The Ship Voyager Chapter One: Beginnings of a Circle by Dana Quell Stardate 7606.21 Starship, Delta Quadrant Captain's ready room The captain of an extraordinary starship looked out the portal to empty space. She was in her ready room and ready for action, when the door chimed, signaling that someone wanted in. "Come in." she shouted. The door opened up and in came her chief of security. The black Vulcan walked in, back straight and confident. His expression betrayed nothing about him except that he was indeed Vulcan. "Captain, there are three intruders on board. I thought you should be aware of this." He said this without expressing any emotions. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I do want to know. Where are they being held?" "In the brig Captain. One male, two females. All are human." "Let's go." With that, they both walked out of the Captain's ready room to head towards the mystery that awaited for them in the brig. June 21, 1999 Federal Bureau of Investigation Headquarters, Washington DC 8:55 am "Hey Scully, look at this. I just received a new X- File. People are disappearing from all over New York State, and we have got the case." "Why do we have it if it's a missing persons case?" Dana Scully asked her partner. Fox Mulder sat down in his chair behind his desk. Scully was sitting behind her new one, looking at him with an odd expression on her face. "Because, Scully, the families think that the victims were abducted." "Abducted? As in, alien abduction?" Scully raised an eyebrow. "Mulder, you can't be serious." "I am. They are. Besides, even if you don't believe in alien abductions, it is a good excuse to get to the beach. Did I forget to mention that these cases took place on Long Island, in Suffolk County, and in a little town called Westhampton Beach." "Is that supposed to mean anything to me?" Scully challenged him. Mulder looked at her like she was crazy. "It does if you're from Manhattan and have a cottage by the ocean to get away from it all." Scully nodded. "That'll do it." "Our flight leaves in an hour. Go home and pack your bikini. Skinner's already okayed the case." June 21, 1999 Airport 9:55 am "Mulder, I thought our flight left in an hour, which would place it at this time. What happened to nine fifty- five?" Mulder shrugged. "I don't know Scully. Want me to go to the front desk and find out what happened to our flight?" "Sure." Scully nodded. Mulder got up from the seats they were sitting at and walked over to the desk where he then proceeded to argue with the clerk. Scully let out a sigh when she saw that he had gotten into another argument. When he headed back he was apparently very angry. She got up and asked him a question. "So, what were you arguing about? From the looks of it, it wasn't good." Mulder shook his head. "The flight was cancelled. I had to argue and wave my badge around just to get us on the flight that leaves in a couple of minutes. So get ready." "Those bastards. Why was the flight cancelled?" Scully asked as she stood up and lifted her bags off the floor. "Because the plane was unsuitable for flight." Mulder said as he lifted his own bags. "That explains it." Scully answered. June 21, 1999 Somewhere over the Atlantic Coast 10:30 am Scully dug through her bag, desperately searching for something. Mulder watched from the aisle seat next to her window seat and turned away. , Mulder thought and turned his attention away from her. She needed aspirin when flying now, an after-effect of her cancer. "Mulder, do you have the case file?" "No, Scully, I thought you had it in the office. Didn't you take it?" Scully shook her head. "I thought I saw you take it. That's why I don't have it. Are you sure Mulder?" "Yeah, I'm sure. If you didn't take it, and I didn't take it, where is it?" "Oh my God Mulder, it must still be on the desk in your office." Scully jumped out of the seat, seemingly having forgotten that she was in an airplane and right under the luggage compartment by the window. "OWWW! Shit, Mulder, you could have stopped me from ramming my head into the bag rack." "Sorry, Scully, I thought you knew it was there. My "Sorry. My bad. Mulder, you sound like a goddamn adolescent. And I think we need to work on our communication skills." "Sure, Scully. Whatever you say." Fifteen minutes went by in silence. The two of them sat side by side, Scully rubbing the bruise that was beginning to form on her head and Mulder grinning inwardly at what had just taken place. Then Mulder spoke. "I really do have the file, Scully." Scully answered bitterly. "Now you tell me." Five more minutes went by. Then Scully broke the silence. "Mulder, do you have any aspirin? I forgot mine." Mulder made a mental picture in his head of a finger drawing a line in the air. he thought as he handed her some aspirin. Stardate 7606.21 Delta Quadrant The captain stepped into the brig where her first officer was waiting for her and the lieutenant. "Who has the bridge?" she demanded. The first officer, a Native American Indian ex-Maquis, spoke up. "Lieutenant Tom Paris." She nodded. "What's their story?" she asked, referring to the three captives. "Two of them say they came from Earth, from Washington, D.C. originally. The other says that she came from Long Island. But they all say their transport site was in Long Island." "Impossible. Even if they are from Earth, Long Island was destroyed. All those poor people who refused to leave their homes when the hurricane of 2,238 came and swept away what wasn't eroded by then died. They couldn't have come from Long Island, even if you believe they are from Earth." the Captain said. "I was merely repeating their story." shrugged the former Maquis. The captain walked over to the cell where the three humans were talking amongst themselves. Following the captain were the two men, the Indian and the Vulcan. Upon seeing the Vulcan, the tall man pointed to him and rapidly explained to the female. She was a redhead and very short compared to the male. She looked very perplexed at the whole situation, unlike her companion, who was apparently very excited. The third, a teenager, sat between the two others, looking very bored, like this happened to her everyday. June 21, 1999 Westhampton Beach, Long Island 2:27 pm After the plane had landed, Mulder and Scully drove to the motel where they had reservations. Upon arrival, Mulder jumped out of the car and stepped out to stretch his legs while Scully went to the front door to get their keys. Mulder looked around. The motel rested on a hillside, with a long driveway leading to the main check-in room. Down below sat the actual rooms, complimented with a view of the main highway, called Montauk Highway. Across the road was a restaurant, the Xeso Yeso. Down the road was another restaurant, one called the Sierra Tar. Mulder thought it odd that most restaurants in this town were either themed with an old American names or old Spanish ones. He thought it might be a conspiracy that the government might have started. Meanwhile, Scully was inside talking with the clerk. "Hello, welcome to the Dailey Motel. What can I do for you this very fine afternoon, fine lady?" the clerk said as he welcomed her. Scully smiled at him. "I'm here to check in both myself and my partner. We're with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, here