Kathryn turned around and looked at Chakotay. "What do you think?" she asked softly, asking for his thoughts about the rift.
Chakotay unconsciously moved closer to her as he answered her in the same quiet tone. "It seems all right, but I don't know why he doesn't want us through the rift. It's not that it's unstable, he goes through it, so it must have something to do with who we are."
Kathryn nodded in agreement, as Chakotay added, "But why are you asking me? We both know you'll do anything to get this ship home again. If you really want a second opinion, ask the crew."
After thinking for a moment, Kathryn turned to her senor staff on the bridge. "You all know our options. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter."
"Captain," Harry spoke up immediately, "I think we should go for it. He admitted that he was going Earth. That should be all we need to know."
"However, we must take in account that he has already made one mistake on coming here," Tuvok reminded the young ensign. "He may take us back to where we started, or farther."
"True, but we could just follow him through other rifts until we get back to Earth."
Tuvok raised his eyebrows. "Captain Chaz has warned us not to follow him. I do not believe that he would allow us to follow him more than once. However," he stated, as Harry's face fell, "I do believe that with our sensors we will be able to tell where the rift leads. If our sensors show the rift leads to Earth, it is my opinion that we should go through it."
Kathryn looked at Seven and Tom, the only ones on the bridge not to express their opinions. Seven said nothing, showing Kathryn that she would be content with the decision of the others.
Tom spoke up from the helm. "I agree with Tuvok. We know that his shields are about the same as ours, so we shouldn't have a lot of problems going through the rift."
Harry's face brightened again, as his console beeped. "Captain," he cried, looking at the sensors, "Captain Chaz must have finished his calculations. He's opening another rift!"
"Can you tell where it leads yet?" Kathryn spun around and jumped up the stairs to Harry's station. She put a hand on the edge of his console, waiting for a reply.
"I should know in approximately two minutes, Captain," Harry answered, his fingers flying over the sensors.
"But will the rift still be open then?" Chakotay's firm voice entered the conversation. Looking down at him from the higher platform, Kathryn regarded him fondly. Then, remembering his question, she walked back down towards her command chair, passing him as she sat down. "The rift was open long enough for us to find out where it went last time, and that time we didn't start scanning when it first opened. In theory, we should have plenty of time."
"Captain," Harry demanded her attention, "Chaz's ship is entering the rift!"
"Where does it lead?"
"I still can't... wait a minute!" Harry furiously pressed buttons, giving him the relevant data. "It leads to the Alpha Quadrant!" he said triumphantly. "It would take us into a high orbit of Earth!"
Chakotay unconsciously moved closer to her as he answered her in the same quiet tone. "It seems all right, but I don't know why he doesn't want us through the rift. It's not that it's unstable, he goes through it, so it must have something to do with who we are."
Kathryn nodded in agreement, as Chakotay added, "But why are you asking me? We both know you'll do anything to get this ship home again. If you really want a second opinion, ask the crew."
After thinking for a moment, Kathryn turned to her senor staff on the bridge. "You all know our options. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter."
"Captain," Harry spoke up immediately, "I think we should go for it. He admitted that he was going Earth. That should be all we need to know."
"However, we must take in account that he has already made one mistake on coming here," Tuvok reminded the young ensign. "He may take us back to where we started, or farther."
"True, but we could just follow him through other rifts until we get back to Earth."
Tuvok raised his eyebrows. "Captain Chaz has warned us not to follow him. I do not believe that he would allow us to follow him more than once. However," he stated, as Harry's face fell, "I do believe that with our sensors we will be able to tell where the rift leads. If our sensors show the rift leads to Earth, it is my opinion that we should go through it."
Kathryn looked at Seven and Tom, the only ones on the bridge not to express their opinions. Seven said nothing, showing Kathryn that she would be content with the decision of the others.
Tom spoke up from the helm. "I agree with Tuvok. We know that his shields are about the same as ours, so we shouldn't have a lot of problems going through the rift."
Harry's face brightened again, as his console beeped. "Captain," he cried, looking at the sensors, "Captain Chaz must have finished his calculations. He's opening another rift!"
"Can you tell where it leads yet?" Kathryn spun around and jumped up the stairs to Harry's station. She put a hand on the edge of his console, waiting for a reply.
"I should know in approximately two minutes, Captain," Harry answered, his fingers flying over the sensors.
"But will the rift still be open then?" Chakotay's firm voice entered the conversation. Looking down at him from the higher platform, Kathryn regarded him fondly. Then, remembering his question, she walked back down towards her command chair, passing him as she sat down. "The rift was open long enough for us to find out where it went last time, and that time we didn't start scanning when it first opened. In theory, we should have plenty of time."
"Captain," Harry demanded her attention, "Chaz's ship is entering the rift!"
"Where does it lead?"
"I still can't... wait a minute!" Harry furiously pressed buttons, giving him the relevant data. "It leads to the Alpha Quadrant!" he said triumphantly. "It would take us into a high orbit of Earth!"
