43 posts tagged “star trek voyager”

Below is my review of the new movie, "STAR TREK", directed by J.J. Abrams:

”STAR TREK” Review

Many fans of the ”STAR TREK” franchise seemed to be in agreement that its last television series - ”ENTERPRISE” (2001-2005) - had more or less killed the franchise. That opinion proved to be false with the release of its latest film – ”STAR TREK”, directed by J.J. Abrams.

Not to be confused with Robert Wise’s 1979 movie, ”STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE”, this latest installment in the franchise is about the early years of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 from ”THE ORIGINAL SERIES” (1966-1969). In other words, the movie is about how James T. Kirk became captain of the Enterprise and Spock, its first officer. What made this particular story unique is that the film’s opening sequence – an attack upon the Federation starship, U.S.S. Kelvin in 2233 led to an alternate timeline for the rest of the film.

When a supernova threatened the galaxy in 2387 (nine years after the U.S.S. Voyager’s return to Earth), Ambassador Spock piloted a ship carrying "red matter" that can create a gravitational singularity, drawing the supernova into a black hole. Before Spock completed his mission, the supernova destroyed the planet Romulus. Captain Nero (Eric Bana) of the Romulan mining ship Narada blamed Spock and the Federation for his planet’s destruction and its inhabitants, which included his wife and unborn child; and attempted to exact revenge on Spock. But both ships are caught in the black hole's event horizon and travel to different points in the past. The Narada arrived first in 2233 and attacked the Kelvin. The attack resulted in the death of the Kelvin’s commander, Richard Robau (Faran Tahir) and first officer Lieutenant George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth); and James T. Kirk’s (Chris Pine) birth aboard a shuttle fleeing from the damaged starship. The rest of the movie featured both Kirk and Spock’s (Zachary Quinto) early years, their subsequent first meeting at Starfleet Academy and their clashes aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, commanded by Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood). Meanwhile, Nero has survived and 25 years following Kirk’s birth, is still seeking to exact revenge upon Spock.

Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman managed to pen a solid adventure filled with time travel, plenty of action and strong characterization. Which is not surprising, considering that the story strongly reminded me of the Season Four episode from ”STAR TREK: VOYAGER” (1995-2001), (4.08-4.09) “Year of Hell”. But there were differences. Whereas ”Year of Hell” dealt with the moral ramifications of time travel, ”STAR TREK” merely revealed what happened after the timeline was changed. After all, it is more action oriented than the majority of ”TREK” episodes. I had no problems with that. Somewhat. But this slight difference deprived the movie of the depth found in ”Year of Hell”. And I did have problems with other aspects of Orci and Kurtzman’s script.

First of all, James Kirk’s rapid ascent from senior year Starfleet Academy cadet to the captain of the Enterprise within such a short space of time seemed ridiculously unrealistic. Even for a work of fiction. I realized that Pike saw great potential in Kirk’s future with Starfleet. But to promote a cadet so high in the ranks . . . and so fast bordered on the ridiculous. I also had a problem with Nero’s desire to exact revenge upon Spock. Instead of taking the opportunity to kill the Human/Vulcan hybrid in order to save his homeworld and family (which were the motivations of the villain in ”Year of Hell”), the Romulan wanted Spock to remain alive and witness the destruction of both Vulcan and Earth. Again, logic seemed to quickly disappear in what I believe to be an irrelevant plot twist.

Now, due to Nero’s presence in the 23rd century, the following happened:

*George Kirk died on the very day of his son’s birth and did not witness the latter’s graduation from Starfleet Academy.

*Kirk joined Starfleet Academy at the age of 22, instead of 17.

*Kirk became part of the same Starfleet Academy class as Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldaña) and Leonard “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban).

*Spock and Uhura became romantically involved during her years at Starfleet Academy.

*Both Hikaru Sulu (John Cho) and 17 year-old Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin) were already Academy graduates and Starfleet officers serving under Christopher Pike during Kirk, Uhura and McCoy’s last year at the Academy.

*Nero managed to destroy Vulcan and its inhabitants, using the same ”red matter” that the older Spock used in an attempt to destroy that supernova in the year 2258.

*Spock’s mother, Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder), was killed during the destruction of Vulcan.

Ironically, the movie ended with these changes in the ”TREK” universe still in place. Most fans might not have a problem with this. When it comes to time travel stories, they seemed to have a problem with the plot device known as ”the reset button”. Many fans certainly bitched a lot when this plot device was used at the end of ”Year of Hell”. Not only have I never had a problem with ”the reset button” plot device, I was not particularly happy that Abrams and the screenwriters failed to use it at the end of ”STAR TREK”. I do wonder if he or the next director plan to finally use it in the much ballyhooed sequel. I hope so. Because I do not exactly find this altered timeline particularly appealing. Especially since it featured the too rapid ascent of Kirk’s Starfleet career and Amanda Grayson’s premature death. I had feared that the movie would also affect another ”TREK” character – namely Lieutenant-Commander Tuvok (portrayed by Tim Russ) from ”VOYAGER”. Fortunately, Tuvok had been born on a Vulcan colony and not the planet, itself.

One last problem I had with the script’s altered timeline was the Spock/Uhura romance. Abrams and the screenwriters had decided to include this little romance, due to their discovery that Uhura once had a romantic interest in Spock in the early episodes of ”THE ORIGINAL SERIES”. If I must be frank, this new Spock/Uhura pairing lacked chemistry. Period. Neither Quinto or Saldaña are to blame. Both had the bad luck to attempt to create romantic chemistry between two characters that are basically introverted. They simply lacked balance as a couple. On the other hand, Saldaña and Pine were like a basket on fire in the scene that featured Kirk’s attempt to seduce Uhura upon their first meeting at a bar in Iowa.

The movie’s true strength seemed to be the characters originally created by Gene Roddenberry, and the new cast of actors hired to portray them. Both Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto did excellent jobs in creating the genesis of the Kirk/Spock friendship. They also managed to re-capture the essence of both characters without parodying William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy’s past performance. Zoe Saldaña’s Nyota Uhura seemed a little more fiery than Nichelle Nichols’ interpretation, but I thought she was great as the Communications officer. Her only misstep was that she had been forced to attempt some kind of romantic chemistry with Quinto. And as I had stated earlier, both were doomed to fail, due to the characters they were portraying. And so was Karl Urban as Leonard McCoy. Granted there were moments when he seemed to be aping DeForrest Kelly, but I had enjoyed his performances so much that I tolerated those moments. John Cho was deliciously cool and slightly sardonic as Sulu. And I thought it was a great touch that the screenwriters remembered Sulu’s penchant for fencing . . . and used it in a great fight scene. Anton Yelchin made a charming and energetic Chekov with probably a more authentic Russian accent than Walter Koenig. However, I found his role as a 17 year-old commissioned Starfleet officer rather questionable, considering that Chekov has never been portrayed as some kind of ”boy genius” like Wesley Crusher. I hate to say this, but I found Simon Pegg’s interpretation of Montgomery “Scotty” Scott disappointing and rather annoying. Pegg tried to infuse the character with a lot of broad humor. Unfortunately, it turned out to be too broad. His Scotty was so over-the-top that I found myself longing for another character to shoot him with a phaser.

I had seen ”THE ORIGINAL SERIES” first pilot, ”The Cage” only once in my life. Which means I have vague memories of the late Jeffrey Hunter’s portrayal of Christopher Pike, Kirk’s predecessor aboard the Enterprise. However, I thought that Bruce Greenwood’s portrayal of Pike in the movie to be definitely memorable. Clifton Collins Jr. gave admirable support as Nero’s henchman, Ayel. Both Winona Ryder and especially Ben Cross were believable as Spock’s parents – Amanda Grayson and Ambassador Sarek. I would not exactly call Nero one of the best villains in the TREK franchise. But I must admit that Eric Bana had given it his all with a performance that infused the character with a great deal of passion, malice and complexity without going over-the-top. Last, but not least, there was Leonard Nimoy portraying the late 24th century Spock. There were times when Nimoy seemed to be struggling with the role due to his age (he was at least 77 years old when the movie was filmed). Fortunately, these moments were very few and his Spock was a warm and more matured character who finally seemed to be a peace with his mixed heritage.

Daniel Mindel’s cinematography, along with the visual and special effects featured in the movie seemed pretty solid. However, I found nothing memorable or exciting about them. If the movie does manage to earn Oscar nominations, I will be very surprised. On the other hand, I rather liked Dawn Brown and Kevin Cross’ set designs – especially their work on the Enterprise. A good number of fans have complained that they were not an exact replica of the Enterprise’s interiors from the series. Frankly, I prefer these new interiors. As for Michael Giacchino’s original score . . . I have no memories of it. I found it that forgettable.

In the end, ”STAR TREK” is a pretty solid action film that is sure to provide a great deal of entertainment for moviegoers, this summer. It is not the best ”TREK” film I have seen. I believe that "STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK", "STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME” and ”STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT” are better. And as much as I liked Orci and Kurtzman’s script, I had a few problems with their handling of the time travel aspect of the story, along with the backgrounds of characters like Kirk and Chekov, along with the Spock/Uhura romance. And the story seemed like a slightly inferior remake of the ”STAR TREK VOYAGER” episode, ”Year of Hell”. But the cast, led by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, was first-rate, aside from Simon Pegg’s hammy performance. And in the end, I would say that J.J. Abrams . . . did a pretty good job.

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book VII

Rain Robinson of ”Future’s End” ends up on Voyager, following her adventures with Tom Paris and Tuvok in late 20th century Earth. Here is Book VII.

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RAIN ROBINSON - JULY 31, 2373:

Ten days. Ten days have passed since my fight with Tom. And we haven't uttered one word to each other. Hell, at least three-quarters of the crew aren't speaking to me. They all believe that I had condoned Vorik's actions during his pon farr. And none of this might have happened if I had kept my big mouth shut. Jesus!

Aunt Sarah was right. I should learn to control my tongue. And my temper. But it's hard to do that whenever I encounter stupidity or hypocrisy. I guess I'm just too blunt. Too frank. No wonder I've always had trouble maintaining a relationship. And I think I've just ruined another one.

My mother once told me that although Humans make a big deal about valuing the truth, many of them can't really handle it. Deep down, they don't want to face reality, so they escape through a lot of pleasure, easy solutions, illusions and sometimes, intolerance. She also added that when someone exposes the truth, it's usually the messenger who is usually blamed. What she tried to tell me is that I should learn to be a little more diplomatic when dealing with the feelings and opinions of others.

Somehow, word of my fight with Tom got around. And now, I'm being blamed for "taking Vorik's side". What makes this even worse is that the real perputrator of the whole mess is pon farr. Biology. How in the hell can you punish a physiological condition? You can't. Instead, you punish the poor bastard who had been inflicted by it. Namely Vorik. And you also blame the dumb idiot, whose words robbed you of a scapegoat. The same idiot who could not keep her damn mouth shut. Or control her temper.

Aside from Tuvok and Vorik (whom I haven't seen in days), the only crewmen who seemed willing to speak to me were Jenny, Megan, Neelix, and Commander Chakotay. B'Elanna seemed too embarrassed to even be near me. I should talk to her, but I can't. It's no longer about what she had done to me on Sakaris IV. Right now, I'm going through a lot of anger and frustration, because my big mouth has not only put me at odds with most of the crew. I've also driven Tom away for good when I defended Vorik . . . and brought up his past. Stupid idiot! And because I brought up his past, B'Elanna will have him in the end.

LIEUTENANT B'ELANNA TORRES - STARDATE 50593.64:

Vorik finally returned to Alpha shift duty, today. It didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would. We had a nice, long talk before his shift began.

I know. Vorik and I had agreed he would spend one month during Beta shift and only three weeks had passed since Sakaris IV. However, he happens to be one of my best engineers and I needed him, Carey, Nicoletti and Ashmore for a special project - to strengthen the stabilization of the warp filed coils and make them less susceptible to exposure from a verteron pulse. So, I put aside any feelings I had toward Vorik and asked Chakotay to return him to Alpha shift.

