Unworthy - Kirsten Beyer [61]
“What’s your point, B’Elanna?”
“These protocols shouldn’t be here. They’re compromising deflector control, which endangers the entire fleet during slipstream flight. What’s more, I don’t think this was an oversight. I think they were intentionally restored.”
Chakotay sat back and studied B’Elanna appraisingly. “By whom?” he asked warily.
“I don’t know,” she replied with a shrug.
“Where did you get this?”
“Nancy Conlon sent it to me. She didn’t know what she was looking at—only that there was an interface bug.”
“And you have no idea who put it in the system?”
“There are only three people who could have done it, Chakotay,” B’Elanna said with muted intensity, “me, Vorik, and Seven. Vorik was just as surprised as I was to discover that they had been restored.”
“And Seven had no access during the last re-fit,” Chakotay said a little too defensively. “Since we arrived, her only concern has been finding the Caeliar.”
B’Elanna’s eyes narrowed as she considered his assumption.
“Then who?” she asked.
“I don’t know. You should suggest that Lieutenant Conlon take it up with the captain.”
“You could do that,” B’Elanna suggested.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“She doesn’t trust me,” Chakotay replied flatly.
B’Elanna started to shake her head, but Chakotay raised a hand to forestall further objection.
“For all she knows I came here under the pretense of helping Seven, but actually determined to somehow get my command back.”
“But you didn’t.”
“You know that because you know me,” he replied. “Captain Eden and I met only a handful of times before this mission. She watches me like a pet that isn’t quite housebroken, wondering which moment I might choose to soil the carpet. If I go to her with something like this, she’ll never believe my intentions are pure. Besides, Conlon found it, so Conlon should report it. That’s the chain of command.”
B’Elanna pushed the bowl away.
“Do you think Captain Eden feels the same way about me?”
“I doubt it. But I’m surprised Conlon doesn’t.”
“She did,” B’Elanna replied, “until I set her straight.”
“Then you’ve made more progress than I have.”
B’Elanna nodded and rose. “I have to get back to the Galen to pick up Miral. The Doctor insisted on a full-body scan, but I think he just wanted to spend time with her. His new favorite thing is to tell her stories about me and Tom before she was born. He gets so involved, Miral just loves it. It’s kind of cute.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all.”
As they headed for the recycler, B’Elanna asked, “Have you met his new assistant?”
“Meegan?”
“Yeah. What’s her story?”
“I don’t know, but if Ensign Gwyn ever decided to set her sights on a certain hologram, I have a feeling Meegan would object quite strenuously,” he replied with a smile.
“Does the Doctor know that?”
“I can’t tell.”
“Geez,” B’Elanna said with a sigh, “I don’t remember Voyager ever sounding so much like a bad Klingon romance novel.”
“That’s because the last time you were here, you had more important things to pay attention to.”
“I guess you’re right.” After a moment, she added, “And I’m pretty sure Nancy has a little crush on Harry, which I have every intention of nurturing.”
“B’Elanna, let it be,” Chakotay pleaded.
“Why?”
“You are many things, my dear, but matchmaker is never going to be one of them.”
Eden settled on one side of the conference room table as Paris, Kim, Patel, Cambridge, Seven, and Doctor Sharak were just arriving. Commander Glenn and the Doctor had already reported from the Galen and were chatting quietly . Conlon hurried in and took a seat next to them just as Captain Itak, Lieutenant Vorik, and Admiral Batiste entered. Batiste assumed the table’s head opposite Eden, and his presence brought the room to abrupt silence.
Captain Itak took the lead in explaining their discovery of the Indign offering. Paris provided a briefing on his team’s attempt to communicate with the inhabitants of the third planet. Patel reported on