played out in a world over which he has no control. That others might share those feelings of powerlessness would never occur to him. For all of us, the frustration born of being born into a universe we did not plan is simply part of being alive (one we usually avoid thinking about). For the Holodoctor, that sense of frustration will always be too large to ignore. His constant complaining over trifles is a refection of this hopeless constant battle. He wastes most of his mental energy dealing with it, with nothing left over to cope with smaller things such as a messy sickbay or being handed the wrong type of tricorder. [Projections photo] Through the illusion of Barclay, "Zimmerman" has his first taste of the power he perceives in his human shipmates, and like most sips of power, the temptation is to drink too deeply. I could almost feel his satisfaction at being able to delete Paris from the malfunctioning 'simulation.' Going on to delete Kim was hardly a surprise. Is it really all that amazing that a thinking being, bedeviled with constant thoughts of personal helplessness, would turn to thoughts of destroying the very universe in which he feels imprisoned? Of course, nothing is resolved. The dilemma of the Holodoctor's reality/unreality is far too profitable to let it find a peaceful end. Like Mr. Spock, the duality of the doctor's nature will remain tantalizing and forever beyond solution. For Spock the temptation to draw inward was always the danger. For the doctor, the temptation is simply to take advantage of the Captain's kind offer to allow him to shut himself off. In the end [the real end] it is Kes who makes him wonder again if his definitions of himself are real, if the luxury of self-control might not be the real illusion. The thorny, confusing and frustratingly beautiful world that Kes represents is almost certainly as bad as the eternal loneliness of remaining an emergency program. Hence, Star Trek continues to pave the way toward a heightened moral awareness of the rights and problems of artificial life forms. Data presented the most superficial kind of concerns. Ultimately we should and we will get beyond the basic problem of recognizing the thought processes, the life behind the metal or synthetic skin. Beyond that are questions as old as civilized thought, played out again in minds that are mirrors of our own. For those minds the questions will be no easier or less disturbing, the questions that try an algorithm's soul. To be or to recompile? That is the question. --Richard Hanson Simply put, this was an excellent episode! It had everything, a tight story, good acting, and great characterization! When Brannon Braga is good, he is really good! The story had a mysterious beginning and kept me guessing as to what was going on. There were no wasted scenes. Everything contributed to the sense of confusion and paranoia. That people we have come to know and admire might all be holographic projections is not a pleasing thought. I just hope that the producers don't use the old "it was all a dream" trick to get out of actually getting the ship home. The episode made for an excellent mystery; time went very fast, and the ending was shocking to me. I could not tell who was real and who was not. So when the Doc is lying in sickbay and it turns out to be another simulation, I was aghast. The characterization was quite good. The Doctor was very real and chock full of personality. He of course was his usual sardonic self; his comment about Janeway's compassion was hilarious. We get to see a bit more of Chakotay's philosophy about people, he was quite compelling in his defense of the Doctor as a living being even if a hologram. Neelix is absolutely hilarious in this episode. When the Doctor is transferred to the mess hall, he finds Neelix fighting the Kazon and screaming "Take that, you Kazon pusshog." This is the absolute funniest line in the entire show, but he is not just used for comic relief: he shows himself to be an effective fighter. The other characters don't have as much to do in this episode. Picardo did an excellent job of showing the Doctor's confusion about what was going on. He hinted at the Doctor's desire to be human. Dwight Schultz was quite good as the holographic Barclay. showing how Barclay would act without the nervous tics and stammering. But he still retained that special endearing quality that makes me adore Barclay, warts and all. Now to a pet peeve of mine: Janeway's hair. The producers have been playing around with various styles. When we saw "Caretaker" she had reddish blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun. Now in the recreation of these scenes, Janeway had her current hair style, the bigger bun. You know what I think? Her hair is a changeling. Every morning, she gets up and puts the gelatinous glob on top of her head and tells it, "Today, I want a slightly larger bun with light brown hair.". Overall, an excellent episode. If the writers can keep this up, the show will pull up from the quality of the first season. --Shalini Gupta "Projections" is another well written holographic doctor episode. There is no doubt in my mind that the Doc is one of the favorite characters of the writers. Going within his holographic program and creating a "holographic delusion" storyline reminds me of some of the episodes from TNG with Data in the holodeck. There is little doubt that the Doc and Robert Picardo are quickly becoming as dear to Voyager writers and fans as did Data and Brent Spiner. This episode brings the viewer along through the twists and turns of an apparent fatal attack on the ship and abandonment of the crew. We are sad with the Doctor's apparent situation being the only crewmember unable to leave the ship; we feel the loss of his friends and colleagues. Picardo does an excellent job of portraying the usually gruff doctor's melancholy acceptance of his situation. The rest of the cast and crew are of only minor importance in this episode. This practice of single character focus in an episode is one that I find a bit overdone; I would much rather see the character developement played out in relation to the other characters rather than by focusing solely on one character. Picardo is a fine actor, and his scenes and episodes are always superb; however, I think he has gotten far more attention and screen time than some of the other characters. Since the beginning of this new season, we have learned little in regards to the backgrounds of the people aboard the starship. I had hoped that in the early second season episodes we would begin to get filled in much more than we have. The plot in "Projections" kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. I was fooled by the "false resolution" even though I am usually able to catch that convention when it comes down. The action and suspense was well done and the acting was fine. The only thing that let me down about this episode is that the rest of the crew doesn't get this great of attention from the writers. --Siobhan Wolf ELOGUIM First reaction: The most jaw-droppingly amazing episode in the history of the franchise. Two plotlines for the price of one, linked by the, um, most powerful of natural urges. Chakotay spots two hapless crewmembers liplocked in the turbolift, gets his panties in a wad, and tries to get the captain to declare a "no kissing" rule. Can you spot the hidden motive in the flirtatious First Officer's fussiness? Janeway cops to the challenge and chirps coyly about crew cohabitation while batting her baby blues--on the bridge! Chew on that, Chakotay! The Voyager looks for a hazard to charge into, and finds a giant blob of ejaculate in space. Sets the tone! So they swim around in that for a while, pretending not to notice the obvious--golly, what are those little wiggly things? Meanwhile, Kes gets hungry and wants to make babies! Neelix envisions dirty diapers. They ask a Vulcan and a hologram for advice, but Kes decides that her career as a medical trainee/horticulturalist/telepath/assistant cook/pilot distraction must come first. Still, Janeway discusses the birds and the bees in a head-to-head over steaming soup bowls! Chakotay blows hard to cool his off. Does he regret having broached the subject at all? No, he's getting warmer, and uses the phrase "sexual attraction" wherever possible for the rest of the episode! Voyager wriggles out of an embarrassing predicament by catering to the perverse whims of the biggest flying gonad you ever saw. Check it out, if only to hear Tuvok say, "Captain, we appear to have lost our sex appeal." Janeway demonstrates she's not afraid of harassment lawsuits, and Chakotay seems a lot more cheerful than he was in the teaser! What's his next move? Looking for that "Naked Now" virus? Rigging the turbolift to get stuck between decks? Tune in for the next arousing episode of "Soap Trek: Voyeur"! [Eloguim photo] Considered reaction: A curious property of Voyager episodes is that they frequently seem better on second viewing. To my surprise, "Eloguim" fell into that category. It would have been difficult to do a show on sexuality without that comedic element, which is overdone and takes the immediate focus. But the exploration of parenthood, so often divorced from sexuality on TV, has a depth unprecedented on Star Trek. Kes undergoes a frightening physical change when she enters her fertile period, and must make a momentous decision while her body is in turmoil. She is unprepared, as is Neelix, the prospective father; as one Net poster put it, she faces teenage pregnancy and menopause at the same time--either she has a child while still a child herself, or never reproduces at all. Ocampan physiology has been contrived for plot purposes and the biological implications do not stand up to logic, but the dilemma has resonance for women in all stages of life. Jennifer Lien does a wonderful job with scenes ranging from incoherent panic to slapstick to aching indecision. Kes is at first certain she wants a child, and Janeway has werewithal not to interfere in the decision. Neelix has doubts about fatherhood and discusses them with Tuvok. The contrast of the bubbly Talaxian with the reserved Vulcan, grieving for his distant children, made an extraordinarily moving scene. Each man speaks of fatherhood in his own way. Tuvok sees it as a great responsibility with rewards beyond those of logic. Neelix thinks of passing on his knowledge to a son, is reminded that he may have a daughter, and falls in love with her before she exists. His disappointment at Kes' decision not to conceive shows that he has realized the great potential of parenthood. The captain has concerns about the quality of life for children on a starship, but has begun to think of Voyager's journey as long-term, although she declares her intention to get home before her lover gives her up for dead. That has the ring of bravado, and is a poignant reminder that as far as anyone in the Alpha Quadrant knows, the crew of the Voyager are indeed dead. Their lives must re-form around the idea that they may be spent in space. The often-hinted attraction between Janeway and Chakotay became far more obvious with this episode. What had been a gentle tap on the shoulder is now a baseball bat to the noggin. Every scene between captain and first officer rippled with innuendo, some of it in the script, but mostly in the details of performance. Each seemed aware of the pitfalls of romance on the bridge, but could not help the looks and smiles, nor resist the spontaneous question and the suggestive quip. It is to be hoped that after dropping this bombshell, the producers will be willing to let the thread develop naturally. Artificially forcing the two apart or throwing them together in some contrived fashion would be a mistake. The potential for a well-handled relationship between these characters is breathtaking. The rules of command protocol, the natural opposition of the Starfleet regular and the Maquis rebel, the different styles and personalities of the captain and first officer war against a manifestly powerful physical attraction and a deep respect for each other's abilities and integrity. The dance of courtship should take a long time. I hope. --L.R. Bowen I don't get it. For days now I've been overhearing fans talk about all the innuendo in this episode. I was shocked once I looked up the word "innuendo" and forced myself to understand what it means. You really want me to believe that this episode was about something other than a race of space-dwelling life-forms who wanted to show their affection for each other and for the Voyager? I just don't get it. Let's take a closer look at "Eloguim." Perhaps I can convince you of its total innocence. Take the incident in the turbolift. A fresh-faced young officer shows camaraderie for his crewmate by giving her a little peck. Chakotay, our fine, upstanding First Officer, observes the display of admiration and worries that it was indiscreet. He expresses his concerns to the Captain, who tells him people will eventually "pair off" during their long journey. The moral Chakotay voices his reticence about this sort of coupling, and asks the Captain if she will participate in any extracurricular activity. It is a question born of idle curiosity; Chakotay, upright man that he is, would never extend such an invitation to her himself. And when his eyes flicker from her face to her hair and back again, he is searching for an honest, guileless response. He is in no way wondering how to free the tresses and cause them to fall around her shoulders. In response, Janeway reaffirms her devotion to Mark and gives her first officer a look of profound respect and trust as the conversation ends. No innuendo there, obviously. Together in Janeway's ready room, the two command officers discuss the possiblity of having children aboard the Voyager. Chakotay seizes on the idea with enthusiasm, noting that eventually they will need replacement crew on the ship. What a practical man! He has the best interests of the crew at heart, as always, never once wondering about his own status as a potential genetic donor. Janeway wonders aloud what life for a child on the Voyager would be like, stating the needs for schools and child care and the massive commitment they would have to make. She looks to her First Officer for support and guidance, without the slightest hint of speculation as to his fitness to be the father of her children. Chakotay's discussion of "sexual rivals" has sparked some debate. Clearly he is merely stating his opinion about the behavior of the space-dwelling life-forms, nothing more. Surely he does not feel like a sexual rival himself at this point. And if he did feel likesomeone's rival, for whose attention would he be competing? Seska is long gone, and we know he is far too virtuous to want to pursue a social relationship with his captain. Furthermore, I do not believe he is going to roll over and turn blue at any time in the near future. Finally, Janeway's comment about mating advice to Chakotay is an honest evaluation of his knowledge of xenobiology, and a promise that in the future all questions about the reproductive behaviors of various races will be referred to him. Janeway makes the statement with surprised delight at the discovery of Chakotay's hidden talents. His sweet, ingenuous, almost bashfully childlike smile confirms the innocence of the exchange. I will agree, however, that there were tense moments in the episode when I thought perhaps there was something more going on than meets the eye. The Doctor's discussion with Kes, for example, while he massaged her feet. That was pretty racy, wasn't it? --Laura A. Williams [Eloguim photo] With any group that fins itself lost and faced with the prospect of a lifetime to reach home, the problem of mortality and procreation must become a factor. Though it may be unlikely that many of the Voyager crew have come to terms with the prospect of their own mortality at this time, it is certain that thoughts of companionship and procreation have surfaced. "Eloguim" does an excellent job of exploring the dilemma faced by Captain Janeway and crew and the moral and ethical ramifications the dilemma entails. Jennifer Lien does an incredible job portraying Kes' life changes and the accompanying problems she faces because of them. It is great to see Kes having a full range of emotions rather than the oft-seen placidity. The alien characters are overdue for more depth. Thankfully, we also get to see Neelix in a role other than that of the clown. His scene with Tuvok is touching and adds a richness to his character that has been missing. Paralleling the mating behavior inside the ship with the mating behavior going on with the space beings works very well. It is good to see Chakotay getting some more screen time and a more significant role. It is ironic in some ways that the former Maquis is the one to bring to the Captain a concern for creating regulations about fraternization. Janeway comes through as a true feminist heroine when she informs her First Officer that she cannot dictate reproductive decisions to the members of her crew. Throughout the episode, Kate Mulgrew holds her own with her portrayal of Janeway. She has established her leadership role firmly yet with sensitivity. I think this episode should be looked at as one of the bright spots of this second season. I hope to see the writers continue this all-inclusive use of cast and crew in episodes to come. The treatment of moral and ethical issues has to surface if this series is going to stand up to its predecessors; I believe "Eloguim" is a great start. --Siobhan Wolf "Kes is in heat! She must have a child! Who is the father?" Sounds like an episode of Melrose Place, doesn't it? This is what the folks who put together the next-week-on-Voyager previews gave us to work with for "Eloguim", and it didn't sound promising. For one thing, when Trek writers are given women characters to work with, their first thought seems to be "let's write them storylines about getting pregnant!" Come on, guys, you're writing for the supposedly egalitarian 24th century, not an Afterschool Special. The fact that women have uteruses (or other equivalent reproductive organs) doesn't mean you have to bring it up every other minute...how many episodes have there been about men and their prostates? Sometimes it makes me wish there were a few guys from "Alien Nation" on board. