|
Paramount pictures
own Star Trek Voyager and DS9. I am not making any profit from these
stories.
xxx
What if the Borg
never assimilates Annika Hansen? What if Captain Janeway captures the
Maquis? Dr. Annika Hansen, raised and educated on Vulcan, is in need
of an engineer to assist in her ‘Valhalla Project’. She
offers the position to B’Elanna Torres, newly released from a
Federation Penal Colony. Fireworks fly between these two and neither
woman much likes the other. A tragic event in Annika's past forces
her into a ‘temporary’ marriage with B’Elanna. This
arrangement leads each woman to see past her misconceptions about the
other. However, is this enough to make their marriage real? PG 17.
Happy Ending.
xxx
I have made up
many of the Vulcan names for foods and geographical locations.
Note that I have
also added my own interpretations to the state of Pon Farr.
In this story I
have Annika Hansen's year of birth as late 2348.
I have B'Elanna
being born 2349.
There is some
controversy on the name and type of ship that Chakotay captains for
the Maquis. The fact files refer to the name as 'Zola'. In the DS9
episode 'Sacrifice of Angels' the ship is named 'Liberty'. It is
classified at an Antares class in the novel Pathways. I have
seen several references that it is a Ju'day class ship named 'Val
jean'.
Vulcan words
p’pil’lay:
Severing of a mind link between couples who have bonded either due to
the sudden death of a spouse, which is a natural severance. When a
bonded couple divorces a p’pil’lay is performed.
Plak tow: Blood
fever. The last stages of Pon Farr in which the victim is irrational
and illogical with the only thought is to mate. In my story it is a
situation of mate, die or go insane. I have Plak tow occurring during
a Vulcan's second Pon Farr, if they are unmated.
Pon Farr: The
Vulcan mating cycle. It typically occurs every seven years. When the
first Pon Farr occurs is not established. Tuvok supposedly went
through his first at forty years old. T'Pol, in the series Enterprise
was in her sixties, but this was due to a virus. She states it was
not her time. Spock, who is half Human, went through Pon Farr at
least twice as an adolescent in the motion picture Search for
Spock. In the original series, he entered Pon Farr in his
thirties. There is no reference to that incident being his first.
Kun ut so'lik:
Marriage proposal.
Chocolate is
thought to be an intoxicate for Vulcans. Quark, on DS9, offers a
Vulcan patron chocolate and alludes to it as possibly being something
sexual.
xxx
Klingon Words:
Klingon Blood
Wine: Blood wine is stronger than the wines of Earth. It is often
imbibed during ceremonies, when telling war stories, and as a drink
of celebration after a battle or other event.
Targ or targh. A
Klingon mammal with characteristics somewhere between Terran canines
and wild boars. These animals are hunted, although some are kept as
pets. The heart and lungs are considered delicacies.
Gagh. Klingon
serpent worms are a food item and are best eaten while the worms are
still alive and fresh. There is over 50 varieties of serpent worms.
Raktajino. Klingon
coffee.
Rokeg blood pie. A
pie made from the blood and meat of an animal and often consumed on
holidays and at celebrations.
Klingon swear
words.
P‘taQ,
PetaQ. A person who is ineffective, useless, and no good.
QoH. Fool
taHqeq. A person
who is dishonorable, deceitful and vile.
Klingon
Rituals.
Age of
Ascension Ceremony
Klingon Rite of
Passage. The ceremony usually takes place when a Klingon, male or
female, is around the age of thirteen. The initiate recites the
ritual words "DaHjaj SuvwI'e' jiH. tIgwIj Sa'angNIS. Iw
bIQtIq jIjaH." - Today I am a Warrior. I must show you my
heart. I travel the river of blood. Then he or she walks between
two rows of warriors who apply pain sticks. The initiate then
expresses his or her most heartfelt wish and feelings while under the
duress of the extreme pain. The ceremony can be performed again when
the warrior becomes an adult..
R'uustai
The R'uustai is a
ceremony that bonds unrelated individuals as brothers and sisters. It
is often used to adopt a person into a House. Each person involved
wears ceremonial vests or sashes and lights three candles while
invoking the memory of their mothers.
x
x
x
RAVEN: VALHALLA
AWAITS
Part One
ANNIKA
“Wednesday’s
child is full of woe.”
xxx
CHAPTER ONE
xxx
Annika tiptoed
through the open door, stood behind her parents, and observed their
attempts to attach a device to the Raven’s interface with the
warp core engines. Papa said it was a way to get home. He had gone
aboard the Borg ship to get it.
She did not like
the Borg. They were scary. Papa had gone to the Borg cube and beamed
some drones aboard the Raven. He said they would not hurt her because
he had gotten them from their alcoves and they were in the
regenerative cycle and not aware of their surroundings.
One he called
Junior and the other Needle Fingers. Needle Fingers was the scariest.
His right hand had sharp needle like fingers. Papa said that his hand
was this way to enable him to do delicate work on important
machinery. She feared he would wake up and stick her with his
needles. Papa said he would use his assimilation tubules instead. He
prodded Needle Finger’s left hand and two black slithering
worm-like tubes came from them. Momma told Papa not to do that, as it
would give Annika nightmares.
She did have
nightmares the first time Papa brought a Borg to the ship. Seeing the
metal man standing on their ship had frightened her and she had
clutched Momma’s leg and cried. Momma told her it would not
hurt her.
Momma took her to
bed and tucked her in, giving her a kiss on her cheek. She had told
Momma she wanted a kiss from Papa, but Momma said he was too busy
now, but she would make sure he gave her a goodnight kiss after he
was not busy anymore.
She had tried to
stay awake to wait for him. However, she fell asleep. She had dreamed
the Borg, Needle Fingers, was trying to stick her with his needles
and his tubules. She had cried and Momma came and told her it was
just a bad dream. Momma held her for a while and the next thing she
knew, Momma was calling her for breakfast. Even over breakfast all
Momma and Papa could do was talk about the Borg.
Because of the
Borg, Papa and Momma often did not have time to read to her or look
at her drawings. She felt that the Borg were more important than she
was.
Yes, she hated the
Borg and was glad that soon they would leave and go home. She could
not really remember home. It seemed like forever that she had been
aboard Raven. She did remember a little about her aunt Irene and the
sweet taste of strawberries.
