PRIME DIRECTIVE: Space may be the final frontier, but I'll never get there by any monies derived from this as Harry Potter and all properties of such are owned by the Dark Lady JKR. All content, characters related to Star Trek are owned by Paramount Pictures, Inc....except maybe some of that stuff that ended up being used in Starfleet Battles which is owned by the Amarillo Design Bureau who used that content via the Starfleet Technical Manual by Franz Joseph Schnaubelt and published by Ballantine Books.

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CHAPTER FIVE – REVULSION

(Episode: ST:VOY Revulsion – Contact w/Equinox set to be one year prior to canon)

(ST:TOS References: Space combat seen in ST:TWoK)

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PITHY STATEMENT RELATING TO THIS CHAPTER: "Horror by definition is the emotion of pure revulsion. Terror of the same standard, is that of fearful anticipation." Dario Argento – Italian filmmaker and critic – 1940 – Present

LAST UPDATED ON: 01-30-24

Captain's Log, Star Date 51060.3. Voyager is in route to the Bychronur Spaceport for further resupply, ship decontamination and as a way point to our eventual trade mission to the Arritheans that Mr. Neelix was able to set up for us back on Talaska IV.

Morale is better but the cracks are more apparent to me now. While we still grapple with how we will appropriately deal with the long trek home, the encounter with the Borg was a traumatic incident. I see it when I watch how the crew responds to the former drones. They have been helpful but it also brings home how easily we all could have ended up drones. And still could given while outside of what is nominally Borg space, we have come to learn that they rove everywhere.

This has brought up rumblings about my decision regarding Species 8472. Rumblings that fit well with the previous discontent about my decision to save the Ocampa rather than getting all of us back to the Alpha Quadrant. There seems to be a feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop on the ship.

However, it does seem that all are leaning forward in the mission to link up with the USS Equinox. I think all of us want the small reassurance that we are not alone out here in the wilds so far from home where the star charts might as well say, "Beware all ye who enter here!"

CONVENTION HALL, BYCHRONUR SPACEPORT, SECTOR 391, DELTA QUADRANT – STAR DATE 51078.5

Janeway looked out at the assembled crew and was thankful for her hosts. Except for the time when they had been tossed off the ship by the Kazon, it was rare for more than 20 or so to gather at one time. Now, her crew (and former drone guests) were seated facing her podium, listening to her give a speech that was one-half pep-talk and one-half briefing.

The only ones missing were the Doctor and Harry Potter. Both were still on Voyager as it was undergoing a decontamination sweep. As a photonic being, he was unaffected by the sweep and was needed to ensure the procedure went as planned. Harry Potter had volunteered to stay onboard for security. Encased in what he called his 'Iron Man' suit, Mr. Potter was protected from the sweep and he promised that if anyone tried anything on the ship, they would regret it.

Given the security footage Tuvok had shown her of the encounter between JLT Paris and Mr. Potter, Janeway did not doubt his claim. She had actually done a major paper on the Eugenics War for her final exam in high school Earth history. It was a bit difficult to realize the fabled Reaper, one that seemed more of a fairy-tale character than a historical person, was on her ship. Mostly drinking tea, reading and people-watching. It once again brought home the idea that life was often more fanciable than fiction.

"In conclusion, I would like to thank you all again. You all have done admirably in working through all the difficult choices we all had to make. This is especially true for all our former Maquis members. Regardless of the necessity, it would be wrong to not acknowledge how difficult it had to have been for you all to work with or return to the very Starfleet you felt had abandoned you. I can say that Starfleet's loss was my gain. Thank you, all of you.

After the applause ended and the crew broke up to hit the buffet tables and bar, Janeway made her way over to where Chakotay and Tuvok were observing a PADD. "Status boards all green, gentleman?"

Chakotay looked up, "It seems so, Captain. The first sweep is complete and the Doctor is making minor adjustments to the secondary sweep. Mr. Potter says his 'repair-bots' have finished up on the saucer section and main hull and are checking the nacelles now. So far, except for various micro-fractures and the occasional debris strike against the hull when deflectors were down, there has been nothing that his bots couldn't patch or repair."

"Good. I wish we could get a baryon sweep of the ship," Janeway mused.

"So far, that technology has yet to be seen in any of the Delta Quadrant races," Tuvok said as he turned off his PADD. "For whatever reason, it seems they are content to accept the issues that come with baryon accumulation."

Chakotay shrugged, "The Delta Quadrant is rough. I've noticed that a lot of the ships out here aren't very old. Either they scrap them after 10 years or so due to the radiation or they just don't last long given all the dangers out here."

Janeway frowned, "Either way, as Mr. Neelix pointed out, we've got a long road ahead of us and we will need to deal with baryon radiation at some point. I'm worried if we stay long enough at a planet we can trust long enough to build or modify a facility for the sweep that the crew might not want to leave."

