Fate Needs a Push

Part 8: Everybody's Free to Feel Cool

At 0800 hours Randie was rudely awakened by the demanding voice of
Captain Janeway.  "Miss Johnson, please report to my ready room
immediately."

"Oh Lord," Randie muttered, rubbing her forehead and sitting up in bed.

"What was that?"

"I said give me a few minutes," she said, sleepy and annoyed, rubbing
her eyes and trying to clear her own vision.  Blurred by a lack of
sleep, her eyes were little use to her as she stumbled around the room
in an attempt to find some clean clothes and reach the bathroom to
clean her teeth and brush her hair.  The thing that annoyed her most
about the Captain's intrusion was that Randie had been dreaming about
Maggie again, the blonde-haired, brown-eyed fianc饠that Randie had
left behind.  Pushing her thoughts of Mags out of her head, Randie
managed to pull herself together and make herself at least moderately
presentable for the Captain.  "After all," she grumbled to herself,
"She's not the Queen of England."

God, I must be really tired, Randie thought as she half-walked,
half-slumped down the corridor towards the turbolift.  Then Randie
remembered.  Shit, I was supposed to go talk to her last night.  That's
why she sounded so pissed off.  She picked up the pace a little and ran
onto the turbolift just before the doors closed behind a young female
crewmember.  While they rode together, even though Randie had promised
herself that she wouldn't go looking around, she couldn't help noticing
the little blonde ensign's curvy hips and small but pert bosom.  Think
about Mags, she thought to herself, and for god's sake, don't stare!
The door hissed open, depositing both girls onto the bridge.  The
bridge crew looked up at Randie in surprise, and then with foreboding.
When everyone else turned away, Tom looked back.  Randie gestured
"What's going on?"

Tom shook his head and gave her a look that clearly said, "She was not
very happy this morning.  Sucks to be you."

Randie rolled her eyes and sighed.  I feel like I've been sent to the
dean's office, she thought as she turned to the left and approached the
sliding doors marked "Captain's Ready Room."

The room was dark and stuffy.  Captain Janeway was sitting on the
couch by her window, sipping on a cup of what Randie guessed was
probably coffee, but being still unused to the customs of the 24th
century after three weeks on Voyager, she wasn't really sure.  It sure
smells like it, though, she thought, and her mouth began to water a
little.  I could sure use a cup of whatever it is.  Or a stiff drink.
Or even a cigarette.  Anything to make me relax.  Janeway looked up at
Randie without even lifting her head.  God, she's creeping me out.
What did I do?

Janeway stood up and nonchalantly wandered over to her desk, setting
her cup down and studying it for a little while.  She then looked
suddenly up at Randie, lips pursed, looking superior and annoyed.  She
gestured towards the couch.  "Have a seat."

She's not my captain, Randie thought.  I don't have to let her
intimidate me.  "No, thank you."

Janeway's eyebrows raised ever so slightly and she looked down, but
when she looked back up, her eyes were narrow and sarcastic.
"Whatever's comfortable for you, Miranda."

Randie grimaced a little, thinking, man, she sounds like my mom when
she says that.  At least, she sounds like my mom when I'm about to get
a lecture.  This is not the same woman I had dinner with last week.

"Seven has not regenerated since the night before last," Janeway said,
walking across the room to the window.  "She says she's been having
what she describes as 'disturbing sensory patterns' during her cycle."

I'm not stupid.  "Meaning nightmares," Randie answered.

"I don't usually mind it when our guests interact with members of my
crew, but when it begins to affect the performance of that crewmember .
. ."

"I get it," Randie said, exasperated with this whole drawn out
conversation.  "The club freaked her out, so now she can't sleep, and
now you're saying that I shouldn't take her out anymore."

"No," Janeway said, returning to her coffee and taking a sip.  "I'm
saying you shouldn't see her anymore.  At all."

Randie threw her hands up in disbelief.  "What the hell are you
talking about?  You're not her mother.  I hate to break this to you,
but Seven's a big girl and can make her own decisions."

The rising level of excitement in the room was taking its toll.
Janeway slapped her hand on her desk and responded, "Twenty years with
the Borg has left Seven with the mind of an android and the emotional
stability of a child."

