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LIEUTENANT KEEGAN Khaliban
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Philip Keegan
pounded his fists into a holographic practice dummy two days later. His
T-shirt and ge pants were dark with sweat. His fists, elbows and feet
struck hard enough to bend the padded figure in two. He turned briefly
when the doors of the holodeck opened, then continued his attack.
"Lieutenant
Keegan," Seven said, walking to him.
He blew sweat
from his nose. "What is it, Annika?"
"Your
assistance is required in Astrometrics."
"Fucking
hell!" He punched his hand through the dummy. He put his other hand on
the dummy's neck and pulled his arm out. "I'm not on duty for another
hour."
"I will expect
you in an hour, Mister Keegan."
"Is there any
reason B'Elanna couldn't do this?" He took a towel and wiped the
perspiration from his face.
"Yes.
Lieutenant Torres is overseeing the transport of the new supplies."
"Fine. I'll
see you in an hour."
He walked into
Astrometrics an hour later fresh from a shower. He carried a standard
repair kit.
"What's the
problem, Annika?"
Seven stood at
one of the side consoles.
"These
consoles had new components installed three weeks ago. They are
malfunctioning. Their repair requires two technicians."
"I know. I'm
familiar with the components." He walked to a console, dropped down and
pulled off the access panel. "Why am I here?"
"Two are
required--"
"I know,
Annika, but any technician could do this job. Why do you want me here?"
"I wanted to
ask you some questions about your comments."
"Such as?" He
pulled a panel out and ran a welder across it.
"'Get laid,
get wasted'?"
"It's a
colloquialism. It means have sex and get drunk. Although, it's usually
easier doing that the other way around."
"I do not
enjoy intoxication," she told him.
"Or that
inflection I suggested. As for sex, you have a few options."
"I have not
found anyone compatible among the crew."
"You could
always try the holodeck." He put the panel back.
"I am
reluctant to do so."
"There's the
old fashioned way." He pulled out another panel.
"What?"
"I'll let you
figure that out on your own. Most people do anyway."
"What is a
'penthouse pet'?" she said.
He leaned out
and looked at her cautiously. "You don't want to know. Check the relay."
"Seventeen
percent improvement. I am not sixteen."
"What?" He
leaned out again.
"Chronologically, I am eighteen."
"Oh. Sorry."
He returned to the panel.
"How did you
know which match I chose?"
He examined
another panel. "Because you didn't choose it. I did. I guided you to a
match I knew I could win."
"But the
number of matches from my initial move is--"
"A little over
two thousand. I know." He replaced the panel and took out another. "You
never went through puberty, did you?"
"I emerged
from the Borg growth chamber fully adult."
"No wonder you
have so many problems dating. Check the second relay."
"Twenty-one
percent improvement. What do you mean?"
He looked up
again. "Puberty is more than just physical changes. There are emotional
changes as well. I'm surprised the Doctor didn't mention that."
"What
emotional changes?" she said.
"An obsession
with horses and a sudden urge to pass little notes to someone sitting
behind you."
"Excuse me?"
He shook his
head. "Romantic interaction is about understanding your likes and
dislikes and trying to match them with your partner's likes and
dislikes. You don't know what you like. How could your partner know?
It's like trying to play an instrument when you've never heard music
before."
"What is your
suggestion?"
"Go to the
Doctor, get some artificial hormones and try out some social encounters
on the holodeck."
"How long will
this take?" she said.
He shrugged.
"About six years."
"And what do I
do in the meantime?"
"Home
relaxation equipment."
"What?"
"You'll figure
it out."
"Forty-four
percent improvement. How did you come up with the solution to the
Quagaar problem so quickly?"
"I've studied
geology, and I followed B'Elanna's work."
"Fifty-three
percent improvement. Why have you lied to everyone?"
"Because I'm
hiding a past so horrible, being a hermit is better than the
alternative," he murmured into the console.
"What is this
past?"
He sighed.
"That was a joke, Annika. I'm a private person. I like to stay that way.
Check the relay."
"Sixty-eight
percent. Your privacy is interfering with the efficiency of Voyager's
operation."
"So is your
inability to deal with your past."
"I have dealt
with my past on several occasions."
"Bullshit,
Annika."
