STAR TREK: VOYAGER
"Disequilibrium"
by Beep
Disclaimer
#1: The characters belong to Paramount/Viacom, not me (unfortunately), and
I promise to put them back on the shelf when I'm done with them. They will be
unharmed. Well, most of them. Mostly.
Disclaimer
#2: This is a J/7 story, and there's love between two women. If that's not
your thing, how did you even find this? Oh, yeah, there's sex too, so if you're
not old enough for NC-17 material, don't let your parents catch you. Psst,
reading under your blanket by the faint light of your flashlight won't hurt
your eyes, no matter what your folks are saying … ;-)
Disclaimer
#3: This is a sequel to my story "Get Over It". You might want
to read that first since I'm not going to repeat anything much from that story.
I'm also not filling in any background – thought I'd warn you just in case. If
you're reading this, I'm assuming you know Janeway, Seven, and the story of Voyager.
No need for me to tell you that Seven is a 6-foot blonde ex-Borg. Right?
Dedication: This is dedicated to Sazzy,
whose comments had a major impact on the story and made it so much better –
even if I had to do a major re-write; to XV who provided coffee, chocolate
cake, and inspiration (*waggles eyebrow*), and – last but never, never least –
to DAx. @--->---
dis·e·qui·lib·ri·um, n: a
loss or absence of stability or balance
"The
time is 0600 hours."
Kathryn
Janeway sighed as the computer declared the beginning of another day. She woke
up slowly, her mouth curling into a smile as she became aware of her position.
She was lying in the middle of her bed, naked, completely wrapped around an
equally naked Seven of Nine. Her heart skipped a beat at the sheer pleasure of
waking up this way.
She sighed
again and tightened her hold on Seven, and was happily surprised when she felt
long arms tense around her. Within moments, she was lying completely on top of
Seven, their bodies touching all along their lengths.
"Good
morning, Kathryn," Seven murmured as she nuzzled the captain's hair.
Kathryn
pressed a kiss to Seven's sternum, then moved upward until she met expectant
lips for a long, slow kiss. "Good morning, Seven," she whispered
huskily as they parted.
"Did
you sleep well?" Seven's voice was huskier than usual too.
Kathryn
chuckled. "I slept wonderfully. For all of the fifteen minutes that you
let me." She laughed quietly and shook her head. She couldn't remember
another night where she had made love until the morning hours. By all rights
she should be tired but she felt wonderful and energized, ready to take on the
universe as long as Seven was at her side.
"I
apologize, Kathryn," Seven replied quietly. "I should have let you
sleep. However, it seems I was unable to stop touching you, being with you. I
have never …"
She was
stopped by a pair of lips pressed tenderly against her own, and she relaxed
into the kiss. Seven felt bad for not allowing the captain any sleep but
apparently the captain saw things differently.
"Seven,"
Kathryn began once the kiss ended, "I couldn't have stopped touching you
either, even if I had wanted to." She kissed her lover again. "And I
definitely didn't want to."
"But
now you must be tired—"
"Yes,
I'll probably be tired later today but right now I'm not," Janeway replied
with a smile. "On the contrary, darling. This was one of the best nights
of my life and I feel absolutely great this morning." Her smile grew
wider. "Making love to you was what I needed last night, and I needed it
much more than sleep."
"I am
glad." Seven cupped the captain's face in her hand and placed butterfly
kisses on her eyelids, nose, and finally her mouth. "I love you, my
captain."
Seven
increased the intensity of her kisses, drawing the captain into a hot and
passionate meeting of lips and tongues. She teased the captain's tongue with
her own and was delighted when the response was an impassioned groan. Seven let
her hands slip through the captain's hair and down her back until one hand was
on Kathryn's hip and the other on her buttocks, pulling the captain rhythmically
against herself.
With an
agonized groan, Kathryn tore herself from Seven's mouth. "Oh God, Seven,
do you have any idea what you're doing to me?"
Seven's
reply was to swirl her metal-encased fingertips in the captain's wetness from
behind, then withdraw quickly.
"Seven,"
Kathryn said again, although it was uncertain if it was a plea or a complaint.
Even Kathryn didn't know. "Seven, we have to stop," she moaned, even
as she pressed her body into Seven's and her eyes closed in pleasure as Seven
dipped her fingers back inside her. "Please, Seven, you have to
stop," she tried again.
"Why?"
"Because
I can't," Kathryn said, her voice showing her frustration. "I want
you so much but I have to be on the bridge in a few minutes for my shift."
Seven seemed
to ponder this information for a few seconds and stilled her hand. Kathryn was
unsure whether she should be happy or disappointed but she knew she needed to
get up soon.
Suddenly,
Seven pushed two fingers deep inside her from behind, and Kathryn's eyes rolled
back in her head with a loud moan. "Oh God, Seven … what … oh yes, Seven …
no … yes, yes …. ooohhhhh …."
"This
will not take long, Kathryn," Seven said against her lips, before pulling
her into a series of searing kisses.
You have no idea, was
Kathryn Janeway's last thought before her world exploded in beautiful colors as
she came fast and hard, with an intensity that surprised her. She tore her
mouth from Seven's to pull some air into her lungs, and so she could scream. It
sounded animalistic to her, and the one tiny corner of her brain that was not
busy exploding in pleasure wondered if she had ever made a sound like that
before.
Seven
stilled her hand but stayed inside Kathryn, having learned over the course of
the night that this was something her lover enjoyed. Only when Kathryn started
to shift did she remove her fingers and brought her hand up to her face to lick
it clean, smiling happily at the taste.
Kathryn's
eyes widened and took on a hungry look at the display. She pulled her body up,
pushed the Borg-enhanced hand out of the way with her face, and kissed Seven,
hard, pushing her tongue deeply into her lover's mouth, chasing her own taste.
Then she pulled back quickly, breathlessly. She stared down at Seven, her face
serious, and for a nanosecond Seven wondered if she had gone too far. But since
the captain's eyes were a vibrant blue, indicative of a pleasant mood, Seven
wasn't too worried.
"I love
you, Seven," Kathryn quietly, and quite earnestly, declared. "And
that just now was wonderful." She chuckled warmly. "Unexpected … but
wonderful."
"I love
you as well, Kathryn," Seven replied, equally serious.
"I
know."
With a sigh,
Kathryn rolled away from the enticing body beneath her. "But now I have to
get up so I can make it to the bridge relatively on time." She looked back
at Seven as she sat on one side of the bed. "However much I don't want to
leave this bed or you, and believe me, I really
don't want to."
"Unfortunately,
you must." Seven rolled towards the other side of the bed and to her feet
in one graceful, fluid motion that the captain envied. "Regrettably, I
also have to report to cargo bay two for my scheduled regeneration." With
that, Seven walked into the bathroom.
Janeway
stopped dead next to the bed. "Damn, I totally forgot about that. Two days
of regeneration." She looked decidedly unhappy. "Damn, damn,
damn," she muttered as she finally followed Seven, who was already done
with her sonic shower when Janeway entered the bathroom. The fact that Seven
was standing naked in front of the mirror raised Kathryn's mood considerably.
