SEVEN OF NINE BECOMING HUMAN : SOCIAL LESSONS Page 1

[#84 Prey]

Seven practices social lessons with the Doctor.

Seven recites tonelessly: "'Please remain still so that I can treat your injuries. Thank you. I'm sorry, did that hurt. I'll try to be more careful. Thanks for being a patient patient. Have a pleasant afternoon.'" She tells the Doctor, "This is absurd."
Doctor: "Not at all, keep going."
Seven: "This vernacular is not applicable to my duties on Voyager."
Doctor: "I created these exercises three years ago to familiarise myself with the social graces. I found that if I repeated them several times each day the words became almost second nature. Let's continue. Exercise 2 The Workplace Encounter. Kes used to help me with this one. I'll be the nurse, you be the doctor."
They read from padds:
Seven: "'Please hand me the hypospray.'"
Doctor: "'Of course, doctor, immediately.'"
Seven: "'Thank you.' Looks at instrument."
Doctor: "No, don't read that part, only the dialogue."
Seven: "'Excuse me, nurse, this is the wrong hypospray. Would you mind finding the correct one.'"
Doctor: "'Not at all.'"
Seven: "'Did I mention you look lovely today.'"
Doctor: "'Oh doctor, you're so charming.'"
Seven: "This lesson is terminated."
Doctor: "I know it's awkward. For me it was even even painful. But I think you'll find the rewards well worth the effort."
Seven: "Rewards?"
Doctor: "The ability to put others at ease, make them feel more comfortable around you. You're a lot like me when I was first activated. If I'd had a mentor, things would have gone a lot more smoothly. I'm willing to share my wisdom, but if you're not interested I'll stick to your physiological maintenance."
Seven: "I will examine your data."
Doctor: "Oh good. Pay special attention to Exercise 17 Bridge Banter for Beginners."
Seven, leaving, making an effort but still reciting tonelessly: "Have a pleasant day."
Doctor, pleased: "Mmm."

Torres challenges Seven that she has been following herself and Tom around. Seven: "You are correct. I have been observing you, as part of my research on human mating behaviour." Torres, reading Seven's notes: "'Stardate 52647, 1400 hours. Subjects quarrel in corridor outside female's quarters. Male returns with 12 flowering plant stems species rosa rubifolia effecting a cessation of hostilities. Stardate 52648, 0300 hours: intimate relations resume-' How the hell do you know when we're having intimate relations?" Seven: "There is no one on deck 9 section 12 who doesn't know when you're having intimate relations." Neelix: "Is there a problem?" Torres: "I want all the data you've collected." Seven: "I haven't completed the study." Torres: "Then study this: Borg provokes Klingon. Klingon breaks Borg nose." Later, in the captain's ready room, as Seven puts a loose rank pip on Janeway's dress uniform, Janeway says Seven might like to try dating. When Seven replies that she does not seek a romantic relationship, Janeway asks why did she collect 30,000 gigaquads of data on the subject. Later, in sickbay, the Doctor tells Seven: "This could be an important stage in your social development. It's worth exploring. ... I'll prepare a lesson plan."

The Doctor's lesson plan starts with an introduction: Love Amid the Stars.

#1 Klingon males initiate courtship by biting the female.

#2 "Here we see two Bolians getting to know one another."

#3 "Species 8472 seems to have as many as five species. Other species better watch out."

#4 Seven looks on. The Doctor talks about the ways a couple meet each other: First Contact. Pictured is "the chance encounter".

#5 "the formal introduction"

The Doctor starts Lesson 1: Procreation with a picture of "Fortress Ovum besieged by countless little warriors" but Seven says that she knows about the physical aspect. Therefore the Doctor moves onto Lesson 2: Encounter in a Public Place, and invokes holoprogram Paris 3: Chez Sandrine's.

At the bar the Doctor gives Seven a PADD, he has one and they read out a dialogue the Doctor has prepared.
Doctor, reading from the PADD, making an effort: "Hi there."
Seven, reading from the PADD, without intonation: "Hello."
Doctor: "Come here often?"
Seven: "This is my first time."
Doctor: "You must be new in town. How do you like the south of France?"
Seven: "It is very quaint, exactly as I've always pictured it."
Doctor: "May I buy you like a drink?"
Seven, handing back the PADD: "I don't require a liquid supplement at this time."
Doctor: "You're not giving this a fair chance."
Seven: "This exercise is pointless."
Doctor: "It may seem pointless but small talk is a vital dating skill - it helps to establish a rapport with your companion."
Seven: "Perhaps there's something to be said for assimilation after all."

