Chapter 8
B’Elanna finished putting the remains of the breakfast away which seems only fitting to her since it had been Seven who had ended up making the breakfast stating that B’Elanna’s methods was inefficient.
“I think I’ll have a quick look in Engineering before we go give our report to the Captain. You okay with that?”
“It is acceptable. The report to the Captain is important but not urgent and I know that the first thing you do when you start working is take a look at the warp core.”
“Sure, call me predictable why don’t you.” B’Elanna joked as she started moving toward the door. “Okay then, shall we go?”
“Yes, Kyamo.” Seven replied and started to get up from the couch.
B’Elanna stopped when she heard Seven once again call her beautiful one in Klingon and joined Seven by the couch. “You really like calling me that, don’t you?” She asked while they both sat down again.
Seven smiled and openly took a good moment of time to admire the view of B’Elanna sitting there, looking at her. “It suits you. And I like the way it sounds. If there is a single word in the Klingon language that fits you perfectly, then it is Kyamo. Do you actually know the precise origin of the word Kyamo?”
“No, I don’t. It’s just a Klingon word like the rest. A beautiful one...” B’Elanna grinned at her chores of words, which had been accidentally. “... A beautiful word, I mean, but as far as I know, it is just a word.”
“That is incorrect. There is a specific history to that word. At the time the original Kahless lived, there was no Klingon description for ‘beautiful one.’ However, Kahless wanted a word that described his wife perfectly. After days of thinking, he decided that the beauty of his wife was so unheard of that no word in the Klingon language was good enough to describe her. So he came up with the term ‘Kyamo.’ And since then the use of the word Kyamo is only allowed to describe a beautiful Klingon woman.”
“Damn, Seven you really do know a lot about Klingons, don’t you? But, um, than how come that nowadays the word Kyamo is used to describe everything beautiful. Even a very good-looking Targ.”
Seven used her Mesh covered hand to brush away some of the hairs that hung before the Klingon’s face. She liked how B’Elanna reacted no differently to the normal hand than the hand with the exoskeleton on it. How B’Elanna leaned into a caress with that hand just as much as she did when Seven used her other hand.
“Because now, almost no one remembers the exact origin of the word. But, during the time that the real Kahless lived, you would have been killed for using the word Kyamo to describe a Targ. So, unless you object, I would like to keep calling you that, Kyamo.”
“I don’t mind at all. I also like the way it sounds.” B’Elanna leaned in to steal a small kiss. “Especially when it comes from these beautiful lips. So, you just keep right on calling me Kyamo. Mesh.”
It took a moment for Seven to understand that B’Elanna had just used her own form of endearment. And without really realizing it, she looked at her Mesh-covered hand that was still between them.
The Klingon took the hand between her own two hands before explaining tenderly. “That is what everybody else will think. And I am fine with that. Let them think that. Let them think that it is a reference to your Borg enhanced, Mesh-covered hand. But the real reason why I will call you that is something private something known only to us. I want to call you that because...”
“...because of what the word suggests.” Seven interrupted B’Elanna, already knowing and understanding what the Klingon was trying to say. “The word ‘Mesh’ is often used to describe the coming together of two things in a haphazard way. It would refer to the Meshing of my Borg nature and my humanity.”
“Yes, Mesh, but also it would indicate the coming together, the Meshing, of our love for each other. Because, you’ve got to admit. If something came together haphazard then it’s us.”
“Indeed.” Seven only said while she raised her eyebrow in her typical superior Borg manner. But then she quickly decided that she would rather be kissing B’Elanna, so she took a moment to do so. A moment, and a kiss, which turned into several kisses and a couple of minutes. Finally, she decided that they really had to go if they were ever going to leave the quarters that day. So she stood up and headed to the door. But just before the sensor would detect her, she realized that she had forgotten a small detail. “Computer, what is the translation status of the Klingon word Kyamo?” She asked, wanting to know if the computer would translate the word in the rest of the ship.