Erin heard a small
scuffing sound and turned to see her daughter. “Annika,
sweetheart, have you finished your lessons?
“Yes,
Momma.”
“Isn’t
it your bedtime?”
“I want Papa
to read me a story.” Annika looked at her father, his back
still to her.
He turned his head
and said, “I’m busy, Muffin. I’ll read you a story
later.”
“You always
say that. But you never do it,” she pouted.
Erin interjected,
“Annika, go to bed.”
She stood there,
her bottom lip jutting out in defiance.
Magnus turned and
said in a stern voice, “Annika. You heard your mother. Go to
bed.”
She sighed and
turned angrily, stomping her feet as she returned to her room.
Erin turned back
to help Magnus. “It will be good to get back to the Alpha
Quadrant where Annika can meet children her own age. I know it must
be lonely for her not to have playmates.”
“Yes. Part
of me thinks it was a bad idea to bring her. We should have taken
Irene up on her offer to keep her while we were away.”
“I don’t
know if I could have done that, Magnus.”
“I know.
Well, that is moot. We’ll be home soon.” He grimaced as
he ran a diagnostic tool over the Borg transwarp coil. He had masked
his biosignature, gone aboard the Borg Cube, and removed it from one
of small scout ships.
“Damn, I
don’t think we will be able to truly make this compatible with
our warp core or engines. This is the best we can do. I think it will
perhaps be good for a one shot try. I think I should go back to the
cube and retrieve another coil. This way we can have another one
available, if this one fails.”
“You know
how I feel about you going over there.”
“I know, but
it’ll be ok. I’ll go tomorrow.”
“When will
we return home?”
“In a few
days. I want to put some distance between the Borg and us before we
attempt to open a transwarp corridor. Activating the transwarp core
may cause our shielding to fail and the Borg may detect us. The
further away we are when we do this, the safer. If the shields fail
and we’re to close to the Borg… I don’t want to
think about that.”
He inwardly
shuttered, remembering the horrors, the atrocities, he had witnessed
a month ago on the Borg cube they had been following for over a year.
It had joined
three other Borg cubes and they had taken up orbit around a planet. A
scan of the planet showed that it contained a population of over
eight hundred million and had early warp capabilities as evidenced by
a few scattered warp signatures in the planet’s vicinity.
The Hansen’s
were not sure why the cubes were in orbit, but surmised that an
assimilation event could possibly occur.
Suddenly, they
observed millions of transwarp signatures originating from the cubes
and terminating onto the planet’s surface.
Raven’s
communications array was flooded with distress calls sent out on all
frequencies. Both had listened in horror to the panicked pleas for
help. They had sent Annika to her room at the first panicked calls,
not wanting to subject their daughter to the horror.
Magnus informed
Erin that he would beam over to the cube they followed, to see first
hand what occurred during assimilation. She had begged him not to go,
but he insisted that he would be safe with the bio-shielding that
would mask his presence.
When he beamed
over, he could hear the cries, screams and pleas for mercy. The Borg
cube had come alive. Drones were leading their victims to different
rooms on the ship or leading those newly assimilated to alcoves. Some
victims were only partially assimilated.
He moved aside
as a group of drones escorted humanoid beings, looking almost Human,
except for the absence of hair and the small ears situated almost on
their necks. It was hard to determine what their original skin color
was as it already had the pale pasty mottling of a drone. Many
already had Borg implants erupting from their faces and arms. Some
had the stony countenance and dead eyes of the Borg. Others,
whimpered and wailed, fear clearly evidence in their eyes. He felt a
wrenching at his heart when he heard the pitiful cries of some for
their loved ones.
He followed one
group down a short corridor were he heard screams and groans. They
were ushered into a large room and he felt his heart stop and stomach
lurch at what he saw. Victims, strapped to tables, their arms and
legs cut from them. The atrocity of having metallic limbs and
implants replace them. Eyes cut out. His nostrils were assaulted by
the hot metallic smell of blood and fear, of Borg and machine,
causing him to eject the contents of his stomach. This was hell.
He knew that
Erin was able to see the same thing as he did. His eyepiece made a
recording and sent it back to the Raven. He knew Erin would have sent
Annika to her room to spar the child this nightmare.
He could take
no more and had beamed back to Raven, in shock. He looked into Erin’s
eyes and he saw the horror reflected there and knew that she saw the
same in his.
“Oh, my
God. Magnus?” Erin said in anguish.
“We must
get out of here.”
They could not
discuss what they had witnessed. To speak of such horrors would be a
profanity. They knew this would haunt them the rest of their lives.
Later, the scientist in them recorded with clinical accuracy the
process of assimilation. The Human in them wept.
He and Erin
planned their return to the Alpha Quadrant. They had observed smaller
scout ships leaving the cube and opening a transwarp corridor. He
would go back to the cube, later, and find one of the ships and try
to discover what technology they used to do this.
After two days,
the madness of assimilation abated and the cube they were tracking
broke orbit and went on its way. Raven followed and Magnus was
successful in removing a transwarp coil from a scout ship.
xxx
CHAPTER TWO
xxx
Annika sat on her
Papa’s knee and showed him the pictures of the Borg cube and
drones she has drawn. “This one is Needle Fingers, Papa.”
“I see. That
is a very good Muffin. It looks exactly like him. All of your
drawings are excellent. Let’s show Momma and then we will put
them on the bulkhead by my work station.”
Annika turned her
head and looked at her Papa. “Papa, when are we going back to
the Alpha Quadrant?”
“In a few
days.”
“Why don’t
we go now?”
“I have
something I have to do first. And as soon as it is done, we will be
ready to go.”
“I know.
You’re going to the cube and get another…trans…warp
coil.”
"My, what big
ears you have.”
Annika felt her
ears and said, “My ears are not big. They are the same size as
they were yesterday.”
Magnus laughed and
slid Annika from his knee and to the floor. “Now, let’s
show Momma your drawings and then, I must get ready to go over to the
cube.”
Later, Magnus
picked up his tool bag and hung it round his shoulder. He had his
bio-filter attached to his right shoulder sleeve of his shirt. He
wore the video band around his head with the attached, small recorder
turned up. When aboard the cube, he would turn it down over his right
eye. This would allow Erin to see what he saw.
“I’m
ready. I guess this will be my final trip over there.”
“Good.
Please be careful, Magnus. If it looks like there will be a problem
getting the transwarp coil…leave it. Take no chances.”
