Uninspired Voyages

A Star Trek: Voyager fanfiction by Andrew J. Talon

DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fan based work of prose. Star Trek: Voyager, Deep Space Nine, The Next Generation et al are the property of CBS Television, Para creation of Gene Roddenberry. Please support the official release.

New arc start!

Captain's Log, Stardate 48846.5. After completing repairs on the USS Lillehammer and the CDS Trager, we have set course for Talax Prime, the Talaxian Homeworld. It is my hope that the central archives on that world will give us a map home. While Mr. Neelix suggested that we could make the request from the colony of Crinax, I believe that making our case in person will be more effective.

Mari was a few months younger than Kes, but they had been close throughout their lives. Mari looked up to Kes, and had been heartbroken when she had vanished to the surface. Her courage had led Mari to decide to join Voyager with her, and then to begin training as a field medic. And now that she knew she was on a ship of heroes, she was more enthusiastic than ever about aiding the-her crew.

She was so excited as she followed Kes through the corridors, she was practically bouncing on the heels of her feet!

"So, the Doctor did an examination of Rani," Kes was saying, "and apparently, our metabolisms are slowing down a lot since we're off Ocampa! Isn't that amazing?"

"It is," Mari said cheerfully, "it means we'll live a lot longer! And the kids will be cuter for longer!"

Kes chuckled and gave Mari a warm smile as they strode through the hallway.

"That's not something Rani is happy about, I think," Kes said. Mari laughed softly.

"Yeah, but then her husband was a bum," she said. "So! What's our duty today?"

"It's a very special one," Kes said, "we're supposed to aid Lieutenant Shepherd in his recovery."

Mari gasped, holding her hands together.

"You mean we get to aid Sir Shepherd?" She asked eagerly. Kes rolled her eyes.

"Now Mari, don't get your hopes up," she admonished, "he has a mate back home!"

"Well, I can still dream, can't I?" Mari said with a grin as they made it to the doors of the lieutenant's quarters. Kes sighed.

"There's also the fact he's, well... Himself," Kes said. Mari stared at her.

"How can you say things like that?" She demanded. "He fought the Kazon by himself with a sword to free us from them!"

She tapped the doorchime. The doors opened, and Shepherd was to the side, bent over fiddling with the guts of the door controls. He looked up and smiled.

"Ah! Kes! Mari!" He said cheerfully, "good to see you! Here to spring me? You have my thanks-"

Kes held her hand up.

"No, we're here to ensure you stay in your quarters and get some rest," Kes stated. Shepherd hummed.

"Well, you did your jobs perfectly! I'll tell the Doc you did great!"

He tried to push past them, but Kes glared and held firm.

"Oh no!" She kept pushing him back into his quarters, all the way back to his couch. She shoved with all her strength, and the tall man fell back onto the furniture. "Tuvok told me you'd try to get away, and he told me to keep you here!"

"Um," Mari began, "why were you messing with the door panel?"

"Tuvok locked me in here," Shepherd sighed. "He put a fractal encryption code on the door."

"That seems a bit extreme," Mari observed, fiddling nervously. She looked around Shepherd's quarters. Unlike many other officers, his were a bit messy and clearly lived in. With spare uniforms thrown over chairs and a stack of books on a table.

Shepherd nodded.

"I know right? He just doesn't know when to quit," he sighed. He immediately made to get back up. "We should go in person to protect his gross abuse of power-Ack!"

Kes again shoved him back, glaring.

"No!" Kes growled. "You are going to stay, and get better!"

Shepherd sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping.

"All right," he said, "you win."

"We win," Kes said with a nod. Shepherd smiled, slid back, and patted the cushions of his couch on either side of him.

"Well! Let's get comfy," he said. "I've got Thunderbolt Fantasy cued up on the holoscreen!"

He tapped a control that had been left on the armrest of the couch, and a holographic screen appeared in front of them. Fast, loud and dramatic music began to play, as the intro began. "Come on, sit!"

