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Resistance really is futile	By : goofball Category: Star Trek > Voyager Views: 7729 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Don't own anything about Star Trek Voyager nor make I money with my story

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
AN: It came to my attention that folks might be waiting for the “real” BDSM to start. I’m sorry if I didn’t get it across in the summary but BDSM isn’t going to be a main plot in this first part of the series.
On the up-side: I nearly forgot a whole chapter, so there are actually 22 altogether :o)
*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, on her way to begin her duty shift on the Bridge, Janeway met Chakotay in the Turbolift. He asked her if she wouldn’t like to take some time off so she could spent it with Seven. Janeway murmured something about Seven needing to rest and fled into her Ready Room as soon as possible.
There she forced herself to work on some reports, even if it meant she had to read each word out loud just to keep her mind from wandering.
Janeway drank plenty of coffee but couldn’t really remember when she had eaten the last meal, so she nibbled on half a piece toast, but pushed the plate with the rest to the side. Instead she took a new report, then the next and another.
Every now and then Janeway took a fresh cup of coffee to the window and stared out.
Out, you’re out of her life.
Janeway shook her head, as if that would help to keep thoughts of Seven away. The time for emotions had been last night. Now Janeway needed a clear head. That, however, was a futile exercise. The best she managed was some kind of numbness and a phony one at that.
Because underneath her own personal pain, there was still the worry about Seven’s health. Surely, it was good sign that the Doctor hadn’t contacted her so far, or at least it wasn’t bad.
As if it wasn’t bad enough.
That Janeway hadn’t heard from B’Elanna on the other hand, could only mean that they hadn’t made any progress. And that was bad.
With a sigh Janeway reached for another PADD, but there was only empty air were the stack had been. She frowned and looked to the pile of supposedly finished reports, from which she couldn’t remember a single one.
When had she done them all? Janeway checked the time and blinked in surprise. How could it be almost midnight again? Then she realized that she hadn’t been disturbed once. Nobody had been in here to deliver a new report or came with one or the other request. Nobody had contacted her at all.
Janeway sat back. Even without any disturbance, she should have been able to keep track of what she was doing. Maybe it was time for a break. Too bad she didn’t feel sleepy, tired yes, but not sleepy, and she decided to take another nightly stroll through the ship first and then head to bed.
Janeway was only a couple of steps away from Sickbay, when she realised where she was going and stopped in the middle of the corridor.
This is just plain stupid, Kathryn! Janeway thought, and hurriedly went past the doors – which of course happened to open just then. Janeway quickened her steps.
“Captain?” B’Elanna called after her.
Janeway sighed and stopped, looking over her shoulder at B’Elanna, who came up beside her.
Her puzzled gaze shifted from Janeway to Sickbay and back. “I’ve been in there for hours…” B’Elanna narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Janeway closely. “How come I haven’t seen you in there?”
“Because…” Janeway really tried to come up with something else beside the fact, but she hadn’t the strength to think of something. So she went with the truth. “Because Seven ended our relationship.”
“What?” B’Elanna looked at Janeway as if she didn’t believe her.
Janeway knew exactly how she felt.
“She didn’t… did she?”
Janeway gave a curt nod.
The expression on B’Elanna’s face went from incredulous to disgruntled and she pivoted on her heels, growling under her breath.
Janeway quickly grabbed her arm. The last thing Janeway needed right now was being the reason for a fight between Seven and her best friend. “B’Elanna, before you go on a rampage on my behalf…” Janeway sighed. “I don’t like her decision, nevertheless it’s her own and I have to respect that. And so do you.”
“But it doesn’t make any sense!”
“No, it doesn’t,” Janeway agreed.
The fact remains the same.
Janeway’s eyes filled with tears and she blinked. “I need to go,” she whispered.
All the anger seemed to drain out of B’Elanna and she put a hand on Janeway’s shoulder. “Ca- Kathryn, you’ve been there for me so often,” she said softly. “Please let me return the favour.”
Janeway’s defences started to crumble and she nodded once.
“I’ll get you out of here,” B’Elanna said. “Computer, initialize site-to-site transport to my quarters for the Captain and myself.”
B’Elanna looked at Janeway, who knew she should protest about the waste of energy, but frankly, she didn’t care as long as she got away. Janeway nodded again and B’Elanna stated her clearance-code.
Their molecules assembled in B’Elanna’s quarters and she led Janeway to the couch, where she made her sit down, before taking a seat herself, just like Janeway had done with her last week.
“B’Elanna, I need you to do me a favour,” Janeway said and turned her head to B’Elanna.
“What is it?”