"So what?  You're saying she can't handle a little night out with some
gay people?"

"There are a lot of things in this universe Seven still doesn't
understand.  She's never encountered homosexuals before.  She didn't
understand what was going on.  She's still learning about romance and
in her mind, sex equals man plus woman."

"She encountered me and doesn't seem any worse for it, at least, until
that night," Randie said with conviction.  "She even said I was cool
and that she liked me.  Don't give me this bull shit about her not
being able to handle it.  You can't shelter her forever.  I saved your
ass the other day.  What were you doing in there, anyway?"

Janeway's tone was becoming angry.  "You will watch your language in
my ready room, young lady."

"You like her, don't you?"

"Of course I like her."

"Oh, no, you know what I mean, you like her like her.  Maybe you're
afraid that her experience the other night said once and for all that
you don't have a chance with her."

Janeway was sitting at her desk with her fists balled, fuming.  "Get
out," she said in a low growl.

"That's it, isn't it?  God, just admit it and stop playing these
stupid games with yourself."

Janeway stood up and pointed at the door.  "Get out!" she yelled,
losing her resolve and allowing herself to be bested.

Randie turned to leave, but as the door slid open, she decided to add
the icing to the cake.  "And captain," she said sweetly, turning around
to lock eyes with the red-faced, furious woman behind the desk, "I will
hang out with whomever I damn well please."  Before Janeway could
respond, Randie turned around and headed to the turbolift, the ready
room doors sliding closed behind her.  The bridge crew was completely
stunned, staring at Randie as she headed up the ramp.  Noticing this,
Randie turned on the officers and said, "Why don't you take a picture?
It'll last longer."  Randie triumphantly boarded the turbolift and
announced, "Sickbay."

As soon as she left, Tom turned around to face Chakotay.  "This is not
good."

"Randie's your friend," Chakotay said softly.  "I think you should go
talk to her."

A few moments later, Neelix bustled onto the bridge with a pot of
coffee in hand.  "I just came by to see if the Captain needed more . .
."

"Don't go in there," Tom and Chakotay ordered at the same time.

**********

"Shoot me up, Doc," Randie called as soon as the doors hissed open in
front of her.  The Doctor was attending to Seven of Nine for her weekly
checkup, and as soon as Randie noticed this, she paused for a second.
Damn it, of all of the times she could be in here, she has to be in
here now.  How do you apologize for something you didn't even know you
did until today?

The Doctor and Seven looked up at Randie at the same time.  "I'll be
with you in a moment," the oblivious hologram replied.

Seven's gaze lingered on Randie's for an extra second or two.  She
then turned back to the Doctor uncomfortably, getting up from the exam
table.  "We can continue this later," Seven told the Doctor.

The Doctor looked confusedly between the two women, but just as Seven
was about to step away, the door slid open and Tom jogged in.  "I've
got it," he said, grabbing a hypospray from a nearby tray.  "You and
Seven can do whatever you were doing."

Seven didn't look very convinced, but the Doctor coaxed her back onto
the table.  Randie could hear their muffled voices from across the
room.  Tom filled the hypospray with the nicotine supplement and leaned
in before giving Randie her shot.  "That was quite a show you put on
today.  I'm surprised she didn't have you confined to your quarters."

"Confined for what?  I'm not an officer on this ship, so I assume that
I may speak whatever's on my mind."  Randie's nose was hoisted slightly
into the air as she spoke.  "Besides, she was blaming me for something
that wasn't my fault.  It was an accident.  I didn't know Seven was so
. . . delicate."

Tom put the hypospray down but continued to lean in.  "And just what
exactly did you do?"

Glancing nervously across the room, where Seven was periodically
looking in Randie's direction, Randie cupped her hand around Tom's ear
and explained the events that took place in the holodeck two nights
ago.  A startled "You did what?!?" from Tom attracted looks from Seven
and the Doctor, and noticing this, Tom lowered his voice.  "Damn it,
Randie, I told you she was a fast learner, but not quite that fast."

