Chapter 5

When the Regulus finally came into view Chakotay wondered just what he would find. He had never met the captain or crew of the Regulus and had only the impersonal records from Starfleet to go on. The reports on the Regulus suggested a classic science vessel with a Starfleet-stamped crew. The reports on the captain made it clear that though his cautious nature suggested he would be more suited to lead an anthropological study, he had come into command because he had proven he could perform under pressure. He was neither dull nor remarkable except in his strict adherence to his morals and compassion.

When they hailed the Starfleet ship and Captain Silas' visage came up, Chakotay had the sensation he was face to face with a kindred spirit. Captain Jim Silas was a man in his prime, if slightly greying and wrinkled from stress. His perfect record might have hinted that he was a tough Starfleet officer, but his calm demeanour gave him a more respectful air that came through even on the view screen.

Chakotay and Silas stood with mutual respect. Chakotay was careful to appear strictly professional. "I'm Captain Chakotay of the USS Voyager."

Silas smiled so warmly that Chakotay wondered if they had met before. He could not help but return the gesture. "Captain Jim Silas. It's nice to finally meet you, Captain."

"Likewise. Any changes in the situation?"

"Nothing new. We've been detecting subspace disturbances in the area, but we can't pin down a cause."

"I see." Chakotay looked to Tom, who shrugged. They weren't going to find any answers just sitting around here. He nodded to Tom, who keyed in a few commands. "We're eager to get going. Specific directions from Starfleet, including a recording of the distress message recieved are being sent to you."

Silas looked down at a woman seated at his left, Commander Imani Roux, a six-foot tall woman with rich black skin and elegant features. She confirmed that the message had been received. "Excellent. The Regulus will match your speed and course. Silas out."

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At first there was only darkness, the only sensation Seven felt during the deepest levels of her regeneration. There was nothing and Seven felt nothing. It was a state of being, of disconnect from any real thought.

Then, noises grew in the dark, drawing Seven's attention out of unconsciousness. It started as a tiny whisper far away, a single, unisex voice. More and more voices joined in, but they stayed a loud whisper. It was like listening to a conversation through a door.

A dim, green light appeared as well. It didn't illuminate anything as there was nothing around to be seen. Still, Seven had the inexplicable feeling that there was something just beyond the light, on the edges of the darkness. There was no proper explanation for the feeling, but still it was as though figures were darting around, just grazing the light.

On the very edge of the light a shadow pushed against the light, trying to shrink it. For a moment the outline of a large figure appeared and it felt as though a pressure was building in Seven's head. Then the figure backed away, the pressure receded and the usual dark and quiet returned.

When Seven awoke, all that she remembered of her dream were some vague feelings that faded throughout the day.

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6 days to Beta 12.

The morning started off in the usual fashion. Despite only being captain for a very little while, Chakotay had already started to develop a pattern in his daily routine as was the crew. Chakotay started his morning off with a quick shower and then breakfast in the mess hall. From there he would read reports and give minor orders on the bridge.

In the mess hall, Chakotay looked for an open seat. The same group he had breakfasted with the other day was together again, along with a Bajoran ensign. Since their circle was complete, Chakotay had to move along. As he passed, Chakotay nodded to Lieutenant Talana, Ensign Gall, Ensign Lee and the man whose name escaped him. Talana and Gall smiled at him, but Lee avoided his gaze.

Tom and Harry were sitting at the windows. A chair was available with them and Chakotay took it quickly before someone else could.

"Morning, Chakotay," said Tom, poking at some fruit on his plate.

"Morning, Tom. Morning, Harry." Chakotay sat, but couldn't help looking over his shoulder at Ensign Sarah Lee. The change in her disposition was unsettling and suggested to Chakotay that there was something wrong. There wasn't much time to dwell on his confusion, though, as Harry drew his attention.

"I have those reports you wanted." He passed a Padd across the table. "I'm afraid it doesn't have anything new in it."

Chakotay looked over the information, furrowing his brow. "Why is that?"

"It looks like Starfleet really is worried about a possible security breach. They're taking Picard's last transmission seriously and restricting access to the database."

"Hmm. I guess I'm not surprised." Chakotay put the Padd down and hunched over the table. He took a swig of his rapidly cooling tea just as Harry nonchalantly spoke.

"So, how's Seven doing?"

Chakotay gave Harry a warning look over the rim of his cup, but Harry wasn't looking. "Fine as far as I know."

"Maybe we should try to all get together after this," said Tom with a smile.

Chakotay studied his second in command, but could discern nothing suspicious. As far as he could tell Tom was just being his cheerful self. Harry, on the other hand, had a silly grin and was avoiding eye contact.

Tom continued, "B'Elanna would enjoy it. She even said it's been too long since we were all together."

"I agree," said Harry. "We should set a date." He finally looked up at Chakotay, grinning yet seriousness in his dark eyes. "What about you and Seven?"

