The First Lesson
By Laura Schiller
Based on Star Trek: Voyager
Copyright: Paramount
As predicted, Seven's first reaction to the idea of taking social lessons from the Doctor was a flat, "No."
"Not so fast." Captain Janeway held up one hand, using the other to steady herself on the desk of her ready room. "You did say you were having trouble fitting in."
"You are the only instructor I require."
Janeway smiled faintly, but shook her head. "Much as I'd like that, Seven, I have a ship to run. There's simply not enough time."
"I do not understand how a medical hologram could assist me in this matter."
"You'd be surprised," the Doctor chimed in. "While medicine is my primary function, I was programmed to be extremely versatile. Over the past three years, I have worked hard to earn this crew's respect and convince them to treat me as an equal. I would be proud and honored to use the experience I've gained to help our newest crewmember achieve the same thing."
He beamed at her, offering her the schedule PADD he had already prepared. She made no move to take it. After an awkward silence, he placed it on the desk instead.
"Equal?" Seven repeated, raising her cybernetic eyebrow. "Captain, could this hologram be malfunctioning?"
The Doctor stepped back as if she had hit him. Janeway's blue eyes were cold with disapproval.
"He's my Chief Medical Officer. As such, hologram or not, he's entitled to all the rights and privileges belonging to that rank. I expect every crewmember to treat him with due respect – including you."
"It is an artificial life form." Seven eyed the Doctor from head to toe, meeting his scorching glare with cool indifference. "The Borg have encountered many examples of such technology, most of them designed to mimic the emotions of their creators. They are sophisticated tools or playthings, nothing more."
The Doctor (proving her right about sophistication, if nothing else) flushed with rage, his bald forehead gleaming with holographic sweat. "How dare you?"
"I was simply stating facts."
"I will not be treated as a tool or a plaything! I am a masterpiece of holographic engineering designed by Lewis Zimmerman himself. I was programmed with the knowledge of millions of medical practicioners - "
"Irrelevant."
"Captain, this is outrageous! Tell her she's completely out of line!"
They stood face to face in front of Janeway's desk, barely a step apart, the Doctor gesturing widely, Seven with her hands locked behind her back. He was the first to break the staring contest they were trapped in, glancing at Janeway for support. The Captain, however, only watched them, with a wry twist to her mouth that neither of them could interpret.
Turning to look at Seven again, the Doctor was astonished by the look on her face. Her eyes, previously narrowed, were wide open; there was a tiny line between her eyebrow and ocular implant. Instead of contempt or irritation, she appeared to be watching him with … curiosity?
"You are hostile," she said, addressing him directly for the very first time. "Arrogant."
"No wonder I'm hostile," he shot back. "You just accused me of having no more consciousness than that replicator. And as for arrogance, last I checked, the Borg weren't exactly known for their humility either."
"These traits are superfluous to an Emergency Medical Hologram. They would impede its efficiency. Were you programmed with them?"
"I should think not!" he scoffed. "My creator is the finest in his field, he must have known what he was doing."
"Then you developed them on your own?"
"I suppose I did." Realizing he'd been cornered into admitting his own flaws, the Doctor folded his arms defensively. "So would you, if you lived with people who could switch you on and off like a lamp at their convenience. Come to think of it, Seven, you should understand what it's like – being seen as a machine, that is. When you first came here, I pried enough Borg hardware out of you to stock a mechanic's shop. Your vital functions are still regulated by nanoprobes. If I'm less than sentient for being artificial, what does that make you?"
To his shock – and satisfaction – Seven lowered her eyes, golden eyelashes glinting in the light.
"Your argument is logical," she said.
"Ah." He could not prevent a proud smile from creeping across his face.
"Since you have developed human fallibility, you must have evolved beyond your original programming. It is reasonable to conclude that you are, in fact … sentient."
He felt absurdly pleased to hear this, considering that two minutes ago he'd been close to throwing his PADD at her.
"Of course I am," he said, still smiling. "It took you long enough to realize. Does that mean you'll reconsider my offer?"
Her eyebrows rose. "You still wish to instruct me after I offended you?"
"If every crewmember I offend would start ignoring me, my program would have degraded years ago. So, yes … yes, I'm still willing to teach you."
Something flickered at the corners of her full lips which was almost a smile.
"Then I accept."
"Excellent." He picked up the PADD again; this time she took it, cybernetic fingers brushing photons without hesitation. "Report to Sickbay at eighteen hundred hours?"
"Acknowledged."
During their argument, both had nearly forgotten that Captain Janeway was in the room until now. As the PADD left her desk, she sat down in her chair with a contented sigh, which caught their attention. She smiled up at them with almost motherly warmth.
"I think you can both learn from these lessons," she said. "Sometimes the greatest opposites turn out to be the best of allies. It won't be easy, but I believe in both of you."
"Thank you, Captain," said the Doctor, and Seven nodded.
"Dismissed."
As the doors slid shut behind them, Kathryn Janeway leaned her chin in both hands, lost in memories. She thought of a meeting on Voyager's bridge, three years ago: the confrontation of two strong minds, followed by the moment it dawned on them how much stronger they were together. The unbreakable bonds that start with something as simple as the touch of a hand, the feel of a heartbeat. Science and faith; logic and intuition; control and passion.
The best of allies, indeed.