PATHFINDER
Episode 130
Part E

 

Pathfinder lab. Harkins: "Computer, cut all power to the hologrid." Computer: "Unable to comply. Main power controls have been encrypted."

Harkins: "Very clever, Reg." The com. signal sounds. Via comms: "Security to Commander Harkins. We've lost him, sir." Harkins, via comms: "I've got an idea. I'm coming in."

Harkins enters holo-Voyager's Engineering and goes to a workstation. Holo-Torres: "I know you. You're Reg's friend. You've got something to do with what's going on here, don't you?" Harkins: "Computer, disengage primary coolant system." Holo-Torres, rushing toward the console: "Are you crazy?! That'll cause a warp core breach!"

Harkins: "Exactly." He fires his phaser at her.

Holo-Torres goes offline.

Barclay hurries onto holo-Voyager's Bridge. Holo-Janeway: "Mr Barclay, I want an explanation for what's going on aboard my ship." Barclay: "I'm looking after Voyager's best interests, Captain. You're just going to have to trust me on that."

Holo-Janeway: "You've never given me any reason to doubt you before." Barclay: "Computer, re-direct the wormhole's trajectory to Delta Quadrant, grid ten, sector 3658, and re-transmit the message." Computer: "Trajectory established. Transmitting." Holo-Kim: "Who are you trying to contact, Reg?"

Computer: "Warning: warp core breach in 45 seconds." Barclay realises he has little time as his message transmissions will end with the end of the holoprogram. Holo-Janeway, via comms: "Bridge to Engineering. Report."

Harkins enters. "Shut down the program, Reg." Holo-Janeway: "Janeway to Security. Intruders on the Bridge."

Barclay: "Computer, establish a forcefield around the Science station." Computer: "Warning: warp core breach in 30 seconds." Holo-Janeway: "Harry, get down to Engineering. Seal that breach."

Harkins: "Forcefields aren't going to help you, Reg. It's over." Barclay: "But this is my last chance." A klaxon sounds once. Computer: "Warp core breach in 20 seconds."

Holo-Janeway: "Captain to all hands. Abandon ship." A klaxon sounds once. Computer: "Warp core breach in 10 seconds."

Barclay says farewell to Holo-Janeway who is more real to him as a friend than many in real life.

Harkins: "One way or another, this program's going to end."
Computer: "7.....6.....5."
Barclay, to the puzzled Holo-Janeway, as the computer says "....5....": "Goodbye, Captain."
Computer: "4....3...."
Barclay: "Computer end program."
Computer: "2-"

The holoprogram ends. Holo-Janeway goes offline.

The holoprogram shuts down.....

....and leaves Barclay, Harkins and the Security guards in the empty Holodeck. My looped animated image consists of three screenshots, showing the closure of the holoprogram. Harkins, Barclay and the Security team end up on the empty holodeck.

Barclay realises he has failed.

The real Voyager, some 60,000 light years away, in the Delta Quadrant.

Seven is working in the Astrometrics Lab.

Neelix bounds through the doors. Neelix, eagerly: "I'm ready for my lesson."

Seven: "I've concluded that teaching you to sing is an inefficient use of my time." Neelix, feeling deflated: "But I, I've been, I've been practicing." Seven: "In your case, practice is irrelevant. Your vocal chords are incapable of producing basic diatonic tones, not to mention your rhythmic shortcomings." Neelix, feeling quashed: "I sound so good in the sonic shower." Seven: "Perhaps you should confine your efforts to that location."

There is an audio alert from the control console. She reads the instruments, then taps her combadge. "Astrometrics to the Bridge."

Voyager's Bridge. Janeway, via comms: "Go ahead, Seven."

Seven, via comms: "I've detected what appears to be a micro-wormhole at co-ordinates 194.6 by 35." Janeway, via comms, interested: "A micro-wormhole." Seven, via comms: "I believe a message is being transmitted through it, on a Starfleet emergency channel."

Chakotay is also interested in the micro-wormhole.

Janeway: "Let's hear it, Harry." Kim activates a control and Barclay's recorded and repeated transmission is heard but distorted: "Starfleet Command to USS Voyager. Come in, Voyager."

Janeway: "Try applying a narrowband filter to the signal processor."

Barclay, recorded transmission: "Do you hear me? This is Lieutenant Reginald Barclay." Kim: "That's it. Whoever this Barclay is, he stopped transmitting."

Tuvok: "The micro-wormhole is collapsing at a rate of .2 per cent per second."

Janeway: "That doesn't give us much time." Chakotay: "To do what?" Janeway: "To send a message back through and hope Mr Barclay is listening." She goes to Ops and helps Kim work on the problem.