The Hansen Diaries
- Thread starter Tiberius
- Start date
This story continues to intrigue me. First of, I liked the reaction the Hansens had to seeing Earth again after being away. It is interesting to note the reaction of Annika here and her later feelings as Seven about seeing Earth in the episode where all of the crew where being brainwashed into believing they were on their way home but instead on their way into the digestive tract of a spacefaring creature!
I think you captured very well how the Hansens were caught up in just how busy and populated San Francisco was. After all they spent an extensive amount of time studying in the wild so I think that their reaction is very true to form.
However, and I know part of this story must be explaining how the parents are willing to go into deep space after the Borg, I do think a line in the story after they transport Annika to Aunt Irene checking she got to the other end ok would have been warrented. i don't think they were horrible or uncaring but the fact they didn't do that jarred with me as I read. Especially in light of the fact that transporters are possibly a technology the Hansens don't need to use very often and certainly not Annika.
Part of the problem of the Hansen story-line is the time line as dictated by Voyager and the meeting of the Borg by the Enterprise in TNG. Obviously there had to have been some prior Federation contact with the Borg. So in endeavouring to tell this tale you have a tricky line to tread and having Sloan/Section 31 connections allows for certain degrees of secrecy which is valid.
How and ever, I do think that there was perhaps too much in the way of information garnerned from a few debris pieces. Also the infamous Borg audio call - I'm not sure if I wanted the Federation to know as much as this pre-TNG knowledge! It makes them seem wholly incompetent not to have done more.
Personally, I think the evidence should have provided more questions for the Hansens and a burning desire to go out and find the answers. I figured at the start of their visit to Earth that they were going to be given a secret mission to find and examine the 'enemy/Borg' by Starfleet/S31; but it would be a mission Starfleet/S31 would pointedly refuse to acknowledge on deniablility grounds because the Hansens would need to traverse enemy/foreign space such as the Romulans, etc.
With that said, I'll suspend these doubts to continue reading this tale. I really like it. The strenght lies in the focus being the Hansens and not the Borg so much.
Whilst I eagerly await the appearance or the first discovery of the Borg I like the current mystery surrounding their being and like a foggy shroud would like to just see glimpses of their nature a bit at a time. We all know what they are like the strength of this story is in the little re-revelations - such as earlier in your story when it puzzled the Federation crew 'who'd design a cube for a spacecraft?'.
I think you captured very well how the Hansens were caught up in just how busy and populated San Francisco was. After all they spent an extensive amount of time studying in the wild so I think that their reaction is very true to form.
However, and I know part of this story must be explaining how the parents are willing to go into deep space after the Borg, I do think a line in the story after they transport Annika to Aunt Irene checking she got to the other end ok would have been warrented. i don't think they were horrible or uncaring but the fact they didn't do that jarred with me as I read. Especially in light of the fact that transporters are possibly a technology the Hansens don't need to use very often and certainly not Annika.
Part of the problem of the Hansen story-line is the time line as dictated by Voyager and the meeting of the Borg by the Enterprise in TNG. Obviously there had to have been some prior Federation contact with the Borg. So in endeavouring to tell this tale you have a tricky line to tread and having Sloan/Section 31 connections allows for certain degrees of secrecy which is valid.
How and ever, I do think that there was perhaps too much in the way of information garnerned from a few debris pieces. Also the infamous Borg audio call - I'm not sure if I wanted the Federation to know as much as this pre-TNG knowledge! It makes them seem wholly incompetent not to have done more.
Personally, I think the evidence should have provided more questions for the Hansens and a burning desire to go out and find the answers. I figured at the start of their visit to Earth that they were going to be given a secret mission to find and examine the 'enemy/Borg' by Starfleet/S31; but it would be a mission Starfleet/S31 would pointedly refuse to acknowledge on deniablility grounds because the Hansens would need to traverse enemy/foreign space such as the Romulans, etc.
With that said, I'll suspend these doubts to continue reading this tale. I really like it. The strenght lies in the focus being the Hansens and not the Borg so much.
Whilst I eagerly await the appearance or the first discovery of the Borg I like the current mystery surrounding their being and like a foggy shroud would like to just see glimpses of their nature a bit at a time. We all know what they are like the strength of this story is in the little re-revelations - such as earlier in your story when it puzzled the Federation crew 'who'd design a cube for a spacecraft?'.
I'm still very much enjoying this. And I'm going to disagree with mirandafave a little bit, when it comes to the way Starfleet is reacting to this.
It strikes me as the 24th-century equivalent of the "pre-9/11 mentality": treating it as a scientific mystery rather than a serious threat. And we have, just as if you would observe if you read the 9/11 Commission Report, all the signs there--but perhaps "siloed" in some way by organizational flaws. Some pieces of info are with Section 31, some with Starfleet proper, some with Starfleet Intelligence, some (I would suspect) with Department of Temporal Investigations, some with the scientific community, some possibly with the Romulans, and none of them TALKING to each other like they should. Possibly the Hansens are going to be the only link and THEY are getting ready to leave Federation territory before they can put all of the pieces together!
Now, the mention of the Romulans raises something else. Yes, I know there's a war going on at this time between the Federation and the Cardassians, but shouldn't the discovery of someone tampering with their people to this extent--someone THIS powerful--occasion some pretty urgent, high-level contacts with the Cardassians? If I were Starfleet, I'd want to initiate contact to find out if this is indeed as surprising to the Cardassians as it is to the Federation. (I'm sure a skilled diplomat accustomed to dealing with them would be able to spot the difference, in concert with Intelligence and possibly S31.)
Especially since you can't get hold of the Romulans (since they're presumably still refusing all contact), I would think getting hold of the Cardassians might be a smart idea since this suggests reason to believe both powers are under threat. Plus, if you're working towards an eventual peace with them, I would think a friendly warning might be seen as a step in that direction, something that could eventually speed the peace process.
But I suspect the failure to do so is a symptom of the inter-agency problems and "pre-9/11 mentality."
Oh, and some more thoughts...somebody hit on an interesting point with Annika's pre-assimilation personality, that she already had the capacity to be very analytical and detached beforehand instead of that all being a result of her assimilation.
That would help explain something that always bugged me about Seven. Even though some people dismiss "I, Borg" and "Descent" as either "bad" episodes or not canon in some way, Hugh developed intense emotions very quickly and, unlike Seven, tended to err on the side of excess emotion rather than excess logic. And yet he showed no sign whatsoever of memories of a past life! This idea of some sort of predisposition (either genetic or neurological or whatever) might help explain how we got two reactions that were so different: it may well be that had Hugh grown up free of the Collective his entire life, that we would have been looking at a personality a lot like McCoy or Kira--passionate, heart-over-head in decision-making, and with a tendency to shoot from the hip in dealing with others (both for better and for worse).
