Disclaimer: not mine
Wow, way more interest in this than I ever expected. Thanks for the great reviews!
Physically, Sora is nearly nineteen at the moment for those wondering.
Chapter 3
"How is our newest crewmember doing?" Kathryn asked as the meeting wound up. She hadn't seen the young man herself since that meeting in Sickbay and she should probably change that.
"Physically he's doing as well as expected," the Doctor informed her. "I gave him a check-up just yesterday and there have been no adverse after effects from the surgeries. There is still no sign of his memories returning however."
"He is quiet and keeps mostly to himself," Tuvok admitted. "Computer logs show that he spends all of his time either in the cargo bay or mess hall."
"Naomi seems to be making a connection," Neelix offered with a small smile
"She isn't afraid like she was with Seven?" she asked him.
"No, maybe due to his age or because she already knows Seven," Neelix shrugged.
"For his ongoing mental health I suggest finding ways to begin integrating Thirteen with the crew," the Doctor warned. "Isolation is incredibly dangerous for an ex-drone once disconnected from the Collective. Even with only a few years of being a drone, he will need to make connections here. He may never regain his memory, and even if he does, those he knew are either gone or far away, he needs more than Seven and Naomi."
"Very well, suggestions people." She was not going to save the boy from death or the Borg reacquiring him only for him to lose him to isolation. He had Borg knowledge but perhaps he would benefit from some form of class like structure to help him fit in.
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Tom saw the doors to the mess open and Thirteen walk inside, glancing around. He looked very different to the drone he had helped sedate and then operate on. That was an experience he would prefer not to repeat any time soon. Tom missed Kes, she had been a far better nurse than he was, he didn't even like it! He glanced at Harry who was eating and nudged him.
"What?" his friend asked.
"Mind more company?" Tom asked, nodding slightly towards Thirteen.
"I guess," Harry offered, they'd both been at the staff meeting and heard the Doctor's warning.
"Hey, Thirteen," Tom called, and he looked over at them. "Want to join us?"
The teen paused, staring blankly at them for a few seconds, tray of food clutched close, before he hesitantly nodded, moving towards their table. Tom pushed out an empty chair for him and Thirteen sat down.
"I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Tom Paris, and this is Harry Kim."
Thirteen looked at Tom and then nodded. "From the planet," he touched his neck, and Tom nodded.
"Yeah, that's me. You look a lot better now, we nearly lost you a few times during the surgery."
Thirteen frowned slightly. "Lieutenant Tom Paris, chief conn officer."
"And field medic. All the living medical staff died when Voyager was brought here, so I fill in as a medic."
"You know who everyone is, don't you?" Harry asked, and Thirteen nodded.
"The Collective has marked Voyager for assimilation or destruction upon detection. All members have files on the crew," he admitted.
"And yet you sat still and let us sedate you," Tom pointed out, even more amazed by his actions now. "Seven said you asked for help, you didn't threaten her at all. For someone who was still partially connected to the Collective, that was incredible."
Was the kid actually blushing slightly? He was a kid, the Doctor had estimated his age at around eighteen or nineteen, the alterations by the Borg made it harder to make a definite determination. Younger than all of the crew, well except for Naomi, Harry was the next closest in age but he was twenty-five so it was a considerable gap.
Thankfully Harry managed to start a conversation on astrometrics, Thirteen being drawn into it gradually to the talk about the new lab that Harry and Seven were working to make. He may not remember who he had been, but he definitely knew his stuff when it came to technology and science. Was that all from the Borg or had he been good at such things before?
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Everything was so different, he did not understand how to deal with it so often. He did his best, not wanting them to regret helping him. His mind was so quiet, he was free, but alone. Just learning how to eat was strange, it was highly inefficient. Unfortunately, Regenerating was no longer enough with his human organs working properly.
He only went to the mess hall when he had to eat, because he felt like he was on display the whole time. He could feel them watching him, could hear the whispers. He did not like it. He would rather just remain in the cargo bay, but Naomi Wildman had made it very clear that she would not allow that, neither would Tom. He was unsure why they went out of their way to spend time with him, he was not good at conversing about anything except what was work for the crew.
It was all stolen knowledge, taken from those who were assimilated. He had none of his own. It was…difficult. Know that he knew and understood that assimilation was horrific he did not like having all of that information inside of him. Without a link, something to keep his mind occupied while Regenerating, he kept seeing them, the faces of those he had assisted in assimilating.
Did Seven see the same things? Part of him wanted to ask but he did not know how.
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"Enter," she called, smiling as Harry walked into her ready room. "What brings you here Harry?"
"I was wondering about asking another person to the grand opening, Captain," he answered.
"Oh? A date?" she asked, teasing, and Harry blinked.
