To all my readers: Please accept my most sincere apologies for the delay
in getting this posted. My computer managed to contract two viruses and
put me out of commission for a while, but I'm up and running again and my
challenge is here at last. Thank you, Megan Paris. Any more takers?
Description: Janeway has brought the radio to the bridge. The crew encounters a fleet of enemy alien ships.
***********
Captain Janeway exited he turbolift onto the bridge, carrying the boom box. She sauntered to her chair and set it between Chakotay's seat and her own, then hit the power.
"Every time you call me, I'm too scared to be me."
The captain scowled at the boom box, then spoke. "My apologies. Commander, why did you call me to the bridge?" she asked, indicating her combadge.
He opened his mouth.
"It wasn't me."
Chakotay was getting used to ignoring the boom box's commentary, so he answered, "There seems to be a bit of a problem with our new route. Namely, them." He pointed toward the viewscreen, where a formidable- looking fleet of ships resided.
The Captain prepared to respond.
"Barricades can't block our way."
"We're being hailed," Harry Kim informed them.
"Onscreen," said Janeway reflexively.
A very ugly creature came onto the screen. It oozed green and purple slime from unseen pores in its bumpy skin. It opened a gaping maw on it's head, which Kathryn Janeway assumed was the mouth, and out came a ferocious combination of a growl, a scream, and a high-pitched whistling.
"Compulsively you'll die. I hate people!"
Wide-eyed, Chakotay stared at the boom box. "I think it succeeds where the universal translator fails, Captain."
The radio interrupted.
"This carousel of superficial conversation gets me nowhere."
Shooting the radio a lazy glance of dislike, he finished. "What do we do now?"
"What's the use of trying? All you get is pain."
"Never settle for the path of least resistance. Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'."
"Hmm," Chakotay mused, "I've never heard it argue with itself. I think your radio is going crazy, Kathryn."
The Captain answered, ignoring his use of her first name. "I think you're right. Do we actually know what is beyond this fleet?"
"Who can say where the road goes? Where the day flows? Only time."
She sighed. "I shouldn't have asked.".
"Captain," chimed in Seven of Nine, who was working at the bridge astrometrics station, "I see a path through them. If we went to warp in leaps lasting a few seconds, we could weave through before they could maintain a weapons lock."
"Anyone perfect must be lying, anything easy has its cost."
"I agree with Seven," Tom Paris said. "It'd be fun."
"Never made it as a wise man."
"Well," began the Captain, as the radio found a new station.
"I'm not the kind of girl to sit out on sideline, the kind of girl who doesn't say it straight from her mind."
"Let's do it," she said. "Mr. Kim, keep a close eye on everything and tell me if anything goes seriously wrong. Mr. Paris, you know what to do."
"Making first jump in three, two, one." Tom responded.
The ship lurched, then stopped.
"Second jump now," he said.
Three jumps later, Harry spoke. "Captain, they're anticipating our drop out point and firing as we exit."
Seven of Nine contributed, "Captain, a straight trajectory could be implemented from here, but it would require us to get in close proximity to a class G star."
"Tom?" Kathryn Janeway asked.
"I can do it," he replied.
"Then go," she answered.
Voyager jumped to Warp 9. The ship neared the star.
"Hull pressure is increasing!" Harry Kim shouted over the myriad of noises on the bridge.
"Let your bones crack, your back pop, I can't stop."
Then, suddenly, there was silence. They had made it!
"You're okay, you're okay, you're okay, you're okay."
The bridge crew peered anxiously at the viewscreen. The aliens were not persuing.
"Now that I've flown away, I see you've chosen to stay behind me."
Everyone on the bridge just looked at the boom box, then gave a simultaneous laugh of relief.
Description: Janeway has brought the radio to the bridge. The crew encounters a fleet of enemy alien ships.
***********
Captain Janeway exited he turbolift onto the bridge, carrying the boom box. She sauntered to her chair and set it between Chakotay's seat and her own, then hit the power.
"Every time you call me, I'm too scared to be me."
The captain scowled at the boom box, then spoke. "My apologies. Commander, why did you call me to the bridge?" she asked, indicating her combadge.
He opened his mouth.
"It wasn't me."
Chakotay was getting used to ignoring the boom box's commentary, so he answered, "There seems to be a bit of a problem with our new route. Namely, them." He pointed toward the viewscreen, where a formidable- looking fleet of ships resided.
The Captain prepared to respond.
"Barricades can't block our way."
"We're being hailed," Harry Kim informed them.
"Onscreen," said Janeway reflexively.
A very ugly creature came onto the screen. It oozed green and purple slime from unseen pores in its bumpy skin. It opened a gaping maw on it's head, which Kathryn Janeway assumed was the mouth, and out came a ferocious combination of a growl, a scream, and a high-pitched whistling.
"Compulsively you'll die. I hate people!"
Wide-eyed, Chakotay stared at the boom box. "I think it succeeds where the universal translator fails, Captain."
The radio interrupted.
"This carousel of superficial conversation gets me nowhere."
Shooting the radio a lazy glance of dislike, he finished. "What do we do now?"
"What's the use of trying? All you get is pain."
"Never settle for the path of least resistance. Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'."
"Hmm," Chakotay mused, "I've never heard it argue with itself. I think your radio is going crazy, Kathryn."
The Captain answered, ignoring his use of her first name. "I think you're right. Do we actually know what is beyond this fleet?"
"Who can say where the road goes? Where the day flows? Only time."
She sighed. "I shouldn't have asked.".
"Captain," chimed in Seven of Nine, who was working at the bridge astrometrics station, "I see a path through them. If we went to warp in leaps lasting a few seconds, we could weave through before they could maintain a weapons lock."
"Anyone perfect must be lying, anything easy has its cost."
"I agree with Seven," Tom Paris said. "It'd be fun."
"Never made it as a wise man."
"Well," began the Captain, as the radio found a new station.
"I'm not the kind of girl to sit out on sideline, the kind of girl who doesn't say it straight from her mind."
"Let's do it," she said. "Mr. Kim, keep a close eye on everything and tell me if anything goes seriously wrong. Mr. Paris, you know what to do."
"Making first jump in three, two, one." Tom responded.
The ship lurched, then stopped.
"Second jump now," he said.
Three jumps later, Harry spoke. "Captain, they're anticipating our drop out point and firing as we exit."
Seven of Nine contributed, "Captain, a straight trajectory could be implemented from here, but it would require us to get in close proximity to a class G star."
"Tom?" Kathryn Janeway asked.
"I can do it," he replied.
"Then go," she answered.
Voyager jumped to Warp 9. The ship neared the star.
"Hull pressure is increasing!" Harry Kim shouted over the myriad of noises on the bridge.
"Let your bones crack, your back pop, I can't stop."
Then, suddenly, there was silence. They had made it!
"You're okay, you're okay, you're okay, you're okay."
The bridge crew peered anxiously at the viewscreen. The aliens were not persuing.
"Now that I've flown away, I see you've chosen to stay behind me."
Everyone on the bridge just looked at the boom box, then gave a simultaneous laugh of relief.
