"So let me get this straight. You travel through time policing history. Your device tells you if something's wrong and then you go about setting that straight. You make sure that the events I have read about in my history book actually will take place, er, have taken place, er ..." Pam shakes her head. Jeffrey and Bogg have just finished giving her a brief summary with examples of what it is they do. What Voyagers do. "You expect me to believe that?"
"It's the truth," Jeffrey says.
"Do you mind if I keep believing I'm on drugs? It's a concept I can grasp."
Jeffrey shrugs. "You will have to face up to the facts sooner or later."
"In the mean time, what are we gonna do about this girl?" Bogg nods towards the headstone.
"Guess we have to find out how she died. She died young and not of natural causes so there might be something in the papers about her."
"How do you know she didn't die of natural causes?" Pam asks. "I mean, sure, she died young, but she could have had a bad heart condition from birth."
"It wasn't natural causes because she isn't supposed to die this young," Jeffrey replies. Pam nods. Sure, if you claim this Norma Jeane is Marilyn Monroe, you'd have to use that logic.
A man joins them at the grave. He lays a small bouquet against the headstone and bows his head for a moment. Then he turns around and wants to walk away. He notices the threesome and raises his eyebrows in question.
"She died so young," Jeffrey says. "We were wondering what had happened. Could you tell us? I mean, if it doesn't rake up all kinds of bad memories. It's only been so recently."
"That's okay." He gives him a wry smile. "She was a silly girl, our Norma Jeane. She wanted to be a star." He shakes his head. "Our Norma Jeane a star. She didn't know how and books a cruise to Mexico in stead. And then she jumps overboard. Silly girl."
"I'm sorry for your loss." Jeffrey returns a half smile.
"Now you know it, about our Norma Jeane and why she died so young." The man gives them a courteous nod and walks away.
"That was very informative," Jeffrey says. Bogg takes the omni and sets it to Jeffrey's instructions. Jeffrey takes Pam's hand and puts his other hand on Bogg's arm. "We're going to voyage now."
"And we have to hold hands and pray we end up in the right place?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
-oOo-
Landing wasn't so bad Jeffrey assesses. Could have been better, could have been worse.
"Ouch, my knee." Pam rolls on her back clasping her knee. "Do you always voyage like this: landing on something hard?"
"Most of the time, yeah."
"I'm beginning to think you didn't jump in front of my bike, but fell in front of it." Pam lets go of her knee and sits up.
"That would be correct." Bogg clips the omni onto his belt and holds out his hand to Pam to pull her up. "But this time we're in the right place. July 10, 1946, cruise ship. Red light."
"And red light means that history needs fixing."
"Very good, you're already getting the hang of it."
"Not much. But I see a deckchair over there with my name on it." Pam limps over to it.
"No, it doesn't."
"Well, now it has my butt on it."
"I think it would be best if you came with us and we showed you what being a Voyager is about. It's not all about taking vacations."
"It hardly ever is," Jeffrey adds. Bogg glares at him briefly.
"Well, I injured my knee. I think it's best if I kept my weight of it for a couple of hours."
"You'll never be a good Voyager with this attitude."
"It's not really a job I asked for."
"None of us has asked for this job. We get chosen to do it and then we do it the best we can."
"I take it that whoever does the choosing doesn't think very highly of human rights such as the right of the individual to chose their own profession."
Bogg takes this in. Then turns to Jeffrey. "You answer this one; you're always going on about rights as well." He walks away.
Jeffrey watches him go, then turns to Pam. "I guess you're right."
"Why are you doing it?"
"Beats living with my aunt." Jeffrey shrugs.
"I'd like to be alone now." Pam leans back in the deckchair.
Jeffrey nods and runs in the direction Bogg left in.
"Bogg, what are you gonna do?" he asks when he catches up with him.
"I figured this Norma Jeane jumped overboard today so we have to check all the decks and see if we can find anyone who looks like they might jump."
"Smart thinking. But I meant about Pam?"
"I'm gonna wish we never met her and hope that works."
"I think she's okay. Probably just takes a little while to get used to. We have to give her some time to get used to the idea of voyaging. Besides, we're stuck with her."
"Don't remind me."
"Hey, you thought you were stuck with me in the beginning, and we warmed up to each other. Look at us now. We're a team."
"A team that just got a fifth wheel. I don't like it that I keep omniing into times I'm not supposed to go to, accidentally take someone and then am not able to return them. What I am? The golden goose?"
"It's not so bad. Hey, if we don't like her we can always leave her somewhere else."
"Yeah."
"I was joking."