It strikes me as the 24th-century equivalent of the "pre-9/11 mentality": treating it as a scientific mystery rather than a serious threat. And we have, just as if you would observe if you read the 9/11 Commission Report, all the signs there--but perhaps "siloed" in some way by organizational flaws. Some pieces of info are with Section 31, some with Starfleet proper, some with Starfleet Intelligence, some (I would suspect) with Department of Temporal Investigations, some with the scientific community, some possibly with the Romulans, and none of them TALKING to each other like they should. Possibly the Hansens are going to be the only link and THEY are getting ready to leave Federation territory before they can put all of the pieces together!
Now, the mention of the Romulans raises something else. Yes, I know there's a war going on at this time between the Federation and the Cardassians, but shouldn't the discovery of someone tampering with their people to this extent--someone THIS powerful--occasion some pretty urgent, high-level contacts with the Cardassians? If I were Starfleet, I'd want to initiate contact to find out if this is indeed as surprising to the Cardassians as it is to the Federation. (I'm sure a skilled diplomat accustomed to dealing with them would be able to spot the difference, in concert with Intelligence and possibly S31.)
Especially since you can't get hold of the Romulans (since they're presumably still refusing all contact), I would think getting hold of the Cardassians might be a smart idea since this suggests reason to believe both powers are under threat. Plus, if you're working towards an eventual peace with them, I would think a friendly warning might be seen as a step in that direction, something that could eventually speed the peace process.
But I suspect the failure to do so is a symptom of the inter-agency problems and "pre-9/11 mentality."
Oh, and some more thoughts...somebody hit on an interesting point with Annika's pre-assimilation personality, that she already had the capacity to be very analytical and detached beforehand instead of that all being a result of her assimilation.
That would help explain something that always bugged me about Seven. Even though some people dismiss "I, Borg" and "Descent" as either "bad" episodes or not canon in some way, Hugh developed intense emotions very quickly and, unlike Seven, tended to err on the side of excess emotion rather than excess logic. And yet he showed no sign whatsoever of memories of a past life! This idea of some sort of predisposition (either genetic or neurological or whatever) might help explain how we got two reactions that were so different: it may well be that had Hugh grown up free of the Collective his entire life, that we would have been looking at a personality a lot like McCoy or Kira--passionate, heart-over-head in decision-making, and with a tendency to shoot from the hip in dealing with others (both for better and for worse).
Nerys how dare you disagree with even just a little bit! 
No I think it's absolutely possible and likely that the Federation knew about a dangerous species out there. But I just don't think they'd have had as much information on them - certainly not a name - otherwise when the Enterprise finds colonoies on the Neutral Zone border excavated someone - even from S31 would have come a calling. But I suppose a big universe and an even bigger bureaucracy!
Am glad you think like me about Annika's personality as seen so far. She already seems quite a strong stolid little figure shaped as much by her parents studies and lack of contact with other people.
No I think it's absolutely possible and likely that the Federation knew about a dangerous species out there. But I just don't think they'd have had as much information on them - certainly not a name - otherwise when the Enterprise finds colonoies on the Neutral Zone border excavated someone - even from S31 would have come a calling. But I suppose a big universe and an even bigger bureaucracy!
Am glad you think like me about Annika's personality as seen so far. She already seems quite a strong stolid little figure shaped as much by her parents studies and lack of contact with other people.
Nerys how dare you disagree with even just a little bit!
No I think it's absolutely possible and likely that the Federation knew about a dangerous species out there. But I just don't think they'd have had as much information on them - certainly not a name - otherwise when the Enterprise finds colonoies on the Neutral Zone border excavated someone - even from S31 would have come a calling. But I suppose a big universe and an even bigger bureaucracy!
And the bureaucracy is what I personally think is creating the problem in this case.
I have no idea whether you read the 9-11 Commission Report (and I don't mean that bad, just the literal statement that I don't know), but it was pretty shocking how many pieces of the picture the American government had in its possession, yet did not put it together. And I am not a conspiracy theorist by any means...I see it as quite simply a systemic failure.
And I think something similar may be going on here.
(BTW, I am curious to know if you agree with me here--Cardassian DNA has been detected. Even though the two peoples are presumably still at war, should the Union be notified of the likely threat?)
Yeah...now I'm curious, do you also share my suppositions about the contrast with Hugh and how he might've turned out sans assimilation (assuming there ever WAS such a pre-assimilation individual)?
Never did read the Commission but read the different newspaper reports and editorals. All quite shocking but probably to be expected when secrecy is the name of the game.
As for the Cardassian DNA at this stage because it is an unknown enemy and especially in light of the war and S31 involvement I would imagine it is extremely unlikely that the Cardassians will ever get wind of it. Even if feeling spirited to let the Cardassians know about a potential danger too many 'thinkers' would be of the opinion that the Cardassians or unknown enemy might ally or share intelligience. Whilst some might make an argument to do so I dare say they'd be shot down by more vocal others.
Although the possibility could be explored like a book I read years ago where a colonel or like was tasked with mission to warn the Japanese of the Atom Bomb and show the devastating effects of said bomb to force the japanese to surrender. In end they were sabotaged by those within the military who wanted to drop the bomb and not give the enemy any potential technological knowledge.
As for Hugh? Well I do think it is clear he had a different personality to Seven although we have to take onboard that his dis-assimilation [new word?] was probably more abrupt and painful than Seven's. EMH could draw upon Picard's records from Crusher. So probably some pyschological damage from his point of view perhaps.
What would he be like pre-assimiliation? Yeah I could figure him to be passionate like Kira. Quite likely headstrong and emotional.
Certainly if he had a Picard like rescue and returned to the human race I could imagine him being very impassioned by the rights and liberties of others. A crusader given his past 'imprisonment'.
As for the Cardassian DNA at this stage because it is an unknown enemy and especially in light of the war and S31 involvement I would imagine it is extremely unlikely that the Cardassians will ever get wind of it. Even if feeling spirited to let the Cardassians know about a potential danger too many 'thinkers' would be of the opinion that the Cardassians or unknown enemy might ally or share intelligience. Whilst some might make an argument to do so I dare say they'd be shot down by more vocal others.
Although the possibility could be explored like a book I read years ago where a colonel or like was tasked with mission to warn the Japanese of the Atom Bomb and show the devastating effects of said bomb to force the japanese to surrender. In end they were sabotaged by those within the military who wanted to drop the bomb and not give the enemy any potential technological knowledge.
As for Hugh? Well I do think it is clear he had a different personality to Seven although we have to take onboard that his dis-assimilation [new word?] was probably more abrupt and painful than Seven's. EMH could draw upon Picard's records from Crusher. So probably some pyschological damage from his point of view perhaps.
What would he be like pre-assimiliation? Yeah I could figure him to be passionate like Kira. Quite likely headstrong and emotional.
Certainly if he had a Picard like rescue and returned to the human race I could imagine him being very impassioned by the rights and liberties of others. A crusader given his past 'imprisonment'.
