Fragments

By Wyldchilde

Disclaimer: The ST:Voyager characters belong to Paramount/Viacom. The author has no rights to anything apart from those characters and worlds of her own invention. This story is written only to entertain those of like mind. It is written entirely for fun and not for profit.

Code: T/7.
Rating: PG

Archiving: Perfect Misfits is a given, anyone else just needs to ask.

Constructive feedback welcome.

Any feedback or other comments should be sent to wyldchilde37@yahoo.com

Chapters 1 to 4

2 Aug 2000

Chapter 1

B'Elanna suddenly felt as if she would faint at the sight before her. Luckily the person she was looking at noticed and stepped close to catch her if necessary. "Are you all right… Lieutenant?" B'Elanna took several deep, necessary breaths before she spoke. "Yes sir." The voice that was already rich with its cultured accent seemed to be tinted with a touch of amusement. "Are you sure? You seem a bit rattled." Even if the man was in a Starfleet uniform that dated before her own the four pips on his collar spoke volumes and her Starfleet training injected steel into her spine.

"Yes sir, I was just startled because by all accounts you should not be here." The figure responded to her newly formal tone and straightened his uniform tunic. "From what I have been able to uncover "I" am not here. I seem to be the recollections of Jean Luc Picard. The biological distinctiveness that they added to their own." B'Elanna looked a bit confused, but felt compelled to speak. "Seven has said the Collective kept a record of her memories and experiences." "Precisely, and here is where they keep it, all of it. From what I have been able to determine this … realm is made from the joined memories of the entire Collective and certain individuals are able to interact with it. Though I suppose I should ask who this "Seven" is."

He seemed to read her expression as he continued. "I seem to be here because Lieutenant Data initiated a regeneration cycle for the cube I was assigned to before the cube self-destructed, and while I was not able to access Unimatrix Zero normally I was … fragmented when my vinculum was shattered." B'Elanna's eyes had grown wide. "I think we should report to my captain." The normally steely features of the legendary Captain tightened around the eyes. "How many of your crew have been assimilated?" She responded with out really thinking about it. "Myself, Captain Kathryn Janeway, and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok."

It was B'Elanna's turn to answer a quizzical expression, as the Starfleet captain seemed to be waiting for her to tell him more. "It's rather involved, but the short version is we have infiltrated the Collective with a virus that should allow the drones of Unimatrix Zero to retain their individuality after their regeneration cycle ends." The one word answer sent a tremor of trepidation through the woman's frame. "Should?" To which B'Elanna simply nodded. "I believe we should find your Captain." B'Elanna wondered where her normally confident nature went to in the face of this Captain's command presence, but didn't find it before she nodded simply and began walking back to the building complex they had settled on to use as their main gathering point.

"You had also mentioned a "Seven"?" B'Elanna's step staggered a bit, but she quickly recovered. "Yeah, Seven of Nine, but you'd probably know her as Annika Hansen." He nodded once in grim recognition. "So the plan worked." "What do you mean "the plan"?" His stride never broke as the two figures kept up a fast walk to their location. "While it is not unusual for Unimatrix Zero to loose a drone here and there to species that attempt to resist assimilation we had a rash of disappearances. Which was soon followed by what we saw as storms, but realized were attempts to find the frequency to access Unimatrix Zero. There was a panic until a man by the name of Axum spoke of contacting another like me, who had been severed from the Collective."

B'Elanna knew that she did not need to speak, but wanted to show she was keeping up mentally as well as physically. "Seven of Nine." "Yes, while he didn't name her at first I knew who he meant insisted upon the details before he took actions that could endanger her and all of Unimatrix Zero." "Does that mean there is a fragment of Seven floating about?" He shook his head in the negative. "No, my link to the Collective was still in use to send commands as well as receive when it was severed. Which has made my condition unique as far as I can tell." "They seem to revere you a bit." The face of Jean Luc Picard smiled a bit at that. "I just have more time to test the limits of my prison."

