VOYAGERS! - The Voyager Chronicles
OLD FRIENDS, NEW BEGINNINGS - BOOK 6
(Sequel to A Ray of Hope)
By DA Daugherty (VoyagersFan)
December 2008 (Revised 03/2010)
Previous disclaimers apply
Chapter 1 – THE MISSION
It was the beginning of another beautiful spring day on planet Voyager. The sun in all its fullness and splendor was at the moment mere inches above the horizon. The sky, awash with a glaze of deep royal blue, seemed to stretch on uninterrupted for infinity. To the west, the light of the planet's two moons had begun to fade as a few, scattered puffy clouds passed leisurely by. In the courtyards of Voyager Headquarters, a cool, yet gentle breeze was stirring the leaves on the trees, as if to nudge them awake after their overnight slumber. As the hour of six grew near, many of the hundreds of employees began to arrive to start their day. Most had decided to take advantage of the fine springtime weather by walking or cycling to their destination.
This day with regard to activities inside VHQ would be a fairly light. Headquarters was currently experiencing the usual lull period which occurred each year in the springtime. As most Voyagers were taught at the Academy, the frequency of timeline errors tends to run in a cycle, with a peak period occurring in the fall and a corresponding decline in the spring. With the decline in mission activity, most of the staff could concentrate their efforts on other areas, such as continuing education, cross-training and taking care of their own.
Even in this relaxed atmosphere, there was still time for matters of a clandestine nature. At a meeting held several days prior with Chancellor Garth, Director Blake, Supervisor Roberts, Susan and Special Operative Olivia Dunne in attendance, it was decided that on this day a top secret operation would commence.
In a large conference room located down the hallway from Mission Control, the sounds of voices and laughter could be heard reverberating from within. Inside, several Voyagers were deeply involved in the planning and decoration for a surprise birthday party. Unbeknownst to all but those closest to him, today was Voyager Jeffrey Jones' 14th birthday. To celebrate this milestone in his life and to show their love and affection for him, his comrades had planned a soiree like none other in the history of VHQ.
"Rosalyn, did we get any streamers?" Susan asked as she rummaged through a box of decorations and supplies.
"Yea, I thought I did. I sure hope they didn't forget to put them in the box before I left the store."
"Never mind…I found them!" Susan exclaimed as she pulled them out of the box and held them in front of her. She stared curiously at the ceiling for a moment, before looking around the room. "Now, where's that ladder when you need it?"
"Honey, I don't think we have a ladder, but would a chair do?" Olivia asked.
Susan nodded and smiled. "Well, it's either that or you could hoist me up on your shoulders. That's the only way a vertically-challenged person like myself is ever going to reach that ceiling."
Olivia, who had been put in charge of blowing up the balloons, stopped for a moment. She grabbed a chair from the table and began to assist Susan with her task.
"Here, hon. Let me help you with that. Besides, I'm taller." Olivia said graciously as she stepped up on the chair. "You just tell me where you want them hung. I'll handle the rest."
"You are just too kind." Susan replied. "If you could start one in that corner and just kinda drape it every three feet or so, I think that'll work out just fine.
"Sure. It's all for a good cause." Olivia remarked. "I can't wait to see the look on little Jeffrey's face when he walks through that door."
Susan walked over and closely observed Olivia's work. "Well, he's not that little anymore. The last time I saw him, he's growing like a weed. I don't know what Bogg is feeding him but, obviously it's working."
The three women chuckled a bit while they continued with their preparations.
"Rosalyn…" Olivia prompted. "What's this I hear about you and a new beau? Anything you want to tell me about?"
At the moment, Rosalyn was busy adjusting a "Happy Birthday" banner on the far wall. Once it was securely fastened, she stepped back to see if it was aligned properly.
"Oh where have you been?" Rosalyn asked as she flashed the wedding ring on her left hand. "It's way beyond that."
"You're married?" Olivia asked.
"Oh…yes!" She replied in a dreamy state. "Shawn is the absolute best thing that's ever happened to me. He's intelligent, kind, gentle and loving. And he has a sense of humor as well."
Susan glanced up at Olivia who was putting the finishing touches on one of the lengths of streamers. "Listen to her…Isn't love grand?"
