Picard was looking at screen. „How can these nebula exist near these black holes? Are those wormholes?" He asked.
Data raised his eyebrow „No sir... they are not sir... it is... scanners say it's something connected to something that is non existent. I can't explain. But it only sees empty links in spacetime.
Look at these captain! Riker screamed. It looks like there is someone in the nebula.
Soon after all that, crew noticed strange looking darkred spaceship floating inside the nebula...
Picard pointed at that red thing on the screen and asked „Do we know anything about this ship mr. Data?"
„It is not registered in our database sir"... Data answered... „Maybe Malon waste export vessel... But I can't confirm..."
Picard nodded „Magnify" He commanded. Mentioned spaceship had small white surface.
„Wait ... something is written on it .. ... Red ... dwarf ... „ Riker read... „Strange name." He concluded.
„ So it is from Earth? „ Pikard asked.
Data rotated in his chair to face them. He had certainty in his voice
"I am getting an auto message sir... „ He said.
The screen showed bald floating head speaking automatically without any emotion in his voice. But he surely had crazy look in his eyes.
Floating head then spoke...
"Three million years from Earth ... Mining ship Red dwarf ..."
They listened in disbelief that entire monologue that followed.
Picard was surprised „ Mining ship? „ He asked
Riker shook his head „They don't look like that, don't they? „
Data rotated his chair facing them again...
„But sir, they can be from any period in time.. Why these message says three million years? „
Picard nodded „ That is true Data ... „
„They call us on some strange frequency ... „ Data was pressing console buttons.
„On screen. . ." Yelled Picard.
Screen showed messy interior off Red dwarf.
Picard was determined to break the silence and get some answers.
„ I am captain..." He spoke, but he was immediately interrupted before he finished his question.
„Hey! You are humans!" Euphoricly shouted Lister, an messy man with long dreadlocks falling on his leather jacket.
Picard was now angry after that interruption „ And you are please?! „
Picard tried not to sound angry yet.
„We are ... „ Lister tried to answer but now he was interrupted before he managed to.
Man in green nylon suit and an H on his forehead jumped in ... Rimmer...
„ Aliens ?! „ He shouted.
„ No, Rimmer! Look at them! They are humans!" Lister smiled and pointed at them euphorically.
Riker jumped in to stop these madness „ What do you mean, aliens ? Are you from time before the first contact? „
„ The first contact? We are from the 23rd century?" Lister was confused as they were...
„Are you a Maqui?" Picard asked Lister with careful authority in his voice.
Lister stopped for a moment and tried to defend himself.
„ What?! Maqui? I'm Dave Lister, third technician ..."
He tried to speak before Cat walked in and interrupted him ... „Who are Maquis?" He screamed.
„You sir? According to your looks, you are ... „ Data interrupted them while confused boys from the dwarf frowned in monitor...
„What!? " Lister stoped him. "Hey, hey I'm not an Maqui what ever that is! I am not it!" Lister yelled.
Troy called Picard with one hand gesture and they stopped the link, leaving dwarfers alone with their confused and angry faces.
„ It does not look like they are Maqui, but I just managed to get to their emotions." She spoke...
"You should worry only about that man in weird green uniform with H on his head... I feel very weak emotions from him but those I felt. .. They do not come from an stable person ...
This guy behind them ... I feel somewhat catlike emotions coming form him ... He only thinks about his instincts, and he is not worried about anything that is happening today at all ...
Even that manlooking robot has some emotions ... worry, friendship ... is it even possible for an robot with such a weird looking mehanical head to have any emotions ?" She finished her evaluation.
„Do you think he is better than our Data? „ Asked Picard.
Data interrupted them conveniently „If I can add something sir, the scanners seem to say that catlike creature is actually an evolved cat ... „
„ And third technitian? „ Asked Picard again.
Troy smiled playfuly
„You can normally talk to him if you don't approach him as you are an authority ... Actually, if that message is true and if he endures with this crew every day ... A very stable person I must say..."
„Invite them again.." Picard commanded
Dwarfers were still on the screen and Lister now looked provoked.
