~*~ Part One by CyberMum He had almost missed the small ad in the Star Fleet Journal. It was only because his shuttle had been delayed that he'd had an extra few minutes to read and had scrolled through the travel section thinking to compare the prices of accommodation on Erta V and VII. And there it was: "Wanted - Intrepid Voyagers". It was the wording that caught his eye. Actually it was the word; Voyagers. He'd had experience with a Voyager once before, and it was something he would never forget. Indelibly etched upon his psyche, even after all this time, the word and its connotations caused a physical reaction in him. He forced himself to read the rest of it. "Participate in history. Join an elite group of travelers on a unique excursion. Contact 502547." That was all. But the ad and its invitation gnawed at him intermittently during the course of his week and it was, he realised, inevitable that he make the contact and join the expedition. It was easy enough. He forwarded the appropriate paperwork, passed a cursory physical and an unimaginative interview with a typical Fleet bureaucrat, and was instructed to report to Deep Space 4 by star date 53107.3. * The station was a hive of activity, and as he headed per instructions towards hangar 74, he wondered which of the many life forms hurrying by him were fellow passengers. He had learned a little more about the upcoming journey from the directives he had been issued after he had passed through the screening process. And he'd done a little digging on his own. He still had a few connections inside. He knew that the expedition was headed by a civilian, Brannon Braga. This in itself was an unusual circumstance. And he was concerned that the man had neither the experience nor the expertise to handle the intricacies of such a complicated mission. When he factored in the rumours he had heard of dissension in the ranks, a general lack of respect for Braga, the make up of the passenger roster, and their final destination, his unease increased. But he had committed himself to this mission. And he was determined to see it through. ~*~ Part Two by Prof Mom As he made his way toward the transporter pad, he thought back over what he'd read about the DQ Express. What he'd find when his molecules were reintegrated on-board. Elegant, finest in 24th century technology, Warp12 cruising speed, capable of sustaining warp 15 when necessary, replicators so sophisticated that you couldn't tell replicated from real without a tricorder. Thirty holodecks, able to reproduce any setting or experiences in such details that; like the replicators, one couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't. And, the ship supposedly included 10 different dining rooms, each honouring the decor and cuisine of a different federation world. And, the DQ Express could be run effectively with a crew of only 20. The DQ Express was designed solely for the pleasure of its 200 passengers. He stepped onto the pad, nodded to the young woman and the controls, and felt the transporter beam take him. As he re-materialized, he heard a familiar voice calling him. "Chakotay! I'd heard you were coming," Tom Paris greeted him. "Thought I'd pop down here and meet you; help you get settled in." "Tom! I'm surprised to see you here. Though you and B'Elanna had your fill of deep space travel for a while." "Yeah, well, you know how it is. Becomes a way of life. Too much time on solid ground makes me nervous." Chakotay chuckled in agreement as they headed through the transporter room door. "Hey," Tom went on, "I've seen a few more familiar faces since B'Elanna and I checked in. Harry is piloting, Seven is his co-pilot. And Neelix and Doc are here. Harry implied there will be others." "Who?" Chakotay wondered. "Couldn't get him give." Tom replied. "Said it'd be more fun if we were surprised. Computer," Tom said, addressing the comm panel, "what room will Chakotay be in, and where is it located?" "Room 1701B, located on deck 17, section 1. Room B is the second door on the right. His bags have already arrived there." "There you go," Tom said with a wave of his hand, as though he'd just piloted a Galaxy class starship though a Kazon mine field. "The turbolift is right around the corner. I, uh, gotta get back. B'Elanna should be through soaking in the tub right now...." he trailed off. "Hey, that honeymooning. Tough job but someone's got to do it, huh?" Tom gave Chakotay a conspiratorial smile. "Yeah, and my new wife is very demanding." "Go. See you two later...maybe." Chakotay said with a grin. "Okay, see ya," Tom called as he practically dashed in the opposite direction. Chakotay couldn't help smiling to himself as he made his way to his room. He was still occasionally taken aback at how much Tom obviously loved