Janeway took one of B’Elanna’s hands between both of her own, then locked eyes with her. “You’re her best friend and I need you to stay that,” Janeway started and once more her eyes began to burn. “Worst case scenario has her die and I-“ she blinked rapidly but that didn’t stop the tears. “And I don’t want her to be alone, B’Elanna. Please don’t…” Janeway choked out a laugh. “Please don’t bug her about me.”
The tone that came from B’Elanna as she lowered her head sounded like a mixture of a laugh and a sob. As she looked up again, her eyes were swimming in tears. “You have my word that I won’t leave her alone, and I won’t bother her about you.”
Janeway squeezed her hand. “Thank you,” she whispered, then wiped at her cheeks with one hand. “Sorry, about that.”
B’Elanna reached across Janeway to a side table and put a box of tissues between them, taking one for herself. “If I as a Klingon allow myself to cry, so can a mere human.”
Janeway let go of B’Elanna’s hand with a snort, then took a tissue as well.
“You want to talk about what happened?” B’Elanna asked.
Inhaling deeply, Janeway shrugged. “There isn’t that much to tell,” she said and then told B’Elanna about the conversation in Sickbay and the accidental meeting in Engineering.
Once Janeway had finished, B’Elanna shook her head. “I don’t get why she won’t give you a reason. That’s so unlike Seven.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Janeway replied. “She won’t even look at me.”
“Something isn’t right here.”
Janeway raised an eyebrow. “You promised!”
“I won’t pester her in the situation she’s in. I gave you my word,” B’Elanna said. “But I get the feeling that this is some kind of weird Seven-reasoning which for her is all logical, but everyone else is at a total loss.” She shook her head then looked at Janeway quizzically.
“What?” Janeway asked after a moment.
“Before I knew about the break-up, I thought Seven was miserable because of her condition. But I don’t think that’s true,” she said quietly.
Janeway’s heart ached at the thought of Seven being miserable and she leaned forward, braced her elbows on her knees and rubbed her forehead with both hands.
B’Elanna laid a hand on Janeway’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Kathryn.”
Blinded by her watering eyes, Janeway searched for B’Elanna’s other hand and grabbed it tightly as she found it.
Amidst all the emotional chaos Janeway seemed to be finally able to accept the truth, which Tuvok had told her about only a couple of weeks ago: Janeway didn’t do well on her own. Even less so since Seven had forcefully broken her of this habit.
And since B’Elanna wasn’t just any random person, but had become a close friend, Janeway turned her tear-streaked face to her. “It hurts… it just hurts.”
B’Elanna wrapped her arm around Janeway and put her head beside hers. “I know.”
It was nothing like the break-down from the night before. Janeway leaned into B’Elanna’s embrace, allowed herself to be comforted and soaked the physical warmth and the compassion B’Elanna offered up like a sponge. And even though the situation had not changed at all, Janeway did feel a little better afterwards – and very tired. So tired that she almost fell asleep as she was.
B’Elanna insisted that Janeway should sleep here on the couch instead of going to her quarters. “You’d be wide awake by the time you get there,” B’Elanna said. “And you do need to get some sleep.”
She had a point.
“Just a quick nap,” Janeway agreed.
B’Elanna said nothing, simply went to get Janeway a pillow and a blanket.
Janeway took off her uniform jacket, the turtleneck and slipped out of her shoes while B’Elanna disappeared into the bathroom. Then Janeway stretched out on the couch. She never heard B’Elanna come back out of the bathroom, because she was fast asleep by then.
*
Feeling much better after five hours of sleep, Janeway had a quick breakfast with B’Elanna and then went to her quarters for a shower and a change of clothes.
She had just arrived in her Ready Room when the Doctor contacted her.
“Would you please bring Seven and meet Icheb and me in the Briefing Room?”
Something in his voice made Janeway perk up. “What is it?”
“Let’s just say that I have hope again.”
“Doctor, that’s like music in my ears,” Janeway said, a smile spreading across her face. “I’m on my way. Janeway out.” She took a deep breath. Hope, not a solution, she reminded herself before she activated her Com-Badge. “Janeway to Seven of Nine.”
Twenty one, twenty two, twenty-
“Captain?”
Did Janeway only imagine it or did Seven sound less cool, calm and collected as usual? Remember why you called her? Janeway cleared her throat. “The Doctor wants to meet us… in the Briefing Room.” Even if they weren’t a couple anymore, the use of us was appropriate, wasn’t it? “I’m already in my Ready Room, so we’ll meet you there shortly.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Janeway left the room, informed Chakotay where she’d be and then crossed the Bridge.
The EMH and Icheb stood beside the big display, which was usually used for staff meetings.
