Don't shoot the messanger! At least he got you back on your feet!

Yes, and since all that happened, the inhabitants are remorseful, but STILL are unwilling to leave the confines of the station! Something to do with their religon.

"So, we're stuck here." furry Janeway mutters.

"At least for a month, but . . . ." human Janeway begins.

"But radiation from the solar flares from a nearby star will cook the Voyager and anyone aboard within the week as you both know." a voice says behind the backs of the assembled department heads. Everyone turns and sees Q, and another guy standing behind him. Q looks steamed, but also keeps casting fearful glances at the short guy who's dressed in an archaic US Navy uniform (the uniform is working blues, with the rating badge of a Missile Technician on the left shoulder of his uniform). The voice who had spoken had not been Q's. Everyone then notes that the . . . . sailor is toting a shotgun!

"Intruder alert!" a half dozen voices say together, slapping combadges and (the Tuvoks) phasors are drawn. The combadges don't make a sound to acknowledge they are working, and . . . the Tuvoks find that they are holding buns, instead of phasors!

"Let's keep this peaceful, folks." the sailor says. "I didn't come for trouble, but if you rile me up, there WILL be trouble!"

"Crossroads Man?" squeeks Scott.

"In the flesh, sorta. Often imitated, but never duplicated . . . ." the author says. "Here to bring you up to speed. And my bombastic friend here has a few things to say . . . . and do! Don't interrupt him." He glances at Q meaningfully. The humans and furries find that they can only wait.

"Right." mutters Q. "Let's first get you back in order here." The ship shudders, and a quick scan by human Janeway reveals that the ship's back in shape. Everything is "A-okay."

"Fine, may I go now?" Q grouses.

"No." Crossroads Man says in a patronizing voice. "When you said that the Continuum had banished them here, you forgot to mention something, didn't you?"

Q grumbles something, and . . . .

"Hey, can I help it that they're slow?" Q says. Crossroads Man taps his foot, waiting. "Okay, have you guys checked you're quantum signatures recently?

"No? Well, you should!" Q says, glancing nervously around.

"For the love of Mike!" Crossroads Man mutters. "Stop beating around the f@#ing bush! Tell it to them straight!."

In a rapid fire confession, Q tells how the Continuum, over Q's objections, had reset the Voyager's (and the crew's) quantum signature to that of the universe that they had been banished to.

" Was able to restore your ship to operational condition, but certain files . . . ." Q begins.

"Have not been restored, or absent." Crossroads Man finishes. "Namely, the records of your original quantum signatures. Q, as you know, was at least able to get the Continuum to spare your lives. But what with his shaky position with them for past . . . . incidents . . . . that was the ONLY thing he was able to do. So when they banished you guys here, they did it in STYLE! The Continuum wants you HERE!

"Don't bark at him for being the bearer of bad news." the author finishes up. "He's annoying as Hell at times, but at least THIS time, he was on your side. If anyone is to blame for you problems, blame the Continuum for THIS! It's THERE fault, everything! Well, I guess you could blame Baldy, also, but . .. .she's kinda dead."

Q looks pained at the revelations, and a bit humiliated, but . . . .

"I'd . . . .like to tell them one more thing before I leave." Q says to the author. The author nods, and waits.

"Furry Janeway, I think you'd like to know that your universe was able to overthrow Baldy's cohorts." Q whispers. "They're free. Now, for some bad news. The Preservers are the only natural humanoids, all other humanoids trace their origins back to their tinkering, it's just not widely known." Q vanishes, and then . . . the author is nowhere to be seen.

Well, that was a lot to take in . . . . . . . . . to say the least. Yes, there are one or two ways that the author knows that can get them home, but . . . . one has to wonder if the Q Continuum will allow it . . . . .After all, they BANISHED them here as a form of punishment (just or unjust as it is). They just might want them to stay banished . . . . .

1. Well, it's going to be a long road ahead, and maybe, just maybe there is something there at the end......

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