B'Elanna, and how loyal he was to her. Quite different from the Tom Paris he'd know in the Maquis, who didn't appear to have the capacity to care about anyone - not even himself, apparently. As he approached his room the door opened for him, it seemed to have been pre-programmed to recognize him. Impressive. Chakotay was further impressed by the plush nature of his accommodations. The level of opulence clearly exceeded that of the quarters of any starship captain he'd ever had occasion to visit. Before he could reflect further on the details of his surroundings, the computer asked, "Would you care for a drink, Chakotay? Herbal tea?" "Uh...yes, that would be nice." It was all he could do not to add 'thank-you' at the end. He felt like he was dealing with a living being. This was beyond impressive; almost frightening. Chakotay stepped to the replicator, noticing that his bags had indeed already arrived, as the computer had promised. He wouldn't have been surprised if the computer had somehow managed to unpack for him as well. He removed his tea and decided to relax for a few minutes before exploring the ship. As he sat, visually scanning his room, he noticed a door on the wall to his left that he hadn't noticed when he'd entered from the corridor. He'd already determined that the bathroom was back to his right, so it couldn't be that. Closet? Strange to have a closet, off the sitting area. Why wouldn't it be closer to the bed and the bathroom, where most people would get dressed? Just as he'd decided to get up and investigate, he heard a rustling from the other side. Not sure whether or not he should be alarmed he stopped in his tracks, trying to prepare himself for whatever might come through the door. "Kathryn!" "Chakotay! What are you doing here?" "The same as you, I suspect. For the experience and the adventure." "Guilty as charged," Kathryn said. They laughed comfortably together. Chakotay suddenly sobered. "Kathryn, how have you been? It's been six months since Voyager's return. What have you been up to?" "I'm fine Chakotay. But I've missed you," then she added quickly, "and the rest of the crew." Chakotay pretended he hadn't noticed her attempt to cover up. "Starfleet kept me so busy, I lost track of everyone. Then my sister had a serious illness..." "Oh, Kathryn, is she all right?" Chakotay did not try to mask his concern for her or those she cared about. "She's fine now, thank goodness. But, it kept me hopping there for a while." Kathryn said, sighing a bit as if it were only that moment that the situation had passed. "I'm glad to hear she is better." Chakotay offered Kathryn his warmest, most reassuring smile. Then, he realized that he'd been so startled at seeing Kathryn, that he hadn't questioned the direction she'd come from. "Uh, Kathryn," he started, angling his head toward the door she'd come through, "does this mean we have adjoining rooms?" "Oh! I guess you're right. I can't imagine how...." She was interrupted by the voice of the computer. "Incoming communication from Tom Paris for Chakotay. Do you wish to receive?" Chakotay noted Kathryn's confused expression as he made to respond. He gave her a look that promised an explanation later. "Yes, put it through." "Chakotay!" Tom's breathless voice filled the room. "You won't believe it. You know those 'new and improved' holodecks you read about?" "Yes. But what..." "Well, Seven just drowned in one. Someone tampered with the safeties, and she drowned during her swimming lesson." "Spirits, we're not even out of space dock!" Chakotay said. "Tom, where are you?" Kathryn interjected. "Captain? Is that you?" "Yes, Tom. Tell us where you are?" "Deck 5, section 6." Tom supplied. "We'll be right there." Kathryn answered, in full command mode. "Guess we'll have to sort this out later," Chakotay said, referring back to the connecting door. "Yes, I suppose so," Kathryn answered, as they hurried toward the turbolift. ~*~ Part Three by Cloud Dancing Kathryn and Chakotay entered the turbolift, Chakotay gave the computer their destination. As the lift commenced its journey, Chakotay had time to observe Kathryn. She was wearing civilian clothes, so she must have arrived a little earlier than he had, as he was still dressed in his Starfleet uniform. She looked a little tired; her hair, which was now as long as it had been the first time he's seen her, was loose around her shoulders, a single barrette holding it back from her face. He could see the concern on her face, Seven had been another of Kathryn's "projects" the initial hostility between the two had mellowed into mutual respect and even affection, the death of Seven would be a painful blow for Kathryn. "Deck 5, Section 6," intoned the voice of the computer as the lift came smoothly to a halt. An agitated