to investigate the missing persons cases. We're checking in now." "Well, I'll need to see some ID, and where would your partner be?" "My partner is outside with the car. The doors wouldn't lock and so he had to stay with it until we can get it switched for a better one." Scully said as she reached for her ID. "Here you go." She handed her badge to him. He skimmed it over, then handed it back. "You have to sign for the room. I'll go get you the forms." The clerk left the desk while Scully waited. He entered the back, stayed there for a minute or two, then came back out clutching a bunch of forms. Scully raised her eyebrow. "I have to sign all these?" she asked. The clerk shook his head vigorously. "Oh, no," he said. "There are two copies there of everything. Your partner has to sign them as well." "Okay. I'll take them out to him as soon as I finish filling out these forms." Scully nodded as the clerk nodded to her. A few minutes later she had read and signed all the necessary forms and given them back to the clerk. Then she asked for the key to her room and said that she would send her partner right in. "Here you go. Room 7. One of the best. Have fun. Get to know people. In a small town like this, you should be wrapping up the case pretty soon. Everybody knows everybody else, pretty much, and if you're looking into the disappearance of those teens, somebody should know something. Those teens are all big gossips. None of them can keep their mounts shut. Can't keep any secret. If they knew what was going to happen, they would have told someone." "Thank you." Scully then walked out the door and into the bright sunlight where Mulder was leaning against the rental car, a brand new Ford Taurus. He turned at the sound of her approach. "Hey, Mulder, you have to go sign in. I'll be in my room. If you'll just open the trunk so I can get my stuff, I'll be in on my way to my room, where I can hopefully relax until you have got your room and are ready to go." "Sure, Scully, fine with me. Whatever you say. I managed how to figure out the door locks, and they even open afterwards." Scully smiled at him, catching both jokes. The first being the "Sure, fine. Whatever." joke and the next the over- exuberant way he had of talking about the insignificant things. They wrestled her stuff out of the trunk and Mulder put it on the ground. He then proceeded to salute her. "Well, I'm off to sign my name on a couple of papers of which origins are unknown. See you later. Oh, by the way, what room number is yours?" "Room 7," Scully replied. "See you." She watched as he swaggered up the hill towards the main lobby, then shook her head. she thought to herself. She shook her head again and then went to find her room. Stardate 7606.21 Delta Quadrant The captain entered the brig where her three . . . visitors were seated. They rose to meet her. The adolescent was an inch or two taller than the redhead, and the man was at least five inches taller than the teen. Janeway stuck out her hand to the humans and introduced herself. "My name is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the U.S.S. Voyager. Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?" The redhead stepped foward. "I am Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and this is my partner Special Agent Fox Mulder. This is Jerima Nivene." Jerima stuck her hand out for the captain to shake it. "Please, call me Jeri." "Very well, Jeri. What organization do you come from?" Janeway asked. "None. I mean, unless you count clubs. I'm a member of the WBS community. But I really don't count clubs." Janeway and the rest of the people present just stared at the girl. "What, did I ramble? I do that a lot. Just stop me if I ever start. You know, I started-" "That will be enough," the captain cut her off. "What my crew and I would like to know is how you came to Voyager and if you are a threat to us." For the first time the man spoke. "I can only assure you that we mean no harm to you, your crew, or your ship. But we are as baffled as you are about how we came to be in this ship. In this part of space. Could you please tell us what year it is?" "The Earth date for today would be June 21, 2376." Tuvok told them. Mulder turned his attention to the Vulcan, who he had not remembered was there until he had spoken. Scully then spoke up. "2376? The date that we came from was 1999. This is around four *hundred* years into the future? It's impossible." Jeri was next to speak. "Wait a minute, Captain. You said that this was Voyager, and that you were Captain Kathryn Janeway?" Janeway nodded the affirmation as Jeri continued. "And he is Lieutenant Tuvok, and he is your first mate, Commander Chakotay, are they not?" The Captain looked stunned as Jeri pointed. "And the cook's name is Neelix, he's also the morale officer. Oh and the chief engineer is B'Elanna Torres, who does not get along to well with the resident Borg, Seven of Nine. Your pilot is Lietenant Tom Paris, who is holding a relationship with B'Elanna. Paris's good friend, one of the first he made on Voyager, is Harry Kim, the science officer, but an ensign. He also has a tiny crush on Seven, but has recently resigned himself to friendship. The Doctor, who doesn't have a name but was fashioned after a Doctor Zimmerman, is a hologram. He's a little conceited, but also likes to know gossip and what's going on outside of sickbay. His old assistant was Kes, an Ocampan girl, but alas, she is no longer with you. She used her empathic powers to send the Voyager crew ten lightyears ahead in their journey home to the Alpha Quadrant and away from the Borg space. This is all correct, isn't it?" For a few minutes there was silence. Scully and Mulder watched the faces around them. Captain Janeway's face was definitely surprised, and Chakotay was staring at Jeri, possibly to wonder about where she had come up with this stuff. Tuvok, even though he was still Vulcan, looked very astonished that this mere girl was able to know so much about the crew. They were indeed surprised, and it would be the first time of many. June 21, 1999 Weshampton Beach, Long Island 5:38 pm After they had each gotten their rooms (Mulder's was room nine, for anyone who's curious), they rested and then went to pay a visit to the missing girls' families. In the car, they were *trying* to find where the road was, and *trying* to agree on which victims' family they should see first. Trying being the key word. "Mulder, since right now we are on Montauk Highway, we should visit the Nivene family first. They are the closest to the motel. The rest are off the beaten path." Mulder shook his head. "No, Scully, if we go to the East Quogue families first, we might be able to double back on the way to the motel to hit the Westhampton Beach families. That way we get all families done in one day. Then tomorrow we can get all the friends of the victims interviewed." Scully pouted. "Very well. Do it your way. As you would anyway." Mulder stopped the car and pulled to the side of the road. "Just what the hell so you mean by that?" he asked. "I just meant that you do whatever the hell you want and expect me to follow. And I always do. Because I lo- I'm your friend and I would do anything for you, Mulder. I do everything for you and you take that for granted. Frankly, I'm