Prologue Part 9
Part 1 Part 10
Part 2 Part 11
Part 3 Part 12
Part 4 Part 13
Part 5 Part 14
Part 6 Part 15
Part 7 Part 16
Part 8 Part 17
Part 18
Mara and Seven sat up as the door opened and a trio of guards came in. One had a collar; he set it on the table. "Put this on," he instructed Seven.
"What is it?" Mara asked, holding Seven back before she could move towards it.
"Just a precaution," the guard said. "The director wants to speak with Seven of Nine, but we don't want any unpleasantness. If something happens, this will administer a fast-acting sedative."
Seven started to move but Mara again held her back. "I don't trust them," she said flatly.
"If you interfere, you'll be punished," the guard warned.
"Mara," Seven said, "it's all right; if they wished they could sedate me and then put the collar on regardless. I see no need to resist."
"Haven't you been paying any attention?" Mara asked. "Everything that's done has been for some insidious purpose."
"Like putting you in my cell?" Seven asked. Mara opened her mouth to reply but could think of nothing. "They have stated the director wishes to speak with me. Perhaps I can negotiate for something from her to aid in our comforts, possibly allow us more freedom. If the requirement is to wear this device, then I will comply."
Mara glanced at the guards, then wrapped her arms around Seven. "Be careful," she said, a nervous edge in her voice.
"I will," Seven promised. Mara released her, and Seven put the collar on. She was provided a robe for modesty and was led out the door and through the halls. They brought her to a woman with a clipboard who was speaking with some kind of technician. She shooed him off when she saw Seven approaching.
"Hello, Seven," she said. "I'm Ms. Danoob, the head of this facility." Seven nodded in acknowledgement but said nothing. "Leave us," she told the guards. "You are a civilized and intelligent person, Seven," she said as the guards left. "I assume you're not going to try anything while you have that collar on, yes?"
"Resistance is futile," Seven said through her teeth.
"Ah," Ms. Danoob offered a brief clap, "very good. Yes, I suppose in some ways we are like the Borg, but that's neither here nor there. Come," she gestured up the hall and the two began walking. "You're the most intelligent by far of those we've obtained, so it seemed best to address you directly and let you in on the situation. Contrary to what appearances might have suggested, we haven't been tickling you just for its own sake, we do have a larger plan in place."
"You have kidnapped me," Seven said flatly. "Whatever your plan is is irrelevant; you are compelling me to action. If you are intelligent, you would realize that I would be inclined to resist you if you chose these methods, therefore the only possible reason you have gone to these lengths is because this is something you know I would not help you with."
"Not at all," Ms. Danoob said. "You already know what we want: a working fusion reactor. This is the why."
Seven looked up. They'd stepped into a massive room filled with all manner of equipment, but most prominent was a large rectangular chamber connected to equipment even Seven couldn't identify. However, she was quite good at deductive reasoning. "This is the device you used to bring me here."
"And the others," Ms. Danoob said. "This isn't your universe, Seven, or theirs. I figured out a way to pass through the boundary into other realms, but it wasn't easy." She gestured to the door. "The Gate is the center of Crossroads Facility - a rather good name, if I do say so myself."
"You do," Seven said.
"Ah, that Borg wit," Ms. Danoob said. "In case you haven't pieced it together, here are the details of the situation. Crossroads Facility is on an island quite far from prying eyes, so we have some autonomy. This is the early twenty-first century, and while my own modest genius has allowed this leap in technology, many of the things commonplace in your own time and universe are beyond us... apparently time is different between the universes."
"That is not unexpected," Seven commented, "given the Borg's understanding of the nature of time."
"As you can imagine, the Gate requires a colossal amount of power to run, enough that practically any conventional power plant would have to be so large that we would attract unwanted attention."
"You are planning to use this against a foreign power?" Seven asked.
"Oh no, there's no patriotism here, Seven. This isn't a government facility; Crossroads Facility is supported by a series of private investors - investors who are expecting to see a profit out of this expensive facility."
Seven gaped. "You mean that the purpose to all of this is to acquire money? Nothing more."
"Absolutely not," Ms. Danoob said, clearly taking slight offense. "I'm a scientist and explorer, Seven, but I don't live in the nice sterilized world of the Federation; my research requires funds, and people will only provide funds if they will get a profit from it. It's a bitter necessity."
"I do hope it provides you some measure of comfort," Seven said coldly.
"It does," Ms. Danoob said. "But in any case, the Gate is part of the reason I need your help. As I said, we need to avoid attracting attention, and so we were forced to construct a small fission reactor to provide the necessary power."
"If your universe is similar to my own's history," Seven said, "then your nuclear power is still rather primitive and closely regulated."