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a well-written episode, with interesting plots with wide ramifications and thoughtful discussions about the practical considerations of being on a 75 year journey, which it's high time they started dealing with. In a nutshell, Kes prematurely goes through the Ocampan equivalent of puber ty (the eloguim) due to particle-of-the-week influence and must have a child now if she is ever going to. Neelix reluctantly decides to become the father (and subsequently gets kind of excited about it) but Kes then realizes she's acting rashly and decides against it. The B plot was a ship-in-jeopardy about a bunch of plankton that think Voyager is real hot stuff and begin attaching themselves to it as they would to a potential mate. Voyager escapes using tactics any gorilla knows, and life goes on. There were many other finer points to sink our teeth into. For the J/C crowd, myself included, this episode almost triggered a meltdown. As they discuss what they should do about crew fraternization and the possibility of the need for procreation to provide replacement crew, the old sexual tension gets thicker than pea soup (great for keeping warm on cold Alaskan nights). And that look he gave her when he asked if she would pair off with anyone? I thought my heart might just stop. Also we learned quite a bit more about Tuvok's family during a great exchange between him and Neelix concerning parenthood... seems he has three sons and a daughter. They wisely avoided dragging Paris and his raging libido into it, and the scene where Holodoc was massaging Kes' feet was priceless (if you have to ask, don't). The question of how the Ocampa managed not to die out if each woman can only bear one child came up frequently on the Net and I wondered that myself...the only thing I can come up with is that multiple births are the norm, and Kes was going to surprise poor old Neelix. I honestly think the writers just didn't think of it. And once again, we see that Kate doesn't feel she has to act ramrod stiff and distant in order to be an effective captain...thank God. Hairstyle Alert: It seems Ensign Wildman and Kate go to the same hairdresser! Is this the new Federation fad? Buns of steel? [Eloguim photo] Best Trek Moment: Tuvok and Neelix discussing the differences in rearing a daughter versus a son. Memorable Quote: Tuvok: "It seems we have lost our sex appeal." Sexually Slanted Line O' the Episode: Auuggh! Too many possibilities! I'm going with Janeway to Chakotay (who else): "The next time I need advice on mating behavior, Commander, I'll know where to turn." How about some field research, nudge nudge wink wink. --Lori Summers The idea of writing an episode around a particular theme is not a new idea with Voyager. This particular episode, like certain Sesame Streets, is brought to you by the letter 'P'--P for Procreation, that is. While it's true that a long voyage in space, like all long voyages, conjures images of pairing off and all that such activity might entail, we're in deep space now--please add a healthy dose of Alien to the recipe and stir until the plot thickens. Kes faces a dilemma which adds one more sadness to an already heavy lot. Here she is, a short-lived Ocampan, only one of her kind within a parsec, etc. Her best friend is a holographic projection, and her consort looks like a cross between Rick Moranis and a porcupine. She's doomed to die young, and now we learn that she has only one shot at passing the genetic baton. When is someone going to cut Kes a break? Maybe Ocampans find looking like something out of The Exorcist physically exciting. Personally, I found that moment when Kes came running to Janeway in sickbay just a little frightening; I wasn't sure whether Kes was going to embrace the captain or just eat her. To whom does this frightened, lonely girl have to turn for advice concerning her future? The irony of the Holodoctor being her only refuge has got to be just as intentional as Neelix needing to have a man-to-man with Papa Tuvok. And what about Tuvok? It's obviously turning into a tradition to have sage commentary on the human condition dished up by wise men with pointy ears. In an age of rampant overpopulation, is it mere chance that Tuvok thinks most parents shouldn't be parents? If the ever so calculating Vulcans could come to such a conclusion, what the heck are we doing wrong? Best line of the show...Tuvok, "We seem to have lost our sex appeal." It did get lost in there, didn't it? Anyone who still believes that sex and romance are inseparable should be locked in a room and forced to watch 'Eloguim.' 'P' is for 'Problem.' From Kes' dilemma to the Ensign's apologetic announcement, there is not one uplifting commentary on this fundamental biological act, unless it is the wonder of what is happening all around the ship itself, out there in the cold vacuum of space. Through it all, Voyager is surrounded (smacked around a bit) by the mystery of birth. Though the captain and crew are plagued by the practical problem of the drive to procreate, they are simultaneously trying to avoid harming that fundamental mystery being acted out all around them. 'P' is also for 'Primal,' it would seem. And so from Janeway's plaintive hope that Mark will not give her up for dead to Kes' sticky, sweaty problem to the miracle of the space creatures to that last sad announcement of the Ensign's, this show revolves around the inevitable drive of all living things to recreate themselves regardless of the difficulties involved. No story like this can ever be made neat and tidy. Certainly Kes and Neelix come to some higher level of understanding, Chakotay gets to cast knowing glances in Janeway's general direction, and the space creatures are left unharmed. But Tuvok is also there to remind us that at best the process cannot be handled rationally and the ensign is there to remind us of what lies at one end of that process. It is an endless problem that will rear up to confront the crew again as it has confronted all living things since the beginning of life. For not being preachy, for not being conveniently neat and tidy, we owe the writers a debt of gratitude. After all, life is neither neat nor tidy. --Richard Hanson This episode was fantastic from the opening scene in the turbolift to Janeway's remark about "mating behavior"; I was in bliss. Poor Chakotay--lighten up and give those poor lovestruck crewmembers a break. There's precious little else to do seventy years from home. Fraternization policy indeed. Just watch Janeway and Chakotay play tag with their eyes--one stares intently at the other, then looks away lest they get caught. And just what does he find so fascinationg about her hair? Perhaps he's wondering how best to remove the pins so it cascades over her... Never mind. I can't wait to see if and how he reacts to her haircut next week in "Parturition"! "Mr. Paris, roll the ship." Oh, Lord, I was in hysterics! Maybe if Voyager had mated with the lifeform, they could have had little Voyagers to replace the shuttles they seem determined to blow up every other week. No? Just a thought. This entire show was worth watching just to see Robert Beltran grin. I'm hopeless, I know; as infectious as the smile is though, I hope they don't overuse it. It's such a treat when it appears unexpectedly. Jeri Taylor--keep 'em coming, and if you need more story ideas, "roll the ship" and call me! --Becky Olsen "Elogium" is a flawed show, but one which deals with interesting questions--and contains some very entertaining moments. The most obvious problems are, as so often, scientific. Voyager encounters a most improbable herd of critters, moving through the near-vacuum of space by means of flagellation at speeds of up to 3000 kilometers per second and apparently subsisting on space dust. There's one big one and a whole bunch of little ones; Janeway refers to the big one as "he," but analogies to Terran insects suggest it might well be a "she." Kes' race, the Ocampa, are revealed to produce only one child per woman per lifetime, through a rather lengthy and complicated mating process. You don't have to have a math degree to figure out that this would lead to extinction, especially since we've seen the Ocampa and they do not seem to have a predominantly female population. On the human reproductive front, Ensign Wildman claims to have discovered only a few days ago a pregnancy which presumably began before Voyager's current mission. Either there's been a decline in pregnancy-testing technology since the late twentieth century, or Voyager has been out there for a much shorter period of time than we think, or Ensign Wildman's husband ought to insist on a DNA test if Voyager ever gets back to Federation space. The show is thought- as well as nitpick-provoking, however. Due to the effects of the space worms on Kes's system, she and Neelix are faced with the necessity of deciding on very short notice whether or not they wish to have a child. Their struggles, together and separately, with this decision are plausible and moving, though the resolution at the end of the show is a little cheap. Janeway and Chakotay also muse on the question of reproduction, an obvious and difficult issue on a ship which is not designed for families but may not return home before all the biological clocks aboard have run down. (Chakotay's about-face on the issue is, to be sure, a little awkward). Ensign Wildman's situation, being alone and pregnant with a child whose father may never learn of its existence, is a poignant one. This is not generic space opera; the writers are considering the implications of Voyager's specific situation (which I for one continue to find a very interesting and moving one). For the numerous fans who like to speculate about a possible romantic involvement between the captain and her first officer, "Eloguim" is great fun. The teaser earns its name with a splendid little exchange in which Janeway voices the opinion that the crew are likely to begin to pair off and Chakotay rather cheekily asks, "Including you?" The resolution of the space-worm problem by means of Voyager's rolling over and turning blue also results in a couple of memorable lines. Despite its acknowledged (and irritating) flaws, "Elogium" effectively combines serious issues, humor, and sex. --Jennifer Loehlin I was really dreading this episode. The teaser made it sound like Kes was going into heat and then schtupping most of the men on the ship. Instead, it turned into a pretty decent episode that dealt with a lot of important issues surrounding the decision of whether or not to have children. On top of which Jennifer Lien turned in a dynamite performance which transformed many potentially awkward moments into intense dramatic scenes. As a woman who is child-free by choice, I was very worried that this episode might turn into a "all women want children" story, which is patently untrue. So when Tuvok told Neelix that one shouldn't become a parent unless one really wants to, I was overjoyed. For once, a mainstream television show has validated being child-free as a positive choice and not a regrettable twist of fate. And when Kes decided not to have a child after all, effectively overcoming her "biological clock," I was even happier. But still, I did want someone to be pregnant. I didn't want Voyager to dodge the issue completely. And somebody is. And she's a single parent. Let's just hope that the show follows through on this plot thread. I want to see a baby. I was a little put off by the whole "space swarm" plot. It was interesting until they started calling the big creature "he" which just didn't make sense. Queen bees are significantly larger than their drones. Eggs are significantly larger than sperm. If anything, that large one was female. I actually thought it made more sense to postulate that it was the mother and the others were her children, so when they kept talking about the large one as "he" I found it rather annoying. Gender dimorphism doesn't always result in larger males. Now, I do have one major nit to pick. It's this "one chance to have a baby" thing--if every Ocampan woman only has one chance to have a child, and they're not prone to multiple births (Kes said nothing to support that), then the population of the Ocampa should be shrinking constantly. Even if you postulate a society with more women than men that allows for polygamy, there will be less and less Ocampa every generation until they just disappear. Somehow this seems to be evolutionarily maladaptive. But overall, I was very impressed with this episode. The teasers promised something awful, but in the end, they pulled through and delivered a well constructed, interesting, challenging episode. --Jennifer Pelland (Siubhan) [Eloguim photo] NON SEQUITUR Most people have had dreams where reality and the dream state become overlapped, usually just before wakefulness. It's an odd moment when one has to come to grips with hard facts and let go of the more pliable world of dreams. I find it interesting that Harry's dream world begins where most people's ends. Other than that, there's not a lot that I can say in a positive sense about this episode. In the midst of a largely throwaway story, we see that there is an alien race that thinks nothing of messing with the time stream, but is moralistic enough to chase after victims and make sure they're okay. Maybe if they just stopped messing with the time stream...but no. I wonder if all their guardians pose as bad imitations of French restauranteers complete with campy joie de vivre cliches. Perhaps their only experience of humanity has come from viewing American Movie Classics. We see that the writers also thought the Tom Paris character deserved some extra development--he still does. We see that someone actually bought into the superficial, "I just want my lover to be like all the other men," female role played to far better effect in a plethora of SF movies. And sadly, we also see that rising young Starfleet officers kiss up to management with all the natural talent we would expect at any 20th century advertising agency. The very evening I saw this episode I had a dream. It started out with my being sure I heard the voice of Katharine Hepburn telling me she was pulling alongside my shuttlecraft, but it drifted off into something very different, and a little frightening. I found myself in a chamber lined with television screens and a voice came out of nowhere that said: "I am the demon Azathoth, Lord of creative programming and parking permits. I am greatly displeased with the last episode of Voyager. I regret that I created the minds that created it. I think I'm going to destroy the whole thing and do reruns of Three's Company in its place." At this I was sore afraid and fell down on my knees. "Oh Lord," said I. "Far be it from thee to destroy an excellent program just because of one below-average show. Garret Wang is a fine actor and character development is an important part of creative television." "That's not character development!!" bellowed Azathoth, "that's most of the cast taking the week off and leaving the kid holding the bag. And what a pathetic storyline. As if we haven't put up with enough time distortions already." Azathoth definitely had something here. One has to wonder how far one can stray from the constraints of a set plot to develop its characters. The subject of time has been woefully overdone on the screen (largely by Paramount), and the most astute viewer would be sorely pressed to locate one new comment on the subject. If it is true that Art is a mirror placed before reality, then what we see in this week's mirror is the immortal ability of mankind to rummage through the trashbin for a source of creativity. Of course, Star Trek takes liberties with our sense of time and place and plot--most television shows do. But only a foolish writer believes that anything goes simply because the world they're describing is science fiction, or that the viewers will continue to put up with the same plot dressed up in new disguises. It seems clear that "Non Sequitur" was put together hastily and wastefully. --Richard Hanson Alternate realities can be fascinating explorations of "what if," a way to see familiar characters under different circumstances, a treat for the actors, a dilemma of conflicting alternatives. "Non Sequitur" wasted all these opportunities. Its greatest flaw was the almost total exclusion of the regulars in order to showcase Harry Kim. Garrett Wang doesn't quite have the chops to keep all the scenes involving, and the writing lacked snap. His dilemma was shallow, not conveying any sense of urgency. If he had left well enough alone and had displayed a little more resourcefulness, he could have lived happily in the alternate reality with very little on his conscience. The only reasons given for restoring the "correct" state of things were the fact that a friend of his had taken his place and was now lost with the Voyager, and that Tom Paris had missed the bus from DS9 and was now fulfilling his destiny as a drunkard. Neither of these functioned as much of a motivation, due to limp dialogue and limper performances. The plot holes overall were depressingly numerous, the resolution a technobabble snoozer, and Harry's big love scene almost entirely unerotic. The one surprise was the alien cappucino man keeping an eye on Harry's misadventures. But what the heck is "Vulcan mocha"? Probably just sounds cool, like "French toast." Star Trek Law of Fictional Physics #57: Temporal anomalies, wherever encountered, lead directly to San Francisco. But darn it all, you can't see the Transamerica Pyramid from the Mission District. I don't care how many earthquakes they've had in three hundred years. If you're going to set all those episodes in S.F., go down to Triple A and get a map, for pete's sake. --L.R. Bowen [Twisted photo] TWISTED "Some day my prince will come..." C'mon, be honest. Didn't anyone else expect Chakotay to kiss Janeway to awaken her from the evil spell? Barring a reenactment of "Sleeping Beauty," I expected the closing scene from The Wizard of Oz: Janeway awakens, sits up and says "It was all a dream. And you were there--and you--all of you were there!" The only person missing was Neelix, who would've made a great Toto! Simply another fun episode. Doc as bartender? This was redeemed only by the fact that he spent much of the episode fending off the advances of Sandrine. I must admit, I'd rather see her chase him than poor Harry Kim. The scene in the corridor between Chakotay and Neelix was priceless. Having spent the previous two days in a room full of 1500 predominantly female Chakotay fans, I nearly choked when Neelix said, "Come now, a handsome man like yourself?" and speculated on Chakotay's romantic past! It was very big time when Chakotay expounded on his philosophy of love (you know me--a J/C fan to the end!) I loved the blatant relief on his face when Janeway was "cured." And no, I didn't think for a minute that there was anything remotely suspicious about B'Elanna holding his hand near the end. Cripes--they all thought they were going to die. My husband (who swears he doesn't like the show, but I know better) lost his cool when Tuvok came suspiciously close to reaching for Janeway. From the other room I heard, "No! You're a Vulcan, for god's sake..." Ahh..the emotions that are stirred by these little episodes! In this one episode we got so much. We had Chakotay taking control of the ship in Janeway's absence, doing things his way. We also had a bit of clearing of the air between Chakotay and Tuvok. I suppose confession is good for the soul, but where was the group hug? Alas, we still didn't get to see B'Elanna's spirit guide or hear Chakotay utter the three forbidden words to the captain... Ah, well...there's always fan fiction! --Becky Olsen From the previews, "Twisted" looked like it had potential. It could have been a kind of trippy mind-bending funhouse like "Frame of Mind" or "Phantasms." Well...it wasn't. In fact, this episode sucked, not to put too fine a point on