tired of it. Now would you please get back on the road and start driving. We are wasting time solving personal problems." An hour later, after interviewing both the families of Katrina Waynje and Roxanna Rotre and learning nothing, they were on their way back to Westhampton where they would interview the family of Jerima Nivene. "What do we know about Jerima Nivene?" Scully asked Mulder about the recent missing teen. "She's the daughter of a doctor. Fifteen years old, and I read in the reports that she was very headstrong and held her own ideas, formed from her brain. She only recently turned fifteen on May 21, though. Jerima, or Jeri, as her friends called her, had been in the school plays since she was in fifth grade. She had recently graduated to tenth grade. She was friends, close friends to all of the other three missing teens. In fact, they were almost her only three friends because of an act of anger towards her best friend in fifth grade. The best friend took the rest of her friends on her side away." "An act of anger? What sort of act?" Scully asked. "White-out in her hair. But that was only the beginning of her troubles." By this point on the conversation they had reached the house/office. They walked up to the house door and knocked on the door. A tall blonde came to the door. "Yes, can I help you?" Mulder and Scully whipped out their badges. "Agents Scully and Mulder. We're here to investigate the disappearance of Jerima Nivene." "You're the agents the government sent to investigate where Jeri has gone to? I expected you to look, well different. More like real people." Scully and Mulder exchanged glances as the blond continued. "What I mean is that you two are perfect looking, and together you make quite a couple." "I think we should take that as a compliment, Mulder," Scully said. Mulder nodded. The blond woman at the door stepped back. "Won't you please come in?" as she held open the door. Scully stepped in, with Mulder quick on her heels. "Thank you. May I ask you your relation to the missing teen?" Scully asked. "I'm her mother," replied the blond. Mulder did a double take. Then he nodded and stepped in, placing his hand on the by now familiar place on Scully's Scully stared at him with a questioning look. She had no idea what he was up to. It wasn't like him to act this possessive. , she thought. Scully shook her head and walked through the door. She brought herself out of her thoughts an into what the others were talking about. "I just don't know where she is. I haven't the slightest idea if she was kidnapped or ran away. I don't think I want to know. It's horrible either way..." Mrs. Nivene broke off with a sob. "Mrs. Nivene, we will find her. Was Jerima prone to this kind of misbehavior? I mean, was this the first time she was missing, and did she display an unwillingness to stay here at home? I don't mean to sound like she wanted to get away as fast as she could, but do you think that maybe she was talked into it, or forced into it, or what?" Scully asked. "I'm sorry, Agent...Scully, is it? But I just have no idea. I mean, she never really wanted to stick around the house much, unless it was to go on the computer or watch tv, or one of her tapes. She was a little obsessed, even more than she used to be about school work. She wouldn't want to leave, I think, if only because of her obsessions." "Is there a chance that she might have anyway? Is it possible that she found someplace where she could just log on all day and then at primetime go watch the tube?" Mulder asked. "Possibly, but I doubt it. Where would she go, where she could do it?" Mrs. Nivene dried her eyes and shook her head to clear it. "I just don't know." Mulder reached into his jacket pocket and took out a business card. "If you think of anything more useful, or you're contacted by an informant, please don't hesitate to call my number." He looked to Scully, who confirmed his feeling that the interview was over. She got up, but was pulled back down by Mrs. Nivene's hand around her wrist. "Please, find her. Jeri hasn't been away for any prolonged period of time, and she doesn't know how to budget money. Please, find her, for me. Before it's too late." Scully was speechless, and for a moment was left thoughtless. All she could do was nod before Mulder unwrapped Jeri's mother's hand from Scully's wrist and guided her out of the house, leaving Mrs. Nivene alone and sobbing. Stardate 7606.21 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Conference Room Captain Kathryn Janeway sat back in the chair of her conference room. All around her was her senior offices were in the room with her. She looked around and saw everyone who has become critical to her and the journey to the Alpha Quadrant in the past few years. Sitting to her right was Chakotay, her first officer, and next to him was the chief of security, Tuvok. On her left was Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres. Standing near the wall console was Seven of Nine and Harry Kim, engaged in a small conversation of philosophy on the Borg and their right to assimilate. On the viewscreen was the Doctor, who was as usual non nonplussed. She looked around and thought it time to start the meeting. The Captain stood up. "Thank you all for coming here. As you might know, we have three newcomers to this ship...they are from Earth, only they have no knowledge of how they came to be one the ship. They are also from a different time, and the way that they got here from the Alpha Quadrant might be our way to get to the Alpha Quadrant. We might have found another way home. Now, in order to discover this, we need everyone working on this problem. Harry, I want you and Seven to conduct long range scans for any spacial anomolies within one to twenty light years from here using the Astrometrics lab. B'Elanna, I want you to go over the warp diagnostic and the way it acted at the time of their arrival. It might have been affected by something that brought them here, and if we can get the same effect, there is a possibility that we can get it to produce a bigger effect to move the entire ship. Tuvok, your security team took their. . . weapons, correct?" Tuvok nodded his affirmation, and the Captain went on. "I want your team to keep the weapons until we know for sure that these people really do not mean us any harm. Chakotay, I want you to be prepared to give them duty shifts and something that they can do in case we can't fix this problem. Doctor, I want you to give each of them a complete physical, make sure that whatever happened to them didn't affect their capability to think or carry out duties. They also need to be assigned quarters. Tom, maintain course heading for the Alpha Quadrant. Is everything understood? Good. Dismissed." Everyone started walking out of the room when the Captain called for Tuvok to stay behind. "Tuvok, you've always been a dear friend to me, and I value your opinion. What do you think about this whole situation? Is it possible that these three came from the Alpha Quadrant? And could there be a way to get them back to their rightful time, and us to our rightful place?" Janeway asked of her security officer. Tuvok took all this in. "Captain, I am honored that you think so highly of my opinion. However, there might not be an easy solution to this