Tom Paris greeted them as they exited the lift. "Hi Captain, sorry we have to get reacquainted under such circumstances," he told her, whilst ushering them both towards a cabin a few yards along the hallway. "We're not going to the holodeck?" queried Kathryn. "Er, no, Captain there's some people I think you ought to meet first," replied Tom, tapping gently on cabin door, which opened immediately to allow the three ex-Voyagers to enter. Kathryn and Chakotay were greeted by three more of the original Voyager's crew. Neelix, looked even more rotund than when they had last seen him; his bizarre taste in clothes had not abated. Kathryn, was momentarily dazzled by the lurid purple and silver outfit that Neelix was wearing. The EMH, however seemed to be sporting a very staid outfit by comparison, it appeared to be some form of uniform, complete with peaked cap with a gold insignia embroidered on the band. The third ex-Voyager, was Tuvok, he was in Starfleet uniform, the three pips on his collar denoting full commander's rank. An additional badge was attached to his right sleeve. "Captain, Chakotay, it's good to see you again," began Tuvok. "This is a most bizarre occurrence, we need to unravel this mystery as soon as possible," he continued. "I cannot imagine that someone would want to harm Seven in this way," answered Kathryn. Tom Paris muttered something quietly, Chakotay, however was near enough to catch the utterance, he glanced sideways at Tom, he winked quickly at the former helmsman, indicating his concurrence with Tom's "Oh I could think of a few!" "Tuvok what is that insignia on your sleeve?" inquired Kathryn. "It is the badge of the new Delta Quadrant Security Force, Captain," answered the Vulcan, with almost a hint of pride in his normally neutral tones. "Oh that must be a fairly new innovation!" she replied. "It has been set up within the last few weeks, I am to head the squadron responsible for security at the adjoining perimeters of the alpha and delta quadrants." "Yep, old Tuvok is Chief of Police now" laughed Tom, grinning at the Vulcan, despite the warning glance Tuvok was giving him. "Well guess that makes you the detective in charge of the case, Tuvok," ventured Chakotay. "I agree Tuvok; you have more experience of this sort of thing than any of us, perhaps this Braga chap might need your assistance?" said Kathryn, who observed the look of distaste that momentarily flashed across the face of the usually inscrutable Vulcan. "Now I wonder what it is about this Braga person that makes even Tuvok dislike him?" mused Kathryn to herself. "In that case I suggest we all make our way to the 'scene of the crime', as one might say," replied Tuvok ushering them all out of the cabin and towards the turbolift. The large lift easily accommodated them all. "The holo-pool is aft; we have to go through the coach section to reach it," the EMH informed the others, Tom choked off a chuckle, "Hey, Mr. Conductor, you sure know your job!" "Conductor?" queried a puzzled Chakotay. "Yes, Commander; I thought I would like to experience a different way of life other than as a Starship doctor, so I signed on as the conductor. However, the management of this enterprise are unaware of my true identity," the EMH informed Chakotay. "Boy this gets even more weird, we have the chief of police and now an undercover agent on board!" sighed Chakotay. Kathryn gave a bark of laughter. "Didn't I tell you that 'weird' is part of the job?" The lift came to a halt. All six off them made their way through the coach section, where Kathryn, in particular, observed a group of about two dozen mature female passengers, who appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, by the sound of things. They appeared to wearing identical shirts which had a small motive embroidered over the left breast pocket, it looked like two letters intertwined, Kathryn thought they could have been J/C. Snatches of their conversation drifted across the room: "NC17 is a must!" "Plots are superfluous!" "Continuity is everything!" Kathryn wondered if they were a group of writers, holding a traveling seminar. As they passed out of the coach compartment, she caught one final sentence; "The man has a great butt!" Finally they came to the holo-pool. Tuvok keyed in the code for entry, and they all stepped inside. Instead of the pool scene that Kathryn had been expecting, the deck was now a plain room, rather like an office. However, an even greater shock awaited her, as the person sitting in the high backed swivel chair spun around to great them. "Seven!" gasped Kathryn. "Captain Janeway," answered the tall blonde former Borg, who appeared to be very much alive. "Explanation now!" demanded Kathryn, her angry tones brooking no argument. ~*~ Part 4 by Boz Seven rose from