The Little Girl

Seven of Nine carefully scanned the dilythium ore she had mined with the away team. She was in the aft section of the Delta Flyer with ore samples scattered around on an examination table, categorized by the planet each sample was from. On one of the planets they had mined in this alien star system, Seven had detected what she thought might be some sort of contaminant in the ore with her Borg enhanced tricorder, although conventional devices had detected nothing in it.

Seven turned the readings over in her mind, accessing her Borg enhanced memory files, comparing her readings to formulas and composites of other matter to determine what this substance could be inside this ore. Another scan. Another assessment of readings. More processing of information in her enhanced mind. Then, she hit the comm. badge on her standard issue blue tunic. "Seven of Nine to the Captain."

"Go ahead," Janeway answered from the helm, accompanied by her Vulcan security chief, Lt. Commander Tuvok, and opps. officer, Lieutenant Harry Kim, seated at their respective stations.

"I don't have a precise assessment of the foreign compounds in the ore. The closest I can assess is that it's a mineral identical to copper, but with no signs of oxidation or corrosion. I suggest Lieutenant Torres and I run tests on it when we return to Voyager, to see if it has the same conductive properties."

"Agreed," Janeway answered. "What about the other samples?"

"So far, they appear to be pure dilythium. But I'll need to examine more samples to be sure."

"Understood. Janeway, out." Then, the Captain turned her attention to security. "Any unwanted visitors yet, Commander?"

"None, Captain," Tuvok answered. The Flyer had passed through what appeared to be some sort of energy field; a type of grid which encompassed the entire region. Assuming it was meant to alert the inhabitants in this region of intruders, Janeway ordered scans to detect if they would be confronted and forced to leave. But, since no such threat was detected, Janeway chose to proceed with the mission while maintaining high security alert. They were in need of dilythium and weren't sure how long it would be before finding another supply. No alien life-signs had been detected, either. Janeway figured this system was either abandoned, or perhaps there was a civilization that was protected from sensors. Either way, no threat had met them thus far.

"We are approaching the grid," Tuvok announced.

"I see it," Janeway acknowledged.

"Captain," said Kim in alarm, "the energy signature appears to be a lot stronger on this side then it was coming in. About three times the strength."

"That would suggest that the grid was meant to detect intruders going out rather than coming in," mused Tuvok.

"But, that doesn't make any sense," said Janeway. "Why would anyone go through all this trouble to build something to counter intruders who had already invaded their territory and were leaving it?"

"Or, perhaps, it was meant to serve another purpose," Tuvok concluded.

"Well, whatever it's for, I prefer not to find out. Tuvok, bring shields to maximum. I'm going to full warp!"

"Aye, Captain," acknowledged Tuvok.

"Should we have Seven come up here, Captain?" asked Harry.

"I don't see any reason to at the moment," said Janeway. "I want her to gather as much data on that dilythium as possible. If we run into any problems, I'll raise her."

"We're less than fifteen seconds away, Captain," Tuvok announced. "Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

"Keep those scans going, just in case!"

"...three, two, one!"

The shuttle passed effortlessly through the grid, and so far, there was still no sign of alien ships. Janeway let out a sigh of relief. Then, she heard Harry's fist pound once on his console, cursing.

"Report, Mr. Kim!"

"Whatever that thing was, Captain, it wiped our memory files."

Tuvok and Janeway both checked files from their respective consoles. "Confirmed, Captain," Tuvok reported. "All ship's files have been deleted."

"Apparently, that grid was a means of preventing outsiders from transporting information out of their space without endangering lives in a confrontation," Janeway observed. "Even I have to admit, that's quite ingenious!"

"Our tricorder data's gone too, Captain," Harry reported after checking his own tricorder.

The Captain let out a frustrated sigh, cursing. Seven's dilythium scans would have been deleted as well. She would have to examine the ore all over again.

"Janeway to Seven of Nine." There was no answer. "Seven of Nine, respond!" Still, silence. "Harry, get up here!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Harry as he obediently took the helm, while Janeway began making her way to the aft section. "Tuvok, maintain scans, just in case. Let me know if anything turns up."

"Yes, Captain."

