The explorer who came to school

It was another quiet evening in one of the more diverse urban centres of Quarra. A young school girl had just finished her homework and was watching the evening news service with her mother while her father prepared dinner.

"Shock today," the newsreader announced. "As it was revealed the that the utility monopoly had brainwashed an entire starship crew in order to fulfil vacancies at facilities across the planet."

The mother let out a gasp unable to believe some one in her society would even conceive of such a thing, the daughter gasped because she recognised one of the victims in the news footage.

"That's Naomi's mother," she said the disbelief evident in her unsteady voice.

"Two minors were involved in the incident whose names were understandable withheld from the media," the newsreader continued. As it droned on the little girl wondered if her new friend was on this planet against her will.

"Now class," the teacher said. "I can confirm that Naomi is from the Starship Voyager. However as you can see Naomi is remaining with us while her Captain finalises many things with our government." The experienced educator would use the time she set aside tomorrow for current events to explain reparations and negotiations and formal diplomatic contact that she didn't doubt her brighter pupils were already formulating questions about. However for now all the classes attention was on Naomi Wildman who was perhaps more embarrassed then on her first day a few months ago.

"Now Naomi why don't you come up to the front off the class to and let everyone get to know the real you?" the teacher asked

Naomi stood in front of the other students and began her tale.

"Hello, my name is Naomi Wildman," she began. "But instead of moving to this area of space when my mom got a new job, well most of you have seen the news reports. Anyway I was born on the federation starship voyager after it was stranded in this quadrant of the galaxy after an incident with a life form called the caretaker. Ever since then then our ship's primary goal has been to return to Federation space in an area of space we call the alpha quadrant. But not at the expense of seeking out new civilisations, new forms of life and going were no one in the federation has gone before."

"Now does anyone have questions for Naomi?" the teacher asked. Several hands shot up.

"Rean," the teacher called.

"Is Icheb really your brother?" the boy asked.

"No," Naomi answered. "But all the Voyager crew is my family and he often helps me with my studies and plays with me just like an older brother."

"You said your ship was stranded?" a girl asked.

"Netun wait until called please," the teacher admonished the impulsive girl.

"It's okay," Naomi said. "Yes at the beginning it would have taken us roughly seventy years travelling at maximum warp to reach the edge of Federation space, the caretaker was very advanced. But we've already cut years of that time thanks to new friends made, new technology traded for and sometimes unexpected shortcuts we found thanks to taking the time to explore. We've also established communications with home, at first through ancient relays that extended from the hirogen's current hunting grounds all the way to the edges of the alpha and beta quadrant. These days we have two way visual communications, my mom's always so happy when we talk to dad."

A hand shot up.

"So you've never met your dad?" the same girl asked. While the teacher glared at the girl for forgetting what she had just been told about being waiting to be called on Naomi answered.

"Not in person no," Naomi said. "But one day the captain will get Voyager home and I look forward to exploring my Home worlds of Ktaris and Earth. It's a unique opportunity few people get so Dad and I are already planning several trips although we're leaving the Arpasian range alone for now because it rains there a lot and hails even more."

Finally the little girl who had seen the news the previous evening found the courage to raise her hand.

"Yes Iltiana," the teacher said.

"Are we still friend Naomi?" she asked fearfully her voice cracking at the possibility of a negative response.

"Of course we're still friends," Naomi said without hesitation. "Everyone has made me feel welcome here, making friends is something the the people Quarra and the federation have in common.

"But aren't you mad you were brainwashed," Iltiana asked.

"A little," Naomi admitted. "But if I hadn't been I wouldn't have had this wonderful adventure of coming to a real school and meeting all my new friends, all of you."

"Why don't you tell them what we discussed this morning?" The teacher suggested. Nodding in reply Naomi addressed the class.

"I would like to thank you all for making me feel welcome here making me feel that it was my home as well," she explained. "Thus I would like to invite you all to tour my home, the U.S.S. Voyager tomorrow."

The entire class grinned with delight at the news but their teacher quickly bought them back to reality.