her chair and there was a gasp as everyone took in her appearance. She was dressed in an Admiral's full dress uniform and yet on her sleeve was the new insignia which Tuvok was also sporting. Things were getting even weirder! The ex-Voyagers shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot and didn't seem to know what to say. Even Kathryn seemed momentarily stunned, unable to continue her angry demands and not knowing how she should act. "I am not at liberty yet to discuss the meaning of all this with you," Seven stated imperiously. "There is someone you need to meet." She strode across to the door, keyed in the entry code and stepped back with a slightly startled look on her face.... gathered close around the opening door was the group of mature female passengers whom Kathryn had noticed earlier. Several of them held PADDS and others had holo-cameras. An excited murmur rose from the group and Kathryn noticed that all of their attention seemed to be concentrated on Chakotay. For some reason, which she didn't want to examine just now, this fueled her anger. Chakotay, who had been watching Seven, swung around and noticed the women. One in particular was trying to catch his eye and Kathryn was fascinated to look from one to the other as they finally made eye contact. There was a look which passed between the woman and Chakotay which seemed to say they had had a close encounter somewhere in a past life. Chakotay blushed as the woman winked at him and mouthed "Remember that hotel bed?" Kathryn was furious. Just then, the group of women parted and began to hiss and boo as a small, unpleasant looking man wearing a Captain's uniform pushed his way between them. Seven smiled as she led him forward to meet the people gathered in the room and ignored the disappointed groans as the door swooshed shut. "I would like you to meet the illustrious captain of the DQ Express, Captain Braga. We owe you some explanations and now is the time." ~*~ Part 5 by Guinan The group made their way into the briefing room, everyone taking their seats while Seven and Captain Braga stood at the head of the table. Captain Braga opened his mouth to speak when Kathryn interrupted. "Seven, what is going on here?" "Capt... Kathryn, we apologize for the ruse of my untimely death. There have been several attempts on my life recently, and several on Captain Braga as well. The last attempt on Bran.. I mean >cough< Captain Braga was almost successful. Had I not been on hand to suck the venom out, he would not be sitting here with us now." "Or at least not as comfortably," Tom whispered to Chakotay. Captain Braga had the good grace to blush at this point, looking slightly amused Seven continued. " We thought that if the killer thought he or she had succeeded, that it was possibly that he would get careless and we could capture him. I pointed out to Captain Braga that this plot, er plan was flawed, however he maintained that it had been done before with great success and that he could do it as well or better." At this point Neelix commented, "Well, it certainly fooled us! Why did you abandon the plan so quickly?" Seven gave the short man next to her a scathing glance as she explained. "Well, it seems that the Captain implemented the plan without coordinating the time with me. As a result, several passengers and crew saw me alive and well after my unfortunate accident. He is convinced that those who saw me are in all probability not the killers and mentally deficient enough not to remember what they saw from one day to the next. I, however, am not convinced of this, so upon learning that you all were on board decided to ask your help. " "Of course we'll help you, Seven." Kathryn replied followed by the assent of those sitting around the table. Tuvok as reached for a padd from the table he asked for any information that could be helpful, as well as a information on why their lives were at peril. Seven moved back and forth with her hands behind her back as she replied. "It seems that some people are less than thrilled that I achieved the promotion to Admiral without even attending Starfleet Academy. As for Captain Braga, we are not quite sure; one theory is that he is being blamed for the death of someone named 'Jetcee'. Now who that is or when that murder took place is uncertain, some say it was on stardate 49690.1 on some distance unnamed planet. Others maintain it happened on stardate 53567.4, in the town of Fair Haven. The other theory is that the same people who were upset at my promotion found out that the Captain here is the one who brought me to the attention of TPTB in Starfleet and therefore is totally responsible for my new rank and position." In another aside to Neelix, Tom whispered "Unlike the position which got her that rank." Neelix