it. And that's from a loyal Voyager fan...oh well, they can't all be good. Remember TNG's "Shades of Gray?" Anyway, "Twisted" had a boring, inexplicable plot full of holes that somehow degenerated into a stomach-churning love-in. During a surprise birthday party for Kes, which was sort of fun, especially seeing Doc Holodeck in a beret as the bartender at Sandrine's, the ship encounters a ring-shaped spatial distortion anomoly thingy...which right away introduces Plot Hole #1: if it's a ring, why not fly straight up and go around it? Trek writers are forever forgetting that space is three-dimensional. If the anomoly surrounded them completely, then it must have been a sphere, not a ring...and it's not as if the sphere is an alien concept to them...the Tholian Web was spherical, the Dyson sphere was...well, you get the idea. They're familiar with the concept. Anyway, it starts twisting the ship around, although not randomly and bizarrely as you might expect, but neatly transposing decks and quarters in a perfectly orderly fashion so that they appear normal on first inspection... Plot Hole #2. The entire first half of the episode drags by like the Bataan Death March as crew members wander around the ship saying variations on lines like "I thought this was Deck 5!" and "I'm trying to get to Engineering." Janeway is injured by the distortion after a completely random revelation to Harry in the Jeffries tube about how great she thinks he is, and they essentially end up with no other choice but to wait it out and hope they survive, which of course works...I guess there's something to be said for the old laissez-faire approach. At one point they reconstruct a picture of the twisted ship, which is convoluted like a Dali painting, bringing up Plot Hole #3... ...the schematic appears all twisty but the actual ship around them always looks normal except for misplaced rooms. As if that weren't bad enough, while the crew waits for the distortion to pass through them in the holodeck, they suddenly start confessing their true feelings to each other and it's just disgusting. I have nothing against emotions nor the expression of them, but I came out of that sequence feeling like I'd just been smothered head to toe in whipped cream. And then, to add insult to injury, they drug out the oldest cliche in the book, the old "someone was trying to communicate with us" bit, in a vain effort to engender a cliffhanger feel. All in all probably the weakest episode so far. They might have saved it with really cool special effects, but no such luck. Just some fuzzy process shots and film warping that were all too reminiscent of a "Wayne's World" dream sequence. And in the teaser when Tuvok's comm signal began distorting, all I could think was "I'm tripping, I'm tripping..." Enough already with the Neelix/Kes/Paris love triangle...and it looks like that's all coming to a head next week. Not even any material for us J/C folks to cling to. One bright spot: I always have wondered how Tuvok really felt about Chakotay becoming first officer instead of him. And the saving grace for me was the sight of the Big C's big gorgeous grin during the birthday party. Sigh, swoon. --Lori Sommers "Twisted" started out with promise. The storyline, yet another space anomaly-cum-life form plot, takes the viewer along right up until the ending. It fell flat for me when B'Elanna announced that information had been downloaded into the computer. Janeway concludes that the life-form must have been trying to communicate with them. That goes without saying. The writers let both the viewer and Kate Mulgrew down in giving Janeway that line; had this been TNG, Picard would have figured out what the message had been. This pattern concerns me. It is the same problem I saw in "Initiations" and "Projections". Maybe the story is drawn out a bit too much throughout the hour, and the development of the plot leading up to the climax needs to be speeeded up just a bit. For me it is not an acceptable solution to hurry the ending to solve it. The cast was given a lot to work with in this episode. I think the writers left them hanging. I hope this is not a trend that continues. --Siobhan Wolf I liked "Twisted" right up until the last two minutes. So--it was an alien-human information transfer and someone did a major DL/UL on Voyager's computers? Sigh. If the writers couldn't drag a more convincing explanation for the physical manifestations out of their tired brains than that, I wish they'd've left it at "subspace anomaly." And I suppose we'll never hear another word about the information they're supposed to havegotte n dumped on them, either. Up until then, though, the episode presented an interesting problem--a birthday party that slowly turns into a funhouse adventure where no one can find their way to their duty stations. Tuvok looks particularly chagrined about losing the bridge. The premise is a ready-made excuse for another set of "everyone wander around with tricorders and chat" scenes. The Captain praises Kim, who looks extremely pleased but also surprised (don't these people get fitness reports?). Neelix again acts as the voice of the audience when he starts elaborately praising Chakotay's effect on women. (Having just attended Vulkon, I can guarantee Robert Beltran has that effect--so I guess it's safe to assume that women in the Star Trek universe aren't immune to his charms.) But Chakotay refuses to be flattered and stops Neelix's more elaborate flights of fancy by simply turning toward him and looking down his nose. Since he's a good foot taller than Neelix, the effect is almost one of stepping on the little man. The only scene I really didn't like was the flare-up from Chakotay when Tuvok started talking about having the captain's confidence. I can't see a man of Chakotay's experience losing his temper like that. Folks resort to shouting when they either have inadequate training or are extremely insecure, neither of which really describes Chakotay most of the time. I just wish the writers would figure out who he is and keep him in character. Then, of course, we have the all-prepare-for-probable-death scene. Too many people blunted the effect. But that little bit of business with Tuvok sliding his hand down the chair arm toward the Janeway's shoulder was beautiful. We really should start touchy-feely counts for other characters. Chakotay and Paris both seem to be getting into the act--and even Tuvok if we count intent. The fact that others are joining into the touching does much to ease my most severe criticism of Janeway--that she can't keep her hands to herself. If 24th century culture permits this sort of touching, than I'll accept it from her. --Barbara Leflar Jackson [Parturition photo] This episode blew me away! The very idea of the Voyager twisting and twirling out of shape, causing the crew to become hopelessly lost, boggles the mind. The surprise birthday party for Kes was alternately funny and touching. Seeing Doc as the barkeep was a scream! The blue birthday cake Neelix baked looked soooo delicious--bet everyone wished they could have had a piece before duty called! Still, why does Neelix have to be so jealous? Every time another man even smiles at Kes he gets hot and bothered. Chill out, already! What happened to Janeway was really scary. First her arm flexed around like rubber, then she couldn't hear or see straight. Kate's customary excellent performance made me all but feel Janeway's pain. All in all another perfect example of how Voyager is the best thing UPN has going for it. --Roger Hurst [Parturition photo] PARTURITION Any television anthology series can do a story on how being stressed can bring people together...how the very things that seem to drive us apart can function in a way to bring us closer. But Voyager went a bit farther than that this week... It made a point of showing how an act of compassion for something outside of ourselves can serve to unite us, even transform us. Neelix's jealousy over Kes has become a stock feature of Voyager--ditto Tom Paris' failure complex. So far, the only thing that's saved Paris from becoming the caricature that is Neelix is a lack of air time. Finally the writers ask the question that most of us started asking long ago: Can this be all there is to a character? More constructively, and more to the point, how do these characters move beyond the realm of knee-jerk predictability? At first glance, the story wouldn't seem to serve as an opportunity for change. Paris and Neelix already despise one another. Add to this the effects of a shuttle crash and a toxic atmosphere. Doesn't sound nice, does it? Best line? When Paris and Neelix show up in the Captain's ready room, pasta stains and all, and admit they're having unresolvable personality conflicts--"Solve them," says Janeway, with that calm intimidating tone that still takes me by surprise every time she pulls it. Kirk just never sounded that threatening! Too busy emoting, I guess. Honorable mention? The holodoctor: "I'm a doctor, not a voyeur." This may be getting out of hand. Chakotay is beginning to assert a calmly nasty sense of humor with Tuvok. One of these days I fully expect the Vulcan to say something like, "I know it is not logical, Commander, but I want to smack you sooo bad!" But I digress. While Chakotay pokes fun at Tuvok and Kes gets the Ocampan variation on the vapors upon learning that the menfolk are starting to fight over her--while B'Ellana mutters Klingon curses over the transporters and Janeway pretends she doesn't have a new hairdo--Neelix and Paris are giving one another a rash down on Hell over a newborn whatsit? In the process they're finding something inside themselves and inside each other that they can respect. This is where they both have to have the courage and the need to move away from the stereotypical characters they were: an act of compassion toward something else. For Voyager, this is how the journey began and how it continues. The voyage started when the captain chose to put the good of the Ocampans ahead sending themselves back home. Poetically, every decision since then has echoed that first critical act. Compassion sets the stage for the destiny of the ship, and for each member of the crew. Even in the very end, Neelix and Paris wait, risking their own safety. Will the mother accept her offspring? Neelix says it best when he said that he chose his own friends. Compassion requires choice and the requisite courage to make the choice. I'm sure that many will consider this a rather foolish episode. The food fight in the galley, the alien offspring looking like a cross between the Alien and something out of the Muppets. Undoubtedly, the decisions of Paris and Neelix are foolish enough in the light of, say, Vulcan debit/credit logic, but even Tuvok has admitted that some important things are stubbornly illogical--even Spock would grant that in the end, logic alone is not enough. It is compassion that creates the essence of Voyager, transforming a short mission into an epic odyssey. For Neelix and Paris, it creates a life beyond mere kneejerk reactions to emotional threats and the memories of failures past. With any luck, the writers will not forget what they have done. Jealousy and bitterness are both selfish emotions, and it isn't faith that gives us the courage to leap beyond them. It's love and concern...simple human compassion. Once qualities like this sneak into the soul, one can never again go back to being quite so shallow. Neelix and Paris, in their effort to save the life of the newborn, recognize their essential goodness. It's that recognition that brings them together as friends. So Voyager continues on in the same fashion that it began. Compassion leads the way. --Richard Hanson "Parturition" is another great episode. Kudos to the writers this time and to the directing of Jonathan Frakes. This episode was fun from beginning to end with a little seriousness thrown in for good measure. I am glad to see that the use of humor which this cast does so well is being put to good use. Again we see Kes with a full range of emotions. We also get to see yet another side to both Paris and Neelix. Though I cannot for a moment imagine why, it is very clear that Kes is truly in love with Neelix. That Tom Paris respects that and struggles with his own feelings rather than acting them out gives us wonderful tension-filled scenes the likes of which I would love to see more of. This new reptilian/humaniod species is intriguing. Though there may be some question about the quality of the special effects with the baby and its hatching, it is wonderful to see a Delta Quadrant species that does not look like a human with either feathers instead of hair or different ears. It is too bad that the contact was so limited, but I hope that we will see this species again at a future time. I have often felt, while watching this series, that the Delta Quadrant feels pretty empty. I hope that we will continue to see an expanding range of alien life forms in physical bodies. Overall this was a very enjoyable episode. I do hope that it has finally put an end to Neelix's jealousy of Paris. The writers would do well to continue pushing this new relationship as well as deepening other combinations of relationships throughout the crew. --Siobhan Wolf KATHRYN JANEWAY, FEMINIST HEROINE *I have no idea whether Jim considers himself a feminist or not; I didn't ask. All I know is that he can write for this column any time!* WHERE THE BOYS ARE: ONE MALE PERSPECTIVE ON CAPTAIN JANEWAY By Jim Ogilvie (doczim@inforamp.net) When Star Trek: Voyager was announced as the latest series, there was a great deal of attention paid to one of the newest twists in this newest Star Trek spinoff. Voyager would be the first Star Trek series to feature a female in the starring role--Kate Mulgrew, playing the role of Captain Kathryn Janeway. For the first time, a female captain of a starship is boldly going where no one has gone before. Since Voyager has aired, there has been some debate and a lot of public opinion as to the logic behind putting a female Captain in charge of this mission. As one might expect, women in general seem to feel that it is about time that a female Captain was running the show. The male perspective, however, seems curiously muted. I hope to change that with some thoughts of my own on the subject. First, a little history. It should be no surprise to anyone who has followed the Star Trek legacy that Captain Janeway is not the first female to be given command of a starship. In fact, the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise-C was Rachel Garrett (TNG, "Yesterday's Enterprise"). Geordi LaForge's mother, Silva, was captain of the U.S.S. Hera (TNG, "Interface"); rumors are persistent that Janeway will find the lost captain and her ship in the Delta Quadrant during an episode of Voyager at some point in time. In fact, the youngest person ever to make the rank of captain was a woman, Tryla Scott (TNG's "Conspiracy"). And finally, we all know that there are several female Starfleet admirals who are women, the most famous likely being Admiral Alynna Necheyev. In each of these cases, these fine women command figures have appeared in only brief moments throughout the Star Trek timeline. As such, Voyager is our first opportunity to observe the command style of a woman who also happens to be one of finest Starfleet captains ever to command a starship. As a male watching Voyager, I am aware of two things: First, there are men that watch Star Trek regularly who are having a difficult time warming up to the idea of a female captain. I attribute this mostly to the idea that a minority of these men believe that a female captain is a guarantee that the action factor in Voyager will be diminished. Also, this minority of men believe that the rough-tough Delta Quadrant needs to be commanded by a rough-tough Kirk-like captain. These are the minority of people whom you see on the Internet talking about the Janeway voice, the Janeway hair, in the rather mean-spirited and tasteless fashion that all too often accompanies anonymous online communications. The second thing that I am aware of is that I am really enjoying Kate Mulgrew in her portrayal of Kathryn Janeway. Speaking as a male and Star Trek fan, I can tell you that I do believe it is time for a female captain. Not because it is simply fair, and that it is "her turn," but because it makes the best of sense. Star Trek teaches us that in the 24th century, gender bias lines (amongst humans at least) have all but vanished. We have seen several male captains in both long and short term recurring roles within the Star Trek universe. This move really does follow a clear logic. Captain Janeway is of course, a culmination of two very special people. The first is Kate Mulgrew, a very gifted actress who devotes an absurd amount of personal energy to the role of Janeway. Her life consists of being a single parent, and the star of a successful major television series. Each element of her personal life, of course, is highly demanding--yet she manages to balance it, somehow. The character herself as created by the producers and scripted by the writers is the other special person that we see each week as that special combination of the creative talents behind Star Trek. One only need watch Voyager for a brief period of time to realize that Kate knows and understands Kathryn Janeway. The captain is a complex person with exceptional leadership qualities. Above all, Janeway knows when to be hard, when to be soft, and when a little of both is required in tandem. This above all may be the single most important reason why the Janeway character might not appeal to that minority of men which I spoke about earlier. Janeway is compassionate, and we all know the stereotypical cliché that pegs men as unable to show their feelings. Janeway exhibits an extraordinary amount of compassion when it comes to considering the future of her crew. Unlike many other Starfleet officers before her, Janeway is confronted with a unique situation and therefore must address each crew-related situation from a different perspective. The Captain is now responsible for making decisions regarding the future of her crew, family issues, having children, leaving the ship to colonize other worlds in the Delta Quadrant, etc. She simply cannot, and does not, play this mission "by the book." So then--how do men feel about Janeway? I think it is safe to say that most men who watch Voyager feel as I do. That is, Janeway is a fabulous character, and represents all that is best and wonderful in a Starfleet officer, and yes, all that is best in women. I fear that any perceived lack of vocal enthusiasm from men on the subject of Janeway comes from the tired old stereotype that I mentioned before. But again, I hasten to add that this silence shouldn't be construed as anything negative at all. Personally, I believe that Janeway is the most "real" Star Trek character to ever be developed. The creators have written her that way, and Kate Mulgrew makes Janeway truly happen. Something happens to me when I watch Janeway that I like to call "Janegrewitis" (Jayne-Groo-Eye-Tis). I define it is the state which occurs when watching a highly talented, intelligent, attractive