Chapter 16
"Alright," Janeway said, one seated. "I once read a report of Captain Jean-Luc Picard..." Janeway frowned before adding, "I don't remember which star date the report was from, but it really doesn't matter. The point is, it described a situation where they went to investigate a crashed Borg ship and actually found one survivor, a teenager really. They eventually released him back to the Borg because he wanted to go back. Picard hoped that the taste of individuality that the teenager had gotten during his short stay on the Enterprise would influence the Collective, but that wasn't the primary reason. He let the teenager go because they boy wanted to go. Well, since then we've learned more about the Borg and know now that as soon as you are connected to the Hive mind, all individuality is lost."
Janeway looked at Seven before continuing. "That really is the reason why I denied your request to be allowed to return to the Borg back then; I knew that you'd simply become a drone again, and I couldn't allow that."
Janeway took a moment to look around the table. "But it did give me an idea that we can use now. The Borg want Seven back, what if we do just that; give them Seven back?"
Janeway lifted her hand to stop people, especially B'Elanna, from speaking up. "I'm not talking about handing Seven over and being on our merry way, I'm thinking about Seven using that chance to infect the Hive mind with some kind of virus, be it biological or technological,"
"That will not work," Seven interrupted. "Trying to influence the Borg with some kind of virus is a common practice. On average five attempts are made for every one species that is assimilated. To my knowledge this has been tried, unsuccessfully I might add, sixty-two-thousand times. It is so common that safeguards have been created so that even in a worst case scenario only one ship can be infected."
"I know, Seven, remember we've run into situations like that," Janeway said, agreeing fully with Seven's summation. "I know that this normally would never work, but I'm thinking of using the Borg's overconfidence against them. You told me that your nanoprobes have been changed to where you can control them without needing a physical connection, correct?"
"That is correct," Seven agreed, wondering where Janeway was going.
"The Borg also brought in Unimatrix 01. If we could infect that, there wouldn't be an infection of just one ship; the whole Collective would become infected because all ships and all drones are linked to that thing out there. They're guarding against a virus being introduced through one of their cubes or other ships. They'll never expect a virus to be introduced directly into Unimatrix 01."
"Again; that is correct," Seven said.
"Here's what I'm thinking. We, Voyager, have made a deal before with the Borg, and we kept our part of the deal. We pretend to be impressed with the power the Borg brought in. We contact them and make them a deal, we deliver you to them and in exchange, they let us go. After some negotiating, we send you over in a shuttle and before they can link you to the Collective, you infect the Hive with nanoprobes that carry a virus. Maybe we could do that in the same way as we did with species 8472. Besides the photon torpedoes we also adapted a few phaser rifles so it can carry the nanoprobes when fired. Or the Doctor can come up with some block to prevent the Borg from pulling you into the Hive mind right away, giving you time to release the virus through your assimilation tubes. Either way, you infect the Hive, and then get out of there. If it goes as planned we could actually rid the universe of the threat that is the Borg."
"What kind of virus are you suggesting?" Seven asked, taking B'Elanna's hand under the table to stop the Klingon from speaking up.
"Something that you, B'Elanna, Harry, and the Doctor can come up with in, say, two hours. I'm not talking about something that would actually kill the Borg drones; I think doing that would make us even worse than the Borg are. I'm thinking more along the lines of something that would destroy the link between the drones, something that would make them all individuals again."
It was quiet around the table while Janeway looked at everyone in turn. Clearly seeing that none of them was enthusiastic about the plan. "Well, people, if you have better ideas, I'm more than happy to hear them," Janeway said, spreading her hands a little to give the statement more meaning.
"Just remember that the clock it ticking. Those shields are going to fail, and in a best-case scenario they will still only hold for about three hours now. So, let's hear those plans."
After a long moment of silence it was Seven who finally spoke up. "You will have to ask for more than just free passage."
"Go on," Janeway said.