The talk. To be honest, I think it was a hell of a lot worse for Vorik. I never saw a man look so embarrassed or humiliated. Now that I think about it, I guess I understand his reaction. Like me, Vulcans hate losing control. Both Vorik and I endured a lot of humiliation because of what happened. But at least I don't have to endure pon farr every seven years for the rest of my life, thank Kahless. After what happened, I do intend to keep an eye on Vorik, seven years from now. If I can remember.

I had repaired my working relationship with Vorik. My friendship with Tom has also survived Sakaris IV. However, I haven't spoken a word to Rain, since our encounter in the Mess Hall. I've also learned that she hasn't spoken to Tom, either. Now, that's odd. I wonder how that came about?

RAIN ROBINSON - AUGUST 13, 2373:

I've finally realized how dangerous space exploration can be. While searching for the missing Commander Chakotay and Ensign Kaplan, Voyager came across a starship in the form of a cube. Megan and Jenny called it a Borg cube and it seemed to terrify them and practically everyone else.

"Who in the hell are the Borg?" I demanded.

Jenny replied, "They're a race of humanoids that are part-organic, part-machine. They're like . . ."

"Cyborgs!" I added, remembering my television. "Like the 'SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN' and 'THE BIONIC WOMAN!'!" Ah, the glory days of television re-runs. How I miss them.

The twins stared at me with baffled eyes. "What are you talking about?" Megan asked.

I told them about the two television shows I used to watch. "Maybe I'll find it in the computer database and show it to you, one day. What do these Borgs look like?"

Jenny led me to a computer console, located against one of the walls in the Mess Hall. I swear, this ship is practically a flying Microsoft center. She punched in a few codes and . . .

"Here they are," she said, pointing to the image on the screen. "The Borg. They're native to the Delta Quadrant, but they have the technology to travel to other quadrants. Including the Alpha Quadrant, back home. They've already tried to conquer Earth once." So, that's the Borg. I told Jenny that they look like mechnical zombies. "Not a bad description," she added.

Then I said, "And the Captain thinks the Commander and Marie Kaplan have been captured by them?"

Megan shook her head. "I don't think so. I heard from Harry Kim that the drones found inside the cube are dead. I think many of them were killed by some electromagnetic storm."

Drones? I guess that must be a pretty simile for a zombie. "So, where are they? Commander Chakotay and Kaplan?"

No one could answer my question. At least not until hours later, when the crew found the missing pair on a planet inhabited by survivors of the cube. Well, they found Chakotay, alive and well. Poor Kaplan had been killed by some scavengers who raided the village inhabited by former Borg drones. Among them was a blond woman who had been captured by the Borg, during the latter's attack upon Earth, several years ago. Everyone seemed to be talking about her and the Commander.

"Is it true?" I asked Neelix, after encountering him near one of those turbolifts on Deck 2. "About the Commander and this Fraizer woman?"

Neelix shrugged. "I have no idea. I haven't seen Commander Chakotay since he left the ship with Ensign . . ."

At that moment, the doors slid open. Three figures walked out of the turbolift - the Captain, Commander Chakotay and a beautiful, blond-haired woman with blue eyes. Both she and the Commander seemed a bit engrossed with each other. As for the Captain - despite her usual command look, she seemed grim to me. Oh, oh! Something tells me there was a little trouble in Paradise.

Then Janeway noticed Neelix and me. Something like a cross between a smile and a grimace appeared on her face. "Miss Fraizer," she said in her usual gravel voice, "I'd like to introduce you to our two civilian crewmen. This is our Talaxian guide, Neelix and Miss Rain Robinson. Neelix, Miss Robinson, this is Miss Riley Fraizer."

We shook hands with the new guest. Miss Fraizer seemed particularly curious as to how a civilian like myself, ended on Voyager. I told her the truth. That I was a visitor from Earth's past, who had stowed away aboard ship. Both the Captain and Commander Chakotay seemed particularly embarrassed by the whole story.

Finally, we all parted. Neelix and I entered the turbolift, leaving the others behind. "I wonder what that was about," I said, as the lift took us to Deck Two. "The Captain seemed embarrassed when I told that woman about how I came aboard."

Neelix replied that he had no idea. "But I did notice something else," he added. "The Commander and Miss Fraizer. They seemed very focused upon each other. I have the feeling there is some kind of romance between them."

Good old Neelix. I never really understood why so many of the crew looked down upon him. I'm not saying that they treated him badly. But they have this tendency to be rather condescending. Including, I'm sad to say, Tuvok. They don't seem to realize that under that comical façade is a pretty sharp fellow.

LIEUTENANT B'ELANNA TORRES - STARDATE 50617.7:

Damn Borg! Next to the Cardassians, they were the most treacherous beings in the Universe. I take that back. They are the most treacherous. What they did to Chakotay was abominable. And it caused me a lot of pain, as well.

It all started with those former Borg drones we found with Chakotay. Marie Kaplan had been killed, while defending him and the drones from some scavengers. Poor Marie. She was a good engineer. Chakotay had been wounded, and later healed by the ex-drones' neural transponder. What on earth made Chakotay allow them to use such a device on him, is beyond me. Granted, he was badly wounded. But he had also been conscious enough to know what they were going to do.

Once he was healed, Chakotay became involved with one of the former drones - namely a beautiful blond woman named Riley Fraizer. It seemed she was a former Starfleet officer who had been assimilated by the Borg during the Battle at Wolf 359, some six-and-a-half years ago. To make a long story short, after Miss Fraizer and Chakotay became . . . "friendly", she and her companions asked Voyager to help build some kind of axonal amplifier. They wanted to create their separate collective. For the defense of their little colony. What baffled me was that Chakotay wanted to help.

After delivering Miss Fraizer and the other former drones some supplies to her friends, Chakotay and I headed back to the ship. During our little journey, my best friend suddenly went "Borg" on me, thanks to that neural processor in his brain, and shot me with a phaser. According to Harry, who told me the rest, he flew to the Borg cube to help Miss Fraizer and her friends reactivate that axonal amplifier, and create their new collective. They also destroyed the cube.

Now, poor Chakotay is feeling guilty for his actions, even if it wasn't his fault. And I'm still recovering, despite leaving Sick Bay, some five hours ago. Damn Borg! It's obvious that they cannot be trusted. Even when disconnected from the Collective.

Kahless! This headache is killing me! I need an anglesiac, badly. I returned to Sick Bay to ask for a shot and found the Doctor with another patient. Rain Robinson. What was she doing here?

"There you go, Miss Robinson. Your cut is completely healed." The Doctor tossed an instrument on a nearby tray. "Working near an opened computer console can be very dangerous."

Rain sighed. "Yeah Doc. Sure. I'll be more careful."

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to see to Lieutenant Torres." The Doctor faced me. "Ah, Lieutenant. I see that you have started walking around again. Is that wise? You were supposed to be resting."

I let out a groan. "I have a headache. And I need something for it. Badly."

The Doctor picked up a hypospray and filled it. "Here you go, Lieutenant." He pressed the damn thing against my neck. "This should help. And I also suggest that you get some rest. And not leave your quarters for the rest of the day."

"I don't need any rest," I grumbled. "I'm perfectly capa . . ." Then it hit me. A wave of dizziness that left me grasping for the nearest structure. Namely, a computer console.

A smug look appeared on the Doctor's face. Since when did holograms start looking smug? "May I assume you're experiencing some dizziness, Lieutenant?"

I snapped back, "You as . . ." The room began to tilt once more. I sighed in defeat. "Maybe I am feeling a little dizzy."

"What a surprise." Really, someone needs to reconfigure his personality subroutines! The Doctor turned to Rain. "Miss Robinson, will you please escort Lieutenant Torres to her quarters."

I immediately protested, claiming that I did not need an escort. Unfortunately, another wave of dizziness struck me. The Doctor ignored my protests and insisted that Rain escort me. I had no choice but to surrender.

Neither Rain or I exchanged a word with each other - at first. I could tell that she felt uncomfortable in my presence. Just as I did in hers. Sakrari IV still came between us, despite my apology from a month ago. Well, I didn't really blame her. If I had been attacked by an erratic half-Klingon . . .

"How are you feeling?"

It took me a few second to realize that Rain had spoken. To me. I blinked and responded with a "Huh?" Oh great! Such brilliant dialogue!

"I said," Rain continued, "how are you feeling? After being shot by Commander Chakotay?"

Did she really have to put it like that? Utilizing every ounce of my patience, I told her that I felt fine, aside from the dizziness. That Chakotay had only stunned me with a phaser. Okay, maybe I had lied a little. Chakotay may have only stunned me, but dammit, it hurt!

Rain, of course, wasn't fooled. Not with me experiencing constant dizzy spells. I continued to have them all the way to the turbolift. Hell, I didn't have this much trouble coming here. By the time we reached my quarters, I decided that I needed to put Sakari IV behind us, for good. Again, I tried to apologize for assaulting her, but Rain stopped me.

"Look, you've already apologized. There's no need for you to do it, again. Besides, it wasn't your fault. Anymore than it was Commander Chakotay's fault for shooting you."

I hesitated, feeling embarrassed over her burst of generosity. Strange that Rain never brought up my Klingon temper. I had felt sure that it had scared her. "If you think I'm scared you, I'm not," she added. I think the woman must be emphatic. "Although I admit that I was a little leery of you, for a while. But I guess you felt the same about Vorik."

An awkward pause fell between us. So, Rain had been a little leery of me. I'm not surprised. She was right about me feeling the same about Vorik. And now, I'm beginning to wonder if I'll harbor similar feelings about Chakotay. Will he suddenly become Borg again and attack us, now that we're edging toward Borg space?

We arrived at my quarters. Before I could punch out my entry code, I did something stupid. I told her that she had no reason to worry about me. I also added that I would never attack her in such a manner again. "I admit that I have something of a temper. It's the Klingon in me. But you won't have anything to worry about, from now on."

Rain gave me a curious look and said something that took me off-guard. "What does your being Klingon have to do with your temper?"

I blinked. Surely, her old buddies, the Delaney sisters, have told her about me? About Klingons in general? "I'm half-Klingons," I said, as if speaking to a child. "Klingons have bad tempers."

"So do Humans. And I've heard that Bajorans are also temperamental. What's the big deal?"

Kahless! Was this woman obtuse? Or blind? Doesn't she understand what I'm trying to say? Or do I have to bring up Sakari IV again? I explained, "Humans may have bad tempers, but they are nothing in compare to the Klingon temper." We entered my cabin. Rain led me to the sofa.

"Hey, I've read about the Klingons in the ship's computer," she replied. "The only difference I see is that Klingons are stronger and more openly aggressive. I think your opinion of Humans might be a little too high. Just like everyone else aboard this ship."

Was she trying to tell me that Humans are not that different from Klingons? I nearly laughed aloud. Poor woman, wait until she sees her first full-bloodied Klingon. If she ever gets the chance. Or perhaps Humans from her time were a little more violent . . .

"I know what you're thinking," she added, cutting into my thoughts. "That perhaps Humans from the 20th century are more violent. Maybe they are. Then again, after getting to know this crew, I've discovered one thing. Humans - back in my time and the ones, today - seemed to think they're rational and civilized and above violent behavior. But when something goes wrong or someone stands in their way," a smirk appeared on her face, "look out! They can become real savages. Like your friend, Harry. I've noticed that he tends become anxious or volatile whenever something unexpected happens. If you don't believe me, watch him. Or some of the others. You'll see it happen right before your eyes."

What had made her so anti-Human? Rain seemed to regard them the same way I regarded Klingons. She must have went through a hell of a time, before meeting Tom and Tuvok. Perhaps some time spent in the 24th century would teach her to appreciate how much her species have evolved. She'll see how wrong she was about Humans . . . and Klingons.

Only I kept my thoughts to myself and instead, smiled and asked her to replicate some drinks for us both. Rain replicated a cup of raktijino for me, and declined a drink for herself. She claimed that she had to return to duty. Which she did.

In the end, I guess we finally put Sakari IV behind us. And I must admit that it was a relief to know someone who did not seem put off by my Klingon half. But she will. Eventually. Both her and Tom. It's only a matter of time.