stifled a chortle as Tuvok raised his eyebrow in disapproval. When Seven finally finished the briefing, he continued to input data while he spoke. "It's getting late and we can accomplish no more tonight. I suggest we adjourn for now while I make inquiries about the information you've just told us." Looking up he concluded, "Maybe some of us will come up with more clues and we will convene in dining room first thing in the morning." With a nod of his head they knew, they were dismissed. ~*~ Tom caught up with Kathryn and Chakotay as they entered the turbolift. "Well, this trip is sure getting off to a interesting start." "To say the least" Chakotay replied. "What do you think about all this, Kathryn?" "I don't like it one bit. That Captain Braga... there is something about him." Chakotay looked at Tom who nodded at him, then back to Kathryn. " We felt it too, like we should know this man yet..." "Be wary of him?" Tom finished. "Exactly! Something about him, his shifty eyes maybe..." The turbolift stopped and Tom stepped out, as the doors shut Chakotay chuckled softly, Kathryn looked at him curiously. "Hehe what I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall when Tom tells B'Elanna about Seven's new rank." Kathryn had to laugh as well " Oh dear; we may have to add her to our list of suspects!" Together the former command team laughed at the thought. The turbolift stopped again and they both made their way out to their adjoining rooms, as Chakotay keyed his entry code in he turned to Kathryn, "I'm starved. Would you like to join me for something to eat and maybe we can go over this data once more, could be there is something we missed." "Sounds good to me; I could go for a sandwich and coffee right about now." As they entered his room, Chakotay was about to make a comment on her long time coffee addiction when suddenly the lights went out. The ship lurched sideways suddenly and he felt Kathryn's body hit his then both of them were on the floor. Before they could regain their equilibrium, they heard an announcement: ::beeboop:: "This is the First Officer speaking. Due to circumstances beyond our control, it seems that the ship has run into a small subspace string, nothing to be alarmed about. However, we will be with anything beyond basic life support for a couple of hours. If you are in a cabin, or one of the dining or recreational rooms please STAY EXACTLY where you are. For those trapped in corridors or turbolifts, teams are making their way around to lead you to safe areas. We thank you for your cooperation." Chakotay lay still as they listened to the announcement, even though his arms were around Kathryn, he was not holding her tightly yet she made effort to move away. He lay there enjoying her softness laying against him in the pitch blackness. Finally, she moved slightly adjusting her weight on her arms, but still not moving away. "Well... I guess this means I don't get my coffee." "Hmmm I guess not. No food either" "Are you comfortable?" "Fairly." She shifted slightly again. Was it his imagination or did she intentionally rub herself across his hips? "So no coffee, no food... what do we do for the next couple of hours?" "I don't know. He did say to stay exactly where we are, didn't he?" "Yes, he sure did." "That narrows the field of possibilities doesn't it? Not like we can disobey a direct order, can we?" "No Ma'am!" Once again, he felt her shift her weight on him. "So what do we do?" "If you don't stop that fidgeting I'll..." "You'll what?" With that Chakotay kissed her passionately. ~*~ Part 6 by Spiritssong Chakotay was beginning to like this position on the floor and getting a warm fuzzy feeling. He began to nibble along Kathryn's neck and ease his hand underneath her jacket, when the lights came on and buzzers began sounding. What a time for the power systems to kick in, he thought to himself. Suddenly, there was the most terrifying scream he had ever heard. Janeway and Chakotay both jumped up and ran to the corridor to see what had happened. Everything was chaos. B'Elanna and Tom were near 7of 9's quarters when they heard the scream. They rushed in to see what would cause a Borg to scream like that. Seven had never shown this much emotion before. There, to their shocked senses, was Seven standing over a bed, nude from the waist up, looking at a reclining Braga nude from the waist down. Seven was pacing up and down the side of the bed mumbling something like, "Now what am I going to do? Will I be demoted because everyone knows how I got this position? Brannon is the only one tha..." her words we becoming incoherent. Tom picked up Seven's admiral's jacket and shoved it towards her, "Here... put this on before the others get here," he told her. B'Elanna was covering the dead body of