I'm not a Trekkie, but I do like to watch the occasional episode of Star Trek - Next Generation and Voyager. I would kill for Seven of Nine's figure, but I digress.

When I was in hospital a week and half ago - female problems -long story. I had quite a strange dream involving Star Trek.

It started with me as Seven of Nine and I had been appointed Captain of the Enterprise as Jayneway had disappeared. I was wearing some soft flowing blue gown (I have no clue whether 7 of 9 has ever worn this as I have only ever seen episodes where she is in a one-piece skintight costume).

The viewing/communication screen looked as though it had huge crystalline pipes around it that glowed translucent green and blue. The screen itself was white, but seemed opalescent, almost as though there was static going back and forth across it. I know that I was staring at the screen in shock. I had just been informed that the Enterprise was never to return to any port in the galaxies that we had travelled. For what reason, I do not know and it was never revealed to me in the dream.

I began issuing commands to check the stock levels for foods, fuel, necessities etc. We had approximately three weeks' worth. I knew that we were to be cast adrift and had become interstellar outcasts. No race would touch us - friend or foe and that once the supplies were finished, we would starve. My poor vessel would be left drifting until she was picked up for scrap or suffered an impact with something.

For some insane reason, I had some people from the sick bay (probably the other women in the ward) with me and all I was concerned about was getting them home as they had no part in why the vessel had been 'disowned'. I knew that they were going to die with me and the others. It was just a matter of time.

Unable to bring myself to tell the crew and passengers immediately, I left the bridge and found myself wandering alone through an empty corridor. It was as though I had been sealed in a vacuum because I couldn't hear the "normal" noise of the ship operating. No hum or miniscule vibration of engines and not the normal chit-chat as the crew went about their duties. Feeling sorely isolated, I sank to my knees and wept. I was not fit to be a Captain. Whatever had happened to cause the ex-communication of the Enterprise and her crew was obviously down to something that I had done and yet, I could not figure out what it was.

After a time, I steeled myself and returned to the bridge, calling a conference to all on the vessel. I explained the situation and when asked for the reasons why this was happening, could not reply. Oddly, the majority of the crew took the punishment in their stride. Some grumbled but accepted that there was nothing that could be done as our escape pods and emergency beacons had been disabled remotely by Starfleet Command and nothing would override that. A while later, I found the bridge to be suddenly devoid of people. I don't know how long I had sat with myself and my despondence, but I could feel that the top and skirt of my gown were wet with tears that I had obviously shed. I spoke out:

"Acting Captain's Log. Stardate....unneccessary. As Acting Captain for USS Enterprise, I feel that any further journal records dictated will be a waste of time as this vessel and her children shall never see their homes again. I can only say that I have served Starfleet faithfully and hope that perhaps, should this craft ever be recovered intact or the recorder found floating in some belt of space dust and debris, that the entries made by Captain Jayneway previous to this show her dedication to Starfleet, this vessel and her crew. I am glad that she will not suffer the fate that we will. I would rather have had the craft blown from the stars than let the people suffer. Know that despite Starfleet's horrendous judgement upon the USS Enterprise, I still feel honoured to have served. Seven of Nine."

At that point, the bridge door way slid open with that whoosh you always hear and Jean Luc Picard strolled right in! I was convinced that I was hallucinating, but he said that he had jumped forward to try and save us, but the device had disintegrated and that he would be dying on the vessel too. I was petrified of him! All I could think of in my head was how terrifying that bald pate was. He tried to come towards me to tell me more information and I shot him!

I woke up at that point and discovered that I had ripped out the cannula in my arm because of my thrashing around. Thank goodness I didn't wake any of the other women.