Disclaimer: Who the heck is Viacom anyways? And why do they own Paramount? In any case I make an appeal to head honcho Viacom not to sue me, as I don't own any of the characters in this story: they do. I own just the story.
Author's Prescript: There are numerous references to episodes in this story. If you're a Voyager fan, you should know at least some of them. Takes place before the story "Human Error." Hope you enjoy.
On another note, I'd like to thank the Borg Collective ... er, Brannon Braga for allowing "Human Error" to be created. Without his intervention, hundreds of K/7 fans wouldn't have screamed in anguish as they saw their favorite ex-drone ripped from a relationship, and this story would never have needed to be created.
Before the 'Error' by Nathan Yuen
As Seven of Nine tapped in the last few commands into the holodeck console, she could not help but feel a twinge of excitement jolt through her body like chain lightening. In a few moments, she would experience what it would be like without the burden and separation that her borg implants caused. She would finally feel, in a simulated way, what it would mean to be wholly human, something that she had not experienced since she was a little girl.
It was ironic, Seven thought. She came onto Voyager as a borg drone, imbued with the knowledge and the security of the entire collective. She only saw the Starfleet individuals as weak, divided, and inferior. After she was disconnected from the Hive mind and integrated into Voyager's crew, she began to see the advantages of being an individual, as others of the crew displayed amazing - and attractive - talents that the borg would have considered irrelevant.
One member of the crew, in particular, had attracted her attention.
Now, after nearly four years of experiencing individuality, and after her experiences in Unimatrix Zero, she was prepared to accept Humanity with open arms. She allowed herself to chuckle quietly at the sentiment; even their metaphors had infiltrated her thought processes. Maybe, in this one simulation, she would finally be comfortable with who she will become.
A chime at the console informed Seven that the holoprogram was fully loaded and she could enter. With an eager spring in her step, she entered into a laughing, talking crowd. Neelix was serving refreshments to the sitting crowd, which was gathered around Lieutenants Paris and Torres, and the couple was opening their presents. It was their baby shower.
In a fluid motion, Seven ran a hand over her left eyebrow. Joyously, she realized her implant had disappeared; it was a holographic facade, but a welcome one nonetheless. After all, she had programmed the computer to remove all traces of borg technology from her body. It was a requirement if she truly wanted to forget her past troubles.
"Missing something?" A low, male voice said in amusement behind her. She turned around and saw Commander Chakotay standing there, a mug in his hand and a twinkle in his eye.
"Not at all," Seven said with a smile. "I welcome the absence of my Borg technology."
"Well, I think the Doctor did a fantastic job during the surgery," the Commander said, smiling. "You'd be able to start life fully human now, Seven."
"Commander, I think it would be best if you call me Ms. Hansen, or Annika, if you'd prefer."
A hearty laugh erupted from him as he caught his mistake. "Of course, Ms. Hansen. Or should I call you Lieutenant Hansen?
Annika's eyes widened in unabashed surprise. "Commander?"
The Commander explained with some amusement. "The captain and I have agreed that you have played an integral role aboard this ship, yet you have not been instated a rank, or even a field commission. Therefore, as our chief asterometrics officer, we have decided to instate you into the crew with the field rank of Lieutenant, senior grade."
"This is excellent news," Annika said, overwhelmingly pleased. She had programmed the holodeck liberally, using what she knew of the personalities of the crew and integrating it into the behavior protocols, then adding a high standard of intelligence and finally placing few limits on what the holodeck could not do in the simulation. One of the aspects that Annika did not expect was that the simulated Captain would promote her before she requested it. She was very pleased: it showed a high degree of quality if the holograms could initiate actions without her requesting a change in the holodeck parameters first.
And speaking of initiation... her romantic interest had yet to initiate conversation with her.
"If you will excuse me, Commander," She said pleasantly, "I have business to attend to."
"Of course, Lieutenant Hansen, enjoy the party." The commander walked away, joining the standing Captain Janeway, and soon they began an animated conversation.