Mr. Braga. She couldn't help glancing at his nude lower half as she pulled the covers up over him. She choked back a laugh as she noticed his shriveled manhood. Soon Chakotay and Kathryn along with Tuvok and Neelix, Harry Kim and one or two others were gathering in the room. Tom spoke up. "Keep everyone OUT, Mr. Braga is dead and it doesn't look like natural causes." Chakotay noticed the body was already taking on a greenish color with some yellow pigmentation. "Quick, get his body to sick bay so he can be examined," Janeway ordered from force of habit. ~~~~ Later, the EMH had finished his examination of Braga's body and although he found what caused the death, he was unsure of how it had gotten into Mr. Braga's system. "Well?" Janeway said, "Speak up; tell us what killed the man!" The Doctor looking bored replied, "It's very simple; he has been injected with a serum made from the plant Kartoba, long thought extinct. His body reacted to it and the less used parts began to shrivel up and die. His brain was the second part to dry up." The Doc suppressed a grin and looked toward Seven when he made the last remark. "Where would anyone get such a serum?" Chakotay asked. "The Borg had a well stocked laboratory, including a supply of this serum," volunteered Seven of Nine. "Then I guess we know who the murderer is!" piped up B'Elanna, well known for her dislike of the Borg/Human. "No, we don't" Tuvok spoke up. "Logically speaking, Seven would not have been so blatant as to murder her lover with something that only the Borg would have." "Then who?" asked Neelix. "Let's just assume for now that it was indeed a Borg that did this thing," replied Tuvok "We must ask ourselves 'why would a Borg want Mr. Braga dead?' Then the next logical question would be how they injected the serum into his body." "I can tell you why the Borg hated Mr. Braga," Seven spoke as she looked into the accusing faces around the room. "They hated him because at one time just the name 'Borg' struck fear into the hearts and minds of all species. They were undefeatable; no one encountered the Borg and lived. They hold Mr. Braga responsible into making them just another enemy alien, something for Janeway and crew to conquer just to improve their popularity among the 'others' that are aboard this ship now." "Well, if you didn't do it, who did?" asked a rather irate person with the J/C icon on her Jacket. "Obviously, it was someone whom the Borg trusted to carry out their plan," added Harry Kim. "I think we should investigate this further; we have a murderer on board." Chakotay stated matter of factually. ~*~ Part 7 by Delta "You have stated the obvious, Commander," responded Tuvok rather sharply, turning to the rest of the assembled group. "I would like to designate all of you to teams with specific assignments, in order that we can pursue this investigation in an orderly and efficient manner." His eyes scanned the nine people standing in a semi-circle around the makeshift autopsy table. "Let's break into five teams. We will need to interview other crew members on board and determine any links between them and the Borg, as well as ascertaining their relationships with Mr. Braga and where they were at the time of his demise. I shall remain here in the lounge car, which we can use as a command center." He noted that there were four of the women present who wore the strange insignia. "Ladies, I am deputizing you four to join on us in our investigations. Do you have any problems with aiding us?" Their replies came fast and furious and tumbled over one another. "No!" "Of course not!" "You bet your sweet bippie!" "Can I be on his team?" one of them asked, grabbing Chakotay's arm. "Please... please," Tuvok said. "We must proceed in orderly fashion, ladies!" "Of course," answered the one of them who seemed to be their leader. "We will do anything you want," she nodded. Tuvok looked at the group sternly. "Very well. Mr. Paris, would you and Lt. Torres form one team. And you," he said pointing to the J/C leader, "please join them. Mr. Kim and Mr. Neelix... you and this woman can work together," -- he signaled to a tall J/Cer with long brown hair. His third team consisted of Janeway, Chakotay and one of the remaining two J/Cers... but not the one who had latched onto Chakotay earlier; this one he assigned to work with the doctor and Seven. The woman tried to hide her disappointment. "Does everyone have a communicator?" There negative nods from the four new members to the group, and a scramble was made to locate one for each of them. That problem solved, Tuvok continued. "I want each of your teams to interview a senior staff member and get facts from them. We shall reconvene here in one hour unless there is a need to do so earlier. Please check in with me every