colony's
defense systems. It will take a couple of days and I
thought maybe it was time for Goldenbird to get a taste of
spaceflight."
Kathryn's heart hammered in her chest. A trip with Daddy-and not just a trip but a visit to another planet! She'd
been dreaming of this since she'd been old enough to
realize that people could travel through the stars to other
worlds.
"I want to go, too!" yelped Phoebe.
Kathryn's head whipped toward her instantly.
"You can't. You're too little."
"Kathryn. . ." murmured her mother.
"Daddy, can I? Can I go, too?" Phoebe's impish face looked
imploringly at her father, blue eyes wide and intense. She
looked so pathetic that for a brief moment Kathryn thought
Daddy might actually say yes. "I'm sorry, Phoebe, but
Starfleet has rules. You're a little young." Phoebe's eyes
welled up with tears, and even Kathryn felt sorry for her.
"Phoebe, you can use my padds while I'm gone. As long as
you're careful." Now the blue eyes turned toward her, tears
instantly retreating. "I can?"
Phoebe constantly badgered Kathryn to use her padds, with
their myriad games, stories, and songs.
"That's very thoughtful, Kathryn," said her mother. And it
was. Ordinarily she wouldn't let Phoebe within ten meters
of her things. But she could afford to be generous tonight.
She was going to Mars!
The transport to San Francisco was no
different from any other: a brief moment of disorientation
as one's vision obscured, then a tingling sensation as
different surroundings sparkled into clarity.
Kathryn and her father materialized on one of the
transporter pads of Starfleet Headquarters; waiting for
them was a small retinue, including an admiral, two
captains, and a lieutenant who stood deferentially behind
the others.
"Well, Edward," said the admiral to her father, "whom do
we have here? A stowaway?" He was a tall, florid man with
Irish red hair that didn't quite look under control. His
smile was lopsided and cheerful.
"A future cadet, I hope. Admiral Finnegan, may I present
my daughter, Kathryn."
Kathryn knew how to behave in situations like this.
She approached the man, offered her hand, and said, "How do
you do?"
The older man smiled down at her. "I do very well,
beautiful lady. How about you?"
She blushed at his compliment. "Fine, thank you, sir." She
was wearing a brand-new turquoise jumpsuit that her mother
had replicated for the occasion, and she imagined that it
resembled the uniforms worn by her father and the others.
She felt crisp and military. "Captains Laurel and Dobrynin,
Lieutenant Kashut, Kathryn Janeway."
Kathryn shook hands with each of them, solemnly and
politely. "Shall we?" Admiral Finnegan gestured again
toward the transporter pad.
"Our shuttle is ready and we have a pilot standing by."
And once more they dematerialized, only to find
themselves, seconds later, in the spacedock which orbited
Earth's northern hemisphere. Kathryn had never seen
anything so astonishing. It was huge, with cavernous
hangars and dozens of docking piers, cargo bays, and
corridors. Windows to space were everywhere, affording
incredible views. Earth swam below them, blue and cloud-shrouded, a stately orb that soared majestically in the
starry heavens.
Kathryn had seen pictures, of course, but nothing had
prepared her for the sight of her planet from space. She
stood at one of the huge windows, staring at the jeweled
sphere, trying to figure out where Indiana was. "Amazing,
isn't it?" She looked up to see her father standing next to
her. "I remember the first time I saw Earth like that. I
was about your age."
"Is that when you decided to join Starfleet?"
He smiled at her, gray eyes crinkling at the edges. "I
think I decided that before I was born."
"Did you mean it when you told them I'd be a cadet
someday?" "Only if that's what you want."
"It is, Daddy. More than anything."
He put a hand on her shoulder and looked down at her for a
moment. He did that from time
defense systems. It will take a couple of days and I
thought maybe it was time for Goldenbird to get a taste of
spaceflight."
Kathryn's heart hammered in her chest. A trip with Daddy-and not just a trip but a visit to another planet! She'd
been dreaming of this since she'd been old enough to
realize that people could travel through the stars to other
worlds.
"I want to go, too!" yelped Phoebe.
Kathryn's head whipped toward her instantly.
"You can't. You're too little."
"Kathryn. . ." murmured her mother.
"Daddy, can I? Can I go, too?" Phoebe's impish face looked
imploringly at her father, blue eyes wide and intense. She
looked so pathetic that for a brief moment Kathryn thought
Daddy might actually say yes. "I'm sorry, Phoebe, but
Starfleet has rules. You're a little young." Phoebe's eyes
welled up with tears, and even Kathryn felt sorry for her.
"Phoebe, you can use my padds while I'm gone. As long as
you're careful." Now the blue eyes turned toward her, tears
instantly retreating. "I can?"
Phoebe constantly badgered Kathryn to use her padds, with
their myriad games, stories, and songs.
"That's very thoughtful, Kathryn," said her mother. And it
was. Ordinarily she wouldn't let Phoebe within ten meters
of her things. But she could afford to be generous tonight.
She was going to Mars!
The transport to San Francisco was no
different from any other: a brief moment of disorientation
as one's vision obscured, then a tingling sensation as
different surroundings sparkled into clarity.
Kathryn and her father materialized on one of the
transporter pads of Starfleet Headquarters; waiting for
them was a small retinue, including an admiral, two
captains, and a lieutenant who stood deferentially behind
the others.
"Well, Edward," said the admiral to her father, "whom do
we have here? A stowaway?" He was a tall, florid man with
Irish red hair that didn't quite look under control. His
smile was lopsided and cheerful.
"A future cadet, I hope. Admiral Finnegan, may I present
my daughter, Kathryn."
Kathryn knew how to behave in situations like this.
She approached the man, offered her hand, and said, "How do
you do?"
The older man smiled down at her. "I do very well,
beautiful lady. How about you?"
She blushed at his compliment. "Fine, thank you, sir." She
was wearing a brand-new turquoise jumpsuit that her mother
had replicated for the occasion, and she imagined that it
resembled the uniforms worn by her father and the others.
She felt crisp and military. "Captains Laurel and Dobrynin,
Lieutenant Kashut, Kathryn Janeway."
Kathryn shook hands with each of them, solemnly and
politely. "Shall we?" Admiral Finnegan gestured again
toward the transporter pad.
"Our shuttle is ready and we have a pilot standing by."
And once more they dematerialized, only to find
themselves, seconds later, in the spacedock which orbited
Earth's northern hemisphere. Kathryn had never seen
anything so astonishing. It was huge, with cavernous
hangars and dozens of docking piers, cargo bays, and
corridors. Windows to space were everywhere, affording
incredible views. Earth swam below them, blue and cloud-shrouded, a stately orb that soared majestically in the
starry heavens.
Kathryn had seen pictures, of course, but nothing had
prepared her for the sight of her planet from space. She
stood at one of the huge windows, staring at the jeweled
sphere, trying to figure out where Indiana was. "Amazing,
isn't it?" She looked up to see her father standing next to
her. "I remember the first time I saw Earth like that. I
was about your age."
"Is that when you decided to join Starfleet?"
He smiled at her, gray eyes crinkling at the edges. "I
think I decided that before I was born."
"Did you mean it when you told them I'd be a cadet
someday?" "Only if that's what you want."
"It is, Daddy. More than anything."
He put a hand on her shoulder and looked down at her for a
moment. He did that from time
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