Chapter 2
2376 - Voyager - Deck 2 - Mess Hall
"Okay," Rachel said, in a commanding voice when she was sure they were all seated and no one was listening to their conversation, "Options."
The five girls were sitting in the mess hall around a table, discussing their problem. Well, okay, so it wasn't exactly a problem , since they were all thrilled to be on Voyager.
"Well," said Taylor in a sarcastic voice, "We could stay here. Or . . . we could, stay here."
"Sounds good to me!" Meredith piped up. Taylor groaned and rolled her eyes. Then she sighed contentedly.
"I feel like I'm in a dream," she said lazily, her eyes taking on a glazed look.
Rachel grinned, "Yeah! A dream come true!"
The girls all smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Do you think we should have told them how we know about them?" Rhanda said suddenly, changing the tone of the conversation.
"No!" Everyone answered immediately, even Meredith. When she looked surprised at the outburst, Rachel explained.
"How would you feel if someone came up and told you that your whole life wasn't real and you were a television program?"
She pondered, then said, "I wouldn't believe them."
"And do you want the Voyager crew to think you're crazy?"
"I think that's already covered," Taylor said, glancing meaningfully at Meredith, "You guys already crazy enough!"
"Okay, okay, I get it," said Rhanda, "Let's change topics here." She lowered her voice, "What season do you think we're in?"
"I'm not sure," Charlie whispered, "but it must be after the third - Captain Janeway's hair is short."
"There was one episode in the second season when her hair was short!" Meredith added eagerly, "I never figured out how they did it. It was long again after that one episode."
"You guys are sad! You're trying to figure out what season we're in by looking at Captain Janeway's hair!" Taylor choked out, quite loudly, in exasperation.
"Shhh!"
"I am shhhushing!"
"Taylor!" Rachel said in a hushed voice, "keep your voice down! We don't want anyone to hear us. And don't scoff; our method does work. I think I know what season we're in."
"What!" Meredith yelped, completely forgetting to be quiet, "We've been getting all worked up about something you already knew the answer to?!"
"I don't know yet!" Rachel said hotly, "but I will soon."
With that she leaned back in her chair and, ignoring her own advice, yelled across the room to B'Elanna Torres, who was sitting at a table with her boyfriend, Tom Paris.
"HEY! B'ELANNA TORRES!! HI, SORRY, BUT I WAS WONDERING, HOW MANY YEARS HAS VOYAGER BEEN IN THE DELTA QUADRANT?"
B'Elanna stared at her for a second before answering.
"ABOUT SIX AND A HALF!" she shouted back.
"THANKS!"
She turned back to the group.
"Season six."
They all stared at her.
"Why are you all staring at me? What?!"
Rhanda spoke up.
"I can't believe you just did that."
Rachel shrugged.
"Oh well, we got the information we needed. We're in season six."
"That means," Charlie said, looking worried, "We can't talk about anything beyond that point. Ever. Not even among ourselves. We can't tell anyone about anything that happens in season seven. It might effect their future."
"That's not a problem for us," Rhanda said, gesturing to herself and Meredith, "We haven't seen anything after season five."
"Yes, but there are other factors that you know anyway," Rachel pointed out, "Like Tom and B'Elanna getting married. We can't tell anyone about that. If we were to be overheard. . ."
". . . the outcome could be disastrous," Charlie finished.
"We understand," Taylor said, "But we can talk about Voyager's past, since that already happened to them, and they already know about it - right?"
"I guess so," Charlie agreed.
They talked for another five minutes before Taylor sniffed the air.
"Food!" She cried out hungrily.
"Oh no! Taylor's hungry! Run for it!" Charlie joked.
"What are you talking about? I'm always hungry! I'm going to get some lunch," Taylor said, oblivious to her friends' laughter.
By the time she got back, their giggles had subsided, and they all stared.
"Wow," Meredith said, her eyes as big as rocks.
"Yup, 'Wow' just about covers it," Rachel said, backing her up, "Taylor, do you mind explaining to us how you're going to eat all this and not gain ten pounds?"
Taylor beamed. Her plate was heaped with noodles, salads, and many other kinds of foods that looked gross and inedible.
"Neelix's cooking! Looks good, huh!"
"Um. . .," Rhanda said, "I wouldn't go that far."
All the girls grinned. Then, a small, perky voice spoke from behind them.
"Hi!" it said.