ten minutes. And... I needn't tell you... be careful out there." He assigned their interviewees to them and the group spread out. Tom, B'Elanna and the tall blonde woman - they quickly learned to call her "CeeDee" - headed towards the bridge of the ship, hoping to get comments from the first officer and helmsman, whom they understood had known Captain Braga for quite some time. B'Elanna's hair was flying, as the long steps of Tom and CeeDee outpaced her shorter ones. "Don't you think that theses officers will be staunch allies of Braga's? Why should they be suspect?" "Hmphhh," muttered CeeDee. "That's not what I've heard. Let's see - the first officer's name is Rick Berman, isn't it? I understand that he wanted to get Braga assigned to another ship as soon as possible... that they had had quite a few open tiffs in front of the crew..." Tom joined in. "Yeah; and I've seen documentation of problems between him and helmsman Jeri Taylor. She was all for taking the ship into new, unexplored areas, and he told her that her ideas wouldn't appeal to the majority of potential travelers. So... it looks like we might have two very possible leads right here. It should prove to be interesting." ~*~ Doc and Seven and their new partner, who quickly announced to them that she hailed from the area where Tom Paris had once been incarcerated. "Why anyone would consider my country as a form of punishment, I'll never know," she told them. Seven, pale in her remorse, merely gave Kiwi (for this was her name) a supercilious look. "Your statement is irrelevant and immaterial to the task at hand. Please consider any future statements before you speak." "Manners, now, Seven; remember what I've taught you," the doctor reminded her, placing his arm around her. "However, I do realize that you are grieving..." "Hmphhh..." said Kiwi, as they continued their trip to astrometrics, in order to chat with the lieutenant stationed there, Ron Moore. They rounded a corner, only to find someone running equally fast in their direction. The compact woman had her head in a book, oblivious to the approaching team. "PsychLady!" Kiwi called out. "Just the person we need! Join us as we try to find out who did in Capt. Braga!" PsychLady was all smiles. "Ooooooo... this will be very interesting!" "May I inquire what you mean by that comment?" Seven queried icily. "Later," said the EMH, as they arrived at astrometrics. Lt. Moore was concentrating on images flashing across the viewscreen as the foursome came into the section. He neither looked up nor smiled at them. "I've been expecting you. Actually, people have been all over me ever since that little mission about a year ago when I told Braga that we were headed in the wrong direction, and offered some innovative new ways to explore; but he quickly found a way to get me off the bridge and out of his way. So... you see how I'm stuck down here all the time..." Doc, Seven, Kiwi and PsychLady looked at each other with their eyes wide with speculation. This man was certainly one pissed-off crew member! ~*~ Harry, Neelix and their J/C member, a tall brunette who said that she'd like to be called Crichton, thank you very much, were on their way to transporter room #1, where Lt. Commander Joe Menosky was stationed for the time being. As chief of operations, he had worked hand-in-hand with Capt. Braga for many years, charting the potential journeys of the DQ... working out flight plans; activities that might appeal to their costumers... that sort of thing. He had even put many of his ideas into action, to the great delight of those around him. Surely he couldn't be a suspect, the threesome mumbled. They were about halfway to their destination when they were joined by another on of the female passengers, one whom Critchton seemed to know quite well. "EssEss!" she shouted, running to hug the smaller woman. "Now that you're here, I know that we'll get some action!" "Um... welcome," said Neelix, his orange whiskers fluttering, his little pointed teeth gleaming in a Talaxian smile. "The more the merrier!" He laughed uproariously at his little joke, playing on the name of the person they were going to talk with. They hurriedly continued on their trek to the transporter room. ~*~ The last team, composed of Kathryn Janeway, Chakotay, and a small intense woman who referred to herself as PQ (although the others called her 'Poetry Queen'), grabbed the nearest turbolift to take them to engineering, to chat with the chief engineer, Commander Majel Roddenberry, and her associate, Ensign Lisa Klink. "I cannot imagine either of these women to be suspect," Janeway stated firmly. "They have both been involved in other projects with Capt. Braga." "You do remember, though," Chakotay continued, "that the chief never shows up in person