END OF BOOK VII

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book VI

Rain Robinson of ”Future’s End” ends up on Voyager, following her adventures with Tom Paris and Tuvok in late 20th century Earth. Here is Book VI.

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RAIN ROBINSON - JULY 17, 2373:

Christ! What a surreal day this has been! Who would have thought a simple mineral gathering expedition would turn into some bizarre journey into alien sex, lust and violence. Hmmm, sounds like a bad "B" movie.

Anyway, I know one thing. Never get between a lust-driven Klingon and the object of her desire. Damn! My shoulder hurts just from remembering what happened. And all because Ensign Vorik went into some mating frenzy. Something he had managed to pass on to B'Elanna. Tuvok explained it all to me.

I was in Sick Bay, being treated by the Doctor (when is that man ever going to find a name?) when Tuvok entered. B'Elanna had already left, thank God! I really couldn't face her at that moment. And Vorik remained unconscious on one of those beds. "There you go, Miss Robinson," the Doctor said, after waving some instrument over my shoulder. "You're completely healed."

Aside from a bit of soreness, the Doc was right. I sighed with relief. Tuvok halted in front of me. "Miss Robinson, he greeted, "how are you feeling?"

I tenderly moved my shoulder. "Fine. I can't say the same about Vorik," I added, staring at the unconscious man. "Looks like he's still out cold. What happened down there?"

Tuvok opened his mouth to speak, when he noticed the Doctor staring at him with anticipated interest. "If you don't mind, Doctor. This is a private conversation." The Doctor let out a grunt and retreated to the office behind the glass wall. Tuvok continued, "Both Ensign Vorik and Lieutenant Torres had been affected by the pon farr."

"Yeah, I remember you mentioning that on the planet, below. But what does it mean?"
Tuvok shot a glance at the Doctor's office and sighed. "Considering what happened to you, today, you deserve an explanation." Then he gave me one.

Pon farr - the Vulcan term for the time of mating. According to Tuvok, the Vulcan 's reserve and logic are completely ripped away by an intense mating desire. Many Vulcans discover their life-long mates when they experience pon farr. If any of them are unable to sexually satisfy their urges, a chemical imbalance forms in the brain, causing the Vulcan to become even more violent. This is called plak-tow. The "blood fever". And this happens to the Vulcan every seven years of the adult life. Christ!
"You mean to tell me that sex is the only way to satisfy these urges?" I asked. I couldn't believe what I had just heard.

Tuvok replied, "As I had explained on the planet, it can be resolved three ways - intercourse, meditation or combat ritual."

"And B'Elanna and Vorik got rid of theirs the third way. Through hand-to-hand combat."

"Precisely." Tuvok nodded.

The explanation continued. It seemed that Vorik had chosen B'Elanna to be his life-long mate. When she rejected him, the plak-tow got worse and he attempted to telepathically link with her. This is how Vulcans become couples and it usually happens during a Vulcan's pon farr. Although the mind link failed, Vorik had accidentally transferred his mating urges to B'Elanna. Which explained her overtures toward Tom and my aching shoulder.

I asked, "Why didn't Vorik use meditation to get over this pon farr? It seems it would have been a lot easier."

"Actually, Miss Robinsnon, meditation is the most difficult method." Tuvok maintained his usual stoic demeanor. "Most Vulcans rarely succeed in resolving their pon farr through meditation. It is extremely difficult to resolve. As you have witnessed from Ensign Vorik and Lieutenant Torres' actions. In a way," he released a rare sigh, "pon farr is like a side effect of the Vulcans' tradition of suppressing our emotions."

Well, I had a simple answer to that. "Then maybe you shouldn't suppress your emotions," I replied with a shrug.

"Miss Robinson, you have seen a Vulcan with his control of his emotions, ripped away. Imagine all Vulcans consistently behaving in that manner if we did not suppress our emotions. There have been cases of Vulcan sects who refuse to suppress their emotions and maintain that doing so is unnecessary. However, in the end, they have been proven wrong. In fact, Vulcans are so naturally volatile, we have to meditate on a daily basis to maintain control of our emotions."

Memories of a violent Vorik challenging Tom for B'Elanna's hand, entered my thoughts. Now that I think about it, I would prefer that Tuvok and Vorik keep their emotions in check. "I understand," I finally said.

Tuvok nodded. "Good. Do you have any further questions?" I told him no and heaved an exhausted sigh. Tuvok must have noticed my reaction, for he added, "I suggest that you retire to your quarters for rest, Miss Robinson. This day has obviously proven to be quite exhausting for you."

Knowing good advice when I heard it, I nodded once more and left Sick Bay.

RAIN ROBINSON - JULY 18, 2373:

The following day, I received a visitor in my quarters. It was Vorik. Gone was the violent expression and odd light in his eyes. Aside from looking slightly exhausted, he seemed his usual self. "Miss Robinson," he greeted.

I tried to smile, but failed in the attempt. Those last moments on Sakari IV keep entering my mind. "Vorik. What are you doing here?" I knew the answer. But I wanted to hear it from his lips.

A faint green blush colored his face. Green blood? "I came here to apologize, Miss Robinson. For my actions. What I did was . . . unpardonable. I never meant . . ."

"Wait a minute," I said, interrupting. "Why are you apologizing? You never attacked me."

"If I had not attacked B'El . . . Lieutenant Torres, she would have never injured your shoulder." True. Can't argue with the truth. Vorik continued, "I realize that I can never repay for what happened . . ."

I interrupted him for the second time. "Vorik, I understand what happened to both you and B'Elanna. Tuvok explained everything."

"Oh." His face became even greener. He looked embarrassed. Almost ill.

Then I asked him, "How many times has this . . . uh, pon farr happened to you?"
Embarrassment flitted across his face. Vorik murmured, "I'm sorry, Miss Robinson, but that subject is considered . . ."

"I realize that it's a taboo subject, Vorik," I quietly responded. "But after what happened, I think I at least deserve an answer."

His expression tightened for a second. And then, "Of course." Vorik took a deep breath. "The answer to your question is this was my first experience with the pon farr."

Hmmm, no wonder he went off the deep end. Then again, I recalled Tuvok stating that for a Vulcan, controlling one's pon farr does not get any easier with age. Seven years from now, I plan to remain locked inside my quarters. I asked, "Have you spoken to B'Elanna since our return to the ship?"

Vorik replied that he had just paid a visit to the Chief Engineer's quarters and offered an apology. "She has accepted it." He paused. "Somewhat. However," his dark eyes looked slightly embarrassed, "I have suggested that I spend the next month on Gamma Shift. It would be easier for both of us, since she seems to be a little uncomfortable in my presence."

Hell, I don't blame B'Elanna. I don't exactly relish being in the same room with her, right now.

--------

Several hours later, B'Elanna approached me during lunch, in the Mess Hall. Amazing. The moment I felt her presence, I became immediately tense. I guess I expected her to fly into a rage and toss my body across the room. Ridiculous, of course. But it's hard to get over being attacked by a half-Klingon in a state of pon farr.

Like Vorik, B'Elanna offered an apology for what happened on Sakaris IV. And like the other engineer, she seemed very embarrassed. I told her that I understood her actions. Did I? Maybe, I did. At least a part of me did. I added, "Both Tuvok and Vorik explained everything to me."

"Vorik?" The lieutenant's eyebrows shot up several inches. "You've spoken with Vorik?"

Surprised by her reaction, I replied, "Yeah. He wanted to apologize. I understand that he's done the same to you."

B'Elanna nodded. "Yeah. I uh . . . he came to my quarters, this morning."

"I guess he'll be starting on the Gamma shift, today," I added.

Dark brown eyes narrowed. "He told you about that also, huh?" B'Elanna did not look particularly pleased by that bit of news. Or the fact that I knew. Why, I have no idea.

Coolly, I replied, "Yeah, he did. Why? Is there a problem? Vorik told me that he had volunteered for that shift." In any other situation, tempers would be flying right now. Including mine. But I suspected that both of us wanted to avoid any further conflict between us. Especially, after what happened on Sakari IV.

"Of course. I . . ." Once more, B'Elanna's words froze. Christ! This conversation seemed to be growing more uncomfortable. Frankly, I wished she would just leave. A moment later, my wish came true. "Never mind." B'Elanna nodded and gruffly said good-bye. Then she left. For how long, I don't know.

LIEUTENANT TOM PARIS - STARDATE 50553.18:

What a damn mess this has been! All because of that damn Vorik who didn't have the decency to keep his hands to himself! Hell, he's a Vulcan for crying out loud! One would think he could have learned to control that pon farr!

And B'Elanna! What an awful thing for her to experience! All because that bastard couldn't control his damn libido and keep his hands to himself! Thanks to Vorik, B'Elanna became infected by the pon farr, nearly went berserk, assaulted both Rain and myself; and nearly died of a chemical imbalance in her brain. Shit!

Perhaps I should have relieved her blood fever in the Sakari caves. But I felt unable to take advantage of her like that. It would have ruined our friendship. Even worse, I couldn't have done with Rain looking on. That really would have ruined any semblance of a relationship we had left. God! What an awful mess!

Once we found Tuvok and Chakotay, the former practically ordered me to have sex with B'Elanna. On one hand, I've always wondered what making love with B'Elanna would be like. On the other hand, there was Rain. I saw the look of horror in her eyes when Tuvok gave the order. As much as I hated Vorik for interrupting B'Elanna and me, a part of me felt relieved over the interruption.

I did not see either Rain or B'Elanna for the next three days. Finally, I encountered B'Elanna in one of the turbolifts. She tried to dismiss her actions on Sakari IV as something meaningless that had occurred, due to Vorik's pon farr. A part of me just could not allow her to get away with that. I told her that her Klingon side did not frighten me one bit. And that I would like to see more of it. You know what she said before leaving the turbolift? "Be careful of what you wish for, Lieutenant." Was that an invitation?

B'Elanna's words took me by surprise. But Rain's comments, later that evening, shocked the hell out of me. Left me practically stunned.

It started after my encounter with B'Elanna. I spotted Rain inside the Mess Hall, for dinner. Sitting with Vorik, of all people! What the hell was she doing with that bastard?

I felt so outraged that I confronted Rain inside her quarters, an hour later. "What the hell were you doing speaking with that bastard?" I cried out, after she ushered me inside.

Rain stared at me with stunned eyes. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Vorik! I saw you having dinner with him about an hour ago, in the Mess Hall! How can you even be around that bastard, after what he did . . ."

"To B'Elanna?" she finished rather nastily. "You forget. It was she who attacked me. And you. Not Vorik."

I shouted back, "It was Vorik who practically mind raped her in the first place! Giving her that damn pon farr!" By then, I felt furious.

Equally furious, Rain reminded me that B'Elanna had tried to rape me in the Sakari caves. "And that was before she threw me against the cave's wall! Dislocating my shoulder!"

"She was under the pon farr!"

"So was Vorik! Or have you forgotten?"

I could not believe this! How could Rain defend Vorik for what he did? I asked her that, adding, "At least B'Elanna has an excuse! She wasn't used to being under some influence, common to Vulcans!"

Rain stared at me with a look that dripped with contempt. A look that made me feel very uneasy. "Oh, I get it. It's okay to excuse B'Elanna for attacking us, but not Vorik for attacking her."

Jesus! Was she this stubborn? How could I get her to understand? "Rain, didn't you hear what I said about B'Elanna?" Frustration oozed in my voice. "B'Elanna has an excuse. Vorik doesn't!"

"Oh, gee Tom! I hate to tell you this. Whether any of us like it or not, he does have an excuse. It's called pon farr!"

"You don't know what you're . . ."

Then she exploded. "For God's sake! You don't know what the hell you're talking about, do you? Do you have any idea what pon farr is like for a Vulcan? Do you?" Staring into those impassioned dark eyes, I found myself unable to respond. "Neither do I!" Rain continued. "At least not personally. But Tuvok gave me a pretty good idea what it is like. Did you really expect Vorik or any other Vulcan to control their pon farr just like that?" She snapped her fingers. "Hell, they have to meditate on a daily basis just to maintain control of their emotions. Jesus, Tom! You saw how it affected B'Elanna. Well, it affects Vulcans, just as bad. And if you think all Vorik had to do was take a cold shower or masturbate, while reading a "PLAYBOY" magazine . . ."

