Atonement (15 page)

“So what happened?”

“I don't know,” Barclay admitted. “Just prior to the onset of the cascade failure, there was an unusual energy surge from the holographic mainframe into his matrix. That could have resulted in the majority of the damage I'm seeing. If it did, we need to find the cause and repair it. Then we need to decide how to proceed from here.”

“What are our options?”

“I've already repaired his program and begun to restore his unmodified long-term memories. He won't be himself again until that process is complete. I can't eliminate the modification. I'd have to rebuild his program completely and if I do that, we'd lose much more than his memories of Seven. But I should be able to expand and stabilize the segregated buffer so that all of the data transferred there remains intact and any new memories that are segregated won't be lost.”

“Is the Doctor able to choose which memories are transferred to that buffer?” Janeway asked.

“Not right now. It's automated. Any memory of Seven that creates substantial emotional impact is muted and transferred.”

“Could
you change that?”

“How?”

“While I remain troubled by Zimmerman's methods, I do understand what he was trying to achieve. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if the Doctor's memory worked more like ours does. Over time, the emotional impact of traumatic experiences fades. This makes it easier for us to put them in a larger context, to gain the perspective required to accept the past and to release it.”

“I could add an autonomous subroutine,” Barclay realized. “Each time a memory was flagged to be transferred, I could allow the Doctor to decide whether or not to segregate it.”

“Could you also give him the option to delete his segregated memories?”

“Do you really think that's wise? Even
we
can't do that.”

“If the Doctor is going to continue to grow as a sentient being, it's essential that he have as much autonomy over his program as we can give him. That should include the ability to let go of the past when he's ready. Deletion is not a perfect solution, but it's the closest we can come given the technology we're working with.”

“Okay,” Barclay agreed.

“As soon as you reactivate him, I want you to bring Counselor Cambridge in to consult.”

“Why?”

“His creator, his
father
in a way, essentially just assaulted him. By removing the Doctor's wishes from the equation, Zimmerman treated him more like a malfunctioning replicator than a sentient being. In addition, the Doctor has lost many significant memories and a great deal of emotional context surrounding one of the most significant personal relationships he's ever had. We can't fix that. And a few days ago, a power surge almost fried his matrix. He's been through a lot, and up until now, he's dealt with it alone. The nature of his existence has already been altered without his permission. We're going to give him more control over his program to soften the blow, but we need to make sure he's
going to use that control responsibly. He's going to need help coming to grips with all of this.”

“I agree,” Barclay said, “but do you really think Counselor Cambridge is the right person to help the Doctor resolve these issues?”

“He's the best counselor in the fleet.”

“He's also the source of the Doctor's distress. And to be honest, I don't think the counselor thinks as highly of the Doctor as he should.”

Janeway shook her head. “Whatever the counselor's personal feelings, he will set them aside. He knows his duty. I will brief him and as soon as you believe the Doctor is ready, Counselor Cambridge will join you on the
Galen
to begin his treatment.”

“Won't you require the counselor to continue assisting you with the Confederacy?”

“For now, this is a higher priority,” Janeway replied. “Oh, and Lieutenant,” she added, “I've only spoken briefly with the essence now inhabiting Meegan, but according to her, three of the original seven canisters she took are on that asteroid you found.”

Barclay nodded. “Thank you for telling me, Admiral.”

“You've done excellent work, Reg. Keep it up.”

“I will, Admiral.”

VESTA

Captain Chakotay awaited Admiral Janeway's arrival with Captain Farkas, Commander Glenn, and Counselor Cambridge. As the admiral dismissed her aide, Decan, at the door and entered the
Vesta
's large briefing room, tension writ plainly on her face, he should have felt relief. Instead, for reasons he refused to examine too deeply, Chakotay found that he was steeling himself mentally for a new battle.

Captain Farkas was the first to step forward to greet the admiral. Janeway quickly took her hand and smiled reassuringly. After nodding to Glenn and Counselor Cambridge, she turned
to face Chakotay. Their eyes met and with a single glance she read his trepidation and determination, acknowledged it with a subtle nod, and allowed the mask of command to once again fall firmly into place.

“We have a great deal to discuss,” Janeway began. “Let's take our seats.”

The group settled themselves around one of the room's three smaller tables that comfortably accommodated six. In a fairly radical departure from protocol, Captain Farkas had placed plates of fruit, cheese, and small sandwiches before them, along with tall glasses of water.

“I don't know about the rest of you, but I haven't eaten since yesterday,” the
Vesta
's captain noted. “Did the
Kinara
offer you a last meal before they escorted you into that farce of a tribunal?” she asked of the admiral.

“No,” Janeway replied, reaching for a sandwich as the others filled small plates for themselves. “Delicious and much appreciated,” she added after a few bites. Chakotay expected her to rise and replicate a cup of coffee before continuing, but to his surprise, she washed her quick meal down with water before nodding that she was ready to get down to business.

“Lieutenant Decan summarized the fleet's status as soon as I came aboard,” Janeway began, “but I'd appreciate a quick report from each of you.”

Farkas responded, “
Vesta
is at ninety-eight percent of nominal. To all intents and purposes, she is fully operational.”

“So is
Galen
,” Glenn noted.

Janeway nodded toward Glenn before her eyes settled on Chakotay. “
Voyager
is at least three days from completing repairs,” he reported. “B'Elanna is coordinating with Lieutenant Bryce to replicate some of the larger components we need to replace the deflector dish, and the presider has also offered to supply us with any resources we might require.”

“Free of charge?” Cambridge asked.

“For now,” Chakotay replied.

“That's interesting,” Farkas observed.

“And
Demeter
?” Janeway asked.

“Should
have returned to the First World yesterday,” Chakotay said, shaking his head. “Our last intelligence came from the CIF indicating that Commander O'Donnell had taken Overseer Bralt on board and activated his slipstream drive to make a quick run to the Ark Planet.”