"Now permission slips have already been sent to your parents," she explained. "Those that require hard copy may collect them from me at the end of the day, now please resume your seat Naomi, and we shall continue our mathematics from yesterday."

After Naomi had sat down the teacher began the lesson.

"Now yesterday we covered cubes and prisms in three dimensional geometry, now today is going to be slightly more difficult as we moving onto cylinders, cones and spheres."

For most of the children tomorrow couldn't come soon enough. But for Iltiana the very idea of visiting voyager was nerve racking. For after the visit her friend would be that much closer to leaving forever. But never the less here she was waiting patiently on the sports field with the rest of the nineteen students in the class. Suddenly the badge Naomi had worn to school today chirped. The young space traveller tapped it.

"Lieutenant Paris to Captain's Assistant Wildman," a disembodied voice issued forth. "We're on final approach."

"I can see the Flyer now Lieutenant," Naomi replied.

Sure enough some of the other children were pointing in the sky and soon the shuttlecraft was setting down on the precious green field space maintained by the school so children could play outside. The door opened to reveal Tal Celes, who had been chosen as escort to the class because she was perhaps the least threatening member of the crew.

"Will you help your friends board please Naomi?" the Bajoran woman asked with a smile.

Naomi nodded in response. Once the class was on board, with the teacher respectfully given the free seat, Naomi issued the order.

"Take us up Mr. Paris," she said.

"Aye Ma'am," he replied with a smirk.

The blue sky of Quarra gave way to the the vacuum of space as the delta flyer broke free of the atmosphere of the planet. They orbited the planet twice so that the children could get the full wonder of their own world. Then with a slight course adjustment Voyager came into view. The other children were staring with wonder as Naomi listed some of the ships statistics, weight, length that kind of thing.

"Oh and that window there is my quarters," she said pointing through the transparent aluminium that made up flyer's forward viewing window. Naomi's commbadge went off again. She girl stopped talking to answer it.

"Welcome home Naomi," Samantha Wildman's voices said. "Now you weren't planning on bringing your friends to our quarters were you? because someone forgot to clean her room like she promised."

"But mom," she pleaded.

"No buts Naomi," she replied. "I tripped over Flotter this morning and..."

Iltiana politely covered her mouth will she giggled, some of the other children didn't bother with being polite. But it was heartening to know that even though Naomi had experienced years of space adventures she still had a similar situation with an embarrassing parent. In any case the matter of the messy room was resolved as the Delta Flyer slid into Voyager's shuttle bay. Lieutenant Paris excused himself as he had to report to the bridge.

After the children were organised into pairs they were met on the deck of the shuttlebay by a tall, dark skinned man with pointed ears.

"This is commander Tuvok our Tactical officer and head of security," Naomi explained. "He is just here to make sure no one touches something they're not supposed to."

A child raised their hand.

"What species are you Mr. Tuvok," he asked.

"I am a Vulcan," he said.

"You don't look very happy," the child commented.

"Shush," Naomi said. "As a Vulcan Tuvok lives a life devoted to logical thinking with strict control over his emotions."

"That's seems silly," the child said.

"Now now," teacher said. "The universe is a much better place for all the different ways sentient beings approach their life."

"Indeed madam," Tuvok said. "Vulcan's call it idic, infinite diversity in infinite combinations."

"Okay on with the tour," Naomi said. "As you can see this is the shuttle bay, we keep several operational. Additionally all the spare storage space down here is used to storeseveral type 9 shuttle parts. Unfortunately we have had to completely rebuild one or two during our journey. Hence Mister Paris designed the Flyer to be more robust. Now we are going to head to engineering, Tuvok," she said as the children walked into the halls.

"Indeed it is my duty to point out that engineering is a critical part of the ship so please ask myself or Crewman Celes for permission before you examine something closer."

The warp core was beautiful Iltiana decided as she watched it pulse in its brilliant blue hues. She had quite tuned out the chief engineer's lecture on some of the problems of running a ship that was supposed to return to a space station every few months for longer durations. Young Netun was actual listening with rapt attention and not interrupting for once. Every word when B'Elanna Torres described some experimental technology Voyager had used lit up her eyes as if the mere descriptions of those great engines spoke to her very soul.

