Disclaimer: Star Trek: Voyager belongs to Paramount Pictures.
Author's note: It's a miracle! My mock exams are over and I'm being told how badly I did! Yey! [shakes head in shame] just kidding, I only failed half of them [sad face]. Anyway, on a brighter note it means that I don't have revision and for the next week or maybe two (if I'm lucky) I don't have coursework, which means more time writing, so I should be able to post about two new chapters a week, but please review when you've read a chapter, it's a scary idea to think that I'm posting stuff that no one's reading!
This story takes a bit of a turn now, and will backtrack on what's happened, a time twist that my English teacher goes on about so much theses days! So, it's important that you pay close attention to the dates, (yes, there was a reason there was a date at the heading of each chapter) the backtrack means that while, say for example, something was happening to Janeway the next few chapters should tell you what was going to Seven at the same time.
Confused?- me too, don't worry if you don't get it, it's logical and will make sense at the end (if not then I've made some serious miscalculations and errors. Okay, have fun and don't got too confused.
~*~
Chapter 8: Osmosis
"Why is it water?"
"Why not? Isn't it always water though. It's irony to it's fullest extent. Osmosis is the only way, but it's also the down fall, too much water and you explode, not enough and you shrivel, it's all about balance, trying to find an equilibrium."
"Is that what you're trying to do, find an equilibrium?"
"No, I've found it, most of us have, but sometimes the balance is wrong. But then it's not about water anymore, I don't know what it's about, I've found the equilibrium I'm just trying to figure out how to keep it."
"Let's talk about this irony of water, you've mentioned it a lot recently."
"I've already explained, Osmosis is part of the irony, but it's mainly lungs. You've got two conduits for the water, one will maintain your life the other will choke your life, I just thought that it was ironic that it has two such opposing affects. Does that help explain?"
"Yes, it does. What's wrong with the balance?"
"I don't want to talk about it, let's go back to water. It has to be the right temperature, too hot and it kills the cells, too cold and they slow down and stop working, but I think that it has to be cold. If it's too hot then it will melt the ice-"
"Where has the ice come from?"
There was a long pause, but there was also patience, "we're talking about water, I used to think that everything liquid had water in it, because I used to drink most liquids. I wasn't supposed to drink it, but I wanted to taste it, but it was bitter, I didn't like it. And then I was ill, I can't remember much about that time, but I can remember feelings-"
"Why ice?"
"A headache, but then progression into a migraine, choking, vomiting, the usual."
"You're not answering my questions."
"You're not listening to my answers, so what's the point in asking the questions in the first place! I don't think I want to be here anymore, can I go?"
Another pause, but this time from the other side, "we'll carry on tomorrow, I think we've talked enough for today."
~*~
San Francisco, August 2nd 2379. "Did you get to see the doctor about what ever you needed to speak to him about?" Tad asked putting his hands into his pockets as they walked along.
"Yes," she lied, but he didn't question her answer.
He nodded, biting his lip, "so, what was it like on Voyager?" he asked a question that had been bugging him for a while.
"Voyager?" she sounded surprised.
"We don't have to talk about it, I'm just curious," he admitted.
Seven had been asked by many people about her time on Voyager, from interrogating Admirals to people that she passed on the street, but then it had always felt as if they wanted to listen to the Borg talk, to see if she was able to communicate, but Tad seemed different, he sounded as if he genuinely wanted to know about her experience. "It was exhilarating and exhausting- constantly," the edges of her mouth lifted slightly as if she wanted to smile, but thought better of it, and returned to a neutral expression.
Tad didn't hold back with his emotions, he never did, he was always very open, and so was quite comfortable smiling, "sounds like I would have hated it," he laughed.
Seven relaxed slightly seeing how relaxed her companion was, "I met many good friends there though, and learnt a lot. If the Captain had not have let me stay on the ship I don't think that I would have ever been able to regain any part of my humanity as I have done with her help."
Tad's smile faltered slightly realising who she was talking about, "did you get on well with the Captain?" he asked a little cautiously.
She frowned slightly, "not at first, and not all of the time. At first I was adamant that I would rejoin the collective, I was afraid of being alone, but the Captain showed me that just because I couldn't hear the thoughts of others, it did not mean that I was alone."
"I can imagine," he said quietly and almost without realising that he had said it at all. They came to a halt along the street and Seven looked at him, frowning deeply, he looked at her, and then passed her, "we're here," he said nodding in the direction of a coffee house behind her. She turned and headed towards the door, Tad close behind.
"What do you mean you can imagine?" Seven asked, holding the door open for him.
He shrugged, "I have a good imagination," he said with a quirky grin, that made her momentarily forget that she had actually asked a question. He looked away embarrassed, blushing slightly, and she suddenly realised that she had been blocking the door way staring while him.