and dedicated actress do her finest work, in a genre that I have enjoyed for years. What more could one ask for? I expect most of the other men watching Voyager experience Janegrewitis on a regular basis, and just like me, aren't the least bit interested in a cure. [Drawing of Janeway] THE KATE MULGREW FILM FESTIVAL COLUMN [Photo of Kate Mulgrew and Avery Brooks] ROOTS: THE GIFT by DeAnn G. Rossetti If you've ever wondered what Kate would be like playing a villain, look no further than Roots: The Gift, a 1988 made-for-TV Christmas movie sequel to Alex Haley's monumentally successful miniseries Roots. In this "freedom triumphs over evil" tale, we have the joy of watching several Trek regulars in antebellum period costume, including LeVar Burton (TNG's Geordi LaForge) reprising his role as Kunta Kinte, a proud African slave, Avery Brooks (DS9's Captain Sisko) as "Mr. Cletus Moyer, a free man of color with papers of manumission," Tim Russ as a dandified house slave--good rehearsal for Tuvok's iron dignity--and our beloved Kate as Hattie Carraway, a bounty hunter who tracks down runaway slaves and turns them over to white plantation owners for a fee which she shares with her pack of pretty-boy thugs. Roots: The Gift almost feels like a mirror universe Trek episode; it makes one desperately wish that Janeway and Sisko could have shared the screen for a few minutes in "Caretaker." Captain Kate is clearly a leader here, while Brooks' quiet, menacing intensity is unforgettable. Kate proves the truism that if you are going to vamp, you have to have the proper clothes, as she arrives on the scene wearing a tricorn hat with a white ostrich plume, leather trousers complete with a dueling pistol tucked into the wasteband, a buccaneer-style shirt, a brown velvet cape, and knee-high leather boots; the outfit bespeaks an Errol Flynn movie or a turn as the fifth Musketeer more than it does 18th-century Virginia, but that's showbiz for you! The story thus far has been a gutwrenching clip from the first installment of the original miniseries, during which we witness Burton's Kunta Kinte whipped until he's half-dead, yet still refusing to adopt a slaver's nickname as his own. "Your name is Toby!" the slaver hollers, as we hear the bullwhip smack across Kinte's back. "Say your name!" "Kunta Kinte" whispers the slave, until finally he succumbs and mutters "Toby" just before they cut him down from the whipping post, where the marvelous Louis Gossett, Jr, playing the born-into-slavery Fiddler, washes Kinte's face as he cries, saying "Don't you never mind what some white man call you; your name be Kunta Kinte; always will be." It's Christmas time in old Virginie, and all is not well down on the farm. Fiddler and Kinte are the property of a rich plantation owner played by Jerry Hardin, the original Deep Throat from The X-Files, who treats them like children but isn't nearly as abusive as his neighboring landowner, who just happens to have a son (Shaun Cassidy, whose southern drawl is about as pronounced as Howard Stern's) whose education "up Nawth" has turned him into an abolitionist. The son works with the Underground Railroad to smuggle slaves to the Northern states. Kinte and Fiddler are on their way home from working the tobacco fields when they meet a well-dressed black man with perfect enunciation and a fine horse, who asks them for a drink of water. When asked why he isn't a slave, Moyer tells Fiddler that he was freed by his master, and produces papers to prove it. Shortly thereafter, a band of riders chase him down in an open field like an animal, and viewers are treated to their first look at Kate in full Carraway regalia, rolling her tongue around a whiskey-soaked Kentucky-bluegrass southern drawl. Sweeping her plumed hat over her heart theatrically, Carraway declares, "This man is accused of sedition and incitement to insurrection, Sir. He is no longer a 'free man of color'. He's a captive with a price on his head for helping slaves escape. He's now retired, aren't you, Mister Moy-ah?" She flashes a devastatingly wicked smile that belies the seriousness of the scene. The next sequence is designed to show how utterly dehumanizing life was for slaves living on plantations; the children are allowed to use Kinte and others as camels for their Christmas Nativity play; whenever there is an uprising or rumors of one, several slaves are hanged from trees to set an example; clergy are sent into the slave quarters to preach to the slaves that their lot is "God's will"; and one slaveowner notes that it is better to hang pregnant female slaves only after they've given birth, otherwise it's "too much of a waste." In case the viewer has somehow failed to get the message, the abolitionist's 6-year-old sister gives a speech about how wrong it is to humiliate slaves as she brings a gift of food to Kinte, in thanks for his being her camel; she has already promised not to use the crop or reins on him. If this sounds condescending to slave and viewer alike, it must be written off to the TV penchant for heavy-handed exposition which reduces the audience to its lowest common denominator. We soon discover that Kate was right about Avery: Moyer was indeed supposed to meet with the abolitionists, who were to give him a map with 'safe places' outlined on it, and Moyer was then to lead a group of slaves on a midnight riverboat ride to freedom. Predictably, Kinte persuades Fiddler to take up the torch, literally and figuratively, to help the slaves escape--but not before we experience a delicious scene between Carraway and Moyer discussing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Moyeris seated in a locked stable with an iron collar ringed with cow bells locked around his neck. Carraway comes in, squats in front of Moyer, and unlocks the collar while looking him over. "You're a strong man, Cletus Moy-ah. The chase was hard and the pay is good...I don't give a damn about them...planter aristocracy. Come the revolution, I will make sure they have more than they ever bargained for; with a thousand like you, I could cause quite a stir." Moyer, who looks shocked as she offers him snuff, responds that she should do something now to help the slaves. "Chasing 'em down and bringing 'em back is more lucrative," she responds. When Moyer (picture Brooks doing his sternest Sisko look) reminds her that there is more to life than financial gain, she responds, "You're a man, that's easy for you to say! I chose adventure and I pay my own way! The alternative is there [gesture toward the plantation mansion], where I could spend the rest of my life fluttering fans, swooning--no better than a concubine. Do you see me happy behind a fluttering fan, Mr. Moyer?" End of discussion! The collision of racial and gender issues, as well as the shocking chemistry between Brooks and Mulgrew, makes this scene dangerously amoral, a powerful contrast with the rest of the pat assumptions of the film. Russ is at his unflappable, poker-faced best playing a slave slapped by his master, and, instead of getting angry or hurt, looking bewildered, rather like Spock about to say "fascinating." Fiddler and Kinte giggle when they see Russ' character, whose 'head servant' is outfitted in a fancy frock coat; his solemn stature and frou-frou accoutrement make an interesting contrast. Moyer meets a tragic end, a flaw for the show which really needed Brooks' acting to anchor the latter half when Fiddler and Kinte make a noble sacrifice to help other slaves escape. But the final scene with Kate in a standoff with Shaun Cassidy packs power nonetheless. There they stand, guns aimed at one another, each determined to bring home the two rebels--one for the money, the other for moral reasons. Kate's parting shot makes all the heavy-handed stuff worthwhile--she scintillates with arched-brow wit and style, and her character doesn't change a bit for all the film's platitudes. For a bad guy she's darned good, y'all. Hence, I recommend this video for rental on a cold night, preferably during the Christmas season, just for fun. Think of it as a time capsule, and watch our Captain at work, honing those wiles that she'll never get to use on board the Voyager. Gracious! What would Chakotay do with Janeway if she had that drawl as thick as molasses in wintertime? [Drawing of Kate Mulgrew and Avery Brooks] [Cartoon] THE FUNNY PAGES WARGAMES by Alanna Whitestar There's no question, Kathryn Janeway thought, shaking her head in dismay over the multiple padds strewn across her desk. Crew efficiency has definitely gone down in the past few months. It's a sure sign boredom has set in, and that could be sudden death if a Kazon fleet shows up. The door chime interrupted her ruminations. "Come," she called, then smiled to see her First Officer appear in the doorway. "Sit down, Commander; I was just getting ready to call you." "About...?" Janeway gestured silently at her desk, grimacing slightly. "You should know; you prepared these reports." "That's what I was coming to see you about," Chakotay replied, a sudden gleam appearing in his eye. "I have a proposal to make that I think will bring some of those numbers up." "Go on," the captain encouraged. "In a word, wargames." "Commander, we're already running simulations..." "This would be different. We'd use both holodecks: one for a crew from Voyager; the other...for me and a crew of Maquis. I promise you, the officers you choose will get an excellent education in non-Federation tactics." Staring at him thoughtfully, Janeway realized there was something she was missing here. Despite their differences, both had worked diligently to integrate the two crews. He wouldn't suggest an idea with the potentialfor re-opening the rift they'd fought to close, unless... Slowly she smiled. "You," she said, pointing a finger at him, "are looking for a chance to show off. Just what makes you think you won't learn something from this exercise?" "Federation tactics are fairly standardized..." he began with a deprecating wave of his hand. "If you believe that, Commander, you obviously didn't get much of a challenge in the Demilitarized Zone. I know one or two tricks that will make you eat those words." "I take it, then, that you intend to command Voyager in the first simulation?" His Cheshire grin was definitely showing signs of canary feathers around the edges. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. Who will be on your crew?" "B'Elanna, naturally; Dalby at Tactical; and...Ensign Henrickson at Ops, I think. She was fairly new to the Maquis, didn't get a chance to see much action. I'll be piloting, of course." "Of course," Janeway echoed, then couldn't resist adding, "You're sure you wouldn't prefer Tuvok at tactical?" Chakotay's grimace at her barb only briefly disturbed his smile. "Quite sure, thanks. And your crew?" "Ensign Kim; he definitely needs more combat experience. Ensign Wildman at Tactical. I've considered promoting her to lieutenant j.g.; we'll see how he does under...unusual combat conditions. Lieutenant Carey at the engineering station; and Tom Paris." She paused for a moment, trying to anticipate his response to her next question. "Would you object to Tuvok arbitrating?" The commander shook his head. "No. Whatever else he is, he's a Vulcan, and Vulcans pride themselves on their capacity for dispassionate observation. But...Tom Paris? I would've thought Lieutenant Anders needed more training." "She does, and she'll get her chance. But I think Mr. Paris needs to learn some of the maneuvers I have in mind." Chakotay laughed. "Now who wants to show off?" "I never show off, Commander. Janeway's effort at making a serious retort was undermined by the eagerness in her voice. "Did you have a particular scenario in mind?" "Actually, I do. But I thought I'd let it be a surprise." "Uh huh. I take it you'll be flying your old ship. She was pretty well armed and shielded, as I recall. Not exactly a standard Maquis fighter." He shrugged off the compliment. "I made a few special modifications." Suddenly the gleam in his eye brightened. "Are you interested in raising the stakes a little?" Arching an eyebrow at him in return, she asked, "What did you have in mind?" "Allow me to program in a few additional modifications to my ship. You won't know what they are until I choose to employ them." "An interesting idea," she mused. "All right; when do you want to begin?" "How about 2000 hours?" "That's not much notice--but then, the Kazon would give even less. Four hours from now it is, then. And Commander...you'd better be on your toes. I intend to give you the ride of your life." "We'll see, Captain; we'll see." And with a quick chortle he left, all but rubbing his hands in gleeful anticipation. The Maquis ship rocked to a phaser blast mere seconds after the simulation began. "Doesn't waste much time, does she?" Chakotay remarked. Another hit underscored his words. "Right. Laying in a course: heading 259, mark 4; speed, warp 2. B'Elanna scanned the nav chart that appeared suddenly on her console. That'll take us...into the Badlands?!" "I've always wondered whether Voyager could have followed us in there," Chakotay replied, grinning fiercely. "Dalby, launch two photon torpedoes at them, then try to maintain a phaser lock. I'm initiating evasive pattern Omicron Three. Mark!" On Voyager's bridge, Janeway's expression mirrored that of her First Officer. "Any damage from those torpedoes, Ensign Kim?" "Negative, Captain. Shields are still at 100%." "Very well. It looks like the commander wants to play tag. Mr. Paris, I'm going to let you indulge yourself. Stay glued to his 6 o'clock position until further notice." The young pilot snorted. "No problem, Captain." Janeway immediately regretted her remark. "Don't be too cocky, Lieutenant," she snapped. "Threading through those plasma storms is not going to be easy. I know Voyager can handle it, but I don't want you pushing your luck. Ensign Wildman, keep our phasers trained on the Maquis ship at all times. Fire when you've got a clear shot. Mr. Kim, we'll need to keep our shields at maximum while in the Badlands. Let me know if they go below 75%." There was a chorus of "Aye, Captain"s from the two ensigns as Janeway settled back in her command chair. "Hang on, gentlemen; I think we're in for a rocky ride." Slowing to impulse, the Maquis ship was the first to enter the Badlands. Twisted ropes of highly charged plasma emitted constant waves of electromagnetic distortion and energy discharges. "Can't you give some of those storms a wider berth, Chakotay? You're not allowing yourself much of a margin for error," B'Elanna grunted as the tiny vessel bucked and heaved. "Where's your...sense of...adventure, Torres?" Gasping, he slewed the ship away from a plasma column that suddenly appeared in their path. "How are the engines holding up?" "You've got full impulse power, but you're taking your chances, bouncing them around like this," she replied. "Why didn't you program us new engines while you were at it?" "That would be cheating. Damn! I didn't think Paris was this good. All right, Mr. Smart- Aleck, try this." Chakotay would have been pleased to see that Tom's face had lost its usual cocky grin. The pilot's intense concentration could be seen in the thin line of his lips and his furrowed brow. His world had shrunk to the control panel and the viewscreen; nothing else mattered. "The Indian's better than I thought," he said tightly, then started as a familiar hand lightly clasped his shoulder. "You're doing fine, Mr. Paris. But let's spice things up just a little bit. Initiate pattern Delta Theta Five." Paris activated the programmed pattern, then frowned. "Captain?" "It's called heading him off at the pass, Lieutenant." "Commander," Crewman Dalby called. "Voyager's changed course; she's..." "Right at my 11 o'clock; I see her. Going to pattern Gamma Four. Mark!" The inertial dampers threatened to go offline as the new course flung them out of Voyager's path. "Time to get the hell out of Dodge, people. Henrickson, get our first little surprise ready to use as soon as we've cleared the Badlands. B'Elanna, I'll need warp three." "You've got it, Chakotay," Torres replied, her hands darting over the engineering console. On Voyager's bridge, Ensign Kim suddenly spotted an anomalous reading coming from the other ship. Moments later it was clear just what the anomaly was. "Captain," he called. "The Maquis ship...she's cloaking!" "Increase viewscreen magnification by 75%!" Janeway snapped in reply, looking for tell-tale distortions in the star field that would mark the presence of their adversary. "Captain," Lieutenant Carey called. "I think I can modify the main sensor dish to emit a coherent beam of low-level chronoton particles." His fair skin blushed as Janeway turned to him, eyebrows raised in question. "I...read a paper about it before we left. The theory was that a cloaked ship is not just visually disguised, it's also just a few microseconds removed from us in time." "So the chronoton particles would illuminate it in our time reference. Do it, Lieutenant." Janeway turned back toward the conn, drumming her fingers on the small tactical display. "Mr. Paris, so far Chakotay has been controlling the pace of this little game. Let's see if we can turn the tables on him. Initiate pattern Theta Alpha Three." "Aye, Cap...wait; our shields are going down!" "What! How?" "The prefix code. He's using the prefix code to lower our shields! That son of a bandersnatch; there's no way the Maquis would have access to that code." "Of course, they also didn't have cloaking devices. I wonder just how many other variables he's programmed? Explosions interrupted her thoughts, rocking the bridge and forcing her to grab the back of the pilot's chair to stay on her feet. "Well, there's another one: he shouldn't be able to fire his weapons without decloaking. Report!" [Cartoon] A flurry of replies came from all directions at once. Heavy damage to engineering decks 8 through 11. Twenty reports of injuries; no casualties. "Warp engines are still online, Captain, but just barely." Suddenly the distorted outline of a ship appeared on the viewscreen. Wildman's voice cut through the chaotic sound of multiple alarms. "I've got them, Captain!" "Fire all phasers!" The lights flickered on the Maquis bridge as the ship rocked from the impact. Sparks flew from several panels and B'Elanna yelled in frustration. "Damn it! How the hell are they tracking us?" Henrickson answered her question. "Just after we fired we passed through a low-level chronoton beam. That's got to be it." "A what?!" "Something Carey knows that you don't, B'Elanna?" Chakotay glanced wryly at the chief engineer, who was swearing softly in an obscure Klingon dialect. "Well, that element of surprise is gone. De-cloak, Dalby; we can do without the energy drain. I'm coming about; ready two photon torpedoes and fire when we're within range." "Our shields are down to 80%, Commander," Dalby warned. "And theirs are at zero. So, despite Voyager's greater firepower, I'd say we're about even. Now it all comes down to tactics." The next hour reminded Janeway of the brief time she'd spent with the uncle who'd taught her to fly a World War I-era biplane. There was the same sense of