Across the final frontier

The Farm

Athena found herself looking to the captain. She, who had always questioned everything, yearned now, more than anything, for some guidance, commands, information, anything to make sense of what happened. She made her way to Janeway, just close enough to hear her talk to the one she knew as Harry Kim. "We are inside the array. This is an illusion." She heard the captain say, this confused Athena. What array? She wondered. She turned to the person next to her. "What array is the captain talking about?" She whispered. The crewman didn't look at her but hastily responded; "Have you not heard, we were following a maqui's ship and were hit by a kind of displacement beam. First thing we saw? An array of some sort." Athena prepared the next question, but the crewman had already moved away. Anxious to hear the captain's words.

Then, a woman came out of the old, farmhouse. She was old, with curly, grey hair and a pair of circular reading glasses. She looked nice and inviting, but since Athena realised, she was a holographic projection on a mysterious array, her appearance had something sinister. At each moment she expected the nice face to change into one of a monster of some sort. Once again, Athena found herself looking to the captain. Captain Janeway looked unruffled by the fact they were technically abducted to the array and by the losses they had suffered on the spaceship. She spoke to the woman with a natural authority even Athena would listen to. "My name is Kathryn Janeway captain of the federation starship Voyager- "The woman however, paid the captain no mind. "Rest awhile." She said and she continued to response in standard phrases like "Just make yourself write at home." The hairs on Athena's arms came upright. If she ever doubted about what was reality, now there wasn't a shadow of a doubt. Soon, other farm people came, playing music and dancing.

A young woman came up to Athena. Her brown her was braided and her eyes were warm and welcoming. "Come, dance." She said, reaching her hand to Athena. She shied away. The woman seemed unaffected and with a shrug of her shoulders she joined the "neighbours" in a dance. The sight was absurd, but someone had spoken to her and, although it was just a very strange hologram, she awakened Athena out of her state of shock. She had been on Voyager, then she had fallen asleep. While she slept, Voyager was stranded by some array, because of a distortion wave. The ship was badly damage, many people were wounded, and all the medical personnel was dead. Dead. The brains no longer processing thoughts, their last words stuck in their lungs. And had she not run of to her quarters she would be one of them, her flesh burned. As a philosopher, the thought of death wasn't new, but the proximity of it was. One different choice and she would be no longer. Finally, she was in the adventure she had always dreamed about and all she wanted was to wake up in her bed at home on Earth and embrace her parents and little brother. How foolish were her dreams! How she longed to be home!

Amidst her reflections, the captain called "Come on". And without thinking, Athena followed. She was led to a barn. All the neighbours she had seen dancing only seconds ago were now in the barn as well. Pitchforks waving threatening in the air. The captain proceeded fearlessly, she followed. Somehow being left alone outside felt even more dangerous. As soon as they all stepped inside the door closed. Her heart hammered in her chest. The captain stood before the old lady, hands on her hips, just as certain and unruffled as before. Her attitude gave Athena courage. She straitened her back and tried to be not afraid, like the crew. "Very well." The old woman spoke. "Since no one seems to care for any corn, we'll have to proceed ahead of schedule." Her appearance hadn't changed, but in no aspect was she the woman she had been before. She had an evil gleam in her eyes... she was dangerous. One side of the barn disappeared. Behind it, were rows and rows of people. Lying on beds with needles the size of her arm poked in their chests. Athena felt the instinct to run away, as far as she could. But the captain moved forward, the crew followed. Athena approached, hoping they were asleep.

Before she could discover she lay on a bed. Just like them. A needle was approaching. She struggled, but her resistance was futile. A sharp pain shot to her chest and then nothing.