They took their seats at a table by the window, and Tad glanced round at the familiar scene. A man with an apron tied round his waist approached the table and stopped dead in his tracks by the two of them. Reluctantly Seven looked away from the window fearing that the waiter was going to ask her about her implants, but she quickly noticed that he was staring at Tad. Tad looked round from the window also, at first oblivious to the fact that there was anyone staring at him at all.
"Toby?" the man asked.
Tad looked up sharply, and recognising the shorter man immediately stood from his chair and embraced him, "Rhab," Tad said pulling away, "I didn't know you still worked here-"
"I didn't think that you would grow to be so big, but you have," his voice smiled with his face. Seven noticed a foreign accent to his voice, and looked at the two men curiously.
Rhab looked at the young lady sitting at the table, and raised an eyebrow with a smile, "so who's this?" he asked. Seven blushed slightly, not relishing being the centre of attention.
"A friend of mine," Tad explained, "Annika this is Rhab, he's known me since I was a baby."
"Are you kidding, I've known you since before you were born." Rhab looked kindly over at Seven, "this man is one of my favourite customers, and he's also the worst customer this coffee house has ever had. When he was fifteen he would come in here, stay for hours, sometimes even with a group of friends, and would he order a coffee? No! So I asked him one day, 'Toby why do you come to a coffee house and not order a coffee?' and do you know what he said to me?"
Tad was stifling a laugh at this point, and Seven couldn't help but smirk, she shook her head, not having a clue what he was about to say next. "'Gelfrigen keila amma dolci'," Seven looked at him blankly, "this whole time he could speak fluent Targen, while I had been struggling with English for years, and he told me that the last time he drank coffee he had almost died. What kind of person almost dies from drinking coffee?"
"Me," Tad broke him away from his story, "are you taking our orders or what?"
"I'll take this young lady's, you can get your own- tag, seuntayna domnara, keila, misantago!"
Seven couldn't help but laugh, "I'll have a cappuccino," she smiled.
Rhab nodded, "I think that I'm going to like you miss Annika, unlike this pitiful excuse for a mortal," he playfully ruffled Tad's hair before walking off, muttering to himself.
"Great guy," Tad watched him walk into to kitchen as he sat, "but totally insane."
Seven smiled, "what did he say just then?"
"Not a clue, I'm guessing some sort of insult, calling someone domnara is the equivalent of telling a Klingon that their mother has a smooth forehead."
Seven raised an eyebrow, "I thought that you were fluent," she asked sceptically.
"I used to speak a little of his native language," he shrugged, "but I forgot. Three years of learning the language- forgotten, in the final two years of school after I dropped the subject."
"What is Targen anyway?" she frowned, as she couldn't remember the Borg having ever encountered such a species or language and was still confused as to why it hadn't been translated.
"Some inhabitants from this planet got stranded on a primitive planet called Targen some two hundred years ago, they learnt the language, and a while later Star Fleet 'rescued' them." He pulled a face, and she could tell by looking at his expression that he didn't agree with Star Fleet's interference on rescuing the humans from the planet. But, not totally understanding the situation she didn't say anything.
"The language is complex, I remember Tag means yes, but the only time that that word is being used is when it's an older man talking to a younger adult and trying to emphasise that they are being sarcastic. A child speaking to a parent will say 'romi' but when speaking to some one they are unrelated to will say 'yarmi', both words mean 'yes'. I think that over all there are forty something different words for when we would just say 'yes', so you can imagine what the rest of the language is like. That's why it can't be translated by our translators."
"And you had to learn this language?" she frowned, it was illogical to teach a language that so few people spoke, especially at a school.
"Character building," Tad shrugged, "well, at least that's what my mother said when I asked her if I could not bother to learn the language in the first place, and give it up in the first year. The headmaster to the school was one of the humans taken from Targen, and decided that we should learn his language. I strongly disliked him!"
Seven laughed lightly at hearing the phrase: 'strongly disliked' for probably the first time in normal conversation. "You 'strongly disliked' him?"
Tad nodded, "my mother told me that hate was too strong a word to use unless you really meant it, and I never hated the man, just didn't like him."
This man, Seven found, was full of surprises. When she had first met him she had been surprised that he was a doctor at such a young age, and was then surprised that he never gave her a second look when seeing her implants as many people did. He was very tolerant and fore thinking, and unlike many men that she had met that were about his age, he was very mature. She thought that she had met the perfect man, and the fact that he was dashingly handsome was just a bonus.
~*~
End of chapter 8
Thanks for all those that have read and reviewed, and to all those that will (hint hint on reviewing!)