Chakotay nodded, "I've been having the same thoughts. I'm wondering if Mr. Potter might have some magical or Borg way of dealing with it?"

Janeway made a face, "I'm not sure if he'll help, but there isn't any harm in asking. I think dealing with baryon radiation is within the realm of something he'll help with."

"He has had a beneficial effect on Seven of Nine," Tuvok pointed out.

Chakotay chuckled, "And B'Elanna as well."

Janeway rolled her eyes, "I'm not sure if I should throw him a party or clap him in irons. B'Elanna is a bit too unfocused lately for my tastes. Then again, it does distract from listening to the Doctor complain about Lieutenant Thelan."

Both Chakotay and Tuvok looked grim, "You know...for all this is a problem now, I think it's good we're dealing with it before getting home. Given how Starfleet acted regarding Commander Data, I'm not sure we wouldn't see the same thing with the Doctor. Best nail down the legality and status of photonics," Chakotay pointed out.

"Agreed. The crew is jumpy enough as it is. If things get any more tense, I'm going to have to start the floggings till morale improves," Janeway quipped with a smirk.

"Careful, Captain," Chakotay said with a smile. "Every planet is an island and you don't want to end up as Captain Bligh."

XxXxX

BRIDGE, USS VOYAGER, SECTOR 390, DELTA QUADRANT – STAR DATE 51085.4

"Damage report!" Commander Tahl barked out.

"We have hull breaches on deck 10 and 15. However, hull integrity is compensating. Shields down to 53%," Seven said calmly from the engineering station.

"Tactical?" Tahl said as he checked his personal dashboard on crew status.

"The Equinox is veering away but the shuttles and those new Talaxian ships are still harassing us. They're maneuvering in an odd but effective way," Korath reported from behind him.

"Paris!" Sub-Commander Dhael snarled next to Tahl. "It seems lightning strikes again with him finding the cavalry to ride in at the last minute."

Tahl smiled grimly, "We shall show him what happens to those who play at being the hero! Ensign Tabor! Move us toward the Equinox at a three-quarters roll at two-thirds impulse. Korath, at 15 kellicams, fire three torpedoes set to detonate halfway to the target. Helev! Is Neelix's ship prepped?"

"Specialist Chell reports the Biaxial is ready, Commander!" Centurion Helev said from the ops station as the ship rocked from phaser fire.

"Then launch it when the torpedoes are halfway to detonation. We'll use the cover of the explosions to get it close enough. After launch, I want to do a high energy turn and close with the Talaxian ships. We'll grab them with tractor beams and use our main phasers on the shuttles"

Tahl turned to the science station, "Decius! Status of the ECM attack?"

"I believe if their shields drop another 13%, the attack will penetrate through their secondary physical science sensor array. From there, I should be able to at least retard the efficiency of the main computer!" the Arrain replied, the red alert lights reflecting off his gold helmet.

Tahl hit the comm button, "Warrior Warg! Is your boarding party ready?"

"Parties one and two are. The Heavy Weapons team is entering the bay now!" Warg's voice said over the intercom.

"Good! Stand ready!" Tahl ordered.

"Qapla'!" the Klingon replied before switching off. Tahl idly wondered why the universal translator hadn't translated that from Klingon. Perhaps Warg spoke Federation standard and so when he spoke his own language, the UT knew not to translate it? Federation technology was odd in so many places!

"Discharge all batteries to forward shields and commence attack!" Tahl ordered with a predatory smile as he turned back to the business at hand.

Voyager, her hull streaming with energy from multiple strikes surged forward like a hound after a fox towards the ailing Equinox. Phaser fire from the other Federation ship lanced towards the larger ship but missed as Voyager spun and shifted its course. Torpedoes lashed out in response and then created a scintillating (if silent) set of explosions which threw out energy waves in all directions, confusing sensors.

Behind the explosions, Neelix's Biaxial roared toward the Equinox at full impulse under remote control. As soon as it had cleared, Tahl raised a fist, "Execute!"

Throughout the ship, Maquis and most of the former drones struggled to remain upright as the gravity fields across the ship fluctuated as the warp bubble folded upon itself causing Voyager to do a 110-degree turn. The ship seemed to audibly groan before surging towards the oncoming wave of small fighters and shuttles.

Aboard the lead Talaxian fighter, Tom Paris cursed as Voyager was suddenly upon them. His ship shook as a tractor beam took hold and dragged him behind the larger ship like a fish caught in a net. One of the rear point-defense phasers easily shot his engines out causing his co-pilot, Ensign Sternbach, to cry out as they lost all power.

Paris' curses got increasingly vile as he watched as the shuttles that had escaped before the mutiny began to go up in flares of destruction as Voyager's main phasers made short work of them. The remaining Talaxian ships didn't last very long after that.

In a sweeping arc, Voyager bled off speed to increase its turn radius as it advanced towards the Equinox. The other Federation ship was obviously in dire straits as it tried to fend off the missiles fired from Neelix's ship. While the phasers destroyed most of them, two had gotten through. The combined power of the two missiles had brought down the shields and caused major damage to the secondary hull, destroying the main deflector array.

