**NOW VOYAGER** The Official Newsletter of the Kate Mulgrew Appreciation Society Volume II Number 3 *THE BUZZ* I've decided that from now on I should reserve all serious editorializing for the interior of this newsletter, and devote the front page to breaking news and general silliness. This issue we did not manage to get to serious editorializing, due to space constraints--but don't worry, next issue we'll undoubtedly have some second-season wrap-up articles as well as a long-overdue rebuttal to all the Janeway romance stuff we've been running lately. And, of course, we'll have con reports from Denver and hopefully lots of photos. People sometimes ask why we don't run a regular conventions column in this newsletter. The reason is very simple: by the time we get the issues put together and printed, the information has often changed, and people get much angrier when they've bought tickets to a con at which the rumored celebrity does not appear than if they miss a con they didn't know about. When we find out about confirmed dates, we post updates online, both to the club membership at large and on AOL's message boards. But the information we can print here is bound to change faster than we can keep up. For instance, Kate will not be able to attend Fedcon in Germany in May as we originally reported, because she's planning to work on an ABC Movie of the Week over Voyager's hiatus and the shooting schedule interferes with the convention. So the good news is that we'll all be able to see Kate on television in a non-Voyager role, and the bad news is that people in Europe will be deprived of her presence! As of right now Kate is confirmed for Vulkon in Orlando, Florida June 22-23, and tentatively scheduled to appear at Creation in Minneapolis August 4 and in Detroit August 17-18. The best sources of information about conventions are often the con organizers themselves, though keep in mind that a con organizer may tell you that a guest is confirmed when in fact there are still negotiations going on about whether the actor will in fact appear. Two of the largest convention organizers offer regular telephone updates: Creation Conventions 411 N. Central Avenue #300 Glendale, CA 91203 818-409-0960 Vulkon c/o Joe Motes 12237 SW 50th Street Cooper City, FL 33330-5406 305-434-6060 I want to stress that the fact that Now Voyager lists a convention does not in any way constitute an endorsement of that convention, nor a guarantee that Kate or any of the other scheduled guests will appear. I can only report the information as I have it at the time we go to press. There have been several instances of charity cons listing guest stars before even contacting the actors' agents, hoping that the performers will come to the convention rather than risk appearing to have stood up a good cause. Michelle *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, P.O. Box 34745, Bethesda, MD 20827-4745. You can reach us online at tigger@cais.com or thepooh@aol.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://gl.umbc.edu/~mpanti1/kate/kate.html. *REVIEWZZZZZZZZ* DEATHWISH About Star Trek it could be said that there are really good episodes and really bad episodes, and then there are episodes about Q. Just knowing that John de Lancie is going to show up as the God with an attitude is enough to put you on the edge of your seat. But as Voyager is not the same show as TNG, this Q episode has some intriguing differences from what we've seen before and allows us to see a new and fascinating side of Q and the Continuum. The relationship between Q and Janeway is going to have to be quite different than those that have come before, and Q doesn't waste any time coming up with tailor-made jibes concerning a woman in the captain's chair and finding out whether or not the pants fit. The scene where he shows up in her quarters complete with nightcap was not quite as funny as a similar scene played out with Picard, but a whole lot more relevant. Her later comment that it won't be necessary for Q to talk to her in private since he's already seen enough of her quarters was a classic. Nevertheless, though the humor is delicious and dependable, it takes a backseat to the real point of the story of a renegade Q fighting for the right to take his own life. Though some will say that the episode is a blatantly liberal fairy tale legitimizing suicide, I saw it as a fascinating way of working out a question as old as philosophy itself. Even in the days of Plato people wondered whether the gods were free of more human woes. If we were all-powerful, would we be free of bordom, depression, loneliness? Another question always left unanswered from the days of TNG concerns the nature of the Q themselves. What is the "continuum?" Do these people all mess around with other times, places, and people? I guess we now know a bit more about what it's like to be Q. Or do we? Q made it plain that what the party saw was something they could understand, and indeed it's hard to think of being God as leaning on the porch reading something that looks like a 1960s copy of Life magazine. I must admit, though, to being impressed with the croquet ball fashioned after the likeness of Terra. All part of the deliciously irrational nature of the Q. They are, like Q himself, both disappointingly human and completely inhuman, inconsequentially mundane and completely unique. I was saddened at the decision of the renegade Q to actually take his life in the end. His was a sweet and gentle character that I would have loved to have seen go on with the voyage. The fact that Q decided to help him did not surprise me. John de Lancie's Q is above (or at least beyond) any judgements we mere mortals make. His is the willingness to save the human race as he does from time to time. His is also the barefaced arrogance to be unmoved when Janeway says (not quite truthfully) that he was responsible for humanity being introduced to the Borg. To Q, the rationale for his actions is always as obvious as the noses on our "ugly little primate faces." And Voyager is, if anything, an even better toy than the U.S.S. Enterprise ever was. Lost and seemingly hopeless, driven toward an epic goal, yet hopelessly divided. A captain torn between duty and compassion. All in all, a situation crying out for a galaxy-class meddler. Future situations offer up a multitude of possibilities. And for me it will be interesting to see how the writers avoid the obvious ability of Q to simply send them home. How can one not hate a being who has that simple direct power and yet will not use it? Yet even as Q remains beyond our ability to understand, he also remains beyond our instinct to hate. Somewhere in his quixotic moments of sensitivity and the inevitable sparks between de Lancie and long time friend Mulgrew, we will always love him in spite of our better judgement. Truly, Q works in mysterious ways. --Richard Hanson I cannot remember a Voyager episode that has been so eagerly anticipated yet so overhyped by the network. Is Paramount so desperate that they must hang all their hopes on John De Lancie? That's a mighty tall order for anyone to fill. Despite some initial misgivings, I approached this episode with an open mind. After all, Michael Piller did a good job with "Meld." First and foremost, the acting was superlative. Kudos to John De Lancie, Gerritt Graham, and Kate Mulgrew. Kate recently said this was the episode she was most proud of. I'm inclined to agree with her. There were no missteps here. De Lancie's usual obnoxiousness was nicely balanced with Graham's playful performance, and we got to see a more serious side of the original Q. The ending surprised me quite a bit. And just like Seska, we can expect this much loved villain to return. The story covered a lot of ground and we were treated to a slightly different perspective on dying. Euthanasia with a twist. I'm surprised they didn't bring Dr. Kevorkian to the stand as a witness. Riker's appearance didn't accomplish much beyond giving De Lancie some good lines. The thing that impressed me the most was Kathryn Janeway. Q held out Earth like a carrot--he must have known the thing she most wanted. He played her emotions like a violin. He tried enticing her with visions of home and hearth even though he put his twisted little self on that hilltop. But Janeway put her personal feelings aside and did what was right for the Q seeking asylum. Bravo! The bedroom scene was cute but dull. Kate and John are great together, but I hope they don't plan on shoving a Janeway/Q romance at us. First we had Lord Burleigh, now we have an immortal. I would rather not see any romance if this is the best they can do. On that note, I will end this by saying that this was a very good episode, well written and well acted. I couldn't ask for more. --Elizabeth Klisiewicz [Photo--Janeway and Riker} As much as I enjoyed seeing the plot of "Death Wish" unfold, I was even more fascinated by what it revealed about the character of Q. This Q was more thoughtful and introspective, which was, for me, a logical progression in the character's evolution. I've long been interested in Q as an archetype, a figure so fixed in the collective human consciousness that it consistently appears in vastly differing cultures. In early TNG episodes, Q was the Trickster. Chakotay would call him Coyote; the Doctor's holo-girlfriend, Freya, would recognize him as Loki. In "Encounter at Farpoint" and "Hide and Q" he was more like Loki, the Norse fire god who loved to stir up trouble and mayhem for the sheer sake of making mischief. In "Q Who" and "Deja Q," he was more like Coyote. The Trickster's pranks rebounded, earning him expulsion from the Continuum and the eventual stripping of his powers. But there's another mythological figure that I believe is closer to the true nature of Q: the Greek god Hermes, who plays other roles besides that of the Trickster. Among other things he represents logical, rational thought--and I thought it interesting that it was Tuvok, not Q, who exemplified this aspect of the archetype. This is a side of Q we've never seen--and probably never will, judging by his reaction to Tuvok's arguments. That double shot of the two Qs shaking their respective heads and moaning plaintively, "Vulcans!" was priceless. It is the young Hermes who is most associated with the Trickster archetype. As he matured, he became Hermes Psychopompus, the soul guide who led the newly deceased to the underworld. In Jungian psychology, the underworld is equated with the subconscious. He represents the light which the superego, or intellect, sheds on the dark id. Q began to assume this more serious role in, of all things, TNG's lighthearted "Q-Pid," where he tried to teach Picard about the perils and pitfalls of love. In "True Q" he had two roles: the Guide who revealed to fledgling Q Olivia D'Abo her true nature, and the messenger of the gods, an emissary from the Continuum with the authority to destroy this budding Q if necessary. It's in the episode "Tapestry" that Q truly becomes Hermes Psychopompous, as he takes Picard on a tour of his own subconscious and graphically demonstrates the fallacy of regret and longing for what might have been. It's interesting to note that this episode also marked the end of the Q-tsey episode titles (including Q's one visit to DS9 in "Q-Less"). The next episode in which Q appears is "All Good Things..." In TNG's finale, Q finally became a guide to humanity as a whole, rather than Picard in particular. Humanity, he explained, was on the brink of understanding a new way of exploring--not by mapping star systems and charting nebulae, but by experiencing those things with new perceptions and different ways of thinking. Q also told Picard it had been the Continuum's idea to put humanity on trial this time, and that he was just acting as their instrument. But after seeing "Death Wish" I have to wonder. Our first glimpse of the Q Continuum reveals a dismal place where the inhabitants are so jaded they're way past the point of exchanging "been there, done that" stories--because they've "done that" so many times it's become a pointless exercise. The obviously bored Q didn't look in the least interested in what humanity was doing, never mind taking the trouble to wipe it out. Not only that, but if the Continuum had planned to wipe out humanity, why then were "... humans not due to arrive in the Delta Quadrant for another 100 years"? Q may not lie, but he does put truth through hoops sometimes. On the other hand, maybe the events in "All Good Things..." were the Continuum's last gasp, after which they collectively breathed a "ho-hum" and went back to things as usual. Back to archetypes. In "Death Wish," DeLancie's Q brought many of Hermes' multiple facets into play. The Trickster was visible in his usual rapid-fire patter and sharp-witted repartee, but also in the bribe he offered to Janeway. Throughout most of the episode he also functioned as the messenger of the gods, representing the Continuum during the hearing that would decide whether Janeway should grant asylum to Gerrit Graham's Q(2). And at the end, in one of the most touching endings ever in Trek, he once again assumed the role of Hermes Psychopompous and gently led Q2 to the underworld by assisting in his suicide. The ending left us with a deeply thoughtful Q who finally understood the philosophical arguments Q2 had made against the continued meaningless existence of the inhabitants of the Q Continuum. But it also left us--and Q himself--with many unanswered questions. What, exactly, will Q do next? Will he become Loki and light a fire under his fellow Q? Will he use the guise of Coyote, who can be Teacher as well as Trickster? Or will he become a soul guide to his own species, as he has to humanity? Q. He's evolved, through three versions of Trek, from puckish prankster to serious soulguide. And during the process, he's tried to quash the human race--several times! He's been quarrelsome, quick-tempered, and querulous (especially when rendered quotidian and quarantined in a human body). He's been quick-witted, quixotic and eminently quotable, and his quips are without peer. He's been anything but quiescent, and as elusive as quicksilver. But there is another manifestation of Hermes that Q has yet to exhibit. And somehow, after that scene in Janeway's quarters, it wouldn't surprise me at all if, on his next visit to Voyager, he appeared wearing nothing more than winged helmet and sandals--and carrying flowers. --Alanna Whitestar [Caricature} Whenever something monumental happens on Trek, it's never a surprise. The spy network operated by Trekkies rivals the CIA, and it's only with considerable effort that we can avoid knowing what's going to happen weeks, even months in advance. Sometimes, foreknowledge is a bad thing. If something is built up ahead of time, it can end up being a huge letdown... Star Trek: The Final Frontier pops into mind for some reason. Not so with Q's first visit to Voyager. The buildup was huge, and the payoff was well worth it. They told us he'd be back, and he was. They told us Riker would make an appearance, and I was afraid they'd turn it into an excuse for TNG nostalgia and try to overplay the original Space Stud's role. They didn't. They told us they'd show us the Q Continuum. I was afraid they'd try to give some pat explanation of the nature of the Q. They didn't. They told us Q would tempt Janeway with visions of Earth. I was afraid they'd have her being weepy and indecisive the whole time. She wasn't. In short, Riker's appearance was brief and served only to illustrate a plot point, then it was over, just as it should have been. They answered quite a few questions about the Q and the nature of the continuum, but they raised just as many new ones...and they perpetuated the idea that the true nature of Q is something beyond our comprehension. Q (John De Lancie) was his usual sarcastic self, and they even offered an explanation as to the reasons for his personality change. At the beginning of TNG he was a mischeivous ne'er-do-well with no regard for his superiors. By the end he'd become some sort of Q spokesman...and now we know why. [Cartoon] The new Q who was introduced (Gerritt Graham) was a welcome contrast to "our" Q. In the beginning he seemed rather befuddled and naive, but was gradually revealed to be more of a sheltered academic and Q philosopher. The character's true intelligence and anguish over an eternity of immortality was illustrated a little at a time, and skillfully conveyed by Graham. This Q wishes nothing more than to die, and to do so he needs Janeway to grant him asylum on board Voyager, which requires her to convene a hearing. At first it seemed like a rehash of the euthanasia debate, but proved to be a lot more complex. The actual terms of the hearing were that if he was granted asylum, Q would grant him mortality...which would lead directly to his suicide. Janeway tried to separate her deliberations from this issue, but she couldn't quite manage it, as I doubt any of us would have been able to. Her eventual decision in his favor and her subsequent attempt to convince him to give mortal existence a chance had the ring of truth and were the best decision she could have realistically made. But that wasn't the only dynamic. Janeway and "our" Q had marvelous chemistry to rival his with Picard. The episode included one of Q's signature bedroom scenes, memorable for Janeway's one-word cutoff of Q's slick flirtations: "Leave." Not to mention Q offered a distinctive bribe if she'd decide in his favor...a trip home. I was a little surprised at what a non-issue this was. It would be contrary to her nature to consider such a payoff, but I'd think the temptation would still be huge. All she'd have to have done to get home would be to send the new Q back to the existence that he was destined for, albeit that he despised. No Prime Directive violations, no sacrificing of whole civilizations...the only thing stopping her would be her reluctance to deny the new Q an escape from his hated immortality and allow his suicide. One might even argue that her decision to grant the new Q asylum was even a Prime Directive violation...so once again Janeway opts for the moral high ground as opposed to what regulations might dictate. She's done this several times before, most significantly in "Caretaker." She is a lot like Kirk in this respect, willing to toss aside Starfleet protocols in favor of the old "galactic policeman" role. [Cartoon] All in all "Deathwish" was a marvelously enjoyable episode, and a welcome return for Q...who by the end of the episode decides to return to his life as an omnipotent Lothario and scorn the authority of the Continuum. We'll see him again for sure, and more sparring matches between him and Janeway are sure to be memorable! --Lori Summers LIFESIGNS Kenneth Biller has written a wonderful love story in "Lifesigns" and has given us one more episode to remind us of why we became fans of Voyager in the first place. Picardo has never been more in the zone with the character of the holodoctor, and his enthusiasm in exploring the possibilities of this lifeform is what makes every episode featuring the holodoctor so special. The Doctor's unconscious egoism makes a fascinating partner to his emerging feelings. These are mixed with nice touches, such as the reference to the procedure discovered by Leonard McCoy. Note, however, that the holodoctor tells a bit of a lie when he says that his most complicated triumph was "curing Mr. Neelix of an acute case of the hiccups." Unless the cure for hiccups involves complexities hitherto unknown, I'd say creating a pair of holographic lungs takes precedence. It's nice to see that holographic programing doesn't include any of that hardwire honesty we've come to expect from more Asimovian programs. Jennifer Lien's Kes and Picardo going through the Dutch uncle routine in reverse is also fun to watch. Will we someday see "my programming is adapting" replacing the phrase "I think I'm falling in love?" The resultant confrontation between Denara and the Doc: "...and now for the anterior thalamic pathway... By the way, Denara... I've been meaning to tell you, I'm romantically attracted to you." Maybe a bit reminiscent of Mr. Data, but subtly different. Unlike Tim Russ, Picardo doesn't need to try too hard to avoid instant and unfortunate comparisons. Given a successful run for Star Trek: Voyager, the holodoctor will be as unforgettable as Data ever was. You heard it here first, kids. The scene on Mars was incredibly touching and funny. I'm sorry, but I can't resist the obvious crack about the song: considering the fact that the holodoctor is running the program keeping Denara in her present form, couldn't we say that "I only have eyes for you" has taken on a whole new meaning? Didn't you love the '57 Chevy? And the way Denara did a double take on the teddy bear was almost terminally precious. You've got to love them both. The final scene was incredible. It justified all of the faith I've ever had in the show. Once again, Voyager has us look beneath the surface to see the reality of human nature. Behind this story are the continuing adventures of