Back                 Next

Anomalous Behavior
Part 1 of 1
Synopsis:  Seven-of-Nine has observed strange behavior being exhibited by the crew, and it seems to be spreading...

Anomalous Behavior

    There wasn’t much in the universe that Seven-of-Nine would admit intrigued her.  Binary neutron stars, spatial vortices, and other physical anomalies topped out her list, as well as her on-going investigation into humanity.  Humanity had its quirks, however, and she believed she was witnessing one of them now.

    The crew of Voyager was behaving strangely.

    She was aware that humans and other intelligent species often acted strangely, though generally not en masse.  Five hours previously, she had observed Neelix and Ensign Paris conversing quietly in the mess hall.  When she approached, the pilot excused himself and left, leaving the flustered Talaxian in his wake.  Courtesy demanded she ask--politely, of course--if anything was wrong.  He replied in the negative, and she dismissed the encounter until she observed Paris and Commander Chakotay talking in the corridor twenty-seven minutes later.   Once again, as she approached, Paris departed.

    Two hours after the second exchange, she walked into Sickbay for routine maintenance and found the doctor and Tom Paris chatting quietly.

    "Am I interrupting?" she politely asked.

    "No, Seven.  Of course not," the smiling doctor said immediately, moving toward her even as Ensign Paris left the room with great haste.  The doctor continued to smile even as he ran some scans.  "Well, it appears everything is functioning normally.  Thank you, Seven."  Then he sneezed.

    "Doctor, is your program malfunctioning?"

    "No," he replied and sneezed again.  "Thank you for asking though."

    "You are welcome, Doctor," the ex-Borg replied and then exited.

    Seven was concerned that something had befallen the crew.  Thusfar, she had discerned that Ensign Paris was the carrier of some type of strange condition, and he was quickly spreading it among the crew.  His behavior was disturbing and his avoidance of her seemed almost guilty.  Seven then decided that she had enough evidence to bring his unusual actions to the attention of the captain.

    "Bridge," she ordered the turbolift as soon as she stepped through the door.  At least she did not have to be polite with the computer.  As the lift rose smoothly, she processed the data she had thus far gathered: three occasions when Ensign Paris conversed with another crewmember and departed upon her arrival.  Each person he spoke with exhibited unusual behavior after his departure.

    The lift doors slid open.  One glance at Lieutenant Commander Tuvok revealed that the captain was not on the bridge but in her ready-room.  She proceeded to the door without hesitation and, as policy dictated, pushed the summons on the wall panel.

    "Come," the captain immediately replied.  She was not an inefficient woman.

    Seven stepped through the door.   Captain Janeway looked up from her conversation with Lieutenant Torres.   Though the latter attempted to look calm, the tall blond observed subtle indications that the engineer was less-than-composed.  It was logical, given Lieutenant Torres’ relationship with Ensign Paris, that she had been exposed to whatever was affecting the helmsman.  She was relieved she had interrupted the conversation before the affliction could be spread to the captain.

    "Captain," she began, "I would speak to you in private."

    "Of course," Janeway replied.   B’Elanna Torres took the unspoken cue and exited.  "Now, Seven, what is it?"

    Taking a moment to organize her thoughts, she responded, "I have observed unusual behavior among the crew."   The captain immediately appeared concerned.

    "Unusual in what way?"

    "Anxiety, increased blood flow to the epidermis, accelerated heart rate.  The phenomenon seems to be focusing around Ensign Paris.  On three separate occasions, I encountered him conversing with another crewmember.  Each time, he departed as I approached."  Janeway’s eyes were beginning to brighten and the corners of her mouth were slightly curving upward.  "Commander Chakotay seemed unaffected, but the doctor and Neelix both responded in a manner I have learned is... contrite."

    The captain smiled.  Seven suddenly doubted she had stopped Lieutenant Torres in time.  "Don’t worry about it, Seven.  Tom is probably just gossiping."