"Prison?" "Yes Lieutenant, I know this reality is artificial. Yet I can never leave it, because, quite simply, there is nothing more. I have been reduced to a specter, haunting the hallways of the hive mind." She knew well enough to keep the sympathetic look from her face as she spoke. "Not if you would listen to them "The Captain" has kept them together. "The Captain" kept them from going mad, knowing what would await them when the cycle ended. You may be a fragment of Jean Luc Picard, but from what I can see you have remained true to that essence." He seemed to consider that as the two made there was through the forest, and soon entered into a lighted clearing where other members of Unimatrix Zero resided.

"Lieutenant Torres, we were wondering where you had went… Captain." As the pair entered the light Jean Luc stepped forward to place a kiss on Annika Hansen's cheek. "Annika, it is wonderful to see you again." "I… I almost didn't remember you." Captain Picard put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "It's the nature of the Collective, and what they do to those they assimilate. Right now there is a part of me running around missing this essence, but carrying a piece of the Collective with him." She simply nodded, and the unconsciously looked up at B'Elanna, and for several moments the women's eyes were locked. The former Starfleet officer Laura stepped forward at that point and unknowingly ended the moment.

"Axum is rallying 10 others to help spread the word. Once he is back we can get down to the serious planning. Picard spared Annika a focused glance as he stepped towards Laura. "I see no reason to wait, we can brief Axum and the others once they arrive." Hesitation flashed across Laura's face, but she nodded. Captain Picard turned to address the assembly. "Annika, you are a liaison with Voyager so if you could please bring us up to date on our current status." B'Elanna was a bit shocked to see that Seven was NERVOUS as she stepped forward. Of course this was not Seven per-se, but Annika, but still she was all too familiar with B'Elanna and seeing her vulnerable was rather refreshing.

Even if it did bring out B'Elanna's protective urges she was able to nurse them as Seven started to speak. "Voyager has created a medical treatment that will allow a treated individual to access Unimatrix Zero. A secondary treatment that can be administered through the Vinculum's will allow inhabitants of Unimatrix Zero to retain their individuality at the completion of their regeneration cycle." Picard had already filled the familiar leadership position as he began asking questions. "B'Elanna had mentioned the treatments, and said they "should" have that effect. While her presence shows that the first works, we have no way to know about the second." Annika's voice seemed to deepen with a sorrow as she spoke. "Yes we do."

B'Elanna was confused, while she had been able to retain her individuality something told her that was not the case that was being referred to. Then she noticed Picard nod solemnly and the memory jumped out at her as well, the other Nine. Or more to the point the three other drones she had connected into an organic interlink when they had been separated from the Collective. Since it was one of the few things that could make Seven emote B'Elanna knew it was something that weighed heavily on the woman's conscience, and now the softer features of Annika Hansen gave testimony to just how deeply it hurt. For the second time that night B'Elanna found herself interrupted from thinking about Annika Hansen as a voice spoke from the shadows.

"What, couldn't you wait?" Picard had already turned to face the new arrival as the rest turned their gaze to him. "Axum, we have a variety of people with different time limits here. I thought it better to start making plans, and bring you up to speed when you arrived." Axum nodded and waited for Picard to start, but his first words were to the group that had already been there. "I don't see any reason to repeat things you have already heard." They took the unspoken dismissal and began to drift away from the clearing. B'Elanna had noticed a troubled expression on Annika's face, and noticed how she wandered off on her own once they were dismissed. What she failed to notice was the thankful expression on Picard's face as she started after her.

"Hey… Annika!" Annika had stopped her trudging and turned towards the following engineer. "You may call me Seven if you wish Lieutenant." B'Elanna stopped as she reached Seven. "That's not really accurate is it?" Annika shrugged as she turned to continue her solemn march. "Seven is not accurate either, so what is the difference?" "Seven is an endearment, a nickname, but the captain… both of them have said you are Annika here." She looked over at the beautiful blonde's expression, which never left the ground, as she spoke. "Either is suitable, though you may call me Annika if you like." Torres found herself wanting to say something comforting, but knew it would have to be honest because the woman's frightening intellect would be able to see through most lies.

