Unworthy - Kirsten Beyer [6]
“I have heard the name, Captain,” Icheb replied, “though I have no knowledge of their activities during that battle. Cadets are under strict orders to not pursue any inquiries regarding the Caeliar at this time, though many of us, as you may imagine, are understandably curious.”
“Of course you are,” Chakotay said. “And as of now, it’s just ‘Chakotay.’ I resigned my commission a few days ago.”
“Why?” Icheb asked defensively, as if he had taken Chakotay’s action personally.
“I can’t serve Starfleet and help Seven at the same time, and right now, she needs me more than Starfleet does,” Chakotay replied.
Icheb drew a breath to ask another question, but Chakotay continued.
“What I’m about to tell you is sensitive information and I am trusting you to keep this between us.”
Icheb’s cheeks reddened as the implications of this request sank in, but he finally nodded his assent. He had only learned to love and admire Starfleet from the crew of Voyager, who had rescued him from the Borg. However, there was no question where his greatest loyalty would always lie.
“We don’t know much about the Caeliar,” Chakotay said. “But we do know that they didn’t so much defeat the Borg as assimilate them.”
Color quickly drained from Icheb’s face. Assimilated was not a word one could just toss around among former Borg.
Chakotay continued. “It is my understanding from Seven that the Borg were actually spawned thousands of years ago by the Caeliar, quite unintentionally. What the Caeliar did at the height of the invasion was to bring those lost souls back into their gestalt. The Borg were transformed into Caeliar and to hear Seven describe this transformation, it was a frightening but ultimately wonderful thing.”
Icheb rose in alarm.
“But I’ve spoken with Seven several times since then. Was she …?” he began.
“No,” Chakotay assured him without letting him finish the obvious question. “Seven was transformed. Her Borg implants dissolved. And though she was momentarily able to experience the Caeliar gestalt, she was ultimately severed from the connection. As best we can tell, she is now fully human.”
“How is that possible?” Icheb demanded. “Seven could not survive without her implants or the regeneration process. They could not just disappear. Something must have replaced them.”
“That’s my belief as well,” Chakotay said, nodding. “The Caeliar are composed of catoms—engineered particles that can be programmed to take on any form. I believe her implants were replaced by catoms.”
“Is that a good thing?” Icheb asked warily.
“Physically, she’s fine. Starfleet Medical, and the Doctor, have confirmed it. But ever since the transformation, Seven has been hearing a voice in her head that insists Seven is Annika Hansen.”
“But she is Annika Hansen,” Icheb said, “though I know she does not prefer that designation.”
“Annika was assimilated at the age of eight. Seven’s memories of that child are few and far between, and many of them are painful. She has always thought of herself as Seven of Nine. She grew and matured as a Borg and is now reluctant to heed the will of the voice which seems to insist she must abandon all that she became as a Borg. Initially, she attempted to adapt, hoping the voice would subside. But over the last few weeks, Seven has experienced a succession of traumatic events: the hospitalization of her aunt, the loss of B’Elanna and Miral, and the departure of most of her former crewmates aboard the Voyager fleet. Since then, Seven has found it more difficult to deal with the voice.”
“Seven is losing her battle, isn’t she?” Icheb asked.
“I’m afraid so,” Chakotay replied. “But I think that together, we can help her.”
“How?”
“Before we get into how, I need to know something,” Chakotay insisted. “You, too, were once Borg. Did you sense anything at all like what Seven has described?”
“No,” Icheb said without hesitation. “But you must remember that shortly after Voyager returned to Earth, I was imprisoned, along with Seven and the Doctor, and for several days was denied the ability to regenerate. My Brunali physiology