The Rebuttal Period
| Star Traks: Waystation | |
| Episode name | The Rebuttal Period |
|---|---|
| Season | Stardate 58--- |
| Episode number | 9 |
| Writer(s) | Alan Decker |
| Year | 2381 |
| Stardate | Unknown |
| Chronology | |
| Previous in series | Fraternizing With The Enemy |
| Next in series | Can Your Camel Hold One More Straw? |
| Previous in timeline | All's Well That Ends [VEX] |
| Next in timeline | Can Your Camel Hold One More Straw? [WAY] |
Bradley Dillon had a bit of trouble with the first Presidential debate. Now it's time for the second one, more unexpected surprises are in store, and not all of them are going to be pleasant.
Summary
The Emergency Medical Hologram from USS Voyager is visiting Bradley Dillon on Waystation. The two men struck up a friendship several weeks earlier, but the Doctor must cut this visit short, since Bradley needs to leave for Earth for his second and final debate with Kathryn Janeway. The Doctor wishes Bradley luck but says that he won't enjoy watch two of his friends attack each other. Once the Doctor is gone, Bradley races to one of the Dillon Enterprises labs to see Dr. Fouklok, a Rigellan scientist in his employ. Using a data relay hidden under the Doctor's chair, Fouklok was able to copy all of the Doctor's databanks without also getting the hologram's personality. With the databanks, Bradley will have the Doctor's unfiltered information on what happened during Voyager's trip back to Earth, which will hopefully provide him with ammunition to use against Janeway in the debate.
Upon leaving the lab with a padd full of the Doctor's data, Bradley runs into Ensign Tina Jones, who is looking for him. Jones wants to come to Earth with him for the debate to make sure that he actually reaches this one, as opposed to what happened during the first debate, which he missed to rescue her.
Ten days later, Jones is in the auditorium of Kathryn Janeway High School in Bloomington, Indiana waiting for the debate to start and wondering how she can repay Bradley for saving her and missing the first debate. She is spotted by Joan Redding, who is covering the event for AWN. Redding approaches Jones, pushing for information about her friendship with Bradley. When Jones won't open up, Redding starts asking about the missed debate. Jones realizes then what she can do to help Bradley and gives Redding the story about how Bradley rescued her from her secret admirer. Bradley, who did not want what he did for Jones used for political purposes, in not pleased that the truth is out, but his campaign manager, Donna Lymon is thrilled. She forces Bradley to focus on the debate and destroying Janeway in front of her hometown crowd.
And destroy her he does. Over the course of the debate, Bradley is able to bring out many of Janeway's questionable command decisions, which were hidden from the public when Voyager's logs were declared classified. Janeway is rattled and attacks Bradley verbally during her closing, while Bradley focuses on the peace and prosperity the Federation has experienced during his first term.
Later, at the post-debate celebratory party, Bradley is called away to take an urgent comm from Dr. Fouklok, who has discovered that he copied too much of the Doctor's program. There is definitely sentient activity going on inside it. Bradley orders Fouklok to delete the program. Fouklok protests that it is sentient, but Bradley shots at him to delete it. He returns to the party and Ensign Jones, whom he asks to dance with him. The pair dead out onto the dance floor, and Jones feels as though she is being swept off her feet.
Featuring
- Ensign Tina Jones
- Bradley Dillon
Also Featuring
Author's Comments
This one actually took a while to put together and was pretty draining. Anthony Butler put his finger on why. As he aptly put it, I had to basically write a series of speeches that sounded reasonably like responses real politicians might give. It's not a laugh riot, for certain, but this one is pretty important in the scheme of this run's arc.