"Of course," B'Elanna said. "At the end of the day you still have to assign someone to scrub plasma conduits."

The class chuckled as all the other engineers within earshot, with the exception of the pale Vulcan by the warp core, let out a collective groan.

"Thank you Lieutenant Torres," the teacher said. "Now children many of the same principles used in a starship's engines applies to various facilities planet side, it might not be as glamours as space travel but still vital, give it a thought when considering your future."

As Iltiana turned to follow her class out she notice Netun was still entranced.

"Um Miss," she said. "Something is wrong with Netun."

"Netun come along," the teacher commanded.

"What?" the young girl replied. "Oh sorry."

Her head danced with visions of warp ships going to every habitable system with in two hundred light years and building one of those slingshot devices the chief engineer mentioned to connect them all.

As the travelled to their next destination Naomi regaled them with some of the ships adventures.

"And deck twelve once housed a sentient creature that lives within nebula," she said. "We were able to transport it to a more suitable home."

"I noticed that Ms. Torres was pregnant," the teacher said. "Are there many other children on board?"

"No just me and Icheb at the moment," she explained. "But we did have some other children liberated from the borg, but we found Azan and Rebi's home planet and they took in Mezoti in as well. We've also taken on other passengers and travellers in exchange for supplies, or information and I've occasional made friends with the younger ones. But B'Elanna's little girl will be the first baby since I was born."

"But you said the ship had been out here for Seven years surely some crew members have paired up?" the boy called Rean asked. "One thing leads to another."

"I decided to ask about it once after mom explained to me the facts of reproduction to me," Naomi said. "I knew of at least five crew members in committed relationships at the time so I stood up on a table in the mess hall and asked why no one had given my any little brothers or sisters or cousins quite loudly. One of the Delaney sisters, I couldn't tell them apart at the time, said they were waiting until I was old enough to be the ships official babysitter."

"That's a stupid reason," someone at the back of the group interjected.

"In reality," Naomi said. "It's more to do with the unique dangers in the space we have travelled. Hirogen, Kazon and all the unexplained phenomenon you can run into people are understandably cautious when you could end up in fluidic space or between two irate Q, they are omniscient beings in case you don't know what a Q is. I myself have being quantum duplicated, healed of my first illness by a medicine man of a primitive tribe when we were marooned for a short time, imprisoned by the hirogen in the hope I would turn into worthy prey, helped save the ship from a cosmozoan predator and I've even time travelled.

"No way time travel is impossible," the tallest girl in the class said.

"Nope it's possible, I got to see the earth of what our calendar calls the late twentieth century," Naomi said. "We even managed to pick up a piece of technology that allows our Doctor to go out more but that's from the future, keeping that is probably why 29th century people don't like the captain much."

"What century is it according to earth's calendar?" the teacher asked.

"The 24th," Naomi replied as she entered the doors to sickbay and the rest of the class followed behind. Tuvok, Tal Celes and the Teacher following brining up the rear.

"Hmm," Naomi said realising the Doctor was off-line. "Computer activate EMH."

The children were shocked to see a balding man appear from nowhere in a blueish green version of the ships uniform.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," he said to no one in particular.

"Doctor you were supposed to be on when I got here," Naomi scolded.

"Sorry I had to be off-line while a full diagnostic of my program was run I was on for several weeks without any downtime for maintenance."

"I feel it was rather just your taste for theatrics doctor," Tuvok stated.

"You do always like a dramatic entry," Tal Celes agreed exercising some of the self confidence she was gaining.

"I'm a Doctor not a stage Magician."

"Doctor focus please," Naomi said as she rubbed a spot beside her horns.

"Welcome to sickbay," he said. "I'm responsible for taking care of the crew when they get sick or injured. Because Voyager uses bio-neural gel packs in its computer systems I often have to treat them to."

"The doctor is a hologram who was originally designed to be used in emergency situations," Naomi explained. "But Voyager lost it's original Doctor in the transition from Alpha to Delta quadrants, the longer The Doctor here was left running the more apparent he was an example of emergent artificial sentience."

