Re-born – The Siren call
by HoD Ro' Matlh & Soghla' Terri (Tell) Hope

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Title   The Siren call
Mission   Re-born
Author(s)   HoD Ro' Matlh & Soghla' Terri (Tell) Hope
Posted   Mon Dec 12, 2011 @ 12:59am
Location   Hold
Timeline   8 Hours from rendezvous
The child had been moved around considerably during her time on the FHew as each Klingon took charge of her and moved her to a place they felt was 'most secure'. Cha'a' stood, arms folded, by the door staring, at the girl when Ro' arrived. He nodded to her and she nodded back, turning and leaving without further interaction.

Ro' moved to the girl, the glow of Jared's devices making her appear more inhuman than the half a dozen visible Borg devices that had now sprouted. Ro' didn't like to think how many more could not be seen, or what was happening inside the child.

He placed a tray of cut and burnt meat on the floor and slid it towards her with his foot. There was a glass of Targ milk as well, heavy with fat, but good to taste... at least by Klingon standards.

"Eat," he barked quietly. "You will need your strength for the Federation doctors."

Hope did as she was told, she had always done as she was told. She fingered the meat and broke off the smallest amount but when she ate it, it tasted of nothing. It could have been anything for all she cared but she neither had the taste or stomach for food. She took the un chewed piece of meat out of her mouth and put it back on the plate, then pushed it around with the other bits and ignored the milk.

She clung to Henry the bear that Tell had given her. It was her only security and she could not be parted form him. She had been taken from pillar to post on this ship and although they had been fair to her, fed and clothed her, they couldn't repair a broken heart no matter how hard the engineer would try. She didn't cry any more there was no point, her parents were gone they had told her that so many times and now she believed them.

So she sat quietly cradling Henry and stroking his soft tan coloured fur. She murmured soft words to him, telling him a story about how she found him and that they would be together for ever. They couldn't be afraid as long as they had each other.

Softly just at the edge of hearing the girl heard a voice call, "Hope..."

For a moment she thought that the bear had spoken to her... it sounded as if it did. She gazed up at the Klingon Captain and wondered if it was him calling her. 'It could have been I suppose' She looked at him for a while wanting to ask but afraid to in case he shouted at her. He was sitting watching her but made no sign that he had spoken or heard anyone else. 'What harm would it do to say something?'

So the gentle little girl, who had lost so much in such a young life answered quite simply. "Yes!"

Ro' started, surprised by the sudden statement from the girl, "Yes? What?"

Again the voice called her name, but this time there were whispers of other voices and she thought... the voice sounded like...

"Hope..."

It was. It was her father!

"Hope... come home..."

She still looked at Ro' still hoping that he would explain what she had suddenly heard. It couldn't be her father they said he had died. She bit her bottom lip and felt very afraid. There where no others in the room besides herself and the Klingon Captain. Yet he hadn't heard them and she thought that very odd because she could hear them perfectly.

Had they lied to me ? Where they alive after all? If I could just go home everything will be alright. I know it will. Things will be ok when I see my father.

The other voices were stronger to. She thought she picked out others she recognised. First officer Wilcock, CMO Jones, her tutor Regani. All of them were calling out to her, as if they were looking for her in the dark and couldn't find her.

"Hope... come home... we miss you... we are waiting for you... where are you?"

"Where are they?" She asked Ro'.

The aged Klingon frowned. Was the child loosing her capacity to reason? "Where are who?"

Plucking up the courage she spoke to him again. "My parents and the others off the ship. You were wrong they are alive. You lied, its wrong to lie." Hope stood up forcing herself to confront him. "You shouldn't lie..."

Ro bit down his response. Humans threw around the word lie so easily without understanding what it meant. "I never lied to you. You never asked me. Your parents have either died in battle or been captured by an enemy race. It would be better if they had died with honour."

"Hope... come home... wait for us... we are coming."

A small smile appeared on her lips as she heard their comforting voices. "... Its ok now. They said they are coming for me. All I have to do is wait."

Ro' realised the meaning of this instantly. The collective had found a way to reach her. The normal masking was no longer fully effective. The Borg could track the little girl down, and it sounded as if they intended to.

Ro' Thought for a moment and then leaned forward and asked, "It would be better if your parents had died. It seems they have not. Would you go and be with them, even if it meant you were to stay in prison for the rest of your life? Never run, never play?"

Ro' didn't need the girl to answer. He understood children, even if he had difficulty relating to them.