Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek.
Inspired by "Awake and Alive" by Skillet, "Feelin' Tired" by CG5, and Star Trek S3,E9 "Distant Voices".
...
Phaser fire streaks past her head, but she pays no head. She continues to move forward. Her target in sight. Raising her arm she attempts to cease its movements.
Species 5618 dodges her reaching grasp and stumbles around a corner. She pursues.
...
Seven of Nine awakens abruptly with a gasp.
Alert, she exits her alcove and scans the cargo bay for any threats. Finding none, she contemplates resuming her regeneration cycle. Going over her scheduled duties for the day, she decides she will need the rest and returns to her alcove.
...
Species 5618 dashes into Voyeger's mess hall.
A member of species 218 greets her with nourishment. 5618 attempts to warn him as she backs away from the door. He doesn't understand and follows her, again offering her nourishment.
His inattention is his downfall.
...
Seven jerks awake in her alcove. Standing before her is the Doctor. He looks concerned. His mouth moves, but she can't make out the words.
Eyelids fluttering, she collapses.
...
"Dadadada... Yeah. Trying somethin' pretty different..."
She stands in a wide open room. Behind her are stairs and speaker suspended by a wire playing music.
"...shines through, as the tunes find you..."
In front of her is a sudden drop.
Walking closer, she realizes she stands on a platform. Below her are metal tracks. Before she can lean forward to better view of them, a vehicle rushes past. The 21st century passanger transport seems to stretch on for an impossibly long time. Finally it stopped, it's doors opening.
Stepping out of the transport was a man. He was caucasion with short blond hair. He wore a dark red suit with a brown sweater.
"Will you grow up, will you feel like..."
"That's impossible." She states, stareing in confusion at the man in front of her.
The man smiles at her, the glasses on his face flashing in the light. He opens his mouth to speak.
Before he can, she's grabbed from behind.
She whips her head around and discovers the captain. Captain Janeway leads her away from the man and the transport.
She complies, sparring only a brief glance behind her.
"Feel it na, na, na..."
The man waves at her, unaware of the being exiting the transport behind him.
Captain Janeway leads her to a desk and places her under it. She tells her to not to make a sound. This is logical. To make a sound at this moment would be detrimental to their survival.
Her attempts are proven futile. Shortly after the Captain left the room, her persuer discovers her location.
Her persuer stared at her through choppy black bangs. A tiny sweet smile graced her lips.
Her arm extended, palm up and inviting.
...
The Doctor rushes around the biobed, "Lieutenant, increase neurotransmitter levels by 29 percent!"
"What good will that do?" Paris yells, following the order anyway.
"That along with the cordical inhibitor should disrupt the telepathic field holding her."
Skidding around the medbay console, Paris checks Seven's readings and says, "It's not working!"
...
"Click!"
Blinking, Seven analyzes her surroundings. She is sitting on a thermal blanket in the middle of a dark forrest. Before her sits a mug of Nelix's coffee and the black haired girl holding a metal mug.
The girl, clothed in a yellow dress and blue sweater, leans forward and bumps her mug against Seven's.
"You're supposed to 'clink' them."
"Who are you?"
"I'm your friend silly." She giggles.
Puzzled, Seven repeats, "Friend?"
The girl smiles sweetly a moment, only to drop it a moment later.
"Sev... h-ve... fight it!"
Seven stands. "Who's there? Show yourself."
"Com... Seven! Yo... an do... -t! ...ake!"
Turning to the girl for answers, Seven orders her to tell her what is going on.
"We're having a picnic, of course." She says, reaching her hand out to grab Seven's, "Come on, your tea is getting cold."
Their hands meet.
...
Seven's hand flinches violently, nearly hitting Paris.
The Doctor glances between Seven and Paris, "It's working. Keep talking."
...
The light in the forrest had diminished drastically. The only source of light is what surrounds the two.
"Who are you?"
"I'm your friend."
"False."
"I am! I'm your friend."
"No, you're not. You are a parasite."
"No! I-"
"The source of my nightmares. Get out of my mind."
"But, Seven-"
"OUT!"
The girl lifts her head to stare at Seven of Nine, finally revealing her big round eyes. A single tear runs down her pale cheek.
Seven is unmoved.
"Please, Seven..." The girl's lip wobbles and she reaches out to her again. "Please stay with me..."
Seven makes the mistake of making eye contact.
"You know not to trust her, yeah?"
Seven turned around and stood back, careful to keep the girl in her sight. Behind her she finds a two foot creature with big pointy green ears. He wore armour plating over a brown robe. He tilted his helmeted head in concern.
"Who are you?" Seven demanded.
"I am Grogu, of the Mudhorn Clan." He answered, voice staticy from the voice modulator in his helmet. He nods towards the girl, who is stands frozen from his stare. "I have come to warn you about this being. She is not wahat she appears to be. She is a liar. She, and those like her, uses games and clever tricks to ensnare people. Everyone falls into their traps. I did, too..."
She glanced between him and the girl. She snaps her eyes back to Grogu when he starts speaking again.
"I know you don't trust me, but whatever you do, don't let her touch you."
Seven's eyes snap back to the girl, realising how close she had gotten. She backs up quickly.
"Or you'll end up like me."
"Seven!"
"You should wake up now."
...
Inhaling sharply, Seven sits up.
"Easy there, not so fast." The Doctor grabs her shoulders to steady her.
"You've been out for two days." says Paris, standing by the console, scanning her bio readings. "How do you feel?"
Taking a moment to evaluate herself and take in her surroundings, Seven replies, "I am awake and alive. That is what matters."
"What happened?" The Doctor asks. The holographic man picks up a tricorder and begins taking more scans. Since Seven's collapse in the cargo bay he's been trying to figure out what went wrong. He has ruled out her borg implants or a previously undetected pathogen as the cause.
Seven opens her mouth to answer, but finds herself unable to recall. She frowns, puzzled. "I do not know."
The Doctor and Paris share a glance.
The Doctor sets down the tricorder and says, "Hm, that is concerning, but for now I prescribe rest. Hopefully in time you will remember."
Despite being unconsious for two days, Seven felt drained. She gladly layed back, but did not go to sleep.
No, she wouldn't be able to go to sleep for a long time.