I can see where you're coming from, during the war--though I guess it should be no surprise to you where my sympathies and concerns automatically expanded to, in light of that revelation!
Though I WILL say, you do eventually get cooperation between Picard and the Romulans, even if temporary, on the Borg matter, so I'd say it's not entirely out of the question.
One thing I did notice with Hugh was that there was no sign of his rejecting his implants, even in his injured state. That's one thing that made me wonder if perhaps Hugh was born/cloned into the Collective somehow. That, on the other hand, may well have let Hugh focus on other things than the abrupt physical changes Seven went through. (But I STILL think that there's something underlying there, a Kira/McCoyish personality that was bound to come out anyway. Being able to withstand a HIGHLY charismatic personality like Lore--with so little experience as an individual--takes a damned fiery personality of one's own, IMHO.)
Though I WILL say, you do eventually get cooperation between Picard and the Romulans, even if temporary, on the Borg matter, so I'd say it's not entirely out of the question.
One thing I did notice with Hugh was that there was no sign of his rejecting his implants, even in his injured state. That's one thing that made me wonder if perhaps Hugh was born/cloned into the Collective somehow. That, on the other hand, may well have let Hugh focus on other things than the abrupt physical changes Seven went through. (But I STILL think that there's something underlying there, a Kira/McCoyish personality that was bound to come out anyway. Being able to withstand a HIGHLY charismatic personality like Lore--with so little experience as an individual--takes a damned fiery personality of one's own, IMHO.)
Well Picard was a master diplomat and out on his own when he worked with the Romulans. He wasn't necessarrily hanging on Admiralty's say so.
With that said the common sense approach should require them to make contact with the Cardassians but somehow with S31 involvement there's going to be no common sense just paranoia!
Hugh definitely had a strong personality. It was also a personality that somehow affected Picard and Crusher in I, Hugh when they were reluctant to give him the virus because in part seeing him as an individual as well as wiping out an entire species.
I'm thinking Hugh a mix of Kira, angry Sisko and a smattering of Pulaski.
With that said the common sense approach should require them to make contact with the Cardassians but somehow with S31 involvement there's going to be no common sense just paranoia!
Hugh definitely had a strong personality. It was also a personality that somehow affected Picard and Crusher in I, Hugh when they were reluctant to give him the virus because in part seeing him as an individual as well as wiping out an entire species.
I'm thinking Hugh a mix of Kira, angry Sisko and a smattering of Pulaski.
Oh and considering what we learnt from Voyager's Borg babies it is possible that he was born into the Borg or cloned or made or whatever term they'd be like to use.
Heh...I suppose someone needs to find a way to go around Section 31. Then again, I suppose my concern might be an anomaly in that time period...even though I say general principle should dictate it regardless of personal preference. 
I think with Picard in particular, he wasn't expecting it at all. I suspect his guard was down a bit--wasn't expecting that sort of assertiveness, especially for it to be coming on emotional and not logical grounds!
This exchange kinda suggests what I think an interaction between Hugh and Seven would be like, in tone--especially if they got on each other's bad side, which I can see happening. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcs458t3OEY
I think with Picard in particular, he wasn't expecting it at all. I suspect his guard was down a bit--wasn't expecting that sort of assertiveness, especially for it to be coming on emotional and not logical grounds!
This exchange kinda suggests what I think an interaction between Hugh and Seven would be like, in tone--especially if they got on each other's bad side, which I can see happening. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcs458t3OEY
That is an excellent clip and shows exactly why TOS rules. 
Trying to imagine it as Seven [Spock] and Hugh [McCoy] now. You might have a point Nerys though sadly only the TOS writers wrote like this or could write this - on a network anyway. the other thing is that this tension between Spock and McCoy comes about because of their friendship. Not sure Seven and Hugh would become friends so easily not that there was anything easy about their friendship mind!
The question for Tiberius is how can the Hansens get out from under S31 to do what they want to do. Which as we know is going to be extremely dangerous nevermind engendering the wrath of S31?
Trying to imagine it as Seven [Spock] and Hugh [McCoy] now. You might have a point Nerys though sadly only the TOS writers wrote like this or could write this - on a network anyway. the other thing is that this tension between Spock and McCoy comes about because of their friendship. Not sure Seven and Hugh would become friends so easily not that there was anything easy about their friendship mind!
The question for Tiberius is how can the Hansens get out from under S31 to do what they want to do. Which as we know is going to be extremely dangerous nevermind engendering the wrath of S31?
Me, I always thought DS9 was strong on characters in its own way. The Garak/Bashir interaction in "The Wire," for instance--wow!
And yeah, I couldn't see those two ever becoming friends unless some situation forced it, but if it did, it would sure as hell be uneasy.
And on topic, I do look forward to seeing how they get out from under 31's thumb. Or, even though they'll eventually be alone, WILL they ever be out of their sphere of influence??
And yeah, I couldn't see those two ever becoming friends unless some situation forced it, but if it did, it would sure as hell be uneasy.
And on topic, I do look forward to seeing how they get out from under 31's thumb. Or, even though they'll eventually be alone, WILL they ever be out of their sphere of influence??
Garak/Bashir probably the closest that ever came to matching it but TOS had the original trio where we had a fantastic three way relationship. And I only saw TOS as a child so the fact that remains with me implies it was very strongly written.
On topic it is worth noting that the Hansens appear to have a strong relationship and read cues off one another. Obviously developed over years working with each other and usually it appears only with each other. Not sure how healthy that is or how much trouble that will cause down the line for their relationship when they go off to study the Borg.
I've a sneaky suspicion that they might not escape fully from the S31 influence from a drama point of view however it's a bit hard to see how that influenc might be reconciled to canon. Which is why this is such an interesting tale.
On topic it is worth noting that the Hansens appear to have a strong relationship and read cues off one another. Obviously developed over years working with each other and usually it appears only with each other. Not sure how healthy that is or how much trouble that will cause down the line for their relationship when they go off to study the Borg.
I've a sneaky suspicion that they might not escape fully from the S31 influence from a drama point of view however it's a bit hard to see how that influenc might be reconciled to canon. Which is why this is such an interesting tale.
Wow, I'm surprised (in a good way!) at the discussion this story is generating! I'm glad that it's generating such a discussion. I'll respond to your points, and hopefully not give too much away...
Bear in mind that Annika is still very young (a few months away from turning five). She's only seen two other planets from orbit - Terbalus (which was all murky and icky) and Vulcan (which is red and dusty). She's never seen anything like Earth from orbit before, which is part of why she's so spellbound. BTW, the reference to Alcatraz being a children's park was taken straight from the novelisation of ST:TMP, which was written by the Great Bird, so who was I to disagree?
I don't think it's accurate to say that the Hansens aren't used to the comforts of civilisation. While they may have just been camping on Terbalus, they were on Vulcan for their previous assignment, and they have also spent time on starships (it's mentioned later). It's more a case of being in a big city like San Fran is infrequent rather than unfamiliar.
