A Perfect Mate – Voyager Chapter 1
By Kudara
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.
Warning: None.
Rating: T(13+)
Feedback: Always welcome, feedback is what encourages me to keep writing. Please let me know what you like and what you dislike about the story.
Revision History: 03/12/05
B'Elanna Torres was assisting her friend Harry Kim with running sensor scans for the missing shuttle containing the Borg Seven of Nine and Ensign Yates. What the scans were showing was puzzling and disturbing. They had initially thought that the storm that separated Voyager from the away mission had been a powerful ion storm, dangerous potentially to both ship and shuttle, but not unusual.
Captain Janeway had ordered Voyager to a safe distance and waited for the storm to pass, hoping that the shuttle had found refuge on one of the M class planets nearby. What was unusual about the readings were the faint traces of chronoton particles and variable tachyon field areas the sensors were picking up as they traveled toward the last known location of the missing shuttle.
Harry looked troubled as they examined the readings and finally spoke up, "I think we ought to get the Captain's opinion on this. I've never seen anything quite like these readings but they might indicate some type of temporal activity."
With a deep frown B'Elanna nodded her acquiescence, the readings were unusual and Harry's thought agreed with her own, it was looking more and more like that hadn't been just an ion storm.
Uneasily B'Elanna thought back to the confrontation with Seven over her 'research' in the mess hall almost two weeks ago. After years of thinking of the Borg as unfeeling the flicker of hatred in Seven's eyes had startled her. She had blustered and acted like she was going to punch the arrogant Borg but B'Elanna knew that she had been a lot less angry than she had tried to act. She had been too surprised by the emotions unveiled briefly in the Borg's eyes.
B'Elanna would openly admit to anyone that she disliked the Borg, and she expected that Seven didn't particularly like her either. But that hadn't been dislike in Seven's eyes, and B'Elanna had sensed that Seven was just waiting for her to make the first move so she would have an excuse to strike her back. Raw surprise and a sense of self-preservation had caused her to allow Tom to draw her away from the confrontation.
B'Elanna wasn't quite certain what to do now; she didn't feel like going to the Captain and telling her that her pet Borg looked like she would like to wipe the floor with her Chief Engineer. And the Klingon half of her acknowledged that Seven might just have a few valid reasons to feel that much animosity toward her. Still it was unsettling to have someone look at you like they would very much like to seriously hurt you.
The Captain entered Astrometrics and barked, "Report."
B'Elanna reflexively straightened at the tone as did Harry realizing at that moment how stressed the Captain actually was over the shuttle. 'Oh no way I'm telling her that her pet Borg hates my guts,' thought B'Elanna. "Captain the sensors are picking up chronoton particles and what look like dispersed tachyon fields, Harry and I think it may indicate some type of temporal activity, but neither of us are as versed in temporal physics as you are and we wanted your opinion on it."
Janeway's eyes widened and she crossed the room in quick strides to look at the readouts, her face paled for a brief moment and then her command mask slipped down veiling her reaction to what she was looking at. "You're correct that was more than just an ion storm." Janeway reorganized the data they had collected and looked at it again then stepped back gesturing to then that they should look at the data she had brought up. "I don't think I've ever seen reading like this before but my guess it was some type of temporal storm as well. The chronoton readings and tachyon fields are so variable though that I cannot tell how much time differential might have occurred."
Janeway stood silent for a moment then commanded, "As soon as we get in range of the nearest M class planet start scanning for any signs of the shuttle and Seven's Borg implants."
With that she turned and abruptly left leaving B'Elanna and Harry looking after her in surprise.
"She must be worried about whether Seven could survive any length of time without her alcove," offered Harry after a moment. Then with a worried frown, "I'm worried about whether or not Seven could survive, how long till we are in range of that first planet?"
"One hour." answered B'Elanna absently. She hadn't really though about what the readings might mean for the Borg, combined with the recent past events between them she really didn't know how she felt about the fact that Seven might already be dead by now.