exuberance and challenge she'd felt while dogfighting with him above the New England landscape. First one, then the other would have the advantage, until eventually they both ran out of fuel and were forced to land. In this case, it was Commander Chakotay who eventually surrendered--although not before trying a last-ditch self-destruct attempt. But with the Maquis vessel's shields gone, it was easy to beam her crew to Voyager, then simply back away to watch the fireworks. It was unfortunate, though, that Janeway's plan to follow the simulation to its logical conclusion by throwing the Maquis in the brig was thwarted when Tuvok ended the program. The Vulcan security officer met them outside holodeck one and waited until Janeway had dismissed everyone but her First Officer. "Well, Mr. Tuvok? How did we do?" "I will not have my full report until tomorrow morning, Captain. However, my first impression is that you both had an inordinately good time." A single raised eyebrow dared them to refute him. The captain threw a knowing glance at Chakotay, then drew herself up and became serious. "I believe it was a successful training mission. Don't you agree, Commander?" Without giving him a chance to reply, she continued, "I look forward to seeing your report at 0800 tomorrow, Lieutenant. That will be all." As Tuvok turned away, Janeway had to cover her mouth and bite down hard on her tongue to keep from dissolving into giggles. She managed to hold on until the Vulcan had entered the turbolift, but seeing Chakotay's shoulders shaking as he tried to refrain from laughing was too much. Exchanging the slightly guilty glances of errant schoolchildren, Voyager's Captain and First Officer let all the tension from the simulation dissolve itself in laughter. Because Tuvok was right; it had been fun. ACQUISITION by L.R. Bowen "So you've made a leveraged buyout and pulled a hostile takeover on me, Ms. Janeway?" The CEO of Maquis, Ltd., yanked his tie askew and paced to the window of his new owner's palatial corner office. Thirty stories below, the scurrying ants of downtown traffic were treated to a glare from his fiery brown eyes. Kathryn Janeway shifted in her chair, the leather upholstery yielding, then leaned forward and laced her fingers over the desk blotter, her coiffed hair and Cartier earrings reflected in the polished rosewood expanse. "Mr. Chakotay, Starfleet Intl. has done you a favor. Kazon Enterprises is cutting into the market share. Together we have a fighting chance. You were able to torpedo their local branch with that kamikaze marketing campaign, but the fallout destroyed your bottom line. You lost your office lease; ML is out on the street. If we hadn't bailed you out, you'd have had to liquidate your assets, lay off all your people. I know they've been with you for years, and are loyal in a way seldom seen in this era of downsizing." "Am I supposed to believe they'll find places in this organization?" Chakotay whirled and strode to the desk, his big frame impressive in Ralph Lauren charcoal pinstripes. "I've trained them from the beginnings of their careers. I'm an entrepreneur--some would even say a rebel--and I do things my own way. SFI is hidebound and traditional. I bailed as soon as I had enough in investments to bankroll ML. I swore I'd always be my own boss, and I don't care if I have to start over again in a two-room office with one fax line and a rebuilt Mac Classic. My people will follow me." "It's a big chilly world out there, Mr. Chakotay." Janeway rose and sat on the edge of the desk, her short-skirted Donna Karan suit setting off her slim waist and long legs. "There's a vacuum in venture capital, and with your record, backers could be light-years apart. I'm prepared to offer you an executive vice presidency, reporting directly to me, and some very attractive stock options. Since George Cavit's untimely death in the crash of the company Learjet, there's been a void in the hierarchy. You could step right in." "Wouldn't your securities chief have something to say about that? It's common knowledge you've been grooming him for the front office. And maybe to fill more than a management void." Chakotay leaned over and put his hands on the desk. The fire in his eyes ignited something in her; his handsome face was so close that Janeway caught the scent of Obsession aftershave. She involuntarily dropped her eyes to his firm, sensual lips, and his moody scowl gave way to a dazzling grin. Stop that, she told herself. If you let your mind run on about that Soloflex-toned body, that perfect natural tan, that Sassoon haircut, you'll stop thinking like the U.S. division head of a huge multinational firm--and start thinking like a woman. But it was too late. Chakotay was too quick for her, and had caught the meaning of her glance the moment before she had herself. When she met his eyes again, mere inches from hers, they were warmer than a Club Med sunrise. "Tuvok's a team player," she said hastily. "He'll understand that this merger depends on the good will of everyone involved--" "I'm not a team player," said Chakotay, casting a look over her that had her flushing to the Hermes scarf tucked into her neckline. "I'm a lone wolf. But the corporate wilderness is no place to be lonely." He raised his left hand to touch her hair, and the gold Rolex on his wrist flashed in the light from the window. "All right, I'll come on board. But I've got one condition." "Yes," Janeway breathed. It was an answer as well as a question. "Make those options for preferred stock, and vest them all immediately...and I'm yours." He winked at her, picked up his Louis Vuitton attaché case, and blew past the reception desk before she could respond. "Damn," she said to herself. "He didn't even ask about the dental plan." [Janeway/Chakotay photo] IS THAT MY ANIMAL GUIDE IN YOUR POCKET, OR ARE YOU JUST HAPPY TO SEE ME? *Janeway must have ordered all her officers to touch one another so it's not so obvious when she does it; the shipwide Touchy-Feely Count for "Twisted" was so high that the Voyager Voyeurs reported different numbers. TFCC at press time (this season's score in brackets):* Kes: 11 (8) [blame Eloguim for her ascendance] Chakotay: 11 (1) [lately Janeway touches his chair more than him] Paris: 10 (2) [ditto; think it's his aftershave or what?] Kim: 7 (1) [one of the bright spots of this mission...] Neelix: 6 (2) [must be something he put in the food] Torres: 4 [must be a Klingon thing] Doc: 3 (2) ["Computer, delete Janeway"] Tuvok: 2 [ohhh, but wasn't that sweet in Twisted?] VOYAGER PEOPLE ROBERT BELTRAN by Becky Olsen *Michelle gushed over Kate last issue, so indulge me. I was fortunate enough to speak briefly with Robert Beltran following an exhausting afternoon, the first day of his very first con appearance. He professed nervousness but quickly overcame it, speaking for an hour and forty-five minutes, then signing autographs for another one and a half hours. He is warm, gracious, and has a charming sense of humor. I have included along with the text of my interview the best of the con comments. Some were said very tongue-in-cheek, so please take them in the spirit in which they were intended! I owe a great debt to the people who enabled me to write this. David--not many husbands would go to such lengths to set up a meeting between his wife and another man! Thanks to Ridge and Heather for the contacts, and to Michelle for vouching for my character. Diane and the RBLS got me through in one piece! Lastly a big thank you to Robert for sharing his time, talents and energy.* NV: Hi! I'm Becky Olsen, I'm with Kate Mulgrew's fan club. It's nice to meet you. RB: Hi, Becky. NV: I will try to ask some things that don't double up on what everyone else has asked you--which is basically most of my interview! Did any of the cast members give you any advice before you came here? RB: The advice a lot of them said was, basically, just be yourself. NV: Have a good time? Enjoy it? RB: Yeah! NV: How do you perceive Chakotay? Do you have an agenda for him in your mind, or is it just strictly from script to script? RB: I try to keep it script to script, and I do have the luxury of being able to call on Jeri Taylor or Michael Piller or Rick Berman and tell them any problems that I may have with the script; and they have been very, very open to suggestions. But I prefer to prepare for this--for the character--week by week, because there just may be some things that they have me do that I may not like or agree with, and it just shows that we may not always be on the same track. It can cause a lot of unnecessary stress if you're constantly battling for one way for the character. I feel that they have a much larger picture of who they want Chakotay to be than I do. They're writing the stories, and I think they're doing fine so far. NV: There's been some criticism and comments about some of the scenes in "Initiations" where Chakotay is suddenly so attached to the Starfleet uniform. What was your feeling about that? RB: Well...he is attached to Starfleet. The fact that he left Starfleet to go back home and fight with the Maquis doesn't mean he is against the Federation. I think he is still tied to the Federation emotionally, so the fine line that he has to walk is keeping his Maquis people happy within the confines of the Federation system. NV: How does Chakotay's medicine bundle keep itself afloat in space? It's been transported from the Maquis ship to Voyager, from the blown-up shuttle in "Initiations" and it suddenly is back on Voyager. How does it get there? RB: (laughs) Umm...shields at ninety percent? I don't know! NV: Scary, isn't it? This is the kind of things fans sit at home and think about! RB: I haven't really considered that. It's a good question. I had it on the shuttle for "Initiations," now--I can't remember--no, the shuttle wasn't blown up, or was it? NV: Yes. RB: It was blown up. So what happened to the medicine bundle? Good question. I think what it does...you know that feather? Yeah. If there's any problem, the feather just kind of gets going and takes the bundle where it needs to go. Always back to the ship. Yep. That's right. Maybe I replicated it, I don't know. NV: That's been suggested. I don't think that fits with Chakotay's spirituality, though. Do you watch the finished episodes? RB: Yeah. NV: Is it painful? RB: Sometimes. NV: Are you a great critic of yourself? RB: Yes. Yes. Actually, I try to watch the dailies--just key scenes, because I'm still finding out how to play this particular style. You know--this "Star Trek" style. I'm still trying to get comfortable with it, and so when I get a chance to watch dailies or a finished episode, I learn a lot about what I can do, what I can't do; what's available to me, what's not...just kind of piece my character in here and how he fits with the whole style. Like everybody else is doing. NV: Was it difficult to make the transition to a weekly series? I know you've done series before, but... RB: I've never done one that lasted more than thirteen episodes. It's not difficult. I mean--it allows me a chance to continue working in a medium, television, that offers me a lot of exposure, and a decent character to play within that framework. NV: Has it kept you so busy that...do you still have time for your theater group? RB: I have to delegate a lot. But, yeah...while we're shooting it does take a lot of time. If a couple of episodes can go by where I'm not that key in the stories, then that gives me a lot of time. It just depends a lot on how much they focus on Chakotay. NV: One last question that I have been begged to ask: what time of day were you born? RB: I was born at 11:32 or 11:34 p.m. on a Thursday night. [Note to club astrologers, for whom Becky and Michelle take no responsibility: if Robert's birthday really is November 19, that means he was either born in 1953 or 1959; draw your own conclusions when you do his chart!] NV: Any last words for your fans? RB: Just that I really appreciate this. They've made this first convention for me really special and a lot of fun. And I appreciate all of the scrutiny they give the show and the care that they seem to put into keeping it honest. And the fans, maybe they don't realize this, but they are taken very seriously by Rick Berman and everyone else. So there is concern about how the fans are going to be reacting about certain things, so it's nice to have them involved and scrutinizing the show the way they do, so it's good. NV: Thank you. I appreciate your talking with us. RB: You're welcome. Thank you. [Awesome photo of Robert Beltran] BEST OF THE BELTRAN CON COMMENTS Becky culled these from three hours of tape and I added a couple. My personal favorite was Robert's imitation of William Shatner, but the audience favorites were the questions he refused to answer: his age, his social availability, and whether he wears boxers or briefs! Very first question, wondering whether Beltran thinks the relationship between Janeway and Chakotay will blossom into romance : RB: If it happened, the whole Maquis question would be settled...I would eventually be sitting in the other chair... That was a...bad joke. But, if that's where the writers want to go with it...I don't know. We have a long way to go if this thing's going to last a few years. Asked the inevitable question about Genevieve Bujold, after revealing that he pursued the part of Chakotay so that he could work with her: RB: Do you think anything I say here will ever get back to her? Something happened with Genevieve, I don't know, I don't know! Don't quote me! But--Kate Mulgrew came on, and....you mustn't infer anything when I say 'Kate Mulgrew' and smile, OK? Please? When Kate came on, the whole show came together. She's every bit as much an actress, equal to Genevieve, and she's got a personality and presence about her that permeates the set. Question from Now Voyager member about what it's like playing a man who serves under a woman: RB: What's it like playing a man who serves under a woman? All of us guys know that's a silly question. We know...you know...Why do we continue playing this game? I don't know...I don't mind it one bit! The thing about having a woman captain isn't a problem unless they're incompetent, right? And Captain Janeway is not incompetent, right? So Chakotay liked Janeway, Chakotay appreciated Janeway! Favorite episode so far: RB: I liked the first episode after "Caretaker" ["Parallax"]. Because I thought that it set the boundaries as far as where Chakotay stands in this Federation/Maquis union. And so it was nice for me to be able to set that foundation for my character. What does he think of the Internet? RB: I'm not on the Internet and I don't know what to think of it. I suppose it's fine. I suppose it could be abused like anything else. I think it's fine until it reaches out to hurt us...Garrett Wang comes in to work some mornings and says 'Hey Robert! Hey man, you should see what they say about you, man!' I had a lot of energy when I was, how old is he, 25, but Garrett is hopeless... About the antics on the set of the Bridge: RB: Well, Kate'll be over here cracking up about something Tim said, and Garrett will lean over and say something to me, and I'll say, "Hey! Shut up! I have seven lines of technobabble to get through!" And they'll all shut up because otherwise they know they'll be there all night waiting for me to get my technobabble. Question about the presumed guilt or innocence of O.J. Simpson: RB: That is not for you or I to judge, we are not the twelve people who will stand in judgement. One of the reasons I've taken to Star Trek, honestly, is that I like the ideals it tries to uphold. You know, we're not causing revolutions or changing worlds...but I think for entertainment and television, I think we hit close to the Greek ideal which is to educate and to entertain. Any time you can get that combination, then I feel it's worthwhile. And I like what the Federation stands for, because it gels with the way that I've grown up and what I believe America should be and I find we've got to not let the media sway us. Revealing that he's the seventh of ten children in his family: RB: My mother is probably the only woman who could play the captain of the Voyager besides Kate... What does the tattoo mean? RB: 'Three wives, too many children.' Asked for the names of his favorite actresses: RB: Kate Mulgrew! Roxann Biggs-Dawson! Jennifer Lien! ...I don't think you can get three better actresses on any show on TV. Individually I have a great crush on all of them. Luckily they're all attached. I would be walking around going 'Is she here yet?' Question about Chakotay's position on the ship: RB: I'm the first officer, Janeway's Federation, we're doing Federation rules...for now. Don't mess--don't messwith the Maquis. If there had been maybe five more guys on board our ship, man, we could've taken them. Question about Chakotay being in an awkward position, having to answer to Janeway and not being in charge anymore: RB: Well, if you had a chance to have meetings with Captain Janeway, wouldn't you? Who do I want to talk to...Tuvok? 