"Efficient,"
she said with a smile and pressed a kiss between Seven's shoulder blades. Then,
because she couldn't resist, she pressed her whole body against Seven's back
and wrapped her arms tightly around the lanky body. She rested her chin on
Seven's shoulder and their eyes met in the mirror. No words were needed between
them. Seven's hands covered her own, and she watched as both their faces broke
into wide, happy grins.
Kathryn
lightly patted her lover's tight stomach, pressed another kiss against the
shoulder, then turned to enter the shower stall. Seven's eyes followed her
admiringly, tracing the trail the water left on the compact body. She
contemplated joining the captain but knew that their play was over for this
morning. She shook her head and proceeded to recycle her biosuit.
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
When Janeway
emerged from her bedroom, fully clothed in her uniform and just putting on her
pips, the smell of coffee greeted her nostrils and she inhaled deeply. With a
smile, Seven took the pips from her hand and handed her a steel mug with the
other. "Allow me to assist you," she said quietly.
Janeway took
a mouthful of coffee and waited for the caffeine to start spreading in her
bloodstream. She smiled at Seven, who was focused on placing the four pips in a
straight line along the captain's collar. Possibly
the straightest line of command pips you'll ever see, she thought fondly,
and rewarded Seven with a sweet kiss as soon as the last pip was done.
"I
repeat, efficient," Janeway murmured after a long moment.
Seven gave
her a grin and walked over to the table to get her own breakfast, a tall glass
of brownish liquid that looked utterly horrible to the captain.
"What is that?"
"This
is Nutritional Supplement No. 12." If Seven had detected the disgust in
the captain's voice, she didn't let on. "It provides all the nutrition I require,
and it is an amount my stomach can handle."
"But
what does it taste like?" Kathryn took a closer look at the glass.
"It looks so … bland." That's
one way to put it.
"Taste?"
Seven questioned, a blank look on her face. "Taste is—"
"Please
don't tell me taste is irrelevant," Kathryn interrupted with a chuckle.
"That's not what you said last night."
Surprisingly,
Seven blushed. "You are correct, Kathryn. Taste is not irrelevant."
She took another sip of her breakfast drink. "Perhaps this nutritional
supplement could be considered bland but …" She got a devilish gleam in
her eye. "Would you like to try it?"
The captain
swallowed audibly but nodded. It's the
least you can do, Katie. Just pretend it's a diplomatic function, and you're
looking at a plate of gagh. Keep
smiling. She took the glass and carefully lifted it to her face. It was
relatively odorless with only a hint of nut-like aroma, which was definitely
helping. Fighting the urge to hold her nose closed to deaden her taste buds she
took a careful sip.
"What
…? I thought …" Janeway stammered in surprise after the flavor burst in
her mouth.
Seven
actually chuckled at the look on her lover's face. "I am able to program
the replicator to simulate any flavor I wish." She smiled indulgently at
the captain who still looked slightly shocked. "I anticipated your
reaction to my breakfast and thought it advisable to remove some of your
preconceptions."
"That
you did, darling, that you did." Kathryn laughed and took another sip.
"But I thought you didn't like
coffee."
"I do
not care for the taste as much as you do but I do not think it is as vile a
concoction as I have previously stated."
"Lucky
me." Kathryn returned the half-empty glass to its rightful owner and
grabbed her coffee mug again. "So, are you telling me this is a perfectly
balanced breakfast?" There were
possibilities there. "Could you program the parameters into the
replicator in my ready room? This seems to be the perfect snack for me."
Seven handed
her a PADD with a small, triumphant smile, happy that the captain had fallen
for her little plan so easily. "The parameters are in here. You will just
have to transfer them."
Her reward
was a short but intense kiss. "Thank you." Then Janeway squared her
shoulders. "Come on, I think I'll tuck you in."
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
I wonder how
things ended last night between Seven and the captain, B'Elanna
thought as she walked the corridor down towards cargo bay two. Earlier that
morning, she had felt the sudden urge to pick up some extra gel packs for
repairs that might or might not get scheduled for later in the week. She
grinned. It was as good an excuse as any to check if Seven had made it back to
her alcove. You could have asked the computer, she reminded herself in
the next second but for some reason she had wanted to see Seven before her duty
shift, hoping that her face would give something away even in regeneration
mode. If she was regenerating at all, her mind added. After last night,
she wasn't taking anything for granted.
B'Elanna
stopped short when the door to cargo bay two remained closed at her approach.
"Not again," she said under her breath. For a second she contemplated
trying to override the door lock, just like she had done the night before, but
the thought that the captain might catch her again made her pause.
"Computer,
who is currently in cargo bay two?" she quietly asked. Had to ask the
computer after all, her mind snickered.
"Captain
Janeway and Seven of Nine are in cargo bay two," came the prompt reply.
"I knew
it," B'Elanna said to the closed door, congratulating herself on her good
timing. She would just wait right here in the corridor and coincidentally bump
into the captain when she came out. She casually leaned against the bulkhead
opposite the cargo bay.
She didn't
have to wait long before the doors swished open and the captain came out,
smiling softly. The smile was replaced by the command mask as soon as she saw
B'Elanna pushing herself off the bulkhead with a grin.
"Good
morning, Captain," the engineer greeted cheerfully.
"Hello,
B'Elanna," Janeway replied silkily. "Somehow I doubt it's a
coincidence that I'm running into you here this morning."
B'Elanna
tried an innocent look. "I was just waiting until access to the cargo bay
wasn't restricted any longer." She leaned closer. "Honestly, Captain,
you can't keep this area off-limits all the time when Seven is regenerating.
Some people actually need to go in there, you know."
The
captain's reaction was unexpected: she blushed. "Damn, B'Elanna, don't you
think I know that?" She turned to look at the doors. "It's just that
…" She trailed off.
"All of
a sudden you don't want the whole crew to go in there when Seven is sleeping,
right?" B'Elanna's expression was thoughtful. There was a new plan forming
in her mind. "So, can I assume that you and Seven resolved your problems
last night?"
Janeway shot
B'Elanna a measured look, letting her wait until she could see the engineer
beginning to squirm under her steady gaze. "You're skating on thin ice,
Ms. Torres," she finally said. Then she started thinking about what Seven
had said to her last night, that the engineer would help them get accepted by
the crew. She appreciated the fact that B'Elanna had helped Seven, even though
she didn't like the Borg. That thought softened her expression and she saw
B'Elanna relax slightly.
"Come
on, we don't want the others to wait any longer than they have to,"
Janeway finally said and started walking down the corridor.
B'Elanna
followed readily. "They won't start the meeting without you,
Captain."
"True,"
Janeway said with a grin. "However, I don't want to be too late." She
was serious now. "Knowing Chakotay, he'll ask the computer where I am, and
I really don't want to explain just yet why I'm late or what I was doing in
cargo bay two where Seven is regenerating." She took a deep breath.
"It's quite enough that you and doctor know."
"You
know neither of us would ever say anything to anyone, Captain." B'Elanna
actually sounded offended by the thought. "But do you really think you can
keep this a secret?"
