Chapter 3

Sick Bay

Star Date - 2443

Sick Bay

The Sick Bay doors of the Icarus opened up to reveal a state-of-the-art medical facility filled with holographic nurses in Starfleet uniform walking about. Four beds lined the center of the room, however, a back wall was filled with circular pods. One of the holographic nurses hit a button at an examination desk and the fifth pod extended to the size of a full grown Klingon warrior. At the far right side of the room, almost pressed into the wall, were shelves filled with vials of medicine.

"You realize that in case of an emergency, this is the first place that's going to be attacked?" Sebastian said dryly as he examined all the vials from a distance. He reached out to touch but the wall glowed a bright green, then blue, finally it crackled a hazy yellow. "Holy moly… what is that shield? That's definitely some kind of biometric tachyon field with a Borg signal. This is definitely setting us up for disaster, I'm about to have a panic attack right here in Sick Bay, Lieutenant Shunahd. Just crack open my heart right now and kill me. Because this is going to be the worst, the absolute worst. Nurse!" He plopped down on one of the beds, folded his arms, while he pouted.

One of the holographic nurses came over with a rectangular tab in her hand, "I will help you, Ensign Janeway. Here, this is to calm the nerves. Simply apply this strip to your neck and it will slow down your racing thoughts. It's called Abilefrien, an all natural remedy from the Talaxian home world." She went to go apply it to his neck but not before looking at the Lieutenant Doctor.

"Ensign Janeway, you're being dramatic. I'm definitely going to update that in your personnel file. A flair for drama as your mother would say. Computer, end holographic simulation." The nurses disappeared in a shimmer of green light but not before making a face at their Lieutenant. "Please don't take that, leave it to someone who needs it more than you. You're acting like a child. I need to update your access code. Stand up, please."

"Fine," he said with a heavy sigh as he stood to his feet, "But, remember, you're not the boss of me."

"I would beg to differ," she said as she typed away. "Computer, give Level 4 Access to Ensign Janeway as Ensign Counselor Chief Linguistics Officer Sebastian Andrew Janeway."

"Permission granted."

"I get Level 4 Access because I'm the Counselor? The last I checked I only had a Level 2 and it was still very restricted. I wonder why…" He trailed off as he examined the Abilifrien in his hand, mockingly about to put it on his neck until he made eye contact with the Lieutenant Doctor of Icarus. She extended her hand, he made a face, and walked over to her computer station. "You know this is going to be bad. We're on a ship that's filled with Starfleet Borg infused technology, holographic nurses, and I just got promoted with a Level 4 Access code. What am I walking into, Lieutenant? You can be honest with me."

"Not that honest, I don't think. Once we take flight you have to fall into rank and rank means that I am your commanding officer. You follow my orders and your mother's orders, which means, that no matter what you see happening, you have to be diplomatic. You know the Prime Directive better than anyone and remember that Starfleet is watching us this whole trip. I am responsible to your mother."

"You're responsible to 'thee' Lieutenant Admiral Kathryn Janeway? Because don't ever forget that she's my mother. I've lived with that wretched woman for all of my life. I was one of the youngest cadets accepted into the Junior Academy. So, excuse me for my anxiety, Lieutenant, but I am responsible for my mother's sake as well. And, on top of it all, I'm heading to the Delta Quadrant to help delegate for peace with a Borg Commander in Chief. So, maybe I should take this Abilifrien…"

"Maybe you should," was all she could reply as she continued to type on the computer.

The doors of the Sickbay opened up and in walked a Betazoid with ebon eyes like coal. His hair was of a similar charcoal hue, slicked back. His uniform was similar to Sebastian's except it was a deep brown hue with golden lining on the sleeves and down the pant leg. "Doctor Shunahd. Ensign Janeway."

"I don't believe we've met," was all that Sebastian could muster. Another telepath in space? His thoughts were beginning to race when Lareil's voice cut the silence, "Maybe I do need this Abilifrien. With all of you psychics on board, I'm going to have a huge job here, it seems…"

"Commander Chief Engineer, Ren Emzad, he will also be joining us at the Helm with Admiral Romul of Twelve. He has level 6 Access and is your superior officer. Introduce yourself, Ensign." Lareil said as she continued to type away at the computer.