Seven was not dead, the kelbonite deposits in the mountain range to the east of the shuttle computer core were interfering with their sensors but not so much that they couldn't tell that it had been removed from the shuttle and incorporated into a building. They could also pick up traces of Seven's implants and from the fact that during one scan they would be located inside the building and another scan they would be some distance away from the building one could extrapolate that she was still alive.
'Figures' thought B'Elanna as they waited for the visual information from the sensors as Voyager did a low pass over the structure. 'Damn drone's too smart to let a little thing like a missing alcove kill her.' Her mental tone was half admiring, half resentful.
When the pictures came through of what looked remarkably like a Swiss chalet sitting in a clearing B'Elanna looked at Harry and saw that he was looking at the image with surprise obvious on his face. B'Elanna snorted, "Not quite what I expected Seven to build; looks like she's doing just fine down there".
"Yea." he replied still staring at the screen. B'Elanna knew the image was being relayed to the main viewing screen on the bridge and wondered what the Captain was thinking right now.
"That looks a lot like the building I showed Seven from my skiing program." noted Paris to the Captain who was looking in surprise at the main screen.
"Well it looks like Seven not only survived the storm but is doing pretty well for herself." commented Chakotay with a twinkle in his eye to the Captain.
For the first time in a few days Janeway allowed herself to smile back at him before she turned and looked at the screen curiously. It certainly was not the survival shelter she expected Seven to build, and it had a permanence to it that bothered her.
"I wonder how long she's been down there that certainly looks like it took more than a few weeks to build. Are you picking up any life signs?" Janeway asked Astrometrics.
"No Ma'am, the kelbonite deposits are interfering too much with our sensors." came back the voice of Harry Kim.
"Tuvok, any problem with beaming down an away team?" she asked her tactical officer.
"No Captain, the deposits are far enough away to not interfere with the transporter." Tuvok replied.
"Then why don't we see how they are doing," Janeway said as she got up and indicated to Tuvok and Chakotay that they should accompany her. "Lt. Paris you have the bridge," she commented as she moved toward the turbolift.
"Yes, Captain." Paris replied before the doors closed on the three senior officers.
Janeway wasn't certain what to expect when they transported down to the planet but the profusion of large cat like beings residing on the floor of what looked like the central room of the building was definitely not one of the scenarios that had run through her mind.
The first thing she noticed was the one that looked far more humanoid than the others in the room, though it was obvious that he was related to them. The next thing she noticed was the young blonde haired child in his arms he was feeding and she smiled at the scene. Finally her eyes lifted toward the back of the room and she saw the person she had been looking for, but what she saw astonished her. Seven returned her wide eyed stare with a serious look on her face and shifted the child she was feeding; from the look of her clothing she appeared to be wearing most of the child's meal.
One of the cat-like beings, a dark looking male ambled over to the door and stood to an impressive height before opening and emitting a friendly sounding rumble. Hearing movement behind her Janeway hastened to reassure the two men, "It's alright that sounded friendly."
From inside the house Seven's voice invited them inside and named the one who had opened the door Blackfur. It was what the child in Seven's arms calling her "Ma" that truly stunned the Captain and after Seven responded reassuringly to the child Janeway wondered that she had not noticed before that the three very young children in the room were clearly Seven's. Two of them even had hair of the same golden blond.
Janeway's eyes went to the male sitting on the couch as she realized who the father had to be. Janeway had no doubt he would be as tall as Blackfur when he stood, as long a torso and legs as he had, broad of shoulder and obviously well muscled. Traces of a common heritage with the others in the room remained in the cat like ears, the brows that merged with his nose and the slitted topaz colored eyes, as well as the slight signs of fur that remained on his face and shading the bare tan colored arms. His face was almost effeminate, too delicate with its triangular shape and high cheekbones to be termed handsome. Yet he was striking looking, and Janeway's first instinctive reaction to him was that he was attractive.
