Chapter 5

  Seven looked at her "admirers" as unpredictable humans. But their faith in her was what disturbed her most. She tried to detour their idea that she would be a good guardian by pointing out her flaws. Unfortunately, her flaws were what men found most desirable about her. She told them all to wait there. She went to the Doctor, her only "mostly human" advisor that she trusted in such manners. Seeing him as a tiny version of himself was also disturbing.

  Her quick walk was more tribute to her fine body tone. Nothing bounced more enticingly than Seven's body in a hurry.

  "Doctor. I require your assistance."

  "What's wrong?" The Doctor appeared and kept a tone for Seven that he didn't use with the rest of the crew. Even though he was a program, he could "feel" something for her. It was something he couldn't explain, and it did NO good whatsoever that she was now magnified by her immense size compared to him. She brought her face down low to speak candidly as she often did when distressed about human manners.

  "The men aboard the ship ... they think I should look after them until they can be returned to normal." She said as if it were the most dire crisis. The Doctor was surprised and a bit jealous. He wasn't required to seek out a female guardian, he wasn't a human mortal man. Seven would be his choice if he were though.

  He sighed. "I can see why." Was all he could conjure. Her face was even more beautiful and exotic up close like this. Her hot breath blew over him from beautifully formed large lips.

  "There is an error in their judgment. I am responsible for their condition. Therefore, they should seek someone else to protect them for this time." Her lips stayed tense, but her confusion made her all the more lovable. Even her Borg implant on her forehead looked like exotic jewelry as he looked up at her from the medical station console. He tried to let her know how he felt through his actions, not just his words, but all the subtleties in the cosmos would never pierce Seven of Nine's armor she'd managed to guard herself with.

  "It's Captain's orders. They can go to whom ever they wish..." He looked at it as an open and shut case. Seven pursed her lips and steadied herself. She was always ready to "argue" the Borg way. Fighting with a three inch Doctor would be futile though. There was no physical challenge.

  "Their presence will hinder my work on the matter. Their minds must be changed. Perhaps there might be a psychological problem they acquired during the transformation? If so, you should examine them. At least long enough to give me time to think..."

  "That doesn't sound unreasonable, but I've ALREADY scanned them for any signs of damage. I'm afraid they've come to this conclusion on their own." The Doctor was none too happy about it, but he'd rather have Seven all to himself like he did at present. Her eyes began to beg even though she didn't allow her voice to convey it.

  "There must be an explanation. They should hate me." She let her voice drop to almost a whisper. It was music to the Doctor. He felt the same swell as when they sang together in perfect harmony. Seven was a work of art as well as a natural beauty.

  "The explanation is here." He indicated her face. She was confused and felt of her face wondering if he was pointing at any particular Borg implant that might be showing signs of activity. "No, I mean. YOU! You inspire trust in the crew ... men that is. Your confidence and skill is what lead them to you. That's not a delusion." He was trying his best to show how HE felt about her as well.

  She didn't get the connection.

  "If they were looking for strong traits, they would have all chosen the Captain. She has more than enough confidence for all of them." She said as if countering an attack. It did nothing but convince the Doctor that Seven had no idea what a force she was. It was a shame. He suddenly had an idea.

  "Do you remember your first date?"

  "On the holodeck?"

  "Yes. You dislocated your date's arm?" The Doctor tried to pace a bit closer and further so he could look at her eyes and lips closer without looking like he was swooning as much as he was.

  "I... remember." Seven said distastefully.

  "Is he one of the men that has come to you?" The Doctor asked knowing that Seven would have all of the details memorized whether she wanted to or not. Seven nodded thinking with her photographic memory.

  "Yes. He was. Further proof that the men are under some sort of delusion."

  "No. Further proof that when they think of a capable and honest guardian, they think of you."

  "Engineering to Seven of Nine." B'elana's voice came across her badge. Seven had to dismiss her personal problem for a few moments. She stood abruptly to attention leaving the Doctor reeling on his heels. Her face was so inspiring!

  "Seven here."

  "We've got a problem down here, I need your assistance." B'ellana usually didn't let Seven TOUCH the warp core. There must have been more than a little problem. Seven had to hurry out with minimal glances back at the Doctor who just shook his head and returned to the "invisible" realm of cyberspace.

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  "State the emergency." Seven burst into engineering. She was actually glad for a distraction from what awaited her in Astrometrics.

  "I've got a level two breech contained now, but we've lost some of our efficiency until I can patch it up better. Can you help?" The half Klingon beauty was a very competent engineer. It must have been killing her inside to have to ask, but her usual "assistants" were now no bigger than her finger and could do little in the way of repairing heavy duty problems with the warp core.

