NEELIX: Good morning.
JANEWAY: Morning.
NEELIX: Requisition reports for the week.
JANEWAY: Thanks.
NEELIX: What can you tell me about the Great Wall of China?
JANEWAY: Pardon?
NEELIX: The Great Wall of China, on Earth. Who built it?
JANEWAY: The Chinese.
NEELIX: What for?
JANEWAY: Why does anybody build a wall? To keep people out.

[Turbolift]

JANEWAY: Deck one.
NEELIX: In fact it was the first Q'in emperor who connected the walls built by a previous dynasty. He did it to prevent an invasion by nomads to the north. How big is it?
JANEWAY: I have a feeling you're going to tell me.
NEELIX: Twenty four hundred kilometres long, median width three point eight metres. Before the twenty second century, it was one of the only manmade objects that could be seen from Earth's orbit with the naked eye.
(Untrue. http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/workinginspace/great_wall.html)
JANEWAY: Very impressive, Neelix. I had no idea you knew so much about my homeworld.

[Bridge]

JANEWAY: Status?
CHAKOTAY: We're on a course for the class Y cluster. We should be there in about three days.
JANEWAY: Gives us some time to relax. Carry on. Why this sudden interest in the Great Wall?
NEELIX: I've been studying Earth landmarks.

[Ready room]

NEELIX: Mister Paris and I have been exchanging a little cross-cultural trivia. He's become quite an expert on Talaxian geography.
JANEWAY: All right, here's one for you. What can you tell me about the Millennium Gate?
NEELIX: The Millennium Gate. Constructed in the 21st century in the United States of America. It was another one of the objects that could be seen from orbit. Er, three point two kilometres at the base, one kilometre in height, surface covered with highly reflective solar panels. A self-contained ecosystem.
JANEWAY: It became a model for the first colony on Mars. Did you know that one of my ancestors built it?
NEELIX: Really?
JANEWAY: Not with a hammer and nails, but with words and a lot of courage. Shannon O'Donnel, one of the first woman astronauts. She was the driving force behind the project.
NEELIX: That's something to be proud of.
JANEWAY: We were always told stories about her at family gatherings. The first of a long line of Janeway explorers.
NEELIX: Tell me more. I want something to stump Mister Paris with.
JANEWAY: Where to begin?
NEELIX: The Millennium Gate. How did she get involved with that?
JANEWAY: Well, at that time, she was still in the space programme, but she'd also become something of an entrepreneur. I believe she was asked to join the project by the governor of Indiana. He wanted her expertise on recyclic life support systems. The way my aunt Martha, tells it they flew her in on a private aircraft.

[Shannon's car - driving]

(A model of a lunar lander is dangling from the rear view mirror. The woman driver starts a tape recorder.)
SHANNON: Five am, December 27th, 2000. I'm in the great state of Indiana, I think. I saw the world's largest ball of string this morning, and the world's largest beefsteak tomato this afternoon. It was the size of a Volkswagen. The string, not the tomato. At least Christmas is over. Oh, no.
(Shannon also has a large cup of coffee to sip from. The car develops a fault as she is entering the Future Home of the Millennium Gate.)

[Street]

SHANNON: Excuse me. I think I made a wrong turn. Is there a Millennium Gate around here?
PASSERBY: You're looking at it.
SHANNON: The sign said gas, food, lodging. I need all three.
PASSERBY: You won't find any of that here. Get back on the Interstate and go to exit nine.
SHANNON: I don't think I'm gong to make it.
PASSERBY: Good luck.
SHANNON: Tell me, are people a little friendlier off exit nine?
(But the passerby has turned a corner, and Shannon has rear-ended the car in front.)
SHANNON: Oh, no.
(She gets out to speak to the other driver.)
SHANNON: You stopped.
DRIVER: You didn't. Got a pen?
SHANNON: I, I just didn't see you. I'm sorry. Are you okay?
DRIVER: Insurance?
SHANNON: Not really.
DRIVER: Not really?
SHANNON: It ran out.
DRIVER: It's not too bad. Two hundred bucks ought to cover it.
SHANNON: Two hundred bucks?
DRIVER: Let me guess. The money ran out, too.
(The man gets back in his car and drives away with the tiny scratch on his rear bumper, sorry, fender. Shannon gets back into her car, but it refuses to start. She walks through the snow and ice to -.)

