Authors Note: This is the third story in what will hopefully be a long line of stories. This story continues the adventures of the Lieutenant Simon Hartstone. While not necessary to read the two stories "Punishment" and "Captured!" it would be advisable to set up why this new character is aboard Voyager. If you read "Training" I should let you know I have decided to take that down considering I don't know where to take the story as well as the fact of the matter is I wasn't too happy with the first chapter I wrote and the second chapter wasn't going so well either. I wanted to write a story that included the whole Hazard Team and not just about Lieutenant Hartstone and I obviously wanted to write a kick ass story as well. Also I don't know how to work out stardates, I have looked on the star trek website to try and discern a pattern for them but their doesn't seem to be one they just seem to be a load of random numbers, I have set this in season 6 after the episode "One Small Step." I wanted log entries to feature more as I think they were a primary way of story setting on most of the Star Trek episodes.

Happiness

Read Chapter 1 for disclaimers and some other junk.

Chapter 4: A Vote of Confidence

Simon was standing in a room with a phaser in his right hand, a small blue disc zipping towards him at quite a speed. He shot the disc which changed its trajectory for a second before whipping back on course to try and hit Simon again, this time the disc was travelling so fast that he had to duck before spinning round and shooting it again.

Simon found the game of Velocity very challenging an interesting game normally played between two players, it involved a disc that zoomed towards one of the players depending on the colour of the disc and the colour of the players shirts, whatever colour of the disc was it would head towards the player that had that colour shirt. The only way to change the colour to of the disc was to shoot it with his or her phaser at which time the disc would change colour and head towards the other player. If the disc managed to hit the player that was wearing the colour that matched the disc that player lost.

Simon was unfortunately playing alone at the moment but he decided to make it more of a challenge by when he shot the disc, the colour would not change but he got a 2 second rest where the disc would change direction, and then the disc would target him again but have its speed increased by another five kilometres per hour.

Right now Simon was facing off against the disc travelling at 25 kilometres per hour and was starting to feel the challenge as he span around to avoid the disc. The disc turned at whipped straight back at him, Simon tried to get his phaser up before the door chime interrupted him and the disc hit him squarely in the chest. He looked up at the door, as the disc faded away into nothingness, it being a hologram and the safety protocols being on the disc did not harm him.

"Computer who is at the door?" Simon requested

"Seven of Nine" the computer responded

"Computer, open the door, let her in" Simon finished the order and the door swung open and Seven of Nine was standing at the door, with her hands behind her back in her customary stance. She took a few steps into the room before stopping looking at Simon

"I am sorry Lieutenant am I disturbing you"

"No Seven, I said you could come in, so you are not disturbing me" Simon sat down on the holographic bench and wiped the sweat of his face, before taking a sip of water from a bottle stashed under the bench, he drank from it before addressing Seven who was still standing there saying nothing. "What's on your mind Seven, your not the kind of person who just dropped by to say 'Hello'"

"Indeed, I have noticed the crew getting increasingly worried, it has been almost a week since we started our search and we have checked five planets and two moons and we have not found any signs of the crew, I think they are starting to have doubts about whether the rest of the crew are still alive or not. Also the Doctor is starting to worry about you, he believes you are under a lot of stress having been thrust into command so suddenly" Simon looked at Seven like he had just been punched in the chest, Seven continued "You have been spending a lot of time alone, and while sometimes can be healthy, if it goes on for longer periods of time can start to be detrimental to ones health" Simon couldn't really respond in his defence, she was right after all, he spent six years of his life alone after getting out of a place where he shared the thoughts of billions, it could be said that he might have gone a little crazy.

"Sorry Seven, I suppose your right, I spent the last six years of my life alone and the fact that the search isn't exactly going very well is making me fall back into that pattern. The fact of the matter is Seven I am a man of action always have been always will be sitting around and waiting for something to happen isn't exactly in my nature."

"I have noticed that, most of your solutions involve violence"

"Sorry about that, I am working on that, I am not as logical as Mr Tuvok and I am not as good a diplomat as Captain Janeway, but I get by, I am doing the best I can in the situation."

"I know you are Mr Hartstone, all the crew know, if necessary you will steer us home"

"I wouldn't know about that Seven but I appreciate the vote of confidence" Simon looked at Seven for a moment and thought, "Hey, are you hungry? I'm hungry, I could go for some food, could you go for some food?"

"I have not had nourishment in over 24 hours"

"Would you, I dunno like to get some dinner then."

"Is that an order?" Seven looked quizzically, she knew Lieutenant Hartstone was asking her out on a date, but she did not whether she was going to accept or not

"Of course not Seven, I was just wondering since we both haven't eaten in a long time, maybe you would like to have something with another, I know I could use the companionship"

"Where shall we eat?" Simon just thought, bloody hell woman its dinner not twenty questions, but he just smiled and then thought this is Seven of Nine she likes to have all the information.

"Mess hall seems as good a place as any" he smiled at her

"Your terms are acceptable, when shall we meet?" Simon just thought 'your terms are acceptable' its like a damn negotiation.

"Well we are both here now and free, how about right now"

"Acceptable" she said one last time and she raised herself off the bench she was sitting on and Simon also got up and they left the Holodeck together, Simon shutting down the program on the way out, ready for the next person to use. They had barely got to the turbolift before a call came over the comm

"Lieutenant Hartstone to the bridge" Ensign Munro's voice came over the comm. Simon turned to Seven, with a little smile

"Looks like dinner is going to have to wait"

"Quite" was the only thing Seven could say in return. They both reached the turbolift and they both got in.

"Bridge" Lieutenant Hartstone called out, the both stared straight for the journey up to the bridge and when the doors opened Ensign Munro was waiting at the door to greet them

"Sorry to disturb you Sir, but we found them" Munro could only smile

"You found them, where?" Simon crossed to the ops station where Crewman Chang was working

"On a moon that is a day at maximum warp from here" Simon overlooked the sensor readings himself, and it was confirmed 116 Humans, one Talaxian, one Klingon-Human hybrid and two Vulcans.

"Transfer the coordinates to the helm, and set a course Ms. Murphy maximum warp"

"Aye Sir" she turned around to input the relevant data "Ready Sir"

"Engage" he said and she tapped the final button for the course correction to be made and the ship jolted as the speed was increased and the ship flew off in the new direction.

"Seven, get something to eat and then I need you down in Astrometrics, I want you to pinpoint exactly where our people are an whether it is safe to pull them out"

"Yes Lieutenant" she wheeled, and left in the turbolift, Lieutenant Hartstone went down to the lower section, placing one of his hands on the railings. He tapped his commbadge

"Lieutenant Hartstone to Sickbay"

"Doctor here go ahead Lieutenant"

"Doctor we have found the crew, they are a day away at maximum warp, I want you and Crewman Jurot to prepare for any and all medical eventualities."

"Yes Sir" and then the comm line was cut and Simon sat down in the Captains chair, hoping that he would be soon called upon to vacate it.