SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME
Episode 116
Part C

 

Doctor: "They're hitting it off, don't you think?" Paris: "He's a hologram." Doctor: "Your point?" Paris: "Well, you programmed him to interact with Seven. Real people don't respond the same way." Doctor: "Under my guidance, she'll be dating real people in no time."

Paris: "You're teaching Seven how to date? Ha! Talk about the blind leading the blind." He takes a mouthful of his drink. Doctor: "I've had my share of romantic encounters." Paris, with his mouth still full, nods sceptically. "Mmm." Doctor: "Are you implying that Seven couldn't get a date?" Paris: "Are you kidding? Half the men on this ship would jump at the chance. But getting a date is one thing, keeping it from turning into a disaster is another."

Doctor: "I have every confidence in her social skills."
Paris: "Well, fine. Let's say you get her a date. This is the Holodeck. The cards are stacked in her favour. But if you want to really put her to the test you have to do it in the real world, where anything can happen."

Doctor: "Mr Neelix is hosting a reception for the Kadi Ambassador on Thursday night. Not only will Seven arrive with a date, she will have him eating out of the palm of her hand."

Paris: "Put your latinum where your mouth is. If Seven brings a date to the reception, and leaves with the same date, on good terms, without causing a diplomatic incident, I will work double shifts in Sickbay for the next month." Doctor: "And if she fails?" Paris: "I get a month off."

Doctor: "It's a bet." They shake hands.

The Doctor turns, now more intent than ever on seeing signs of Seven's progress.

Hologram, as Seven abruptly stands up: "Where are you going?"

Seven: "Our small talk is terminated."

She returns to the bar and tells the Doctor confidently: "I have mastered this exercise. We can proceed to the next."

Paris laughs and comments to the Doctor, a comment Seven does not of course fully understand: "If I were you, I'd start looking for somebody to fill in for me."

The Doctor is not amused.

Voyager, orbiting the Kadi planet.

In the Messhall, Tomin has been gorging himself on a feast of exotic and often spicy foods. One of the drinks on the table (which looks like pink grapefruit juice) looks like papalla juice which Neelix once tried to serve to Tuvok two years previously (in [#44 Flashback]), which contains the experimental blend anthraxic citrus peel, orange juice, with just a hint of papalla seed extract. Neelix brings over another dish to Tomin: "One Ktarian pudding." Tomin takes a spoonful: "Mmm. Ah. Mmm! Ah, the texture is so frothy. It seems to be evaporating in my mouth!"

Neelix: "The recipe includes a catalytic agent designed to do just that." Anxiously: "If we don't hurry, we'll miss Lieutenant Torres. She's been waiting half an hour."

Tomin, reluctantly: "You're right. Engineering, your warp core, I must see that."

He sees two female crewmembers. "In our society males and females work separately, but I can see the wisdom of your approach - promotes a more stimulating environment."

The device Tomin is wearing emits a brief alarm. Neelix, joyfully: "It's time for third prayer!" That should remove Tomin from the Messhall!

Tomin: "Yes, it is." He turns off the alarm, and shows no sign of moving at all. "But I think I can forego this service and perform the appropriate penance later. It's more important that I continue exploring your culture."

Handing the mostly empty sundae dish to Neelix: "Perhaps another dessert?"

Seven is working in Cargobay 2, which are both her private quarters and a workplace for her, when the Doctor enters. Doctor, very cheerily: "Good morning! It's time for Lesson Three: Getting to Know You." Seven: "Elaborate." Doctor: "The key to finding a compatible partner is learning how to share your interests and goals. We'll start with hobbies. What do you do with your spare time?" Seven: "Regenerate."

Doctor: "Ah." Refusing to be put off: "Tell me about your tastes, your likes and dislikes." Seven: "I dislike irrelevant conversations." Doctor: "OK." He presses on: "Which brings us to goals. What do you want out of life?" Seven: "Perfection." Doctor: "Perfection is a laudable goal for oneself, but you can't expect it from others. I learned that lesson myself when I was first activated." Seven frowns slightly at his egoism.

Doctor: "One of the ways I adapted was to pursue interests people could identify with - holo-photography, for example; opera."

Seven: "Music does have intriguing mathematical properties."

Doctor: "Excellent. Perhaps we can mould this curiosity into an interest, something you can share with others. Let's see how much you know." He gets her to join him at her computer console. He displays a musical stave. "Here we see-"

Seven interrupts: "A basic musical phrase in the major mode."

He is surprised at her knowledge. She explains: "I've done a preliminary study of the topic." Doctor: "Sing it for me." She does so - la-la.

Doctor: "Seven, has anyone ever told you, you have a beautiful voice? It's a true gift." Seven, not realising she is quashing the compliment as she informs him rapidly: "The gift is from the Collective - a vocal subprocessor designed to facilitate the sonic interface with Borg transponders."

Doctor: "Let's try something a little more challenging."
Seven: "'You Are My Sunshine'?"
Doctor: "It's a simple melody from Earth's twentieth century, a good piece for beginners. Sing."
Seven does so though without expression: "'The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms.'"

Doctor: "That was flawless, but try putting a little more emotion into it. Like this." He demonstrates by singing, inserting emotion throughout: "'When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken and I hung my head and cried.'"

Doctor: "See? Computer, add instrumental accompaniment." The computer starts to play. "On to the chorus. Together now." Both sing: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.'"

The Doctor moves to the other side of the console and for a moment watches Seven, and he sings in harmony. "'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey.'"

He stops singing as he suddenly realises that the song's words apply to him - he is developing romantic feelings for Seven!

Seven: "'You'll never know, dear,'" and looks up as she notices he is not singing. The Doctor continues singing. They both end the song: "'how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.'"

Afterwards the Doctor smiles broadly with approval. duet "You Are My Sunshine"

Voyager, orbiting the Kadi planet.

Seven is in the Astrometrics Lab.

Kim enters. Kim: "Seven, I need the data from those last two astrometric scans." Seven: "In a moment."

Kim, looking at the main viewscreen: "That looks like the crew manifest." Seven: "The Doctor asked me to pick a suitable candidate." Kim: "For what?"

Seven: "Lesson Ten: The First Date." Kim, surprised: "Your first date?"

Seven: "I've narrowed the list to two crewmen, based on work performance and compatible interests." Kim: "I didn't know you had any interests." Seven: "Neither did I, but apparently they include astronomy, quantum mechanics and music."

Kim, hinting that she should consider him: "I play the clarinet, you know."

Seven, moving away: "You are not one of the candidates, Ensign." Kim recovers quickly from feeling crestfallen: "Oh."

He joins her on the dais as she looks closely at the list. "Well, maybe I could help you pick Mr Right." Seven, calling up the crewmember's details: "Ensign Bronowski, assigned to the Airponics bay. His work record is flawless and he plays the accordion."

Kim: "Badly, very badly. He's got no sense of humour."

Seven rejects Bronowski and displays another's details: "Lieutenant Chapman, Structural Engineering." Kim: "Chapman's a nice guy."

Seven: "We worked together on an away mission. He seemed efficient." His having been efficient is the determining factor, as efficiency is what she most approves of.