{The Klingon word Kyamo is listed as an endearment/profanity that is not to be translated into Federation language unless said in an ongoing conversation. Other words in this category are in order of common usage; raktajino, petaQ, jay’, bang, Hu’...}
“Computer, stop reply.” Seven interrupted when de computer continued giving detailed information. She then turned her attention to B’Elanna. “You have the computer set to detailed replying. Explain. You always told me to ‘shut up’ when I was expanding something in detail.”
“Mesh, first thing, you said it right. ‘Told’ you. Past tense. I never do that nowadays, do I?”
“No, you do not. However that does still not explain why you used to interrupt me.”
“Did it annoy you when I told you to shut up?”
“Yes, it did.”
“Then you know why I always told you to shut up. I like detailed information but I like telling you to shut up even more.”
“Ah, in that case, I can explain everything in detail from now on.” The Borg was not at all surprised by that explanation, she had expected as much.
She and B’Elanna finally left THEIR quarters and started walking to the turbolift. “You, of course, do realize that your alignment of the magnetic constrictors yesterday was off by 0.005 percent. I could explain how to correct this in the future. Then you...”
“Mesh, shut up.” The Klingon said with a smile. Knowing only too well that Seven was merely having fun.
“Yes, Kyamo.” The Borg dutifully replied and then added, “For now.”
***
As soon as they entered Engineering, B’Elanna and Seven had split up. B’Elanna going to Lieutenant Joe Carey and Seven went to examine the warp core readings.
“Okay, Carey, tell me what we’ve got,” the Klingon said.
“Nothing really to tell. We have steady running, nothing reported except for the standard small stuff, and nothing that would indicate that a new virus has activated.” Then he continued with a smile. “I see that you’re letting the Borg near your warp core without double-checking what she’s doing, “Carey said. And then continued while faking excessive nervousness, “Should I check if the escape pods are in good working order?”
Carey was B’Elanna’s second in command and he had seen how the two women had grown to each other in the last couple of months so they both knew that he was only teasing and needling his chief and good friend.
“Hey now, if I were you, I’d watch what I would say about my fiancée.” The Klingon came back just as jokingly and realized at the same moment exactly what she had said. She wanted the entire ship to know but she would have liked if her friend (and Captain) had been the first to hear the news. But there was no way of taking back her words and she wouldn’t deny the truth of them even under torture. So she decided to keep the conversation light and said in a sweet, innocent voice. “You wouldn’t want me to get all protective about my fiancée, now would you?”
While she was saying this, she dusted some imaginary lint of the Lieutenant’s uniform jacket. The whole scene was so innocent that was almost scary. However before Carey could ask if he had heard what he thought he had heard, never mind clarifying whether or not he was just ‘threatened’, they were interrupted by the clanging of tools being dropped and scattered about the floor by a young Ensign who had been only recently promoted to Engineering. The Ensign was so caught up in ‘accidentally’ overhearing the conversation between Carey and B’Elanna that she had walked straight into the warp core console, scattering the tools that she was carrying all over the floor.
“Are you damaged?” Seven asked the Ensign while she was helping her up from the floor.
“You guys are actually engaged? Wow. That is so cool. We’ve been waiting for that to happen for years! The group will never believe me when I tell them this. This is so… Wow.”
B’Elanna sighed at the inevitable question. She really did want everybody to know about her engagement, it was just that she wanted to tell her closest friends first. Tom, Harry and Janeway. Those people should have been the first to know. So she was a bit reluctant to tell others this news first.
But, then again, this was her engineering staff. They deserved to know and she was just dying to tell more people about her love.
While this conversation was taken place, Seven took a moment to look around Engineering. She saw that nobody was working anymore and everybody was listening to the conversation. The Ensign’s excitement had made sure of that. Seven was surprised to see nothing but smiles and approval written on every face. And the few that saw her looking at them returned the look with eyes filled with well wishing.
“Rachel, calm down.” The Klingon addressed the Ensign. “Yes, Mesh and I got engaged late last night. So you guys are actually the first to know.”
