THE BUZZ
Hey folks, welcome back! Here at Now Voyager, it's been a very busy
couple of months. We discovered that in fact it is possible to put out a
newsletter despite obsolete computers and lack of important equipment with
a little help from people around the country. Our scanner's in Orlando,
our video spigot's in Denver, our graphics come from Rochester (as does the
lovely new masthead you see above) and Miami, our promoter's in Texas. The
photos in this newsletter came from people all over the place, and we're
not even sure whether some of our reviewers have actual homes or just
terminals.
[MISSING PHOTO]
(That's Kate at the Grand Slam convention in Pasadena, obviously having a
good time; photograph by Lillie Deans.) We have reason to believe that
Kate read the first issue of this newsletter, as there's a copy of it lying
under her left arm in many of the Grand Slam photos we've seen--THANK YOU
KIMBERLEY! We're going to try to get this one under her left arm in
Seattle...
So, you want to know who "we" are? We'll tell you what we know, although
we really think we're going to have to put out a yearbook if we want to get
the full dirt on all our members--anyone want to volunteer to compile all
the stuff if we promise to get it printed up? Anyway, a LOT of us are
students--undergraduate and graduate, in fields from literature to math to
philosophy. At least six people reading this new sletter have Ph.D.s in
English, and at least three have Ph.D.s in physics. A tenth of our members
hail from Canada and several more come from Germany, whereVoyager isn't
even ON yet. We have a couple of Aussies and a South African member. The
largest concentration of Kate fans in the U.S. seems to be in Florida, but
there are a goodly number of Texans as well.
As far as we can gather, our youngest members are under five and our
oldest are above sixty. Right now the women out number the men two to one,
but there's been a slight shift in the last few days, as someone apparently
unleashed a whole slew of nightgown stills from "Eye of the Needle" at that
con in San Francisco.
Since March 15, we gained almost 100 members and gotten official
sanctioning. We're working on getting you all those things you've said you
wanted--photos, Kate's convention schedule, reviews of old movies she was
in, all that kind of stuff. We're still having financial difficulties and
discovering that our hard drives are not big enough to hold the amount of
information a fan club generates. Plus, believe it or not, the contacts we
need at Paramount are Very Busy People. So it may be another couple of
months before we can deliver on everything--but rest assured, we're doing
our best.
Hope YOU all are having a great spring and enjoying Voyager!
ALL ABOUT NOW VOYAGER
Welcome to the Official Kate Mulgrew Appreciation Society. This newsletter
is published bimonthly by Michelle Erica Green and Paul Anderson, 15613
Ambiance Drive, North Potomac, MD 20878. You can reach us online at
tigger@cais.com or thepooh@aol.com. Send SASE for information or $5 for
sample issue. Dues are subject to change without notice as rising printing
and mailing costs affect our ability to produce this newsletter.
This is a not-for-profit, amateur publication and is not intended to
infringe upon the rights of Paramount Pictures or its licensees. All
material herein is copyrighted by the authors, except for the copyrights,
trademarks, and patents of Paramount Pictures and its affiliates. You may
not reproduce any part of this newsletter without permission of the editors
and/or writers. If you received this newsletter electronically, you may
not forward it, excerpt any part of it, post the illustrations, nor
disseminate it in any other manner.
The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editorial
staff, Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Voyager, or Paramount Pictures.
Photo Credits
Masthead--Graphic by Janet Coleman.
1--Copyright Lillie Deans.
2--Copyright Paramount Pictures 1995.
4--Copyright Paramount Pictures 1995.
6--Copyright Paramount Pictures 1995.
8--Copyright E! Entertainment Television 1995. Used without permission.
9--Copyright Paramount Pictures 1995.
10--Copyright Orion Pictures 1988.
11--Photo copyright Paramount Pictures 1995. Unauthorized alterations by
Janet Coleman.
12--Copyright E! Entertainment Television 1995. Used without permission.
13--Photo by Cheryl Burch. Courtesy Eric Stillwell.
15--Courtesy Lolita Fatjo.
16--Copyright Jo Beth Taylor. Please contact the club for information
about obtaining color reprints from Ms. Taylor.
17--Copyright Jo Beth Taylor.
18--Copyright Jo Beth Taylor.
19--Copyright Maureen McGowan.
21--Copyright E! Entertainment Television 1995. Used without permission.
22--Illustration by Galen Wise.
27--Illustration by Anne Davenport
30--Photos copyright Paramount Pictures 1995. Unauthorized alterations by
Janet Coleman. Illustration by Anne Davenport.
It is illegal to reproduce or scan any art from this newsletter.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE DEPARTMENT
Lolita and Eric: Thanks so much for talking to us, for sending us photos,
and for caring what wild Trekkers like ourselves think about the show. And
thanks for being part of what makes Voyager happen. We love your work.
Larry Goldman: Just wanted to remind you that we appreciate you!
Reviewers: We grovel at your feet. We kiss each of your toes. We humbly
beg for more.
People who sent us pictures & video from cons (Kimberley, Maureen, Lillie,
Jo Beth, Cheryl, Pam): THANK YOU!
Gentle readers: We thank you for your patience as we get the kinks in this
newsletter ironed out, and as we struggle for new and interesting mixed
metaphors to tell you about it.
A.S.F.S.ers: Senators Exon and Gorton shall not prevail against us. The
First Amendment still stands...
Dee: You are truly amazing. Are you still working on three stories at
once? When do we get the next one?
Ruth and Emily: Our sides still hurt from laughing. And some of our other
parts hurt from the hot fudge sauce.
BeccaO: "Oh, Kathryn!" "Oh, Heathcliff!" Come hear the band play your song
at the jubilee...my partner in crime. See you on AOL around 11!
Kate: Happy birthday. We promise never to discuss whether or not you're a
feminist again. We wouldn't want to enhance our image as annoying
loudmouths--which we were before we became feminists!
[MISSING PHOTO]
WWW users: Look for Now Voyager on the web at:
http://umbc8.umbc.edu/~mpanti1/kate/kate.html .
REVIEWZZZZZZ
We reiterate: we'll run any reviews you send in, you don't have to be a
staff reviewer to have an opinion! We still need someone to compile a
running list of directors and guest stars for various episodes...
PARALLAX
The newly assembled crew of the U.S.S. Voyager is forced to confront their
underlying animosity and determine whether or not they can work as a team
to remove themselves from a potentially fatal situation. The episode is
filled with tension and excitement from the first moment until he final
credits begin to roll. As the crew begins to take on its new shape, we are
treated to suspense and adventure in the classic Star Trek form of
unanswered questions and unforseen outcomes.If "Parallax" is any
indication of the course the journey Voyager is on will take, we can be
assured that it will not be a boring one.
Captain Janeway makes it clear in her dealings with her First Officer,
Chakotay, that she is the leader aboard this vessel and that she expects to
be treated as such. In a quiet but forceful way, the First Officer creates
his own place as he confronts the Captain's predisposed attitudes toward
the Maquis crew members and encourages her to put prior assumptions aside
in order to evaluate the personnel in question. Her use of his suggestions
impresses in our minds the picture of a fair authority figure willing to
put aside personal opinions in favor of making the best choice for the
ship. Throughout this episode, the scenes between Kate Mulgrew and Robert
Beltran hold our rapt attention; these two are a well matched pair and the
combination promises much to look forward to in future episodes.
We also see Janeway in the role of the nurturing mentor for the troubled
B'Elanna Torres. Resisting her initial urge to remove Torres from
consinderation for the engineering chief's position immediately, Janeway
delves deeper into the workings of the half-Klingon, half-human woman. The
two find a common ground in temporal mechanics and from there make their
way to a working partnership. It is thrilling to see this powerful
two-woman team take off in the shuttlecraft to perform the maneuvers that
will free Voyager from the quantum singularity. Kate Mulgrew gives a
powerful performance. If there were questions in the minds of the viewers
as to whether or not a female captain can make it in uncharted space,
Mulgrew's portrayal here puts an end to them. It is certain that none of
the crew members aboard Voyager question her ability to perform her duties
or to lead effectively. This leaves the viewer anxiously awaiting the next
installment of Voyager's journey and the hard-hitting, action-packed
adventure that lies waiting in the Delta Quadrant.
--Siobhan Wolf
TIME AND AGAIN
I have a lot of trouble with "time" stories and always get confused.
However, this one wasn't too bad (as long as one doesn't start thinking too
hard about it). I thought it was done convincingly, at least enough that I
could follow it. I liked Janeway's "take charge" manner when the chips were
down, both when they were about to be played as pawns (to get into the
facility) and later when she confronts the leader of the demonstrators.
This is one no-nonsense Captain! She is quick to figure out a problem and
decisive in her actions.
I also rather liked the suggestion here that there is more to Kes than
shows on the surface. She is almost "Guinan-like" here in her perceptions
when things aren't normal. Paris acquits himself quite well as a supportive
confidante and a man-of-action. By putting himself at risk to save the boy,
a selfless act, he proved that he is not just full of himself.
I especially liked the twist that it was their own rescue attempt that
caused the disaster. That was nice and quite unexpected! And nice that
Janeway was the one to figure it out. She is not only an action-oriented
Captain, but has knowledge and experience with science as well.
Kim, Chakotay and Torres seem to work well together at solving problem
situations, although Tuvok still remains aloof and somewhat disagreeable.
--Marguerite Petersen
PHAGE
Overall, I would rate this episode as very good. The plot was interesting
and not stupid like "Spock's Brain" to which this episode has been
compared, a nice change from the spatial anomaly as the villain of the week
stories. Some of the dialogue was quite funny and almost made me spit out
my toothpaste at the TV screen. Also, the flashlights on the wrist were
quite cool and logical. It keeps both hands free with which other things
can be done.
The opening teaser gladdens this Janeway/Chakotay fan's heart. Then when
Janeway walks into her private dining room and beholds what Neelix has done
to it, the expression of horror is priceless, as is the look of relief on
her face as she leaves.
Everybody's motivations were quite clear and logical. Neelix's disregard
for orders and protocol have both comical and disastrous consequences. It
makes sense that someone who is used to being on his own would likely
disobey orders. Kes is very strong, standing up to the Doctor in no
uncertain terms. The Doctor, an appropriate characterization of a hologram
who has not had much time to develop a bedside manner, has the best
one-liners in the episode--no doubt his "I'm a doctor, not a decorator" is
a tribute to another crusty ship's surgeon. Paris acts his usual horny self
and puts some moves on Kes.
Yet this episode belongs to Janeway. When she finds out about Phage virus,
she goes from being angry to disgusted to sympathetic to confused to some
certainty. All these emotions play across her face to show us the moral
dilemma she finds herself in. Nowhere does Janeway become mushy. After
having made her decision to spare the aliens, she makes clear that she will
not tolerate any such actions against her crew again. But through it all,
she remains true to her ideals and values. Mulgrew's performance really
brings to light the quandary that Janeway finds herself in.
--Shalini Gupta
EYE OF THE NEEDLE
[MISSING PHOTO]
We have no new reviews. We just thought we'd run a gratuitous nightgown
shot for all you loyal readers.
EMANATIONS
One of the things that always bothered me about TOS and TNG was that even
though the mission of the Enterprise was to Seek Out New Life and New
Civilizations, Kirk and Picard never seemed to be all that surprised when
they found one. Kirk was a master at trashing the Prime Directive and
"correcting" the problems of civilizations that had flourished for
generations before he showed up, and Picard had a kind of stuffiness, a
certain "ah, yes. We were once like you."
In Emanations, there are no real answers to the question that haunts a
society obsessed with death. Kim, Janeway, and Kes are all asked that most
serious of all questions: what is there after life--and they just don't
know. Harry is probably the best performer in the episode. His uncertainty
on how to go about treating the cultural problem he finds himself in is
completely refreshing and thoroughly honest. Even though he becomes
bewildered over the ease with which these people turn to death as a
solution, he never turns pompous or preachy.
Chakotay sets up the situation nicely and develops his own background in
the process. Even though he hasn't gotten nearly the exposure I'd like to
see for him, Chakotay is already becoming far more "knowable" than Frakes'
Riker.
Janeway's conversation with Harry at the end is a wonderful example of the
sensitivity and humanity that Mulgrew brings to the character. I was struck
by the way her voice and her eyes drifted off as she reminisced about how
easy it is to lose one's past without taking the time to reflect on it. Her
decisiveness about the problems in the episode are again combined
seamlessly with a very believable committment to the well-being of her
crew.
Some small problems and inconsistencies: where the heck is Neelix just
when you stumble on one of those civilizations he's supposed to know so
much about? Also, seeing as how Harry Kim is supposed to be Paris' best
friend, it would have been nice to see some concern on Tom's part. I
expected Torres to be the first to say, don't you think it's time to leave,
but not one word from Tom? Harry, you should choose your friends more
carefully.
Emanations is full of questions with no easy answers. At the end of it, we
know only that these people might survive after death or they might not. We
know that the Federation has discovered 246 elements, and that warp cores
attract subspace vacuoles. Most importantly, we know that this crew will
encounter situations it doesnít have the answers for. It is not all that
well prepared for the unknown. For me at least, that's exciting.
--Richard Hanson
In this episode, we see a very delicate topic being intellectually and
sensitively addressed. One always has to be very careful when discussing
religion and views of the afterlife are governed by religious beliefs.
There was a very open discussion of afterlife theories, especially between
Piteira and Kes in the Mess Hall, when we learned that Piteira believes
that after death they move as a whole, body and all, into a higher level of
existence, while Kes reveals the Ocampa belief that after death, the soul
moves onto the next plane. We also learn from Chakotay and Torres that
Klingons believe in an afterlife as well.
Kim, on the other hand, showed the reaction that too many people have
regarding the beliefs of others. When he commented to his roommate "so
they make you wrap yourself in your own death shroud" there were obvious
signs of disapproval in both his face and his tone. Captain Janeway makes
him realize that maybe the Vinarey are not as wrong in their beliefs as he
thought in a wonderful scene at the end of the episode.
This episode also adds to the further growth of characters, some at the
expense of others. We do see some growth in Kes, who is becoming a very
capable assistant to Holodoc--he asked her for a drug, she quickly slapped
it into his outstretched hand like a good operating room nurse--and expands
her role as counselor in a sense different to that of Deanna Troi. Hers is
a more commonsense as opposed to the "empathic" approach. Here's hoping
that Kes does not turn into a Keebler Elf in the coming episodes.
We also get to see how much of a science junkie Torres is--excited by the
possibility of a new element, frustrated by the fact that they can only do
visual scanning of the corpses on the asteroid. When Chakotay asks what
she found, she replies "just some naked dead people," further evidence of
her surprisingly dry sense of humor. I hope we get to see some more of
this.
Finally we get to see learn more of Chakotay. He gets to lead an away
team again, and it is evident that he cares as deeply about the Starfleet
crew as the Maquis. He is very sensitive to other cultures, yet drops his
deference quickly when it comes to the safety of the crew.
Captain Janeway, like Torres, is a science junkie, and like Chakotay, her
instincts can be reversed if the situation calls for it. Instead of
agreeing with Kim about by doing a full blown study of the corpses, she
sides with Chakotay, visual only. The situation did not call for a full
blown study, therefore the moral side, the side that said 'we really
shouldn't be playing in a cemetery', won out over the techie side. This
shows a real balance to the character. I also like the fact that there was
further evidence of the hands on breed of Captain that she is. Janeway
could have easily stayed on the bridge or in her Ready Room while Torres
figured out the problem of the subspace vacuoles using Voyager as another
depository, yet she was down in engineering getting her hands dirty along
with everyone else.