"No Captain, I was thinking of Thirteen. He's still keeping himself isolated but he's joined Tom and I for meals a few times. I bounced some of the lab ideas off him actually. The hardware is all in so he wouldn't have access. But his information is even more up to date than Seven's and he needs to do something. I…I think he's blaming himself for his actions while a drone."
She winced slightly, she'd read Picard's reports on that. "Very well. He'll be your responsibility."
"Thank you Captain. He won't let you down."
"And if this goes well then perhaps it will give us an idea what he may be interested in pursuing. Dismissed Ensign."
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Thirteen was shocked when Seven took him to the Astrometrics lab she had been working on building with Harry. The Ensign grinned at them and waved Thirteen over.
"You're ours for the day Thirteen, ready to help get this up and running?"
He stared at Harry, unsure he had heard correctly. He glanced at Seven who nodded.
"You have more updated information than I do, it is efficient for you to help now rather than waiting until later," she agreed.
"The Captain?" he asked.
"Agreed," Harry promised. "So?"
He nodded and moved to join Harry.
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"Space, the great unknown, Only now we're going to know it a little better. Harry?"
At the Captain's prompt he brought up the display, an image of the galaxy from above, divided into grids appeared. He glanced at his silent shadow, glad that the Captain had agreed to let Thirteen be there for the unveiling. He was staring in awe at the image of the Galaxy, so different to just having the information in his head Harry guessed.
"Before there were maps and globes, let alone radar and subspace sensors, mariners navigated by the stars. We're returning to that tried and true method, but this time there's a difference," Chakotay nodded at Harry, obviously impressed and it felt good.
"Ensign Kim and Seven of Nine have merged Starfleet and Borg ingenuity to create this new technology. And I'm sure I speak for the entire crew when I say, thank you. Now, how the hell does it work?" She smirked, and Harry grinned at the no-nonsense question.
"Astrometric sensors measure the radiative flux of up to three billion stars simultaneously. The computer then calculates our position relative to the centre of the galaxy," Seven explained.
Harry went to continue but then glanced at Thirteen, motioning him forward. The teen hesitated and Harry glanced at the Captain who understood he was letting the younger male explain, so she looked at him and smiled in encouragement.
"This mapping technology is ten times more accurate than what you have been using. We…We have plotted a new course to your home," he explained softly.
Harry was happy he had spoken up with a little encouragement, and that he had admitted to having helped them with the work to plot the new course.
"By my estimates this trajectory will eliminate five years from your journey," Seven added.
"Our journey. Nice work, Seven," Neelix grinned at her.
"That region of space we're about to enter. It looks like it has a lot of M-class planets," B'Elanna pointed out as she studied the image.
"It does. Spatial grid zero zero five. Primary species, the Zahl," Seven informed them.
"What do we know about this species?" Commander Tuvok asked as he studied the images.
Seven went to answer but then glanced at Thirteen.
"Technologically advanced but nonconfrontational. Their resistance quotient is lower than most species," he offered.
"Thank you all for coming. We've got a lot of work to do, so," Chakotay began only for the Doctor to interrupt.
"I'd like to say a few words if I may. I've prepared a speech for this occasion. When I was first activated on Stardate 48315, and I found myself mano a mano with the Delta Quadrant, I didn't think we'd survive a week, let alone three years. There was strife. There was discord. You were all at each other's throats. But over time, I've had the pleasure and pride of watching this crew learn to work together as colleagues, even friends."
"Hear, hear," Tom cheered.
"Who would have thought that this eclectic group of voyagers could actually become a family? Starfleet, Maquis, Klingon, Talaxian, hologram, Borg, even Mister Paris. Granted, we've had our share of difficulties. One might say, we've seen the best of times and the worst of times. I'd now like to recount some of those times from my unique perspective. Under the category of best of times, I invite you all to recall the moment when I," it was the Doctor's turn to be interrupted, thankfully.
"Bridge to captain."
"Janeway here," she answered.
"We're being hailed. A vessel off the port bow."
"On our way."
"Perhaps we could all reconvene later?" the Doctor asked.
"Come on," Harry grinned at Thirteen who followed him from the room.
"Care to help me out in the mess, Thirteen?" Neelix asked, and the ex-drone left with him while they headed for the bridge to see what was happening.
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Thirteen frowned as something seemed to change, grabbing Neelix before he could fall as the ship rattled with incoming weapons fire. He blinked at the damage to the mess hall…something was wrong with what he was seeing, even as he absently rubbed at his chest with one hand.
"Thanks," the morale officer offered, and Thirteen nodded.
He moved to star out into space, activating the less used sensors in his ocular implant, they were too sensitive and distracting to use all of the time…time. Something was very wrong, even as they moved to warp speed.
"Neelix, can you contact the Captain, something is had gone wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"I am detecting very high amounts of temporal energy around the ship." The alerts changed in tone slightly and an armed security guard entered to stand by the door.
