Happy New Year everyone. I know it has been awhile and that this is shorter than normal. I'm sorry. But on the upside, next update will be quicker and longer.
Everyone sat in stunned silence for a moment in response to the name, as Tuvok knew they would. Even Admiral Toke raised an eyebrow. Annika Hanson, formally the borg drone known as Seven of Nine: Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One, had been living with Commander Chakotay in Montana. The two had left Starfleet shortly after returning to the Alpha Quadrant, choosing to live simpler lives in untouched wilderness. Calling on them wouldn't be easy, as the two choose not to have any long distance communication devices. Their only option would be showing on their doorstep.
Picard leaned forward, "Are you sure that she would be able to help us?"
"I am not," Tuvok responded, "However, as the only living person with more knowledge of the borg than either of us, the logical course of action is to seek her out."
"I agree with Captain Tuvok," Toke said, "We need to contact her immediately."
"There is one problem, Admiral," Tuvok said, "They prefer to keep their interactions with technology to a minimum and thus have no long range communication devices. We will need to actually visit their home."
"Perhaps we should send just you, then," Osborne suggested.
"I believe the Doctor's presence would be beneficial," Tuvok answered, "I understand he is stationed on the Enterprise."
"He is," Picard answered, "Would you like to ask him yourself?"
Tuvok nodded, "I would."
"Very well," Toke said, "Picard, I agree with Osborne that certain matters are best handled by Benjamin and Siegel. To that end, I suggest that Tuvok and the Doctor be sent to retrieve Annika Hansen. Once she has been acquired, the Enterprise will be dispatched to the Neutral Zone, with Miss Hansen, Tuvok, Benjamin, and Siegel on board. Are we all in agreement?"
Slowly everyone nodded. Picard seemed reluctant, but he consented. Tuvok could read the tension in his clenched jaw from across the table. Tuvok guessed it had something to do with Benjamin and Siegel being ordered aboard for this mission. It seemed illogical, both men were competent officers and their help with a clearly sensitive matter would be beneficial, but he could think of no other reason for Picard to be dissatisfied with the result of the meeting.
Toke had apparently seen the tightness in Picard's face as well. His eyes lingered on the human for just a second longer than anyone else. Finally, he stood and adjourned the meeting. All of the Admirals stood and began filing out the door, speaking among themselves. Tuvok stood and made his way over to Picard just as Toke did the same. He noted that Osborn had not moved away from his seat. The man lingered, seemingly waiting for something to happen. Tuvok deduced that, logically, Osborne must be waiting for him to leave so as to discuss the sensitive matter in private.
"Admiral Picard," he said, "I will gather a few personal items for transfer to the Enterprise. When you are ready, I will be in my quarters here in the building."
Once Tuvok had left the room, Osborne walked around the table to stand in front of Picard.
"I hope you understand," he said, "That wasn't about posturing. Benjamin and Siegel have orders to either retrieve or destroy the device. We cannot allow it to remain in enemy hands. As valuable as it is as a tool for exploration, it is that much more dangerous as a weapon."
"I do understand," Picard conceded, "But I do not believe that Benjamin will be an asset during this mission. That boy's temper is going to get him, and the rest of the Enterprise crew for that matter, into serious trouble. He burst into my meeting with Captain Riker and struck him in the face. That is not acceptable behavior for an academy cadet, let alone a Starfleet officer."
Osborne gave him a weary sigh, "I realize that it might seem that way, but I know the boy very well. He had a moment of weakness, but overall he is a fine officer. And Siegel is his rock. The Commander would follow him into the mouth of hell. Those two make a fantastic team, and if you allow them to accompany the Enterprise, you will be amazed by what they can accomplish."
Picard looked to Admiral Toke, who had been watching the exchange without comment. Osborne looked to the vulcan as well. Picard hoped to gain support for his position. The boy was not fit to be a captain, and he was sure that the young man would be a liability on the mission. Toke raised an eyebrow to Picard.
"Ultimately, it is your decision, Jaun-Luc, but my advice is to allow him to go along. He could be an asset, but even if he proves difficult, Riker is still in command."