'Hey, Tuvy, baby...' Question about Chakotay being a religious character and how comfortable Beltran is with that: RB: It's interesting. When you start bringing someone's religion into a TV show that's watched by millions of Americans and other people, there's some close things that you have to watch. I didn't grow up with a Native American religious experience. My father's side of the family was Catholic, my mother's side was an offshoot of the Pentecostal Church, the Apostolics. My background is a little bit more orthodox Christian. So when I'm playing a person who's a different religion, I just make sure they don't ridicule or belittle mine. I think everybody's religion is worthy of respect and that's all I expect from them. Question about how Beltran assesses Chakotay's new position as Voyager's resident expert on mating behavior: RB: Well, he's a very experienced man, Chakotay......so I think he's coming from a sincere and knowledgeable place...I think, better him to have a strong point of view about this than, say, Harry Kim! Or Tuvok. Tuvok, we'd all be holding hands, no further. I don't know how much that's going to be used in upcoming episodes. It's better than doing scenes on the bridge, you know, looking at strange anomalies coming at you. KATEWATCH STAR TREK GALA 23 SEPTEMBER 1995, DALLAS, TEXAS By Sue Harke A special event happened at the Apparel Mart: William Shatner, Jonathan Frakes, Avery Brooks, and Kate Mulgrew were all here for a black tie fundraising event for The Science Place. Tickets prices ranged from $1,000 each for dinner with one of the celebrities to $50 in the nosebleed section which required binoculars to see the actors when not on stage. Because of large theater-sized TV screens, there were no poor viewing areas when the luminaries were speaking. The event was sponsored by Paramount, UPN Channel 21 (Dallas), the Science Place, and Incredible Universe. It was a black tie event with live music and dancing till midnight after a presentation to the celebrities. Members of local Star Trek fan clubs--USS Joshua, USS Lancelot, and the Dallas--served as volunteers dressed in Star Trek costumes. As a member of the Joshua, I was able to attend. During the short presentations, no flash photography was allowed. Luckily I came prepared! I had an autofocus camera with a 70mm - 210mm lens, fast film, and a good position from a second story balcony to take photos. Kate Mulgrew spoke first. She talked about her desire to learn more about science to better perform her role as Captain Janeway. She spoke of an experience during her visit to Washington, D.C., when she was asked to speak to 17 science scholarship winners. She spoke about one young lady in particular. It seems this student was adamant about studying science, but her parents opposed it; they didn't believe she would succeed. She refused to give in. This discussion continued until one day a new TV show aired--Star Trek: Voyager, with a woman Captain! Her parent gave up and said, "She wins." The student had received a scholarship to MIT to study physics. This story gave Kate a greater desire to learn about science and to be a role model for those who want to study science. Next Avery Brooks spoke. He was a dynamic speaker and talked about the advice his wife gave him when everything seemed to be going wrong. He was undecided on whether to audition for the role of Sisko, his wife said "Don't say no." Next he was late in delivering a tape, traffic was bad. He called his wife and said he couldn't make it on time. She said, "Don't say no." He spoke of other experiences with the same answer. Next Jonathan Frakes spoke. He commented that his father was a college English professor. His father has noticed that many students were ill-prepared for college-level classes in English because of a poor background in reading and literature. Frakes then told a story I've heard him tell at a convention. He likes to enter via the dealer room to see what legal or illegal merchandise is being sold. During one convention during the early years of The Next Generation he saw a dealer selling action figures. His sales must have been slow because he had a sign that said, "Buy any figure, get Riker free." Next William Shatner spoke. He had just gotten back from Africa a few hours earlier. He told a science-related story about an elephant and a hut he'd stayed in. I don't recall the exact details about the story, but it was humorous and well told. Finally, all four celebrities and one representative from each sponsoring organization came on stage. Each celebrity was presented with a piece of a four-part puzzle from a high-level sponsoring representative. As each celebrity received their piece of the puzzle, it was combined with the other parts to form a picture that represented the spirit of Star Trek. I talked to Kate for about 90 seconds. The management tried very hard (and succeeded) in keeping us away from the stars so that the people who paid $1000 to see them could have their attention. We were not allowed to ask for any autographs. But an unusal situation came up and I had information that Kate wanted to hear. It seems that Ian Spelling, who writes the High Trek column, and Kate are friends. Ian's son, Max, was born the week before the event. I spoke to Ian on Saturday before I left; he said that he'd recently finished an article for Voyager magazine about Kate, and that Kate wanted to know when the baby was born. I tried working through the event management to get a message to Kate--no success. But she happened to walk out to take a cigarette break and I walked up to her and said, "Greetings from Michelle Green and your fan club! I wanted to tell you Ian Spelling's son was born two days ago." I passed along a congratulations card for her to sign for him, which the management returned to me. [Photo of Kate Mulgrew, Avery Brooks, Jonathan Frakes, and William Shatner at the gala] TAKE A CHANCE WITH THE STARS SEPTEMBER 30, 1995, LOS ANGELES By Gary D. Labin I will not soon forget the fabulous evening that I spent last month at the American Cancer Society's "Take a Chance With the Stars," an evening of charity gambling to raise money to fight cancer. I have often thought that it would be a dream come true to meet Kate Mulgrew in person, and on September 30 I actually had a chance to do just that. Ms. Mulgrew was one of the hosts of the event, and after her introductory remarks she went on to sign autographs and take pictures with those present. As I was waiting in the long line to meet Ms. Mulgrew, I was quite nervous, wondering what I should say to her and whether I would make a fool of myself. Well, my time soon came and when I was standing on the other side of the table from Kate, I was even more stunned at her radiance, beauty, and charm. Her smile was warm enough to melt a glacier, and all I could think was, "Wow! This is really her! It's Captain Janeway!" Before I asked her to autograph a couple of things I had brought, I told her what a wonderful actress I thought she was and that I was a member of her fan club based in Maryland. She kindly said something to the effect of, "That's great! Thank you very much, I appreciate all your support" (I was too excited then to remember exactly what she said). Then, she autographed one of my Voyager novels and a picture of herself from a science fiction magazine. There were many people eager to meet her, so I had to move along, and I really didn't get to spend more than half a minute in the presence of "Captain Janeway," but I will always recall those precious 30 seconds as a wonderful experience. Kate Mulgrew was not the only Star Trek star at the event; I also met several others. I'm sure some of you are interested in how some of these other Star Trek actors act in real life, so let me briefly summarize the experiences I had with each of the aforementioned people: While we played cards, I spoke with Garrett Wang (VOY's Harry Kim) about the past week's episode, where Kim returns to Earth. He was amicable and not at all taken with himself. His girlfriend was there, and when I told him to say hi to Libby for me, he humorously said, "Shhh...my girlfriend gets jealous..." Like his character on Voyager, Robert Picardo (VOY's Holodoctor) had a very businesslike, clinical demeanor. I think I saw him smile only once. That isn't to say he wasn't pleasant, just that in comparison to Kate Mulgrew's glowing personality, he seemed to be pretty solemn. Ethan Phillips (VOY's Neelix) and I chatted about the episode where his character almost became a father. He said he wished it had ended differently and expressed hope that it will happen sometime in the future. Armin Shimerman (DS9's Quark) seemed to be an all-around nice guy. I played some blackjack with him (he was the dealer) and we talked about Quark and DS9. He seemed really down to Earth, and quite unlike the character that he plays. I also chatted with Cirroc Lofton (DS9's Jake Sisko), who seemed to be a funny guy; as we played cards, he said, "We're playing for latinum, and after this hand I'm gonna start up a game of Damjat." In real life Majel Barrett Roddenberry (TOS's Nurse Chapel, TNG and DS9's Lwaxana Troi) was much like the character she played on Next Generation. She had an aristocratic air, yet was quite witty. I asked her if she was reading minds with her Betazed powers and she said, "Yes, but I'll spare you embarrassment and nottell everyone around what you're thinking about." Nichelle Nichols (TOS's Uhura) didn't sign autographs; I don't know why not. Personally, I was quite surprised that she was there, since Ms. Barrett was too; I guess I wrongly assumed they didn't like each other, after hearing about the contents of Ms. Nichols' autobiography! I overheard a curious conversation between Nichelle Nichols and Ethan Phillips. He approached her and said, "Wow, Ms. Nichols, I was a great admirer of your work on the original series, it's nice to finally meet you!" I found this to be quite interesting because I guess I just assumed that all Star Trek actors past and present knew each other, but evidently that's not the case. Of all the Trek stars there, Walter Koenig (TOS's Chekov) was the only one I'd classify as unfriendly. The first thing he did when he entered the room was approach me and bluntly ask, "Where are the sodas?" No "hello" or "excuse me," just a demanding question. Later, I approached him for an autograph (not seeing that he had a drink in his hand at the time) and he just turned around and held the drink up to my face and grunted. Well, I know I had a blast at the event, and I hope you got a little flavor of that exciting night by reading my report. I can't express how much of a thrill it was to meet Kate Mulgrew, and anyone who's reading this magazine also shares my admiration of Ms. Mulgrew greatly. I wholeheartedly suggest that if you can go next year, do so, you'll have a great time while benefitting a very worthwhile charitable cause at the same time. [Photo of Gary with Kate] BOOKS, COMICS, CARDS, AND AUDIO *The new series of Voyager trading cards is out! Anyone want to trade?* INCIDENT AT ARBUK by John Greggory Betancourt; Pocket Books 1995. Voyager novel #5 is a very good read, a huge step forward in the evolution of the Voyager novels. Betancourt has three things going for him: he can write, he knows his Trek, and he's got a very good handle on the Voyager characters. Neelix comes through very well as do Paris and Janeway, and the author's take on Tuvok suffering the aftereffects of a mind-meld with an alien who had been dosed with psychidelic drugs is priceless. The plot isn't all that original; Voyager finds a mysterious device and the alien that goes with it, and gets drawn into somebody else's conflict. It's been done before, but at least it's not the anomaly of the week with the situation resolved by new technobabble. The alien is a well-presented non-humanoid with a coherent and internally consistent culture. The portrayals of both Tuvok and Neelix interacting with the culture are nicely done. There's also a subplot concerning Neelix dealing with a threat to his role as Voyager's chef de cuisine, which is simply good fun! While this isn't a profound book, or one with a blockbuster page-turner of a plot, its a good solid enjoyable offering by a writer who shows great promise, and a refreshing knowledge of the Star Trek universe, not just the Voyager Writers' Guide. This guy's a Trekker. Going out on a limb, I think that Betancourt may become to the Voyager novels what Peter David is to the TNG ones. --Virginia Boehm Worthen COPYRIGHT VIOLATION CORNER *Two Christmas stories--Voyager variations on 'Gift of the Magi' and 'It's a Wonderful Life.' by our two favorite enterprising women. You know the disclaimers by now. Enjoy!* HAIR OF THE DOG by Kit Montana It was a gradual thing that would have gone unnoticed to most. He first noticed it the Thursday before last at the engineering status meeting. Her demeanor, as always, was perfect--attentive, intense, interested. But for a few moments, when he cast a quick glance at her to gauge her reaction to something Torres had said, he saw something unfamiliar, almost extrinsic, in her eyes. He gave it a few seconds' thought, then dismissed it, thinking it was some trick of light, or even his imagination. But later that same evening at dinner, he noticed a slight droop of her shoulders, and the food on her plate remained unfinished. Granted, it had been a particularly trying day, with one of the gelpacs developing a leak, and an unexplained power loss in stellar cartography, but Captain Janeway had always taken minor obstacles such as these in stride. Indeed, she seemed to enjoy the challenges each day brought. Her step had a spring to it, her eyes a sparkle, when there was a problem to overcome. Still, until this morning, he had decided these were anomalies. He had to call her name twice to get her attention on the bridge, and the embarrassed look she gave him made him realize she hadn't heard a thing he'd said. These were little things; things that would have gone unnoticed. If he hadn't been looking for them. Chakotay had no doubt that Kathryn Janeway loved being captain of USS Voyager. One look on her face when she stepped off the turbolift at the beginning of duty--whether that "day" began at 0700 or 2200 -- made it clear that command of this ship brought her a joy few could even imagine. She reveled in the responsibility, in the authority, in the freedom. She was the ship's benevolent despot, with control over its operation and function and population. A new system to be installed? She made the final decision. A change in course, a mission to be undertaken? Janeway decided. An argument that developed into a fistfight? Voyager's captain was the jury and the judge to mete out the punishment. Still, command wasn't something she took lightly; no one in his or her right mind would. So at first he thought the eternal pressures of her position were beginning to weigh her down, that she needed a break from the 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week grind. He consulted with Neelix to arrange special events--a masquerade ball, a concert, a rolling poker game--and there was little doubt the captain enjoyed them all, participating with unexpected gusto. But still, the occasional shadow fell over her face when she thought no one looking. Perhaps, he thought, she needs some liberty--she needs to take off her boots and run barefoot through the grass on some sun-flooded planet. He set Harry Kim to work to search one out. It took a week, but a class M planet was located. Void of animal life, lush with blue-green vegetation, Janeway finally gave in to her first officer's badgering and took a day off to visit the planet. She came back, face flushed with pleasure, arms full of flowering plants for transplantation in the hydroponic gardens and full of stories about unique geological formations. And for a while, the shadows abated... Chakotay walked into the Captain's ready room unannounced, as he always did for their regular 0700 meeting. As was often the case, Janeway was standing at the window, "counting stars," as she put it. In one hand she held her ubiquitous cup of coffee; in the other was a framed photograph. He stood for nearly half a minute, waiting for her to turn, before he realized he hadn't heard her come in. He cleared his throat. She jumped, splashing coffee on her uniform and dropping the photograph, and, unexpectedly, shattering the glass fronting the picture. Chakotay stepped forward quick to help her. "This glass shouldn't have broken," he exclaimed. Janeway squatted down to pick some of the shards from carpet. "It's an antique -- or rather, it was an antique. Original glass. My mother gave it to me one Christmas years ago." She spoke without inflection as she piled the fragments on the face of the photograph, standing up to place it on the desk carelessly as if its destruction were of little concern to her. It wasn't until then that Chakotay noticed it was the picture of her dog and Mark. "I'm sorry," he said, gently. "Would you like me to get it repaired?" Janeway cast it a brief glance. "No, no. It's not that important. Shall we get to it? I have Kes coming in at 0800 ... " She moved to sit behind the desk and motioned to a chair. He stood rooted to the spot until she looked up. "What is it?" she asked. He hesitated, and then spoke. "Let me ask the same of you--what is it?" She looked puzzled for a moment, and then blushed slightly. "You embarrass me, Commander. I thought my shield was impenetrable." He gave her a slight smile. "It is--to most; to almost all." She matched his smile and motioned him to the chair. "All right --true confessions." She took a sip of coffee to give herself a moment to gather her thoughts, to balance what she was going to say. "This time of year...my family always got together for Christmas. We had a strict rule. If it were humanly possible, you came home for Christmas." Janeway took another sip of her coffee. "This will be the first Christmas in years that I won't be home. I'm just a little...well...homesick." She looked at the photograph, and then gave him a sad smile. "It's not like we don't all wish we could go home." They sat in silence for a few moments, and then Janeway sat forward in her chair. "Right, now, about our energy consumption. I think we did pretty well last week, maybe we should consider increasing the replicator rations... " Some time between inspecting the navigational array off the starboard nacelle and counseling a straggling crew member, Chakotay found time to visit the Doctor. It wasn't a long consultation, but he left with a smile and a look of determination. He tapped his comm badge. "Mr. Paris, at your convenience, I'd like to see you in my quarters." Paris, lining up a perfect shot at the pool table at Sandrine's, wondered what he'd done now. "Why me?" Paris' voice was tinged with dismay, almost whiny. Chakotay found it difficult not to smile. "Because you're...experienced in matters like this. Besides, you're the only one on the ship who has lengthy brig experience; you'll know what to expect if you get caught." Paris' mouth fell open. "Thanks a lot ! You don't think that's a good reason for me not to do this? I've done my time." Chakotay chuckled, then got serious. "So who do you want me to trust this to? Tuvok? Harry? B'Elanna? You know she can't keep a secret worth a damn." The first officer clapped a hand on the young lieutenant's shoulder. "You should be happy I have such faith in you!" Paris shook his head. "All right. I'll do it. But where do I look?" Chakotay thought for a moment, and then snapped his fingers. "Her civilian clothes. She's hardly had a chance to put them on since her mission started. Be sure to vacuum the floor and the chairs, but I think her clothes are our best bet." Paris shook his head again. "I could be courtmartialed for this." Chakotay grinned. "Trust me, Paris. I won't let anything happen to you. We're in this together." "That's what I'm afraid of," said the pilot, grimly. Tom Paris tried to look nonchalant as he walked down the corridor towards the Captain's cabin. He'd slipped the tiny power vacuum up the sleeve of his shirt to hide it, but he still felt a jolt of fear every time he passed someone in the passageway. Relax, he told himself. Relax. Chakotay will keep her busy. They'll be in Sandrine's for an hour yet... Getting in was a snap. Earlier in the day, with Chakotay's help, he'd circumvented the security access codes in the computer to allow him into Janeway's quarters. He closed the door behind him and secured it--although the only person who might want to get in would be Janeway herself, and it might be a little suspicious if she found her own door locked against her. Paris pulled out the vacuum and thumbed it on. It worked virtually without sound as it sucked up dust and minute particles from the carpet and furniture. As he worked, he looked around him, trying to figure out where Janeway might store her non-uniform clothing. When he was done with the floor and furniture, he flicked the vacuum off and opened her closet. Not unexpectedly, it was immaculately arranged, uniforms hanging straight, boots shined with the toes lined up. And tucked far to the right, just as neatly aligned, were her liberty clothes. Rather than pull them out--and risk the possibility of putting