Janeway descended the steps into the aft section and looked around. Seven wasn't there. "Seven... Seven?" No response. "Computer, is Seven of Nine still on board?"

"Affirmative," the computer answered.

"Seven, where are you?" Janeway knew the computer would have given her the same answer if only Seven's comm. badge was still on board. But, Seven couldn't possibly be anywhere else... could she?

As Janeway considered these thoughts, she noticed Seven's tricorder, discarded on the deck, right next to the exam table. It was unlike Seven to just leave anything lying there. Something was definitely wrong!

Janeway walked over and crouched down to pick up the tricorder, opened it, and saw that it had, in fact, been deleted. She then closed it and was about to stand up when her eye caught- at last- Seven of Nine, hiding under the table. Hiding? Yes. She sat in a fetal position, shaking, eyes wide with fright. "Seven, what's wrong?" Janeway asked in concern.

To the Captain's dismay, Seven backed away from her, maintaining her cowering position. She opened her mouth to speak, but it took a moment for the words to come out. "Wha... why... why you calling me that?"

It was Seven's voice, but it sounded more juvenile than normal, as if she were a little girl and not a grown woman. Assuming that she might be suffering from some sort of malfunction, Janeway figured it would be in Seven's best interest to play along. "I'm sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else," Janeway said as gently and reassuringly as she could. "What is your name?"

"A... Annika. Annika Hansen."

Annika Hansen? Her human identity? How was this possible? Seven had little memory of her human life! Janeway tried to figure all this out when her eyes wandered down to the tricorder she was still holding. The grid! Had it somehow erased Seven's memories as well? Janeway had to assume it was now Annika- not Seven- that she needed to help.

"I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation star-ship, Voyager. You're on board one of our shuttles; the Delta Flyer. We're on our way back to my ship."

Annika's eyes wandered slightly before focusing back on the Captain. "H... how'd I get here?"

"It's a long story," Janeway answered, not knowing how else to respond to that perplexing question. "But for now, you'll have to trust me. I want to help you. Come on," Janeway said as she reached underneath the table. But Annika scrambled out on the other side with the table now between them.

"The Borg," Annika said in alarm. "The Borg!"

"There are no Borg in this sector," Janeway assured her. "I know you're frightened, but I promise you, you're perfectly safe."

"I was on the cube! Mama and Papa, too. The Borg... the Borg... assimi..." She couldn't finish before sobs seized her. Janeway remembered Seven once telling her she had watched her parents being assimilated and how traumatizing it was. Apparently, that same, horrifying experience was now her most recent memory.

Janeway rounded the table towards Annika and put an arm around her shoulders in an attempt to sooth her. "I'm sorry for what happened to your parents. But, you're with us now. I promise, you are not alone."

Annika regarded her tearfully; pleadingly. "The Raven?"

"It's thousands of light years behind us."

"But," Janeway flinched when Annika grabbed her by the tunic, nearly shaking her in desperation, "we have to find them!"

The Captain held Annika by the shoulders, looking her in the eye. "I'm sorry, Annika. But I'm afraid that isn't possible."

"No," she screamed, "we have to find them!" Just then, Annika broke from her, bolted to one of the consoles, and began to push buttons. Janeway attempted to pull her away, but Seven's enhanced body was too strong. The Captain had no choice but to restrain her by holding an arm behind her back.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that. You could cause the shuttle to malfunction. It puts us at risk. I need you to calm down. You have to trust me!"

"Let me go... let me go!" Annika kept screaming those words as Janeway kept her restraint on her, trying to get her to settle down. Just then, Tuvok was entering the aft section, obviously having been alerted by whatever Annika had done with the controls. Feeling threatened and out-numbered, Annika stomped hard on the Captain's foot, causing Janeway to loosen her grip on her.

"Stop her," Janeway ordered as Annika dashed to another console. But, the order proved unnecessary as Tuvok was already behind her; pulling her away and subduing her with a pinch, causing her to fall unconscious into his strong arms. Janeway then quickly deployed the bio-bed for Tuvok to lay Seven on.

Tuvok gave Janeway an inquisitive look, to which she answered; "Apparently, that grid just had an unforeseen casualty!"