Neelix researches Janeway's revered ancestor Shannon O'Donnell and finds that her real story differs from the family legend.
Neelix's interest in Earth history prompts Janeway to share the story of her ancestor Shannon O'Donnell, whom she was raised to believe was an astronaut and a driving force behind the Millennium Gate, a building project in Indiana at the turn of the millennium. Research with Seven of Nine shows that the family legend is not accurate.
Flashbacks set in late December 2000 show Shannon stranded in the town of Portage Creek, where a bookstore owner, Henry Janeway, is refusing to sell to the developers. Shannon grows close to him and ultimately helps persuade him to sell before the deadline, allowing the project to proceed. Neelix gives Janeway a picture of the elderly Shannon, who married Henry, and Janeway takes pride in her ancestor's real life.