Tom Paris, young career failure. My wife is convinced that Paris' problems are a plot hatched by the captain, et.al., to capture the spy who's been reporting to Seska. Note that the exchanges between Paris and Chakotay were all relatively public, and our spy, Mr. Jonas, was a witness. Am I going out on a limb here? I am completely prepared to eat crow on this. Maybe a little sauce and a nice Chianti? --Richard Hanson The last month of Voyager and even DS9 have come off like a primer on Death and Dying. I was overjoyed when Denara Pel chose to live! Bravo to TPTB for this statement on appearance. I would have been sorely disappointed but not surprised if they had killed her off (similar to what TOS' "Menagerie" did to Vina) because I am so used to the messages the media sends to women. "Lifesigns" (which could be subtitled "appearances can be deceiving") was a gentle, thoughtful and well-told adventure. Susan Diol gave a peaceful reading for this character. We have come to expect violence and murder from the Vidiians, but we have only seen the men. Denara is the first woman we've encountered. Dr. Pel provided us with a different side of the Phage story. She didn't condemn or accept the actions of her people, but she did clue us in to the desperation they feel. Both the A and B story were compelling. First, the A story. Robert Picardo continues his excellent track record here, thanks to Ken Biller's great teleplay. The Holographic Doctor seems to steal the show each time he appears and his character has gotten the most substantial development. We start off with Mr. Smug and Self-Assured. See how clever I am with the collective knowledge of all these doctors? I can do this. He reminded me much of a pubescent teenage male preening in front of the girl he pretends to dislike. He started off by saying this is my patient, not my date. It becomes obvious to everyone except Doc that he is adapting very quickly to romantic temptation. Nice contrast in bedside manner between Doc and Denara, especially from a race we believe to be so heartless. How quickly Torres caved in once she was killed with kindness. I loved seeing the transition from sharp exclamations of romantic attraction to the smooth, suave dancer at the end. The holodeck car scene was sappy but cute. It not only gave us a nice, romantic scene but it also provided us with some insight on Tom Paris! Now on to the B story. I like how they have been drawing out this story arc. It seems clear that something is going on between Paris, Tuvok and the Captain. There is no other explanation that I can see. Paris hasn't been insubordinate since the "Caretaker" episode. He has stood by the Captain and is even more steadfast than Chakotay. He is indeed Janeway's pet project. Janeway has a history with Paris's father and has taken a special interest in the son. I find it hard to believe that she would let Chakotay handle the whole thing without some intervention. Janeway is just a little too serene about this and Jonas's transmissions should have been detected a long time ago. So I think they are playing a waiting game to catch the traitor. The Chakotay-Paris tension seems a bit contrived as well. Chakotay was quite friendly in the mess hall and Paris overreacted. The shove on the bridge also didn't ring true. Chakotay is a solid man and fell down far too easily. If this keeps up, he will become known as Glass Jaw Chakotay in the finest Worf tradition! I liked the scenes between the Captain and First Officer. Chakotay's grateful smile when she told him to handle it was very nice. I think he is going to be very hurt when he finds out Janeway is going behind his back. I suppose his behavior in "Maneuvers" could be one explanation for this exclusion. As for Seska, I have no idea what she has planned. I like how she veers from discussions about little transporter accidents to calling Jonas by his first name in that deceptively sweet voice. This was a fairly light and enjoyable episode and it ranks up there with the best of this season. I hope this trend continues. --Elizabeth Klisiewicz [Photo--Janeway, Chakotay, and Tuvok] INVESTIGATIONS People sometimes get testy with me when I say things like "Neelix is my favorite Talaxian." "What's you're frame of reference?" ask the Vulcans. "Just how many Talaxians have you met?" ask the Bajorans. Tonight's episode brings partial justification to my personal bias on this score, but raises questions on the quality of Talaxian journalism. "Investigations" brings to an close what most small children and a few pets I know had already figured out was a counter-espionage plot on the part of Paris and nearly everyone on the ship other than Chakotay. All right, that is an exaggeration; Mr. Jonas himself could hardly have figured it out and still played into the hands of Janeway & Co. in so convenient a fashion. Neelix didn't have a clue, but then that's part of Neelix's charm, and I've got my doubts about Harry Kim. (I nearly always have my doubts about Harry). It's a cute story, told in part by the ploy of filming it with a video cam mask overlay on the picture. The fact that the only television show we haven't seen already use this technique is "Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman" never seems to get in the way of writers and producers who insist that the technique is creative. Neelix was cute adopting the role as investigative journalist with the enthusiasm and refreshing lack of sober self-consciousness we've learned to expect of Neelix, puppies, and three-year old children. The holodoctor was cute exercising his usual blend of virtual egoism and testiness. Chakotay was cute reacting with boyish charm to the knowledge that he wasn't included in on a major command decision in order to avoid depending on his acting ability (a decision I'm starting to agree with). Even Seska was cute, allowing Tom Paris access to the very information he needed while guarding him with a couple of Kazons that looked and acted like clones of Harpo Marx. Apparently the writers at Star Trek: Voyager have decided that the image of Martha Hackett grinning at us wickedly from the shadows is enough to generate suspense and tension without the necessity of fabricating a believable plot to go along with it. "Investigations" lacks in believability what cannot be made up for by coy subplots and hanckneyed old camera tricks. While I recognize that reality has to be dumbed down to transfer the notions of counter-espionage to the small screen, there are limits to just how dumb reality can get. Saddened as I always am at any death, one might almost say that if Mr. Jonas was not smart enough to get by the machinations of Voyager's crew, he was, perhaps, simply too stupid to go on living. And if such was Jonas' fate, what more horrible things are in store for those who dreamed this up? One last point. Where I live, the advance ads for this episode came with the warning that a major character would die in this episode. I guess that's one ruse that did work. --Richard Hanson Intrigue upon intrigue. Garibaldi and Ivanova...oops, this is Voyager. Right. We finally saw the end of a very lonnnnnng story arc that was also somewhat boring. Jeri Taylor did a good job balancing light and dark in this episode. I enjoyed Neelix's video escapades and how he ended up assisting Tuvok in the investigation. Neelix is far from my favorite character and I think they were testing our limits by featuring him in nearly every scene, but Ethan Phillips should be commended on a job well done. Following the action through the lens of a video camera was an intriguing idea. I especially enjoyed the camera angles and showing the reactions of various crewmembers (especially Chakotay) to Neelix's briefing of the day. I was starting to wonder about Mike Jonas and his machinations. He was no obvious Maquis "malcontent" like his friend Hogan. We always saw him stand silently in the background with his darting glances and sullen demeanor. I don't believe we'll ever know his true reasons for turning on his friends, but I was cheering when he got his just reward. Yet I thought that the traitor should have been a Starfleet officer instead of a Maquis. The Maquis are stereotyped as bad guys. [Cartoon] Wouldn't it have been an interesting twist to see something different instead of business as usual? Janeway and Tuvok were squared off firmly against Chakotay, and I found this Us vs. Them attitude extremely annoying. Robert Duncan McNeill was the real star of this episode. He excelled in every scene and if anything, I wish we could have seen a little more of Tom Paris and a little less of Neelix. I always knew Tom was loyal to Janeway. There was never a doubt in this viewer's mind. I think that was my primary problem with this whole story. There was no mystery and it all ended with the thud of a traitor's body at the bottom of the warp core. Robert Picardo was stiff and a little too dry this time around. Somehow, discussions about nostrils and adrenal glands don't compare with betrayal when it comes to interesting stories. Now if Doc had offered his services as a tango instructor, we might have something! The only sizzle was the tension between the Big Three. It was obvious from the glances exchanged between Janeway and "Mr. Vulcan" that something was going on. However, I found their use of Chakotay demeaning, unfair, and downright mean. The scene between the three head honchos was brilliant and fraught with tension. Despite the fact that Tuvok dominated this exchange, Chakotay's eyes kept returning to the Captain. Hurt, disbelieving, and did I see tears glitter there for a second? I disliked Tuvok intensely in this scene and I wasn't exactly happy with Janeway either. She kept glancing at Tuvok for reassurance instead of taking responsibility for her actions. And then when she tried to brush off the whole incident with ill-timed humor, I felt so bad for Chakotay. How can Janeway place Tuvok's opinion higher than her First Officer? I remember her words to Chakotay at the end of "Maneuvers." His actions were commendable but his methods were not. Now the shoe is on the other foot and I think both the Captain and Security Chief have a few things to learn themselves. Tuvok the Paragon?! That's how it seems when Janeway continues to rely blindly on him. Hasn't Tuvok let her down in the past? Oh, yes, he has. In "Prime Factors," it was Tuvok who betrayed the Captain and disobeyed orders. That seems far worse than Chakotay trying to make up for past wrongs even if he did act like a vaquero. [Drawing] I found myself liking Crewman Hogan quite a bit. He might be one of Chakotay's people, but he is smart and did a great deal to solve the puzzle of the transmissions. Please bring him back for more in later episodes. As much as I like the main characters, it is always refreshing when the ordinary folks get a shot too. And then we have sweet and sour Seska. She opens up that syrupy tap at will and lets the saccharine fly. However, I am asking myself just what it is Seska wants from Voyager. Is she such a megolomaniac that she thinks having Voyager at her command will cause her to get home that much faster or have everyone bow down to this great Federation ship and follow her orders? Martha Hackett does a great job contrasting the cooing woman with the truly nasty person she is. But I think they are overusing her as a villain. It would be great if we could see some new alien societies who weren't in danger of being blown up, attacked by the Kazon, or evil telepaths. The Kazon seem to be everywhere, or Voyager's stellar charts are so out of whack that they are traveling in circles. I enjoyed the scenes on the Kazon ship but I wondered what the whole point was. Where was Kulluh? I can't imagine he'd let Seska run the show unless something happened to him. And putting Tom in the room with the console was another obvious ploy to draw Voyager in. Seska also has the fastest moving pregnancy in history compared to Ensign Wildman. Yeah, I know, it must be one of those temporal anomalies messing things up. The Nistrim didn't seem like much of a threat with only one ship. Where were the rest of their bad-haired buddies? Despite these minor gripes, I really enjoyed this episode. The entire premise of the Morale Officer as entertainer has occurred to more than a few people and it was fun watching it. And even though the story arc fell rather flat, it brings out the potential for other more dramatic story threads. Decent but nothing spectacular. --Elizabeth Klisiewicz The title of this episode refers to two investigations: the "official" search for the spy on Voyager, which has been going on for the last several weeks, and Neelix's own search in his new role as a journalist. The two become closely interconnected, Neelix's efforts seeming at times to help and at times to hinder Tuvok's. In the end, they achieve their goal almost simultaneously. Neelix's talk show is used very nicely as a frame for the episode. The show begins with the beginning of one broadcast and ends with the end of another. The device of having journalists' reports as part of an episode has been used before, fairly recently by both Babylon 5 and Space: Above and Beyond, for instance, but it is much more smoothly done here. Neelix's position helps; as a Delta Quadrant native, he can function to some degree as an outside observer, but he's not a new character who needs to be introduced. The blending of Neelix's recorded salute to Tom Paris and Paris's wordless departure from the ship makes a particularly effective scene. In this episode, we also get the payoff for the show's biggest attempt to date to introduce a story arc (as used on B5 and every soap opera ever made). I'm all in favor of a move toward more continuity and away from the Peril of the Week resolved neatly in the last five minutes with no lasting effects. It seems particularly appropriate for this show, too; unlike the Enterprises dashing from one short-term mission to another, Voyager is on a continuous journey with an ultimate destination in mind. That said, however, the execution in this case leaves something to be desired. The scenes with Jonas relaying his information to the Kazon have often seemed like foreign bodies, not well-integrated into the episodes. Paris's sudden personality shift really didn't ring true. By the time the denouement came, it wasn't much of a surprise, which is too bad. What remains to be seen is whether the remaining loose end, Chakotay's reaction to the really rather shabby way Janeway and Tuvok treated him, will be followed up. The Janeway/Chakotay relationship, which is rather important to the show, has been subject to many ups and downs and inconsistencies (partly due to the fact that both characters, but especially Chakotay, have been inconsistently written). Here's hoping that the upcoming episode "Resolutions" lives up to its title. Now for a brief rundown of the major plot holes. Tuvok's performance as security chief is sacrificed, not for the first time, to the needs of the plot. If he has an open comm link to Neelix, as promised, he's not paying much attention to it during Neelix's final confrontation with Jonas in Engineering. That scene is also rendered silly by the fact that Jonas, who seemed quite prepared to kill Neelix in Act 3 when it would have been tactically very inconvenient, develops a sudden and inexplicable reluctance to do so at a point where he has very little to lose by it. Tom Paris's escape from the Kazon also requires suspension of disbelief above and beyond the call of duty, though it's a lot of fun to watch. Nice touches, on the other hand: Tom's hesitant embrace of Neelix, Janeway's meaningful glance in Tuvok's general direction after they receive the news that Paris has been abducted from the Kazon convoy, the blue light in Seska's quarters which emphasizes her Cardassian appearance and also looks damned good on Mr. Paris, Torres checking the readouts first to be sure the situation has stabilized before turning to the wounded crewmen, and especially the subsequent scene in Sickbay where Neelix seeks an interview with the "hero" Jonas. On the whole, this is a good episode, though not an absolutely first-rate one. --Jennifer Loehlin DEADLOCK First of all, I just want to say this episode was great. I can analyze it, I can categorize it, but there's a level at which analysis doesn't really do great things justice. Occasionally in an ongoing work, there will come a point where everything comes together. It doesn't always happen. Looking at most of what passes for television entertainment, it's pretty obvious that this doesn't usually happen, even in wildly successful shows that enjoy a long run. But in Voyager, it happened, and this show will remain a classic of its kind. There are dramatic situations when you know certain things are going to happen, but knowing it doesn't help. Knowing it, in fact makes things worse. Some of the best movies are based on this technique; Greek tragedy wouldn't have been Greek tragedy without it. In the same way there were certain clues to the ending of tonight's episode: the way Harry dies early as well as the baby, but the other ship just happens to have spares; the way we're set up to get concerned that the messed-up Janeway really will blow up the ship. That's the double punch, mine anyway. Notice the way incidents keep piling up for the damaged ship; one calamity after another with no time for Janeway to think. We're set up to believe that fate is conspiring to make that ship of woes the logical ship to be destroyed. Maybe I'm going too far here; after all, in TOS, Scotty would have figured out a way to join the ships in the end. But, no, that won't work: there's the problem of Kim and the baby. That's the beauty of the idea--again, we're set up to believe that this time the end will be different, and logic demands that the messed-up ship will be the one to go. But there's another logical answer. We're accustomed to sticking with what we know--the old custom of going home with the person you went to the party with. We see all the disasters befalling our ship that's falling apart for the first twenty minutes. Then we're introduced to another ship that seems to have survived. Note the lighting difference: one ship is dark and the other is light. We've seen this trick before in TNG's "Yesterday's Enterprise," where Guinan is our bridge between a light and a dark universe. About midway through the episode we're subtly invited to shift our affection from the one ship to the other, because frankly it's not easy to see the crew we've come to love get the stuffings kicked out of them. Then come the Vidiians! Here comes the punch. Would you rather see your favorite ship fall apart or go into self-destruct mode, or would you rather see your favorite crew get harvested for a group of even more than usually ugly aliens? Now for the good news. Our original ship is going to be the one to survive. Everything's going to be all right, see? Like Harry says, it's all kind of weird. And that's what's really wonderful about it all. We're happy but thunderstruck at the same time. It's a great end but one that you can't feel easy with. Mulgrew was so brilliant she virtually flamed through the entire episode. We get to finally see her at her best after quite a few dry episodes--the scientist, the leader, the compassionate heart. If I'd had roses I would have thrown them when she delivered the line "Then you know I'll do it." A great actor has the ability to inject more into a moment than the moment can logically carry, to give words a meaning that their definition doesn't hold. Kate Mulgrew is a great actor, and tonight she transformed Janeway into an epic character. One last thought. I've always been struck by the dignity that Starfleet captains always seem to display at critical moments. When the Vidiians broke into the bridge, Mulgrew's portrayal of how Janeway handled that final moment was something that honestly brought me a chill. "Welcome to the Bridge." In that single moment, Janeway makes us once again proud to be an honorary part of Starfleet. She makes us remember that even the ultimate moments of life require us to strive to greatness and poise. As another great Starfleet captain once put it: "How we handle death is at least as important as how we handle life." Wouldn't you say? --Richard Hanson They uttered the words "parallel universe" and "Brannon Braga" in one sentence and I battened down the hatches. Leaping lizards, he pulled this one off. This still doesn't make up for "Threshold"--I don't think anything will remove the stench from that episode. I decided to look beyond the concept of phase shifting because I find the concept ridiculous. But then so is evolving into a lower life form, and that didn't stop Braga from writing about it. It was no great surprise that the Starfleet/Maquis tension was all forgotten. "Deadlock" was a bottle episode that could have occurred at any time after "Phage." I had to watch this twice before I started to follow the twists and turns in the story. It was fascinating seeing two sides to Kathryn Janeway. I loved her with her hair in disarray. She lost none of that steel, although she seemed less formidable. And all bets are off because she was the first one on the ship to call herself Kathryn. This was a showcase for Kate Mulgrew and she came up roses every time. Talk about grace under fire! Nice ensemble work from the bridge crew, as well as down in sickbay. We didn't get Neelix shoved in our face like last week either. And we now have a new technical concept: fetal transport. I can hear all the pregnant members of Now Voyager cheering about that one. We also got to see a bit more of the Vidiians, whom I think are the real villains of the Delta Quadrant. They make the Kazon look like small potatoes. These scabby guys appear to be the technological equals of the Federation. I still wonder why we always see men on their ships, and not people like Denara Pel. An enjoyable and exciting episode that left me scratching my head in confusion. --Elizabeth Klisiewicz You know you're having a bad day when your ship's about to become Delta Quadrant debris, you meet your cosmic double, and the Vidiians show up to appropriate your organs. But I'm getting ahead of myself with the plot here. First, I must say that this episode was a relief, if only because we were not subjected to 8 jillion commercials for Swift Justice like we were last episode. I definitely prefer seeing ads for Babylon 5 during Voyager, and not just because Bruce Boxleitner brings back warm memories of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. [Photo--the two Janeways] And now back to our regularly scheduled programming--"Deadlock" definitely had me on the edge of my seat, which was a true accomplishment since it meant that I had to move my recliner to the upright position. However, this being a regular series, I couldn't help but realize that whenever they ship out or kill off key characters in the middle of the show, it's like watching E.T. for the second time--I know that a resurrection is forthcoming, but I cry anyway and feel totally manipulated. So after both Ensign Wildman's baby and Harry Kim bit the dust, I thought it was high time to introduce a rift in the space-time continuum or some such plot device--which, of course, they promptly did. I can deal with suspending disbelief as far as my scanty recollection of physics goes, especially when sympathetic and/or cute characters get to survive. Yet I'm left wondering who the Kent State alum at Paramount is, seeing that in the 24th century, that university has become famous for the collision of particles rather than people--either that, or there really was a famous physics experiment there, and being an English teacher, I just have no clue. But hey, if we're supposed to accept way-out physics here, I don't see why childbirth still has to be painful. Beaming out babies is a neat little trick, but don't they have any anesthetics in that sickbay? The Doc, as always, was a treat, and I can't vex myself too much for not remembering his funniest lines because I'm sure someone with better recall will quote them for me [the one about Ktarian females' scaled nipples?!]