Episode 94 : HOPE AND FEAR : Part E

Before Torres goes, Seven comments: "Lieutenant, you seem eager to return to Earth." Torres: "Eager? I wouldn't go that far." Seven surmises why: "You were a member of the Maquis. Starfleet Command will no doubt hold you responsible for a multitude of crimes. You will find nothing on Earth but adversity." Torres, sarcastic: "That's looking on the bright side." But she considers Seven's words. "Let's put it this way: I'd rather face the music back home than spend the rest of my life in the Delta Quadrant. What about you? Looking forward to seeing Earth?"

Seven: "No." Torres: "I'm not surprised. You think people are going to resent an ex-Maquis, what about an ex-drone?" When Seven looks troubled, she explains: "I'm kidding, Seven - a joke. Look, I know how you're feeling. Part of me is dreading going back. But if I can do it, you can do it." Lightly: "We'll be outcasts together!"

Seven does not smile. Torres: "Work on that sense of humour. It'll help you make friends on Earth." She departs for the Bridge, leaving Seven still troubled.

Kim calls to Seven; he is on the deck and not on the gantry surrouding the engine core: "I'm reading an anomalous energy surge behind this panel." Seven comes down the steps from the gantry to join him. They scan with a tricorder. She says: "There are no power conduits running through this section." Kim, who has overheard the conversation between her and Torres: "Believe me, Seven, one look at that big blue marble and you'll fall in love. It's got just about every ecosystem you can think of, and hundreds of different humanoid species live there - Bolians, Vulcans, Ktarians...." He trails off as he sees that she is unimpressed. "If you like Ktarians. There are plenty of other planets to choose from."

Seven: "If you will excuse me, Ensign, I must speak to the Captain." She starts to go. Kim: "Seven?" She turns. "For what it's worth, it won't be the same without you." This elicits a rare though almost imperceptible smile. Over the past months they have become friends and she appreciates it. She leaves.

Kim opens an access panel and scans it with his tricorder. Suddenly there is the flash from an unidentifiable energy surge.

Kim, scanning with the tricorder, is surprised by its readings.

He suddenly glimpses the bulkhead shimmering in an alien holographic-type effect, revealing strange alien technology beyond. It lasts for only a moment and then he is looking at "Starfleet" technology again!

He taps his combadge. Via comms: "Kim to Tuvok." Tuvok, via comms: "Tuvok here." Kim, via comms: "I'm on the Dauntless, in the engine room, and I've found something that qualifies as 'unusual'."

Tuvok, on Voyager's bridge, via comms: "I'll be right there."

Janeway is in the Astrometrics Lab. She looks at a large image of Earth on the main viewscreen, then continues working on the Starfleet message.

The doors open and Seven is standing there. She hesitates then enters. Janeway: "Computer, display datablock fourteen-beta." Aware of Seven's arrival: "Seven, I could use your help." Seven comes closer but makes no move to join in the work at the console. "I'm trying to reconstruct that last fragment of the Starfleet message." Seven: "Arturis said it was irreparably damaged." Janeway: "I know, but I have a feeling he gave up too easily." Seven: "Intuition." Janeway: "It's intuition if I'm right. I've designed a new decryption algorithm. Let's give it a try."

Seven still makes no move to help. "Captain, I will not be going with you to the Alpha Quadrant."

Janeway stops work and slowly turns to her. "I can understand your reluctance. It's been hard enough dealing with a crew of 150 humans. The prospect of an entire planet must be overwhelming-" Seven: "I am not overwhelmed. I simply don't wish to live among humans." Janeway: "Whether you like it or not, you're one of us. You've come a long way from that drone who stepped out of a Borg alcove 9 months ago. Don't turn your back on humanity now, not when you're about to take your biggest step, Earth, your home."

Seven: "I may have come a long way, but not in the direction you think. You've attempted to influence my development. You've exposed me to your culture and ideals. You hoped to shape me in your own image, but you have failed. You may have noticed our tendency to disagree." Janeway: "Oh, I've noticed."