[Alexandria Books]

(Not just books. Magazines and newspapers, too. The owner and his son look down on her from a gallery at the back of the store.)
SHANNON: Hi.
JASON: Hi
SHANNON: The sign said open?
HENRY: Yes, that's right. Till six o'clock. Can we be of assistance?
SHANNON: It's cold outside, and I wondered if I could wait here.
HENRY: For what?
SHANNON: For the tow truck. My car broke down. I'm trying to get to Florida.
JASON: She doesn't look like a corporate hit man.
SHANNON: I assure you I'm not. At least not anymore.
HENRY: Well, in any case, she's unarmed and chilled to the bone. I think we can handle her. Zeus himself watched over travellers. We should follow his example. Make yourself at home.
SHANNON: Thank you.
HENRY: Where's your car?
SHANNON: Down the street, next to the coffee shop. What used to be the coffee shop. It looks like this whole town is closed down.
HENRY: It is.
SHANNON: Except for you, huh?
JASON: This ship will never sink. Right, Dad?
HENRY: Decaf. Not exactly the nectar of the gods.
SHANNON: It'll do. Thank you.
(She picks up a Save our Downtown flyer.)
SHANNON: What's this about, if I may ask?
HENRY: Preserving the past.
JASON: I'm Jason, by the way.
SHANNON: Shannon O'Donnel.
HENRY: I'm Henry. Henry Janeway.
SHANNON: Hi. So, you're trying to get them to stop building this Millennium whatever-it-is?
JASON: The Millennium Gate. The world's first self-sustaining civic environment.
HENRY: That's what the propaganda calls it. It's nothing but hype. It's actually a glorified shopping mall. They've talked all of my neighbours into selling their businesses. Only one thing stands in their way.
SHANNON: You're the last holdout?
HENRY: This time, Rome withstands the barbarians.
SHANNON: I may be able to help you, if you'd be willing to hire me.
JASON: Believe me, you don't want to be licking stamps for the next two days.
SHANNON: We could do all this on a computer.
JASON: Yeah, but my dad doesn't believe in computers. We don't even have one.
SHANNON: Well, I do. We can e-mail every computer within a hundred miles. It'll just take a few hours. It's easy.
HENRY: I'm not hiring anybody right now. Besides, you're going to Florida.
SHANNON: Maybe the tow truck is waiting. Thanks for the coffee.
HENRY: You're welcome.
SHANNON: I wouldn't ask you for a lot. Just enough to fix the car. I really, I kind of need a job right now.
JASON: Dad?
HENRY: I suppose we could use some help.
SHANNON: You do believe in electricity, don't you?

[Bar]

(The waitress brings fresh beers from Bill the barman.)
SHANNON: So, who are these barbarians, anyway?
HENRY: A company down in Texas
SHANNON: Why come here?
HENRY: The City Fathers made it easy for them. Free building permits, deferred taxes, new roads, so the invaders, they return the favour. They have offered us twenty percent above the market price for our properties. You know what the catch is? We've all got to sell.
SHANNON: Everybody must love you.
HENRY: People I knew when I was growing up, family, friends, it seems like they've all just turned against me. If this were Roman times, they'd feed me to the lions.
SHANNON: To the good old days.
HENRY: You know, I was born in the wrong millennium.
SHANNON: I'll stick with the modern age.
HENRY: The classical age. Greatest literature mankind ever produced.
SHANNON: No antibiotics.
HENRY: Families who'd take care of one another.
SHANNON: No cars.
HENRY: Air you can breathe.
SHANNON: No telephones.
HENRY: What a pleasure.
SHANNON: Shorter life spans.
HENRY: Lives that were worth living.
SHANNON: No cold beer.
HENRY: There you got me. Speaking of the modern age, Do you have any plans for the Millennium Eve?
SHANNON: No different than last year's Millennium Eve. I plan to be asleep.
HENRY: Life of the party.
SHANNON: Oh, don't tell me you've bought into all that hype again?
HENRY: Oh, maybe just a little.
SHANNON: Last year, when 2000 arrived? Everyone was convinced it was the dawn of a new era. But when the world didn't end and the flying saucers didn't land and the Y2K bug didn't turn off a single light bulb, you'd think everybody would have realised it was a number on a calendar. But, oh, no, they had to listen to all those hucksters who told them the real millennium was 2001. So this New Year's Eve will be as boring as last year.
HENRY: Come to think about it, I have sold an awful lot of doomsday books.
SHANNON: See what I mean?
HENRY: So, what's in Florida?
SHANNON: I have a cousin down there. I'll stay with her for a while until I can get back on my feet.
HENRY: If you don't mind my asking, did you lose your job?
SHANNON: I'm in a transitional period.
HENRY: From what to what.
SHANNON: From what I was doing to what I'm going to do. Your son tells me that your bookstore's belonged in your family for generations. That you've never done anything else.
HENRY: Yes, that's right.
SHANNON: You know, I'm just the opposite. I love to see places I've never been, try new things. I'm kind of an explorer.
HENRY: Really? Hmm. That station wagon of yours doesn't exactly look like a sailing ship.
SHANNON: It's a rocket ship.
HENRY: My mistake.
(The customers go outside to see why the ground is shaking. There are big dumper trucks driving down the street.)

