Star Trek Voyager: The Loving Game

Star Trek Voyager: The Loving Game (Chapter 38)

Chakotay slammed the PADD down onto his desk in frustration. Useless! It was all useless! How was he supposed to rescue Seven if there was no way to find her? That thought, one that had recurred constantly in the couple of hours since she’d gone, pushed him back onto his feet and he began to pace the room, teeth grinding as he struggled to keep a thin grasp on his hope. He was just about to turn around and reread the Doctor’s most recent scans of Seven again when a demanding wail forced him painfully back into reality and he hurried over to Celeste’s bassinet, thoughtfully moved by some kindly soul from Seven’s ghostly empty quarters to his, and scooped her up, pressing her tear dampened, red face into his shoulder as he quickly replicated a bottle and sat shakily down on the nearest chair. Gently he offered her the bottle but she stubbornly twisted her mouth away in refusal, continuing to whimper. “Come on sweetie, please…” He pleaded in exasperation, feeling relief surge through him as she obeyed and began to suck half-heartedly, but she soon gave up, coughing up whatever formula she’d been able to swallow. Running an exhausted hand through as he cleaned her up, he swore under his breath, couldn’t Seven have at least tried to get her used to a bottle? Well, she didn’t foresee that she was going to be kidnapped away from her two month old baby did she? A quiet voice in his head reminded him and he leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes for a moment as tears burned behind the lids, what was he going to do?

“Commander?” He felt someone shaking his arm as the voice hit his ears, “Commander?”

Chakotay’s eyes snapped angrily open but immediately softened when he saw Naomi’s worried, questioning eyes peering at him, her hand still on his arm. “Naomi? What is it honey?”

Naomi pressed a large PADD into his hands, giving Celeste an affectionate pat as she did so. “I’ve got a plan to rescue Seven.”

Chakotay sat up, his rising eyebrows tempered by the fact that he hadn’t been able to come up with anything. “Tell me about it then Crewman.”

“Well, I thought we could use the deflector to follow the Cube, maybe contact Seven’s beacon thingy…” Naomi began to explain enthusiastically, only to be interrupted by an angry cry behind her.

“Naomi Wildman! I told you to leave Commander Chakotay alone!” Ensign Wildman admonished her daughter sharply from the threshold, throwing Chakotay an embarrassed, apologetic look.

“But Mom I…” Naomi started, abashed.

Chakotay held up his hand to stop them. “It’s okay Sam.” He reassured the mother before turning back to Naomi, intrigued. “What’s this about Seven having a “beacon thingy”?”

Naomi’s face scrunched up in thought before answering, “Once, I asked Seven how Borg find each other when they’re lost and she said that all drones have a most basic link called an…in…inter…interplexing beacon. She said the Doctor couldn’t remove hers…”

Chakotay’s face lit up and laying Celeste down on the chair he rushed back to his desk and snatched up a PADD, reading it quickly. “Yes, yes, it’s been active for days after almost a year of nothing…”

“You think the Borg have been talking to Seven?” Naomi asked brightly.

“Yes, talking…” He lowered his head as Celeste began to cry again. “Or threatening.” He muttered in a low tone to Samantha Wildman who nodded in understanding as she watched him pick up the howling baby and jiggle her up and down, his mind racing. God Seven, is that why you were so desperate to go? I should’ve…

“Do you want some help with her Commander?” Samantha’s voice interrupted his train of thought once again as she indicated the baby.

“She…she won’t take the bottle…” He explained awkwardly, his inadequacy sinking in again but she just smiled at him.

“Don’t worry; it’s a change of routine, upheaval. I’ll see what I can do.” She assured him as she took the baby into her practised, and much calmer, arms.

Chakotay shot her a grateful look just as Naomi pulled at his hand for attention. “Are you going to go get Seven now?” she asked anxiously.

Chakotay smiled warmly at her, this little girl may have just given him the route to the Collective he needed. “Yes I am, and you’ve helped me so much!”

The familiar sharp click sounded off distantly in her ear and she was immediately jolted unwillingly into consciousness, the Queen standing unavoidably near, her expressionless face the colour and texture of cold melted wax. “Your regeneration cycle was adequate?” she asked as she indicated for her to step down from the alcove and come beside her. Seven gave a curt nod in reply but refused to move, staying resolutely within the confines of the alcove. The Queen gave her a hard stare, “Don’t you wish to know our plan for you?”

“No I don’t, I give control of my future entirely over to you!” Seven snapped with acrid sarcasm.

The Queen’s face twisted with a displeased smirk and in a single step she was level with Seven, peering disconcertingly into her face. “Sarcasm is a weak, human defensive device; its use with us is pointless.”

“In your opinion.” Seven replied icily, trying not to flinch in disgust as she felt the Queen’s cold breath against her skin.

“Ours is the only opinion which has any relevance, we are perfect.” She concluded with unshakable certainty, unperturbed by Seven’s tone.

Seven pressed her back against the alcove until it hurt, glaring defiantly at her captor. “If the Collective is so perfect then what can you possibly learn from me?”

“Humanity.” She answered simply, smiling when she caught Seven’s quickly disguised look of confusion, “Or more accurately, how to defeat them.”

Seven choked back a gasp of horror, and then hurriedly recollected herself. “I am more Borg than human…” She internally winced at her own words but there was no way she of all people could be used to give the Borg an accurate reflection of humanity!

“That may be, but perhaps you underestimate your own ability to adapt.” The Queen whispered uncomfortably close to her ear before easily stepping away and continuing to explain. “When you were left on Voyager and the ever noble Janeway took you in we saw an…opportunity. If you, one of our very first human drones, could adapt to them, then anyone could. We must have the humans’ adaptability!” Suddenly she lunged forward, pinning Seven to the alcove, who cried out in shock and pain.

“No! I won’t help you in any way, not while I’m still an individual!” Seven shrieked into her face.

“You will, you will adapt to this, it is your nature as both Borg and human.” The Queen murmured with disturbing confidence, running her bony finger down Seven’s shaking cheek. “And don’t worry; you will feel the Collective within you once again. When the humans are ours, you will replace this Queen.”

Chakotay stood at the doors to the Delta Flyer with Tom, Tuvok and the Doctor at his side, going over the coordinates they’d managed to find by tracing the Cube’s unique transwarp signature. “If it’s there I’ll find it Chakotay, don’t worry.” Tom assured him.

“I hope so Tom.” Chakotay agreed before turning back to the Doctor, “You’ve definitely found the exact frequency of Seven’s beacon Doctor?”

“Yes, only she should be able to hear it, even if she’s been assimil…” He stopped at Tuvok’s warning look and flung Chakotay an apologetic glance, but his commanding officer had already turned away, distracted by the Captain’s abrupt appearance in the Shuttle Bay, two crewman at her side carrying the transwarp coil.

“Captain?” asked Chakotay in disbelief as his gaze moved from her to the transwarp coil and back again.

“You’ll need a bargaining tool Commander, and we did steal this.” She said firmly.

Chakotay fell silent for a few seconds as he watched the coil being loaded into the Flyer, finally he said, with quiet sincerity, “Thank you Captain.”

She smiled as she watched the four of them climb into the Flyer, calling as the door shut, “Good luck!”

A/n: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! :D