„ Hey! Is these another dimension thingy or what?!
We are the ones that break the connection to someone! Us! And not you ! Holly says something is strange here... „
„ Dave is it so?" Picard interrupted him calmly and Lister nodded expressively.
„If you all agree we will teleport you to our ship and hold an briefing in person. Picard out! „
Lister stud there for a while, while screen went all black.
„Tele? Brief!? What?! Hold on! Wait!" He finaly reacted but
teleporter ray surprised him and his face froze in shock while he was looking up in the ray that surrounded him and took him from these place...
Picard came into the teleportation room and he found these strange crew staring at the machine.
Lister laughed „We saw something similar" He said. "But it did not need entire room for it self."
„ Remember sir." Kryten said calmly "This is an another dimension after all."
Lister nodded.
„Good day gentlemen ... „ Picard greeted again.
„ A good day to you to. „ Lister said sarcastically with funny hand gesture.
Troy laughed. Picard was not amused but Lister openly liked her reaction.
„You should never surprise an cat like these! Never!" Screamed Cat
"You should give me at least one or two hours to dress up a bit.
And there are woman here ... Auuuuuu ... „
Cat danced down from the teleporters screaming it.
„Don't come any closer to me! „ Troy stopped Cat in his ritual.
„Yajks! She reads my thoughts !" Cat screamed again.
„ What!?„ Lister put palms on his ears quickly.
Rimmer froze in his strange pose „Just be careful with what you are thinking. Concentrate"
He pushed those words trough his mouth corner like he is whispering...
„ Hey buds... I smell someone who are not monkeys!" Cat screamed
„ Monkeys ? „ Picard was angry and amused.
„ Don't take him to seriously" Lister explained. "The first name I called him was Cat... And he started calling all humans monkeys „
„ Humans? Oh I see." said Picard. "You will understand that this universe is full of life and many species... „ He continued.
„But there is no life in the universe that is not from Earth." Lister asked.
„ If you let me... let's talk about it in conference room „ Picard invited.
„ How can you have emotions Mr..." Data asked..
„Kryten sir." Kryten said politely. " I did not always had them... Mr. Lister taught me to brake my program ..."
Lister proudly nodded...
„ And can you teach me? „ Data asked Lister
„ I don't know, with Kryten it was enough to smeg up his program." Lister answered. „
"Okay people. Can we finish these today?" Picard stopped them.
"Few hours from now we are going on our leave to the Earth, and I would like to ... „
„ Few hours ?! „ Lister was surprised.
Troy grabbed Picard's shoulder. „ Sensitive subject, captain..."
Rimmer followed them while he was walking sideways like a crab and still in fear of mind reading ...
„ You are thinking about that thing again, Mr. Lister?" Asked Kryten
„ You heard them. Earth is paradise in this dimension ... And they go there now! „ Lister answered.
„ But that does not change the fact that it's not your Earth, sir"
„ What if we never find our Earth Kryten? „
When it was time to arrive to Earth everybody gathered on the bridge.
Lister looked at the screen where Earth soon should be.
„ Earth ... I can't believe . I will be home soon." Lister said.
„ Something's wrong ..." Data broke the tension
„ I know that tone of voice! What is happening? „ Asked Lister.
„ It's not there ... It's not where it's supposed to be ... „ Data tried to talk tactically.
„Gentleman from Red dwarf did not came to our dimension. We are all moved somewhere else ... These is not Enterprise's universe"
Lister rushed out of the room while Rimmer watched him leave.
Cat looked all of them and screamed.
„ I'm going to make some dates and change from these clothe..."
Rimmer was still watching exit where Lister left.
„ Oh greeeeeatt! I'll have to put him back together again."
„ You never did that sir..."
„ Kryten!?"
„ Yes sir ... „ Kryten cried
„ Shut up"
„ Yes sir ... „
Troy rubs her forehead ...
„ I need short rest in the cabin ... They are full of emotions ..."
Pikard nods and rubs his beard ...
Riker shook his head ...
„ Imagine being with out planet for so long ... How does that feel? „
Picard concluded „How are we going to feel if we do not return soon ourselfs?"