"What does--"
"Another
colloquialism. I'll make you a deal. I'll become a less private person,
if you watch home movies of your life before you were a Borg."
"Eighty-one
percent. I will take your suggestion under consideration." She tapped
the console a few times. "What are the common likes and dislikes of a
partner?"
"Don't worry.
You've already got most of the 'likes'." He scratched his head. "It
helps if you have similar tastes in music or literature for example."
"I have an
interest in certain technical journals. I understand you do as well."
"That's not
enough. Find some fiction you like."
"Reading
fiction is an inefficient use of time, and it is rarely accurate."
"If it were
accurate, it would be history. It exists for the emotional stability and
intellectual development of the reader. Read some fiction. It will help
you become more human."
"Very well. I
will read fiction. The relays are now functioning normally."
"I'm glad
something is. Good-day, Miss Hansen." He walked out before she could
respond.
* * *
"Seven?" the
captain said. "Are you Okay?"
"I just came
from a conversation with Mister Keegan."
Tom shook his
head. "He's like a disease."
"What did he
say, Seven?"
"He explained
some of his comments from the dinner."
"Is that
bothering you?" Chakotay asked.
"No. He also
suggested I read fiction to better understand human nature."
"I've made
that recommendation to you before," Janeway said.
"I know. He
made other suggestions pertaining to my emotional development."
"Something
offensive?" Tom asked.
"Perhaps,
Mister Paris. Do you know what 'home relaxation equipment' is?"
Tom coughed
hard for several seconds and said, "No."
"I'll explain
it later," B'Elanna said. "But, is Phil bothering you?"
"His comments
have no significant emotional effect on me. I am bothered by the way he
walks and moves. I am bothered by the chess match."
"Are you upset
he beat you?" Harry said.
"Defeat is not
an entirely new experience for me, Ensign, but nothing about Lieutenant
Keegan indicated this level of skill."
"You said you
were bothered by how he moves?" Chakotay said.
"He does not
move as a human. His actions are too precise. He reminds me more of a
Vulcan." She nodded to Tuvok. "Or a Borg. His eye movements are also
tactical. I have noticed that only among humans who are being
duplicitous."
Janeway shook
her head. "I am becoming more and more bothered by this. Commander," the
captain said, "Did Mister Keegan do anything like this when he was with
the Maquis?"
"He wasn't
part of the Maquis," Chakotay said.
"That's not
possible," she replied. "I memorized the crew roster before taking
command."
"He indicated
to me he was Maquis," Tuvok said.
"You didn't
know him?" Janeway asked.
"I didn't let
Tuvok know all of my team," Chakotay said. "In case he was a spy."
"When did he
tell you this?" the captain said to Tuvok.
"When he
transferred to Security," the Vulcan replied.
"That's four
departments this man has been in," Janeway said.
"Five," Tuvok
corrected. "He began in Maintenance."
"Why did he
leave Security?" Chakotay asked.
"He did not
consider it a challenge," Tuvok said. "He also was required to kill in
the course of his duties. He told me he did not like that."
"Did he
perform well in Security?" Chakotay continued.
"He did. In an
effort to keep him in Security, I recommended him for Field Promotion."
"How did he do
on the Psych Evaluation?" Janeway said.
"He showed
signs of remorse, and feelings of persecution and paranoia."
"That didn't
bother you?" Chakotay said.
"No. I have
seen similar emotions in other members of the Maquis. Humans call it
penance. It often helps your work. In any case, Mister Keegan controlled
his emotions more effectively than most humans. They never affected his
work."
"Did you
review his past?" Janeway said.
"You ordered
me not to, Captain. You told me we could not integrate the crews if we
reviewed the crimes of the Maquis."
"You found
nothing else unusual about him?" the captain said.
"I did," Tuvok
replied. "Mister Keegan uses a telepathic shield."
"Those are
only experimental," Janeway said.
"And, I didn't
think a human had the mental discipline required to make it work,"
Chakotay said.
"Mister Keegan
has the necessary discipline, and I am personally aware of the
effectiveness of the device. I can normally sense humans in close
proximity. I cannot sense Mister Keegan."
"Did he
explain why he has it?" Chakotay said.