He kissed her
cheek. “I don‘t think there will be any problems. You
know what to do if there are.”
Earlier, Magnus
had discussed with Erin, that if he were ever discovered and she were
unable to immediately transport him out, she was to put the Raven
into its fastest warp and get a safe enough distance away to engage
the transwarp coil. The danger would be too great of discovery if he
were assimilated. The Borg would know from his thoughts that the
Raven was near by and thus learn about the modulating shield.
Annika watched as
her Papa dematerialized in a sparkle of molecules. “Bye, Papa.”
She took the chair
by her mother at the ships helm. She watched the view screen as it
showed the eerie green and gray of the interior of the Borg cube. The
view moved down a corridor and past several drones regenerating in
their alcoves.
“Annika,
honey. Why don’t you go to your room for a while? Have you
finished your lessons for today?”
“But I want
to see the drones and what Papa sees.”
“No. Now,
don’t argue. Go to your room. I’ll let you know when Papa
gets back.”
Annika pouted and
slid out of the seat and went to her room. She showed her displeasure
in her pout and her stiff gait. She went to her room only to turn
around and creep down the short corridor and out into the dinning
area. She crawled under the table and looked toward the front of the
ship to the view screen in front of the helm area.
She could see the
misty green glow of the interior of the Borg cube and hear her Papa’s
voice.
“I’m
at the bay area for auxiliary craft.”
The view on the
screen panned various craft. Some were so close she could only see
sections: Cold metal that really gave no indications of what she was
looking at.
“I‘ll
try this one.”
The picture moved
and she saw a change in the area. Was it a door sliding open? The
picture continued to move, almost in a disjointed fashion.
Unidentified machinery and bulkheads with equipment jittered and
swayed. Then the picture stopped at a pedestal that had an assortment
of flashing green and yellow lights.
“Here we
go.”
She saw her Papa’s
hand holding a tricorder in front of the pedestal.
“All
indications are that this is functional. I’m going to disengage
it from the manifold."
She saw both her
Papa’s hands touch a pad on the pedestal and a section with a
cylinder rise out of the surface. Then the picture flickered and went
out, leaving only the voice.
“Magnus,
I’ve lost the picture.”
“What
the…Erin, beam me out. My tricorder is picking up some kind of
energy field around the craft and my bio-filter is not functioning.”
Annika saw her
mother rapidly tapping in commands on the instrument pad at the helm.
“I can’t
get a lock. Magnus, get clear of the shuttle.”
There was noise
then.
“God. Oh
God! They’re on the shuttle. They know I’m here.”
"We are
the Borg. Resistance is Futile. Your distinctiveness will be added to
ours."
"Run,
Erin, Run, Arrggh."
“MAGNUS!!
NO, NO, NO!”
Annika screamed,
“PAPA”
A few seconds
later, she was sliding from under the table and along the floor. She
got up and saw the stars elongate and realized that they had gone
into warp. She was just about to run to her momma when she was thrown
to the floor.
The ship began
bucking and heaving. The view screen was showing a sickening swirling
of colors. She watched mesmerized, then the screen cleared, and there
was only the cold points of light of a star field. The ship was not
in motion and the only sounds were the click, whirls and beeps of
various machinery, consoles and instruments. And the sobbing of her
momma.
‘Danger.
Warp core breech imminent in forty seconds.’
She ran to her
mother, her voice frantic and pleading. “Go back. We left Papa.
Momma go back.”
‘Warp
core breech thirty seconds.’
Erin quickly sent
out a distress signal. She exited her seat, pushing Annika aside and
went to the engineering console a few feet away. She keyed in the
command to eject the warp core. She raised the Ravens shields to
maximum. She pulled her daughter into her arms and hugged her tight,
for comfort more than protection, against the imminent explosion.
“Momma. Go
back. Papa. Get Papa.”
Erin’s sobs
and the computer’s countdown to one were the only reply.
xxx
CHAPTER THREE
ALPHA QUADRANT:
THIRTEEN MONTHS LATER
xxx
Erin assessed the
message addressed to her on her sister-in- law’s communications
array. It was from a Dr. Shonok at the Vulcan Science Academy. She
opened it and read the contents. Her hands started to shake and she
felt faint…just a little off kilter.
Dr. Shonok was a
senior professor at the Academy and his area of expertise was
Anthropology. He wanted to meet with Erin to discuss setting up a
special course of study on the Borg. He asked if she would consider
heading the study. He assured her that she would have no problem
obtaining certification through the Ministry of Education on Vulcan.
He went on to say
that Starfleet and the Federation would have no involvement in this
endeavor. He was to visit Earth next week and wanted to set up a time
and place to meet her.
Erin read and
reread what he had written. Was this an answer to her prayers? Things
had not gone well for her career, and her life, since returning to
the Alpha Quadrant.
The Raven had not
been in Federation space for more than an hour before the USS Valiant
answered the distress call and took them into custody. Captain
Jocelyn Butler had contacted Starfleet command and received orders to
secure Erin to her quarters and to return to Starfleet command
immediately.
On her return to
Earth, she was charged with the theft of a Starfleet craft, crossing
the Romulan Neutral zone, and breech of contract. Starfleet and the
Federation’s premise was that they funded her and Magnus’
research, even loaning them a ship, with the stipulation that
Starfleet could terminate the contract at any time if they felt it
necessary. Starfleet had ordered them to terminate the mission. They
did not. Moreover, to make matters worse, they entered the Romulan
Neutral Zone. This offense was of a serious nature that could have
resulted in hostilities with the Romulan Star Empire. It was
fortunate that the Romulans had not detected them.
Erin was
incarcerated in a Starfleet brig pending trail. Her sister-in-law,
Magnus older sister, Irene Hansen, had obtained the best legal
counsel on Earth and had taken custody of Annika until the matter was
cleared.
Erin’s legal
counsel arranged her release, on the stipulation she not leave Earth.
After ten days in a Starfleet brig, she went home and grieved for her
husband and tried to help Annika cope.
Annika refused to
believe her papa was dead. The Borg had him and she was angry with
Erin for leaving him and for not going back to get him. For all
purposes, he was dead, but how to explain that to a six year old.