[Television]

(Channel 3 Action News is interviewing Gerald Moss, Millennium Gate Spokesman.)
MOSS : We have every intention of breaking ground on Monday. Day one of the next millennium. The people of this town have given us their full cooperation.
HENRY [OC]: That's not true!
MOSS: If you'll let me finish, Mister Janeway. With the exception of Mister Janeway here.
COLLINS: Mister Janeway, would you like to comment?
HENRY: Yes. Yes, I would. You, you just can't, you can't bulldoze this town away. This, this is our heritage. This is our past.
MOSS: We're trying to give Portage Creek a future. Can't you see that?
HENRY: Yeah, yeah, your, your future. Your future, not ours. 

[Street]

COLLINS: Mister Moss, we've heard you're considering moving the project to one of your alternate sites. Can you shed any light on that rumour?
MOSS: I'm afraid that's more than a rumour. If we can't work out an arrangement in Portage Creek, we'll have no choice but to select another location.
COLLINS: What city?
MOSS: No comment.
COLLINS: Is it true that Canton, Ohio has been chosen for the alternate
MOSS: Thank you for your time.
COLLINS: Thank you, Mister Moss. 
HENRY: Well, that's that. All we have to do is stand firm till New Year's.
JASON: Easy for you to say. I have to go to school with their kids.
HENRY: Your school is one of the first places they're going to tear down.
JASON: They said they'd build a new one, a better one.
HENRY: Whose side are you on? I'm sorry. We're all in this together. Come on. Let's head back to civilisation.

[Alexandria Books]

HENRY: Where shall we dine tonight? Ah, how does Paris sound? (Henry stands a book of French art open on the table. He and Shannon are dining by candlelight.)
SHANNON: It's Friday night. Can we get a reservation?
HENRY: Well, I think I can arrange it. I know the maitre d.
SHANNON: Too bad I don't speak French.
HENRY: Well, we'll keep it to ourselves. There. To new friends.
SHANNON: And a gracious host.
HENRY: Bon appetit.
SHANNON: I wouldn't mind visiting Paris one day.
HENRY: Yes, it'd be nice.
SHANNON: You haven't been?
HENRY: I haven't been outside Indiana. These are my travelling companions. They'll take me anywhere, anytime.
SHANNON: It's not such a bad idea to experience the real thing every now and then.
HENRY: I prefer my books.
SHANNON: Maybe you just never had the right guide.
HENRY: Is that an offer? I could make a similar argument. Not such a bad idea to settle down every now and then.
SHANNON: Is that an offer? You're a peculiar man, Mister Janeway. Cloistered away with all your books, shutting out the world.
HENRY: Any more peculiar than exploring the Midwest in an ailing station wagon?
SHANNON: Only slightly. Any word on my car?
HENRY: It's got a brand new oil pan.
SHANNON: You forgot to tell me that.
HENRY: Well, we were busy today. It's parked behind the garage whenever you're ready.
SHANNON: First thing in the morning.
HENRY: Not so fast. Jason told me you promised to show him a few tricks on the computer.
SHANNON: I could use another day of rest.
HENRY: Great. Jason'll be pleased. And when you're done with him, perhaps we'll take a stroll along the Boulevard St. Germain.
SHANNON: You're making it difficult to say goodbye.
HENRY: Maybe that's the idea.

[Astrometrics lab]

SEVEN: You wished to see me, Captain?
JANEWAY: I need your help with this. The Millennium Gate.
SEVEN: Impressive.
(On the astrometrics screen is a massive tower with eight spokes running off from the base which join into roads. The area within the spokes appears to be built up, but the surrounding land is all fields, with the Interstate running past.)
JANEWAY: It was built by one of my ancestors over three hundred years ago. I've been digging through the historical database, but a lot of the information from that era has been lost or damaged. I thought you might be able to help me reconstruct some of it.
SEVEN: Is this relevant to our present mission?
JANEWAY: It's relevant to me.
SEVEN: This ancestor of yours is fifteen generations removed. You only possess a small fraction of her genetic material. Insignificant.
JANEWAY: This isn't about chromosomes, Seven. It's about character.
SEVEN: Explain.
JANEWAY: Shannon O'Donnel inspired me when I was a girl. She had a, an influence on my imagination, on my goals.
SEVEN: I never realised genealogy could have such an impact.
JANEWAY: I wouldn't have become a Starfleet Captain if it wasn't for her.

