Naomi Wildman was approaching the entrance to Holodeck 4, excited to play one of her favorite programs. She pushed the necessary button before saying: "Computer, play the Loud House program on Holodeck 4 please."

"Loud House program on Holodeck 4 is now in session, you may now enter," the computer's voice responded. The door to the Holodeck opened and young Naomi entered. This was a truly different world. On the starship Voyager, everything was in order, completely sanitized and unless it was a dire emergency, everyone moved at a calm pace.

Here in this Loud House Holodeck program, based off a cartoon from Earth's early 21st century, it was quite the opposite. The characters were noisy, constantly moving at fast speeds, chaos ruled supreme and it felt cluttered in the way a home with love would feel. Perhaps that's one of the reasons Naomi enjoyed it, for a child her age, it was nice to have a little chaos now and again.

She walked over to the couch where the two characters she always felt closest to were sitting: Lana and Lisa. Lana was gently petting her pet rat Bitey while Lisa seemed to be in the middle of writing something. They looked up and seeing Naomi, they smiled.

"Hey Naomi, what's hanging?" asked Lana.

"Greetings friend Naomi, and how are things traversing on Voyager?" asked Lisa. Naomi giggled and quickly hopped in between them on the couch.

"My godfather Neelix recently introduced me to banana pancakes, saying Chief Engineer B'elanna introduced him to the concept. I think I'm becoming good friends with Seven of Nine, she's been asking me to teach her games and I'm working to become the Captain's Assistant," she told them.

"What I wouldn't give to have the opportunity you have. Exploring strange uncharted territories in outer space," said Lisa with a longing sigh.

"Yeah, but you get to have your own adventures here with your family. I've never even met my father," said Naomi who noticed that Charles, the dog, had approached her from under the table, so she leaned over to scratch him behind the ear.

"True, but in a way, the whole crew of Voyager is your family," said Lisa.

"Yeah, and I can tell you right now, our brother Lincoln would be jealous of you because you get to see all sorts of bizarre aliens, travelling on that starship," said Lana. Then who should walk through the front door but Lincoln and his two friends Clyde and Zach.

"Ah, Lana, Lisa, I see your friend has stopped by again. Say there Naomi, do you have anymore of those photographs you've taken of some of those aliens you've seen, my friends and I are very curious," he inquired. Naomi pulled a tablet from her pocket, motioned for them to come over and she showed the five kids some of the most bizarre creatures Voyager had encountered and describing them.

After sharing some of her pictures, Lana invited Naomi to go with her outside to play. Naomi agreed excitedly. She and Lana ran around the backyard with her pets Bitey, Hops, Izzy and El Diablo. They climbed the tree in the backyard, and pretended that they were on board their own starship, with Lana's pets as the immediate officers.

"Looks like you two are on an epic voyager, get it?" asked Luan who apparently came outside and was watching them play. Lana groaned at the pun, but Naomi thought it was funny. After they went back inside, they were greeted by none other than Lucy, whose sudden appearance caused them to jump a few inches off the floor.

"I'm about to hold a séance, would anyone care to join, see if there's anyone they would like to communicate with?" Naomi thought about that for a moment.

"How about Captain James Tiberius Kirk, I've read a little bit about him," she suggested.

"That is who you would like to communicate with? I think we can try that," said Lucy with a small smile.

"Well, I'd really like to communicate with my dad because I've never met him, but I'm really hoping he's still alive in the Alpha Quadrant waiting for me and Mom when we finally do get back," answered Naomi who suddenly felt down. Lana and her pets gave her a group hug. That always made Naomi feel better. They gathered together at the table (Lana with a little nervousness) and tried to see if they could speak with the late Captain Kirk.

"Wait I think I sense something; I think he's saying, 'Go forward young adventurer, and keep a stout heart,' guess that means he had a message for you," said Lucy. Whether or not it really was Kirk didn't matter at the time, Naomi thought it was fun. That's right about when Lisa came in leading Luna who had a guitar on her back and had baby Lily in one arm.

"Greetings Naomi, I told Luna you were here and she had a song that you might enjoy," said Lisa. Luna nodded happily before relinquishing the baby to Naomi who was overjoyed getting to hold her. Luna grabbed her guitar and started strumming a few notes before she started singing

"Sun turnin' 'round with graceful motion

We're setting off with soft explosion

Bound for a star with fiery oceans

It's so very lonely, you're a hundred light years from home

Freezing red deserts turn to dark

Energy here in every part

It's so very lonely, you're six hundred light years from home"

Naomi did enjoy the song. While Voyager was her home and she had never actually seen Earth, she imagined that the adults in the crew would be able to relate to the message. She made a note that she should share that song with them, see how they felt about it. Once Luna finished her song, she made the rock on symbol with her hand and bounced her head around. Then she showed a more relaxed face.

"That was one of the songs Mick Swagger wrote with his old band. From what Lisa told me about your experience on Voyager, I thought that it would be relatable," she explained.

"It was an amazing song, although in many ways Voyager is my home. But I know a lot of people on board who would love to hear it," responded Naomi, who found herself getting bopped on the nose by Lily. That made her laugh.

"By the way, Lincoln and his friends are playing a video game in the living room right now, I think they would love to get your opinion on it," Lisa then said, a slightly devious smile on her face. Naomi got up, still holding onto Lily, and walked into the living room to find Lincoln and his two friends playing a science fiction-based video game.

"Eat my space powder you Zornian scum!" exclaimed Zach. The graphics made Naomi laugh.

"You should see what fights are like on a real starship," she laughed. Realizing she was just kidding around, giving them a hard time like friends are prone to do, Lincoln and his friends laughed. That's when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" shouted Luna who quickly ran to the door, and there was Mr. Neelix.

"Why hello Ms. Luna Loud, I'm here to pick up Naomi, it's almost supper time," he explained.

"C'mon in dude," said Luna. Naomi quickly bounded to her godfather, handed him Lily so he could hold her a moment, and even gently tickle her tummy before he handed her to Luna. Zach paused the game so he could give Neelix a high five ("I'm telling my folks I high-fived an alien!")

"I sure hope you all had fun today," he said before he and Naomi left.

"We sure did, come back again Naomi!" said Lana.

"I will!" promised Naomi before she and Neelix left the holodeck.

"You enjoy that holodeck program?" asked Neelix as the two of them walked toward the mess hall where Naomi's mother would be waiting for them.

"I do! It's a lot of fun hanging out with those kids! I feel like they're some of my best friends! Don't get me wrong, I love my friends here too, it's just sometimes, it feels nice to have friends who are a little closer in age," said Naomi, feeling confused for a moment. Neelix smiled and knelt down to stand at eye level with her.

"And that's understandable. In many ways, they are friends. And in many ways, we're all your family as well as your friends, so naturally you feel differently about both groups. You know, Captain Janeway once told me that on Earth, there's a saying; 'You can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends.' You choose different people to hang out with, and that's part of growing up," he told her. That made Naomi smile again, and then they resumed their way to the mess hall.

Song credit: 2000 Light Years from Home by Rolling Stones