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 | "First Officer's log, stardate 52081.2. It's been 53 days since we entered this desolate region. If we want to continue our course toward home we have no choice but to cross it. We won't have an opportunity to take on fresh supplies of fuel so I've ordered all departments to create an energy reserve. We're using power cells to stockpile deuterium."
The screenshot shows two crewmembers carrying a power cell along a corridor. |
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Torres: "This won't be much of a briefing. There's nothing new to report."
Chakotay: "Humour me." Torres: "Alright, let's see. Warp core's at peak efficiency, just like last week and the week before that. And my engineering staff is going stir crazy." Chakotay: "Thanks." Indicating Kim: "Ensign." Kim: "Nada." Chakotay: "Can you be more specific." Kim: "All systems are operating within normal parameters." Chakotay: "Anything new on sensors?" Tuvok: "I've detected a sudden increase of theta radiation in the vicinity." Chakotay: "Source?" Tuvok: "Unknown." Chakotay: "Could be worth a look." Paris: "Finally some excitement. Radiation!" This raises a few chuckles. Chakotay: "Next piece of business. Crew morale." Doctor: "Deteriorating. Obviously." Neelix: "I have a few suggestions." Chakotay: "Please." Neelix: "Rotate crew assignments. Add variety to the daily routine. I myself wouldn't mind squeezing in a little tactical training." Tuvok, clearly with forbearance: "Noted." Neelix: "And the Holodecks have been in high demand. I was thinking we could install a few emitters in Cargo Bay 2, turn it into a third holodeck." Doctor: "Hear, hear." Chakotay: "Good idea. See to it, Harry." Neelix: "One other item, sir. A point of concern amongst some of the crew. It's the Captain, she's been a bit elusive lately." Chakotay: "What's your point?" Neelix: "People take comfort in talking to her. When they see that the Captain's happy they're happy." Paris: "Rumour has it she never leaves her quarters." Chakotay: "Captain's privilege. She'll come to the Bridge if and when she's needed." Torres: "Spare us the protocol, Chakotay. It's pretty odd, you've got admit it." Chakotay: "It's her choice. She can run this ship from wherever she the hell she wants to! Understood?" Torres: "Yeah, sure." Chakotay: "We're all feeling the pressure, including me." Kim: "Listen, maybe we've got the wrong attitude. Let's think of this as a two-year vacation." Chakotay: "Dismissed." As the meeting breaks up Paris and Torres banter with Kim using sarcasm." Torres: "Great idea, Harry." Paris: "Wow, Harry. How do you come up with these brilliant ideas?" Kim: "You're such an optimistic guy." |
 | Neelix suddenly awakes, suffering a panic attack. He calls out: "Computer, lights! Maximum level!" The computer obeys. He gets up, agitated. He goes over to the replicator seeking something to calm him down. He orders: "Bergamot tea, hot." But as he walks across the room with it he notices the utter blackness through the window. He promises himself: "First thing in the morning I replicate some curtains." |  |
| In the Messhall Paris and Torres are playing a game of derada, and Torres is losing again.
Torres: "Predictable." Paris: "Huh?" Torres: "The Novokovich Gambit. You always use that opening move." Paris: "That's because you always fall for it." Torres: "I feel like we've played this match a hundred times." Paris: "Derada is a game of subtlety." Torres: "Too subtle for me." Paris: "I'll bet." Torres: "What's that supposed to mean?" Paris: "Well, if it doesn't involve Klingon painstiks......" Torres: "'Night." Paris: "There you go, just when I'm winning. Who's predictable!" Torres: "You don't want to start a fight with me right now, not at 3 a.m. in the morning." Paris: "3 in the morning, 4 in the afternoon, what's the difference? You're angry 24 hours a day." Torres: "Everything is a joke to you." Neelix enters and comes over to them." Neelix: "Good evening or should I say good morning? Guess you couldn't sleep either." Paris: "Oh why sleep when we're having so much fun." Torres: "He's joking, Neelix, we're all supposed to laugh." Neelix: "I certainly am laughing, on the inside, smiling anyway. Let's start a new game, cards? Little snack?" Paris: "No, I have a better idea." To Torres: "Why don't we make a schedule, a fight rotation. We can optimise our resources. I can start one, then you can start one." Torres: "I am really tired of these games." Paris: "Well then, don't play them." Neelix: "Stop! You are senior officers! You're supposed to be setting an example for the rest- rest of the-" But while speaking Neelix suffers another attack and starts choking! |
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 | In Sickbay, Neelix comments: "Some morale officer I turned out to be."
Doctor: "I've given you a mild sedative. It should control the urge to hyperventilate and alleviate some of your anxiety." Neelix: "Anxiety? Anxiety's what I feel when I burn a pot roast. This, this is more like..." He stops, unable to think of the right words. Doctor: "Dizziness? Nausea? Unspeakable dread?" Neelix: "Yes." Doctor, making his diagnosis: "Nihiliphobia - the fear of nothingness. Or in layman's terms - the fear of Nothingness. If it's any consolation, I can relate to it. I go into a void every time I'm deactivated. Emptiness, complete and utter oblivion. I'll admit it was unsettling at first, the existential horror of it all." Neelix: "You're not helping, Doctor." Doctor: "Sorry. My point is: you'll get used to it." Neelix: "I hope so." |
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Seven enters the Astrometrics Lab to find Tuvok on the raised dais in meditation.
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In Janeway's quarters Chakotay is making his report.
Chakotay: "It's probably nothing, just background theta radiation. But it could mean there's someone nearby." Janeway: "Distance?" Chakotay: "Approximately 25 light-years." Janeway: "It's a long shot, but alter course." Chakotay: "Yes, ma'am." Janeway: "If that's all, Commander." Chakotay: "Actually I'd like to make a request. I've been saving up my holodeck rations and I've got three full hours coming. Any chance I might persuade you to join me for a few rounds of velocity? It'll help clear your mind." Janeway: "My mind is perfectly clear." Chakotay: "Then what if I told you I'm not leaving until you join me?" Janeway: "I'd say have a seat, it'll be a while." Chakotay: "Then I'll be blunt. You've picked a bad time to isolate yourself from the crew. This ship needs a captain, especially now." Janeway: "Would you be satisfied with: I'm just catching up on some reading? I'm not sure I understand it myself. It started when we entered this- What does the crew call it?" Chakotay: "The Void." Janeway: "Charming. Oh what I wouldn't give for a few Borg cubes about now, anything for a little distraction. Strange as it sounds, I almost long for the days when we were under constant attack, no time to stop and think how we got stranded in the Delta Quadrant. How did we end up here, Chakotay? Answer me." Chakotay: "We were faced with a difficult choice. We had the means to get home but using it would put an innocent people at risk so we decided to stay." Janeway: "No, no, I decided to stay. I made that choice for everyone." Chakotay: "We're alive and well, and we've gathered enough data about this Quadrant to keep Starfleet scientists busy for decades. Our mission's been a success." Janeway: "Very same words I've been telling myself for the past four years. But then we hit this Void and I started to realise how empty those words sound." Chakotay: "Kathryn-" Janeway: "I made an error in judgement, Chakotay! It was short-sighted and it was selfish, and now all of us are paying for my mistake. So if you don't mind, Commander, I'll pass on that little game, and I'll leave shipboard morale in your capable hands. If the crew asks for me, tell them the Captain sends her regards." |
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