Chapter 38
"They act separately, like you," F'loR said when he had taken a look around the bridge and the people there.
"They are the Senior staff of Unimatrix 01; another change we implemented. They are not connected to the Hive as such, but they can connect with the Hive mind with nothing more than giving a mental command. They also join the Hive again when they regenerate."
Well, most of them did anyway. Seven was still not finished with her talk with Anidan.
"We are about to enter fluidic space," Captain Wolkav pointed out.
"Do your people know why we are going into fluidic space?" Seven asked while looking at F'loR. "I do not want this situation to escalate because of a misunderstanding."
"They know all we talked here," F'loR assured, confirming Seven's suspicion that he had been in telepathic contact with the others of the Siill.
"In that case," Wolkav said, "Helm, take us in; full impulse."
Moments later the view on the viewscreen changed to show the green/brown haze that was the color of fluidic space. In that haze there were hundreds of ships waiting of various types.
"They the ones that arrived after you stopped us form leaving our home," F'loR explained.
"Send the signal," Seven merely commanded. Moments later a deactivation signal was sent over the Borg communication wave.
"That it is?" F'loR asked, not believing that it could be this simple.
"That is it," Seven agreed, before adding. "Of course, for us it is easy, for you it is impossible. You need to have a Borg communication wave transmitter, which you do not have. You would need to know which exact signal to send or else you might make the situation worse than it already was. For instance by giving the command for the nanoprobes to reproduce at twice the speed they are now. And lastly, you need a ship that has a transmitter as powerful as the one Unimatrix 01 has. Unimatrix 01 is considered the home of the Borg, and therefore has the strongest transmitter possible. A transmitter that can still contact a drone halfway across the galaxy if need be; our galaxy. Because of this the signal could reach all of your space at once. A normal Borg cube would have to travel through your space for about a week to send the signal throughout all of fluidic space. The nanoprobes have now been deactivated. I admit that they can be reactivated again with another signal, but I give you my word that we will not send that signal. But just for your own ease of mind I would suggest you build a device that can filter the nanoprobes out of your space, or allow our ships to do it."
"You would remove them and nothing else do?" F'loR asked.
"We would," Seven assured. "I cannot tell you that I am sorry that the weapons were used back then; I would do it again right now. You were attacking us and we defended ourselves. But I can tell you that if I had been in control back then and had I known that the nanoprobes would continue to do damage in fluidic space, I would have sent the signal to deactivate the nanoprobes, once you retreated. We admire your biological distinctiveness; we do not want to see destroyed what we admire. But we sill defend ourselves, with all means."
"You say this ship is home of the Borg. Yet you brought it here help us to. You brought your home to save our. Maybe you are right. Maybe this new Borg way needs interest. We talk now?"
"I would really like that. Would you object if we moved back to our universe?" Seven asked. "We cannot hear the voices of the others here, and the drones on my ship are becoming restless."
"We can move back," F'loR assured. "They here can still hear me if I'm there. Maybe it is for the better. If you cannot hear the other voices, then they cannot know if their Queen is alright. We must go back to show them."
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The trip back was just as uneventful as the trip into fluidic space and soon F'loR spoke up again and asked, "Now we talk?"
"Now we talk," Seven agreed. "Please, follow me to the conference room. It is right through that door."
"No force fields there?" F'loR asked.
"No, but we did already tell you some of our security measures. Believe me, there are many more."
Not long later five of them were sitting at the conference room table. Seven B'Elanna, and Pagsha on one side with the four Royal guards standing behind them and F'loR and the golden skinned Si'zaG on the other side with their warriors standing behind them.
"Why bring a maintainer?" B'Elanna asked curious, it was as good an opening question as any. "The warriors I get, they are guards, but an engineer?"
"Maintainers are versatile. They almost are as strong and deadly as our warriors, but not have they the drive to fight. We four, we are the formation of my ship. A ship needs a maintainer unless it is a fighter ship. So maintainer I have with me. You beamed us on board, you made the choice to take her as well. I glad though, she is giving me good advice. Her eyes have taken in many an interesting thing on your ship. Her feet in contact were with the force field armor we walked on in other room. She has ideas. She thinks neutralize it we can. I think she is right. I also think that maybe it might needed not be. We talk now, then we see. Why you want us?"
Seven connected with the Hive for a moment and then looked at the small view screen to the side that now showed the Omega molecule. "You know what that is?"
F'loR looked at the screen for a moment before saying, "Looks like energy particle. We have many of it. We use them in our ships and energy sources. We have areas in our space where we cannot travel through; too many of energy particles there. But we go there and harvest the energy particles. It's alright, they grow back."
