Chapter One - Building Up
ANOTHER UNIVERSE, EARTH, 1992
The USAF's very best now stood before Doctor John Robinson.
"Major West. I'm glad you could join us. This is my wife, Maureen, who is Console Officer on this project. If you want the board arranged a certain way, or if you want any particular set of functions to follow after another, she's the genius you speak to."
Don West nodded.
"Permission to speak frankly, Doctor?"
"Granted--permanently."
"Ok--why was I brought here, exactly?"
Maureen took this one.
"Major--it was two things. One has to be that, in the Gulf War, you shot down that Scud Missile, saving the lives of every US Serviceman and woman at the Saudi barracks. Four Hundred lives saved is an impressive feat against a specialized hard target designed to whiz past our ABM system."
John continued.
"Then, during the Iraqi pullout, you alone saw the trick The Republican Guard was pulling."
West shrugged.
"It was just a variation on the old 'walk backwards and people will think you're leaving' trick. Ten columns moved forward--three in reverse. You do know that I was almost court-martialed for beginning that attack?"
John glanced at his file.
"Yes, I know. All charges were dropped. But certain people have made it clear to you that your career would never advance much further. Don--I can change that for you. Make it so your career takes you straight--to the stars."
West looked skeptical.
"I grew up on the East Coast, Doctors. But for this--consider me from Missouri."
So show him they did. And the man once called The MIG-scrapper was awed.
"But--physics--I minored--you can't build a working flying saucer using current---"
He stopped.
"Reverse-Engineering. Which crash was it?"
Maureen said the obvious.
"Classification?"
"Hey, they did let me fly a B1--and I am here."
She nodded.
"The one at Stallion's Gate. And yes, Admiral Calavicci did recommend you to us, as well."
Don West shrugged.
"But I punched him out."
John smiled.
"He said it was a damned good punch."
Don looked over.
"Okay, I'm in. But first order of business is security. Hey, you kids--get away from that, and I don't care if your last names are Schwarzkopf and Powell!"
A boy of about 5 years looked up.
"It's not. It's Robinson."
"Yeah, well, your Mom and Dad, they have a lot of work to do. You shouldn't be playing with that simulator."
Will again looked up.
"But I invented it!"
Don almost laughed.
"You? You invented 'Desert Sands'? Then how, in Sim 47, do you recover from flying over Baghdad without support?"
The little boy thought hard.
"Well, at that point, you're probably a goner. But, if you make for The Iranian border, there's a 60-40 chance that the Iranians will shoot at the Iraquis, rather than you."
Don's jaw dropped. Because that survival technique was a so-called 'Easter Egg' that only the very best found, after tens of tries.
"Sorry, pal. I guess I spoke out of turn."
"That's all right, Major. Doctor Beckett felt the same way, when I helped with...."
Maureen shouted out, just as though Will was about to use a curse word.
"Will---classification Zeta Zeta!"
"Sorry, Mommy. I won't do it again."
The next oldest Robinson child walked up. She was 8-year old Penny. By this time, neither she nor Will had any but the faintest memories of their true origins.
"Mommy--the supplies ran out again, and we all starved. Then, a nova went off ahead of schedule. We escaped everything but the EM pulse. Then, Will caught pneumonia, Judy had appendicitis, and Daddy got brain damage from carbon monoxide build-up. I've had a rotten day."
Maureen held the daughter of her heart, and explained things to Don.
"You see, Major, Penny here runs the scenarios--sometimes on paper--of what could happen to us out there. Then, John and I sort through it all. We really rely on our entire family."
Don nodded.
"I can see that."
As The Doctors comforted Penny, Don wondered about a young soul that calculated disasters. He also saw how concerned the little brother seemed for her.
Don West was a man who appreciated fine-looking cars. So it was that when he saw a clear-framed transport that looked like a cross between a Beetle and a Humvee, he was in love. He gestured at the mechanic.
"Hey, Mac--that's some chariot you got there."
When 13-year old Judy turned around, he was startled. Jailbait for now, to be certain. But given time--both she and the vehicle could definitely go places.
"Chariot? I think I like that."
MAIN UNIVERSE, USS VOYAGER, DELTA QUADRANT, 2374
Captain Janeway frowned at Tuvok. She wasn't truly angry, but the anticipation of meeting these interdimensional refugees with the odd-shaped ship was making her anxious.
"What do you mean, we're out of hailing range? This is standard for almost all space faring races, isn't it?"
Harry Kim took point, when Tuvok's unspoken but obvious desire never to fail Janeway kept him silent longer than usual.
"We can send to them, Captain--but I kind of doubt they can hear or send to us. Their comm equipment is little better than a powerful radio transmitter, according to sensors."
