The Enemy Within

Part 4

B'Elanna finished feeding Miral. She jiggled the tiny infant and smiled sadly as the little fists clenched and her face screwed up.

"Crabby after eating too much, just like your mother aren't you sweetheart? And brave like your daddy." B'Elanna pushed the corrosive pain away and made herself concentrate. "You go to sleep for a little while and let Mama look for the big bad wolf." She laid the tot back in the crib. "And when I find the evil bitch, I'll kill her," she crooned in a soothing undertone. Miral yawned and closed her eyes. A few minutes later the child was asleep. Her mother scowled at the flashing command station instrument panel. She hadn't had much luck trying to trace the alien. "But I'll find you, be'Qa'."

The warp core hummed behind her, not doing anything much but it was familiar and it helped her concentrate.

The control panel lights faded to black without warning. B'Elanna cursed. Auxiliary power had been cut to all computer systems. Here we go again she thought. At least the bitch has been kind enough to leave the lights and environmental controls working down here. She grinned without humour. So it's probably down here with me. She tried not to imagine what horrors were being visited on her remaining shipmates on the upper decks.

The half-Klingon hauled a 300 pound emergency power pack across the floor and plugged it in to the panel. It blinked back to life. She tapped a few keys. Futile. There seemed to be nothing else on-line, even the main computer was dead. She hunted around a bit more, trying to determine where the shut down had been initiated. The last command seemed to have come from the bridge. B'Elanna frowned. Maybe she was alone now. Or perhaps not. A panel light blinked. One other station was now active. The Borg alcoves in cargo bay 2. Maybe Seven was there. She was about to transmit a coded hello to the Borg when she heard footsteps on the walkway below.

 

~~~~~~

 

On deck 2, Janeway picked her way through the injured crew lying on the floor of the makeshift sickbay. The grim-faced Doctor, seeing her coming, jerked his head towards the small office.

"Thank you for coming Captain."

"You have something to tell me?" Her face was completely expressionless. It occurred to the Doctor that he had seen Borg with more emotional range than his captain was displaying. He hesitated. The captain waited and a small frown formed which the EMH found strangely comforting. At least irritation was an emotion.

"I'm concerned about Seven of Nine. I received an alert following a routine computer scan." He was annoyed with himself. "I don't know how I missed it at the time, it was quite obvious. All I can say is that I have warned repeatedly of the risks of not maintaining my matrix adequately..."

Janeway interrupted. "What are you talking about Doctor?"

"Her post-op scan showed signs of abnormal activity. I've double checked the records and there is a problem." Seeing that the captain still looked baffled he added, "I think we misunderstood the purpose of Seven's cortical inhibitor. I think the Borg used it to correct what they would have seen as a flaw in Seven's humanity."

"What in hell's name are you talking about?" Janeway repeated roughly. The Doctor glanced at her apprehensively and fiddled with the computer screen.

"I ran a computer check on Annika Hansen's Starfleet medical history. I found a confidential file." He paused again. "Annika Hansen was genetically engineered by her parents. As you know, that is completely illegal under Federation law. Like many such children, the modifications were dangerous and she was born with a psychotic disorder. He turned the screen to face the captain. A picture of a small blonde girl stared back at her. "The records are not clear, parts are missing or have been deleted, but what is known is that she was diagnosed at the age of three and was due to receive corrective treatment when her parents took her and disappeared. They left, not just to study the Borg Captain, but also to hide themselves and their small daughter from Starfleet. Apparently the Hansens did not accept the diagnosis or the proposed treatment. When Annika was assimilated the Borg would have identified her condition. The cortical inhibitor was their solution. Ironically, it was very similar to the treatment proposed by Starfleet. A form of control rather than a cure. I'm worried about her Captain. She may be experiencing emotions and impulses over which she has no control. We have to find her."

An icy chill had settled in Janeway's chest as she remembered all the little changes she had noticed in Seven in the past few days. Fear and pain lapped at the edges of her mind, threatening to break through at any moment. Even the normally un-perceptive EMH was surprised by the raw emotion on her face. Impulsively he held out his hands and, to his great astonishment, she took the offered support, grasping his arms and leaning against him, shaking and dry-mouthed.

"I don't think I can accept this Doctor," she replied in a voice so low that without his holographic hearing he would have missed it.

"Captain I understand," he said gently, not understanding at all. "Seven is very special to me also."

She struggled to stand back and his hands dropped from her arms. The captain steadied herself against the wall and looked up at him. The Doctor thought he had never seen such despair in a human's eyes. In a very low uneven voice she said. "Do you understand that I have to kill her Doctor? I have to kill the person I love. Do you understand that? Because I'm not sure that I do."

The EMH gaped at her, uncomprehending, his mouth opening and closing, looking so much like a cartoon character that Janeway felt a hysterical desire to giggle. Then she wanted to be sick. She pushed him aside and walked unsteadily out of the small office, stepping over the injured bodies of her crew. Some were asleep. Some looked up at her as she passed and she could see the fear in their faces. She recited the names of the dead to herself as she walked, remembering what she knew of each of them. Seventy-six dead, twenty-nine injured. Vorik, Nicoletti, Tal, Ayala, Icheb, Tom ......

It's my fault. I let this happen. I should have known. The mantra circled stupidly in her head until an urgent recollection shoved a spoke in the cycle of blame. "B'Elanna, I sent her after B'Elanna. She doesn't know." For a few seconds the fog in her brain lifted. She tapped her comm badge. "Tuvok, Harry, meet me here on deck 2 at Jeffries tube 1." She waited, not really aware of the passage of time, until they arrived.

"What is it Captain?" asked Harry heroically controlling his trepidation. He had never seen the captain like this; shaking like a leaf, all control and reserve gone. She gazed at him from wild eyes.

"Seven." She said. "It's Seven. She's the one. We have to save B'Elanna and Chakotay and the others down there. They don't know, Harry. They don't know about her."

Even Tuvok was shocked. It was inconceivable. He could hear young Harry Kim repeating a few violent and profane words, over and over. Tuvok fell back on the only logical explanation he could find. "She has reverted to the Borg."

Janeway's face cracked in a horrible imitation of a grin. "No, it's not the Borg. Not this time. No, she's recovered her humanity. Taken those last few damnable steps back to her humanity."

"But what about the shuttle attack?" Cried Harry Kim. "She was on the shuttle when it was attacked."

Janeway stared at him impatiently. "She faked it Harry. To cover herself. To fool me. I even wondered at the time why it was so easy to deflect that particular attack. But I was so grateful that they had escaped that I forgot."

"Then the Dren ... ?" he asked clutching for some explanation.

The captain was almost scornful. "She freed it; to blind-side us. It worked perfectly. I expect it's dead. Another victim."

Tears rolling down her face; she fell back on the one thing she knew how to do beyond all others. Take command. "Tuvok. I'm going to leave you in charge here. Organise defensive positions. Harry, come with me. We have to try and warn Chakotay and B'Elanna." She put her helmet on and checked the power supply. Three hours. It would have to be enough. "If we are not back within three hours start a sweep of the lower decks. And Tuvok, tell your teams, shoot to kill."

 

