As Lieutenant Joe Carey sat in front of the power relay panel on the shuttle Sacajawea, he wondered if he would ever set foot off Voyager again. Since being marooned in the delta quadrant, the only times that Carey had been off Voyager for a long period of time was when the traitor Seska and the kazon-nistrim had left the crew on Honon IV. The last time he had been of the ship was the nyrians had taken the crew one by one off of Voyager. That had been four months ago, and since then he had not gotten off Voyager, even for shore leave. As Carey worked on the shuttle, he did not realize that he was not alone.

"Hello, Lieutenant" a voice from behind.

Carey turned around to Ensign Samantha Wildman standing behind him, holding several boxes of medical supplies in her hands. For a moment, blue eyes met hazel eyes. Then as quickly as they met, Carey broke the hold and returned to his work. "Hello, Ensign." Carey said trying to sound formal. "What are you doing down here in the shuttlebay?"

"Well, since I am working three days a week in sickbay now. I have got the job of making sure that all of the medical supplies are updates and that the medical tricorders are working order." Wildman said, taken back by

Carey's cool attitude towards her.

"Well, Carry on Ensign." Carey said, returning to his own work.

"Well, It's been nice talking to you to Lieutenant." Wildman thought as she moved toward rear of the shuttle.

For the next twenty minutes, the two worked in silence. Neither of them saying anything, each lost in their own thoughts. Then all of a sudden they heard phaser fire coming from the shuttlebay. Wildman came rushing out of the rear storage compartment, scared at what was happening.

"What's happening?" she asked as she looked though the shuttle's front window.

"I don't know, but to be on the safe side we should go to our duty stations." Carey said as he closed up his engineering kit and headed for the hatch. As he open the hatch, he was confronted with the cause of the all of the problems. Seven of Nine. The ex-borg was standing in the hatch way holding a compression phaser rifle. Before Carey or Wildman could react, Seven of Nine shot them both.

As Kathryn Janeway stood on the bridge of Voyager, watching the Sacajawea going across the darkness of space, she felt a sense of failure. Had she been fooling herself all along? Did she really think that she could change Seven? Be able to make her more human? Turning towards the main viewer.

"Mr. Paris, plot an intersect course with that shuttle and.."

"Sickbay to bridge" The voice of the EMH came over the comm line

"Doctor, we are a little busy up here, so if this could wait till later."

Janeway said, not really wanting to deal with ship's doctor now.

"Well. I know. Because I am now treating several wounded personal without the benefit of help." The EMH replied.

"I thought that it was Ensign Wildman's day in sickbay." Commander Chakotay said.

"Well, if any would check, they would find out that Ensign Wildman was not on board and had been for the last thirty-two minutes." the EMH responded.

"Computer, how many crewmembers are unaccounted for?" Janeway asked, really not wanting to know the answer.

"Two. Ensign Samantha Wildman and Lieutenant Joe Carey." the computer responded in a emotionless voice. For a moment, the bridge was stunned into complete silence, no one not wanting to believe that two crewmenbers were in such danger.

"Mr. Paris, I want to plot an intersect course with the shuttle. Commander Chakotay, I want you arrange for someone to continue to watch Naomi, I sure Samantha will be grateful for that when she returns." Janeway said, makingsure that everyone knew that the two missing crewmenbers would be found unharmed. "I will be in my ready room."

As Samantha fought to regain wake up, the only thought that she had was that someone was calling her name. "Samantha, you need to wake up. Sam wake up." As she open her blue eyes, she found herself looking into Joe's hazel eyes. As she sat up, She could see could see Seven sitting at the helm control, not paying them any attention.

"I can't close enough to take control of the shuttle. She has rigged a force field. So it look like we are along for the ride." Joe said as he helped Samantha to sit in a chair. For the next two hours, the two the sat in silence, each not know what to say to the other one. Each scared to know what there fate might be. All of a sudden the shuttle to stop above a planet. Seven turned and lower the force field, turned and face the two of them.

"You two are free to go. Please tell Captain Janeway that I am sorry that I could not become a part of your group. My place is with the collective," Seven said with no emotion.

"Well, Seven I hate tell you this, the reason that I in the Sacajawea, is because we are major power relay problem. The shuttle will not be able to maintain life support for much longer." Carey said, starting to get mad at Seven.