While Seven went to change her shirt, the male, Seeker as he introduced himself, named the children, one of which Janeway was pleased to note Seven had named after her mother and then surprised them yet again when he introduced the other's in the room as his parents and sisters.
Janeway was taken aback to learn that most of the beings in the room were actually female instead of male, and wondered why Seeker look so different from his parents and siblings. She was trying to determine a way to tactfully ask how this was possible when Seven returned, gathered up the third child and sat down next to Seeker.
After accepting an offer of a drink, which Blackfur got up to retrieve, Janeway regarded the couple on the couch for a moment noticing how Seven leaned unselfconsciously against Seeker as she helped him settle the dozing children. And she realized that Seven's face was more relaxed than she ever remembered seeing it.
Looking at the children Janeway gave into her curiosity and asked how old they were. She was surprised when Seven told her they were only six months old, she had guessed that they were eight or nine months old from their size. Upon Seven's tentative question regarding the shuttle, Janeway hurried to reassure her that she did not mind and heard Chakotay comment on how nice the house that she had built looked.
Janeway had to agree, the house was beautiful, not at all what she had expected to find. It was definitely a home and looking at Seven, Janeway, with an unpleasant sinking sensation in her stomach, suspected that Seven might not want to leave it.
Finally Janeway hesitantly asked what happened to Ensign Yates and was not surprised when Seven told her he was dead. In a way the simplicity with which Seven delivered the news was refreshing, reassuring her than the Seven she had known wasn't entirely gone from the woman who was obviously embracing motherhood before her.
What Janeway remembered most clearly in the explanation afterward was the expression of sadness on Blackfur's face when he, no she, Janeway corrected herself, returned with the drinks. It spoke even more clearly than Seeker and Seven's explanations that what had happened had been a tragic accident. After reassuring Seeker and his family that she did not hold them at fault Janeway leapt at the chance to hold one of Seven's children when Seven mentioned that they needed to be put to bed for their afternoon nap.
Janeway was surprised when Seven informed her that she and Seeker needed to mark her with their scent so the child would not wake up, and the scientific part of her filed it away for future consideration. When Erin was handed up to her, boneless in her sleep, Janeway couldn't help but smile when the child took one deep breath upon the transfer and then apparently satisfied at the smell relaxed against her. Erin was the fairest of the triplets and the one to Janeway's eyes that looked the most like Seven. All three of them had the same brow line as their father but their noses were not as flat and their faces were squarer, clearly showing their human heritage.
"I guess you don't have to worry about them climbing out of their cribs and falling." commented Janeway when she saw the sleeping area on the floor. 'I have no doubt Seven designed this." Janeway thought to herself, for it was definitely an efficient solution for triplets.
It was the fairly innocuous comment that Janeway made about whether or not they had installed sensor technology that lead to the revelation that there was a telepathic link between Seven and Seeker, and between them and their children.
"There is much that I need to tell you Captain about the Rana." Seven commented to Janeway with a look that Janeway knew meant that Seven was not certain how she would take what she had to tell her.
Janeway found the conversation that followed to be informative and worrisome. It answered many of the questions she had about why Seeker looked so different from the others and raised many more. The revelation that Seeker was hermaphroditic ended up being the least of the surprises that Seven revealed. When Seven finished speaking what was uppermost in Janeway's mind was whether or not Seven had been chemically and/or mentally manipulated into accepting this relationship.
Glancing at Seeker Janeway acknowledged that he… no she, Janeway reminded herself, apparently had even less choice than Seven in what had happened. Janeway couldn't even imagine what it would be like to go from being essentially asexual, to being mentally bonded with someone you barely knew and was now the only person you would ever be able to accept as your lover.