~~~~~~

 

Cautiously, B'Elanna peered over the side of the walkway. Two crewmen in security uniforms were patrolling deck 14. It was a relief on two counts. Firstly she wasn't alone on Voyager and secondly it wasn't the Dren. She supposed they were part of the search teams and wondered whether to say hello. (She was feeling guilty about running out on the captain.) She watched them walk to the far side of engineering and noticed their odd stiff-backed gait. The hair on the back of her neck prickled.

At the far side of engineering, the two crewmen halted, turned about and started back towards her. B'Elanna nearly dropped her blaster. They were drones, Borg drones, or at least humans well on the way to becoming drones, the tell-tale black veins spreading across their exposed skin. Where the hell had they come from? Her hearts racing, she pulled back out of sight, panic swelling inside her. The illuminated instrument panel caught her eye. Damn. A few more steps and they might be able to see the lights. She crawled to the command station, trying not to make any noise in the bulky enviro-suit and pulled the plug to deactivate the station. It went blank. She could still hear footsteps echoing on the metal floor. Then the sound stopped. Perhaps she had not been quick enough or they had heard something. After a couple of deep breaths she crawled back and peeked over the edge again. The drones were stationary, looking away from her position. She thanked Kahless and his wife and breathed again, very quietly.

Seven of Nine entered the other side of engineering with a blaster casually resting on her shoulder. She strolled in. And B'Elanna felt her hearts flutter again as the ex-Borg walked straight towards the area where the two drones stood. She had to warn her but was too late. Seven's voice interrupted the silence.

"I thought I had lost you for a moment." The two drones turned towards the voice. "Kathryn has finally had the sense to deactivate the main computer. Much as I love her, she is not very intelligent sometimes. Of course it does make it a little harder to control you."

For a confused moment B'Elanna thought Seven must be speaking to her. Then she realised that the tall blonde was addressing the drones. Seven continued speaking.

"At any rate matters are likely to become much more interesting now. I foresee hand to hand combat in dark corridors. Would you like that? No I suppose you do not really care. That's the disadvantage of being a drone. Lots of killing but no real involvement in the process." Seven began to adjust something, a cortical node perhaps, on the side of the head of one of the drones. She continued conversationally. "Personally I like a little blood letting. I love the colour, of human blood at least. Klingon blood, that lavender, is horrible." She finished fiddling with the drone and moved to the next. "Of course the other problem with drones is the lack of conversational skills." After a little more adjustment, she patted the second drone on the head. "You are finished. Rejoin your comrades." She turned away and walked quickly towards the door by which she had entered. The two drones plodded after her. Twenty seconds later and they were gone.

B'Elanna rolled onto her back and gazed at the ceiling as nausea swept through her. She hunted desperately for a rational explanation. That creature that came aboard: it must have infected Seven or possessed her. She had to get this information to the captain. But sending a direct message was impossible now the main computer was down. She would have to make her way back to the upper decks through drone infested corridors and hope there was still someone alive to listen. Or she could take Miral and fight her way to the shuttle bay and run for it.

"Come on baby, we have some climbing to do. Only thirteen decks." She fastened Miral to her back and shouldered the blaster. A faint click behind her and B'Elanna span on her heel, bringing the muzzle of the heavy phaser to bear on the source of the noise. A tall woman in a Starfleet uniform lumbered towards her and B'Elanna cursed as she simultaneously recognised the ensign as one of the Delaney twins and realised that she was a drone. B'Elanna fired. Megan dropped to her knees and slowly pitched forward. B'Elanna looked down at the smoking body of her former drinking friend and sometime rival for Tom. This must be hell. I've gone to hell. she thought. "We have to go." she said aloud.

"Leaving so soon?" remarked a cool voice. Seven of Nine stood at the entrance with her cortical implant raised in amused enquiry.

B'Elanna aimed the blaster directly at the former Borg. "Get out of my way Seven."

"The Captain asked me to find you B'Elanna. She was worried about you, running off like that. It is not safe down here." She gestured at Megan Delaney and smiled.

B'Elanna felt her anger rise and her fear diminish. "What happened to you Seven?" she asked angrily.

Seven smiled cheerfully. "Not as much as has happened to you Lieutenant. I think I can say that honestly. Half your team dead; your beloved ship in ruins; most of your friends helpless, trapped in their little escape pods and your loving husband, missing, presumed very dead. I, on the other hand, merely became human and copulated with the captain."

B'Elanna's finger tightened on the trigger. Hatred was beginning to boil the blood in her veins. "Don't forget you also took the time to become a cold-blooded killer." she gritted out.

Seven shook her head and disagreed pleasantly enough. "No, I was always that. Ask my parents. I was only six and I thought the Borg looked a lot more fun. Of course I seriously misjudged the Collective." She sighed theatrically, "I did not realise what a joyless activity killing could be."

B'Elanna pulled the trigger. The blast washed over Seven uselessly. Seven looked apologetic.

"What can I say? I adapted. I may be human B'Elanna but I kept the Borg gadgets. They make some good toys. Like these." She extended her assimilation tubules. "Which would you prefer? You first, or Miral?"

B'Elanna backed away towards the edge of the walkway.

"You could jump I suppose," said Seven evenly. "But it is unlikely to kill you."

"I'm not thinking of dying Borg."

"Good. Because technically you won't be dead. Klingons, even a half-breed like you," Seven sneered, "make excellent drones. And finally, Chief Engineer, you will do exactly as I tell you." Seven began to walk towards the half-Klingon.

B'Elanna balanced herself and gripped the stock of her blaster. She wasn't going to make this easy for the Borg. She watched the slow graceful, approach. Kahless, she even walks differently. It's like being stalked by a wild animal.

"Give up B'Elanna. You cannot fight me. I'm stronger, faster and I'm not worried about hurting the child."

"Give up yourself drone," she snarled and thrust the blaster hard into Seven's midriff. Seven was knocked back a little but quickly recovered her balance. She shrugged and dropped into a fighting stance. B'Elanna swung her phaser like a club at Seven's head. The ex-drone side-stepped easily and grabbed the weapon and reversed the motion knocking B'Elanna backwards against the walkway rail. Miral started to cry as she was shaken about. Distracted B'Elanna slipped and went down on one knee. In the next instant Seven's foot made contact with her jaw and sent her flying to the floor. She twisted awkwardly to prevent herself landing on Miral. A second kick to the head and B'Elanna almost lost consciousness. She lay gasping. Strong arms gripped her from behind and pulled her upright twisting her arms behind her, holding her immobile. In her peripheral vision she could just see Seven's Borg hand reaching round, bringing the wriggling squirming tubules closer to her neck.

"You do not know how often I've done this," breathed a soft voice in her ear. B'Elanna shut her eyes only to open them again when she heard the most welcome sound cutting through the sluggish air.

"Let her go Seven. Now."

"Kathryn," uttered the ex-drone and even B'Elanna could hear the shock in the blonde's voice. Seven had certainly not planned for Janeway to find out like this. B'Elanna felt her captor straighten and turn her head to look towards the captain. Her hold relaxed slightly. B'Elanna didn't need a written invitation. She pushed with every ounce of strength at her disposal and shoved Seven hard against the bulkhead. The ex-drone grunted as the air was knocked out of her and she lost her grip. B'Elanna twisted free and ran towards the entrance to the walkway where the captain stood, holding a phaser almost larger than she was.

"You should go B'Elanna," said Janeway quietly and lifted the compression phaser.