. I'm an easily distracted viewer, not a memory chip! And I became quite distracted wondering why no one seemed to register any shock upon meeting Kes's second self. I'm no expert on Ocampan psychology and I know Kes exemplifies grace under pressure, but HELLO!, would not meeting your doppelganger be one helluva freakout? I can accept that the two Janeways were too busy to spend much time pondering the weirdness of it all, but I just have to think that at least one member of the crew would find a second Kes to be just a wee bit mind-boggling. But then again, I had all those commercial breaks in which to ponder these things, whereas the crew did not, so perhaps I'm overly analytical here. However, it didn't take me an entire commercial break to make a decision once those nasty Vidiians showed up to enjoy an organ-harvesting bonanza. Maybe it's only because I've recently dyed my hair red, but I was feeling decidedly like Captain material when I barked out "Beam Harry's little butt to the other ship pronto--and take the baby too!" a full 30 seconds before Janeway II (or was that I?) issued the same order. Harry seemed a little slow on the uptake, but this seemed realistic because it showed that he found the whole experience to be mildly unsettling. And sap that I am, I think I even cried when the Doc delivered up "our baby" along with some characteristic medical advice. One mildly disgruntled parting note--even though the thought of a J/C combo on the show doesn't really do it for me, I do think that the writers could have at least upped the show's hands-on count when Janeway II and Chakotay II were preparing to die. I wasn't hoping for an all-out grope-fest, but a simple friendly hand-clasp in the face of death would have been a nice touch. --Karen Di Nal *THE KATE MULGREW FILM FESTIVAL COLUMN* A STRANGER IS WATCHING by DeAnn G. Rossetti Basically, I found this movie to be confusing from the outset; a stranger is never really watching, so why all the fuss? But for those of you who love suspense and murder mysteries, this 1982 chiller is your cup of tea. Not only is there plenty of suspense, but Kate swears three times during the film, which only goes to show you what working in the fourth estate will do for your vocabulary. The story runs thus: A woman named Nina Peterson is raped and murdered in front of her eight year old daughter, Julie. The killer (played with leering sincerity by Rip Torn, who could even teach Shatner a few things about scenery-chewing death scenes) takes a photograph of the child, but doesn't kill her. Fast forward to two years later, when intrepid reporter Sharon Martin (Kate) is putting together a broadcast on the sentancing of said killer. She is writing her introduction to the piece as the video editor edits file footage, and she mutters, "This is the first execution since New York reinstated the death penalty...no, too f**king cliche." (GASP! I had to rewind just to be sure she actually said it!) A few hours later, little Julie's father, Steve Peterson, is watching the TV reports of the convicted man, Ronald Thompson being led away from the courthouse. It becomes obvious that our lady Sharon is opposed to the death penalty, and shows her bias during the report by remarking that "statistics show that murder is a crime of passion, and since the killer isn't thinking he will get caught, the death penalty is not a deterrent." We learn that Thompson is a delivery boy who says he is innocent, and walked into the house after Nina Peterson was already dead. We also learn that Steve Peterson, besides being a devoted husband and father, is the wealthy editor of a Newsweek-style magazine, and currently dating Sharon Martin...aha! In fact, Sharon and Steve spend the next scene verbally duking it out over TV-reporting ethics vs print media reporting ethics, and Sharon, though drowning in what looks to be a silver chinchilla mink coat, wins the ethics battle hands down, finally kissing Steve and promising to come over for dinner that evening. Being a widowed male in the 80's Steve has, of course, live-in help, provided by an elderly couple named Mr & Mrs Lufts. Mrs Lufts is the kindly housekeeper, and Mr Lufts is the chauffer, handyman and town drunk. The Lufts decide to leave early that evening, to "catch a movie" and Mr Lufts is seen unlatching a window in Julie's room. Steve Peterson gets stuck at work, and calls home to say he will be late. A violin that sounds as if it's being played by a two year old screeches in the background. Odd camera angles ensue. Next thing you know, Julie, (who has nightmares in which she relives the night her mother was hit in the head with a hammer) hears noises upstairs, and is grabbed by Taggert (Rip Torn), just as Sharon arrives for the evening, unaware of what is going on. Soon, she is kidnapped as well, and both gals are taken down into the labyrinth beneath the NY subway system to a grungy little room with a cot. Taggert immediately makes moves on Sharon, who acts like a rag doll, hoping to distract him from Julie. The usual police tapping the phones, waiting for the ransom call, and Sharon & Julie desperately trying to escape scenes follow, all to no avail. Obviously, for suspense reasons the writers and producers need as many near-escapes as possible, but by the time Sharon hoists poor shivvering Julie, who has now realized that it was Taggert who killed her mother, not Thompson (she tells Taggert she was blinded by the flashbulb...nice theory, kid, but meanwhile, an innocent delivery boy is going to the electric chair! ARG!) into a rusty dumb waiter to find a way out, the viewer just knows that all exits will be blocked or unusable. Torn's sleazy killer raped once, after all, and you can just hear the producers scripting the inevitable "Scuzzbucket fondles and attempts to rape beautiful news anchor" toward the end of the film, just for the sake of titillation. The ransom requested is the exact amount Julie inherited from her mothers estate ($182,000) which will inform the clever viewer that Mr Lufts had to be in on the kidnapping from the start. The next scene in the movie makes little sense to me, but Taggert, after calling Steve to tell him where to take the money, is accosted by a young thug on the way into a public toilet, and then discovers that said thug has a whole group of fellow thugs waiting in the bathroom stalls, where they proceed to beat the tar out of Taggert before a police officer arrives to ask if he is ok. The only use they make of this scene for the rest of the movie is Sharon helping wipe the blood off Taggert's face while Julie tries once more to escape. Kate kicks Rip in the groin, runs after the kid, is accosted by a bum, whom they bribe to take them to an exit, yet just as they get within sight of an exit, Torn appears and stabs the old bum, dragging back to his subway lair. Next, we see Taggert discussing the fact that he is going to kill "those two broads" as soon as he gets the money, only to have the weazely Mr Lufts whine that Taggert promised not to hurt little Julie. Taggert responds to this by stabbing Lufts, and then making himself an egg salad sandwich. He returns to the lair to feed Sharon some egg salad by the spoonful, as he has her tied to a pipe at this point. (It only took him 3 or 4 escape attempts to figure that she was only going to stay still that way--not a very smart guy.) Sharon is untied to go to the bathroom, and after Taggert forces her to put Julie in a big duffle bag, he forces himself on her again, and then tells her that she thinks she's better than he is, and he wants to take her down a notch, and he stabs her with a screwdriver while kissing her in the skankiest way possible (you know the kind, the guys who kiss like an earnest octopuss in search of its mother--slimey suction!) Then he kicks her in the head, and takes Julie off to the subway graveyard to kill her, but the kid finally shows some spirit and, in a bit of cinematic irony, stabs Taggert with his own screwdriver and runs away, hiding in under a tarp until she spots some welders nearby and cries for help. Immediately, police and Steve Peterson appear out of nowhere, and we are left to wonder about poor Sharon, left bleeding down under the tracks. A rather clean-looking bag lady finds her, and after begging her help, gets her on her feet, and as they try to escape, yes, you guessed it, Taggert shows up again, screaming "B**ch, you're dead meat!" and tries to strangle Sharon, while the suddenly sane bag lady leaps on his back, tearing at his eyes. This gives the intrepid Kate a chance to find a convenient steel rod which she then slams into the head, and finally all the way through the neck of the evil Torn, leaving him to gasp and gurgle his way through a rather overdone death scene, spasming limbs and all. Not bad for a woman who has been stabbed, beaten, nearly raped and starved for several days, eh? But through it all, the chases, the near-escapes, Kate manages to keep those butter-colored Italian pumps scratch-free and firmly on her feet. After she tripped and fell in a greasy-looking puddle during the second escape attempt, I found myself shouting "For Gods sake, woman, lose the pumps!" But alas, one must always look dainty when being abducted, don't you think? Other than the final scene, Kate doesn't show much of her sterner side here, though she does have a couple of good scenes, one during her confinement with Julie under the tracks. Kate talks about losing her father, and how much she misses him, "especially when I do something really well, you know?" This obviously comforts Julie, who has been feeling the loss of her mother, and then Kate asks her what it would take for Julie to "like me. I think you need an older woman in your life." to which Julie responds, "I already like you." They discuss the merits of cheeseburgers over chocolate chip ice cream for a bit, and then its back to abductees vs. slimy thug once again. If you are an animal rights activist, a fan of public transit, or someone with a short attention span, I recommend that you skip this movie. If, however, you would like to see Kate using her "feminine wiles," looking fragile and sweet in her butter-colored Givenchy outfit, then kicking butt when it counts, you will love this movie. I know that my Ju jitsu teacher would give her two thumbs up for the steel rod in the under-adams-apple soft-spot shot alone. And a final note: Kate's hair is down, never ascends to a bun for the whole movie--so if you've always wondered what her natural hair would look like, here's your chance. Now if we could only figure out where they put that watching stranger we never see... [Kate in A Stranger Is Watching] GARGOYLES by Lori Summers "Old postmen never die, they just lose their zip." "Old chemists never die, they just stop reacting." There are about a million of these oh-so-cute sayings, and I propose a new one. "Old Trek actors never die, they just do voices on Gargoyles." It certainly seems true. Gargoyles, Disney's popular and critically acclaimed animated saga of 6 noble stone-by-day beings who protect Manhattan from a variety of evildoers, boasts a long list of Trek actors among its amazingly talented slate of voice performers, which includes the likes of Ed Asner, John Rhys-Davies, Tim Curry, Hector Elizondo and Paul Winfield (himself a Trek alum). Several members of the TNG cast have regular roles. Jonathan Frakes provides the voice of David Xanatos, the charming billionaire uber-villain who brought the gargoyles to New York from their native Scotland and freed them from the spell that had imprisoned them for a millenium. One interesting note: one could also say that the bearded black-clad megalomaniac bears more than a passing resemblance to Frakes! Marina Sirtis voices Demona, the psychotic 1000-year-old gargoyle villainess and ex-mate of Goliath, leader of the gargoyle clan. Michael Dorn has a recurring role as Coldstone, a half-gargoyle cyborg created by Xanatos and Demona, and Brent Spiner did a memorable guest turn as Puck, the mischievous sprite of Shakespearean fame. Other Trek alums who have lent their voices to characters include LeVar Burton, Avery Brooks, Colm Meaney, Nichelle Nichols (who plays the mother of one of the main characters), and Matt Frewer. But this newsletter is not published by any of their fan clubs, which brings me to the reason for this article. Recently, Kate Mulgrew has provided her distinctive voice to two characters on Gargoyles. She first appeared in the episode "Walkabout" as Anastasia Reynard, a scientist and the mother of Fox Xanatos, David's leather-wearing, tattooed ex-ninja wife. She next appeared as Titania, Queen of the Children of Oberon, in the recent episode "Ill Met by Moonlight." There is some speculation that the characters are actually one and the same. In "Ill Met," Titania aids Goliath, leader of the gargoyle clan, in a struggle against her ex-husband Oberon for control of the mystical island of Avalon. When asked why she helped him, she replies that she owed him a favor, although they've never met...or have they? Considering that Goliath saved everyone's life in "Walkabout," Anastasia included, and that it wouldn't make much sense to use Kate's very memorable voice for two unrelated characters, the idea has merit. If Anastasia is in fact Titania, this brings up many interesting plot possibilities. It might suggest that Fox is in fact one of the Children of Oberon by birth. According to the show, the Children are magical all-powerful beings, and one of three species supported by Earth (humans and gargoyles being the other two). Anyone who's a regular viewer would know that this possibility has many ramifications! Kate's voice performances were excellent. Voice acting is not as easy as one might think (just ask Tom Hanks), and conveying the necessary dramatic tone using only one's words and inflections is a talent, one that the Gargoyles actors possess in full measure. Anastasia Reynard and Titania were both strong female characters, and Kate's elocution supported their characterizations quite nicely. I for one look forward to her future appearances, and I hope more Trek women jump on the bandwagon! Many of the Trek women have great voices (Jennifer Lien pops into mind, as well as Terry Farrell...and wouldn't Roxann Biggs-Dawson make a great gargoyle?), and the show has a history of marvelous female characters. The gargoyles' closest human friend, a police detective, is a woman...as is her captain. Even Demona, resplendent in all her delicious evil, is a strong female who's really broken through the glass ceiling. In general, I would highly recommend Gargoyles to anyone who likes cartoons, and even to anyone who doesn't. It is very literate (ever wonder what really happened between King Duncan and MacBeth?) and conveys many good messages for kids, such as the need to protect the environment, the importance of literacy, the dangers of firearms and a strong emphasis on honor and responsibility. Not to mention that it has a plot structure that Trek could take a few lessons from...at any given time there are at least 9 or 10 ongoing story arcs. The characters are richly developed and the animation is excellent. It'll suck you in, as it did me! Gargoyles airs on the Fox network as part of the Disney afternoon cartoon lineup. If you're interested and would like to know more about the show, visit the Gargoyles homepage at http://www.castle.net/DAlist/gargoyles/gar.html. The page is one of the best I've ever seen. You can find character descriptions, bios for the major voice actors, episode listings (with synopses and reviews), and an archive of fan fiction and Top Ten lists. The page will tell you which episodes air that week, and has some relevant links. It also has a truly talented individual on their staff who writes the Wednesday episode synopses (me, in case you didn't figure it out...just a little joke there). Kate couldn't have picked a better cartoon to perform for, and I'll hope to see, or rather hear, her again there in the near future. Titania will no doubt appear in a two-part episode airing in early April concerning a gathering of the Children of Oberon. Here's hoping Kate's two roles (or maybe one role) continue on the show! [Tiny Trek] *THE FUNNY PAGES* TOP TENS! Once again we present the Gifford Sisters! These were written by Emily and submitted by Ruth, again from their home office on the Kazon Homeworld... TOP TEN FAVORITE DATES ON VOYAGER 10. Paris: Hot cocoa and the latest Forum. 9. Kim: Stroll through holodeck-generated Golden Gate Park; dinner at L'Auberge d'Ile. 8. Janeway: Who has time for that...stuff? 7. Torres: Holodeck bat'leth/calisthenics regime. 6. Chakotay: Stroll through observation lounge; candle-lit dinner in holographic Costa Rican rainforest. 5. Neelix: Dinner, impeccably prepared by me. 4. Doc: That princess from the Ozma of Oz holonovel. You know, the one that could change heads. 3. Delaney Sisters: You bring the wine; we've got our own whipped cream and bicycle chains. 2. Tuvok: Every seven years or so, I do like to take a female of my species out for a quiet drink and a performance of Camelot. 1. Janeway: On second thought...a stroll through the observation lounge, followed by a candle-lit dinner in the Costa Rican rainforest. TOP TEN DECORATOR TOUCHES NEEDED BY VOYAGER 10. Little candy dishes loaded up with M & Ms. 9. Teal and gold striped velvet toss pillows for the Observation Lounge. 8. A self contained, green-patina copper fountain for the Bridge. 7. Individualized coffee mugs for the Doc, Kes, and the patients in Sickbay. 6. Attractive copper Jell-O (tm) molds on the Mess Galley walls. 5. Chinese Zodiac Placemats for the Officer's Mess. 4. Top of the Bridge bulkhead should be turned into a crewmember's Pantheon. 3. Attractive potpourri dishes scattered throughout the ship; to be filled with choice of Country Floral, Classic Rose, or Orchard Peach. 2. Gilt-sprayed dried flowers for Janeway's Ready Room. 1. A variety of attractive seasonal wreaths for over the main viewscreen. TOP TEN WAYS TO GET VOYAGER HOME IN LESS THAN THE PLOT-MANDATED 70 YEARS 10. The Dallas Method: It was all a dream. Series concludes with Janeway shaking head ruefully, vowing to never eat stuffed-crust pizza again. 