"Because the Borg set my implants to primary makeup, they will know that I would have had to explain to you why my implants changed. Therefore they know, that you know, that I am more than just an average drone; more so because they will know only too well that you will understand that they do not send Unimatrix 01 for just any drone. They would not trust it if you only asked for free passage."
"Then what would you suggest we ask for?"
"Besides the free passage you also need to ask at least for another drone to replace me that has all the Borg knowledge that I have. Because to the Borg the Collective is more important than the individual drone, they will think that you are acting in the same way; that to you your Collective is more important than one person. That you want the knowledge that the Borg have, and do not care which drone is giving you that knowledge. But what will make it even more believable is if you ask for several transwarp coils. They know that you have risked a lot already to get transwarp coils. It will be very believable that you would use this opportunity to get several transwarp coils to shorten your voyage home."
"But what is there to stop the Borg from simply destroying us as soon as Seven leaves Voyager?" Tom asked.
"Good question," Janeway said thoughtfully.
"We could remind them of the fact that we remember that they were the ones that broke the deal last time," Chakotay suggested.
"We could demand that they first send over the drone and the transwarp coils in a Borg shuttle; a shuttle that we are going to keep. That'll add to believability; they'll think that we want to keep it for the technology in it. Once that shuttle is on board Voyager we'll send out a shuttle of our own; a shuttle that has Seven in it, and a photon torpedo. We'll say that if they try to capture us, we'll blow up the shuttle, and Seven. Of course we would have to give the shuttle the same shields Voyager now has. We would then pretend to run, and after some time the power of the shuttle runs out causing its shields to drop, and at that time Seven will enter Unimatrix 01. It won't really be much of a distance that we can build up in that time, and they could catch us in minutes using transwarp, but it will take us out of weapon's range. By the time they're in weapon's range again, Seven will hopefully have done what she needs to do."
"That could work," Janeway agreed before looking at B'Elanna. She knew that she had kept the Klingon quiet for as long as she could. "I'm sure that you're dying to give your opinion on this, B'Elanna."
"Well, my personal opinion is that you're all nuts to even think about this."
Now it was B'Elanna's turn to raise her hand to stop someone from talking, especially Janeway. "But I do realize that we have to do something. I know that if we wait too long I... I mean, we, will lose Seven for sure. As crazy as this plan is, it's the only plan we have."
B'Elanna was quiet for a moment before adding in a tone that made it clear that there was no discussion possible as far as she was concerned, "I'll be going with Seven in that shuttle."
"As far as I know it is still up to me to decide that, Lieutenant," Janeway said with a warning tone.
"You'll need a good pilot for the shuttle, and also a good Engineer to maintain the shields for as long as possible," B'Elanna defended. "While Seven can do both those things, she can't do them at the same time. You need a second person in the shuttle. I'm volunteering to be that second person, is there another volunteer?"
Janeway looked at B'Elanna for a moment longer before finally relenting and giving her a little grin. "Straight to the heart of the matter, right? But you're correct, we do need a second person in the shuttle... and I think that you'd do a better job in the shuttle than here on the ship while worrying about what's going on over there. Alright people, we have a working plan, now let's concentrate on coming up with some kind of virus that destroys the link between the Collective, thereby destroying the Collective completely, but doesn't harm actual drones."
"It really sounds easy the way you say that," Tom observed. "If it was only just as easy to do."
~~~~~~~~~~{}~~~~~~~~~~
"You know, I really have a bad feeling about this," Chakotay said softly to Janeway as they watched the shuttle drifting out of the hangar and into space on the viewscreen.
"You aren't the only one," Janeway replied just as softly. Seeing the small shuttle that looked like nothing more than a grain of sand compared with the huge Borg ship, made Janeway feel like they were a mouse playing a game of chess with a whole family of cats.
"How is our guest doing?" Janeway asked a little louder, addressing Tuvok.
"The drone has been taken to sickbay and is currently surrounded by a level ten force-field. The Doctor reported that the drone is currently unconscious and that he has already removed her subspace transmitter."
