New Year's Eve

It's New Year's Eve here in Ten Forward, and things are not going well.

The crew are sitting around having their pork pies, cheesy dips and Bloodwine. Geordi is spinning a few discs happily as he always loves to be a DJ.

"Why could we not get The Strolling Bones back again, Seven," I ask her, "They were good at the Christmas Party."

"Indeed they were, Locutus," she replies, "The Borg Queen had them straight away for her own New Year's Party on Unimatrix 01."

"So they are having a good time on their Borg cube?" asks Riker, "Somehow I can't imagine drones enjoying a party."

"If the Queen orders them to, and threatens to disconnect them if they don't, they will." she comments. Sometimes I think Seven has a dry sense of humour; other times she is serious. I can't tell one from the other.

"Why can't we just set everything up in a holdeck?" asks Beverly, "It will be better than things are right here. Geordi's choice of records are deadly dull, and is hardly making anyone cheery. Only he is happy."

"The holodecks are down right now, Bev." I tell her, "After passing though that last space cloud, they all fused. It was no fun; one moment I was riding a horse over the plains, the next I was on a floor in an empty room."

"There must be something we can do to prevent the Enterprise getting affected by these clouds." pipes up Deanna, while eating a chocolate sundae.

"At the moment, Counselor." adds Data, while serving a Bolian Brandy to a crewman, "There is nothing Starfleet can do."

"Things are getting dull around here." Ro Laren icily states, "The crew are looking surly; it's no way to celebrate New Year's Eve."



"I've an idea!" exclaims Jadzia, after sipping yet another drink, "Why don't WE play the music and sing for the crew?"

We look at each other while trying to think of a reason why not.

"Err....we are not that good at playing music and singing, Jadzia" replies Deanna.

"I'm sure we could." Jadzia leaps up, "Data can play anything, Worf is a good drum player, the Captain and Beverly could be lead singers...and....."

"All right" I concede, "We'll have a go; the rest of the crew may need earplugs, though."

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Ten minutes later, we are all set up; Jennifer Baxter and Jadzia are on the guitars, Data is on the keyboards, Worf is on the drums, Riker on the trombone, Geordi is on the piano; Deanna, Seven and Ro Laren are the backing voices.

"Are you ready, Jean-Luc?" asks Beverly.

"I guess so." I reply, and we open with Space Oddity..

Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground Control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may God's love be with you
(spoken)
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Liftoff
This is Ground Control to Major Tom
You've really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare
"This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today
For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do
Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles
I'm feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much she knows"
Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you....
"Here am I floating round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do."

Everybody livens up, claps and dances away....

We play the song Betazoid Boogie, which gets the whole crew on the dancefloor; as many have had too many to drink already, 'on the dancefloor' means passed out. Some of the Security have to drag them off.

Seven sings her rendition of I'm Just A Borg Girl Who Wants To Assimilate You which gets her a lot of cheers.

Bev and I then do a duet... The Best Is Yet To Come....

Out of the tree of life, I just picked me a plum
You came along and everything started to hum
Still its a real good bet, the best is yet to come

The best is yet to come, and wont that be fine
You think youve seen the sun, but you aint seen it shine

Wait till the warm-up is underway
Wait till out lips have met
Wait till you see that sunshine day
You aint seen nothin yet

The best is yet to come, and wont that be fine
The best is yet to come, come the day that your mine

Come the day that your mine
Im gonna teach you to fly
Weve only tasted the wine
Were gonna drain that cup dry

Wait till your charms are right, for the arms to surround
You think youve flown before, but you aint left the ground

Wait till youre locked in my embrace
Wait till I hold you near
Wait till you see that sunshine place
There aint nothin like it here

The best is yet to come, and wont that be fine
The best is yet to come, come the day that your mine

As midnight approaches, we get ready for Auld Lang Syne....

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne? And days of auld lang syne, my dear,
And days of auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pu'd the gowans fine.
We've wandered mony a weary foot,
Sin' auld lang syne.
Sin' auld lang syne, my dear,
Sin' auld lang syne,
We've wandered mony a weary foot,
Sin' auld ang syne.
We twa hae sported i' the burn,
From morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin' auld lang syne.
Sin' auld lang syne, my dear,
Sin' auld lang syne.
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin' auld lang syne.
And ther's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

I give Beverly a big kiss.

"Happy New Year, Jean-Luc." she says quietly, as I reply with "Happy New Year, Bev."

A puzzled Seven approaches me.

"I am unfamiliar with the lyrics of the last song, Locutus." she says, "You will explain them to me."

"Errr...I will do that when I have some time Seven." I tell her hastily. "They are not easy to tell you."

"Especially when you don't know, Jean-Luc!" whispers Bev in my ear.

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To all those reading my Journal..........Happy New Year!!