"It's no good Captain. She's adapted. To our phasers. We have to go." B'Elanna gasped between panting for breath but the captain didn't seem to hear her. She was watching Seven walk towards them and the blue-gray eyes widened as they locked with her lover's. Seven smirked. B'Elanna could see the captain's hands were shaking.

"Captain please." said B'Elanna. "This is not Seven of Nine."

Miral started to howl with renewed vigour and the noise seemed to penetrate the captain's haze.

"It's okay Lieutenant," she muttered. Without warning, the captain fired the huge phaser at Seven's feet, vapourising a large section of the decking, leaving a gaping hole. Seven lost her footing and slid through the gap to the walkway on the deck below. Janeway grabbed B'Elanna's hand and they ran into the darkened corridors, Miral still screaming her displeasure.

Lying on the lower walkway, Seven contemplated her condition. Gingerly she started to move and grimaced at the pain.

"My Kathryn," she said ruefully, hauling herself to her feet. "Never fails to surprise me. No wonder I love you." She limped towards the main corridor. "This is going to be interesting."

 

~~~~~~

 

Janeway and B'Elanna crawled along the pitch black Jeffries tube. It was slow going in their enviro-suits but there was still no life support on these decks and they had no choice. B'Elanna halted.

"I'm sorry B'Elanna. We have to hurry." objected Janeway.

"Easier said," grumbled B'Elanna to herself. She was carrying Miral on her back. To be fair, the captain had offered but B'Elanna did not feel like trusting anyone with her daughter at the moment. They crept onwards too slowly, but with the unpleasant sensation of going too fast for comfort. B'Elanna was tired. Kahless knew how the captain, who was at least fifteen years her senior, was coping. The few words they had exchanged had almost frightened B'Elanna. The captain was all steel-grey determination but it was as though all the life had gone out of her. If she had sprouted Borg implants B'Elanna would not have been surprised.

At the designated exit onto deck five, Kathryn signalled to her to turn off her enviro-suit light. In total darkness the captain opened the hatch and listened. Satisfied that there was nothing in the immediate vicinity, she lowered herself to the deck and took her phaser from her back, kneeling down quietly and peering into the darkness, senses straining to detect any movement. Nothing. She reached up and tugged at B'Elanna's suit three times. B'Elanna lowered herself to the ground and then reached up to collect Miral's crib. In the darkness she fumbled and the crib slipped. She caught it before it went anywhere but the jolt was enough to wake the baby. The little girl started to cry loudly. Janeway bit her lip. If there were any drones about they would certainly hear that noise. B'Elanna was frantically trying to hush the baby through the sealed cover but Miral wasn't having any of it. She wanted to be cuddled or fed or changed or all of those things.

Kathryn froze. Through the noise, she heard a slow uneven footstep, maybe two, coming towards them. She would have to divert whatever 'it' was from B'Elanna, with fireworks if necessary. She tugged once on B'Elanna's suit: a sign to the Engineer to stay where she was. Slowly Janeway crawled forward on her belly towards the footsteps. The crying was diminishing as B'Elanna had a bit more luck quieting Miral, so perhaps this suicide would not be in vain. The captain waited until the footsteps were almost on top of her and then, with a yell, she stood up and rammed the phaser butt into the darkness. She missed. Her momentum took her forwards and the next thing she knew, something had tripped over her in the dark.

"Ow! What the hell?" exclaimed the thing.

"Dammit," she swore as she struggled to free her legs.

"Kathryn is that you?" said Chakotay's voice in the darkness. She turned on the light from her suit. Chakotay was sprawled across her legs. "It is you. Why are you trying to trip people up?" he asked.

"I thought you were a Borg." she whispered.

"You were trying to trip up a Borg?" Chakotay sounded disbelieving.

"No I was trying to smash your skull. I missed."

"Looking at the size of that phaser Kathryn I am profoundly grateful. You realise that if a man carried a weapon that large, people would make unkind comments." The amusement in the big man's face faded. "When you say Borg, I am right in supposing you mean Seven of Nine?"

"No I mean Borg drones. Seven is building her own private drone army from our crew." She shivered. "I don't understand why you were thumping about, sounding like a three legged man. Aren't you supposed to be a stealthy Indian?"

Chakotay picked himself up and offered her his hand. "Actually at that moment I was three-legged. I was supporting Harry. He's a few yards back. I found him on deck 6, he broke his ankle when the gravity returned."

Janeway took the offered hand and was hauled to her feet. "Wonderful," she said caustically. "I am crawling about with a Klingon earth-mother and you have brought the walking wounded with you. Seven is going to have us for breakfast."

"So it's true about Seven," he growled. "Don't you think we should return to deck 2 and come back in force?"

"No. We have to disrupt her plans now. In any case, she has maybe fifteen to twenty drones. I doubt we could raise more than forty crewmen in a fit condition to fight. 2 human to 1 borg in a straight assault. We would be decimated and quite possibly lose. We need to sabotage her operation." They both heard a noise, possibly at some distance, possibly not. "But first we need to find somewhere safer to talk."

"What about sick bay? It's got it's own atmosphere and emergency life support. And with a bit of luck we can treat Harry's ankle."

"Good idea. It'll give B'Elanna a chance to sort out Miral. Let's get them." She picked up her phaser and turned to go back to where she had left B'Elanna. Ten minutes later the small group staggered into sick bay.

Janeway engaged the life support and set up a force-field while Chakotay found a bone knitter and a tricorder. He began treating Harry's broken ankle.

As soon as the atmosphere reached acceptable levels, B'Elanna took Miral from her crib and laid her on a bio-bed to change her diapers. This didn't please Miral at all and she howled in earnest. Chakotay and Harry both seemed a little queasy but an unreadable Janeway ignored the noise and the smell. Matter-of-factly, she increased the force-field's noise-dampening setting.

"I've gotta feed her now," B'Elanna announced as she undid her suit and stripped to the waist. She was amused by both Chakotay and Harry, trying so hard not to look at her. Miral was soon happily ensconced, sucking hard, her mother felt the familiar rush of love as she looked down at her tiny daughter.

Meanwhile, almost indifferently, Kathryn briefed Chakotay and Harry on what she and B'Elanna had witnessed. "Any suggestions?" she asked.

"I have one Captain, although you may not like it." said B'Elanna, adjusting a very hungry Miral.

"I'll listen to anything Lieutenant."

"When Seven first came aboard Voyager some of us were concerned about her loyalty. We did not believe she would ... adapt. So we agreed to take out a little insurance." B'Elanna waited to see if Janeway was becoming agitated. The captain seemed unmoved.

"What sort of insurance?"

B'Elanna didn't see any point in prevaricating.

"We booby-trapped the alcove. We built in some features that could be activated if Seven proved a problem." Unconsciously she held Miral a little tighter, waiting for the explosion of anger. She was to be disappointed.

"You did this without authorisation." Janeway did not sound angry, not even curious. It made B'Elanna uneasy - she would have preferred it if Janeway had shouted. The captain's spirit seemed mortally wounded.

"I authorised it Kathryn," said Chakotay quietly.

"And who authorised you? she queried. "I can never really trust you Chakotay, can I?" There might have been a little disappointment in her voice, as she stood up and walked away, but she still seemed uninvolved, enquiring very politely.

"What are these features you added Lieutenant Torres?"

B'Elanna eyed her uncertainly. The passivity was unnerving. "Well for one thing the regeneration procedure can be reversed. Energy can be sucked out of the drone. All I have to do is get to the alcove controls and set the trap."

"How long would you need?"

"3 minutes."

"Would it kill her?" Janeway asked, her face empty of expression.

"Yes. I think so." B'Elanna watched her commander closely. Not a flicker of emotion was visible in the elegant features as the Starfleet captain replied tersely.

"Do it."

 


 

Part 5

B'Elanna worked feverishly, her fingers flying over the console. The captain stood in the doorway of cargo bay 2 watching the corridor. "Hurry it up B'Elanna. Chakotay and Harry won't be able to divert her for long."

"Another couple of minutes Captain. I need to hide the programming changes." She was concentrating hard and this bit was crucial if Seven was not to notice that anything was wrong. At last it was done. She grabbed her tool kit and ran to the door. "Let's go."

They had run a few yards down the corridor when a cheerful voice in front of them brought them to a halt. "You never have time to stay and talk Kathryn."

They turned to run to find three drones blocking the corridor. The drones raised their Starfleet issue phasers and fired. Both women pitched forward as they were hit by multiple phaser blasts.

"That must have hurt," pondered Seven of Nine aloud as she stood over the two bodies. She smiled affectionately at the limp form of her lover. Almost too easy.

 