They had
reached the turbolift, which was empty. "Deck one," the captain
absent-mindedly instructed the computer. "Don't get me wrong,
B'Elanna," she said when the turbolift began its ascent, "I won't
keep the fact the I love Seven a secret. I really doubt I could anyway."
She couldn't stop the smile that erupted at the thought and at B'Elanna's grin.
"But we both need to get used to the idea first before the whole crew
offers us their opinion on it. I need
some time."
"Computer,
halt turbolift." B'Elanna turned towards the captain, hearing the slight
worry in her tone. "Captain, first off, I'm really happy that things
between you two are working out. I know I couldn't be considered Seven's friend
but …"
"I
think after last night she considers
you a friend, B'Elanna," Janeway interrupted. "Thank you for helping
her … that means a lot to her, and to me." She looked at B'Elanna
questioningly. "Why did you help her?"
"Honestly,
Captain?" B'Elanna shrugged. "I think I just got caught up in the
whole romance of it, you know? Both of you in love with each other and not
knowing it? It was painful seeing you circle around each other. And then, after
you had left sickbay, Seven was so vulnerable, so … human, I just couldn't not
help." The engineer met the captain's eyes. "She really loves you,
Captain, with every fiber of her being. I hope you know that."
Janeway
wondered if there was an implied threat in the way the statement was voiced but
she wasn't too worried. "I know it, B'Elanna. Seven made that perfectly
clear last night." She blushed, her body and mind remembering a variety of
ways that Seven had proved her point.
"And
you have no idea how happy that knowledge makes me." Janeway grinned as
she continued. "And before you ask: although it's none of your business
I'm going to tell you that I love her just as much."
B'Elanna
blushed, not expecting such a declaration. "I thought so," she finally
mumbled, slightly uncomfortable but still puzzled. "And as I said, I'm
happy for you. So why do you …?"
"B'Elanna,"
Janeway interrupted. "I can't just announce it in the senior staff
meeting, now can I? Can you imagine their faces?" She paused for a moment.
"Besides, I doubt all of them will be quite as accepting as you are, and
I'd like to let them get used to it slowly."
B'Elanna
thought about that but wasn't sure who the captain was worried about. In her
opinion, the captain and Seven were a great match, and the rest of the crew
should be happy for them. She decided to let it go, for now, knowing she would
find out sooner or later. "Well, I'd say you have two days before Seven
gets out of her cycle," she finally said. "Because once the others
see you two together you won't need to make an announcement. It'll be clear as
day to anyone who sees you now."
Captain
Janeway nodded. "I know." She squared her shoulders. "Computer,
resume."
"So,
Captain," B'Elanna asked quietly, just as they reached the bridge.
"What are you going to do about access to cargo bay two? Maybe you should
get Seven her own quarters." Not
that there were any free quarters available, B'Elanna added silently, happy
to just subtly prod her captain in the direction where she wanted her to go.
Then she
walked out of the turbolift and towards the conference room, leaving Janeway to
stare after her with a thoughtful expression on her face.
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
The meeting
of the senior staff went smoothly, apart from the fact that Janeway found it
hard to keep her eyes open during the less exciting moments. She knew it was
time for more coffee when she totally blanked out during Neelix's report on
their supply status.
The only thing
keeping her awake were the vivid flashes of last night that flooded her mind,
usually triggered by a word or a certain gesture that reminded her of Seven.
She had to concentrate on not blushing furiously during those moments and the
knowing looks B'Elanna sent her at seemingly random intervals didn't help.
Janeway was
glad when the meeting was over. Apparently everyone had agreed that they needed
to find a suitable planet soon, as the crew needed shore leave after their last
adventure with the Borg, and Neelix needed to stock up on some natural food
sources. Due to Seven's absence, Chakotay had put Harry Kim in charge of
finding that planet before bringing the meeting to a close.
Chakotay
shot the captain a curious look when she left the conference room and walked
straight across the bridge and into her ready room, and she knew she could
expect a visit from her second in command sooner or later. He'd probably want
to talk to her about the last mission too, and she was certain she couldn't put
him off as easily as she had been able to the night before.
So it came
as no surprise when she heard the door chime as soon as she had sat down with a
tall glass of her new mid-morning snack. Her visitor, however, was a surprise.
"Tuvok?"
"Captain,"
he greeted her as he stepped up to her desk.
"Take a
seat," Janeway invited him. "Is there anything I can do for
you?"
"Actually,
Captain," Tuvok replied quietly, "I was wondering if there was
something I could help you with."
"What
do you mean?" Janeway was flabbergasted and very curious. "What makes
you think I need help?"
"The
fact that you are drinking one of Seven's nutritional supplements?" His
voice sounded even drier than usual. "Or the fact that you appear to be
easily distracted this morning."
"And
that's so unusual?"
"You
know that it is, Captain," Tuvok stayed his course but then he paused.
When he continued, his voice was almost gentle. "Captain … I …"
"You
know, huh?" Janeway interrupted his careful approach, sparing him the
trouble of having to spell it out. When he approached her like that he was
getting into something personal, and since he never talked about himself, she
knew he had to be aware of her and Seven. How he knew was a mystery to her,
though.
"Am I
that obvious, Tuvok?" The captain wasn't sure she liked being read like a
book, not even by an old friend.
"No,
Captain, it is not obvious," he reassured her. "But I have known you
for a very long time …"
"So,
you're saying I was obvious to
you," Janeway stated with a grin.
Tuvok
thought it prudent not to mention just how obvious the captain's behavior during
their recent encounter with the Borg Queen had been. He knew her well enough to
be certain she would not appreciate that insight. "I included cargo bay
two in my rounds last night. I wanted to check on Seven but she was not in her
alcove."
Janeway sat
back in her chair with a shrug. "Yes, she was in my quarters. We had some
things to talk about."
"Your …
relationship?" Tuvok was uncharacteristically hesitant.
The captain
chuckled. "Tuvok, why is it that you're trying to talk to me about
personal things when it makes you so damn uncomfortable?"
"As
your oldest friend on board I feel it is my duty," Tuvok replied calmly.
"I also have to admit I feel a certain … familial … responsibility towards
Seven of Nine. And as your security chief I need to know whether this
development might have any effect on the ship and crew."
Janeway
leaned forward, any trace of their casual conversation gone. "How do you think it will affect the other
senior officers?"
Tuvok was
quiet for a few moments, no doubt contemplating the various officers of the
senior staff. "I think there might be two groups," he finally began.
"Those that will be happy for you, and those who will, for one reason or
another, have difficulty coping with the new situation. The former group should
be the bigger of the two, however."
Janeway was
happy to hear that but she wanted details. "Would you care to
elaborate?"
While Tuvok
explained his thoughts on the matter, Janeway's thoughts drifted a bit. She was
still following Tuvok's explanation – it was too important not to – but she
also thought about his reasons for talking to her at all. She was touched that
her security chief considered Seven family. Who'd have thought I'd ever
marry into a Vulcan family? Her eyes widened in surprise at her own
thoughts. Nonononono, I'm not thinking
that. She dragged her mind from the mental image of Seven in a lacy white
dress and focused on Tuvok again.