The Doctor tells Seven to try her small talk skills on a hologram character. She begins by crushing his fingers. They sit down to talk.
Hologram Stephen Price: "Curious jewellery."
Seven: "It's a Borg implant. I was a drone."
Price: "Oh, so then it's a family heirloom!"
Seven does not understand or share Price's humour.
Seven: "Borg do not have families they have unimatrices."
Price: "Well in that case, why don't you tell me about your...unimatrix?"

So confident is the Doctor of Seven's progress that he makes a bet with Paris that at Neelix's forthcoming reception for ambassador Tobin, to use Paris' words "If Seven brings a date to the reception and leaves with the same date on good terms without causing a diplomatic incident, I [Paris] will work double shifts in sickbay for the next month." Otherwise Paris gets a month off.

The next morning the Doctor enters cargo bay 2 for Lesson 3: Getting to Know You.
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, concentrating on her work: "Regenerate."
Doctor: "Ah, tell me about your tastes, your likes and dislikes."
Seven: "I dislike irrelevant conversations."
Doctor: "Ok, 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. One of the ways I adapted was to pursue interests people could identify with: holophotography 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."

Seven identifies what the Doctor puts up on screen as "a basic musical phrase in the major mode. I've made a preliminary study of the topic." The Doctor gets her to sing the musical phrase for him. Doctor: "Seven, has anyone ever told you have a beautiful voice? It's a true gift." Seven: "The gift is from the Collective - a vocal subprocessor designed to facilitate the sonic interface with Borg transponders."

	The Doctor gets Seven to sing the first first of 'You Are My Sunshine', which she does flawlessly but without emotion. He demonstrates with the second verse. They sing the chorus together.
	You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,       You make me happy when skies are grey.       You never know, dear, how much I love you.       Please don't take my sunshine away. [Part-way through singing the chorus, the Doctor suddenly realises that the words apply to him and Seven - he is developing romantic feelings for her, but the Doctor's feelings are not discussed here.]

Seven and the Doctor sing "You Are My Sunshine". File size 517Kb.

Astrometrics. Seven is working in astrometrics and Kim enters, wanting the last two astrometric scans. Kim: "That looks like the crew manifest." Seven: "The Doctor asked me to pick a suitable candidate." Kim: "For what?" Seven: "Lesson 10: The First Date." Kim: "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: "I play the clarinet, you know." Seven: "You are not one of the candidates, Ensign." Kim, deflated: "Oh." He follows her up to the screen. "Well, maybe I can help you pick Mr Right." Seven: "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 deletes Bronowski's details from the PADD she is holding. Seven: "Lieutenant Chapman, structural engineering." Kim: "Chapman's a nice guy." Seven: "We worked together on an away mission. He seemed efficient."

	Seven finds Chapman working in a Jefferies tube. Startled by her, Chapman knocks a tool over the edge and she catches it mid-air. Seven: "Your presence is required - rather it is requested - 1900 hours tonight, holodeck 2."
	Chapman: "Another engineering simulation?" Seven: "Dinner." Chapman: "Dinner??" Seven: "The consumption of nutritional biomatter." Chapman: "No, I know what dinner is, I just - are you asking me to join you???" Seven: "Yes. State your response." Chapman: "Ok...yes." Seven: "Please be punctual." Chapman: "I will, thanks."
	As she leaves, Seven hands him back the dropped tool with the flattening rebuke: "A dropped tool can be a workplace hazard. Be more careful next time."

When the Doctor boasts to Paris that Seven has a date and, if all goes well which he is sure it will, he expects that her date will accompany her to the ambassador's reception. When Paris is told who the date is, he replies: "Ha, Chapman. Good luck! ... Paris: "He's renowned for being nervous around women. ... Seven's dominant personality will have him running for the airlock before dessert."
Doctor: "Seven may seem intimidating but it's only a reaction to the way people treat her. In fact she's an efficient and charming young woman."
Paris: "'Efficient' I'll give you that, but 'charming'?"
Doctor: "Most people don't take the time to look beyond her exterior. Did you know she has a lovely singing voice?"

The Doctor reminds Seven of "Lesson 8 Dress for Success". He loosens her hair, tells her to give it a shake, and says that when he designed her dermoplastic garments he also tried his hand at casual wear. He points one out to her and says she would like nice in it. She is unsure how to wear such a garment and asks the Doctor to assist her in undressing, but he hastily stops her and says he must prepare the holodeck. As he leaves he tells her, "The object is to have fun tonight!"