"Are artificial lifeforms common in the federation?" someone asked.

"No," Naomi said. "In fact an android called Data may be the only other example so far and he was designed to be sentient. Although thanks to the Doctor here more and more research is being done into emergent sentience in holograms and thanks to some modifications the Doctor himself has made other potential areas get looked into for emergency hologram use."

"I also enjoy singing opera," the doctor added to his accomplishments.

"Anyway during that time travel incident I mentioned the Doctor received a mobile emitter," Naomi said.

"Yes indeed," the Doctor said. "It allows me to leave the confines of sickbay, you see these walls are filled with holo-emitters and my physical form is projected from them as a light image and a series of force fields so previously I could only transfer my program to the holodecks if I wanted to go anywhere. It could get tedious and lonely. Did I ever tell you Naomi when Voyager first arrived on this part of the galaxy I was left on for three days while the crew was abducted."
"Several times," she groaned. "Anyway the doctor can even visit worlds that are dangerous to organic beings, even those were an environmental suit won't help."

"Speaking of which I have some slides of that moon I visited a month before all this started would your friends like to see..."

"Run," Naomi said as she dashed out the door half the class hot on her heels.

"We should follow her advice," Tal said to the teacher as they quickly backed through the door and followed..

"That will be all Doctor, Thank you," Tuvok said curtly as he to followed Naomi's lead.

After some time looking at labs, the computer core and a quick peek at the jefferies tube system they all came to the door of cargo bay two.

"This is often my classroom," Naomi said. "Lets see if one of my regular teachers wants lunch."

As the door whooshed open two of the children's whose parents were warehouse workers were surprised at how lived in it felt. Padds were strewn every where, crates seemed to have been used as makeshift seats and one or two barrels seemed to have been half opened. To one side of the room there was a green glow. The teacher excused herself and left the cargo bay Tuvok confident that the children would know not to touch the borg technology and the Crewmen Celes would be able to stop any inquisitive child who showed no fear.

"Regeneration cycle complete," the computer chirped as Seven stepped down from her alcove.

"Hello Naomi Wildman," she said to the girl looking up at her.

"Hello Seven," she said. "Did you regenerate well?"

"Yes," Seven replied. "It was invigorating, while I managed to sleep on Quarra I was uncomfortable most nights due to an abdominal implant that my bed would rub."

"Well Seven this my School class," Naomi said.

"Hello," Seven noticed the bajoran. "Good Morning Tal Celes."

"It's afternoon Seven," she replied still shaking in the former drones presence but proud to have been able to remark on the minor error.

"Want to get some lunch Seven?" Naomi asked.

"I would find that enjoyable," Seven replied.

"Can you answer some of the class' questions while we walk to the mess hall?" she asked.

"No," Seven said to Naomi's disappointment. "But I have prepared a short lecture. Now class as you can see I do have cybernetic implants, this is a result of assimilation by the borg."

Seven's voice projected easily.

"I was liberated from the collective by Voyager almost four years ago. Because I was taken by the borg as a child I will never be able to get rid of all of my implants due to them been integrated with my biological systems. While I can never regain who I was before I have come to see the benefits of being an individual that works with other individuals. That is why I neither use my birth name or my full borg designation. On the crew roster I am listed as Seven of Nine."

"So does that mean your middle name is of?" someone at the back of the group asked, Seven ignored the query and kept talking.

"My primary duties on Voyager are being head Astrometrics officer, assisting in integrating technology in engineering, teaching Naomi and Icheb and supervising their study time and providing advice and tactical data in regards to the borg. Many of my personal hobbies also have uses while I am fulfilling my duties."

"So how did your velocity game with the captain go yesterday?" Naomi asked.

"I believe I am out of practice," Seven said. "Now children I will give you one piece of advice when faced with one of the many dangers of space, resistance is never futile."

Seven's talk had been perfectly timed and half the class now stood in the just arrived turbo lift. It was then that Tuvok returned with the children's Teacher.

"I must apologise," she said. "My home planet was invaded by the borg and that room I..."

