EPISODES FEATURING CHEZ SANDRINE - illustrated episode excerpt

THE CLOUD

Tom Paris picks the security lock on Harry Kim's door, enters and wakes his friend late at night to introduce him to the Chez Sandrine holoprogram. Kim, and thus the television viewer, is introduced to the new holoprogram as follows: Paris, as he and Kim stand at the holodeck controls on the wall-mounted interface just outside the holodeck: "Computer, activate holodeck program Paris-3." The holodeck doors open and Paris waves Kim inside. The doors close behind them. They enter the Holodeck and find themselves outside a night club called Chez Sandrine, Marseilles, Earth. A jolly, laughing alien comes out as they approach the entrance. The first sight to greet them as they enter is the bar's pool table which takes up a prominent position almost in the middle of the place. Several of the holographic customers are clustered around the pool table, in mid-game. As Kim and Paris enter, everyone there (who are all holocharacters) greet Paris warmly. "Hey, Tom!" "Hey, Tom, how're you doing?" Paris to Kim: "What do you think?" Kim: "What is it, a French bistro?" Paris: "This is where I spent most of my second semester at the Academy. I chose the Starfleet base outside of Marseille for physical training. I always had a thing about the French." Holo-Sandrine welcomes Paris with a kiss and a close embrace. "And the French always had a thing about you Monsieur Thomas. And with a name like Paris and a face like that how could anyone resist?" Paris: "Sandrine, this is my friend Harry Kim." Holo-Sandrine: "Enchanté." She holds out her hand for Kim to kiss. Not understanding, he shakes it. Paris: "Sandrine owns the place. It's been in her family over 600 years." A holo-woman calls him. "Tommy. It's about time." She approaches Paris, embraces and kisses him. "I've been waiting for you." Paris: "This is Ricky. I include her in all my holoprograms." Holo-Ricky to Kim: "Hi." Kim: "Hi." Holo-Ricky complains to Paris. "Your friend the gigolo wouldn't leave me alone." Holo-Gigolo to Paris, apologetically. "It's what I do, Tom. Nothing personal." Paris describes the holo-Gigolo to Kim: "French father, Daliwakan mother." Holo-Sandrine is jealous as holo-Ricky continues to embrace Paris. "She justs sits down and waits for you, eh, like a little puppy dog?" Paris: "I wouldn't have it any other way." Holo-Sandrine: "Oh, really, I thought you liked your women with a little bite." Holo-Ricky to holo-Sandrine: "Everyone knows about your bite, Sandrine. It's when you start sucking blood they get scared." Paris ignores the female by-play. Holo-Sandrine turns her attentions to Kim. She puts her arms around his neck as embraces him, making Kim feel uncomfortable. "Monsieur, can I get you something to drink?" Kim: "Just a cup of tea." Hearing this Paris comes over to him and takes him toward a table. "Harry! This is France." He calls out: "Break open a bottle of that '46 St Emilion you saved behind the bar for me." Kim: "I don't like to drink this late at night. I get an acid heartburn." Paris: "Harry, it's holographic wine - doesn't give you acid. Try to get in the mood, huh?" Kim: "Sorry." Paris: "I learned a great deal that semester at the Academy. Most of it right here." Holo-Sandrine, as she pours the wine: "And most of it from me." Paris: "I found this place just after my pocket was picked walking by the harbour." Kim: "Somebody picked your pocket? On Earth?" Paris: "Oh, they just do it for tourists. They give it back, most of the time." Their attention is drawn to the pool table where a holocharacter is playing superbly, hitting the pre-designated balls into pre-called pockets. Paris: "You see that pool table, Harry? The table at Sandrine's in Marseille has attracted the world's greatest hustlers throughout the century. I thought it might be fun to program in some of the great players to shoot here. Gaunt Gary, Ames Pool Hall, New York City, 1953. They say that he hustled the great Willie Mosconi himself." Kim: "Mosconi? Is he some famous billiard player?" Gaunt Gary approaches Kim. Gaunt Gary: "Here's pool, kid. Pool. I don't suppose you'd care to wager a Finn on a game or two?" Paris: "He's not ready for you yet, Gary. Let me teach him a few tricks first." Gaunt Gary to Kim: "Watch out for him, kid. Can swallow your wallet without ever losing your smile." Kim: "I'll keep it in mind." He turns to Paris. "What's a Finn?" Paris: "I'm not sure. Some old kind of Scandanavian currency. Come on!" They leave the table for the pool table.

