A Perfect Nightmare
By Anne Rose (anne3rose@yahoo.com)
Rating: PG-13
(c) October 6, 2001.
Disclaimer: Voyager and its characters belong to Paramount Pictures.
No infringement intended.
Spoilers: None
Summary: J/C, P/T, Neelix sponsors a scary story contest as part of the
Halloween festivities. (6k)
Archive: I would be honored if you want to archive it. Please let me
know where so I can visit it.
~*~*~*~
They sat in the darkened holodeck. The light from the candles barely filtered through the fog. Strange sounds could be heard, insects buzzing, the rustling of leathery wings and the howling of wolves in the far distance. Over this, a voice continued speaking.
"It was then that he saw his hand. It had become a fin... Gasping for oxygen, he fell backward, into the dark waters, and was never seen again...." Paris concluded dramatically, and then sat back, allowing the story to sink into the dark silence.
After a long, hushed, pause, the others applauded. "A frightening story, Lieutenant. Where did you find it?" Chakotay asked.
"It's not from any one source. I borrowed from several stories." Tom answered.
"Very well done Tom. And, that brings us to you, Seven." Neelix said.
Seven arched an eyebrow. "Are you certain you wish me to participate?"
"Why of course, Seven. We'd all love to hear your story." Neelix assured her.
"Very well." She walked forward and called for the arch. She tapped on the console for a moment and then dismissed it. The fog swirled through the now empty space. She walked back to the edge of the circle, standing just behind the chairs. "It is night, and you are asleep." She began, speaking and then slowly walking around the outside of the circle. "You hear a noise, and it wakes you."
As they listened to the background noise, another sound began. Quietly at first... voices speaking but none of them distinct enough to understand.
"Your clothes have become damp and they cling to you as you move."
Tom wiped his brow. It felt like sweat had begun to bead on his forehead, but the dampness was everywhere now. The others felt it too, and Kathryn fidgeted in her seat next to Chakotay.
"You realize the dampness is not just perspiration, it is also the humidity in the air around you. And it has become warm."
"You attempt to walk forward to the door, but now your legs will not move.
"A strange sensation fills your body. It starts at your neck and travels down through your arms and legs. Suddenly it is dark... dark because you cannot open your eyes.
"You ask the computer to increase illumination, but it is futile. Your curiosity is piqued and you ask, 'Computer, what are the current environmental setting?' It replies, 'the ambient temperature is 39.1 degrees Celsius with 92% humidity.'
Kathryn shifted in her seat, and moved closer to Chakotay. He could hear that her respiration had increased, and he tentatively wrapped an arm around her.
"When your eyes open, you notice an odd green glow around lights and other objects."
Chakotay abandoned all pretense and wrapped his arms around Kathryn. She sank into him, gratefully. Memories of her time on the cube were still fresh, for both of them. Looking across the circle, he wondered if B'Elanna would bolt out of the holodeck. She was sitting with Tom's arms around her but instead of relaxing she was sitting straight up and rigid in her seat.
"Hands reach out and grasp you. They lead you away to a maintenance alcove. Silently and efficiently they improve on your human form. An arm is replaced with a multi-function tool. You feel the searing pain as they perform the upgrades on your body, but you have neither the will nor the ability to cry out. You comply willingly. It is best for the collective that you be modified - improved, and you desire that perfection."
"With your modifications complete, you are assigned to a sub-matrix to process incoming drones. And there will be many. You are on one cube, in a fleet, that has exited a transwarp corridor and arrived at sector 0-0-1. Soon you will be reunited with your family and friends. In a few hours, you will share your newfound perfection with them."
Kathryn was frozen now, as were the rest of them. How many times had they had this nightmare? The heat and humidity of the room made it hard to breath, or was it something else?
Seven continued. "Someone jostles you, and you awake. You look around, confused for a moment. You're not on Voyager, or a cube, you're in a pleasant, familiar place, with your friends and family. One of them speaks to you. You are home, but not as a drone. You realize you had a bad dream, only imagining you were assimilated.
Seven noticed her audience relax, some of the couples still clung to each other, but the tension was beginning to fade away.
"You spend the day with them, eating, drinking, and catching up on what has happened in their lives while you were in the Delta Quadrant. You sit with one of the children on your lap - a child of your cousin, who was born while you were away, and you tell them all about your adventures. You are home.
"After dinner you are all sitting together in a comfortable room drinking coffee, eating dessert. As it grows later at night, you realize you should go to bed soon. Looking around the room again, you suddenly notice a woman flicker and then disappear. Then the man across from her flickers and also disappears. Alarmed, you stand and ask the woman sitting next to you what is going on.
"It's nothing to worry about," she says. "They're just finishing their regeneration cycle. You'll see them again tomorrow."
"The last thing you see is the room flicker and dissolve around you."