"We should get ready, then. Lieutenant Carey you should get phasers, winter gear and emergency food. I will bring the medical supplies." Wildman said, deciding to take charge of the situation.

For the next five minutes, the shuttle when into the planet's atmosphere.

As the three crewmenbers exited the shuttle, they looked around at their new surroundings. The planet's surface was rocky with very little vegetation. The sun cast a orange glow over the landscape. As they walked along a rocky ledge they came across the remains an old ship

"The collective is there." Seven said a she walked towards the ship.

As Carey and Wildman watched Seven towards the old wreckage, they wonder if they would walking to their own deaths. "Are there borg in that ship?" Wildman asked as they continue towards the ship.

"According to tricortiers readings, there are no life forms in the ship." Joe, said trying to make sure that his voice held the confidence that he did not feel.

"Well, I guess that we should join Seven." Samantha said as they follow into the ship.

They followed the ex-borg in the remains of the ship. As they walked into the remains of the ship, they both turn on they light beacons, they saw the remains of battle of long ago. Major piece of the outer hull was blasted away. The inside of the ship was in ruins. Consoles were in pieces. Down bulkheads laid on the floor. As they were surveying the damage ship, Samantha realize that Seven was nowhere around.

"I going to find Seven." Samantha said, not wanting to stay in the bridge area.

As Samantha walked thought the ship, she could see signs of a battle of long ago. "Who was here" she thought as continue to search for Seven. "Did they win the battle." As she walked down a dark hallway, she could hear the faint sounds of someone crying. Walking into a compartment she was surprise to see Seven, sitting on the floor, holding a teddy bear and crying. Samantha slowly walked towards Seven, bent down and held her while she cried. Samantha just held her, letting her know that she was there if Seven needed her. When Joe came look them twenty minutes later, he found Seven lying in sleeping bag. Samantha was sitting against a bulkhead looking at photograph. Joe moved slowly towards her and sat next to her. Looking down at the photograph of a family, who look happy and not a care in the world.

"I hope that Naomi is all right." Samantha said in a hush voice.

"I sure that Neelix or someone else is looking after her. She does have a ship full of baby-sitters." Joe said as he look at Samantha. "Were are you from ?" Joe asked not really knowing much about her.

"I am from Barrow Alaska." she answer, a little surprised in the change in conversation. "Where do you come from?" she asked suddenly wanting to know more about him.

"Me, I am from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. God, I miss the ocean. Sometimes I think will never see the shore again." Carey said feeling a little homesick.

"How long do you think it will take for Voyager to find us." Wildman asked, wanting to change the subject.

"It should take a couple of hours." Carey said, following Samantha lead to take the conversation away from personal topics.

For the next hour, the pair sat silence, as Seven slept . Feeling the need something to do, Samantha decided to look around the. The ship was a ruins testament to a battle long ago. As she walked into one compartment, she could she the remains of clothing all over the floor. As she was looking around the room, a box in the corner caught her attention. Samantha walked over and pick up the box. When she opened the box, music began to play. Samantha recognized the music as La Sonadora. Inside of the box was a gold heart shaped locket. When she open the she saw a picture a of a family. Closing the box, Samantha return to the others. When she arrived, she saw that Seven was up, packing to leave.

"I just in contact with Voyager. They are ready to beam up at any time." Joe said as started to gather the equipment.

"I am ready to go. Seven I found this. I thought you might want it." Samantha said as she handed the music box to Seven.

"Thank you, Ensign Wildman. I would like to keep it." She said as she held the box and the teddy bear.

"Carey to Voyager. Three to beam up." The three beam out of the past and into future.

The next as Samantha and Naomi walked though the halls of Voyager to themess hall for dinner, they met Seven.

"Are you going to dinner Seven." Samantha asked as she held her daugther's hand.

"I guess." Seven said, nothing really want to go.

"Well, let go together." Samantha said. The three walked thought the ship, trying their best to ignore the looks that they getting from other crewmembers. When they walked in messhall they Joe Carey sitting by himself. After getting their trays of they started walked to a table of there own. But before they could sit down, Joe came over.

"Would you three ladies care to join me." Joe asked a stood next toSamantha.

"Sure, we would like to sit with you." Samantha said, as she took Naomi's hand and led her to Joe's table.

As the four of them sat down and ate their dinner, Samantha realized that on this day they had all taken a major step forward in their lives.

The end