Pygmalion's Plaything

The door of Cargo Bay 2 warned Seven of Nine its security was being overridden. She went to her manifold and turned her back to the door as Captain Janeway entered upon the sound of her voice.

"Seven of Nine, what did I say would happen the next time you disobeyed a command?"

Seven pretended to be consumed by her work.

Captain Janeway strode across the room and as usual stood within Seven's personal space as she addressed her in a low tone.

"Are you trying to get thrown in the brig again?"

Janeway used her clutching small hand to spin Seven to face her.

"Are these actual inquiries or are you just enjoying the sound of your own voice?"

Janeway tucked away her desire to shove Seven against the manifold.

"Seven of Nine, you are pushing me to the full extent of my patience with you."

"Wonderful. Please allow me to disembark Voyager."

Seven jumped when the Captain stepped forward, staring into her eyes and forced her to lean against the manifold. She held Seven's gaze and finally spoke.

"Do not ever repeat that sentiment."

Seven broke eye contact and looked at the floor. Her beautiful mouth pursed to one side and her lips trembled. She closed her eyes as they filled with tears.

Janeway grasped her upper arms. "Cease."

Seven sobbed and Janeway shook her.

"I said to cease," she told her.

"Yes, Borg Queen," Seven whispered.

The sound of Janeway slapping her face seemed to ring throughout all of Voyager.

The look of shock on Seven's face was mirrored in Janeway's eyes.

"You struck me for asking your name, Katelyn?" Seven asked her softly.

Janeway slapped her again and she looked back in horror.

Janeway's eyes took on a distant expression. She seemed to be struggling to collect herself.

"Do not ever speak that word again. You will never disembark Voyager. Since confinement in the brig is not a punishment to you, you are hereby confined to my quarters. Get your things and report there now."

Seven gasped.

"Captain, that is as inappropriate a use of your command authority as striking me is of your hand."

"Now," Janeway barked at her.

Seven searched her eyes helplessly.

"Captain, I do not own anything."

Janeway wondered what the hell she was talking about before realizing Seven of Nine didn't even wear pajamas. She just made the biggest mistake of her life. But it spiraled so fucking fast.

"I'll replicate you some pajamas and a toothbrush this evening. Just go."

"What are pajamas?" Seven asked her anxiously.

"I said NOW."

"You did what?" Chokatay stared at her with consternation.

"Don't give me that face. She deserved it. And honestly, it happened fast. We had a silly argument earlier in the day, I went to apologize and suddenly ... I'm slapping her and confining her to my quarters."

He shook his head.

"I know," she confided in him. "But Chokatay, she gives me no choice with that attitude. You would do the same. Everyone would."

He studied her.

"Kathryn, I would not do the same. If I struck a woman aboard Voyager, I would deserve to be sent to the brig and stripped of my authorities. The only reason I'm not reporting your behavior is Seven's unusual status. Seven of Nine technically isn't even aboard Voyager. She certainly isn't a Starfleet officer. Seven is an extremely confused woman you personally forced into this world and remanded to Voyager."

She scoffed. "Honestly, if I had known then what a pest she would become, I wouldn't have bothered."

"Do you even hear yourself? You played with her fate, Kathryn. You forced her to join our crew and now you make tormenting her your daily objective."

"Chokatay, what was I really supposed to do? Discard her like human garbage? I had no way of knowing she'd become ... Seven. The most contrary drone in existence. What the hell happened to her Borg compliance?"

He turned to her. "You see the world in shades of compliance. I've never understood that about you. Seven was a slave from the age of 7 to 24 to her parents murderess the Borg Queen. A body slave. You know that. She experiences compliance differently. You talk about her individualism like it's a cult but then you slam her anytime she strays from your dictation of her experience of reality."

She inhaled and pretended to be engrossed in her computations. quadrilaterals or whatever.

"Chokatay, I'm racking my brain for the good reason I have been twice compared to the Borg Queen today."

"You incomparable pigheadedness springs to mind."

"Of course. Pigheadedness is a reasonable motive to escalate from Starfleet Captain to Borg Queen. Twice. I deserve that."

He softened. "It's not that. It's the juxtapose. It creates a commentary about your behavior and why its so bad."

"Like that. Right there. My command authority, which is due to my earned merits, is not comparable to the rapacious predilections of the Borg Queen. That's a fucking absurd escalation."

He considered her position. She was right. He meditated carefully before responding, "I warned you before you brought her aboard. I told you there would be serious issues concerning her private life on Voyager. I never thought the issue would be with you."

She laughed. "It's not. Wow. Chokatay. Did you just accuse me of being attracted to Seven?"

"Before you start protesting too much, Kathryn, I should tell you that the common opinion of the crew is that you and Seven are attra-"

"Chokatay, are you serious?" She eyed him. "We've slept together."

He avoided her eye contact.

"Which is why I am so qualified to assess this matter."

She swallowed.

"Wow. This is an official lesbian intervention, isn't it?" The mocking sarcasm in her tone caused him to roll his eyes and walk away from her.

"You slapped Seven of Nine and confined her to your quarters. Yes. It is."

She tried to control her temper but. It just spiraled. So fucking fast.

"You are dismissed."

"From my post or this conversation?"

"You heard me."

"Kathryn, you do not have the authority to dismiss me. I will cease trying to talk to you. You know where I stand. You're driving Seven crazy. And Kathryn ... everyone can see the way she feels about you. It's brutal to watch. Please reign in it."

She breathed for a full minute before finally replying, "I'm trying."

"Thank you. Is she alone in your quarters?"

She nodded dismissively.

He eyed her. "Do you think that's wise?"

"I didn't realize it was 'question everything the Captain says' day. Christ."

"... your halodeck is in there. What if she engages it?"

She shook off the panic.

"She won't."

"Because you have some ... to put it lightly ... sexually graphic simulations in there."

She tried not to think about it.

"It's secure."

"From a Borg drone?"

Oh fuck. She made the worst mistake of her entire life.

"Seven of Nine would not override the security on my private halodeck and engage my intimate simulations. She knows how private I am."

"Do you have simulations in there about ... her, Kathryn?"

She pretended to be consumed in her computations. Equal ... oh fuck it.

"I think you've got things handled down here, Chokatay."

"You better run, Captain."

She wanted to stay and insist to him he was jumping to conclusions. But she had the worst feeling that it was already too late for all attempts at damage control.