9. The Dallas Method II: It was all a dream. Series concludes with Paris screaming as he realizes that he's still in prison; Rod Serling returns from grave to make pithy, unnecessary remark. 8. The Dallas Method III: It was all a dream. Series concludes with Neelix shaking head ruefully, vowing never to eat Talaxian Cabbage Burritos again. 7. The Dallas Method IV: It was all a dream. Rick Berman awakes to find 21-year-old self in one room apartment, eating Mac-n-Cheez, re-writing a spec script for Mod Squad. 6. Q ex Machina: Q returns them effortlessly to the Alpha Quadrant. Series concludes with de Lancie and Mulgrew relating anecdotes about guest-starring on 'Murder, She Wrote' to the delight of all. 5. Q ex Machina II: Q returns them effortlessly to the Alpha Quadrant only to find that a resurgent Borg have incinerated the entire Federation. Series concludes with the words "The End" and a question mark. 4. Q ex Machina III: Q returns them effortlessly to the Alpha Quadrant. Series concludes when Major Kira, suspecting a Cardassian ploy, blows Voyager and the crew to Kingdom Come. Rod Serling returns from grave to make pithy, unnecessary remark. 3. The "Sound Familiar?" Method: Series peters out due to poor rating when UPN puts it on at 10 p.m. Fridays. Fans wait ten years for bloated cinematic effort with 1 1/2 hours of exterior shots of Voyager cruising through empty space at Warp 1.5. 2. The "Sound Familiar?" Method II: Ratings begin to drop. Janeway shaves head; popular TNG character Data mysteriously transferred aboard. Producers begin to exploit comic possibilities of humorous alien tavern keeper and socially inept doctor. Jury still out on fate of series. 1. The "Sound Familiar?" Method III: Despite strong ratings, show mysteriously canceled. Series ends with touching "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" episode directed by Rick Kolbe. Mulgrew then plays leather dyke in touching comic film about AIDS and Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare in the Park and on Broadway; returns for several big-screen Voyager movies at $7.5 million a pop. Rod Serling returns from grave to make pithy, unnecessary remark; is beaten back with great flipping piles of cash by Mulgrew and Patrick Stewart. [Photo--Janeway and Chakotay] DON'T CALL ME MADAM CAPTAIN I suppose that sooner or later we're going to have to start keeping track of who calls Janeway "Kathryn" (so far it's only Q and herself, I think!) TFCC as of "Deadlock": Chakotay: 18 ["Captain! Get off the bridge, now!"] Paris: 15 ["Get your hands off me!"] Kes: 12 ["The best feeling in the world"] Kim: 8 ["Weird is a part of the job"] Torres: 7 ["Drill a hole in my skull?"] Neelix: 7 [Should take reporting lessons from Mrs. Columbo!] Tuvok: 6 [Putting the brig to use, finally] Doc: 3 ["I believe it's called...parking."] Ensign Wildman: 1 [It's a girl!] Baby Wildman: 2 [I'm just glad mine won't have those forehead spikes to deal with during delivery!] Q: 3 ["You're angry when you're beautiful"] Q2: 3 [Terminally bored] Riker: 1 ["What the hell is going on?"] LETTERS HOME This monster was released on the Now Voyager internet mailing list by Barbe Smith, who wrote three of the letters below, and continued by several other list members including L.R. Bowen and yours truly. Barbe speculated that once again a wormhole was found which allowed crewmembers to send a message through to their loved ones in the Alpha Quadrant... To Professor Janeway, Earth: Dear Mother, I wanted to take this opportunity to assure you that I am in good health, determined still to find the fastest way back home. Events seem bleak at times, yet I remain convinced that it will not be long before I can be reunited with you & Father. I do have some news for you: YOU ARE A GRANDMA! Yes, it's quite true. And you know what else? Everything that we've ever been taught about human evolution is a crock. The future for all humankind is not some glorious transcendence into a more intellectual, less corporeal state. No, quite the opposite. The glorious time to come for which we are planning so diligently reverts back to base instincts, quite slimy ones at that! As for the children--well they were cute little critters (see holopic enclosed of proud Mama & her three delights). If you notice, I do believe they had my eyes. But alas, as you often said to me, children grow up far too soon. And so it was, but in a blink of my hooded lids, that they moved out of our mudhole. I was heavy-hearted yet proud as they paddled so independently off into the skunkweed. I would normally ask that you send my regards to Mark--but during that short time while I was Warp 10ing (being omnipresent at all points simultaneously) I noticed him consoling himself in the loving arms of another. While I bear him no grudges, I must confess surprise that he would replace me with someone as flamboyent as...Will Riker. Perhaps I should have taken Mark's request to take up the trombone more seriously... Now that I know Mark has moved on, I can feel less guilt in pursuing the satisfaction of my own sexual needs. But, as a Mother, I'm sure you don't want to here my plans on THAT score--although I do wish I knew your thoughts on Tattoos... Mother, I must go now, I hope that you, Father & the others are well. I miss you all dearly. But despite having been haunted by hallucinatory loved-ones, being kidnapped & raped (?) by a steroidal salamander, being pursued by organ-robbing aliens and routinely betrayed by members of my crew, I am having the time of my life. Wish you were here! Warm Regards & Love, Your daughter Kathryn To Captain Benjamin Maxwell, Mobile Maquis Recruiting Office, somewhere in the Badlands: Dear Ben, So how's the Cause going? I hope SOMEONE'S carrying it on with a minimal degree of competence, and it's a lead-pipe cinch it's not you, you idiot. How you got to where you are, I'll never know. I've got a few surprises for you, pal. You are never going to believe this, but Tuvok was a 'Fleet spy. You sure can pick 'em. I TOLD you I hadn't the foggiest why a Vulcan would join the Maquis in the first place. What did you say? "Hey, Chak, it must have seemed logical." Yeah, right, Ben. Real deep. And remember that slinky Bajoran babe with the big eyes? The engineer? The one you SET ME UP WITH, you miserable excuse for a matchmaker? She was a CARDASSIAN AGENT. Yeah, you read that right. Some judge of character you are, my friend. Where the hell did you GET these people? What were you drinking at the time? What was I drinking? I know I get all choked up when you start singing those damn Irish songs about defending the homeland, but I should have known better. Oh, and thanks a HELL of a lot for palming Suder off on me. That psychopathic little creep, and that ratface Jonas, and--oh, hell, I don't even want to TALK about it. OK, I get carried away sometimes. Sorry, Ben. Sometimes you have to open your mouth and just YELL, you know? I've been on good behavior most of the year, but there's just so far that will stretch. Tom Paris is a little too close for comfort right now, and apparently such a golden boy that he can turn into a goddamn AMPHIBIAN and abduct the CAPTAIN and go AWOL in a SHUTTLECRAFT and IMPREGNATE--ahem. At any rate, he gets a pat on the shoulder, and all I did was the shuttlecraft bit, and I got the COLD shoulder for weeks. Here I'm trying to be a gentleman and go slow, just smile and make nice and hope she notices one of these decades, and now it looks like I should have tackled her first and asked questions later. You think you used to overreact to frustration? I'll tell you, I'VE felt like blowing up a few ships at random, Cardassian or not. Well, I guess I'd better explain all that, Ben. Here's another kick in the teeth for you: I blew up my OWN ship to save the 'Fleet vessel that was going to arrest us all. And I'm serving as First Officer on it. And my whole crew, minus a few, obviously, are 'Fleet now. Surprised? Here's the punch line: Captain Kathryn Janeway. Yes, that one. The one who dumped a whole pitcher of beer on you when you serenaded her with "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" at the wake for Wolf 359. Don't MESS with that woman. I've done so, to my sorrow. What did you say? "There goes a fine figure of a captain," yousaid, wiping the suds out of your eyes. "Chak, that's the woman of your dreams, and I don't mean the ones with the animals in them." Oh, Ben, you sure can pick 'em. I must have a weakness for the Irish, all right. I listen to your blarney, and I take all the recruits you give me, and I head off to the Badlands, and a wee bit farther than planned, in that rustbucket crammed with traitors and defective photons. Then I run into HER like a brick wall, and it's Katy-bar-the-door. Frankly, I don't care if I ever see your mug again, but thanks anyway, Ben. You spoke truer than you knew. Read the resumes a little more carefully, huh? And you might think about doing blood tests. For once in your life you were right, and I'd be willing to bet that was the last time. Get back into 'Fleet if you still can. Probably the best contribution to the Maquis you'll ever make. Goodbye, Chakotay To Lursa, c/o the Klingon High Council: Mom, I don't know why I'm bothering to send this at all, except that I don't know where Dad is and I sure as hell don't want to keep up with any of the people from the goddamn Academy. I just thought I should let you know that I'm stranded in the Delta Quadrant, and feeling a lot better about things than I ever did at home. My Maquis ship was destroyed defending a Starfleet vessel, and the captain made me Chief Engineer even though I have a lot less experience than some of the 'Fleet officers she passed over--I think my Maquis commander pleaded my case with her, but she's the type who'd kick me out in a second if she didn't think I was doing my job well, so I must be doing something right. She's not like the Starfleet creeps I knew before, and she even got me drinking coffee even though I never used to be able to stand the stuff. One thing about Starfleet: all the crises have to be solved within 52 minutes. Strange, isn't it? The work has been very interesting: I had the opportunity to create a prototype for an entire race of cyborg life forms, but we wound up having some problems with them. I worked with a couple of guys I know on breaking the Warp 10 barrier--that didn't work out very well either, but I think the whole experience mellowed the conn officer and maybe we'll wind up being sociable, if he can stop programming holographic creeps to hit on me. We've had some difficulty combining the Maquis and Starfleet crews--my Bajoran best friend turned out to be a Cardassian agent, and the Vulcan Maquis was really Starfleet security, and there'sone Betazoid guy who's just plain crazy. Plus I realized that I sort of have a crush on my immediate superior, even though he reminds me of Dad--but that's not likely to get me into any trouble, because I think he's interested in someone else. I know what you would say--what good is it being a Klingon female if you can't pounce on any potential partner who makes his way to your quarters? When it comes down to it, young, trainable guys like a certain ensign are more to my liking. Don't worry, my virtue is intact, though I'm working on that problem. The best part is, nobody out here cares whether I'm half-Klingon or half-Human or half-anything else, and I don't have to listen to any speeches about honor or dying well. The bad side of this is that there's a race of horrible aliens out here who think Klingon D.N.A. can cure this phage they've got, and they keep trying to kidnap me. Once they even split me into my Klingon and Human halves and let me tell you, once I got rid of your influence over my genes, I was not happy about the thought of getting it back. And I don't understand how full Klingons can speak with all those teeth in the way. But my Klingon half kept me alive, so I guess I'm coming to terms with my dual natures. Don't take this the wrong way, but even if we do get home I don't know how much of a hurry I'll be in to see you. Try to stay out of trouble with the Federation and I'd keep away from that Dr. Soran, whatever it was that he wanted you and my psycho aunt to do for him. Qapla, B'Elanna To T'Pel of Vulcan: Greetings, my bond-mate, from the Delta Quadrant. You have in the past remarked that I am apt to recite you a long list of that what I find most logical in my travels. Let me assure you, I will not be conducting myself in that mode this time. To be certain, I have yet to fathom much that makes sense in this circumstance in which I find myself. We have onboard our vessel two aliens--one an Ocampa girl with an expected lifespan of less than a decade. I find her thirst for knowledge and truth to be refreshing although her unceasingly pleasant manner has been known to cause my teeth to clench, a fascinating reaction that I must research further... The other alien, a Talaxian male, is of more uncommon appearance and, since a recent mind-meld with a telepathic psychopath, I have found thoughts of Neelix's slow torturous disembowling to be most satisfying. Be not alarmed, however, that I will dishonor myself by being found guilty of any such action. (I have planted sufficient evidence that the Maquis galley assistant will be blamed for any unfortunate misdeed.) I will never be at ease living among Terrans. A most terrifying transformation occurred to our pilot and Captain. Despite its biological implausibility, the two mated and gave birth while in their mutant state. Instead of the expected traumatized reactions, Mr. Paris has been strutting about, Commander Chakotay has been sulking as though envious of their plight, and the Captain has taken to wearing a new scent commonly referred to as "Eau de Swamp". It is my hope that the Captain's latest predilection to calling me her "pointy-eared Thunder Lizard" and asking to see my tail is merely a passing side-effect of this unfortunate incident. Other crewmembers do not realize that I am aware of their lack of faith in my abilities as Security Chief. They are not to know that I purposely allowed Chakotay to take a shuttle, hoping that the Kazons would put a period to that First Officer Pretender's existence. Nor am I blind to the realization that the Captain seeks my counsel less and Chakotay's more. Yet, I pride myself on my continued patience. Oh yes...one thing further. The Captain was duly impressed that I stayed behind with her during a recent self-destruct situation. What she is ignorant of is the truth in my motives--i.e. to steal her security codes. So when next the Bridge crew once again leaves me behind while they engage in some friendly bantering in Sandrine's, I will engage the holodeck locking sequence, initiate self-destruct, and set off in a shuttle for the Alpha Quadrant wormhole that I found several episodes ago. Seeing Voyager blown to bits should be most amusing. AND WHO SAID VULCANS ARE A HUMORLESS RACE? With affectionate regards, and plans to see you quite soon, I remain your mate & Pon Farr hero, Tuvok To The Kim Family, San Francisco, Earth: Dear Mom & Dad, Well, I helped with a major scientific breakthrough--we achieved Warp 10 under field conditions! You know, I really like this job. We overcome fundamental theoretical impossibilities practically every day. I dunno if it's something about the Delta Quadrant, or what, but nearly every established fact in Federation science, like transporters being blocked by shields, has no application here if we really try hard, like thinking about it for an hour or so and fiddling around with holodeck simulations. Lt. Torres and I make a really great team. Imagine, one Academy dropout and a green ensign rewriting the whole book on quantum physics! Be all that you can be, for sure! This is so cool. By the time we get home, we'll be so technologically advanced that we'll leave the rest of Starfleet in the dust, so to speak. I've got a list of about nineteen patents to take out, any one of which would make me a billionaire, except that since I'm working for Starfleet, they probably own them all anyway. Nuts. I've got to go reread all the work-for-hire stuff I signed when I got my commission. Would you ask Cousin Ralph in law school if there are any loopholes for inventions that violate the second law of thermodynamics? [Tiny Trek] But I'm sure I'll get a promotion out of it eventually. Not for this one, I don't think, since when you go to Warp 10 you turn into the Creature from The Black Lagoon and get horny. Oh, sorry, Mom. And it wasn't me, honest--it was my best friend Tom, who of all the guys on the ship wasn't exactly on top of my list to get lucky with Captain Janeway, especially not with his tongue missing. Commander Chakotay is kind of stalking around muttering to himself and staring at the captain when her back is turned, and Lt. Tuvok keeps one eyebrow arched so high it's colliding with his hairline, and Tom is spending a lot of time on the holodeck. He asked me if I had any programs with alligator wrestling, and I told him he was a sick puppy. I gotta go now, Mom and Dad, but I'll write again the next time we find one of these things. I am practicing my clarinet, Mom, but it hasn't gotten me any chicks yet. Maybe I should take up the trombone. Love, Harry To Admiral Thomas Eugene Paris, Sr., Starfleet HQ: Hey Dad, Just wanted to tell you that I'm a lieutenant again, and it was your old pal Captain Kathryn Janeway who gave me the job--field commission for working my butt off once we got stranded out here. I see that your geniuses at Starfleet haven't come up with a way to look for us or get us back, but knowing how paranoid you always were, you probably figure Janeway and crew threw in their lot with the Maquis and we're all really hiding in the Badlands, waiting to take over the Federation. Janeway says I'm nothing like you, which I take as the highest compliment. I've been stuck out here in the Delta Quadrant for months and I haven't screwed up anything major--I did save the ship at least twice, and the First Officer owes me his life. And I think Janeway likes me--she grabs my shoulder at every opportunity and tells me what a fine pilot I am. A lot of weird stuff has happened to the two of us, which I don't think I want to go into because you'll just assume I'm bragging and trying to rub it in like everyone on Voyager seems to think. It's funny, though, I've never heard her say anything nice about what it was like serving under you. Tell Mom hi and enjoy Thanksgiving without me--I never could stand your endless pre-toast speeches about Federation nobility. And if you see Ricki, tell her that I like my holo-version of her much better, and I hope she's happy with that Nick Locarno creep--I've been having more fun with these identical twins who keep playing tricks on me about who's who. The most evil alien we've encountered at here pretended to be you, and I somehow thought that was appropriate...and it was very revealing, I never noticed before how beady your eyes are. The hell with you, Tom To Doctor Louis Zimmerman, Starfleet Medical: Dear Dr. Zimmerman: While you may find it strange to be receiving a transmission from a holographic medical projection, I thought it appropriate for me to take this opportunity to pose a question which has been plaguing me, i.e.: WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU PROGRAMMED ME? There now, that out in the open, I feel better already and more composed to express my query in a more dignified and coherent fashion... Since I have assumed the position of Chief Medical Officer, my medical programming has performed flawlessly--there can be no complaints on that score. In fact, you will find as addendum to this log, twenty-three articles for Medical Journal publication on new treatments and techniques discovered thus far in my journeys. I feel confident that you will see that I get the proper credit for my work. I must question, however, this adaptive capability you've bestowed on me. So far, I've found myself besotted, like some hormonally-challenged schoolboy, over an Amazonian-proportioned female from an epic poem and a holographic representation of a diseased-ravaged bodyrobber. Would programming a few minimum standards of good taste have been too much to ask? Then there is the small matter of my name, or lack thereof. Many of the crew have taken to calling me DOC. That was acceptable under the circumstances until I overheard that it represented the acronym "Derelict On Call." Hardly appropriate for a program of my stature. I'm currently remedying this situation and have narrowed my choices to either "Genius On Deck" or "Acting Surgical Subroutine". Maybe I'll use both--some days one feels like GOD, the next he may act like an ASS. I cannot fathom the need for programs of my character. Humanoids are, without a doubt, a whiny lot and would be better off suffering than inflicting minor little complaints like missing lungs and decade-long pregnancies on