She then met with
her legal counsel, James Phelps, Esquire, in New York once a week for
the next three months. Five months after she returned from the Delta
Quadrant, her lawyer reached a compromise with Starfleet. They would
not prosecute if she would agree to go through Starfleet debriefing
for the next three months. She agreed.
After a grueling
three months of just about everyday ‘interrogations’ she
was through and could start a new life for her and Annika.
Or so she thought.
She had applied to several Federation institutes of higher learning
only to discover that the Federation had suspended her teaching
certifications for five years for the felony charges brought against
her by Starfleet. If she had had a trial and been found innocent, her
certification would not have been revoked. She had plea bargained
instead. She had appealed. However, it was to no avail. She would not
be able to obtain a job as a professor, or even as a teacher of a
kindergarten class, anywhere in the Federation.
Now, maybe this
was her chance. She sent Dr. Shonok a reply and looked blankly at the
screen for a moment then noticed the ‘received’
displayed. Only thing now was to wait for him to contact her with
further information.
She got up from
the chair and went to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror and thought, ‘Magnus,
how I miss you. I hope this is my chance to share our work, your
work, with those who wish to know. Starfleet and the Federation are
wrong to classify this and not share it with all. The Borg will come.
And we should be prepared.’
She dried her face
and made her way to the kitchen to help Irene with the meal
preparation. She would not tell her, yet, of her correspondence with
Dr. Shonok, for really, she did not have anything to tell.
Xxx
Over her menu,
Erin Hansen stole glances at her dinner companion. Dr. Shonok was a
handsome man. Tall and broad shouldered, his dark hair sprinkled
liberally with silver, his complexion olive brown.
She had met him
earlier in the lobby of one of Paris’ Five Star Restaurants,
The Bon Appetite. It was his suggestion that they dine here and he
stated emphatically that she would be his guest.
Before meeting
him, she did a little research on the Professor. She had the computer
pull up his biography and any other pertinent information. He was the
head of the Anthropology Department at the Vulcan Science Academy. He
had held this post for thirty five years. Prior to that, he was a
full professor for forty years. It listed his degrees and where and
what years he obtained them. Doing the math, Erin estimated his age
to be around 110 years. Middle aged for a Vulcan. He had many
published books and papers.
After further
digging, she came across an obituary dated approximately 4 years ago.
It was his wife’s. It did not list the cause of death.
Survivors were her husband, a daughter and two sons, a mother and
various other relatives. There was no indication that he had
remarried. There were several pictures of him, but none conveyed the
presence that seemed to emanate from him in person.
He had arrived at
the restaurant before her and was seated in the lobby. He stood when
she entered and she knew he recognized her, perhaps from a picture on
the intergalactic web. There would be more than enough information
and pictures available. Both, when she was a graduate student and
more recently, those of her return to the Alpha Quadrant and arrest
by Starfleet.
He towered over
her 5’8” height by at least eight inches. He wore the
latest urbane fashion from Earth, which was popular throughout the
Federation: A pair of charcoal trousers, short blue wrap around tunic
and a loose fitting charcoal jacket, without lapels.
She was surprised
when he offered his hand for a shake. Vulcans were averse to touching
others, due to their ability to sense the emotions emanating from a
person. His grip was warm and firm. He held her hand longer than was
custom.
His voice was a
rich, deep baritone. Erin could swear she saw a spark of interest and
curiosity in his eyes when he addressed her.
She made her
selection and put down her menu, folding her hands on the table’s
white tablecloth. She looked up and found that his dark, liquid gaze
on her. This made her blush.
The waiter was
back and took their order. She was surprised that he ordered a lamb
dish, as she thought he would be a vegetarian, as are most Vulcans.
She had ordered a shrimp Florentine, with seasoned rice.
“Let me
offer my condolences on the loss of your husband.”
“Thank you.”
She paused and then added, deciding to be to the point. “How
much do you know about our research, mine and Magnus’?”
“I know
enough to formulate that your almost two years of studying The Borg
has yielded an abundant amount of information than is currently
known. I know that both the Federation and Starfleet in effect,
have…silenced you. You know too much and that is why your
teaching certification has been pulled.”
“The
Federation said it’s because of my criminal background. I in
fact, pleaded no contest. So, it’s on my record that I’m
a felon.”
“I suspect
you do not believe that reason is entirely true.”
“You would
be correct. I think it is to keep what information on the Borg, I
have, from being known by the public.”
“The fact
remains; they have concealed the evidence from the governments of
many planets. It is true, that the inter-council of the Federation
have some knowledge of your findings.” He paused and took a sip
of water, then went on. “It is my belief that you have made
certain preparations to preserve your and your husband’s
findings. You, in fact, have a back-up copy of your findings.”
“Oh. And why
would you think this?”
“It is the
logical thing to do. I am a scientist, Dr. Hansen, as are you. It is
a common practice for researchers and scientist to make copies of
their research and work. As you know yourself, research can be
lost…or stolen.”
Erin looked at him
suspiciously. ‘Is he a Starfleet or Federation spy?’
“Even if I do have a back up copy, as you say, how do I
know I can trust you not to run to Starfleet with the information?
For all I know, you’re a Starfleet spy or a Federation spy.”
“I am sure
you have done research on me, Dr. Hansen. I am what I appear to be.
The head of Anthropology at the Vulcan Science Academy. I give you my
word; I am not employed with the Federation or Starfleet.”
“As a past
Starfleet Captain once said, ‘Vulcans
can lie with the best of them’.”
“Captain
Jonathan Archer.” He named the man from whom the quote
originated. “Then let me explain. I believe that this knowledge
does not belong solely to Starfleet or the Federation, or even to
you, but should be available to all.”
“Oh? And why
do you believe this should be available to all?” she said
facetiously.
“I surmise,
for the same reason you do, Dr. Hansen, that the Borg are a threat to
all quadrants of the galaxy. Perhaps, the greatest threat. What
little information I have been able to obtain leads me to believe
that they are intent on domination and…what is that word you
use…incorporating…”
“Assimilating.”
“Yes.
Assimilating all advanced species. They may be far away in the Delta
Quadrant, but they do make appearances in the Alpha and Beta
Quadrants. They are scouting, as you would say. You know this as you
encountered them in Romulan space. Moreover, there have been recent
sightings…unconfirmed sightings of them in the Alpha Quadrant.
We must be prepared. They are coming, Dr. Hansen. That is why I and
some of my colleagues from various institutions are proposing to
start a Borg institute of study, which you will help to establish and
head.”