“Captain,” the EMH greeted Janeway with a smile. “Icheb might have come up with a plan that could save Seven’s life.”
Janeway’s gaze shifted to Icheb. “I’m all ears.”
They explained that due to the fact that Icheb had emerged from the maturating chamber before he had been fully assimilated, his physiology was less dependent on his implants. Adding the factor of his youth, they estimated that it would be easier for him to adapt to the loss of the cortical node, if they applied some form of genetic re-sequencing.
Seven, who had come in during the explanation, listened silently.
“So if I understand correctly, it would be a complicated procedure,” Janeway said, her mind spinning with the possibility of Seven’s survival. Even more so since she seemed weaker than the last time Janeway had seen her.
“No doubt.”
“But you believe it'll work?” Janeway asked.
“There are significant risks involved to Seven and Icheb,” the EMH said, glancing at both of them before looking back at Janeway. “But if you're asking me if it's possible, I'd have to say yes.”
“What sort of precautions-“
“No matter how many precautions you take,” Seven interrupted Janeway, her eyes fixed on the EMH. “It's not worth the risk to Icheb.”
“Seven, this could work,” Icheb said.
She turned her head to him. “I am not willing to extend my life at the cost of yours.”
Of course Seven wouldn’t. Janeway exchanged a look with the Doctor.
“You haven't reviewed all the data,” Icheb stated.
“As long as there is any chance you won't survive, the data is irrelevant.” Seven looked from Icheb to the EMH. “I would like to return to Sickbay now.”
“As you wish,” the Doctor replied, his expression resigned, as he followed Seven to the door.
Janeway watched them leave, her hope dwindling with every step they took.
“You're the captain. You could order her to do it,” Icheb said.
Janeway looked at him. “No, I couldn’t and I wouldn’t. I have to respect her wishes.”
“Even if it kills her?”
“Believe me Icheb, I want to help her just as much as you do,” she said.
“If that were true, you wouldn't let her die.” He turned on his heels and marched out.
Janeway closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “What choice do I have?” She asked the empty room.
Not half an hour later, Janeway was asked by Icheb to please report to Cargo Bay 2 immediately.
Wondering what he was up to now, she made her way down there.
“You were summoned, too?”
Janeway looked over her shoulder at the EMH. “Icheb doesn't seem to have grasped the chain of command yet.”
“Remind you of anyone we know?” The Doctor asked with a smile.
Janeway laughed softly. “Indeed it does.”
They stepped in front of the doors and waited for them to open. Janeway’s smile disappeared as she saw Icheb clinging to the side-panels of his alcove. An alarm-claxon was ringing.
“Icheb?” Janeway hurried towards him, while the Doctor went to the console.
“He's disengaged his cortical node!”
Janeway looked over to the EMH. “How?”
But it was Icheb who answered. “My alcove. I programmed it to disconnect my neural relays.” His face was covered in sweat.
“Doctor, can you reconnect them?”
“He's locked me out of the controls.”
“How could you do this?” Janeway wanted to know.
“It was the only way I could prove to you that it would work.”
Janeway shook her head. “It’s not me you need to prove anything to, Icheb.”
“We need to get him to Sickbay immediately!” The EMH joined Janeway and Icheb and initiated a site-to-site transport.
Once in Sickbay, the EMH and Janeway led Icheb to a Biobed.
Seven sat up. “What's wrong with him?”
“Icheb decided to perform a little operation on himself,” Janeway said.
“You have to reconnect his node immediately,” Seven demanded, slowly moving over to the workstation, and Janeway was shocked to see that she needed to lean on it to keep upright.
“I intend to,” the Doctor replied to Seven’s request.
“No!” Icheb freed himself and on unsure legs went to Seven, leaning onto the other side of the workstation. “If Seven can refuse treatment, so can I.”
The EMH followed Icheb and took readings from him with his medical tricorder. “We don't have time for this.”
“Check your scans. You'll see I'm already adapting,” Icheb said.
“Some of your implants have adapted, but not all.”
“Then apply the re-sequencing technique I researched,” Icheb urged, clinging to the workstation.
“This debate is pointless,” Seven stated and looked at the EMH. “I will not accept the node.”
“And I won't keep it!”
“Someone had better use the damn thing!” The Doctor went over to a shelf and prepared a Hypospray. “If it stays disconnected much longer it won't do either of you any good.”
“You are acting like a child.”
Janeway gaze went back to Seven, who looked contemptuously at Icheb.
“I'm trying to save your life,” he argued.
“Only because you have grown too dependent on me.”
Janeway narrowed her eyes. Did Seven really believe that?
“You think I need to learn to rely on other people?” Icheb asked Seven.