I hought of putting a line in, but while Annika may not have travelled by transporter often, Magnus and Erin have. They've done a lot of work for Starfleet, and they'd have used the transporter quite a lot. Besides, including such a line would, I think, slow the story down a bit. I'll have a read back over that setion though and see if there is anything I can do.
Even without S31, I find the secrecy completely valid. I don't see any problem in Picard not knowing about the Borg in Q-Who. They way I see it, the Federation would have been aware of the Tentak event and a bunch of other things (the drones recovered in Regeneration, Cochrane's speech, accounts from the el-Aurian refugees et al), and all this things would have been filed away and classified top secret. Just because the Federation has such knowledge, doesn't mean that any mere captain will know about it. Picard's ignorance of the Borg is perfectly justified.
Too much information? What they get is, I think, believeable for what they have. They have some implants, so they assume the Borg are cybernetic. They have a shape that looks like part of a skull with humanoid bone on it, so they assume the Borg are humanoid. And so on. And the fact that the Borg identify themselves is, as I explained above, not really a problem, because the Federation is slapping a big "Top Secret" sticker on the whole thing anyway. I do limit the amount of information that the Hansens and their team are able to find, which is the reason why Jameson and Sloan talk to them about those "minor resource allocation issues."
However, in Dark Frontier, Magnus' first log entry states that Starfleet never really wanted them to go. I don't think he'd keep up a charade in the logs (which would end up classified if they ever got back). besides, having that conflict between the Hansens and Starfleet makes for a more interesting story.
You've got a while to wait for the Borg! The story is actually divided into three parts, and we don't get to the Borg at all until the final part. And I've noticed that (entirely without me trying!) the three parts have very different moods. The first part is a mystery/political thriller, the second part is pure action adventure, and the third part is a lot of science with adventure (a la Michael Chrichton).
You'll find out.
They assume that it's a glitch. As far as they know, the Borg are a separate species, and they don't know at this point about assimilation.
True, this might be something that was done, but as the story follows the Hansens, and they wouldn't have been involved in such a communication, it plays no part in the story.
Possible, but I wanted to keep the story simple, so the main conflict is between the Hansens and the Federation. I didn't want to bring conflict between different Federation departments into it, because that would just be too complex.
Remeber that even Seven has very little in the way of memories from her life as Annika, and even those memories are vague. Her most specific memory is of being assimilated (she remembers it pretty well in "The Raven"), and even that is very generalised. (It's just such a shame that you're going to have to wait until the very end for that scene! It's one of my favorites....
But even if Starfleet/S31 has all this information, there's no reason we'd find that out simply by following the adventures of the Enterprise. Starfleet wasn't going to say to Picard, "Yeah, we've known about these guys for a while." In just the same way, the USA government has probably had a ton of top secret information about Al Qaeda for ages, but that doesn't mean that they were going to let their military personel know all of it after the 9/11 attacks.
Thanks! This wasn't a conscious decision on my part, but I am glad that it worked out.
I don't get into the bueaucratic side much in this story, as that is something that would go for years...
This issue is mentioned in an upcoming chapter, about the Federation's knowledge of Borg activity and what they've done about it.
As McCoy said, "The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe."
Another reason why, in addition to what I mentioned above.
They both had those scenes in the brig as they were struggling into their newfound individuality. I think the difference would have come down to their personalities. Indeed, I think that people who have spent less time as a Borg would have a much easier time of it. Picard was back to normal after only an episode. The Borg kids on Voyager had been drones only for a year or so. If Hugh had been assimilated fairly recently (a year or two), that might explain why he was able to cope with it quite well. But Seven had spent 18 years as a drone. Combine this with the fact that she had very little development in her pre-Borg life, that would certainly explain the problems she had regaining her individuality.
We see that. In First Contact, he tells his crew to kill any other crewmembers they find who have been assimilated.
That's in the next chapter.
Yeah, the Hansens are very good at reading each other. I've tried to incorporate scenes where they disagree as well as work together well. But I've also tried to give them both clearly defined personalities.
The Hansens, with the personalities they have, would figure, "Screw Starfleet" at the first chance they had. What's coming up next will only re-inforce that idea.
Bear in mind that Annika is still very young (a few months away from turning five). She's only seen two other planets from orbit - Terbalus (which was all murky and icky) and Vulcan (which is red and dusty). She's never seen anything like Earth from orbit before, which is part of why she's so spellbound. BTW, the reference to Alcatraz being a children's park was taken straight from the novelisation of ST:TMP, which was written by the Great Bird, so who was I to disagree?
I don't think it's accurate to say that the Hansens aren't used to the comforts of civilisation. While they may have just been camping on Terbalus, they were on Vulcan for their previous assignment, and they have also spent time on starships (it's mentioned later). It's more a case of being in a big city like San Fran is infrequent rather than unfamiliar.
I hought of putting a line in, but while Annika may not have travelled by transporter often, Magnus and Erin have. They've done a lot of work for Starfleet, and they'd have used the transporter quite a lot. Besides, including such a line would, I think, slow the story down a bit. I'll have a read back over that setion though and see if there is anything I can do.
Even without S31, I find the secrecy completely valid. I don't see any problem in Picard not knowing about the Borg in Q-Who. They way I see it, the Federation would have been aware of the Tentak event and a bunch of other things (the drones recovered in Regeneration, Cochrane's speech, accounts from the el-Aurian refugees et al), and all this things would have been filed away and classified top secret. Just because the Federation has such knowledge, doesn't mean that any mere captain will know about it. Picard's ignorance of the Borg is perfectly justified.
Too much information? What they get is, I think, believeable for what they have. They have some implants, so they assume the Borg are cybernetic. They have a shape that looks like part of a skull with humanoid bone on it, so they assume the Borg are humanoid. And so on. And the fact that the Borg identify themselves is, as I explained above, not really a problem, because the Federation is slapping a big "Top Secret" sticker on the whole thing anyway. I do limit the amount of information that the Hansens and their team are able to find, which is the reason why Jameson and Sloan talk to them about those "minor resource allocation issues."
However, in Dark Frontier, Magnus' first log entry states that Starfleet never really wanted them to go. I don't think he'd keep up a charade in the logs (which would end up classified if they ever got back). besides, having that conflict between the Hansens and Starfleet makes for a more interesting story.
You've got a while to wait for the Borg! The story is actually divided into three parts, and we don't get to the Borg at all until the final part. And I've noticed that (entirely without me trying!) the three parts have very different moods. The first part is a mystery/political thriller, the second part is pure action adventure, and the third part is a lot of science with adventure (a la Michael Chrichton).
You'll find out.
They assume that it's a glitch. As far as they know, the Borg are a separate species, and they don't know at this point about assimilation.
True, this might be something that was done, but as the story follows the Hansens, and they wouldn't have been involved in such a communication, it plays no part in the story.