    "I was unaware, Captain, that Ensign Paris was conducive to 'gossiping.'"

    Something resembling a snort was heard from the older woman.  "Don’t concern yourself with it, Seven," Janeway repeated, leading the Borg back to the door.  "I’m sure Tom has his reasons."

    Seven was perplexed by the genuine smile on her captain’s face before the door closed.

*      *      *

    The Astrometrics Lab was running at peak efficiency, which suited Seven.  She preferred to have everything operating to perfection, with no disruptions.  Unfortunately, disruptions were occurring.

    Everyone she'd encountered, excluding the stoic Vulcans Tuvok and Vorik, exhibited increased epidermal blood- flow and accelerated heart rate.  She had no way to prove her hypothesis, but she believed the "symptoms" were triggered by her presence.

    The thought disturbed her.

    This same kind of behavior had been exhibited before by the crewmen, with the exception of herself, the doctor, and Naomi Wildman, and was the result of the influence of an immense telepathic being posing as a wormhole.  This time, however, she was alone, as even the holographic doctor gave indications of anxiety.

    Now Seven stood in the Astrometrics Lab, scanning the region for any anomalies that could be the cause of the crew’s malady.  Her scans, however, had revealed little of relevance except a local star system with two M-class planets.  The Borg had never been through this region of space, so she knew nothing of the inhabitants of this world.  Had the Borg been through this region, the planets would doubtlessly be Borg.

    Her scans proved irrelevant, so she turned inward to the ship.  Perhaps she could modify the internal sensors to detect any intruders, as had happened once before.  She then re- modulated the internal sensors to a different phase-variance and initiated the scan.

    When that, too, came up negative, she re-modulated the sensors and tried again.  After repeating the same procedure twelve times, she discontinued the scan.

    Perhaps something else was wrong, such as a virus.  But to test this theory she would need to take a tissue sample of Paris. Unfortunately, he retreated every time she came near.   Would Neelix or Naomi Wildman allow her to take a sample?  Such conjectures were meant to be tested.

*      *      *

    Captain Janeway sat in her ready-room, sipping a cup of coffee.  The door chimed again and she set the cup down.  "Come in," she called.

    Commander Chakotay stepped through the door.  "I believe Seven is getting worried about us."

    "Oh, really?" she asked.  "You tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine."  She motioned him to the couch by the window.

    He sat.  "She just scanned the ship twelve times on twelve different phase-variances."

    Janeway chuckled.  "Sounds to me like she’s getting paranoid.  She came in here about an hour ago and expressed her concern about the crew’s behavior.  I think she thinks we’re having mass hallucinations again."

    Chakotay smiled.  "Or we’re being used as guinea pigs for a race of alien scientists."

    "She was concerned that Tom was running from her.  Every time she gets near him, he leaves!" she laughed.

    "Yes.  She saw the two of us talking in the corridor outside the Officers’ Mess and walked right over.   Paris had just finished telling me about it, so he left," he replied, chuckling a little himself.  "Does Tuvok know?"

    The captain nodded.  "It would help, though, if he would behave a little abnormally."

    Chakotay stood.  "I’ll be sure and tell him that."

*      *      *

    Seven strode briskly into the Science Lab, trying not to let her confusion touch her features.  Naomi had allowed her to take a sample, without protest, and Seven was now determined to analyze the tissue for anomalous readings.  In the corridor on her way to the lab, she passed an officer who was polite and congenial as ever, but something about his behavior was most puzzling.

    Was it her imagination or had Tuvok smiled at her?

*      *      *

    "B’Elanna!"

    The chief engineer turned around at the sound of her name.  Harry Kim stepped around a console and approached her.  "Hi, Harry," she replied, trying not to sound as tired as she felt.

    "B’Elanna, did Tom tell you?" the young ensign asked.

    She shook her head.  "The captain told me."