The best development of this episode is Mulgrew's blending of both parts
of the role, the Captain side and the sensitive side--not to say that
either is mutually exclusive. In the scene with Piteira in sickbay, she
switched naturally from the soft, almost motherly comforting of this scared
alien woman to the no-nonsense, unmistakable tone of command when the ship
was jolted: "Janeway to Bridge. Report!" In the scene with Kim in the
empty mess hall , she did a remarkable job of showing just how much of a
nurturing person Janeway can be yet there is no sense that Kim will follow
her orders with any less respect. This development in Janeway's character
has me further applauding Paramount and Mulgrew for finally giving us a
truly balanced female character.
--Risa Phillips Kovac
We see early on in "Emanations" that Captain Janeway is becoming more
comfortable delegating authority to senior crewmembers. However, once
questions arise, it becomes clear that she continues to hold the final
word. Her willingness to hear out the opposing opinions of crew members and
the decision to forego archeological information to honor the remains at
the burial site are admirable and the sign of a competent captain.
When the alien woman appears in the transporter room with Commander
Chakotay and Chief Torres and the decision is made to revive her in hopes
of finding out where Ensign Kim is, it is of concern that the Captain is
not shown to be involved in the apparent decision to violate the Prime
Directive. The viewer is left to assume that Janeway weighed the
consequences and chose to go after her missing crewman. Janeway's growning
concern for her crew and her protective feelings toward Ensign Kim in
particular make this decision in keeping with the development of her
character.
Kate Mulgrew continues her superb portrayal in the scenes with Captain
Janeway and the alien girl. She brings to her performance a level of
emotion usually found in stage productions and film rather than in
television series. That these attributes are seen here in a Starfleet
Captain are to Mulgrew's growing credit. The depth to which she portrays
Captain Janeway's honesty is one of qualities that puts her in a league of
her own.
This captain is willing to put her knowledge on the line with that of her
crew to eliminate a potentially deadly problem. When it appears that no way
to locate and retrieve Ensign can be found before the ship is fatally
damaged, she visibly regrettably does what all captains must do and puts
her ship and crew's safety ahead of the continued search for one
individual.
In the episode's final scene between Janeway and Kim, we glimpse a side of
the captain we have not seen before. We see a woman and an officer who
recognizes her own regrets, admits to them, and works to assist a younger
officer by allowing him the time she herself had not taken to fully
incorporate experiences. Her encouraging Kim to express himself in some way
shows us her sensitivity as well as her ability to gently guide the less
experienced.
Although "Emanations" left questions in places, it succeeded in further
rounding out the character of Captain Janeway. Mulgrew continues to rise to
the occasion with an insightful and heart felt portrayal.
--Siobhan Wolf
PRIME FACTORS
Those who have hungered for a more DS9-like blend of tension and darkness
on Voyager got a plateful in "Prime Factors." When the crew first beamed
down to Sikarian homeworld, I took one look at all the fun everyone was
having and wondered when Wesley Crusher was going to show up and show
everyone how to play baseball [Justice; TNG, 1987]. Although there were
some of the same elements, this is a far from idyllic place, and this is a
far from idyllic story.
And this is a story with a lot of undercurrents. Janeway dallied with an
alien [you think the crew ever sat around questioning Kirk's jumping on
every bipedal female he met? There'd have been a mutiny every week].
B'Elanna agonized over whether to commit mutiny. The truth emerged that at
least some of the crew are only going to obey orders as long as the ship's
heading in their direction. We got to explore the dangers of unchecked
logic. the dangers of unbridled hedonism. the fact that Janeway likes to be
the one to decide when and who's going to get touched, the amazing absence
of Chakotay whenever anything serious is happening. the amazing absence of
Neelix and Kes for all but two minutes of the episode.
Some serious moments: Janeway's difficulties in dealing with the demands
of her own principles and her responsibility to the crew. Heavy hangs the
head that wears the little cufflinks on the collar, and aneway shows us
that being a captain just isn't all itís cracked up to be. Scenes like this
hearken back to the good old days of Kirk, except that Kate does it without
overacting. As a result of which, I ended up almost feeling ashamed that I
was having such a good time.
Nice, nice plot twist with Tuvok suddenly revealed as part of the
conspiracy, so hard to believe that I started thinking: "Dallas, dream
sequence...naaah." Russ did a great job in a difficult role. Vulcans DO get
out of hand sometimes, the problem is making it all seem logical.
The final dressdown of Torres and Tuvok was classic Trek all the way. Here
is the stern quality of naval justice set in space. Janeway is absolutely
flawless in her reactions, and every feeling of betrayal flits across her
face with us along for the ride. Letís face it, folks: Captains donít have
to be fair, and in my opinion, she's taking quite a personal risk to go so
lightly on one so close to her own counsels. (Best Line: "You can use
logic to justify anything. That's its strength AND its flaw.")
"Prime Factors" sets a benchmark that Voyager will have to work hard to
surpass. It has served notice that all is not sweetness and light aboard
the good ship Voyager. And we haven't even been voyaging that long.
A final thought: Kate! What's with this Gath guy? So he makes a okay
plate of finger food. I can bend a coat hanger and put it around my head
too, and I can cook...
--Richard Hansen
In "Prime Factors" we are treated to a further look into the motivations
and characterological make up of many of the crew members. We see for the
first time Ensign Kim's struggle to decide whether to follow protocols or
take the risk that might lead them home. Lieutenant Paris makes a leap and
gives Kim the advice to be forthcoming with the Captain. Chief Engineer
Torres battles between loyalty to her Maquis crew members and the
responsibility she has agreed to take on when she was given the senior
staff position on Voyager. Lieutenant Tuvok shows his willingness to stand
behind Captain Janeway to the point where he is willing to put that above
Starfleet principles. This is an episode filled with tension and emotion,
truly the stuff that Star Trek is made of.
Janeway is faced with possibly her toughest decision yet as she struggles
to follow proper channels to obtain technology that might assist her in
fulfilling her mission of getting her ship and crew back to the Alpha
Quadrant. In her interactions with the alien leader, we see that she, as
well as her crew, is feeling the depth of her group's isolation and
distance from all that is comfortable and familiar. Having those feelings
while also being faced with the challenge of a forbidden technology that
might just get them closer to what they know and love and being able to
continue to balance those feelings with the protocols and principles for
which she stands is the sign of a strong and competent captain. Although
she does not look forward to doing what she knows she must, she makes the
decision that is in keeping with her background and her sense of proper
leadership.
Kate Mulgrew puts on a stunning performance with this episode being her
most powerful to date. Having grounded herself in the character of Captain
Janeway, Mulgrew shines through in this episode with such feeling and
powerful, conflicting emotions that the viewer has no doubt the depth to
which this character must reach to maintain her balance and objectivity.
Yet she succeeds convincingly. From her initial curiosity toward the alien
leader and his in- vitations to her relaxing in the pursuit of activities
other than that of running the ship to the anger that accompanies the
realization that she has been used, Mulgrew pulls us in and keeps us there
as we travel this path with Janeway. We feel her angst as she makes the
only decision she can which is to leave without the technology.
When the ship has almost been destroyed by a warp core breach and Janeway
is made aware of all that has gone on behind her back, Mulgrew brings
through with absolute certainty that this captain will not tolerate having
her orders second-guessed or disobeyed. The intensity of her eye contact
and the steely-edged control in her voice leave the viewer cringing right
along with the reprimanded Torres and Tuvok.
"Prime Factors" highlights the desire to get home and the battle between
being willing to do so at any cost and being able to do so with a clear
conscience. The growth of the characters of Kim and Torres, the depth we
see in Tuvok, and the breadth of feeling in Captain Janeway all make for a
must see episode. Kate Mulgrew's performance is in a class of its own.
--Siobhan Wolf
[MISSING PHOTO]
Including "Caretaker," we have now seen nine episodes and think this one
was the best so far. It was a well written story and very well acted by
all cast members. Tuvok's inclusion of himself into the conspiracy was
quite a surprise (though upon rewatching the episode for the umpteenth time
it is not so surprising if you look at his expression after Janeway orders
the recall of the landing parties and tells him that she cannot accept
Jared's offer to bend the rules). One of the more interesting points to
the story is the fact that a culture tells representatives of the mighty
Federation that they cannot have something that they want as the Federation
has done to others on thousands of occasions.
As Janeway notes in the Officer's Mess, there is finally an interaction
between the two crews; however it is this newly found interaction that is
the heart of the group who go against order. It's no coincidence that the
group who trades the Federation library for the space-folding matrix is
comprised of an even number of Starfleet and Maquis members once Tuvok
joins the group. There are also signs that some of the crew are beginning
to believe that it is going to take a while to get home. Harry is no
longer holding out for his girlfriend back home that he was devoted to in
"Time and Again." In the mess hall scene we learn that he was on the
holodeck with one of the infamous Delaney sisters from Stellar Cartography.
Then, he's getting awfully chummy with alien female.
We almost saw the Kirk Syndrome reborn--Captains kissing aliens--in this
episode, had it not been for Kim's well timed interruption. What is it
with the producers: can't a female captain have any fun, or is Hollywood
still so far behind the rest of our culture that they fear a liberated
woman? What could be wrong with one stinking kiss? Yeah, that boyfriend
at home, but if Kim could forget his love... Worst Line: "The Captain is
so infatuated with the Sikarean magistrate, she can't think straight. We
can't trust that she's going to make the best decision for all of us."
Also the most infuriating line, especially coming from a woman--Seska.
By far the best part of this episode and what has me so enamored to it is
the final scene in the Captain's ready room. It was probably one of the
most powerful scenes I have ever seen on television. The acting was so
incredible that you can't help but feel the Captain's sense of betrayal,
anger and sadness at what was presented to her. Up until this episode, if
asked I would what my favorite serious Voyager scene was, I would hands
down answer the transporter room scene in "Phage." There Kate Mulgrew
conveyed a whole range of emotions that I couldn't help but be impressed by
her abilities. This scene just blows that one away. After seeing
something like this, I am truly convinced that our Captain is like no other
and I thank the gods everyday that Genevieve Bujold and Paramount parted
ways.
STATE OF FLUX
One of the early complaints about Voyager was that it was not as 'dark' as
DS9. This has never been a particular problem for me, but I have sometimes
wondered if it would be possible to add some darkness to the show and still
retain the other qualities I've found so attractive. "State of Flux" deals
with the darkness of treachery, and it does a credible job. Seska has been
cruising for a bruising since the last episode, and goes out in fine form
as a very modern kind of traitor--no simpering, mustache twirling Iago
here. Seska doesn't see herself as a traitor and so makes it very hard for
us to see it also. Her relationship with Chakotay makes it even harder for
Chakotay and the viewer to believe that somehow it isn't going to come out
right in the end.
In many ways this is Chakotay's episode. Finally we get to see something
more than just the stereotypical First Officer. His sense of humor: "Chief
Inspector Tuvok will leave no stone unturned." His self doubt: "Was anybody
on my ship working for me?" Even a bit of plain old impatience as in when
he essentially tells Tuvok that Vulcan honesty is just so much bull. We see
also that Voyager isn't above riffing on its own character devices when it
makes fun of the now notorious animal spirit guides. (Seska: "Why don't
you ask your animal guide?" Chakotay: "I will." Seska: "Well, get back to
me.")
As far as the plot goes, I suspected at first that this was going to be
plotted as a 'crew seeks scapegoat' story (TOS: "Balance of Terror," TNG:
"The Drumhead"). But the writers chose to treat it as a mystery with just
the smallest hint of paranoia. For a moment, Chakotay challenges Janeway to
eliminate the possibility that he is himself the traitor, and for a moment
we wonder if Janeway might just be considering it, but then the plot moves
quickly on to complications involving the suspense of a possible face-off
with the Kazon, treknobabble in getting the Federation equipment off the
derelict ship, and Chakotay's concerns over Seska and doubts as to why he
keeps making the wrong decisions.
I must admit that I never saw Seska revealed as Cardassian double agent
coming, and I was perfectly set to accept that sniveling little toady,
Carey, as the real traitor. Since both were in on convincing B'Elanna to
steal the alien transporter device in "Prime Factors," he would be just as
logical a choice as Seska, and the writers knew it. Hence I for one got
taken. And I'm glad. For me, it added just a small element of mystery to
the plot.
There are some great lines and a few mileposts in this episode. B'Elanna
finally gets past the dreaded 'engineer's curse' when she tells Janeway
that she doesn't make inflated estimates: "if I say tomorrow, I mean
tomorrow." Tuvok and Chakotay add to the never-ending debate over Vulcan
veracity, topped off with the wonderful line: "How may I be honest with you
today?" Finally, Janeway tops herself again in the most quotable quotes
department with: "I'm usually pretty easy to get along with, but I don't
like bullies, I don't like threats, and I don't like you." Dirty Harry, get
out of town.
Above all, somehow Voyager managed to add a little darkness without
extinguishing the brightness which is so characteristic of the show.
Janeway was rather frightening in the role of Grand Inquisitor in the
questioning of Kerry, but she was also believable as she patiently
explained to Neelix that, dangerous and not, Voyager had to try to help the
crippled Kazon ship. Taken together, "Prime Factors" and "State of Flux"
actually make one rather dark story; a story which proves that Voyager can
deal with the darker side of the human experience without losing itself in
the shadows.
--Richard Hanson
"State of Flux" finds the Voyager crew once again with internal security
problems. While on an away mission gathering foods from the surface of a
planet, the Kazon make another appearance, undetected for some time. Once
their presence becomes known, Captain Janeway recalls her crew. Before the
internal rift is discovered, we see that the crew is functioning more as a
whole than ever before. Chakotay takes Neelix's advice seriously regarding
the foods with which only he is familiar, and Janeway also takes seriously
his warnings regarding the danger of the Kazon Nistrum. It is a calculated
risk that brings Voyager to the assistance of a troubled Kazon ship.
Finding the cause of the explosion that destroyed all but one of the Kazon
crew to have been Federation technology brings the internal problems on
Voyager to the forefront. The meeting in the halted turbolift between
Janeway, Tuvok, and Chakotay gathers the three officers together for the
first time with no apparent Starfleet-Maquis conflict. Though she first
turns to Tuvok with instructions to investigate this incident, it becomes
clear that she trusts Chakotay implicitly when, even after he has defended
Ensign Seska, the Commander has to remind Janeway that he, too, was Maquis.
The interactions between various members of the crew throughout this
episode show the cohesion that has been established. Putting crewmembers
who are not often on screen at the same time together is an effective
method of portraying the workings of the crew. It is effective in
portraying the bonding that has occurred between various members of the
crew and the working relationships and respect that has been established.
The scenes involving Tuvok and Torres, Chakotay and Carey, Neelix and
Chakotay, Kes and Seska, and the interrogation scene with Janeway, Tuvok,
and Chakotay all give the viewer a deeper sense of the stronger bonds that
have grown between the crew members and the cohesiveness they have achieved
in working toward their common goal--finding a way back to the Alpha
Quadrant.
