Star Trek Voyager: The Loving Game

Star Trek Voyager: The Loving Game (Chapter 83)

“I hope you will be able to concentrate on your studies in here.” Seven told the children as she distractedly dialled in the access code for her and Chakotay’s quarters, cuddling a sleepy Estelle as she did so, “I know it is not the most ideal classroom…” She continued regretfully as they all trooped inside.

“Where we study is irrelevant as long as we can be taught effectively.” Icheb interrupted calmly, “For you to teach us, Celeste and Estelle must be cared for too.”

Seven nodded to him gratefully as she led Celeste to her toys and carried Estelle towards her new cot. “That was my rationale, I’m glad you agree.” She replied in relief, glancing at the other Borg children and Naomi, whom she was also teaching that day, for support.

Naomi, perceptive as always young as she was, caught her gaze and smiled. “Don’t worry Seven, your and the Commander’s quarters are nice, I can study fine in here.”

“The Mess Hall did seem particularly disruptive today; this is a more appropriate venue.” Mezotti commented.

Naomi giggled, “I think Neelix is trying to make the Mess Hall more fun, so that’s why it’s loud today.” She paused, her expression becoming more worried, “He feels left out because most of the crew go to Fair Haven now rather than go and see him.”

Seven sighed, moving her focus away from the baby for a moment to give Naomi a reassuring look, “Given what I’ve seen of the crew’s attention spans, I’m sure the improved Fair Haven will lose its novelty soon enough and Neelix will again be fully responsible for “fun” on board.”

Naomi relaxed again at Seven’s unique, but kind, assurance but it was Azan who spoke up next. “Lieutenant Paris doesn’t concentrate on anything Seven…”

“Yes!” Rebi chorused, “He gave up on our game of “hide and seek” before it was complete, when he was the one who showed us how to play!”

Icheb rolled his eyes slightly before replying seriously, “You had been playing for over two hours if I recall accurately, perhaps he just had another shift?”

Seven couldn’t help but echo Naomi and Mezotti’s amused laughs with one of her own, it lifted her heart to see the Borg children interacting so easily, with each other as well as the crew. They certainly seemed to be adapting easier than she had, which she was very happy to see, but she didn’t share Chakotay or the Doctor’s conviction that her guidance was the cause. She sighed tiredly and bent her head to give Estelle a quick kiss, glad to see that the baby was falling into a natural sleep. Her cot, a contraption that combined a normal baby crib and a regeneration unit as one, had been complex to build but was thankfully working well, allowing Estelle to both sleep as any baby had to and regenerate as her implants demanded. It still made Seven’s heart hurt whenever the child went unnaturally immobile during a regeneration cycle, but it was necessary and it was benefiting her. The Doctor was delighted with her; she was almost at the normal weight he’d estimated for a child of her species and age.

She turned her mind back towards the elder children, picking up her teaching schedule from where she’d left it. “I think the most efficient way for us to have fun at the moment is to continue learning. We’ll finish learning how to interpret tricorder scans and then continue with mathematics.”

“Finding the exact volume of any given container is vital, but as is calculating how much pressure it can hold.” Seven explained, holding out an example for the children to see on her PADD, “For example in Engineering, if a mistake is made in calculating plasma flow through a conduit that can lead to a rupture…” She stopped as Estelle’s hungry cries filled the room.

“Mama, Esti wake.” Celeste said knowingly from her place on the floor among her toys.

“I know, she’s just hungry angel.” Seven assured her as she hurriedly stood up with an apologetic look at her students as she headed back to the cot. She had stopped correcting Celeste’s flawed attempted at pronouncing Estelle’s name, there were too many “l” sounds for the toddler to get her tongue around and “Esti” was the closest she could get. Chakotay thought the name was cute and encouraged it, Seven was just deeply relieved that Celeste was fascinated by the baby rather than jealous as she’d initially feared.