~~~~~~

 

Seven of Nine gazed fondly at the captain who was lying on her side, bound and unconscious on a raised storage crate. She ran loving fingers down the elegant cheekbone and shivered a little with anticipation. Her Kathryn.

Her other guest stirred. Seven's expression hardened into malevolent amusement and she walked over to stand in front of the prisoner who had been tied to the wall of the cargo bay, suspended by her bound arms. Seven casually slapped the half-Klingon across the face. And then a little harder. B'Elanna's dark eyes opened and she started to protest. The protest died as the pain in her suspended arms and bruised ribs reminded her where she was. She fell back on stubborn silence.

"Awake at last," stated Seven with satisfaction. She didn't see any point in wasting time. "What were you doing here Lieutenant?"

"Dropped by to see you Seven. Chew the fat. Talk over old times."

"Very polite of you," said Seven and punched her in the gut. B'Elanna stifled a cry of pain. She coughed violently and that hurt too. "You know Lieutenant. I may not kill or assimilate you after all." drawled Seven. "I find this exercise very pleasurable." The ex-drone hit her again and a rib audibly snapped.

B'Elanna could not prevent the shout of pain. Seven's blue eyes glittered. "Do you see what I mean? And we can do this again and again. We will get to know each other very well."

Her consciousness sliding away in the pain and nausea, B'Elanna blacked out for a few seconds, only to be brought reluctantly back by a few stinging slaps to her face. It was agony just breathing.

Seven watched her. "You will not get out of this that easily Lieutenant. I really want to know what you were trying to do in here. I've tried asking the blockheads over there but they seemed very confused about the details."

B'Elanna opened her eyes and squinted in the direction that Seven was pointing. Two immobile figures stood guarding the door. "Harry? Chakotay?" she mumbled. The figures at the door didn't move or respond. She didn't really need to ask what had happened. She sagged against her bonds, all hope of rescue fading.

"Now once more Lieutenant Torres. What were you doing?" Seven raised her Borg hand and prepared to hit B'Elanna again.

Over on the packing crate, the captain moaned and Seven's hand stayed. The ex-drone lost interest in the beaten half-Klingon. She went to stand beside the captain, slid one arm around Janeway's shoulders and helped her upright. Janeway leaned against her gratefully.

"Are you functional?" asked Seven anxiously.

"I think so. Where am I?" Kathryn's eyes slowly took in the gloomy surroundings of cargo bay 2 and the bound figure of Lieutenant Torres. She swallowed and closed her eyes again in bitter misery. For a few brief moments she had thought it all a bad dream. "Oh God Seven." She froze in the circle of Seven's arm. "What have you done to us?"

"Set you free," offered Seven. She lifted Kathryn's chin to look into her eyes. "I love you Kathryn but you are trapped by these." She indicated the four pips of command on Kathryn's uniform collar. "You could not love me freely because of these." She rested her hand on the captain's shoulder and then without warning, ripped the pips from the red collar and dropped them on the floor. "There. All gone. No ship, no crew and no pips."

The captain jerked away and strained at the cuffs binding her wrists. "Seven you will have to kill me."

Seven looked at her tolerantly. "I know you feel that way at the moment. I would have been surprised if you had said anything else. But even supposing I give you any choices Kathryn, death will not be one of your options. I love you and nothing is going to get in our way." She bent to kiss the captain quickly on the lips. Janeway turned her head, avoiding the caress. Seven did not seem to mind and kissed the captain's cheek instead.

Tenderly the ex-drone removed her arm from the captain's waist. "I am discussing your recent activities with Lieutenant Torres. Please feel free to break in with any relevant information." She meandered back to where B'Elanna was suspended. "Now where were we?" She backhanded B'Elanna across the face and opened a cut across the half-Klingon's mouth. "I do not think I need to repeat the question."

B'Elanna lifted her head, coppery tasting blood staining her lips. "Fuck off drone."

Seven grinned and bared her teeth slightly. She picked up a light metal bar and swung it experimentally narrowly missing B'Elanna's face. B'Elanna didn't flinch. "I am glad you are such a hero, Lieutenant. It's more fun this way. Now let me see, in a full Klingon there would be no vital organs in this area." She rested the tip of the bar against B'Elanna's left shoulder. "Of course you're half-human so I may miscalculate."

B'Elanna stifled her scream as the metal bar pierced her battered body. Seven twisted it violently and this time the half-Klingon did scream. Seven paused, considering her next move. B'Elanna began to cough up blood.

Janeway watched in anguish. Fear for the lieutenant pierced her indifference. "Leave her Seven, let her go and I'll tell you what you want to know."

Seven appeared to think about it and then shook her head regretfully. "I can't do that Kathryn." A look of speculation appeared on the coldly beautiful face "You had a real crush on Lieutenant Torres at one time, didn't you my sweet Captain, if your personal logs are to be believed? It must have really hurt to watch her frolicking with the knuckle-headed Tom Paris. It was fortunate for you that I came along to take your mind off her. And I was so much better! Younger, better-looking, stronger, taller, more intelligent and, best of all, I needed you so badly."

"Seven. Let her and the rest of the crew go free. I'll do whatever you want."

"You don't seem to understand Kathryn. You'll do what I want anyway. And I'm afraid letting them go would be an inefficient waste of resources, not to mention dangerous. I need to enlarge my workforce to repair and operate Voyager." Seven looked even more regretful.

"I won't love you Seven. You might be able to torture me into obedience but you would not get my love."

"Yes I will Kathryn and I have no attention of ever hurting you." Seven replied with careless arrogance.

"You mean apart from murdering my friends and crew and destroying my ship?"

Seven inclined her head in acknowledgement.

"Apart from that." she agreed equably. She hesitated and the infuriating smile disappeared. Something had obviously interrupted her although the two Starfleet officers could not have said what. A strange air of concentration overtook her and she looked like the Seven they knew. Janeway even entertained the crazy, concussion-bred idea that the old Seven of Nine had returned. Some seconds elapsed before Seven spoke again. "The situation is becoming more interesting. Three of your security teams have entered the lower decks, to rescue you I suppose, no matter. In a short while I will have control of the ship. We have already succeeded in gaining control of several key systems and the rest of the ship will follow once the captain's command codes are overridden."