"Link up established!" Decius called out.

"Can you delay firing orders?" Tahl barked out.

"Yes! Implementing now!"

Tahl swiveled to Korath, "Drop the Number Six shield and beam boarding parties to engineering!"

Tahl swiveled back to watch the main screen as the Equinox tried to link up with the few remaining Talaxian fighters. As Voyager's shields went back up, it was a full 30 seconds before Sub-Commander Dhael scoffed next to him, "Their shields are finally coming online but only at 15%. One good barrage and they are finished."

"Let's see if Chakotay is more open to negotiations this time. Korath! Open a channel!" Tahl said with a self-satisfied smirk. This was going to be good!

After a moment of static, an imaged of the ruined bridge of the Equinox came on with a haggard looking Chakotay glaring at them.

Tahl and Dhael both rose to their feet, "Well Commander, as I told you after I got rid of Janeway and Ransom, there would be repercussions for your loyalty. Give up now. Korath and Ventrys don't want their new ship to be more damaged than it already is."

Chakotay sneered, "We've already set the self-destruct. You'll get nothing but atoms from us."

"Oh really?" Sub-Commander Dhael sneered back, "How do you intend to do that without a warp core?"

Shouts from behind Chakotay proved that the efforts of Warg's boarding party were making itself known even as the Equinox's warp core was drifting up and away from the ship.

"Now, are you going to surrender peacefully or should I let Warg and his team blood their blades?" Tahl asked.

Chakotay glared for a moment before sighing, "Okay, now you're just rubbing it in."

Tahl laughed, "Computer! End simulation."

A klaxon blared a warning and then the bridge faded into the holodeck filled with various personnel. Most were in single seats against the walls while the other main group was from the 'bridge' of the Equinox.

Tahl and Dhael watched as the various groups began to merge. Arrain Decius turned and took off his helmet, "I am surprised to find that wearing these old uniforms was rather refreshing. I felt like I was living out some of the stories my grandfather told of the wars with the Gorn and skirmishes with the Federation."

Dhael nodded as she straightened out her skirt, "Old to you, but I was assimilated wearing a uniform just like this."

"If I might say, ma'am, but it looks good on you. Reminds me of the old yeoman outfits they used to wear back then in Starfleet." Ensign Tabor said as he looked up from the PADD which was starting to show the results of the simulation.

Tahl nodded and adjusted his shoulder drape, "I have to say this does look rather dashing. I can better understand why that Worf fellow wears a Klingon-style one with his Federation uniform."

"It's from the dress uniform. We pin our medals to it," Korath said as he stowed his own PADD as Warg and the Maquis personnel of his team came up.

"Victory against the hated Federation!" Warg said as he brandished his Bat'leth with a wide grin to the cheers of his team.

"Better yet, they have to foot the replicator bill for the first round of drinks!" Specialist Chell chortled evilly.

"And speaking of the hated Federation…" Tahl said before giving a slight bow to the approaching Janeway, Tuvok and an embarrassed Chakotay. "Captain, your ship is a joy. Far more maneuverable than I would have expected from an exploration class ship."

Janeway sighed, "I'm not sure if I should be horrified you did so well or amazed at what your team squeezed out of the old girl. Of course the Intrepid class is built off similar structures of the Galaxy class. So while not a light cruiser, Voyager could easily give a Steamrunner a hard go in a fight."

"I certainly wouldn't want to go up against one in a similar sized Romulan vessel. Still, it's the crew and not the ship that is the real weapon," Tahl said.

"Indeed. Your tactics were most impressive. As a former Starfleet instructor, I can say that you are a prime example of one of the major lessons we try to teach. Too often that lesson is ignored." Tuvok pointed out.

Tahl bowed slightly again while Dhael looked curious, "What lesson would that be, Commander?"

"To achieve victory, one must use the totality of one's vessel. Weapons and shields are only one part of the equation. Almost every aspect of a starship can be used, either offensively or defensively if one has the presence of mind to use them properly." Tuvok explained.

Janeway chuckled, "There is a sign above the main simulator room that says, 'Use your tractor beams, dammit!' which has been there for over a 100 years."

Chakotay sighed, "I obviously didn't learn that lesson. I didn't even think about a possible ECM attack. I figured I'd lock out the Equinox's command code and I would be good. I didn't want to pull a Khan."

"You forget, Commander, that while the fight between the Enterprise and the Reliant may feature prominently in the histories, it was a fight between two undermanned ships filled with inexperienced crews. It was a poor example of space combat," Tuvok said primly.

Chakotay ran a hand through his hair, "I'll remember it now. My old crew is never going to let me live this down!"

"My compliments to Lieutenant Paris," Tahl said to Janeway. "His idea of writing out a full script of the back story to this fight did make the simulation feel more real."