    "So you know about it, right?"   She nodded.  He flashed her a grin before continuing, "Everyone has been doing his or her part to help.  Tom runs every time she comes near, the doctor sneezes, and Tuvok smiles.  Seven is so completely confused, she’s scanned the ship on twelve different phase-variances and even taken a tissue sample from Naomi!"

    Despite her weariness, B’Elanna felt herself smiling.  "Must be hard on her.  The captain didn’t say what I should do to help, though."

    Kim’s grin widened.  "I thought of this myself: you and Tom are going to get into a fight every little bit over the least little thing.  When you have Seven’s attention, kiss and make up. Tom will have to run off immediately afterwards, though."

    Torres laughed.  "She’ll probably ask the doctor if all couples do that and he’ll sneeze on her.  Sounds great, Harry."  She started to turn away, but reeled back.  "Hey, what are you going to do?"

    "I haven’t decided yet."

    Glancing around to make sure the Monkey-in-the-Middle of their little game wasn’t present, she told him her idea.

*      *      *

    The scan of Naomi Wildman’s DNA was inconclusive.  Seven decided she needed more samples before she could form a report for the captain.  Neelix was undoubtedly in the Mess Hall and could be persuaded to allow her to take a tissue sample.  For the second time in eight hours, she walked into the Mess Hall.

    Ensign Kim was in the corner, poring over a stack of datapadds.  Neelix was in the kitchenette, cooking.

    "Neelix," she said, approaching his work area.  "I require your assistance."

    The cook looked up from his pots and pans and gave her a flustered look again.  "Sorry, Seven, but I have a lot to do and don’t have much time to do it in."  Just as he spoke, a chime sounded and he pushed past her to get to the beeping object.

    "It will require only a moment of your time, I assure you."

    He opened his mouth to reply, but a loud outburst from the door drew her attention.

    "B’Elanna, I promise! I’m not avoiding you!"

    "Oh, sure!" the engineer snapped.  "And I suppose that your busy schedule doesn’t permit you to take a little time to talk to me?"

    "Of course it does, B’Elanna.   Today was just... extra unusual," Paris replied, capturing her hand before it could hit his face.  "I don’t think there was anything I didn’t have to do today.  I had to carry messages from one side of the ship to the other."

    "Oh! You walked from 'one side of the ship to the other' and didn't drop by engineering?"  She swung at him with her free hand, which he caught easily.  "I would think you would have found some time to stop by and talk to me!"

    "I’m sorry," Paris replied.

    "Me too," Torres answered him, and the two embraced.

    Seven stared, confused by this little exchange between the two officers.  She unthinkingly stepped toward them.  Paris looked up, his eyes meeting hers, then he gave Torres one last quick kiss before hastening out the doors.  The lieutenant trailed after, demanding in a loud voice that he tell her where he was going.

    Ensign Kim appeared to be the only patron unaware of the altercation.  He still sat in the corner, poring over datapadds.

*      *      *

    "Paris to Janeway."

    Janeway was currently supposed to be in the lower portion of her "mood swing."  She tapped her commbadge.   "Janeway here," she sighed, drudging up as much melancholy as she could.

    "Poor Seven is completely in the dark," the pilot replied, a grin in his voice, "and we’re coming up on the star system."

    "On my way, Tom.  It’s about time my 'mood swing' took a turn for the better."

    "Amen," she heard him mutter under his breath as the channel closed.

    On her way out the door, Janeway spared a glance at her reflection in the window.  Allowing herself her sunniest smile, she stepped through the doors and onto the bridge.  Seven-of-Nine was nowhere to be seen, so she dropped the cheerful smile and walked quickly to her seat.

    "Take us out of warp, Mr. Paris," she ordered.  The streaking stars of warp travel slowed to mere pinpoints as Voyager reverted to real space.

    "We are being hailed, Captain," Tuvok announced.  "Audio only."

    "Put it through."

    There was a brief pause before a slightly nasal voice said, "Unknown vessel, this is the Raltain V control headquarters.  Please identify yourselves and state your purpose for being in this region of space."