Tom Paris threw in a quick two cents.
"Then I'll bet they reverse-engineered that puppy. But for some reason, they had to go with their own tech on certain things they just couldn't figure out. Tuvok called it right, Ma'am. It's a definite retrofit."
Taking a break from her latest search for any remaining booby-traps left by the late Seska, Be'lanna Torres emerged onto the Bridge. She nodded at the flying saucer on screen.
"Well, well. I see someone finally let you design a ship, Paris."
Tom chose not to let this one go.
"Yeah. We thought about adding a battering ram to it, but I thought that might infringe on your copyright."
She got in his face.
"When have I EVER come on like a battering---"
Her finger in the air, she saw Paris smiling, Kim recoiling, and Janeway on the verge of telling them to belay that.
".....Never mind."
How, she wondered, did a man who was only half as handsome as he thought he was always manage to push her buttons?
Janeway moved into the silence.
"Be'lanna--have you scanned their engines?"
She nodded, grateful to forget Paris's smirk for the moment.
"Yes, Captain. The only way I can describe them is to agree with the retrofit theory. It's like someone in Earth's 20th Century found Voyager and figured out some of it secrets--but definitely not all. The ship is what they once called solid state. Much heavier than it needs to be. It actually depends on rockets for much of its locomotion. For all that, a sturdy little ship. Designed tough, with a lot of redundancies. Kind of like Klingons. No offense."
Janeway knew far better than to think of Torres as any kind of Klingon nationalist.
"None taken. Well, I guess, then, that we keep moving into hailing range, till we reach them. In the meantime, I wish to speak with Mister Chakotay."
Leaving The Bridge in hands she knew were capable, Janeway found the lift, then Neelix's galley. There, she found Chakotay. He was not brooding--on the surface. But she also knew well the man whose swallowed pride made their journey possible, and who always had her admiration, if not her ear.
"A penny for your thoughts, Commander?"
Chakotay shook his head.
"Captain, right now, my thoughts are not worth a wooden nickel. The thought that Seska was hiding in our holo-matrix does not sit very well with me."
Janeway corrected him.
"The image of Seska was hiding in one small program, and was waiting for Tuvok. That wasn't her, Chakotay."
He shook his head.
"I'm not buying that. I heard that audio. I was her. Maybe even her ghost. Not very scientific, I know. But I also know the voice----"
He stopped, feeling a bit ill.
"The voice of my rapist."
He was silent, and then suddenly said some very odd words before leaving.
"True Names. True names contain power. To stop her, once and for all...."
When she was alone, The Captain berated herself.
"I have such a wonderful way, with words of comfort."
She walked over to the replicator, and decided to spend a few ration points.
"Tea. Earl Grey. Hot."
She drank the steaming beverage, and then looked at the cup.
"Why did I order this?"
JUPITER 2, THAT SAME MOMENT
Don West was a man enraged.
"Deny it, Smith! Go on and deny that you removed the battery-pack from the navigational balancer, then used it for your hair dryer!"
Zachary Smith was a man clueless.
"I deny nothing, Major! Were it not for the petty restrictions placed upon my power consumption, this should never have become necessary. Besides, I replaced those batteries, ere they lost too much power."
John Robinson was a man tired of keeping Don's hands off Smith's throat.
"Doctor Smith--we were trying to avoid the rift we just passed through. In the brief time those batteries were gone, our course altered towards the rift. Worse, you affected these batteries long-term ability to hold a charge, by underutilizing them in so small and petty a device."
Again, spake Doctor Clueless.
"Petty indeed, sir! My dandruff problem accelerates to unheard of levels, if my hair is not properly dried. What manner of ambassador would I make in such a condition?"
Maureen Robinson was simply tired of it all, and much of all included this very selfish individual.
"Well, Doctor Smith, the answer to that is simple. After that last incident with the living clouds we met--you were expressly forbidden to meet with any aliens until all the rest of us have. So in short, your hair can wait--and wait. If mine and my daughters' can, so can yours."
Zachary Smith grew frightened, and turned to one of his most reliable allies, who was attempting to coax the nav-balancer back to full health--and failing.
"William--my dear, dear boy--please tell them all how unreasonable they are being."
Will Robinson at one time liked and respected the older man. That time, however, was quickly passing.
"Doctor Smith--I thought I told you--we need every ship's system operating at its very best efficiency, if we're ever gonna reach Alpha Centauri or Earth. Every one of us has to abide by those power restrictions. Me and Penny can only use the sterilizer for finishing the dishes and recycling the water when they're done. It means more work--but then, that's something you wouldn't know about, would you?"
Despite his feelings about Smith, if John had heard his son be any less polite, he would have moved to correct him, and perhaps even ask him to apologize. As it stood, Doctor Smith was livid.