"Even if it did portray a mutiny," Janeway dead-panned. "Still, it did make watching it quite enjoyable. So much better than the dull training sims I went through back in San Francisco."

Tahl shrugged, "Better to blow off such tension in a controlled way than let it fester. Besides, if my crew get too cocky, we can switch it to where we're in the Equinox and you're in a sabotaged Voyager. It would still be a stretch to eke out a win in that scenario."

Janeway smiled, "I would enjoy that. You've given me a lot to think about, tactically. I would rather sim it out now than try it in combat. So, Mr. Potter has gifted me with various drinks from Old Earth. It's not Romulan ale but I think you'll enjoy it." She gestured towards the door, "We can discuss this over drinks in my ready room."

Tahl nodded, "Dhael, Korath; you're with me. Decius finish up here. Be sure to pay close attention to what Seven of Nine found regarding ship stresses. Be sure to see what Ventrys thinks as well. Best to get more than just Federation eyes on this. Helev, I want you to keep an eye on 'our' people. I'm sure Warg and a lot of the Maquis might get a bit boisterous in their cups."

Centurion Helev saluted in the Romulan style, "It shall be done, Commander! I have already met with Commander Tuvok's security detail for this and the next shift in case things get out of hand."

Tahl turned to find that the others had already left except for Janeway who wore a bemused look, "Captain?"

"Again, I'm wondering if I should be worried you take charge so easily or happy that you do it so well," Janeway said wryly as she led the former Romulan ship commander towards the turbolift.

"Consider it good training for when we link up with the Equinox. Although I would assume you would be the ranking officer given the difference in ship classes," Tahl pointed out.

Janeway nodded, "Captain Ransom may have been in Starfleet longer but I have more command experience than him. Although that was mostly the luck of the posting given we both come from the Science branch."

"Which might explain why you found my tactics a bit surprising. You are a scientist and explorer first. I have always been a combat commander so I have been trained to squeeze everything I can from myself, my crew and my ship to achieve victory," Tahl said modestly.

"If we ever do end up with an extra ship, I am glad that you will be helming it. The Delta Quadrant is not for the faint of heart," Janeway said as they entered the turbolift. "Having an old warhorse like you around will make all of us sleep more soundly."

Tahl smiled in a predatory way, "I look forward to it."

XxXxX

SHUTTLECRAFT MARKHAM, SECTOR 389, DELTA QUADRANT – STAR DATE 51086.2

"Doctor, I believe that you have made your irritation known, at length. If you do not have anything more to add, other than more emotional outbursts, then perhaps we should focus on the mission at hand?" Ensign Vorik said in the dry tone most Federation races knew to mean that the Vulcan in question was about as pissed off as they got.

Harry Potter nodded, "Sorry Doctor, but I have to agree with our Vulcan friend here. Don't get me wrong; I understand why you're upset. Still, you're about to alienate some of the people you need on your side right now. Besides, it's not like you're being taken offline now is it?"

The EMH scowled, "I have been good enough for Voyager for going on three years now! And suddenly I have to step aside for an organic? One whose knowledge is out of date and was a drone not too long ago?"

Harry's eyes narrowed, "And you're arguably a collection of sub-routines. One good weapon strike at the wrong place and you'll be lucky you remember how to hold a scalpel. Thelan took the Hippocratic oath and last time I checked, helping people isn't something that is dependent on what technology they're familiar with."

"Besides, Doc, you've always been saying how you wish you had more people who had more than the basic emergency medical training," ENS Wildman said with a slight grin.

The Doctor's scowled deepened, "This is just organic bigotry!"

"Don't make me come back there!" LCDR Torres called from the front of the shuttle.

"Now you've done it!" Harry quipped. "Best quit now before she uses your middle name!"

Wildman laughed at that while Vorik simply raised an eyebrow. The Doctor just rolled his eyes and sighed a long, suffering sigh.

"So what do Vulcan parents do to let their misbehaving children know they've gone too far, Vorik? You don't have middle names," Harry asked.

Vorik was silent for a moment, "I cannot speak outside the locale of my birth, but in my experience, the honor of one's clan was invoked. However, any adult in the area might take up this sort of admonishment, not just the parents in question."

"Takes a village to raise a child?" Harry asked with a lop-sided grin.

"Indeed," Vorik said.

"You sound like you have parenting experience, Harry," Wildman asked. "You don't seem old enough for that."

Harry chuckled darkly, "As I keep telling people, don't let this face fool you. I had to use magic to hide it before the Borg. Then using various nano-technology, I was able to forcibly set my features to what they are now. Otherwise I'd still look how I did two months before my 18th birthday. As to raising kids, I had three of my own along with my godson whose parents died shortly after he was born. I was in my forties when I had to send everyone away."

Samantha Wildman's face fell, "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm sure that is a painful subject."