"The Omega molecule exists in a natural state with you?" Seven said in a surprised whisper. "It is stable there and can be used?"
"Yes, of course. Is that not why you showed me, to explain what you wanted? Is that why you want us, so that you know how to use without danger, so that you can get energy particle from our space?"
"We did not even know it existed there," Seven said in a stronger voice. "We have never been able to get the Omega molecule stable for longer than a few seconds. The reason why I showed you this is because I wanted to show you how perfect the molecule is."
"We know, we have," F'loR stated confused.
"And we do not have it," Seven explained. "To us, to the Borg, this is perfection. The Borg strive for perfection and see the Omega molecule as the pinnacle of perfection. Then we came across your species, and now the Borg know two kinds of perfection. You are, in the mind of the Borg, the pinnacle of biological perfection. That is why the Borg want you. Your technological distinctiveness is interesting and the Borg would really like to have that knowledge, but it is not a need. As you saw, we now moved to where we ourselves adapt our own technology. Having your technology would be interesting, but today showed that we do not need it to survive. Your biological distinctiveness however... the Borg want that because to them it is perfection. The Borg strive for perfection, and you are it. They want it, they want you."
"Why do you have different forms?" B'Elanna asked, curiosity getting the better of her. "Your eyes tell me that you are from the same species, yet your bodies are so different."
"It is how the Planner makes us. We have many classes, over six hundred. We are born and then change to having the looks and needs of a class. I was born and changed to ruler class; I nothing else want. My warriors were born and changed into warrior class, they cannot understand why I like being ruler class, they not want."
"And what exactly is a ruler class? You tell people what to do?" Pagsha asked.
"Depend on how high one is in position. Some of the ruler class command whole sectors of our space while others only command a four person ship. I one of those be. We were sent to you because my group was considered expendable if your actions were no good. Figured that since our ship is still young and therefore has no weapons and shields yet that our unprotected ship would be destroyed in battle anyway. Why not risk and send over?"
"I think their ruler class is more like the commanding structure. Kinda like everything from kings and Queens down to governmental desk jobs rolled into one," B'Elanna said in understanding. "It's all 'ruler class,' just that some have more to say than others."
"Yes," F'loR agreed after hearing the translation and finding that it was to his liking. "Others can order too if need be, but if they are not of ruler class then they don't strive for it. Take my maintainer. I told you she is almost just as strong and deadly as one of my warriors, she just doesn't have the drive to fight. She can, she will if need be, but she will not be sad if she not fight. Same with ruling. She can make choices, she can tell others what to fix, but she does not have the drive to want to make those choices like I have it. The Planner makes us such. Younglings are all produced the same. Then the Planner looks what we need the most and makes the changes to the youngling. Grow a third leg for secure standing for warriors, claws to fight with. Very strong hand and finger muscles for maintainers so that they can fix without needing tools for every small thing. The Planner decides. The youngling of two ruler class can turn into a warrior or a maintainer, and other way as well. When my warriors here find Mates and produce, their youngling can turn out to be a warrior like them, or a ruler like me, or a creator like our mother."
"You are related?" B'Elanna asked amazed.
"We four are of the same father and mother, yes. Mother is a creator, father a maintainer. It is how they met. Father was appointed to maintain the machine my mother created."
"Maybe the second names they gave before aren't last names, or they use the last names differently," Pagsha pointed out, thinking that the last names the Siill had given were what had indicated to B'Elanna that the four were not related.
"Deferent species, different ways to use names. Look at Katzi; she has no last name at all; she is Katzi of Erdania Village."
"Our second names are given by our parents," F'loR explained. "Father gives one name, mother gives other name. Children choose in which order to use the names. Planner decided long ago that this should be so."
"Who is this planner?" Seven asked. "Your highest ruler class?"
"No. Planner is much higher than rulers. Planner created fluidic space for us. He brought the first of our species there many time ago. He changed us into the classes we now have. He was long before we were."
"I think this Planner is their equivalent of a god," B'Elanna guessed. "Just like here in our universe you have people that believe in gods and say that those gods created the universe. The Siill seem to believe something like that as well. This god also seems to decide what class a new baby is going to be. Whether it truly is a god or simply genetics is open for discussion. In any case, this class system also explains why their DNA is so complex. They have all the information stored in there to create over six hundred different forms and shortly after birth one of those forms is 'set' for the child to grow up as."
"I am curious," Seven said thoughtfully. "You said that that Planner created fluidic space for you and brought your ancestors there. Does this mean that there are no other species to be found in fluidic space?"
"No other evolved life at all. Only other life there are our ships that we grow, and the plants that we use for eating and making clothes," F'loR explained.