She moved to the control unit adjacent to the her alcove and keyed in some commands. Her face darkened. B'Elanna held her breath in case the sabotage was discovered. After a few more seconds the Borg seemed to give up. "I may need your help Kathryn," she averred, still sounding abstracted.

"Not a chance in hell."

"I disagree. You find it exceedingly hard to watch Lieutenant Torres suffer. How much more would you feel about an innocent child? You might be interested Captain, to know what we found, concealed in a stasis tube in sick-bay. Lieutenant Torres. I look forward to a touching mother/daughter reunion with the child you so carelessly discarded. You did not suppose I had forgotten about the poor little mite. Do you not despise parents who leave their kids alone and unprotected?"

Despite her agony B'Elanna pulled herself up, her dark eyes blazing. "Hurt her and I will dismember you limb from limb."

"What with? An angry glare? Klingon bravado is not going to make any difference here Lieutenant Torres. You would be better off begging the Captain to cooperate with me." Seven sauntered over to the captain and lifted her effortlessly from where she sat, setting her down on the floor and holding her in a tender embrace. She stroked the auburn hair softly.

Janeway held herself rigid and ignored the traitorous urges of her own body. She resolutely refused to meet the clear-blue eyes. Seven kissed her anyway, full lips, gently insistent. Despite the fear and hatred, and without wanting to, the captain responded, her mouth opened and Seven deepened the kiss. Horrified at her own reaction, Janeway twisted her face away, angry tears running down her cheeks. It was impossible for her to reconcile what she felt with what she knew.

Seven tightened her arms before finally releasing her, saying, "I will leave you to consider your options for a while. I have a warm welcome planned for Commander Tuvok and his team." She kissed the captain on the forehead and then set her back on the storage crate, checking the wrist restraints. And then she left. The lumbering Chakotay drone followed her but the Kim drone did not. It lurched three paces closer to the prisoners and stopped. It stared at them intently, silently. For a couple of minutes neither woman said anything. Janeway was crying silently, furious, ashamed tears.

B'Elanna watched her quietly unsure whether to be angry or sad. "Captain, please, this is not the time ...." she said at last and then stopped, not knowing how to proceed. Speaking was too damned painful without anything worth saying. The Kim drone directed its attention to the voice. But as no threat appeared it remained stationary.

Janeway closed her eyes and grappled with her helplessness and self-disgust. When the gray-blue eyes opened again she had vanquished the fear, if not the loathing. She was a Starfleet captain and her ship and crew were in mortal danger. She had to find a way out of here. She forced herself to think about the situation. Her hands were tied behind her back and her legs shackled together but she was otherwise unrestrained. Seven had evidently believed the remaining drone would be able to prevent her going anywhere.

"Harry?" she said to the drone. "Does any part of you still know who you are?" The drone looked at her but without displaying any consciousness. "I don't even know if you understand what you hear." She swung her legs over the side of the crate and the drone immediately stepped towards her. She stopped moving and the drone stopped also. "Look up there," she shouted suddenly and directed her gaze at the ceiling. The drone looked up but seeing nothing it re-directed its steady, inhuman stare back towards her.

B'Elanna jumped at the sudden noise and groaned in pain. She wondered what the captain was playing at and hope stirred a little, at least Janeway was doing something.

"So you can hear and you do understand on some level Ensign Kim."

Janeway regarded the drone with a bit of satisfaction. It still looked very much like Mr Kim. It hadn't been surgically altered in any way and there were no signs of assimilation apart from the star burst implants on his cheek, the blackened veins visible under the skin and the distinctive, bruised mottling now apparent on the face. Harry's thick dark hair was also beginning to fall out, giving a strangely shaggy look to the young man.

"You are not a full drone yet. How does she control you without the technology of the collective?" Janeway asked herself, not really expecting a reply from the drone or the injured Lieutenant.

She underestimated B'Elanna who whispered. "Captain, I saw her adjust something on the side of their heads." Speaking was agony and the half-Klingon needed all her determination not to faint.

The captain looked at her and the blue-grey eyes darkened, stormy at the sight of her Chief Engineer hanging bleeding from the wall. But the words she uttered were reasoned. "A cortical node of some sort perhaps, but how are they communicating?"

B'Elanna remembered Seven's words. Spitting a little blood and breathing erratically, she mumbled. "When you disabled the main computer captain ... " The half-Klingon paused to inhale a little air. "... she said ... , she said that it would make it harder to control them. Maybe if they are at a distance....."

"Or perhaps she needed Voyager to control the ones she can't think about," said Janeway taking over. "I wonder how many she can control simultaneously? Take Mr Kim here. He has been given some order to prevent us leaving but what if something happens that is outside his orders. Can he cope with it independently?"

"Maybe not," breathed B'Elanna, "but doesn't it rather depend on whether she is actively monitoring him? I'm not sure she would leave you unprotected."

Janeway frowned at the lieutenant's strange choice of words but then realised she was probably correct. In Seven's warped little world she would regard herself as protecting Janeway rather than imprisoning her. "She might not have any choice B'Elanna. She clearly did not expect the drones to be able to cope with Tuvok's security teams on their own. Organising many drones to deal with three separate incursions might require all her concentration."

"On the other hand Captain, she may be listening to our conversation right now and laughing her head off."

"I'm not so sure. Mr Kim here is not paying as much attention as he was earlier. He isn't even reacting to our voices. Can you try and attract his attention?"

"Sure, I'll waggle my eyebrows at him." Seeing the captain taken aback by her sarcasm B'Elanna grinned painfully. "I'm a little tied up Captain."

"Just shout at him Lieutenant. Loudly. Very loudly."

And B'Elanna did just that. She did not ignore the pain that exploded over her body as she yelled. She used it to fuel the stream of invective and fury that she directed at the mute drone. It looked at her. She redoubled her efforts recalling every curse and swear word she had ever heard. She abused his ancestry, his appearance, his unborn children and his abilities or lack thereof. The drone took three steps towards her and put it's head on one side. Behind him, Janeway slipped quietly to the floor and shuffled awkwardly towards the open door taking care to keep hidden behind various boxes and crates. All the while B'Elanna never let up the river of abuse.

Janeway noticed a discarded security seal lying on the deck, next to an open crate, inwardly she reprimanded the unmilitary carelessness. She positioned herself next to the crate and knelt down awkwardly, leaning backwards, her numb fingers fumbling for the small disc. Then she had it. Clutching the small piece of metal tightly, she stood up and continued her silent, shuffle towards the main entrance. Once within ten feet of the door Janeway twisted round, said a small prayer and threw the alloy seal as hard as she could towards the open door. It bounced near the door with a small metallic clatter. She crouched down and waited.

B'Elanna heard the noise and paused. The Kim drone did too, it turned towards the open door, then it looked at the empty crate where the captain had been sitting. After a pause that seemed to last hours, the drone marched very quickly towards the door and headed off into the corridor. Janeway lurched round the corner of the wall of stores, still impeded by her shackles. "We have to get out of here." she said unnecessarily.

"Captain, there's a package-opener in the recess under the central work-top. You can use it to cut the ties."

