*27*
San Francisco,
June 20 Stardate 57473.3
"It's quite a turn out, isn't it?" Harry Kim said as he surveyed the crowd in front of him. "I don't think I've seen this much brass since I played in the Starfleet Academy band."
"I guess it's a good thing they modified the old holodecks after all," Tom Paris replied. "I was pretty upset when I heard what they were doing, but I guess they had their reasons.
"Yeah, I guess so," Harry agreed. "But it's still pretty weird to think of Voyager as being a museum. I mean, can you imagine some tour guide with a room full of kids: And right here in this holodeck, Captain Proton and his faithful sidekick battled Satan's Robot..."
"And Captain "Arachnia" Janeway, Queen of the Spider People, defeated Chaotica along with his powerful death ray and his army of evil..." Tom continued and they both laughed at the memory.
They were standing at the rail of a low mezzanine at the back of what had been Voyager's Holodeck One but was now a much larger space. Once Starfleet had decided to convert the ship into a museum, several modifications had been made, and one of the first had been to combine both the ship's holodecks to make one large one. The resulting space was big enough to hold the crowd that had been invited to celebrate the official dedication of the U.S.S. Voyager NC 74656 as an archive and research facility for those who wished to study the ship and her logs, as well as a memorial and tribute to the members of her crew who had fallen during the long journey home.
Tonight the 'new' holodeck had been programmed as an elegant rotunda, complete with pillars and statuary. There were several food stations and bars set up in alcoves set into the walls, and a string quartet was playing to one side of the large double doors leading into the room. Guests were arriving quickly now, and a definite air of celebration and expectation prevailed.
Starfleet was cognizant of the continued fascination with Voyager and her crew - they were still print-worthy as far as the media were concerned - and when the idea for a museum had been floated in the press the public response had been overwhelmingly in favor of it.
Today's crowd was an indication of the interest Voyager still generated. There had been very few refusals to the invitations - in fact Admiral Blanc had complained bitterly to William Ross about the number of calls he had gotten asking him to try to get extra entrées to the event. Tickets for tours of the ship were selling well, and there had been quite a few requests by various organizations, think tanks and even government departments to hold meetings and seminars on board. As far as Commander Craig, Starfleet's media and public relations chief was concerned, it was a P.R. bonanza, and he was determined to take full advantage of every opportunity the ship and its erstwhile crew could provide.
"Where's B'Elanna?" Harry asked Tom as they continued to watch the activity swirl below them.
"She's coming a little later. She wanted Miral to have a good nap this afternoon. It's going to be a long evening, and we want her at her best."
Harry nodded and grinned. "Good idea. I've seen Miral napless. It's not pretty."
"Nope."
"I see your Dad," Harry said, "And there's Admiral Hayes. And Ross and Gelb," Harry added.
"Yes. I see them. Over there with Admiral Bullock. Can you imagine being in a room with all those guys? I bet there's more hot air circulating at one of their meetings..."
"Watch it, Tom," Harry interrupted him,
"Not my Dad, of course" Tom said quickly.
"But you never know who could be listening."
"Don't worry so much Harry," Tom replied. "I'll be careful. Are you still worried about Lavelle?"
"I don't know what it is he's got against me," Harry said.
"He'll get over it," Tom said. "Look. There's Captain LaForge and Captain Merves,"
"I'm looking forward to serving with Captain LaForge, though."
"Harry," Tom pointed. "There's Ayala. And I see both Delaneys. I heard Megan's engaged.
"I met him. Rick somebody. Great guy. Lucky guy," he added.
Tom nodded, and the thought of Marla Gilmore flashed through his mind. He resisted the urge to ask Harry about her and instead continued to point out familiar faces. " I see Neelix and Sarexa. Wow," Tom exclaimed.
"You're right. That's some jacket," Harry laughed. "It's great though. Some things shouldn't change. Hey, isn't that Will Riker?"
"Sure is. But that's not surprising. He and LaForge served on the Enterprise together for a long time. And I see Ro Laren and Lieutenant Commander Worf over by the door."
Both men continued to watch the crowd below them, waving every once in a while to friends and crewmates who happened to notice them, but mostly they stood unobserved, sometimes pointing out various notables, but often in silence.
The room was now filled almost to bursting and Tom was relieved when he finally spotted his wife and daughter. He gestured at them enthusiastically and it didn't take long for B'Elanna to spot him. He watched she began to thread her way towards him through the crowd, Miral obviously a little overwhelmed by her surroundings, held tightly in her mother's arms.
"Hello ladies!" Harry greeted them, and Miral immediately stretched her arms out to him.
"Hello Harry, hi Flyboy," B'Elanna said handing her daughter over to one of her favorite 'uncles' and coming to stand beside them at the mezzanine's railing. "Good view you've got here," she said.
"Yup," Tom replied. "You can count on us."
"There's Mrs. Janeway talking to Chakotay's sister Maya, and I see his cousins too. Tervan and Julia. But where's your mother, Harry?" she asked. I thought for sure she'd be here."
"She wanted to come, believe me," Harry said, "But she's on a retreat with her students and couldn't get out of it. And she tried."