Kate Mulgrew gives another fantastic performance bringing through the more
stern and serious qualities of Janeway. The scene in which she interrogates
Carey, as well as the scenes where she interacts with the Kazon leader, are
representative of what the viewer has come to expect of her. Mulgrew's
ability to bring through the impartial investigation and deep concern of
the Captain are fast becoming her trademarks. Her barely disguised contempt
for the Kazon leader hearkens back to Captain Kirk and his convictions
against those who would attempt to control or manipulate him or his ship
and crew.
Remaining impartial to the end, Janeway hesitates to give Chakotay what he
asks for immediately when he requests to be the one to confront Seska's
Cardassian heritage. Out of respect for her First Officer and the position
that he finds himself in having been betrayed by one of his own, she grants
his request in the end, but only after having clearly established the
truth. It is obvious that she is angry at Seska's escape through defection
to the Kazon, but she removes her ship and crew from danger rather than
engage in war to take back a prisoner. The viewer is left with little doubt
that the Kazon may come back to haunt Voyager later. We are left waiting to
see how this turn of events will effect the morale and functioning of the
crew as they continue to try to find their way home.
--Siobhan Wolf
"State of Flux" is a pretty dynamic episode, starting off with a fairly
good teaser and then delving straight into some surprising plot twists
which hearken back to DS9's "Tribunal." Though Seska is focused on at the
expense of some of the regular characters, it seems that almost everyone
has a worthwhile part. And the writers have apparently remembered that
Chakotay exists and can add a lot to the show!
The Kazon, too, come to the forefront in "State of Flux" and continue to
cause trouble for Captain Janeway and crew, though her handling of the
imperious Kazon captain is excellent. We get to learn a bit more about the
Kazon this time around: their society is a collective that is divided into
sects, they have the ability to render their ships invisible (this could
cause some problems in the future!), and they have no qualms about
murdering one of their crewmates. I welcome this last piece of information,
for it means that the Kazon are not simply Delta Quadrant carbon-copies of
the Klingons.
Though the episode was a good one overall, there were some problems with
Seska. First of all, she was pretty dumb to loot the food reserves and
expect to get away with it. Secondly, Seska and Chakotay? Romantically
linked?? Even assuming that Chakotay really does have poor taste in women,
would a Cardasian spy really allow herself to becomes attached to a Maquis
officer? And finally, where did Seska *get* the food replicator that she
gave to the Kazon? I would assume that with the energy shortage on the
Voyager, the replicators are closely monitored. (While I'm on the subject,
doesn't it seem that Federation technology is incompatible with anything in
the Delta Quadrant? All attempts to integrate technologies so far have
failed, which could be a major problem!)
The points about Seska aside, "State of Flux" gave a strong showing from
both the actors and the writers, a feat which I hope will be repeated many
times over in the next seven years!
--Jen Gartner
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There are several very good elements to this episode. Finally Chakotay is
givena larger role. He has fully accepted the fact that he now is on a
Federation ship and a Federation officer, much to the chagrin of some of
the other Maquis, witness his reaction to Seska's breaking into the kitchen
and making his favorite soup. Chakotay has also joined forces with Tuvok
in becoming ship's detective. Chakotay was the one who questioned Seska
about her possible involvement in selling technology to the Kazon, he was
also the one who set the trap for Seska to fall into if she were in fact
guilty and he was also down in Engineering monitoring the ship's manifest
to find the traitor. Like Janeway, Chakotay isn't afraid to get into the
action. Easily he could have remained on the Bridge and let some underling
monitor the board with Tuvok, but he went down there himself for
potentially hours of sheer boredom.
Flux also answers the question as to what type of Engineer Torres is. I
wondered whether her estimates would be more in line with Scotty who also
multiplied by a factor of four in order to maintain his reputation as a
"miracle worker" or like Geordi who never overestimated anything. She
bluntly informed the Captain that when she says tomorrow, she means
tomorrow. She's obviously on the Geordi side of the estimate spectrum
which would be much to the chagrin of Scotty (Relics). However, she shows
a lot more guts than Geordi who would never have turned to Picard and said
"No, Captain!". If the shows are taken in order, Flux also maintains that
Torres hasn't lost her moxie when dealing with the Captain after the
reprimand she received in Prime Factors, and judging from the Captain's
reaction, Janeway was quite impressed with her Engineer.
In Flux, we might have seen the birth of Voyager's big three: Tuvok,
Chakotay and Janeway. Not having watched much of TNG I'm not really too
sure if they had a big three, but there is no doubt that TOS had a
triumvirate namely Spock, McCoy and Kirk. Spock represented the logical
side and was countered by McCoy who was the emotional side. Kirk would
use both of them as sounding boards and the three of them created a
balanced triangle with Kirk in the middle. Kirk represented a combination
of both elements. This triangle can be easily applied to the Voyager
three. Tuvok is obviously in the Spock role and diametrically opposed to
him is Chakotay in the McCoy role. There are also some elements of the
conflict between Spock and McCoy present in the relationship between Tuvok
and Chakotay, witness Chakotay's "you damn vulcans" in the Mess Hall scene
at the end of the episode. Further we have the friction between the two
for Tuvok's serving as a spy in Chakotay's crew. In the middle is Janeway.
Like Kirk, she has both the logical side, the scientist in her, and an
emotional side. Here again, we have a perfectly balanced triangle whereby
Janeway can turn to two people to see diametrically opposed views of a
single situation, and like Kirk, watch out when the two agree!
Here also is the episode answers the naysayers that "Janeway isn't tough
enough" to deal with aliens, Capt. Kate certainly is. The two scenes where
she faced down the Kazon leader, first in Voyager's Sickbay and then when
Torres went aboard the other Kazon ship to retrieve the console, she left
no doubt in the Kazon's mind that there was no way that she would let him
interfere in getting what she wanted. I loved when she said to the Kazon
guy "You know, I'm really easy to get along with most of the time, but I
don't like bullies and I don't like threats and I don't like you...you can
try and stop us from getting to the truth, but I promise you, if you do, I
will respond with all the unique technologies at my command, Janeway out."
You could sense the real fear from the Kazon leader at that prospect
just by how quickly he stood his weapons down. However, her order to power
down the tractor beam on the Kazon ship faced with the imminent arrival at
two more Kazon ships as a sign of weakness by some. Their argument is that
the same situation, Kirk would have tractor beamed or blasted the Kazon
ship and not turned tail and ran. I would tend to disagree. Capt Kate
cannot be seen as weak here, but intelligent. She knew there was no chance
to beat all three ships. Plus she has considerations that no other
Federation captain we have seen has had to deal with, great distance from
Starfleet repair facilities and supplies. Sure Kirk would have fired on
the Kazon and maybe had the Enterprise damaged, but he could have limped to
a repair facility in a few short days. Janeway doesn't have that option
open to her. Voyager in peak shape will take some 75 years to get to
Federation space and she has no idea as to where they are going to find
even the most common place parts for the ship, let alone where to get major
repairs done. Because of the unique circumstances under which she is
operating, comparisons between Janeway and the other captains, Kirk and
especially Picard, are unfair. By the time of TNG, the galaxy seemed much
smaller and his Picard's Enterprise very rarely seemed to be out of touch
with Starfleet, backup was never far away, therefore Picard could act much
differently than Janeway is forced to. Who knows what kind of response
would have been evoked from Janeway if the Kazon were Alpha Quadrant
denizens, I suspect that Seska would have been retrieved in the Alpha
Quadrant, but because she wasn't Captain Janeway is no weakling.
Best line: "You (Tuvok) were working for her, Seska was working for them,
was anyone aboard that ship working for me?" --Chakotay.
I don't know about you, but when Doc announced "He's dead", I fully
expected to hear "Jim" at the end, or at the very least, "Captain."
--Risa Phillips-Kovac
[MISSING PHOTO]
This one's from "Eye of the Needle," too...
THE KATE MULGREW FILM FESTIVAL COLUMN
REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS...
By Anonymous
[MISSING PHOTO]
Cast: Fred Ward as Remo Williams, Joel Grey as Chiun, Wilford Brimley as
Harold Smith, J. A. Preston as MacCleary, George Coe as General Scott
Watson, Charles Cioffi as George Grove, and Kate Mulgrew as Major Rayner
Fleming. Written by Christopher Wood. Produced by Larry Spiegel. Directed
by Guy Hamilton. Music by Craig Safan. Based on The Destroyer series by
Sapir and Murphy. 1985, Orion Pictures. Video by Thorn EMI HBO Video.
Summary: The movie starts with a police officer being shoved into a river.
While officially 'dead', he is recruited by a secret governmental
organization and gets a new identity as Remo Williams. Chiun, a Korean
martial arts master, teaches him the skill of unarmed combat. Smith and
MacCleary, Remo's vigilante bosses, are trying to destroy George Grove, the
leader of the nefarious Grove Industries, because he's cheated the
government, made life in the military unsafe, and because he's a
blackmailer, tax evader, and murderer.
At the same time, Major Fleming suspects that there is something wrong
with a star wars satellite which Grove industries is supposed to deliver to
the army: she cannot access information about the satellite on the computer
network, and Grove keeps on delaying its delivery. When her questions start
to become uncomfortable for Grove, he accuses her of working for an enemy
organization. Fortunately for Major Fleming, Remo's bosses decide that
Grove must be killed because he puts their organization in danger of being
exposed while they still have no evidence for their accusations.
Suffice to say that none of the plot developments come as a big surprise.
At the end of the movie, and after some unique fighting sequences, Remo not
only succeeds in killing Grove but also rescues Major Fleming from a
horrific fate in a gas chamber. When it turns out that the satellite
never existed, Fleming returns to her troops and Remo and Chiun disappear.
The movie is not bad, but for an action-adventure there isn't enough
action. Do not expect beautifully choreographed fighting scenes a la Van
Damme. The long first part of the film is just about Remo's training, which
is sometimes quite amusing, but oftentimes scenes which are supposed to be
funny are just ridiculous. Chiun, Remo's Korean instructor, is stereotyped
and not very realistic: he is both the reason for some of the funny scenes
and for the ridiculous ones. I didn't like that he has inbelievable skills
like bullet dogging and running on water.
Of course my reason for watching the movie was Kate Mulgrew as Major
Fleming. In the first half of the movie Major Fleming is a tough and
intelligent woman. (Cool dialogue: General Watson: 'Let me give you a word
of advice - never feel you have to overdo it. It makes no difference to me
that you're a woman.' Major Fleming: 'That's good news, sir. ...and it
makes no difference to me that you're a man!') She is the only one in the
army who does not trust Grove and his products (or at least the only one
who is not corrupt) and who dares to question Grove about the satellite.
When she is accused of working for an enemy organization she stays cool and
just walks out of the room.
In contrast, as soon as she gets together with Remo and is rescued by him
(of course!), she starts to behave like the typical female in an action
movie: She is scared, screams, admires her rescuer, walks through the
wilderness in a short skirt and high heeled shoes. Naturally that's not
Kate's fault, it's the director's or writer's. She is a fine actress; in
the first half, she reminded me somewhat of her future role as Captain
Janeway.
In summary: If you like Kate, the movie is worth seeing. And by the way,
she looks great in a combat dress.
[MISSING PHOTO]
THE FUNNY PAGES
[MISSING PHOTO]
ONE OF THESE DAYS I'M GOING TO SURPRISE YOU, TUVOK
Janeway's Ten Greatest Lines so far (from the Internet):
1. "There's coffee in that nebula!"
2. "Over the years, I've learned that sometimes you just have to punch
your way through."
3. "I'm usually pretty easy to get along with, but I don't like bullies,
I don't like threats, and I don't like YOU."
4. "You've got a date!"
5. "At ease, Ensign, before you sprain something."
6. "Ohhh, and I thought you were a man of unlimited talents."
7. "This is a VERY old trick."
8. "Who authorized this???"
9. "Oh, right! Pool's the one with the pockets."
10. "Dismissed. That's Starfleet for 'Get out.'"
LAST OF THE MAQUIS-HANS
Ruth and Emily, the Gifford Sisters, are worried about poor Chakotay. First
he doesn't get any good lines, then he does get Seska's mushroom soup!
His gripe to Tuvok was definitely the best: "You were working for
[Janeway], Seska was working for the Cardassians. Was anyone on that ship
working for ME?" And now, the Gifford Sisters' Top 10 Reasons We Haven't
Seen Enough of Chakotay:
10. He's been trying to explain quantum filaments to Tom Paris for the
last six weeks.
9. Kes whomped him over the head with a frying pan for calling her
"Chiquita," then Neelix cooked him for dinner.
8. He's been dragged into Stellar Cartography by the Delaney Sisters. He's
trying REALhard to escape though.
7. Paramount's holding him hostage until everyone in the country sees The
Brady Bunch movie at least three times.
6. Marathon Risk games in the officer's mess.
5. He's on the holodeck rehearsing his speech to ask Janeway to the
Starfleet/Maquis Mixer.
4. He's also busy filing a sexual harassment suit against Janeway because
she can't seem to stop touching him.
3. Ate one too many of Neelix's Anta'Narlian cocktail sausage fingers and
got sick.
2. O.J. Fev er
---and the #1 reason we haven't seen more of Chakotay---
1. Jeri Taylor finds him as fascinating as we do and keeps him all for herself!
WHAT'S ON YOUR POWERPADD?
Also courtesy the Gifford Sisters, whom we'd suspect of secretly being the
Delaney sisters except they'd both have better taste than to date Tom
Paris.
Kathryn Janeway, Commanding Officer, USS Voyager:
Replicator code for dog's favorite kibble mix.
List of tactful phrases to describe Neelix's food.
Strategies for stomping Maquis.
Her holodeck re-enactment (with solution) of the Battle of Wolf 359.
Mark's golf games.
Addresses of Badlands coffee shops.
Long, loving descriptions of Mark's cooking.
Notes for the great Terran Novel.
Nude .gifs of Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
Victoria's Secret Catalog (and backorder rain check).
Warranty (and registration card) for the ship's Nav-I-Comp (tm) Custom
navigation software.
Copy of letter home.
Chakotay, Executive Officer, USS Voyager
New face tattoo patterns.
Secret Maquis plans/strategies.
Fan letter to Princess Leia of the Rebel Alliance.
Nude .gifs of the Delaney sisters.
Notes for the great Dovanian Novel.
Spec script for Babylon 5.
Janeway's credit card number.
Mystic crystal revelations.
List of tactful ways to tell Torres to straighten up and fly right.
Study of Janeway's pool game.
Recipe for killer chocolate cake.
Copy of letter home.
DON'T TELL ME NO LIES, AND KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF
We regret to report that we had to fire most of our Voyager Voyeurs for
losing track of how many times Janeway got her paws on people during
"Emanations" (shoulder feeling better yet, Commander?). Look at it this
way: at least she didn't let that skanky guy from "Prime Factors" kiss
her! Here's the Touchy-Feely Count as it stands now:
Chakotay: 6
Tom Paris: 5
Harry Kim: 3
Gath: 3
Tuvok: 2
Kes: 2
Torres: 2
If Janway has ever touched Neelix, we missed it.