Janeway nodded and positioned herself by the worktop. She reached back into the recess. She could feel the tool and was able to get her fingers near enough to pull it out. Her hands shook. Positioning the cutter as best she could against her bound wrists, she switched the tiny phaser on. It hummed as it gradually vapourised the alloy restraint, heating the metal red-hot. Janeway thought she wasn't going to be able to stand the pain any longer when the shackle at last gave way. Without further heed to the burns already blistering her wrists, she set about removing the leg shackles. Another minute and she was free. Through swollen and blood-filled eyes, B'Elanna watched the captain break loose. She gave a strangled cheer which degenerated into a racking cough.

Her own injuries forgotten, Janeway half-ran to the engineer's side. B'Elanna's torso was soaked in blood. The metal bar protruded from her left shoulder and blood continued to ooze from the puncture wound. Janeway hesitated, amazed that B'Elanna was still conscious and frightened of hurting her further. The captain gritted her teeth and was about to begin cutting the engineer free when they heard footsteps running in the corridor.

"Hide," hissed B'Elanna. The captain did not hesitate. She launched her aching body behind another pile of stores and crawled inside a small vent. Crouching there, she listened, her heart pounding so loudly that she was certain it would lead them straight to her.

"Where is she Torres?" screamed the barely recognisable voice of Seven of Nine. A pulverising thud was followed by an agonised cry of pain. Janeway shrank back.

"I don't know dammit, but you've lost her drone-girl." B'Elanna's angry voice dropped to confiding tone. "I don't think she liked your small talk Seven. Great body, great face, shame about the homicidal insanity."

There was another sickening crack and silence. Oh God. Janeway cried to herself. She's killed her.

"I have to respect your courage Lieutenant." Seven sounded much calmer. "Even if I am going to drain it from you, until it's all you can do to squeal with fear and beg to lick my boots," she added venomously.

She's still alive thought Janeway with grim relief. She eased nearer the front of the vent and peered through the gaps between the boxes. She could just see Seven standing in front of B'Elanna. Three drones were with her and one was carrying something. The drone put its burden down and Kathryn realised that it was Miral's crib. The three drones turned to leave.

"Don't come back until you've found her. Is that clear? She can't have gone far. And I want her alive." Seven could hardly control her emotions. The ex-drone paced up and down in front of the bleeding engineer. She was perspiring from the effort of controlling twenty nine drones. They had successfully ambushed one of Tuvok's security teams and in the process, had acquired four new drones The additional load of managing the new drones had been too much and she had lost contact with the Kim drone. By the time she managed to re-establish control Kathryn had gone. Seven left her small army to mop up the next patrol, taking care this time to order them to kill rather than assimilate, and retreated to the cargo bay with two major concerns on her mind. One, Kathryn was free and might get hurt and two, Kathryn was free and very dangerous.

Seven tried to think clearly amidst the sea of reports and images she was processing from the drones. She needed to know what Kathryn and the Klingon had done to her alcove. It might give her a clue to Kathryn's whereabouts. Standard diagnostics had found nothing wrong with the alcove but it was such an obvious point of attack she was sure they had done something. She walked over to the crib and smiled. Getting that information from B'Elanna Torres would be easy and entertaining.

Seven picked up the child and Miral started to whimper. In the unfamiliar hands the whimpers became cries and soon the baby was shrieking her displeasure loud enough to wake the dead and her unconscious mother. B'Elanna stirred and lifted her blood-stained face to peer, half-blinded, at the small infant being held in front of her.

"Please," was the only word the half-Klingon uttered.

Seven smiled and placed the howling baby back in its crib. "I think you have something to tell me Lieutenant." She grasped B'Elanna's hair and lifted the tortured woman's head. "Now tell me what you have done to my alcove."

Kathryn eased herself out of the vent, as quietly as she could manage. She would have only one chance at her rather limp idea but she could not sit here any longer. Lowering herself to the floor, Janeway sneaked behind the stack of boxes nearest to the Borg alcove, thanking God that they had recently restocked the ship.

With total despair in her voice, B'Elanna was explaining to Seven the booby trap they had set in her alcove and how to remove it. Seven listened attentively. After the half-Klingon had finished Seven let the lieutenant's head drop.

"Very good Lieutenant," said Seven appreciatively. "And it's been in that state since I joined the ship? You really didn't trust me did you?"

"Not in the beginning," B'Elanna mumbled.

"A wise precaution in retrospect," said Seven brightly and walked to the alcove to disable the trap. With some satisfaction she completed the task. "But it's gone now Lieutenant."

A sound disturbed the ex-drone and she looked up to see a high wall of storage crates tumbling down on her. The ex-drone was knocked to the ground and pinned under several hefty loads. She struggled to rise. With a superhuman effort, Seven pushed the main load off her chest and freed her legs. She tried to stand. But a heavy blow to the head made her reel and fall back on one knee. Shrugging it off she stood up, staggering slightly and tried to make out her attacker. Not that she had many doubts as to the identity. She had been negligent to believe that Kathryn would abandon the lieutenant.

Janeway watched her carefully. Seven was still much stronger than the captain but the ex-drone was stunned and her balance disturbed. Deciding it was now or never, the captain rushed the Borg, throwing all her anger, fear and sorrow into the charge. They both crashed into the regeneration alcove. Seven grasped Kathryn's arms and held her off. The ex-drone stood up straight.

With an audible warning, the alcove clicked into action and Seven found herself firmly attached to the regeneration port. A loud whine alerted her to an overload condition but she couldn't move. She looked at the woman held helpless in her arms. The blue-grey eyes held a hint of triumph and something else.

"A second trap." Seven stated calmly. "I did not think the Klingon would risk her child by lying. A mistaken assumption." She glanced admiringly at B'Elanna Torres who was watching the end in horrified silence. The whine grew louder and Seven felt pain. The alcove hummed. Janeway did not struggle as Seven's grip tightened. She was going to die with Seven and there was such a rightness to it that she knew that this was what she wanted anyway.

Seven's blue eyes staring into hers suddenly narrowed with understanding. She threw the captain back and the small woman almost flew away, landing several feet from the base of the alcove. She lay there gasping, winded.

"I will not allow you to die Kathryn. I love ..." Seven didn't complete the sentence. The alcove lit up, blue energy arced over its surface. She went rigid as the alcove accelerated into the reverse cycle and sucked the life from her. She lost consciousness. The overload continued until a final coruscating flash of energy rippled over every surface and it went dark.

Kathryn stood up. She did not look at the alcove or the burnt body hanging there, firmly attached to the regeneration port. Without a word the captain went over to B'Elanna and began to cut her free. She lowered the badly injured half-Klingon to the floor. "I'll get you some help B'Elanna. Try not to move."

Miral was still crying but was otherwise unharmed. Distantly, Kathryn wondered whether the baby had been damaged by all the fear and neglect. She placed the crib next to the lieutenant who began to struggle upright. Janeway held her back and whispered. "She's alright B'Elanna, just stay still. I have to get help."

The captain walked to the doorway unsteadily. A shape loomed and Janeway raised her fists defensively.

"Captain! Are you hurt?"

"Tuvok." She lowered her fists slowly. "B'Elanna is hurt badly. You must help her. I think she's dying."

