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“Captain?” Seven asked quietly because the Captain had not turned around when she had entered the Holodeck.
It was empty, showing the gray grid of the room, as if the Captain had just stopped a program or was about to begin a new one. However, in the few seconds that Seven had observed her, she had stood still and had simply stared at the Holodeck’s console without giving the Computer any commands.
“Seven!” The Captain looked up sharply. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I didn’t mean to disturb you, Captain.” Seven walked closer to the other woman, careful so as not to startle her again. “I was just hoping you could help me with some of my questions.”
“Of course.” The Captain pressed some buttons on the console. “Where do you want to go? The Cargo Bay? Or maybe the Astrometrics Lab?”
“Actually, my questions concern your dealing with holographic characters right here on the Holodeck.”
“Really? What do you want to know about that?”
Seven waited a little before answering, trying to go over her words in her head first. “You have used the Holodeck often, is that correct?”
“Not more so than any other crew member I would think.” The Captain frowned.
Seven briefly wondered if she had offended the other woman. “But you enjoy it?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Why?” Seven asked with a frown of her own. “Why do you feel the need to interact with holographic characters? They are not real. It seems illogical to do so. You are simply interacting with algorithms set forth by the Computer.”
That made the Captain smile somehow. “Seven… It is fun.”
“Fun?” Seven could not help but feel disappointed. “All of this… is just for relaxation?”
“Well… No, not exactly.” The Captain seemed to reconsider her answer as she looked around at the empty Holodeck. “Most of the programs that I visit are for relaxation, yes. It is the only way that we can go on a vacation, I suppose. But sometimes… I use the Holodeck and its characters to give me a fresh perspective on things.”
“Is that what the character of Leonardo Da Vinci did for you?”
“Yes… Yes, he did.”
“But how can a character from such a distant past give you any useful perspectives on the problems that you are facing today?”
“History can teach us many things, Seven.” The Captain walked closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Its warmth radiated through Seven’s biosuit. “Many of our problems… They are similar to the problems that countless of our ancestors have dealt with before us.”
Seven opened her mouth to ask another question but she could not formalize it in such a way that it wouldn’t offend the Captain. So, she closed her mouth again.
The other woman seemed to notice and gave her another smile. “You don’t seem convinced.”
“No… But I do not wish to offend you.”
“You know you can always speak freely with me, Seven.”
“Perhaps… Except over the past few days I have had several confrontations with other crewmembers, and it has been pointed out to me that I say things in an… undiplomatic manner.”
“Have you been fighting with Lieutenant Torres again?”
“Yes, she called me an automaton.” A flash of pity crossed over the Captain’s face so Seven quickly pressed on. “But it was actually Ensign Kim who hypothesized that I lacked diplomacy.”
“I see.” The Captain nodded and walked back to the console. Curious, Seven followed her. “There are many things that we can learn from history. It does not only show us how people in the past dealt with the problems we face today, but it can also inspire us to soar above ourselves and our problems in our own lives. When I interact with Maestro Da Vinci… I feel like I am surrounded by his genius and his creativity. They are like a bright light that shines upon me for only a moment. It inspires me. He inspires me! Even if he is just a holographic recreation of the man that once lived in Renaissance Europe, interacting with heroes from the past… It can offer us a great deal.
Seven looked down at the list that the Captain had pulled up on the screen of the console. She was scrolling through it now, clearly looking for something. “Are you going to start a new program, Captain?”
“Yes.” The Captain smiled a crooked smile. “But it is not for me. It is for you. I can stand here and explain to you how useful it can be to interact with the past for days, but that might not convince you. The best way to prove it… is to show you.”
With a beep and a whoosh their environments changed. Suddenly they were surrounded by very fancy furniture standing in a light room with paintings and a large mirror on the wall.
Seven blinked and then quickly looked around. There were no characters visible yet. “Where are we?”
“20th century Earth. London. Buckingham Palace.” The Captain said as she also turned around with her arms spread wide.
“Why?”
“You say that people have pointed out to you that you lack diplomacy, right? That you can be a bit stiff. Well, there is a woman who lived here who can teach you a great many things about how to overcome those problems.”
Seven quickly went over her knowledge of Earth’s history. “Queen Elizabeth II?”
“Exactly!” The Captain beamed at her as she walked over to Seven and started to look over her biosuit as if she wanted to check that it was in pristine order. Of course, it was. “She was the longest reigning monarch that the United Kingdom has ever had. She lived through some of Earth’s most turbulent times but also the time when humans first went to space and invented the internet.”
“I don’t need her to tell me about that.” Seven said, feeling a little annoyed now. “I know Earth’s history and I can look up all the facts in the Computer’s database.”
“But there is nothing like firsthand experience.” The Captain said as she took a few steps back. “Also, she can tell you a great many things about how to deal with change and people that might have different opinions than you. About diplomacy, patience and… manners.”
Seven frowned but before she could reply, a door to the side of the room opened up and a man in white pants and a long red uniform jacket stepped through. “Her majesty the Queen!”
“Don’t forget to curtsy!” The Captain whispered to Seven, gave her a wink and then left through the Holodeck’s exit.
Seven blinked a couple of times as the exit disappeared but then her attention was drawn back to the door through which two small dogs entered the room, followed by a rather small woman, carrying a handbag, who nevertheless radiated authority and regality.
“Seven of Nine, what a pleasure it is to meet you.”