Chapter 2
Always punctual, Seven left her aunt's house on the small shuttle Starfleet had allowed her to borrow and arrived early at the orbiting station Starfleet had constructed specifically for the new think tank. The smooth metal of the station was a sphere in the middle and tapered out so that each end of it came to a blunt point. It contained some of the most powerful technology and minds in Starfleet. The bright red orb of Mars was situated just below it.
A young ensign met her at the transporter and escorted her to her room with a quick "This way, ma'am."
In an attempt to be polite, Seven remembered some of the mingling skills the Doctor tried to teach her. "So, have you been stationed here very long?"
The young man kept facing forward. "No."
"I understand this station was constructed almost a year ago," said Seven, but the ensign didn't reply. Thinking perhaps her statement hadn't really warranted a reply, Seven tried again. "Were you chosen for assignment here from a roster or did you request to come?"
He glanced furtively at her and though his eyes didn't make contact, Seven thought she saw something unwelcome in his expression. "I chose it."
"Why?"
"I like solving problems and I wanted to have a bigger hand in stopping the species who think it's all right to destroy others."
The venom in the young man's voice almost caused Seven to miss a step. Only her time aboard Voyager with B'Elanna's harsh manners allowed Seven to look unaffected. Though she raged inside from hurt and disappointment, she kept a straight face. "I see," she said.
Allowing her anger to control her would only enforce the young man's fear. So, instead she memorized the orders of the corridors, the location of bulkheads and computer consoles, and the numerous crew quarters. The maze would have befuddled any normal human, but Seven kept track of everything.
"Here we are, ma'am," said the ensign. He opened the sliding doors and stepped aside to allow her to enter first. Whether this was from politeness or a desire to keep his escape route open was unclear to Seven. He then handed her the bags he had been carrying for her, nodded and left.
Once alone in her room, Seven allowed herself to release her frustration the only human way she knew how. She sighed and wished to be back at her aunt's house where no one had looked at her as though she was going to suddenly attack. Her aunt Irene had been very kind, allowing her a place to stay until quarters aboard the think tank could be readied. Unsurprisingly, strawberries and chocolate had been plentiful.
Pushing her yearnings aside, Seven explored the small, four-roomed apartment. The kitchen was decent, as were the bedroom - fitted with a regeneration unit instead of a bed - and bathroom. The living room had a large window currently facing Mars. It was nothing special, but she had the whole day to unpack and add the 'homey touches' Neelix had always talked about.
She picked up the bag closest to her and set it on a table to unpack. It held a few tools, clothes and mementoes from her time aboard Voyager. As she carefully placed each of the items on the table, one object in particular caught her attention. It was a smooth stone Chakotay had given to her after their first date. He had found it on an away mission while gathering food. When he had presented it to her, she had tried to identify it, but been unable to. Her best guess was blue topaz, but his small smile belied the statement. It was a simple river rock, washed down from the slopes of an ancient volcano to the valley where the team had been collecting mineral samples. The clarity and smoothness of it had been from the years it spent in the river, being washed and buffed by the steady, crystal clear waves. Without knowing why she wanted it close to her, Seven decided to put it where she was likely to be spending most of her time, by the computer console.
As soon as she approached the console in the living room corner, it flashed at her. An urgent message had been sent and the caller was waiting for her to answer.
"Finally, I thought I would never get through to you!" The Doctor berated Seven.
She sighed at the interruption to her work-free day, but politely asked him why he called. And he, calming at finally reaching her, told her he had succeeded in his calculations for a new medical tool, but he wanted her to see him so he could have a proper test subject. He didn't notice how she covertly slid her hand holding the precious gift behind her back and out of sight.
"What sort of medical tool?" she asked. Her curiosity was piqued, but she had her limits when it came to being a test subject.
The Doctor beamed with pride. "I call it a neurological impulse scanner. It's five times more sensitive than any other scanner available and it's specifically designed to map out the human brain and detect whether the mind has been tampered with and what sort of thoughts the subject is thinking based on the part of the brain being used. With a bit more tinkering, I think it can lead to a lot more." He sat back, grinning. "I decided it was just the thing we needed after coming into contact with so many telepathic species and body-snatching aliens in the Delta Quadrant. I just never had the time to work on it."
"I see, but do you not find our other colleagues sufficient?" She knew the Doctor really just wanted to have his friend and pupil to keep him company again. Ever since leaving Voyager, she had been hounded by the Doctor. Though she forgave him for this selfish plea, she was still irritated by being called immediately after arriving, especially since she was technically not on duty yet.
"I have already tested the scanner on them and it seems to work, but I want to have a more complex brain to test. You can't get more complex than a mind augmented by Borg implants."
"No doubt," she said, only too aware of the implants on the inside as well as out. Luckily for him, he was too good a friend for her to be ready to disappoint him. Nor did she have a legitimate reason for refusing him, other than that she did not wish to be his guinea pig. "I will be there in a few minutes. I would like to unpack first."
"Oh, of course, Seven." The Doctor smiled and they signed off.
Exactly eight and a half minutes later, as she put the last of her pants away, Seven heard her console once again beeping. She didn't bother sitting down, choosing instead to speak to the overzealous doctor - for that's who she assumed it was - in a manner that would demonstrate her growing irritation.
"I will be there in a momen… Admiral, I'm sorry," said Seven as she turned around and realized her mistake. "I thought you were someone else."