"Alright. Until this is over, keep an eye on her, and also on the Borg shuttle she arrived on," Janeway said.
Tuvok merely lifted his eyebrow, a little surprised that Janeway found it necessary to point out the obvious to him. He was in charge of security after all and had taken care of the very things the Captain had just mentioned the second the drone had arrived on Voyager.
"The shuttle has left our maneuver field," Tom pointed out.
"Alright, pretend to run," Janeway said as she leaned forward in her chair every so slightly.
"Aye Captain. Jumping to warp... now."
"The Borg are capturing the shuttle in a tractor beam," Tuvok said, before adding, "We have lost all contact with the shuttle."
"A dampening field," Janeway said in understanding. "They want to make sure that we don't destroy the shuttle. Are they following us?"
"No Captain."
"They probably don't see the use," Chakotay guessed. "With their transwarp abilities they can catch up to us within minutes if they want. I guess they consider us irrelevant."
"They have just pulled the shuttle into Unimatrix 01," Tuvok reported.
"Tom, keep this course for another thirty minutes, then turn around. That should give Seven and B'Elanna enough time. In the mean time, set the shields back to normal setting and tell Carey to run the warp core as hot as he dares, I want the power levels up as much as possible in case we need the new shield settings again."
~~~~~~~~~~{}~~~~~~~~~~
"Anything?"
"Nothing at all, Captain. And from the scans I would say that Unimatrix 01 is still fully functional. I," Tuvok stopped talking when the last thing they wanted to happen did happen. "Captain, the Borg are beaming through the adapted shields."
"Are they beaming onto the ship?" Janeway asked. She desperately wanted to say the words 'red alert' but they had never left that level to begin with.
"No captain. Things are being beamed off the ship in two places. I have already dispatched security teams."
"Where?"
"Cargo bay 2, and the quarters of B'Elanna Torres and Seven of Nine."
"Kathryn," Chakotay said softly before mentioning that which the others didn't want to. "There is only one way that the Borg could beam through our shields like that."
Janeway closed her eyes when realization set in. "The Borg could only know how to do that if they had assimilated Seven and B'Elanna."
"Captain, the security teams are reporting in," Tuvok said. "In the cargo bay the alcove Seven used to regenerate has been beamed out; leaving the other three alcoves untouched, and in the quarters everything has been beamed out."
"Everything?" Janeway repeated, surprised by the strange behavior of the Borg.
"Yes, Captain, down to the carpets actually. The only thing left are the bare walls and floor."
"We need to get Seven and B'Elanna out of there. Tom," Janeway stopped talking when she saw Unimatrix 01 disappear in a streak of transwarp light. "Tom, set a course to follow them."
"Aye Captain." Tom was just about to put Voyager into warp when one of the Borg cubes still left opened fire, coming dangerously close to the hull of Voyager.
"Captain, I believe that could be considered the proverbial shot across the bow," Tuvok pointed out. "I believe that these ships have been left here to make sure that we do not follow Unimatrix 01."
"I have a feeling that you're right. They're bound to be heading straight back to the heart of Borg space," Janeway agreed. "Damn. Alright, senior staff to the conference room, we need a plan."
~~~~~~~~~~{}~~~~~~~~~~
Six months later.
"Tom, take us back to warp six. Better save some energy until we find a place to restock on Dilithium."
"Yes ma'am."
"I never thought that we would be running low on Dilithium only six months after leaving the Zamonan," Chakotay said, shaking his head a little.
"Neither did I," Janeway agreed. "We had a stock of crystals that should have lasted us twenty years. To quote Tom's colorful, but very accurate assessment of the situation; 'it totally bites that we had to use the crystals as payment'."
"It was either 'pay' the Zeki to be allowed to pass through their space, or go around their space and deal with 'pirates' that somehow have ships three times as powerful as ours, but have no ties at all to the Zeki... or so the Zeki say."