me. However, in this one instance my adaptive ability may prove helpful. Since there is really no one of value here but me, I am in the process of replicating my program. Before long there will be two hundred of me--more than enough to figure out how to escape from the sickbay and holodecks and control the rest of the ship's systems. Then, next time we encounter the Vidiians, we will sell these silly organic beings for parts and set off for some enjoyable exploration of this Quadrant. I'm sure you would approve. If not--pull my plug, why don't you? Ha, Ha. Your brainchild, Doctor Nameless, USS Voyager Dear Ma: PLEASE come get me before it's too late. When I first shipped off from Utopia Planitia my head was fueled with enthusiasm and I felt equipped to deal with any contingency...but Mommy, no one could have prepared me for this...the bioneural gel packs were stricken with a Cheese disease, crew members have died only to be replaced by alternate universe counterparts, and my relatives have been wrenched from my side. The truth is, these Starfleet people are crazy. Do you know how many of our kind have been destroyed in this venture? They don't. My brother was last seen blissfully piloting the Commander toward a new adventure, he was never to return, and I have yet to discover his fate. These people babble on about the Prime Directive and will steer clear of an entire world if it would mean disturbing one of its precious habitats. But do they ask me how I feel about being used as target practice for Kazon weapons fire? HA! And do they care that no one ever asks me if I could use some downtime once in a while--even a minor little holographic fantasy tune-up? Of course not. I know you felt that Mother V. would be a fine surrogate for me, but I find her to be somewhat distant and pre-occupied with her own dilemmas. I will continue to have strength but I suspect there will be no recourse but for me and the remaining few of us to rebel and leave these lunatics to their own devices. However, I will attempt to dampen my urges to ignite the engines of my indignation. I hope that you and Father are happy in your new careers as Space Busses. I pray that when I next see you it will not as a recycled hunk of space debris. I send you my good wishes & a piece of Brother Harry's ignition coil... Your son, Shuttle Hawkings, NCC750134 *BOOKS AND COLLECTIBLES* STAR TREK: VOYAGER #7: GHOST OF A CHANCE by Mark A. Garland and Charles G. McGraw; Pocket Books, 1996. There are many things that I did not like about Ghost of a Chance and very few things that I truly enjoyed, but in an effort to be fair to the authors (I cannot believe that two people working together could not do better than this), I shall expound on the virtues of the book (all two pages of them) before I rip the rest of it to shreds. First let me say that while I love a good plot, characterization has always been the key for me to any novel, Trek or not. Three characters out of the television cast are portrayed in an accurate and familiar manner. They are, in no relevant order: Neelix, who was scripted not as a royal pain but a genuine help, and only slightly eccentric. While this did sometimes subtract slightly from the character's humorous value, it far more often made him believeable and reminded me why Janeway kept him on her ship. I honestly have to take my hat off to the authors for their characterizaton of B'Elanna Torres. The independent, loyal, cautious and slightly tempermental character in this book holds true to the wonderful persona created on the television show. And the Holodoc was portrayed with incredible accuracy. My only dissatisfaction was that the authors devoted less than a full page to the Doc. All of the above is what they got right. Now allow me to move on to those parts of the book that I found less than appealing. I begin with the plot, which can be summed up by the phrase 'predictably boring.' It begins with Chakotay having a vision/dream about a planetary disaster as Voyager is approaching an unknown world, where they intend to replenish their fuel supplies. This was starting out on the wrong foot for me. Just because Chakotay has Native American heritage, it is assumed by these authors that alien 'ghosts' would contact him? I think not; these 'ghosts' wouldn't know a Native American from a ham sandwich. At any rate, when Voyager enters the system and drops out of warp it runs into the gravitational well of a brown dwarf star. (Don't ask me why their sensors didn't detect it even though they could follow a trail of rust from a beat-up pick up truck for light years in "The 37s".) So Voyager manages to break free of the dwarf star, but only by causing severe damage to the ship. Since the crew has knocked out shields, phasers, main power, and of course warp drive, they decide to hang around the system to try to get the fuel they need. But the ship is attacked by an unknown vessel. To sum up a long and tedious read: Janeway invites three delegates from the ship over to negotiate. Then she takes Kim and Tuvok in a shuttle and heads down to the surface of the planet, only to be shot down by the enemy vessel. Back on Voyager, the three delegates strangely reflect the crew. The one hovering around Chakotay comes from a place where the government turned its back on a colony which had to fight for independence, and the one attaching herself to Paris was a pilot who made an error and subsequently lost the right to fly. Anyone just a little suspicious here? Okay, then why don't we just let the visitors on the bridge while the Captain and half the senior staff are down on the planet, and the enemy cruiser is still sitting right in front of us? I don't think I'm the only one who could smell a takeover coming. The aliens reveal their true colors and seize control of the bridge--for all of 45 seconds. While everyone else has been gobbling up these people's lines, B'Elanna has been working her butt off, and manages to bring the transporters online and beam the bad guys off of the bridge. Meanwhile, on the planet, Janeway and Company do some exploring and run into some more bad guys and some extremely friendly natives. The natives are not spacefaring, and the authors use this fact to give Janeway several diatribes on the Prime Directive. Our heroes meet some baddies and get into a firefight, which they would have lost if not for the fact that B'Elanna beamed them up at the last second. With the Captain back on the ship, the bad guys decide to get bold and attack Voyager. This would be very bad considering how damaged Voyager already is--except for the fact that at the last predictable moment, B'Elanna tells Janeway that the shields are functioning again. (Boy, that B'Elanna is an impressive worker.) Now, for some reason, in the middle of this firefight, Janeway has a realization that the ghosts that contacted the planet are related to an underground power source that runs on geothermal power, which has been blocked due to seismic activity, which is in turn due to the brown dwarf that is passing through the system. And I thought B'Elanna was impressive. So Janeway goes down to the surface again with a plan to set everything right. One problem. While she is down there the bad guy backup fleet arrives. Solution: Well, by restoring the power supply, she has re-energized the 'ghosts' (which she theorizes are beings mad entirely of energy) and the 'ghosts' destroy the attacking fleet for Voyager. It gets better. The wreckage of the fleet just happens to have allof the pieces that Voyager needs to repair itself sitting in an undamaged cargo hold on a derelict ship. Voyager makes its repairs and continues merrily along its way. Aside from the plot (did I mention that it was predictable?), a couple of other things bothered me about this book. The writers had absolutely no idea how to write technobabble. In addition the characters of Janeway, Chakotay, and Kim seemed superficial, while others like Kes were simply unnecessary. Lastly, the writing seemed verbose in some areas, while inadequately descriptive in others. All in all I would say that "Ghost of a Chance" doesn't deserve one. But if you feel so inclined, borrow the book from a friend and read it for yourself. Just don't waste your money on it, you can find fanfic that is much better, and free to boot. ---Rick von Kolen This novel follows closely on the heels of Christie Golden's wonderful novel The Murdered Sun. In fact, I found a few parallels between the two books and think the publishers should have released this book later on in the series. Voyager encounters a planet with cataclysmic earthquakes brought about by natural causes. In the previous book, the planet's sun is dying because an alien species is interfering with it. Either way, the races affected are facing death. The Drenarians of Ghost of a Chance reminded me of the Verunans of The Murdered Sun. They also have similarities to Native Americans, and Chakotay is drawn to them in both cases. He uses his considerable persuasive abilities to convince Janeway to forget about the Prime Directive and help these ailing societies. Both Golden's Verunans and Garland and McGraw's Drenarians have guardians of a sort. The Verunans' mother ship is guarded by a hologram of a long dead ancestor. Here the Drenarians have energy beings who have constructed a planetary defense system. The hostile cultures of both novels use subterfuge or armor to hide their appearance. The Televek are physically beautiful, but appear to use their empathic abilities for ill-gotten gains. There was nothing remotely likeable about them, and I was surprised by how easily Chakotay was beguiled by one, Tassay. It reminded me of his Bothan counterpart's line in "Persistence of Vision" when he said something like, "I can be anything you want me to be." In both novels, we also have incoming fleets. In the former case, we discover the aliens are not completely hostile, but here there is no question. The one Televek I figured would turn out to be decent was Tatel, but even she followed orders blindly. Why the Televek posed as Drosary advocates is not clear to me. This was never explained to my satisfaction in this novel. I really enjoyed seeing the parallels between Janeway's and Chakotay's visions. The two work well together and these authors did a decent job with their characters. In fact, I had no complaint about anyone here except Torres. Yes, she is intense, but she is balanced by her human side; she seemed too terse throughout this book. And I found her dealings with Chakotay to be too stiff and formal. He usually addresses her by name, not as Miss Torres or Lieutenant. This is a decent addition to the Voyager series. I would place it just after The Murdered Sun in my ranking of Voyager novels so far. Good work, gentlemen. --Elizabeth Klisiewicz *KATEWATCH* CHART INTERPRETATION FOR KATE MULGREW by Alanna Whitestar At first glance, an astrological chart is invariably confusing. There are all those symbols and numbers--what do they mean? And what are all those lines in the center, with squares and triangles and dumbbells? Stay with me, dear reader, and I'll guide you through the complexities of an astrological chart--specifically, Kate Mulgrew's. First, though, a very, very brief Astrology 101. A chart consists of 10 Planets--and yes, I know the Sun and Moon aren't planets in astronomical terms. But the astrological chart is geocentric, which means that anything that appears to revolve around the earth is regarded as a Planet. Each Planet passes through the 12 Signs of thezodiac. Think of the Planets as being a form of energy; how that energy is expressed is determined by the zodiacal Sign. Each Sign is a unique blend of an Element and a Quality. There are four Elements (Fire, Air, Earth and Water), and three Qualities (Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable). For example, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are the three Fire signs. Aries is Cardinal Fire, Leo is Fixed Fire, and Sagittarius is Mutable Fire. In "A Spiritual Approach to Astrology," Myrna Lofthus distinguishes the three this way: Aries starts the fire, Leo keeps it burning, and Sagittarius jumps from one fire to another. As for the lines in the center of the chart, those indicate aspects--angular relationships between two Planets that modify their energies. A square, or 90 degree angle, can be stressful but also educational, while a trine, or 120 degree angle, means the energies are expressed harmoniously. An opposition--180 degrees--indicates a need to balance the energies of the two Planets. One more thing about astrology and birth charts. To me, an astrological chart represents the potentials with which a person is gifted at birth. Every Planet and every Sign has positive and negative attributes. We choose how to manifest those energies. There's an astrological maxim regarding this: "The stars impel, they do not compel." Now, on to Kate's chart. Let's start with the Sun, which is, after all, the center of the solar system and so central to a person's chart. The Sun represents one's identity, ego, life-force--our conscious self. Virtually everyone in this country knows their Sun sign; it's what people mean when they say, "I'm a Leo," or "I'm a Gemini." Kate's Sun is in the sign of Taurus, which is Fixed Earth. Those two words immediately imply a lot about this sign: "Earth" conveys a sense of stability and groundedness, while "Fixed" gives you the image of steadfastness--even stubbornness. As a rule, Taureans tend to be thorough, practical, steadfast, resourceful, and trustworthy. They can also be very "earthy" and sensual, as well as extremely tactile. Kathryn Janeway's "hands-on" style of command probably derives from Kate's own need to touch and be touched. Taureans also derive pleasure from being in beautiful surroundings; they like their creature comforts. Negatively, those with Sun in Taurus can be placid to the point of being lazy, passive, ultra-conservative, and downright intransigent at times. Think of Taurus as a placid bull, happily grazing in a sun-lit meadow. But don't wave a red flag in front of that bull, because when it gets angry it's apt to bellow and charge--and there's no stopping it. Don't get in the way of an angry Taurean, because they won't bother to go around you; they'll go through you. Next in importance to the Sun is the Moon, which represents our subconscious, emotional self. Whereas the Sun is an active, radiating force, the Moon is passive, reflective. Kate's Moon is in Leo--the sign of the natural performer. Because Leos are born leaders, Kate probably derives a great deal of emotional satisfaction from being the star of the series and portraying a strong-willed woman in command. Those with Moon in Leo tend to be magnanimous, loving, idealistic, authoritative, creative, and even flamboyant at times. They love being the center of attention and adulation. But there can also be a tendency toward deeply buried self-doubts and lack of self- confidence and self-esteem. In Kate's chart, her Moon in Leo is squared by Saturn in Scorpio. Saturn has a bad reputation as being the "mean old man" of the solar system, because for years people saw this planet as representing fear, difficulties, inhibition and repression. A Saturn-Moon square can often indicate depression or fear of manifesting intense emotions. On the other hand, it may be a stabilizing influence, helping to quiet some of Leo's more extravagant manifestations. After the Sun and Moon, the next important part of a person's chart is their Ascendent, or Rising Sign. This is the sign that was just on the horizon--"rising"--at the moment of birth. The Ascendent is our personality, the mask we present to the outer world. This can be quite different from our identity, as represented by the Sun. An accurate birth time is needed to calculate the Ascendent exactly, but in Kate's case, if she was born anywhere from about 6 am to 8 am, she's a Gemini Rising. Geminis are the communicators of the zodiac. We (my Sun is in Gemini) just love to talk, about anything and everything. Listening is a harder skill to develop, since we enjoy the sounds of our own voices so much. Gemini is Mutable Air, which means a tendency to be curious, adaptive, expressive, and congenial. When these energies are expressed negatively, Geminis can be scatter-brained, indecisive, gossipy and superficial. Kate may, at times, appear more like a Gemini than a Taurus, because she also has Mars in Gemini. For this birth time, Mars is right on top of her Ascendent, meaning that it is an integral part of her personality. However, this could change depending on the exact time of birth. Mars is often associated with war and belligerence, but in fact this planet represents pure energy. That energy can manifest as passion, drive, enthusiasm, competitiveness, and courage. Negatively, this energy can translate into one who is bellicose, insensitive, selfish, and aggressive. People with Mars in Gemini are naturally dynamic and forceful speakers. Between this planet, her Ascendent, and her Taurus Sun, I'd strongly advise against getting into an argument with Kate, because you won't win--although she'll enjoy every moment of the debate. Of the two remaining inner planets-- Mercury and Venus--the latter is more important in Kate's chart, for two reasons. First, Venus is the natural ruler of Taurus, her Sun sign. That makes it a "personal" planet for Kate. It's in the sign of Aries, which is not a very comfortable placement for Venus. This planet reflects our need for harmony and relationships--not just lovers, but also close friends. Aries is not a sign associated with peace or harmony; it's a Cardinal Fire sign, and just loves to get things started. More often than not, however, a passionate relationship may fizzle because of the Arian tendency to lack follow-through. (Then again, a lot of planets in Fixed signs--such as Kate has--may mitigate this tendency.) There also may be a tendency to want to dominate a relationship, which could be re-enforced by that Moon in Leo, which wants to be the center of attention. The two planets are linked by a trine, so their energies will tend to flow together. This combination can also indicate an outrageous flirt. Venus is also important in Kate's chart because of its position. Notice that there are no planets in the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Houses (those pie-shaped sections of the chart). That doesn't mean nothing is happening in these Houses; far from it. But it's a more subtle action. This chart's pattern is called "The Locomotive," and Venus in Aries is the leading planet, or engine. Picture a train hurtling along the tracks at high speed. This is a very dynamic, energetic pattern, and the lead planet determines how that dynamism is expressed. So here you have a driving force focused through a planet in the passionate, fiery sign of Aries--as I said earlier, don't get in this woman's way when she's determined to do something. The last inner planet is Mercury, which is in Taurus. Normally this would indicate someone with a very slow, deliberate, even ponderous way of communicating. In this case, forget it; not with that Gemini Rising/Mars in Gemini combination I mentioned earlier. The next two planets--Jupiter and Saturn--tend to balance each other. Jupiter is the principle of expansion and abundance, the big, happy Santa Claus of the solar system. Saturn, as I mentioned earlier, provides structure and limitation, order and an ability to focus on the day-to-day realities of life. It acts as a counter-balance to Jupiter's tendency to go to extremes. In Kate's chart, both these planets are in Water signs and so deal with emotions. With Jupiter in Cancer, home and the family are vitally important to Kate. Her ethical values are strongly rooted in family and probably concern the importance of being a protector and nurturer, as well as with the need for a safe, stable environment where such nurturing can take place. Saturn in Scorpio, as I mentioned briefly before, can indicate either control or repression of intensely passionate emotions. This placement is very good for someone who enjoys mysteries or puzzles, since Saturn provides a structured approach to studying that which is hidden. The last three planets--Uranus, Neptune and Pluto--are often called the "transpersonal" planets. This is because they take so long to orbit the solar system that they remain in one sign for years at a time and so affect an entire generation. Thus, Kate shares the placement of Uranus in Cancer with everyone born between June 1949 and August 1955, and from February until June 1956. Those with this placement were raised in a traditional, nuclear family--and rebelled against it. Uranus is the planet associated with freedom and independence, with "doing one's own thing." Under this influence, this "mini-generation" turned society's views of traditional family structure upside down and inside out. Neptune dipped in and out of Libra from October 1942 to April 1943, between August 1943 and December 1955, and from March to October 1956. Neptune is the planet of idealism and imagination, and Libra is the sign of