OFFICER'S MANUAL EXCERPTS
Richard Hansen fortunately intercepted the following subspace transmission
to Kathryn Janeway, Captain, U.S.S. Voyager, from Starfleet HQ a few months
ago:
Captain:
As per your request, please find the attached sections of the current
Officer's Manual. I was always rather strict about such things myself, but
I have complete confidence in your judgment. Nevertheless, I understand
your concerns although (as we discussed) I don't see a long journey in the
cards, just a romp through the badlands. See you soon.
Signed:
Alynna Necheyev, Vice-Admiral, Starfleet Command
Article 16. Personal Appearance
4.2 ) Bridge officers shall take steps to insure that cosmetic effects do
not interfere with ability to perform assigned duties. Bangs, fur,
feathers, scales, and other epidermal extensions (hereafter referred to as
"hair") will be trimmed so as to avoid conflicting with hand-eye
coordination. Hair will be worn up if at all possible. Styles will be left
to personal taste with an eye toward efficiency .
Article 24. Comportment
1.1) Standing Bridge postures (especially in the case of the captain or the
first officer) will be optional save in moments of tactical crisis when all
bridge personnel will be expected to fall down. Whether the captain is the
first or the last to fall down will be a matter of personal choice, with
the understanding that, if the captain is seated during a collision or a
weapons strike, the captain will first get out of the command chair and
then fall down.
1.3) If utilizing the hands on hips posture, females must place the hands
on the hips, fingers out. Males must place hands on hips, fingers in.
Captains of sexually neutral species may use their own discretion.
Article 36. Command Protocol
5.1) In the case of female commanding officers: it is the tradition of
Starfleet to maintain naval protocol. Under normal circumstances, all
commanding officers are addressed as "Sir" by lower officers. "Mr." is to
be used in all circumstances by all officers of equal rank in addressing
one another, and may be used by a senior officer to refer to any officer of
lower rank.
5.2) A female officer of senior rank may also (at her discretion) be
referred to by her rank or as "Ma'am."
5.3) Senior female officers, captains, and admirals may not be referred to
as "mom," "momma," or any other term other than listed in 5.0 or 5.1.
Hence: "Yes, ma'am," would be considered correct, whereas: "Yo, momma,"
would not.
CAPTION THIS PHOTO
and win a"JANEWAY/CHAKOTAY IN '96" t-shirt! (Please, no more "Commander
Chakotay, your stick" jokes...)
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VOYAGER PEOPLE
Lolita Fatjo is the preproduction coordinator on the Trek shows, as was
Eric Stillwell before her; now he writes episodes when he isn't running
Horizon Conventions. They graciously agreed to talk to us about their work
(and each other). Here's the scoop!
ERIC STILLWELL
By Paul Anderson
In many ways, Eric Stillwell is living a Trek fan's ultimate dream. He
has done everything from organizing an international Trek fan club to
working as script coordinator on Next Generation to producing conventions,
and now he has co-written the episode "Prime Factors" for Voyager.
Eric's storywriting skills are not new to Trek viewers. Many may
recognize Eric as being one of the writers on the popular TNG episode
"Yesterday's Enterprise." This legacy actually left Eric anxious about
"Prime Factors." "My greatest fear was that being associated with
"Yesterday's Enterprise," I wouldn't be able to live up to expectations."
As is often the case in the television production world, Eric works with a
writing partner, David R. George III. The two of them began developing on
story ideas for Voyager long before even the actors had been cast for the
crew members. When they had come up with three or four ideas, they went in
to Michael Piller to pitch them. What eventually became "Prime Factors"
was the first story they pitched.
"We were thinking about stories that might have some remote connection
with the original series," Eric describes the process he and David went
through for coming up with their stories. For "Prime Factors," Eric found
inspiration in the long range transporter which sent Gary Seven from a
mysterious part of the galaxy to earth in the TOS episode "Assignment:
Earth." He and David speculated that the transporter originated in the
Delta quadrant, and they began to extrapolate the implications of this
technology and the alien race which had created it. "But for some reason
they had stopped using it," Eric explains. "There had been some kind of
catastrophe, and the aliens had created their own prime directive" to
prevent others from using it. They turned their backs on their technology
and decided instead to pursue pleasure and experiencing life to the
fullest.
[MISSING PHOTO]
As is often the case in Hollywood, the original story had significant
differences from the finished production. In early drafts, Voyager comes
to a planet under construction as a new pleasure sight for the aliens.
While investigating the planet, Chakotay and Harry are transported to the
aliens' home planet, leaving Janeway and the rest of the crew to search for
them. Harry and Chakotay make first contact, and Chakotay finds himself
the love interest of an alien woman. There were even scenes "where
Chakotay said he would consider staying because the planet reminded him of
the colony he came from."
Voyager finally finds them, and they decide to bargain for the transporter
technology. Originally they weren't going to be able to transport the
ship, only the crew. So they are going to offer to trade the ship for
transportation. The aliens refuse. Eventually, Harry, Tuvok, B'Elanna,
and Paris become involved in stealing the transportation technology. From
its inception, the story maintained the same ending, with Janeway facing
down B'Elanna and Tuvok. In early versions, Janeway actually threw
B'Elanna in the brig, but then let her out.
Eric found the ending to be particularly tough, especially Tuvok's
rationalizations. "One of the difficulties was in coming up with an
argument that made sense logically and was in character." This wasn't the
biggest challenge Eric faced in writing the episode. "It was really quite
difficult to do anything without really knowing a lot about the characters
or the actors who would play them."
When they pitched the story, Eric and David didn't mention that the story
had been derived from TOS. Piller was immediately interested in the story.
"Michael Piller just bought into the whole pleasure-loving, hedonistic
aspect of the aliens." This left Eric feeling some trepidation. "We were
afraid he'd turn it into the "Justice" of Voyager." In addition, Piller
"saw a link to Treasure of the Sierra Madre - the gold rush kind of thing.
How far will these characters go to acquire something they want badly
enough?"
They then fleshed out the story and pitched it Jeri Taylor. She sent them
off to take several drafts through several story meetings. They were soon
"cut off," Hollywood parlance for a studio decision to bring in someone
else to work on it. "They wanted to see if other guys could flesh it out
to their satisfaction."
During this phase of the writing, Janeway became more central to the
episode. The other writers were also responsible for the romantic
attentions of the host alien on Janeway. Eventually, Jeri was brought in.
She cleaned up the script and brought it closer to their original ideas.
Being no stranger to the Hollywood production process, Eric was not at all
turned off by the gyrations his story went through. He and David were
quite satisfied with the finished product. "We thought it was fantastic.
We thought the work of the other writers, especially Jeri Taylor, was
fantastic. And the actors, the crew, production values were all great."
Eric had the opportunity to meet Kate Mulgrew on the set during shooting
of the episode. In person, "she's incredible," he says. "I'm normally not
starstruck. I mean, I've worked with all of the Next Generation cast...and
I wasn't expecting it to be any different. But Kate has a very gracious
and powerful presence. When she starts talking, I lose all sense of
reality." Showing no bias, Eric also considers his episode a "tour de
force episode for [Kate]."
Even before Kate had been cast, Eric was excited with Paramount's
intentions that Voyager's captain be a woman. "I was thrilled from the
very beginning that a woman was the captain." Eric says it had been his
idea to make the Enterprise's captain in "Yesterday's Enterprise" a woman.
Originally, the captain had been Richard Garrett and was changed to Rachel
Garrett at his suggestion.
"The description of Janeway's character never changed from the 'bible' to
the pilot," Eric says. He finds Kate Mulgrew "exactly the way the part was
described."
As a seasoned insider, Eric has a unique perspective on the cast of both
TNG and Voyager. He is particularly impressed with the job the actors on
Voyager have done. "These people have walked into these characters as if
they've been doing them for years. With TNG, it took them several seasons.
Even then, I always found it hard to believe that Deanna and Riker had had
a relationship before joining the Enterprise."
Eric is no stranger to Star Trek or its fandom. He organized Starfleet,
an international Trek fan club, while a teenager. Although Eric was an
avid Trek fan, his career aspirations were in production in Hollywood. TNG
was merely another rumor of a potential Trek TV series when Eric went to
work as a production assistant on the TV movie "Promise" in his home state
of Oregon.
Soon after "Promise," he set off to seek his fortune in Los Angeles. "It
was just a coincidence that when I made it down to California that Next
Generation was starting production." Once he heard of job opportunities
available on the set, he couldn't resist. "It seemed it would be icing on
the cake." He started out as a production assistant on the set, eventually
becoming script coordinator. He also contributed as a writer on
"Yesterday's Enterprise."
Eric has currently left the production studio to start up Horizon
Conventions, which producers Trek conventions. He was a co-producer on the
recent Generations extravaganza held at the Royal Albert Hall in England.
When Michael Piller introduced Voyager at the convention, he used clips
taken from shooting of Eric's episode.
Eric hasn't given up Trek writing, however. He and his partner have sold
two stories to Malibu Comics for a Deep Space Nine celebrity series. They
are also writing with Armin Shimerman, who, unlike many of his fellow
actors, is more interested in writing than in directing. Eric and his
partner had approached Malibu with the idea of writing for them. During
this conversation, the idea of the celebrity series came up, in which
actors and others affiliated with Star Trek would be recruited to write
stories. Eric went back and talked to Armin, and they have now come up
with several story ideas.
If Eric still harbors any fears about tarnishing his track record for Trek
stories, glowing fan reactions to "Prime Factors" should put them to rest.
The episode is already being praised as one of the best so far in the
series. And if his past performance is any indication, Eric may soon
become a major force in the Star Trek convention circuit.
LOLITA FATJO
By Michelle Erica Green
Other than getting an invitation to guest star on Star Trek, the fondest
dream of many Trekkers is to sell a script to the show and see it produced.
"We got over 5,000 spec scripts for the final season of Next Generation,"
reveals Lolita Fatjo, pre-production coordinator for Star Trek: Voyager.
"When Voyager starts reading spec scripts, we'll probably get buried in
them."
Lolita--also the script coordinator for Deep Space Nine, and formerly for
TNG and Generations--supervises the processing, printing and distribution
of all Trek scripts. Since Michael Piller initiated the television
industry's only open submission policy for scripts in 1989, Star Trek has
received tens of thousands of screenplays by amateur writers. It's
Lolita's job to coordinate the evaluation of these scripts, which have to
be logged, sent to union script readers, then passed on to the producers,
with the rejected material going back to the authors with a letter from
Lolita. So if you're planning to try to write for Voyager, hers is a name
which will become familiar to you.
"We have a hotline for writers: 213-956-8301. After first season has
completely aired, we'll start looking at Voyager scripts," Lolita reports.
Only complete scripts which meet the show's established guidelines will be
considered; story ideas and partial screenplays don't make it past the
readers who evaluate the material for the show's producers. "You can't
just call Paramount with an idea. You have to be invited in to pitch a
story, either through a spec script or because you're an established
professional writer whose agent gets you in," Lolita adds.
While guidelines have not yet been established, Lolita has some advice for
would-be-Voyagers: "Don't try bringing back characters from the other
series! If and when they decide to do that, the producers will make the
decision. They know what they want to do when they want to do it. Our
readers look for a good story first and foremost. They write a synopsis,
give a recommendation about whether or not the material is suitable, and
then the writing staff reads the coverage and will make a decision based on
that. Sometimes they don't want a particular story, but they're impressed
enough with a writer to invite that person in to pitch new story ideas."
Lolita readily states that "some of the writing is horrible!" She has
been involved in writer's workshops for the show, but confesses that she
can't always answer writers' questions because she never watched the
original series. "Neither did [executive producer] Jeri Taylor," she adds.
"But Jeri did her homework. I don't know what a Gorn is."
Although she claims that some of the staff now call her a "Trek geek"
because she vetoed a title that sounded too much like "The Enemy Within"--a
popular Classic Trek episode--she also admits that the first time someone
asked her at a convention about a possible connection between "Voyager" and
"V'Ger," the ship from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, she had no idea what
the person was talking about.
"Fandom intrigues me. I'm not a Trekkie, but I really admire the show,"
says Lolita. "I just got lucky to happen to be here. I like to do cons
and writer's workshops." She does like to remind herself that "there are a
lot of people watching who aren't Star Trek fans per se--which is kind of
nice--lots of people who would never go to conventions or write letters to
Paramount or anything." Most of her friends don't even watch, Lolita
confesses; and as for the staff, "It's definitely just a job to some of the
people who work here."
Lolita says she really can't compare the audiences for TNG, DS9, and
Voyager. "They may have been trying to get a more female audience by
having a female captain on Voyager, but I don't think they sat around
talking about it," she says. "Rick and Jeri and Michael wanted a woman,
but studio wanted them to read men too--just to keep their options open."
She is aware that much criticism has arisen over the decision to have a
woman in command of the ship--"There are people on the lot who can't stand
the female captain, I hear it all the time"--but she thinks that the
producers take it in stride.
"I can't imagine any major changes in the next couple of years; they're
happy with Voyager's numbers for now," she asserts, referring to the
Nielsen ratings. "And I don't think they're going to mess with anything
when it's making money." The show's producers, she stresses, are not
idealists so much as professionals; they never lose sight of the need for
marketability. While she thinks that executive producers Rick Berman and
Michael Piller "have tried to hold onto Gene Roddenberry's beliefs," she
adds that "some of the newer, younger writers for the show are of a
different generation--they're in it for the money. The ones who were fans
of the show before they started working for it probably feel more
idealistic about it."
Lolita doesn't like to name her favorite writers or episodes, but she did
mention a fondness for Brannon Braga. "His episodes are the weird ones,"
she laughs. "Any time you see Braga's name on an episode, you say uh-oh,
here we go, a little dark and eerie." She denies that the producers set
out to address specific political issues in 20th century America, but
admits that some scripts probably do so anyway. "Sometimes it does seem
like we're paralleling things, but it is not a conscious thing. But
writers write about certain important themes, and some of those are going
to seem similar."
[MISSING PHOTO]
Of the upcoming Voyager episodes, she has particular praise for "Learning
Curve," which she compares to TNG's "Lower Decks," since it primarily deals
with characters who are not at the top of the command chain. "It's about
Tuvok training four Maquis officers who are not fitting in well," she
reveals. "I like that we get to see some non-regular characters."
The writers for Star Trek are at quite a distance from what happens to
their scripts on the set; they are housed in the building that Gene
Roddenberry's office used to be in, while production is in a different
building, and the six sound stages where filming takes place are across the
lot. "It still has a lot of the old Hollywood feeling," Lolita says. "But
the writers don't even interact on the set--the only person who deals
directly with both the writing staff and the actors is Jeri Taylor. Rick
Berman's office deals day to day, minute to minute with the set, while Jeri
handles what goes between writers and actors."
If it sounds as though the writers have little individual power, Lolita
reveals that the actors have even less. "You don't want them to have too
much power over their lines and things," she chortles. "In the structure
of the show, actors don't usually get things changed; it's up to the
producer." She adds that television directors often don't "direct" in the
same way as movie directors: "They do the blocking, but a lot of the
directors don't deal with emotion or even with the words." Nonetheless,
she notes, "different directors have different styles. Rick Kolbe (who
directed TNG finale "All Good Things" and Voyager premiere "Caretaker") is
an actor's director; he gets more into discussions of motivation."