"I know, but it still bites," Janeway said. "But I guess that we should be glad that Dilithium was all they wanted."
"What I think really bites is that those transwarp coils the Borg gave us turned out to be totally useless, just like the shuttle. If they had been usable we could have been home by now."
"True, but we did end up with an extra, and very productive, crew member," Janeway pointed out. Referring to the Borg drone that hadn't ended up being a part of the senior crew like Seven had, but that had still been fully incorporated into the crew. Unlike the prejudice that Seven had to face, the crew had given the new drone, Perizn, the benefit of the doubt and welcomed her into the crew.
"You're right," Chakotay agreed. "And talking about Perizn, she handed in that report today."
"The report that she had to have finished two days from now?" Janeway asked amused. "How,"
"Captain, we seem to have a shadow," Tuvok suddenly interrupted.
"A shadow?"
"Yes Captain. Sensors picked up a ship on the edge of our sensor range when we reduced speed, but within a second it was gone."
"So someone was surprised by our sudden change of speed and ended up in our sensor range for a moment before they could match our new speed?" Janeway surmised.
"I would assume so," Tuvok agreed.
"Could the sensors make out what kind of ship?"
"No Captain, the ship was gone before it could be identified."
"Hmm. I think it would be a good idea to have a closer look at our shadow. Tom, take us about."
"Aye captain."
~~~~~~~~~~{}~~~~~~~~~~
"Anything, Tuvok?" Janeway asked half an hour later.
"No ship, Captain. I assume that they expected our move. But sensors are picking up a recent transwarp trace."
"Transwarp?" Chakotay asked. "You think it was a Borg ship?"
"That is a distinct possibility, Commander."
"Seven, B'Elanna," Janeway said softly.
Chakotay wasn't so sure about that. "Kathryn, if it was them, they wouldn't have run. It might also have been someone else. The Borg aren't the only ones with transwarp capabilities, and they're also not in the habit of playing hide and seek."
"You're probably right," Janeway was forced to admit. She knew that the chances of Seven and B'Elanna being anything but mindless drones by that time, if they were still alive at all, were just as high as Voyager, in the next five minutes, finding a wormhole that would take them home.
"Tom, set a course to follow the warp trail. We'll follow it for three days, if we haven't found anything by that time; we will resume our course home."
"Aye Captain."
~~~~~~~~~~{}~~~~~~~~~~
Six months later.
(One year later in total.)
"Commander. Anything of interest?" Harry asked as he prepared to take over the captain's chair at the start of the gamma shift.
"Nothing big," Chakotay answered as he got out of the chair. "We had a circuit burnout with the industrial replicator on deck five, so you might see some power fluctuations while Engineering replaces those circuits. And when you take your break later on, you might want to stay away from Neelix's latest pasta creation. The Doctor reported ten people with mild food poisoning."
Harry's eyes got wider at that.
"It wasn't really his fault," Chakotay defended. "It seems that two of those spices that he has been using for the last year are great, as long as they aren't used together. Together they form a mild poison for Humans. We really should have checked possible combinations. Poor Neelix felt so bad that he wanted to throw it all away. But since it is perfectly safe for everyone that isn't Human, I said that he should leave it and just make sure that no Human takes any of it."
"Thanks for the warning," Harry said with a smile.
"No problem." Chakotay turned around to leave when he remembered something. "Oh, we did spot our shadow again."
"That's the third time this month, isn't it? Normally we don't see it that often."
Chakotay merely shrugged his shoulders. "We did make some abrupt course changes this month."
"Right," Harry agreed.
"Well, I'm off. Have a good night, Harry."
"You too Commander."
~~~~~~~~~~{}~~~~~~~~~~
One year later.
(Two years later in total.)
"Evasive maneuvers!" Janeway shouted while another impact rocked the ship.
"Hull breach on deck ten," Tuvok warned before adding, "They are targeting our engines. A second and third ship are coming into firing range."