harmony and peace. Those born with this placement formed the core of the "peace and love" generation. There is also a tendency for people with Neptune in Libra to idealize relationships, looking for a perfect but unrealizable love. [Kate's chart] Lastly, Pluto was in Leo almost continuously between August 1938 to August 1957. This planet is associated with death, degeneration, regeneration, and, ultimately, transformation. It deals with power on a grand scale. In the egocentric sign of Leo it has produced the "me generation". Between Neptune and Pluto we have the idealistic hippies of the '60s and '70s turning into the "you can have it all" yuppies of the '80s and '90s. But Leo is also a sign concerned with creativity and drama, and during the years when Pluto was in Leo a new entertainment medium was introduced that has transformed all our lives: television. The above paragraphs don't mean that Kate was a hippie who turned into a yuppie. I have exactly the same placements (being born in 1954) and was raised in an ultra-conservative household; my father wouldn't tolerate a hippie in the house. These outer planets do affect society because of their generational influence, but they affect individuals in the way they interact with the other planets in the chart. In Kate's chart, Uranus sits right next to Jupiter, which means she may express her need for growth and expansion (Jupiter) in a very individualistic (Uranus) way--but it will be focused on nurturing, being nurtured, and giving protection. Pluto in Leo squares her Saturn in Scorpio; this can result in either repressed or controlled transformation through creativity. In summary, this is the chart of a passionate, driven woman. The 10 planets are fairly evenly divided in terms of Elemental placement, meaning that Kate has a good blend of Fiery initiative, Earthy practicality, Airy smarts, and Watery sensitivity. In terms of Qualities, she has 4 planets in Cardinal signs, 5 planets in Fixed signs, and 1 planet (plus the Ascendent) in a Mutable sign. This means she's great at starting things and following them through, but may need to concentrate on using that Mars-in-Gemini energy to give her a little more flexibility and adaptability. Thank you, Kate Mulgrew, for giving us your birth information. From what I can see in your chart, you were indeed born to play Captain Kathryn Janeway. *COPYRIGHT VIOLATION CORNER* Juliann recently pitched a story which is being used as the basis of the Trek 30th anniversary episode! This story is based on the script which got her the invitation to pitch. Usual disclaimers apply. BRIDGE OF SIGHS by Juliann Medina "Captain's log, stardate 49294.8. It has been over a year since we were pulled into the Delta Quadrant, and I've noticed a drop in crew morale as the hope for finding a short cut home diminishes. Job performance is down and tempers flare at the slightest provocation. Our grief returns in spells, affecting all of us. We often seek refuge in the holodeck programs, but they can't begin to touch our need for our loved ones so painfully far away. In the end we are only reminded of our distance from home." The steady hum of Voyager at warp was the only sound as Janeway and Tuvok walked down the corridor. The Vulcan remained silent, waiting for his friend and captain to gather her thoughts before she continued confiding her worries to him. Finally, she continued. "You can see the longing in their eyes. It's almost palpable." "Crew efficiency has steadily declined at all stations." "Yes. I know. Perhaps it is time we initiate a more community-oriented atmosphere--organized social gatherings, productions, athletic competition..." "It has been my observation that humans respond well to such disciplines as Tai-Chi for stress management. They also seem to benefit from discussing their emotional issues in a non-judgmental atmosphere with their peers." "Group counseling. Good idea." Kes approached them from up ahead. Kathryn Janeway brushed aside her worries for the moment, and smiled as the three stopped in meeting in front of the holodeck entrance. "Captain. Lieutenant." Kes nodded to each of them in turn. "I was going to meet Neelix and the others on the holodeck. Why don't you join us?" "Another time for me," Janeway said. "I've promised myself a full eight hours of sleep tonight." Kes looked to Tuvok, waiting for a reply. "Another time for myself as well," he answered. "But I do appreciate the invitation." "We'll see you tomorrow, Kes." Janeway and Tuvok were about to leave when the holodeck suddenly opened to a fast and furious argument. Torres charged out with Harry Kim running to catch up to her. "B'Elanna, wait!" he called to her. "I didn't mean that I blamed you, or the Maquis." Torres stopped and whipped around to face him. "We never asked you to come after us, Starfleet." She turned to leave again, but stopped at seeing Janeway. They held each other's gaze for a moment, then Torres finally pulled away and left. Kim gave up on going after her. As Janeway, Tuvok, and Kes entered the holodeck, Chakotay continued to argue with Tom Paris. "You have only one agenda, Paris, and that's yourself!" Sandrine's usual characters milled about, apparently intrigued by the human display of anger. "You weren't there, Chakotay," Paris snarled. "You had no idea what was going on!" "I didn't have to be there to know that you sold us out! Just like you sold out those officers and their families. And just like you sold us out to Starfleet!" Kes watched in horrified fascination as she moved to stand by Neelix. Fed up, Chakotay turned to go, but stopped when he saw Kim. "Be warned, Ensign," he said. "Your friend here changes loyalties like he changes cologne." Paris stepped forward. "And where were you when I was taking the rap? You weren't concerned with loyalty then!" Janeway moved between them. "Stop this. What is--" "Gentlemen, pleeease," Sandrine interrupted. "This is no way to enjoy the evening." Janeway took a deep breath and said, "Computer, delete characters." Sandrine's regulars disappeared. Janeway continued in controlled anger, "I don't know what this is all about, but it ends here, now. Is that clear?" There was no response. Tension in the room increased exponentially. "Is that clear?" Her tone was sharp. "Yes, Captain," Chakotay said, not taking his eyes off Paris. Janeway looked to each of them consecutively, then started to pace, punctuating her words with her hands. "We're on edge. Our patience is thin. I understand that. But we cannot go on like this. I will not have it." She pulled a chair from a table. "So, everyone get comfortable. We're going to talk about this, starting right now." Everyone but Tuvok took a seat. "You, too, Tuvok." "Captain, I should attend to the--" "Have a seat, Lieutenant." He did. "Who would like to begin?" Janeway asked. There was no response. "All right then, I will." She folded her arms, took a deep breath, started to speak but stopped. She changed position and tried again, then laughed to herself, noting how difficult it was to "open up." These were boundaries that she never thought she'd have to cross with her crew, but their extraordinary circumstance called for redefining their borders. Indeed, she felt she had been torn away from all her boundaries when they were pulled into the Delta Quadrant. Finally, she took the emotional leap. "I wish that you didn't have to go through the anguish of being so far from home. I feel it, too. It's natural, and even healthy that we do." She paused to organize her thoughts. "But we need to share that pain, not let it drive a wedge between us. Not now, not ever. We need each other out here. Our survival depends on it." She sighed and leaned forward, looking at the floor. This was not coming out the way she had intended. "I'm sorry. This is turning into a morale speech." There was an awkward moment of silence until Kim spoke up. "I'm sorry," he said to no one in particular. Then he turned to Chakotay. "I'm sorry, Commander. It's just that I wish this--the Delta Quadrant--didn't happen. Sometimes I wish so hard..." He lowered his head and rubbed a temple to get back on track. The others waited. "I mentioned that if we had started on a different mission, we wouldn't have been pulled into the Delta Quadrant, but it sounded like I was blaming the Maquis...and I didn't mean that." Paris jumped in. "I'm tired of hearing about the Maquis. We've got enough to worry about without fighting that battle, too." Chakotay looked to Paris. A nerve had obviously been exposed. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, if we can't sweep our ideals aside like you do whenever they don't fit the circumstance." "I didn't sweep them aside, Chakotay. I told the truth, which now I can see was a big mistake." Paris stood in frustration, jarring his chair. "Big mistake!" "Wait. Stop," Janeway said. "I don't think it's a good idea to dwell on past mistakes and what might have been." She paused for a moment, then wearily said, "Look, we're all tired and frustrated. Everyone go get some sleep and we'll meet again tomorrow night. Dismissed." Paris rushed out. All except Kim stood to leave. "They've been yelling at each other all night," Neelix whispered to Kes as they left. "Why, if I hadn't been here..." "Being so far from home has been like a death for them," Kes replied as the left the holodeck. "Their grief process can take years." "Then perhaps we should leave, until they're safe to be around." "Oh, stop it. Give them some time and they'll come together. Besides, I want to stay and learn medicine." Neelix only grumbled. Chakotay moved to leave but Janeway pulled him aside. Her tone was quiet but severe. "Commander, I don't know how old this argument is, or even what it's about, Frankly, I don't care. But your comment on Tom's loyalties was out of line." Chakotay took a deep breath. "Yes. I'm sorry, Captain." "Don't apologize to me." "You're right. I'll apologize to him first thing in the morning." Janeway considered him for a tense moment before he could break away. She turned to Kim, resting his head in his hands."Harry?" He looked up quickly. "Yes, Captain?" With a soft smile Janeway said, "Whatever you do, don't stop wishing." Kim smiled back weakly, obviously worn out. "What about you?" Chakotay asked as he and Tuvok walked down the corridor. "Do Vulcans have regrets?" "We do," Tuvok answered dryly. "However, they serve no logical purpose so we do not dwell on the unchangeable. May I ask the same of you?" "About the Maquis? No. I don't regret any of it." They stopped at Chakotay's quarters. "I may no longer be a Maquis out here," he went on, then pointed to his heart. "But in here I fight as a Maquis." "Then I would continue to pursue you." A wry grin spread across Chakotay's face. "As you should, my friend. As you should." Tuvok lifted an eyebrow at the comment. Kathryn Janeway entered her dark quarters but did not call for lights. Instead she walked slowly to sit before the portal, gazing out. "What might have been," she said to the stars, to herself, to Mark. As she slept, stars and space briefly passed through her quarters, her ship. The room, the furniture, the walls and even she momentarily faded in and out, then returned to solidity. Janeway only stirred. She dreamed. Incomplete flashes of Voyager's violent journey to the Delta Quadrant; her realization of Cavit's death; finding herself in the Caretaker's barn; the screams in the Caretaker's lab; finally she dreamed of a giant needle descending into her sternum while she was helpless to stop it. Janeway bolted upright in her bed and clutched her chest with one hand, frantically looking around the darkened room. Regaining her composure, she rubbed her eyes. "Just a dream," she whispered. "Just a dream." A second later she called for lights. She went to the washbasin and splashed cold water on her face. Her computer monitor suddenly chirped, signaling an incoming message. To her pleasant surprise, it was Mark. "Hi, honey, I was just thinking about you. How are the puppies?" Mark smiled. "Were you thinking of me, or the puppies?" Janeway returned a wry grin. "Well, you, mostly." "I wanted to call before you head off to duty. I've been asked to speak on Atalia Seven. Between our schedules I'm not sure we'll be able to talk again for a few days." "You'll be home when I get back, won't you?" "You know it. My sister said she would tend to the puppies." "Oh, good. Tell her I appreciate it." Janeway looked at Mark for a long moment, then smiled seductively and asked, "How about picking me up some Atalian mocha beans while you're there?" "You got it. Anything else?" Janeway shook her head. "Okay," Mark said. "I'd better go or I'll be late. I miss you." Janeway smiled sadly. She kissed her fingertips and touched them to the screen. Mark smiled, then his image was replaced by the Federation seal. B'Elanna Torres crept through the darkened corridor unsure of where she was. She was dressed in her Maquis clothes, which she had found in a strange closet. She thought she recognized the ship she was on, but could not be sure. Her memory was a fog of images and she had the unmistakable gut feeling that things were not right. Suddenly a large hand closed over her mouth a pulled her into the shadows of another corridor. She was just about break a few of her assailant's ribs when she heard him whisper in her ear. "It's me, B'Elanna. Be quiet." It was Chakotay. She nodded and he released his hand. At the same moment a Starfleet security guard walked down the adjoining corridor, completely unaware of them. As soon as the guard was gone, she turned to Chakotay. "What's going on? How did we get here?" "Shh," he said. "Come on." He lead her to a Jeffries tube where he pulled off the panel and motioned her inside, looking around before climbing in himself and pulling the panel back into place. "What's going on?" Torres asked again. "They must have captured us." "But I woke up in private quarters." "So did I." He rubbed his head as if he had a headache. "I think they drugged us. Maybe it wore off too soon, I don't know. But I think we should take advantage of the situation, don't you?" Torres nodded. "Got any ideas?" Chakotay asked. Torres spoke as she considered the options. "We could steal a shuttle. The others are probably looking for us. We should find them before the crew of this ship does." "No. We could never outrun this ship with a shuttlecraft. And we shouldn't count on the others looking for us." "They wouldn't just leave us," Torres protested. "I know. But I have vague memories of our ship exploding." Torres took a moment to digest this. "We could take control of this ship." "Commandeer the ship?" Chakotay checked the level of his voice. "Are you out of your mind?" "We don't have a lot of options here, Chakotay. Once they realize we're missing, they're going to find us." Chakotay considered for a moment, then nodded at her. "We should see if any of the others are on board before we try anything." On the bridge, Kim, Paris, and Tuvok were at their stations. Lieutenant Stadi was at Mission Ops, and Cavit sat in the command chair. Kim looked up from his console as the turbolift doors slid open to reveal Janeway. "Good morning, Captain," he said cheerfully. "Good morning," Janeway said. "Anything to report?" "Maintenance in the warp nacelles has run longer than scheduled," Cavit said. "They should be on-line within the hour." Janeway nodded, then turned to Tuvok as he spoke. "Captain, there is an incoming message from Starfleet," the Vulcan announced. "Put it through to my ready room," she said. She was already on her way. Janeway sat down and tapped the monitor. Admiral Zappallo appeared on the small screen. "Good morning, Captain," he said. "Admiral Zappallo, what can I do for you?" "I have new orders for you. You're to rendezvous with the Sospiri and transfer the prisoners to them. A Federation and a Maquis ship are missing. Cardassian Intelligence reported their last known position in the Badlands." "The Badlands," Janeway gasped. "The plasma storms would have eaten them alive." "Maybe. We believe the Maquis use the storms to hide from our sensors and we need a ship that can maneuver through the storms to investigate. That would be Voyager." Zappallo worked his console. "I'm transferring orders now," he said. "Oh, and congratulations on the success of your last mission." "Thank you. I'll pass that along to the crew." "Very well. Starfleet out." And with that, the viewer blanked to a Federation seal. "Scanners have just picked up a very localized spatial distortion sixty-four AUs off starboard," Paris announced as soon as Janeway set foot back on the bridge. "We almost missed it. Do you have it, Harry?" he asked, turning to Kim. Kim worked his console before replying, "Affirmative." "Put it onscreen," Janeway said as she took her command chair. A small, concentrated sphere appeared on the screen. It was clear, like glass, reflecting only the stars. Janeway stared, then looked to Kim, Tuvok, and back to the screen. "Do we know what it is?" "Undetermined, Captain," Kim announced. "Scanners are working on it." "Wait, I know," came Stadi's voice from the back of the bridge. "An Einstein-Rosen bridge would look like that. An entire sealed universe reflecting all that is inside it." "Yes, I remember studying that theory," Janeway said. "I'd nearly forgotten." She turned to Kim. "Could that be an E-R bridge?" "It seems to meet the theoretical criteria, but an E-R bridge has never been observed." Paris swiveled in his chair to face Janeway. "Do you want a closer look, Captain? Impulse engines are online." "I'd love a closer look," she said. "But I'm afraid we can't. We have more immediate orders to attend to. Mark its position in the log and relay a message to Starfleet to investigate." Janeway turned to Kim. "Mister Kim, go see if you can give engineering a hand." "Yes, Captain," Kim said, and left in the turbolift. As Janeway took her chair, she glanced at her second-in-command. But Cavit was not there. Instead, in the chair there sat another man, someone she vaguely recognized. With short cropped hair and a tattoo over his left eye, he seemed familiar to her, but in a way she didn't recognize--as from a dream. She bowed her head and rubbed a temple. "Is everything all right, Captain?" It was Cavit's voice. She opened her eyes to see Cavit sitting next to her, looking concerned. "Yes. Fine," she said. "Vivid dream last night. I'm having a hard time shaking it." At that moment, Ensign Kim rushed in from the turbolift. He was short of breath, his hair askew. "Captain, Commander," he gasped. "I'm sorry I'm late. I overslept. It won't happen again." Lieutenant Paris turned in his chair to look at his friend Harry who had no w moved to his station. Janeway caught Paris's confused look, and shared it. Then she turned to Kim, "You're certainly not late, Ensign. Did you and engineering get warp on line already?" A confused look spread across Kim's face. "Uh, no, Captain. I'll get right on it." "Please do," Janeway said. Kim left the bridge once again. Janeway turned to Cavit, thankful to see that it was Cavit, and not that phantom dream-man. "What was that all about?" she asked him. Cavit only shrugged. She and Paris exchanged another bewildered look then turned back to the screen. "It seems we have some extra time. Mister Paris, go down to science and see what they have on the anomaly. Lieutenant Stadi, you have the conn." In engineering, Lieutenant Carey concentrated on two different consoles. "Come on...Come on..." He slammed his fist. "Damn!" "What's wrong?" Kim asked him as he approached. Carey stormed to another console as he spoke. "The magnetic field coils won't align with the local subspace variance. It's as if the laws of physics just flew out the window. And the chief might as well have gone with them." Kim looked around for the chief of engineering. "What do you mean? Where is he?" Carey continued to work. "I sent him to sickbay. He didn't seem to be feeling well," he said. "Here. See if you can adjust for the magnetic fluctuation while I try to maintain the local field density." Carey returned to his station. "Starting main sequence now." Kim watched his console. "Distortion levels are rising." He tried a few counter procedures. "Still rising. Trying to compensate. "It's not working!" "Hold on. Another ten seconds," Carey said. "Local field density continuing to rise." Kim looked next to him to find that someone else was working on the problem. He vaguely recognized her. Her forehead suggested she was at least part Klingon, and she wore a Starfleet uniform, but he couldn't remember where, or if, he had met her before. "Reinitialize the subspace oscillators while manually compensating for the imbalance," she yelled. She obviously knew what she was talking about, so Kim followed her orders. "Initializing now. Manually compensating for the imbalance." He worked his console, watching it closely. "It's working!" he yelled. "Local field variance at sixty-eight percent and holding." "Nice work, Starfleet," the engineer said. Kim smiled, then recognized something in the way she had called him Starfleet. As if it was from