	Paris: "I'll rack 'em up, you pick out a cue."
	He is ready to play. As he goes to the other end of the table to start play: "Harry, this is my idea of home - my little piece of Earth out here in the Delta Quadrant."

	Kim: "You shrug it off, or you like to make the rest of think you're shrugging it off, but you miss it too, don't you?" Paris: "What?" He breaks. Kim: "Home." Paris: "Your shot, Harry."
	Kim smiles. He knows he is right and that Paris knows it too.

Kim appreciates that with USS Voyager so far away from Starfleet, Janeway as captain has no one of her own rank to socialise with. In a move that helps with the breaking down of the more conventional formal social barriers, Kim invites her to join him, and surprises her, and everyone else, by bringing her to the Chez Sandrine holoprogram.

In Chez Sandrine, holo-Ricky tells Paris, who is playing Chakotay at pool: "Oh, come on, Tommy, let's get outta here." Paris: "Easy, honey. I'm setting the Indian up for the big hustle." Holo-Ricky: "He's beating you." Paris: "Yeah, that's exactly what he's supposed to think too."

Janeway's entry causes a stir among the off-duty crew there who start to come to attention. "As you were," she tells them.

"Well, this is remarkable," looking round. "Mr Kim tells me this is your doing, Mr Paris."

Paris: "Er, yeah." Somewhat embarrassed: "It's just a little diversion."

The holo-Gigolo comes up to Janeway. "One always knows when a woman of good breeding enters the room." He kisses her hand. "Mon cherie. May I request your favourite song so that we may dance," Janeway seems charmed, "before I take you to my private felucca on the wharf and make passionate love to you."

Paris charges over. "Er, I'm sorry! If I had some kind of warning that you were coming-" Janeway: "You'd've changed it and I would've missed all the fun." She giggles.

Hologram Gaunt Gary comments to Torres in an aside: "Just don't see what the dolls see in the gigolo, do you? Now me, I've got a whole different approach to women: treat a lady like a tramp and a tramp like a lady. Never fails." Torres turns to Paris. "Paris, did you program this guy?"

Paris: "Yeah, why?" Torres: "He's a pig, and so are you." She moves away. Left on his on Gaunt Gary says to himself: "Almost never."

Janeway: "Is this pool or billiards?" Paris: "Er, pool." Janeway: "Right. Pool's the one with the pockets. Would you mind if I gave it a try?" The holo-Gigolo claps his hands and tells everyone: "Reculez-vous [stand back]. Give the handsome woman some room." To Tuvok, "Tell me, does she have money?" Tuvok ignores him.

Janeway: "Commander Chakotay, your stick?" Chakotay approaches and hands over his 'stick'. "It's called a cue, Captain." Janeway: "Cue." as he hands it to her. "Alright. So what do we do? Shall I go first?"

She breaks and four balls go straight into pockets!

Everyone is amazed. Janeway says, calling whether she chooses "stripes" or "solids" in the game, having pocketed several "solids" and thus to advance her score if she chooses them, but also an inference about the nature of the holographic balls feeling solid: "Solids." She obviously is not the beginner she first seemed!

Holo-Sandrine to Kim: "I saw that coming a mile away, didn't you? Ah, you've got a lot to learn, jeune homme, but then I've got a lot to teach." She kisses him but he moves back quickly.

Janeway has her head turned toward Paris as she says: "Eight ball in the side pocket."

Janeway hits the ball, still not looking, and it heads toward the black eight-ball.

Janeway is still not looking at the pool table as the ball goes straight into the side pocket giving her a spectacular win!