Erin knew her
mouth was hanging open. “I think you had better explain, Dr.
Shonok.”
He nodded his
head. “This is what we are proposing….”
xxx
CHAPTER FOUR
xxx
“I would
love to stay on Earth, Irene. Annika likes it here and so do I. But,
let’s face it. I have no future here. Not one Institute or
University will hire me. I can’t get my papers published. I
can’t get a research grant. They think the Borg are of no
importance. And with Starfleet poisoning the well, and the Federation
council as well…This is an offer that is an answer to my
prayers.”
“Think of
Annika. She has family here, and friends. It will be hard for her to
live anywhere else. What about her schooling? She’s in
accelerated classes.”
“Irene. This
is Vulcan, not some backwater planet. They have accelerated schools
there. And, she will make friends. I have already researched the
schools in Hars’Ta. The Institute grounds will be located right
on the outskirts of the city. The schools will be easy to travel to
and from. They have excellent ratings.”
“While you
will be establishing an Institute, what is Annika to do after school?
You will be working many hours. Who will watch her while you work?
What if she falls sick or is injured?”
“I have
already checked into that. Hars’Ta is a major city. They have
day care centers there as well as three hospitals and many clinics,
shopping areas, as well as social centers that feature the arts. You
know, you can always come with us.”
“Bah, and
live in a desert were one could die of heat stroke in a manner of
minutes if outdoors?”
“Vulcan is
not all desert, they have some areas of forest and plains.” She
did not add that the temperature was considerably higher and dryer
than the average on Earth.
“That may
be. Nevertheless, Vulcan is no place to raise Annika. She belongs
here, among her own kind.”
“Listen to
you, Irene. You’re sounding like a xenophobe. She is a child
and will quickly acclimate, as she has done here.”
“It’s
a bad idea, Erin. I have nothing against Vulcans. The ones I have met
are polite and well spoken. You must take into consideration that
Annika is Human in her emotions and feelings. Vulcans are trained
from birth to repress their emotions. She will have a hard time
making friends. She will stand out. Not only because she is Human but
because she acts Human.”
“She will
adapt. I can’t give up this chance. It’s what Magnus
would have wanted me to do. His sacrifice should not go unrecognized.
It’s important that the information on the Borg is known.
Starfleet and the Federation are wrong to have confiscated all of our
research. They are wrong by…essentially keeping it out of the
Public. The more we know, the better prepared we will be when the
Borg come. And they will come.”
“That very
well may happen.” Irene sighed. “I don’t
understand. Vulcan is a part of the Federation, yet you and
this…Showboat…”
“Shonok. Dr.
Shonok”
“Dr.
Shonok…want to start a Borg institute of study. Won’t
the Federation step in to stop this? Starfleet and the Federation
have all of your research.”
“No, they do
not.” She smirked and said, “Magnus and I knew that when
we returned to the Federation, that Starfleet would confiscate our
research. After all, we disobeyed orders when we crossed over into
the neutral zone, on a Starfleet ship.” She smugly added.
“Information chips are an easy thing to conceal, Irene.”
“You will
get into trouble for this, Erin.”
“It is my
research. Magnus’ and mine. For all they know, I have it all
memorized. They stole this research from us. I will only be sharing
with whoever wants to learn the research that is mine. Dr. Shonok has
connections in the Ministry of Education on Vulcan as well as
connections in the government. He has already laid the ground work.”
“Opening an
institute cost credits, Erin. You just can’t open a store front
out in a desert and call it an institute.”
“He has the
monies from donations and from his family connections. His family,
from what I understand, is wealthy from the various dilithium mines
they own.
“He has
purchased an old monastery that includes a teaching facility. It also
has domiciles of two and three bedrooms that are habitable. Annika
and I will take one of those to live in, as will most staff. Other
housing will be constructed as well as additional teaching space.
There is also housing in the city. I’m doing this. It is right,
Irene, the right thing to do.”
She took her
sister-in-laws hand. “Come with us, Irene.”
“I cannot.
My roots are here. I need the green spring meadows, the summer wheat,
and the snow blanketed forest in winter. I cannot leave.” Her
eyes glistened with tears. “When will you go?”
“I’m
going to Vulcan in two weeks and will be there for a month to make
arrangements. Then I will come back and get Annika.”
“You will
come back and visit?”
“Yes. Of
course. It‘s only a day’s trip away. You will have to
visit us, also.”
“I will.
But, I will miss you Erin, and my Annika, living here with me. I hope
they have strawberries on Vulcan. My little Annika does love
strawberries,” she said as she wiped the tears form her eyes.
xxx
CHAPTER FIVE
xxx
Erin walked across
the paved path under the hot Vulcan sun. She passed two of her
students who nodded in greeting. She returned the nod, with a barely
perceptible smile.
She then returned
to her thoughts. Shonok had declared kun-ut so’lik, his intent
to marry her, a few days ago and she accepted. She had grown close to
him in the past ten months since coming to Vulcan. She could easily
pick up his emotions from his subtle facial movements. For the past
three or four months, she noticed his eyes twinkling in her presence
and there was a slight animation about his features.
He invited her to
lunch frequently and sought her out for her ‘advice’ on
matters pertaining to the Institute. Even though a lot of it was
outside her area of expertise.
He had a good
sense of humor, Vulcan humor that is, which was on the dry side. He
made it a point to see her everyday and often invited her out to
dinner, taking her to a few of the better Vulcan dining
establishments in town. He even brought her flowers on a few
occasions, stating that the aesthetic qualities and scent were
calming.
When he proposed,
she had asked him flat out if he was in Pon Farr. Even though this
was a very private subject and not discussed. She didn’t want
him asking her if he were driven to do it. He was not hesitant in his
replay. He assured her he was not. He informed her that it was not
due for another two years.
He then gave her
all the logical reasons they should marry. He held her in high
esteem, she was logical in her thinking, they had the same interests,
he even professed that he had feelings for her. Oh, no, he did not
say he loved her, but stated that he felt an attachment to her closer
than that of friendship.
She did not love
him as she had Magnus. She doubted she could ever love like that
again. She was fond of him though. It was true that they had a lot in
common. She wondered briefly if they would be compatible sexually and
thought maybe they should ‘test drive the aero car’
first.