"Exactly," Ms. Danoob said. "Our supply of uranium is running out and we dare not risk acquiring more that could be traced here via satellite, which is where you come in. A fusion reactor would solve all our problems: we have an ample supply of deuterium because of our oceanic resources, it will provide greater power than our reactor, and the final product will be harmless... but, of course, we actually need to build one."
"Which is why you've been tormenting me to design one for you," Seven said.
"You see our urgency."
Seven looked over at the Gate. "Why should I help you?" she asked finally.
Ms. Danoob nodded, a knowing smile on her face. "Good question, it says much more when you know what to look for. You know I could threaten you; we've been demanding the technology from you for some time and using these rather primitive techniques to try to force the issue, but you've resisted. I know you're stringing us along. But to get back to the question: the reactor is the first step on a road of new discovery and challenges, and you will have the chance to be a part of that, in time."
"Why do you believe I wish to aid in your project?" Seven asked.
"You're an explorer, Seven; I offer many opportunities."
"Yet you chose to bring me in in this manner," Seven said. "You chose torment over reasoned discourse. Clearly there is something you're not telling me."
Ms. Danoob hesitated, then finally spoke up. "It was the catalyst, you see. You're not the only one I'm looking to join me in this venture; Mara is another."
"The visions," Seven said, suddenly realizing what she meant. "You put images of Mara into my dreams."
"Yes," she admitted. "I predicted you two would feel attraction for one another, and you did. Before you get angry, I assure you you have in no way been manipulated; everything you felt has been your emotions. All I did was point the way." Seven was still somewhat shocked at the revelation. "I believe you two will make a fantastic team, Seven. In time you'll both have the chance to be full members of the facility, and I'll do everything to provide you with whatever will make you both happy... or this whole thing can end now."
"What would that mean?" Seven asked. "That I go back to being your prisoner, tortured at your whim?"
"No, Seven," Ms. Danoob said. "It means I send you back to Voyager and close the door. That's all."
Seven's eyes narrowed. "There's something you're not telling me."
"There's only enough fuel left for one - last - jump."
The implication struck home. "Mara," she whispered.
"She'll be stuck here. Still, no problem; we'll find something to keep her occupied."
As if on her command, a large monitor lit up nearby, and Seven stared with horror. Mara was stretched out, and probes were working her over. "NOOOO!" she wailed before descending into a laughing fit. "STOP IT! WAHAHAHA! PLEASE NO!" She was being tickled all over her body, from head to toe, ever single little vulnerable spot. Her whole body had turned nearly red; obviously they had been tickling her ever since Seven walked out of her room. “NO MORE HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!”
"End this," Seven said sharply, turning to Ms. Danoob.
"She still hasn't told us how to make blasters," Ms. Danoob said.
"She doesn't know," Seven said.
"There's no harm in being thorough; it's not like we'll have any other work for her to do."
"PLEASE SEVEN!" Mara screamed. "MAKE THEM STOP! BWA-HAHAHAHAHA!!!" The words cut into Seven like a knife. They must have told her that Seven would be responsible for getting her out of this situation... what else had they told her? Seven watched as the woman she loved was subjected to merciless tickling, and it was hard not to cry at the sight of her. “FOR GOD’S SAKE HELP ME SEVEN! YE-HEHEHEHEHAHAHAHA!!!”
"This was your plan," Seven said with disgust. "You compelled me to care for Mara so you could use her as a weapon against me."
"The thing about being in love, Seven, is that it is your greatest weakness and your greatest strength, all at once. Right now it may be tying your hands, but at the same time, it can also compel you to accomplish the impossible."
Seven looked up at Mara; the tickling was clearly beyond anything she could endure, and it broke Seven's heart to see it. "I will help you," she said. "But you must stop this. Leave Mara alone and I will do whatever you ask."
Ms. Danoob nodded to one of the technicians nearby and seconds later the probes on the screen stopped, and Mara was left panting for breath. "Thank you, Seven," she said with exhaustion. "I couldn't take much more."
"You'll work with my team," Ms. Danoob said. "We want rapid progress on this. So long as I see you making a concerted effort, you and Mara will both be spared any further unpleasantness."
Seven nodded; a few guards arrived to escort her back to her quarters. Seven couldn't help but wonder how much truth was in her captor's words, but for now it seemed she had to accept things at face value. As she'd watched Mara on that screen she knew she'd fallen too far for her to ever turn back; even the thought of leaving Mara was too much to bear, even without the knowledge of her fate here in this reality. Whatever it took to remain with her, Seven would do it. So long as she had her, she could endure anything... even the jabs of her conscience.