Chakotay could have killed Harry right there, but had to settle for narrowing his eyes.

"Do you think she'd be interested?" Tom asked. There was a shine in his eye and the grin on his face was all too familiar. Apparently he wasn't as innocent as he had pretended to be.

Chakotay cocked his head, frowning at them both. "I wouldn't know. Maybe one of you should ask her."

Tom and Harry looked at each other, expressions serious for only a moment before they broke out into laughter. That they were teasing their scowling captain didn't matter to them.

"Oh, come on, Chakotay," said Tom between chuckles. "What are you waiting for? If you want her, go get her. Ask her out again."

Chakotay sighed, toying with the cup. "You don't understand. It's not that simple."

"Simple?" Tom scoffed. "When has anything ever been simple for me? You think I don't understand difficult women?"

"You know how stubborn Seven can be." He met their eyes, hoping, willing them to understand. "Besides, it's not about me. It's about her and she made herself clear when she decided to end the relationship. All I'm trying to do right now is maintain a friendship."

"Chakotay, you can try to lie, but it won't work. We've known you just too long," said Harry. "You two were good for each other and you know it."

Chakotay shook his head. "I can't believe I'm getting relationship advice from you two."

Tom ignored the comment. "She and B'Elanna are cut from the same cloth. She's just being stubborn. You have to show her you care, that you want to make it work."

Chakotay tried again to make them understand the challenge. "Listen, I'm not going to harass her into doing something she doesn't want --"

"Naturally," Harry interrupted. Tom nodded in agreement.

"-- and right now she wants to be left alone."

Harry nodded. "I thought she seemed a bit standoffish, kind of like she used to be."

Tom leaned forward. "You're not going to let her back out on all the progress she's made, are you?"

Chakotay shook his head. "I won't pressure her for anything more than friendship now, but I think it's going to take effort to get even that." Chakotay sighed before deciding to confide to them what would be the biggest obstacle. "The truth is she's been having trouble acclimating to the Alpha Quadrant. I agree that she's been sliding and something needs to be done about that, but it will not be done with ambushes." He gave a meaningful look to them both, trying to impress upon them that they should stay out of it.

"If you want to help her, then I suggest you try coaxing her out of astrometrics to socialize with the crew. As for anything I chose to do or not to do, that is my business. Am I clear?" He gave them his very best commanding look, but had the feeling they weren't at all dissuaded. Tom never was one to be put out by an authority figure. Though Harry was more likely to obey his orders, it wasn't as though he could bring them up on charges for trying to get him and Seven together.

"Well, I can certainly ask her if she wants to join us for a meal or some relaxation time," said Tom.

Harry nodded. "We hardly had the time to catch up yet."

"I'll ask her the next time I see her," said Tom with a wide and teasing smile that made Chakotay uneasy.

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The inability to completely ignore hunger finally drove Seven out of her hiding spots. Still, she managed to hold off the imminent trip until 23:00 hours when she found her way to the mess hall. At first there didn't appear to be anyone else in the mess hall. She replicated a plate of rice and vegetables, ready for a quiet dinner, but movement on the couch caught her attention.

"Oh, hello, Seven." It was Tom. His surprise faded and he blinked tiredly at her as she joined him.

"Good evening, Commander."

He smiled. "Come on, Seven, I think you can call me Tom." He waved at the empty room. "It's not like there's anyone to notice."

She nodded in agreement.

"Besides," he rested his forearms on his legs, "I think we've known each other long enough to be at least a little less formal."

"I agree, Tom." The single name was familiar for Seven to hear, but it felt new and bizarre coming from her own lips. She looked at the table he was leaning over. Padds, cups, and plates suggested he had been there a good while.

"Couldn't sleep," he said, noticing her look.

Aware that not everyone could tell when she was teasing, Seven made sure to keep a tiny smile on her face. "Should I take you to the Doctor? I'm sure he could replicate a sedative."

He chuckled. "No, that's all right." Tom's mirth subsided and they both grew serious. "I just miss B'Elanna and Miral. That's all."

Uncomfortable with discussing feelings, but unable to escape the conversation now, Seven shifted nervously. "I understand many people feel anxiety when separated from their spouse and children."

"No," he shook his head, "it's not so much anxiety as loneliness." He watched her closely, observing her nervous movements and wide, slightly confused eyes. "When you love someone and spend enough time with them, you want them with you, to experience as many good things with them as possible." That drew her attention back to him.

Her blue eyes, dark grey in the muted lighting focused completely on Tom with interest. "Is that how you knew you were in love, that you wanted to marry B'Elanna?"

"Not necessarily." Tom chose his words carefully, partly trying to nudge Seven in the right direction and partly to give credit to the way love felt to him. He quickly realized that it was no small matter to explain to an ex-drone what love felt like, especially the love he shared with his wife, his soul mate. "Love isn't… it feels…" He took a deep breath. "Nothing can explain what it feels like because it feels different to everyone. With me and B'Elanna, I wanted to be a better person. I feel so alive when I'm with her. Even -- especially when we argue I feel challenged and expected to live up to expectations, but not the expectations that everyone else has for me."