Picard thought it over for a long moment. He was still certain that Benjamin's temper could prove detrimental to the mission, but Toke did have a point. When it came right down to it, the Enterprise was still Riker's ship, and he wouldn't allow Benjamin to become a liability.
"Very well," he finally consented, "But I want to have a conversation with him first."
"How long has it been bothering you?" the Doctor asked.
Benjamin was sitting in sickbay while the Doctor scanned his left eye. He and Spike had gone through the trunk items until his eye started to hurt in earnest. At that point he had excused himself to go to sickbay to have it looked at.
"It's been on the fritz since Spike punched me earlier this afternoon," he answered, "But it didn't start to really hurt until just before I came to see you."
"Why didn't you come to me sooner?" the Doctor asked.
Benjamin shrugged, "I thought it would work itself out."
The Doctor sighed, straitening, "You know, Captain, you really should have told me it was acting up. Machinery that closely connected to your brain can cause serious damage," he walked back to his instrument table, "I realize you've had it in your head for a while, but it should still be looked at regularly."
"Hey Doc, you designed this thing, remember?" Benjamin said, pointing at the offending eye.
Instrument in hand, the Doctor marched back to the bio-bed, "I designed it to replace an optical implant on a former borg drone, and she came to see me every week to look at her implants."
"You think I need to have it looked at every week?" Benjamin asked.
"What I think," the Doctor said, adjusting his instrument, "Is that when a person with super human strength hits a delicate implant designed to replace an even more delicate body part, you should tell the on board physician, not hope it will 'work itself out'. Now hold still."
Benjamin did his best to stare straight ahead as the Doctor worked on his implant. It wasn't easy. Having a light that close to his eye, although artificial, and that close to the his still tender bruise made him want to close it and turn way. After a moment, he turned off the tool and straightened.
"How does that feel?" he asked.
Benjamin looked around the room. Everything looked right, his range of motion seemed good, and he even held up his left hand to get an idea of how his peripheral vision had fared. Looking to the Doctor, he was about to say that everything seemed normal, but suddenly it wasn't. The Doctor was…fuzzy. It looked as though he wasn't quite there.
"Doc, is there something wrong with your holomatrix?" he asked.
The Doctor glanced to a readout on a panel in the wall before answering, "No, my holomatrix is normal."
"Then something's up with my eye. You look, for lack of a better word, fuzzy to me."
"Fuzzy?" he asked. Stepping forward, he covered Benjamin's artificial eye with his hand, careful not to touch the bruise. "How about now?"
Benjamin squinted slightly, "The same."
The Doctor's eyebrows knit together and he moved his hand to the other eye, "And now?"
Now Benjamin's brows knit together, "You're gone."
"Gone?" the Doctor asked, "You can't see me at all?"
Benjamin shook his head slightly, "No, not at all. It's kind of weird to be honest."
The Doctor removed his hand and considered for a moment. Benjamin looked away while he did. The effect of looking at someone who didn't seem entirely there was disconcerting. Finally, the Doctor reached for a plastic disk and used it to cover Benjamin's artificial eye. The young man's eyebrows shot up.
"Normal," he said.
The Doctor removed the disk and turned on his tool again, "Your eye isn't seeing the grouped photons that normally make me visible. Close your right eye and let me know when I look normal again."
Benjamin did as instructed. After another few minutes and a few more adjustments, Benjamin could see the Doctor normally again.
"That was weird. It's never done anything like that before."
The Doctor nodded, "It was a small malfunction in the photo-receptor circuits. It's not an error I have encountered before, but it only took a minor adjustment…" The Doctor's voice trailed off as he stared at the tool in his hand.
Benjamin hopped off the bed and walked over, putting his hand on the other's shoulder, "Doc, you okay."
"Hmm?" he said, "Yes. I was thinking that I might have a way to fool our borg enemy."
"Riker to the Doctor," the Commander's voice came over the comm.
The Doctor tapped his badge, "Doctor here."
"Meet me in transporter room two," Riker ordered, "There's someone you need to see."
"On my way," the Doctor said before tapping his badge again to close the channel. He turned to Benjamin, "If you have any more trouble," he pointed for emphasis, "Even the slightest glitch, come and see me, understand?"
Benjamin nodded, then watched as the Doctor put on his mobile emitter before stepping from the room.