“Yes!”
“What about you? You've refused to rely on a single member of this crew. You hid your condition from the rest of us, you deactivated the Doctor, and now you're rejecting my help. You're the one who needs to rely on others.”
And for the first time since the break-up, Seven looked at Janeway, really looked at her.
“Isn't that what people on this ship do?” Icheb asked Janeway. “They help each other?”
“Whenever we can,” Janeway replied and slowly walked over to them.
“If the Captain were dying, you'd risk your life to save her, wouldn't you?”
Seven’s gaze moved from Icheb to Janeway, who knew the answer to this question was a yes, even though Seven didn’t say a word.
“And when you react to a distress call, you're risking the life of everyone on this ship to respond to the aid of strangers,” Icheb directed at Janeway.
“He's right,” Janeway agreed.
“Captain, you cannot allow him to proceed.”
“Icheb asked me in the Briefing Room to order you to go through the procedure. I refused and told him that I respect your wishes. I might not like them, but I respect them,” Janeway said quietly, noticing very well that this didn’t only apply to the situation at hand. “What makes you believe that I wouldn’t grant him the same respect? Especially since I would do the same thing if I could.”
“He is just a child,” Seven exclaimed.
“I don't think he is, not anymore,” Janeway said softly.
Seven turned to the EMH. “Doctor!”
“Don't look at me,” he replied.
Seven lowered her head. “My existence would be worthless if he were to die because of me,” she said quietly and looked beseechingly up at Janeway.
Janeway put a hand on Icheb’s shoulder. “Ask him, how he would feel if he would let you die without having a chance to help you.”
Seven looked from Janeway to Icheb.
“Please, just let us help you,” he pleaded.
For a long moment, Seven just looked at Icheb, then she gave a small nod.
Janeway almost sagged with relief, and with a covert move steadied herself against the workstation. As she looked up again, Seven’s eyes were on her.
“We will need to start immediately,” the EMH declared. “Captain, would you please ask Mr. Paris that we’ll need him here ASAP?”
“Of course,” Janeway replied, but hung onto Seven’s gaze a moment longer, before she finally looked away and moved over to the Doctor. “Do you see a problem in B’Elanna assisting you with the transfer instead of me?”
“Certainly not, she’s an engineer after all,” he replied. “Do I dare ask why you would let her take your place?”
“Let’s just say, I know when to take a back-seat.”
His look told Janeway that she had already said plenty.
Janeway went into the Doctor’s office and contacted Tom, asking him first if he would have a problem working with B’Elanna and as he mentioned being a professional, she told him to get there as fast as possible.
After disconnecting with him, Janeway called B’Elanna.
“Torres here.”
“B’Elanna, get down to Sickbay fast. We need your expertise.”
“Something wrong with the Doctor?”
“No, but you have to assist the Doctor with the transfer of Seven’s cortical functions to the computer, while he takes care of the node,” Janeway explained. “Get moving!”
“I am moving!”
“Good, oh and B’Elanna?”
“Yes?”
“You do realise who else will be assisting?”
“Tom of course,” B’Elanna replied. “Where did we get the node from?”
“Icheb. I’ll explain the rest later. We’re under some time pressure here.”
“I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”
As Janeway stepped out of the office, she noticed that the EMH had already been busy. There were now two Biobeds in the main surgical area, and they were already occupied by Seven and Icheb, their heads close to each other.
“Do I still have a moment to talk with them?” Janeway wanted to know from the Doctor.
“But only a minute.”
She nodded her thanks and moved first to Icheb. Smiling down to him, Janeway put a hand on his shoulder and softly squeezed it. “Whatever happens… I can’t tell you how much it means to me what you’re doing.”
The door to Sickbay opened and B’Elanna stormed in.
“Good luck!” Janeway said to Icheb.
“Thank you, Captain.”
She squeezed his shoulder again and then moved around to the other Biobed. Seven followed Janeway with her eyes until she stood beside her.
There were plenty of things Janeway wanted to say, like that she loved Seven, that she just wanted her to be alive, that she wanted her to be happy – even if that meant being happy without her.
“Captain?”
“Yes, Seven?”
Seven inhaled deeply. “I-“
“We need to get started now, Captain,” the EMH announced. “Please step back.”
“I’ll see you later,” Janeway said to Seven and backed off a couple of steps, once more not willing to break the eye-contact. What if this was the last time she’d see Seven alive? It won’t, she’ll be fine.
A hand fell onto Janeway’s shoulder just as she forced herself to pivot on her heels. B’Elanna stood before her and Janeway stepped to the side, moving over to the workstation, B’Elanna would be working on. From there Janeway had the perfect view straight onto the upper part of Seven’s Biobed, from where she was being watched by Seven.