"It's been a bad week….you sure?" Neelix asked and Thirteen looked at him.
"A bad week?" he asked.
"With all the attacks," Neelix frowned.
"Then it is even more urgent because there was no damage and no attacks, until the ship was hit by the energy wave. It is my assumption due to this information, that someone has altered time.
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Thirteen followed the officer onto the bridge, he had not been there before and he thought he was nervous. Taking in the dim lights, the damage, was shocking.
"This had better be good Thirteen," the Captain said as she worked on a panel.
"The ship and this region, have been affected by a change in time. This morning the ship was pristine and now it shows several days' worth of battle damage."
"How can you know that."
"My optical implant detected the energy surge and my memories do not match Neelix or Ensign Larx," he nodded at the man who had escorted him to the bridge. "I may have no memory of my past, but that has no effect on my current memory abilities. "Find out where the changes were made and reverse them and the current trouble would end."
"Tuvok, Ensign Kim, work with Thirteen and Seven. I want proof and ideas on how to reverse the time alterations if proved."
"Yes Captain," they agreed.
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"Thirteen is correct, we have been the victims of an alteration to the timeline," Seven announced. She did not understand how she had not detected it, had the Borg upgraded so much in the time between their disconnections? "The Borg have experience with time travel."
"The events of Earth first contact and the Enterprise-E," Thirteen agreed, getting blank looks from the others. "This appears to be a different method however."
"Would this be how their weapons continue to breach our shields?" Tuvok asked
"I would assume so," Seven agreed. "We need access to one to get accurate readings."
"We need to somehow get access to one of their torpedoes then," Tuvok agreed.
The question was, how?
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Thirteen lay on his back among the debris, working diligently. He had worked while the Cube broke up around them, as every other drone ceased to function. He did not know why he had survived when they did not, but it made it easier to ignore the fighting outside of the ship. They needed access to the weapons being used against them, weapons that felt wrong to him in a way he could not explain, as if the way time was altered should not be possible in the way it was being done.
Almost no shielding could stop the Borg transporters and so he was re-wiring one of Voyager's. He did not know if the Captain would agree with what he was doing, but he was not restricted due to the damage the ship had taken, there was no one available to watch him.
It did not matter, they had saved him, he would do whatever he had to in order to save them, even if he was later punished for it.
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Kairi ducked, swinging her Keyblade, seeing the Heartless vanish. Even defeating Xehanort hadn't gotten rid of them totally. Riku suddenly appeared from the shadows at her side, rolling to his feet, that was a neat ability but not one she could learn.
They were travelling the Worlds together, the never ending search for some sign of Sora. Riku had been having nightmares but they weren't his own, echoes from whatever Sora was going through. It had to be very bad for it to be reaching Riku when the link was so weak.
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"We're clear for now Captain," Tuvok announced.
"Stand down to Yellow Alert, sweep the decks," she ordered.
"Thirteen to the Captain."
Hearing his voice over the comm was odd, but he had proven very helpful during the crises and they could not afford to have anyone on board cut off from communication under the circumstances.
"Janeway here. Have you found something?" She knew he was still looking for a way to gain access to the Krenim's weapons.
"We have access to two torpedoes Captain, they are currently in cargo bay two."
"Pardon?" she asked in shock as the bridge fell silent.
"I transported two of the torpedoes the ship fired at us during the battle into the cargo bay and am using the cargo bay shielding energy to keep them in stasis."
"We're on our way," she waved at Tuvok and Harry to accompany her. Apparently when left to his own devices, Thirteen was capable of thinking outside of the box.
They found the two torpedoes exactly how he had described, Seven entering seconds after they did.
"Let's get to work people."
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"Stand down from Red Alert," the Captain ordered even as tired cheers broke out.
They'd done it! Their shields could now stand up to the weapons and it was all due to Thirteen taking the initiative to alter the transporter. Now that they had a defence, they could focus on repairs and working out how time had been changed.
It felt like they had barely begun when a massive Krenim ship appeared.
"That entire vessel's in a state of temporal flux. It's like they exist outside space-time," Harry announced
"They're scanning us," Tom announced and then Thirteen grabbed him, energy flickering around them as something attempted to transport them.
"We're being hailed," Tuvok announced.
"On screen," Captain Janeway ordered and a Krenim appeared.
"State your identity," he ordered.
"I'm Captain Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager. Who are you?"
"I am Annorax of the Krenim Imperium. Your ship does not come from this quadrant."
"We come from Earth, a planet sixty five thousand light years from here. We're on our way home," she explained.
Thirteen moved away from Tom, feeling a little dizzy, but he moved to one of the side stations to examine what information they could get from the other ship, seeing Seven doing the same.
"I see."
"We've been observing some rather unusual events in the region. It seems your Imperium never existed. Perhaps you could shed some light on this?"