Kes, still suspicious, sat down next to Shepherd on his left. Mari, blushing hard, sat down next to him on his right. They leaned back to watch the show.

"Hm? Are these polymer based people?" Mari asked, enraptured, "that's amazing! You have so many different lifeforms in your Federation!"

"Ah, actually, they're puppets," Shepherd explained.

"What's a puppet?" Mari asked. Shepherd grinned.

"I'm happy to explain. But first, we need some snacks. I'll just pop into the kitchenette and-"

"No," Kes ordered. She stood up. "Come on Mari, we'll go and get snacks from the kitchenette. You stay here."

Shepherd nodded.

"Fair enough," he said. He pointed to the bow forward door. "It's right in there."

Kes nodded. She gestured to Mari, and she reluctantly followed the older Ocampan. They went into the other room, and looked around.

"Shepherd?" Kes called back, "I don't see a kitchenette in here!"

"It's in there! Keep looking!" Shepherd called back.

Mari hummed.

"Funny. I don't recall any of the quarters on this deck having kitchenettes," she mused. Kes froze, spun around, and ran back into the main living room. Mari quickly followed.

Shepherd was nowhere to be found. Kes growled.

"SHEPHERD!"

Neelix left the conference room, outwardly trying to appear his usual bubbly self. Inside, he was feeling an intense dread. The likes of which he hadn't felt in ages.

Talax? Talax Prime?! What was he thinking in telling her about the central archives on Talax Prime?!

"I was trying to be helpful," he groaned to himself, "now what am I going to do? I need to talk to Kes..."

He tapped his commbadge as he entered the turbolift.

"Computer, please locate Kes," he said.

"Kes is located in Lieutenant Shepherd's quarters," the helpful female voice said. Neelix's eyes widened.

"She's what?!" He gasped. "Turbolift, deck 8!"

What was she doing in Shepherd's quarters?! It wasn't quite as bad as if she'd been in Paris' quarters! After all, Shepherd was heroic, kind, understanding, brave-

The moment the turbolift doors opened, he sprinted out and ran down the corridor as fast as he could. He turned the corners, and skidded to a halt outside the quarters in question, breathing hard. He hit the doorchime.

"Shepherd? Kes?! Can I come in?" He called.

"ARRRRGHHH!" Was the call from within. Neelix, in a panic, used the emergency override and stormed in.

"Lieutenant! Kes! Whatever you're doing-!"

He froze in shock. He could see Kes and Mari, holding onto a pair of legs that were sticking out of a Jefferies tube. The legs were kicking as the two Ocampan women held on tenaciously.

"WOULD YOU JUST LET GO?!" Shepherd shouted.

"WOULD YOU BEHAVE YOURSELF?!" Kes shouted back, pulling back as hard as she could. Mari was holding on for dear life, her psychic powers not developed enough to let her resist the human's greater physical strength.

"-is... Not what I was expecting," Neelix admitted.

"NEELIX?! Is that you?!" Shepherd shouted, "call your girlfriend off or I'll beat the crap out of you and call it combat training!"

"NEELIX! HELP ME OR YOU'RE BANNED FROM MY QUARTERS FOREVER!" Kes bellowed.

Neelix groaned... And sighed.

"Sorry Shepherd!" He called, grabbing the human's legs and pulling with the two Ocampans. The human popped out, landing hard on the deck. Shepherd glared up at Neelix.

"Seriously?!" He shouted.

"Sorry Lieutenant, but well... I mean, she is my girlfriend," Neelix admitted.

Shepherd sighed.

"I guess I can respect that," he said. Neelix smiled.

"Really?"

"Really," Shepherd said with a nod, "but I'm still going to beat the crap out of you."

"Well, since we're going to Talax Prime, you'll have to get in line," Neelix said mournfully.

A new arc that's all original (mostly), involving Neelix's homeworld and a lot more besides. Strap in kids, we're in unknown waters. Here be dragons...