The U.S.S. Voyager was racing through space at maximum warp as usual. The time: 07:05:22. Captain Janeway entered the bridge with a cup full of Neelix's coffee looking a little groggy. She looked around surprised not to see her first officer.
"Tuvok, where is Commander Chakotay this morning?" the captain asked.
"He is on shore leave thanks to Mr. Neelix's new R&R program. If you need him he should be in cargo bay three with five other officers," Tuvok reported.
"Oh yes," Janeway said, "I had almost forgotten all about the program."
"Sir," Tuvok started, "if you feel that a first officer's presence is necessary I believe that…"
The Captain held up a hand with a faint smile. "That won't be necessary." She looked so tired and so fatigued. It was as if she hadn't had a good nights sleep in weeks, and that she was carrying the life of every person on this ship on her weary shoulders. However, even she knew that this was not true. Voyager and her crew committed themselves to follow proper procedure, and the lives of the crew were in the hands of the mission. Which of course was to get back to Earth and the Alpha Quadrant. Janeway took a sip of her coffee and looked back towards Ensign Harry Kim. "Any interesting readings today Mr. Kim?" she asked.
Harry looked down at his panel, made a few brief inquires, then looked back up at his captain, "No ma'am, nothing worth checking out. Just asteroids, comets, and a few star systems that are incapable of supporting life."
Janeway thought about this and then said, "Well, why not go to one of those star systems. Ensign contact Seven of Nine to see which one might be the most interesting."
Kim swiftly replied, "Yes ma'am."
Lieutenant Commander Tuvok stopped his work at once and looked up at Captain Janeway, raising one eyebrow he said, "Captain, this idea would seem highly illogical. If our goal is to get back to the Alpha Quadrant, then is it not logical to avoid stopping at planets that do not support life and that will most likely not have any extractable resources?"
"We're explorers," Janeway replied, "and that doesn't change no matter which quadrant of the galaxy we're in. Besides if I learned anything the past few years it's that you never know what surprises await you in the Delta Quadrant."
In Astometrics, Seven of Nine, the Borg drone turned human, was quietly working at her preferred station. She was currently going over the ship's trajectory and gathering up the information sensors had recorded and re-arranging it in what she might call, "a more efficient system of organization." She looked up at the viewscreen in front of her and paused. She saw her reflection, but it wasn't right, she was looking at a Borg. Startled Seven took a deep breath, closed her eyes and looked back up at the screen and exhaled, relieved to see her normal reflection. She continued her work. Several minutes later she paused again. She could have sworn she heard something. The sound was familiar, but she couldn't quite relate. Her mind was incapable of focusing because of her recent experience. Suddenly her expression became one of terror as she realized that it was the sound of the Borg Collective consciousness. Suddenly a voice came over the comm.
"Bridge to Seven of Nine," it was Harry Kim. A pause, then Kim said, "Seven, is everything all right down there?"
Seven blinked several times and shook her weary head and replied, "Everything is fine Ensign, I apologize for the delay. What is it I can do for you."
"The captain is interested in looking at one of the three systems within sensor range. She wants you to figure out which one will be the most interesting to visit," Kim explained.
"Right away," Seven swiftly replied.
Seven looked down at her hand covered with Borg technology. Then she felt the eyepiece, which gave her superior eyesight to humans. Despite her apparent lack of emotions, she was a human and facing facts with anything related to the Borg was extremely difficult for her. Although she never showed it around others, but nevertheless her Borg side was the one thing she had any trouble dealing with. She started her work once again, but she couldn't help but think that she was having premonitions about something terrible to come.
On the space station Deep Space Nine Captain Benjamin Sisko stared out of his office window. He gripped his baseball firmly, and was uncomfortably moving it around in his hands. He was having trouble concentrating, but he could not figure out why. He was about to get up to get a
"Kira to Captain Sisko."
"Go ahead Major."
"Captain it appears that Quark was trying to smuggle Andorian Ice Crystals again. When Odo and his deputies arrived to make the bust Quark's shipping partners started shooting. Apparently the leader of these Pakleds would like to see you regarding legal consul and pardon. Odo has assured me that he does have every right to request a meeting with the Captain to discuss legal consuls."
"Very well Major, I'm on my way."
Sisko got up tossed his baseball in the air and… missed the catch. This was a very rare happening and usually meant bad luck for the station captain. Sisko gritted his teeth and picked up the ball. He set it on the stand in his desk and left to see what Quark was up to today. He still could not believe he dropped his baseball. Maybe he was under too much stress, and should see Doctor Bashir.