Author's Note: What BonesBird wants, BonesBird gets, and she wanted a Seven death story based on a Tumblr post about Da Vinci's balloons. Here's my take:
Da Vinci's Balloon
Of all the ways that he envisioned her going out, and he often envisioned her death, death by giant balloon was not one of them. Death in a battle, often. Death at the hands of Captain Janeway, more times than he would admit. Warp core breach. Stabbed with a fork. Erased from existence. Thrown out an airlock. That last one was the daydream of many of the other crew. Still, in all of the ways that Tom Paris pictured Seven of Nine's demise, death by giant balloon was never there.
Especially, death by one of Da Vinci's "balloons".
Yet, here he stood, in his Captain Proton costume with Harry standing dumbfounded beside him in his Buster Kincaid get-up, in the middle of a holodeck program with a dead and seemingly cold – was she ever really warm, though – Seven, killed by a balloon. Of course, the balloon in question wasn't really a "balloon" in a more contemporary sense, but made with a bull's intestines and blown up to an enormous size. Tom's best guess that she had been suffocated by it.
But who had done it? And why? And shouldn't he be calling for security by now?
"Tom," Harry hissed. "Tom!"
"What?" he yelled, exasperated.
Harry glared at him. "Don't you think we should call security?"
Shrugging, Tom countered. "Why don't you?"
"Who do you think did this?" Harry whispered instead.
"It could have been anyone," Tom replied. "I mean, we've all kind of hated her at one point or another."
Eyes wide, Harry hit Tom's chest. "Does that mean we're suspects?"
Turning his attention back to Seven's body, Tom nodded slowly. "I think even Tuvok would be a suspect in this one."
"Then who's going to investigate?"
"No one needs to investigate," Chakotay announced, walking out from the shadows. Both Tom and Harry jumped.
Harry opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped when both Janeway and The Doctor step up. Janeway raised a single eyebrow. "It was an accident."
The Doctor nodded once. "Clearly, Seven turned the safety protocols off while running the Da Vinci program and choked on the balloon when Da Vinci played one of his little tricks."
"Little tricks?" Harry repeated.
"Da Vinci liked to trick people into believing that they were watching an experiment when really, he was blowing up bullock intestines to back them into a corner and trap them there," Janeway explained.
Glancing at Tom, Harry clarified, "And that's what you think happened to Seven?"
B'Elanna cleared her throat from behind them. She shook the PADD in her hand. "That's what the computer says. I think we've solved it. I'll run a full diagnosis on the holodeck, of course, to make sure it's safe."
"But-" Harry started to protest, but was stopped by Tom's hand on his shoulder.
"It was a terrible accident, Harry," Tom told him. "I think that these guys have it all in hand." He shared a look with Janeway before turning back to Harry. "You and I should probably start planning the memorial service."
"I-" Harry clamped his mouth shut when he realized that everyone was staring at him intently. He took one last glimpse at Seven before shrugging. "We probably should."
Tom led Harry out of the holodeck. The others stood in a near circle, trading quiet looks with each other. After a few moments, The Doctor spoke. "I suppose I should take care of the body."
Janeway nodded. "And I need to make an announcement to the crew."
"I'll make sure I'm available for counseling," Chakotay added.
"And I'll get my crew on the diagnosis," B'Elanna said.
Folding his hands together, Tuvok informed them, "I will write up the reports."
They started when a tiny voice called out, "Can I come out now?"
"We didn't know you were here, Naomi," Janeway soothed, reaching her hand out. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Naomi answered, hiding her face in Janeway's side.
Janeway held her tight, walking towards the doors. She tossed over her shoulder, "You have your orders."
Naomi looked back just as the holodeck doors were closing. She muttered, "No one tries to take the Captain's place on my watch."
THE END