DAY OF HONOR
Episode 71
Part A

 

View across Cargobay 2, looking toward the Borg regeneration alcoves.

Seven of Nine in her alcove, regenerating.

Chakotay enters. Seven's regeneration halts and she steps down out of the alcove and walks out to meet him. Seven: "Commander Chakotay." Chakotay: "I understand you wanted to see me." Seven: "I'm told you are the officer in charge of personnel, that you prepare the duty assignments. Is that the correct phrase?" Chakotay: "That's right."

Seven: "I am finding it difficult to spend so much time alone. I am unaccustomed to it. The hours do not pass quickly." Chakotay: "I can understand that. How can we help?" Seven: "I've been considering the matter carefully. I would like to request a duty assignment." Chakotay: "Did you have something specific in mind?" Seven: "Yes."

Engineering. Torres: "Now what!" Vorik: "There's been a rupture in the coolant injector." Torres snaps: "I can see that. Why haven't you sealed it off?" Vorik: "I am attempting to do so." He succeeds. Torres: "That's better." As she leaves, Vorik follows her: "Lieutenant, I have an idea." They talk beside the warp core. "Perhaps it would be advisable to reconfigure the coolant assembly. That would give us greater control over the pressure valve emissions."

>Torres, leaving for a console near the door: "You're probably right, and tomorrow we can do it first thing. But not today." Vorik: "I don't understand. Why wait until tomorrow? Today would be a much better-" Torres, firmly: "Not today, Vorik." Vorik leaves.

Paris enters and hears that Torres is in a bad mood - he will have to be more diplomatic than usual.

Paris: "Good morning. Here's the helm control evaluation you wanted." He holds out a PADD. Torres, taking the PADD: "Thank you." Paris: "Are we still on for dinner tonight?" Torres, operating console controls: "I may have to work late. I'll let you know." Paris: "Uh huh, OK." Surmising the cause of her mood: "Have you decided if you're going to go through with it?" Torres: "I have. I'm not. Today hasn't started out very well and the last thing I need is to get involved with some obscure Klingon ritual." Paris: "You were the one who suggested it." Torres: "I know, and for one sentimental minute I thought I might actually go through with it but not any more." Paris: "'Course not. You wouldn't want to get too sentimental." Torres: "I overslept this morning because I forgot to tell the computer to wake me and then the acoustic inverter in my sonic shower blew out-" Paris: "That'll make your hair stand on end." Torres: "So I didn't have time for breakfast, and when I got here two people were out sick so I had to cancel the fuel cell overhaul, and then an injector burst for no apparent reason and started spewing plasma coolant." Paris: "That's a run of bad luck alright." Torres: "So I am in a bad mood, and I know that I'm being a little testy." Paris: "That's OK. Think about that dinner."

As he leaves and passes Chakotay, he warns him: "Be careful."

Chakotay: "Something interesting just happened." Torres: "What's that." Chakotay: "Seven of Nine requested a duty assignment." Torres: "Fascinating." Chakotay: "She wants to work in Engineering." Torres: "What?!" Chakotay: "The Borg use transwarp conduits to travel through space faster than warp speed. If we could create one of them-" Torres: "We don't know anything about transwarp technology. Playing around with it could be dangerous." Chakotay: "That's where Seven of Nine comes in. She's offered to work with you." Torres: "What do you think her real motives are?" Chakotay: "She's having a tough time making the transition from the Collective. She wants something to do." Torres: "I never thought of you as naive, Chakotay. Bottom line is, I don't want her working in Engineering." Chakotay: "The bottom line is: I'm giving you an order and you're going to follow it, Lieutenant." Torres: "Whatever you say, sir."

Captain's Ready Room. Janeway: "Seven of Nine, you told me you wouldn't make any more attempts to contact the Borg. I want to believe that is true."

Seven: "I assure you it is." Janeway: "I've decided not to post a security detail while you're in engineering, but you have to realise there are rules. You'll be expected to follow our protocols. You'll report directly to Lieutenant Torres and obey any order she gives you." Seven: "I understand."

Janeway: "One more thing. Your designation, Seven of Nine. It's a little cumbersome. Wouldn't you prefer to be called by your given name 'Annika'?" Seven of Nine: "I have been 'Seven of Nine' for as long as I can remember."

Janeway: "Alright, but maybe we could streamline it a little. How would you feel about 'Seven'?" Seven of Nine: "Imprecise but acceptable."