[Mess hall]

NEELIX: The temple of Artemis at Ephesus.
PARIS: That's four.
NEELIX: The Colossus at Rhodes.
PARIS: No. In chronological order.
NEELIX: Right. The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. The Colossus at Rhodes.
PARIS: That leaves just one more.
NEELIX: The seventh wonder of the ancient world is
PARIS: Can't remember?
NEELIX: Oh, it's right on the tip of my tongue. It's. Forget it, I give up.
PARIS: Ha! I got you. It's the er.
NEELIX: Can't remember?
SEVEN: The Lighthouse of Alexandria built by Ptolemy the Second in 280 BC.
PARIS: Behold the wonder of the modern world. Borg photographic memory. We'll call this one a draw.
NEELIX: Brushing up on Earth's history?
SEVEN: Captain Janeway requested that I research one of her ancestors.
NEELIX: Shannon O'Donnel.
SEVEN: You've heard of her.
NEELIX: Who hasn't? You mind if I lend a hand?
SEVEN: If you wish.
(Neelix picks up a PADD.)
NEELIX: Sven 'Buttercup' Hanson.
SEVEN: He was one of my progenitors. A twenty second century prize-fighter. The Captain encouraged me to investigate my genealogy as well.
NEELIX: Well, your ancestors can tell you a lot about yourself.
SEVEN: Somehow, I doubt 'Buttercup' has much relevance to me.
NEELIX: The connection could be deeper than you think. Sven. Seven.
SEVEN: A coincidence.
NEELIX: The point is, there's some of him in you. Just as there'll be some of you in your descendants.
SEVEN: If I choose to procreate.
NEELIX: I wouldn't dismiss it so lightly. Someday you may enjoy a little Seven of Nine point five running around. Or not. Or not.
SEVEN: My research has failed. I have found no references to this individual.
NEELIX: Well, genealogy's a lot like fishing. You've got to cast a wide net. Computer, expand record search for subject Shannon O'Donnel to include non-Federation databases. Er, personal archives and photographic indexes, as well.
COMPUTER: Reference found.
NEELIX: Well, take a look at this. Shannon Janeway.
(They have found a photograph in Database 2197 of the elderly Shannon surrounded by several generations of her family.)

[Ready room]

JANEWAY: Where in the world did you find this?
NEELIX: A Ferengi database.
JANEWAY: Ferengi?
NEELIX: Eleven years ago, one of their historians collected massive amounts of data about the origin of space travel in the Federation. He wanted to market it as a nostalgic gift item.
JANEWAY: I would have been his first customer.
NEELIX: It's a handsome family, Captain.
JANEWAY: These must be her sons and daughters. Grandchildren. Great-grandchildren.
SEVEN: I've also discovered journalistic accounts in the historical archives. Mostly articles concerning resistance to the Millennium Gate.
JANEWAY: The whole town was against her. Download this image for me, will you, Neelix? I'm going to frame it.
NEELIX: Yes, Captain.

[Bar]

(Shannon is at a table with a map of the USA spread out in front of her.)
COLLINS [on TV]: The citizens of Canton, Ohio greeted Millennium Gate representatives with a small parade today. Canton is one of three alternate sites now being considered by Gate officials. Vowing not to bow to pressure, Henry Janeway, owner of Portage Creek's Alexandria Books, says he has no intention of closing down. Marci Collins, Channel Three News.
MOSS: Next stop, Mars. I used to be in media relations with NASA. As I recall, your class came up with that slogan. Do you mind? It's a shame you didn't make the cut.
SHANNON: Not good enough, I guess.
MOSS: Do you still keep in touch with any of the others?
SHANNON: No.
MOSS: I do. In fact, I made a few calls last night. Remember Lieutenant McMillan?
SHANNON: How's she doing.
MOSS: Co-pilot on the joint mission with the Europeans scheduled for 03. Four months on the space station.
SHANNON: Not bad for a girl with claustrophobia.
MOSS: She got over it. Sorry to hear about your last job. All this downsizing in aerospace. Engineers aren't given the respect they deserve.
SHANNON: Who told you I lost my job?
MOSS: I made a few calls. You don't have to live like this. Borrowing money, sleeping in your car.
SHANNON: You've got no business checking up on me.
MOSS: Actually, I do. We run a history on all our candidates.
SHANNON: Are you trying to make me some kind of an offer?
MOSS: We know you've been working closely with Henry Janeway. He'll listen to you.
SHANNON: Oh. You want me to talk to him, get him to change his mind.
MOSS: If you can.
SHANNON: And in return?
MOSS: We'd give you a job. Make you a consulting engineer on the project. You certainly have the credentials. Well?
SHANNON: I'll think about it.
MOSS: Think quickly. We can't wait another thousand years.