Although the vast fan network fascinates her, Lolita does have a few
gripes with Trekkers. "Our legal department takes script leaks very
seriously," she says. "We don't have enough time or manpower to really
crack down on every single theft, but attention is being paid. She
believes that the distribution of the Generations script on the Internet
caused a change in attitudes; "Until Generations, there were blind eyes
turned everywhere. Now there are Paramount employees looking out for it.
I mean, people in dealer's rooms at cons make fortunes off stuff the
writers never make royalties off of--and only Majel Barrett Roddenberry has
the rights to sell the scripts."
She also gets "a little irritated" at some of the nitpicking that fans do.
"The complaining really gets old," she says plaintively. "Most people
don't have the slightest idea how much very hard work goes into making the
show happen. They try to do two different series at 26 episodes a year,
and it's a lot of effort!"
Despite her claims, her predecessor at her job says that Lolita
exaggerates the amount of work she really does. "All those tasks take up
about 5 hours of time per week," confides Eric Stillwell. "The rest of the
week they just sit around and talk about sex. You can quote me on that
one!"
"I'm sure that was true when Eric was here," Lolita snorts. "But we're
doing two shows now...so we have to put in a little more time!"
KATE MULGREW'S STAND-IN
This was on the net in alt.tv.star-trek.voyager--since so many people asked
us if we knew, we thought we'd reprint it:
Kate's stand-in is Sue Henley...she's from Billings, Montana, but that's
not why I know who she is. She happens to be my daughter! She's also been
a "far-off" member of the crew on Deep Space 9. In fact in the recent
(Volume 11) of the "Star Trek Deep Space Nine" Official Magazine by Starlog
... Sue is pictured on page 45 sitting next to the character called "Morn."
She's the red-head on the right in the "red" DS9 uniform.
--BigSkyMac
[MISSING PHOTO]
CONVENTION INFORMATION
This is what we have confirmed, with correct addresses and phone numbers,
at press time. We know she's doing a con in Orlando the weekend of July 7
and have heard rumors of cons in Texas and the Midwest, but no one has come
forth with actual data. Do us a favor: if you see advertising with
concrete information about Kate's scheduled con appearances, LET US KNOW so
we can tell people!
May 7, 1995
Creation Convention
Meydenbauer Center, Belluvue WA
Guest: Kate Mulgrew
Write: Creation, 411 North Central Avenue, Suite 300, Glendale CA 91203
(include SASE)
Call: (818) 409-0960 (9-3 Pacific Time)
May 27-28, 1995
Creation Sci-Fi Mega-Show
Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA
Guests: Kate Mulgrew, Mark Hamill, Marina Sirtis. Garrett Wang, Stan Lee,
Claudia Christian, several others
Write: Creation, 411 North Central Avenue, Suite 300, Glendale CA 91203
(include SASE)
Call: (818) 409-0960 (9-3 Pacific Time)
KATEWATCH
Ladies and Gentlemen--WE HAVE CON REPORTS!!! If you're going to Seattle in
May or Orlando in July, we expect you dutifully to tell the rest of us
about it! And send photos!
GRAND SLAM III: MARCH 18, 1995
[MISSING PHOTO]
The Creation Grand Slam Con sold out its Saturday show that morning. And
the buzz in the line to get in was not about Nana Visitor, nor was it
Marina Sirtis, nor John deLancie. It was Kate. The first time she actually
got to see her hordes of fans face to face. Her first time into the fray.
She was scheduled to appear in the auditorium at 4:45, and sign autographs
from 5:25 to 6:25. Of course, how could anything POSSIBLY go as scheduled?
The lines to meet Kate Mulgrew began forming a little after 1 p.m., over
four hours before she was scheduled to sign. The spirit in line was upbeat
and friendly, at first. But as the day crept on, and the line began to
balloon in front with people cutting in, a few fans began to get agitated.
Still, entertainment was provided for those waiting in line in the form of
Klingons, walking back and forth, informing us that Kate Mulgrew would only
sign one item per person with no personalization. Then, one of the Klingons
tried to get the line to sing Kum-ba-ya....
Meanwhile, the show inside the auditorium was running late. Still, for as
many people as were inside to watch Kate go on stage, there were as many
already staking their spots outside to meet her. Nervousness ensued,
because Mulgrew was only scheduled to sign for one hour. Yet inside, after
some badgering from her friend John deLancie, she reportedly agreed that
she would sign for everyone.
The show inside ran late, and Kate Mulgrew didn't come out to the plaza to
greet her fans face to face until 6:10pm. There, she was greeted by
approximately 2000 fans, standing in line, cheering her as she came out and
started to sign autographs. In line, we noted that she was signing
extremely quickly. So, we reasoned, her autographs were probably going to
be messy, plus she probably would barely take any time to look up and make
eye contact with the fans she was signging for. Were we wrong.
Mulgrew wore her hair up, wore white clothes, and wore her biggest smile.
When I gave my photograph to the attendant, who passed it to her, Kate
Mulgrew made eye contact with me TWICE. In addition, her autograph was VERY
legible and neat.
I don't know exactly how many of the two thousand fans she signed for, but
she signed for a LOT. If she was the least bit intimidated with the
daunting task of facing 2000 fans face-to-face, she didn't show it. Just
like we see Captain Janeway do it every week, she simply faced the task
head on. Her fans went away smiling, and so did she.
--Eugene Son
Kate Mulgrew was scheduled to appear both Saturday and Sunday. On
Saturday, she did her con presentation and was scheduled for an hour of
autograph signing. Apparently the Creation folks were able to talk her into
another hour and a half! So, Kate got her initiation into autograph
signing in a lengthy way...mind you, this was her first ever Con appearance
too!
On Sunday, I was able to attend her Con appearance. The first thing that
struck me was, "Wow, what a classy lady!" Ms. Mulgrew had on a smart suit
comprised of a beige skirt that fell about knee level with a matching
longsleeved jacket that clasped together in the front with a button and a
white silk blouse underneath. To top it off, she had her hair pulled into a
chignon. I couldn't tell if she had hose on, but she had matching beige
heels.
One of the questions from the audience was, "Why is Captain Janeway always
in peoples faces?" Her comment went the lines of, this is the way Janeway
is, somewhat like Kate herself is. Another question was, "You look so much
better with your hair down, why don't you get rid of that bun?" She replied
back that a woman's hair represents much about herself--even to the effect
of it being her crown. So she thanked the questioner for the compliment,
but said the hair was staying up and that is the way she likes it! (On
Thursday, earlier in the week, I saw Kate Mulgrew on the Voyager lot at
Paramount, in full costume, and yes indeedie, she had her "crown"
on....looked wonderful too!)
Ms. Mullgrew went on to answer several other questions, but the above were
the ones that stuck with me. In my opinion she gave a 10 out of 10 in her
first con appearance. Hope to see more of this caliber presentation.
--Gail Pickens-Barger
{MISSING PHOTO}
The good news: She looked great. She walked into the room during the
middle of John de Lancie's time on stage, about 4 rows from where I was
sitting. She was either wearing the same dress she has on in the TV Guide
special Star Trek issue or something very similar to it, a cream colored
dress, about knee length, with matching heels and a long sleeved
sweater/jacket over it that was the same length as the dress. Her hair was
up in the back much like Janeway's hair. Also, her voice sounded absolutely
normal from the stage, just deep and very sexy.
John de Lancie introduced her as his long time friend. They go back a long
way together, in fact his episodes on TNG were the only Star Trek she had
ever seen before being cast. Given the nature of Hollywood, I think this
bit of information ensures that we will see Q on Voyager. She received a
very loud and very boisterous welcome from the crowd.
The not so good news: The first and second questions asked of her were:
"Will Janeway develop a more flirtatious side?" and "Will she develop a
love interest?" Her response to both was the same. "No, Janeway is the
Captain and she is also a lady." She's talked to the writers a lot about
this and she feels that as a woman captain she has to be
very careful. Besides that, we've seen that she has a relationship back
home. Therefore nothing can happen until we see Janeway let him go--give up
on ever seeing him again. Then, if something were to happen, it would have
to be true love and therefore it would be tragic love--the man she loved
would have to die.
Kate is one of these actresses who is very serious about her acting,
making statements like "I love Kathryn Janeway. I met her at just the right
time in my life." She will be very popular at conventions, because she
takes the show and her character very seriously. Here are two examples: She
was asked about her favorite episode so far. She felt that the plight of
the aliens in "Phage" was very complex. The scene in the transporter room
really got to her as she tried to express the compassion she felt. This
answer went over very well with the crowd as many of the other actors
downplay their role in character development.
At about this point, Garrett Wang came on stage to suprise Kate. That was
very nice. They hugged and seem to genuinely like each other. She said that
soon every woman in America will be in love with Harry Kim.
The bad news: Toward the end of her time, she was asked, "Now that you
are a household name, will you be lending your time and efforts to feminist
causes?" She replied, "I must say, get out your phasers ladies, that I am
not a feminist." Horribly enough, this pronouncement was greeted by a very
enthusiastic round of applause. Kate continued by saying something to the
effect that progress in this world will only be made through compassion,"
thereby implying that feminists are not compassionate. She said we have to
get beyond labels and pigeonholing: "I am not a feminist. I am not a
conservative. I am not a mother." (I was unclear, since she obviously is a
mother, whether or not she was saying that she had conservative views but
did not want to be called a conservative...)
Someone down front who was obviously hurt by this said, "You are where you
are today because of feminism." Kate said, "Where I am today has nothing
to do with feminism. It is because of who I was at 10 years old, little
Katie Mulgrew, and I wanted to be an actress, so I went to work. I didn't
want to be a man." Very scary. She continued on to say to the person in
front, "See this little discussion between us has this edge of anger to it.
I think we will only listen to each other when there's peace." She
introduced her son and left the left the stage shortly thereafter.
I realize that the term "feminist" is in crisis today, but I did not get
the impression that Kate was referring to the debates within the women's
movement about where we go from here. To my ears she sounded like a
misinformed outsider with a knee-jerk reaction to feminists as angry,
negative women who want to be men. At least Patrick Stewart is a raving
liberal. I read one interview with him where he said something to this
effect that he was sensitive to the charge that women were not treated
equally on TNG, because as long as women are oppressed, he is not free.
This is only my interpretation of what Kate said. With 3000 people in the
room, I'm sure others may have a different take on her.
--Kimbuk3
KATE STOLE OUR HEARTS IN SAN FRANCISCO
[MISSING PHOTO]
Here's what happened:
1. She said this was her second convention.
2. She said she will be 40 in a couple of weeks [April 29].
3. She said she is Irish Catholic, one of eight children.
4. She said Janeway is her FAVORITE role EVER. She loves Janeway and has a
lot to learn from her. She said she was too young to play Mrs. Columbo and
it showed, she was 23 playing 37. She also said she loves working with the
whole cast, crew, all that it takes to make the show happen.
5. She did not know a lot about Star Trek before this role.
6. She felt the part was hers when she auditioned. She emphasized several
times that she loves Janeway.
7. During the Q-&-A, her common comment was "That question was from a male,
under 12 years old," when the kids asked her about weapons, etc. (i.e.
"What are the differences between the weapons on the Enterprise and
Voyager?") She said she didn't know details, but Voyager had superior
weapons. One kid asked how the transporters work. She deferred this
question to a man who was with her, the director of several episodes [sound
of chorus asking, "Rick Kolbe??"]. He explained about how they roll tape
with the lights, actors move in stand there, lights go up, lights go down,
then actors move out, they keep rolling, lights go up, lights go down, then
they fix it all later.
8. Question about Janeway's marital status: She is not married, the
writers needed that room because she would NEVER betray wedding vows.
Janeway will have romantic entanglements--"But of course he has to
DIE..."-- laughter.
9. Janeway will punch someone in a future episode but only because she is
POSSESSED... (mysterious pause, no more details). And the doctor has
already gotten a name, we haven't seen the episode yet.
10. There were questions about whether or not Janeway should get together
with Chakotay. She seemed to agree with those in the crowd who thought it
might be unbecoming to date an officer under her (so to speak). Chakotay
should have bigger parts in the future, she wants to see him expand his
role and character.
10. She feels closest to Robbie McNeill, who plays Tom Paris--probably
because they are both Irish Catholic; his trailer's next to hers so he's
always dropping by to bug her.
11. She talked about being a single mom, and having respect for those in
similar situations.
12. She talked about how she respected Genevieve Bujold for recognizing
that the role was not right for her, and for leaving the role. Kate said
that took a lot of courage. When asked if it would damage Bujold's career,
Kate said probably not, since Bujold is a great movie star.
13. Question about how she found out she got the job: She explained how
you negotiate the contract before you get the job and then you wait. She
waited with 4 others, then a woman came in and told them all to go home.
She said she drove home very slowly. When she drove into her driveway, her
boys came flying out the door, and the housekeeper of 11 years was shouting
"Señora, Señora, you MUST listen to the phone." When Kate listened to the
answering machine, she heard Rick Berman on the other end, "Hello Captain
Janeway, Welcome aboard." She says the first thing she said was "Down on
your knees all of you. Our Father..." "Then we opened the champagne."
14. Actresses she admires: Meryl Streep because she is happy and has her
career. She was asked specifically about Katherine Hepburn and replied that
she felt Hepburn was a great actress but did not have a happy life.
15. She explained that she thinks the fans of Star Trek are very
intelligent and have a lot of creativity. She understands that the fans are
part of Star Trek and help make it what it is. She said that what the fans
tell them is taken to heart.
16. She also talked a little about the female captain role. She said she
understands that people do not have to accept her, but that she will win
them over.
17. A couple people gave her gifts: a drawing of her and some books
(Celestine Prophecies). She gave hugs to a couple people who flattered her
into it (one guy asked if he could hug the most powerful woman in the
galaxy).
18. She was asked if she is a feminist and she said that question got her
into trouble at her first con. She said she believes women have a strength
inside them but that no organization or title gives them that, it is part
of them .
--Kelly Noonan
KATHRYN JANEWAY, FEMINIST HEROINE
We are fairly certain that Kate Mulgrew does not approve of this column.
To paraphrase the immortal James T. Kirk in "Trek 3"--we are therefore
running it anyway.
"GET OUT YOUR PHASERS, LADIES"
by Michelle Erica Green
Let's think for a moment about what Janeway would have been like thirty
years ago, as a character on classic "Star Trek"--a series I still love.
Picture her in a tight red minidress and black boots, all that hair up in a
bird's nest 'do. Schwing. "Captain," she'd sigh in that throaty voice,
gazing up at an imperious Kirk. "I'm afraid we'll never get home..."
"Don't worry, Yeoman," Kirk would leer, slipping an arm around her waist.
"They taught us in command school that maneuvering a lady like the
Enterprise is a very delicate matter--Kathryn, isn't it?--but over the
years I've learned that sometimes you just have to punch your way
through..."
In my fantasies, Janeway then whips out a phaser and shoots him in
the...just kidding, of course! KIDDING!
Kate said that line about getting out our phasers at a con. Someone had
asked whether she would support feminist issues now that she's a household
name, and she didn't like that label one bit. I've heard feminists
stereotyped as nasty, angry women before, but it hurts more coming from
someone who plays an icon of female accomplishment. Kate probably did me a
favor by reminding me how negatively many smart women perceive feminism; I
get deceived into assuming that the majority of people understand the
difference between real feminism--women and men united for a better world,
with a better understanding of the role gender plays in our lives and
livelihoods--versus what Rush Limbaugh calls "feminazism."