"I always thought Annika is such a pretty name." The smile was brief, but it was caught before it vanished under the darker expression that consumed those regal features. B'Elanna found that Seven's birth name felt good in her mouth as she used it. "Annika, did something happen with Axum?" The reply confused her, even as it drove her to ask more. "Apparently." She mirrored it to try to get further explanation. "Apparently?" The blonde locks gleamed softly in the dimming light as she took a deep breath that seemed all too shaky. "He and I had a relationship for six years prior to my severing from the Collective."

B'Elanna did some quick calculations in her mind and found she did not like the results. "Woah. When did you remember this?" The chill in Annika's voice chilled B'Elanna as well. "I have not, but I remember he has had his arms around me before, and he told me of the relationship." A sick feeling settled into B'Elanna's stomach as she led the unresisting woman to a stone they both could sit on and watch the sun set. "Annika, just because he has had his arm around you does not mean he has had a relationship with you." She then raised her arm and put it over Annika's shoulders. "Now look, did his arms around you feel like this?" Annika seemed to concentrate, but she also seemed to be pressing all the closer.

"No, that was not as pleasant." It was not the answer B'Elanna was expecting, but it still had pleasant effect on B'Elanna that made her all the more aware of the warm body nestled next to her as Annika continued to speak. "His arms felt, unwelcome." She must have tensed up because Annika looked up and seemed to read the concern on her face. "The only feeling I had was of his arms, and that they were unwelcome, nothing more. Even when I experimented with kissing him I felt nothing." B'Elanna found she had to swallow a tightness from her throat before she could continue. "Does that seem like a love you forgot?"

The head that was nearly resting on her shoulder shook. "What other alternative is there?" "Annika, just because he is part of the Borg resistance movement does not mean his is a good guy. In the Maquis we had to deal with all types." Deep blue eyes pulled B'Elanna in as the head raised from her shoulder. "Do you believe he lied?" She let her own warm brown eyes heat those pools as she spoke. "I don't have time this cycle, but I intend to find out during my next one." The gaze never broke as Annika spoke. "I will be waiting for you when you go to sleep." Both of B'Elanna's hearts skipped a beat as she thought they might kiss, but she could feel the pent up emotion was finally being released, and causing Annika to tremble. So she just sat there, holding her as the sun set, and the stars came out.

Chapter 2

"Captain." "Captain." While Janeway knew that she was an accomplished officer in her own right she found herself feeling the presence put out by the captain of the Federation flagship, but she was sure to remind herself that this is the Picard as of his assimilation 11 years ago. So he never experienced many events that she was familiar with, but he also had experienced 11 years in this underground utopia hidden inside the Collective. All that considered, Janeway found a strong sense of comfort in having a peer that she could talk to, and she did so as they both took seats in the common area that had politely, and quickly emptied when the two captains had walked in.

"So what's a nice officer like you doing in a place like this?" The Frenchman grinned at her jest, but seemed to sober quickly. "Trying to keep my people alive and well." His words sobered Janeway as well. "That's what I want as well. Unimatrix Zero is an unbelievable opportunity." Picard's reply was simple. "Opportunity?" Janeway didn't try to battle her confusion, but she kept it from getting a complete hold. "Yes, it is an ideal staging ground for a resistance movement." Picard settled back onto one of the seats. "I would have thought so as well when I was first assimilated, but resistance is futile." He actually seemed amused at the slight look of shock on Janeway's face when he said the Collective's mantra.

"The Collective is not like the Federation, or Klingon or Romulan empires. It is not a society at all. It is more of an entity, every vessel, every drone a cell. The people here in Unimatrix Zero are like a virus." Janeway's voice had gotten deeper and softer as she considered the words. "Yes, but the Collective has never had a virus before now has it?" Jean Luc had settled into a restful position, but he shifted closer to Janeway as her scientist's mind took up the analogy and ran with it. "This organism has never encountered this virus before, so it has no defense against it. Now if it continues to run unchecked it will consume the organism. I think your analogy is all too fitting for our situation."

