Title: Words mean nothing: 1.

Author: Quew

Rating: If it was in the UK, probably a PG or 12 so far. I'm not too sure what that equates to in the US. PG/PG-13?

Classification: T/7 time travel or something.

Notes: No beta, so please be on the lookout for any huge spelling and/or grammatical mistakes J You guys kinda brought this on yourselves, with your friendly attitudes and your irresistible challenges. I'm just looking to blame anyone other than myself, really. Don't say I didn't warn you ;) I'm not quite sure where this is going.

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'Dammit Seven!' B'Elanna growled with frustration as the ex-Borg invaded her space, ostensibly to check the lieutenants work, but B'Elanna was sure the woman just loved to piss her off any way she could. Pushing the taller woman back, she tapped a few controls and set the commands in motion before Seven could read them all.

The blonde immediately straightened, her eyes wide. 'Lieutenant Torres, I believe I saw a miscalculation just as you-'

'No, you didn't Seven,' B'Elanna smiled, but there was no humour in it. 'I checked those figures at least four times, and you know what? They were fine. Perfect, even. Surely an ex-Borg can appreciate perfection?'

'Yes, Lieutenant, I could. But I do not think that was perfection. I noted a discrepancy in the field modulation. Left unattended it could create some extreme reactions in anyone who attempted to use the Transporters.'

B'Elanna placed her hands on her hips. They had been working together - Captains orders - in Transporter room one for about three hours, trying to recalibrate the modulation of the Transporters themselves and the Ensign behind the Transporter control panel had long since taken to cowering behind it in abject fear as the bickering continued to escalate toward outright fighting.

Seven placed her hands behind her back and straightened imperceptibly, looking down her nose at the older woman. 'If you wish to be responsible for a Transporter accident that could lead to a fatality I will not say another word.'

'Fatality? Fatality?! You're accusing me of putting the crew at risk?' B'Elanna bared her teeth.

'The discrepancy may prove a risk to someone, yes.'

'Look…' Torres took a step closer and jabbed Seven in the chest with a finger. 'Astrometrics officer.' She hiked a thumb toward herself. 'Chief Engineer. I think I know what I'm doing!'

'That is not in question, Lieutenant. I am simply stating you made a mistake.'

'Mistake?' B'Elanna bridled. 'I'll show you mistake! Ensign!'

The terrified woman poked her head above the desk, and when she saw both senior officers staring at her, she stopped whimpering and stood straight, smoothing down her uniform and trying to appear business like. 'Yes-' the word came out as a squeak, and she cleared her throat quickly. 'Yes ma'am?'

'Power up the Transporters.'

'Yes ma'am.'

Within seconds the women were surrounded by the familiar hum of active machinery, and without hesitation B'Elanna stepped up onto the Transporter pad.

'Lieutenant…I do not think this is a good idea.' Seven took a step forward. 'I merely meant that your data might have been flawed.'

'Flawed my ass!' B'Elanna spat back. 'Ensign, lets just take it for a test drive, eh? Just transport me to…er, Cargo Bay Two.'

The woman nodded and started imputing commands. 'Belay that, Ensign,' Seven said suddenly, taking another step. 'Lieutenant Torres, please step down.'

'No way Seven! I'm going to prove that you were wrong and I was right!'

Seven raised her implanted eyebrow. 'Why are you being so stubborn? Would it do any harm to check?'

'Yes, Seven, it would! You're always so perfect and unattainable, why can't you just admit you're infallible like the rest of us?'

'Unattainable?' Seven asked, taking yet another step.

A look of shock wormed its way onto B'Elanna's face as her ears caught up with her mouth. 'I…er…I meant…um…. Ensign! Begin transport!'

The woman behind the desk jumped into life, finishing the commands she'd just been prevented from completing within a few seconds. Seven leapt forward, and the Chief Engineer saw her lips form the word 'B'Elanna!' when the world disintegrated into blue sparkles.

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'Hey! Hey! HEY!' Someone shaking her by the front of her uniform rudely jerked B'Elanna awake. 'That's better. Sheesh, you were dead the world!'

Her vision remained black despite the fact she knew her eyes were open. 'You wanna tell me what the hell you're doing here?' The voice said, still hidden by the absence of light. The hands released her jacket as soon as it was apparent she could sit by herself.

She opened her eyes wide and tried to penetrate the darkness, to no avail. The voice, however, sounded familiar and B'Elannas eyebrows rose in recognition. 'Seven?'

'Seven what?' The voice said.

Suddenly light blazed and B'Elanna hissed, covering her eyes with her hand. 'Hey!'

'Sorry toots, light too bright?' The voice was mocking, and B'Elanna snarled. Removing her hand immediately, she waited for the pain to disperse and her sight to focus.

The first thing she saw was a wall. It looked old, decrepit, and it certainly didn't look like the bulkhead from a starship. The next thing she saw was the light source; one naked bulb hanging from a fraying cable. A shadow moved in the corner of her vision and she whirled to meet it, moving fluidly into a fighting crouch. Her hair flew across her face, but she didn't lift a hand to move it, not wanting to leave herself open to attack.

'Hey, hey, no need for violence. If you want to try, go ahead, but if you calm down we can all play nice.'

B'Elannas' jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. Her self-control was lost and she sat down heavily, staring at the only other person in the room…it couldn't be!

'What's the matter with you? You look like you've seen a ghost!' The woman said, relaxing against a wall and, after sparing B'Elanna a bored glance, turning her attention to the threadbare carpet, which she picked at.

'Seven?!' B'Elanna gasped.

The woman did look like Seven…screw that, she could have been Seven, except…

'Look, Seven what? What the hell is with you?' The woman pulled a strand of tangled blonde hair away from her face in a movement that screamed exasperation, and B'Elanna took a moment to look her up and down.

She was wearing a pair of black trousers and a black T-shirt that was tight fitting. More than that, her implants just…weren't there, and the expression on her face - very annoyed curiosity - was one that Seven never would have worn.

B'Elanna blinked, and then rubbed a hand across her eyes. When they refocused, the woman was still there, still staring at the same piece of floor.

'Are you gonna tell me how you got in here or not?' The woman asked, stretching her legs out in front of her and yawning. 'And what's this seven thing?'

The woman was Seven and yet not Seven, remarkably similar in structure, but quickly shaping up to be another person. B'Elanna was having difficulty adjusting, and so she fell back on what she knew. Anger.

'Never mind how I got in here! Where the hell am I? And who the hell are you?' Torres risked movement and pulled the hair that blocked her vision away in a quick swipe. The woman looked up as B'Elanna moved and gasped.

'Your forehead…' She murmured. Before B'Elanna could react she'd moved forward, reaching out delicate fingers to touch the ridges.

B'Elanna couldn't stop herself as her arm snaked out, catching the hand before it could make contact. 'What the hell are you doing, haven’t you ever seen Klingon before!?'

The Seven woman looked perplexed. 'What the hell's a Klingon?'

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