I certainly believe that it's every woman's right to choose her own
affiliations. We get boxed in enough by labels that aren't of our own
making, which categorize us by gender and race and age and sexual
preference and social position and family and appearance and career and
attitude. It's fine with me if Kate doesn't consider herself a feminist:
I can very much relate to the desire not to get put into yet another box.
Plus, there are enough issues which separate women from one another and
from men without turning feminism into a point of divisiveness.
So I don't want to talk about Kate, except to add that I'm grateful she
changed her tone at the next con. I do want to talk about feminism, and
about Janeway, and about us. Take me, for instance. I'm a mother and
teacher and Trekker and grad student and wife and writer and nice Jewish
girl--and, I declare proudly, I am a feminist. But some people hear the
"f" word, and red alerts go off in their heads.
Look at how they describe us: sometimes as dressed-for-success,
briefcase-carrying executives whose children languish in day care, and
sometimes as hairy-legged lesbians who'd sooner get cancer than stand naked
in front of a man. They accuse us alternately of yelling too much and
crying too much. They imagine us as either coveting some man's job or
sabotaging the entire capitalist system he works for. They don't want us
to be frigid workaholics yet they don't trust us to have independent
sexuality. They call us baby-killers regardless of our varying stances on
reproductive rights. The backlash is not consistent, but it's vicious, and
it's everywhere.
So, you may be asking, what does any of this have to do with Captain Janeway?
Maybe nothing. Maybe the criticisms we hear about Janeway are just an
extension of the usual nitpicking which Trek fans seem to relish. Or maybe
we should discuss whether Janeway is too bitchy or too wimpy with
mutineers, and if she should stop looking like she's going to cry when she
doesn't look like she's going to bite someone's head off. Then we can move
on to the issues of how long her hair should be, how we feel about her
wearing nightgowns off duty and lipstick on duty, and how she flirts too
much with bridge officers. Maybe these are legitimate dilemmas for all
fans, and have nothing to do with sexism. I wish.
We don't really have a standard by which to evaluate Janeway as a female
captain because we have so few role models to go by--in Trek, on TV, and in
the U.S. army. I've seen people quote everyone from Sun Tzu to General
MacArthur to Captain Kirk to demonstrate that Janeway doesn't bond with her
troops in proper fashion. I've listened to comparisons with Patrick
Stewart, Avery Brooks and Bruce Boxleitner by people who don't think
Janeway can command. I was startled most by some of the comments on the
Internet, which either relegate Janeway to insignificant status or portray
her as a domineering shrike. These oft-repeated, contradictory gripes
aren't the true problem with Janeway. Moreover, I don't think I've read
one criticism about the character that really has to do with the actress
who plays her. The whining about her voice and how she puts her hands on
her hips only serves to evade the crux of the matter: There are a lot of
people who don't like Janeway commanding a starship. Not because it's
Kate. Not because it's Janeway. Because it's "her."
Even in this enlightened age, when a woman succeeds in an area dominated
by men, she often finds herself the target of extreme criticism and
name-calling. It's happening to Janeway, and I suspect it will happen to
Kate Mulgrew as well. I have a feeling Kate will learn that because she
embodies Voyager's captain, she's going to get called a feminist heroine
whether she considers herself one or not--and the term won't always be used
as a compliment.
I'm sure that even some of you progressive Trekkers are sitting around
saying, "It's just a TV show!" Well, if I thought that were true, I
wouldn't be bothering with any of this. Janeway is going to be a role
model for thousands of children, male and female. They're going to grow up
taking it for granted that a woman can command a starship without her
gender ever becoming an issue. And adults who hated the idea of a woman
captain are going to find themselves liking her--and more important,
believing in her.
And if you think feminism had nothing to do with the Janeway we all love
or we wouldn't be here, go watch Star Trek circa 1966-9 and enjoy Janice
Rand or Janice Lester. Janeway may be going where no man has gone before,
but she's definitely going where no woman has gone before.
CAPTAIN KATHRYN JANEWAY: FINALLY!
by Risa Phillips-Kovac
Like others of us, I have also been waiting for Captain Kathryn Janeway my
entire life. I have been a Trekker all of my life as well. I do not
remember the original series during in first run, having been born in July
of 1966, but I grew up with the show airing in syndication.
When I discovered online services and the Star Trek discussion areas in
particular, I naturally wanted to use a Star Trek character's name as my
user i.d. or screen name. However, as I ran through all the female Trek
characters in my head, I discovered that none of them were complete,
balanced women whom I respected enough to borrow their names. So I settled
for something useful but both boring and unoriginal, RisaK (my first name
and last initial). This decision would haunt me. Not having seen certain
episodes of The Next Generation, I jumped into a Trek discussion room on
America Online and to my great surprise, I found out that my name was the
same as Riker's Pleasure Planet! Having a small but strong streak of
feminism running through me, this discovery did not sit to well with me. I
vowed not to re-enter the chat rooms until I could decide on a proper name.
I did not for almost three years. Periodically, I would try to find a
substantial female character whose name I could use. Not Uhura--her role
was diminished to switchboard operator. Troi? She was the sex kitten on the
ship who really had no place being on the bridge, not the name for a
feminist lawyer. Dr. Crusher had a decent position, but never really showed
any fire and was not a strong character. Kira? No, to me she either had no
feminine side or she fought too hard to suppress it. She reminded me very
much of a Linda Hamilton type character in Terminator 2. I knew the type of
character I was looking for, essentially it was a female Kirk I was
questing for. For all of Shatner's hamminess in acting the part, Kirk is a
good role model to have. He is strong (and I do not mean this physically),
compassionate, fiercely dedicated to his ship and crew, and not emotionally
suppressed (for a man that is). Most of all, his authority was never
questioned and he was respected by those he commanded. But alas, the Trek
universe was lacking a Kirkette.
So without a new name, I continued to stay away. Until that fateful night
in January of 1995 when Captain Kathryn Janeway entered the universe. As
soon as the first three scenes were over, I knew I had finally found a new
name. That very night, I signed onto America Online and proudly created a
new user i.d., CaptJanwy (now captjanwy on gbn.net) and with new confidence
entered a Star Trek chat room and have pretty much been there since. I tell
you, I had truly missed being there.
This 28 year quest for a female role model made me begin to analyze
television in general over the same time period. I also wondered if anyone
else noticed the lack of a three dimensional female character in a
leadership position on television. So I posed this question to my
co-workers one day at lunch: "Name me a regular female character on a
television show from 1966 to the present, not including Janeway, who would
be a good role model for young girls. She cannot be a sex kitten, overly
emotional and weepy, or a Linda Hamilton T2-type character. It would have
to be a balanced portrayal in a position of authority, whose authority is
not questioned at every turn, yet not be an ice princess, there has to be
some femininity left to her." In forty-five minutes, these people struggled
and struggled to name me one who fit all the above conditions. They finally
came up with four candidates and I believe that none of them truly fit the
conditions as compared to what we women have finally be given in Captain
Kathryn Janeway.
Now if you take a look at male roles on television over the same time
period, you will find that young boys did not lack in choices for role
models or someone to realistically emulate. All you have to do is sit down
with a television bible (The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV
Shows: 1946-Present) and flip to the network lineup charts and you would
probably find a "Kirk" type or "Picard" type on at least once a week on
each network. There was always at least one strong male leader in the
network lineup somewhere.
[MISSING PHOTO]
The converse for women is not true. My co-workers were able to name just
four, Barbara Stanwyck's Victoria Barkley on Big Valley, Mary Tyler Moore,
Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly as Cagney & Lacey ,and then some jokers threw in
the Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman for fun.
I respect Stanwyck's strong portrayal of Barkley, but growing up in the
70's, I learned that women had a larger role than just running a home. Sure
the ranch was also the family business, but her sons did all the "running
the ranch" business. But for a change it was a "real" character. She was
strong yet feminine and certainly had the respect of her sons, but she was
not quite a role model. There aren't too many ranches here in northern New
Jersey and I wanted to see someone who worked outside the home.
Enter Mary Tyler Moore. Yes, she was a working single woman. But she had
to start out as a secretary and work her way up. Since women entered the
workforce, when was the last time you have heard of a man starting at a
company as a "secretary" and working his way up? Her upward mobility within
WGN is something to be impressed by, but I also wanted to see a woman who
did not have to start her climb up the corporate ladder from a historically
"pink" collar position. The show also broadcasted the message that if a
woman was successful at work, she could not have a successful home life.
This implied that a woman had to make a choice between career and family.
Society never expects men to make the same choice. Even in today's age
after the women's movement has come and we are all "equal," I can tell you
as a lawyer that in a law firm a woman is either on the partnership track
or the "mommy" track. You cannot have both unless you choose partnership
first a la Jill Eikenberry's Ann Kelsey on L.A. Law. Additionally, take a
look at what is happening to Marcia Clark right now. Her ex-husband is
suing for custody of the children because she is spending too much time at
work! But I digress.
Cagney and Lacey are not bad choices. They were the first female police we
saw on television that were not meter maids. The ladies were detectives!
[Just like Mrs. Columbo? ;)] But they had to seriously fight for respect
and recognition. They had to contend with the chauvinism of the male
officers, as well as their friends who could never understand their career
choices. Additionally, Gless' character falls in the Mary Tyler Moore trap,
she has no successful long term relationship, not to mention her
alcoholism.
Finally, there is Earth2. NBC is straining their arms patting themselves
on the back because they beat Star Trek in have a female in the lead.
However, there is a major difference between Janeway and Devon Adair, a
difference which also separates Janeway from just about every other female
character in a leadership position. Janeway is undeniably in control. All
other women are fighting to gain or keep their positions. They are always
struggling to gain the respect, allegiance or loyalty of those they
command. In watching Earth2, you sense that Devon is hanging on by a
thread. Janeway on the other hand is undoubtedly in charge. Chakotay tells
us so in "Caretaker" when he simply states "she's the captain." There is
no doubt as to his loyalty. "Prime Factors "exemplified Torres' newfound
loyalty as well. Torres very grudgingly went along with the other and when
it did not work, confessed to the captain. She was obviously upset with the
revelation of Janeway's disappointment in her.
The most important aspect of Janeway's character is that while she is in
command, she has not lost her approachability or femininity. She is still a
woman. She has long hair--before you flame me, I know you don't have to
have long hair in order to be feminine, but she shows you can still have
long hair and be professional at the same time. Most business women have
the Grace Van Owen L.A. Law short haircut. She wears lipstick, sleeps in
satin p.j.'s. Even in the middle of a crisis she has the ability to
encourage or praise the efforts of others. There is no "ice princess"
quality to her which is refreshing. There is also no MTM trap occurring
with her either. In "Caretaker," we meet Mark, obviously a serious
relationship, especially if you read the novelization, so we know that
Janeway actually has both a successful career and a successful home life.
Television is a reflection of our society (as rotten as that may be, it
is), and because of this I believe that it isn't something trivial that
Voyager has a woman captain, I believe it is very important in the larger
scheme of things. It shows that a woman first can be in a position of
leadership (without jokes about it being her time of the month and all
those other insults we had to deal with when Geraldine Ferraro ran for VP)
and not have to be "manly". It also gives hope to thousands of young girls
out there that they too can now strive for something bigger and better in
the future. Young girls finally have what their male counterparts have had
for a long time, a female on television to emulate.
[MISSING PHOTO]
BOOKS, COMICS, CARDS, AND AUDIO
Kate Mulgrew has recorded two audiobooks, Taboo and Everything To Gain.
Review of the latter next issue. Anyone want to find and review the
former? Anyone want to review Robert Picardo's audio recording of
"Caretaker"?
At last report the comic adaptation of Voyager was being held up
indefinitely by Malibu/Marvel. Meanwhile, Skybox targets a June release
for Voyager Trading Cards, according to trading card publications. Skybox
has plans for two series of Voyager cards to be printed this year with each
set containing 90 - 100 cards.
The Escape, the first official Voyager fiction from Pocket Books, hit the
shelves in early April. We hope the covers get better. Our favorite pages
were 88 and 226....we can smell a former fan writer from miles away...
Star Trek: Voyager #2: THE ESCAPE by DEAN WESLEY SMITH and KRISTINE
KATHRYN RUSCH
Presently there are two great pleasures in my life (other than my husband
and cats). The first is Star Trek: Voyager. I watch it religiously and
with complete and undivided attention. My husband knows to not even speak
to me unless there is a commercial break. The other is reading. I love
books. I am always reading at least one book, sometimes I have two or
three going at a time. My reverence for books is so great and I treat them
with such care that when I finish a paperback there isn't a single crease
in the spine.
Now when Pocket Books released this newest Voyager adventure, I was in
heaven. I could combine two great passions into one. For the first
fictional work of a brand new series, this one was pretty good. The story
follows Voyager's never ending search for resources so that she may
continue her voyage home. At the suggestion of Neelix, Janeway sets course
for a planet that supposed contains either materials or parts for the
repair of the warp engines. When they reach the planet, an away team
consisting of Torres, Neelix and Kim disappear without a trace. The
remainder of the novel is dedicated to Janeway's desperate search for the
missing away team and their struggle to get back to Voyager. The story
sounds like it is the "typical" Voyager story, carrying on the themes
established in the actual episodes. I wasn't particularly surprised that
it also involved an element of time travel. It seems that everyone has
been saving up their time-travel stories for use in the Voyager universe
All nine of the Voyager characters have pretty sizable roles in this book,
including Doc Zimmerman. This novel does not sacrifice any of the regulars
in favor of say giving Tuvok a large part. But this is the difference
between 45 minutes of episode time and 244 pages. Besides giving everyone
something to do, the writers were able to include something from the series
that is extremely valuable, a sense of humor. There are certain passages
in the novel that will have you in stitches. Neelix and the Doc are the
usual comic relief and you can't help but laugh. Most actions and
reactions are as we expect from viewing the episodes, even though we have
not seen as much of certain characters as we would like, i.e. Chakotay.
For those of you in the "Captain should never lead an away team" camp you
will be relieved in reading this novel. Unlike the Captain Janeway we saw
in early episodes of the series, Janeway remained onboard Voyager for most
of this story, even though you know she was itching to go see things for
herself. There is even a line in the book where she acknowledges that
"[s]he had thought of going herself, but knew that while her scientific
knowledge was valuable, her abilities as captain were even more so." Those
of you in my camp who were very happy to see a captain beam around the
galaxy, like Kirk, don't despair; Janeway does leave Voyager, though she
does so in circumstances unlike in the series. You may have noted that
others get to lead an away team when the situation seems pretty safe.
In Escape, we get to see Chakotay as something other than the supreme
defender of the Maquis constituent aboard Voyager. For a change he is
doing something typical of a first officer. Additionally, Janeway consults
with him about possible members of an away team. He and Tuvok lead an
investigation of an alien. The writers have given him what we already
suspect, that he has some incredible insight into others.
Let's get the inevitable nitpick out of the way. One paragraph reads
"four hundred forty four million years, she couldn't fathom that number.
It was little more than a collection of zeros to [Janeway]." You would
think a former science officer would be able to grasp this figure. At
present our national debt is a higher number with oodles more zeros. This
kind of comment or thought process from the Captain reduces her into the
rest of the bubble-headed female stereotypes that many of us are trying to
fight. Please writers, leave this kind of comment out.