"Incoming audio message," Harry said, trying to hold on to his station when another impact rocked the ship violently. A slight nod of Janeway's head told him to play the message.
{Voyager, this is your last chance. Power down your weapons and surrender unconditionally, otherwise you will be destroyed.}
"Harry, send back a message. There is no way that we are going to wait around for three years to face a day in their kangaroo court. They know that this is a bunch of nonsense."
"They are replying," This time Harry didn't need permission to play the message.
{What you think of this case is not the point. The point is that you are trying to escape our jurisdiction while a case of law is pending against you, and you have one of our citizens onboard your ship. She has no permission to leave our space. I am done talking, if you have not surrendered in ten seconds, you will be destroyed. Do not mistake our friendly demeanor for an inability to kill if our laws are broken. You now have ten seconds.}
"Captain, another ship is coming into sensor range."
"What the hell do they need another one for?" Tom asked frustrated from his chair. He had a hard enough time trying to escape the fire of the three ships surrounding them, let alone four. He had no illusion about the fact that the only reason they were still alive was simply that the Barudians had not yet decided to kill them.
"I do not believe that this is one of their ships. It is coming from our aft position. I would surmise that it is our 'shadow'." Tuvok said.
Chakotay nodded his head in agreement. "Since those ships out there haven't started firing even though our ten seconds are over, I would agree that it isn't one of theirs. I'd bet they saw the mystery ship as well and are wondering who they are."
"Tuvok, can the sensors finally tell us what kind of ship it is?" Janeway asked, more curios than ever to know who their mysterious shadow was.
"It is a Borg cube, Captain."
"What?!" Janeway could not believe that it had been a Borg cube that had been following them for a year and a half, at least. When they first spotted their shadow, they had thought that it was indeed a Borg ship because it had left using transwarp. But over time they had dismissed that idea. The entire senior crew was sure that there was no way that a Borg ship would patiently follow them for such a long time.
"We've have to warn the Barudian about the Borg. Harry, open a channel,"
"Captain, the Borg are sending a message on all channels," Harry interrupted.
Janeway just knew that this could not be good. "Let's hear it."
Harry opened the channel and soon they heard the combined voices of the Borg fill the bridge.
{Barudian Stellar Guard, we are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. Your level of compliance will determine if diplomatic ties can be established between our species. You will be boarded. Do not resist; resistance is futile.}
After a moment of stunned silence, Tom spoke up first. "Did my ears just play tricks on me, or did I hear the Borg offer diplomatic ties?"
"Then my ears are playing tricks on me as well," Janeway said, not believing what she just heard.
"Captain, the Barudians are replying," Harry said before playing the message he was receiving. He decided to automatically play any other messages as well, knowing that the captain would want to hear them.
{Borg vessel, this is Graw Dresc, eighteenth Vitre of de Barudian Stellar Guard. Please be advised that we have no quarrel with you. We have heard about your changed ways, and I am sure that our government would like to establish diplomatic ties. However, we are in the process of apprehending the starship Voyager. They have broken our laws and they have to face the consequences. As a sign of good will towards the Borg, we are willing to lower our shields on one ship and allow you to board that ship; which is mine. However, if you try to take permanent possession of our ship, this will be seen as an act of war, and the Barudian government will respond accordingly. Moreover, as a sign of good will from your side, we request that you prevent the starship Voyager from using this opportunity to escape our jurisdiction. Or if you are not powerful enough to prevent this, that you first allow us to take them into custody.}
"Harry, open a channel to the Barudian,"
"Captain, I do not think that the Barudians would believe us at this point," Tuvok interrupted. "Any message from us at this time will be seen by the Barudians as an attempt to prevent contact between them and the Borg."
Before Janeway could reply, they heard the Borg answer the Barudian.
{Your compromise has been deemed acceptable. We will prevent the Federation Starship Voyager from leaving this sector.}
"They called us the 'Federation' Starship, while the Barudians never said the Federation part," Tom noted. "The Borg know exactly who we are."
