The 37's and the Voyager hostages wait. Noonan drinks from a hip-flask, watched by a concerned Earhart. She tells him gently: "Now's probably not the best time for that, Fred." Noonan puts the flask away. "Just a little pick-me-up."

The Voyager crew look on. Paris comments: "He's had a few nips from that flask, Captain. We could probably rush him, get the gun." Janeway: "Let me try to talk to Earhart first. She seems reasonable. Maybe I can get through to her."

She approaches Earhart. "Miss Earhart. I want you to know: you've always been an inspiration to me. Because of you generations of women have become pilots." Earhart: "Generations?! What's your name?" Janeway: "Kathryn Janeway." Earhart: "I heard the Commander call you Captain. What exactly do you captain?" Janeway: "The Federation starship Voyager." "Starship?" Earhart laughs. "That's supposed to mean it flies through space?" Janeway: "That's right." Earhart: "That isn't possible, only in books - H.G. Wells, Jules Verne." Janeway: "Maybe if you saw it you'd think otherwise." Earhart: "Saw it? Where is it?" Janeway: "On the surface. We're actually about a hundred metres underground now. If you'd come with me to see Voyager, you'd realise that what we're telling you is true." Earhart: "And risk a trap? No, you could have hundreds of reinforcements out there." Janeway: "I assure you, we have no interest in harming you. We took you out of stasis to help you." Earhart: "Put yourself in my shoes, Captain. If you were me, would you believe your story?" Janeway: "Maybe not. Let me tell you some of what happened after you....disappeared over the Pacific. No trace of you or your plane was ever found in spite of a massive search. Over the years there was a lot of speculation about your flight, including a rumour that it was financed by the government and may have been part of an operation to gather information about the Japanese." Earhart: "Where did you hear that?" Janeway: "It's somewhat common knowledge. You see, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, drawing the United States into a massive world war. In retrospect, your journey was seen in a different light, perhaps as part of an intelligence mission devised by a government deeply concerned about Japanese war plans." Earhart: "No one was supposed to know about that." Janeway: "Maybe not in 1937. Now, it's part of history."

	Noonan comes swaggering up to them, his swagger induced by his being rather drunk. "Hey, I got an idea. Why don't we stick 'em in these things?" He means the stasis units. "Put 'em to sleep like we were? No fuss, no trouble." Janeway: "Mr Noonan, that would accomplish nothing. Please, let us take you to our ship. You'll see that everything we've told you is true." Noonan: "Show me how to operate this thing." Earhart to Noonan: "The last time I looked, you were working for me! And I think we should listen to these people. They may just be telling the truth." She disarms Noonan.
	Earhart: "Where's the harm in seeing if they do have this starship? Beats being cooped up in here trying to figure out what happened." Noonan looks down. She turns to the other 37's. "How about it? Anyone want to come along?"
	The farmer gauges the others' reactions. They are not enthusiastic. He answers: "I wouldn't mind taking a look." Janeway: "Anyone else?" Noonan: "You're not leaving me behind." Paris: "Kes and I will stay with the others. Janeway takes charge. "It'll take about ten minutes to get to the surface. Stay close to us." She says: "Mr Kim," indicating that he is to join her and those 37's deciding to leave.

Tuvok, Chakotay and a security force exit Voyager. Tuvok is using a tricorder. Chakotay: "What is it? Tuvok: "I'm reading energy displacements, possibly alien lifesigns, 200 metres ahead." They go in that direction.

	Snipers who are inhabitants of the planet watch from their secret vantage point on the hill.
	Just as Tuvok reports: "They may be up there." the snipers open fire. Chakotay: "Take cover! Get down!" They try to fire back.

	Janeway leads Kim, Noonan, Earhart and the farm out of the cave. "This way."
	They hear the nearby sounds of weapons fire." Farmer: "What was all that racket?"

Janeway: "Take cover!"

	Noonan: "I told you it was a trap!" As he speaks he falls as a bullet hits him. He shrieks in agony. Kim rushes over and drags him into cover.
	The farmer and Janeway take cover in the same area. She taps her combadge. combadge "Janeway to Chakotay." Chakotay, via comms: "I'm here, Captain. We're pinned down!" Janeway, via comms: "I can see you from here. Lay down phaser fire. I'm going to circle around to your left, try to come at them from the rear. Chakotay: "Right."
	Via comms: "Chakotay to Voyager." Torres, via comms: "Torres here, Commander." Chakotay, via comms: "Can you give us some help down here?" Torres, via comms: "I don't think so. The targetting scanners are still useless. I can't risk laying down weapons fire if I don't know where it's going." Chakotay, via comms: "Try to get them online." They end contact.

Tuvok and Chakotay time their joint diversion. Simultaneously they fire up at the snipers who fire back.

	They wait.
	The diversion works. Janeway comes up behind the three snipers.