Tuvok entered the cargo bay, accompanied by two of his team. Smoke drifted around the darkened alcoves and there was a strong smell of burnt flesh. He moved to where B'Elanna Torres was lying on the floor. She was badly hurt. A long metal bar jutted from her chest and the original colour of her uniform jacket was unrecognisable. Blood matted her swollen face. It was a long climb up to deck two, which was still the only fully habitable place on the ship, and the distance was too great for the lieutenant in her current condition. He dispatched one of the security officers to fetch the EMH. "May I ask what has happened to Seven of Nine?"

The captain pointed at the alcove but did not look. Tuvok regarded the captain with concern. He had never seen Kathryn Janeway cringe away from anything.

"Is Voyager safe?" said Janeway neutrally. She knew she ought to ask.

"We have secured all decks. There are drones still active but they are just standing about. They do not seem to know what to do and pose no immediate threat. We are capturing them readily although there is currently nowhere to put them."

"And the rest of the crew?" The captain sounded as though she was asking after the health of a distant acquaintance.

"We suffered three more deaths in the conflict and a total of five assimilated crewmen were also killed. There may be other casualties aboard the escape pods but we have only partial communications."

She nodded and said nothing. For once the Vulcan found himself wishing for some display of feeling but after a few seconds of silence and a final glance at B'Elanna, she walked out of the doorway and left him to it. Perplexed, Tuvok surveyed the ruins of the cargo bay. He was uncertain about the correct course of action. The captain was not herself but .....

B'Elanna stirred and whimpered. She looked up at him and then slowly moved her head to look around. "Tuvok, where is the Captain?" she said, her voice weak but urgent. "Don't leave her alone. Get her back."

Tuvok replied. "Do not concern yourself Lieutenant. Your condition is poor and you must remain still until the EMH arrives."

B'Elanna almost growled. "Tuvok. Shut up and go find her. I'm not going anywhere but the Captain is not... I don't trust her Tuvok. She may hurt herself. Do you understand?"

He nodded and signalled to the remaining security man to stay with the Chief Engineer. Tuvok returned to the corridor outside the Cargo bay and peered through the semi-gloom of the emergency lighting. After a few seconds of adjustment, his Vulcan eyes could discern a shadowy figure leaning against the wall of the corridor some twenty yards away. As he watched, the figure doubled over. The captain was throwing up. Reluctantly he approached.

"Captain, I am sorry. There are many things to be attended to. I require your assistance."

She stood up and wiped her mouth on the back of her uniform sleeve. Slowly, she lifted her head. "I'm afraid, I'm unavailable Tuvok. I cannot ....." Her voice trailed off and she did not say what she could not do. Tuvok waited. Eventually she looked at him, saying with bitter certainty, "I can make some very bad decisions if you wish and cause the deaths of half the crew. I can lose everyone I love or care for. But I cannot assist you."

Tuvok recognised that the captain was indeed, not herself. This was clearly a matter for the Doctor and in the circumstances he took the only decision he could.

"Captain Janeway. I am temporarily relieving you of your command under rule 242 of Starfleet regulations, pending a full examination by the Chief Medical Officer."

"Good decision Tuvok." she said thinly. "Let's get away from here, now."

"Yes Captain," he said from years of habit. Janeway was already climbing the Jeffries tube ladder. Commanding the commander, he realised, was not going to be straightforward.

 


 

Part 6

Twenty four hours later Voyager was still hanging in space. The remaining active crew were labouring to get the warp drive back on-line. B'Elanna Torres was still recovering from her injuries but she was determined that before the end of the day the warp engines would be operational. The only good news for the hard pressed crew was that Seven's drones had carried out much of the necessary repair work. (The surviving drones were being treated by the Doctor. He was confident that they would make a full recovery and that any residual physical effects of their assimilation would be short-lived.)

Tuvok had his hands full reorganising the depleted crew in such a way that the ship was even operational. There were not enough crewmen to man all three shifts without working dangerously long hours. In some sections there were not enough people for even two 12-hour shifts. Crew were having to double up and work in two departments. Non-essential departments were closed completely and their staff transferred to more important areas. In the midst of this chaos, funerals were conducted quickly and without fuss, officiated by Neelix and a couple of volunteers. There was simply no time for anything else. Sometimes friends or partners attended but often there was no-one. The worst job on Voyager was finding and collecting the bodies. Many crew had died where they stood and they lay scattered throughout the stricken lower decks. The security teams drew the short straw simply because no-one else could be spared and by the end of the day all crew had been accounted for, except one, in the one place on the ship that no-one had dared enter.

Ensign Hicks was deeply apprehensive as he pushed his anti-grav cart towards the cargo bay. He had to retrieve the body of Seven of Nine and he had been warned it was not a pleasant sight. The doors opened, and as he stepped inside, he shivered. Cargo bay 2 stood in semi-darkness. A dull green glow suffused the gloom. "Lights. Full." Nothing happened. He cursed. It wasn't that surprising. Half the circuits around the ship were burned out. He lit his portable lamp and pushed the cart through the door, making his way over the debris, surprised to see that the green glow was coming from the alcoves. Then his mouth fell open.

Upright, Seven of Nine stared at him from wide, sightless blue-eyes. He screamed and fell backwards, nearly dropping his light. The figure didn't move. Sweating with fear Ensign Hicks picked himself up. Seven hadn't moved but she looked so alive. He opened his tricorder and ran it over her. She was alive. Shaking, the ensign ran outside and called for assistance.

Long minutes later, Chakotay, fully re-humanised except for his bald head, arrived with the EMH. They had seen the body of the ex-drone the previous day and it did not take much imagination to guess what had happened. The EMH scanned the former drone while Chakotay kept his compression phaser trained on the motionless figure. The EMH snapped his tricorder shut.

"She is fully regenerating. She isn't conscious yet. Won't be for several days."

"I don't think the captain should be told about this Doctor," said Chakotay firmly.

"What are you saying Commander?" the EMH asked. He was confused.

Chakotay did not answer. He tapped his communicator. "Transporter room. Lock onto the co-ordinates I'm sending to you and prepare to transport everything within those co-ordinates into deep space."

"Commander you can't do this," protested the EMH.

"I can. And furthermore Doctor, you will not mention this to anyone."

"But she doesn't have to die. I can easily control her psychosis. It's a simple operation."

Chakotay's black eyes did not waver. "There is no argument in the universe Doctor that will persuade me to let her live." He jabbed his communicator. "Transporter room. Now." The area around the alcove glistened and shimmered and then disappeared leaving a gaping hole in the deck and inner wall.

At the funeral service later that day, a coffin with Seven's name was launched but there was no body in it. The only attendees were Neelix, Tuvok and the EMH. The captain was not informed.