“You still owe me a re-match,” B’Elanna said, clearly directed at Seven, who acknowledged her words with a look. “And we still need to discuss this project of yours, Icheb. So I expect the two of you to make a full recovery.”
“We will, Lieutenant,” Icheb answered.
“Computer, initiate sterilisation-sequence beta 4,” the EMH instructed. “And seal the doors for the duration of the operation.”
B’Elanna came up beside Janeway, while the Doctor went to the surgical area with a Hypospray in hand.
Get well, Janeway thought at Seven, still returning her look, as the Doctor injected Icheb.
Then he moved into Janeway’s line of sight and she lowered her head with a heavy sigh. That’s it, no more blue eyes until the procedure was done. Now I’ll have to wait and hope.
“Captain?”
Janeway looked at B’Elanna, who just gestured with her head towards the surgical area. Following her gaze, Janeway saw that the EMH had moved to the other side of Seven’s bed. And Seven was once more looking at her. Why wasn’t she unconscious? Then the Doctor put the Hypospray against Seven’s neck. Janeway watched as Seven’s eyelids began to flutter, then they opened again.
“Please, Seven, stop fighting and go to sleep.” Janeway gave her a small smile.
There was a tiny nod, then Seven relaxed and her lids closed.
Janeway felt B’Elanna’s eyes on her.
“I think she’s over the not wanting to look at you part,” B’Elanna said.
Janeway shook her head. “I just hope it wasn’t the last time she did,” she admitted quietly.
“It won’t.” B’Elanna touched Janeway’s shoulder then turned to her place at the workstation to activate it. “All systems are ready, Doctor.”
With that they started the meticulous process of the node transfer.
Janeway’s gaze swept back and forth between the display with the vital-functions of their two patients and Seven’s head, which was turned towards them to give the EMH easier access.
Since Icheb had already begun to adapt to being without the node, it had been decided to transfer it first to Seven before beginning the genetic re-sequencing on him.
Janeway held her breath as the Doctor ordered B’Elanna to transfer Seven’s cortical functions to the computer.
“Done,” she replied.
“Disengaging the defected node.”
“Vital functions are stable,” B’Elanna announced.
Worriedly, Janeway watched as the EMH took out the sickly blinking node and placed it beside him on the table.
“Realigning the primary neurodes,” the Doctor stated.
“Fifteen seconds until her neural relays will destabilise,” B’Elanna stated.
“I’m almost done,” the Doctor said, then swapped the tool with the glowing node, Tom was holding out for him and inserted it into the slot above Seven’s eye. Switching tools again, he pressed the tiny button and the node sunk into its place. “Transfer her cortical functions back to her node.”
B’Elanna tapped quickly onto her touchscreen. “Done.”
Nobody moved as they waited for a few seconds to see if anything would happen. But unlike in the simulation there was no seizure.
“Vital signs are stable,” B’Elanna said.
The EMH ran his scanner over Seven’s body, before he looked up with a smile. “Her implants are adapting to the new node.”
Closing her eyes, Janeway took a couple of deep breaths.
“I will begin the genetic re-sequencing now.”
Janeway opened her eyes again, took a last look at Seven, before she paid attention to what was happening with Icheb. Not that there was much to see as it was an internal process, but she looked over B’Elanna’s shoulder to the other display.
“If it were anyone but you breathing down my neck…”
“But it isn’t,” Janeway said, a soft smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Being the captain does have its advantages.”
B’Elanna snorted. “You honestly believe I’d hesitate to tell the captain to give me some space to work?”
Janeway returned B’Elanna’s sideway-glance. “You wouldn’t,” she conceded.
“That’s right,” B’Elanna said. “But I don’t mind having a friend in my personal space, especially in a situation like this.”
Janeway squeezed B’Elanna’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
For the next half hour they watched as the program ran its course. Twice during this time, Icheb’s vital signs dropped critically, but both times the EMH and Tom were able to stabilise him again.
And while Janeway encouraged him in her mind, B’Elanna actually murmured for him to hang on.
Finally, an hour after the re-sequencing was done, the EMH turned around. “The next twenty four hours will be critical for both of them and I’ll have them monitored constantly,” he said. “Seven will be moved to her alcove then, where she’ll be monitored for another twenty four hours and if all is well, she’ll regenerate for a week.” He looked down to Icheb. “This young man will stay with me for at least two weeks for observation.”
Janeway nodded. “Thank you, Doctor.”
“Don’t thank me, he’s the one earning the credits.”
“He will,” Janeway replied with a smile.
tbc
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Resistance really is futile