"He told me he
did not want to be reminded of his past. Many Maquis feel that way,
though no others have gone to this extreme. Still, it is Mister Keegan's
mind and his past, and telepathic shields are not specifically
disallowed by Starfleet."
"How did he do
in Maintenance?" Janeway said.
"Chief Retut
made no complaints," Tuvok replied.
"Should we
call Mister Keegan here?" Chakotay said.
"Not yet," the
captain replied. "B'Elanna, how would you rate the Lieutenant's work?"
"He was one of
my best engineers. I was sorry to lose him."
The captain
shook her head. "Praise from the two of you for the same man on the same
day. I feel like my head will explode." She tapped her comm. "Lieutenant
Willis, report to the main Briefing Room."
"Yes, sir,"
Leslie said.
The captain
hit her comm again. "Chief Retut, report to the main Briefing Room."
"Yes,
Captain," a man's voice said.
Kathryn leaned
back and waited.
"Captain?"
Seven said, "What is the controversy with Cochrane's Unclaimed Thesis?"
"You surprise
me, Seven. I thought you would know that," she replied.
"I am familiar
with the thesis, but I have not read its history."
"Well," the
captain said, "Zephram Cochrane was looking for a power system for the
Phoenix. He tried fusion reactors, but none of them were powerful
enough. Out of nowhere, he comes up with a paper on anti-matter reactors
that reads like nothing he'd ever written. Instead of using the
information himself, he gives it over to a team of engineers. They build
the world's first anti-matter reactor. Doctor Cochrane builds the
Phoenix. Years later, in an interview, his last before he disappeared,
someone asked him about the paper. His response was, 'How many times do
I have to tell you people? I never wrote the damn thing.' Scientists and
historians have been debating it ever since."
Retut and
Willis arrived together. The captain turned to her Chief of Maintenance
first.
"Mister Retut,"
the captain began, "Do you remember Philip Keegan?"
"Yes, Captain.
A more green cadet I've never seen. He couldn't tell you a wrench from a
spanner."
"Is that why
you transferred him to Security?" Chakotay asked.
"No, sir. By
the time he transferred, he was one of my best workers. I fought to keep
him with me."
"Then, why did
he leave?"
"He thought
Security would be more challenging."
"Lieutenant
Willis," the captain asked, "What can you tell me about Mister Keegan?"
"I wouldn't be
here if it weren't for him."
"He saved you
at some point?" Chakotay asked.
"No, he
transferred. If he hadn't gone to Engineering, he would have been Chief
Science Officer."
"He's a lot
younger than you," Chakotay said.
"Yes, he is,"
Leslie replied.
"Did he give a
reason for this transfer?" Janeway said.
"He didn't
like the pristine nature of the science lab. He wanted to get his hands
dirty with engineering."
"Thank you,
for the information, both of you." The captain took a deep breath.
"Computer, what record do you have of Lieutenant Keegan before Voyager?"
"There is no
record of Lieutenant Keegan prior to his appearance on Voyager."
"When was
that?"
"Stardate
four-eight-three-one-six-point-nine."
"Could he be
something the Caretaker planted?" Chakotay asked.
"Or the
Caretaker himself?" B'Elanna said.
"Why expose
himself?" Chakotay asked.
Kathryn shook
her head. "I saw him risk his life to save Ensign Nureek."
"He risked his
life many times in Security," Tuvok added.
"And in
Engineering," B'Elanna said.
"Did you see
any unusual behavior?"
"He was quiet
and did his job well."
"You punched
him," Janeway said. "How did that happen?"
"It was a bar
fight. He walked in on it. I threw a fist at him."
"What did he
do?"
"Well..."
B'Elanna began.
"He caught her
fist," Harry said. "Stopped it cold."
"Did he now?"
Janeway said. "I have heard more than enough." She tapped her comm.
"Lieutenant Keegan, report the main Briefing Room."
"On my way,"
he replied. When he arrived, he looked around the room cautiously.
"Captain," he asked.
"Why does
Voyager have no record of you?" she said.
"Oh, that."
"Mister
Keegan?" Janeway asked.
"I'm from
Fyushal Four," he said.
"Enlighten
me," the captain replied.
"Fyushal Four
is a regressive colony. They have abandoned all technology," Keegan
continued.