[Shannon's dream]

HOUSTON CONTROL: Roger that, and go ahead.
ARMSTRONG: That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

[Alexandria Books]

(Jason is downstairs, using her laptop.)
JASON: Morning.
SHANNON: Morning.
JASON: I didn't think you'd mind. You've got some really great games on this.
SHANNON: Don't worry about it. Have you tried Matrix of Doom?
JASON: Oh, yeah. I got vaporised on level six.
SHANNON: Try launching a flare before entering the steel fortress.
JASON: Cool. Coffee?
SHANNON: Please. Where is your father?
JASON: Bloomington. All the suppliers in town are boycotting us, so he went up there to place some orders.
SHANNON: He left you in charge?
JASON: Alexandria Books, may I help you?
SHANNON: Sounds like you've got it down.
JASON: I pay the bills too. Dad's not very good at accounting. You have any kids?
SHANNON: No.
JASON: Not a priority?
SHANNON: I wouldn't say that. I just never got around to it. If you don't mind me asking, where's your mom?
JASON: She died.
SHANNON: Oh, I'm sorry.
JASON: I was really young. I don't remember her much. Dad says none of the great heroes grew up in a nuclear family. Hercules, Achilles, Odysseus. They all grew up with single parents.
SHANNON: You're in good company. You like working here, Jason?
JASON: It's okay.
SHANNON: You know, I get the feeling you don't share your father's enthusiasm about preserving the past.
JASON: I don't know. The Millennium Gate could be pretty cool.
SHANNON: Did you ever see the first landing on the moon? One small step for man.
JASON: They showed it in science class one time.
SHANNON: I saw it on TV when I was eleven years old. The whole world watched it.
JASON: Must have been great.
SHANNON: Oh, it way. So, do you have any heroes?
JASON: We are not living in a heroic age, that's what my dad says.
SHANNON: Come on, there's got to be somebody.
JASON: Dad. I mean, he's a pain sometimes, but he's pretty cool. (phone rings) Alexandria Books, may I help you? That's all right. First call in three days and it's a wrong number.
(The television Countdown to Midnight films Henry returning to the store with 12:10:50 to go.)
HENRY: Glorious Hector, son of Priam, slips past the Greek front lines bringing much-needed supplies to the embattled city of Troy.
JASON: Hey, Dad you're famous.
(A picture of his confrontation with Moss is on the newspaper front page.)
SHANNON: Local business owner topples Gate.
HENRY: Let it fall. Any customers this morning?
JASON: No one here but us galliforms.
SHANNON: That's chickens for the non-scientists in the crowd.
HENRY: You two are dangerous together. Portage Creek will thank us one day. You don't sacrifice history for a shopping mall.
SHANNON: It's a little more than that, Henry.
HENRY: I beg your pardon?
SHANNON: I said, it's not just a mall.
HENRY: Have you read the promotional literature? Over six hundred retail spaces available. Franchise potential.
SHANNON: There's a commercial dimension to the project, but that's not its only function.
HENRY: What's your point?
SHANNON: I've learned a few details about the Millennium Gate. It's a self-sustaining city, an experimental biosphere. It's never been done before.
HENRY: What's wrong with the biosphere we're living in now?
SHANNON: Nothing.
HENRY: Exactly.
SHANNON: But this project will help scientists learn more about our environment. Possibly even recreate it on other worlds.
HENRY: Other worlds? Don't we have enough problems on the one we're on?
SHANNON: Yeah. Which is why I'd like to get the hell off it one day.
HENRY: I think you're taking this exploring a little too far.
SHANNON: And you're so afraid of change you can barely walk out that front door. The Millennium Gate has a lot of potential, Henry. You just can't see it. All you can see are these books. You're living in the past.
HENRY: Sounds like you've been sleeping with the enemy.
SHANNON: Having a beer, anyway.
HENRY: Moss.
SHANNON: He offered me a job.
HENRY: Doing what?
SHANNON: Consulting engineer.
HENRY: On the Millennium Gate?
SHANNON: I said I'd think about it.
HENRY: And he said, get Janeway to sign on the dotted line and you're hired?
SHANNON: That's one way of looking at it.
HENRY: And when I say no, then what? You're going to go with them, right? To Canton, Ohio, or the Third Circle of Hell, or wherever it is they decide to build this damn thing.
SHANNON: I can't keep living out of my car.
HENRY: You don't have to. Stay here.
SHANNON: No.
HENRY: Why not?
SHANNON: Because I can't.
HENRY: That's not a reason.
SHANNON: Because I don't want to! You've been really nice to me, Henry, but I can't get stuck here.
HENRY: Stuck? Like me?
SHANNON: I didn't say that. You can live however you want to.
HENRY: And so can you.
(Henry holds out the bag and Shannon puts her laptop into it.)
JASON: What's going on?
HENRY: We're helping our guest resume her journey.
JASON: But I thought you were staying here for a while.
SHANNON: Something came up.
HENRY: We can manage by ourselves. I guess saying goodbye isn't that difficult after all.
(Jason runs after Shannon.)
HENRY: Jason. Jason, where you going?
JASON: Aunt Pat's. Happy New Year.