Possible, but I wanted to keep the story simple, so the main conflict is between the Hansens and the Federation. I didn't want to bring conflict between different Federation departments into it, because that would just be too complex.
Remeber that even Seven has very little in the way of memories from her life as Annika, and even those memories are vague. Her most specific memory is of being assimilated (she remembers it pretty well in "The Raven"), and even that is very generalised. (It's just such a shame that you're going to have to wait until the very end for that scene! It's one of my favorites....
But even if Starfleet/S31 has all this information, there's no reason we'd find that out simply by following the adventures of the Enterprise. Starfleet wasn't going to say to Picard, "Yeah, we've known about these guys for a while." In just the same way, the USA government has probably had a ton of top secret information about Al Qaeda for ages, but that doesn't mean that they were going to let their military personel know all of it after the 9/11 attacks.
Thanks! This wasn't a conscious decision on my part, but I am glad that it worked out.
I don't get into the bueaucratic side much in this story, as that is something that would go for years...
This issue is mentioned in an upcoming chapter, about the Federation's knowledge of Borg activity and what they've done about it.
As McCoy said, "The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe."
Another reason why, in addition to what I mentioned above.
They both had those scenes in the brig as they were struggling into their newfound individuality. I think the difference would have come down to their personalities. Indeed, I think that people who have spent less time as a Borg would have a much easier time of it. Picard was back to normal after only an episode. The Borg kids on Voyager had been drones only for a year or so. If Hugh had been assimilated fairly recently (a year or two), that might explain why he was able to cope with it quite well. But Seven had spent 18 years as a drone. Combine this with the fact that she had very little development in her pre-Borg life, that would certainly explain the problems she had regaining her individuality.
We see that. In First Contact, he tells his crew to kill any other crewmembers they find who have been assimilated.
That's in the next chapter.
Yeah, the Hansens are very good at reading each other. I've tried to incorporate scenes where they disagree as well as work together well. But I've also tried to give them both clearly defined personalities.
The Hansens, with the personalities they have, would figure, "Screw Starfleet" at the first chance they had. What's coming up next will only re-inforce that idea.
Last edited:
Proposal
Erin fingered the padd in her hands. She and Magnus were waiting outside the office of the Chairwoman of the Federation Council on Exobiology, and even though they had not been waiting for long, she was feeling rather nervous. Too nervous, in fact, to actually read the padd that she had brought with her for something to read. She hoped that they could get the support of the Council Chairwoman. It would give them a good hand if they needed to take their case to the Federation President. She hoped they wouldn’t need to; they wanted to spend as much time as possible on their research, but at least they would be getting support from a voice that was very well respected in the Federation Council.
“Doctors, you can go in now,” said the secretary in the small waiting area outside the Chairwoman’s office.
Erin looked up at smiled. “Thank you,” she said. She and Magnus stood and went into the office.
Council Chairwoman T’Laaren, a Vulcan woman who appeared by Human standards to be in her mid fifties but was actually nearly a century older, looked up at them as they entered. Her office was sparsely decorated in the Vulcan style. There was an IDIC symbol on the wall behind the desk, and certificates along the wall next to the door. Opposite, on a long, low cabinet of drawers under the window, a small candle heated fragrant oils, filling the air with a strange scent somewhere between lavender and strawberries that Erin found rather appealing.
“Welcome, Doctors,” said T’Laaren, gesturing towards the seats on the other side of her desk.
“Thank you for agreeing to see us on such short notice,” Magnus said as he and Erin sat down.
T’Laaren held up a padd. “I have been following the work you have been doing for the Council,” she said. “I have found your progress to be quite satisfactory.”
Erin shared a look with Magnus. Coming from a Vulcan, she supposed, that was a compliment. “Thank you,” she said. “Unfortunately, we have not had much progress lately. We feel that we have very little left to find out from the materials we have if we continue our research here on Earth.”
“You have another course of action in mind?” T’Laaren asked.
“Yes,” said Erin. “My husband and I think we would be able to learn more than we can on Earth if we were to make firsthand observations of the Borg.”
T’Laaren nodded. “That would be logical,” she said. “However, the risks such a course of action entails will be great. In order to make the observations, you will need to remain in close proximity to the Cube vessel for an extended period of time. Due to the known hostility of the species, I cannot logically see how the possible gains could outweigh the risks.”
“We believe that we would be safe,” said Magnus. “We examined the flight data recorder from the Gauvreau, and it seems to indicate that the Borg would only take action against a threat or a target.”
“Indeed,” said T’Laaren. “Nevertheless, if you were to be captured by the Borg, there would be a significant security risk. If the Borg analyzed our technology, they would most likely be able to find an exploitable weakness.”
“They’ve already had the chance,” said Erin. “As far as we know, they’ve already examined every cubic millimeter of the Gauvreau as well as the base they removed from Tentak IV. And if they have, they pose a greater threat to us now than they did before they entered Federation space.”
T’Laaren regarded her for a moment. “Quite logical,” she said. “Very well. I have a meeting with Starfleet Command tomorrow, and I shall recommend that you be sent to make field observations of the Borg. However, as I know very little of Starfleet’s security procedures, I shall defer to their final judgement in this matter. I have neither the experience nor the authority to object if they instruct you to remain on Earth.”
“Thank you, Madam Chairwoman,” Erin said. “We appreciate your time as well as your support.”
*
Magnus and Erin walked home. The weather had cleared up, and the sun was shining down brightly. At this time of the afternoon, there was very little traffic on the roads. Most people were still working, and those people who were on the streets were walking. Erin heard the soft hum of an anti-gravity motor behind her, and she turned in time to see a black limousine pull up beside them. The window lowered, and Sloan looked out at them. “May I offer you a lift, Doctors?” he asked.
“No thank you, Mister Sloan,” Magnus said. “We’d like to walk.”
“Please, Doctors,” he said, sounding rather too pleasant. “I insist.”
The car stopped. Erin and Magnus looked at each other. The door hissed open, and they got in.
The tinted windows made the interior of the limousine dark, but they could see Admiral Jameson sitting next to Sloan, his face in shadow. Erin felt the limo start moving again. She absently wondered where they were being taken.
“How was your meeting with President T’Laaren?” asked Sloan. “Don’t look so surprised, Doctors,” he continued when he saw their expressions. “There are security monitors in the building. And your… escorts informed us you were headed for T’Laaren’s office.”
Erin looked at Sloan very angrily. “And I suppose you eavesdropped on what we said as well.”
“No, not at all,” Sloan said. “It was, after all, a private conversation. However, I sincerely doubt you met with her to discuss the highlights of Vulcan’s tourist industry. We have a very good idea of what was said.”
“Doctors,” said Jameson, leaning forward, “I thought I made Starfleet’s position very clear.”
“We aren’t working for you, Admiral,” said Erin. “You can’t order us to stay on Earth.”