Ensign Elizabeth Jacobs put her hands over her head, stretching as she yawned. The young ensign had only been on the Enterprise for a scant to months and already a lot had happened. Unfortunately for her, she had missed most of it. Being a transporter technician certainly had its drawbacks. She was mostly ignored by most of the other officers and she missed a lot of the action. But the one major advantage was that she got to see most of the little side conversations that happened just before a dignitary or other VIP beamed in, or just after they left. She gleaned a lot of important information that was used as currency by the lower officers and non officer crew. A good piece of gossip about the ship's often classified missions earned bragging rights and awed looks from her peers, which was the reason she had joined Starfleet in the first place.
The door slid open in the middle of her yawn and Captain Riker walked in, followed closely by Commander Worf. The Captain looked directly at her, and she did her best to stifle her yawn.
"Look alive, Ensign," he said.
"Sorry Sir," she apologized as her cheeks reddened.
"She is nearing the end of her shift," Worf told Riker.
"And my week, Sir," she added.
The Captain smirked at her, "Got a hot date, Ensign?"
The jibe broke the tension hovering over her, allowing her to smile. "No Sir, just hoping to see my mother while we're here. I'm just waiting to see if Commander Worf will approve my request for shore leave," She looked at the klingon hopefully.
"I saw the request Jacobs," Worf said, "I haven't had the chance to tell you, but I have already approved it, provided that it doesn't interfere with your Mok'bara class."
"Yes Sir," Jacobs said, smiling and trying not to bounce on the balls of her feet in excitement. Her console beeped, breaking the spell. It took her a second to regain her composure. "Um, it looks like we're receiving coordinates from…Starfleet Command? Is Admiral Picard rejoining us Sir?"
She hadn't meant to ask the question. She wasn't supposed to ask questions in Starfleet, just follow orders. But it had slipped out when she saw the signal code.
"No Ensign, Captain Tuvok is coming to collect the Doctor. The two of them are going to see an old friend from Voyager."
She raised her eyebrows as she tapped the controls. She knew that the ship's doctor used to be on Voyager, she had learned about him at the Academy. The fact that Tuvok, the tactical officer from Voyager, was joining them was interesting news indeed. This would certainly garner quite a few shocked looks in Vogan's tonight.
Just as she was moving her finger's up the panel, initiating the transporter process, the Doctor walked into the room. He nodded to the Captain and the Commander in turn just as a vulcan materialized on the pad.
"Hello Captain Tuvok," Riker said, smiling, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"You as well, Captain," the vulcan responded, "This must be Commander Worf."
"Yes," Worf said simply.
"Hello Tuvok," the Doctor said, genuine pleasure in his voice.
"Hello Doctor," the vulcan said, "I'm afraid that there isn't time for pleasantries. I need you to come with me to see some old friends. Out of respect for their wishes, we cannot transport down. We will need to take a shuttle craft.
The Doctor's smile gave way to a sober expression, "You mean Seven and Chakotay, don't you."
Tuvok nodded. The Doctor seemed to consider this for a moment. Jacobs watched the entire exchange, fascinated. She made mental notes of the names, telling herself to look them up later.
Finally, the Doctor turned to the Captain, "Sir, I'd like your permission to bring Spike along for this mission. I believe he will be able to explain the prophacy better that Tuvok or I."
Prophecy? Jacobs thought. She had to have heard that wrong.
The vulcan raised an eyebrow, "You are referring to the vampire you have on bored?"
VAMPIRE? Now she was sure she had heard wrong.
The Doctor nodded, "He's a fascinating creature, Tuvok. And he is quite committed to this cause."
"What do you think, Captain?" Worf asked the vulcan.
His brows drew together as he considered, "It is logical. His first hand knowledge would be a great deal more convincing."
Riker sighed, "Alright fine. But remember that he is a predatory creature, specifically designed to hunt humans. I want you and Captain Tuvok to be carrying phasers, just in case."
Tuvok and the Doctor both nodded. The Doctor motioned for Tuvok to follow him and all four men filed out of the room.
Jacobs was left standing alone, astonished at the things she had heard. As she considered, an irritating thought occurred to her.
"I can't tell anyone about this," she said out loud, "No one is going to believe me."