Seven raised her brow, curious. "Explain."

"Since I was young, I knew my father had certain expectations of me and I always rebelled against it because I didn't want to be like him. I didn't want to be stern and commanding." He paused, his eyes following his mind back to his rebellious youth. "He expected me to be a Starfleet officer just like him, but I wanted to be allowed something else."

"What?"

"Anything else. I wanted my freedom to decide and the ability to prove I was my own man, not just led through life on his leash. It felt like the only way I could do that was to do whatever he would disapprove of. I thought it would get rid of my feelings of anger, my bitterness, my -- my feelings of inadequacy, but it didn't. It just got worse."

His gaze returned to her. "I didn't realize it at first, but being with B'Elanna was like having the slate washed clean. Because she never had any expectations for me to be anything but a scoundrel, what I thought I was, it made me feel like there was no pressure. When we began to date, she was dating me. When she told me she loved me, she was saying she loved me, not something she expected me to be."

"It felt good."

Tom wasn't sure if she was talking about her and Chakotay or trying to sum up what he had just said, but decided to answer anyway. "It did. I would have loved anyone who made me feel like that, but on top of all her other qualities," Tom chuckled a little, "well, I never stood a chance."

Seven nodded, her mind far from the mess hall and Voyager.

Tom slapped his knee and began to tidy up his mess. "Well, I guess I better get to bed. It's going to be a long trip and we all need to be in top shape." He had reached the door by the time he remembered Chakotay's suggestion. "Oh, and by the way, Harry, a couple of others, and I are getting together tomorrow night for dinner and maybe some pool after our shifts. You should join us." A stubborn look was already appearing on her face, but Tom pre-empted her objections. "Harry was really excited when I suggested you might be convinced to come. You wouldn't want to make him cry, would you?"

Against her will Seven chuckled. "In that case I will comply."

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Noises grew in the dark, drawing Seven's attention out of unconsciousness. As the pale green light appeared, she remembered her last dream and she wondered why this would occur twice.

Again came the inexplicable feeling that there was something just beyond the light, on the edges of the darkness. The imaginary figures were darting around, just grazing the light with more frequency and more pressure than the night before.

Seven could almost feel a barrier between them and her that was being continually pushed against. Unlike the last night, the barrier did not hold.

Aboard a Borg cube, drones marched down the corridors like ants in a hill. They were all busy, their movements swift and controlled with the uniform steps of their race. Around the galaxy, millions of them at a time acted as one, all without individuality. It was not their place to think and not within their capabilities. All actions were controlled by one greater power, a queen. Now, the Queen told them to work. A new species was being brought aboard to be assimilated.

Almost a sixth of the ship's drones converged in the chambers where assimilation would take place. There, they caught the still struggling families, the hysterical children, even the violent males trying to fight back. They were all subdued with effortless force and some with nanoprobes.

In the maturation chambers, new drone fetuses were built even as the parents of the former children were taken apart and put back together in the form of machines. And all through this operation, the drones watched without thought of mercy, without thought at all. A human male was struggling with the others. He was wearing a red and black commander's uniform. Sweat formed on his forehead as he struggled, dripping down the tattoo on his forehead. His struggles were cut short with a few nanoprobes.

Red eyes glowed in the dark. The blinding green of Borg technology and depressing dark began to pulse, to take on a life of its own. It threatened to consume the whole ship and go far beyond. One heart on the ship sped up with the threat, thumping in ever growing fear of the darkness…

As the night before, the pressure receded and the usual dark and quiet returned. The memory of the dream faded until it was just a nagging in the back of her mind.

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5 days to Beta 12.

Seven was still in astrometrics long after her shift ended. She hoped to avoid Commander Paris and anyone else who might try to drag her into an awkward social interaction. Perhaps they would take the hint and leave her alone. There was no such luck.

"Hey, Seven." The jaunty tones of Tom Paris came up behind Seven the same instant the doors slid open.

Lieutenant Harry Kim followed, greeting her just as happily, but with a slightly quieter voice. "How're you doing? Ready for some dinner?"

Seven returned her gaze to the data on her console. "I have work to do."

Tom looked over her shoulder at the mindless cataloguing she was working on, but it was Harry who contradicted her. "No, you're avoiding the issue."

"I am not avoiding anything," she huffed, but it was true. With theta radiation around Beta 12 still blocking scanners there was very little for her to do.

"Come on then," said Tom. "We thought we'd grab something to eat and then have some fun on the holodeck." She still looked ready to argue, was even gathering breath to do so.

"We won't take no for an answer," said Harry. His tone was kind, but sterner than they were used to hearing from him.

Sighing, Seven tapped a few last buttons and agreed to go with them.