“Doctors, the Council on Exobiology will follow Starfleet’s recommendation on this matter,” said Jameson. “And our recommendation is going to be to keep the research based on Earth.”
“Admiral, please understand our position,” said Magnus, exasperatedly.
“Doctors, please understand mine!” said Jameson. “I am not trying to make your research more difficult for you. In fact, I have done everything I can to make it easier for you. But I am also trying to safeguard your lives, and the entire Federation as well.” He sighed. “And the fact is that mounting an expedition to find the Borg is a major undertaking, and there are no guarantees of results. We have no idea of the origin of the Borg – hell, they could be halfway to Andromeda by now. And if, by an amazing miracle you were to find the Borg, our projections indicate that they would not take kindly to being followed at close range. That could be all they need to convince them that the Federation is a threat to them. I have no doubt that the Borg could lay waste to the entire Federation, and I am not going to risk it merely to continue the research of a small group of scientists.”
“Admiral, that reasoning is purely speculative,” said Erin, “and typical of Starfleet’s alarmist attitude. The Federation has been around for nearly two hundred years, and has been threatened by any number of hostile species – the Klingons, the Romulans, the Tholians – and we survived them. The Federation is a major power in the galaxy, and we are not about to be wiped out by a species that has sent only one ship from so far away that we have never even heard of them before!”
Sloan sighed. “That’s, uh, not entirely true,” he said.
Magnus’s eyes opened wide in shock. “Dear God,” he said. “You’ve had contact with them before, haven’t you?”
“No, not quite,” said Jameson. “There have been four incidents that have indicated to us that a powerful cybernetic species exists in our galaxy, but this is the first time that the Federation has had direct contact with them.” He paused a beat, taking a breath. “But that is beside the point. It is Starfleet’s opinion that an expedition to investigate the Borg is too great a risk. And Doctors, I do not appreciate that you went over my head to T’Laaren about this.”
“Admiral,” Erin said, with a dangerous tone in her voice, “our concern is the research, and in order to continue we will go as far over your head as we need to.”
For a long moment, there was an uneasy silence. The limousine slowed to a stop.
Sloan clapped his hands together and smiled, as though the conversation had been much more amiable than it had been. “Well, Doctors, thank you for the pleasure of your company,” he said, smiling. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”
Eager to leave, Erin opened the door. The car was stopped outside their home, and Erin was somewhat grateful. She had not been looking forward to a long walk home after getting upset. Magnus stepped out onto the pavement behind her and closed the door. The car moved off and vanished in the distance.
*
“We’re going to have to speak to the Federation President,” Erin said.
Magnus looked up from the last few pages of Treasure Island. The night was getting old, and the gentle sound of the wind in the trees outside hushed into the house. He sat up, the old reclining chair creaking, and turned to her.
“I know,” he said. “Jameson won’t like it, though. He was upset enough that we went to see T’Laaren. Going even further, he could shut us down completely.”
“It will still end the same though,” said Erin. “It won’t matter if we’re shut down by the Admiral’s orders or the simple fact that we can’t learn anything new. We’d still have done all we can.”
Magnus regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. “You think it’s worth it?” he asked after a moment.
“Yeah,” she said. “We shouldn’t just sit on our hands about this. If we can do something, then we should. And if we’re shut down, at least we would have tried.”
Magnus sighed. “Tomorrow I’ll make an appointment to speak with the Federation President as soon as possible,” he said. “Get this mediated.” He turned to Erin. “I’ll tell the Admiral about this too.”
Erin looked up at him. “Why?” she asked. “Admiral Jameson will probably try to stop us.”
“He won’t, because then the President will know what he did,” said Magnus. “Jameson knows we wouldn’t keep quiet about it if he tried to stop us. And he can’t complain about us speaking with the President either. It’s not like we’re keeping him out of the loop.”
“Still, it’s a big risk,” said Erin. “If we do ask the President to mediate this, then it will be in her hands, and if she says no, it’s final.”
“But like you said, Erin,” said Magnus, “it will still end the same. Whether it’s Jameson or the President, an order to stop is still an order to stop. And if the President says yes, then there’s not a damned thing Jameson will be able to do about it.”
Erin smiled. “Alright then, Magnus,” she said. “Let’s just hope it goes well.”
*
Magnus and Erin arrived in Paris the day before they were to see the President. They had spoken with Admiral Jameson, and he had promised to beam over, but he had said that Mister Sloan wouldn’t be able to accompany him as there was some work that he had to attend to in Spacedock. Erin wasn’t overly upset at the news that Sloan wouldn’t be there, and Magnus could understand. She had never liked him, and neither had he.
They had hoped to see the city before their appointment, but when they arrived, they had both been so anxious about the meeting that they didn’t feel like going out. They had agreed to spend some time in Paris after the appointment and see the sights, but of course, they could only do that if the President said they were to stay on Earth. The only exception they had made had been just after they had checked into their hotel, and they had taken the trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
The turbolift slowed to a stop, and they stepped out into the waiting area outside the President’s office. Admiral Jameson was already there, and he looked up as the Hansens came forward.
“Good morning, Doctors,” he said coolly, extending a hand.
“Good morning, Admiral,” said Magnus. He took the Admiral’s hand.
Erin went to the secretary who was at the desk beside the door to the President’s office. “Erin and Magnus Hansen,” she said. “We have an appointment with the President for eleven thirty.”
The secretary tapped the console incorporated his desk. “Thank you, Doctor,” he said.
“Have you had a chance to see Paris, Doctors?” said Jameson.
“No, not yet,” said Magnus. “We did see the Eiffel Tower though.”
“Oh,” said Jameson. “A beautiful view.”
“Yes,” said Magnus. “Beautiful.”
Erin tried not to grind her teeth. She hated small talk.
A little while later, the door to the President’s office opened and a Tellerite emerged. He was shaking his head and grumbling as only a Tellerite could. After a moment, a soft tone sounded from the intercom.
“Yes, Madam President?” asked the secretary.
“Send the Admiral and the Doctors in please.”
“Yes Madam President,” said the secretary. He looked up. “You may go in now.”
“Thank you,” said Jameson. He stood and went into the President’s office, followed by Erin and Magnus.
The office was spacious, the soft carpeting underfoot stretching between the walls. To Magnus’s right, large windows made up a wall, and he could see the city below him. A series of small steps that ran across the room led up to the President’s desk. In front of the desk was a small coffee table, and on either side of the table were sofas that looked soft and inviting. The smell of coffee came from a steaming pot on the table.
The President, a grey-haired Human named Claire Valenski, stood as they came into the office. “Doctors, Admiral,” she said with a slight English accent. “Please, sit. Would you like a drink?”
“No thank you,” said Magnus. Erin waved no.
“Thank you, Madam President,” said Jameson. He reached to the pot and poured a cup.
“Doctors, I am familiar with the work you have been doing for the Federation Council on Exobiology,” said Valenski, “and I understand that you have spoken to both Admiral Jameson as well as President T’Laaren requesting permission to gather field information about the Borg.”