She knew it was a
common fallacy among other species in the Federation that Vulcans
were only sexual during Pon Farr. Her studies showed that married
couples had sex about as frequently as Humans. However, during Pon
Farr, they must mate or die. Or worse yet, go insane.
He was accepting
of Annika, even helping her with a school project on one occasion.
Annika seemed to accept him.
However, how would
Shonok’s children feel about her marrying their father? They
were already grown and had their own lives. It had been five years
since his wife died and it was expected he would remarry before his
next Pon Farr. She was Human. He informed her that he had discussed
the subject with them and they agreed it was the logical thing to do.
Magnus had been declared dead, officially, over a year ago.
Therefore, she had agreed to marry him. Now, she had to tell Annika.
She was not sure how Annika would take this.
She continued her
walk and then turned down a paved path and under a curved arch and
entered a garden area. The path took her under the shade trees to
that portion of the garden where Annika had her logic and meditation
class.
She heard the
melodic tinkling of the garden’s fountain as the water tricked
from several openings in the meter high tan and orange rock formation
and spilled into the pool below. The garden and fountain had been
here for well over two hundred years as part of the monastery. The
fountains source was an underground spring. The runoff was used to
water the flora and to irrigate a nearby vegetable garden.
She saw a group of
children on the other side of the fountain under the shading canopy
of an ancient Viihi tree. They were eleven young students, ages 6-12,
all in the typical Vulcan meditation position, sitting on the ground,
with eyes closed and their hands relaxing across their legs. Annika
was easy to spot, her golden hair a ray of sunshine in the black and
brown hair of the Vulcan children. She was the only Human child in
the class. Erin dropped back and sat on a bench by the edge of the
pond to wait for her class to end.
She thought back
over the ten months that they had been on Vulcan. The first three
months took some major adjusting, for not only the hot dry climate,
thinner atmosphere and stronger gravity, but adjusting to interacting
with the Vulcan people.
Erin had become
more subdued in the way she talked and interacted with her colleagues
and students. However, she couldn’t manage to remove all of the
enthusiasm she had for her subject, the Borg. None of her students
ever complained.
Currently, there
was an enrollment of fifty two. The majority Vulcans. There was only
a scattering of other races. She was hoping in a few years that the
racial makeup would change as the Institute grew.
The current
students were professors and teachers who already held degrees and
doctorates from other Universities and Institutes. She was preparing
them to teach a variety of subjects related to the Borg.
A quantity of her
and Magnus’ research was already downloaded and the students
assessed and studied the information. She added clarification to the
information in her seminars and classes.
She, Shonok and
some of the students, were classifying the information into
categories dealing with everything from physics and engineering, to
medical and the social structure of the collective. Upon earning a
doctorate in the various fields of Borg study, these students would
become teachers at the Institute.
This was just the
beginning. They would also develop a research facility studying and
applying such technology as multi-phasing shielding, that she and
Magnus had developed. Starfleet already had this technology, which
they obtained when they confiscated the Raven. They were just now
implementing it.
However, it could
always be improved. Likewise, she had the specifications and
schematics for the Borg transwarp coil as well as nanoprobe
technology.
So far, to date,
she was the only instructor. She did have peers here. There was
Shonok, who was the co-founder and head of the institute, as well as
a handful of other administrators and a staff doctor and
psychologist. There were also, dozens of support staff, from office
managers and aides to maintenance, nutritional workers, and
horticulturist to take care of the grounds.
Yes, she had
adjusted quite well. However, her Annika had a harder time adjusting
and was just now fitting in.
The first few
weeks, it was obvious that Annika was having a problem making friends
and adjusting to school. Due to her advanced intellectual skills, she
was placed in an accelerated class. Unfortunately, the majority of
her classmates were 2-3 years older. Annika would come home crying
and angry because her classmates called her illogical and emotional
when she displayed any normal emotion for a Human child her age. She
complained that no one wanted to play chess with her or wanted her on
their sports team. She told Erin that she did not want to return to
school. Erin insisted that in a little more time she would make
friends. Things only got worse. The head instructor of the school
called Erin in for a conference. She informed Erin that Annika had
become emotional and angry and pushed another student. If her
behavior continued, she would have to leave.
Erin sought the
advice of the staff psychologist, Dr. Voncel. Dr Voncel had recently
started at the Institute. She was young for a Vulcan, only 39, though
she looked the equivalent of a Human in her early twenties. She was
attractive with shoulder length dark hair, pulled back on the sides,
and held in the back by a clip. Her eyes were hazel and her
complexion light. She was slender and the same height as Erin. Voncel
invited her to have tea in her office to discuss the situation. She
listened intently to Erin describe Annika’s situation, her
hazel eyes focused and still.
When Erin finished
relaying her story, she was almost in tears. Dr. Voncel retrieved a
tissue from her satchel, went around the desk, and handed it to her.
She put her hand on her shoulder for a moment, something rare for a
Vulcan to do as they could often sense another’s emotions
through touch.
She returned to
her seat and was silent for a moment. When she spoke, there was
calmness and gentleness to her voice. She would check with her
colleagues to see if a child psychologist equipped to counsel Human
children was available.
She also advised
Erin to enroll Annika in an after school class that taught Vulcan
children logic and meditation. She explained that when born, Vulcans
were just as emotional as most races, maybe even more so. That while
Vulcan children learned much of their control of emotion from their
parents and family, they also received instructions in logic and
meditation techniques to center themselves and their emotions. A
Master taught this. There were several children of the staff and
support staff here and they had obtained a qualified master. Classes
had already started. She personally would talk to the Master about
accepting Annika.
Erin voiced some
concern that she did not want Annika to subdue her emotions to the
extent Vulcans did. Dr. Voncel felt that Annika would just get a
better grasp on handling her emotions and controlling them. That Erin
was her main influence at home and as long as Erin displayed emotion,
Annika would, while in that environment. She felt that while in
public and around her Vulcan peers, she would not be prone to
emotional outburst and would fit in better.
Erin took Dr.
Voncel’s advice and enrolled Annika in the Logic classes. She
had been in the class eight months now and Erin could see a
difference. She was subdued in her emotions, more in public than at
home. However, Erin did notice that she was not as prone to having
temper tantrums.