Olivia shook her head, sighed and laughed a bit. "Yea, it's grand alright. How long have you two been married?"
"We've been together almost a year now."
Olivia continued with her task, undaunted. "I'm surprised the new hasn't worn off by now."
Rosalyn laughed and began teasing her friends. "You two are too much. Hey, you are just jealous… You only wish you had a loving husband like mine."
"He sounds like a good one." Olivia replied with a hint of disappointment in her tone. "You're lucky to have him. Me, I gave up on men a long, long time ago."
"Why Olivia, whatever caused you to do that?" Susan asked with some curiosity.
"I'll tell you what…oh, excuse me…I mean who…caused this to happen." She replied staunchly. "His initials are PB."
Susan lowered a brow, nodded and slowly strolled over to a nearby window, obviously in a state of deep thought. "Hmmm….PB…hmmmm…P…B…"
Suddenly, she knew who the initials belonged to. She whirled about and snapped her finger in the air.
"Oh, I know. You must be talking about that guy you dated at Voyager Academy. Now what was his name…Puuhhh…Puuuh…Paul! That's it, Paul, Paul Brown. That geeky guy with the greased back hair and the horn-rimmed glasses. As I recall, recruiting plucked him from the 50's on Earth."
"Eeeeeuuuu!" Rosalyn exclaimed. "Greased back hair! What a turn-off! I can't believe you would date someone like that!"
Olivia turned to face her friends, sporting a look of contempt as she playfully took offense to the statement. "Well…Ex------cuse me, Miss…Susan... As I recall, I was not the only one who was smitten by Paul. I believe, my dear, you were as well. Also, I seem to recall a rather hot little date the two of you…"
With a hint of crimson now highlighting her cheeks, Susan hastily interrupted her friend's quest to reveal a very private part of her past.
"SHHHHH! Olivia! That will be quite enough!" She said with a laugh. "We just went out and had dinner together. I assure you it was innocent! Nothing happened! Absolutely…nothing!"
Calm down, I'm just teasing." Olivia reassured. "No, the person I was referring to is…Phineas Bogg."
"Phineas?" Rosalyn questioned as she dropped her chin in a state of shock. "Are you sure? I can't believe Phineas would do anything to hurt anyone. He's so kind and loving and…"
"FICKLE!" Olivia interrupted. "He's as fickle as they come. Let me tell you just how KIND he is."
Susan quickly stepped over and whispered in Rosalyn's ear. "I think you and I had better sit down. From the sound of it, I'd say this could take a while and it's not going to be pretty either."
The two put down their decorations and took up residence on a nearby sofa.
"Ok, we're listening." Rosalyn prompted.
With her audience now comfortably seated and wholly attentive, Olivia began her story.
"Well, at one time, I was head over heels in love with the so-called kind and loving Mr. Bogg. We were…let's see know… What was that phrase…hmmm…you know the one they used back on Earth in the 20th Century?
"Are you referring to…'An item?'" Susan asked.
"Yes, that's it! We were…an item. I truly adored him and he absolutely loved me. Or at least that's what I thought. I felt that we were both meant for each other. With each day that passed, our feelings seemed to grow exponentially. And need I tell you 'bout those eyes…"
"Oh yes, he does have those lovely eyes." Rosalyn replied with a sigh.
"Oh…those eyes, those deep blue pools that seemed to go on forever. Every time I would gaze into them, I could feel my heart skip a beat. That beautiful body, those strong, muscular arms and square chin. Just a mere glimpse of him would make me melt."
Susan leaned forward and started fanning herself. "Whew! Is it just me or has someone turned up the heat in this room?"
"It is getting a wee bit warm in here, isn't it?" Rosalyn acknowledged as she patted her face and neck with a tissue.
Olivia continued with her story. "Anytime we were together, he always made me feel special. He would hold me in his arms, look into my eyes and express his undying love for me. For the two of us, it was a match made in Heaven."
"What happened to change your mind?" Rosalyn asked innocently.
"I tell you what." Olivia replied sharply. "Another woman crossed his path, literally."
Susan bowed her head a bit and looked away, somewhat embarrassed by the notion that she was the one who had taken Bogg from her.
"Uhhh…ummm…You must mean me." She mumbled.