"That doesn't concern you. What is important is that you understand that I bear you no hostility. But you have diverted me from my mission."
For some reason, Thirteen did not think that would make him end the attacks on them.
"Your mission? You're responsible for the changes in the timeline."
"You're a long way from your world. In a manner of speaking, so am I. Unfortunately, only one of us can go home again. Your sacrifice will restore the lives of countless millions. I'm sorry." With that the transmission ended.
"I'm reading a massive energy build-up. Some kind of weapon," Harry called, sounding concerned.
"Shields."
The ship shook as the beam impacted the shields.
"Temporal shields are weakening," Seven announced even as they both worked to reinforce them.
"Captain, that energy beam. It's pushing Voyager out of the space-time continuum."
"Captain, I believe I know how to restore the proper timeline," Thirteen called out.
"How?"
"Destroy that ship," he answered.
"I concur," Seven announced after looking over his work quickly. "However, they are currently not quite within the space-time continuum."
"Then find me a way to get them back in."
"An away team could possibly do so," Seven suggested. "With the alterations Thirteen made to the transporters, I believe we can bypass their shields."
"Very well, Commander," she nodded at Chakotay who stood.
"Seven, Tuvok, with me."
Part of Thirteen wanted to argue, to say he was the better choice than Seven but after observing the crew, he knew the Captain would not allow it due to his age. It was a strange idea to be considered 'too young' when with the Borg everyone did the same things. He had not been deemed too young by the Collective, he would have been placed in a maturation chamber if he had been.
Instead, he focused on keeping the shields up to keep Voyager from being erased, they had to buy the away team time.
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Riku lay on his bunk, breathing heavily, Kairi sitting worriedly beside him. She lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles, hoping he'd know she was there. They were a long way away from the Worlds they knew which meant it was just them. He was fast asleep but it wasn't peaceful, it hadn't been for months. Tonight was the worst it had been and she prayed to any god who would listen that it meant things were coming to a head and would be getting better.
What could Sora be going through to affect Riku in such a way?
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"Shields are failing," Harry called.
"Come on," she whispered. "Come on."
She glanced over to see Thirteens' hands flying over the console he was using. When this was all over, she would be seeing to it that he was given a place, astrometrics or engineering probably. He had the skills for it and this crisis had proven beyond a doubt that he would do whatever he could to keep the ship and crew safe. A trial by fire for sure.
"Captain! Enemy shields are down, they've done it!
"Beam them back Thirteen," she called.
"Aye Captain," he answered briskly and seconds later the team appeared, worse for wear but alive.
"Fire everything we have!"
"I'm detecting unstable energy readings from the temporal core."
"We did as much damage in there as we could," Chakotay pointed out.
"Captain, our shields are down!" Harry practically yelped.
"Thirteen?"
"Necessary," he answered.
"Thirteen?" she asked again, not liking the thread of suspicion over his actions but unable to help it, and he looked up at her.
"We need to ride out the blast, unless you want to repair the ship ourselves?"
She frowned and then she realised what he was saying. "It will reverse these events?"
"By my calculations, it will be as if none of this ever happened."
Seven moved to look over his work and nodded. "I concur."
"All hands, brace for impact," She announced.
They watched the ship as it began to blow up and then there was a blast of white light.
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"Space, the great unknown, Only now we're going to know it a little better. Harry?"
At the Captain's prompt he brought up the display, an image of the galaxy from above, divided into grids appeared. He glanced at his silent shadow, glad that the Captain had agreed to let Thirteen be there for the unveiling. He was staring in awe at the image of the Galaxy, so different to just having the information in his head Harry guessed.
"Before there were maps and globes, let alone radar and subspace sensors, mariners navigated by the stars. We're returning to that tried and true method, but this time there's a difference," Chakotay nodded at Harry, obviously impressed and it felt good.
"Ensign Kim and Seven of Nine have merged Starfleet and Borg ingenuity to create this new technology. And I'm sure I speak for the entire crew when I say, thank you. Now, how the hell does it work?" She smirked, and Harry grinned at the no-nonsense question.
No one noticed the slight confusion on Thirteens' face, it all felt very familiar…like it had happened before which was impossible, was it not?
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Kairi was relieved when Riku slept the night through peacefully, curling up beside him to get sleep herself.
TBC…
So the 'Year of Hell' only lasted a few months thanks to Thirteen's help and Janeway didn't have to commit suicide by ramming the enemy with Voyager. His implants are a bit more advanced than Seven's and she's picked up odd energy before so I figured it wasn't impossible for him to detect large waves of temporal energy. And since he technically time travelled once himself for his Mastery exam, I decided that plus his repressed magic allowed him be aware of things changing and then have the déjà vu at the end.
Poor Riku getting the feedback from months of attack after attack.