[Street]

(Countdown films this, too, at 12:07:53)
HENRY: Jason? Jason!

[Ready room]

KIM: It was around 2210. My uncle Jack was on a deep space mission to Beta Capricus.
PARIS: That's when deep space meant the next star over.
KIM: And that was when they still had to go into stasis. So, Jack put his crew under as soon as they left orbit, and piloted the ship by himself for six months.
NEELIX: No contact with anybody along the way?
KIM: There wasn't anybody along the way. Not back then. The transmitter wasn't even subspace. It took weeks to get a message back to Earth.
SEVEN: I would prefer stasis.
PARIS: Me too. That long alone, I'd probably go a little batty.
KIM: So, six months to Beta Capricus and when they finally arrive, there's nothing there.
NEELIX: No planets?
KIM: No. No star, no nothing. It turns out Beta Capricus was just an EM echo of a distant galaxy.
SEVEN: What was his course of action?
KIM: What else could he do? He turned the ship around and headed home.
JANEWAY: And the crew?
KIM: He figured there was no reason to bother them. There's nothing to see, nothing to do. So six months later he gets back to Earth, brings everybody out of stasis, and they wake up wondering why they haven't left orbit.
(Doorbell)
JANEWAY: Come in.
EMH: Oh. I didn't realise you were in a briefing. 
JANEWAY: Not at all. We're talking about our family histories.
EMH: Oh. This can wait. May I join you?
JANEWAY: Please.
EMH: I, too, come from a distinguished line.
PARIS: His cousin's an electric shaver.
EMH: Hardly. My programme was compiled from the most advanced holo-matrices in the Federation. My cousin was a prize-winning chess programme.
SEVEN: Ensign Paris, you have yet to elaborate on your family origins.
PARIS: Well, they were a pretty ordinary bunch, salt of the earth type people. Farmers, mostly. Some planetary colonists. Ah, but there was one. He was a pilot. He flew the first orbital glider over the lower Martian plateau.
NEELIX: Mars? Your ancestor must have known the Captain's.
JANEWAY: She did work on all the early Mars projects. Looks like we go way back, Mister Paris.
PARIS: What was her name?
JANEWAY: Shannon O'Donnel.
PARIS: O'Donnel. I don't think so.
JANEWAY: What do you mean?
PARIS: Well, I know all the Mars projects from the 1970s on. Unmanned, manned, who's who. There were no O'Donnels in any of them.
(Janeway has found the newspaper article.)
JANEWAY: Come in.
CHAKOTAY: Ship's status report.
JANEWAY: Let me guess. The holographic engineer is having problems with her programme. Neelix, the Cardassian cook, is low on supplies. Seven of Twelve is regenerating and Captain Chakotay is doing just fine. Just wondering how they'll piece together our lives a few hundred years from now.
CHAKOTAY: Depends on how big the pieces are.
JANEWAY: A PADD here, a Captain's log there, maybe a couple of holodeck programmes. It won't be as much to go on as we might think. I've gone through dozens of histories written about twenty first century Earth, all of them biased in one way or another. The Vulcans describe First Contact with a savagely illogical race. Ferengi talk about Wall Street as if it were holy ground. The Bolians express dismay at the low quality of human plumbing. And human historians? Exact same story. Every culture saw it a different way. So I go back to the raw material. Birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, census surveys, voter registration forms, housing records, medical, employment, court records. It's all fragmented and incomplete.
CHAKOTAY: So, did she exist?
JANEWAY: Her name was Shannon O'Donnel. She did train to be an astronaut, but she didn't finish. She was an engineer, but never worked on the Mars missions.
CHAKOTAY: Did she work on the Millennium Gate?
JANEWAY: Only as a consultant.
CHAKOTAY: What about all the opposition you spoke of? You said she fought to get the project underway.
JANEWAY: There was no opposition. In fact, the Millennium Gate was greeted with open arms by the local population. Except for one man.
CHAKOTAY: Henry Janeway.
JANEWAY: She married him, and changed her name. But she certainly never changed history.
CHAKOTAY: Don't be too hard on her. She may not have known she was supposed to live up to your expectations.
JANEWAY: Oh, I'll get over it. The question is, when we get back to Earth, how will I break the news to Aunt Martha?