"Your apology is unnecessary," Seven said as the Teacher entered. "While I will not deny the effect the collective has had on me there are times when even I am uncomfortable with their continued presence in the form of the regeneration alcoves."

"I don't blame you dear," the teacher reassured Seven. "I know how the collective imposes its will on people and besides my planet was taken well before you were."

"How did you find a way to Quarra?" Seven asked.

"With great difficulty."

Seven nodded knowing not to pursue her her queries further.

Once the other half of the class and their starfleet uniformed minders completed their own turbolift journey they all entered the mess hall. Before them was a long table covered in examples of food from all across the galaxy.

"Welcome," a jolly voice said. "Welcome to the Mess hall, I'm Neelix ships morale and diplomatic officer."

"You're a Talaxian," a boy stated.

"Why in deed I am young man!" Neelix said. "I didn't realise some of my people had made it this far out into the galaxy."

"My grandfather worked with a Talaxian in the shipyard when he was younger."

Naomi had used the distraction to pull Tal Celes down and whisper in her ear. Soon the two bowls of leola root stew had disappeared from the table.

"Neelix was the very first friend the Voyager crew made in the Delta quadrant," Naomi explained. "During the early years the knowledge he had picked up as an independent trader helped Voyager through many adventures."

"And my cooking helped us through many rounds of energy rationing," Neelix beamed.

"Yes while we have food replicators we also grow our own food for when they're broken or we need to conserve energy," Naomi explained. "In fact most of cargo bay one is used for that purposes and many crew members keep a rack of plants along the wall of they're quarters."

"Now if you direct your attention to Seven you can see the replicators in action," Neelix said.

Seven walked over to the replicator and spoke.

"Computer Nutritional supplement number 3, strawberry flavour."

The children were suitable astounded as a cup with a pink hued drink appeared from thin air.

"Now children dig into this feast," Neelix said. "And try to have a bit of everything!"

"If you want to know what something is just ask," Naomi said.

"Why are these worms moving?" Rean asked.

"Oh that's gagh a klingon food," Naomi said. "It's best served live but that particular batch is replicated, Neelix just adds an extract from Leola root to make it move."

"Speaking of which I see the plomeek soup but not the Leola root stew," Neelix said.

His look of worry was ignored as the Children sampled the delicacies of the Alpha quadrant.

"Now this is something special," Naomi said after lunch as they stopped at a door in the corridor. "Computer load fair haven program."

"Fair haven program ready," the female voice replied.

Naomi walked to the door when it opened a child gasped.

"There's a planet in your space ship!"

"No this is just a holographic simulation," Naomi explained. "In fact it's based on an island in Earth's northern hemisphere, now we usually play after lunch so I thought this would be the perfect place to play for half an hour before we visit astrometrics and the bridge."

"Go on kids," the teacher said at which they scattered to explore the village of fair haven. Tal Celes followed to keep an eye on them even though the safeties were on.

"Now Mr. Tuvok you said that other El-Aurians escaped the borg," she asked the Vulcan.

"Yes, forgive me I do not believe I caught your name," he said.

"Oh I was on my escape shuttle a long time, long enough to forget it," she said. "The Quarrens's were kind enough to give me one but it's only when one of those kids calls me Miss that I feel like I am being addressed."

"Fascinating," Tuvok said. "In any case we can access the historical database from here and see if I remember the incident from my younger years correctly."

On a green holographic hillside above fair haven the children laughed and ran and skipped and played. All except two who were sitting on a stone wall that thanks to the technological magic of the holodeck was far from their classmates.

"How can you say we are friends when you've lead this amazing life?" Iltiana asked. "I mean why would you even pay attention to a girl who wants to go into high rise construction like her mother, grandfather, and great aunt? I mean I'm boring."

"No you're not," Naomi said. "You'll get to help build cities and peoples homes. New places for me to explore."

"But you won't be here to explore them," the Quarren native said angrily.

"I'm coming back," Naomi said.

"Don't lie."

"I'm not," Naomi said. "I'm going to do as well as I can at Starfleet Academy and hopefully I'll be able to request an assignment on a long range exploration vessel being sent out here, or maybe I'll make captain and be able to decide were to go, in which case it's straight back to this area of the galaxy to visit my friends."