Yet as she stared into Seven's entreating eyes she acknowledged that Seven did not appear to be upset over what had happened and the two of them looked like they were happy. Then there was the fact that for Seven a year had passed and now there were three children to consider. If they had come earlier before Seven had become pregnant she would have considered ordering the Doctor to try and intervene, but now…
Janeway regarded Seven and Seeker and allowed herself to consider the possibility that even if Seven didn't have a choice initially that she might very well be in love with Seeker now. 'Maybe the Doctor can answer some of these questions,' Janeway thought to herself hoping that he would be able to tell her whether or not Seven was currently being mentally or chemically manipulated in any way.
'And if she is being manipulated?' Janeway's mental voice asked her. 'We will cross that bridge when we come to it,' Janeway answered herself acknowledging that she would probably choose to do nothing. She couldn't even guess what trauma she might inflict on Seven, Seeker and Seven's children if anything were to disrupt the bonds between them.
"Still I want to know,' Janeway thought, 'hopefully the Doctor will find nothing and I can be happy for her without any reservations.'
Janeway managed to persuade Seven to visit the Doctor and let him look over her, Seeker and the children. Then she became aware from the silent but intent way Seven and Seeker were looking at each other that some wordless communication was going on between them. The conversation apparently finished, Seven turned and offered Janeway hope that the Captain might get her most fervent wish, to get her crew home, fulfilled.
Transwarp coils, and perhaps the means to make more. The last time Voyager had stolen some from a Borg sphere they had almost lost Seven to the Borg and taken 10,000 light years off their journey, and that had been from a used coil. If Voyager could get a few of these coils they could be home in mere days.
"Bio suits," Janeway said aloud in the silence that had fallen at Seven's revelation. "We can have the crew wearing bio suits whenever they are on the planet."
Tuvok nodded approvingly, "If the Rana cannot detect a scent then presumably a mating bond cannot be initiated. We should know for certain once the Doctor had completed his examination if that is a viable solution."
Janeway turned back to Seven and Seeker, "How soon could the Doctor examine you?"
Seeker rumbled, "Your clan should be with their ranns, when the children awake we will visit Voyager."
Seeker had been translating for Scarface and Softfur the entire time, now Scarface signed 'They think it is a bad thing to have a Rana for a mate?" her ears were slightly flattened as she signed this.
Seeker obligingly translated for her and they waited for Janeway, who now looked rather dismayed, to respond.
"No," Janeway realized belatedly how what she had said could be taken and tried to salvage what was after all a first contact, "Rana recognize their mates by smell correct?"
Seeker, and after translation, Scarface nodded.
"And they would recognize if someone already had a mate by the presence of their smell on the person," after receiving nods to this Janeway finished, "We have people who have been separated from their families for six years, there would be no way for a Rana to realize that they already had a mate."
Janeway waited to see if her explanation would be accepted. She wasn't exactly lying, but she certainly wasn't about to tell Seeker's parents that she wasn't about to subject any more of her crew into what might well be chemical and mental manipulation. If her suspicions were incorrect she might reevaluate the situation, but for now she was determined that no one else would go through Seven's experience.
Scarface looked at Janeway intently and then signed, Seeker translated, "And if any of those who do not yet have a mate wishes to seek one here?"
Janeway stopped herself from openly frowning; obviously there was nothing animal like about their intelligence, Scarface had seen right through that explanation. She hesitated for a long moment then measuring out her words replied, "Please believe me, my problem isn't with some of my crew finding mates here. The problem is that soon Voyager will move on in its journey to our own home. If some of my crew were to find mates here, then eventually they would have to face the choice of leaving the family that is Voyager to stay here, or your people would have to leave the planet that is their home. By preventing people from finding mates here, I am preventing the problem that Seven already faces from happening with the rest of the crew."
Scarface looked at Janeway intently for several quiet moments then began signing again.
Seeker and Seven watched intently, replying at points. When Scarface appeared done Janeway looked inquiringly at Seven waiting tensely for the translation. Janeway noted that Seven appeared uncertain and she frowned wondering what Scarface had said that would cause her to hesitate before translating it.
