"Have you found anything yet?" Janeway asked as she walked into Astrometrics.
Annika noticed Icheb's hands clench around the edge of the console and heard the smallest of agitated sighs leave his lips, but when he diffidently turned to the Captain the traces of inner turmoil she'd seen were gone. "Nothing we have discerned as irrelevant so far Captain." He replied stoically.
Janeway gave Icheb's arm a quick supportive pat. "That's okay Icheb; you did warn me this was going to be difficult. I've got a meeting in Engineering with B'Elanna to discuss all this, would you like to come?"
Icheb nodded gratefully, "If I may Captain."
Janeway gave a satisfied nod and shot Annika and Chakotay, who was also in Astrometrics after finding himself at a loose end, a hopeful glance, "You two are welcome to come along too of course…"
Annika interrupted her, "I think it would be better if I stayed here, I may not be able to completely understand this system, but I think I'll know if something helpful comes along."
The Captain nodded her consent and turned to Chakotay, who shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, "I think I'll stay here and help Annika hold down the fort."
Janeway's lips pursed slightly, "Okay." She responded awkwardly before turning back towards the door, saying to Icheb as she left, "I'll see you in Engineering in ten minutes Icheb."
"Of course Captain." Icheb replied as he walked to the other side of Astrometrics to read more detailed scans on a wall console.
Chakotay caught Annika's heavy sigh as she leaned over the console, obviously using it for support. "Something wrong?" he asked carefully.
Annika shook her head. "Just a headache." She responded shortly before remembering her manners and smiling at his considerate face. "It's just…every time I go to one of the crisis meetings, or even when a member of this crew looks at me sometimes, I get the feeling they expect me to pull some fantastic solution out of thin air."
Chakotay gave a knowing, sympathetic chuckle. "I know what you mean, people keep coming to me for advice, they even want me to do duty rosters, apparently my other self has always done them…"
"Well, it seems we both have reputations to keep up, so I'd better come up with some…" Annika's voice abruptly halted midsentence, her complexion draining of all colour as her knees suddenly buckled. She was only stopped from falling by Chakotay's strong arms closing around her waist, holding her up as the dizzy spell passed. "What…what happened?" She asked weakly, swallowing back nausea as she leaned on Chakotay's shoulder to help her stand upright again.
"You practically passed out!" Chakotay exclaimed worriedly, "Come on, I'll help you get to Sickbay."
The Doctor lowered his tricorder, an apprehensive frown on his face. "Your electrolyte levels are dangerously low…"
"What does that mean?" Annika asked blankly, not used to have any health problems.
The Doctor sighed, looking at her directly with serious, sympathetic eyes, "It means that you'll have to regenerate."
Annika stared at him, flinching as if she'd been slapped. "Re…Regenerate?" she echoed fearfully before her tone changed into one of disgust and horror, "You want me to be…plugged into one of those machines like a drone?"
The Doctor squeezed her shoulder. "Unfortunately, yes. Without regular regeneration cycles the implants that support your body malfunction and even stop working, which is life threatening. I'm sorry, I've never let Seven go longer than 48 hours without regenerating, I thought she'd be back by now but now it's been over four days, I can't let you leave it any longer…"
Annika gulped, but the persistent echoing of the words "life threatening" in her head forced her to put on a brave face. "I understand Doctor. I'll do it if I must."
She caught Chakotay's frown out of the corner of her eye, his voice concerned, "Do you want me to come with you Annika?"
Annika shook her head vigorously, she couldn't tolerate him seeing her in so unnatural a state, it was humiliating enough, but she smiled at his kindness. "No. Thank you Chakotay, but…"
Icheb, who'd rushed to Sickbay with them when she'd taken ill, his meeting in Engineering forgotten, bluntly cut her off, "I will assist her Doctor."
The Doctor glanced between them both, seeing, as Annika did, Icheb's implacable expression. "I can't think of anyone better." He admitted when Annika nodded slowly at the teenager.
"If you'll follow me Dr Hansen." Icheb said politely.
"Of course." Annika replied quietly as she slid off the biobed, giving Chakotay a final grateful look as she left.