"I thought
Fyushal was a vacation spot," Tom said.
"It is,"
Keegan replied. "Burnt out scientists, politicians, Starfleet officers,
what have you, will go to Fyushal to relax. Some of them will stay for a
few months. Some for a whole year. My parents never left. I was born and
raised there, and, when I became an adult, I couldn't wait to leave."
"What did your
parents say?" Tom asked.
"My desire to
leave was about as surprising as your marriage to B'Elanna. They could
tell I wanted to leave when I was six."
"And how did
you get on Voyager?" Chakotay asked.
"Fyushal is
near the Contested Systems. And the Badlands. The freighter that was
taking me to Deep Space Nine passed through there on its route."
"And the
Caretaker grabbed you," Janeway finished.
"Exactly. When
I found myself on Voyager, confused, alone, and isolated between the two
factions in the crew, I decided I would not be a burden. I refused to
let either side treat me as an incompetent. I didn't want them to--"
"Coddle you?"
the captain said.
"Yes."
"You've had
seven years to prove yourself, Mister Keegan. Why continue to hide it?"
Janeway asked.
"I haven't. No
one has asked about it for six years. I considered telling people, but I
couldn't get past the idea I would embarrass someone. At some point, I
decided to wait to be asked." He shrugged. "This is a little more
dramatic than I imagined. I hope I didn't bother you."
The captain
shook her head. "Just a little."
"Why do you
move in a manner unlike a human?" Seven asked.
He sighed and
rubbed his forehead. "I've been training under high gravity."
"That's not
allowed," Janeway said. "The health risks--"
"I know,
Captain. I was nearly beaten to death during a Kazon attack. It made me
feel like I couldn't pull my weight. I knew the regulations, but I
wanted to be ready for anything."
"You will stop
immediately," the captain said.
"But that
doesn't explain how you were able to learn all of this so quickly,"
Chakotay said. "Or why you tried to hide what you could do."
"I learn fast,
because I have an eidetic memory. I didn't want you to know how skilled
I was, because you would take more notice of me. Then Annika would take
notice of me, and she would see the effects of the high-gee training. I
also reprogrammed the Doctor so he wouldn't notice it when he examined
me."
"That's quite
a series of crimes," Chakotay said.
"Yes, sir."
"You
interfered with the development of a sentient lifeform, Mister Keegan,"
the captain said. "I don't take kindly to that. I'm not happy with the
rest of your crimes, but I understand them. For the high-gee training
and the deception, you will be reduced in rank to Lieutenant, Junior
Grade. You will be removed from the Computer Core, and we will find
something else for you to do. And, you will tell B'Elanna what you did
to the Doctor."
"Yes,
Captain."
"I will decide
your punishment for the reprogramming after B'Elanna evaluates its
effect on the Doctor's development." To the rest of the room, she said,
"I would like to talk to Mister Keegan privately." After they left, she
motioned for him to sit down. "I still think you can be a benefit to the
senior staff. I want you back in the science department. I'm going to
give you a probationary period. When it's up, I want to move you to the
bridge. I want you at the science station during gamma shift."
"Captain?"
"You went from
a farm boy education to understanding, and criticizing, Cochrane in only
a few years. You have a lot of potential. Voyager needs you."
"You're
promoting me," he said slowly.
"At the end of
your probationary period, yes. Your work with the Quagaar was excellent.
Worthy of the position. And, you saved Ensign Nureek at risk to your own
life. You may have been forced into this job, but you're one of the best
young officers I've seen. What do you say?"
"Do you know
the real reason I transferred out of the science department? Leslie
Willis wanted to be Chief Science Officer more than I've ever seen
anyone want anything. Every department I went to, I found people who
wanted to be there. They loved what they were doing. The Computer Core
was the only empty part of the ship. I don't want someone angry because
they think I stole their place."
"That's not
good enough, Mister Keegan. If you had made it to Earth, would you have
joined Starfleet?"
He hit the
table, pushed his chair back and stood up. He turned away as if he
wanted to leave, but he didn't go anywhere.
"Yes," he said
in a whisper.
"Mister
Keegan?"
"Starfleet is
everything I could have wanted."
"I think
that's the most honest thing you've ever said to me."