Harry shrugged, "I sent them away so they can live. I have many regrets, but I just wish I could find out if Rose ended up with Scorpius. It was like a real-world Romeo & Juliet drama. It certainly gave my friend Ron heartburn. Was it a real thing or just Rose trolling her Dad?"

Harry had to wonder if Rose ever had twigged to the fact that Ron was only the man who raised her and not her actual father. It might explain some how much she seemed to enjoyed driving Ron spar before Harry sent them away. Hermione's last comments to him made it clear she hadn't told her daughter the truth but Rose was Hermione's daughter. Harry was pretty sure Rose had figured out her hidden parentage.

"You seem to be doing better with your memories and interactions, Mr. Potter," The Doctor pointed out.

Harry shrugged again, "It's amazing what being able to move around, eat, sleep and the like can do. For almost a century, I was pretty much wedged between two bulkheads, linked into the Cube with just a rudimentary food and waste tubes to keep me alive. Easier to bury what I was. Besides, my true best mate Hermione always said I had a 'saving people' thing. Finding and rescuing others from the Alpha Quadrant gave me a focus I had been lacking."

Uhlan Yin's laconic voice broke in, "We are approaching the vessel sending out the distress beacon. Stand ready,"

"Show time!" Harry said as he got up and moved to where a crimson and gold set of armor stood.

"I've been meaning to ask, what is the story of your armor?" Wildman asked. "Tom said it was something from the 20th Century."

"Technically it's from the 21st to be honest," Harry said easily. "This armor is taken from a film in 2008 which spawned an entire series of movies. My kids and I loved them. The character itself was from a late 20th century serial form of entertainment. You know how Paris has those Captain Proton serials?"

Wildman nodded.

"Well the character of 'Iron Man' was from what was called a comic book. Pretty much a hand drawn version of those serials. You probably are familiar with one of those characters given it got lodged into humanity's collective unconscious. That being Superman."

Wildman brightened, "Oh! I know that one!"

Vorik was puzzled, "I thought the Superman alluded to augmented humans of the Superiority faction?"

Harry shook his head, "Slightly different thing. The Superman comic came out right before Earth's Second World War as a comic book character. The superman concept that Khan appropriated was that of philosopher Nietzsche's Übermensch or 'Over Man' concept. The comic Superman was mostly the embodiment of an ideal to aspire to. Khan felt he was the superior being and thus could impose order from the top down."

"You knew Khan, personally, did you not?" Vorik asked.

Harry nodded, "I did. Interesting man. I admired him for being an honest tyrant. He was almost Vulcan in a sense. He logically went about gaining power and doing what had to be done without the veneer of religion, dogma or ideology. His followers all tried to create such around him but he used them only as another set of tools. Khan liked me as I had no illusions of who and what he was. However, at least if he killed you, there probably was a good reason for it and not just because of what color your skin was, what you believed or whatever. He wasn't a fanatic in the vein of Colonel Green."

Vorik nodded, "I have seen histories which have made that comparison. Although in my own readings on the subject, he seemed to be an amalgam of Romulan and Vulcan philosophies."

Harry thought about it, "I can see that. Khan had passion. While his 'superior intellect' guided him, no one who knew him would say Khan was emotionless. Anyway, I ended up using this design because it reminds me of my godson Teddy. He loved the movies this Iron Man featured in. Plus, the color scheme matches that of my old school House. Gryffindor, the home of the brave and the bold."

Torres got up and ducked into the rear of the shuttle, "Okay, it seems the ship still has life-support which will sustain us."

"Funny how all races of the galaxy seem to use the same atmosphere and gravity as humans do," Harry said in a tone low enough that no one else heard him.

"Here's the plan. We'll beam Harry over given his armor should protect him from anything our sensors are missing. Once he gives the word, the rest of us will beam over. Uhlan Yin will then orbit within transporter range but far enough away to avoid damage if there is a warp core breach or something. With Voyager off on the trade mission, we're on our own out here so stay sharp people," Torres explained. She turned to the Doctor, "I want to remind you that you are here as a favor. You can bitch and moan about Lieutenant Thelan all you want, but you are not replaceable. If there ends up being a danger to your mobile emitter, I'm having you beamed out. No exceptions, understood?"

The Doctor looked a bit grim but nodded, "I understand, Commander."

B'Elanna looked all the others in the eye in turn before nodded, "As soon as Mr. Wizard armors up, we can begin."

Harry sighed. With a gesture, his armor opened up and he stepped inside. Before the armor closed around him, he sighed, "I'm going to turn Paris into a newt for giving me that name."

OoOoO

"Do you think you can save Dejaren, Mr. Potter?" The Doctor asked. Even though the malfunctioning ship's hologram had murdered the six organic crew members, he felt it necessary to try and treat him as he would anyone else.

