Drive

*** (3 stars out of 5)

Because Voyager has nowhere to be, why not come to a complete stop for a week and watch a handful of dots chase each other at low impulse? Like, REALLY low. Like NASCAR low. If that shuttle fly-by is any indication, these racers are moving at 100 kph on a 2 billion kilometer race course. Tops! Go, Speed Racer, Go!

B'Elanna horns in on Tom's buddy time with Harry, forcing Harry to seek solace in the arms of a FEMALE shuttle speedster!  Her name is Irina, and there's something funny going on with her. Could she be upset that she is from the fourth or FIFTH race in Star Trek to be named Terrellians? I mean, COME ON. Wasn't three of them enough? And their neighbours are another race of Antarians? What are the odds of that?

Approximately the same odds as running into identical cousins of Tora Ziyal and Richard Bashir, I guess.

Anyway, Tom's competitive edge comes out on the racetrack. Can he keep his temper, his lady love, and his ship on course? And can Harry manage to survive his racist co-pilot and save everyone from a warp-speed pile-up? The answer for Tom is: yes. He doesn't deserve her, but yes. And the answer for Harry is: the man kicks ass. Why does nobody promote him? He just saved everyone's life and interstellar peace- and what's more he didn't get a Space STD this time!

"Drive" is fluff, but it has sufficient action and some amusement value. Plus Tom and B'Elanna finally stop living in sin. Mawage! Mawage is wot bwings us togevvah today! That bwessed awangement. That dweam wivvin a dweam. Have you the wing?