Katherine Janeway smiled. "That's all right, Seven. So, how are you doing?"
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"Come on, Smith. I want to get these components delivered!" Miles O'Brien complained. He had been holding the supply bin for ten minutes and apart from being heavy, the components would have to be installed on Voyager. Not only did O'Brien not want to be late with his drop off, but he didn't want to miss dinner.
"Sorry, I don't know who organized these requisitions, but we can't do anything until we're sure where those have to go," said Lieutenant Rebecca Smith looking up from her data files. The scheduling for outgoing and incoming parts had been badly mixed up and she was getting as annoyed as she knew O'Brien had been when he first heard about it. Still, she had to make sure what O'Brien was bringing onto Voyager was what was supposed to be there and not some merchant's spare parts. She double checked her corrections. "Okay, it's good to go. The next batch of supplies is on its way and it's not one of the items on my danger list. Just haul it right in and make sure you check it off of the inventory. Crewman Jorell forgot to. I reorganized half the cargo bay before finding out everything was already delivered."
O'Brien swung the bin over his shoulder and headed down the corridor just as a swarm of crewmembers and merchants ran up and began complaining loudly to Lieutenant Smith. She managed to quiet them by handing them some files to look over and locate their missing cargo.
Rebecca sighed and thought about resigning her commission just as a tall blond carrying a Starfleet cargo container and a large suitcase stepped out of a far hallway on Smith's left. The blond was dressed in civilian clothes. There was something commanding about her, something that demanded attention. She was closely followed by the sound of a complaining man still making his way down the corridor, but the blond was turned away from Smith and didn't see her behind the crowd. The woman set down the bags and turned to wait for the man.
"They should have sent someone to meet us! Who knows how long we could have been wandering around this station. They knew we were coming and they knew we docked, but then we're left to find our own way through an unfamiliar ship! To think, Starfleet would call me away from my research to be a backup. I mean, what if they need a versatile doctor that can be packed up and sent where no one else can go? I am not a spare piece of equipment. I am a highly sensitive --"
When he stopped to take a breath the woman interrupted him. In a patient tone she tried to sooth him, "Doctor, I know you recommended yourself for this assignment. As for our present situation, it is unlikely they were attempting to offend us. Likely, there was a communication problem and our arrival was not announced."
The bald man, blushing slightly, wore a blue Starfleet uniform and was carrying a large medical kit when he emerged from the corridor.
Oh no! Rebecca felt the anger over the inventory glitch flare up again. She should have been there to greet the two members of Starfleet's newest think tank, but the earlier mess had wiped it from her memory. They had arrived earlier than the Voyager crew and she should have been ready for them, but had not counted on being backed up with unexpected work. She escaped the still chattering merchants and stepped up to them just as the woman continued.
"Besides, I know exactly where we are. I studied the layout of the station before we arrived."
"Seven of Nine and…" They turned towards Lieutenant Smith as she struggled to think of what to call the holographic doctor.
"Doctor, will suffice," he said inclining his head politely.
"I apologize for not being here to welcome you. We had a problem earlier and I had to take care of it," said Lieutenant Smith quickly and the two guests accepted her apology graciously. Seven lifted the bags again as Smith explained their itinerary and led the way to their temporary rooms. "Once we get you settled in, you can explore the station until your departure time."
As they made their way down the numerous hallways, Seven made the effort of making small talk and started a barrage of friendly questions, which were bemusedly answered by Smith, who had never seen anyone put so much effort into small talk. She had to admit she was a little put off by the metallic implants, some of which was covered with strands of blond hair and long sleeves, but tried not to let it ruin her judgment of the ex-drone. It wasn't as though the woman could help it.
They continued walking to the guest rooms companionably chatting. A few people passed them going the opposite way. Smith quickly learned to feel sympathy for Seven of Nine, who was drawing more than a little attention. Still, things went just fine until an unfortunate crewmember came rushing around a corner. He collided with Seven - who barely moved with the impact - and knocked the bags out of her hands. It was Ensign Cal, a man with a quiet attitude and little distinction.
"I'm so sorry ma'am! I…" he trailed off as he got a good look at who he had run into. Smith wasn't sure he could get any paler than he became when he saw the Borg implants on the straight-backed blonde.
"That's all right," said Seven.
He bent to hastily grab her bag, but she beat him to it.
"I can manage it," Seven said, not unkindly.
"No, no! It's my fault. Please, let me at least carry your bags."
"No, that isn't necessary," she said. She was trying to be kind, but Ensign Cal was in too much of a fluster to listen.
"I insist."
Seven raised a perfect eyebrow, as though studying Ensign Cal. It only flustered him more.
"I'm really sorry I ran into you… I mean, I didn't mean to knock your bags to the floor," he said nervously.
Smith would have laughed at him if she weren't afraid he would faint. She was about to tell Cal to just leave when it seemed Seven grew tired of arguing with him.
"Very well," she said in a clearly irritated voice and handed him the bags. They dropped to the floor like sacks of bricks. When it became obvious the crewman's strained efforts weren't going to get the bags moving Seven grabbed and easily lifted them. "Shall we continue?" she asked and brushed past the now blushing man.
Smith didn't laugh, but she and the Doctor shared a look and followed Seven. It's shaping out to be an interesting day, thought Smith.