She had also
picked up the formal Vulcan speech pattern of using few contractions
when speaking Federation Standard. What bothered her though, was that
Annika’s analytical abilities were a little too Vulcan. She
would often use logic as an argument against what Erin wanted her to
do. However, Erin reminded her who was boss and Annika couldn’t
use logic to dispute that fact.
There were no more
reports from Annika’s school that she was unruly and emotional.
She now had several Vulcan friends. She even invited them to her
eighth birthday, which had been just a couple of weeks back.
Birthdays were not celebrated on Vulcan. Therefore, there was great
interest by her five guests about the ’proceedings’, as
one young participate put it. It was all a very subdued affair with
none of the squealing, screeching, and running around caused by too
much sugar from cake and ice cream. Instead, they spent their time
putting together one of the three-dimensional puzzles that Erin had
given Annika as a gift. When it was time to blow out her birthday
candles, Annika had to explain the meaning of candles and wishes.
Then she added that it was all highly illogical, but it was
performed, as it was custom. There were nods of agreement as there
were a few ancient Vulcan customs that fit that category.
She and Dr.
Voncel, or just Voncel, had become friends and would often lunch
together and run errands to town together. Erin kept her updated on
Annika’s progress. Voncel was accepting of Annika and patient,
answering the many questions Annika pestered her with. Annika seemed
to like her.
Erin was brought
out of her reverie by the sound of a small gong. Master Tinil, who
must had been close to two hundred years old, stood and bowed his
head, dismissing his students. They returned the bow and dispersed.
Annika saw her
mother waiting in her usual spot and sedately walked up to her. She
used to run up to her all excited and smiling. Now, she had a twinkle
in her eyes and a small upturning of mouth. Erin thought perhaps that
she did not want to display emotions in front of the other students.
She often laughed and made up funny stories when she got home.
“How was
your day Annika?”
“It was
satisfactory, Momma.”
“And your
lessons?”
“Very
acceptable, Momma. I was one hundred percent correct in all my
calculations for Algebra. And my science teacher stated I had an
exceptional grasp of physics for someone of my age.” This last
was said with a large amount of pride and a satisfied smile.
“That’s
excellent, Annika. You will have to tell me what you learned about
physics later.”
“Momma, will
you prepare spaghetti for dinner tonight?”
Erin smiled. This
was her daughter’s favorite dish. “Not tonight, Annika. I
have invited Shonok to dinner.”
Annika frowned.
“What is he preparing?”
It was customary
for guests to prepare dinner for their hosts. The last time he
prepared dinner, Annika did not like it and her face showed her
distaste. She had refused to eat what was on her plate and Erin had
made her apologize to Shonok and go to her room. Shonok was a typical
Vulcan about it. Apologizing himself that the food was not to her
liking.
“I don’t
know. Annika, if you don’t like what he prepares, I don’t
want you making ‘yuck’ faces. I want you to eat a few
spoons or forks full. If he asks you how it was: You tell him it was
good.”
“But Momma,
that would be dissembling.”
“You will be
polite, Annika. It’s not nice to tell someone who has gone to a
lot of trouble to cook for you that you don’t like what they
prepared. It makes them feel bad.”
“But, Momma.
That is illogical. He is Vulcan and would not feel bad.”
Erin rolled her
eyes and her head. “Annika, Vulcans have feelings, too. They
just don‘t show them. Tell him that it tastes…nutritious,
yes nutritious. I’m sure whatever he prepares will be
nutritious. Then you will not be ‘dissembling’ and you
will be polite at the same time.”
Annika considered
this for a moment and said more to herself than Erin, “It
tastes nutritious.”
Erin smiled. She
hoped ‘she’ didn’t have to use that line tonight.
xxx
Annika finished
her dessert of candied tindar fruit, which was the flowing bud of a
native form of prickly pear. She found the yellow egg shaped fruit
acceptable with a slight taste of strawberries. She would have liked
fresh strawberries. She remembered the fresh strawberries tasted
better than the replicated ones her momma sometimes gave her.”
“Are you
finished, Annika?” Her mother inquired as she finished her own
dessert.
Shonok had already
finished and had taken his eating utensils and plates to the kitchen,
to dispose in the recycler.
“Yes, Momma.
It was very good.”
“Why don’t
you tell Shonok that? He is the one who prepared all the delicious
food.” She said this with a meaningful look at Annika, who knew
what the look implied.
Dr. Shonok
returned to the table and Annika said, “Dr. Shonok, The food
you prepared was delicious.” She said this with a Vulcan
formality. She then added. “And, it was nutritious.”
Erin hid her smile
behind her napkin.
“I am glad
you approve.” He replied in an even voice.
Erin got up from
the table and said, “Why don’t we all go to the living
area.”
All three moved to
the living area, Annika sitting on the couch and Erin sitting beside
her.
Shonok took the
straight back chair on the other side of the coffee table across from
Annika and forgoing the soft recliner.
Erin wrapped her
arm around Annika’s shoulder and looked down at her upturned
face. “Annika. Dr. Shonok and I are friends, as you know. Well,
I like him very much, and he likes me. We have decided to marry.”
Annika leaned away
from her mother, her features showing both outrage and shock. “But,
Momma what about Papa? You are married to Papa.”
“Annika. We
have talked about this before. Papa isn’t coming back. You know
that.”
Annika pulled out
of her mother’s arm and flung herself off the sofa. “No!
The Borg have him. We will go and get him.”
Erin had a
stricken look. “No, Annika. He’s not coming back.”
“He is! He
is! I hate you. You left Papa with the Borg. I hate you,”
Annika’s voice was a high pitched screech of outrage.
Erin left the sofa
and knelt on the floor trying to take Annika in her arms. The
distraught child was now crying. She roughly drew herself from her
mother’s grasp and screamed. “I hate you.” She
looked at a seemingly surprised Shonok as well and screamed, “I
hate you, too.”
She ran to her
room and flung herself on her bed, screaming in rage and pain. She
cried out, “Papa. I’ll save you from the Borg. I’ll
get a starship and go and find you.”
xxx
CHAPTER SIX
xxx
Annika stood
uncomfortably in the large reception hall as well wishers for her
mother’s wedding to Shonok, socialized. Her blue organdy and
satin floor length dress made her itch. The high neck of stiffened
material, scratched. She thought it was ‘illogical’ to
wear such a garment.
Her mother told
her she had a choice: Wear the dress or the ornate Vulcan robes that
would itch twice as much and be twice as hot. She chose the dress.