"Do you
disagree with my findings?" Tuvok asked just then, obviously having seen
her reaction to her own thoughts.
The captain
was glad she had managed to follow his explanation. "No, I completely
agree. Tom won't have a problem with it, and neither will Neelix. And as for
B'Elanna," the captain continued with a smile. "Tuvok, she already
knows, as does the doctor." She saw him twitching an eyebrow at that
revelation. "In fact, B'Elanna more or less pushed me in Seven's direction
because she couldn't watch us circling each other any longer. Or so she
said."
"That
will be very helpful with the rest of the crew," Tuvok admitted. "Her
often loudly stated opinions are usually followed by the lower deck crew."
"Indeed,
that's what Seven said too," Janeway agreed with a smile. "That
leaves Ensign Kim and Chakotay."
"I
believe that Mr. Kim will have misgivings at first, no doubt influenced by his
own feelings towards Seven of Nine. He will, however, follow the example set by
Lieutenant Torres and Mr. Paris."
Janeway
tried not to flinch at the mention of Harry's feelings for Seven. Everyone knew
that he had a crush on her, including the captain and the former Borg, but she
really didn't like the thought of someone else looking at Seven that way. She
sighed. "I agree."
Tuvok nodded
slowly. "I find it harder to predict how Commander Chakotay will react but
I fear he might feel … slighted."
"Slighted?
Explain."
"The
commander has romantic feelings for you himself, Captain, and that will
undoubtedly influence his response." Tuvok's voice was impassive as ever
when he delivered this information. At seeing his captain's face, he continued.
"Surely you were aware of that, Captain?"
Janeway
shook her head. "I had no idea," she whispered. "I mean, I knew
there was something years ago but why would he hold onto that when he clearly
had no chance?"
"I
suppose he did not see it that way. He might have assumed that you shared his
feelings but were simply abstaining from a relationship for the sake of your
command. That will change now. And that--"
"Could
make him rethink the situation," Janeway finished his thought. "What
do you think he'd do?"
Tuvok's
shoulders moved in an almost imperceptible shrug. "I have no frame of
reference on which to base his expected behavior."
"But?"
"I
would assume that Commander Chakotay might start by citing Starfleet
regulations about fraternization."
"Which
have no bearing on this situation since Seven isn't Starfleet," the
captain mused aloud. "But he'll probably do that, I agree." How ironic, she thought, that a former Maquis could resort to that.
"He
could also offer himself as a more suitable mate for you, Captain."
"Which
he isn't." Janeway's voice was steely.
Tuvok
conceded the point with a nod. "He could try to have you removed from
command," he then dropped a second bomb.
"He
wouldn't do that!" Janeway exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "There's
no reason to even think about that."
"Captain,
I am merely pointing out the possibilities," Tuvok said in a quiet voice.
"You just went against the Borg to retrieve a crew member who by all
accounts had left the ship voluntarily to go back to them. He could argue that
you are … unstable."
Janeway
started pacing. She opened her mouth to defend her actions – again – but Tuvok
stopped her with a raised hand.
"Captain,"
he calmly continued, "the doctor would not go along with it in any
case."
Janeway sat
back down and focused on Tuvok. "Good thing because that would be
mutiny," Janeway spluttered. "You can't believe Chakotay would
actually go that far. I refuse to believe it. He's always been a good first
officer."
The twitch
in Tuvok's eyebrow told the captain that he wasn't entirely convinced.
"I'll
talk to him," the captain said, determination coloring her tone. "I
think I need to tell him before he hears some rumor about me and Seven. I'll
tell him so he understands that this relationship will not affect my command or
our working relationship." She took a deep breath. "Damn, I wanted
some time just for Seven and myself to get used to the idea of being together.
I wasn't exactly planning on a shipwide announcement."
"I do
not think that will be necessary. However, might I suggest informing the senior
staff?" Tuvok's eyebrow quirked. "Not that there are many of them
left who do not know."
Janeway had
to laugh at that, recognizing the truth. "Thank you, old friend. I think
I'll do that."
With that,
Tuvok got up and left. The captain's gaze followed him, her thoughts already on
the problem at hand. She knew she would have to talk to Chakotay. The other
senior officers were an entirely different matter altogether. She just couldn't
see herself asking them into her ready room one at a time to bare her soul to
them.
Suddenly, a
wicked smile broke out across her face and her hand slapped her combadge.
"Janeway to Torres."
"Go
ahead, Captain."
"If you
have a minute, I'd like to see you in my ready room."
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
"You
want me to actually spread around that you and Seven are together?"
B'Elanna didn't even try to hide her utter astonishment. "But this morning
you said that you didn't want them to know just yet."
"I
know, I know," Janeway replied and took another sip of her nutritional
supplement. "Tuvok convinced me that it would be a good idea to let the
senior staff know, and he advised me to do it before the rumor mill does it for
me."
B'Elanna
wasn't stupid. "And you want me to influence the rumor mill in a certain
direction. Clever."
"Thanks,"
Janeway commented dryly. "However, I'll tell Chakotay myself sometime
tonight, so I'd like you to wait until I give you the go ahead before spreading
the latest juicy rumor about your captain."
B'Elanna
laughed out loud. "That's right up my alley. I'll just tell Tom and Harry
tonight in the mess hall and make sure that Neelix is in the vicinity."
She paused and cleared her throat. "Why the special treatment for
Chakotay, though? I could make sure he hears it from one of us, too."
Janeway
looked down at her hands. "I think it's better if I handle Chakotay
myself." She hoped her voice wasn't giving away her anxiety about that
little talk.
Apparently,
it did because B'Elanna sat up and tried to catch the captain's eye. "Do
you think he'll make trouble for you and Seven?"
Janeway
looked up sharply, surprised that B'Elanna was jumping to that conclusion so
readily. "What makes you say that?"
"Well,
it's no secret that he has feelings for you …" She stopped when she heard
the captain's groan. "What?"
"Nothing,"
Janeway quickly said. "It's just that you're the second person today to
tell me that. And I really thought we had left that in the past where it
belongs. Apparently I was wrong."
"Ah."
B'Elanna nodded. "He also doesn't like Seven. He never understood what you
see in her and if he's already jealous of your bond now, he might be even more
so when he finds out about you two."
"And
what do you think he'll do, B'Elanna?" Janeway's tone was calmer than she
felt. "You probably know him better than anyone else on board."
"I
honestly have no idea, Captain," B'Elanna replied, regret coloring her
voice. "He could behave in a mature way and accept that you're in love
with someone else."
"Or?"
B'Elanna
swallowed. "Or he could try and make life difficult for you." She
paused. "What do you think,
Captain?"
"I
think I'll go with your first assessment," Janeway said firmly, although
it sounded to B'Elanna as if she was trying to convince herself. "He's an
adult and has always been an exemplary first officer."
Except where Seven was concerned … and you don't
trust him fully, no matter what you're saying. B'Elanna
watched the captain keenly and noticed the slight hesitation in the captain's
tone. "Don't worry, Captain, I'll spin a great love story for the crew
that will have everyone on our side. Even the Maquis."