“Mesh?” Rachel asked. “Ah, you mean Seven. Nice nickname. Anyway, we never believed that you guys really hated each other. We always thought that all that fighting was just pent-up sexual frustration. It is so great to be proven right. Oh boy, the group will have a baby when I tell them this. Say, talking about baby, have you two actually… um, you know, consummated and all that stuff?”
“Kyamo, would you mind if I assimilated your engineer. At least that way she would stop asking questions that are unhealthy for her continued existence.”
“Um, Rachel, you know that I don’t mind that you talk so openly, but you do need to learn that you simply don’t ask certain things. So, don’t ask. And what is this group you’re talking about?” B’Elanna decided that it was better to steer the conversation away from dangerous subjects that could try even Seven’s patience.
“Oh, nothing really.” Ensign Rachel suddenly started to answer vaguely. “Just some of us lower deck personnel who like to get together and gossip about ship’s business. Hey Seven, I also like the Kyama nickname.”
“That is Kyamo, not Kyama. And you are answering evasively.”
“Eh, I am? Um, I really got to go. I have to do maintenance on the turbolift.”
With that, Rachel quickly gathered the tools from the ground and left Engineering almost at a run. But she didn’t go to the turbolift. She headed straight for her quarters. She had to let the group know this great news. Turbolift maintenance could wait for a couple minutes.
B’Elanna laughed when she looked at the retreating figure. She couldn’t help it, she just liked the kid. “Anyway, Joe, Seven and I have to make our report to the Captain so you will have to hold the fort a little while longer.”
“Sure, no problem. And let me be the first one to congratulate you on your engagement. I think you two fit together perfectly.”
“I must admit that I am surprised by your reaction to our engagement. I had suspected more resistance to the fact that B’Elanna and I have begun a relationship.”
Carey shook his head when he heard that. “Neh, Seven, not anymore. Sure, the first year you were on board pretty much nobody trusted you. But three years have passed since you got here and you have shown us, on numerous occasions, that we can trust you. You have saved this ship several times and you have proven that you certainly deserve a place here. I know that you don’t have many close friends but you also, as far as I know, have no more enemies on board this ship and we all like you. So we certainly won’t mind that you would get involved with our stubborn Chief Engineer here.”
“Hey, I resent that. I am not stubborn. Okay, so I’m a little bit stubborn.” The Klingon said, in mock outrage before getting serious again, “Thanks, Joe, that means a lot to me, to us. I’m glad that I don’t need to go around breaking noses left and right.”
Carey rubbed his own nose in response to that. “That would be a good incentive. But it really isn’t necessary. I guarantee you, there’s only sincere well wishes from the crew.”
“Most of the crew.” Seven corrected.
B’Elanna knew whom Seven was talking about so she decided not to react. She was sure that her friend would be happy for her. Certainly, Chakotay would only wish for her happiness.
“Well, see you later, Carey.”
Seven gave a small nod to the Engineer and left together with the Klingon.
***
They were halfway to the turbolift when they met four members of the crew debating something rather actively.
“It appears that the Ensign was quick in spreading the word. They are talking about our relationship.” The Borg sometimes found her enhanced hearing quite useful.
“Yeah. It looks like the news might reach the bridge before we do.”
“I highly doubt that, the bridge is a sealed off part of the ship. I am sure that the entire ship knows by now, except the bridge. I do not believe that anybody from the crew would specifically go to the bridge to spread gossip. Nor would they send a message. I believe that this is one of those cases where everyone knows except the senior staff.”
“You’re probably right. But only because lunch break hasn’t started yet. Because then I’m sure they would know.”
By now, they had reached the crewmembers who were suddenly extremely quiet, not really knowing what to say. Finally, one of them gathered the courage to speak.
“Sooo. Um, is it true? You guys finally got involved, officially, I mean?”
“Yes, X.” B’Elanna answered the woman whose real name was so difficult to pronounce that everybody simply called her X, which was at least the first letter of her name. “Seven and I got engaged yesterday, according to Klingon tradition, and today, Mesh agreed to move in with me. Which means you and Rachel will have to help Harry, Seven and me build a new alcove in our quarters. I want that finished by the next time Mesh has to regenerate.”