Annika turned away and placed her gift on the slowly dwindling pile of unwrapped presents. She stood just behind the crowd, listening to the various exclamations of surprise and excitement, as each gift was unwrapped. Her eyes lingered on Lieutenant Paris, Lieutenant Torres, and finally, Ensign Kim.
Of all the choices on the ship, Ensign Kim was the most logical to start a romantic affiliation with. He had been amicable to her, even before her appearance was considered attractive. And he was the only person other than Captain Janeway who had expressed desire for her continued existence aboard Voyager in her eariler years. And he was open to her about discussing topics such as love and humanity, even though sometimes he could not explain them well, a trait that she found unusually endearing. After a fashion, Ensign Kim reminded Annika of a younger, naive Axium, in part due to the shared attraction they had for Seven.
Which made Seven wonder why Kim had failed to initiate contact.
Mentally, she shrugged. Perhaps, according to the adapting parameters of the holodeck scenario, she was the one who was designated to initiate. This would be even more beneficial, as it would give her experience for requisitioning a partner.
Annika slowly made her way behind the young man and tapped his shoulder, then she bent down and whispered into his ear, "I need to speak to you in private when you are available, Harry." She said the name with great significance, as she noted from her research that informal designations usually implied an informal relationship.
She rose and left out the nearby double doors, and as expected, Harry followed immediately. "Hey, Seven what's u-" He stopped in mid sentence as he finally saw the transformation Seven had made. "Wow. You look great! You made a fantastic recovery!"
Annika smiled, bemused at his reaction. "Thank you, Harry, and you can call me Annika." She stepped closer to him, savoring the intimate moment, welcoming the heat she felt rolling off his body. "I intend to celebrate my newfound identity later on tonight," She breathed. "I was wondering if you would care to join me on the holodeck... and witness the Ktarian moonrise together?" She smiled at the irony; Harry had invited Annika to the very same scenario when she was beginning to integrate into the crew, and she had misunderstood the gesture. Now, things had come full circle.
Harry's eyes widened in astonishment. "You're asking me out on a date?"
"I believe that is the correct terminology, yes." Though Annika said this in technical terms, there was a hint of warm humor in her voice.
For a second, Harry regarded her, then gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Annika, but in this case, I must say... no."
"What?" Now it was Annika's turn to be astonished. She didn't think that the program would have this outcome. "Why?"
Still smiling, Harry began to explain. "Annika, what do you consider our relationship as?"
Annika paused for a second, analyzing the status of their relationship. "We are friends," she said finally, "with the potential of becoming something more."
Harry shook his head, solemn stars reflecting in his eyes. "Annika, I appreciate the fact that you think of me in that way... but we can't become something more."
"Explain, please." Annika's demeanor was rapidly crumbling, and her emotional resolve deteriorating. This was something she definitely had not anticipated.
"You've borne witness to my track record. It hasn't been a happy one. There was Linsay Ballard, who eventually returned to her adopted family. There was Tal, who joined her own people. There have even been a couple of ladies on Voyager that I've been with, and that didn't end prettily." He ticked off the examples with his fingers. "Fact of the matter is, I don't have that much luck with women on this journey."
"Perhaps it is because you have not succeeded in finding the right one," Annika protested weakly.
"No, I don't think so, Annika. It's because of something I lack, something I haven't found yet in myself. If we start this now, one of us will eventually walk out on the other, and I don't want to cause you the pain of your first heartbreak. As your friend, I have to look out for you, and make sure you are as happy as possible."
Giving her one last sad smile, he said, "I do love you, Annika, but we can't go that way, not just yet. Just know that I will always be right beside you in whatever decision you might make, and I will be waiting down the line. I am truly sorry, but this is for the best." He leaned in to give her a chaste peck on the cheek.
Annika had had enough. "Computer, freeze program." It complied, just before Harry's lips could brush against her skin.
She took one long, shuddering breath. It wasn't supposed to turn out like this. She swore she implemented the guidelines that this holographic Harry would respond in accordance with the actual behavior she had witnessed from the real Ensign, and she couldn't believe that the Ensign would turn down a date. Perhaps there was a flaw in the personality subroutines. "Computer, run a level three diagnostic of Harry Kim's personality subroutines, report any errors immediately."