Janeway
nodded. "Well, it's actually Tuvok who's worried … but I'd appreciate
that. Just don't turn my private life into a Klingon opera, please. I need to
keep some of my command dignity."
"Captain,
you worry too much," B'Elanna said with a grin. Then she got serious.
"It's a good plan and should work. I'm sure you can handle Chakotay. He'll
probably take it much better than we all think." And if he doesn't, I'll kick his ass or what's left of it after Janeway
and Seven are done with him, B'Elanna vowed. Aloud she added, "Just
let me know when to tell Tom, Harry, and Neelix."
"Thank
you, B'Elanna," Janeway said as she stood.
"One
last thing, Captain," the engineer said as she followed Janeway to the
door. "You do realize that as soon as Neelix and Harry know, it'll be all
over the ship, right?"
"I
know. That's the plan, isn't it?" The captain's voice was resigned.
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
Kathryn
Janeway relaxed into her command chair and looked around the bridge. The alpha
shift crew was working at their normal efficient levels at their respective
stations, and even Tom Paris was focusing on his console. So why was she
feeling so restless?
Her eyes
fell on the empty chair next to hers. You
know why, her mind reminded her. She sighed, quietly enough so that the
small sound got lost in the din of the typical bridge background noise.
Chakotay had excused himself to run an errand of some kind, and she was waiting
for his return and an opportunity to ask him to dinner. She was unsure why but
she dreaded the idea of dinner with him almost as much as she dreaded
disclosing her feelings for Seven to him. It just didn't feel right to have
dinner with Chakotay without telling Seven, especially now that she was aware
of his feelings.
She looked
back at Tuvok, wondering if his suspicions were correct. She still believed
that Chakotay would accept her decision, even though he might not be entirely
happy about it. He was her friend, after all, and had been for years. Tuvok
suddenly left his station to head for the turbolift, giving her a small nod and
a shake of his head to let her know that it was something that didn't concern
her and he had to take care of. Some
security matter that he felt obliged to check out, the captain concluded
and turned to face the viewscreen again.
She decided
to visit Seven in her cargo bay as soon as possible to tell her about her
plans, regeneration or not. She knew Seven would be at least subconsciously
aware of her, and that alone made her feel better. Maybe, just maybe she'll even wake up. There was hope in her mind's
voice, and Janeway found it hard to stop those thoughts.
She wouldn't
mind a hug.
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
Chakotay
shook his head as he walked down the corridor to cargo bay two, dismayed that a
trace of the headache was still there, despite the doctor's hypospray. He felt
extremely irritated but convinced that he was about to do the right thing for
the ship. The ship was in danger after all, wasn't it? And he was the only one
who could see that. It had all become so very clear to him this morning. So
very clear.
He had woken
up with an enormous headache but he felt his thoughts were clearer than they
had ever been before. The headaches had come and gone but over the course of
the morning he had also begun to feel slightly nauseous. It got so bad that he
decided to see the doctor. The EMH had scanned him, thoroughly, but was unable
to find the cause of the pain and nausea. There were, however, some
irregularities in his scan that the EMH wanted to take a closer look at.
Chakotay had decided not to mention his extremely clear thoughts, certain the
doctor would take his ability away. He had almost refused the hypospray because
he didn't want to lose his ability to see his world so clearly. It was almost
as if he was on a quest. He knew exactly what to do and how to do it. His path
was clear.
The doctor
had wanted to keep Chakotay in sickbay to keep an eye on him but Chakotay had
insisted on leaving, intent on carrying out his duty to his ship before his
enemies could stop him. He didn't say anything to the doctor because he
suddenly had the feeling that he was one of them. There was only one person on
board who would understand him, his thoughts screamed, one person only that he
needed. She would be his.
Chakotay
frowned when he was stopped by the uncooperative doors of cargo bay two, and
barely managed not to run into them. He looked around when he thought he heard
a giggle but he couldn't see anyone. He missed the strawberry blonde head that
ducked around the corner of the corridor and disappeared, only to come back up
a few moments later to watch him.
Naomi
Wildman had escaped her boring lessons with Neelix to check up on her best
friend. She had been worried sick, literally, when Seven had disappeared with
the Borg, and especially when she had realized that she and Captain Janeway
were the only ones who were missing their friend. Naomi was very happy that
Seven was back on board, and ever since she had been commended by the captain
for coming up with a rescue plan – although that wasn't needed in the end – she
had decided to keep an eye on her friend to make sure the Borg or any other bad
guys couldn't get near her.
When Naomi
had found the door to the cargo bay locked, she had deduced that the captain
was equally worried about Seven, and so Naomi had hung around the corridor,
keeping an eye on the cargo bay for the captain. It got boring after a while
because nothing really happened in this part of the deck but then Commander
Chakotay had almost crashed into the door, and now Naomi was alert.
She watched
as the commander asked the computer about the status of the cargo bay, and was
informed that access was restricted. He tried to override the lock by using his
command codes, and Naomi began to wonder why the commander wanted to get into
the cargo bay so desperately. And why he didn't ask the captain to give him
access.
When
Chakotay kneeled down and started working behind an access panel next to the door,
Naomi decided to do something. She pressed her combadge, trying to be very
quiet. "Naomi Wildman to Lt. Torres," she whispered, putting her
mouth close to the combadge.
"Torres
here," came the instant reply. "Naomi, is that you? I can hardly hear
you."
"Yes,"
Naomi whispered, just a little louder. "Commander Chakotay is trying to
get into cargo bay two but the door is locked."
"Naomi,
what exactly is he doing?" B'Elanna's voice was interested now.
"I
think he's scanning the controls next to the door with a tricorder but I can't
really see what he's doing," Naomi replied after taking another peek
around the corner.
"Okay,
Naomi," B'Elanna said, "I'll be right there."
"Okay."
Naomi went
back to watching the commander from her position, making sure she was mostly
hidden behind her corner. She wasn't sure why that seemed like something she
should do but the commander's behavior was weird, so she thought it better to
stay out of the way.
It only took
a minute or two for B'Elanna to arrive. She greeted Naomi with a finger held to
her lips, and Naomi remained quiet as ordered. B'Elanna looked around the
corner to see what Chakotay was doing, and had to grin when she saw him in the
same position she had been in the night before. It's a good thing he doesn't have a clue what he's doing. And he has no
chance breaking that lock. Especially since B'Elanna had gone back to the
cargo bay after her talk with the captain to add a Borg encryption code to the
door that Seven had shown her for emergencies.
B'Elanna
straightened and put on a casual look as she turned the corner and walked
towards Chakotay. He noticed her arrival straight away and seemed startled.
"B'Elanna, what are you doing here?" he asked, and the engineer
wondered if she imagined his nervousness.
"Oh, I
just need a new gel pack from the cargo bay," she replied lightly. This is going to be my standard reply from
now on, I can feel it. "What are you doing here? And what are you
doing on the floor?"
Chakotay
scrambled to his feet. "I wanted to check on Seven," he replied.
"See if everything's okay with our runaway drone." His hand went up
to his temple and rubbed his tattoo as if in pain.
"Are
you okay?" B'Elanna asked.
"Yes,
I'm fine," Chakotay replied. "Why are you asking?"