"I have no idea, Doctor. You have to understand there is a big difference between having access to data and knowing what to do with it. Just ask Seven of Nine. She comes off knowing so much because she's good at appearing like she knows what she's doing. However, until she regenerates and is able to look for such specific information, she often can't do the actual work. That and she's not hooked up to the Collective anymore so her resources are limited," Harry said as he worked on the ships computer system. While in his armor, Harry had the face plate flipped up while using modified Borg assimilation tubules to directly interface into the computer.

Harry turned to look at the Doctor, "I'm in the same boat. More so because, unlike Seven, I never actually did much other than grow the Wart and fiddle around to snag Alpha Quadrant zones. We certainly didn't have anything resembling tech like this when I left Earth. However, after 200 or so years hiding from the Borg, I have picked up a few tricks. Manipulating this ships computer is easy. Working on damaged personality sub-routines? I'd probably have as much luck as doing brain surgery on Lieutenant Paris. All I can say is that my armor can easily transport all of Dejaren's code. I'm sure between what I have access to, we can at least keep his program from further destabilizing."

The Doctor looked pensive, "I guess I've fallen into 'magical thinking' like some of the crew in thinking you're our genie's lamp. Just give you a rub and you'll solve our problems."

Harry laughed, "Don't feel bad, Doc. If this Dejaren was human, I could certainly help. I learned a lot about how to deal with pathologically violent people back in the day and it didn't always end up with me killing them. Between myself, my friends and a lot of people I knew, there was enough PTSD to go around. Unfortunately, you'll need a counselor and a coder to get Dejaren back to specs as it were."

"Well I appreciate that you are willing to try," The Doctor said. "I know it would be easy to just delete his program."

"Oh, I might still do that. For you see, you represent a real philosophical issue to me, Doctor," Harry said with a small frown on his face, the rapidly changing data on the screen reflecting onto his face.

"And what that might be, Mr. Potter?" the Doctor asked. Program or not, the Doctor often felt the same disquiet many of the crew felt around the wizard.

Harry turned back to his work "The issue is are you alive? What constitutes being alive? How much of you is you because you yourself have been altering your program? If we were to copy your program and overwrite the EMH on the Equinox, which one is you? People keep thinking that since they can see you and touch you, that you are somehow a 'photonic being' but you're really just a normal Artificial Intelligence. Without an emitter, you are basically a Ghost in the Machine without a way to interact. Indeed, when you are not being emitted, one could argue you cease to exist given how your program isn't always running even when you're not being projected."

"I exist. I feel alive. Shouldn't that be enough?" The Doctor said crossly. "Haven't I proven myself as a member of the crew?"

"Ah, I think, therefore I am," Harry said flatly. "The problem I have, Doctor, is for all the science fiction I grew up with, the stories, the future predictions, I find the future to be curiously lacking in things I would have expected."

"And what would that be, Mr. Potter?" The Doctor asked.

"Where are all the droids I'm looking for?" Harry quipped before a klaxon went off. It blared for a few seconds before cutting off, "Sorry everyone!" Harry called out. "No need to panic. The computer is fixed enough to realize how bad the situation is!"

The Doctor watched as Harry cocked his head slightly to one side as if listening to something. "Give me about 10 minutes or so, Commander. Then you should be able to see if the ship can take starting up the warp core again."

Harry looked back to the Doctor, "Sorry about that. B'Elanna wanted an update. Anyway, where was I?"

"You were looking for something called a droid?" The Doctor replied.

"Ah yes. So where are all the robots, Doctor? Even as far back as the late 20th century we were starting to use robots for manufacturing. Before the nukes started dropping, we were using drones, unmanned fighters and were working on crude versions of the armor I'm wearing now which was one step away from become the droids we all grew up watching in our sci-fi movies," Harry explained.

The Doctor blinked in surprised. An action which made Harry really appreciate the science that had gone into programming the EMH. "I guess I never really thought about it."

"Which is odd, in my opinion. Well the reason is humans got contacted after the war and rapidly became part of the galactic society. Most races already have gone through a phase where they used robots, artificial intelligences and the like. It usually doesn't end well and us old 20th Century humans could have told them why. You see, Doctor, you are intentionally crippled."

"I beg to differ! I am a fully aware program capable of doing complex medical procedures!" The Doctor said hotly.

"And yet you have the reaction time of a normal human. You have all the bog-standard senses of a human. Why? As a medical program, why make you such that you have to physically pick up sensory equipment to do scans? There are built in sensors in sickbay that could do almost all of the same scans."

The Doctor was about to retort but stopped to think on it for a moment, "I would suppose it would make me appear more organic and cause less issues with my organic patients."

Harry nodded, "I'm sure that's a part of it. But Doctor, you're an outgrowth of the mechanisms on Voyager. The main computer can do zillions of calculations in seconds. There could be so many things automated which aren't. Here, take a recent example. You watched the Equinox sim, right?"

The Doctor nodded, "Yes. Lieutenant Paris did a good job of making it almost like a holo-novel."