them back incorrectly--Paris slid into the closet and turned on the vacuum. As he ran it over the material, her scent rose up around him. It took all of his will toslow his pounding heart. Even when she wasn't here, she was watching over him. Ta da, he thought, if I get out of this I'm never going to help Chakotay with any of his hair-brained schemes again... He stepped out of the closet and tucked the vacuum back up his sleeve. With a jolt, he realized he had only minutes left before the time he'd agreed upon with Chakotay. And what if the Captain hadn't wanted to stay for the whole pool tournament? Paris' heart began to pound again, and he opened the door to Janeway's quarters--and looked straight into the surprised face of his Captain and the panicked face of his first officer. Janeway placed a hand on Paris' chest and forced him back into the room. She crossed her arms, her lips pressed together in a hard straight line. "So?" she asked. Lie! screamed a voice in Paris' head. Tell her you were walking by and in a moment of whimsy was wondering if the Captain wanted to watch the pool tournament, and when you rang the chime you thought she'd said come in and the door was open...or tell her you were going to visit Jenny Delaney and took a wrong turn into Janeway's quarters...or...Ta da. Caught. He was caught. And there was no way he was going to lie to her; if he learned anything in his life, he learned never to lie again. But the truth was as impossible as a lie. "Uh," said Paris. Fury jumped into Janeway's eye. "Mr. Paris, I want to know right now what you were doing in my quarters," she snapped. Paris' eyes slipped to Chakotay's face. The first officer stood frozen, helpless. Unexpectedly, Paris pulled his shoulders back and stood at attention. "Ma'am, I am sorry to inform you I cannot tell you why I was in your quarters." Chakotay winced. Bad to terrible to impossible in three seconds flat. Janeway face flushed with anger. "You cannot tell..." she stopped, choking with the intensity of her anger. Chakotay reached forward and grabbed Paris' arm, none too gently. "I'll secure him in his quarters," he said quickly with a touch of hardness in his voice. "We can deal with him tomorrow morning." Janeway waved her hand, dismissing them both. Anger--but also disappointment and sadness--were reflected in her face as the two men hurried out the door. Chakotay sat on Paris' bed, hands hanging between his knees, shoulders drooping, as Paris ranted. "Courtmartialed! I'm going to be courtmartialed for this!" Paris paced around his quarters like an animal caged. "This may be a record, you know. How many Starfleet officers do you know that get courtmartialed twice in their career?" He stopped his pacing and addressed the wall. "Do you suppose this will get me in the Guinness Book of Galactic Records?" he asked, bitterly. "You won't get court martialed," Chakotay said miserably. "I'll tell her I ordered you to do it." Paris turned around and looked at the first officer. "You would do that for me?" he said finally. Chakotay looked up. "Of course. It's the truth." Paris sat down next to him. "Yeah. But... " The lieutenant handed Chakotay the vacuum. "Let's not have all this be for nothing. I'm pretty sure I saw some when I was going over her clothes." Chakotay cradled the slim machine in his hands. "Thanks." "And -- uh -- you didn't order me to do this. I wanted to. Honest. Just stick up for me tomorrow. She listens to you; she won't courtmartial me," said Paris with a sigh. "And let's face it, Voyager is short on pilots. The ship needs me. What can she do to me?" Chakotay's shoulders drooped even lower. "Tom, believe me, my intentions were good ..." Paris gave him a wry smile. "I know. But I want you to remember something. You owe me. Again. And I keep track... " It was an unheard of punishment for such a serious crime. The bridge officers weren't privy to the specifics of the "discussion" that went on in the Captain's ready room between Janeway and Chakotay, but they knew it was spirited. The conversation rose and fell for more than two hours as Paris sat staring straight ahead at his pilot's console. His day had started with an audience with the Captain and Chakotay where he'd again refused to tell why he had been in her quarters. Paris could tell that the night--and the fact that nothing was amiss in her quarters--had cooled the Captain's anger; he hoped that this, and her innate compassion, would allow her to go easy on him. He'd been summarily dismissed while his fate was determined. And when it was decided, they called him back in. Six months' holodeck privileges revoked. Six months' replicator rations revoked. Six months' extra duty. And when he wasn't on duty, he was confined to quarters. For six months. But it wasn't a courtmartial. It wouldn't even go into his permanent record. In six months it would be over. It was almost, thought Paris, worth it. It was to Paris' credit that he never brought that fateful night up to Chakotay once during the month that followed. Chakotay, for his part, found numerous reasons to release Paris from the confines of his quarters--an errand to be run to sickbay, tests that had to be done in the hydroponic gardens, maintenance that needed to be performed on holodeck two. Harry Kim was assigned to this last task as well, to Paris' gratitude. The days passed. Star system were mapped. Class M planets explored. Anniversaries and promotions and birthdays celebrated. Poker games played and billiard tournaments held. There was even a marriage, with a huge reception afterward. And all without the exuberant, flirting presence of Lieutenant (junior grade) Thomas Eugene Paris of Starfleet. "You want me to what?" asked Janeway, her face full of surprise. "Just for an hour, Captain. He's been a model officer. And I know he deeply regrets what he did," said Chakotay. And you have no idea how much I regret it, thought Chakotay. Janeway sat, closing the book she'd been reading and placing it in her lap. "I had no idea you and Mr. Paris were so close, Commander," she said with a touch of amusement. "And to be honest, I have a feeling Mr. Paris may not want to attend my Christmas party. After all, I'll be there, and I was the one who put him in hack." Chakotay thought quickly. Paris absent from the Captain's Christmas party was unthinkable. What could he say to persuade her to bend the rules to allow Paris to attend, if only for a hour? He leaned over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Please. An hour. I think it'll mean more to him than you know." Janeway was so startled she was speechless. "Er, alright, Chakotay, if you think so," she said finally. "But only an hour. It's important to maintain discipline. I'm sure you appreciate how important that is." Chakotay sighed inwardly. "Absolutely, Captain." The Captain held her Christmas party in Sandrine's. Paris's favorite holographic characters were invited as well--a decision made by Chakotay. By 2000, the party was in full swing. To accommodate the entire crew, Janeway had ordered a special duty rotation so that over the course of the evening everyone aboard would have a chance to stop in and sample some of Neelix's holiday fare. The result was that the party never lost its freshness, with people moving in and out, some in liberty attire, some in uniform, some exhausted from hours of dancing, some just starting out. It wasn't long before the entire room was littered with festoons of colored ribbon and torn wrapping paper as the crew began exchanging gifts. And the Captain held court, drinking champagne--from her high color and laughter, there could be little doubt it was the real thing. Paris came in, still in uniform, just as Janeway was beginning to open her Christmas presents. She caught his eye and gave him a slight nod. He nodded back and made his way to the bar, leaning against it and sipping beer from a frosty glass, never taking his eyes off his Captain. Her mountain of gifts were mostly amusing tokens--a handmade cushion for the Captain's bridge chair, a "bun warmer" for her hair, a lurid pseudo-Victorian novel written by the entire engineering department--but a few were so touching Paris imagined there were tears in the Captain's eyes. Replicants of the Captain's pips and medals framed in a small case for her wall. A hand-carved model of Voyager. And last, a piece of antique glass cut to fit the photograph of Mark and her dog. "Speech!" shouted someone to Janeway from the back of the bar. "Speech! Speech!" Paris took a sip of his beer. Ten minutes more and he'd have to go back to his quarters. Janeway stood, smiling, to thank her crew, but before she could start, Kes came in, clutching a blanket to her chest. All eyes turned to her. "Sorry to be so late, Captain," said the petite Ocampa. "But there's one last present for you." Kes placed the blanket into the Captain's arms, and folded back a corner--to reveal a squirming strawberry-blonde Golden Retriever puppy, so young its eyes were still closed. "Oh...my." Janeway brought the bundle of softness up to her face to rub its silky head against her cheek. A tiny pink tongue lapped her nose. Silence filled the bar. Janeway looked up to find the Doctor and Chakotay standing in front of her. "How?" she asked. "How did you do this?" "She's a clone of your dog," said the Doctor. "There's some genetic drift, but we were able to control it fairly well. I don't think you'll notice the difference--" "How?" asked Janeway of Chakotay, interrupting the Doctor. Chakotay smiled warmly. "We were able to find some dog hairs with the follicles on them to get the DNA. Kes and the Doctor cloned her. She's still on the bottle, but Kes said she'd take care of her while you're on duty." Janeway buried her face into the soft fur, breathing in the puppy's sour-sweet scent. It smelled of home. "Thank you," she said, looking up into her first officer's face, her own suffused with emotion. "You have no idea... " Chakotay shook his head. "Don't thank me. You should thank Tom. He was the one who got the dog hair from your clothes--I think you remember when he did that." Janeway turned quickly, to find Paris standing behind her. "Merry Christmas, Captain." He put his half-finished beer down on a nearby table. "I wish I could stay, but my hour's up." She placed a hand on his arm, caught between heaven and hell. "Tom, I don't know what to say." She swallowed hard, trying to clear the lump in her throat. "This is the best present I've ever gotten." She swallowed again. "Maybe the most costly one, too." Paris looked at the squirming puppy she clutched in her arms, and then into the tearful face of the woman who had set him free from a lifetime of humiliation and self-pity. Hell, he'd probably have ended up a drunk in some bar if it weren't for her. Six months of bad food and long hours of work and no entertainment? He smiled at her broadly. "It was nothing, ma'am." THE END THE ROAD NOT TAKEN by Barbe Smith Kes paced around her room--the presence was overwhelming yet she could not define the where or why of it. She'd sensed things before, but never anything this powerful. It was down time for the main crew and she hated to disturb the Captain for a sensation, but the imminence of disaster weighed on her like an anchor. Knowing that she would realize no peace until she shared her burden, Kes sped down the hall into the turbolift. "Captain's Quarters!" The large dog delighted in the appearance of her master. Unfortunately, the joyous reunion interrupted the Golden Retriever's romp in the creek and Kathryn Janeway found herself being bowled over by a wet and very muddy dog. Mark doubled over at the sight of his oh-so-proper fiancee struggling to maintain her dignity beneath such an ebullient (and filthy) welcome. All semblance of composure was lost as his laughter reached her ears. Catching him offguard she yanked him to the ground beside her where she and the dog turned their enthusiasm to him and his spotless white shirt! As Mark and Kathryn caught their breaths and gazed at the cloudless sky, a cherub fluttered into view. This was a new touch to the scene, but there was something rather peculiar about it. "How sweet, how romantic...I think I'm going to be ill!" the Cherub sneered. The voice penetrated the last of Janeway's sleep-befuddled haze and she sat up with a bolt: "What?!" Sure enough, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she caught sight of a chubby, winged creature flitting through her cabin. The ludicrous vision was further compounded by its unusual features--the face bore the sneering appearance of the infamous Q! Janeway was hard put not to giggle even as she began to comprehend the serious jeopardy that confronted her ship and crew. The amusement faded from her voice as she demanded: "What are you doing here, Q?--I thought you preferred annoying Captain Picard." "My dear lady...the Enterprise has been far too boring lately and here you are: lost in the far reaches of space, short on energy and supplies, feuding crewmen. Why, it's everything I could possibly wish for in entertainment. I am curious though, in the midst of all these interesting crises, you spend endless hours dreaming of a particularly uncolorful male and a canine. You have the greatest adventure that any mortal could desire yet you pine for what you left behind? Incredible!" Janeway's mind had been racing over anything she had ever heard about the Continuum. Q's misdeeds were widely known--avenues to thwart him were not. The need to be cautious tempered her words and kept her voice pleasant and even: "Q, is this merely a social call or is there some point to this visit?" At that moment that Kes found herself at the Captain's door. The sense of superior power nearly knocked her back but she struggled against the suffocating sensation in order to warn Janeway. At the door's chime, the Captain looked questioningly at Q. Her instinct was to warn the visitor away but Q controlled the cards in this game. "Oh let her in. It's merely that Ocampa girl coming to warn you about my arrival. While this angel routine is appropriate to my role here, it is a bit too confining. I believe I'll find something more comfortable." As the Captain bid Kes enter, she found herself staring at an average-sized human male in a Starfleet Captain's attire. Confused, Kes looked to Janeway for an explanation. "Kes, may I introduce you to Q--he is a member of the Q Continuum, an omnipotent species which has a unusual preoccupation with human behavior." "Nicely put, Captain," Q spoke up briskly and turned his attention to the Ocampan. "Now Kes, if you would be so kind as to inform the others, I am going to borrow the Captain for a while. I promise that I will return her to you when I'm finished, but for now I'm in a rush and don't want to spend time on explanations, especially with one of those interminably logical Vulcans. Come along Captain, I believe the show is about to begin..." With a snap of his fingers Q and Captain Janeway vanished. Temporarily frozen from the shock of this extraordinary encounter, Kes took a moment to register what had happened. Attempting to pull herself together, she dashed to Janeway's comm panel: "Commander Chakotay, Lt. Tuvok, please come quickly! The Captain has been abducted!" It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the blackness. Captain Janeway was alone in a huge theater where ancient cartoons raced across the screen. After hundreds of years, Wile E. Coyote was still unsuccessful in his quest to catch the Road Runner...and of Q there was no sign. Kathryn Janeway possessed a nature that embraced the new, the unknown. But as she waited alone for whatever this whimsical and sadistic creature had to throw her way, she had to breathe deeply to keep panic from paralyzing her. Using all her Starfleet training, she assured herself that she was prepared for anything. "Popcorn?" Well, apparently almost anything. Q's sudden reappearance in the midst of her meditation startled her into a jerk of surprise that knocked his arm, sending hot and buttery kernals flying everywhere. "Apparently not," Q quipped. "Oh well, I'd hate to see you choke on it anyway...this film is reputed to be quite a tear-jerker." "And that movie might be?" Janeway probed. "You may have heard of it. It's entitled 'It's a Wonderful Life.' Many Terrans consider it Classic Cinema." "Yes...I have heard of it. But, if I may ask, why is it that you kidnapped me from my ship to view an old vid?" "Shhh, Captain I must request that you be quiet. I'm confident that you've never seen this particular version and I'm told that the director is quite the genius. Now...settle down," Q saw more questions about to tumble from Janeway's lips and firmly laid a finger against them "You will understand in time, my good Captain..." As the film credits rolled, Q sank back with a sigh of satisfaction. The scratchy images of the old cinema tumbled by lazily as Janeway's attention was grabbed by the actors' names--these were her colleagues and relatives! With the final fanfare and "Directed by Q" emblazoned fullscreen, the Captain braced herself for the next part of the performance... "Shields up, Red Alert! The Maquis ship knows she's trapped and will be throwing everything she's got left at us. Lieutenant, I want you to take us within transport distance so we can get Tuvok out of there." Within moments, the Betazoid officer responded: "Captain, we're within transport range and we've located Lt. Tuvok's signal." Janeway paced Voyager's bridge: "All right, drop shields and transport Tuvok on my mark." She gazed at the screen where the renegade vessel was crumpling under Cardassian fire: "Now!" Her reunion with her security chief was brief; they wasted no time in moving back from the action. The mission had gone smoothly thanks to the Vulcan's secret transmissions of the Maquis ship's whereabouts. It still puzzled her that the Cardassians had also known the coordinates of the ship's location, but it was safe to assume that they had also made use of intelligence resources. Meanwhile, the Maquis ship lay still and deadly quiet. Starfleet had given orders that this ship was to be left to Cardassian jurisdiction. The thought turned Janeway's stomach. Knowing that many of these rebels were merely fighting for their homeland's freedom, the Federation might have offered some leniency. The Cardassians would show no such mercy. However, Admiral Nucheyev had made it clear that fragile relations with Cardassia must be strengthened. So it was that the Captain turned away from the scene before her and issued orders to take them back to Federation space. Onboard the Maquis vessel, B'Elanna Torres exploded in rage as Seska calmly boasted her Cardassian heritage. With a deep Klingon howl, Torres lunged and locked her hands around Seska's throat. She jerked in disbelief as phasers suddenly sliced into her from all sides. In her last moments she knew that indeed, they had failed. As her lifeforce ebbed, her last sight was of a defeated yet unrepentant Chakotay being dragged away by his most-hated enemy. "Poor B'Elanna," whispered Janeway, "to die so needlessly..." "Ah, but Captain, she died an honorable death by Klingon standards. You should see what's going to