"Yes, but the Collective is adapting." Janeway nodded at the observation. "Yes, but slowly. Unlike a normal physician the Collective is incapable of making any of the intuitive leaps that are vital for quickly dealing with an infection. We however, as the infection, can hide our presence, mask our presence until it is too late to save our carrier. I think we need to take a longer range look." Picard's expression sombered and he answered with a simple nod. "Captain… Jean Luc?" It took the mention of his name to get a response, but Captain Picard looked up at her. "I'm sorry, my duties in Unimatrix Zero have been of a more an administrative/ diplomatic nature."

He then pulled himself together, both mentally and physically as he straightened his back, and his uniform coat. "Still, I am responsible for Unimatrix Zero, and I have never been afraid of a fight… at least I never let that stop me." The two captains shared a grin. "I think our first order of business is to deploy the virus. Though we will need to alter it." Janeway's expression was questioning. "How so?" Picard's voice was laced with command steel, and his face had been covered with its command mask. "We have to make it a option that can be deactivated as well as activated. Right now the memories of their activities as drones are disjointed here, a living nightmare to this dream world, and they have learned to treat them as such when they enter Unimatrix Zero."

Janeway's face grew sad. "Let ye who hunts monsters beware, lest ye to become a monster…. We will be tailoring them to our purpose." Picard nodded, but regretfully. "Such is the way of war, but we will have one important difference. We will only accept volunteers. We also need to come up with a way to get you and your people out of here." He saw the protest forming, and saw it die just as quickly as she nodded. "Myself, Lieutenant Torres, and Commander Tuvok will infect several drone's of your choosing with the retention virus. Then we will leave you with the Unimatrix Zero mutating virus so that you can bring others into your unit." Picard's eyes grew narrow. "Unit… that must mean we are at war." Janeway took a breath. "Yes, I believe it does, you and me, and anyone we can get to join us."

~~~

Seven of Nine found herself admiring Dr. Zimmerman's work as she observed his creation. Because from a purely technical aspect the programming necessary for the wide range of emotional expression the Emergency medical Hologram was currently undergoing showed the complexity of the revolution he started with the creation of the EMH. "So you want me to crate a on/off switch for the personality? I tried that with Mr. Paris and it went no where." Except for Seven the rest of the crew assembled shared a laugh until Commander Chakotay spoke. "Well we need one that can be turned on AND off, not just off."

"Who said I was trying to turn his personality off? I was trying to determine if he had one." The rest of the men had another laugh, even as Paris seemed deliberately sullen. The one woman was silent as Chakotay turned to address her. "Ok Seven, can you update us on our people's current status?" "They are one week from the assimilation process being complete. They are finishing neurological adaptation which will be proceeded by the interfacing of larger implants with the altered systems." The Doctor had a flash of hope. "So they have yet to be given the optical implant or limb replacement?" Seven looked at the Doctor and responded with a single word. "Yes."

The Doctor then turned to the Commander. "We have to get them out before that happens!" Chakotay made a silencing motion to the EMH as he addressed Seven once more. "Do we know what the Collective has planned for them." "Commander Tuvok and Lieutenant Torres have been assigned to their normal aptitudes as tactical and maintenance drones. While Captain Janeway will be assigned to carry out assimilations." She would not have normally paused for the crew's reaction, but it was so pronounced that she felt it was necessary before she spoke again. "The Captain thought that the Queen was feeling vindictive, but they are on a tactical vessel, and it is only brought in if a species is proven capable of a prolonged engagement."

The newly reinstated lieutenant Tom Paris was the first to say what they all were thinking. "Of course that means they could be called in at any time, especially if the Queen is really feeling vindictive." Chakotay gave an unconscious nod. "All the more reason for us to get them out as soon as possible. Ok people, I want half a dozen options by out next meeting. Seven, I want you working with Harry, and in engineering as needed until you've worn yourself out enough to regenerate. Harry, when Seven's regenerating take her place when Carey is not available. Otherwise I want you coming up with a way to get us in and get them out. Doctor, get your scalpels ready because you will be undoing THREE assimilations, and Neelix… the crew knows their Captain's in the lion's den. We need you to make sure they know we WILL get them out. Dismissed."

"Hey Seven, wait up." She didn't stop, but as she stepped into the turbolift she waited for Lt. Paris join her until she directed the computer to direct the turbolift to engineering. "So how is she?" Paris did not have his usual demeanor as he asked the question, and Seven thought he actually seemed nervous as she quirked her eyebrow in accompaniment to her reply. "You mean Lieutenant Torres?" "Of course I mean B'Elanna. Is she doing alright?" "She seems to be adapting well." She found herself remembering the feel of being in Lieutenant's arms, but was sure to keep it from her face, but she was so caught in the thought that she couldn't keep it from her eyes. She also didn't see the strange look that crossed the face of Tom Paris.

Chapter 3

"Shouldn't we wait for Seven?" Captain Janeway and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok seemed to look at B'Elanna Torres in unison, though the Vulcan was the one to speak. "What purpose would that serve?" B'Elanna forced herself to stop fidgeting as she answered. "Well, Voyager is going to have to come pick us up, and she's the one arranging the ride." The security officer continued. "Be that as it may we need to make preparations. Seven of Nine can be brought up to date as soon as she arrives." It was at that point Captain Janeway interrupted. "Tuvok? I never thought I would say this, but you seem agitated." He seemed reluctant to nod, but did so as he turned away from both of the women.

