Spectator Sport
 

If they found out... which they won't... they might actually be annoyed. But I think they owe me -

But, in fact, I should try and tell this story a little more coherently. As Seven would say, a linear progression of events is the only efficient form of narrative. Or she'd say something like that, anyway. She's not exactly the most unpredictable person I know - even if every now and then she gives us all one hell of a shock. Frankly, I think she does it deliberately.

I'm getting ahead of myself again. It's all just such a strange story when I come to tell it. It started with a pretty mundane kind of day. Seven and the Captain had one of their regular games of Velocity scheduled. I was off-duty and bored, so I thought I might watch. Velocity's becoming quite the spectator sport. I heard a rumour that someone on Deck 11 had started taking bets on match outcomes.

The bet I wish I'd taken was the one on how long it'd be before the Captain noticed that Seven is head over heels in love with her. It's not easy to tell - Seven's damn hard to read - but it's there, if you look closely. And I'll admit, once or twice, I've looked pretty closely... Who wouldn't? Once, oh, a while back, she had all these alien personalities infesting her consciousness. There was a Klingon in there who hit on me. I couldn't meet Seven's eyes for days. I know it wasn't her, but still - let's just say a part of me was glad we had our chaperone the next time she dropped by Engineering.

But this story starts with a Velocity match - and a systems failure. That in itself was just bad... or good... timing. Voyager's been getting battered around a lot for years without a proper overhaul, so occasionally things just go offline for no apparent reason. It happens. Seven of Nine had been trying to dodge a shot from the Captain, and she fell. The Captain ran to check she was okay. Probably part of why she was so worried was just that Seven of Nine doesn't trip. All I ever got out of her about that was that she was "distracted".

Need I point out whom she happened to be looking at at the time? I didn't think so.

Seven turned out later to have sprained her ankle. Not badly. She probably could have limped to Sickbay on her own, but the Captain insisted on supporting her. I'm sure the chance to get personal with Seven didn't figure into it at all, of course.

I don't know what happened just after that. The last I saw was Seven leaning on the Captain's shoulders, and then the visual feed from the holodeck cut out. I checked with the computer, and found out half the systems in that area had just gone offline. The holodeck itself was working, the doors weren't. Communications and transporters were out. I called an Engineering team and went down there myself to try and fix it up.

First thing that came back was a visual feed. Signal out, nothing in. I redirected it to my padd and locked out everyone else. Seven's outfit had been cut off past the knee and used for bandages... I think she should register those legs with Tuvok as a lethal weapon. But Janeway was looking at her face, and they were talking. I got the impression that it wasn't something they'd want to share with the crew.

What I hope they never find out is that I didn't stop watching. I should have, I know I should have. But I didn't. It was terribly interesting viewing. Seven seemed to be arguing with the Captain about something, and she seemed to be winning. Janeway looked positively harassed, and Seven had that calm and superior look she gets when she's sure she's right. We all know that one pretty well.

I nearly yelped out loud when I saw her kiss the Captain. And Janeway sorta looked like she wanted to resist, but then Seven said something else and kissed her again, and she became something more of an enthusiastic participant. And that, of course, was when we got the doors fixed. What they owe me for is the lockout I put on it just before my team was about to open them - since I think that getting caught in the act would have put Janeway off. She's a great captain, of course, but I don't think she's quite so brilliant at her personal life.

I waited until we had communications back, and I could call into the holodeck and warn them we were coming in. Then I fixed the computer 'glitch' and opened the doors. Seven checked out the repair logs, later. And noticed what I'd done - the glitch, I mean. She didn't say anything, but I'm just waiting for that little bomb to drop. It might not. We've kind of become friends, since then.

I guess I'll just have to watch and see.

finis