conflict. I feel that you have done all you could, and that there is nothing else that you could do, that I have thought of. It would not be a wise idea, however, to get the crew's hopes up." The captain nodded. "Thank you, Tuvok," she said. Tuvok nodded and left the room. June 21, 1999 Westhampton Beach, Long Island 6:29 pm After the very taxing interview with Mrs. Nivene and the rest of the families, Mulder and Scully were exhausted. Driving back to the motel, each was silent, thinking their own thoughts about the case and... other things. Mulder's mind, for instance, was going about a mile a minute. Mulder decided to take a shot. "Scully, are you okay? I mean, it would only be natural that this case would affec-" Scully cut him off with a wave. "I'm fine, Mulder. Really, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," she said, her voice sounding strange and far off. "Are you sure? If you want to talk, you know you can talk to me." "I know, Mulder," Scully replied, a hint of annoyance beginning to creep into her voice. "All right," Mulder said uncertainly, and continued driving. Scully's eyes never left the landscape. Suddenly Mulder rammed the brakes. "Mulder, what the hell are you doing?" Scully asked, finally sounding like herself. He pointed to the cemetery that the car had stopped next to. "Do you see that?" "See what, Mulder?" "See that figure. There, by the statue in the center of the gravestones. Do you see it?" Scully squinted and looked near to where he was pointing. She saw a figure, small, with chin-length auburn hair, wearing dark clothes. "I see. What do you want to do? There's no evidence of any wrong doing." "I'd like to ask him or her a few questions. Maybe we'll get our first clue," Mulder replied, and opening the car door he got out and started walking towards the figure in the center of the cemetery. Scully got out and followed him. The figure looked up from where it was working on something, and, upon seeing the two adults walking towards it, started walking away at a very fast pace. Looking over it's shoulder, and seeing the agents speeding up, the figure then began to run. Scully and Mulder looked at each other, then sped up the fast paced walk to a run, Mulder heading towards the left, and Scully veering off the left, in the hopes that they could cut off the figure's path. June 21, 1999 Westhampton Beach, Long Island 6:38 pm The figure ran, jumping over gravestones like a runner jumping over hurdles in a track meet. Mulder and Scully followed, only to find that the person they were pursuing was very fast, and could run for a while. But the two agents had been trained for this type of things, and knew they could last longer. They just had to wait for the figure to trip or They didn't have to wait long, however. The figure tripped on a high gravestone. "Oof!" said the figure, lying on the ground. Mulder ran up to it, with Scully not far behind. Mulder helped the figure up, keeping a hold on a flailing arm, and saw that the figure was none other than Jerima Nivene. "Hey, Scully," Mulder said with a smile. "We just solved one fourth of the case. Maybe now everything will fall into place." Scully smiled back at him briefly. "Maybe, Mulder." Jerima struggled against Mulder's hold on her arm. "Let me go, you freak. Who the hell do you two think you are? You're not from around here, that much is obvious." Scully got out her badge and showed it to the girl. "Agents Scully and Mulder. You're Jerima Nivene?" "Well, duh," the girl snarled. "God, I hate my name. *Jerima*. Ugh! Call me Jeri, if you must call me anything." "Well, Jeri, could you please explain to us a couple of things? First of all, where have you been the whole time you were missing?" Mulder asked. "About and around. Just in town. You know, if you know the right places to look, there are many places where you can rest your head for free." "Why did you run away from your home?" Scully asked. Jeri thought for a minute. "I wasn't allowed to grow into what I was meant to be there. With my mom, she would only let me be what she was, not who I am. I was her lead, and she was the mold. She wanted me to be her tin soldier. I couldn't handle that anymore. Her control was too great. I was afraid that if I didn't get out of there, I would snap. But I had no idea of where to go. Then my friend Kate told me about this place where you can come and go whenever you want. It sounded so lovely, so I decided to try it. And that's what I've come here for. I started what I had to do, and was almost finished, but then you two came and interrupted me. I don't even know what happens if you don't finish it. I hope it will still work." "What is it?" Mulder asked. "I'm not sure. Kate discovered it in some old book, and it seemed to work for her. I just hope it works for me. You aren't going to bring me back to that control freak for a mother, are you?" Jeri asked. Scully shook her head. "Probably not, Jeri. But you are underage, and you still have to be in school. You'll most likely be placed in a foster home." Jeri shook her head. "Damn," she said. Mulder was about to say something when a bright flash of light enveloped them all. Once the light faded, Mulder, Scully, and Jeri found themselves in a most alien environment. Stardate 7606.21 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Sickbay Mulder stood in Sickbay, waiting for the Doctor to get finished examining Scully and Jeri. The Doctor finished reading what was called a tricorder, and snapped it closed. "Well, you're all in perfectly good health. Except for a couple of old scars and new scratches, I see no reason for you not to be in good health." Scully groaned. "I could have told you that." The Doctor frowned. "Is she always like this?" he asked Mulder. Mulder shook his head. "Perhaps you are just tired. Or maybe the trip had an effect on the implant that I found in the back of your neck. I'm curious, what is it for? I couldn't find any evidenced to say that it's active and doing whatever it's supposed to do," the Doctor replied. Scully flinched when the hologram mentioned her implant. "The implant was from a year and a half ago. It was the cure for my cancer. It went into remission and never came back. But I don't think the implant's doing anything. I'm probably just tired," Scully snapped at the holodoc. The Doctor was taken aback by her tone. "Well, I can see I'm no longer needed, nor wanted, here. Computer, de- activate EMH," the doctor said before he vanished. "If I knew it was that easy to get rid of him, I would have done it a whole lot sooner," Scully said. Mulder smiled, and Jeri broke out in laughter. It took her two minutes to calm down, and just as she was about to stop, the door chimed and Captain Janeway entered the room. "Where's the Doctor?" was the first thing she asked. Scully grimaced, but Mulder just smiled. "He de- activated himself. Said he wasn't wanted." Janeway looked confused. "Wasn't wanted? If he finished, don't you think he would have said he wasn't needed?" "That's what he said, Captain," Jeri managed to sputter out between giggles. The Captain gave Jeri a funny look, then decided to get down to business. "All right. Now, we need to hear your story, so that we can try to get you three to your rightful place in time, and us to our rightful place in