"Since my conscious mind is under the Collective's control it seems that the normally dead areas of my mind where emotion is stored are becoming active." Janeway tried to put a hand to the side of her security officer's face, but he noticeably flinched away and she removed her hand. Tuvok picked up on the confused expression of Lieutenant Torres and continued with a deep breath. "It appears that the majority of our conscious minds are "asleep" during regeneration, the subconscious part of the brain engages in lucid dreaming in Unimatrix Zero." Janeway's voice was calm, but there was still a note of concern in it, which seemed to aggravate the Vulcan.

"So the suppressed parts of your brain are being awoken?" He was not quite clenching his teeth when he replied. "Yes. I also believe the retention virus is assisting in eroding my emotional control." Janeway put her hand on his shoulder, and did not pull away when he flinched this time. "If at any point you feel that you can not continue the mission we will administer the modified retention virus so you can deactivate the virus." The unmistakable sound of footfalls reached the trio, and they all turned towards the trail the sounds were coming from. A hurried Annika quickly came into view, and calmed her harried expression. "Captain, B'E… Lieutenants, I'm sorry I'm late." Out of the corner B'Elanna would have sworn she saw a look of relief wash across Tuvok's face. Though if it was from the idea he could have the off switch, or the distraction of Seven's, Annika's arrival was anyone's guess."

First she felt a strange stab of panic that Annika might have enjoyed being in her arms, but back on Voyager Seven would have no such interest. Then she realized, all of her (sexual) tension from the former drone might be from the fact it was returned, Tuvok said "repressed" feelings came to the surface. So they were there, just buried, probably right along with all those other emotions Seven of Nine considered "irrelevant". While she found herself delighting at the sound of Seven's voice she realized that she was not acknowledging any of the words. "Hugh? Who's Hugh?" It was then Annika looked at her, and it was a look B'Elanna recognized. It was questioning, yet needing, and very vulnerable, and all with out any seeming thought on the other woman's part.

Even as B'Elanna felt a surge of joy both women were brought back by Lieutenant Tuvok. "Hugh was a drone that was first recovered by the star ship Enterprise and then returned to the Collective but not until he had formed a sense of individuality." She found herself responding immediately. "Found?" Don't you mean recovered?" Annika was the one to answer her question. "No, he was an adolescent, and most likely fresh from the maturation chamber. So there was no pre developed sense of individuality, but once he was returned to the Collective his sense of individuality inflicted numerous drones before the Collective was able to sever all those effected." Janeway jumped in at that point. "Like a virus."

While she did not possess her cortical implant in Unimatrix Zero she still arched her brow at the Captain. "Yes, and the Enterprise collected as much data as was possible from their second encounter with the afflicted drones. The Doctor has been able to use that data and combine it with the current version of the virus to give the virus the activation/deactivation sequence. I was able to assist him, and we were also able to use a feature similar to the "tagging" of drones the Collective accomplished to allow the virus to be administered in a virtual construct." It was B'Elanna's programming skills that allowed her to realize what the woman was saying first.

"You mean we will be able to infect drones INSIDE Unimatrix Zero?" "Yes, the Collective was able to "assimilate" them in Unimatrix Zero to create an effect in the real world. We have created a similar effect that will cause the drone's cortical implant to stimulate the suppressed areas of the brain corresponding to individuality. The Unimatrix mutation will still have to be administered directly however." B'Elanna and the Captain were both staring wide eyed, while Tuvok had his all too familiar brow arch. The Captain was the first to speak as she stepped forward and placed her hand on Annika's shoulder. "If you'll bring such good news, you can be late when ever you want." While the Captain was smiling Annika's expression was anything but happy.

"It was a matter unrelated to the development of the virus, Captain." While the three looked at her with concern it was B'Elanna who made the realization, and spoke before thinking. "It was Axum wasn't it?" Annika's expression snapped up. "He wished to discuss personal matters, and was unconcerned about our scheduled meeting." Janeway's voice carried a familiar rumble as she spoke. "He is nominally under Captain Picard's command. If you are having problems with Axum you should speak to him, if you haven't already." "I would not want to bother Jean Luc." As Janeway dropped her hand from Annika's shoulder she continued. "I am sure it is not a bother. In fact he seems rather fond of you." Annika's voice dropped. "He has said I am the child he never had."

The three seemed a bit startled at the statement, but Janeway was grinning by the time she responded. "So that explains why you responded so well to the pips." Annika simply grinned back as Janeway continued. "I'll let you deal with the situation as you see fit, just remember you have both captains in your corner." Even as Seven thanked her B'Elanna spoke up. "Not to mention me and Tuvok." While Tuvok looked at Torres first he was not at all reluctant when he nodded. Janeway stepped in front of the assembly. "Now that we can administer the retention virus from inside of Unimatrix Zero was can speed up the time table for our retrieval. B'Elanna, as maintenance drone you will be the best choice to access the Collectives computers and get our current location, and planned course. Tuvok, we do not need it now, but when Voyager arrives we will need to disable as many tactical systems as possible. Can you do that?"

The security chief nodded. "While there are numerous redundancies in all of the cube's systems they will only be effective if they can receive command's. I will set the tactical systems into a regenerative cycle." B'Elanna piped in at that point. "Wait, isn't that how Picard got stuck here in the first place?" Tuvok nodded. "That is where I got the idea, and while the Collective has secured the regeneration cycles for drones they have not done so for technology." Janeway nodded as well. "Ok, unless there is anything else? Annika, when you get back to Voyager I want you to tell Chakotay to set course for our last known heading, and then when you get back you will get the coordinates from myself, Tuvok, B'Elanna, or Captain Picard. We will coordinate the attack from that point. Now, let's find Picard and the volunteers."