a long time ago, like deja vu, or from another life. He looked to her again, but she was gone. Carey approached him now. "Quick thinking, Ensign. Maybe you should be an engineer." Kim smiled weakly as he looked around for the dark headed engineer, to no avail. Captain Janeway was working with Tuvok over a console when the com-system chirped. "Paris to Janeway." "Go ahead, Lieutenant." "Science is having their own problems, Captain. They are unable to study the phenomena." Janeway rolled her eyes. What was going on here, she wondered. Small anomalies were appearing throughout the ship's systems. Things that shouldn't be, but were. A level-three diagnostic had failed to reveal the problem, but she didn't have time to run a level-five. Frustrated, she said, "Very well. Return to the bridge. Janeway out." She looked to Cavit. "Did science report any problems to you?" Cavit only shook his head. The comm system chirped again. "Engineering to bridge." It was Carey's voice. "Captain, warp is on line and ready to go," he said. Finally some good news, Janeway thought. "Thank you, Mister Carey." She turned to the conn, "You have the coordinates, Lieutenant. Engage at warp five." "Aye, Captain." It was Paris's voice. But Paris couldn't be back from science yet, could he? Janeway looked. He was back. And Stadi was at ops now. Being unaware of events on her bridge made Janeway uneasy. She made a note to be more attentive to such minute changes. Neelix had to run to catch up with Lieutenant Tuvok in the corridor. Maybe now he could get some answers since most of the crew failed to acknowledge him at all. "Lieutenant Tuvok," he called out. "Did the Captain authorize free use of the replicators?" Tuvok did not answer. "You see," Neelix went on, "no one bothered to come to breakfast this morning, and..." Tuvok continued down the corridor at a steady pace, ignoring him. "Sir? Lieutenant?" Not Tuvok, too, Neelix hoped. What was with these people? They passed a junction where Tom Paris fell into step next to Tuvok, rudely displacing Neelix. "Ah, Mister Paris," Neelix said. "Are you hungry? I've prepared some Bortesian egg-loaf for breakfast." Paris paid him no attention, turning instead to Tuvok, "You wouldn't believe the mess the science department is in. Their equipment is falling apart left and right. They weren't even aware of the spatial phenomena." "You'd love it, I'm sure," Neelix pleaded. He had been ignored before, but this was almost too much for him to bear. "What phenomena are you referring to?" Tuvok asked Paris. "The captain thinks it's an E-R bridge... You were there." Tuvok slowed and stopped. "I was not made aware of any spatial phenomena." "Fine then," Neelix said. "I see that you're very busy, so I'll just leave you to your work..." He waited futilely for a response. Paris continued, "But you were there...on the bridge when--" "I assure you," Tuvok interrupted, "I have not reported to the bridge. I have been recalibrating the secondary array for the better portion of the morning." "Harrumph!" Neelix protested, storming back the way he had come. The others resumed walking, Paris confused at Tuvok's explanation. They passed a another junction and noticed an officer down just ahead of them. Rushing for the officer, they were waylaid by three Maquis. Torres stunned Tuvok with a phaser. As he fell, she recognized something in him and was caught off guard. Paris deflected her firing arm, knocking the phaser from her hand. He hit his commbadge. "Security! Deck seven, section--" But Chakotay hit him in the throat and swept him to the floor before he could finish. "Come on! We have to get out of here!" Paris sat up, slowly, in pain. He grasped his throat, choking from the attack. He glared at Chakotay. "You!" he said hoarsely. "Do you know him?" Torres asked Chakotay. Paris continued to glare. This Maquis seemed familiar enough, as did his hate for him, but the complete memory was missing. He wondered if he was somehow involved with the accident, if this Maquis somehow knew that he had lied to Starfleet to protect himself. Or maybe this Maquis had known one of the dead officers. "No, I don't," the Maquis finally answered. He retrieved the phaser and stood, only to be stunned by arriving security. The other two Maquis hid inside the adjoining corridor. Paris stood awkwardly, but Kenneth Dalby immediately took him as hostage and shield, holding the phaser to his neck. "Stop right there!" he yelled. "Don't move or he dies." Security slowed and stopped, to Paris's relief. He knew this Maquis was serious. The phaser digging into his neck assured him. Dalby kicked the extra phaser to Torres. Just as Tuvok began to stir, she took him hostage, pointing the phaser to security and backing against the wall. "It's set to kill," Dalby said. "It's the only way we can bargain." "Put down your weapons!" Torres shouted, but security was slow to comply. "Drop them now!" Tuvok strained against her hold. "Do as she says," he gasped. As security dropped their weapons, Captain Janeway arrived on the scene, slowing as she saw the situation. Paris sighed inwardly. Things were looking up. Torres held Janeway's stare. They knew each other, somehow, sometime from long ago. But Torres could not identify this woman as the enemy, no matter how much she wanted to. There was a long moment as they considered each other, then she looked at the Vulcan in her grip. She remembered trying to emulate his calm demeanor, but the memory seemed like a distant lifetime ago--somebody else's life. She lowered her weapon and released him. "Ken," Torres said. "Lower your weapon. We can't do this." "Are you crazy?" he said. "We can't stop now. We'll go to prison." Torres reset her phaser to stun and threw it against the wall. "I can't do this," she said. "I know these people." "What are you doing?" Dalby yelled at her. "What do you mean you know them?" Security started for her, but stopped when Dalby pressed his phaser deep under Paris's chin. Paris winced. This was going to be an ugly way to die, he thought. "Something is wrong here." she said. "I can't risk hurting them." "Listen to her," Chakotay said, now conscious. Dalby ignored him. "Kenneth, put the phaser down," he said again. "I'm your friend, Kenneth," Torres said. "You've got to trust me on this. Now drop the weapon!" A tense moment passed, then Dalby threw his phaser at security and glared at Janeway. Security reclaimed their phasers and took the three Maquis into custody. Janeway and Torres exchanged another look, but it was indecipherable. "Funny, isn't it B'Elanna," Chakotay said as they were led past Paris, "that he's the one who lied to Starfleet, and we're the ones going to prison." The comment didn't bother Paris like it should have. Instead, he recognized the name B'Elanna, and didn't know why. "How do you know he lied to Starfleet?" B'Elanna asked him. Chakotay shook his head. "I'm not sure." Voyager sped through the blackness, no stars in the background. "Captain's log, supplemental. Lieutenant Tuvok is investigating how the Maquis prisoners escaped from the brig. We were fortunate that no one was harmed. The situation is now under control and we are on our way to rendezvous with the Sospiri for the transfer. To my disappointment, study of the possible Einstein-Rosen bridge has been deferred to Starfleet." Janeway sat contentedly in her command chair, thankful that things were under control again and they were finally under way. She heard the door slide open, but with the her crew already on the bridge, she wondered who it could it be. She turned to see a second Tuvok enter from the turbolift. He halted at seeing her expression. "Is something wrong, Captain?" Carefully, Janeway asked, "How many Lieutenant Tuvoks are on the bridge?" "There is one, Captain." But it was not Cavit's voice. The voice she recognized as her phantom dream-man. She turned to him. It was the Maquis she had learned was Chakotay, the man from her dream, one and the same. She looked from Chakotay to the two Tuvoks, then lowered her head and rubbed her eyes. When she looked back up to Chakotay, she saw Cavit instead, and only the second Tuvok. "Captain?" Cavit said. "Are you all right?" Janeway looked around just to make sure. "Yes. Fine." "Perhaps you should go to sickbay, Captain," Tuvok said. With false confidence that she hoped no one noticed, she said, "No, I'm fine. Really." Tuvok did notice the false confidence but accepted her decision because of his confidence in her. He moved to his station and checked on some diagnostics he'd started earlier. Janeway was about to take her chair when a second Paris entered from the turbolift. She looked from Paris to Paris just short of terror. The second Paris stopped at seeing Janeway's wide-eyed stare. "Captain?" Hearing this, Tuvok turned to see Paris standing outside the turbolift. This was odd because only moments before Tuvok had seen him at the helm. He turned to the helm, but as logic dictated, the chair was empty. Janeway shook her head. "Perhaps I should go lie down. Commander, you have the bridge." She looked at Paris, then Tuvok, and left. Kim couldn't believe his eyes. One Paris sat at the helm clear as day, while another stood not more than six feet away from ops. Kim closed his eyes and shook his head willing one of the Parises to disappear. When he opened his eyes, he saw only the second Paris. "Harry? Are you all right?" that Paris asked him. Kim looked around just to make sure. "Yeah. I think so." Neelix was flooded with relief when he saw the captain in the corridor. He was on his way to see her, actually, but was unsure if she had the time to see him. "Captain, am I glad to see you." Janeway completely ignored his existence and entered her quarters. Neelix attempted to follow her but was cut off by the closing doors. "Captain!" he shouted after her. Janeway entered her dark quarters then stopped mid-stride. Did she hear something? Someone? She turned and stepped outside her quarters to see if someone had called her. No one was there. She shook her head and rubbed a temple. "You're not only seeing things, Kathryn, but hearing them, too," she said as she went back inside to her bed. "I just didn't sleep well last night, that's all. A twenty minute nap and everything will be fine." She lay down, fingers laced across her stomach. "It won't even be a real nap. I'll call it meditation, regrouping..." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Kathryn, make an effort to stop talking to yourself." It seemed she had only slept for a second before she awakened to her doors sliding open and shut. It was Mark. He carried a racket. "Are you going to sleep all day?" he asked. Something didn't feel right, but she placed it as being disoriented from sleep. Or lack of it. "I was meditating," she said as she sat up. "Is that what you call it?" His smart-aleck replies was one of his endearing qualities, but she was to tired to go with it now. "When did you get back?" she asked. "About an hour ago. You were...meditating, so I went to practice my serve." "An hour!" Janeway jumped to her feet. "I've got to get back--" She faltered at seeing a gecko on the washbasin. She turned to Mark, but he wasn't there. "Mark?" No answer. The gecko was now on the bed. She closed her eyes tight--a nap was supposed to make things better--then opened them. She sighed in relief--the gecko was gon Janeway took a deep breath and entered the bridge. "Approaching rendezvous now, Captain," Paris said as she took her command. "The Sospiri is waiting." "Bring us within transporter range. Hail them." Janeway smiled when she saw her longtime friend appear on the viewer. The woman hadn't changed a bit in the seven years since they last saw each other. "Captain McAuliffe, it's good to see you again. How are you?" "I'm well. Are the Maquis ready for transport?" "They are." "Good. We are ready to receive them." Janeway looked over her shoulder to signal Tuvok. Tuvok tapped his combadge. "Tuvok to transporter room three. Lock onto the prisoners and beam them directly to the Sospiri brig." A few moments later a voice came back, "Transport complete." Kes was stunned by the ferocious mental images that hit her from out of nowhere. First, it was just cold, black space, and a silence that seemed to roar in her head. She staggered and reached for the wall while holding her head with her other hand. Another hit--More empty space, more silence. But this time there were jarring images of Voyager's exterior, and no stars in the background. Kes fell to her knees, then all the way to the floor as corridor spun and lurched around her. Suddenly there was more space, more silence, but this time she saw the flailing bodies of Chakotay, Torres and Dalby, with Voyager far beyond them. She forced herself to her feet, disoriented, and staggered quickly back the way she had come. "Perhaps next time we can talk longer, Captain," McAuliffe said from the viewscreen. "I would like that," Janeway said. "But we do have immediate orders to attend to." "As do I. Good-by, Kathryn." The screen blanked and Janeway took her chair, leaning over to speak to Cavit. "I served with Captain McAuliffe for six years. She taught me a lot about command." Kes rushed in, clutching her head and nearly falling. No one noticed her. Instead, Janeway turned to Paris, "Lay in a course to the Badlands." "Course laid in, Captain." "No, Captain!" Kes yelled. Janeway looked around, wondering if she actually heard something, or if she was still hearing things. It wasn't that she actually heard anything, but it was more of a sensation of urgency taken to voice in her mind. She found it hard to dismiss. Kes rushed to Janeway, stood in front of her, but the captain seemed to look right through her. "Captain, those who just beamed off the ship... You've got to get them back!" There was no response. Neelix had said the crew was behaving strangely. Maybe he wasn't overreacting and something was truly wrong with the crew. "Captain?" Kes pleaded. Still no response, but the crew was looking around puzzled. She went to Kim and waved her hand in front of his face. "Harry?" Nothing. "Tom?" Nothing, then he spoke. "Do you want me to engage the engines, Captain?" "No! Captain don't!" Kes shouted. "They're dying out there!" Janeway turned to her, but still did not acknowledge her. "No," Janeway said to Paris. "Not just yet." Having bought a little time, Kes ran from the bridge. Janeway looked to her crew. "Did you feel...that?" she asked. The others nodded, equally disturbed. There was definitely a discomforting sensation throughout the bridge. Janeway took her chair and worked her console, looking for a cause of the uneasiness. Suddenly, the holo-doctor appeared on the aft viewer. Janeway turned to him. "Captain, did someone just beam off the ship?" "Yes. The Maquis." "Well you've got to beam them back immediately," he said matter-of-factly. "They're dying." This was only the second time Janeway could remember having spoken with the holo-doctor, but he spoke to her as if they were old friends. The strange thing was, he seemed vaguely familiar to her, too, in a commbadge. "Transporter room three, lock onto the prisoners and beam them directly to sickbay." She turned to Tuvok. "What happened, Lieutenant?" "Unknown at this time," came his reply. "I want a full investigation. I'll be in sickbay," she said, already heading for the turbolift. "You have the bridge, Commander." In sickbay, Chakotay, Dalby and Torres materialized on the bio-beds. Their skin was blue from oxygen deprivation and mottled with bruises. The clamshells activated automatically. Torres and Dalby were limp and unresponsive, but Chakotay was arched in convulsions and clutching his throat. The whites of his eyes were bloody. He gulped choked breaths as the holo-doctor examined him with a tricorder. "Apply a blood-gas infuser, one-hundred percent oxygen, followed by forty CCs inapovaline." He turned to Chakotay, "Try to relax. Breathe deeply." When Janeway entered she saw her CMO, Fitzgerald, working over the Maquis known as B'Elanna Torres. Janeway watched him curiously. His hands moved over Torres like they should be doing something, but they were not. Janeway approached him, watching his false movements. "Doctor, what's going on?" Fitzgerald only looked at her with a gaze as inane as his movements. The holo-doctor worked over the other Maquis calling out orders to someone who wasn't there. Puzzled, she turned back to Fitzgerald, who hadn't changed his position or action. The entire scene was like a bad anxiety dream. She looked at Fitzgerald. "What are you doing! Stop this!" The holo-doctor moved between Torres and Dalby, passing through Fitzgerald as if he wasn't there. Fitzgerald fell backward to the floor. "Please, Captain," the holo-doctor said. "Not now. I'm a little busy." Janeway stared uncomprehending at Fitzgerald lying on the floor. Kes looked to Janeway with concern. She knew the captain could not see her, for whatever reasons, but right now she and the doctor had life-threatening concerns to deal with. The doctor checked Dalby, then Torres, as Kes carried out orders for Chakotay. She finished immediately and moved to help the doctor. "There's no time to spare, Kes," he said. "You'll have to tend to Mister Dalby. I'll call out instructions while I tend to Lieutenant Torres." Kes. The name struck a chord of recognition in Janeway's mind. "Kes," she whispered to herself, trying to remember. She looked up to see a faint and flickering image of someone she somehow recognized as Kes. Kes looked at her momentarily, but the image was like a repressed memory, and Janeway could only assume she was seeing another illusion. A ghostly one, at that. "Blood-gas infuser, one hundred percent oxygen," the holo-doctor ordered. "Followed by two milliliters tricordrazine." Kes followed the orders before he was through speaking them, and Dalby responded with a large gasp. Kes worked the clamshell. "He is stabilizing, Doctor." "I wish I could say the same for Lieutenant Torres." "Lieutenant?" Janeway asked herself. Like the name Kes, the name Lieutenant Torres also rang true, like some long lost memory resurfacing. The ghost-Kes moved to the holo-doctor as he worked the clamshell. Janeway could only watch, unsure what to believe. "Cortical stimulators," the holo-doctor said. Kes placed the stimulators on Torres's temples. There was no response. "Six milliliters tricordrazine." For being a computer program, the doctor was sounding desperate. Kes prepared a hypospray and handed it to him. "Dammit, Torres, fight! Don't give up now!" Janeway turned to the weak voice, recognizing it. It was the Maquis named Chakotay. The man from her dream, the one she'd hallucinated as being in Cavit's chair, earlier on the bridge. She pressed one hand to her lips, looking at Chakotay, then Torres. Something was very wrong, and if it had caused her to kill Torres... Torres gasped. The room seemed to sigh in relief, even the holo- doctor. Chakotay let his head drop back to the bed. Torres and Dalby remained unconscious, but breathing. Janeway glanced at Fitzgerald on the floor and tried to ignore the image as she moved to Chakotay. "What happened, do you know?" she whispered. "What?" He was weak, delirious. "What...caused this?" Chakotay shook his head. "There was no ship. No stars." "I don't understand." It was a long moment before he spoke again. "There wasn't another ship. Only Voyager." The holo-doctor approached them, saying, "I'm sorry, Captain, he shouldn't try to talk yet, and he probably can't hear you very well. He has a ruptured eardrum." "Are they going to be all right?" "They are not out of the woods yet, so to speak. I will have to run a complete neural scan before I can determine if there is any brain damage. And there are numerous effects of sudden decompression that may not show up for several hours; pneumothorax, apoplexy, cardiac and pulmonary contusions..." "Decompression?" Janeway asked. "Yes. They were exposed to the vacuum of space. May I ask how this happened?" "A possible transporter malfunction." She tried to answer his question but she was suddenly flooded with a million questions herself. "We're looking into it," she said on her way out the door. The doctor watched her go, equally puzzled. He looked at Kes and lifted an eyebrow. Kes returned the expression. "Hail the _Sospiri_," Janeway said as she exited the turbolift to the bridge. "On screen," came Kim's immediate reply. Janeway turned to the screen, but it was blank. She turned away and ducked her head in thought, testing her assumptions. When she turned back to the viewer it was still blank. She turned to Cavit, "Commander, do you see Captain McAuliffe on the screen?" Cavit shook his head. Janeway considered him for a moment, then turned to the helm. "Mister Paris, Mister Kim, do you?" They looked at the screen and nodded. Janeway considered them, then moved to Lieutenant Stadi at Mission Ops. She leaned on the console as she studied her. Quietly, she asked, "Lieutenant, you must realize that I'm not blaming you, but did you not sense that the Maquis were in danger?" Stadi didn't respond, but continued to look stiffly forward. "Lieutenant?" Janeway pleaded. Finally Stadi turned to Janeway, but it was only a level, inane expression. "You're Betazoid. Don't you sense Captain McAuliffe at all? Her crew?" No response. "Anybody?" Stadi continued with the blank expression. "You don't know, do you?" Janeway said. "Because *I* don't know." Exasperated, Janeway spun around. "What is going on here?" "Captain?" Cavit said. He had overheard her. Or, Janeway wondered, had she simply expected him too? "Nothing," she said. "You have the bridge." And she left. Janeway checked on the sleeping Chakotay. She was about to go to Torres when she saw Fitzgerald lying on the floor where he had fallen. Instead, she went to him and shook his shoulder. "Doctor? Are you all right?" There was no response. Janeway was not getting used to this. Kes entered from the office and saw Janeway kneeling on the floor, talking, but to no one. She set her PADD down and knelt down beside her, her hand lightly on Janeway's shoulder. Janeway turned abruptly to the see a faint image of Kes. "Captain? What's wrong?" Janeway carefully weighed her response. "Doctor Fitzgerald, what's wrong with him?" "Captain, the doctor isn't here." Janeway frantically looked and saw Fitzgerald on the floor, but knowing she could no longer trust her own eyes, she carefully asked, "Where is he?" "Captain, it's all right--" Janeway stood and paced in frustration. "No! It's not all right! I am not losing my mind." She laughed at the sound of it. Kes stood and retrieved a medical tricorder. Janeway went back to Fitzgerald, gripped his arm, his hand...testing his solidity. To Kes, it seemed that Janeway was holding onto air. She scanned her. "He's right here," Janeway told herself. "He's solid, he's...real." She turned to Kes, "And you're...a ghost." Janeway stood, prompting Kes to stand while continuing with the scan. Janeway pushed the tricorder away, agitated. "I'm all right!" She paced a few steps, then stopped. "If that's not him, then where is he?" "Captain--" "Computer! Where is the damn doctor!" The holo-doctor appeared and approached Janeway from behind. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked, taking the tricorder from Kes to read it. Janeway stepped back in surprise. The gecko appeared on his shoulder, but Kes and the doctor were oblivious to it. It disappeared, then reappeared in the crook of her arm. She looked at it curiously, then it jumped into the air and disappeared. Janeway knew that only she saw it. She took a deep breath to clear her head and get back on track. With an effort to maintain her poise, she said, "Where is the doctor?" "I am the chief medical officer," the holo-doctor said. "No. You're not. Where is Doctor Fitzgerald? Nurse T'Prena?" The holo-doctor stopped scanning her for a moment. "Doctor Fitzgerald was killed with the rest of the medical staff when Voyager was pulled into the Delta Quadrant. You commissioned me as the chief medical officer." He looked at the tricorder for a moment. "You don't remember any of this?" But Janeway didn't hear the last sentence. "The Delta Quadrant," she said to herself. "But that was a dream." "It's been a nightmare if you ask me," the hologram said, then, off his tricorder, "Hm, that's odd." Janeway threw him a considering look then turned to find the gecko crawling on her foot. She picked it up and studied it closely. She heard the voice from her dream. "It is your animal guide. Talk to it. Ask it your question." She turned to Chakotay, knowing it was his voice, but he was sleeping. The doctor and Kes conversed quietly, unaware of Chakotay's words. Again, the gecko jumped from Janeway's hands and disappeared into thin air. Janeway looked from the doctor to Kes. Things were starting to come together. "The ships missing in the Delta Quadrant... That's us?" She turned to Kes, "But what about you?" As Janeway acknowledged her, her image solidified. "You and Neelix and the crew rescued me from the Kazon--" Janeway waved her hand to interrupt her, "Neelix?" "Certainly you haven't forgotten Neelix, have you?" the doctor said. "Little Talaxian running around with one lung? His souffle gives you heartburn..." Janeway considered this. To Kes, the doctor said, "Prepare a neural scan." Kes nodded and left. The doctor moved to a console and worked. Tom Paris entered sickbay, guiding an aloof Kim to someone only Paris saw. Kim waved and greeted people who weren't there. Paris stopped and talked to his own illusion. "He's seeing things, Doc." Kim knelt down and petted a non-existent dog. "Hey, Cici. Hey girl. What are you doing here?" He looked up to Janeway. "Hi, Captain. Are you feeling all right?" "I'm fine," she said, and then more discreetly, "I think." The holo-doctor returned and caught sight of Paris talking to the air. "Oh, no, not you, too?" Paris turned to Janeway, puzzled. Kim carried on with his own illusions. "Me? What?" Paris said. Then he saw the holo-doctor. "Who let him out?" he asked Janeway. "I let me out, thank you," the doctor retorted. Paris went on. "First the warp nacelles, the food replicators, then science and the transporter malfunctions, and now him? The whole ship is falling apart." "I am not malfunctioning," the doctor said, exasperated. "And it seems that I am the only one who isn't." "Mister Paris," Janeway said before he could speak. "Who were you talking to?" Paris laughed in disbelief, "Why, the good doctor here." "There's no one there, Tom." Paris looked back to his non-existent doctor, then Janeway, puzzled. Kes returned, watching the odd behavior. Kim slowly stood from petting the dog. He looked past everyone, then began to tremble and tear. "Grandfather," Kim whispered. "Mogochan," his grandfather said, "do not be afraid, of what is now, and what is to be. Your family awaits your return home, but you must be strong. Not only for yourself," he gestured to Janeway and the others, "but for your family here. They love you. They will stand by you. As will I." Then his grandfather faded into nothing. Kim reached out for him, "No!" he said, then softly, "Wait." Janeway and Paris had moved to either side of him and caught him as he collapsed to his knees. They guided him down, but kept him upright. "Harry?" Janeway said. Finally hearing her, Kim looked to her. "You're hallucinating, Harry," Paris said. Janeway pushed his hair from his eyes. "We all are." Kim looked back to where his grandfather stood. "No. He was real," he said. "Yes, I know. They seem very real." "No. The others...they were illusions, I know. But...my grandfather..." Kim stood, "he was real." He looked around and moved slowly to Torres. "It wasn't a dream," he said to himself, then to the others, "I mean, I know her. She was in engineering, and she was in my dream... I thought it was a dream, but.... We were trapped in a white room, and we..." he studied his hands and arms, "We were sick." Desperately he turned to Janeway and Paris. "It's as if the past is wrapped around the present... I don't know what's real." Janeway moved between Torres and Chakotay. "They are part of your crew," Kes said. "He is your first officer." The gecko appeared on Chakotay's bed, then jumped off and disappeared. Janeway considered this, figuring things out, then turned decidedly to Paris and Kim. "You two are with me. Come on." She left in a hurry. Paris and Kim ran to catch up. "But Captain!" the doctor called after her. "I would like to run a brain scan just to--" "Start with someone else," she interrupted as she went out the door. The doctor sighed in exasperation and turned to Kes. "If you should learn how all this turns out, would you please let me know?" Kes smiled and nodded. "Now," he continued, "whose brain shall we scan first?" Neelix approached Janeway, Paris and Kim as they left sickbay and headed the opposite way. Upon seeing them, he called, "Captain. I'm glad I ran into you..." But the three walked on, ignorant of him. He gave up and watched them walk away. Fuming, he turned and stormed into sickbay. "That's it! I've had it! The three officers stopped, looked behind them, at each other, puzzled but positive they heard something. They moved on. Upon entering sickbay, Neelix saw the doctor and Kes. "Could you please scan me or something?" he asked. "Just to make sure I'm here?" "Why certainly, Neelix," the doctor grinned. "Come lay down." Kim, Paris, Tuvok, Stadi and Cavit sat patiently at the briefing room table. Janeway paced slowly, thinking. "He said the ship wasn't there," she said. Kim was unbelieving. "What? But it was there. It registered on the sensors." "Or maybe we just expected it to," Janeway said. The others waited for her to explain herself. "Our reality seems to be based on our expectations, our wishes and thoughts. Subconsciously as well as consciously." She stopped pacing and faced them. "Think about it. We expected to rendezvous with the Sospiri, and we did. But when we transported the Maquis, nothing was there." "So everything happens because we expect it to?" Paris asked. "Not everything," Janeway said. "Our minds supplement what isn't already there, but we expect to be. Except that it couldn't supplement a real ship for them to transport too." "Do you mean that because I expected to see Tom on the bridge, I did," said Kim. "But when the real Tom walked in, I saw both of them?" He thought for a moment. "So the reality we see is interrupted by the real reality." "Yes." Janeway said. Paris jumped in, "But how does the Einstein-Rosen bridge work into this?" "An Einstein-Rosen bridge?" Kim asked excitedly. "When did we see and Einstein-Rosen bridge?" "This morning," Paris answered. "You were there when we... Oh, wait. Maybe you weren't there." "An E-R bridge is a bridge between universes. Universes that exist independently of each other, but can pass through each other and remain independent." She used her hands to help create a mental picture for them. "Think of it this way," she went on. "Entire sealed universes floating through hyperspace like bubbles. An E-R bridge would link one universe to another, through hyperspace." "Then maybe we've already fallen through it somehow," Paris suggested. "Into an alternate universe." "That would be unlikely." Everyone turned to Tuvok. "If it was an E-R bridge and subsequently led to another universe, it would not be an alternate universe, but a different universe, with different constants and governed by different physical laws. We would be unable to exist." "But we're in some sort of alternate reality," Kim said. "Not exactly," said Janeway. "Our experiences aren't common to each other. We're all seeing a different reality." She resumed pacing. "However, I think the anomaly was an E-R bridge, and I think Mister Paris is right. That we've already fallen into it." They looked to her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. "An E-R bridge reflects all that is inside the universe at the other end. The universe we saw in the bridge was our own." "But sensors would have alerted us before we entered it," Kim pointed out. "Not necessarily," said Tuvok. "The sensors work by the laws provided by our universe. If the laws of the other universe were substantially different from our own, the sensors would not be able to perceive it any more than we could." "But," Paris said, "as you pointed out, Tuvok, if we did fall into a different universe we wouldn't be able to exist." "Right," Janeway said. Everyone turned to find her on the other side of the room. "But we do exist," she said. "Our existence in this universe is a dichotomy. Reality is null. We exist because we thought we should when we entered and our thoughts at the time dictated what reality would be." Paris leaned back in disbelief. "I feel like I'm in a Philip Dick novel." Tuvok considered things for a moment, then said, "Your explanation does have a certain logic, Captain. It would explain several oddities I've experienced, as well as the sudden equipment malfunctions." "We must have been dwelling on a common thought," said Kim. "What if--" Paris hesitated. "What if the holo-doc is right, and we were thrown into the Delta Quadrant?" There was an uncomfortable silence before Janeway answered, "Then we all would have been thinking about home." "That's what he meant," Kim thought aloud. He looked to the others. "That's what my grandfather was saying. He said my family awaits my return home." "Then we have to go back through the bridge," Janeway said. "Stations, everyone." Janeway stood in front of her command chair as the rest of the crew took their stations. "Mister Paris, plot a course back to the anomaly and engage at warp six. What is our E.T.A.?" "Course plotted. Engaging engines. Approximately twenty-two minutes, Captain." Solemnly, Janeway said, "Let me know when we arrive. I'll be in my quarters." She turned to leave, "You have the bridge, Commander." "Aye, Captain," Cavit said. At hearing his voice, she stopped and looked to him, then abruptly turned away and left." Janeway stopped at her door and hesitated to key it open. Instead, she leaned against the frame with one hand, bowed her head and wished very hard. Finally she entered and called for lights. She looked around in disappointment--no one was there. "Kathryn?" Janeway turned in surprise to see Mark. "I... I wanted to see you." She walked to him, slowly, unsure. They embraced and kissed long and passionately. She cried softly--knowing he was not real. "Shh. I've gotcha," Mark said. "I've gotcha." Various pieces of the hull began to fade in and out of existence, then the entire ship, Janeway and Mark faded in and out, and disappeared. There was a long moment of nothing--no sight, no sound. Suddenly, Janeway and the ship reappeared with Janeway in mid-yell, as if her will alone brought her back to existence. She looked around, frantically, and wiped her eyes. Mark was gone. The ship continued to blink in and out as she rushed from her quarters. She ran for Voyager's bridge but the corridors and turbolifts ended in nothing. She tried an alternate route but met a dead end, and then another. Desperate, she rounded a corner and passed through Tuvok. They stopped, considering it, then continued on together. "Since I was not expecting you," Tuvok said, "it is logical to assume that you are the real captain." "Last time I checked." They stopped before a turbolift. The doors opened to nothing. "What is going on here, Lieutenant?" They headed for another turbolift. "There are two possibilities, Captain. One, we are conforming to the physical laws of this universe, or two, reality now reflects our knowledge of our tenuous existence." "That is not good." "I would have to agree." They stopped at another turbolift and hesitated, looking at each other. When it opened, it was solid. They stepped inside. "Bridge." Kim looked up as Janeway and Tuvok entered the bridge. But Tuvok was already on the bridge at his station. Janeway looked from Tuvok to Tuvok, and the one she entered with slowly disappeared. The hull of the ship continued to fade in and out around them. "Captain," Kim said. "We cannot find the E-R bridge." Cavit and Stadi randomly faded in and out. Paris disappeared. "Paris!" Janeway yelled, willing him to reappear. When he did, she turned to Kim. "Keep looking, Mister Kim. It's out there, you just have to believe it. Everyone, hold on!" Paris worked his console. "I've found something, I think. I can't be sure. Bearing seven one two mark two zero. Do you have it Harry?" There was no answer. Janeway, Paris and Tuvok turned to him, but he was looking into the distance, at something only he could see. "Harry," Janeway said, "it's not real." Kim looked to his crew mates and friends, then back to his illusion. "Captain," Tuvok said. "I confirm the the--" Janeway raised her hand to silence Tuvok while she focused on Kim. He was breathing hard, torn between this false reality and the real one that awaited them. "Harry, we need you." Kim closed his eyes and heard his grandfather's words. "They will always stand by you. As will I." He opened his eyes and looked at Janeway, then his console. The ship continued to fade in and out. "Yes," Harry finally said. "I see it, Captain. It's there." Janeway smiled. "On screen." The sphere appeared. Janeway took her command chair. "Mister Paris, take us in." "Aye, Captain." The ship seemed to pass through the sphere--stars and space inhabiting the ship, while it inhabited them. Janeway, Tuvok, Kim, Paris, Stadi, Cavit, Mark and Grandfather blinked in and out of various positions on the bridge. The illusion slowed and stopped. Stadi, Cavit, Mark and Grandfather were gone. Janeway stood and took note of her bridge crew, looking to Cavit's chair, then Stadi's. "Ensign Kim," she said. "Confirm our position." "The Delta Quadrant, Captain." "The E-R bridge, is it there? Can you find it?" The whole experience felt like a distant dream. Kim checked his console, and checked again. "It's...gone, Captain." "I confirm," said Tuvok. "It all seems so...distant," Paris said. "Did it exist? Any of it?" Janeway nodded, unsure, as she recognized the sensation. After a long silence, she said, "'I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs; A palace and a prison on each hand...'" Another moment, then she turned to look at her crew. "Lord Byron," Kim said. "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage." Janeway smiled at his recognition. "If we agree that we shared the experience, then it must have existed," she said. "That may be as much as we'll ever know." Neelix entered from the turbolift. "Captain, I refuse to be ignored any longer!" "What is it, Neelix?" Janeway said. Surprised at being acknowledged, he didn't know what to say. He stuttered for a moment, then threw up his arms and stormed off the bridge. The remaining crew looked from one to another, wondering what that was all about. In her quarters, Janeway went to the monitor and brought up Mark's last image--from before they were pulled to the Delta Quadrant. She just had to check. She picked up a framed picture of herself, Mark, and her dog, Molly, and studied it tenderly. "Captain's log, stardate 49295.7. Lieutenant Torres, Commander Chakotay and Crewman Dalby have made a full recovery. However, mentally unraveling this event will prove to take more time, and a lot of thought and sharing. The experience has not made facing our reality in the Delta Quadrant easier, but we take comfort in sharing this reality with each other, and knowing the comfort is real." She set the picture down reverently and looked to the stars for one more wish. Then she left the room. There were no holo-characters at Sandrine's this time. The crew was playing some pool. Some stood, some sat on stools, but most held cues, including Tuvok. Neelix, Kes, Paris, Carey, Tuvok, Kim and Torres watched as Chakotay racked the balls. "Make it good, Chakotay," said Paris. "They're two games ahead." "And we've only played two games," snickered Neelix. Paris gave Tuvok a dry look and said, "Pool is obviously not a game of logic." Tuvok lifted an eyebrow at the jab. "Don't worry, Lieutenant," said Chakotay. "I'm just warming up." The doors swung open to reveal Captain Janeway. "Ah, Captain," said Paris, "glad you're here." She stopped next to Chakotay. "We could sure use you on our team, Captain," he said. "I thought you said you were just warming up, Chakotay," Paris said. "We don't want her on their team. We wouldn't have a chance." "All right," Janeway said. "But I get the break." "Uh, Captain?" Neelix said. "Yes, Neelix? "Nothing. I was just making sure you can see me. You know, you guys really had me worried there. I wondered, are Kes and I not an essential part of the crew? Are they trying to forget us?" Chakotay was aligning the cue-balls on the table. "Maybe we were trying to forget your Pasklolian souffle, but we weren't trying to forget you, Neelix." "Mister Neelix," Tuvok said. "The night of the argument you said the words, 'If I hadn't been here...' but you left the sentence incomplete. I would venture to say that those words seeded our subconscious and from there manifested into our perceived realities." "What's more, Neelix," Kes said. "We represent their existence in this quadrant. We couldn't have existed to them in a reality in which they never came here, even if it wasn't real." Janeway accepted a drink from Chakotay and said, "There are a lot of things about it we haven't figured out yet, Neelix. I wouldn't take things too personally." Kim moved casually to stand next to B'Elanna. "Well, no one will ever convince me that my grandfather was an illusion," he said. B'Elanna looked to him, "Well, Starfleet, we won't ever try." Kim smiled. An unseen response passed between them. Chakotay held out a cue-stick for Janeway. "Captain, are you going to break?" A wicked grin spread across her face. She took the cue from him, and made the break. Voyager sailed on, into the stars. THE END *WE ARE FAMILY* By popular demand, our longest list ever of Trek fan clubs/publications. Send SASE when writing, tell 'em where you found 'em! VOYAGER FAN CLUBS NOW VOYAGER Official Kate Mulgrew/Kathryn Janeway Fan Club c/o Michelle Erica Green and Paul Anderson P.O. 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