A Pocket Full of Lies (Star Trek: Voyager)

A Pocket Full of Lies (Star Trek: Voyager)

An original novel set in the universe of Star Trek: Voyager from New York Times bestselling author Kirsten Beyer—and the sequel to Atonement and Acts of Contrition ! The Full Circle Fleet has resumed its unprecedented explorations of the Delta Quadrant and former Borg space. Commander Liam O'Donnell of the U.S.S. Demeter makes a promising first contact with the Nihydron—humanoid aliens that are collectors of history. They rarely interact with the species they study but have created a massive database of numerous races, inhabited planets, and the current geopolitical landscape of a large swath of the quadrant. When an exchange of data is proposed via a formal meeting, the Nihydron representatives are visibly shaken when Admiral Kathryn Janeway greets them. For almost a century, two local species—the Rilnar and the Zahl—have fought for control of the nearby planet Sormana, with both sides claiming it as their ancestral homeworld. The shocking part is that for the last several years, the Rilnar have been steadily gaining ground, thanks to the tactics of their current commanding officer: a human woman, who appears to be none other than Kathryn Janeway herself... ™, ®, & © 2016 CBS Studios, Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Kirsten Beyer was a cocreator of the acclaimed hit Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard , where she served as writer and supervising producer for season one and a coexecutive producer for season two. She has also written and produced Star Trek: Discovery and is currently a coexecutive producer on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the last ten Star Trek: Voyager novels, including 2020’s To Lose the Earth , for which she was the narrator of the audiobook edition. She contributed the short story “Isabo’s Shirt” to Star Trek: Voyager: Distant Shores Anthology . In 2006, Kirsten appeared at Hollywood’s Unknown Theater in their productions of Johnson Over Jordan , This Old Planet , and Harold Pinter’s The Hothouse , which the Los Angeles Times called “unmissable.” She lives in Los Angeles. Pocket Full of Lies 1 STARSHIP GALEN What were his exact words?” Seven demanded of Ensign Icheb. The newly minted young officer paled, highlighting the irregular red blotches burning his cheeks. “Commander O’Donnell said that I should not set foot in Lieutenant Elkins’s engine room again without a direct order from Commander Torres or Admiral Janeway.” The Doctor lowered his head to hide his amusement. “And did you report this to Commander Torres?” Seven continued, simultaneously shooting the Doctor a warning glance. “Not yet,” Icheb admitted. “You should do so at once,” Seven suggested. “I was assigned to assist the commander. I do not believe she will find this evidence of my obvious inadequacy helpful,” Icheb countered. “Commander Torres is fine, Icheb,” the Doctor interjected. “I was with her a few hours ago. She is understandably exhausted, but not yet buckling under the stress of the inevitable sleep-deprivation the next several days will bring.” “And she did order you to evaluate and rate the current operational efficiency of each fleet vessel’s engineering department,” Seven added. “She should know how those under her command are responding to your input.” “They’re not the problem, Seven,” Icheb insisted. Seven took the padd that rested on the table next to Icheb’s untouched breakfast plate and read silently for a few moments. When the Doctor had joined Seven and Icheb in Galen’s small mess hall for an early breakfast they’d had the room to themselves. The entrance of Lieutenants Benoit and Velth signaled that alpha shift was about to begin. Icheb glanced toward Galen’s chief engineer, Benoit, who nodded in greeting toward the ensign. Seven sighed, returning the padd to the table. “While it is true that Lieutenant Elkins might find strict adherence to Starfleet protocols tiresome, the inefficiencies you have highlighted here are all accurate.” As she continued, the Doctor reached for the padd and began to peruse it. “Regulations apply to everyone, whether they believe they know better or not. Lieutenant Elkins’s compliance is mandatory, not optional. And Commander O’Donnell should not prioritize placating the egos of those he supervises above requiring them to perform their duties appropriately.” “Six hundred nineteen?” the Doctor gasped. Icheb’s and Seven’s heads instantly turned in unison toward the Galen’s holographic chief medical officer. “You cited Elkins for six hundred nineteen violations?” the Doctor asked. “Each violation contains a citation to the applicable regulation,” Icheb noted. “I see that,” the Doctor said. “But Icheb, surely the years you just spent at Starfleet Academy acquainted you with the chasm that exists between humans and perfection. Did it not occur to you to prioritize your findings and perhaps present Chief