“Why?”

Chakotay shrugged. “You'll have to ask him that, Admiral.”

Janeway exhaled, slowly tempering her frustration. “Decan mentioned a discovery the Doctor made regarding the catomic plague prior to being deactivated,” she said.

Chakotay nodded. “During our mission to Lecahn, the Doctor studied all the evidence we have on the catomic plague. He is convinced, and his evidence was compelling, that Starfleet Medical may be using the plague as some sort of cover for their true intention: to weaponize catoms.”

“That's quite an accusation,” Janeway said, stunned.

“He re-created the plague,” Chakotay continued. “He also discovered that the only potential cure lies in completely reprogramming catomic matter, something he assures me we are years from being able to do. Containment is the only viable option at this point.”

“Then why did they need Seven?”

“To access her catoms,” Chakotay replied.

“But
not
for her assistance in curing the plague,” Cambridge added pointedly.

“Not according to the Doctor,” Chakotay continued. “He was understandably upset when he first reported this to me. He asked that I find a way to forward his research to Seven, and I'd still like to do that.”

“As would I,” Cambridge echoed.

“Oh, we will,” Janeway assured him.

Satisfied on this count, Chakotay asked, “Have you spoken with Presider Cin?”

“Yes,” Janeway replied. “She's agreed to a joint meeting with myself and Lsia to discuss her request.”

“What request?” Farkas asked.

Janeway sighed. “Apparently the Seriareen homeworld lies somewhere in Confederacy space. Lsia said that they came here hoping to convince the Confederacy to allow them to visit it.”

“Huh,” Farkas mused.

“If I didn't know better, I'd think that someone had been reading our personal logs and determined the best possible way to earn our sympathy,” Cambridge said. “Oh . . . wait . . . that's exactly what happened, isn't it?”

“That is entirely possible,” Janeway agreed.

“Did she happen to tell you where her other four friends are making their home?” Cambridge asked.

“She said three containers are buried near New Talax. The fourth was lost.”

“You don't trust her, do you?” Chakotay asked.

“Not as far as I could throw her,” Janeway replied. “She prevented whoever has taken Kashyk from killing me, but she stood by as he murdered Rigger Meeml in cold blood. She also insinuated that she still controls several ships that could enter this area at any time and resume hostilities.”

“The
Lightcarrier
escaped during the battle,” Chakotay said. “The original
Kinara
members will know soon enough that their alliance with Meegan, or
Lsia
, was a mistake. But most of the Turei, Devore, and Vaadwaur ships were destroyed. There's no one left to tell them they were duped into attacking the Confederacy other than the
Manticle,
but I'd be surprised if the Confederacy doesn't end up destroying the ship and executing her crew.”

“I plan to take that up with the presider,” Janeway noted. “Didn't the Voth ship escape as well?”

“Yes, and they might advise their new friends of developments here, but they might not,” Chakotay observed. “When last seen they were trying to destroy their former allies.”

“We have to be sure,” Farkas said.

“Agreed,” Janeway said, nodding. “In fact, that's going to be part of your job, Captain Farkas.”

“Part,
Admiral?”

“As soon as you are ready, you are to take the
Vesta
to the Ark Planet to find
Demeter.
You will relay my order to Commander O'Donnell that he return Overseer Bralt immediately.”

“And if he's not there?”

“Go back to her last known coordinates. If she hasn't returned or made her way to the First World by that time, you will abandon the search.”

“Admiral?” Chakotay asked.

“I doubt the Skeen, Karlon, Emleath, or Muk will return any time soon, and if they do, it won't be to aid their former allies,” Janeway said. “But that might not be true of the Turei, Vaadwaur, Devore, or Voth, especially since they know we are now working with the Confederacy against them.

“You'll start with the Turei,” Janeway advised Farkas. “You will provide them with copies of the transmissions of my tribunal and our records of the battle that followed. Hopefully that will convince them to reconsider their allegiance and abandon their mission.”

“And then we'll share the good news with the Vaadwaur?” Farkas asked.

Janeway nodded.

“What about the Devore and the Voth?” Farkas asked.

“I'm not sending the
Vesta
alone into either of those territories.”

“We're coming in peace, with critical intelligence for them,” Farkas reminded her.

“We'll have to find another way to share that intelligence,” Janeway said. “I'm hoping that the Devore and Voth will hear of it from the survivors of the battle. In both cases a direct assault is simply too dangerous.”

“I tend to agree,” Farkas said, “but they could be Lsia's most powerful assets.”

“I know she convinced them to follow her here, but I will be amazed if she can hold on to them now that her secret is out. I'm just as concerned that the Devore and Voth will send reinforcements to finish off Lsia and those she corrupted. Time will tell,” Janeway said.

Farkas nodded.

“Once you've made contact with the Turei and Vaadwaur, you are to return to the rendezvous point and transmit the Doctor's findings to Seven.”

“It may be too late by then, Admiral,” Cambridge interjected.

Janeway turned to face Cambridge. “Counselor, how well do you know Seven?”

The admiral saw embarrassment pass over his face and immediately wished she'd phrased the question differently, but Janeway forged ahead. “Seven probably already knows what the Doctor has found. She's likely a few steps ahead of all of us right now. We will honor the Doctor's request, but don't underestimate Seven's abilities. She's one of the most brilliant individuals I have ever had the pleasure to know.”

“You'll get no argument from me on that, Admiral,” Cambridge said.

“And then?” Farkas asked.

“It is my hope that this matter will be resolved by then.” Janeway ordered, “You'll either find the fleet, or some word from us waiting there for you. Barring that, return to New Talax and transmit a full report of our status to Command and await further orders from Admiral Montgomery.”