The book is well written and the authors did not overload us with the
technobabble that is endemic in Star Trek. There are no great long
passages discussing some new technology like in some of the Trek novels.
There is a greater focus on the characters, their thought processes,
reactions and interactions. This is the heart of Star Trek as the Great
Bird of the Galaxy designed it and which has been lost on more than a
number of writers, both on the television and in novels. Many people tune
in not to see new technologies, but what their favorite characters are
going to do and say next. Will Tom finally break down ask the Captain to
join him in the Officer's Mess? Will Torres get back in the Captain's good
graces? Will Janeway continue to turn to Tuvok for counsel or will she
turn to someone else (Chakotay perhaps)? Who will be the first character
to call Janeway by her first name?
It's things like this that keep me watching and reading. Roddenberry's
original concept of the show was that it was good fiction that happened to
be set in outer space. Fortunately, this concept was not lost upon the
writers of Escape. There is story aplenty here and I would recommend it.
--Risa Kovac
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION CORNER
Disclaimer: Paramount owns these characters, but we love them. The
story's all Dee's.
CHESS
by Dee Jones
"You wanted to speak with me?" Janeway tried to keep her voice even as
Neelix gave her his usual earnest look. She clasped her hands and leaned
forward over her desk.
"Yes, Captain. As morale officer, I thought it might be beneficial to the
crew if I was to offer some cooking classes--I know how much it helps me to
relax, and it would be a constructive form of recreation for everyone
involved."
"I see. So you're telling me that members of my crew have asked you to
share your recipes?" A certain sparkle shone in her eyes that she wouldn't
let travel to her lips--at least not yet.
"Well--not exactly." Neelix shifted, and then his eyes brightened. "But if
you ask me, the benefits to your crew would be enormous."
"I think you've made quite an impact with your cooking already." She
nodded her head gracefully. "If you can get a group of willing
participants, I'll agree. In fact, wouldn't it be nice if everyone in the
class were to share their favorite dishes? I think," she continued with a
smile, "that would be a benefit to everyone involved, don't you, Mr.
Neelix?"
"Captain. We're picking up a possible distress signal from a small M-class
planet. If we choose to respond, it would take us 32 minutes to get there
at our present speed." Chakotay's interruption was a pleasant surprise, and
Janeway stood immediately.
"Get your volunteers, then we'll talk. Dismissed." She waved her hand at
Neelix to get her point across. He left with the confused look he usually
wore after their conversations. She briskly went from her ready room to the
bridge, glad to have more important duties to attend. "You aren't by any
chance familiar with this system, Mr. Neelix?" Janeway called out smoothly
to his escaping figure.
"This part? Well..." He began to draw himself up and shifted his feet uneasily.
"That will do. Thank you." She glanced at Tuvok. Then, sinking down into
her chair, she turned to Chakotay.
"Now. About this possible distress signal."
"Or warning. It is repetitive, and not on a frequency normally used,"
Tuvok interjected. Janeway turned and gazed at him silently, with a slight
frown.
"Which leaves our interpretation of it quite open. At warp six, when
would we reach orbit?"
"Approximately fourteen minutes," he replied. She turned to see Paris
looking at her, and nodded her head. "Do it." She stood and began her
usual thoughtful pacing. "Mr. Kim--respond to the signal. I want all scan
reports immediately--we don't want to rush headfirst into someplace we're
not wanted. Commander, assemble an emergency away team, just in case."
Chakotay nodded and left. Janeway threw herself back down into her chair
and leaned forward, checking the center console. "Let's hope we can clarify
this message before it's too late--for us or for them."
The doors slid open and Chakotay re-entered the bridge, carrying a padd in
his hand. "Away team is ready, Captain." He handed her the padd and she
glanced at it quickly. A hailing blip rang throughout the bridge and she
quickly handed the padd back.
"I'm on it. Trying to establish a visual." Kim frowned studiously at his
console. Janeway turned towards the viewscreen expectantly, crossing her
arms. A few lines ran across the screen and then a young woman appeared,
petite in stature, with a distinct olive hue to her skin. Her clothing was
of a loose gold and white material, and she wore a small gold band in her
hair. She crossed her arms as well and a curious smile appeared on her
face.
"Greetings of health and fortune to you. I am Ali, leader of the Dalence.
And you are?"
"I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. We
received a signal from your planet but are unsure of its meaning. Now
that--"
"It was meant to get your attention," Ali interrupted pleasantly.
"For what purpose? You don't appear to be under any form of attack." She
glanced back at Tuvok, who nodded his head in agreement.
"At the present moment, no. But in a few days, when the truce ends...we
have been unable to stop the war with a rebel group, the Jexi, on our
planet. All our negotiations have broken down. We need your help."
"It would be against our laws to become involved in your conflict. We
can't provide you with weapons or technology," Janeway flatly stated. The
woman's eyes widened with surprise. She rose from behind her console,
almost indignant.
"I wasn't thinking of that at all. What we need is someone to help us who
has no ulterior motive, no future interest here--what we need, Captain, is
a mediator. "
"Arbitration? To negotiate some form of settlement that would be fair to
both sides." Chakotay's voice faded as he spoke and he glanced at Janeway.
She looked at him silently, then turned back to the viewscreen. Her voice
was gentler as she waved her hand to make her point.
"In order for arbitration to work, both parties must agree to abide by it.
If your negotiatons with the Jexi have deteriorated so badly, why would
they trust us? I would like to be assured of their cooperation in this
matter before I consider it further."
"Do you have a way we could contact them?" Chakotay eagerly asked.
Janeway stared at him briefly.
"We agreed some time ago that objective interpretation might be helpful. I
can give you a hailing frequency to contact them. Hopefully they have not
changed their minds." She began to brighten. "If you can reach them, and
they agree, we could finally, finally put an end to all this bloodshed.
Will you help us?"
"We'll contact you after we have reached the Jexi, and let you know our
final decision." Janeway spoke quickly and nodded her head to Kim to cut
transmission. "Commander, I'd like to see you in my ready room." She turned
quickly and was almost in the door by the time the last word left her lips;
Chakotay followed her, a grim look on his face. When the door closed, she
turned to face him, arms crossed.
"I have a feeling that this--'opportunity'--means a great deal to you, and
given your recent history, I can understand your wanting to intervene. But
put your personal feelings aside and think. We don't know these people or
their history. Whatever time we take to resolve things here is time we
could spend getting ourselves home. That's our primary objective." Her
voice dropped and she lightly put her hand on his arm. "We're not here to
change the balance of power on this planet. It's none of our business. We
don't belong here, Chakotay." He averted his eyes from hers and drew back
his arm, then himself, almost rudely.
"You sound so--Starfleet." His voice was low with anger.
"I am Starfleet." She met his gaze steadily. "And so are you." She saw him
clench his fist at her last statement.
"Starfleet has a history of arbitration and negotiation. There's no reason
not to do that now." The tone in his voice was poorly restrained, and
unpleasant to hear.
"We have only interceded under Federation law, with Starfleet orders," she snapped back at him.
He stepped forward and took her shoulders under his hands, leaning into
her face. Surprised, she glared back at him. "We are Starfleet now. We make
the decisions. You certainly made one about the Ocampa..." Janeway had
enough and took his hands down, shaking her head.
"We were already involved. The Ocampa would have been annihilated, the
whole civilization!"
"And how do you think the conflict will end down there?" Chakotay swung
his arm out, pointing. He sighed, exhaling his anger, and resumed with a
deadly calm. "In a few days, their war will resume. We have a chance to
prevent that, to save countless lives." Their eyes locked together, and
there was a long silence.
"You have two days. " She strode past him and went to sit at her desk,
suddenly looking tired. "Commander, I don't need you to remind me that we
are the embodiment of Starfleet in this quadrant. Dismissed." He nodded his
head appreciatively in her direction and left.
According to Chakotay, all communication between Voyager and the Jexi had
gone well, with all parties agreeing to arbitration. The Dalence had asked
to beam aboard to be able to give a brief history of the dispute; the Jexi
had declined, preferring to meet on the planet's surface. Janeway and
Chakotay made their way down the corridor to the transporter room where Ali
was to meet them. She still seemed reserved from their earlier
confrontation.
"Now, why did the Jexi not want to meet here?" Janeway asked, strolling
with her arms behind her.
"I believe that they don't trust us entirely. I think they are afraid of
being captured by us if they board the ship. I can certainly understand
that point of view," he said dryly, emphasizing the word "that". They cast
a sideways look at one another, and a shadow of a smile flitted across his
face, while she arched her eyebrows. Janeway went through the transporter
room door and called out, "Energize."
Ali appeared before them, dressed in a blue gown that had so many folds it
almost hid how tiny her body really was. She was about the same size as
Kes, but a fierce energy radiated from her eyes. Despite her petite
stature, she had a distinct air of authority.
"Captain. We appreciate your hospitality." She grasped Janeway's hand
briefly, then turned to Chakotay. A smile played on her face as she took
his hand. "What a fine first officer you have. You must consider yourself
very lucky."
"Indeed." Janeway's voice was toneless. "Well, you can consider yourself
lucky now. He'll be the mediator for your conflict. And I'm sure he'd be
happy to take you on a tour of the ship." A hint of a smile was on her lips
as she turned to leave. "I'll be on the bridge, Commander."
An hour had passed before Chakotay returned to the bridge with Ali. Both
had serious looks on their faces, and when Paris attempted to get up from
conn to introduce himself to their guest, Chakotay pushed him back into his
seat. "Now is not the time." he admonished.
"Captain, I wonder if I might have a word with you privately," Ali spoke,
casting a glance at Chakotay, who nodded his head to her.
"In my ready room." Janeway motioned, and Ali gathered up the folds of her
gown and followed her. Janeway marched to her desk and sat down as Ali
casually picked up and examined the flowers on the table. With a sigh, she
set them down.
"It is so peaceful here. So quiet." She looked around, for a moment almost
seeming to drop her guard. A dark smile crossed her small face. "I almost
envy your position."
"Almost. But you have your own duties." Janeway tried to draw back the
conversation. Ali's eyes and face hardened, and her voice was hard when she
next spoke, pacing slowly about the cabin.
"Captain, your Commander has an interesting past. I believe he was once
considered a rebel himself."
"If you're thinking that Chakotay will not be fair to you on account of
his past actions..." Janeway started, but was interrupted by Ali.
"You ask us to trust him. Our lives, our future, will be in his hands.
Obviously you must trust him a great deal." She looked at Janeway intently,
then walked over to grip the edge of the desk, leaning over until she met
Janeway's gaze at eye level. "You don't think he'd ever betray you, do
you?" Ali said evenly.
Janeway's eyes narrowed. "What's your point?" "I'm asking you," Ali said
grimly, "if you trust him with your life." A silence fell between them as
Janeway stared back at Ali for a brief moment before giving her answer.
"Yes." Their gaze lasted a second longer, then Ali drew back and crossed
her arms.
"Then we accept your decision. He will beam back with me."
Chakotay materalized under a blazingly hot sun in an apparent desert. The
light was blinding at first, so he squinted his eyes shut for a moment. As
he did so, he felt his comm patch ripped from his chest. Before he had a
chance to move or speak, the familiar feel of a weapon pressed into his
cheek. Peering through narrowed eyes, he realized that he was sitting in
some sort of hovercraft.
"It's set to kill." Ali spoke evenly, digging the weapon into his jaw. He
became aware of several other figures seated around him. A surly young man
next to him pointed his phaser casually in his direction.
"What's happening here, Ali?" He tightened his lips.
"We're going for a little ride, and then you're going to help us, just
like you promised."she said lightly.
"If you think that by taking me hostage you will get the Captain to give
you any weapons, you're mistaken. "
"That's not our goal. We've already found the perfect weapon, Chakotay."
Ali's eyes were cold and she had a dark, satisfied smile. "It's you."
"Janeway to Chakotay. Anything to report?" Janeway stood on the bridge,
hands on her hips.
"Nothing yet," he answered rather abruptly. She arched her eyebrows for a
moment, then shrugged noncommitally.
"Captain, we'll be meeting with the Jexi in about an hour--we need time to
travel to our destination point. If you will excuse us, it is important
that we appear on time," Ali's voice broke in impatiently.
"I understand. Anything else, Commander?"
"Not at this moment. Chakotay out."
After the exchange, Janeway turned to Kim. "I want a transporter lock on
him at all times, in case we have to bring him back here in a hurry.
Understood?" She went towards her ready room, head bowed in thought.
"Acknowledged."
After throwing his comm badge over the side of the hovercraft, Ali had
placed a dark sack over Chakotay's head, and he was flown for what felt
like a short distance. He heard the rumble of large doors opening, then the
hovercraft came to a halt. Someone yanked him crudely from his seat and
threw him to the ground. He managed to stand without interference, other
than a plasma rifle poking him occasionally. Ali gave a low laugh as she
jerked the sack off quickly, and pushed him into a chair.
"That was too easy." she smiled triumphantly. Chakotay fastened his gaze
on her, his face emotionless.
"I doubt the Jexi will appreciate the delay," he said evenly.
"Oh, they appreciate it very much--it is the Dalence who are going to be
sorry. And may none of them live to regret it," she snarled.
"What are you?" he asked. "Some sort of mercenary?"
"My name you know. But I am the leader of the Jexi." She waved her hand to
one of her soldiers. "Does this man look familiar to you? He should--he
posed as the Jexi leader on the frequency I gave you!" She gave a snort of
amusement. "You were so anxious to get involved. Well, your wish has come
true. You ignored the warning signal the Dalence sent out and came to our
world, and we have taken advantage of that. I doubt the Dalence even know
you are here." She crossed her arms and smirked at him. "Soon, we will have
control of this planet."
"What do you want with me?" He was outwardly calm, not moving a muscle.
"The Dalence have erected an energy barrier in the forest around their
city. It is designed to detect our life pattern, but lets wild creatures
through it without harm. It will not be able to identify you as a threat.
Therefore, you are perfect for the mission."
"Mission?"
"You are going to be our assassin. We will use you to destroy their power
generators. When the field comes down, we will attack." She clasped her
hand together and her face twitched with hatred. "We will destroy
them...revenge is ours, at last!"
"I won't do it. If you have to kill me, so be it--but I will not help
you." Chakotay spoke loudly enough that several Jexi turned from their
consoles to scowl at him.
"I had thought you might say that, so I've made it impossible for you to
refuse." Ali moved aside and pointed to a nearby console attended by a
young woman. "We are tracking your ship's movements, and with good reason.
I've planted a small explosive device in your Captain's ready room. If you
do not reconsider your previous statement, we will activate that device
now. Your ship will be destroyed." She stepped in front of him and leaned
forward, her eyes burning into his. "Your Captain told me she trusted you
with her life, Chakotay. Was she right to do so? What will it be?" Her
voice was low and sinister. They stared intently at one another for a few
moments of uncanny silence.
"All right, you'll have my cooperation," Chakotay said grimly, knowing he
had to stall for time. "But you haven't given me any reason to trust you."