space." Mulder looked over at Scully, who stared back at him. "You go ahead and tell it, Mulder," she said. "I'm too tired, I'd get it wrong." Mulder nodded. "Well, Captain. It all started when this redhead walked into my office six years ago from the time we left... What, Scully?" She had been giving him a glare that could kill. "Why are you starting from there? She doesn't need to hear all that. Just start from when we got the case." "She needs to understand about the X-Files, Scully. It won't make too much sense if she doesn't know that weird things seem to center themselves around us all the time." "X-Files? What are they?" the captain broke in. "See what you started, Mulder," Scully replied. Mulder gave Scully a warning look, then answered the captain. "The X-Files is a division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that deal with unsolved cases. Normally, these cases involve the paranormal, the extraterrestrial. And Scully? I hate to say I told you so, but. . . I told you "Okay, okay, I get the main idea," Janeway interjected, hoping to stop an argument before it got out of hand. "Now, tell me how you got here." Mulder proceeded to tell her exactly what happened, starting from the time they got the case to the bright flash of light, taking almost a full hour to tell it. "Well, Mr. Mulder, I can see that your story is very unique. I'll tell B'Elanna, so you can rest while the engineers work on this. I've also got Harry and Seven working on it as well, and Chakotay's working on figuring out jobs for you three if we can't find a solution to this soon. I've got to be going now. We'll have to talk later," the captain said in reply to his story, and walked out of Sickbay. "So what the hell do we do?" Jeri asked. SD 7607.21 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Hallway "Captain?" a voice called to Janeway as she walked out of Sickbay. "Yes, Seven?" she asked the former Borg, who was now speeding up to catch up to the captain. "I wish to speak with you. About the . . . visitors. Ensign Kim and I were going over all the data from the times you listed, when I got an idea. Do you have a few minutes?" "Yes, but let's not speak here. Let's head to my ready room," the captain replied, then changed her course, Seven adjusting hers as well. When they got to Janeway's ready room, the captain offered coffee to Seven, and when she refused, took a cup for herself. "Now, what is it that you wish to speak to me about?" Kathryn asked, settling into the couch by the screen. "About the visitors. I wanted to make sure that they were telling the truth about being from another time, for safety reasons. So I went through Federation databases, which has old Earth records. I found files for all three of them," Seven replied, then handed a padd to the captain. "According to those files, all three disappeared from Westhampton Beach, Long Island in June, of 1999." "But that doesn't prove anything," Janeway said as she scrolled down through the information on the padd. "They could be spies, and gotten hold of this information somehow, then presented themselves as these people, who should be long dead by now." Seven nodded. "I know. That's why when I saw that two of them were from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I tried to find the old records from there. FBI databases show that two agents, Fox William Mulder and Dana Katherine Scully disappeared on June 21, 1999. There was a full-scale investigation on request of Agent Scully's mother, Marguaret Scully-Skinner, but nothing was ever found of them. From the old Bureau records, I managed to download pictures of the two agents. They were recent pictures, taken two weeks before their disappearance, but they were old, so they didn't come in very well. Still, they are recognizable." Captain Kathryn Janeway stared at the padd in front of her, then looked up to Seven. "There is no way that this isn't them. It's impossible, but here they are." SD 7606.22 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Mess Hall "Good morning. Is there anything I can help you with?" a bright cheery voice said as the agent walked into the Mess Scully turned to where the voice originated from. Before her stood a feline-like creature, with square teeth and yellow whiskers. He was dressed in an outrageous suit, which was much more bright than Scully's own dark black suit from yesterday. "Um, I suppose. Do you have any coffee?" she asked, careful not to say anything that might offend him or make herself look foolish. The creature smiled, and brightened visibly. "Why, of course!" he said, and picked up a big metallic jug, then poured some of its liquid into a small metallic cup. "Here you go. By the way, I'm Neelix, the cook," he said as he handed her the cup, then offered his hand. Scully took the cup, then offered her own hand. They shook hands as she said, "I'm Dana Scully. I, uh, was a doctor in my own time." "Oh, well, I guess it will be good to have another doctor on board. Take any seat you like. The crew is very friendly, and very curious, so watch out for questions." Scully thanked him, then walked over to an empty table. She sat down, began drinking her coffee. Suddenly the doors to the Mess Hall slid open, and there was Mulder, looking a little confused. He scanned the room, and seeing Scully, waved to her before being besieged by the plump cook. Five minutes later, Mulder was able to get away from Neelix politely, and was walking over to where Scully sat alone. "What was the matter when you first came in, Mulder? Couldn't find the Mess Hall?" she teased. "Ha. You know, it's more complicated around here than it looks. Sorry I was late." "It's okay. I was a little late myself," she replied. The doors slid open again with a hiss. A young, blond haired man walked through the doors, and, somehow managing to pass Neelix by, walked over to where the two agents were sitting. "Hello. Is anyone sitting here?" he asked, pointing to the seat next to Mulder. "No, you're welcome to it," Mulder said, moving over to let him sit. He stuck out his hand and offered it to first Mulder, then Scully, shaking hands with both of them as he introduced himself. "I'm Tom Paris, the best pilot on this ship. Right now I'm off duty, so I came here. Heard you two were here, so I thought that I should probably introduce myself now." Mulder smiled. "I'm Fox Mulder, and this is my partner, Dana Scully." "How are you, Mr. Paris?" she asked. "Mr. Paris? Please, call me Tom. I'm fine. Maybe a little hungry, but not hungry enough to eat Neelix's food." "Okay, Tom. So, what do you do for fun around here?" Mulder asked. "Well, Fox, usually there's no time for fun. We're usually battling the good folks of the Delta Quadrant. But when we're not, and we're off duty, we usually run off to hang out with our friends in the holodecks. I programed this one holoprogram, and I love it. It's a little French bar, called Sandrine's. You should try it some time. It's fun." "Well, sure. But Tom?" "Yes?" "Call me Mulder." "All right," Tom replied slowly, obviously confused. Scully started laughing, hard, at his confusion, and then Mulder, and finally Tom, started joining in. SD 7606.22 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Captain's ready room The door chimed, signalling to Kathryn Janeway that someone wanted in. "Come in," she said in reply. The door slid open, revealing the second-in-command, Chakotay. "Well, hello, Chakotay. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" "Hello, Kathryn. I was thinking about what the three visitors should do during their stay on this ship, and I found out that I can't figure out what they might possibly do until I know more about them." "Well, why'd you come to me?" the captain asked. Chakotay smiled. "I had figured that you probably know more about them than they themselves do by this point. And, I am a little hesitant about approaching them. I've never met anyone from a different time before." Janeway smiled back, then walked behind her desk. "Well, the records are pretty sketchy. The two agents, Scully and Mulder, worked on a Bureau division called the X- Files, though I haven't been able to figure out what these files were about, or why they were called 'X'. Dana Scully was a medical doctor, but not a practicing one. Fox Mulder was a psychologist, and worked on profiling criminals for the Violent Crimes unit before finding the X-Files. Got any ideas yet?" Chakotay nodded. "How about placing them in security? Or if you don't like that idea, Ms. Scully could be the Doctor's new assistant, and take care of the less dire cases until she learns more about twenty-fourth century medicine. That way Tom won't have to do it anymore. Mr. Mulder could become the ship's psychologist, and do routine evaluations of the crew." Kathryn shook her head. "Security should be fine for those two. I'll talk with Tuvok and see if he can fit them in, and spare the time teaching them about weaponry and shifts. But how about the girl, Jeri Nivene? What can she "I don't know, Kathryn. What do you know about her?" Chakotay asked. Janeway frowned. "Not much. The only thing we know for sure is that she disappeared with the agents on a humid June evening. I think you might have to talk with her, find out what she's good at." Chakotay nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Right away," he said. She smiled. "Good. Dismissed." SD 7606.22 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Mulder's Quarters Mulder sat by the terminal in his room, staring at the screen and the information provided, not quite believing what he saw with his own eyes. Suddenly the door chimed, and slid open. He turned around, alert and worried that it was a member of the Consortium, forgetting for a minute that he was four hundred years into the future, and he didn't have his gun. "Mulder, calm down. It's just me. I just figured out how to work these doors," Scully said as she walked over to where he was sitting. "It no longer became a problem after we disappeared, Scully. It's over. The X-Files were shut down." Scully furrowed her brow. "What do you mean, Mulder?" she asked. He gestured towards the computer screen and the information there. "Take a look for yourself. I was curious to see what happened after we disappeared, so I looked up a few things, a few people. The X-Files was closed down a month after we vanished. My mother died of another heart attack three months after the X-Files was closed down. Your mother lost hope that we were alive five months after we vanished, and put together a joint memorial service. That's where she met A.D. Skinner. "They hit it off at once, and began dating for a year, then got married. They were married November 21, 2000. They died together, when a car bomb exploded in the family car." Scully was in tears by now. "At least she found happiness before she- before she passed on." Mulder took a deep breath and continued. "I'm sorry. Charles died in combat, in World War III. His wife died in childbirth, shortly after he died. Your nephew died in a bombing that occurred before either of them died, the same one that set off the entire war. "Bill and his wife, however, lived a very long life. Bill became a hero of the war, and he and his wife became very well-known. Matthew grew up, normal and happy despite all the tragedies in the family, married, and had children. The family line continued, unaffected, and has successfully made it to the twenty fourth century. You have family on Earth. "I was looking to see what happened to Samantha, but I couldn't find a death certificate for Samantha Ann Mulder. She did say, when I met with her a year and a half ago, that she had a family, but never told me her married name. So I have no idea what happened to her." Mulder stopped, suddenly taken over by grief. Scully was in tears as well, and pulled him into a hug to comfort the both of them. They sat, consoling each other, for a few minutes when Mulder pulled backwards. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment, then Mulder began pulling Scully towards him. His head dipped as she raised her own head. Slowly, as if in a dream, they moved together, coming closer and closer until finally their lips met in a kiss. It was the sweetest kiss that either of them had ever experienced, and though it lasted only a few seconds, it seemed an eternity. An eternity that neither of them would ever forget. Scully pulled away. "I have to go, Mulder. I've got a meeting with the captain in half an hour." "All right. I'll see you later?" he asked. Scully nodded. "Yes, later. I'll see you later, Mulder." He walked her to the door, which slid open with a hiss, but before she could leave, Mulder swept her up into his arms and kissed her again, this time with the pent up passion of six years. Scully gave no resistance, and kissed him back. Suddenly Mulder let her go. "Go. You've got to go," he said, and pushed her gently out the door. Scully smiled as she walked away from his quarters, despite the grief that she had just had, and her head reeling from Mulder's kisses. SD 7606.22 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Captain's ready room The doors chimed once more. Captain Janeway was getting tired of the chiming sound, and contemplated taking out the chime altogether. But that was for later. Right now, she just called her usual "Come in" and waited for whoever it is to get in the room. Dana Scully walked into the room, looking a little flushed in the face. Janeway made note of it, but decided not to say anything about it. "You wished to see me, Captain?" Dana asked. Kathryn gestured to the couch, then said, "Yes. You are aware that my first mate, Chakotay, has been working on finding something productive for you to do while on this ship. Now, I have talked to both Chakotay, and Tuvok, and they both agree that you should probably join the security team. No one will force you into it, but given your skills, it's that, or becoming the Doctor's assistant." Scully thought about the information presented, then posed a question to the captain. "What will Mulder be doing?" "Mr. Mulder will either become the ship's counselor, giving routine evaluations of the crew's morale, or he will also join up with security. Why don't you talk it over with him, and then you two come to a decision? I've already talked with him about this," the captain replied. Scully nodded. "All right, we'll talk it over and decide. How should we get to the decision to you once we've decided?" she asked. Janeway produced two comm badges from her desk, and handed them to Scully. "These are comm badges. You