“Sure, boss. You just give the word and we will be ready. I like that nickname by the way, Mesh, sounds like something I would come up with. Um, that is… not that I have dreamt of being close enough to Seven to have a nickname for her.” Then X realized that Seven was also present. “Oh, God. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t want to be close to you, just that I ain’t. I certainly wouldn’t mind being close to you. As a matter-of-fact, I have dreamt of that, um… I didn’t say that, you didn’t hear that. What I meant was…”
“X, stop digging.” B’Elanna came to the rescue. The Klingon certainly couldn’t blame her for having a crush on Seven. “She will let you go on until you wish you could sink through the floor.”
“That warning comes a bit too late, boss. I already want to sink through the floor. But…” X sighed and took a deep breath. “Let me assure you that I am absolutely happy for you. You deserve each other. And I mean that in a good way. Not that I mean… I am going to shut up now.”
“A very wise decision.” The Borg finally said. “I thank you for your well wishes. They are… unorthodox but appreciated. Shall we continue, Kyamo?”
The Klingon didn’t answer but started walking to the turbolift with a big grin on her face. She looked to the side and saw a smile on Seven’s lips when they both heard the excited X saying: “Did you hear what she called her? That is so…wow.”
When the doors to the turbolift finally closed behind them, B’Elanna could not contain her laughter and even Seven was laughing silently. “Do you think she’s part of this group Rachel was talking about?” The Klingon finally asked.
“I would say that the chance of this is highly likely.” Then the Borg sobered up and her voice became serious. “I was fully prepared to ignore the negative reactions of the crew to our involvement but these positive reactions make me feel accepted, part of the collective.”
“I think Carey was right, Annika. You may only have a few good friends but you certainly have a lot of friends on this ship, even if you don’t know it yourself.”
“I am starting to realize that.” Seven said while the doors to the bridge opened and they both stepped out. “It is just that...” But Seven never finished her sentence. Her eyes had drifted to the viewscreen and she had seen the ship on it. Suddenly, she couldn’t move anymore. Now that Species 8472 was once again back into fluidic space there was only one known species in the Galaxy that were a threat to the Borg collective. For eighteen years, Seven had lived with the knowledge that there was one thing that could threaten the continued existence of the Borg collective. Now that Seven could feel emotions again, seeing that ship filled her with fear. However, that fear was only short-lived. It was quickly replaced with the need to protect her collective. To protect Voyager.
“What’s the matter, Mesh?” B’Elanna asked when she noticed that Seven had stopped moving. But the Borg never answered her. What happened next on the bridge was more important.
“Okay, Tuvok...” Janeway said.
But before Tuvok could do whatever the Captain was about to order, a purple light was filling the bridge. “WE are being scanned.” Tuvok said calmly, if a bit redundant.
Seven could feel how Tuvok was looking at her but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the ship on the viewscreen.
“Raise Shields.”
These words from Janeway were finally enough to prompt a reaction from Seven. She knew that she had to act now or it could already be too late. So while Janeway was still saying her last word, her voice was drowned out by a not so cool nor composed blonde urgently screaming...
“NO!!!”
That reaction was even enough to stop Tuvok from carrying out his orders.
“Seven?” A surprised Janeway asked.
That question and B’Elanna’s hand on the small of her back guiding her was enough to finally get the Borg moving. And it was only the contact of that hand on her back that gave Seven the self-confidence she needed at that moment.
“Seven, I am waiting for an explanation. We are sitting ducks with our shields lowered.”
“I realize that, Captain, but they never attack unless provoked. However, the meaning of the word ‘provoked’ is rather broad-based with them. Everything can be a provocation if they are looking for it. Raising our shields could be considered a provocation.”
“Okay, I can accept that. But I would still rather have my shields up in case they decide that something else is a provocation and start firing upon us.”