"You
seem … different somehow." B'Elanna looked at him closely. His face was a
little pinched as if he had been dealing with some pain for some time, and his
skin and eyes looked slightly irritated. "You look like you're not feeling
your best. I think we'd better take you to sickbay, Chakotay."
"No,
I'm fine! It's just a headache." Chakotay took a step back. "I've
already seen the doctor and he gave me a hypospray. Nothing more he can do,
B'Elanna."
"All
right, if you say so." B'Elanna shrugged. "Well, since the doors here
are apparently locked and access is restricted, I'd assume that Seven is
regenerating as scheduled."
"I just
wanted to make sure myself." Chakotay said with a slight flush, and
B'Elanna made a mental note to talk to the captain about his behavior. She had
the feeling there was more to it than a headache.
"I will
make sure to tell Seven of Nine that you were worried about her," came a
third voice from behind Chakotay.
B'Elanna
grinned when she saw the tiny frown on Chakotay's face. "Hello,
Tuvok," she greeted the new arrival. "What are you doing down
here?"
"Yes,
it's like a regular senior staff meeting," Chakotay grumbled.
"I was
alerted by an attempt to override the access restriction placed on the cargo
bay," Tuvok explained.
"Since
I won't be getting my gel pack, I'll better get back to engineering now."
B'Elanna turned to go.
"I am
certain that the captain would be happy to let you accompany her should she
want to check on Seven of Nine herself, Lieutenant," Tuvok said with a
raised eyebrow, and the look he gave her told her that he knew about the Borg
encryption code she had placed there. He knew that right now only Seven or the
combination of B'Elanna and the captain could get these doors to open.
"I'll
ask her then," B'Elanna said with a wink as she walked away, leaving Tuvok
and Chakotay to face each other. Around the corner she gave Naomi a thumbs up
and then took her hand and pulled her to the turbolift with her.
"We
should return to our duty stations as well, Commander," Tuvok stated after
a moment.
Reluctantly,
Chakotay nodded. "After you, Tuvok."
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
The two men
were standing next to each other in the quiet turbolift, facing the door. Tuvok
quietly counted the seconds before Commander Chakotay would break the silence.
He made it to nine.
"Tuvok,"
Chakotay said, not taking his eyes off the turbolift door. "Have you
noticed anything unusual in the captain's behavior recently?"
"Unusual?"
Tuvok also kept his eyes on the door.
"Yes,"
Chakotay continued. "She seemed distracted today, and last night she
practically threw me out of her quarters when I wanted to talk to her about the
mission."
"I
assume the captain was exhausted after the rescue mission, Commander,"
Tuvok explained flatly, "as were the other members of her away team."
"And now
she's made the cargo bay off limits," the first officer ranted on as if
Tuvok hadn't spoken. "Doesn't she trust her crew any longer?"
Tuvok
considered telling him that Chakotay's attempt to override the door lock proved
that the captain's measures were justified but then decided against it. He would
inform the captain and leave it up to her to do something about it or not.
However … "Given the fact that most members of this crew did not seem to
care that Seven had sacrificed herself to save them, and were indeed not
unhappy that she was gone, I think the captain is correct in granting Seven
some privacy while she recovers from her ordeal." Tuvok turned to face
Chakotay. "It was I who recommended the door lock as chief of
security."
Chakotay was
saved the trouble of finding a reply to that by their arrival on the bridge. He
stiffly walked over to his chair and sat down with a nod to the captain, who
was studying something on the monitor next to her seat. His mind was busy
analyzing the events of the past hour. Apparently, the doctor, B'Elanna, and
Tuvok were on Seven's side, which was not his side. But they wouldn't stop his
mission.
He started
making a mental list of his enemies, while watching the captain
surreptitiously, trying to figure out what was bothering him about her
behavior. She seemed different to him. She
is behaving strangely, he thought defiantly, no matter what Tuvok says. Last night she should have been happy
that he had come to her quarters, even bringing his last bottle of Aldebaran
whiskey for her, but she hadn't even let him inside her quarters. Yes, she had
looked a bit tired but she was also tense and distracted.
He had
wanted to talk to her about Seven's latest breach of protocol, and about what
they should do about the drone. He was not happy that the Borg was back on
board, and the main focus of his mission was to make sure she would not be
there to bother them much longer.
Chakotay
watched as the captain leaned back in her command chair, her features relaxed. Was that a smile on her face? She looked
radiant and more beautiful than he could remember. Maybe I should invite her to dinner tonight, he mused. She seems to be in a good mood, and I'm sure
I could convince her that it's much more fun to spend her off-duty time with me
instead of a Borg drone who needs her guidance all the time. After all, how
much fun could it be to play mentor to an ice queen after all? Maybe he could
take Kathryn on this wonderful quest with him.
"Chakotay?"
The captain's voice interrupted his mental ramblings. "Are you all
right?"
"Yes,
I'm fine, Captain," he replied automatically. "Why?"
"You
seemed lost in thought and I—"
"Kathryn,"
he interrupted her, "would you have dinner with me tonight?"
Hell, no! Janeway almost bit her tongue to
prevent herself from saying the first thing that tried to come out of her
mouth. She was irritated at his continued use of her first name, suggesting
more intimacy between them than existed. And a lot more than she wanted,
especially now. Remember, her mind
spoke up, you want to have dinner with him tonight to tell him
about you and Seven. Now you don't have to ask him.
She turned
to him and tried to smile. "I'd like that, Chakotay."
The smile
seemed to have worked, judging by the self-satisfied grin that broke out on
Chakotay's face. "That's wonderful, Kathryn!" he enthused rather more
loudly than she appreciated. "My quarters, 1900 hours?"
Janeway
nodded her agreement but couldn't shake the feeling that something had just
gone really, really wrong. "I'll take a walk," she announced And cargo bay two sounds like a wonderful
destination to me, she added silently. "Commander, you have the
bridge."
When she
passed Tuvok's station she saw the frown between his eyebrows and the knot in
her stomach spawned another knot.
"Captain,"
Tuvok said quietly as he handed her a PADD, which she took automatically.
"Lt. Torres also mentioned that she required your assistance. I suggest
you go to engineering before you proceed with your … walk."
Janeway
studied the PADD in her hand and wondered if she was imagining all the
subterfuge going on around her. However, knowing Tuvok, there was probably a
good reason for him to send her to see B'Elanna before she went to see Seven,
so Janeway simply nodded as she entered the turbolift.
"Deck
eleven," she said as she activated the PADD.
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
"Lt.
Torres."
The chief
engineer whirled around at the sound of Vorik's voice, nearly hitting her head
on the Jeffries tube wall. "What?" she snarled, irritated at having
her work interrupted.
"The
captain would like to speak with you," the Vulcan replied in his
imperturbable way. "I took the liberty of directing her to your
office."
B'Elanna
took a deep breath as she crawled out of the Jeffries tube. "Thank you,
Vorik," she calmly replied when she was standing on her feet again.
"What
can I do for you, Captain?" B'Elanna asked as she entered her office.
