=/\=

Without money, the kids were unable to find any place where they could eat. They were able to scrounge up about fifty cents (well, that’s what Blake estimated. He wasn’t sure how much a nickel was worth). Noah and Anna’s stomach were grumbling and Natalie was beginning to suffer from lack of caffeine. Like her mother, she was a serious coffee addict and if she didn’t have at least one cup with a touch of sugar she’d be out like a broken replicator before Calculus was even half over.

"I wanna go home!" Anna whined as the kids trekked back to the convention center. Natalie surmised that if Voyager did come up with a way to rescue them from the past from hell, it would most likely be at the convention center.

"How much farther?" Andy asked. "I’m tired and I’m hungry."

"And I’m sick of hearing you complain," snapped Blake. "We get there when we get there." Andy sighed and continued walking.

Whispering to Seth, he said, "He can be so bossy sometimes." Seth nodded in agreement.

When they reached the convention center, the parking lot was empty and it looked like the building was closed.

"So, do we just wait here?" Emily asked. The group was silent for a moment. Blake stepped onto the sidewalk and surveyed the area. Naomi held Seth by the hand to keep him from running off again. He resents the baby-like treatment and tries to pull away, but Naomi’s grasp on his wrist only tightens.

"So, looks like we are now natives of the 21st century," Natalie commented dejectedly. "I escape the most vile alien race in the galaxy only to be stuck in this dirty, middle-class hellhole they like to call Earth in the twenty-first century. Can it get any worse?". She sighs and Anna sits next to her and pats her softly on the head.

"It’s ok, Nat-lee, it’s ok," she softly says. Natalie smiles weakly at the consolation. Crackle, crackle. Natalie jumped at the sound.

"Did you hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" Blake replied. Crackle, crackle, buzz, buzz. Blake heard it that time, as did everyone else.

Crackle. "Is…" a soft distant voice began. "Out….please…..respond…..anyone….out… there?". Natalie grabbed for her communicator which was lying in her pocket and quickly tapped it.

"Hello?" she asked. "This is Natalie Janeway, if anyone is there, please respond." Crackle, buzz, crackle.

"Natalie….Seven of Nine…we’re……come…..you…" The link was choppy and unclear. Natalie could hardly make out what was being said. She looked at the others for help, but they seemed unsure on how to decipher this message.

"Any ideas?" Emily asked.

"We’re come you," Blake repeated. "That’s what she said."

"We’re coming to get you!" Anna shouted. Seth, who was standing right next to her, covered his ears.

"Thanks, Anna, it’s not like I really need to that ear," he grumbled. Anna covered her mouth from laughing.

"Sorry," she whispered. Seth just glared. The communicator started garbling again, and Naomi silenced the bickering youngsters.

"Set…communicator…frequency to…eight…." The transmission broke again. The eight sat there anxiously.

"Come on," Natalie whispered. "Come on."

"Seven…two…one…please." Good ol’ Seven of Nine. Polite even in a life and death situation. Emily started ripping apart her communicator. She set the communicator’s frequency to eight seven two one. Once she had it sealed up, she tapped it.

"Emily Paris to the USS Voyager, please respond," she said in a clear, Starfleet-ish voice. There was silence for another few moments. Emily was afraid it wasn’t going to work. They were never going home. She wanted to go home so much…to see her mother and father…her stuffed targ…she’d even eat leola root for six months if it meant getting home.

"This is Seven of Nine," came a voice. "We read you loud and clear." Anna covered her mouth to keep from shrieking and Naomi and Natalie hugged each other. Blake patted Emily on the shoulder.

"Good job," he whispered. She grinned.

"Seven, you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice," Emily said, her smile as wide as Kahless after a victory.

"Hi Mommy," Anna shouted into the communicator. On Voyager, Seven just smiled.

"We’re attempted to lock onto your coordinates. Prepare to be transported," she ordered in a very professional Borg-like manner, although inside, Seven was ecstatic.

Within moments the tingly sensation of the transporter engulfed Emily and the others.

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Transport to: Table of Contents | Chapter Five