can pin this on your clothes, here, and tap them when you want to communicate with someone who has another comm badge. For example, if I wanted to talk to Commander Chakotay, I would tap it and say, 'Captain to Chakotay'. The reply would most likely be 'Chakotay here'. And then you would say what you have to say. If I wanted to end the conversation, I would say 'Janeway out'. And that's everything in a nutshell. Oh, and that second badge is for Mr. Mulder. I forgot to give him one earlier. Dismissed." Scully smiled, then walked out, heading towards Mulder's quarters. SD 7607.22 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Jeri's Quarters The door chimed, startling Jeri Nivene out of her viewscreen watching. She let out a low growl, then called, "Yes? What is it?" The doors slid open, and Commander Chakotay walked in. Jeri stood, apologizing at once. "Commander Chakotay! I hadn't expected you to be visiting. I thought it was one of the agents, trying to get inside my mind even more than they did before we got here. I certainly wasn't expecting you to come here. I'm sorry, for being so rude." Chakotay smiled. "It's all right. I wasn't expecting to be here myself, but a problem occurred when I was figuring out duties." "Problem? What sort of problem?" Jeri asked, confused. "Something like all positions are filled, or what?" Chakotay took a deep breath. "I have no idea what you are skilled at. If you have one skill that surpasses all the others, you should be placed where that skill can be used to the best advantage." "So you're here to find out what my skills are," Jeri Chakotay smiled, relieved that she was more understanding than he originally thought. "In a nutshell, "Well, I was good at computers, but your computers are probably way too advanced. I am, however, a fast learner. I can adapt quickly, I'm a fast thinker, I'm an artist, and I have an eidectic memory. I can write, I wanted to become a writer when I grew up. Well, I also wanted to become an actress, and then it was psychologist, doctor, and finally an FBI agent. Boy, that last dream flew pretty fast, upon meeting those two." He let out a little laugh. "They can't be that bad. I haven't talked with them yet, but they looked normal, for twentieth century people." Jeri grimaced. "Yes they are. They were sent by my parents to hunt me down and find me, then bring me back. They work for the side of evil, and when I tried to explain my reasons for doing what I did, they just replied that they are just drones of the government, a government that controls their every move, but a government that is controlled by the public, twisted and manipulated by it. These are the people that you have on your ship, and you invite them in like they were your best friends. You, too, have been manipulated." Jeri paused for a moment. "Is that all? I have to go down to the Mess Hall. I have to meet the crew, and make some friends." "Yes, that's all," Chakotay replied. "My advice to you is that you leave that speech of evil out of normal ship conversations." Jeri pouted, then brightened. "Oh, all right." Chakotay smiled, then walked to the door. "Good," he said, then he left. SD 7606.22 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Captain's ready room The door chimed again, and this time Janeway was on her feet, startled by the chime. She walked over to the door, making it slide open, and almost bumped into Chakotay. "Sorry, Chakotay. Come on, whatever you have to say, you can say it while we take a walk around the ship. That chime is bugging the hell out of me." Chakotay grinned. "Sure. I wanted to talk to you about Jeri." "Jeri? What's the matter with her?" the captain asked, routing them through the bridge and onto the turbolift. "Which deck do you want to go on?" "Deck 5," Chakotay waited until he heard the whirl of the turbolift, then continued. "She doesn't get along with the other two. She's calling them evil, Kathryn." "Evil? Why? Would it be because they were sent to find her when she ran away?" "She ran away? She didn't tell me that." "I heard the story from Mulder. He's quite the storyteller." "So is Jeri. Anyway, they don't get along. But I think the only duty she's qualified would be security. Either that, or she would have to learn about the computer system. She said she was skilled with computers." "I don't want her near the computers if she's unsettled. But I also don't want her in security if Mulder and Scully are going to be there. Wait and see, if they're going to take the jobs in security. If they don't, see if she's willing to join up with Tuvok in security." "Security wouldn't exactly be the best place to put her if she's unsettled," Chakotay replied. Captain Janeway smiled. "It's the only other alternative. Is that all? If you don't have anything better to do, would you walk with me a little more?" "It would be my pleasure, Kathryn." SD 7606.22 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Scully's Quarters Scully sat on the couch, thinking about the events of the past twenty four hours. The disturbance that had brought them here, the many different alien races, combined with Mulder's kisses made her head spin. There was just too much she was facing now. And she had to decide. Did she want to become an assistant to that snotty holographic doctor, or did she want to deal with that . . . Vulcan? The holograph, or the alien? she thought. The door chimed, and she called for whoever it was to come in, then turned her attention back to her thoughts . . . and Mulder. "Look, Mulder, I finally have a desk," she said when he entered the room. "Hey, Scully. I'm assuming you talked to the captain. What'd she tell you?" Mulder asked, coming up to where she sat on the couch, facing the stars. "Well, I have two options. I can become the assistant to that holodoctor, or I could join up with the security team. I haven't decided which I should do. How about you?" Mulder sat next to her on the couch. "Well, I haven't quite decided yet. But I think I'm going to go with the psych officer. This ship doesn't have one, so I figure I can help out a little." "Isn't Neelix the morale officer? Won't he be a little mad that you're taking his job?" "Neelix? No, I think he'll be glad to have someone to share this heavy responsibility with." "So you're going to take the psych job. Great, you just made my decision for me." "How did I make your decision for you? You can still take either job if you want." "No, I can't. Mulder, I can't work without you. Last summer should have proved that to you. If I took that job, then that would mean facing that Vulcan, Tuvok, without you, and I don't think I could do that without going crazy. Mulder, all this defies my previous beliefs in science. It's like a dream. So many different species, and your kisses. It's all proof that I'm dreaming, or going really crazy, or imagining it all," Scully was almost in tears by now, tears from the stress that had been building up the past couple of days. "Mulder, I can't do it without you." He sat, speechless for a moment. Then he pulled her into a hug, and held her, very tenderly. Her body shook, racking with sobs, as he held her and comforted her. "Shush, it's okay, it's all right. It'll be okay," Mulder said. He pulled back from their embrace. "Scully, we're no longer working on the