    First contact always gave her a slight thrill.  Ever since Voyager had been stranded in the Delta Quadrant, Janeway had experienced this very thrill countless times--probably more times than any other Starfleet captain since the days of Kirk, or as far back as Archer, even.  "I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager.  We’re travelers from a distant part of the galaxy searching for a way home.  We’d be interested in any supplies or information you would be willing to trade."

    "Trade, Captain?"  The voice became Ferengi-like at the prospect of commerce, and Janeway found it both amusing and said that--while cultures of the galaxy were many and diverse--greed was a universal constant.  "Most interesting.  We have a station in orbit of this planet.  You may dock your ship at Port Four and we can discuss trade options."

    "I have the beacon, Captain," Paris called from the helm.

    "Thank you, Control.  Voyager out."

    As Tuvok cut off communication, Janeway turned to her officers.  "So far, so good.  Tuvok, what’s our status?"

    "This civilization is post- warp.  However, their level of technology has not yet reached directed- energy weaponry or transporters," the Vulcan replied.

    "Then take us to Port Four, Mr. Paris.  Chakotay, I want you to compile a list of assets.  I have a feeling we’re going to need to use every Ferengi trick in the book with these people.  Don’t forget to have Neelix to compile the list of things we need."  She stressed the last word and contained to herself a sudden burst of laughter.

    "I’ll get right on it," the first officer promised with a smile.

*      *      *

    Tests of the air revealed no infectious agents, sensor logs indicated no tampering with the doctor’s program, and Tom Paris hadn’t been on an away mission in weeks.  Although she preferred not to express it, Seven was becoming frustrated.

    So far, the doctor sneezed in her presence, Naomi Wildman giggled, Commander Tuvok smiled, and Commander Chakotay ran his fingers through his hair repeatedly.  Other disturbing behaviors included Lieutenant Torres’ incessant fights and subsequent apologies to Ensign Paris, who ran upon sight of Seven.

    Now, due to a whimsical thought by Captain Janeway, she was headed for a picnic on the fourth planet in the system.  At least she could talk to the senior officers now, bring their anomalous behaviors to their attention, and finally get some answers.

    The Prime Directive, which Seven thought to be a rather pointless mandate, dictated that the crew could not use transporters except in an emergency, so the picnickers would need to use two shuttles to reach the planet’s surface.

    She looked with distaste at the "comfortable" garments she had been asked to wear.  Was there no end to the frivolities of humanity?  The outfit was a short-sleeved tunic, impractically loose cotton slacks, and a pair of low-heeled sandals.  She was willing to endure the "picnic" so long as she got answers.

    Seven slipped on the clothing (it took her a little bit to figure out how it was supposed to go on) and loosened her hair.  She stepped out the doors of the cargo bay and met the doctor, whose program had been re-adjusted to fit him with similar clothing.

    "Am I presentable, Doctor?" she queried.

    The doctor sneezed.  "Quite presentable, Seven. And, may I suggest, you ask 'how do I look?' instead of 'am I presentable?'"

    "Very well."  Yet another lesson in etiquette.  "'How do I look?'"

    "Lovely, Seven."  He sneezed again and extended his elbow.  "Shall we?"  Seven remembered her lessons and slipped her own arm through his.

    Together, the hologram and the former Borg walked to the shuttle bay.  Once they arrived, Seven saw that a milling crowd of people already surrounded the two shuttles.

    Chakotay ran his fingers through his hair. standing it on end.  "Seven and the doctor are here, now, Captain."  Harry Kim never looked up from his datapadd as he walked into the first shuttle, followed closely by Paris and Torres--both bickering--and the serenely smiling Captain Janeway.

    Seven had hoped to get a seat on Ensign Paris’ shuttle, but she was, instead, steered to the second shuttle as the first’s ramp lifted.  After she and the doctor were seated, Chakotay and the smiling Tuvok took their places at the front of the shuttle.