 

~~~~~~

 

Three days later Voyager resumed her journey. She was still carrying a lot of damage but the major systems were back. She could run and fight if necessary.

Neelix reopened the mess hall, both for food and as a social and counselling centre. It was also in the mess hall, that the children were to be found. Miral was completely unscathed by her ordeal. Naomi took it far harder. Apart from the general terror of the past week, she had lost so many surrogate uncles and aunts and adult friends. Worst of all, she had lost Seven of Nine, possibly her best loved friend apart from her Mother and Neelix. The little girl sat alone and refused to talk to anyone except Miral from whom she refused to be parted.

The captain was working in engineering. She refused to discuss any command issues with Chakotay or Tuvok but she had also made it clear that she could wield a wrench with the best of them and that was what she was going to do. B'Elanna and Chakotay had shared doubts about the captain going back down into the hell of the lower decks but she had been determined and the EMH had backed her up. His private view, expressed to Tuvok alone, was that sooner or later the captain would find it impossible to stand back from her command. At the moment her guilt and grief were so intense that she could see nothing past them. She would not talk to anyone except B'Elanna. If she wasn't working, then she sat in engineering and watched B'Elanna working. If B'Elanna wasn't there then the captain slept where she worked. This wasn't that unusual. Without turbolifts, climbing up and down the Jeffries tubes to reach the sleeping quarters was hard work. Rather than be alone in their quarters, many of the crew slept where they worked or made the climb to the mess-hall. B'Elanna usually did the latter, to be with Miral and to escape from the pressures and responsibilities of engineering and the guilt-ridden eyes of her captain.

Voyager was cruising at warp 5 and there were no immediate problems to contend with. B'Elanna decided to take a break and visit her daughter. She wandered into main engineering to brief Janeway and was suddenly uncomfortably aware that the captain was nowhere to be seen. Janeway hadn't left engineering for five days.

"Computer. Location of Captain Janeway."

CAPTAIN JANEWAY IS IN CARGO BAY 2

B'Elanna felt immediate alarm. She started to her feet, unwelcome adrenaline pushing through her, and set off at a half run.

The doors of the cargo bay opened before her and she was dismayed to see the small captain huddled on the steps where the alcove had been. There was nothing now except a hole. Slowing down, B'Elanna walked over to the captain and sat down beside her. For a long while they said nothing.

"Quite a mess." B'Elanna murmured at last and mentally kicked herself for being insensitive but Janeway just lifted her head from her knees and looked around.

"There's nothing left of her," she said emptily and B'Elanna felt her hearts squeeze at the pain. She wrapped her arms around the captain and pulled her close.

"All I have left of Tom is an old television and the largest collection of awful holoprograms in the Delta Quadrant. Sometimes I wish there was nothing."

"You have Miral," Janeway replied.

"And you have me. Has no-one ever warned you about saving the life of a Klingon? We stick like glue and our families get involved and they stick like glue also. Then there are all the blood oaths and drinking and rituals. It's a job of work. We should carry a health warning. Save life at own peril."

Janeway snorted and she turned her head to rest it on the half-Klingon's shoulder. "Well I'm good at peril. Have you always talked nonsense like this B'Elanna?"

"No, that's something else I learned from Tom."

"I am so sorry B'Elanna, about Tom and the crew and ship." Janeway started to shake. "I let you down. I didn't protect you and I should have done," she wailed gently. "B'Elanna, I can't live with that and I can't live without her and I can't understand why I still love that monster after what she did to us." Her voice petered away to nothing.

B'Elanna wasn't sure she could stand this shell of a captain much longer. She took the older woman's shoulders and shook her a little. Tear-filled, grey-blue eyes opened wide and gazed at the half-Klingon mournfully. B'Elanna did not hide her impatience.

"I'm sorry Captain but I don't really see what you could have done differently. You are a very good captain but you are not clairvoyant. As for loving her, the Seven of Nine you loved ceased to exist when the cortical inhibitor was removed."

"You don't understand B'Elanna I encouraged her to have it removed because I hoped she would love me." The captain looked sadly at her and B'Elanna sighed with exasperation.

"Captain. I am not going to keep saying this. You could not have known what would happen. Your motivation, whether altruism or selfishness, really doesn't matter, unless you suspected that she was going to become a murderous fiend, which you obviously did not. You have to pull yourself together Captain. There are not enough of us left to allow for useless passengers who won't pull their weight. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Janeway shook off the half-Klingon's hands. "You're on dangerous ground Lieutenant," she growled warningly.

B'Elanna scowled in return. "No. I'm not. I'm not talking to the captain of Voyager. You passed that mantle to Chakotay, the poor bastard, and he didn't get a choice. No. I am talking to the ship's loser. A loser who made some decisions and doesn't have the balls to live with the consequences or to help the rest of us who are also living with the consequences." B'Elanna stood up in disgust. "I'm not going to sit around and listen to you justifying your retreat from the ship. On your feet Janeway. We are going up to the mess-hall to meet some of your miserable, frightened crew and you are going to start behaving like the captain I once knew as Kathryn Janeway. And if you are no longer she, then bloody well pretend that you are." She held out her hand to the shell-shocked captain. Unsteadily Janeway took it and the half-Klingon hauled her to her feet. "After you Captain," said B'Elanna sweetly.

The captain took a deep breath and nodded at her chief engineer. Slowly she led the way from the cargo bay. As they left, B'Elanna remembered that she wanted an answer to something that she suspected would not be forthcoming in normal circumstances. "Did you really have a crush on me at one time Captain?"

Janeway paused and stiffened, as though some force passed right through her. She levelled a full force ten command glare at the upstart. B'Elanna didn't know whether to be scared or delighted. "Damn right I did Lieutenant. Now, if you have quite finished asking me impertinent questions, let's get moving." The captain turned smartly on her heel and left the young engineer standing, stunned, with a stupid grin on her face.

 


 

Epilogue
 

A small piece of Voyager floated aimlessly in the void of space. It was a bizarre structure consisting, as it did, of a chunk of deck, a section of wall, various bits of floating miscellany attached by power or data cables and two Borg alcoves. One active, one not. One empty, one not. The active alcove glowed greenly, still powered by the emergency power pack that floated next to it.

The little girl crouched in the darkness of the equipment locker and listened to her parents screaming. Screaming and then silence. She clutched the small toy cube in her little hands and waited. She did not wait long. The locker door drew open and a ray of dark red light illuminated the small space. She screamed as a gleaming black arm reached in and screamed again as a cold metallic hand seized her arm and pulled her effortlessly into the juddering emergency lights. And then in a moment of sharp agony, everything that the little girl was, everything that she would become, ceased.

REGENERATION CYCLE COMPLETE announced the fully operational Borg alcove. A perfect smile slid over the perfect face and lit her bright blue-eyes. Full consciousness returned and she found herself gazing upon infinite darkness.

Seven of Nine screamed, for a full five seconds, but there was no sound. She shut her eyes. I am in hell. A minute passed. Nothing happened and she opened her eyes, her hands clutched the sides of the alcove. She was still attached to the regeneration port, she could feel the faint exchange of data and energy. But there was no ship.

Slowly, Seven forced herself to examine the structure in which she rested. Her sharp mind pieced together the evidence and the likely chain of events. A single thought burned its way to the surface of her consciousness. She left me to die alone. Tears formed in her eyes until she could hardly see. That Kathryn would try and kill her she understood, that Kathryn would desert her was beyond comprehension.

Time passed and she stopped crying. I will not accept this. She considered her situation. It was highly improbable that she would be found by a passing spacecraft before the power pack expired. There was no way she could transmit a general call for help as she was unable to leave the protected environment of the alcove. That left only one option. A high risk was attached but she had no choice. Carefully she reached across the alcove and flipped open the sub-systems control panel. She keyed in a release code. A light began to flash. I will find her and she will be mine. she repeated and lost herself in memories of her red-headed lover.

Four light years from her position; a solitary drone, monitoring the sensors aboard a Borg scout ship, observed a blinking light. BORG HOMING BEACON DETECTED said the collective monotone, ALTER COURSE. The drone complied.

The End