POLYPHONY
by Annie MacDonald

COME ... See, Doc, resting. Nothing strenuous ... Must have been a stretch just when you checked ... Ah, Suzuki is Chakotay's discovery, not mine. She sorted out a wrecked lifepod in the Badlands. Had the rudiments of a battle medic ... Don't think he knows much more about her ... He told me about the confessions in Hellhole, but they were all command staff. Except Neelix and ... what Kes communicated ... Who told you? AH ... Yes ... Kes was beyond our comprehending in so many ways. Chakotay said he'd met her again. Let's say in the realms of the mind. "Like a blessing", I quote ... So, let's be grateful Suzuki's with us. We'll take all the talent we've been given. Don't clear Mannick for duty -- order him to take at least three days' rest. He did his damndest and it was a genuine accident, not carelessness. Ummm, according to Carey, B'e bawled a Klingon curse at the energy transmission even HE hadn't heard before. Doc, she's still ... not quite back on an even keel yet. Nothing any of us can do that Tom can't do better, give him some time. Just like Harrison will help Mannick. You know, today's ... little alert ... notwithstanding, it's funny to have a Noah aboard. It's a very old human joke, Doc. We simply have to accept that we've now got so much Delta tech plumbed in, we'll have to increase the safety parameters on everything. Harry will set up a team calibrating new limits as soon as we are back to what passes for normal on this ship. We can't afford to sacrifice too much performance ... What d'you think, Doc, do you think Harry's feel for alien tech is related to his musical gift? The underlying harmony of the universe? Among humanity, of which you have membership, no question, that would be called a wry face ... No, not that painful, but I'm embarrassed to be ... shaky ... Your captain is your hope that all is well in the command structure. It's bad for the crew for a captain to be visibly sick ... You never ask the easy questions, Doc. Yes, that's why I retreated here then. Shipshape now -- accidents apart ... Ah, Doc, Starfleet teaches you about nutritional deficiencies. But reading the refs you found ... I've never been exposed to total darkness, not even starlight, for more than a few days. And so many other grim things happened during those particular days I never made the connection. Look how many others had symptoms when you checked ... that's over 20 per cent. All for the want of a marginal spectrum band in the lighting. Now, shoo. We need you to run possibilities on screening. Tuvok's right, it's been our major vulnerability here. We've dealt again and again with direct fire, but been overwhelmed like THAT by entities abroad aboard we didn't register. Try anything, the wilder the better. Maybe neuro-energy scans could give memory measurable form -- it's worth considering. Memory is more personal and therefore more identifiable than anything else ... No -- not the right thing to say to you. Apologies ... Do? Well, under protest, I shall sleep and listen to music ... Thanks for the offer, Doc, but I made serious efforts once in the company of a Klingon who was on the Enterprise. Yes, indeed Worf. He's a fan. No, complete musical incomprehension on my part. OK, promise no going topsides unless there is another alert ...

COME ... No, Mr Kim, right now would be the right time. Commander Tuvok communicates an update regularly. Ship seems to be righting herself ... The Doctor says it's here or sickbay and I've no ear for Klingon opera. Have you been to see Mannick? Good. The whole crew has to know it WASN'T his fault, so go say that in the mess hall when there are plenty of people around -- no, not loudly -- whisper it like it's a secret you've been told in total confidence and it'll be all over the ship in two minutes ... Because you have an innocent face, Harry. Less innocent than it used to be, but still ... Now, we need to work on the re-calibrations. It could be as little as two points either way, and if we set the safety zone too wide, we'll lose more performance than we can afford. We need to feel our way into this. Think of it as something like the sonic vibrations which pitch a note; there's the exact frequency of the true note, but there have to be maximum and minimum frequencies within which a note might still be recognisable. (That's probably the problem I've always had with Klingon opera.) Seven might instinctively recognise the limits for any species the Borg assimilated, but you'll have to approach her warily ... No, Harry, she gets LESS certain the more she's with us. Give her the data as you come up with it and let her assess it -- she'll find the proof so that she won't have to mention how she knew which leads to follow ... Ah, the Bach? The Doctor believes in music's healing powers. But you know all about that. No taking extra watch tonight, and you shouldn't need to help the damage control teams. We need your mind fresh on this one. Remember about that whisper in the mess ...

COME ... For me? Neelix, that is more than kind given how pushed you must be ... ... delicious! ... No that was NOT a faked delicious. They're very close to vegetables at home ... That wouldn't be fair, share them around, all the humans will appreciate them. The galley's functioning again, then? It's essential: always shields, bridge, engines, sickbay and galley in that order. Come and sit down and talk to me about Nu ... TOO brave. She keeps shaking that head and saying she's fine, but she's rigid with apprehension every time her mother puts on her uniform to go on watch: Chakotay's tried to parlay Wildman as much off-duty time as possible, but we desperately need every member of this crew. Everybody pets Nu -- she's like a ship's cat in old stories -- oh, something like a Kakkik, but not telepathic and they can't fly, except AT you -- but she's a tight unit with her mother. Think about it, Neelix: Wildman lost Nu just after she was born, and then she got her back again, or rather, an exact replacement. You're the only other person Nu feels absolutely safe with. She's almost over the monsters in the replicators stage (everybody goes through that ... No, but only because my mother despised them so we didn't have one in the house). But she needs you even more -- and she's almost lost both of you now. It's not so much that you've found family as that family has found you. Do you remember Kes cuddling Nu when she was newborn? ... Sorry -- I seem to be probing sore points today. Blame it on the itch of regenned dermis ... No, no, whatever is going, ask somebody to drop in a tray. From Commander Tuvok's reports, it'll be a week before we get holofacilities back, so everybody will be in the mess in off-watch time, if there's anything you can do to lift morale, do it ...