Seven: "Then you should also recognise that I do not share your values. Your desire to explore space is inefficient, your need for familial connections is a weakness, your infatuation with this planet" (meaning Earth, whose image is on the main viewscreen) "is irrational." Janeway: "I won't argue that you've turned out differently than I expected and that we often have conflicting points of view. But right now, there's more at stake. This crew needs your expertise. Abandon them and you diminish their chances of getting home." Seven: "Irrelevant." Janeway: "No, it's not. We've given you alot, Seven. It's time you gave something in return." Seven: "I have, on many occasions. Now I refuse."

Janeway takes a different tack. "What would you do, go back to the Collective?" Seven: "I don't know." Janeway: "Then what, exactly, do you have in mind?" Seven, with an edge: "I don't know." Janeway: "That's my point. You're asking me to ast you adrift in the Delta Quadrant, alone, without support. I wouldn't grant that request to any member of the crew. It's too dangerous." Seven: "I'll survive." Janeway: "On what - Borg perfection?" Seven: "Precisely." They are at an impasse. Janeway delves deeper into her knowledge of Seven and surmises the real problem. "This isn't about your independence or your superiority. This is about your fear. You're not making this choice because you've outgrown humanity. I think you're afraid to go back to Earth."

The challenge hangs in the air. The computer console beeps an audio alert, interrupting them. They turn. Janeway explains: "The algorithm's working. It's reconstructing the datablock." The real message from Admiral Hayes is played on the console monitor. At first they can only see his image. Janeway: "Strange. I thought we already recovered this part of the message." Seven: "Perhaps it's an addendum from the Admiral. You did designate him a 'windbag'." Janeway. "I don't think so. The data index doesn't match. This is a completely different message."

The audio content of Admiral Hayes' message is heard once Janeway adjusts the control. It starts in mid-message: "....apologies from everyone at Starfleet Command. We've had our best people working round the clock, trying to find a wormhold, a new means of propulsion, anything to get you home. But despite our best efforts..." Janeway tries to control her huge disappointment. "I know it's not what you were hopeing. But we've sent you all the data we've collected on the Delta Quadrant. With any luck, you'll find at least some part of it useful, maybe enough to shave a few years off your journey. Safe journey. We hope to see you soon." The message ends, and his image disappears to be replaced by the symbol of the United Federation of Planets and the words "end transmission".

Seven: "Your intuition was correct."
Janeway: "Unfortunately."
Seven: "Arturis must have created a false message."
Janeway, grimly: "It sure as hell looks that way." She contacts Tuvok via comms: "Janeway to Tuvok."
Tuvok, via comms: "Yes, Captain."
Janeway, via comms: "My suspicions have been confirmed."

Tuvok is with Kim in the Dauntless engine room. They are working at the bulkhead where Kim detected anomalous readings, and the access panel is open. Although it has an apparently "normal" Starfleet appearance at the moment, the pair have been investigating it. Janeway continues, via comms, as she and Seven stride along the corridor: "Arturis tampered with Starfleet's message. The Dauntless isn't what it appears to be."

Tuvok, via comms: "I agree. We've discovered alien technology behind a bulkhead in Engineering. I can't identify it." Janeway, via comms: "Where's Arturis now?" Tuvok, via comms: "On the Dauntless bridge, working with Lieutenant Torres." Janeway, via comms: "Go there, but don't tip our hand. I'll meet you with a full security team in a few minutes." Tuvok, via comms: "Understood." Contact ends. Janeway to Seven: "Let's get weapons."

On the Dauntless bridge, Arturis casually makes his way to the helm console and reaches out to press a particular button.

He is interrupted by Torres calling: "Don't touch that!" He stops and she comes up to him. She explains: "You almost kicked us into slipstream drive."

Arturis: "Oh, I wouldn't want to do that." In Klingon: "Ku cha mee-Roch!" (which means: "My mistake.") Torres: "No problem." She is pleasantly surprised by his words. "You speak Klingon."

Arturis: "I do now. You Captain was kind enough to let me review your linguistic database." Torres: "I only know a few phrases myself." Arturis: "Shame. It's a robust language." Torres: "A little too robust for me." She is smiling as she works on the console. While they talk, Tuvok quietly enters the Bridge and observes Arturis.

Janeway, Seven and a security team beam onto the Bridge of the Dauntless.

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