Part 1 Part 10
Part 2 Part 11
Part 3 Part 12
Part 4 Part 13
Part 5 Part 14
Part 6 Part 15
Part 7 Part 16
Part 8 Part 17
Part 18
Mara and Seven sat up as the door opened and a trio of guards came in. One had a collar; he set it on the table. "Put this on," he instructed Seven.
"What is it?" Mara asked, holding Seven back before she could move towards it.
"Just a precaution," the guard said. "The director wants to speak with Seven of Nine, but we don't want any unpleasantness. If something happens, this will administer a fast-acting sedative."
Seven started to move but Mara again held her back. "I don't trust them," she said flatly.
"If you interfere, you'll be punished," the guard warned.
"Mara," Seven said, "it's all right; if they wished they could sedate me and then put the collar on regardless. I see no need to resist."
"Haven't you been paying any attention?" Mara asked. "Everything that's done has been for some insidious purpose."
"Like putting you in my cell?" Seven asked. Mara opened her mouth to reply but could think of nothing. "They have stated the director wishes to speak with me. Perhaps I can negotiate for something from her to aid in our comforts, possibly allow us more freedom. If the requirement is to wear this device, then I will comply."
Mara glanced at the guards, then wrapped her arms around Seven. "Be careful," she said, a nervous edge in her voice.
"I will," Seven promised. Mara released her, and Seven put the collar on. She was provided a robe for modesty and was led out the door and through the halls. They brought her to a woman with a clipboard who was speaking with some kind of technician. She shooed him off when she saw Seven approaching.
"Hello, Seven," she said. "I'm Ms. Danoob, the head of this facility." Seven nodded in acknowledgement but said nothing. "Leave us," she told the guards. "You are a civilized and intelligent person, Seven," she said as the guards left. "I assume you're not going to try anything while you have that collar on, yes?"
"Resistance is futile," Seven said through her teeth.
"Ah," Ms. Danoob offered a brief clap, "very good. Yes, I suppose in some ways we are like the Borg, but that's neither here nor there. Come," she gestured up the hall and the two began walking. "You're the most intelligent by far of those we've obtained, so it seemed best to address you directly and let you in on the situation. Contrary to what appearances might have suggested, we haven't been tickling you just for its own sake, we do have a larger plan in place."
"You have kidnapped me," Seven said flatly. "Whatever your plan is is irrelevant; you are compelling me to action. If you are intelligent, you would realize that I would be inclined to resist you if you chose these methods, therefore the only possible reason you have gone to these lengths is because this is something you know I would not help you with."
"Not at all," Ms. Danoob said. "You already know what we want: a working fusion reactor. This is the why."
Seven looked up. They'd stepped into a massive room filled with all manner of equipment, but most prominent was a large rectangular chamber connected to equipment even Seven couldn't identify. However, she was quite good at deductive reasoning. "This is the device you used to bring me here."
"And the others," Ms. Danoob said. "This isn't your universe, Seven, or theirs. I figured out a way to pass through the boundary into other realms, but it wasn't easy." She gestured to the door. "The Gate is the center of Crossroads Facility - a rather good name, if I do say so myself."
"You do," Seven said.
"Ah, that Borg wit," Ms. Danoob said. "In case you haven't pieced it together, here are the details of the situation. Crossroads Facility is on an island quite far from prying eyes, so we have some autonomy. This is the early twenty-first century, and while my own modest genius has allowed this leap in technology, many of the things commonplace in your own time and universe are beyond us... apparently time is different between the universes."
"That is not unexpected," Seven commented, "given the Borg's understanding of the nature of time."
"As you can imagine, the Gate requires a colossal amount of power to run, enough that practically any conventional power plant would have to be so large that we would attract unwanted attention."
"You are planning to use this against a foreign power?" Seven asked.
"Oh no, there's no patriotism here, Seven. This isn't a government facility; Crossroads Facility is supported by a series of private investors - investors who are expecting to see a profit out of this expensive facility."
Seven gaped. "You mean that the purpose to all of this is to acquire money? Nothing more."
"Absolutely not," Ms. Danoob said, clearly taking slight offense. "I'm a scientist and explorer, Seven, but I don't live in the nice sterilized world of the Federation; my research requires funds, and people will only provide funds if they will get a profit from it. It's a bitter necessity."
"I do hope it provides you some measure of comfort," Seven said coldly.
"It does," Ms. Danoob said. "But in any case, the Gate is part of the reason I need your help. As I said, we need to avoid attracting attention, and so we were forced to construct a small fission reactor to provide the necessary power."
"If your universe is similar to my own's history," Seven said, "then your nuclear power is still rather primitive and closely regulated."