X-Files. There's no truth to be discovered except the truth that we've both been hiding from ourselves and each other for six years. And that's the truth of how we feel about each other. Scully- Dana, I love you, but look what I've done to you. You came into my office six years ago, the most independent woman I'd ever seen, and now you're so dependent, it scares me. You're being a brat. We don't have to work together to see each other. We are free now. You don't need me. You just think you do. You can still take that security job, Dana. Or the medical one. I believe you can face either, and you won't be facing whatever you choose alone. I'm here for you. I'm here for you. You're not alone. I love you. And that's the truth." Scully looked up at him, her eyes big and full of tears. But the tears had somehow changed. They were tears of happiness now, and she threw her arms around his neck in another hug. "Oh, Mulder, I love you, too. And maybe, with your help, I can put up with that hologram. After all, this ship needs a doctor's assistant more than another security team. I think I'll take the job with the doctor. Thank you. I love you, too." They pulled back together, once more a unit, and they kissed again, passionately. They kissed twice more, and then Scully pulled back. "Mulder, I think you should go now. I have to get cleaned up, and then tell the captain my decision. I can meet you later in the holodeck, though. How about 1600 hours? Holodeck one?" Mulder smiled at her. "Sure, Dana. 1600 hours, holodeck one. I'll see you then." Scully smiled back, then pulled him down into another "Okay, okay, Scully, go get presentable. I'll meet you in the holodeck, and there'll be plenty of time for this later," Mulder said between her kisses. She pulled away once again. "All right. Bye, Mulder. See you later." He looked back once, then walked out the door. SD 7606.22 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Hallway {Scully to the captain} the comm badge beeped as Janeway and Chakotay walked in the halls of Deck 5. Janeway looked at Chakotay, who grinned. She smiled in return, then hit the badge to reply. "Janeway here." {Captain, I wish to speak with you about your offer. While I would ever so much love to work in security, I find that my skills would best be put to use in Sickbay. Mulder and I have talked this over, and we both agree that medicine is where I should be,} Scully's voice said over the comm system. Janeway smiled again. "Good, I was hoping that you would say that. What about Mulder? Has he said what he was going to decide?" Scully paused. {Unofficially, he said something about becoming the psychology officer. But he might want to tell you himself.} "Very well. I'll wait for him to talk to me. In the meantime, I'll talk with the Doctor and see if you can start learning about our medicines and science tomorrow morning. If you don't hear from me before, you'll start tomorrow at 0600 hours. Understood?" {Understood, Captain.} "Good. Janeway out," she said, finishing the conversation with Scully and returning to the one with Chakotay. "Now, as I was saying . . ." SD 7606.22 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Holodeck 1 It was 1609, and Scully was getting a little upset at Mulder's tardiness. She knew that she should expect this from him; after all, this was Mulder, but she thought he might actually be on time for once because she- Scully just fidgeted with her comm badge. The door slid open, and Mulder raced in. "I'm so sorry, Dana, I couldn't find the damn holodeck." "It's all right, Mulder. You're only ten minutes late. Here, I forgot to give this to you before. It's a comm badge. I'll explain how to use it later. Let's figure out which program we want to run," Scully said, handing him his comm badge. "Is there a listing, or something around?" Mulder asked. "I don't see one," Scully said, looking around. Suddenly she spotted a computer interface and walked over to it. "Could it be on this?" Mulder walked over to her. "Maybe. Try a few buttons. See if it has a listing." She looked up at him. "Mulder, I'm not going to get in trouble over a holoprogram. You press the buttons. You're the one that has a natural talent for getting in trouble, so you should be used to it." Mulder stared at her for a while. "All right, if that's what you want, Scully," he said in reply. He pressed a couple of buttons, trying to get the list on the viewscreen. SD 7606.22 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Bridge "Captain, someone's trying to access the ship's controls," Ensign Kim said from his post at Operations. Janeway looked over towards Chakotay. They had just gotten to the bridge on time for their duty shift after their walk. "From where?" Harry punched a few buttons, then looked up, confused. "Holodeck one." "Holodeck one? Are you sure that's correct?" she asked. Harry checked his viewscreen. "That's what it says, Captain," The captain nodded. "All right, I'm going to check it out. Tuvok, you're with me. Commander, you have the bridge," she said, walking out onto the turbolift, Tuvok walking after her. SD 7606.22 Delta Quadrant U.S.S. Voyager Holodeck 1 "Mulder, I don't think that's the right button. Here, try that one," Scully said, pointing to a red one. "Ooh, Scully. You really want me to get in trouble, don't you? Want me to touch the red button, do you? Okay, I'll touch the red button. But you have to promise me something first." Scully smiled. "And that would be ...?" Mulder grinned. "You have to give me a kiss before, and a kiss after." "Okay, Mulder, you're on," Scully said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. The door slid open again, unknown to them. Janeway and Tuvok stopped in the doorway, and while Janeway bit back a laugh, Tuvok politely turned away. After a couple of seconds, Kathryn cleared her throat, letting the two know that they had company. They sprang apart in an instant. "Uh, sorry, Captain. Hello, Lieutenant," Scully said hesitantly. "Ms. Scully," Tuvok replied, nodding to her. "Well, I'm not going to ask you to explain yourselves about this. Quite frankly, it's none of my business, and it could have started before you came here. Just keep it from interfering with your duties. "What we came here for was because we got a report that someone in Holodeck one was trying to get control of the ship. And since it looks like you're the only two here, what were you doing trying to access the ship's controls?" the captain asked, stepping in more to the middle of the deck. "Trying to access the ship's controls? That's not what we were trying to do at all," Scully replied. "Then what were you trying to do, exactly?" Tuvok inquired. Mulder stepped foward. "We were trying to gain access to a list of holoprograms, but we didn't know which buttons to press. So we guessed." The captain pulled Tuvok aside. "Well, what do you think?" she asked in a whisper. "It sounds logical. Why else would they be in the Holodeck?" he replied. "Thank you, Tuvok. You may go back to the bridge and finish your shift. I'll be fine here." "Yes, Captain," he said, turning to leave. Janeway turned towards the two people in front of her. "Perhaps I should teach you a bit about this technology, so you can figure out the programming and create programs, not problems next time."