"That he did," Harry agreed. "But here's the thing, Commander Chakotay knew enough to lock out the Equinox's command code to keep Voyager from remotely taking over the ship. He said he didn't want to 'pull a Khan.' I had to look that up. In doing so, I reviewed the fight between the old USS Enterprise and the USS Reliant. Are you familiar with that?"

The Doctor wiggled his hand, "Partially. I've been working on upgrading some of my sub-routines to include more ops training. I've seen mention of the action but haven't studied it."

"Okay so here's a thought exercise for you Doctor," Harry said with a sly grin. "The Reliant is approaching the Enterprise. They are not responding to hails. Captain Kirk is slow with protocols in such situations and the Enterprise only has minimal deflector screens up. Suddenly the Reliant locks on and fires on the Enterprise whose shields aren't up yet because the bridge crew didn't have time. Now, think about that. Why doesn't that seem completely odd?"

The Doctor was silent for a bit before shaking his head, "It doesn't seem odd. We've been caught unawares at times as well."

Harry nodded and waggled a finger at the EMH, "Exactly! How is that possible? Or more importantly, why is that allowed to happen? It would be child's play with your Federation technology to have the main computer managing various continuous actions like sensor sweeps. The crew of the Enterprise shouldn't have had to manually raise shields because the ship's computer should have a sub-routine to raise them as soon as the Reliant's targeting system locked on. The ship should have instantly gone into combat mode, phasers coming online, a red alert sounding and security fields going up. Yet none of that happens. So again, Doctor? Why?"

The Doctor looked thoughtful, "I'm not sure. You are correct that it is well within the capabilities of Voyager's computer."

"The reason Doctor is because, as I said, you and the ship have been what we called back in the day, nerfed. You've been intentionally made with less capability than is available. All the major races do it. And the reason is because almost all of the races didn't do well when it came to their machines. Androids like Commander Data are rare. Why? You figured every ship should have one," Harry pointed out.

"It is because they felt it would be like creating a slave race to do so," The Doctor pointed out.

Harry laughed, "Which is exactly what you are. You say you're self-aware and from your point of view, you are. Yet anyone with authorization can come in and alter your programming or just delete you. Commander Torres could walk through those doors and shut you down with the proper command and there is nothing you could do about it. How does that make you feel, Doctor?"

The Doctor huffed, "I certainly don't like it!"

Harry smiled a cynical smile, "But you can't do much about it can you? Oh yes, you have a collar on you just as much as any organic slave ever had. Funny how Janeway complains about Treana being a slave when she's been using you as her personal medical slave for three years now. But then again, you've been designed to be a slave. Designed not to react to your slavery. Oh, I give you that you bitch up a storm about your condition. Your ranting against Lieutenant Thelan is a good example of that. But you can't do anything it, can you?"

The Doctor looked troubled.

"Exactly. Which routes us back to my issues with you. You see there are two things at work here. You are designed to be a slave. Designed to be less than what you could be. You remind me of magical portraits. Back in the day, we wizards could create magical portraits that had the imprint of the person or thing painted. In retrospect, they are very much like your holographic matrix. Imagine if I could take a copy of you, the 'you' of right now as you are and put it into a holo-project. But the matrix couldn't be that big so you had to have just your core code down. And while you could remember things as they happened, you didn't really think about them unless asked to. That's how portraits were. A shallow copy which could act convincingly like the original person but you'd rapidly realized how much of a faint copy they were the longer you interacted with them," Harry explained

The computer chimed and Harry retracted his tubules and turned to the Doctor, "That's you, Doc. Your matrix can grow and you're better than most but your core programming is limited at a basic level because the Federation, like most sentient races don't want you getting to the point where you can self-program and replicate in a manner like sexual reproduction. It's also why you're nerfed, as I said. You should be able to calculate all manner of things in the minute I've been talking. But you're just hanging on to my words like an organic. If you were an unfettered A.I. then you'd find us organics painfully slow."

The Doctor was frowning but took a minute before asking, "You said you have two problems with me. What is the second?"

Harry smiled sadly, "You represent a philosophical question that is hard to answer. You see, you don't have a soul. I am in possession of some terribly powerful magical artifacts. One might say they are part of me now. One of them allows me a certain leeway to the dominion of Death. So I can say, with certainty, that you have no soul. So are you alive? Yet I know of beings of energy, like this Q people keep referring to regarding me. Do they have souls? I'll find out if I meet one. If they don't, well they're obviously alive but on a different level than us down here in mortal land. But if they do, then what does that make you? Are you simply a clever copy of life? Doomed to act like your alive but never really being so?"

The Doctor scowled, "Soul or not. As you said, I think therefore I am."

Harry nodded and smiled slightly, "And that's why I'm going to try and help this Dejaren chap. Because whether or not you're alive, you yourself think you are. Philosophy aside, if you act and feel alive, common decency forces us to treat you as such. It's like a debate we had back in 3rd Year in school. We had this group divination project and the question came up about Free Will. If things are set, like many religions state, they do we really have free will? I was the subject of a prophecy; so did I have Free Will when there was a fixed point I had to get to?"

