The Farther Shore - Christie Golden [36]
Janeway indicated the red light. “Private conversation, Lieutenant,” she reminded her gently.
“Oh, yes, “of course.” Garris touched another button beside the door and the light went off.
[105] “Would you care to sit?” said the Doctor, indicating the small bed.
“I do not tire, nor do you,” said Data logically.
Gently, Janeway took the lieutenant by the arm and steered her down the hall, out of earshot. “Tuvok” and “Chakotay” followed.
“I understand you’ve just returned from your honeymoon. How’s married life treating you?” she asked in an amiable fashion.
She listened with half an ear, nodding in the right places as Garris told her about her honeymoon in the tropics. But her mind was not on sunny beaches and waving palm trees. She was trying to figure out how long they would need. She suspected that the plan would be carried out in a matter of seconds, but that Data and the Doctor would linger over their conversation so as to make the fabrication of legal consultant and client more believable.
It was a full half-hour before she heard Data’s voice calling, “I have completed my consultation, Lieutenant Garris.”
Garris hurried down the hall. The Doctor sat on the bed, his hands clasped loosely. A small padd sat beside him. Data stood, hands folded behind his back, awaiting them. The force field was deactivated.
Data turned back to the Doctor. “I will be visiting you again soon. In the meantime, please review the documentation I have provided.”
“Thank you, Commander Data. I will,” said the Doctor earnestly. He turned to Janeway. “Thank you, Admiral, for believing in me.”
[106] She smiled. “We’ll drop by again soon, Doctor. Good-bye, Lieutenant. I enjoyed our chat.”
“As did I, Admiral. Good day.”
They strode down the hall. Janeway muttered under her breath, “How did your consultation go?”
“Successfully,” said Data, but nothing more. Elation filled Janeway.
They might just be able to pull this off, after all.
It seemed to take forever before the four of them safely materialized in Paris’s apartment. The real Chakotay and Tuvok were anxiously awaiting their arrival, along with Tom and Harry. When Janeway met her former first officer’s gaze and said, “We did it,” sighs of relief and not a few whoops filled the room.
Grinning fiercely herself, Janeway nonetheless held up a calming hand. “Let’s make sure it went as well as I hoped first.” She turned to the doubles. “We’ll start with you two. Disengage holographic camouflage,” she said.
The false Tuvok and Chakotay opened their briefcase-size portable emitters and touched a few buttons. There was a humming sound, and then Seven and Icheb stood before them.
Even as their friends rushed toward them to offer hugs and pats on the back, the former Borg both stumbled. Tuvok caught Seven as she fell.
“I apologize for my weakness, Admiral,” Seven mumbled. “Perhaps Dr. Kaz was correct in his assessment of my need to regenerate.”
Tuvok gently led her to a couch and sat her down. Icheb wasn’t far behind her. Pale and shaking, he [107] propped his head up on his elbows and held his head in his hands.
“We’ll get you both to a chamber as soon as we can,” Janeway promised. “But we have one more person to check on.”
Data reached up to his head and deftly removed a chunk of his skullcap. There was a sharp intake of breath all around the room. It wasn’t every day one watched a friend remove a piece of his anatomy so casually.
Red and green dots chased each other on Data’s head. He walked over to one of the holographic emitters and his face went slack. His head twitched.
“Processing ...” he said in a dull voice.
There was a crackle, and then the Doctor stood before them. His dark eyes were wide with delight. He clutched his chest as if ascertaining the reality of his form.
“I’m here. You really did it! Thank you so much, Mr. Data.”
“Do not thank me yet, Doctor,” warned Data. “You may still have your program altered