“Yes, Madam President,” said Magnus.
“Over the Admiral’s express objections.”
“Yes, Madam President,” said Magnus.
Valenski regarding him for a moment, and Magnus could feel her steely eyes penetrating his skull. She turned to Jameson. “Admiral, present your case.”
“Thank you, Madam President,” said Jameson. “Starfleet has always been the primary exploration and security arm of the Federation, and we need to balance the two very carefully. Exploration of the unknown, by its very definition, is dangerous. We know the Borg are hostile, and this is one of those situations where the security risks outweigh the projected gains.”
“We don’t know that, Madam President,” said Erin. “The information we find could give us the key to creating a defence against the Borg.”
Jameson turned to her. “And if your presence provokes them, the Borg will have no difficulty in destroying you. And there’s no guarantee that you’ll even find the Borg. We have no idea where they –”
“We believe that we will be able to find the Borg,” said Erin. “The reports by the Kyushu crew indicate a phased plasma residue. We will be able to follow that.”
Admiral Jameson sighed irritably and turned to Valenski. “Madam President,” he said, “please ask her not to interrupt.”
Valenski looked at him. “Forgive me if I am wrong,” she said, “but Starfleet’s objections are only concerned with security considerations, are they not?”
Jameson was silent for a beat. “Yes, they are,” he said.
“Then may I say, you have already made your point,” said the President. “I have read your report on the risk posed by the Borg, and I know exactly where you stand on this issue. I have a rather busy day, and I’d like to hear the Doctors’ case.” She turned to them. “Doctors?”
“Thank you, Madam President,” said Magnus, ignoring Erin’s smile. “While we appreciate Starfleet’s position regarding the security risks, our team is of the opinion that the Borg would only attack a threat or a target. They all but ignored both the Ju’Day class ship that was sent to investigate their first appearance and the base itself until the Cube was scanned. During our research, we’ve been able to determine what we believe to be a way to perform scans of a Borg ship without attracting their attention. Starfleet’s security concerns are unfounded. A mission to study them at close range is essential, because Borg threat is one that we can’t afford to ignore. The attack at Tentak IV showed us that we have no defence against them. We need to investigate the Borg, because if we don’t, we’ll never be able to develop a defence against them. Going out and studying them firsthand is the only way we can do that.”
Valenski nodded. “Council Chairwoman T’Laaren agrees with you,” she said. “She has recommended to both Starfleet Command and myself that you be allowed to investigate the Borg.”
Admiral Jameson leaned forward. “And you agreed with her?” he said disbelievingly.
Valenski regarded him somewhat coldly. “Admiral,” she said, “I’m a politician, not a tactician. It is my responsibility to act in the best interests of the United Federation of Planets. And I feel that I would be negligent in my duty if I was to deny the Federation an opportunity to learn about as grave a threat as the Borg.”
Magnus and Erin looked at each other and smiled.
“Doctors,” continued Valenski, “I am willing to authorize an expedition to study the Borg. However, there will be a number of provisions. I want your proposal to emphasize the minimization of any risk, both to yourselves and your team, as well as to the Federation. Your proposal will also need to be cleared by both myself and Admiral Jameson before you are allowed to leave, and it is to be ready in one week.”
“Thank you, Madam President,” said Magnus. Erin was grinning too much to speak.
Valenski looked to Jameson. “Is there anything you’d like to add, Admiral?” she asked.
“No, Madam President,” he said coldly.
“Very well,” said Valenski. “Doctors, I shall arrange transportation for you on the expedition. In the meantime, however, you have a proposal to write.”
Thanks for the response Tiberus. First of, glad that the Borg don't surface too soon as I think that will add to the drama.
Second, as for my concerns re:the secrecy and amount of information so far garnered by the Hansens. I can perfectly well see your point and logic and do accept it as it allows this story to happen.
Really enjoying it. I like how we see Starfleet is snubbed by the council and President here illustrating clearly how it is part of a larger Federation. Clearly explaining how the Hansens went on with this mission without Starfleet authority. Of course it is putting the Hansens in a tight corner by pitting themselves against Starfleet but it makes all the more of a David and Goliath struggle. And that's without meeting the Borg yet!
Well done. Looking forward to more.
Second, as for my concerns re:the secrecy and amount of information so far garnered by the Hansens. I can perfectly well see your point and logic and do accept it as it allows this story to happen.
Really enjoying it. I like how we see Starfleet is snubbed by the council and President here illustrating clearly how it is part of a larger Federation. Clearly explaining how the Hansens went on with this mission without Starfleet authority. Of course it is putting the Hansens in a tight corner by pitting themselves against Starfleet but it makes all the more of a David and Goliath struggle. And that's without meeting the Borg yet!
Well done. Looking forward to more.
Mountains
It was early in the morning, and the sun was beginning to peek over the eucalypts. Irene opened the curtains in the guest room and sunlight flooded in. She went over to the bed and gently shook the shoulder of the young girl under the sheets.
“Annika,” she said. “Wake up Annika.”
Annika moaned, rolled over, and continued to snore.
“Wake up, Annika,” Irene said. “It’s a bright morning.”
Annika grumbled tiredly. “Don’ wanna gerrup,” she slurred.
Irene sighed. Annika had been staying with her for the last six weeks, and every morning had been the same. Annika had slept in until late in the morning. At first, Irene had thought it was jetlag (an old term for the disruptions in sleeping patterns that accompanied a change in time zones which had survived even though the jets from which the name had derived hadn’t been used on Earth in centuries), but a week after Annika’s arrival in Sydney, Irene had begun to think that maybe the little girl just wasn’t a morning person. “We’re going out today,” said Irene. “Remember I told you we’d be going out today?”
Annika opened an eye and looked at Irene for a moment. “Yeah…”
“So, hurry up and we can leave soon,” Irene said, pulling the sheets down to the foot of the bed. Annika swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. “I’ll help you get dressed,” said Irene, unbuttoning Annika’s pyjama top.
“Where are we going?” asked Annika as Irene pulled a clean shirt over her head.
“We’re going to see the Three Sisters,” said Irene. She had been there many times before, studying the history of the Blue Mountains. Irene had been in Australia for more than a decade working on her research, but no part of the country had captured her heart like the rugged bush of the Blue Mountains.
Annika looked a little confused. “Who are they?” Annika asked.
Irene smiled. “They aren’t people, they’re rocks.”
Annika’s expression of confusion became more pronounced.
“They’re three big outcrops of rock up in Katoomba,” explained Irene. “They’re very special to the Aboriginal people that used to live here.”
“Why are they special?” Annika asked.
“Well, the Aboriginal people had lots of stories about why things are the way they are. And they had a story that tells how the Three Sisters were formed. A long time ago, there were three girls who lived with their father, a powerful magic man. They had a happy life, but there was a Bunyip who lived nearby.”
“What’s a Bunyip?” asked Annika.