Janeway
turned around to face her. "Actually, Tuvok said you needed me for
something. And I have a feeling it has something to do with this." The
captain held out the PADD she had been studying.
B'Elanna
took the PADD and quickly read it. "You're correct," she said when
she was done. "Chakotay's attempt to get into cargo bay two." The
engineer hesitated. "Captain, I'm not sure what Chakotay was doing there
or what he wanted in there but I'd bet a month's rations that it wasn't
official business."
"If it
had been, he would have asked me for access, so I have to agree with you."
Janeway's expression was unreadable and her voice was flat. "It's a good
thing cargo bay two is locked then, isn't it?"
The captain
rubbed her forehead, trying to stave off the headache she could feel forming
there. "I really have no explanation for his behavior." She sighed
and leaned against B'Elanna's desk. "Any ideas?"
"Actually
…" B'Elanna hesitated. "He seemed tense … and I think he was in some
kind of pain. He said he'd already been to sickbay but that the doctor couldn't
find anything wrong with him."
"Hm, I
think tense is the right word for him." Janeway hit her combadge.
"Janeway to sickbay."
"Sickbay
here. What can I do for you, captain?"
"Doctor,
did Commander Chakotay see you this morning?"
"Yes,
he did. He complained about a headache but I couldn't find a reason for them.
However …" The EMH paused.
"What,
Doctor?"
"There
were some irregularities in his scan that I haven't been able to figure out
yet." It was clear from the doctor's voice that he didn't like admitting
that.
"What
kind of irregularities?" Janeway asked.
"His
neural pattern seems slightly … off," the doctor replied. "Like a
frequency that was shifted to a different level. It's barely noticeable, and
Chakotay didn't mention any other problems except for his headache and some
slight nausea, so he insisted on resuming his duty. Against my better judgement,
I might add." He sounded peeved.
"Well,
keep working," Janeway said. "And inform me as soon as you know
more."
"Yes,
Captain."
Janeway
turned to B'Elanna. "So, we still don't know what he wanted in cargo bay
two. It could have been completely harmless, you know."
"Ask
him," B'Elanna replied with a shrug. "At dinner tonight. You did ask
him to have dinner with you, didn't you?"
"Actually,
he asked me," Janeway replied uneasily, unable to shake the bad feeling
she was getting. "He seemed quite happy when I accepted."
"I
bet," B'Elanna mumbled. "When are you meeting him?"
"1900
hours." The captain's voice was quiet. "His quarters. Damn, I wish
that Seven wasn't regenerating," she added with a sigh.
"It
would be easier if you could speak to her, I suppose." B'Elanna looked at
the captain. "Why don't you wake her or whatever it is you do to get her
out of her cycle?"
Janeway
laughed humorlessly. "Believe me, I've thought about it. But I don't want
to wake her just because I want to talk to her, and the doctor was quite
adamant about the length of her cycle."
"Captain,"
B'Elanna began softly. "Do you really think Seven wouldn't prefer to be
awake and able to speak to you?"
"I know
that she'd rather be awake, B'Elanna," Janeway said with a grin. "She
disagreed with the doctor about the regeneration cycle from the beginning.
Still—"
B'Elanna
interrupted the captain by slapping her combadge. "Torres to
sickbay."
"Sickbay
here. Go ahead, Lt. Torres." The doctor's voice betrayed his impatience.
"Doctor,
if we needed Seven for something would it hurt her to interrupt her
cycle?"
"Well,
she has only been regenerating since this morning …"
"Which
is a lot longer than she normally regenerates, isn't it?" B'Elanna
interrupted the EMH.
"Yes,
it is. And I suppose if there was an emergency it would be okay to end her
cycle but I'd rather you didn't." The EMH didn't sound too happy.
"Thank
you, Doctor, that's all I needed to hear. Torres out." B'Elanna grinned at
her captain.
Janeway's
whole body tingled at the thought of talking to Seven, of hugging her, of
wrapping herself around that wonderful warm body for as long as she could
before she had to go to that dinner with Chakotay. Close to two hours, she thought. We could do a lot in two hours. She shook herself to get some control
back, then grinned at her chief engineer. "You think this counts as an
emergency?"
"Absolutely,"
B'Elanna replied immediately. "I'd say you're in desperate need of –"
"Stop
right there, Lieutenant," Janeway said and held up a hand.
Suddenly
B'Elanna remembered something. "I'll have to go with you, Captain, at
least to get you into the cargo bay."
Janeway
sobered. "Is that the little something you required me for?"
B'Elanna
nodded. "I added a Borg encryption code to the cargo bay doors this
morning, and I'm afraid right now you need me to open the doors."
Janeway
smiled at the sudden protectiveness she detected in B'Elanna. "I don't
know what made you do it but thank you, B'Elanna," she said.
"Did I
mention that Naomi spent the morning watching the cargo bay doors, and that she
was the one who called me when Chakotay showed up?" B'Elanna laughed at
the expression on Janeway's face.
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
The laughter
quickly disappeared from B’Elanna's face when she and the captain were faced
with an unresponsive cargo bay door five minutes later. No combination of the
captain's command codes or the engineer's removal of the Borg encryption code
seemed to be able to open the doors.
After
fifteen minutes of trial and error Janeway was getting frustrated. "Maybe
saying 'Open Sesame' would help," she growled, barely restraining herself
from kicking the door.
"At
this point I'd say a phaser blast would be more successful," B'Elanna
growled back. She was feeling bad, thinking that her addition of the Borg code
sequence was responsible for their current situation. "Look, Captain, why
don't you head back to the bridge while I try and get the doors to open."
Janeway shot
her a force ten glare.
"I mean
now that you removed the access restriction I should be able to get the door
open without you," B'Elanna quickly continued. "If I can find out
what's wrong, that is," she added under her breath.
"Tell
me, B'Elanna," Janeway asked in a low voice, "have you ever seen
anything like this before?"
B'Elanna was
about to reply quickly but then thought about the situation. There was
something wrong here … they should have been able to open the doors without any
problems instead of getting a constant "Access denied" message from
the computer. "I'm not sure what's going on here, Captain," she
finally said. "But I'm going to find out. It must be some malfunction in
the door mechanism, and I'll make it my top priority to get it to work
again."
"Do it,"
Janeway replied. "Computer, state the time."
"The
time is 1748 hours."
"Damn,"
the captain said with a sigh. "I guess I won't be seeing Seven before
dinner with Chakotay then." Which was too bad because the longer she had
been standing here, unable to get inside, the more she wanted to be in the
cargo bay with her lover.
"I'm
going to get the door open, Captain," B'Elanna promised. "You'll have
to talk to Seven after your dinner then."
Oh, I'll be doing more than talk to Seven after
dinner, much more. Janeway knew herself well enough to know she'd be
more than ready to finish the day in Seven's arms instead of her bed alone. She
exhaled slowly.
"I
guess I'll finish off in my ready room then before I join Chakotay
tonight." She barely suppressed the bad feeling that sent shivers down her
spine. Something was definitely wrong but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Please keep me updated on your progress, Lieutenant."
With that
she turned and walked away, seeing from the corner of her eye that B'Elanna
dropped down on her knees to open the panel next to the doors.