Tuvok, via comms: "Tuvok to Captain Janeway." Janeway, via comms: "Yes, Tuvok." Tuvok, via comms: "Tuvok: "Please come to the Bridge." Janeway enters the Bridge, followed by Seven. "A ship is approaching. It's damaged but functional. Energy emissions are so low it's probably not capable of warp speed. Several dozen lifesigns aboard. We are being hailed, Captain." Janeway: "Open a channel." The image of an alien, of a species not yet known to them, appears on the main viewscreen. "I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager."

Alien: "I am Rahmin. My people are the Caatati. I apologise for our appearance and the condition of our ship. Most of our people were assimilated by the Borg over a year ago. We lost everything." Janeway: "How many of you escaped?" Rahmin: "A few thousand, on 30 ships, all that's left from a planet of millions." Janeway: "I'm sorry." Rahmin: "Captain, I want to assure you, my people were once proud and accomplished." Janeway: "I understand." Rahmin: "It pains me to have to ask this, but I have eighty-eight people to care for on this vessel. We need food, medicines. Is there any way you could help us?" Janeway: "Of course, send us a list of your needs and we'll see what we can do." Rahmin: "I'm deeply grateful. If it's not too much to ask, is there any way you might also spare a small quantity of thorium isotopes? Without them our systems can't function." Janeway: "I think we can arrange that. I'll speak to my engineer." Rahmin: "You can't imagine what this means to us, Captain. Thank you."

Janeway exchanges a glance with Chakotay.

Engineering. Torres: "How are those thorium isotopes coming, Vorik?"

Vorik: "I'll admit I'm having trouble controlling the neutron absorption." Torres: "Try increasing the temperature of the plasma. Get the thorium to the Captain as soon as it's ready." Vorik: "Of course." He leaves to get on with the thorium production.

Torres goes over to Seven. Torres: "Tell me something, when you hear about people like the Caatati, do you have any feelings of remorse?"

Seven: "No." Torres: "That's it? Just 'no'?" Seven: "What further answer do you require?" Torres: "Well maybe, some kind of acknowledgement of the billions of lives you helped destroy, a justification for what you did, maybe a little sense of guilt." Seven: "Guilt is irrelevant."

Torres, sarcastically: "Heartwarming." Seven, sensing Torres' hostility: "I've set the parameters for the tachyon bursts we'll need to create a transwarp conduit. It will be several hours before the main deflector can be modified. I think it would be best if I waited in my alcove." Torres: "I think you're right."

In the Messhall, Neelix approaches Torres who is sitting at a table alone.

Neelix: "If I ever saw a job for the morale officer it's sitting right here. I'll bet I can help." Torres: "You're facing a big challenge, Neelix." Neelix: "I enjoy a challenge." Torres: "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Neelix He brings out a dish from behind his back and holds it out in front of him: "Blood pie, for the Day of Honor."

Torres: "How did you know about that? Has Tom been talking to you?" Neelix: "Not at all. I, I make it a point to know these things. And if I'm correct, many Klingon families traditionally serve blood pie on the Day of Honor." Torres: "I appreciate the gesture, but I've decided to ignore this particular tradition. No blood pie, no examining my behaviour over the past year to see if I measure up to Klingon standards." Neelix: "Understood. Lieutenant, without knowing why there's a black cloud hanging over your head, may I suggest something?" Torres: "Go right ahead."

Neelix: "You have a bit of a temper that you keep reigned in, and sometimes it builds up inside you until you explode at someone." Torres: "I'd say that about sums it up."

Neelix: "I'm offering to be a pressure valve." Torres: "What?" Neelix: "You may use me to blow off steam. When you're angry come see me, call me names, insult me, question my parentage. I won't take it personally and you won't need to keep things bottled up inside any more." Torres: "That may be the nicest offer I've had in a long time. Thank you, Neelix. You're sweet but I'm not sure I could do that to you." Neelix: "I'm here if you need me."

Torres: "Neelix, about this Day of Honor. Do you think I should go through with it?" Neelix: "I've always thought traditions were good things, worth preserving." Torres: "I've been thinking a lot about the rituals that my mother taught me and they don't seem quite so hateful as they did when I was a child. Maybe being so far away from anything Klingon has changed me." Neelix: "Surely it can't hurt to go through with the ceremony?" Torres: "I don't know what effect it'll have on me. That's what frightening."

Neelix pats her arm. Torres: "Alright, bring on the blood pie. I can do this."

She takes a mouthful. It does not taste pleasant.