Star Trek Voyager: Fragments

Star Trek Voyager: Fragments (Chapter 5)

“Who’s Seven?” Annika said sharply, unable to keep an accusatory note from her voice as she wrenched her arm away from the balding and strangely dressed man before her, instinctively backing away from him and closer to Amal who was directly at her back, his fists already clenched in pre-emptive defensiveness.

The man clumsily stumbled back, vivid hurt crossing his features before deeply etched confusion settled on his face as he responded, “What do you mean? You’re Seven…”

Annika glared at him fearfully as an unexplained panic gripped her, “No… No!” She exclaimed, shaking her head vigorously, “My name is Annika. I don’t know to whom you are referring, but…”

Seeing, from much past experience, that Seven’s flight or fight reflex was beginning to kick in, the Doctor decided to play along, smiling gently at the bewildered woman, “Annika… Annika Hansen, right?”

Seven’s face paled for a moment and the Doctor saw her and Commander Chakotay share a split second glance before she warily replied, “Yes… How do you know that?”

“I…I think we need to have a talk.” The Doctor said as calmly as he could, “Come in, please.” When neither moved, he ushered them in with welcoming hand motions. “Come on, I won’t bite you…” He coaxed, trying his best not to sound impatient.

After a few long seconds, the Doctor was relieved to see Seven stepping inside, the Commander instantly following, the doors thankfully closing tight behind them. Amal frowned at the other man, peering at his tricorder, “What are you? I don’t read any lifesigns in this room, apart from Annika and me.”

The Doctor uttered a choking gasp of shock. Chakotay too? This wasn’t what he’d been hoping for… Finally, just as fresh distrust was forming on their faces, the Doctor decided to be as truthful as he could, without freaking them out hopefully, until he found out what was wrong with them. “I’m a hologram, Voyager’s Emergency Medical Programme to be exact.”

“And your programme records us as patients?” Annika asked pensively as her eyes scanned the room for traps and escape routes.

The Doctor tried not to be irritated by the way she was addressing him, like a machine! “Yes, I remember you two perfectly well. We all lived on this ship together, until we ran into the mine field on the edge of this system, the whole crew was captured and Voyager taken for salvage!”

He was staring to think he’d been a little too brief with his explanation as disbelief crossed both Chakotay’s and Seven’s features but then Chakotay grabbed Seven by the arm and pulled her away, where they began whispering intensely, irritatingly out of his earshot.

Amal led Annika to the other side of the room, leaning into her ear as he hissed, “We were right! We were kidnapped for labour! Our memories have been altered…”

Annika cut him off sharply, “That theory was farfetched in the first place and is now even more so! How do we know that we can trust this hologram? It would be easier to alter his programming rather than our memories, you must admit!” She saw his confidence waver on his face and pressed further, “What possible reason would anybody have for travelling aimlessly through the quadrant anyway?” She questioned, glaring at the holographic doctor over her shoulder, as deep seated fears began to reassert themselves.

“To return home.” Amal answered with a certainty which shook even his own confused brain, but he knew it was the truth and he could tell from Annika’s face that his words had revealed a truth for her too. He gave her slightly shaking shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Listen… I know that is really disturbing but you have to admit that it explains all of what we’ve discovered and…this ship, I know it, somehow…” He stopped as he found her unreadable gaze on his face. “Let’s at least here him out…” He began to reason but her head had already bowed in reluctant submission.