"No, Susan…it wasn't you. You came along later." Olivia confirmed. "This happened long ago, during a mission we were on."
"I don't remember you two being paired up for a mission." Susan stated with a puzzled look. "I must have missed that somehow. When did this happen?"
"It occurred several months after our graduation from Voyager Academy. Mission Control had teamed us up to work on special assignment. On one of the missions, we were sent to 18th century England to resolve a problem with the history of the British monarchy. While I was trying to conquer the problem with history, he had planned a so-called conquest of his own."
Rosalyn gasped. "You don't mean…he left you to do the dirty work while he attempted to satisfy his wonton urges?"
"Yep, right first time." Olivia said pointedly. "You see, there was this cute little blond that had caught his attention. And get this… she was a lady in waiting."
Gasps and howls could be heard from the peanut section after Olivia unveiled this unexpected piece of information.
Susan nodded her head and started to speak. "He always did have a thing for blondes. I should know, he never took his eyes off of me at Voyager Academy."
"What happened next, Olivia?" Rosalyn asked. "How did you find out about his little rendezvous?"
Olivia continued, speaking in a rather sarcastic and condescending tone. "Well, ladies, it's like this… I discovered THE kind and loving PHINEAS BOGG, by accident, in a secluded room inside the castle.
"He THOUGHT he had covered all his tracks!" Olivia continued as she stood with her hands on her hips, nodding her head with an air of contempt. "He didn't count on me passing by the door of the little secret room he had found. And when I did, I couldn't help but overhear the sweet nothings he was spouting off to her. So I stopped for a moment, pressed my ear firmly against the door and continued to listen. "
"Tell us…what did you hear?" Susan asked.
"Why the ultimate in lame pickup lines." Olivia quipped. "Here's an example."
"'Oh you are soooooo beautiful! I want to be your knight in shining armor and I want you to be my Queen. Come, let me hold you in my arms and partake of your sweet lips. They are like red, ripened cherries, luscious and full.'"
Susan and Rosalyn were now roaring with laughter. After a few moments, they finally regained their composure.
"We're sorry, Olivia." Susan said as she attempted to make up for their rather uncaring response. "You don't mean he actually said that stuff to her?"
"Yes! And unfortunately for me, I heard every word." Olivia quipped.
Rosalyn nodded her head in disbelief and started to giggle. "I can't believe he could do such a thing. Did he really think she would fall for all that…that…mush?"
"I really don't know what he was thinking." Olivia replied sternly. "Or for that matter, IF he was even THINKING at all!"
"After hearing all that garbage, I slowly opened the door to take a peek inside. And was I ever taken by what I saw next."
"What? What did you see?" Rosalyn exclaimed impatiently. "Don't keep us in suspense!"
"Well, those two were in a passionate embrace and a lip-lock that would have even made Casanova blush."
Susan and Rosalyn began to howl and laugh at this latest revelation from their friend.
"That figures." Susan said in a light-hearted manner. "Good ol' Phineas… He was never one to pass up a kiss from a beautiful woman. For that matter, he was never good at commitments either."
"Unfortunately, I had to figure that one out the hard way." Olivia ranted. "At that moment, Mr. Bogg heard the sound of my footsteps and turned to find me standing just inside the doorway. I was in tears, devastated by the fact that my Phineas had another woman in his arms. He saw me crying and instantly realized what he had done."
"As I stormed out the door of their so-called secret hideaway, he dropped the young wench and ran after me, trying his best to explain and apologizing profusely. But, it was too late for apologies. I grabbed my omni, flipped open the lid and began to fumble with the dials as the tears continued to roll down my cheeks. Finally, I set it to the first place I could think of and disappeared, leaving him to finish the assignment. "
"Oh, Olivia." Susan said empathetically. "I can only imagine how you must have felt. I'm so terribly sorry. But one thing you must realize…that's just Phineas. When it comes to women, he can't help himself. He loves women, all shapes, all sizes and in all time periods. You can't help but love him though, in spite of his addiction. Besides, just be glad you found this out before you walked down the aisle with him."
The now distraught Olivia walked over and sat down on the sofa between her friends. Reliving this incident again had obviously taken its toll on her emotions. She leaned forward and bowed her head as she cupped her chin in her hands.