when he's around. And Ens. Klink has refused to have anything to with him for months. They do seem to bear some animosity, wouldn't you think?" "When the chips are all down And the crew wears a frown Better look for a reason Before the end of the season Or everyone will surely drown," said PQ strangely. Chakotay chuckled at her words. "I've felt drowned for years now!" Janeway elbowed him in the ribs. "Only because you never read your scripts, you bozo!" He tapped her gently with his fist. "Yeah... but you've never liked all his obsession with time travel." Her laughter lit up the halls. "Touche, Commander." PQ turned seriously to them. "I've heard it said, those it seems bizarre That there's a ghost hiding behind some star. Some say that it's all untrue Others claim that it's the Great Blue- Bird of the galaxy, Gene himself from afar." Janeway and Chakotay looked at each other, their eyes wide with sudden perception. "That's it!" they cried out together. "PQ, I think you might have the answer," Chakotay said, grabbing the startled woman's arm. "Let's get to engineering right away!" The trio picked up their speed and raced to the section. Commander Roddenberry met them at the door. "I knew that you would be coming sooner or later. I suppose you want the entire story." "Could we invite the rest of our investigative teams first?" asked Janeway. "Of course," the chief said, her voice so familiar to all for decades. "I'm sure that he would want everyone to know." Chakotay immediately summoned Tuvok, telling him that the mystery was about to be revealed... to call everyone to engineering. The older woman sat down at the engineering conn, as she began her long tortuous tale... of how over the pat years since his demise, the spirit of her husband roamed restlessly in the limbo of Trekdom, watching as his vision became diluted and impotent. Oh, there had been some people who had shown touches of genius, in bringing characterization, good stories and the positive moral tone to the stories. But, as of late, these decent, honest, sincere motives had been sacrificed by Capt. Braga for the false gods of big business and the almighty buck. (At this point, her dark eyes shot out at the tall blonde paramour of the late Mr. BB...) Gene was crying out in eternal pain with the pathetic way things were happening; something had to be done. "He himself contacted the Borg for the fatal dose of Kartoba plant serum. Then, he told me that he would come aboard the DQ express, and find a means of administering the serum to Braga." The older woman looked around the room, catching the eye of all in attendance, stopping when she reached Seven. "You... because you are still part Borg, are immune to effects of the serum. So, he coated your entire body with the substance, knowing that Braga's intimate relationship with you would allow the substance to enter his body in a variety of ways." Roddenberry's eyes beamed as she continued. "How apropos that his demise would come at the hand... or whatever other part of your anatomy you might choose!... of his Golden Girl, the one whom he thought would set things right but was actually the character furthest away from any of Gene's visions. "Yes, yes; Gene did it, and I guess I'm an accomplice, for I knew it was coming, but just didn't know how it would happen. So, Mr. Tuvok, I guess you had better arrest me now." The Vulcan slowly walked over to her. "I think not. I do believe that all here, perhaps even Seven, would agree that this man was leading us astray, and perhaps it was time for a mutiny of some sort. Indeed... by his actions, Mr. Roddenberry may have saved the future of Star Trek. And I cannot understand how I could apprehend an apparition; surely that would be even more implausible than some of Capt. Braga's ideas." He turned to the rest of the group. "Are we in agreement that no further action is necessary?" The doctor cleared his throat. "Well... I guess I could amend my report to say that... um... Capt. Braga died of natural causes while engaged in..." "... 'daily calisthenics'?" offered Tom Paris, as everyone tried to stifle their laughter. "Sounds good to me, people," responded Janeway. "Now... let's get some decent leadership here and get on with this journey. I, for one, am looking forward to some more interesting and challenging times." She looked out over the group of women who had joined them. "And you, ladies... I think could help us out a lot. Want to give it a shot?" Their cheers range out across the wide galaxy, for they knew they could do just that, if only given a chance. ~*~ From far off, in another time and place, a Great Spirit of the Galaxy let out a sigh, knowing that he had taught them all well. ~~~ THE END ~~~

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