As she waited for the results, Annika quickly skimmed her memory, and realized that what the hologram said was painfully true. Harry had never made overtures at anything beyond friendship after that fiasco with dating, and he had paired with crewmembers and aliens alike after that time. Though his pupils still dilated slightly when she entered his view, showing that he was still attracted to her, his romantic discourse never strayed towards the intention of her being included in them. Clearly, she had become "just a friend."
The chime broke her out of her reverie. "Diagnostic complete. There were no errors detected."
And that finalized it. Annika had made a human error; she had chosen the wrong male. She had chosen one who was so concerned about her emotional well being that he would not risk a greater bond with her. The fact that Harry Kim could not, would not love her in the fashion she desired filled her with a void faster than being assimilated into the collective ever could.
Emotionally dead for the moment, Annika mechanically skimmed her mental list of suitable companions for a secondary figure. She stopped, pausing at Commander Chakotay. He was certainly not a primary character of her choosing; however, as time progressed he seemed to trust her with increasing degree. Moreover, he seemed to have many appealing qualities: he was considered handsome among most of the female compliment aboard Voyager, physically strong, intelligent, and had a personality most considered ...easygoing. While not her preference, she should certainly explore the reasons why this individual was considered a "lady's man."
Annika lifted her head and called out, "Computer, end program, and make the following modification: replace Har - Ensign Kim with Commander Chakotay as romantic interest."
Her only response was a solitary chime, and then the simulated hallway disappeared to reveal the white on white holographic grid underneath. She sighed, wondering why her chest felt weighted all of a sudden. Somehow, she needed to put aside her troubles and clear her mind, and she had just the program to do it. "Computer, activate holoprogram Seven Theta One."
Instantaneously, a room materialized around her, made of wood. A glass panel on the side showed that there was an active thunderstorm outside, and a glistening black piano appeared in front of her, waiting to be played.
Seven, now clad in a simple red dress, sat down and began to play. Her fingers moved fluidly, automatically prepared to play a song that matched her mood, and Seven began to sing.
When she had finished, she felt a little better, the catharsis of the song healing her for the moment. Satisfied, she rose from the seat and terminated the program, everything dematerializing: the room, piano, dress, her facade, and Annika Hansen. When her appearance was to her satisfaction, she strode out the doors, where she immediately encountered Ensign Kim.
Upon seeing his bright smile, Seven encountered an undesirable sensation that she had never encountered before: a sharp pain that had suddenly appeared in her chest. She had not realized that strong emotional responses could actually cause physical ones. Immediately, a grimace appeared on her face. She tried to hide it quickly, but it was too late.
Ensign Kim's smile slipped into a concerned frown. "Seven, everything all right?"
Seven managed to keep her composure as she stated, "I am functioning within acceptable parameters, Ensign. You need not worry."
"All right, then. Have a good night," He said. Then as she walked away, he whispered, "I don't know what's bothering you, but please, get well soon."
In a voice so low, not even Seven's enhanced hearing detected it.
They continued their separate ways, like two ships in the night, drifting farther apart to other shores.
The End.
Author's postscript: So, how'd you like it? Good, bad? Well, either way, I wanted to write this story because yesterday I was thinking, "Why didn't Seven choose Harry for her simulation runs?" Other than decisions made by TPTB, of course. Hopefully, this comes across as a good explanation.
There are a lot of K/7ers that believe that if one of the characters broke down and admitted their feelings that the other would surely recompense. However, as an observer of many relationships, I know that that wouldn't be the case most of the time.
So, I wanted to write this little tidbit about how Seven made a human error ... but not the one she necessarily thought she made. The human error is where she didn't realize the depth of feelings that Harry had for her.
Of course, I plan to include this fanfic in some of my future pet projects, hence the lack of finality in the ending. Because it doesn't end just yet
And, finally, in case you were wondering, the song that I thought Seven would sing was Vanessa Carlton's "Paradise." If you have any better suggestions as to what she may have sung, please, by all means, recommend them.