“It’s a kind of monster and was supposed to be very scary,” explained Irene. “The magic man used to go out hunting every day, and while he was away, he would put his daughters on a high cliff to make sure they were safe from the Bunyip. But one day, while the girls were on the cliff, a big centipede came. The girls got frightened and threw rocks at the centipede to scare it away. But the rock fell over the edge, and when it hit the ground, the impact made the cliff start to split away. The sisters were trapped! The noise of all this woke up the Bunyip, and all the creatures began to run away. But the sisters couldn’t go anywhere.”
“‘Coz they were trapped,” said Annika as she pulled on a pair of jeans.
“Yes, because they were trapped,” said Irene. “The Bunyip woke up, and when he saw the three girls, he was very angry. He lurched towards them. The girls’ father heard all this, and he looked up at the cliff and saw what was happening. He had to protect his daughters, so he took out his magic bone and turned the girls into stone so the Bunyip couldn’t hurt them. But the Bunyip turned on him! Quickly, he turned into a lyrebird to escape the Bunyip, but he lost his magic bone. After the Bunyip had gone away, the magic man went to look for the bone so he could turn his daughters back into people, and he’s still looking for it today.”
Annika looked at her disbelievingly. “Did that really happen?” she asked sceptically.
“Not really,” said Irene as Annika pulled her shoes on. “Come on, let’s get some breakfast before we go.”
*
It was a pleasant autumn day in the Blue Mountains, and Irene and Annika decided to walk down the hill to Glenbrook station. There was a slight chill in the air, but it wasn’t much, just enough to be noticeable. They had both packed jackets, as they were expecting even cooler temperatures in Katoomba. The hovertrain station was near the national park , and as the two of them approached the steps that led to the platform, they could see trees along the ridge of rock opposite them, black from fire.
“Why are those trees burnt?” asked Annika.
“We had some bushfires here in summer,” said Irene.
“Were they bad?”
“Yes they were,” said Irene. “Some people lost their houses, they were burnt down.”
“Did anyone die?”
“Not this year.”
“They die other years?”
“Sometimes,” said Irene.
“What’s it like?” asked Annika.
Irene thought for a moment. Ever since the introduction of the weather modification net twenty years previously, the summer bushfires had not been as bad, and as the Australian forest needed fire, bushfires were generally allowed to burn unless they threatened homes. However, sometimes, due to the unpredictable nature of the Australian weather, houses were sometimes lost. “It can be scary sometimes,” said Irene. “The sky turns orange from all the smoke, and it can get hard to breathe. And sometimes, ash comes out of the sky like rain and covers the ground.”
Annika looked at Irene wide eyed.
*
“Annika, wait!”
Annika ran down the hallway to the guest room and slammed the door behind her. She had been in a bad mood for the last hour. They had arrived at the Three Sisters mid morning after walking down the hill from Katoomba. However, as soon as Annika learnt that there were steps cut into the rocks heading down to the base of the Three Sisters, she wanted to climb down them. Irene, who knew how steep the stairs were and how exhausting it was to climb back up, wouldn’t let Annika go down. Annika, however, was insistent, and became very grumpy.
“Come on, Annika,” said Irene, going to the closed door of the guest room. “Won’t you come out?”
“No!”
“Please, Annika, don’t be like this.”
“I wanted to go down the steps!” said Annika from the other side of the door.
“It was too steep,” said Irene. “And I’m getting too old for that sort of exercise.”
“But I really wanted to go down.” Annika was mumbling now instead of shouting.
“It’s very hard to climb back up,” said Irene.
Inside the guest room, Annika was silent.
“Are you going to come out?”
“No.” There was the sound of creaking springs. Annika had gotten onto the bed.
Irene sighed, and for a moment, she was glad that Magnus had chosen to carry on the family name instead of her. Sure enough, she was only a few years older than Magnus, in her mid thirties, and she could still have children if she wanted to, but after spending the last few weeks with Annika (who Irene had decided was too intelligent for her own good), she had become even more certain that she did not want to have kids.
She went to the kitchen. If Annika didn’t want to come out by herself, then Irene would just have to bribe her to come out. She wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but she didn’t want Annika staying in the guest room for hours and then coming out late at night asking for dinner.
*
“Annika?”
It had taken Irene a while to make the tart; she was not a very good cook, and was thinking about getting a replicator. The smell of strawberries had filled the house, wafting down the hallways.
“Annika?” Irene said again.
“What?”
“I’ve got something for you.”
There was a moment’s silence from inside the guest room. “Is it strawberries?” Annika asked, and Irene grinned.
“Yes it is,” said Irene. “Can you smell them?”
There was another moment of silence. “Yes…”
“It’s a strawberry tart,” said Irene. “Your mummy said you liked strawberry tarts. I’ve got a slice and it’s all for you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But you have to come out if you want it.”
“Do I hafta?”
“Yes, Annika.”
“Can’t I eat it in here?”
“No, Annika.”
From inside the guest room, Irene could hear Annika sigh heavily. “Oh, okay.” There was the sound of bare feet on carpet, and the door opened a crack, creaking softly. Annika looked out, a grumpy expression on her face. “It looks yummy,” she said, still grumbling.
Irene smiled. “It’s very yummy.”
“Is it replicated?”
“No, all fresh.”
Annika opened the door all the way and stepped out slowly. She reached up and picked a strawberry slice from the top of the tart, and she popped it quickly into her mouth. She chewed for a moment, then she looked up at Irene. “They’re not fresh strawberries,” she said.
“But it’s still yummy,” said Irene. “But if you don’t want it, I’ll just throw it away.”
“No!” said Annika. “It’s still yummy.”
And as Annika took the plate and ran down the hall to the dining room, Irene shook her head and turned to follow her.
Well it'snice to know that Annika grows out of her wilfulness ... oh wait no. This is a neat antidote that reveals more of Seven's personality forged pre-Borg. Also nice to see an exposition on why Aunt Irene nver had kids.
This chapter had a different feel but it had to and it's nice to break away from the science and politics to see a little family interaction.
This chapter had a different feel but it had to and it's nice to break away from the science and politics to see a little family interaction.
Based on an episode, it was, "Author, Author", in Voyager. BTW, I think you meant anecdote.
This scene is one of the reasons why I hated having Annika along for the ride. With a book that is first and foremost an action adventure, there just isn't anything for Annika to do. So, any scene with her playing a large part, such as this one, tends to be slow and boring (to me at least). Later on, when she gets older, she can at least play a more active role, but there's a while before that....
This scene is one of the reasons why I hated having Annika along for the ride. With a book that is first and foremost an action adventure, there just isn't anything for Annika to do. So, any scene with her playing a large part, such as this one, tends to be slow and boring (to me at least). Later on, when she gets older, she can at least play a more active role, but there's a while before that....
Even if you're finding these scenes hard, with Annika, you're doing very well at it. 
Similar threads
