Chapter Text
“Today, we became a family,” Jean-Luc Picard raised a glass of champagne, facing a friendly crowd in his high-rise apartment. “Here’s to Icheb, my son! I am honored to be your father.”
“To our son,” Janeway smiled broadly and lifted her own glass, its bubbles sparkling in the light from the fireplace behind her.
Icheb, standing between them, lifted a glass of the forbidden formula. If only the adults would shut up… He lifted his glass then put it to his lips… and spilled much of it as Picard gave him a hearty smack on the back, then grabbed his shoulder and shook him.
“Icheb…” Kathryn teared up as she said his name. “Icheb Janeway-Picard, welcome to the family!” Impulsively, she kissed his cheek, forcing him to spill the rest of his champagne.
“Hear, hear!” and “Welcome, Icheb!” cries rang out from the large group assembled in the apartment’s expansive living room.
Icheb nodded awkwardly toward the familiar faces, mainly friends from Voyager. The Parises– Owen, Tom, B’Elanna, and Miral, their baby– stood front and center. Tom and B’Elanna would be his godparents, whatever that meant. Next to them, the Voyager doctor, a hologram, smiled as broadly as any “organic.” In the middle of the crowd stood Harry Kim, on shore leave from The Enterprise.
Some of his classmates from the Starfleet prep school shouted and whooped for him. And there were also several people he’d never seen before. Other admirals, he assumed. He hadn’t just become part of a family; he was now part of Starfleet royalty.
“Do you have anything to say, Icheb?” Kathryn, or “mom” if he chose to call her that, looked hopefully into his eyes. “All these people are here for you, and always will be.”
If anything could convince him he wasn’t ready for The Academy, it was this moment. He had never given a speech. “Thank you everybody,” he eked out. “And thank you Kathryn and Jean-Luc. You’ve made me very happy.”
A stranger would not have been convinced. As a former Borg, the boy couldn’t feel as deeply as his human role models.His expressionless delivery was very “Borg.” But those who knew him well could hear it. He meant every word.
He turned to whisper to Kathryn. “I wish Seven was here.”
She felt his sorrow. Despite her best efforts, she was only able to get Icheb freed from stasis. Seven remained in Starfleet Medical, supposedly for her own good, but she knew better. “Jean-Luc and I have not given up on her,” she assured him.
Soft jazz melted into the hum of conversation as friends and colleagues split into groups of two or three. Janeway and Picard made a point of greeting each of them, while Icheb stood with his prep school friends. They were all drinking sparkling juices now, wondering whether champagne was for actual drinking or just for toasting.
Picard approached the group, noting that it consisted mainly of boys with only a few girls. “You all know who I am now. Care to introduce yourselves? I want to know Icheb’s friends.”
Icheb froze. So did many of the other teens. One of the girls broke the silence by introducing herself: Andrea, who was also the boldest one in class. Icheb imagined her becoming a captain one day. By the time they’d all spoken up, Icheb began to relax. So this is how it’s done, he thought, grateful that he hadn’t yet been to a Starfleet party on his own. He made a mental note to remember.
Janeway arrived just after the last introduction. “I hope you’re all enjoying your drinks.” She’d said it to the adults, why not the teens? “Please, help yourself to the food before it gets raided by someone who worked through dinner.”
The teens laughed awkwardly, assuaging Icheb’s feelings. He wasn’t the only one who felt uncomfortable. Suddenly he felt more normal, less Borg.
“Allow me to introduce you,” Picard offered, putting an arm around Janeway’s shoulders. He repeated the name of each one, and whatever information he’d pulled out of them. Nephew of the captain of the Akron. Daughter of the ambassador from Vulcan. Goalie in the sophomore soccer league… By the time he finished, each of the teens was awestruck. This is why he’s an admiral, Icheb thought.
Immediately, Janeway repeated each name. “I’m so happy you’re here to share this day with Icheb. I hope to see you soon.” She smiled at the group, then added, “If you’re not hungry, then I’ll help myself to the food table. If there’s nothing left when you get there, you can blame me.”
Most of the group raced ahead of her, leaving behind a few who seemed enamored of Picard. They asked about The Enterprise, what admirals do all day, and finally Andrea asked, “What was it like to be Locutus of Borg?”
He turned to Icheb. “Did you tell them what it was like to be Borg?”
Icheb shook his head. “Those days are over.”
“It’s something everybody should know about.”
“Please, no…” Icheb, trying so hard to be normal, had no interest in discussing his differences.
“Then perhaps I could explain it to your class. Doesn’t the prep school have weekly guests at assembly?”
The students nodded, then Andrea spoke up. “Please come to the school! We want to learn about the Borg!”
“A fine idea.” A diplomatic response from the consummate diplomat. “Did you know that Admiral Janeway has also been inside a Borg cube?”
The girl gasped. “Really?”
“Icheb, I think this will be a good topic for a family meeting.” To the others, he smiled. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you all.”
As he walked away, Icheb shriveled inside. Let’s not talk about the Borg. He led the others to the food table, secretly willing them to stop thinking about the Borg.
Aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain Zev Yoresh squinted at the big screen as he sat in the captain’s chair. “Enlarge… Enlarge again…”
From a tiny black circle, four silver cubes emerged, one at a time.
“Enlarge again.”
“Borg,” chief security officer Tuvok uttered unnecessarily.
“Reverse course. Notify Starfleet Command.” He leaned to his first officer, Louise Guerriere, engrossed in the screen attached to her seat. “Have we been detected?”
“I don’t think so.”
“The only advantage we could have on them is the element of surprise. Block all subspace communication except for encrypted Starfleet Command. Shut down all holodecks. Lights out except interior spaces.”
“Sir?”
“Short version: make us invisible.”
She turned to Tuvok. “Issue a Code Gray alert.”