[Bar]

(The Countdown is at 02:39:15 and the camera squarely pointed at Alexandria Books.)
COLLINS [on TV]: With less than three hours to go, Henry Janeway still refuses to cooperate with Millennium Gate representatives. I'll return with live updates as midnight approaches. Marci Collins, Channel Three News.
MOSS: I don't suppose there's any chance he'll change his mind?
SHANNON: By midnight? Doubtful.
MOSS: Then it looks like we'll have to scrub the launch, at least where Portage Creek is concerned. It's a shame how one ignorant man can stand in the way of progress.
SHANNON: It's not that simple.
MOSS: Henry's a very likable guy, but he's playing for the wrong team. He's looking back. This town needs people who look towards the future.
SHANNON: Well, while you're looking forward, I'll be driving to Florida.
MOSS: Wait a minute. I'm not about to turn a fellow explorer out into the cold.
SHANNON: I didn't hold up my end of the bargain.
MOSS: If we didn't think you had something to add to this project, we never would have made the offer in the first place. Henry Janeway's pigheadedness doesn't change that. We could still use your help, just not here. (Moss gives Shannon a business card.)
MOSS: My associate in Canton. I'll tell him you're on the way. He'll find a place for you.
JASON: Shannon!
SHANNON: What's the matter?
JASON: It's Dad.
MOSS: See you in Ohio?
JASON: He won't leave the shop. There's all these people outside. The police are there.
SHANNON: Your father can take care of himself.
JASON: Please, won't you talk to him? He'll listen to you.
SHANNON: No, he doesn't, Jason.
JASON: Where are you going? And what's this about I'll see you in Ohio?
SHANNON: Ohio. Florida.
JASON: What's wrong with this place?
SHANNON: It didn't work out.
JASON: I thought you liked us.
SHANNON: I do.
JASON: Then why are you leaving?
SHANNON: I'm sorry.

[Shannon's car - driving]

SHANNON: December 31st, 2000. Eleven fifteen pm. I've got ninety five miles of Interstate before I have to decide whether I head east or south, but those ninety five miles won't be uneventful. My guidebook tells me I'm not too far from Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, recreated entirely in corn. 
(She passes the sign saying You are now leaving Portage Creek. Drive safely.)
SHANNON: The last few days have been memorable, to say the least. I met Henry Janeway. Interesting man. Liked to talk. Unfortunately, he doesn't listen to anybody but himself. He gave me a place to stay, though. And we had dinner. In Paris, no less. He has a son. Good kid. Bright, like his father.
(She stops her tape recorder and bites into a chocolate chip cookie. And returns to the Future Home of the Millennium Gate.)

[Outside Alexandria Books]

MOSS: I personally don't regret a single day I've spent in this lovely town, and I want to thank you all for your encouragement and support.
COLLINS: Would you consider extending your deadline?
SHANNON: Excuse me. I'm sorry.
POLICEMAN: No further.
MOSS: I'm afraid that's not possible. We'd like to express our deepest regrets to the town of Portage Creek and on behalf of. Excuse me.
COLLINS: Get this.
MOSS: Let her through.
(Shannon is allowed through the police cordon.)

[Alexandria Books]

