Once Upon A Time

Flotter:  

Ouch!

Naomi:  

Wake up.

Flotter:  

Who's there?

Naomi:  

Naomi.

Flotter:  

Come back later.

Naomi:  

You know what I think? I think you're scared of the tree monster.

Flotter:  

I'm not scared of any tree monster, Miss Wildman. But, as you know, I need my beauty sleep.

Naomi:  

I'm sorry I woke you, but we have a mission?

Flotter:  

You and your missions. Lucky for you your old pal Flotter has everything ready. Follow me. I've laid a trap. When he climbs this tree, he'll trip the alarm. Tree monsters are terrified of high pitched noises.

Naomi:  

I never heard that.

Flotter:  

Ah! It's a well known fact. The bell will scare him high into those branches, where counterweights will bend the tree top till it springs back, catapulting him pondward, and... splash! He'll sink like a log.

Naomi:  

But Flotter... logs float.

Flotter:  

Details, details.

Trevis:  

That is a terrible plan.

Naomi:  

It's him!

Trevis:  

The name's Trevis. And you are?

Flotter:  

Flotter. Flotter T Water the third.

Trevis:  

Well, of course you are, drippy. You!

Naomi:  

Naomi Wildman. But my friends call me Naomi.

Trevis:  

I don't recognise your element. You're not earth or water or plasma.

Naomi:  

I'm human.

Trevis:  

Where do you live?

Naomi:  

In space.

Trevis:  

Nobody lives in space.

Flotter:  

She does. On a starship, called Voyager.

Naomi:  

I'm an explorer.

Trevis:  

Really? An explorer! Timber... What's that like?

Naomi:  

Well, you know. Space battles with aliens, strange anomalies.

Trevis:  

May I visit your starship?

Naomi:  

Well, I'll have to ask my mom.

Flotter:  

You know, for a monster you're very polite.

Trevis:  

That's because I'm not a monster.

He rings the bell on Flotter's trap.

Trevis:  

You see that? I'm not scared one bit. My bark is worse than my bite.

Naomi:  

Maybe we jumped to conclusions about him.

Flotter:  

Well, he may not be a monster but he is stealing my water with his roots.

Trevis:  

Stealing? Absurd. Why, I ought to dry you up.

Flotter:  

And I ought to chop you down.

Trevis:  

You want a piece of me?

Naomi:  

Excuse me. It sounds like you two need each other. I mean, think about it. Flotter, your water helps his trees grow. And Trevis, your branches shade his pond from the sun. It's a well known fact that the sun makes water evaporate.

Flotter:  

She's got a point.

Trevis:  

The girl's a thinker.

Naomi:  

Now shake hands and make up.

Trevis:  

Ugh, moist palms.

Flotter:  

Sappy fingers.

Neelix:  

[Neelix to Holodeck Two.]

Naomi:  

Naomi here.

Neelix:  

[It's bedtime.]

Naomi:  

Can't I stay a little longer?

Neelix:  

[You know the rules.]

Neelix:  

Naomi!

Trevis:  

Go away.

Neelix:  

Where is she?

Trevis:  

She doesn't want to talk to you.

Flotter:  

You lied.

Neelix:  

I thought you vaporised.

Flotter:  

Naomi reliquefied me.

Trevis:  

Now leave.

Neelix:  

Computer. Delete characters.

Computer:  

Unable to comply. Holodeck controls have been encoded.

Trevis:  

Delete us?

Flotter:  

I wonder if this liar can swim.

Trevis:  

We could always hang him from one of my branches.

Neelix:  

Naomi. Please let me talk to you.

Naomi:  

It's okay.

Trevis:  

You be nice.

Flotter:  

No more lying.

Neelix:  

Hey there.

Naomi:  

Is my mother dead?

Neelix:  

We don't know.

Naomi:  

What happened?

Neelix:  

The away team was trying to avoid an ion storm. They had to land on a planet.

Naomi:  

I saw that crater. Something was burning.

Neelix:  

Plasma fires, and pieces of debris. But not the hull. Until we know for sure what's happened, no one's giving up on the rescue attempt.

Naomi:  

You really think they might find her?

Neelix:  

Yes.

Naomi:  

How do I know you're telling me the truth this time?

Neelix:  

I... I never told you this before. But, when I was much younger, I lost my mom, in a terrible war. My father and my sisters too. It was the worst thing that ever happened to me. Always wondering, how did they die? Were they worried about me? Could they still be alive? I thought if I could just keep you from wondering, you wouldn't have to feel what I did.

Naomi:  

You were pretending that nothing was wrong, that nothing bad happened. Do you ever pretend that nothing bad happened to your family?

Neelix:  

Sometimes.

Naomi:  

Does it help?

Neelix:  

Not really.

Naomi:  

Don't be sad, Neelix.

Janeway:  

[All hands to emergency stations. We've got a level eight ion storm approaching.]

Flotter:  

Ion storm? What's that?

Trevis:  

The ogre of fire. He's attacking us again.

Neelix:  

We'd better get back to your quarters.

Flotter:  

Naomi! Don't leave us!

Naomi:  

I'll be back. I promise.

Janeway:  

Captain's log, supplemental. Ensign Wildman has recovered from her injuries, and the Delta Flyer, though battered, is intact.