See you later, Seven. I hope.
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
Janeway
spent an hour in her ready room, finishing her report on the rescue mission. Starfleet is going to have a field day with
this when we get back, she thought wryly but decided not to leave out too many
details. Besides, if I leave out the
juicy bits, Chakotay will probably be happy to fill them in for me. She was
startled by the thought. Now where did
that come from?
The truth
was that she knew she was most certainly facing a court martial for a whole
number of infractions during her years here in the Delta Quadrant. She was also
reasonably sure she'd come out of the proceedings with her head held high. She
was in a difficult situation out here, doing her damn best to hold up Starfleet
ideals that weren’t made for their situation, and deep down she refused to be
held accountable for risky decisions she had to make to get them all home in
one piece.
So, what are Starfleet going to say about your
crew? The Maquis could face jail time but she would fight for them. Neelix
would be all right, she knew, and would proudly serve as some kind of Delta
Quadrant ambassador to the Federation. No, the biggest problems were her
sentient EMH and Seven. Time to give them
a head start.
She picked
up a PADD and began a new log entry.
"Captain's
log, stardate 52621.4. I have decided to grant the Emergency Medical Hologram
the field commission of Lieutenant. He has shown remarkable development here in
the Delta Quadrant and exemplary skills and courage, transcending his programming,
and achieving sentience. I fully accept his rights as a citizen of the
Federation. Computer, log this and send with the next data package to the
Federation."
"So
logged."
The captain
smiled and forwarded her decision to the Doctor, adding just one sentence.
"Add two pips to your matrix … and come up with a name, Doc."
Janeway
nodded, satisfied with her decision. She sent a message to Chakotay to inform
him, then leaned back in her chair and looked at the ceiling. One down, one to go. She wondered if
granting Seven a commission as well would help her or hurt her when they got
back to Earth. She shook her head, sure that Seven wouldn't even want that. Besides, having an affair with a lieutenant
under your command would really make your superiors twitch, Katie. No, she
needed another plan. She'd talk it over with Chakotay after dinner, once she
had told them about her and Seven. Assuming he would accept their relationship
…
Janeway
checked the display on her terminal and pushed herself to her feet. She was
late for dinner.
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
B'Elanna
threw a spanner into her toolbox with an expression of disgust on her face. She
had been trying for over an hour to open the door to cargo bay two, and so far
she had been frustrated at every turn. Everything she tried got only so far
before she failed again. She was puzzled and angry, and still something about
the way the door controls reacted when she worked on them tickled a distant
sense of familiarity in the back of her mind. Familiar enough to know that the
locking mechanism had been tampered with.
She slapped
her combadge. "Torres to Tuvok."
"Go
ahead, Lieutenant."
"Can
you come down to cargo bay two and look at something for me?"
There was
only a slight hesitation. "I am on my way."
The engineer
decided to relax for the time it took Tuvok to come down, and to try and
remember why the roadblocks she encountered seemed somehow familiar, and why
she couldn't remove them if that were truly the case. It was embarrassing to be
unable to open this door, not to mention inconvenient if the captain wanted to
see Seven. Or if Seven wanted out.
That's it! B'Elanna growled as it came
to her. Of course! Someone was trying
to keep Seven locked into the cargo bay. But why? Who would have an interest in
that? Quickly, she picked up her engineering tricorder and changed a few
parameters before scanning the access panel again. Oh, no … this is not good, she thought when she saw the results of
her scan.
Just then
Tuvok appeared at her side. "Lieutenant?"
"Hello,
Tuvok," B'Elanna said, barely turning around to greet him. "Did the
captain fill you in on what's going on here?"
"The
captain mentioned that you were unable to unlock the doors despite your joint
efforts."
B'Elanna
exhaled loudly. "And now I know why." She held the tricorder up for
Tuvok to see.
Tuvok
studied the display, and B'Elanna could have sworn she saw a small furrow
between his brows that looked a lot like concern. "This is a Maquis
signature," he pointed out after a few seconds, vaguely remembering the
coding from his undercover work several years back. "Why would a Maquis
crewman be interested in restricting access to this cargo bay?"
He looked at
the doors. "Seven of Nine," came the rational deduction.
"Someone is trying to keep her from exiting. Or us from entering."
B'Elanna
nodded and got to her feet. "Tuvok, this isn't just a random Maquis
signature," she explained quietly. "I've only seen this used
once."
Tuvok
checked the tricorder again, then nodded once, his face a stony mask.
This time,
however, B'Elanna could have sworn she heard him sigh. "What do we do
now?"
"We
could beam Seven out," Tuvok suggested.
"Not
possible," B'Elanna said, shaking her head. "We can't transport her
out of a cycle. As long as she's in that alcove, we can't transport her."
"That
leaves us with two options," Tuvok calmly stated. "One of us needs to
beam inside the cargo bay to get Seven out of her cycle, and then beam back
out."
"Or?"
"Or we
transport Seven and her alcove somewhere else."
B'Elanna
thought for a second. "We should try the first option. Much easier than
finding room for that huge alcove somewhere." She looked at Tuvok.
"You or me?"
Tuvok merely
raised an eyebrow and hit his combadge. "Tuvok to transporter room one.
Lock onto Lt. Torres and beam her inside cargo bay two."
Nothing
happened.
"What's
going on, Ensign?" Torres asked, rapidly nearing the end of her patience.
"I'm
not sure," came the disembodied response. "There seems to be some
sort of dampening field inside cargo bay two. I can lock onto Lt. Torres but I
can't beam her inside."
"Can
you get a lock on Seven of Nine?" Torres asked while Tuvok ran another
scan on the cargo bay doors.
"Negative,
Lieutenant."
B'Elanna
shook her head in disgust. "What now?"
Tuvok met
her eyes. "Now we will alert Captain Janeway," he said quietly as he
slapped his combadge.
Before his
hand reached it, however, a call came through.
“Sickbay to
Lt. Tuvok.”
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
In sickbay,
the doctor was busy studying the readings he had taken from Chakotay. It had
helped that three more crewmen had come in, complaining of similar aches and
nausea. All of them had no obvious reason for their problems but all of them
shared readings that were slightly off the normal spectrum.
The EMH had
been busy comparing all the samples, adding new ones as soon as a new
crewmember with the same symptoms came in. Finally, he was able to see it. “Oh,
no,” he said with a sigh. “Sickbay to Commander Chakotay.”
His only
response was a dull chirp. Hmm, curious,
he thought. “Sickbay to the captain.”
Another dull
chirp. The doctor frowned. “Sickbay to Lt. Tuvok.”
“Yes,
doctor?”
“Tuvok, I
can’t reach either the captain or Commander Chakotay.” The doctor didn’t wait
for a reply before pressing on. “The commander needs to be in sickbay. Now. He
and several other crewmen have been infected with a virus that directly affects
their brain chemistry.”
"What
kind of virus?"
"I
don't know," the doctor replied. "I've never seen anything like it
before." He paused. "I can't even tell you where it's coming from.
There have been no away missions recently, and the bio-filters have not picked
up anything from anyone transported recently. I'm currently trying to find
something all the patients have in common."