happen to her in this universe. Ooops, the Continuum becomes really annoyed at me when I start divulging secrets about your future." Janeway recoiled from the thought that she had saved B'Elanna from an honorable death only to face some wretched future. "And Chakotay?" "Don't worry Captain, everything will work out. Now, will you be quiet or will I have to call the usher?" Seeing that Q would no longer be forthcoming with answers, Janeway leaned back into her chair. There was a certain fascination with viewing 'what might have been' but she couldn't help but wonder about the motive behind this production. "A daughter! How wonderful!" "Yes, Admiral, my first. After having the two boys, I never expected to be dealing with hair ribbons, but Mark and I are thrilled. However, I think I may request an extended leave from space duty this time. After all those years in space, I'd like to take a little time on earth to enjoy my family." "I understand Kathryn. We can certainly use your assistance at the Academy. But you know when you are ready, there will be a starship waiting for you..." Kathryn looked at her husband and sleeping infant daughter. The thought of leaving them behind for even a moment was inconceivable now, but there was that adventurer part in her that she knew could never be stifled for long. The Golden Retriever raced into the room and launched onto the bed. The three year-old twins came chasing behind. "Jim, Tom, take it easy. Bear is going to have puppies and can't be rushing about as she used to." "Mom, can we keep the puppies, please?" Janeway no longer remembered a time when there hadn't been babies and puppies wreaking havoc in her life--but she would choose it no other way. "We'll talk about it later, boys. Right now your mother and new sister need their rest." Hearing Dad's no-nonsense tone, the boys exited quickly, stopping only to plant a wet kiss on their mother's cheek. Kathryn and Mark laughed at their boys' antics then glanced down at the new perfection that was in their keeping. What more was there that they could ask for in life? Janeway tried to ignore the tears trickling down her cheeks. After all, there was no way of knowing that this scenario was how her life would have truly turned out, if not for her decision to pursue the Maquis into the storms of the Badlands. "Q, stop this. If I recall properly, the intent of the original movie was to point out how much worse things turned out without the man's existence. This has only shown me how poor a choice I made!" "Yes, but Captain, we are talking reality here. In movies, it can be made very tidy and convenient but human life is so much more complex. However...to be fair, if you'd like I'll snap my fingers and you can choose that other life right now. No one will ever know and you'll have what you want. Or...if you prefer, you can have what's hidden behind Curtain Number Three..." Q was game show master now, and a scantily clad woman was waving her hand in front of a garishly festooned curtain labelled #3 while another caressed the movie screen. "What's it to be, my lady?" Janeway's heart was thudding in her ears as the voices and images hammered on every side. Finally she burst out: "I'd like to see the rest of the movie!" "Sensible choice, Captain." In an instant, the curtains and women disappeared, and the reel began anew... The years rolled by and Janeway's career blossomed. First steps were replaced by first kisses in her children's lives while Kathryn and her husband danced the delicate ballet of negotiating time together. The years of raising their family were over too soon, and it was in wonder that Admiral Kathryn Janeway watched her daughter Margaret take her place on the transporter pad which would beam her to her first deep space assignment on Voyager A. "Meg, are you sure you remembered everything? How about the hologram of the family I gave you?" Margaret Janeway rolled her eyes at her father. She would never have thought that her unflappable mother would come this unhinged. She stepped off the pad to give the fretting Admiral one last hug. "I'll be fine, Mother. Really I will..." It was a coup of sorts that a newly-commissioned ensign was assigned to this prestigious position, but First Officer Harry Kim had followed the academic track of his former captain's daughter. He knew that she would be a crack candidate for the science officer vacancy onboard the ship. Kathryn was so proud that her daughter had chosen this path. The boys had chosen other career directions. Jim was involved in the oceangraphic program in Newfoundland while Tom was teaching philosophy at UCLA. Still, from the moment that Meg had first toddled onboard her mother's ship, Kathryn knew that she was hooked. Now, the circle was complete and it was her turn to bid her daughter goodbye while she remained earthbound. The news of the Cardassian action took Starfleet by surprise. Relations had been rocky over the years, but they had held nonetheless. This latest action was a major setback, and the top brass were squabbling amongst themselves over the best course of action. "The colonies were completely wiped out?" Admiral Schoefield still doubted the information. Admiral Picard responded. "Unfortunately, our sources are impeccable on this, Bob. All former colonies on Cardassian-held lands have been eradicated. Any citizen even remotely connected to Maquis activity has been summarily executed. Our ships have made long-range passes--there is not a humanoid life sign to be found on those planets." Schoefield let fly a string of profanities. His colleagues nodded in agreement. "Why the hell is this happening after all this time? The Maquis haven't been a real threat since Kathryn here took her crew after them twenty-odd years ago." Jean-Luc Picard again had the most to offer: "It seems that a new generation of Maquis has arisen. A former leader, Chakotay, apparently broke out of a Cardassian work camp not too long ago, and together with Tom Paris has rebuilt the cadre. The Cardassians have come down hard to prevent further trouble from the group." The group of admirals all thought with embarassment of Paris' part in this. They'd been quite fond of his father; now they would be in the uncomfortable role of dealing with his son's traitorous behavior. Admiral Janeway's voice pierced through the muttering: "So, what is to be our part in this? Are we to turn a blind eye to the massacre and discuss the weather next time we convene with Cardassian delegates?" Picard ran his hand over his scalp and wearily responded: "I think that is our only possible recourse. Federation leaders have decided that after all this time, the matter of the colonies has become an internal one. In their estimation, the Prime Directive prohibits a stronger solution. As distasteful as the thought may be, I fear we may have to live with it." "And if Maquis ships request assistance?" Schoefield inquired. "We will provide emergency medical and technical aid only, but asylum will be denied. The Maquis will fight alone on this..." The finality of Picard's remarks left nothing more to be said and the Admirals dispersed. Several of the officers left the meeting with a heavy heart. Janeway remembered how the colonists had wanted only to stay close to the land that bound them spiritually. Now, the land was purged and their spirits would never find the peace they had so desired. The Federation had traded them like pawns for the price of a shaky treaty. The contest was over now and it was the colonists who had lost everything. Admiral Janeway's hand trembled as she hit the key to end the last transmission. The news she had always dreaded had come: her daughter and other members of an away team, including the XO, were missing. Their shuttle had failed to reach its assigned rendezvous point some eighteen hours ago. Recalling all those moments on Voyager when situations had appeared insurmountable, when the crew had pulled off some miracle, Janeway strove to hold on to hope. But Maquis raids were escalating and Cardassians were attacking anything in their space. The shuttle had chosen a dangerous site to run astray. Some hours passed. Close to exhaustion with fists clenched so tightly she no longer felt any sensation, Janeway stared blankly at her viewscreen, willing it to bring her encouraging news. The message, when it came, was not what she expected. "Admiral Janeway? We've received a transmission from a Captain Chakotay. He is demanding that he meet with you, and you alone, to negotiate the release of Starfleet personnel. He claims that you two have a prior relationship and he trusts no one else. What should I respond?" Janeway remembered back to their previous meeting. She had stared at him across viewscreens, demanding that he surrender his vessel. Despite such overwhelming odds against him, she had secretly admired his firm refusal and his warning to stay clear of what was a personal matter with the Cardassians. Her role in the battle that day could hardly have endeared her to him. Was that what this was all about? "Lieutenant, make arrangements for my transport. And inform Commander Tuvok of my plans, I believe he may be interested in serving as my aide." "But Admiral, you can't trust them. You'll very likely be walking into a trap..." "I'm well aware of that, Lieutenant. Carry out my orders!" "Aye, Admiral!" The coordinates were laid in and within a few days, Tuvok and Janeway found themselves awaiting their host on a barren asteroid at the Badlands' fringe. It was some time before they became aware of the other inhabitants. "Admiral! I appreciate your coming." Janeway swallowed a gasp of shock at the hideous figure that emerged from the shadows. The voice she remembered as Chakotay's, but there was little left of the handsome features with the distinctive tattoo. The formerly burly frame was grotesquely crippled. Ignoring the flash of revulsion and pity, Janeway addressed the rebel leader: "Captain, we've come as requested. Now, where are our people and are they well?" A laugh from off to the right broke into the tense arena. "Man, I can tell why my father liked her so much! She has a gift for getting right to the point." Tom Paris came forward disruptor hanging loosely but menacingly on his hip. "Admiral," he said, bowing slightly, "I'm afraid that Commander Kim made an ill-advised move to escape; as a result, he is no longer with us. But the rest of our guests are fine, for the moment. What we need is someone who will hear our concerns and carry them to Starfleet. This seemed the only way to attract someone's attention!" Chakotay glared Paris into a sullen silence, then gestured for the two Starfleet officers to follow him into a nearby cave. Meg Janeway started at the sudden appearance of her mother. Janeway could see she was frightened, but as her gaze met her mother's she gave her a valiant wink. The film suddenly flickered out. Janeway turned on the 'director' and lashed out: "What is this? You've brought me this far only to torture me as to the outcome?" "Why, Captain, I only thought that since it's growing late you might want to be re-joining your crew. After all, there is only one way that this film could end. I'm sure you know that." "Q, what are you talking about? There are several possibilities and I'd like to know how it turns out. I have to..." Q's humoring sigh echoed in the empty theatre."Very well, if you insist." An usher hastily replaced the reel and the tape slowly rolled. "So, this was a trap? You have no intentions of negotiating anything." Janeway had considered this could happen but could not hide her disappointment as her hands were bound behind her. Tuvok spoke up: "Sir, I must inform you that our movements are being carefully monitored. The crew has orders to move on this place at the first indication of hostile fire or if we have not returned by 0900 hours." Chakotay's bark of laughter hinted at insanity: "Let them come, nothing can hurt me any longer. The Maquis is growing and will survive with or without me. But, before I go, I wanted you to feel what I felt to be betrayed and left to die. To survive hell, to return to your homeland to find it is no more. My people demand vengeance and I will destroy as many Cardassians and Starfleet officers as it takes to find peace. And, as you came here uninvited, you will be first." Tuvok's eyebrow twitched for a moment then settled into resignation as the disruptor blast knocked him back. "Feel that pain? That's nothing. This time you will feel the fury of a million fires, then you will die." Janeway closed her eyes against the sight. Tuvok stoically held his screams but could not prevent the stench of his searing flesh. She only opened her eyes as she heard her daughter's squeal of fright. The disruptor was now trained in her direction. "No, Stop. Please! Kill me instead." The Admiral knew she sounded hysterical, but struggled to break through to this madman. "Sorry, Ma'am," Paris drawled, "but he's been planning this for quite some time. It's the least he can do for all the help you gave him twenty-six years ago!" Janeway had loosened her bonds and frantically grabbed for anything she could use as a projectile. She had to block Chakotay's shot. As he slowly exerted pressure on the trigger, she let fly with a large rock, deflecting his aim and causing the beam to hit Tom Paris in the head. He died instantly. Chakotay's rage filled the cavern and he advanced on Janeway's daughter screaming in his native tongue. As his weapon's beam glowed fiercely, the Admiral tackled him and they scuffled until only one of the trio remained... The funeral was a simple affair in keeping with her lifestyle. Mark was inconsolable at the loss. It seemed incredible that only a few week's ago the whole family had shared a rare skiing vacation. Now, he would never see her again. Starfleet was well-represented and supportive, but he wished he could scream at them to leave him alone--they had taken a part of his soul and he could not easily forgive that. But, he did all that was expected of him then made his adieux and headed to the hospital. "Hi honey, how are you feeling today?" The figure on the hospital bed was shrouded. The doctors had expected the bandages to be removed by now, but their patient's recovery was slowed by the trauma she had undergone. Mark gently took her hand and stroked it, trying to break through the nightmares which haunted even her waking moments. He braced himself, prepared to recount the scene that had just been played. The question was feeble but not long in coming: "How did it go today, was it nice?" "Yes, Kathryn, it was everything that Meg could have wished for..." Fade to black. "Brilliant, simply brilliant. Bravo, bravissimo!" Q was on his feet applauding loudly. Captain Janeway slowly emerged from her fog, almost pinching herself to insure that she was truly in this time, this place. In the end, Q had made his point. All this time, she had dreamt of the life left behind as the ideal, forgetting that misfortune and quirks of fate are omnipresent. As she turned to thank her 'angel' she found herself centerstage in her own ready room, surrounded by concerned and mystified bridge officers. "Captain, are you okay?" Ensign Kim was the first to find his voice. "Yes, gentlemen," she responded looking over each of her friends with fondness, "I couldn't be better. Now, if you can hold your questions until morning, I believe I have a few more hours rest before my watch. If you'll excuse me?" Tuvok escorted the Captain to her quarters in the event that Q might make another appearance. As the turbolift preceded on it's way, a sudden loud clank grabbed their attention. "I cannot fathom what manner of sound that could have been," Tuvok wondered aloud, "that did not have the harmonics of any known metal onboard Voyager." Janeway found herself stifling giggles for the second time that night. She suspected that her security chief would be questioning her sanity especially when she noted: "I think a very big angel just received his wings!" Back in her cabin, she spotted one of her books laying open on her desk. The events of this night finally rooted in her soul as she read the last lines of a favorite poem by Robert Frost: "I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." THE END WE ARE FAMILY Other Star Trek fan clubs you might want to know about! Send SASE for information: VULCAN INSIDERS/HARRY KIM INSIDERS Official Tim Russ/Tuvok Fan Club P.O. Box 8248 Long Beach, CA 90808 Official Garrett Wang/Harry Kim Fan Club P.O. Box 13767 Sacramento, CA 95853-3767 RANDOM FLIGHT Official Robert Duncan McNeill/Tom Paris Fan Club c/o Brenda Antrim P.O. Box 3583 Abilene, TX 79604 bantrim@delphi.com FIRST OFFICER'S LOG Robert Beltran/Chakotay Fan Club c/o Kim de la Fuente 6123 Halifax Drive New Port Richey, FL 24653-6030 kamala1@aol.com EPIC Official Ethan Phillips/Neelix Fan Club c/o Joe Christiano and Rande Goodwin P.O. Box 4818 Waterbury, Connecticut 06704 RBD FAN CLUB Official Roxann Biggs-Dawson/B'Elanna Torres Fan Club 1630 Ft. Campbell Blvd Suite 143 Clarksvile TN 37042 ROBERT PICARDO FAN CLUB Robert Picardo/The Doctor Fan Club c/o Tracey Ledel, RNC Box 373 1277 Linda Mar Shopping Center Pacifica, CA 94044 THE DOCTOR'S EXCHANGE Official Alexander Siddig/Dr. Bashir Fan Club c/o Joan Marie Verba P. O. Box 1363 Minnetonka, MN 55345-0363 verba001@maroon.tc.umn.edu ENVY Nana Visitor/Major Kira Fan Club c/o Kimberley Junius P.O. Box 1926 Upland, CA 91785-1926 bajorfemme@aol.com OASIS Official Armin Shimerman/Quark Fan Club c/o Kathy Bayne 26 Dogwood Street Jersey City, NJ 07305 kathybayne@aol.com THE LAST OUTPOST Star Trek Club of Hawaii c/o Mark Wilson P.O. Box 31261 Honolulu, HI 96820 73502.226@compuserve.com CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE DEPARTMENT Kate: See you in Denver in April, hopefully! Robert: Thanks so much for sharing your time and talent with us. Bob: We're still trying to stop laughing from the floor show... Heather Koons: WE'LL MISS YOU! *sob* Elaine Karolczak: Thanks so much for the photos! BGHelpers: Thanks for dealing with the endless inquiries! Becky: *shriek of envy* And God punished your computer... Jan and Barbe: WE WANT MORE STORIES! Thanks much! Alanna: O Warrior Queen, we salute you, as does Bob Picardo! Siubhan: I owe you more favors than I can ever hope to repay! Maryann: I owe you video of anything! ANYTHING! Laura B: And I owe you scans of anything! ANYTHING! Anne: So glad we met! And thanks for all the art! RBLS: We love every one of you! We must gather again soon! Below: Our lovely membership secretary, Becky Olsen, exhibits her best "I've got my arm around Robert Beltran!" smile... [Photo of Becky and Robert Beltran] PHOTO CREDITS 1--Photos by Sue Harke, Jennifer Pelland. 2--Photo courtesy Becky Olsen. 2--Illustration © Jennifer Pelland. 3-10--Photos © Paramount Pictures 1995. 11--Illustration © Kate Scally. 12--Photo © ABC-TV. 13--Illustration © Anne Davenport. 14--Illustration © Anne Davenport. 15--Illustration © Yul Tolbert, Timeliketoons Inc. 16--Photo © Paramount Pictures 1995. 18--Photo courtesy Robert Beltran. 20-21--Photos by Sue Harke, Gary Labin. 28--Illustration © Anne Davenport. It is illegal to reproduce or scan art from this newsletter. [Drawing]