Receiving you clearly, Tuvok. No, just woken up -- must have been out five hours. The Doctor told you? Hmmm ... so much for privacy. What stage are we at? And the core? Energy readings? No, I only agreed to rest if I know what's going on ... Excellent idea. Get whoever you can on to it first watch tomorrow. Harrison maybe -- give him something to do other than worry, and he's acute enough about weaponry to feel for what blew ... So do I. There isn't a system that hasn't been modified with Delta tech -- we've done fine specs on each new installation, but not stood back and understood that the systems have probably cross-linked with each other ... No, not a security threat, but we will have to extend safety parameters a few degrees. Life just got more complicated -- we have a cleverer ship than we cast off in. Beyond basic running, this has to be first priority. I think Seven is the living version of the kind of synthesis that may be happening to the ship, but she'll have to be very delicately handled -- or we'll get an enumerated analysis of all-quadrant species followed by a strategic withdrawal to the niche. Would you ... ? No, I think I'm chiefly here so that she can ask me impossible ethical questions -- what we need at the moment is for your logic to appeal to her efficiency. I will be back up tomorrow ...

Doctor, monitoring my every word isn't necessary ...

Very well, the day AFTER tomorrow IF I'm cleared for duty. Did we get that, Doc?

COME ... COME ... Oh, Chakotay, thank you. Put the tray down by the viewport -- how's Neelix managing? ... That's never Neelix's cooking ... No, I can't accept ... because there are two weeks' worth of your credits in the ingredients for a start ... OK then, but only if we share ... Your intention all along, eh? Generous, Chakotay, as ever. Can you cover to give Harry his investigative team by forenoon watch? I was going to say whoever can be spared, but that sentence is a nonsense in Delta. What's provoking the grin? ... OK -- who DID Harry choose to whisper the captain-said-it-was-an-accident to? MEGAN Delaney? I was wrong: I told him it would be all round the ship in two minutes, that's an over-estimation of 112 seconds. She is the fastest form of subspace communication ... No, I am totally resentful of having to spend 48 hours either sleeping or trying not to scratch ... Not helpful, Chakotay, I was merely in the right place at the wrong time ... Doing? Listening to music, watching starblur and realising how much subtler a ship Voyager is now than when we arrived in this quadrant ... Mmmmm, the tortillas are wonderful, I haven't had yours since ... No, that wasn't a complaint. I don't want to aggrieve any one else, and certainly not you ... Oh, Bach, mostly ... Much more clarifying than the Doc's opera ... Say again? ... Ouch. No, I don't I enjoy Mahler and I never have. But I knew it would make ... our inspector ... feel the mood was under his control, or at least running in his favour. Let's call it music to lie by. More tortillas AND tomatoes, please ... The robe? ... Well, I could say I put it on because I was hoping you would visit, but it's simply the softest thing I have ... No, Doc's making a fuss -- a couple more regen sessions should do it. Look, isn't the work on the robe beautiful? ... Well, after listening to you relate everybody's stories -- how we got you all back didn't seem important ... All right. I traded for the kit, and permission to sail in undercover of their merchant convoy, with the Murr ... but I'm not in your hoss-trading league ... Open the stasis locker. What ISN'T there? Yes -- Monkey. Ah, but I would rather have you back aboard, even more than your carving. See how all the designs on the robe are abstract -- maybe vaguely zoomorphic? The Murr -- I don't know if it's cultural or religious -- don't have figurative art. They were fascinated by it. Monkey was on my shelf and they wanted him. And a sketch of the Prixin party I'd done for Neelix, but didn't give him because it seemed ... uh ... tactless. They went away with those and they were still dickering and time was passing -- we knew where you were, but we didn't know if you'd be kept alive long, because you weren't part of the established prisoner trading system. We couldn't find anything else the Murr fancied. No interest in tech. Nu did a drawing of the Murr ... No, not frightened of them so much, she was worried over Neelix . They were a very sophisticated civilisation visually. To quote Nu, "pretty dresses". But they'd never seen themselves pictorially represented. When they returned to say no deal, they spotted Nu's drawing. That was it ... So Monkey and Nu's efforts are probably being admired as -- what? Naive art? Treasures, I would hope. Considering what they ransomed, indirectly. There, that's the missing story ...

No, please stay -- I'd welcome your company. I'd give you a game of hoverball but both decks are out and the Doc seems to be monitoring my every movement ... and to be honest, I'm ... sore. No, no more Bach tonight. I was going to search the database for your culture's songs ... It's always the silences between the notes that make the music. Well, as that's the last piece, half each. Now, what can we do about Tom and B'e?