Finally Scarface rumbled commandingly and Janeway glanced over at her. As she did so Scarface met her gaze with what she thought was a disapproving one. Seven sighed but obediently translated, "Scarface says that you do not show the proper respect for my rann, she wonders if you do not respect the most basic element of a society what else you will not respect."
Janeway was flabbergasted, whatever she had been expecting, being accused of a lacking morals had certainly not been in any of the quick scenarios she had been running through her head.
"Captain, if I may?" the calm voice of Tuvok came from behind her.
Biting back the indignant reply that wanted to come out Janeway instead nodded curtly for him to continue.
"From my understanding the entirety of Rana culture is built around the rann and the telepathic bonds that form between the parents and children?" He waited for confirmation then continued, "Rana values then center not around the individual but their relationships with others, their parents and siblings first then eventually their relationship with their own mate."
"I believe a few questions will make the difference between Human and Rana culture clearer." Tuvok requested.
By this time Scarface, Seeker and Seven were staring at him in curiosity and quickly nodded their permission.
"Barring mental instability have their ever been any incidents of violence among the Rana?" Tuvok asked.
Seeker stared at him in confusion then turned toward Seven for an explanation.
"The concepts for that condition do not exist in the Rana language, Commander. I believe that Kayata eliminated any genetic defects that she found in the population while she was guiding their evolution." Seven then turned and held a silent conversation with Seeker, at the end of it Seeker turned and gave the humans an odd look and then nodded to her.
"Rana do not intentionally hurt other Rana," Seeker picked up the conversation. "I did not even conceive of such a thing before Seven became my mate and I learned about humans. Perhaps it is due to the obvious difference, the telepathic bond children have with their siblings and parents. It allows us to have a greater understanding of the effects our actions have upon others. Seven argues that the differences are more basic than that and stem from our respective species differing evolutionary strategies."
This was Seven's obvious cue to take over the conversation and she quite willingly picked it up. "Humans evolved during a time period of intense climate change. During my exploration of humanity I noticed that humans need to master their environment, and frequently anthropomorphize it as being hostile to them. This attitude extends to all their interaction with others, the stranger is evaluated first as a potential hostile even when humans tell themselves that they are attempting to make friends."
Seven continued, "As most of the species in the galaxy evolved under similar circumstances and act in similar ways, it is frequently a prudent course of action. The Rana by contrast have taken an almost Borg like approach to evolution, if they see a life form that is better adapted or has a characteristic they think desirable they 'assimilate' it into their own species." Seven smirked at Seeker as she said this and everyone could see the open merriment in her eyes.
Seeker rumbled in amusement at the comment and Janeway noted that it appeared to be a casual subject of amusement between them. If only she didn't suspect that it was only too accurate a statement of the current circumstances.
Seven continued, "Thus the Rana initial reaction is not 'does the unknown represent a threat that must be destroyed or controlled' but one of cautious evaluation 'does the unknown have characteristics that would be useful to the Rana'. The Rana are thus naturally less aggressive than humans. I believe that the lack of violence among the Rana is due to this characteristic combined with the stronger bonds between them due to the telepathic bond."
"I don't believe that we are that violent anymore. We've outgrown that." Janeway protested. However, the conversation had brought home to her why Scarface would have taken her statements so poorly.
Humans might claim that family was important to them, but when you came down to it people ended relationships, cheated on their spouses and left their children behind every day. She was starting to see that not only did Rana not do this but the very concept was foreign to them. Their families or rann were bastions of stability, the fidelity of its members to one another unquestioned in a way that was just not possible among humans.
Janeway knew she would have to think about the cultural differences and expectations that might arise from this basic difference for awhile. Right now she did not have the luxury of contemplating them, but she did have a better understanding of why any questioning of Seven and Seeker's relationship would cause the Rana to question her values and character.