"Exactly," Ms. Danoob said. "Our supply of uranium is running out and we dare not risk acquiring more that could be traced here via satellite, which is where you come in. A fusion reactor would solve all our problems: we have an ample supply of deuterium because of our oceanic resources, it will provide greater power than our reactor, and the final product will be harmless... but, of course, we actually need to build one."
"Which is why you've been tormenting me to design one for you," Seven said.
"You see our urgency."
Seven looked over at the Gate. "Why should I help you?" she asked finally.
Ms. Danoob nodded, a knowing smile on her face. "Good question, it says much more when you know what to look for. You know I could threaten you; we've been demanding the technology from you for some time and using these rather primitive techniques to try to force the issue, but you've resisted. I know you're stringing us along. But to get back to the question: the reactor is the first step on a road of new discovery and challenges, and you will have the chance to be a part of that, in time."
"Why do you believe I wish to aid in your project?" Seven asked.
"You're an explorer, Seven; I offer many opportunities."
"Yet you chose to bring me in in this manner," Seven said. "You chose torment over reasoned discourse. Clearly there is something you're not telling me."
Ms. Danoob hesitated, then finally spoke up. "It was the catalyst, you see. You're not the only one I'm looking to join me in this venture; Mara is another."
"The visions," Seven said, suddenly realizing what she meant. "You put images of Mara into my dreams."
"Yes," she admitted. "I predicted you two would feel attraction for one another, and you did. Before you get angry, I assure you you have in no way been manipulated; everything you felt has been your emotions. All I did was point the way." Seven was still somewhat shocked at the revelation. "I believe you two will make a fantastic team, Seven. In time you'll both have the chance to be full members of the facility, and I'll do everything to provide you with whatever will make you both happy... or this whole thing can end now."
"What would that mean?" Seven asked. "That I go back to being your prisoner, tortured at your whim?"
"No, Seven," Ms. Danoob said. "It means I send you back to Voyager and close the door. That's all."
Seven's eyes narrowed. "There's something you're not telling me."
"There's only enough fuel left for one - last - jump."
The implication struck home. "Mara," she whispered.
"She'll be stuck here. Still, no problem; we'll find something to keep her occupied."
As if on her command, a large monitor lit up nearby, and Seven stared with horror. Mara was stretched out, and probes were working her over. "NOOOO!" she wailed before descending into a laughing fit. "STOP IT! WAHAHAHA! PLEASE NO!" She was being tickled all over her body, from head to toe, ever single little vulnerable spot. Her whole body had turned nearly red; obviously they had been tickling her ever since Seven walked out of her room. “NO MORE HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!”
"End this," Seven said sharply, turning to Ms. Danoob.
"She still hasn't told us how to make blasters," Ms. Danoob said.
"She doesn't know," Seven said.
"There's no harm in being thorough; it's not like we'll have any other work for her to do."
"PLEASE SEVEN!" Mara screamed. "MAKE THEM STOP! BWA-HAHAHAHAHA!!!" The words cut into Seven like a knife. They must have told her that Seven would be responsible for getting her out of this situation... what else had they told her? Seven watched as the woman she loved was subjected to merciless tickling, and it was hard not to cry at the sight of her. “FOR GOD’S SAKE HELP ME SEVEN! YE-HEHEHEHEHAHAHAHA!!!”
"This was your plan," Seven said with disgust. "You compelled me to care for Mara so you could use her as a weapon against me."
"The thing about being in love, Seven, is that it is your greatest weakness and your greatest strength, all at once. Right now it may be tying your hands, but at the same time, it can also compel you to accomplish the impossible."
Seven looked up at Mara; the tickling was clearly beyond anything she could endure, and it broke Seven's heart to see it. "I will help you," she said. "But you must stop this. Leave Mara alone and I will do whatever you ask."
Ms. Danoob nodded to one of the technicians nearby and seconds later the probes on the screen stopped, and Mara was left panting for breath. "Thank you, Seven," she said with exhaustion. "I couldn't take much more."
"You'll work with my team," Ms. Danoob said. "We want rapid progress on this. So long as I see you making a concerted effort, you and Mara will both be spared any further unpleasantness."
Seven nodded; a few guards arrived to escort her back to her quarters. Seven couldn't help but wonder how much truth was in her captor's words, but for now it seemed she had to accept things at face value. As she'd watched Mara on that screen she knew she'd fallen too far for her to ever turn back; even the thought of leaving Mara was too much to bear, even without the knowledge of her fate here in this reality. Whatever it took to remain with her, Seven would do it. So long as she had her, she could endure anything... even the jabs of her conscience.
