Chapter 2 added on 11 July 2000
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: R
B'Elanna spent the next two weeks working on several projects with teams she was put in charge of. Occasionally, she signed on as Chief's Assistant, heading the third shift, where she had the most fun screwballing around with "Acting Captain," Harry. The rest of the time she used to the read up on quantum slipstream drives, polish her Hoverball skills, and watch Tom's TV, though she would never confess to it under torture. But she was quite enthralled by the Olympic games. They were similar to the decathlon meets she ran in at the academy, and the athletic competitions her mother encouraged her to participate in during her youth, as some "passage of rights" thing.
"So same time tomorrow?" asked B'Elanna as she and Harry strolled down the corridor still dressed in their black and blue jumpsuits, after a game of Parrises Squares in the Holodeck.
"Are you kidding me?" Harry replied incredulously, while taking a practice swing with his mallet. His glossy black hair was wet from perspiration, and his bare biceps flexed with the tautness of a young male. "You know, some of us actually have work to slave over."
"Oh, come on, Harry. You're young. You've got to live a little while you still have the stamina. Besides, I overheard Ensign Pitman saying that he could whip our butts in a challenge game," ribbed B'Elanna.
B'Elanna stopped when she noticed Harry was no longer stepping along-side her. Grinning impudently, she looked back at him, noting his expression, while she rubbed her hands mentally with glee.
"Pitman!? The guy was captain of the second place team while we were at the academy!" exclaimed an indignant Harry. "Oh, alright. We'd better practice our passes then, before we make him eat his bullshit."
She laughed at that as he caught up with her in a few paces, and they strolled on towards their quarters. "If you don't mind me asking," he continued, "don't you ever get bored with having all this free time?"
B'Elanna dropped her grin as her face turned serious. "You know, I thought I would at first, go crazy. I've actually kept myself pretty well-occupied. We've been on this ship for what, six years now, Harry? And I know only thirty of my crewmembers well enough to hold a conversation on the turbo lift."
"You were a senior officer. It's hard to get past the difference in rank," defended Harry.
"Yeah, well, I'm not saying I want to be Miss Congeniality all of a sudden. I'm just saying I've let a lot of things pass me by.... I want to be more than just a person who fixes things."
Harry nodded in acceptance, though he still had trouble understanding. They were about to enter the turbo lift when they were interrupted. Seven had approached from behind.
"Lt. Torres.... May I speak with you?" she asked, looking back and forth between them. A polite request, B'Elanna was impressed, as far as Harry could tell when they exchanged glances.
"Sure, Seven," B'Elanna answered cautiously, as Harry stepped into the turbo lift with an amused look on his face. The half-Klingon moved out of the way from blocking the turbo lift doors. "What can I do for you?"
"Lieutenant, the navigation-sensory intercoil to Astrometrics has begun to wear down, and has fused unexpectedly at several interfaces. I require your assistance with the repairs," requested Seven.
"I think you should take that up with Lt. Carey, Seven," B'Elanna delicately suggested. "I'm sure he'll want to assign someone to assist you.... Besides, we could still rely on the Delaney Sisters in Stellar Cartography," she joked, which was lost on the Borg.
"I have already inquired," answered Seven matter-of-factly. "However, he told me that all of the Engineering crew have been delegated other high priority tasks. I do not wish to wait." she added.
A few crewmembers came around the corner, and excused themselves as they passed between the two women, waiting for the lift to arrive. Wanting to maintain their conversation private, B'Elanna motioned for Seven to get into the turbo lift. The crewmembers knew not to follow the them, their eyes finding other interesting things to look at, at that moment.
"Well, then...," started B'Elanna.
"I have also checked the duty schedules. You will not be on duty until tomorrow morning, which means you are the most available," pointed out Seven.
B'Elanna sighed mentally. She wasn't in the mood to argue with the Borg today as she had enjoyed her afternoon with Harry too much to let it be spoiled. The sooner she capitulated, the sooner she could have it done.
