Star Trek Voyager: Their Human Errors

Star Trek Voyager: Their Human Errors (Chapter 8)

Chakotay felt his jaw set, his teeth grinding together, as he looked down at the latest duty shift rota. There wasn’t much out of the ordinary about it, he might even have been pleased at how much the crew were stepping up in order to complete the repairs caused by the minefield as fast as possible, but as it was he was frustrated by the one person whom he knew was doing too much. He glanced up at Lieutenant Wiseman, who had been helping him compile the duty shifts that day. It was normally his sole responsibility but with having to supervise repairs as well he needed all the help he could get. “Did Seven really request all of these extra shifts in Astrometrics and Engineering?” he asked.

Lieutenant Wiseman was perplexed by both the strange question and the sharp edge to the Commander’s tone, but answered honestly, “She was very clear about it to me Commander. Even though all of those hours stretch regulations, she seems to think that with the minefield so close behind us she needs to be extra vigilant in Astrometrics. As for Engineering, with all the repairs I thought…” He stopped as Chakotay breathed a frustrated sigh, “I suppose I could tell her that all of those shifts aren’t available…”

Chakotay’s lips curled sadly as he saw how intimidated the other man was at the prospect of a confrontation with Seven. It hadn’t been long ago that he himself had been exceptionally wary of the former drone, but now he just couldn’t fathom it, not for the same reasons anyway. “It’s okay Lieutenant.” He told him resignedly, “She’s probably right about the repairs anyway, they’d certainly go slower without her…”

Tom’s ears pricked at Chakotay’s tone. “Seven causing you trouble Chakotay?”

“No.” Chakotay replied hurriedly, sinking back in his chair with a distracted sigh, “I just wonder how Seven has any time to sleep, that’s all…”

Tom twisted around in his pilot’s chair, an amused smirk pulling at his lips. “Ah, but that’s her trick isn’t it? She doesn’t sleep, she regenerates and as well all know by now that’s more efficient.” He saw that his mild jest was just deepening Chakotay’s frown and changed tact. “If it makes you feel better about overworking her, B’Elanna told me she’s been much easier to deal with in Engineering the past few days, quieter. She’s hardly mentioned any so called “improvements” to B’Elanna.”

As Chakotay mulled this over, Harry spoke up from Ops, looking almost as disquieted as Chakotay felt by Tom’s words, “Maybe she’s still feeling guilty about almost missing those mines?” he suggested uneasily.

“I don’t see why.” Tom said firmly, facing his friend fully, “We did miss them and that’s the important thing. If I beat myself up every time I had a narrow escape I’d be…”

“Pretty beaten up?” Chakotay finished wryly as Tom’s support of Seven filled him with an unexpected wave of gratitude. It would do Seven a lot of good to hear those words with her own ears, although he doubted that was all that was bothering her. He’d spent over an hour trying to retrieve her holodeck programmes, hoping to help her or, the more cynical part of his brain suspected, alleviate his own confusion and guilt, over the whole thing. However, the deletion of the programmes had been so absolute and methodical that Chakotay knew, even as a depressed, thwarted frustration bubbled within him at the realisation, that Seven had overseen the destruction of her holographic life herself. Of course, she was entirely within her rights to do so, but where the relief should have settled in his brain at the thought of her simulations being over, anxiety stubbornly resided instead.

Tom laughed heartily, “Definitely, and you and the Captain would be due a few blows at me!” Harry laughed too and Chakotay managed to summon up a chuckle from somewhere despite his conflicted thoughts. Harry seemed to take this as a cue to continue conversing as they worked.