"Play what?" I asked.

Rain's eyes narrowed even further. "A pornographic magazine," she hissed. "Controlling the pon farr is not as easy as you seem to think, for Vulcans. This is serious shit for them. Most of them can't even control it without sex or violence. Meditation rarely works, as well. Even for Vulcans with long experience with pon farr. And this was Vorik's first time at the bat!"

I opened my mouth to speak, but I could not. I wanted to deny Rain's words. Tell her that she was wrong. But she did not give me the chance. Even worse, I had the horrible feeling that she may be right.

"What were you about to say?" she continued. "Hmm, I guess being a Human, you don't really understand what going through the pon farr means. Do you? You know, for a man who prides himself on being tolerant, you sure can be narrow-minded! Was that how the rest of the crew were to you, two years ago?"

I gave her a sharp look. How did she . . .? Of course! The ship's computer.

"That's right," she said, confirming what I suspected. "I read your Starfleet record. All about Caldik Prime and serving time in prison. Maybe accidentally killing three people and lying about it doesn't quite add up to assaulting a fellow officer, while under a chemical imbalance. But like it or not, Vorik has a hell of a better excuse than you do."

People have accused me of a lot of things. Cowardice, murder, lying and God knows what. But I have never been accused of being a bigot. Or a hypocrite. Until now.

Rain spoke one last time. "Now, if you'll excuse me," she marched to the door and opened it, "I'd like to be alone."

Still dazed, I slowly walked out of her quarters. I later learned from Harry that Vorik had volunteered for duty during Gamma shift, for the next four weeks. To be honest, I barely heard him. My thoughts remained fixed on the words that Rain had hurled at me, earlier that evening. I also realized something else. I never did find out what Rain and Vorik were talking about, during dinner.

END OF BOOK VI

”STAR TREK VOYAGER: Love on a Starship”

I am not going to deceive myself and pretend that the relationship between Captain Kathryn Janeway and her First Officer, Commander Chakotay, lacked any chemistry. Of course there had been chemistry. Even a blind person could have sensed the chemistry between them just by listening to their dialogue. But while I will admit the enormous dynamics between the two characters, I never could see the possibility of a ”happily ever after” for them. Not while the pair served as the command team of the U.S.S. Voyager.

When many ”STAR TREK VOYAGER” fans had first started speculating upon the possible futures for the main characters during the series’ early Season Seven, for some reason I had foreseen a tragic ending in the Janeway/Chakotay relationship. I figured that the Captain or the First Officer would bite the dust in the finale, leaving the others to mourn and regret their decision not to pursue a romance during Voyager’s nearly seven years in the Delta Quadrant. This feeling was reinforced in the episode, (7.11) “Shattered”, when Season Seven Chakotay not only revealed the lack of romance in their relationship to the Season One Janeway, but also expressed regret in his words . . . and tone:

JANEWAY: Mind if I ask you one last question?
CHAKOTAY: Will I have to break the Temporal Prime Directive to answer it?
JANEWAY: Maybe, just a little. For two people who started off as enemies it seems we get to know each other pretty well, so I've been wondering. Just how close do we get?
CHAKOTAY: Let's just say there are some barriers we never cross.

Both Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway) and the series’ producers had expressed opposition against an affair between Janeway and Chakotay. They have repeatedly stated that it would be appropriate for the two to get involved in a romance. At first, I had believed that she, Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor and later, Brannon Braga and Kenneth Biller were being obtuse. Now that I have had a chance to think about it, I have managed to see their point of view. They were right. A romance between Janeway and Chakotay could have lead to many problems.

I have never believed that a good idea for someone in a position of power to have a romance with a subordinate. If you think that it is difficult for equals to maintain a relationship, it might be doubly so for a superior and his/her subordinate. There is a great deal of potential for resentment from one partner, subjugation from the other and manipulation from both sides. Chakotay’s relationship with Voyager’s Chief Engineer, B’Elanna Torres, is a mild example of this. I had been one of those fans who had been relieved by the quiet death of B’Elanna’s infatuation with the First Officer by late Season Two. Do not get me wrong. Chakotay was a fine First Officer. Frankly, I have always felt that he was one of the best in the entire ”TREK” franchise. But he had an unfortunate habit of dealing with B’Elanna’s temperament by inflicting his will upon her, using his position as her superior officer. I am not saying that Chakotay did not have the right to behave this way toward B’Elanna. After all, he was Voyager’s First Officer. But he was also supposed to be one of B’Elanna’s closest friends. If he and B’Elanna had such moments during their ”friendship”, can you imagine how damaging this would have been to any romance that may have sprung between them? Remember when I had mentioned the possibility of resentment? Well, even B’Elanna eventually expressed her resentment of being chastised by Chakotay in the Season Five episode, (5.21) “Juggernaut”:

CHAKOTAY: Your concerns are noted. Get them inoculated. We'll meet you in Transporter Room one. We're trying to avoid explosions, remember?
TORRES: Not another lecture about my emotions.
CHAKOTAY: No, a lecture about how to treat guests aboard this ship.
TORRES: Guests? Chakotay, these people are the scourge of the quadrant.
CHAKOTAY: Agreed, but right now they're our only hope of repairing that freighter, so I suggest you make friends.
TORRES: Diplomacy. Janeway's answer to everything.
CHAKOTAY: This isn't the Captain talking, it's me, and I'm giving you an order. Keep your temper in check. Understood? Understood?
TORRES: Yeah.
CHAKOTAY: I didn't hear you.
TORRES: Yes.
CHAKOTAY: B'Elanna, I need your expertise on this mission, not your bad mood.
TORRES: I'll see what I can do.

Like Chakotay, Janeway was not above using her position to inflict her will upon the crew members under her command, regardless of whether she was right or wrong. And we have seen how Chakotay had reacted when he believed that she was wrong . . . especially in (3.26) “Scorpion I” and (4.01) “Scorpion II”:

CHAKOTAY: How much is our safety worth?
JANEWAY: What do you mean?
CHAKOTAY: We'd be giving an advantage to a race guilty of murdering billions. We'd be helping the Borg assimilate yet another species just to get ourselves back home. It's wrong!
JANEWAY: Tell that to Harry Kim. He's barely alive thanks to that species. Maybe helping to assimilate them isn't such a bad idea. We could be doing the Delta Quadrant a favour.
CHAKOTAY: I don't think you really believe that. I think you're struggling to justify your plan, because your desire to get this crew home is blinding you to other options. I know you, Kathryn. Sometimes you don't know when to step back.
JANEWAY: Do you trust me, Chakotay?
CHAKOTAY: That's not the issue.
JANEWAY: Oh, but it is. Only yesterday you were saying that we'd face this together, that you'd be at my side.
CHAKOTAY: I still have to tell you what I believe. I'm no good to you if I don't do that.
JANEWAY: I appreciate your insights but the time for debate is over. I've made my decision. Now, do I have your support?
CHAKOTAY: You're the Captain. I'm the First Officer. I'll follow your orders. That doesn't change my belief that we're making a fatal mistake.
JANEWAY: Then I guess I'm alone, after all. Dismissed.

Had there been any semblance of hope of a romance between Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay? Perhaps. If Chakotay’s Maquis ship had remained intact following the battle against the Kazon-Ogla in (1.02) “Caretaker II”. Both the Starfleet and the Maquis captains could have become allies in the Delta Quandrant. And they could have engaged in a romance as equals. They also could have begun a relationship if Voyager’s crew had never rescued them from New Earth in (2.25) “Resolutions”. To this day, I still wonder if Janeway had ever learned of Harry Kim’s role in that rescue. That would explain his inability to earn a promotion during those seven years in the Delta Quadrant. As for Janeway and Chakotay, there seemed to be a residual of flirtation between the two after their rescue from New Earth that lasted through most of Season Three. This flirtation eventually died after Chakotay’s romance with ex-Borg Riley Fraizer in (3.17) “Unity”.

In the end, Chakotay began a relationship with another former Borg drone, Voyager’s own Seven-of-Nine by late Season Seven. As for Janeway, she ended up in a relationship with Michael Sullivan, a holographic character created by Chief Helmsman Tom Paris’ for his Fair Haven program. She also had a relationship with Norvalian named Jaffen, after her memory was altered for work at a power plant on Quarren in the Season Seven episode, (7.16-7.17) “Workforce I & II”. When she regained her original memory she suggested that he join Voyager’s crew as an engineer. But she also pointed out that it would not be appropriate as they were romantically involved. Jaffen had decided to remain on Quarren.

Could Janeway and Chakotay have pursued a romance upon Voyager’s return to the Alpha Quadrant? I really do not how to answer this question. Chakotay had assumed command of Voyager, in the post-series ”VOYAGER” novels and Janeway was promoted to vice-admiral. On one hand, there was a chance that he might not have found himself under her direct command. Then again . . . he probably did. But the only way I could see a romance between Janeway and Chakotay was if they had both resigned their Starfleet commissions, one of them resigned from Starfleet or if Chakotay found himself at the same rank as Janeway. Other than the above, I can never see a serious romance between the two . . . even though I believe they were emotionally suited for one another.

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book V

Rain Robinson of ”Future’s End” ends up on Voyager, following her adventures with Tom Paris and Tuvok in late 20th century Earth. Here is Book V.

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

RAIN ROBINSON - JUNE 9, 2373:

Voyager is at some space station near the edge of an area called the Nekrit Expanse. There, Neelix had a reunion with an old friend named Wixiban. I'm glad. Ever since he and Kes broke up, he has been in the dumps. He also confessed a fear that Captain Janeway might toss him off the ship, now that Voyager will be traveling through an area unfamiliar to him. I think the poor man is suffering from a major identity crisis. But then, aren't we all?

I also encountered one of B'Elanna Torres' engineers. He's a Vulcan named Vorik. Unlike Tuvok, his skin is pale and he's also a lot younger. Don't get me wrong. I like Tuvok, but he does remind me of some elder statesman, sometimes. Vorik seems friendlier. Warmer. He even volunteered to fix the replicator in my quarters. Maybe I'll get a chance to know him, better.

LIEUTENANT B'ELANNA TORRES - STARDATE 50442.37:

Poor Neelix! He has certainly endured a lot over the past month or so. First, Kes breaks up their relationship for good. And now, he has to spend the next two months, scrubbing dilithium chambers. Punishment from Janeway for getting involved in an illegal drug deal. Neelix, a drug dealer. I just can't imagine!

Neelix and his friend's little drug trade also resulted in a murder on the station. Which led to Chakotay and Tom being arrested for the crime. I was nearly beside myself when I heard the news. Rain Robinson didn't seem concerned. Which struck me as very odd. But then, her attitude toward Tom has been odd ever since she boarded this ship. Perhaps she doesn't love him, after all.

RAIN ROBINSON - JUNE 10, 2373:

When I heard that Tom had been arrested for murder, I nearly had a fit! It was all I could do from storming Captain Janeway's office and demand that she do something about Tom. Until I remembered that Tom has no feelings toward me, other than as a friend. Since he's so interested in B'Elanna Torres, I decided that she should be the one to storm the Captain's office.

Ensign Vorik finally came by to fix my replicator. Like I said before, he's a nice guy. We even have something in common - we both enjoy mountain climbing and are very good at it. He told me a lot about Vulcan - the people, the language, and its history. According to him, Vulcans and Humans first met some 210 years ago, when a Vulcan scout ship had detected a warp signature in Earth space. I recall reading about the Federation's "First Contact" from the ship's database. And about Ephram Cochrane.

For some reason, Tom and Lieutenant Torres popped into my mind. I began wondering about the Vulcans' first contact with the Klingons. Or Earth's. When I brought up the subject of Klingons with Ensign Vorik, two odd things happened. One, a strange light appeared in his eyes. And two, he began praising B'Elanna's name to the skies. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that Vorik had a crush on her.

"Excuse me, Ensign," I began, curious over Vorik's behavior, "do you have feelings for . . . uh, Lieutenant Torres?"