Live long and prosper, and I wish you all lots of snow (unless you don't like snow of course).
Author's note: It's a miracle! My mock exams are over and I'm being told how badly I did! Yey! [shakes head in shame] just kidding, I only failed half of them [sad face]. Anyway, on a brighter note it means that I don't have revision and for the next week or maybe two (if I'm lucky) I don't have coursework, which means more time writing, so I should be able to post about two new chapters a week, but please review when you've read a chapter, it's a scary idea to think that I'm posting stuff that no one's reading!
This story takes a bit of a turn now, and will backtrack on what's happened, a time twist that my English teacher goes on about so much theses days! So, it's important that you pay close attention to the dates, (yes, there was a reason there was a date at the heading of each chapter) the backtrack means that while, say for example, something was happening to Janeway the next few chapters should tell you what was going to Seven at the same time.
Confused?- me too, don't worry if you don't get it, it's logical and will make sense at the end (if not then I've made some serious miscalculations and errors. Okay, have fun and don't got too confused.
~*~
Chapter 8: Osmosis
"Why is it water?"
"Why not? Isn't it always water though. It's irony to it's fullest extent. Osmosis is the only way, but it's also the down fall, too much water and you explode, not enough and you shrivel, it's all about balance, trying to find an equilibrium."
"Is that what you're trying to do, find an equilibrium?"
"No, I've found it, most of us have, but sometimes the balance is wrong. But then it's not about water anymore, I don't know what it's about, I've found the equilibrium I'm just trying to figure out how to keep it."
"Let's talk about this irony of water, you've mentioned it a lot recently."
"I've already explained, Osmosis is part of the irony, but it's mainly lungs. You've got two conduits for the water, one will maintain your life the other will choke your life, I just thought that it was ironic that it has two such opposing affects. Does that help explain?"
"Yes, it does. What's wrong with the balance?"
"I don't want to talk about it, let's go back to water. It has to be the right temperature, too hot and it kills the cells, too cold and they slow down and stop working, but I think that it has to be cold. If it's too hot then it will melt the ice-"
"Where has the ice come from?"
There was a long pause, but there was also patience, "we're talking about water, I used to think that everything liquid had water in it, because I used to drink most liquids. I wasn't supposed to drink it, but I wanted to taste it, but it was bitter, I didn't like it. And then I was ill, I can't remember much about that time, but I can remember feelings-"
"Why ice?"
"A headache, but then progression into a migraine, choking, vomiting, the usual."
"You're not answering my questions."
"You're not listening to my answers, so what's the point in asking the questions in the first place! I don't think I want to be here anymore, can I go?"
Another pause, but this time from the other side, "we'll carry on tomorrow, I think we've talked enough for today."
~*~
San Francisco, August 2nd 2379. "Did you get to see the doctor about what ever you needed to speak to him about?" Tad asked putting his hands into his pockets as they walked along.
"Yes," she lied, but he didn't question her answer.
He nodded, biting his lip, "so, what was it like on Voyager?" he asked a question that had been bugging him for a while.
"Voyager?" she sounded surprised.
"We don't have to talk about it, I'm just curious," he admitted.
Seven had been asked by many people about her time on Voyager, from interrogating Admirals to people that she passed on the street, but then it had always felt as if they wanted to listen to the Borg talk, to see if she was able to communicate, but Tad seemed different, he sounded as if he genuinely wanted to know about her experience. "It was exhilarating and exhausting- constantly," the edges of her mouth lifted slightly as if she wanted to smile, but thought better of it, and returned to a neutral expression.
Tad didn't hold back with his emotions, he never did, he was always very open, and so was quite comfortable smiling, "sounds like I would have hated it," he laughed.
Seven relaxed slightly seeing how relaxed her companion was, "I met many good friends there though, and learnt a lot. If the Captain had not have let me stay on the ship I don't think that I would have ever been able to regain any part of my humanity as I have done with her help."
Tad's smile faltered slightly realising who she was talking about, "did you get on well with the Captain?" he asked a little cautiously.
She frowned slightly, "not at first, and not all of the time. At first I was adamant that I would rejoin the collective, I was afraid of being alone, but the Captain showed me that just because I couldn't hear the thoughts of others, it did not mean that I was alone."
"I can imagine," he said quietly and almost without realising that he had said it at all. They came to a halt along the street and Seven looked at him, frowning deeply, he looked at her, and then passed her, "we're here," he said nodding in the direction of a coffee house behind her. She turned and headed towards the door, Tad close behind.
"What do you mean you can imagine?" Seven asked, holding the door open for him.
He shrugged, "I have a good imagination," he said with a quirky grin, that made her momentarily forget that she had actually asked a question. He looked away embarrassed, blushing slightly, and she suddenly realised that she had been blocking the door way staring while him.