Sebastian sized him up for a moment before extending his hand towards the Betazoid, "I'm Ensign Counselor Chief Linguistics Officer Sebastian Andrew Janeway, Level 4 Access and I report directly to Lieutenant Shunahd. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ren. This is going to be a very interesting flight out of Starfleet command, don't you think? Why is it taking so long?"

Ren shook his hand firmly before setting it down at his side, "Don't people normally call you Bastian?" he asked, "You definitely carry the heir of a Janeway. I admire your mother very much."

"That's a nickname that only members of my family call me," Sebastian responded hastily, feeling his breath deepening and his heart beginning to race, "It's not nice to read people's minds you know. I'm never going to let you do it again. Space is about science so just pretend that I'm a Ferengi, shut your paracortex off, and know that my mind is off limits. Please and thank you."

Ren's eyes blinked rapidly, a devilish smile forming at the edge of his lips, "I'm an empath, not a telepath, Ensign Janeway. Your humor is amusing. I'm ⅓ Betazoid, the other part is human, so fortunately for you, I can't read your mind. However, your personnel file does say that your mother calls you 'Bastian'. You may call me Ren, if it pleases you."

"It does not please me. I will call you Commander Emzad, per my dearest mother's orders." Lareil looked up for a moment then back down at the computer screen, "And per Lieutenant Shunahd's orders as well. How is the warp core doing? Ready for another trip to the Akritirians?"

"Yes, Ensign. Pretty standard warp core but infused with Borg nanotechnology that helps to stop the overcooling process once the deuterium kicks in. We pulled the technology from the Borg drones that sought political refuge and it has actually been working very smoothly." Ren seemed pleased enough with his explanation of the Warp Core between his seven blinks and a bit of a goofier smile. He was definitely in his mid 30's, lithe, and charming. Lareil gazed up at him for a moment while all Sebastian could do was stand with his jaw almost touching the floor.

"That sounds like the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. This is literally a suicide mission."

"How so, Ensign? Enlighten me, please," said Ren, his eyes widening with displeasure and the blinking ceased. "Because I spent hours - hours working on that warp core with some of Starfleet's best scientists. With a Level 4 Access as an Ensign Counselor Chief, who doesn't know a lick about science, how is this a suicide mission?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, "I don't take well to sarcasm."

"Why? Because you're allowed to say what's on your mind and I can't?" asked Commander Emzad. Lareil simply typed away, sighing every now and again.

"No, because now I know that you're not allowed to say what's on my heart so you shouldn't." The Commander took a step back, leaned up against the desk that Lareil was typing on and gestured with his arms out as if to say 'continue. Sebastian evened his breath and continued, "What you just told me is that we have a Warpcore capable of Faster than Light Speed travel with dilithium crystals, deuterium, and now Borg nanotechnology, so now in space, we will be leaving a Borg trail in every corner of space. I don't understand how Starfleet would allow this if the Borg is the enemy."

Lareil lifted her head up for the first time, "Ensign, the Borg is not the enemy anymore. The Collective is the enemy. Per the Prime Directive."

"Well people should fear the Collective and the Borg. Equally. A Borg drone starts off as Borg, remember? It is a very long process to get them adjusted to society, just like you Betazoids."

"Indeed. Well, I have to be going. Sorry that launch is taking so long. There's been a problem activating the warp core. Nice meeting you, Ensign. Lieutenant." And with that, the Sickbay doors opened and he was gone into the corridor.

"Did I say something wrong?" Sebastian said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"No, my fear is that you said something so right." Lareil responded.

Sebastian met her eyes for a moment, snatched the Abilifrien from the side of her desk, and slapped it on his neck. "Yeah, this is going to be terrible."

Captain's Log/Author's Notes: Once again, thanks for reading. At the very least you have two new chapters that were written with so much love for a New Year. Please review if you like, ask questions. Don't really know where this is going but it's fun!

Danny