  "I will assist." Seven went straight to an Engineering console. What B'elana never realized is Seven's "do good" attitude was in no way directed at making the half Klingon half human woman feel inferior. On the contrary, being efficient was the only way Seven knew to reach out and try to befriend someone. The women on board Voyager didn't see it that way. They thought she had a "better than you" attitude from the start.

  Now, if Seven could understand humans, she'd have her efficiency adjusted to the real world.

  "I'm detecting several fractures on the secondary housing as well. I suggest shutting down immediately."

  "I can do this..." B'ellana started. But she'd need help to do it active. The Chief Engineer was now the chief pissed off resident Klingon engineer. Seven was going to make her report the failure to the Captain and take the warp drive off line. "Whatever!" she blew up at Seven and made the report to Ellana Jensen who was flying the ship in the other helmsmen's absence.

  The Captain was also informed as Voyager dropped out of hyperspace.

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  Her wakeup call was just in time. The computer announced that the Forlocci planet was within scanning distance. Janeway almost forgot Voyager was to rendezvous with a Forlocci trading vessel. Voyager's storehouses were getting critically low on a few things and they would be picking up supplies that they needed to survive. Ironically, after their "incident" they wouldn't need them as direly as usual. She shrugged to herself. It was better to have over rather than under kill.

  "Captain. This is Ellana Jensen, First Gunnery Officer at the helm. Engineering has informed me the warp core is shutting down for repairs."

  "Copy that. Scan for a Forlocci trading ship in this sector."

  "Captain? What does it look like?" The confused voice asked.

  Janeway was not used to an inexperienced crew. But times were hard. "You'll know it when you see it. Get as close as you can before the warp core is shut down."

  "Aye, Captain."

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  Several hours later, Janeway dressed in her best Starfleet regulation colors and prepared for the Forlocci ambassador to beam aboard.

  She told her tiny charge goodbye and made her way to the transporter room. She didn't want to leave him, but again, she knew where he was SUPPOSED to be at all times and first contact could be rough.

  The Forlocci weren't that much different than humans. One tall pock faced man and woman beamed in with ghastly white skin and huge silken robes. The Captain greeted them with a smile wishing Neelix was by her side. Her diplomacy was a bit rusty after having someone to do it for her for so long. The transporter officer was a non descript woman who'd been pulled from some other task to sit in at the station temporarily. Captain Janeway shrugged to herself internally. She hoped the traders wouldn't see them as some sort of matriarchal society.

  "I am Celina of the Ferlocci, this is my consort Rubion." The pocked faced woman announced. She looked neither young nor old, just characterized by her race's facial formations.

  B'ellana would feel like a "smooth queen" of beauty compared to them.

  "I am Captain Katherine Janeway. This is my ship, USS Voyager. Welcome aboard."

  "When shall we commence our negotiations?" The placid faced woman asked with her forehead moving up and down with no eyebrows. It must have designated an earnest gesture because her consort was doing the same thing.

  "As soon as you wish. My ship is open to you. Feel free to visit as long as you wish." The Captain already guessed that they were in for a long haul. It appeared that the Forlocci WERE matriarchs. It would be an interesting negotiation as well. She hoped the crew kept their "men" safe during the visit as they were ordered. If nothing else, the Forlocci APPEARED to be monsters of some sort. Sharp fangs and claws instead of fingernails.

  They'd dealt with worse, but she'd been hoping for so much better.

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  "It's not the same B'ellana. Don't!" Tom was fighting B'ellana's attempts to get him out of the Delta Flyer. She wanted to carry him with her, and it was simply not something he'd let her do. "I'll follow you..." He offered.

  "I made your Delta Flyer replica, you said you wouldn't stay in it too long. Now, come here." She had to grab him by his foot and drag him from the toy sized Flyer. He used his comm link to beam himself out of B'ellana's hand and back inside the Flyer so that he could escape. She saw him dematerialize and grabbed for the Flyer as it was about to take off. The engines fought her for a second, then Tom activated the shields and B'ellana got a jolting shock.

  "Ough!" She slapped her hands together to make the numbing feeling go away. "You! I'll get you for that!" She lunged after the Delta Flyer. Now Tom was trying to get away. He was going to have the computer beam him and the Delta Flyer "toy" to another part of the ship when B'ellana hammer fisted the shuttle to the floor of her room. She immediately was sorry for doing it, the Delta Flyer was destroyed.

  "Tom?!" She picked it up and saw him unconscious at the controls.

  She immediately beamed to sick bay still holding the Delta Flyer in her arms like a sick baby. Fortunately the Doctor was his size, and Tom was treated immediately.

  Janeway had to leave the conference room to see to the medical emergency.

  She was pissed when she got there.

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