{Very well, in that case we will welcome you aboard,} the Barudians replied to the Borg message.
"The Barudian lead ship has dropped its aft shields, allowing the Borg to beam over unhindered," Tuvok said before adding, "Borg have started to beam over."
"Damn," Janeway cursed softly under her breath so that the others didn't hear her. A captain did not curse. "There is nothing we can do for them now, Tom take us out of here."
But as soon as Tom started to turn Voyager around so that they could jump into warp without ramming one of the ships, they were grabbed in the secure hold of a Borg tractor-beam.
"Captain, the Borg are sending another message, this one's clearly meant for us," Harry said before playing the message.
{Federation Starship Voyager. Do not try to escape. Our Queen, One of Many, wants to speak to you. You are to await her arrival in 4.3 hours.}
"Seems that we aren't going anywhere anytime soon," Chakotay couldn't help but observe.
"So it seems," Janeway agreed. "But that doesn't mean that we can't use that time. Contact Engineering, tell them they have four hours to make the most urgent repairs."
~~~~~~~~~~{}~~~~~~~~~~
4.3 hours later.
"Captain, a ship is dropping out of transwarp at our starboard side."
"Put it on screen, Harry."
Once Harry had done so, they were looking at the biggest Borg ship known to exist, a ship they had only seen one time before; Unimatrix 01.
"Incoming message."
"On screen."
A moment later, the jaws of the entire senior crew hit the floor when the image of Seven of Nine filled the screen.
"Captain Janeway. It is good to see you again."
"Seven?" Janeway could only ask.
"Yes Kathryn. It is me, just the same as I was two years ago. B'Elanna wanted to be here as well to greet you, but there was a little... problem she had to take care of."
"Seven... how,"
"I am sure that you have a lot of questions. May I suggest a meeting so that we can discuss them? There is also the small fact that there are three Barudian ships waiting to take you into custody."
"That sounds like a very good idea," Janeway agreed, finally managing to wrap her brain around the fact that she was looking at someone who she had deemed dead for two years. In Janeway's mind, there was no difference between being dead, and being controlled by the Hive mind. Yet, here Seven was, clearly acting like an individual, and from what she heard, B'Elanna was alive as well.
"Seven, what about B'Elanna? How is she?"
"B'Elanna is well. You will see her when we meet. As I said, she would have been here, but she had to take care of a little problem."
"What kind of a problem?" Chakotay asked.
Seven gave a smile that could best be described as indulgent before answering. "It seems that our daughter has not only inherited my IQ, but also B'Elanna's Engineering skills. She escaped from her crib and hurt herself when falling out of it. B'Elanna has taken her to sickbay."
Once again there was a stunned moment of silence on the bridge of Voyager.
"It seems that we truly have a lot to discuss," Janeway finally said.
"Indeed," Seven agreed. "I would suggest that you beam to my ship, but I know that you will not feel comfortable on a Borg ship. So instead, I would like to ask permission to beam on to your ship."
"P... Permission granted," Janeway said after a moment of hesitation. This was getting stranger by the minute.
"Thank you. I first have to check on my daughter. After that B'Elanna, I, and four drones will beam onto Voyager in thirty minutes."
"Drones?" Janeway asked, not liking that part at all.
Seven gave the impression of shrugging her shoulders without actually doing so. "I 'am' the Borg Queen. They are there for my protection. I know I do not need that protection on Voyager, but that is part of the deal B'Elanna and I made with the Borg. A deal consists out of giving and taking, and the Hive insisted that whenever I and/or B'Elanna leave Unimatrix 01, we will be accompanied by four drones to ensure our safety, more drones if the situation is known to be unsecure."
"I... See," Janeway said slowly. "Very well, we will expect you in thirty minutes. Janeway out."
A moment later Harry had cut the channel and the senior crew was left looking at each other in total disbelief.
Continued...