"I didn't know she didn't know anything about gay people," Randie
whispered.  "And now Janeway doesn't want me around her anymore because
I'm a bad influence and I'm keeping her from doing her job or
something.  I don't know.  I mean, Seven's cool, and I like her, and
she's,"-Randie paused to take a breath-"God, she's attractive, and I
think that if I want to go apologize and make amends and continue to
teach her, that's my prerogative.  Seven's an adult.  If she accepts my
apology, who's Janeway to tell her she can't hang around me and learn?"

"Yeah, Seven's still a civilian, the Captain can't technically order
her not to hang around you, and she can't order you, but still, Randie,
it's not good to get into arguments with the Captain, she can be pretty
malicious if she wants to."

"She can't be mad at me for telling her what she already knew," Randie
muttered to herself.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."  Randie sighed and looked down, and as she did, she noticed
a red spot on her pants, and it was growing.  Turning red, she looked
up at Tom and smiled sheepishly.  "It's a good thing I'm in sickbay,
because it seems I have another problem . . ." Randie pointed down at
her pants.

"Ugh," Tom stated, also turning a little red, "The Doc hasn't taught
me how to neutralize the Luteinizing Hormone produced by the pituitary
gland.  It's just never come up."

"What will that do?"

"It'll keep your ovaries from releasing eggs."

"Oh, man, if only we could do that where I come from.  You don't even
want to know how we keep this sort of thing under control in the 20th
century.  Will you, uh, go tell the Doc?"

"Oh, sure, yeah, and I'd better get back to the bridge before I'm
missed.  Apologize to Seven if you want to, but above all, I would
suggest staying out of the Captain's way for a while."

"I hear you."

Tom walked over to the Doctor and while they were talking, Seven and
Randie exchanged glances.  She doesn't look mad, Randie thought, just
nervous or frightened or something.  Trying not to stare but keeping an
eye on her, Randie studied Seven carefully.  I've never seen her so
unstrung before.  I'll find her when I'm done.  I've just got to talk
to her and fix this, or else . . .

**********

A few hours later, in cargo bay two, Randie set down her glass of
orange juice and sighed.  "So, are we cool?"

"If by cool, you mean that we have reached an understanding and there
will be no more animosity, then yes, we are cool."  Seven's expression
hadn't changed since Randie first walked into the cargo bay, but
through that stony exterior Randie could tell by Seven's voice that she
had gotten through to her.

"I am so relieved.  You have no idea how badly I've felt these last
few days, and then when Janeway told me today that you were having
nightmares, I knew I just had to come and say I was sorry."

Seven paused as she was walking back to her console.  She turned
around with her eyebrows raised.  "The Captain spoke with you?"

"Yeah, this morning.  We kind of, sort of started yelling at each
other after a while.  Some people just can't handle being told the
truth."

Seven was truly intrigued.  A fight with the Captain?  "What truth
would that be?"

Randie smiled a little knowing smile and walked up to Seven.  Patting
her on the arm, she answered, "That's really not important right now.
Let's just say that the Captain cares a lot for a certain someone and
can't even admit it to herself, let alone anyone else."

Seven paused, confused.  "A person on this ship?  That is quite
impossible.  Captain Janeway has been having romantic relations with a
hologram from Fair Haven."

Now it was Randie's turn to be intrigued.  "Oh, really?  A hologram
like the Doctor hologram or a hologram like your regular,
run-of-the-mill holodeck hologram?"  Randie was smart enough by now to
know the difference, though some other people didn't.

"A hologram of the latter type."

"Fair Haven.  Is this a program?"

"The most popular program among the crew."

Randie would certainly have to pay Fair Haven a visit.  "I must be
going now, Seven, and I'm so glad that you and I have straightened
things out," so to speak, Randie added to herself.  "I sure hope you
don't have anymore nightmares."

"Do not concern yourself, Randie.  I am . . . cool."

Randie smiled.  "You're getting the hang of it, Seven," she said just
as the cargo bay doors closed.

As Randie walked down the corridors, she overheard some of the younger
crewmembers talking, and she caught the word "cool" several times.
Maybe they're talking about winter or something.  But the same thing
happened again in the mess hall, and again as she was walking home.
Randie didn't know it, but word of her 20th century quirks was already
circulating around the ship, and the word "cool" had become the latest
fad.  In the next few weeks, the word would be almost commonplace, and
the Village Station would be vying with Fair Haven for the honor of
being the most popular program on the ship.