"Yeah." Bogg sighs. "I think we better split up. We can cover more ground that way. I'll take this deck and everything above it. You take the lower decks."
"Ai, ai." Jeffrey salutes with two fingers to his forehead, ducks Bogg's hand as he wants to tossle his hair and runs down a flight of stairs.
-oOo-
Patrolling the ship is a fun activity, if it doesn't seem entirely useless. Everywhere nothing but happy people, not an unhappy person in sight, let alone one that wants to jump ship. Bogg smiles at the young women in their summer dresses as he passes them by. They smile back at him. Mutually appreciating what they are seeing. There's a brown-haired girl sitting on the railing making different poses. She clasps her hands on the railing to keep her balance. Bogg watches it in amusement for a short while and then walks over to her. He leans on the railing next to her.
"You look like you're having fun."
"I'm not having fun. I'm working. Please, no interviews." She holds up her hand and throws her head back. She loses her balance. "Ooh."
Bogg quickly catches her. "You almost fell in there."
"That wouldn't have been good. That wouldn't have been good at all." She holds on to Bogg's shoulders. His strong arms encircling her. "I would have been killed. You saved my life. Thank you."
"You're welcome." He lowers her onto her feet. "What were you doing sitting on the railing like that?"
"I was practicing my poses. I'm gonna be a star, and when I do photographers want to take pictures of me." She shows a few of her poses standing with both feet firmly on deck.
"Well, you can't become a star if you fall into the water. You should be a little more careful when you practice."
"Yes, yes, I will." She pats him lightly on the chest. "I can't depend on there always being a handsome man like yourself to catch me when I fall."
"Bogg! I've looked all over, but I couldn't find her." Jeffrey rushes over to him. "Oh, you've met someone." Jeffrey is about to throw him an accusing look: forgetting about the assignment already?
"Uhm, yeah, this is ..."
"Norma Jeane Dougherty." She offers her hand to Bogg.
Jeffrey smiles. Trust Bogg to find their charge if it involves a pretty lady.
"Phineas Bogg, that's Jeffrey Jones. Norma Jeane is going to be a star."
"Oh."
"You don't think I can be a star?"
"Well, I don't know, may be if you did something about your appearance."
"Jeff!"
"Thanks a lot. If even a young man like yourself thinks I don't look good, what chance have I got of becoming a star?"
"Uh. I didn't mean it like that. You look nice." Bogg throws him a look. "I mean good. But good in the girl next door kind of way. If you want to be a star, you have to look a little more ... I don't know. Have a little more ..."
"Spunk, pizazz?" Norma Jeane ventures.
"I guess."
"Look like sex on legs," Bogg suggests. They both look at him. "It just popped into my head."
"That's the one, though." Jeffrey nods approvingly.
"Sex on legs? Now how do I go about becoming that?"
"Come with me. I have an idea." Jeffrey takes Norma Jeane by the hand.
"Jeff, where are you taking her?"
"To Pam, she may have an idea."
"Pam?" Not the person Bogg would have thought of himself. He follows them to see if indeed Pam can help.
Pam is lying on a deckchair, basking in the afternoon sun. She has taken off her button down shirt, folded it up and uses it now as a pillow. She wore a sleeveless T underneath. She opens her eyes when she can't feel the sun on her face anymore.
"Pam, this is Norma Jeane, she wants to be a star. To do that she wants to change her appearance. Do you have any advice for her?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because you're a girl?"
"So?" Pam frowns. "When you first met me, I was on a racing bike. What does that tell you about me?"
"That you can't afford a horse," Bogg suggests. Pam throws him a look.
"But you still may have some suggestions, from your girl-friends or something."
"Is this ...?"
"Norma Jeane. We just met her."
"Oh." Pam looks at Norma Jeane. "I don't know."
"I want to look like sex on legs."
"Ah. Well, they say gentlemen prefer blonds, so I guess you should bleach your hair and put on a frock that is one size too small."
"That's a bit crude," Bogg replies.
"Yeah, but I think she has a point," Norma Jeane says.
"Yeah, Phineas, you'll have to accept that the male of the species is that shallow."
"Don't you wish you were a blond?" he sneers back.
"Not particularly."
"Uh, Jeffrey. I have an idea. Let's ditch these two."
"I'm with you."
Jeffrey and Norma Jeane quickly leave.
"You're blocking my sun."
"How about now?"
"Blocking it even more."
"Good."
"Whatever." Pam closes her eyes and ignores Bogg. Bogg makes a face at her and decides to go find Jeffrey and perhaps Norma Jeane.