Star Voyager - Part 19
By Iejasu and Miklinar
Vader went over the relevant records repeatedly, but
was unable to acertain the number of voices that Seven
had heard -- or whether their originators were all
trapped or not. And Seven remembered no more -- an
hour interrogating her yielded nothing but frayed
nerves on both sides.
At least three, though. One was urging, constantly,
that Seven destroy Vader. Another fought the first,
but the voice was weak. The third... either wavered
between sides, or there were only two voices. Or there
were four. Vader clenched his fists in frustration.
"Are these _all_ of your records?"
"Yes, Mister Skywalker," the doctor answered wearily.
"You have heard all the raw recordings as well as
Seven's interpretations. When I offered to continue
the interrogation under hypnosis, she offered to
reprogram me. I declined her offer."
---------------------
The doctor went on to his pastoral duties, leaving
Vader alone in sick bay. There was a movement at the
doorway, but at an unexected height -- Naomi Wildman,
rather than an adult. "Mister Skywalker?"
Vader turned his station chair, but stayed seated.
"Miss Wildman."
"You're free."
He smiled slightly. "Yes. Thanks to you. You convinced
them that there was something wrong with Seven."
The little girl came up to the data console and looked
at the records. "I remember that. She kept changing
voices."
That caught Vader's interest. "How much do you
remember?"
"Most of it. Then I put it into my journal. But they
said the journal wasn't real evidence."
Vader fumed over the the way the others had treated
Naomi. "I believe, Miss Wildman, that you will always
have problems with adults, until you manage to escape
to a different ship, one in which no one knew you as a
child."
"Did you have that problem, when you were a child?"
A tiny snort, "A little. But not once I started my
Jedi training. At that point, I had to catch up with
aprentices my own age who had had years more training
than I had."
Naomi nodded. "So you had problems growing up, too."
"Yes."
--------------------
The conversation with Naomi was refreshing, but
poignant. He would miss her, more than he had missed
any of his Imperial colleagues. But it was unthinkable
that she come with him, of course.
As it was unthinkable that another accompany him. The
computer refused to tell Vader where Lieutenant
Fortunati's duty station was -- as a exile-to-be, he
no longer had the clearances. He was permitted to
leave her a message, but had no idea if he would even
still be on board when she got his message.
Nor was he sure how much privacy she would have when
she listened to the message. So he kept it far milder
than he might have chosen if he were actually courting
her.
The comm buzzed. "Admiral, please report to the hangar
bay. We need to review the final checklist for your
flight."
"I'll be right there, Lieutenant Paris."
By Iejasu and Miklinar
Vader went over the relevant records repeatedly, but
was unable to acertain the number of voices that Seven
had heard -- or whether their originators were all
trapped or not. And Seven remembered no more -- an
hour interrogating her yielded nothing but frayed
nerves on both sides.
At least three, though. One was urging, constantly,
that Seven destroy Vader. Another fought the first,
but the voice was weak. The third... either wavered
between sides, or there were only two voices. Or there
were four. Vader clenched his fists in frustration.
"Are these _all_ of your records?"
"Yes, Mister Skywalker," the doctor answered wearily.
"You have heard all the raw recordings as well as
Seven's interpretations. When I offered to continue
the interrogation under hypnosis, she offered to
reprogram me. I declined her offer."
---------------------
The doctor went on to his pastoral duties, leaving
Vader alone in sick bay. There was a movement at the
doorway, but at an unexected height -- Naomi Wildman,
rather than an adult. "Mister Skywalker?"
Vader turned his station chair, but stayed seated.
"Miss Wildman."
"You're free."
He smiled slightly. "Yes. Thanks to you. You convinced
them that there was something wrong with Seven."
The little girl came up to the data console and looked
at the records. "I remember that. She kept changing
voices."
That caught Vader's interest. "How much do you
remember?"
"Most of it. Then I put it into my journal. But they
said the journal wasn't real evidence."
Vader fumed over the the way the others had treated
Naomi. "I believe, Miss Wildman, that you will always
have problems with adults, until you manage to escape
to a different ship, one in which no one knew you as a
child."
"Did you have that problem, when you were a child?"
A tiny snort, "A little. But not once I started my
Jedi training. At that point, I had to catch up with
aprentices my own age who had had years more training
than I had."
Naomi nodded. "So you had problems growing up, too."
"Yes."
--------------------
The conversation with Naomi was refreshing, but
poignant. He would miss her, more than he had missed
any of his Imperial colleagues. But it was unthinkable
that she come with him, of course.
As it was unthinkable that another accompany him. The
computer refused to tell Vader where Lieutenant
Fortunati's duty station was -- as a exile-to-be, he
no longer had the clearances. He was permitted to
leave her a message, but had no idea if he would even
still be on board when she got his message.
Nor was he sure how much privacy she would have when
she listened to the message. So he kept it far milder
than he might have chosen if he were actually courting
her.
The comm buzzed. "Admiral, please report to the hangar
bay. We need to review the final checklist for your
flight."
"I'll be right there, Lieutenant Paris."