The girls looked around and saw the smiling face of a five-year-old girl.
"Naomi! Sit down and join us!" Rachel said, grinning back.
Naomi looked surprised.
"How do you know my name?"
Rachel thought fast.
"Um, everyone knows your name!"
"Really?"
"Of course! You were the first child to be born on Voyager! You're very special to everyone on this ship. They talk about you a lot."
"Yah!" Charlie said, catching on, "You're famous!"
"Hear, hear!" Taylor agreed, making everyone laugh.
"Oh," said Naomi, smiling, as she clambered onto a chair next to Rachel, looking pleased.
"So," Rachel asked, "Why did you come to see us?"
Naomi beamed, "As Captain's Assistant, I wanted to be the first to officially welcome you to Voyager."
"Thank you! That's very nice of you," Rhanda said, grinning at her.
The girls listen for a couple of minutes to Naomi's constant babble of conversation before Rachel decided something important.
"Naomi?"
"Yes?"
Rachel glanced at her friends, who nodded, then said, "Naomi do you want to join our group?"
Naomi looked from one girl to another before pulling herself up like the captain and proudly pronouncing the words, "I accept."
"All right!" Rachel said, beaming at her, then throwing one arm around her shoulder to pull her closer in, "but there are some things you have to know first. . ."
It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
"I do not like them!"
B'Elanna Torres stormed out of the mess hall, fuming. Tom Paris was right behind her.
"B'Elanna, calm down!"
"No! I really, really do not like them."
"B'Elanna, they just asked a question."
"Just a question! That girl shouted across the mess hall at me! They won't even tell us how they know our names and everything about us. They walk around acting like we're old friends!"
They stepped into a turbolift and the doors whooshed closed behind them. Harry was standing in it.
"Oh, hi Harry," Tom said, then he ordered the computer, "Deck six."
"What's got you so worked up, B'Elanna?" Harry questioned.
"B'Elanna's annoyed about those girls," Tom said quickly, before B'Elanna could open her mouth to start shouting again. He filled Harry in.
Harry started shooting nervous looks at B'Elanna and backing away.
"Cut the act, Harry," B'Elanna sighed.
"I can't help it!" Harry defended himself, "It always seems like I'm the one who gets picked on whenever you're in a bad mood."
"Harry," Tom said, as though explaining something quite obvious to a child, "Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry. When will you learn?"
"Learn what?!" Harry said, sounding very annoyed indeed.
"Harry! You always get picked on whether B'Elanna's in a bad mood or not!" Tom babbled loudly, then he added in a whisper, "But B'Elanna's always in a bad mood anyways."
B'Elanna sent him a glare and he gave her an innocent look. They rode in silence for a few moments before Tom slapped a hand to his head.
"Darn! I left my padd in the mess hall! We have to go back for it."
B'Elanna groaned.
"Deck two," Harry ordered.
When the turbolift came to a halt and the threesome stepped out, they were all in a bad mood. What they didn't know was that it was about to get worse. They started walking down the corridor that lead to the mess hall. They were about to round the corner when they heard voices, and stopped, listening. A feminine voice penetrated the air.
"Ooo! Remember the episode when Tom took B'Elanna to that Klingon holodeck program and she hated it! 'I understand you didn't like the program, but why do you have to be so hostile!' 'I am not hostile!' It was hilarious!"
"Yes! That was a good one!" came another voice, also female, " 'Harry, do you think I'm hostile?' 'No, no, no, of course not!'"
Then five voices chorused together, saying sarcastically, " 'Then why do you look like you're afraid for you're life?' "
There was muffled laughter. Torres seethed. Harry's face was pink. Tom was frowning. The voices died away and the path to the mess hall was clear. Torres didn't move. Her hands were clenched into fists and shaking at her sides.
"How do they know?" Harry asked, softly.
"I don't know," B'Elanna answered, her voice coated with suppressed rage, "But I'm going to find out."
Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Star Trek or Star Trek. I don't even own any rights to this story because it was written by my friend. It was written about our little Trekkie group, The Sisterhood of Teenage Trekkies. Though there have been changes to respect rights of my friends and myself. I have been given permission to post this story. Thank you and enjoy.
Author's Note: I'm going to get tired real quick with reposting this disclaimer every time so this disclaimer and the disclaimers before applying to the whole story. The end. Do fell free to read and review though. I would and my friend would like that very much.