"HOW daaaarree you speak to your betters in such a tone?"
Will closed the panel, indicating that he had done all he could.
"You may be my Elder, Doctor Smith. But I don't think anymore that you're my better. You lost that a while ago."
He turned to his father.
"Dad, may I join Penny downstairs? She's stuck doing the chores herself."
John nodded yes, glad that the two siblings had, in the name of peace, stopped arguing altogether after the blowout at Penny's 18th Birthday Party.
He recalled that he had never gotten along that well with his own brothers, even when they were all grown men.
"Sure thing, champ. You've done all you can here, for now."
Ignoring Smith's glare, the young man went to join his sister in the work they now had completely assumed, the task of keeping the confined quarters of the small ship livable.
"Ma-jor! That boy is picking up your sorry attitude! Mark my words...."
Maureen cut him off.
"No, you mark ours. Either you do like Will suggested, and stay away from ship's systems, or we will stick you in the cryo-tubes for the remainder of our journey. Maybe even several cryo-tubes."
"Don't be absurd, Madam. How the devil could you put me in more than one cryo..."
An image entered the quarrelsome man's little mind.
"Oh...dear."
John finished this portion of their conversation.
"Robot--take Doctor Smith to his quarters, seal those quarters, and guard those quarters---do not let him out for any reason. Understood?"
B-9 stated his compliance.
"Yes, Doctor Robinson. Come along peacefully, Doctor Smith. Do not force me to use my nightstick."
Smith sneered at his longtime nemesis.
"You Keystone Cop of a booby!"
As promised, Robot withdrew a small stick, and held it above Smith.
"Now get, you!"
"I will not....oowwww!!"
The Robot had lightly tapped him with the stick.
"I said to move along."
"Oh...the pain!"
Downstairs, Will handed his sister the product of a brother's love.
"This is it. Every last one of Judy's Playgirls, on CD. I had to compress some of it. But some files are more easily accessed, just like you wanted. She never caught on."
She smiled.
"Thanks. Tell me, how did you select which files to make easier to bring up?"
He gulped.
"I...used a criteria that I thought you might use."
Again, she was grateful for a brother that would go this far for her comfort.
"Thanks again, Will. It must have been a bit uncomfortable for you."
"Yeah, I was uncomfortable. Not to mention envious. But I have Don's Playboys, and now you have what you need. Hurray for stuff you never discuss."
This was indeed a tender subject, but over time they would grow more comfortable with it.
"Listen, Will. When I....start in at night, and I know you can hear me, does it bother you?"
Actually, the fact that he could he hear his sister at night using her body and imagination was driving him out of his mind, and made Will wonder if he was some kind of pervert. But he did love her, so he sort-of lied.
"Nah. When you...start in, I usually find something else to do with myself."
And the young woman wondered about herself, for she sometimes waited for the noises to come from his room, as well. But what were they to do?
Above deck, contact was made.
"This is Doctor John Robinson of The Earth Spaceship Jupiter 2. Will you please identify yourselves?"
They had spotted the unknown ship, and the three leaders each shot off a quick prayer that it was friendly. Don looked out.
"I'll bet dollars to donuts that those nacelles are movable."
Finally, came a response.
"Well, Doctor, you are an awfully long way from home. This is Captain Kathryn Janeway, of The Federation Starship USS Voyager. With your permission, we'd like to bring your ship aboard ours."
John surprised his wife and friend.
"Agreed, Captain. Just bring us aboard at your leisure."
"John--we have no idea who in blazes these people are."
Maureen concurred.
"Is just letting ourselves be literally taken in such a good idea?"
John shrugged.
"Either they are friendly and legitimate, or they want to capture us. Either way, they may have technology we can use. Right now, we need a place to stop and undo the damage Smith's done. Sorry, but I'm making the call on this one."
Don shook his head.
"And possibly endangering this ship!"
John shook his finger, and pointed towards the Robot.
"You want to join Smith?"
In the name of peace, Don backed down. But Maureen promised herself to have a few words with her husband. But for now, she merely looked for someone.
"Has anyone seen Judy?"
In the bathroom area, Judy Robinson had just finished throwing up. She looked up, as she left.
"Oh, please...Don't let it be this. Don and I just aren't ready yet."
USS VOYAGER
Neelix bumped into Kes. It was not the first time that day, either.
"Neelix--are you following me?"
"Nooo--but what if I were? I still get concerned about you, Kes. I have that right, don't I?"
She shook her head.
"Thank you, but please give me some space."
He was obviously upset.
"How much space? Would you perhaps like me off the ship?"
He walked off, and she wondered how much plainer she could possibly make matters to the kind, and usually gentle Talaxian. Kes almost felt scared.