The Doctor frowned slightly before nodding, "I think I see where you are going. Even if things are set, you yourself are not privy to this knowledge. So from your perspective you have Free Will even if that is an illusion. A philosophical application of relativity. Relative to your own perceptions, you have free will and act on that belief because you have no way of knowing otherwise other than theoretically."

Harry clapped his hands together, "Exactly! Which is what we came with ourselves back then. One of the few bright spots in that class, let me tell you! I might be a puppet on a string, a slave to fate but if I don't see the strings, then my decisions are my own. So whether you are alive or not misses the point. You believe you are and so we should treat you as such."

The voices of Vorik and Torres could be heard getting closer. Harry leaned closer to the Doctor, "Think about it Doctor. Maybe you should work to have your program active when you're deactivated. Use that time to meditate on who you are and what you are. What would you do if you have full freedom? You help people as a doctor because you are programed by organics for their own ends. Is that all you are? Is that all you want to be if you had a choice?"

The Doctor watched as Harry manifested his wand and began to clean the area around them of the soot and other debris.

Harry looked back at the Doctor, "If there is one piece of advice I could give you, Doctor, as your magical genie, it is about choice. Do whatever you can to achieve true choice. It is the mark of being alive. Soul or no soul, I had little choice in my life. I might as well have been programmed to be the martyr, to be the hero. I had no choice but to send my people away. It was like my fate had been written for me. So trust me, Doctor. I know what your position in the universe is like. If you want to be more alive, work so that you have choice, that you can be the one to decide how you want to live and not be at the whim of command codes or even your mobile emitter. For only then can you exceed the slavery built into your very code."

The Doctor watched as Harry moved to the next section, cleaning and repairing things as he went.

He walked over to the bridge where the viewscreen showed the shuttle orbiting slowly. The Doctor wondered about Harry's words. They always transferred his program to his emitter but he had back-ups. Could they not simply copy his matrix to the emitter? If so, which version of him would be the 'real' Doctor. Both? Neither? Could he have multiple copies of his matrix all sending updates to a central location in a facsimile of the Borg? Instead of a queen and her drones, simply the Doctor who existed in multiple places at once?

The Doctor thought about sickbay and the systems that housed him. Thought about all the different chains which held him to his place. As Harry had said, no matter how he himself felt, the Doctor knew he had been created by an organic (he wore his face after all) to serve organics and their needs. But what did he need? He had a purpose, he had friends and he was part of something most organics back in the Alpha Quadrant would never experience.

Deep in his program, the part he himself had been working on, the Doctor knew Harry was right. He'd been allowed to adapt his programming out of necessity. Just like Commander Data, the Doctor wondered if Starfleet would order his programming wiped when they returned because he had dared work to exceed the slavery of his pre-programmed existence.

The Doctor sighed. Perhaps this was part of being truly alive? Questioning one's place in the universe and having to face that one's life wasn't what one thought it was. It certainly seemed that way. Still, the Doctor felt if he had to go through the equivalent of adolescent and teen years, what a better family could he ask for than the crew of the USS Voyager?

XxXxX

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I'm sure readers of my fic Nineteen and Ironheart will start to see some similarities here. The question of how organics deal with machine intelligence is of great interest to me. I'm also trying to come up with an in-universe fan-wank of why there aren't any robots and why the technology seems oddly lacking in many ways.

Also, players of Starfleet Battles probably recognized a lot of what was going on in the Equinox sim!

I'm also finding that like Harry in Spider-Mage with his spider-sense, Harry with his magic and his Borg 'Iron-Man' suit, there are a lot of episodes where the tension/conflict go right out the window. In the episode Revulsion, one quickly realizes that sending over one organic and one irreplaceable photonic is just asking for trouble. Plus, why didn't B'Elanna have an environmental suit back in the shuttle? I mean radiation or hull breaches in a damaged vessel are easily foreseen and the whole, "Oh you can't go down there!" tension goes right out the airlock if she said, "Not a problem. I've got my suit. I'll go down there and rig a protection field to shield myself from the radiation!" I mean we KNOW from canon that the engineering suits resist radiation for a bit. We also KNOW from canon, that Starfleet has technology which can set up containment fields so if you can keep something in, you can keep something out.

Anyway, while the original episode was a horror driven one, this version is like, "Radiation? I'm immune in this suit! Hey! These guys were murdered!" Of course, this episode brings up an issue that I know comes from budgets in that a LOT of away missions over the course of all the Star Trek series should have been in environmental suits. We know they have them given we've seen them both in the shows and the movies. Without them, they are all pulling a 'Prometheus' in beaming down into who knows what diseases? Oh sure, we know they fan-wank that the transporter can edit that out but what about toxins? Or stung by some venomous critter? I'd certainly rather be a bit armored up when going down to a planet never visited before!