They took their seats at a table by the window, and Tad glanced round at the familiar scene. A man with an apron tied round his waist approached the table and stopped dead in his tracks by the two of them. Reluctantly Seven looked away from the window fearing that the waiter was going to ask her about her implants, but she quickly noticed that he was staring at Tad. Tad looked round from the window also, at first oblivious to the fact that there was anyone staring at him at all.
"Toby?" the man asked.
Tad looked up sharply, and recognising the shorter man immediately stood from his chair and embraced him, "Rhab," Tad said pulling away, "I didn't know you still worked here-"
"I didn't think that you would grow to be so big, but you have," his voice smiled with his face. Seven noticed a foreign accent to his voice, and looked at the two men curiously.
Rhab looked at the young lady sitting at the table, and raised an eyebrow with a smile, "so who's this?" he asked. Seven blushed slightly, not relishing being the centre of attention.
"A friend of mine," Tad explained, "Annika this is Rhab, he's known me since I was a baby."
"Are you kidding, I've known you since before you were born." Rhab looked kindly over at Seven, "this man is one of my favourite customers, and he's also the worst customer this coffee house has ever had. When he was fifteen he would come in here, stay for hours, sometimes even with a group of friends, and would he order a coffee? No! So I asked him one day, 'Toby why do you come to a coffee house and not order a coffee?' and do you know what he said to me?"
Tad was stifling a laugh at this point, and Seven couldn't help but smirk, she shook her head, not having a clue what he was about to say next. "'Gelfrigen keila amma dolci'," Seven looked at him blankly, "this whole time he could speak fluent Targen, while I had been struggling with English for years, and he told me that the last time he drank coffee he had almost died. What kind of person almost dies from drinking coffee?"
"Me," Tad broke him away from his story, "are you taking our orders or what?"
"I'll take this young lady's, you can get your own- tag, seuntayna domnara, keila, misantago!"
Seven couldn't help but laugh, "I'll have a cappuccino," she smiled.
Rhab nodded, "I think that I'm going to like you miss Annika, unlike this pitiful excuse for a mortal," he playfully ruffled Tad's hair before walking off, muttering to himself.
"Great guy," Tad watched him walk into to kitchen as he sat, "but totally insane."
Seven smiled, "what did he say just then?"
"Not a clue, I'm guessing some sort of insult, calling someone domnara is the equivalent of telling a Klingon that their mother has a smooth forehead."
Seven raised an eyebrow, "I thought that you were fluent," she asked sceptically.
"I used to speak a little of his native language," he shrugged, "but I forgot. Three years of learning the language- forgotten, in the final two years of school after I dropped the subject."
"What is Targen anyway?" she frowned, as she couldn't remember the Borg having ever encountered such a species or language and was still confused as to why it hadn't been translated.
"Some inhabitants from this planet got stranded on a primitive planet called Targen some two hundred years ago, they learnt the language, and a while later Star Fleet 'rescued' them." He pulled a face, and she could tell by looking at his expression that he didn't agree with Star Fleet's interference on rescuing the humans from the planet. But, not totally understanding the situation she didn't say anything.
"The language is complex, I remember Tag means yes, but the only time that that word is being used is when it's an older man talking to a younger adult and trying to emphasise that they are being sarcastic. A child speaking to a parent will say 'romi' but when speaking to some one they are unrelated to will say 'yarmi', both words mean 'yes'. I think that over all there are forty something different words for when we would just say 'yes', so you can imagine what the rest of the language is like. That's why it can't be translated by our translators."
"And you had to learn this language?" she frowned, it was illogical to teach a language that so few people spoke, especially at a school.
"Character building," Tad shrugged, "well, at least that's what my mother said when I asked her if I could not bother to learn the language in the first place, and give it up in the first year. The headmaster to the school was one of the humans taken from Targen, and decided that we should learn his language. I strongly disliked him!"
Seven laughed lightly at hearing the phrase: 'strongly disliked' for probably the first time in normal conversation. "You 'strongly disliked' him?"
Tad nodded, "my mother told me that hate was too strong a word to use unless you really meant it, and I never hated the man, just didn't like him."
This man, Seven found, was full of surprises. When she had first met him she had been surprised that he was a doctor at such a young age, and was then surprised that he never gave her a second look when seeing her implants as many people did. He was very tolerant and fore thinking, and unlike many men that she had met that were about his age, he was very mature. She thought that she had met the perfect man, and the fact that he was dashingly handsome was just a bonus.
~*~
End of chapter 8
Thanks for all those that have read and reviewed, and to all those that will (hint hint on reviewing!)
Live long and prosper, and I wish you all lots of snow (unless you don't like snow of course).