"Seven, I apologize if it seemed as if I didn't respect your relationship with Seeker. Would you also translate my apologies to Scarface, I did not mean to offend her, or imply that I do not respect Rana beliefs and values." Janeway turned to face Scarface directly, trusting that Seven would continue translating for her. "I need to understand what has happened here, relationships are not formed this way in my race. I have duties to my crew as their Captain that I must fulfill; one of these is to ensure their safety. I would fail this duty if I let my people interact with yours before I fully understood the situation."
Scarface looked at Janeway intently then reluctantly nodded, but Janeway knew she hadn't entirely convinced her. If only one of her crew wasn't involved, Janeway though, she could allow her natural curiosity full reign and just appreciate these people for what they were. And somewhere in this situation she couldn't help but feel, there was a need to consider the Prime Directive, she just couldn't tell what was bothering her about it at the moment. Janeway did know though that she wanted to get back to Voyager and discuss the situation privately with Chakotay and Tuvok.
"The children are waking." Seven's voice broke into Janeway's thoughts. Seven had her head tilted slightly to the side as if she were listening and there was a soft smile on her face. It was a look Janeway had never seen on the former drone, it surprised her and brought home the positive effect Seven's relationship with Seeker and her children had upon her.
An hour later Janeway was sitting in her Ready Room discussing the events of the day with Chakotay and Tuvok having dropped off Seven, Seeker and the children with the Doctor in Sickbay. Janeway had heard rumors that the Doctor felt something for Seven, and his reaction to Seven's new family only confirmed it.
Janeway had called ahead to Sickbay before they transported up to the ship. "Doctor we've found Seven. She appears to be alright but it's been a just over a year for her on the planet." The Doctor had broken in with questions about Seven's implants and Ensign Yates, "She's been able to maintain them with Seeker's help and unfortunately Ensign Yates died shortly after the shuttle crash landed."
"Who is Seeker?" the bewildered hologram had asked.
Janeway hesitated for a moment remembering the rumors, "The Rana who took care of Seven when she was injured in the crash. They formed a telepathic bond with one another and Seeker is now Seven's mate. They have three beautiful six month olds. I need you to do a complete workup on all of them. I'll tell you more after we transport up."
"Seven's married?" came the reply, disbelief obvious in the tone.
"Essentially, yes," Janeway replied cautiously.
There had been along silence, "I'll… I'll prepare for their arrival Captain. Doctor out."
There had been an almost hollow tone to his voice, and Janeway realized that the rumors had been correct. The Doctor hadn't even bothered to pepper her with questions as she had expected. Even the telepathic bond information hadn't elicited one.
When an awake Erin had been handed to her for the transport up to Voyager, Janeway had found herself being intently examined by the curious child. "She reminds me of Naomi Wildman at this age," Janeway commented. "How long do Rana children take to mature?"
"Thirteen years, Captain. They will mature at approximately the same rate as Naomi Wildman." Seven replied.
Looking back at the blue eyed, blond haired child that regarded her so seriously Janeway commented to her with a smile, "So do I pass muster?"
Erin babbled something unintelligible in reply and gave Janeway a toothy grin, then fell to trying to pull the pip's off Janeway's collar.
"You may be in danger of being demoted, Captain." observed Tuvok.
Janeway chuckled, "I may be." she admitted. "But I'm more worried about her getting one loose and deciding to taste it."
"I do not believe she can get a good enough grip to do so, Captain." said Seven after a moment's consideration.
The transporter beam had interrupted anything else and when they had appeared in Voyager's transporter room Janeway noticed that the Ensign behind the controls was gaping like a landed fish. One direct look from her though and he recollected his manners, snapped his mouth shut and stood at attention.
"Do you want me to accompany you to Sickbay?" Chakotay asked Janeway with a slight furrow marring his brow.
Janeway hesitated only slightly before she shook her head, realizing that her First Officer also knew about the Doctor's feeling toward Seven. "No, one of us should be on the bridge."
Chakotay gave her a sympathetic look before he turned and left.