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79 Concerning Flight]Page 4 : Flight from Tau.
 | On a hillside several kilometres from the storage facility, Janeway and Holo-Leonardo are walking as fast as possible, knowing that Tau's men are in pursuit. But Holo-Leonardo's ever-enquring mind is on the marvels he has seen.
Holo-Leonardo: "I cannot believe it. I will not believe it. My mind cannot accept the evidence of my eyes. Is this sorcery? Are we in Purgatory?" |
Janeway: "Neither. You said yourself this place was full of marvels."
Holo-Leonardo: "Marvels, yes, but this is magic. Enchantment, not science, and I refuse to believe in enchantment."
Janeway: "I'll explain later. We've got to keep moving!"
 | Holo-Leonardo: "No!" He stops. "I must understand. Catarina, to see objects disappear into thin air, to see lightning pass through my body. Are we spirits? Catarina, am I dead?"
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Janeway: "Let me ask you something. If you were something other than a human being, if you were a different kind of animal, if you were a small bird, a sparrow, what would your world be like?"
Holo-Leonardo: "I should make my home in a tree, in the branch of an elm. I should hunt insects for food, straw for my nest and in the springtime I should sing for a companion."
Janeway: "And you would know nothing of the politics of Florence, the cutting of marble or mathematics."
Holo-Leonardo: "Of course not."
Janeway: "But why not?"
Holo-Leonardo: "My mind would be too small."
Janeway: "As a sparrow your mind would be too small. Even with the best of teachers?"
Holo-Leonardo: "If Aristotle himself were to perch on my branch and lecture till he fell off from exhaustion, still the limits of my mind would prevent me from understanding."
Aristotle is considered to have been one of the greatest of the ancient Athenian philosophers, pupil of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. He lived 384-322 BC. In 1508-09 the painter Raphael composed the famous fresco "The School Of Athens" in which he depicted famous artists, with Leonardo as the literally central figure Plato.
Janeway: "And as a man can you accept that there may be certain realities beyond the limits of your comprehension?"
Holo-Leonardo: "I could not accept that. And I would be a fool."
Tau's guards approach within earshot. They hear one giving orders: "Spread out. You, come with me."
Janeway to Holo-Leonardo: "Come on."
Holo-Leonardo: "Catarina, this way. Up the hill. I know just the escape."
Meanwhile, on Voyager, Torres reports completion of repairs - they now have full navigation, full propulsion and full transporters. Sensors show Janeway and Holo-Leonardo have left the structure. Chakotay decides to take Voyager into a lower orbit to reach close enough, namely 500 kilometres from the surface, to lock onto the mobile emitter and thereby beam up the pair. Paris prepares to do some "fancy flying" to evade a number of Tau's ships which are likely to try to block Voyager's descent.
 | Hillside on the planet surface.
Holo-Leonardo: "Momento, Catarina. Escape, signorina, is very near." Janeway: "I'm starting to wonder." She looks up, shielding her eyes against the sun's glare. Aloud to herself: "Where are you, Chakotay?" |
 | Holo-Leonardo: "Help me to the summit." They carry on. |
When Voyager nears less than 900 kilometres from the planet surface, Tau's ships open fire.
 | Near the top of the hill on the planet.
Holo-Leonardo: "When Petrarch climbed Mount Verdoun and saw all Europe below him, he knew he was witnessing the birth of a new age. He was witnessing the Renaissance, the rebirth of our world. So, Catarina, at this summit here, you and I will be reborn - reborn, with wings!"
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Francesco Petrarca was an Italian poet famous for love lyrics, who lived 1304-1374.
 | She realises what he means. As they reach the summit she sees the full-size version of his prototype flying machine! |
 | She looks around. They are on a precipice!
Janeway: "This could be a problem." Holo-Leonardo: "Hurry. There's not much time." |
 | On the hilltop Janeway examines the flying machine.
Janeway: "You've made some improvements." |
 | Holo-Leonardo: "I took your advice after the last attempt, and increased the reach of the wings."