He looked startled for a moment. Like a kid whose hand had been caught inside the cookie jar. "I, uh . . ." He blinked. Then, "Why yes. As a Vulcan, I have the greatest respect for Lieutenant Torres. She is a competent chief engineer and commanding officer." His voice seemed calm and full of respect. But his eyes told another story. They practically brimmed with deep emotion. Strange, considering what I've heard about Vulcans. Looks like B'Elanna has two men mooning over her. Figures.

RAIN ROBINSON - JUNE 18, 2373:

Busy day for me, today. I got to experience my first inversion nebula. I must admit that I found it just as thrilling, viewing it from the Bridge. Especially since I never saw those super novas, from last month. I may not be that crazy about Janeway, but I am grateful that she allowed me on the Bridge to view the nebula. I must thank Jenny, Megan and Tuvok for asking her permission.

Later this evening, Neelix hosted a luau in Holodeck Two. It was great! Well, at first. Polynesian music, exotic drinks (I asked for a Mai Tai, of course), and great food. I managed to replicate this deep blue dress with white orchid prints and a halter top. Ensign Pat Mulcahey seemed particularly enamored of the dress. He even asked if I would like to share a private table. But I said no. He's a nice looking guy, but a little too shallow for my tastes.

Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay arrived at the holodeck, arm-in-arm. They looked like the happy couple - she, smiling at the partygoers and he, shooting love-sick glances her way, when she wasn't looking. Poor sap. He must really be infatuated with her.

The Doctor was also there, with a girl on each arm, looking like the star of "Bond Goes Hawaiian". And then there was Tuvok, the last person I had expected to appear at this bash. Strange, he's a bigger loner than I am. I wonder what drew him to the luau? Seconds after his arrival, Tuvok's eyes focused upon some blond holocharacter, playing a game. Ah hah! So, that's why he decided to break his "fortress of solitude" and join the party.

Not long after Tuvok appeared, new arrivals joined the luau. It was Tom and B'Elanna. She wore a nice, white dress with thin straps and maroon flower prints. It went well with her skin tone. Tom wore this cool Hawaiian shirt that reminded me of the ones my dad used to wear. Of course, that pleasant memory faded, once I realized how perfect they looked together.

Then I saw the most amazing thing. Vorik appeared at B'Elanna's side and said something to her, causing her eyes to grow wide. And Tom's. Like a zombie in a horror film. Still in a state of shock, B'Elanna allowed Vorik to lead her to a private table. And there stood Tom, looking like a big chump. Interesting.

LIEUTENANT B'ELANNA TORRES - STARDATE 50462.21:

What in the hell was I thinking? Why did I allow Vorik to lead me away from Tom, like that? It was not what I had expected. Or wanted.

I had expected an evening with Tom, Harry and Vorik. I wanted an evening with Tom. Alone. Harry didn't bother to show up. Vorik suddenly remembered a conversation about my favorite view and took advantage of the situation. I felt so surprised that I didn't bother to put up any resistance.

Then something worse happened. Tom's gaze shifted from Vorik and myself to Rain Robinson. And although she was surrounded by the Delaneys, Pat Mulcahey, Ken Dalby and Chell, her eyes managed to return Tom's gaze. And for a brief moment, I had the feeling of watching electricity sizzle between two entities. Thank Kahless, Rain finally looked away and remained with her friends. Despite her eventual rejection, that exchange of looks told me one thing - Tom has not lost interest in the woman from the past. And I suspect that she feels the same.

RAIN ROBINSON - JULY 16, 2373:

Voyager has come upon a planet rich with gallicite. According to Jenny, gallicite is a mineral substance used for the construction of warp field coils. I'm not going to get into what the hell all of this means, other than it has something to do with the ship's ability to travel at a fast speed. The name of the planet is called Sakaris IV and the ship is now orbiting around it. Jenny also told me that B'Elanna Torres will be leading a team to collect the gallicite.

Where do I fit in all this? Well, the original team was supposed to consist of B'Elanna, Neelix, Vorik and Tom, who is also a climbing expert. Apparently, Vorik went berserk in Engineering and tried to attack B'Elanna. I knew he was crazy about her, but this is ridiculous. I wonder what made him, of all people, go off the deep end like that? Anyway, to make a long story short, guess who has been chosen to replace Vorik on the mission? That's right! Me. Someone - either Vorik, Tom, Neelix, or one of the Delaneys - must have informed the Captain about my particular skill. I don't know who, but I am grateful. After spending over two months in space, I'll finally have the opportunity to get off this damn ship. Hell, I've been going stir crazy!

LIEUTENANT B'ELANNA TORRES - STARDATE 50541.36:

Everything has gone to hell, thanks to that p'taq, Vorik! Him and his damn pon far! I should have known something was amiss when he proposed marriage to me! Naturally, I said no. What made that idiot think I would ever be interested in him? After I rejected him, that . . . that bastard attacked me, by trying to establish a mind meld. I paid him back by breaking his jaw. Too bad the Doctor healed it immediately. I would have liked to see him suffer.

After Vorik's attack, everything seemed like a haze. Neelix mentioned to the Captain, a possible candidate to replace Vorik. I didn't think we need one. Neelix and Tom would have suited me just fine. To my surprise, it turned out to be Rain Robinson. Great! Now, I'll have deal with the Blast From the Past, cozying up to Tom during the entire mission. Huh! Not if I can help it! I became determined to make sure that she would not occupy much of Tom's attention. Damn pon far playing upon my aggressiveness, I guess.

As we climbed down into one of the underground caves on Sakaris IV, Neelix's climbing piston malfunctioned. He dropped to the bottom, taking me along for the ride. Neelix broke his leg. I bruised my shoulder, sprained my ankle and lost my temper. Even worse, I bit Tom's chin in a fit of anger and desire, declaring him as my mate in the worst Klingon manner. Kahless! I never thought Human blood could taste so . . . intoxicating! But I didn't hang around to deal with my actions. Especially with Miss "Know-It-All" Robinson witnessing the entire scene.

Someone must have informed Voyager on what happened. Probably Tom. Not long after I had found a supply of gallicite, Tom and Rain arrived, with Chakotay and Tuvok in tow. I really didn't notice the others. Only Tom. Everyone tried to explain that I had been afflicted with the pon far and need to return to the ship. I didn't know what the hell they were talking about. I was too dizzy and simply longed to be with Tom. Alone.

It never happened. Several Sakarians decided to make their presence know. There was this avalanche and the next thing I knew, I was alone with Tom. And Rain Robinson. As if matters couldn't get any worse. I tried to ignore her, pretend that she didn't exist. Unfortunately, it didn't help. Especially after I . . . oh God! What the hell was I thinking? I guess I simply couldn't keep my hands off Tom any longer. There seemed to be this fever within me, urging me to mate with him. So, I tried to seduce him. Right in front of Rain. When he rejected me, it simply became too much. I attacked him. Tackled him to the ground, determined to . . . I guess I wanted to have sex with him. The idea of his body pressing against mine, and the touch of those hands just overwhelmed me.

Two things happened. Rain tried to intervene and I tossed her aside like a rag doll. Then Tom scrambled away from my grip and out of harm's way. Even worse, he began paying attention to Rain, who seemed to be hurt. I thought she was faking, until Tom declared that I had sprained her shoulder. Oddly enough, I felt frustrated, instead of embarrassed.

Things got hazy again, when we finally reconciled with Tuvok and Chakotay. Tuvok, bless him, insisted that Tom mate with me in order to quench my plak-tow - my blood fever. And this time, Rain would not be able to stop us. She didn't, but that p'taq, Vorik, did. He had escaped Voyager and interrupted what could have been some great sex. Goddamn Vulcan! Vorik challenged Tom for my hand! I didn't need Tom or anyone else to kick that bastard's ass! I did it myself. Thoroughly.

But it's over now. My fever is gone, and so is my opportunity with Tom. He has seen my . . . well, my Klingon side at its worse. Kahless! I must have really scared him off. Looks like Rain will have him all to herself. Damn!

END OF BOOK V

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book IV

Rain Robinson of ”Future’s End” ends up on Voyager, following her adventures with Tom Paris and Tuvok in late 20th century Earth. Here is Book IV.

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LIEUTENANT TOM PARIS - STARDATE 50394.46:

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would find myself torn by three people. Two women and a man. Sounds almost kinky, but it's a hell of a lot more serious than that.

Ever since Rain Robinson managed to sneak aboard Voyager, my emotional state has been in turmoil. When I told her that I had never met anyone like her, I had been serious. Serious, but not completely truthful. I have met another like Rain - B'Elanna Torres. Both are vibrant, intelligent and independent women. Both are also very fascinating. At first, the pair seemed to have one major difference. B'Elanna built walls to keep herself emotionally distant from others. Rain didn't. At least she didn't, until she boarded Voyager.

Once she found herself stuck aboard ship, Rain became distant. Cool. Especially toward me. Back in Los Angeles, she seemed determined to get to know me. Now, Rain barely acknowledges my presence. I don't think she wants anything to do with me and I don't know why! B'Elanna seemed the same as usual. A little distant, yet still friendly. Neither woman seemed interested in romance. And yet, I would gladly accept either of them into my arms.

Where does the man fit into the picture? Well, it's Harry. Quite simply, he does not like Rain. He did at first. But ever since she had caught him unawares with her less than pristine view of the Federation, he has become increasingly hostile toward her. Poor Harry. His view on life, especially life in the Federation always tended to border on the idyllic. Like so many, he considers Earth . . . (sigh) as Paradise. He has never really been aware of the Federation's . . . or should I say, humanity's darker side. And we still have one. I know from experience.

As Harry's friend, I have always tried to make him aware of life's dangers and disappointments as gently as possible. Unfortunately, Rain beat me to the punch (in a not so gentle manner). And in one conversation, came close to shattering Harry's illusions. No wonder he resents her.

Rain's remarks managed to circulate throughout the ship. Some (including the majority of former Maquis) applauded her realistic viewpoint. Others, mainly a lot of 'Fleeters, reacted with as much hostility as Harry did. And there were those like the Delaney sisters who merely accepted Rain's opinions as her own and continued on with their lives. Sensible people.

Did the Captain ever learn about Rain's comments in the Mess Hall? I don't know. Before any of us could find out, the Captain and Neelix had left Voyager to set up trade negotiations with a race called the Tik Tak.

* * * *

RAIN ROBINSON - May 26, 2373:

It did not take Captain Janeway long to learn about my little debate with Harry Kim in the Mess Hall. Who told her? I have no idea. Two days after it happened, she summoned me to her office. What she called her Ready Room.

After I had entered from the corridor, she indicated the empty chair opposite and smiled. "Sit down, Miss Robinson." As I did as she asked, her smile remained fixed upon her face. Most would describe it as warm. Not me. I found it almost wolfish. Hey, what can I say? My instincts were practically screaming at me that this lady was pissed. The Captain continued, "Miss Robinson, I understand that you brought up a certain topic in the Mess Hall, some two days ago. Regarding the Maquis." Her smile lost a touch of warmth.

As calmly as possible, I told her about the discussion between Ensign Kim and me. And how I brought up the Maquis.

She leaned forward - all earnest. "I can understand how the subject might have came up. But you must understand, the subject about the Maquis is very . . . well, very touchy on this ship. At least one-third of the crew are former members of the Maquis, including the First Officer and the Chief Engineer. We've spent at least two years trying to forge two factions into one working crew. And I would hate for our efforts to be disrupted by . . . let's just say careless talk." Another smile touched her lips.

I stared at her. "Careless?"

Blue-gray eyes hardened. "Let's be honest, shall we, Miss Robinson? Aside from what you may have read from the computer database, you really have no knowledge on the Maquis. Do you?"

"I guess not." I paused. "So what are the Maquis about?"

Janeway's eyes flickered. Perhaps she didn't expect me to ask that question. A moment later, she quickly recovered her composure. "If you insist, Miss Robinson. About six or seven years ago, the Federation had just ended a costly war with a species called Cardassians. Realizing that peace was the only way to stabilize the quadrant, the Federation and the Cardassians decided upon a cease fire and agreed to begin talks for a treaty."