"I can just imagine," B'Elanna said, barely managing to suppress a grin. She wondered who the lucky administrator was who'd had to deal with Mrs. Kim on a rampage, and how he'd survived it.
"Finally," Tom pointed. "See. There's Captain Janeway and Tuvok." They all watched as the two commanding officers entered the room and were quickly engulfed by the crowd.
"I feel sorry for the Captain today." Harry said. "You know how much she hates the media. She told me once she'd rather face the Borg than a press scrum. Commander Craig must drive her crazy."
"I know. By the way, where's Chakotay?" Tom asked. "He should be around. I see Professor Sakar and there's T'Pel, but I don't see the Commander. I mean the Professor," he corrected himself. "He's got something planned for later, though. I assume you got the message he sent out?"
"I got it. Pretty cryptic, if you ask me. Just 'join us after the dedication for a dedication of our own. 10 p.m. Mess Hall. Voyager'"
"Well, whatever it is, we'll all be there," Tom said, indicating his wife and daughter. "It was addressed to the three of us."
"Look out!"
They watched as the press quickly surrounded Kathryn Janeway, Geordi LaForge and Joshua Merves, all of whom had been the focus of intense media attention, particularly over the past few weeks. The Delta Quadrant mission with its multifold purposes of rescue, exploration and settlement had captured the imagination of a public hungry for anything different from the usual Starfleet news. This was the first opportunity, well orchestrated by Commander Craig, of course, the media would have to confront the three captains all at once.
"Captain, captain, over here." One reporter, waving even more frantically than the rest pushed his way forward through the crowd. "How many Romulans are there on your roster?" he shouted.
Commander Craig held up his hands for silence. He waited until the room was quiet, which took surprisingly little time, and gestured for the three captains to follow him onto a stage that had been programmed at one side of the rotunda.
There was a podium with a lectern and a microphone set up on the right side of the stage, and four high chairs arranged in a row beside it. Craig gestured to the three to sit and walked up to the podium.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the U.S.S. Voyager," he began. "We will proceed as follows. Captains Janeway, LaForge and Merves will answer one or two questions...short questions," he added, as he watched members of the press shuffle in anticipation, "and we will then welcome President M'Renn who will officially dedicate this...museum." He turned to address the three officers behind him. "Are you ready?"
Not waiting for an answer he turned back to face his audience. "We'll start with a question from Hartley Tefton of Starfleet News. There were a few audible groans from the press corp. Hartley Tefton was a Risian journalist for the Starfleet News Network, and was known to be a friend of Commander Craig's. His program, Fleet Features, was a soft news journal and although he did cover current events, his focus was usually on the lighter side of things. Sure enough, his question, which he addressed to Geordi LaForge, was typically inane. "Captain, how have you decorated your office?"
As Geordi began his reply an aide glided onto the stage and whispered something into Commander Craig's ear.
"Captain...Captains...ladies and gentlemen," the Commander interrupted in the middle Geordi's description of his Tellarian lily, "unfortunately we're going to have to cut this portion of the program short as I'm pleased to announce that President M'Renn has arrived to officiate, and she has another engagement in..." he made a show of consulting his chronometer, "forty minutes."
Craig waited until the muttered protest of the press corps died down once again and formally introduced the President of the Federation to enthusiastic applause.
She stepped up to the podium, all feline grace, her tail erect and swishing, and waited for a moment until the room had settled down once again before she began to speak.
"This ship, with its history of adventure and exploration has been designated an historical site by the Department of Education and Cultural Affairs and will be a constant reminder to all of us of the bravery, perseverance and dedication of her crew, as well as a memorial to those who were left behind in the Delta Quadrant. But she will also serve as a universal symbol- to remind us of who we are, and what we can be. The intention, in making Voyager a museum, was not to stop her from flying, but to make sure that we, as a united Federation, continue to fly. Voyager's example - a ship in dire circumstances overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds, a crew united in spite of their differences working together towards a common goal, not knowing whether that goal is attainable, but nonetheless never giving up...that, ladies and gentlemen is what we must remember. And by preserving our past, we ensure our future.
"This new mission - of the new Voyager - along with her sister ships the Odyssey and the Pioneer, will be a journey of discovery and investigation, as well as one of diplomacy and rescue. And the lessons learned in her previous journey will surely be put to the test. I have every confidence that this expedition back to the Delta Quadrant will be an unqualified success and - to paraphrase the Federation adage - that Voyager, The Odyssey and The Pioneer will explore new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations and go boldly - and bravely - where no one has gone before."
The applause was deafening, and M'Renn waited patiently until it abated before continuing.
"Captain Kathryn Janeway, please."
As Janeway joined the president at the lectern, M'Renn gestured to an aide who immediately came forward and handed the President a plaque.
"The inscription on this is the same one that is on the original, which is still affixed to the wall on this Voyager's bridge. Captain, will you read it for us please."
She handed the plaque to Janeway.
"For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see; Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be..."
Janeway's voice, strong and clear echoed through the rotunda.
M'Renn turned to face her. "Remember those words, Captain, as your journey begins."