Astronomy and Attraction
Laili followed one of the uniformed Voyager crewmen down a hallway and into the Mess Hall. They had all been convened there to discuss sleeping arrangements as well as some ground rules for their stay on Voyager. She sat down in a chair and one of the children climbed into her lap. Laili ran a hand through the girl's hair and smiled. She enjoyed spending time with the children. It gave her hope in her people's future. Everyone fell silent as the doors slid shut and Kathryn stood in front of the galley.
"On behalf of Voyager and her crew, I'd like to welcome you. Space is going to be tight for the next few days but we're going to do everything we can to accommodate you." Radella stepped up beside Kathryn and whispered something in her ear.
"Radella has a list of where you will be staying. Crew members will be available to point you in the right direction. Feel free to explore the ship." Kathryn took a step back and Radella looked at the women and children gathered before her.
"I hope I don't need to remind you all that we are guests on this ship. You should act accordingly." With that, the group began to disperse, some women moving forward to inspect the list of housing while others examined the replicators along the wall. Laili set the girl on her feet.
"Why don't you go play." The child nodded and ran off to join her friends. They ducked behind the galley counter and ran into Naomi. She had been watching the gathering with Neelix from the protection of the kitchens. She had been nervous about meeting these new people. The last new person that had come on board Voyager had been Borg. The three girls spotted Naomi and bent down to where she crouched.
"Why are you hiding?" one of them asked. Naomi stood up.
"Uh…I'm playing…hide and seek."
"Hide and what?" another asked, wrinkling her forehead. Naomi's eyes widened.
"You never played hide and seek before?" All three girls shook their heads.
"Come on. I'll show you how to play. Oh…I'm Naomi."
"I'm Jadira. This is Cadi and Sabra." Naomi gave the other two girls a wave and led them off to teach them the finer points of playing hide and seek. Laili watched the four girls run off and quietly followed them out of the Mess Hall. She wasn't sure where she was going but she had nothing better to do than wander. She came to a turbolift and the doors slid open. A crewmember in a yellow shirt stepped out. He held the doors open for her.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." She let the doors shut behind her and she just looked around the cylindrical tube.
"State your destination," the computer prompted.
"Um…Deck…Eight." The computer beeped in acknowledgement and began to descend through the ship. She gripped at the wall to steady herself. It moved faster than she'd expected. When the lift stopped and the doors opened, she had to take a moment to let her stomach settled. She took several deep breaths before turning to the right and walking slowly down the corridor. The portion of the deck she was on seemed rather deserted until she reached a door. It opened automatically to reveal a young woman bent over a half-lit console. A young man was kneeling next to her.
"Wait…try switching those two cables."
"We tried that already, Ensign. Interchanging them would be an inefficient use of time and the ship's energy."
"All I'm saying is maybe we missed something the last time. Are you sure everything about the configuration is exactly the same as last time."
"Yes." Harry let out a groan as he pushed himself to his feet. The console was beginning to blur from staring at it all morning. The Captain had insisted that he and Seven continue their work on the astrometrics lab even with the arrival of their guests. Harry set his tools down and ran a hand through his hair.
"I need to take a break. I'll be back in a half hour. I need to eat something before I can't see straight." Seven said nothing. Harry passed Laili as he left the room and whispered a soft hello in her ear. Laili stepped through so that the doors shut. She continued to watch Seven work. The other woman didn't seem distracted by thoughts of hunger or eye strain. She simply kept working.
Laili couldn't help but admire her features. From what she could see from where she stood, this other woman was very attractive. The garment she wore most certainly accentuated her more feminine attributes. She couldn't help but wish all the women on Saylon dressed in that manner. Her private musings were interrupted when Seven turned around. She looked startled for only a split second. Laili blinked and took a step back.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your work. Your Captain said we could explore the ship and I…well I was just wondering what you were doing." Could she sound any more like a nervous teenager?
"Ensign Kim and I are converting this space into an astrometrics laboratory."
"Oh….what is it used for?" Seven fixed her with a look that said 'how can you not know the answer to your own question?'
"It collects information on stellar phenomena and allows the crew to more accurately chart a course home. We are incorporating Borg technology to the already existing systems to enhance the labs functions." It was then that Laili noticed the small pieces of metal remaining on Seven's otherwise flawless face.
"You're Borg." It was Seven's turn to blink.
"Yes." She paused. "My link to the collective was severed by Captain Janeway and her crew several weeks ago."
"I'm sorry…that must have been very difficult."
"It has been…an emotional time. I will adapt." Laili smiled. She didn't know much about the Borg but they seemed like a resourceful race.
"It looks like you already have." Seven turned back to the console, trying to get it to work. Laili chanced joining her.
"I'm Laili. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier."
"I am Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. You may call me Seven of Nine." Laili nodded and watched as Seven managed to reactivate the console.
"Impressive." Seven didn't respond. She moved on to the next piece of equipment that needed to be fixed or altered. Laili spent the better part of two hours just watching Seven work. She chatted briefly with Harry when he got back from his lunch break.
"Well I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you have half the place up and running when I'm gone." Seven just nodded.
"Maybe I should tell Chakotay that you don't need my help." Seven looked up.
"Your assistance is valuable to this process, Ensign. It would not be a wise decision to cease this relationship." Harry cleared his throat and blushed a little and looked away.
Several decks up, Naomi was sneaking around a corner, looking for Jadira when she nearly collided with Captain Janeway. Naomi's eyes widened as she landed on the floor.
"I'm sorry. I didn't see you." Kathryn bent down to help Naomi back to her feet. Naomi toyed with the edge of her dress, feeling very awkward for having nearly bowled the Captain over.
"Where were you going in such a hurry?"
"Jadira, Cadi and Sabra are hiding…we're playing hide and seek. I'm trying to find them." Kathryn couldn't help but smile.
"Well I'm sure you'll find them. I'm sure your mother is very proud of you for making our guests feel at home." Naomi nodded. She motioned for the Captain to lean closer.
"They didn't know what hide and seek was." Kathryn feigned shock.
"Well it's a good thing they ran into you then. Why don't you go on and look for them."
"Bye, Captain." Kathryn waved goodbye as Naomi ran off in search of her new friends. Kathryn straightened up and spotted Chakotay walking towards her. He'd caught the last part of the Captain's chat with Naomi.
"Something the matter?"
"Oh, no. Naomi and a few of the girls are playing hide and seek. I think she's going to like having some children her age on the ship for a while."
"Too bad they'll be leaving at the end of the week." The two began to walk towards the bridge.
"Has everyone settled in?" Kathryn nodded.
"I think this is going to be a good experience for all of us, Chakotay. It feels good to find a hospitable species in the Delta Quadrant every now and then."
"I'm inclined to agree with you." He paused and stopped walking. He grabbed Kathryn by the arm and pulled her out of the flow of people in the corridor.
"Forgive me for saying this, but do you find it a little odd that there weren't any men on their transport." Kathryn tapped her chin in thought.
"Now that you mention it…it was a little strange. I guess I'll have to have a little informational sessions with Radella in the morning."