She went on to describe the events I had already learned from the ship's computer. The peace negotiations, Cardassia's insistence upon settling the matter of sovereignty in the Demilitarized Zone, the Federation's decision to hand over their DMZ colonies to placate the Cardassians, the colonists' reaction and the formation of the Maquis. Her explanation nearly matched the entries from the computer - word by word. Must be the Federation mantra.

"May I ask you something?" I said, after the Captain finished.

Janeway gave me a wary look. "Yes?"

"When the . . . uh, Federation decided to hand over those colonies to the Cardassians, did they consider how the colonists would react?" She opened her mouth to speak. Not a word came out. Hell, not even a sound. Right then, I knew. "That's okay, Captain," I continued. "You've answered my question."

"No, you don't understand, Miss Robinson." What do you know? She has spoken at last! "The Federation had offered to relocate the colonists on other worlds. And they rejected our offer."

I nodded. "Yeah. I see. Only the colonists didn't want to move. Okay. I get it."

"Miss Robinson . . ."

But I didn't let her finish. "Hey, look Captain. If you're worried that I'll go spreading my opinion on the Maquis, don't be. I'll just find some other topic to discuss. You know . . . like crime statistics on Earth."

A glacial sheen covered Janeway's eyes. She gave me one of those 'you've overstayed your welcome' smiles. "This has been quite an . . . interesting conversation, Miss Robinson. That will be all."

"Yes Captain." I rose from my chair, gave her a nod and quickly left the room, via the corridor.

So, the Federation had offered to relocate the colonists in the DMZ, huh? Now they seemed like greedy landlords, trying to get rid of inconvenient tenants. As I had promised Janeway, I never brought up the subject again. I really didn't have a chance. Janeway and Neelix left Voyage for some diplomatic mission.

* * * *

RAIN ROBINSON - June 6, 2373:

Macroviruses. At least that's what the holographic doctor called the beings that attacked the ship. I personally named the entire incident as 'the Attack of the Killer Fleas'. Or mosquitoes. Judging from a brief glimpse of them, they looked more like mosquitoes.

It had all started when the Doctor went on a mission to respond to a distress call from some mining colony. At least, that's what he told me. He transported to the colony and found several being suffering from some disease. Both he and the First Officer, Commander Cha-ko-tay had thought sending a hologram would be safer. Well, they were wrong.

Like most insects, these macroviruses became attracted to the light - namely the light from the Doctor's holoimage. And he brought them back, upon his return to the ship. I had no idea what was going on, until I heard a loud, buzzing noise outside my quarters. I risked a peek outside and spotted something that resembled a giant mosquito, along the corridor. It only took one look and I immediately went back inside and locked the door.

I am happy to report that I managed to remain hidden from these macroviruses. It seemed pretty easy, hiding myself underneath the bed during the entire incident. I don't know how many hours or days had passed before Captain Janeway and the Doctor managed to destroy the macroviruses. But when the Captain announced "all clear" over the Communications system, it was a hungry and frightened woman who crawled from under her bed. Dammit! Why in the hell did I stowaway on this damn ship? Anyway, the Captain also ordered any crewman still conscious, to report to Sick Bay.

Upon my arrival, the Doctor expressed relief at seeing another being, conscious and walking. He gave me a little medication, by pressing some gray tube he called a hypospray, against my neck. Then the Doctor told me everything about what happened. I don't think he meant to, but like I said - he was relieved to see someone else, aside from Janeway and some ensign named Wildman, conscious and not infected. And the other two women were no where to be seen.

"They are applying the antivirus to the rest of the crew," the Doctor explained. He handed me three of these hyprosprays. I stared at him, questioningly. "These are hyposprays. A twenty-fourth century version of a hypodermic needle. Less painful and more hygienic. All of them are filled with the antivirus and I need you to help apply it to some of the crew. Both the Captain and Ensign Wildman are doing the same. Just press the hypospray against the neck, like I did yours. You can start in the Mess Hall."

With nothing else to do, I agreed to help. The sight that greeted me inside the Mess Hall nearly sickened me. Bodies were strewn everywhere. Bodies plastered with sores, insect bites and some green ooze. However, I came upon another sight that disturbed me even further. I found two of the figures, seated at a table together. Tom and Lieutenant Torres.

What the hell were they doing together? I had heard from Jenny that Tom agreed to serve as the ship's cook, until Neelix's return. And Lieutenant Torres was supposed to be in Engineering. How did they end up sharing one of the tables inside the Mess Hall?

It took a lot of effort on my part to squelch the jealousy within me. Unfortunately, I couldn't fight against the despair. It seemed to me that the sight of them together was an obvious sign that I was never meant to be with Tom. Oh well. Might as well accept it.

END OF BOOK IV

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book III

Rain Robinson of ”Future’s End” ends up on Voyager, following her adventures with Tom Paris and Tuvok in late 20th century Earth. Here is Book III.

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

RAIN ROBINSON - May 27, 2373:

Today, I began my first shift in Stellar Cartography. It did not turn out too bad. I barely managed to keep up, but at least I didn't make a fool of myself. Even better, I also made two friends, who didn't seem to mind answering my questions every five or ten minutes.

My new friends happened to be sisters, twin sisters - Jenny and Megan Delaney. They seemed very friendly, a lot of fun to be with and a big help. Let's face it. My knowledge of astronomy and stellar cartography is at least 300 years outdated. Thanks to Jenny, Megan and some late-night study sessions with the ship's computer, I managed to catch up to the latest findings within two weeks. There is still a lot I don't know. But, if all goes well, I should be able to keep up with them and the rest in Stellar Cartography by the end of the year. One last thing I like about the Delaneys - they seemed to be among the few on this ship who don't seem full of themselves. In other words, they don't look upon me like some cavewoman from prehistoric times.

Megan is the quiet one. Dimples usually form on her cheeks whenever she smiles. I also believe that she once dated Tom Paris, some two years ago. Okay, I must admit that I felt a little . . . no, a lot jealous when I first heard this news. Until I also learned that Megan and Tom had put their relationship behind them, a long time ago. And now, they only consider themselves as good friend. In fact, Megan has now developed an interest in another crewman, whose name has escaped me.

Unlike Megan, Jenny does not have dimples when she smiles. And she also seemed more like the outgoing type. Very talkative and with a lot of jokes. In many ways, she reminded me of Tom. After learning about the holodecks from Jenny, I wonder if she would be interested in creating programs from some of my old favorite "B" movies. She seemed like the type who would enjoy them. There is one thing about Jenny Delaney that I cannot fathom. Namely, her interest in one Ensign Harry Kim. She seems to like him. A lot.

What Jenny sees in him, I have no idea. I suppose one could say that he is very good-looking and smart. Despite his quiet nature, he also seemed to have a sly sense of humor. I almost grew to like him. Until I encountered one of his less admirable traits. Like a lot of people on this ship, Harry Kim has this smug superiority that tends to manifest itself whenever the subject of Starfleet or the Federation comes up. He seemed proud . . . almost a little too proud over humanity's "evolvement" over the past 300 years.

One time, he came so proud and smug over the subject that I could not help but respond in a bitchy manner. Let's just say that Mr. Kim did not take kindly to my manner. Hey! What can I say? When I hear bullshit, I can't seem to keep my mouth shut.

* * * *

LIEUTENANT B'ELANNA TORRES - Stardate 50394.19:

I have a strong suspicion that Harry does not like Rain Robinson very much. At least, not anymore. However, that was not always the case.

When she first came aboard, Harry tried to make Rain feel at home. Typical Harry. Mister Collector-of-Lost-Souls. Both Tom and I had been amongst those lost souls during Voyager's first year in the Delta Quadrant. Rain became another. Both she and Harry seemed destined to become good friends. Until that little conversation between them in the Mess Hall.

It happened about a week following Voyager's encounter with the Q Continuum's civil war. Harry, Tom, Rain, Ken Dalby, Megan Delaney, Golwat and I had gathered around one of the Mess Hall's large tables, following dinner. Tom, Rain and I were recounting our adventures on 20th century Earth.

I had just finishing describing my and Chakotay's encounter with those Arizona terrorists. Rain immediately added, "You must have come across one of those groups of right-wing terrorists. They're people who feel that the government was slowly taking over their rights as citizens."

Ken nodded. "Freedom fighters, right?" he asked.

A snort left Rain's mouth. "Yeah, right. Freedom for white Americans. Especially if they're men. As far as they're concerned, everyone else deserves to be oppressed."

"I noticed how they seemed to view both Chakotay and myself with a lot of hostility," I added, remembering those stares. Curious, but hateful. "I guess it was a good thing Tuvok and the Doctor came to our rescue."

Harry shook his head. "You were very lucky, Maquis. Quite frankly, I'm glad I had remained on the ship." Then he faced Rain and made his big mistake. "I guess you're lucky, also. Now that you don't have to live in the 20th century, any longer."

"Lucky?" Rain's dark eyes narrowed. "How am I lucky?"

Harry continued, "Well, maybe not completely lucky. After all, you're stuck in the Delta Quadrant with the rest of us. But once we return to Earth, you'll find yourself in a better world. No wars, poverty, diseases and crime. It's paradise." His face lit up. Good old Starfleet. Optimistic, as always.

Another long pause followed. Rain continued to stare at Harry. Hard. "Hmmmph," she finally said. "I guess the Earth of today is probably a better place to live. However, I doubt very much that you can still call it paradise. There's no such place. At least not on this plane of existence."

"I see what you're getting at," Harry said with a dismissive laugh. Unbeknownst to him, Rain's body stiffened. "You're speaking from some kind of spiritual point of view. Which is fine for those who are religious. But from our point of view, Earth is paradise. You just have to see it for yourself." He looked as if he was ready to plant the Federation flag on the next planet.

A smirk threatened to tug the edges of Rain's lips. "No kidding," she said in a voice that dripped with sarcasm. "You know, I've been reading about your Federation in the ship's computer. Earth is like you said. Somewhat."

Golwat frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well . . . there are no wars. At least on Earth. But I've noticed that your Federation has been involved in plenty of wars elsewhere. From what I've read, you were just involved in a war with some species called Cardassan . . . uh, Cardasaiann . . ."

"Cardassians," Tom added.

Rain shot him a grateful look. "Yeah. Thanks. Didn't your Federation just have a war with these Cardassians about . . . oh, five years ago?"

Again, Tom provided the correct answer. "Six or seven years ago." This time, Rain ignored him.

"But we're now at peace with the Cardassians," Harry explained. "The Federation signed a treaty with them about three years ago." Ken Dalby frowned. As a fellow ex-Maquis, I didn't blame him. Personally, I think the Federation should have dealt with the Cardassians when they had the chance.

And in typical Dalby fashion, Ken expressed what the rest of us former Maquis felt. "Not only did the Feds sign a treaty with the Cardies, they handed over their DMZ colonies in order to settle that treaty. A treaty that didn't have a chance of working out."

Rain nodded. "Yeah. I've read about that, too. Sort of reminds me of a certain event that happened on Earth, before my time."

None of us seemed to have any idea what Rain was talking about. Including Mr. Twentieth Century himself. A confused looking Harry asked her to be specific.

"I read how your Federation gave up those colonies to ensure peace with these Cardas-si-ans. It reminded me of how the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler, allowing the latter to continue his conquest of smaller European nations in 1938. Chamberlain did all of this to avoid a war and yet, World War II began a year later."

Tom cried out, "I remember reading about that!" He failed to notice the dark glance from Harry. "Now that I think about it, you're right."

The 'Fleeters, with the exception of Megan Delaney, looked very upset. Especially Harry. Dalby naturally looked pleased by Rain's analogy. As for Tom . . . Let's just say that he seemed more enthralled by Miss Robinson herself, instead of what she had to say.

"You simply can't compare the Federation to this Chamberlain fellow," Harry declared in heated tones. "Especially since the Federation is still at peace with the Cardassians."

Rain shot back, "How do you know?"

A smug smile appeared on Ken's face. Golwait quietly excused herself. Megan remained seated. As for Harry - he opened his mouth to speak, but not a word came out. It didn't surprise me. After all, it has been two years since we were all thrown into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker. A lot could have happened in the Alpha Quadrant during that period. I never realized until this moment on how much Harry put the Federation on a pedestal.