As Icheb finally stopped explaining how the alcove worked and fell silent, Annika still couldn't help eyeing the hulking object of terror with revulsion as she asked quietly, "But what does it feel like to regenerate?"
Icheb blinked, thrown off by the unexpected question he didn't know how to answer, but looking at Annika's frightened face, even seeing fear on Seven's face at all made him feel uneasy though he was fully aware it wasn't her, made him try his best to answer her. "It isn't painful." He assured her, sighing when he realised that wasn't entirely what she'd wanted. "I believe it is relatively similar to REM sleep."
"You believe?" Annika echoed.
"I wouldn't know for sure…" He admitted, "Borg do not sleep."
Annika gaped at him. "You mean neither you nor Seven sleep at all?" she asked in disbelief.
"Why would we? Regeneration is much more efficient." He replied with straightforward bluntness, regretting it almost immediately when he saw her expression become even more disconcerted. "I apologise Dr Hansen." He mumbled unhappily.
"No, it's okay." Annika replied quickly, feeling guilty when she saw his miserable face. "You and Seven are close, aren't you?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes, she saved me." Icheb replied.
"Saved you?" she pressed, curious as to what he meant.
"From the Borg." He answered, stating the obvious.
Annika blushed. "Yes, of course she did…" She swallowed and peered into his face. "Are your parents still Borg?"
"They were never Borg." She could tell there was something he wasn't elaborating on but didn't push him as he took a deep breath, "My parents were not particularly competent at caring for me, I am lucky to have Seven, she is a vast improvement on them."
Annika felt a poignant realisation strike her, was her alternate self the only mother figure this boy had? No wonder he was working so hard to get her back. Slowly she reached out and gave his hand; the one unscarred by Borg technology and squeezed it. "Don't worry; I intend to trade places with her again, you'll have her back soon."
Icheb met her eyes for a moment. "I hope so." He stopped, recollecting his emotions, "You are supposed to be regenerating."
Annika smiled weakly despite her fear, amused by his mannerisms. "Okay, I suppose you're right." With slow, faltering steps she entered the alcove, waiting with a dread filled heart until, finally, the cycle began and her mind gave into the emptiness.
Chakotay moved off the bed again, sleep still eluding him in these quarters which were unknown and yet familiar, filled both with objects he recognised and with things completely alien to him. He wondered again if he should read Commander Chakotay's logs, but dismissed the idea as he always had throughout the past few days as intrusive and unnecessary. With a sigh he asked the Computer, "Computer, where's Annika…I mean Seven of Nine?" Not for the first time, he wondered what had made Annika's alternate give up a name for what was practically a barcode.
"Seven of Nine is in Cargo Bay 2." The Computer answered in that female voice he had a feeling was ubiquitous in all realities.
He remembered she was supposed to be regenerating and an unease stabbed at him, without thinking he got dressed and headed for the Cargo Bay. Perhaps it was unwise to visit her, but over the course of this ordeal he liked to think that they'd become friends, it wasn't as if anyone else was sharing this experience, confidants were limited, and this situation got more difficult to cope with every extra minute they stayed here…
He walked into the darkened Cargo Bay 2, at once seeing that she was still regenerating and turning round to leave her be, but a panicked, grief stricken whimper stopped him in his tracks and he looked at her again. Annika's hands were curled into tense fists, a deep frown set in her face as tears were squeezed out from beneath the lids, he could even hear whimpering sobs continually leaving her unconscious throat. He winced in sympathy, surely regeneration shouldn't cause that, maybe he should call the Doctor…
Almost at the precise moment that thought passed through his brain, the alcove sparked as if a firework had been lit inside it and Annika fell to the floor, her eyes immediately shooting open as a paralysing scream was ripped from her, followed by a torrent of violent sobs as she forced herself up onto her knees, shaking harder than anyone Chakotay had ever seen. "Annika! Annika, what's wrong?" he asked in a panicked shout as he knelt down beside her. Her wild blue eyes met his for a second, but pain immediately crossed her face like a lightning bolt and she grasped her head with a raspy groan before collapsing to the floor, her implants surging sinisterly with electric shocks.
A/n: I was going to write the break out scene today, but this idea occurred to me and I couldn't stop myself from writing it first! PLEASE REVIEW! :D