Janeway: "The angle of attack?" Holo-Leonardo: "Yes, yes, that too. Unfortunately, the River Arno is quite absent. This time, if we fail only the stones will break our fall." |
 | Janeway: "The wing is stationary. That's good. This looks like duranium alloy - should be light enough."
Holo-Leonardo: "Catarina, this time it will work."
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 | Their pursuers nearly catch up with them. The blue beam from a weapon passes near Janeway and Holo-Leonardo. |
 | Janeway hurriedly clambers into the flying machine. "Then let's find out."
Holo-Leonardo, already in his seat, fastens her in. |
Voyager's sensors detect weapons fire near Janeway's position - they are running out of time!
 | Hilltop.
Holo-Leonardo: "Together, up." Janeway: "Andiamo!" |
 | Their pursuers can only watch as..... |
 | Janeway and Holo-Leonardo quickly walk the machine to the edge and push off. |
 | The flying machine works - they soar through the air! |
 | Janeway and Holo-Leonardo are elated. |
 | Holo-Leonardo: "Catarina, we're flying!"
Janeway: "Like the birds!" Holo-Leonardo: "Like the birds!"
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 | They fly far out of the reach of their pursuers. |
 | Janeway and Holo-Leonardo are delighted with the machine's success and find it exhilarating to be flying! |
On Voyager, Tuvok reports: "I have a fix on the Captain. They are in," he hesitates for a fraction of a second as he registers surprise, "mid-air, on what appears to be a crude gliding apparatus."
Paris: "500 kilometres!"
Kim: "I'm locking on. Broad confinement beam."
Chakotay: "Energise."
 | The transport beam starts to take Janeway, Holo-Leonardo and the flying machine. They are beamed safely to Voyager, to cargo bay 1, complete with flying machine. Voyager then flees the planet and escapes Tau's ships. |
Later, with Voyager back on course to the Alpha Quadrant and the ship's computer and the Doctor's emitter returned to the proper places and with Janeway having some leisure time she visits the Da Vinci Holoscenario.
 | Holodeck - Leonardo da Vinci’s Workshop.
Janeway enters to find the Maestro packing. "Leonardo, where are you going?" Holo-Leonardo: "France. These Florentines do not deserve my genius. I have written to the King of France telling him of my adventures in the New World and invited him to soar with me off the towers of his castle." |
The King of France from 1st January 1515 (to 1547) was Francis I, who employed the elderly Leonardo on generous terms and gave him a substantial manor house.
 | Janeway: "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Holo-Leonardo: "Why not? We ourselves have tested the design."
Janeway: "But the materials. You'll never find those metals in France." |
 | Holo-Leonardo: "No? Then others will suffice. Machines that fly through the air, lightning flung from one's hands, mechanical women who live in boxes. These things I have seen! And these things I must re-create. And who knows? Possibly improve upon."
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 | Janeway: "Leonardo, I think that little flight of ours went to your head."
Holo-Leonardo: "And my heart. My oldest memory, Catarina, is of a great bird perched on my bed, its feathers open towards me as if summoning me. Now you yourself have accused me of giving up, of er failing to complete my projects." Janeway: "I was trying to encourage you." |
Holo-Leonardo: "No, no. You were right. All my life I have wanted to fly. Perhaps my failure to do so has caused my heart to remain in flight, leaping from one thing to another, never satisfied, never complete."
 | Janeway: "And now that you've actually flown....."
Holo-Leonardo: "Now who knows what I cannot accomplish." |
 | Janeway: "I'd like to find out. Give my regards to the King of France."
Holo-Leonardo: "Catarina, will you walk with me to my carriage?" |
 | Janeway: "It would be my pleasure."
She takes his arm and they head for the door. |
 | As they go, they pass one of Holo-Leonardo's drawings. It depicts a bird in a cage.
dialogue and end music |
(The heading for this page "Flight from Tau" is a deliberate pun on "flight", using simultaneously both meanings of the word.)
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79 Concerning Flight]  The Dream Of Flight |
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