    As the shuttles lifted off, she asked, "Commander Tuvok, why are you smiling?"

    In calm, measured tones he answered, "Smiling uses far fewer muscles than frowning, Seven..."

    That is a fact, she agreed silently.

    "...And it is also an excellent way to express one's emotions," he continued.

    Thoroughly perplexing, Seven thought.  She did not voice her opinion.

    The shuttle ride was made in silence broken only by the doctor’s sneezing.  Seven was the first out as soon as the ramp opened.  She looked around, taking in a sunny glade broken only by three large trees.  Humans would probably call this beautiful, so she decided that she, too, would appear to appreciate the "beauty" of her surroundings.

    The ramp of the first shuttle had just touched the ground.  Without ever looking up from the datapadd, Ensign Kim walked over to a log on the ground and sat, apparently mesmerized by what he found on the little device.  Once again, Paris and Torres followed after him, though they now had their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders and appeared content.  Lastly, of course was Janeway, her smile a reflection of the glade's brilliance.  In her hands she carried a large basket with a lid.

    The picnic was laid out on a large blanket replicated for this purpose.  After everyone had been handed a plate of food, they scattered about the glade, chattering quietly.  Chakotay, Janeway, Paris, and Torres formed one group; Tuvok and the doctor formed their own.  Ensign Kim sat by himself on the log, chewing passively on a sandwich as he stared at the seemingly-fascinating datapadd.

    Seven had begun to step toward the captain's group when Ensign Paris jumped to his feet and ran back to the shuttle on some errand; just as she had expected.  She altered course and walked, instead, to Ensign Kim’s otherwise unoccupied log.

    "May I sit here, Ensign?" she asked politely.  He nodded without ever looking up.

    Seven refused to admit it aloud, but sitting on a log next to a silent communications officer was simply boring.  She was relieved when the doctor sneezed and motioned her over to his group.

    Just as she stood, Captain Janeway did, too.  Paris had just returned from his trip to the shuttle, carrying a bottle of what could only be champagne.  With a frown on her face, Janeway said, "Tom, I’m ready to go back to the ship now."

    Seven was startled by the captain’s sudden mood-shift.  Hadn’t she been cheerful just a few minutes before?

    Before she could say anything, the pilot handed the bottle to Lieutenant Torres, then he and the captain returned to the shuttle.  Within moments, they'd lifted off into the blue sky.

*      *      *

    As soon as the shuttle left the ground, Janeway dropped the frown and chuckled.  Paris shot her a grin over his shoulder and nodded toward the datapadd he’d gotten from Harry.  "I got it."

    "Good," she replied, reaching for it.  "My jaw was starting to ache from keeping up that smile.  What took Neelix so long?"

    "Naomi couldn’t decide.  She apologized, but I told her it was fine." Tom replied.  The shuttle flowed smoothly up out of the atmosphere under his practiced fingers.  "It was worth the wait, though.  Did you see what Naomi put?"

    Janeway searched through the supply list before she found the girl’s name.  The item was on the list of things to be replicated.  "Oh.  That girl is definitely going to make a good Captain’s Assistant," she smiled.

    "That’s what I thought.  The two of you think alike."

    "What’s that supposed to mean?"

    "You’re both devious," he replied, baiting her.

    "Devious, eh?" Janeway replied.   "And I suppose you aren’t?"

    "Who, moi?" Paris asked, feigning innocence.  "Captain, you got the wrong guy!"

    Not long after lift-off, the shuttle docked with the station, and the two officers disembarked... and went shopping.

*      *      *

    After the captain’s rather unusual display of emotion, the picnic seemed to collapse.  Ensign Kim put his datapadd down long enough to exchange a few words with Lieutenant Torres.   Commander Chakotay then joined Seven’s group.  After several silent minutes, they decided to "call it quits" and packed up the picnic.