He laughed,
weakly. "If you learn all my tricks, how will I ever surprise you?"
"You'll find
something."
"Only if you
don't find it first." He turned back. "How long is my probation?"
"Three
months."
"I'm certain
I'll surprise you before then. Am I free to go?"
"Yes, Mister
Keegan. Dismissed."
* * *
Philip walked
to the turbolift, and found Tom and B'Elanna standing there.
"How did it
go?" she asked as they stepped on.
"Three months
probation. Then I get a promotion. Deck Seven."
"Deck Six. Not
bad." The lift began to move.
"I'll have
that information on the Doctor to you in a few hours."
"He'll be
happy to know."
Tom looked at
his wife. She shrugged. "Would you like to join us in the messhall for
dinner?" he asked.
"Yes. I'd love
to. Do I scare you?"
"No," Tom
said. "Why would you?"
"What would it
take for you to be afraid of me?"
"You're
starting to scare me now."
"Not much,
then. B'Elanna, do you ever miss being in the Maquis?"
"I miss my
friends," she said.
"That's too
easy an answer. Do you ever miss being a part of the Maquis itself? The
group and what they fought for?"
"Sometimes, I
guess. Why?"
"Are you happy
about where you are?"
"I love my
husband and our daughter." She leaned into Tom, and he put his arm
around her.
"Easy answers
again. You ran away from the Academy. Now, you're the Chief Engineer of
a Federation Starship. Are you happy about that?"
"I don't
know."
"Yes you do.
Starfleet fought the Maquis, now you work for them. How does that make
you feel?"
"We're just
trying to survive here," she said.
"When we get
back to the Alpha Quadrant, do you still want to be the Chief Engineer
aboard a Federation Starship?"
She shook her
head. "I haven't decided yet."
"I have."
They stood
silently for a time. The turbolift stopped but neither Tom nor B'Elanna
got off. The doors closed and they started moving again.
"B'Elanna said
you were reading the Unclaimed Thesis."
"No," Keegan
said. "I have been rewriting it."
B'Elanna
perked up. "I'd love to read what you've done."
"I know. I'll
include it with the material on the Doctor." The lift stopped again and
the lieutenant stepped off. When the doors closed, and he saw he was
alone, he hit the wall hard enough to crack it.
* * *
"What are you
reading?" Chakotay said.
Janeway looked
up smiling. "B'Elanna gave this to me. It's Lieutenant Keegan's
treatment of Cochrane's Unclaimed Thesis. It's brilliant. I've never
seen this level of understanding of the material. It's poetic." She
handed the PADD over.
Chakotay read
a little. "I can see why he doesn't think Cochrane wrote it."
"I know. I'm going to ask him to give a
discussion on it. I haven't been to a scientific debate in seven years.
I think a lot of people on board will really enjoy it."
"So why do you
look uncomfortable?" he asked.
"His story
about MIT."
"Perhaps one
of his parents went there."
"That's what
he'll say," she replied.
"Do you think
he's an infiltrator?"
She shook her
head. "An infiltrator would have a background, but there are holes in
his story I can't fill up. Why did he study medicine to become the
ship's doctor if he doesn't want anyone to notice him? Why did he hide
his past for so long? It's not that important. He earned that field
commission from Tuvok. He's a member of Starfleet whether he went to the
Academy or not. He can write something like this and still say he
doesn't like science."
"Kathryn,
you're going to have to decide if this man's secret is more important
than the officer you might lose."
"I have to do
what's best for the ship." She turned her coffee mug around a few times,
trying to find inspiration in the squeak. "Computer, how many students
named Philip Keegan have attended the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology?"
"That
information is not available."
Chakotay shook
his head.
"Access the
Auxiliary Core," the captain said.
"The requested
information is not available."
"Access the
protected memory archives."
"The requested
file was damaged in a Kazon attack on Stardate
four-nine-nine-one-five-point-three."
The captain
sighed.
"We can use
the next data transfer," Chakotay said.
"I know.
That's ten days away. Some of the senior staff will have to lose letters
from home."
"My relatives
never have anything interesting to say anyway."
"We are sure
about this?"
He raised his
coffee mug. "Here's hoping it's all coincidence."
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