The Farther Shore - Christie Golden [10]
She hesitated. “You have to promise me that if you [29] deny my request—hell, even if you agree to it—you won’t tell Starfleet Command my reasons.”
He frowned. “I don’t like where this conversation is going.” He thought it over, then nodded. “Very well. You have my word.”
“Commander Data is an android. It was acknowledged in a court of law on stardate 42523.7 that he be granted the full rights of any human being in the eyes of the Federation, even though he’s not even made of flesh and blood.” She leaned forward into the screen. “I want those same rights granted to my friend the Doctor.”
“I can certainly sympathize with your feelings,” said Picard, “but it’s my understanding that the hologram is suspected of crimes that have led to the deaths of eight people.”
“He hasn’t even been read his rights!” Janeway snapped. “He was arrested on no charge, is being held on no charge, and is probably going to be deprogrammed or worse simply because Starfleet can do it. You didn’t stand by and watch Data be dismantled because he was viewed as Starfleet property. Do you expect me to do anything less for one of my people?”
Picard sighed. “No, I don’t,” he said. “It’s not for us to decide if he was or wasn’t involved. He should have the same right to trial that every Federation citizen has.”
The sense of relief that washed over every person in the room was almost palpable. Janeway smiled. “Thank you, Jean-Luc. I won’t forget this.”
“Don’t thank me, thank Commander Data, providing he agrees. I’ll recommend that he assist you, but of course, you realize that in the end, it’s his decision, not mine.”
[30] “As a person, as an individual, he has the right to make his own decisions. Of course I understand. When can I expect to hear from him?”
“Not as soon as you would probably prefer,” he said, and the smiles around the room faded somewhat. “There are certain duties he needs to perform before I can permit him to take a leave of absence. We’ll be in touch.” He hesitated, then added, “I wish you the best of luck. And if there’s anything more I can do, please ask.”
“Again, thank you.”
He smiled, briefly. “Picard out.”
Janeway sighed and sat back in the chair. “Well, we’ve done what we can,” she said.
“That’s it? Data will contact us when he gets around to it?” asked Lieutenant Commander Tom Paris. He looked strange to Janeway without his daughter in his arms. Ever since he had been brought in for questioning, as they all had been a few days ago, Miral had been in her grandparent’s care. Not having her to worry about seemed to have given Tom a headstrong, dangerous edge. Janeway hadn’t realized to what extent marriage and fatherhood had tempered Paris.
“For now, yes, Mr. Paris,” she said. She had deliberately used his last name and there was a warning note in her voice.
“I can’t believe this is even happening in the first place,” blurted Kim. He’d been sitting quietly and this outburst surprised Janeway. “We shouldn’t have to be begging favors like this. They’re imprisoning innocent people and holding them like—like they’re animals. They’re grilling us to death and not letting us help, which we could do if they’d just realize it.”
[31] Gently, Janeway said, “The Borg are so familiar to us, they’re like old friends.” She wrinkled her nose and amended. “Perhaps more like old enemies. We know them in a way Starfleet, indeed no one who wasn’t on Voyager, can understand. We’ve lost a lot of our fear of them out of necessity. I think we’ve forgotten just how terrifying they are. Seven and Icheb are like family to all of us. I look at them and I don’t even see their implants anymore. But that’s all that Starfleet could see when this new virus started cropping up, and I suppose we can’t blame them.”
“I had hoped for better from an institution that preaches compassion and tolerance for differences,” said Chakotay. “Icheb was beaten by his own classmates.”
Tuvok looked up sharply, and if Janeway didn’t know better, she could have sworn she saw righteous anger in his dark eyes. “Rest assured, Commander, that will be addressed. All of those