She was also
tired. She had to stand, it seemed for hours, in a hot smelly temple,
with nasty smelly incense burning. Her eyes had burned and watered.
She only knew a
few people at the reception. Mostly they were colleagues of her
mother. Her aunt Irene stood beside her and Annika held on to her
hand, as Irene talked to Dr. Voncel. Just about all of the other
guests were Vulcan, and they wore robes of various muted shades.
Annika thought them pretty. They did not look like they would itch
like her momma said they would.
Her mother chose
to wear a dress from Earth. She had to admit that her mother was
beautiful in the floor length ivory dress.
She had been angry
at first that her mother was getting married. However, her mother had
a long talk with her and again explained that even though she loved
Papa, she had to let go of her grief and go on with her life. She
told Annika that she too, had to go on with her life. She stated that
did not mean that she didn’t love Papa. That Annika always
would love Papa. But Papa would want them to be happy.
Her mother told
her that Aunt Irene was coming and would take her back to Earth for
the summer break. Which met that school was not in session for ten
weeks. This was so her mother and Shonok could go on a ‘honeymoon’
and settle in together.
This made Annika
happy but she still was not entirely mollified. She had gone to
school the day after her mother‘s talk, quiet and withdrawn.
She isolated herself from her friends at recess. One friend, T’Asa,
who was a couple of years older, approached her, sat down by her, and
asked her if she were ill.
She said she did
not feel well as her mother was marrying Dr. Shonok. She could not
understand why. It seemed illogical to her.
T’Asa had
looked around and then whispered, “It is the Pon Farr.”
Annika looked
at her and said, “What is the Pon Fire?”
T‘Asa
whispered, “Do not talk so loud. Pon F-A-R-R. It is not to be
discussed with others. Only adults talk about it, and then where
children cannot hear.”
Annika
whispered back, “Then how did you hear about it?”
“If I go
into my closest I can hear what is being discussed in the dining
room. My parents sent me to my room and closed the dining room door.
That means they are discussing something they do not want me to hear.
I heard them discussing my Aunt and that she had the Pon Farr. Later,
my parents had an errand. I used my parent’s computer and
accessed information on it. I only had time to read a small amount as
my parents returned and I had to shut off the computer.”
“What did
it say?”
“It
occurs when one is an adult, and every seven years. They must mate,
or they will die. It makes one illogical. That is why Shonok chose
your mother as a mate and not a Vulcan. He has the Pon Farr and it
has made him illogical.”
“You said
your Aunt had it?”
“Yes,
five months ago. She had to mate or die. You can go insane, also.”
“Did she
mate?”
“Yes, she
mated with her betrothed. She is fine now.”
This concerned
Annika. She wondered if her mother would catch the Pon Farr from
Shonok.
“Can one
catch the Pon Farr as they can the Bolian Flu?”
“Perhaps,
if they are an adult they can.”
“I will
tell my mother to go to the doctor. Perhaps there is something she
could take that will prevent her from catching it.”
When her mother
picked her up from logic class, she asked her if Shonok had the Pon
Farr. Her mother got a shocked look on her face and said, “What?”
Then told her they would discuss it when they got home.
Later, her mother
explained to her that it did have to do with mating and it wasn’t
something to discuss. It was something that was very private for
Vulcans. She assured her that Shonok did not have Pon Farr. And it
wasn’t contagious.
Her Aunt pulled
her thoughts back to the present, asking if she needed to go to the
restroom. She told her no. Her Aunt said she needed to go herself and
for Annika to go and set down somewhere.
There were some
tables that had chairs around them. She saw an empty table and sat in
one of the chairs, watching her mother talking to others and then
looked around at the other guests. She swung her feet back and forth
as she did this. Her attention was caught by a scratching noise. She
turned toward the noise and saw a Vulcan seated in a chair at the
next table, facing her. He would look at her and draw on a pad.
He was the
strangest Vulcan she had ever seen. He had long hair that was tied
back in a ponytail. He had a small pointed beard and a mustache.
Facial hair was rarely seen on Vulcans. He was dressed in the typical
Vulcan robes though.
He looked at her
and she could see that he was smiling. Not a big smile, but a smile
nonetheless. He turned the pad over and faced it toward her. She saw
that he had drawn her picture in colored charcoals.
She smiled.
Something she rarely did while out in public. He tore the picture out
of the pad and motioned for her to take it. She got out of her chair
and took the picture, studying it.
“Thank you.”
“You are
welcome, Annika.”
She studied him,
puzzled that he would know her name. After all, she had never met him
before. “How do you know my name?”
“I am
Silvik. Shonok’s youngest brother. I have heard your name and I
have met your mother. You look very much like her.”
She studied him
for a moment. His eyes seemed to crinkle in the corners like humans
did when they were happy or found something amusing. Not Vulcan like
at all.
She then looked at
the sketchpad he had put on the table.
“Do you have
more drawings, and may I see them?”
“Yes. Here
take this seat. And I will show you.”
He indicated a
chair by him. She took the seat and he opened the sketchpad. It
contained many drawings of the wedding party and guests. She could
recognize her mother and Shonok, her aunt Irene, and another of her
holding her aunt’s hand. There were many more.
“They are
excellent. Are you an artist?”
He smiled. “Yes,
I am. I have a small abode by the River Khonzza. I spend my time
drawing and painting the various life forms and landscapes in that
region.”
He turned more
pages and showed her sketches he had made of the wild life where he
lived. He told her stories behind each one.
She would have
liked to see more and hear more stories but her Aunt came and got
her, saying to come and see her mother and Shonok off to their
honeymoon, and then they would leave and go back to the house and get
ready to go to Earth.
“Thank you,
Mr. Silvik, for showing me your drawings and telling me about them.
It was nice to meet you.”
He took her hand
in his and shook it, surprising her further. ‘You are very
welcome, Annika. Please call me Silvik. I will bring more drawings
with me when I visit my brother and his new family.”
Annika smiled.
“When will you visit?”
“I visit him
three times a year. It will be in the fall.” He gave the Vulcan
salute. “Live long and prosper, Annika.”
Annika had not
quite mastered the salute yet and had to put her fingers on her left
hand together and take her other hand and separate the ring finger
and middle finger. “Live long and prosper.”
xxx
CHAPTER SEVEN
xxx
|