Star Trek Voyager: Disunity

Star Trek Voyager: Disunity (Chapter 1)

Seven and Icheb stood side by side in Astrometrics as was their habit, working in undisturbed silence. When the door opened Icheb didn’t stir, but he registered Seven’s head bolting upwards and her slow shaky turn towards the door. “Commander…how can we assist you?” Icheb had to dip his head to hide his smile, he wasn’t exactly surprised to see the Commander in Astrometrics, these unannounced visits seemed to have become part of his daily routine. At first he had been confused as to why the Commander felt the need to come to collect Seven’s daily report himself, why he would frequently hover to conduct what the humans called small talk, but then on several occasions he had observed the Commander coming in and leaving hurriedly when he was informed Seven was not there with an expression Icheb had come to believe was disappointment.

“Actually Seven only you can assist me today…” Icheb was almost certain he saw higher blood levels than normal in Seven’s face, “…no offence Icheb…” Chakotay continued with a sheepish glance at Icheb before focusing back on Seven.

“None taken Commander, I will work elsewhere.” Icheb replied, picking up an essay he was working on and starting to leave but Seven laid a strong preventative hand on his arm.

“You have work to complete here. What do you require of me Commander?” She said quietly, Icheb shot her a look which he hoped conveyed his willingness to go but she ignored him, her gaze remaining strictly on the Commander as she swallowed visibly. Realisation hit Icheb; she does not want to be left alone with the subject of her romantic affections. Why not? According to Lieutenant Paris and his holodeck programmes, people who were intimately involved liked privacy, so that they could engage in…certain intimate actions.

“It’s not a requirement exactly…it’s a request…” Chakotay said. Icheb couldn’t help wondering what had happened to impair the Commander’s normally clear speech.

“Yes?” questioned Seven, gripping the edge of the console until her knuckles turned white.

“Meet me in holodeck 2, I’ve designed a new programme and I would like your opinion.”

This hit Seven off guard. “Holographic design is not my field of expertise…perhaps you should consult Lieutenant Paris…”

“No! I mean…if I asked Tom’s opinion God knows he’d give it, but I really was hoping for yours…”

Seven made an emotional and impulsive decision. “I come off duty at 1900 hours.”

“Great! That suits me!” Chakotay replied, to Icheb’s ears sounding irrationally pleased.

Seven seemed unable to respond so Icheb intervened to help his friend and mentor, perhaps the Doctor’s social lessons had been somewhat lacking. “It’s a date then, isn’t Seven?”

Both Seven and Chakotay blushed simultaneously at the word date, but the word seemed to enable Seven’s voice. “Yes, it is.”

Chakotay beamed at her and all the tension that had been building was sucked out of the room as Seven nervously but naturally returned the smile, before turning back to the console and trying to study it to calm her suddenly hyperactive senses and thudding heart.

“What are you doing today?” asked Chakotay, coming up behind her, a helpful Icheb moving aside so he could stand closer to Seven.  

Seven felt herself tense up at his close proximity but tried to respond normally. “We are running our normal scans of the surrounding space but we are paying particular attention to a nearby nebula, it’s a perfect example of…”

Icheb uncharacteristically interrupted her, “Seven, look at this in sector 1579.2, it’s very unusual.”

“Sector 1579.2? That’s less than half a light year from our current position…” murmured Seven in curiosity and concern, brushing awkwardly past Chakotay to look. After a few seconds, Seven’s face turned ghastly pale and she began to work frantically.

“What is it Seven?” asked Chakotay urgently, fully back in his professional demeanour despite his underlying concern for her.

Seven audibly gulped, “Borg cubes, at least three…they’ll come out of trans warp within scanning and weapon range of Voyager…”

Chakotay unconsciously grabbed her hand, “Let’s go to the bridge…we have to tell the Captain!” Seven nodded vigorously and they both hurried to the door.

The comm. system suddenly jumped in operation. “Red Alert! All senior officers to the bridge!” The Captain’s voice ordered.

Chakotay tapped his comm. badge, “Captain, Seven says there’s Borg…”

“I know Chakotay, they just appeared! Both of you get up here!”

“Yes Captain!” said Seven and Chakotay in unison.

They arrived in the bridge to see three Borg cubes and a sphere looming menacingly before them on the view screen. Both Seven and Chakotay ran to their posts, prepared for the worst. “What’s happening Harry?” cried the Captain, suppressing her fear but keeping the urgency in her voice.

“They’re…not activating weapons or raising shields.” Said Harry in fearful wonder.

“Maybe they haven’t seen us.” Tom said hopefully.

“That is highly unlikely Lieutenant.” Seven stated.

“Thanks for killing all my hopes in one go Seven…” muttered Tom but Chakotay heard him and gave him a dark glare.

“Captain…they’re hailing us.” Said Harry.

“Open a comm. line.” Ordered the Captain reluctantly, expecting the normal chorus of We are Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile…

However what they expected was not what they heard. “Greetings Captain Janeway.” Said a large group of voices which sounded so like the Collective and yet not.

Everyone on the bridge exchanged startled, confused glances and then the inside of a cube appeared on the view screen, a strange looking drone with no visible facial implants obviously female, standing at the forefront. Everyone stared but it was a completely stunned and colourless Chakotay who spoke first. “Riley…”

Seven stepped back as if she’d been slapped. Riley. Memories absorbed when Chakotay freed her from the Collective flooded her brain, a beautiful woman, speaking to him of her hopes and dreams for a new Collective, saving his life, sharing his mind…and his bed…

B’Elanna stared wide eyed at Chakotay, “Your Riley? The one that formed the…”

The drone spoke, her own single voice, separate from the others. “The Cooperative, yes.” Seven shuddered, reminded of the Borg Queen, the only other drone she knew of capable of such separation from the others. Riley’s eyes travelled to Chakotay. “Hello Chakotay.” She said softly.

The Captain, seeing that Chakotay was incapable of speech, spoke up. “All these vessels, they are all part of your Cooperative?”

“Oh yes Captain, your crew is in no danger from us. In fact we were hoping that you would help us again.”

The Captain narrowed her eyes in suspicion, even though they, well Chakotay, had helped them before she still didn’t completely trust them. “To do what?”

“Destroy the Collective.” She replied simply.