"Alright. Give me a half hour to at least shower, 'cause I stink. I'll meet you in Astrometrics and we'll go from there?"
"That would be acceptable." Seven reassured her, "Your smell is distinct, Lieutenant, but not wholly unpleasant."
Brows raised, B'Elanna let out a snort and shook her head as Seven took leave of the lift when it arrived on her deck. Seven never failed to surprise her. B'Elanna wasn't really that opposed to working on the sensor coil problem. But just the thought of working exclusively with Seven of Nine was not something she was looking forward to. They just had different ways of going about accomplishing things. Finally, she arrived at her quarters, and proceeded to strip out of her jumpsuit, still thinking about the ex-drone and her strange comment. In twenty minutes, she stepped out of the sonic shower, donned a fresh uniform, and downed a cup of chilled raktajino, before heading off to the Astrometrics lab.
~~~~~~~~
They crawled through a short section of the Jefferies tube to reach the worn-out intercoil that kept the Astrometrics' link to Navigation defunct. Before they began their work, B'Elanna made sure to divvy up the tasks between them to prevent any disagreements. Everything was worked out before they got into the tiny little space, but even so, she and Seven still had to engage in the occasional conversation. Seven removed the access panel, and proceeded to unload the tools they needed.
"Computer, bypass EPS conduit and navigation-sensory intercoil in Grid 432, and create an alternative pathway for navigational circuitry," requested B'Elanna, as she examined the condition of the intercoil.
-blip-blip- "Bypass in Gird 432 complete."
"Good. Now lower energy current levels to safety protocol margins."
-blip- "Energy current levels lowered to specifications."
Seven handed her the extraction wrench wordlessly, before she began detaching smaller connections to the intercoil. Though normally Seven would have complied with maintaining a low level of interaction with the half-Klingon, curiosity got the best of her, and she had to bring up the question on her lips.
"I don't understand your actions, Lieutenant," she admitted. "You are an important member of this crew. Do you not have a duty to perform in the role where your talents lie best to benefit Voyager the most?"
"Uh!" B'Elanna threw down her instrument in disgust. "Not you too!?"
"Excuse me?" asked Seven, quirking her brow, as she carefully moved the discarded tool away out of reach.
"You're about the tenth person to ask me why," replied an exasperated Klingon.
"I'm sorry. I did not intend to offend you." Seven explained, "As part of the Collective, I did what I was assigned to do. There were no options as a drone."
B'Elanna sighed, wondering why she could never escape the Borg's scrutiny. Her life really wasn't all that interesting, was it to provide such fodder for Seven's inquisitive nature? She was still seething over the whole "Deck 9, Section 12" comment. But with no one else around listening, B'Elanna realized she was sitting next to probably the most objective person among those she worked with.
"I don't know how to explain this to you so you'll understand, Seven. I'm trying to figure it out myself. It's not that I don't like engineering anymore. Heck, I can't imagine myself as an hydroponics tech or a security chief. I'm just not so sure that being Chief Engineer is what I want to do with my life. Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for the opportunity that Captain Janeway and Chakotay gave me six years ago," admitted B'Elanna, picking up the wrench again. "And as for my duty to the crew, I only wish I wasn't letting anyone down...."
"I've spent all this time throwing myself into the work. I've been a good Maquis,...engineer,...officer,... girlfriend. But never have I once asked myself who I wanted to be until now, because I wasn't sure what the answer would be. Oh shit, I'm positive that you didn't want hear all that stuff."
"On the contrary, Lt. Torres," Seven replied, "It has given me much to think about."
"You know, I envy you sometimes."
"You...envy me? Why?"
"You're just coming into your own self in a place that allows you so many choices. Captain Janeway is open to anything you choose to do, well, minus getting off this ship or returning to the Collective," chuckled the Klingon.
"Yes, that statement is correct in many ways," Seven agreed. "However, if and when we do return to Earth, my future is quite uncertain." Seven tried to hide her discomfort from such thoughts by returning to her task.
"For all of us, my dear drone."
To be continued....