"By the way," Rain added, "you also claimed that there was no poverty on Earth and . . ."

Harry nodded. "That's right."

". . . no crime. And yet," Rain continued, "you mean to tell me there is absolutely no crime on Earth? Including murder?"

Poor Harry. He looked as if he had walked into a trap. "We're not violent!" he declared.

"But you still have murder. Right? I mean, money isn't the only motive for all crimes. There are so many other emotions to deal with - lust, hatred, fear, you name it. I noticed that the Federation has a legal system."

Tom quietly added, "And prison." A faraway look had crept into his blue . . . I mean, his eyes. The ghost of prison in New Zealand seemed to have returned. I wonder if Rain knew about that aspect of his past? Or Caldik Prime?

Rain continued, "Look, what I'm trying to say is that this picture of Earth as 'Paradise' simply strikes me as being unrealistic. It might be a hell of a lot better than it was in my time. But from what I've read, it seemed far from perfect. And you've seemed to acquire a whole new set of problems over the past three centuries. Face it, there's no such thing as paradise. Your Federation just might be spouting propaganda."

Needless to say, Harry did not take Rain's little speech very well. I don't think even Golwat appreciated it and she wasn't Human. Since both were regular Starfleet officers and Federation citizens, naturally both took Rain's words very personal. Megan didn't. Which surprised me. Perhaps the Delaneys had a more realistic view of the world than your average Federation citizen. I know that Tom did. And Dalby, not surprisingly, gleefully agreed with Rain.

And me? I may have been a Starfleet officer for the past two years, but I've also been around. Like Dalby and Tom, I've seen too much of the Universe's dark side to view the Federation as paradise. Klingons believed that paradise awaits them in Sto-vo-kor. The Klingon afterlife. Judging from Rain's comments about no paradise on this plane of existence, I suspect that she would agree with them.

END OF BOOK III

The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book II

Rain Robinson of ”Future’s End” ends up on Voyager, following her adventures with Tom Paris and Tuvok in late 20th century Earth. Here is Book II.

LIEUTENANT B'ELANNA TORRES - STARDATE 50327.93:

I had not seen much of Rain Robinson, following our discovery of her aboard ship. Come to think of it, I have not see much of Tom, either. One can only assume he was busy, getting her acquainted with Voyager. On her third day aboard ship, the two paid a visit to Engineering. Personally, I would have preferred if Tom had chosen someone else - preferably Sue Nicoletti or Vorik - to welcome the little newcomer. Fate has a way - it seems - of never going my way.

"Hi B'Elanna," Tom greeted in his usual affable manner. "You remember Rain Robinson, don't you? From the staff meeting, a few days ago?"

I gave them both a stiff smile. "Oh yeah. Our time traveler." I faced her. "So, is Tom giving you a tour of the ship?"

Miss Robinson responded with a brief nod. "Yeah." I noticed that her eyes seemed fixated on my face. Or to be exact, my forehead. Kahless! Where is a scarf when one is needed?

"You find something interesting?" I growled slightly.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to stare. It's just that . . . well, to be honest, I've been staring at a lot of people, lately." Translation: she had been staring at all the odd-looking aliens. Non-Terrans. "I guess everyone has a good reason to stare at me, as well. Considering I'm from the past. But I've got to be honest, that forehead of yours really looks exotic. I know a good number of men who would probably fall for you like crazy."

She must be insane. Or a bad judge of character. A lot of men fall over me? Huh! I still remember how that Arizona terrorist had stared at me. Like some animal that had escaped from a zoo.

Miss Robinson continued, "What exactly are you? I know that Tuvok is from some place called Vulcan."

"She's half-Klingon, half-Human," Tom answered before I could. He gave me a fond look. For some reason, it warmed me considerably. "There's no one in this universe quite like her."

Miss Robinson stared at Tom for what seemed like a long moment, before she murmured in an acid voice that took me by surprise, "Now that sounds familiar." Unless my senses were deceiving me, there seemed to be a hint of jealousy in her eyes. Or resentment.

"Did you say something?" Tom asked. Apparently, he had not heard her last remark. Nor did Miss Robinson bothered to answer.

I continued, "I suppose you require a tour of Engineering?" Both Tom and Miss Robinson nodded and I proceeded to give them the guided tour. While I rambled on about the ship's functions, I noticed a few things about my two visitors. One, Tom made every effort to express his continuing friendship toward Miss Robinson with every look or gesture he could muster. As for our intrepid time traveler, she continued to either reject or ignore his attempts. What the hell had brought on this sudden coldness?

When the tour finished, Miss Robinson thanked me and asked if we could meet for breakfast or lunch, one day. My first instinct was to say no. But a small part of me felt a little curious about her and what she had to say. Besides, I also wanted to learn what made her tick. So, I said yes.

* * * *

RAIN ROBINSON - April 29, 2373:

"There's no one in this universe quite like her." That is what Tom had said about that engineer, B'Elanna Torres. Hmmm. Sounded familiar. Very familiar. Hell, if one changed a few words, it would sound exactly like, "You're like no woman I've ever met." The very words Tom had spoken to me, when he had said good-bye to me in the California desert. Only in Lieutenant Torres's case, I suspect that Tom had been more sincere.

I saw the look he gave her. And I don't blame him. The lieutenant is a very beautiful woman - in an exotic way. So, why did I bother to make plans for breakfast or lunch with her? To learn about the competition? What competition? I already knew whom Tom preferred. It seemed useless to put a fight. Besides, I rather liked Lieutenant Torres. She seemed a little livelier than most of the jokers on this ship. Her and a few others - like Tom and Neelix.

Neelix is this strange-looking guy, who looks like a warthog with spots, whiskers and a Mohawk haircut. Despite his strange appearance, he is very nice and a lot of fun. Unlike the others, he is a native of this part of the galaxy - the Delta Quadrant. He's from this planet called Talax. About two years ago, he was a junk trader, who joined the ship to act as a guide and cook.

His girlfriend, Kes, is also a native of the Delta Quadrant. And Ocampan. Like Neelix, she is also nice - but in a quiet way. Kes is a pretty blonde with ears that made her look like an elf. She serves as the medical assistant to the ship's doctor. And like Tom, Neelix and Lieutenant Torres, she doesn't seem to possess this smug air that permeates the majority of the crew. In other words, she doesn't look upon me like some savage or Neanderthal from the past. Because the rest of them sure do. What the hell did I get myself into?

* * * *

B'ELANNA TORRES - STARDATE 50353.16

It's over. Between Neelix and Kes, I mean. It took the malevolent spirit of some dead warlord to break up Voyager's only permanent couple. Only, they are no longer permanent. Is it any wonder that I try to avoid relationships as much as possible?

Thanks to Tieran, the warlord who possessed Kes, the latter finally discovered her dark side. Kes also realized that she had outgrown Neelix and her gratitude toward him for saving her from the Kazon. Apparently, her feelings toward him had stemmed from gratitude.

From what Harry told me, Neelix is feeling desolate over his broken romance. Once we had left the Ilari homeworld, I decided to offer my condolences to him. Since Neelix has always proven to be one of the few willing to befriend me, I decided to offer my condolences. Cheer him up. Only, upon my arrival at the Mess Hall just before lunch, I found him deep in conversation with Rain Robinson.

She stood next to the counter, contemplating dishes that Neelix had set out for lunch. "What's this again?" she asked, pointing at some kind of custard pie with brown sticks protruding from it.

"Alarian pie," Neelix replied. "It's quite delicious. Made with Alarian eggs and Cancus mushrooms."

Miss Robinson pointed at the brown sticks. "And what are those?"

Neelix replied, "Hagellian roots. It gives the soufflé its flavor."

Eyeing the dish warily, Miss Robinson continued, "It doesn't taste like Leola root, does it?"

"You don't like Leola root?"

Unlike the rest of us, Miss Robinson happened to be a little more blunt. "Neelix, don't take this the wrong way, but your Leola root stew is hard to take! I took one bite and nearly gagged. Hasn't anyone else told you?"

"No," Neelix ruefully answered. "Well, I do recall that Commander Chakotay had once expressed distaste of it. But he hasn't said anything since." He paused and glanced at my direction. "Ah! B'Elanna! A bit early for lunch, are you?"

Miss Robinson also glanced at me and nodded. I returned the nod and glanced at the display of food on the counter. "Hi Neelix," I greeted. "Did I just hear you tell Miss Robinson that you had some pie for lunch?"

"Alvarian pie." Neelix cut a slice of the pie and served it on a plate. "Try some."

I hesitated. Mind you, I really like Neelix. He is a sweet man and a wonderful friend. But I have never been able to truly enjoy most of his Delta Quadrant delicacies. I like to use the replicators, unless I have no other choice. Which happened to be the case, today. "I, uh . . ." I began, trying to find words that would not insult him.

Miss Robinson suddenly volunteered in my stead. "Give it to me, Neelix. I'll try it." She gave me an understanding smile. "I don't mind being the guinea pig, today." Then she took a bite. Her eyes lit up with delight. "Hmmm, this is great! You should try it."

I did. Not bad, but I found the pie a tad too spicy for my taste. "Doesn't this spice bother you?" I asked the other woman.

Dark eyes stared at me in disbelief. "This is too spicy for you?"

"Well, I'm not used to so much spice," I replied, trying not to sound defensive. As much as I like our guest, she seemed to have a habit of questioning a person. Much like Tuvok in the middle of an interrogation.

Miss Robinson's eyes continued to penetrate mine. "Where is your family from?" she asked. "I mean, your Human family." I told her. Mexico. From the state of Nuevo León, not far from Monterrey. "And you're not used to spicy food?"

"I was mainly raised by my Klingon mother," I coolly replied. "Klingons do not eat spicy food. As for Humans, they're more inclined to eat healthier food."

Miss Robinson seemed horrified at the thought. "Good God! What is the fun in that?"

Neelix added in a conspiratorial manner, "To be honest, I have to agree with you, Miss Robinson."

"Call me Rain. All of you."

Orange-yellow eyes brightened considerably. Already, Miss Robinson . . . uh, Rain had managed to wrap the cook around her little finger. "If you insist," Neelix added happily. "As I was about to say, between you and me, I like my food with a little spice or zest. I didn't think there were any Humans who felt the same."

"On Earth . . . well, 20th century Earth, I'm from the Southwest. A Southern California girl. Spice is almost like table salt to us." While the two chatted happily, I did not have the heart to inform Miss . . . I mean, Rain that 24th century Humans also try to avoid salt. Oh well. She will eventually learn.

As for Neelix, judging by his happy countenance, I could see that he no longer needed any consolation from me or anyone else. Whatever he may still feel over his breakup with Kes, Rain has managed to put him a better mood. For the moment.

* * * *

KATHRYN JANEWAY - STARDATE 50388.37

Damn that Q! What an exasperating man . . . or omnipotent being! Or whatever. To be honest, I could say the same about him, his mate and the entire Q Continuum.

Not only did Q try to mate with me, behind the female Q's back, he had also dragged me into the Continuum's civil war. I nearly got killed - first by shells and gunfire, while dressed in some ridiculous 19th century dress. Wait. Perhaps I'm being a little harsh about the dress. I rather liked it. It would have been a perfect outfit to wear in my Gothic holonovel. But I digress. Not only did he and the Continuum drag both my crew and me into their war, he had refused to do me a favor in return for helping him settle the war.

Following the Continuum's civil war, Q returned to Voyager, with his new son in tow. To my surprise, he named me as the child's godmother. Image that - Kathryn Janeway, a guardian of an omnipotent being. I faced an even greater shock after I asked Q to return Miss Robinson to 20th century Earth. He refused. Q had the nerve to inform me that he could not do as I had asked.

"May I ask, why?" I demanded.

For once, Q looked serious. "I'm sorry Kathy. I may be capable of a lot of things, but tampering with the timeline is a no-no in the Continuum."

"Pardon me? Is this the same person who sent the Enterprise-D into the Delta Quadrant, forcing the Federation into a premature contact with the Borg?"

Q sighed. "And look what that has brought me. The Continuum punished me for my . . ." the man actually managed to pout, ". . . irresponsible behavior. Now that the civil war is over and I'm a father, I must learn to be a little more prudent."

