Paramount pictures own Star Trek Voyager and DS9. I am not making any profit from these stories.

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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.

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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.

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CHAPTER FIVE

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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.”

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CHAPTER SIX

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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.”

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CHAPTER SEVEN

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