    The shuttle ride back to the ship was just as uneventful as the previous trip, though slightly more crowded.   Seven relished her return to her normal garments and duties.  She left the cargo bay and headed for the Astrometrics Lab.

    The walk there was short and uneventful.  When she entered the lab, she found Ensign Wildman working at one of the consoles.

    "Seven," the woman called, "I’m glad you’re here."  Samantha then cracked her knuckles, a habit she had begun recently.  It occurred to Seven that the habit had begun at approximately the same time as the doctor’s sneezing and Paris’ avoidance of her.

    "We just purchased some navigational charts from the Raltain," Wildman was saying.  "I thought you should help me look at them... see if there’s anything you’ve seen before."   The ex-Borg woman wanted to continue her investigation into the crew’s anomalous behavior, but she consented.

    For nearly an hour, the two women pored over the charts, looking for wormholes, black holes, and inhabited systems.  Finally, the last distortion was investigated--a collapsed wormhole that Seven knew had once reached to another part of the Delta Quadrant, but the other end had destabilized a century previously.  Wildman cracked her knuckles and thanked Seven for her help.

    The corridor was silent and empty as she stepped out.  For some reason she felt apprehensive about returning to the cargo bay to regenerate.  She dismissed it as an involuntary and unreasonable reaction to the strange events over the past two days.

    But the feeling grew stronger as she neared Cargo Bay Two.  This is the sensation called paranoia, she rationalized.  Steeling herself, she stepped through the doors.

    The room was dark, as usual, but she could see from the door that a fuzzy brown object was in her alcove.   She strode over to it and lifted it.  It was a child’s toy called a "teddy bear," supposedly "cute" and "adorable."

    Attached to the bear was a tag: Have fun! Naomi. She pondered the strange message. What could it mean?

    Suddenly the lights came on.   "Surprise!"

    Seven spun about and faced a crowd of at least thirty people, all wearing silly pointed hats.  In their midst was a table piled high with colorful boxes and, in the center, a large cake with several lit candles on it.  Above their heads was a banner reading "Happy Birthday, Annika!"

    Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay, Lieutenant Torres, Ensigns Kim, Paris and Wildman, and the giggling Naomi broke out singing "Happy Birthday."  Seven, completely startled, could only nod and blow out the candles on the cake when instructed to do so.   Then the crewmembers, all of whom she had seen exhibiting unusual behavior over the past two days, gathered around her, well-wishing and congratulating her.

    "Captain..." she began, unsure of what to say.  "This is most... surprising."

    "It’s a surprise party, Seven," Tom Paris answered her, placing one of the hats on her head.  "It’s supposed to surprise you."

    Janeway handed her a slice of cake and a fork.  "Eat up, Seven.  The birthday girl always gets a piece of the cake before anyone else."

    None of the doctor’s lessons had prepared her for this, but Seven understood the cue and speared a small chunk of the chocolate cake with her fork, hesitated, then put it in her mouth.   The crewmembers gave yet another cheer.

    "This ceremony is confusing and irrelevant," she protested mildly after swallowing.  The cake did have a wonderful flavor, so she ventured another bite, then another.  Before long, the piece was gone, and someone took the plate from her hands and replaced it with one of the colorful boxes, instructing her to open it.  Inside was a curious object, obviously purchased from the station.  She made a mental note to identify its purpose later, and opened a second box.

    When all the boxes had been opened and many of the crew had returned to their duties, Seven sought out Ensign Paris.  To her relief, he did not flee when she approached, but smiled and waited.

    "Ensign Paris.  Tom.   You are the one responsible for this irrelevant ceremony?"

    He grinned.  "I wish I could take credit for it, but no.  The captain was the one who came up with the idea.  I just found a way to throw you off our trail for a few days."

    Seven turned to the captain, surprised by the information imparted to her. "Captain?"

    Janeway attempted to appear nonchalant, but soon gave up the façade and smiled.

    "Thank you," Seven replied, though this time her appreciation was genuine and not merely the decree of policy.

Back                 Next