"I don't believe you."

"Then please take this as proof," Naomi produced a letter from one of her pockets. "This is written on actual paper that Crewman Anderson makes herself."

Iltiana took it and read the words which Naomi had painstakingly written in the Quarren common characters. It was a written version of the promise Naomi had made to comeback to visit. It was signed in the standard shared language of the Federation as been from Naomi Wildman Captain's Assistant.

"Okay I believe you," Iltiana relented. "Still sucks you'll be going soon and we won't see each other until we grow up."

"I promised I wouldn't cry as much as last time," Naomi said. "But now I'm think about last time and its making it worse and..."

"Hey it's okay," Iltiana said. "Maybe I can meet Mezoti when you come back, heck maybe I'll go do some construction off world and we'll meet and share embarrassing stories behind your back."

"You wouldn't dare," Naomi said feeling better. They laughed and talked until Naomi was contacted on her commbadge that the class' teacher was ready to resume the tour.

Astrometrics was the next stop. The Naomi's surprise ensign Samantha Wildman, her mother was there.

"Just helping out with some geological data for this star system," Samantha explained to her daughter. "All part of the negotiations the captain is currently in."

"Okay can we use the main screen," Naomi asked.

"Of course," Samantha told her daughter with a smile. "Not much I can do until Seven gets back from repairing a relay she swears is out of alignment thanks to the Doctor's earlier repair efforts."

"Crewmen Celes you are usual assigned here," Tuvok said. "Perhaps you can explain to the children in simple terms the function of Astrometrics while Naomi and I load up some displays which may be of interest to the class."

After Tal Celes finished talking, having only muddled up the range that astrometric sensors gave them the main display switched to the course Voyager had followed and it's projected course back home. Then a display of the entire galaxy based on long range warp probe telemetry which was used to point out various federation members worlds. Some one remarked that the Andorian shen, in the picture that accompanied Andor's profile, looked like the illustrations on the cover of a popular fantasy novel series written on Quarra from a century before. Naomi also went to the trouble to bring up Bajor, which was in the process of applying for federation membership according to the last news from home, Ferenginar, Carrdassia prime, Q'onos and Romulus and Remus. Then she showed the children some specific planets she had been to.

"Oh and this one is actually named Naomi's rogue planetoid," she said. "We filed it with local authorities as a navigational hazard so we got to name it, it was the best Yuri's Night ever, I even got to co-pilot the shuttle that completed an orbital survey."

"What's a yuri?"

"Yuri Gagarin was the first human to orbit earth," Tuvok supplied. "The first human space explorer who got there without outside interference."

"What's the strangest place you've been to?" the teacher asked. Naomi tapped the console.

"Here," Naomi said.

"Oh the really weird planet were people moved really fast?" Samantha Wildman asked from where she was standing of to the side. "It's a pity your name for it didn't catch on."

"Mom!"

"Bridge," Tuvok said as his portion of the class arranged themselves in the turbolift. Tal Celes had already taken her charges up. The doors parted to show Naomi chatting happily to Ensign Kim who was busy at his station.

"And anyway that's why Commander Chakotay isn't here," Ensign Kim said. "Apparently Ensign Golwat found the perfect place that sells them while she was shopping on her day off while she was working down there."

"Well looks like the others are here," Naomi said. "Is the captain ready for us?"

"Yes," Harry Kim said to Voyager;s youngest crew member. Naomi turned to the class.

"As you can see this is the bridge where most of the senior staff have stations and those two seats are for the captain and first officer," she said. "Mr. Tuvok asked me to tell you to refrain from touching anything due to the sensitive nature of this area of the ship. Now if you follow me to the briefing and conference room we've arranged for today's current events discussion to involve some of the participants."

Naomi indicated that the children should sit on the child sized temporary seating that was set up against the wall to the immediate left as the entered and lead her teacher over to a free chair at the briefing room's large table. Tuvok and Tal Celes stood off to one side were they could keep an eye on proceedings.

"This is the Justice Overseer and the Trade minister," she said indicating two Quarren males. "And of course the the head of the independent working conditions oversight committee."