HENRY: We're closed.
SHANNON [outside]: It's me!
HENRY: I said, we're closed.
SHANNON [outside]: That's not what the sign says. Damn it, Henry, it's cold out here.
HENRY: Who's with you?
SHANNON [outside]: Nobody but us galliforms.
(He unlocks the door.)
HENRY: Thought you'd be in Ohio by now. Car break down again? What the hell are you doing?
SHANNON: Get your things. We're leaving.
HENRY: I'm not going anywhere.
SHANNON: Do I have to drag you out the front door?
HENRY: You can try.
SHANNON: Henry.
HENRY: I won't leave.
SHANNON: It's over.
HENRY: Then I'll have to ask you to leave.
SHANNON: Half the town is out there. You're on the news. Maybe you'll go down in history. You have made your point.
HENRY: Obviously, I haven't, because if I had you wouldn't be asking me to sign my life away.
SHANNON: Maybe if you'd looked up from your books once in a while you'd see what's in front of you.
HENRY: Oh, please, no more speeches about the future.
SHANNON: As long as I don't have to hear you pontificate about the past.
HENRY: It's a deal. Glad we had this chat. Goodbye.
SHANNON: It's almost midnight, Henry.
HENRY: Exactly. I've won.
SHANNON: What have you won? The right to hide behind these shelves for the rest of your life?
HENRY: It's worked so far.
SHANNON: Well, it isn't working for your son, or this town, or me.
HENRY: Look, I know you've got a job to do.
SHANNON: Oh, this isn't about the job.
HENRY: Then why are you here?
SHANNON: It was the cookies.
HENRY: Cookies?
SHANNON: I was on the Interstate. I stopped for gas, and I bought a bag of chocolate chip cookies in a convenience store. It's a little ritual of mine. Whenever I get back on the highway, I like to treat myself.
HENRY: I see. Well, er, what does this have to do with anything?
SHANNON: They didn't taste good, Henry. It wasn't the same. I just kept thinking about you, and how I wish you'd been there.
HENRY: Actually, I prefer oatmeal cookies. I'm allergic to chocolate.
SHANNON: Oh, you don't know what you're missing. It's been a long time, but I'm starting to feel like maybe I found a place where I'd like to stick around for a while, with you and Jason.
HENRY: And we'd like to have you.
SHANNON: But I can't work in a bookstore for the rest of my life. I've been given a second chance, Henry, and I can't lose that. I'm stuck in the future, you're stuck in the past. But maybe we could get unstuck in the present.
HENRY: I, I don't see how with, without sacrificing my
SHANNON: You know, Mister Moss offered me a job in Canton, even though I failed to keep up my end of the bargain. I guess he felt sorry for me. But I'm prepared to turn him down if you want me to stay with you.
HENRY: I suppose I could re-open my shop in that monstrosity you want to build.
SHANNON: Well, I'll have a few connections. I could probably get you a nice remote location, so nobody would bother you.
HENRY: Not much profit in that. You sure you won't drive away again?
SHANNON: No, But if I do, we'll make the trip together.
HENRY: What time is it?
SHANNON: A minute to midnight.
HENRY: Then we're not too late.
(Shannon and Henry leave the store. He turns the sign to Closed and the crowd go wild.)

[Janeway's quarters]

NEELIX [OC]: Neelix to Captain Janeway.
JANEWAY: Yes?
NEELIX [OC]: Captain, would you mind coming to the mess hall?
JANEWAY: Is there a problem?
NEELIX [OC]: No, no emergency. But I need to speak with you. A personal matter.
JANEWAY: Give me a minute.

[Mess hall]

NEELIX: Happy Ancestor's Eve!
ALL: Happy Ancestor's Eve, Captain.
JANEWAY: What's all this?
NEELIX: It's April 22, Ancestor's Eve. It's a holiday first established, er, well, er, today, actually. With the Captain's permission.
JANEWAY: Neelix.
CHAKOTAY: I think he's onto something, Captain. An evening of reflection in honour of those who came before.
KIM: Here, here, Uncle Jack would approve.
TORRES: It got me out from under a warp conduit. I'm all for it.
JANEWAY: I appreciate what you're trying to do, but
PARIS: Neelix, the gift.
JANEWAY: What gift?
(The framed photograph.)
NEELIX: Shannon O'Donnel Janeway, circa 2050. We did a little more research. This photograph was taken in a small park near Portage Creek, thirty eight years after the dedication of the Millennium Gate. I thought it would look nice in your ready room, on the shelf next to your desk.
JANEWAY: Thank you, But I'm not so sure she has a place there any more.
SEVEN: You are mistaken, Captain.
JANEWAY: Oh?
SEVEN: Her life captured your imagination. Historical details are irrelevant.
TUVOK: I concur with that analysis.
CHAKOTAY: If it weren't for Shannon O'Donnel, you never would have joined Starfleet.
JANEWAY: Yeah, and I would have never have got you all stuck here in the Delta Quadrant.
TORRES: It gave us all time to get to know each other.
EMH: Time for a family portrait of our own. Everyone, gather around the Captain, please. Face the camera. Smile.
(The EMH sets the timer and joins the group.)
JANEWAY: To family.
ALL: To family.
EMH: Another one for posterity.
JANEWAY: No, no.
PARIS: I think we should get out of here.
JANEWAY: Enough is enough.

[2050]

(A little red-headed boy, the spitting image of the lad in Mad Magazine, is making rabbit ears behind his big sister's head.)
SHANNON: Knock it off, Kieran. That's an order.