~~~

"Annika, is something wrong?" She looked up from her introspection, even thought she recognized the voice along with its distinctive accent immediately. As she looked at his fast she found herself considering telling a falsehood, but, and she startled herself with this thought, he raised her better then that. "Axum continues to claim a personal relationship which I have no memory of." Picard pulled her to a bench where they both sat. "Annika, tell me EXACTLY what he has been saying." While she had been staring off into the forest the tone in his voice caused her to focus on him. "That I have been a part of the community in Unimatrix Zero for the past eighteen years, the last six being spent in a personal relationship." As he took her hands in his own his voice grew infinitely tender. "If he remembers the past eighteen years in Unimatrix Zero then he is the only one. Of all those

I have spoken to most have under a decades experience here, and none have more then my eleven years." As he looked at her expression he was amazed to find it, distracted. "Are you saying that you are the oldest resident of Unimatrix Zero?" "No, but even the eldest got here about the same time I did…" He trailed off as his mind seemed to pick up the same train of thought as she spoke once more. "But are there any who were here BEFORE you?" "…no…" "You would not be aware of this fact, but in updates from Starfleet we know that the Enterprise prevented the Collective from altering the time stream to prevent Earth's first contact with the Vulcans. While there … Picard learned that the Queen was attempting to transform him into her equal."