"I know…Susan…I know." She replied somewhat downtrodden. "It was for the best. But I can't help how I feel about him. On one hand, I truly love him and on the other hand, I just wanna punch his lights out for what he did to me that day."
Susan leaned over and rubbed Olivia's back in a consoling fashion. "Please, whatever you do, don't let that one incident change your entire outlook on men."
Rosalyn, feeling the hurt and anguish in her friends' voice, took Olivia's hand in her own and patted it in a gesture of consolation and support. "Like she said, don't give up on men too quickly. You'll find your ideal man. He's out there right now looking for you."
Olivia raised her head and smiled at the two. "You two are such great friends. Who else could I discuss my problems with if wasn't for the two of you?"
Susan nodded at Rosalyn, winked and smiled a bit before turning her attention back to Olivia.
"Well, when it comes to Phineas Bogg, your psychiatrist, perhaps?" She said with a chuckle as she held out her hand.
"What?" Olivia asked, somewhat puzzled by her friend's outstretched hand.
"My fee…" Susan replied as she attempted to hold back her laughter.
"Your fee?"
"Yes, my fee for listening to your problems. I charge by the minute."
The three looked at each other and laughed.
"Ladies, you know if we don't back to work soon, Jeff will be an old man by the time we finish here." Susan urged with a smile.
Olivia climbed back onto the chair and continued hanging streamers. Susan and Rosalyn covered the table with a beautiful tablecloth and finished setting it for the guests. After several minutes of silence, Susan chimed in.
"Oh Rosalyn?"
"Yes."
"Did I hear correctly that Shawn will be graduating from Voyager Academy on Thursday evening?"
Olivia paused for a moment with streamer in hand and turned her attention to Rosalyn.
"Shawn…a Voyager?" She asked curiously. "Why am I always the last one to know these things?"
"It's no big secret." Rosalyn replied. "He's been at the Academy for a year now."
"So I guess congratulations are in order."
"Yes, thank you. Shawn graduates Thursday night. He's so excited… He can't wait to get his hands on that omni."
"He's graduating after only a year?" Susan said quizzically. "How?"
"Shawn enrolled in the new accelerated Voyager recruit program." Rosalyn explained. "The old program took several years to complete. This new program allows you to finish in about a year."
Olivia stepped down off the chair as she began to reminisce about the past.
"I remember how I felt after graduation. Once you get that omni, you feel like you can take on the whole universe. After your first assignment though, you begin to see things in quite a different light."
"Oh…I kinda wondered if that would happen." Rosalyn acknowledged.
"By the way, do either of you know what class this is?" Olivia asked.
"Class of 07." Rosalyn replied.
Olivia shook her head. "Gosh that makes me feel old. Susan, how many years has it been now, you know, since we graduated?"
Susan, also feeling her age at the moment, graciously came up with a suitable answer.
"Too many, I'd say."
"You two ARE coming to the ceremony?" Rosalyn asked.
"Of course. I wouldn't dare miss it." Olivia stated.
"Yes, I'll be there" Susan announced. "Besides, our guest of honor and his new dad will be attending as well."
Olivia who was at the moment shocked and puzzled by the words she had just heard, turned her attention to Susan. "Dad?"
"Oh…and where HAVE you been, Olivia?" Susan asked. "Yes…dad! Phineas officially adopted Jeff several months ago. It was his Christmas present to him."
"A commitment? You're kidding, right? Phineas Bogg actually MADE a commitment? I really didn't think he had it in him."
"Well, he did." Rosalyn concurred. "and I saw the official documents myself."
At that moment, a rather petite lady arrived at the door pushing a large serving cart. She was dressed in a white uniform and apron, with her hair neatly tucked under a hairnet. She knocked on the door and smiled as she announced herself.
"Excuse me." She said softly.
"Yes, may I help you?" Susan asked.
"Is this where the birthday party is being held?" She asked.
"Yes!" Olivia replied.
Rosalyn quickly ran over and stood in front of the cart as she introduced the lady to her colleagues.
"Susan, Olivia, this is Mrs. Daly. She works in the cafeteria. I take it this is 'the cake?'