The younger Quarren women nodded her head to acknowledge the children.

"And this," Naomi said indicating the woman in the uniform with red shoulders. "Is Captain Janeway."

"Welcome aboard," the Captain beamed. "I hope you've all enjoyed looking around Voyager today."

Many enthusiastic nods came in reply.

"Now your teacher tells me you often discuss current news in class to better understand it," Janeway said. "So today you can ask all four of us about how we are resolving the issue which bought us here."

"Is this wise?" the Trade minister asked.

"You always were a secretive one," the teacher said. "What did I tell you about keeping secrets that shouldn't remain secret when little Ms. Erton was bullying your friends during lunch?"

"Sorry Miss," he said. "Its just some of its sensitive information Miss."

The children giggled at there teacher scolding an official of high standing.

Iltiana raised her hand.

"What kind of reparations are being made to the Voyager crew?" she asked.

"A small amount of dilithium crystals and some other supplies that aren't able to be made by replicator," the captain said.

"In addition to the cancellation of rental agreements and other such contracts not with places of employment with out triggering our planets breach of contract rules," the Justice overseer replied. "I think we can all agree that this situation fits into the extraordinary circumstances our laws allow for."

Another hand went up.

"How is the conditions oversight committee involved?" Netun asked.

"Unfortunately the culprits in this case did not perform any actions to necessitate the committee's involvement," the woman said. "Once the crew were at their temporary jobs the employers at no time breached any regulation and although we have laws about offering employment under false pretence I am unsure how they apply to this incident. There was a minor matter of inappropriate personal contact Mr. Vorik bought before us just before this incident was revealed. That was resolved and the culprit is now taking a course in work place respect and was fined a half day's pay."

"My question is for both the justice overseer and the trade minister," Rean said. "Are we likely to see repeats of this incident?"

"Sadly yes," the trade minister said. "With the continued shortage of skilled labour we will see many unscrupulous types try to exploit methods of recruitment that are morally reprehensible."

"Of course the culprits in this case have received the maximum sentence with a further five years of only being able to obtain employment at minimum wage," The justice overseer said. "Unfortunately the conspiracy goes deeper and there are still hundreds from previous crew abductions being found and our ambassador has to try and repatriate."

"Which of course means we will have an even greater shortage of workers if they do decide to go home," the Trade minister said. "Thankfully Captain Janeway has provided some better automation software to ease the strain some what."

"We've also supplied a detailed meteorological and geographical surveys in exchange for deuterium ."

"Did we run out again?" Naomi asked her captain.

"Just being prepared Ms. Wildman."

"Hopefully the geological will turn up something to inspire an old style resources rush to attract more workers," the trade minister sighed.

"Please thank the minster, overseer and the oversight committee head for staying to talk to us," the teacher said. "I'm sure they would like to get back to their other duties."

"Thank you ma'am, sirs," they all chorused in the singsong voice all school students across the galaxy could do. As the Trade minister passed the teacher she stopped him and whispered.

"You've done well young man keep it up."

"Now," Captain Janeway said. "I don't need to tell you running a Starship is hard work but I've learnt these few thing over the years, always keep your shirt tucked in, try to negotiate first, trust your crew, never leave some one behind and if worse comes to worse go down with the ship."

"Nun uh the crew and I aren't going to let you do the last one Captain," Naomi said with conviction.

"Since when?"

"Since the captain's assistant decided."

"Who am I to doubt my own captain's assistant then?" Captain Janeway asked.

Naomi then took the box that had been sitting in front of the Captain and bought it to her teacher.

"A gift for the whole class to remember me by," Naomi explained. "Thank you all for everything."

"Thank you Naomi for being a good student and friend," the teacher replied.

"Time for one last adventure then," Naomi said. "Any of you used a transporter before?"

Several weeks later young Iltiana was viewing Naomi's gift. A model of Quarra with realistic holographic weather and every day at lunch time something special happened. A holographic Voyager appeared to warp in and orbit the model planet until it was time to return to class. Everyone knew it was a promise from a friend that she would return one day.