The transition was seamless as Picard continued her thought. "A Borg King, I do remember the Queen visiting me as a drone, but I assumed that she was analyzing her new weapon against the Federation." Annika shook her head. "The other Picard was able to recover a fragmented memory of those meetings and realized she was trying to make him her equal." Picard's eyes grew wide. "My command link. Drones only receive commands from the Collective they never send them. Yet Data was able to send commands." Annika took a deep breath. "It is entirely possible that Locutus was given the same access that the Queen was, but did not have the same security clearance." They both took several breaths as Annika then continued. "Then when the link was shattered the fragment of Picard's consciousness that remained needed somewhere to go." Picard completed her thought. "… and it found Unimatrix Zero."

She shook her head. "It is more likely it FOUNDED Unimatrix Zero. With it's command access… with your command access you could have formatted this area of the Collective conscious to create a suitable environment." Picard rubbed his brow. "More to say the Collective's subconscious. It makes sense. Locutus was an experiment, an anomaly, and now I am as well." With out a word Annika put her hand on his shoulder, and he placed his hand on top of it. "You adapted." He was grinning as he looked up, and the grin grew as he saw she shared it. "That I did. Yet that could also explain your memory loss. Your memories were stored here in the same memory area I formatted for Unimatrix Zero." He saw her look of confusion and tried to clarify.

"I had always thought my presence in Unimatrix Zero was the result of my link being shattered, but it seems my consciousness is the result. I would have been here either way, I just would have been unaware. The Collective says that our biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to their own. Perhaps they make sure they can keep it. Speaking to B'Elanna Torres she had said that you told her the Collective had a copy of your memories and experiences?" As she nodded he continued. "Even if they didn't realize it those would include the memories of Unimatrix Zero. Now they would have just stored those memories, your rejoining with Unimatrix Zero could have been a lock to the files stored here." "Then I will forget you when I leave?" Picard smiled over and patted her knee. "No, you are no longer part of the Collective. You may never fully recover the memories from your decade here, but the Collective can not steal the ones your are making right now."

Chapter 4

As he stepped from the conference room Harry Kim struggled to catch up to his buddy Tom Paris after the latest briefing. "Hey, I'm sure Seven didn't mean it." As the doors finished closing behind the men a morose Tom Paris gave a skeptical look. "Harry, Has Seven EVER said anything she didn't mean?" "Well she's bad at phrasing, I'm sure it wasn't personal." The first part of the reply seemed hushed. "I'm not so sure. still Harry. She was right." As the operations officer gaped he continued. "Look at it, I asked her about B'Elanna, after the staff meeting." "Well you knew she'd be there." Tom Paris shook his head, and tapped under his commbadge. "Why do you think we wear these?"

"Tom. don't you think your reaching a bit? I mean she just said that you'd have to cut back on your holodeck time to get ready for the rescue." He muttered, but Harry was close enough to hear him even as the doors opened and they stepped out. "She probably knows what I'm working on." At that point the younger officer just turned and stared at his friend. "Hey, Harry, what was I supposed to do? B'Elanna gets this damn crazy idea to get assimilated. I tried to talk her out of it, but she didn't listen to me. I mean at least with the Flyer I feel like I am getting results."