"Yes, ma'am, this is it." Mrs. Daly acknowledged.
"Oooooh…Can we see it?" Olivia asked.
"Why sure?" Mrs. Daly said as she reached over and slowly removed the large silver lid covering the cake.
Underneath the ornate cover was a huge sheet cake covered in white buttercream frosting. In the center stood a large omni made of gold frosting and marzipan, its lid open and its green-light beaming. Underneath the omni were the words of the Voyager credo. "Time Waits for No Man." To the left of the omni were the words, "Happy Birthday, Voyager Jones! 14 years and still counting. This beautiful confection was for all intents and purposes a true masterpiece of craftsmanship. The detail that went into creating it was overwhelming.
"Oh my word, how absolutely beautiful!" Susan exclaimed as she gazed at the confection.
"Wow!" Olivia shouted. "What a work of art! It's so beautiful…who would want to eat it?"
"Mrs. Daly, It's just perfect. You did remember to make it chocolate?" Rosalyn asked.
"Yes, ma'am. It's chocolate." Mrs. Daly acknowledged. "I remember you told me chocolate was his favorite."
"How did you ever create such an exact replica of an omni?" Susan asked.
Mrs. Daly nodded her head and smiled a bit. "Well, it's like this. We called the Omni Lab upstairs, told them what we were doing and asked if they could send us a picture of an omni to go by. Well, when they found out who this cake was for, they ended up sending us one of their technicians instead."
"I can't believe it." Rosalyn said as she nodded her head. "They sent you a technician?"
"Why yes… And he was not just any ordinary technician, either. " Mrs. Daly replied with astonishment. "He may know lots about omnis, but this young man sure knew his way around our kitchen. For a moment, we all thought he was a professional chef. We found out later that he loves to cook and bake and has been doing so for years."
"Then what?" Olivia asked.
"Well, ladies. For three hours, we stood and watched him as he created his masterpiece. We were amazed by what he was doing. He would roll out strips of marzipan and fondant, form it into a shape and place it just where it needed to be. And it fit the very first time. It was like he was building a model from scratch with nothing to go by. After three hours of rolling and cutting out pieces, he had built an omni that looked like the real thing. We called his supervisor and informed her he had done such a great job, that we had decided to keep him in the kitchen with us."
"You and your associates did an excellent job on this one." Rosalyn complimented. "Our thanks to you all. This is absolutely beautiful."
"Yes, this is fantastic!" Olivia exclaimed. "He's just gonna love it, too."
"You said it." Susan replied. "I can just see those little red cheeks now."
"Ladies, it's quite heavy. Have you decided where you want to put it?" Mrs. Daly asked.
Rosalyn turned her attention to her two friends and asked. "Do you think it will be ok in the center of the table?"
"Yea, sure." Susan and Olivia responded in unison.
Mrs. Daly reached over and took hold of one end of the tray.
"Here, let me help you." Susan insisted as she took hold of the opposite end and the two carried the cake over to the table and placed it in the center. Mrs. Daly then covered the cake with the large silver cover.
"Rosalyn, I'll be back later with the punch. I would have brought it with the cake, but there was no room left on the cart."
"That's fine, Mrs. Daly." Rosalyn acknowledged. "Thank you ever so much."
"Mrs. Daly took hold of her cart and slowly pushed it out the door.
"This is so exciting!" Olivia exclaimed. "I just can't wait for Jeffrey to get here, even though I COULD do without seeing Bogg again."
"Olivia!" Rosalyn quipped. "Can't you put aside your feelings for awhile for Jeff's sake?"
"I'll try, but I can't promise." Olivia replied snidely.
"Speaking of Bogg…has anyone spoken with him?" Susan asked.
"I spoke to Lindsey at Mission Control yesterday." Rosalyn explained. "She told me to let them know when we were ready and they would reassign Bogg and Jeff's mission to someone else and get them back here."
Olivia turned and noticed the time. "I'd say we better get over to Mission Control and put the plan into action. According to that clock over there, we only have a couple of hours left before the party starts."
"Right!" Rosalyn replied as she and Olivia walked toward the door.
"Coming, Susan?" Olivia asked.
"You two go ahead. I've got a few things to finish up here. I'll be there shortly."