"I'll swear by whatever is sacred to you, if you want. When that field
comes down, we will be too busy to worry about what happens to your
ship--or you, if you are still alive." She spoke smoothly and rose quickly,
clapping her hands together. "Get the suit and the pack!" She looked
sharply at Chakotay. "Take off that uniform, you'll need to wear this. It
will make it impossible for your ship to track you. We wouldn't want you to
disappear without finishing your mission, would we? Then we'd just have to
destroy you and your ship." She placed a silver collar around his neck, and
he looked at her with contempt, his nostrils flaring. She took his face in
her hands and smiled. "Not enjoying your chance to be a rebel again?"
Kim leaned over his console, looking confused. His fingers flew rapidly,
as if trying by sheer speed to outwit the puzzle before him.
"Captain. I'm losing the lock on him." He sighed in frustration. "Now it's
gone. But I've still got his communicator lock. Should I beam him back?"
"Let's ask him first. Perhaps they've gone underground." She tried not to
sound worried. "Janeway to Chakotay. Are you all right? We've lost our
transporter lock on you." She pursed her lips in the silence that followed.
"Mr. Kim, try to beam him back. Tuvok, I want you to come with me to the
transporter room." She gave the orders impatiently as she headed for the
turbolift, and Tuvok had to run to keep up with her.
They were in the corridor when Kim's voice came again. "I'm sorry,
Captain, but all we've got in the transporter room is his comm badge."
Janeway grabbed Tuvok's arm.
"Mr. Tuvok, take a security team down to the last coordinates we have for
him and see what you can find." She walked back down the corridor towards
the bridge. "Mr. Kim, I want those people hailed immediately. Use all the
frequencies they've given us."
Tuvok and his away team materialized under the blanching sun of the
desert. Tuvok flipped open his tricorder, as did the others.
"Curious. I would suggest..." The dirt beneath one his crewmen suddenly
blew up, throwing the man into the air.
"Stay where you are! Don't move!" Tuvok called loudly."Voyager, beam away
team back immediately--and beam Ensign Dawes to sickbay." The wounded man
lay where he had fallen at Tuvok's feet. Tuvok leaned quietly over him, and
the away team disappeared in a haze.
[MISSING ART]
Chakotay stood stiffly, now dressed in a metallic gray-blue suit. Two
guards helped him shoulder a light pack that had a distinct hum to it. It
was snugly fastened over his shoulders and around his waist and chest. A
small timing device was clipped on the front, and Chakotay could see the
red readout counting backwards. Ali stepped forward and handed him a device
similar to their tricorders.
"You're to use this to detect the land mines. They cover the desert floor.
We'll keep in touch with you via your communication collar. " She smiled as
Chakotay shifted the pack uncomfortably. "I do hope you don't intend to
dispose of the pack before I tell you to. The weight sensors attached will
let us know if you do. Now, as you can see, time is running out." They both
looked down at the chronometer clicking softly on his chest. She waved her
hand to the guards. "Take him to the drop-off point." She placed a smug
hand on his chest. "I'm counting on you, my rebel soldier. You're going to
change history today."
"I'm going to destroy a civilization. There's no honor in that for me,"
Chakotay said quietly, and walked away.
He trotted quickly, eyes on the tricorder in his hand, weaving a pattern
over the hidden mines. The metallic suit actually provided him with some
protection from the relentless sun, as it covered him entirely, with only
his face exposed. There was no sound other than the soft ticking of the
chronometer mingling with his footsteps. The landscape changed rapidly, and
he could see from the corners of his eyes that a forest lay ahead.
"See anything yet, my rebel soldier?" Ali's voice rang out from the collar
around his neck.
He wrinkled his face with disgust at the sound of her voice. "The woods
are still a few moments away."
"Remember, when you get through the barrier, lock onto the main energy
source. That's what we want to hit."
"I know that. I could move along faster if you wouldn't distract me with
conversation," he added curtly, although his pace had not slowed at all.
"Your dedication will be rewarded," Ali said, a touch of derision in her voice.
"Land mines?" Janeway stared at Tuvok, eyebrows knotted.
"Without a doubt, these people do not travel by foot. He was probably
transported directly into a waiting craft." Tuvok said calmly.
"Or taken underground," Janeway said, thinking aloud. She began to pace.
"Let's consider the use of a shuttlecraft to complete a better scan of the
area, see if there's any way we can track him. On the other hand, if they
are armed, the shuttle could be captured..."
"Captain. I think we may be getting a response--I've sent a hail along the
same frequency as the original distress call. I noticed that the call is
still being sent, even though we've responded." Kim was spinning quickly
between his fore and aft consoles, determination set in his face. Janeway
turned quickly to Tuvok.
"I think we ignored a warning." Tuvok nodded his head in silent agreement.
"But from whom?" The viewscreen fizzled and squealed, and a blurry picture
started to form.
"Come on..." Kim muttered under his breath, never slowing his frantic
pace. Janeway cast a glance back at him before returning to her usual
stance in front of the screen. A last round of intense flicker gave way to
reveal an opulent setting with a tall, sticklike figure looking angrily
back at them. His skin was so pale as to be translucent, with eyes that
protruded prominently from his head. When he spoke, his voice sounded thin
and hollow.
"Why are you here? And what sort of warning do you send us? Our only known
enemies are on this planet, unless you are to become one of them. State
your intent!"
"My intent is to find a missing member of my crew." Janeway took a deep
breath, and after introducing herself, asked to be allowed to explain. The
creature curled his lips with obvious distaste, but agreed.
"I believe that my first officer has been taken hostage by a group called
the Dalence." Janeway's mouth was still open to further explain, when he
cut in with a snarl.
"That is a lie." He pointed a thin finger at her. "But if he is with the
Jexi, then we both have a serious problem."
"But he communicated with both the Dalence and Jexi before beaming down,
to try to arbitrate a treaty. And..."
"You are fools! And it will cost lives. We are the Dalence. We haven't
spoken with the Jexi in many years. There is nothing to be said. We have
sent out a warning signal to keep outsiders from interfering in our
affairs; unfortunately for all of us, you chose to ignore it!" He shook
his fist, and his voice was strident with emotion.
"You will beam us up immediately so that we may obtain a life-pattern
reading for your species. It will be necessary to eliminate the problem."
He crossed his arms and waited.
"I don't like the sound of that at all. Permission denied." Janeway
crossed her arms and stared back without flinching. "Quite frankly, since I
don't trust anyone at this point, we'll handle this ourselves."
"As will we. The assassin will not complete his task."
"What are you saying?" Her voice was alarmed.
"A member of your crew would be the perfect assassin for the Jexi. Our
force-barriers will not detect him. But he will be found- and eliminated."
He waved his hand, and the screen went blank.
"Not if we find him first." Janeway said through clenched teeth.
Chakotay had not seen or heard the barrier field, and passed through it
with a minor shock to his body that made him suck in his breath. He reset
the tricorder to search for the generators and sighed heavily, then began
to look around. The trees were incredibly tall, and thickly bunched
together, almost blocking out the sun. He listened for a moment, adjusting
himself to the sound of the forest around him. It was hauntingly peaceful.
"Chakotay." Ali's snide voice cut through the air. Static filled the woods
with her voice.
"Quiet!" Chakotay hissed. "If you don't want me to be caught, keep quiet.
I know what I'm doing." He shook his head sadly. "I know exactly what I'm
doing."
"Just don't change your mind." Ali whispered, her voice almost drowned out
by static interference. Chakotay looked back at the spot where he had
passed through the barrier and touched his finger to the collar, thinking.
Suddenly the sound of childish laughter rang out and he instinctively
crouched down and hid behind a bush. He saw two children chasing one
another, their pale skin glimmering when the sun caught it, blond hair
flopping behind them. Within a few seconds, they had gone. Still crouching,
he leaned forward and put his head in his hands.
"I won't," he whispered. He raised his head slowly and stared up through
the tops of the trees, intently searching for something he knew he would
not see.
"I don't believe it. He wouldn't do it." Janeway was in her ready room
with Tuvok. "They must have threatened him somehow, forced him."
"He could also be acting voluntarily. He did communicate with us after
reaching the planet, and gave no hint of any distress at that time. Also,
we were not present during his discussions with Ali. In addition, you
yourself have noted that his feelings toward this matter were particularly
strong." Tuvok turned his head to keep up with Janeway's pacing.
"We have got to find him before they do. Somehow he's been cloaked from
our sensors." She paused, hand on her chin.
"Or perhaps he does not wish for us to find him."
"That's enough, Tuvok." She spoke sharply, and the Vulcan arched his
eyebrows slightly. Noticing that, she waved her hand apologetically.
"For now, we will assume that he is not doing this voluntarily." She hit
her comm badge. "Mr. Kim, I want you to scan all subspace frequencies. Lock
onto anything that may appear to be a transmission of any sort and let me
know immediately." She looked hard at Tuvok. "Now that the Dalence are
involved, we've got a race on our hands. And I don't intend to lose."
Chakotay had resumed his trot, although more cautiously, ears and eyes
taking in everything around him, occasionally glancing down at the
tricorder to confirm his bearings. He stopped for a moment as he heard a
droning sound from overhead. The skin at the back of his neck prickled
uneasily. It was definitely a craft of some sort approaching.
"Ali--there may be some trouble here." He twisted the collar, and waited,
tension growing as the hum drew nearer. His face became grim. "Ali!" His
hands went up to the collar, trying to find controls he could not see and
was unfamiliar with. "The barrier field." he muttered to himself. The
overhead craft was moving slowly, and was quite near. He ducked under a
large thicket, trying to hide. At the same time, he started to undo the
straps binding the pack to him. Suddenly a phaser blast burned into the
brush from above, narrowly missing him. Chakotay burst out of the thicket
and began to run, weaving in and out between the trees, jumping over fallen
limbs. He frantically tried to undo the straps as he ran, dodging phaser
fire, panting with exertion. The woods rushed by in a blur, and the blood
was pounding in his head. He knew he would not be able to last much longer.
Ali slapped the console operator so hard the sound echoed. "Impossible!
Let me try--" she tapped a few buttons. "Ali to Chakotay--you rebel
traitor! You've failed us!" She straightened with a look of pure hatred on
her face. Her next words came out in a low growl.
"Destroy the ship."
"The ship is in far orbit. Estimated time to detonation range--ninety
seconds." The console operator rubbed her sore cheek, warily giving out her
news. Ali drew herself up but seemed satisfied. "I will at least have
revenge on those pathetic fools," she smiled. "I think I would like the
honor of doing the detonation myself." She tapped her fingers impatiently.
"Captain- I've got a weak signal. Definitely between two parties." Kim's
excitement was barely contained.
"Run a voice pattern scan. If we can do a blind beam out, I don't want the
wrong company. Do you think we can match it to send our own transmission?"
She was at his console, fingers gripping the edge with tension.
"We can do that while I'm running the scan. That will take a few minutes."
Kim answered.
"Good." She started off the bridge, nodded her head to Tuvok, who silently
followed her.
"You don't think this will put him in any further danger, do you?" she
whispered.
"At this point, I cannot imagine so." he replied. They entered the ready
room, and she marched to her desk.
"Are we ready, Mr. Kim?"
"Go ahead, Captain." After his reply, she sucked in her breath, and
hesitated before starting to speak.
A blinding flash of phaser fire next to Chakotay singed his arm as he
managed to drop the pack and dive under an outcropping of rock that lay
close to the ground. The craft hung above the treetops, as if waiting. He
could faintly hear shouting in the distance, shouting that was getting
closer by the second. Now trapped, he could see the chronometer laying at
the entrance. Time was almost out. If he wasn't captured first, he was
going to be blown to pieces. Curled under the overhang, he grabbed a sharp
stone and began to cut into his suit. Were they even bothering to keep
looking for him?
"Janeway to Chakotay. We're trying to beam you back. We've got to get some
kind of lock on you." The rest fizzled into static as the stone cut through
the collar and continued down his neck. The shouts were nearer. Frantically
he tore at the suit, trying to remove it. The chronometer started to flash
a warning.
"I think we've got something..." Kim started.
"Whatever it is, take it!" Janeway was out the door, on her way to the
transporter room. "Mr. Tuvok, get a security team down there, now!"
He heard the click as the chronometer went out. Panting with effort, he
leaned into the wall, grimacing, bracing himself for the blast. He'd gotten
the suit down to the waist- it just hadn't been enough. It was all over. He
held his breath.
The blast tore through the rock just as the transporter beam took him, and
his anguished yell was left hanging in the forest air.
Janeway scooped up Chakotay's blackened, barely concious body from the
floor. Blood seeped from numerous shard-like cuts on his body.
"Beam him to sickbay!" she snapped.
"Wait--wait." he choked weakly. "There's an explosive device hidden in
your ready room..." he passed out, head hanging limply. Janeway's eyes
widened and she turned towards the transporter operator.
"Transport the contents of my ready room outside the ship now!" she
barked. "Tuvok, shields at full strength! Go to red alert!"
"Acknowledged." Tuvok spoke. Just then the ship rocked with such force
that everyone in the transporter room was sent spinning across the floor
and into the wall. Janeway grunted and tapped her comm badge.
"Report!" She leapt over Chakotay, glancing down at him and then at the
ensign fallen by the console. She struggled to her feet, leaned over the
console, and in a few seconds Chakotay's body had disappeared from the
room.
"He's sustained severe internal injuries as well as the obvious external
damage," the doctor commented as he and Kes continued to work on the still
body of Chakotay. "If he had been beamed back any later, I'm not sure we
could have saved him."
"I think he was lucky to arrive at all. Let me know when he regains
conciousness." Janeway's voice, on audio, sounded tired. The doctor rolled
his eyes.
"That could be a while. And judging from the tone of your voice, I would
advise you to rest." He was his usual brusque self, no matter how busy.
"Thank you for your advice. My original request still holds. Janeway out."
The doctor shook his head at Kes.
"I thought I was the only one here not to require sleep. Perhaps 'rest' is
a four-letter word to our Captain."
Later, the doctor tapped his comm badge. "Captain, our patient is coming
around." Janeway appeared momentarily, and Chakotay, who had overheard the
last conversation, gave her a weak smile.
"Well, that was fast." His voice was hoarse from the anesthesia.
"I haven't had time to turn in yet. I did lose the entire contents of my
ready room, remember?" It was meant to tease, and said lightly, but a look
of disappointment crossed his face, and he winced with regret.
"I'm sorry. All this was my fault."
"Don't be ridiculous. I made the decision. I trusted the wrong people, and
you wound up a pawn in their game. "
"Trust." he murmured. "Ali said you told her you trusted me with your life."
Janeway straightened up, crossing her arms, and nodded her head. "I have
a great deal of confidence in you, Commander. To the point where if my life
depended on it...yes." She smiled, almost seeming uncertain of what to say.
"Well. You need to rest. Goodnight." Janeway turned to leave, but Chakotay
reached out and grabbed her wrist. She stopped and gave him a curious look.
"What is it, Commander?" Her voice was concerned.
"When we get back--will I be able to say the same thing to you? That I can
trust you with my life?" He stared at her intently, and for a moment there
was silence.
"You have my word." she said quietly. She saw the doctor approaching and
stepped back, giving him room.
"Really, Captain, if there's anyway this can wait until tomorrow..." he began.
"It's all right," Chakotay interjected. "I'll be able to rest, now."
END
[MISSING PHOTOS AND GRAPHICS]
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