Harry nodded reluctantly as they continued walking. "As soon as Seven said she'd go it alone if necessary B'Elanna was a convert." It seemed Tom's turned to stare at Harry, but he didn't speak himself. "Ok now we need to come up with way to get close enough to a tactical cube to lock on and beam our people out. Seven said Tuvok will be shutting down their tactical systems. So you won't be dodging phaser fire on our way in, and B'Elanna will be getting their course and coordinates. Right now we need to get to astrometrics and plan a course along their last known heading." Paris nodded as they made their way to Seven's domain.

~~~

"This will replicate the "tagging" done by the Collective?" The Doctor smiled and held up an isolinear rod. "While we may not have the programming skills of Lieutenant Torres, but between your knowledge of the virtual world of Unimatrix Zero and my knowledge of physiology we have managed to recreate work that it took the entirety of the Collective's knowledge to create." The Doctor seemed so fascinated by the isolinear rod that he did not notice the look of confusion that crossed Seven of Nine's face at the mention of Lieutenant Torres even as he continued.

"It's really quite amazing, virtual reality had been explored on earth in the early 21st century but the third world war put it on the back burner. Then after First Contact and early exploration we were so busy that by the time we could have resumed the research we had holographic technology and virtual reality seemed pointless. Though Captain Picard may have tried to bring it to the physical world as well." At that Seven titled her head. "Explain." "The Chief Engineer of the Enterprise conducted experiments with a probe that ran through the interfaces on his VISOR. Essentially allowing him to "become" the probe and control it much as he would control his body. That's why it's so fascinating. Imagine doctor's being able to take medical readings, and then examine a patient INSIDE them. Or the next time you help with a warp core diagnostic. you would be able to SEE inside the core." Seven's smile seemed almost patronizing. "It is just a simulation."

The Doctor's smile seemed to match hers. "So am I, yet I like to think I have shown I am something more." Seven's patronizing smile grew into a thoughtful expression as the Doctor continued. "You told me about Captain Picard, are the feelings any less real because of the physical locations of those involved?" Seven shook her head as she thought of sitting and watching the stars come out. "I think, therefore I am. Virtual Reality sill contains the word "reality". I mean isn't a reflection still a reflection of a real thing?" "How do you differentiate then?" The Doctor had stopped gazing at the isolinear rod earlier, but he set it down on his desk as he answered her.

"When did I become more than an EMH Mark 1? You have told me that Picard thinks of you as a daughter. Do you think of him as a father? If so, when did you start thinking of him that way? When you think of "your father" do you think Magnus, or Jean Luc?" Seven simply nodded as the Doctor rested a hand on her elbow. "I am more then a hologram, and you are more then a drone. It is our minds that define who we are. Unimatrix Zero, or Cargo Bay 2. You are you; B'Elanna is B'Elanna. By the way, I hope you and the Lieutenant have been getting along?" Seven never did answer the hologram's question because her mind was considering the events in Unimatrix Zero, and wondering if they would make it back to Cargo Bay 2.

~~~

"Icheb, Mizati?!?" The children turned to face the direction of the voice, and the astonished human/klingon hybrid it belonged to. "Lieutenant Torres, are you functioning?" B'Elanna shooed the girl's question away with a wave of her hand. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Now what the heck are you two doing here?" She found herself fighting off a grin as Icheb did an all too familiar tilt with his head. "Seven seemed most concerned about your wellbeing. So the rest of the children and I thought it best to have others who could look in on you. Hence we gave ourselves the Unimatrix Zero mutation." She found herself smirking. "I suppose you just accessed the Doctor's files, accessed the medical equipment, and you were on your way?"

Mizati nodded. "Correct." She then allowed the smirk to fully form. "Did the Doctor assist you?" Icheb was the one to answer. "We saw no reason to activate the Emergency Medical Hologram. It was a simple procedure." B'Elanna's shoulders shook with repressed laughter. "Well then, I suppose we should let the Captain know you are here." The children's eyes got wide as Icheb spoke. "There is no need to bother the Captain. We have established your well being, and now we may leave." B'Elanna was taken back a second. "Wait "my" well being? You weren't checking in on the entire away team?" Mizati was the one to answer her. "No Seven's concern seemed to be focused around you."

B'Elanna found herself bristling. "What? Did she think I'm not up to snuff?" The children seemed to speak in unison. "Snuff?" She took a deep breath as not to growl at the children. "That my abilities are not suited to the task." Mizati shook her head. "No, she feared you would push your abilities too far and be deactivated." B'Elanna's eyes narrowed as she considered the little girl's words. While she knew that Seven would be concerned for the entire away team she wondered why B'Elanna wondered why she warranted special interest. As she considered that she heard Mizati speak to Icheb. "This virtual realm is amazing. Her face is blushing like Seven's did even though her body is a virtual construct." The children snapped silent when B'Elanna's gaze focused on them.

Continued in next part ....