The Borg opened her mouth to start explaining more precisely what she meant but decided that she really needed to get the Captain’s undivided attention before Janeway would make a decision based upon only a part of the information. So she opted for a very blunt but effective; “If they start firing upon us then our shields would not make any difference. There weapon technology is far superior to Voyager’s.”
“Come now, Seven. I’m sure that we could handle a ship that is ten times smaller than Voyager.” The Captain said. But to her credit, she didn’t simply assume this. She wanted Seven to prove her wrong. However, it was not Seven who was going to prove her wrong but the other ship.
“Something is happening.” Harry said when he saw the indicators on his board lightening up. They are powering up weapons and shields, Captain.”
“Tuvok…”
“This is a unwise decision, Captain.” Seven tried again.
“Your objection is noted, Seven, but I still want those shields up.”
“Kathryn, you will kill us all.” Seven said in a last desperate attempt.
But, luckily enough, that attempt was very effective.
“Harry, what do those readings tell you?” The Captain asked. But when the young lieutenant didn’t answer, she looked at him and saw disbelief written all over his face. Janeway had enough of it. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. So instead of trying to give another order, she stood up and walked to Kim’s station. When she saw the readings that were on the board, she too needed a moment to find her words.
“I stand corrected. Thank you, Seven. At the moment, that little ship has a weapon signature that is more than fifteen times as powerful as that of the most powerful ship in the Federation. The shields measure as more than twenty times as powerful as anything the Federation has.”
“That is correct.” Tuvok had rerouted the information through his board because he saw it as his duty to double-check those readings. And he saw it also as his duty to give more information. “And I suspect that they are not running at full capacity. The readings are too steady for that. They do not show the power fluctuations one gets when the systems are running at top capacity.”
“So they are just showing off?” Paris chipped in.
“I think it is more like they are looking for what our reaction will be.” Janeway took the time she needed to get back to her chair to think about what her next action would be. “Any suggestions, Seven?”
“They always allowed the Borg to retreat. Maybe they will allow us to back up.”
“They ALLOWED the Borg to retreat?” Janeway asked. “Very well, they didn’t answer our hails, they won’t let us through, and they just basically told us that picking a fight with them is not a good idea so let’s see if we can go around them. Tom take us back fifty thousand kilometers at warp seven, then set a course that will take us around them, leaving at least those fifty thousand kilometers between us.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The next five minutes were spent in tense silence. Finally, Tom set the new course and they once again started in the direction of the Alpha Quadrant.
“If you want to raise the shields, Captain, then now is the time to do it.” Seven said, knowing only too well that the shields really wouldn’t help them but they would make Janeway feel more comfortable.
“Well in that case, Tuvok, raise shields.”
“Shields at one hundred percent.”
All the time this was happening, the mysterious ship didn’t move. But when they finally came alongside the ship, though at a fifty thousand kilometer distance, the ship started moving and then it just disappeared. Only to reappear in front of them again, blocking their way once again.
“All stop.” Janeway ordered. “Did my eyes just deceive me or did that ship jump from one place to the other.”
“It did not ‘jump’. It moved at a speed in excess of warp ten.” The now completely calm Borg explained.
“What? They have Transwarp capabilities? But I didn’t see a Transwarp conduit?” Janeway asked surprised.
“They do not need a conduit. Their shielding is strong enough to protect the ship from being torn apart by the forces that act on a ship at Transwarp. The fastest speed that the Borg have ever seen one of their ships travel at was warp sixteen point six. But the Borg believe that they might be capable of speeds in excess of warp thirty.”
“This just keeps getting better. Any idea why they won’t let us through? And what more can you tell us about them?”
The only two reasons I can think of for why they won’t let us through is because either they are protecting something, or we have reached the border of their territory. And as for what more I can tell you, do you want this information now or do you want to hold a senior staff meeting?”
“You’re right again, Seven. A senior staff meeting is definitely what we need right now.” Janeway got up and moved in the direction of conference room one and only gave the order as in an afterthought. “All senior staff to the conference room.”
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