4. Repression
Voyager was in a state of mutiny. Due to the mind-control techniques of a fanatical vedek named Teero, the Maquis crew had imprisoned Captain Janeway in the brig, confined the rest of the crew in their quarters, and taken control of the ship.
Seven and Icheb watched the Maquis security guard standing in front of the doors. They were in Cargo Bay Two, under surveillance in case they tried to use some of the technology in storage. Icheb was visibly frightened, his blue eyes wider than ever underneath his ocular implant. She put an arm around his shoulder, as Captain Janeway might. Or rather the former Captain Janeway … unless they were stopped soon, the Maquis had a good chance of depositing the entire Starfleet crew on the nearest M-class planet like so much unwanted cargo.
"I don't understand," Icheb confided to Seven as they sat together on the base of her alcove.
"You are aware of the history of the Maquis movement and its goals, correct?"
"Yes, but …they are our colleagues, our friends … how could a complete stranger's words make them turn against us like this?"
Seven thought of Crewman Tabor, the young Bajoran whose grandfather had been tortured to death by the medical experiments of a Cardassian doctor. The hot-tempered man she remembered had been replaced by a coldly efficient soldier, not much different from a Borg drone.
How had Teero done it – channelled all those individual thoughts, feelings, motivations and personal histories into a unified collectve of hate? From the Alpha Quadrant, no less, using nothing but an encrypted code hidden in a letter from Tuvok's son. Tuvok had spread the message via mind-melds to the rest of the Maquis, and was presumably still spreading it … although, knowing their steadfast Vulcan, Seven estimated that he would not give up control so easily. Chakotay, Voyager's current captain, was another matter; as the Kradin-Vori war had proven three years ago, he was susceptible to mind-control, especially when his violent past was involved. Still, his actions today defied belief. Seven tried to imagine it – Ms. Janeway being held at phaserpoint by a man she had liked and trusted for six years. It was a chilling concept, and it brought back memories Seven did not care to dwell on.
"Have I ever told you about the time the Doctor's ethical subroutines were removed?"
"No … when was this?" asked Icheb, puzzled by the non sequitur.
"It was before you came aboard … he and I were captured by the crew of the Equinox, another Starfleet vessel transported by the Caretaker. Its crew was murdering sentient nucleogenic beings to use them for fuel. When Captain Janeway found out, naturally she felt obliged to stop them, and the conflict escalated until Ransom, the other captain, was prepared to use any means necessary to gain information on Voyager's defense systems. He reprogrammed the Doctor and ordered him to extract the access codes from my neural pathways, which would have left me severely brain-damaged."
Icheb turned paler than ever and leaned into her shoulder, as if assuring himself that she was there. "He didn't … ?"
"He did. Fortunately, Voyager discovered us before he could complete the procedure. Once the battle was over and the Equinox crew safely in our custody, Lieutenant Torres and I returned the Doctor's program to its original parameters. He deeply regretted the actions he was forced to take, and we devised an encryption code to ensure his ethical subroutines would never be violated again. It took me some … effort … to adjust emotionally … but as you know, our friendship continues to this day."
"So, do you believe the same thing could happen today?" Icheb asked, lifting his head and sitting up a little straighter. "For the Captain and Commander?"
"It has been my experience," Seven replied, trying to infuse her words with enough faith and optimism for both of them, "That, while anger is a powerful motivation for an individual, so are loyalty and affection. It is entirely possible that Captain Janeway will persuade the Commander to end this mutiny."
"I hope so."
They sat together in silence, ignoring and being ignored by their guard, resting all their hopes on the bond between their command team and praying that it would be enough.
The shipwide communication made them both sit up abruptly, even the guard stopped pacing. It was Tuvok, saying something in Ancient Bajoran which the universal translator could not convey. Whatever it was, it made the guard drop her phaser, clap her hands to her ears and collapse on the floor. The next voice they heard was Captain Janeway's – smoky, elegant, and utterly in command.
"Attention all hands, this is Captain Kathryn Janeway … "
=/\=
The first things the Doctor set eyes on after being reactivated (with an angry speech or two still stored in his vocal processor for Chakotay's discourtesy in deactivating him without permission) were Seven, Icheb and the Captain – followed by a Sickbay filled with more unconscious crewmembers than he cared to count.
"Please state the nature of the medical emergency … or do I even want to know?"
As the Captain explained about Teero, Tuvok, the Maquis mutiny and the mind-control victims they had collected and transported to Sickbay to be cured, the Doctor found a metaphorical chill creeping through his emotional subroutines. If all had gone according to plan, he would have been reprogrammed against his will, possibly even deleted … and, worse yet, Seven and Icheb would have been beamed from the ship without even the chance to say goodbye.
Yet there they were, Seven as breathtaking as ever in her magenta suit, Icheb endearingly awkward with his large ears, lanky frame and baggy brown-and-orange outfit. If not for the Captain's formidable presence, he might have hugged them both.
"The phaser was defective," the Captain wound up, speaking softly and staring into the distance. "Chakotay gave it to Tuvok knowing he couldn't kill me if he tried. Either he doubted Tuvok's loyalty, as he said … or else, even mind-control couldn't get him to hurt me."
It was rare for the Captain to speak so openly even to her friends; obviously the day's events had disturbed her much more than she would admit. Seven and the Doctor shared a look. Was she thinking what he was thinking – a fragment of a song they had never performed since those days on the Equinox? "Dreadful sorry, Clementine … "
"I believe it was the latter, Captain," said Seven.
The Doctor came to stand behind Seven and Icheb, put a hand on each of their shoulders – how wonderful to see you, please don't leave again just yet – and gave the Captain a reassuring smile. "I agree."