[ This is difficult for Kathryn, too. Her first instinct with Seven is to always reach out, to offer comfort and the promise of safety. She'd taken on the responsibility to protect Seven since she severed her from the Collective, and a few years and some distance is not easily going to sway that.

But right now, she needs to keep her head clear and not let her emotions dictate her behavior. With both Sevens on this ship, she has to tread lightly. ]

I'm hesitant to make any sweeping judgments about what reality you've ended up in. I think you'll agree that our experiences here aren't always as clear cut. [ Another reality, a fractured duplication, a new entity that was able to adopt Seven's image, personality, memories, even without knowing... There is no way to make the call without more information.

But Kathryn is already thinking of Seven's suggestion before the makes it, tricorder in hand as she scans her. She runs it over her optical node and makes a few adjustments before she moves to a panel to pull up Seven's medical record to compare the two. She doesn't have to examine it long to get the gist. Besides age, of course, all the readings are identical.

With that out of the way, she faces Seven, leaning against the terminal and looking at her thoughtfully, but not without wariness. ]

Was this deliberate? Please don't tell me you've come back to avert yet another disaster on Voyager.