Disclaimer: Paramount owns all. I own my imagination and a college acceptance letter that I might frame!
COGITO ERGO SUM
Seven of Nine was standing in Cargo Bay Two pondering, trying to decide which was more desolate, a desert or an ocean.
It was Captain Janeway's idea. She had come to the conclusion that Seven spent too much of her free time working. Seven said that she had ample time for regeneration, eating, and "other human diversions." This hadn't satisfied the captain.
"I never thought I'd have to order anyone to work less, but you need to spend less time in Astrometrics." She leaned over her desk. "There's no need to work two shifts in a row consistently."
"What do you propose I do? I already have sufficient 'free time' to use my allocated holodeck time."
"Seven, if I tell you what to do, it's not really free time. Free time is yours."
"Perhaps you can suggest activities I can consider."
"There are plenty of social activities that the crew organizes. Every Monday night some of the engineers get together to play board games. At the end of every month there's a cribbage tournament. Lieutenant Paris could probably tell you a dozen more organized events."
The look on Seven's face rejecting those, Janeway continued. "Some people like to just think."
"I have enough time to contemplate my existence."
"What about contemplating other things? Some of the greatest minds in Earth's history were philosophers. Even seemingly simple questions, like: which came first, the chicken or the egg?"
"The Borg have analyzed that."
"Oh? What did they decide?"
"It depends on the individual's beliefs about the origin of life. Those who believe in creation will say the chicken. Those who believe in evolution will say the egg."
"What do you think?"
"It is irrelevant."
"No, it's not. Or try this: which is more desolate, a desert or an ocean?"
That was how Seven found herself pondering in Cargo Bay Two. She failed to see the relevance of her activity, but she wanted to experience humanity. That was her sole reason for following Captain Janeway's advice. She knew of Descartes, the human who coined the phrase cogito ergo sum. "I think, therefore I am." It was an intriguing concept, when she put aside it's irrelevance. Most definitions of existence were based on biological functions of a lesser order. What Descartes was really referring to was sentience. Then, letting her thoughts flow as they would, as the captain had recommended, she wondered where the phrase "coined the term" had originated. Phrases were not made in presses, unlike metal currency.
She reverted back to her original question when her thoughts ceased "flowing." Mistakenly supposing that Captain Janeway expected an answer, she compared oceans and deserts. One could drown in an ocean, or die of thirst in a desert. Both hid caches of life, but both had life that could be fatal to humanoids. Both might have sparse centers of population in an oasis or on an island. While thinking, Seven of Nine lost track of the time.
It was 0100 hours when Janeway's combadge beeped. She sleepily answered Seven's voice. "Janeway here."
"Captain, I have come to a conclusion. A desert is more desolate because Antarctica is a desert." She sounded rather proud of herself for solving the problem.
"Seven," Janeway suppressed a sigh before continuing, "this is the sort of thing we have personal logs for."