"Prudent? Don't you consider returning Miss Robinson back to where she belong, prudent?" I cried. Not that I disliked the young lady, but Miss Robinson has a tendency to be a little . . . well, direct. Or should I say, blunt. She has become a strong reminder to the crew of what Humans were like in the past centuries. Quite frankly, it is a reminder I could do without.

A cryptic smile touched Q's lips. Damn the man! "Now Kathy, how do you know that Miss Robinson doesn't belong here? Has her presence upset the timeline in any way?" Right after we learned of Miss Robinson's presence, I had Tuvok and Tom Paris examine the ship's database for any discrepancies in the timeline. Apparently, neither man was unable to detect any. "Of course they haven't!" Q retorted. "Miss Robinson's presence on this ship has not changed anything. If she had not sneaked aboard Voyager," I winced at the imagery, "she would have been dead."

Hands on hips, I glared at Q. "What do you mean?"

With a sigh, Q explained that after parting from Helm . . . uh, Lieutenant Paris, Miss Robinson would have been killed in a crime that occurred at some store on her way back to Los Angeles. "And if that idiot Braxton had not sent you screaming into the 20th century, she would have been killed by some thuggish little cretin with no redeeming qualities."

"So, you're saying . . ."

The omnipotent being smiled grandly. "She's all yours, Kathy. Don't worry. I'm sure that Miss Robinson will put a little zest in your humdrum lives. Especially Helmboy's. That is, if your little Klingon engineer doesn't get her hands on him, first. I must say that I rather like Miss Robinson. She reminds me of how you Humans used to be . . . before you became dull and self-righteous."

"Q!" I gave him my deadliest glare. Unfortunately, the scamp ignored me. With Q Junior squirming in his arms, he said good-bye one last time and vanished. I sighed. It looked as if Miss Robinson is here to stay.

END OF BOOK II

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book I

RATING: [PG] For mild language. Very mild.
SUMMARY: By some twist of fate, Rain Robinson from Season 3's "Future's End", ends up on Voyager. Told from Rain, B'Elanna and Janeway's POV. Book 1.
FEEDBACK: cancerjones1941@yahoo.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.
DISCLAIMER: Tom, B'Elanna and all other characters related to Star Trek Voyager belong to Paramount, Viacom and the usual Trek Powers to Be. Dammit!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've always wondered if there would have been a Paris/Torres romance if Rain Robinson had ended up on Voyager.

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RAIN ROBINSON - May 2, 1996:

It began with a simple touch. Can you believe it? A simple touch. One little act that would change my life for good. Why did I do it? Was it my natural curiosity, first sparked by that ? signal I had detected at the Observatory? Or was it a pair of warm blue eyes that led me to give in to such an impulse? Maybe the latter. Who knows?

It was the signal started everything. Signs of Gamma emissions that drew the attention of my sponsor at the Observatory and all-round creep, Henry Starling. It also attracted the attention of the owner of those blue eyes - Tom Paris - and his two oddball friends, Tuvok and Mr. Leisure Suit. Thanks to Tom and his friends, I discovered that Mr. Starling could not be trusted and wanted me dead. Tom and Tuvok wanted him for another reason. Something to do with a ship in Starling's possession. A timeship, I believe. Despite what Tom may think, I was paying attention. Tom and I eventually chased Starling's pet thug into the desert, outside L.A. The poor bastard ended up blown to bits by some strange aircraft. One that I suspect Tom was very familiar with.

Tom Paris. I once told him that he reminded me of Howdy Doody, but in a sexy way. He still does. Strange guy, very good-looking and charming, but also very smart. Nor did he seem turned off by my own brains and my big mouth. In short, I wanted him to stay. But he couldn't. He had to return to from wherever he came from.

So there we stood in the middle of the desert, facing each other. Tom said that he had never met anyone quite like me and probably never will. Then he kissed me. Properly. Not like others who usually gave wet, sloppy kisses or timid ones. A real, honest-to-God kiss with the pair of the warmest lips I had ever felt. When he eventually turned his back on me, something inside could not give him up. A strange, blue light enveloped him and with my usual impulsiveness, I touched his shirt and found myself caught up in the light. One moment we had been surrounded by the California desert, the next inside the strange aircraft, which had even stranger technology. Before Tom or anyone else could spot me, I ducked behind some console and out of sight.

"Chakotay to Voyager," a soft, deep voice called out. "We've picked up Tom. All are accounted for."

A husky, female voice that sounded slightly familiar, responded, "Acknowledged Commander. Report to the Bridge as soon as you return. Janeway out."

Voyager? The only other Voyager I could recall was a satellite probe that had ended up missing years ago. Judging from Ms. Janeway's voice, Voyager seemed to be more than a satellite. Instinct also told me that it was not on this earth. Okay, actually it was my stomach that conveyed the message. Especially after the way it bounced to my throat after the craft rose further in the air. How far we traveled? I have no idea.

We finally arrived at our destination and I ducked my head behind the console once more. Tom, Tuvok and the others filed out of the aircraft. The moment their voices vanished, I decided it was safe to leave my hiding place. Upon leaving the aircraft, I found myself alone, surrounded by similar aircrafts - much to my relief. It looked as if I was in the middle of an airplane hangar. Or something similar. I glanced to my left and nearly passed out with shock. Instead of a solid wall, I faced a blanket of space - namely outer space. Good grief! Where in the hell did I end up?

* * * *

LIEUTENANT B'ELANNA TORRES - STARDATE 50316.95:

We did it. Believe it or not, Voyager managed to save Earth's future by preventing that greedy bastard, Henry Starling, from traveling to the 29th century and destroying it. Idiot. The man was an idiot whose greed led him to his destruction. Well, the Captain actually destroyed him and the timeship. It was either that or allow him to destroy Earth.

My adventures with Chakotay nearly proved to be just as interesting. It seemed that Voyager's two senior ex-Maquis would end up meeting their counterparts in 20th century Arizona. Although I must say that I found it difficult to consider those Neanderthals as freedom fighters. Their goals seemed a lot less noble and more self-serving than our own.

But I must remember that I'm no longer with the Maquis. I'm an officer and chief engineer aboard a Starfleet vessel. And have been for the past two years. That scenario almost ended, thanks to Henry Starling. Who knows how our lives may have ended on 20th century Earth. I remember Chakotay expressing an interest in becoming an anthropologist at some North American university. I cannot imagine me finding it so easy to blend in. What in the hell could a half-Klingon with forehead ridges do in the 20th century? Before Earth had ever made any contact with another alien species?

I had no doubt how Tom Paris would have fared. Probably spend his time exploring his favorite period in history. And with that Rain Robinson woman he had befriended, as his companion. I finally saw her. While our shuttle hovered above the California desert. I still remember the way he kissed her before we beamed him aboard.

Stop! What in the hell is wrong with me? Why am I thinking about Tom Paris, of all people? And why would I even care about his latest conquest? So what if he had once propositioned me? Big deal! I had immediately informed him on how I really felt about a date with him on the holodeck. Or did I? Would an hour or two, sailing on Lake Como had been that bad? Oh hell! Why bother contemplating on that now? Paris has not made an attempt for another date, since. And he'll probably spend the next few days or so, remembering the charms of Miss Rain Robinson. Yet, in the end, he will forget her. Like he has forgotten the other women in his life.

"Senior staff to the Conference Room," I heard Chakotay's voice announce over the Comm system. Another senior staff meeting? We just had one not long after our return to Delta Quadrant. Oh well. Maybe the Captain had decided to plan a celebration for saving Earth's future.

* *

Kahless! What a day! A surprise awaited the senior staff when we reported to the Conference Room. Captain Janeway was furious! I have never seen her look that angry since the time the Vidiians had stolen Neelix's lungs. I still remember what those bastards did to me. But I'm digressing.

Upon our return to the Delta Quadrant, the Captain and Chakotay discovered that Captain Braxton, that stupid p'tak from the 29th century, had failed to realize the new passenger we had picked up during our time travels. It seemed that we - and I mean myself, Chakotay, the Doctor and Tuvok - had not only transported Paris to the shuttle, but also another passenger, from the California desert. That extra passenger turned out to be none other than Tom's friend, Rain Robinson. Tom had no idea that Miss Robinson had decided to hitch a ride when we beamed him up. In fact, no one had even spotted her on the ship - until after our return to the Delta Quadrant. A Security detail caught her roaming around Deck Seven.

Typical Braxton. The idiot was so determined to return us to our proper time and place in history that he failed to account for a 20th century woman aboard Voyager. So much for his temporal magic. What an idiot!

When I said that the Captain was angry, I was not joking. She castigated Miss Robinson for sneaking aboard the ship. She almost accused Tom of helping his friend, until Miss Robinson took full responsibility and insisted that she had acted alone. Janeway, however, did chastise Paris and the rest of us for our "lack of diligence" - her words, not mine.

Rain Robinson. What an odd name for a Human! Now, she was a permanent member of Voyager's crew. Like Neelix and Kes, she decided to remain a civilian. The Captain assigned her to Stellar Cartography, since she was an astronomer. Now I ask you, exactly what good is a 20th century astronomer aboard a 24th century starship? Personally, I suspect that no one has any idea, including the Captain and Miss Robinson. I bet that Tom Paris doesn't care. Now that he has his lady love by his side. Of course, I must admit that Miss Robinson seemed a little displeased when the Captain ordered Tom to act as her escort aboard ship. Any other woman would be thrilled.

* * * *

RAIN ROBINSON - April 26, 2373:

Oh. My. God! Ohmigod! I can't believe it! I'm on a spaceship nearly 380 years in the future! In the future, for crying out loud! Oh God! What have I done? No wonder that Captain Janeway was pissed! Kathryn Janeway. Now there is a woman Gloria Steinem would love to meet. Personally, I think she is a bit uptight. All right, she's a little pissed that I decided to hitchhike on her ship and I don't blame her. But Jeez! By the time she finished lecturing me, I felt like I was seventeen again being nagged to death by my mother. I really think that woman needs to get laid.

According to the Captain, what we are traveling on is a starship. Namely a space-traveling vessel that is part of some organization called Starfleet. And Starfleet happens to be the military arm of another organization called the Federation of United Planets or something. Like a futuristic version of the United Nations, only it's an alliance between different planets. Although most of Voyager's crew consists of Humans, there are some who came from other planets. Agen . . . uh, Lieutenant Tuvok happens to be one. He came from a planet called Vulcan. With those ears and his HAL-like personality, I'm not surprised.

Oh God! This is wonderful. I'm a 20th century woman stuck on a 24th century space . . . starship. And I'm attracted to a man who happens to be over 300 years younger than me. Great! Now I understand why Tom's dialogue seemed a bit . . . . well, dated at times. I mean, who uses "groovy" in 1996? Or spy against the KBG? I wonder if I was just another assignment to Tom? Or someone to be used to stop that creep, Henry Starling, from blowing up the future? I have a bad feeling that I had stowed away on that shuttle for nothing. And that Tom Paris saw nothing more than some loud, annoying woman whose company he had to endure. Just like the others. Damn!

As for my position here on Voyager, Captain Janeway assigned me to some place called Stellar Cartography. Apparently, it's where the crew map the unexplored regions of space. Hmm, sounds like my cup of tea. My first assignment is to catch up on 377 years of astronomy, astrophysics and Earth history. Easier said than done. Then again, I do like an interesting challenge. Hell, it's a lot better than roaming the ship with nothing to do. Janeway asked if I would like to become part of the ship's Starfleet personnel. Let's just say it took a great deal of effort not to laugh in her face. Instead, I merely smiled and said, "Thanks, but no thanks." What the hell? I was never the military type and I'll be damned if anyone caught me wearing one of those god-awful leisure suits.

END OF BOOK I

Today marks the 10th anniversary of when "STAR TREK VOYAGER" brodcasted its celebrated 100th episode called "Timeless". Directed by Trek alumni LeVar Burton, the episode featured a future Harry Kim and Chakotay's attempts to alter history to save Voyager from a catastrophic fate before Starfleet stops them:

STAR TREK VOYAGER (5.06 "Timeless") 10th Anniversary Photo Gallery