"It has become a problem of late. For long we didn't know any better; fluidic space was all that existed. Then others came in, long before you did. We fought them off, just, and Planner created a new class to protect us. He created the warriors, and our creator class made the ships for the warriors to use. Others came again and we took care of them. Then you came, we took care of you too. But our warriors and our ships followed you out here. We now know there is more. You are correct, the first reaction was to destroy this universe; it is where threats come from. But we tested after that battle. Some brave warriors ventured out. Some never came back; others came back with interesting stories. We now know there is much here. Interesting things. Other than just fluidic space. Some of us want to see. Some don't want to leave fluidic space, some really want. It doesn't matter which class they are from. It seems half want to go, half want to stay. I think it is Planner at work. I think that he wants us to leave our safe haven and go out, and at the same time leave enough of us behind to keep fluidic space alive and prosper. As I said, a problem it is. Stay or go? It seems that you made the choice for us. You are not allowing us to leave fluidic space. So stay we must. But it will create tension. Some will say that if the Planner gave us this urge to go, we should go. It might bring war. War with you because you prevent us going. Or war inside between those that want to go and those that want to stay."
"We are not preventing you from leaving fluidic space, as such," Seven disagreed. "We prevented you from leaving fluidic space and bring more ships to what could have been a potential war. We are not the owners of this entire universe; we merely live in it and call a part of it ours because we live there. As long as you are not a threat to us you can leave fluidic space and settle somewhere in this universe."
"You would allow this?"
"With some safeguards in place, yes," Seven assured. "You can be a threat to us, and we would make sure that you cannot harm us. Maybe a compromise can be reached. For instance, there are many uninhabited planets in Borg space. You could settle on one of those planets and not take your weapons with you. We would protect the planet, and you, because it is inside Borg space. I would agree to this because without your weapons you are not a threat to us."
"One planet would not be enough," F'loR pointed out. "There are many billions of us in fluidic space, and half of those many billions want to leave. One planet too small would be."
"Giving you more territory would however create a risk," Seven countered. "With more territory we would have more problems with monitoring if you are not creating weapons in secret. You would also have a too concentrated amount of warriors in one place that you could use to start an attack."
"We could settle outside Borg space," F'loR pointed out.
"That is also an option," Seven agreed. "However, we would still insist that you do not build an army larger than is needed for protection of your new territory. We would also insist on ongoing controls to see if you are arming yourself in a measure only needed for a war. We have to make sure that you do not become a threat to us again."
"So we have the same problem again," F'loR said. "We cannot settle somewhere without being a threat, yet if we settle not we are a threat because we are too concentrated for your liking and still weapons have."
"You are correct," Seven agreed. Then an idea came to her and she smiled. "Maybe I know a different solution. Allow me to tell you a story about a species of warrior women called the Zamonan."
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"You would have what you wanted anyway; us," F'loR said.
"We would," Seven agreed. "Something I would call a convenient side effect. Right now the Borg are in a position where we could take what we want. We could take over your ships, or we could start destroying them until you give in and hand over your technology and a certain amount of your people. We could, but we do not. However, that does not mean that we are no longer interested in your species being part of the Collective. The important part is that we can help each other. We would be getting a steady supply of the Omega molecule, combined with your knowledge on how to keep it stable and use it safely. The molecule would only be harvested in such an amount that you still have enough for your own use and then we take the rest that can be taken without disturbing the re-growth balance. This will ensure an ongoing and indefinite natural reproduction of the molecule that is so useful to both our species."
"And in return?" F'loR asked.
"In return you get goods that cannot be found in fluidic space," Seven explained. "Yes, we would get your biological distinctiveness in the Collective, but on the other hand your species would be traveling all through Borg space as Individualist drones. Or groups of those Individualist drones might want to settle on any of our planets. The members of your species that want to leave fluidic space get what they want; to see things. The Borg get what they want; your biological and technological distinctiveness added to their own. And just as important, because those people of your species regenerate and join the Hive mind, trust continues to exist between our species. You will know if we had any ulterior motives, just like we would know if you are trying to do something... unwise."
"We are not compatible with your nanoprobes," F'loR pointed out.
"As I said before, the people that join the Collective now do not always get the nanoprobes. Let me elaborate on that. People can choose what work they want to do for the Collective, if there is room for them in that direction. Their choice might warrant certain implants; tools needed to do that job. If they do not want those implants they cannot do that job. They are free to also take certain other implants that they do not need for the job but what they would still like to have. That choice is up to them; within limits. Then there is also your biological distinctiveness. You would not need the nanoprobes because in your body they would be less efficient than your own blood cells already are. It would however mean that your species would not be suited for certain jobs where the nanoprobes are part of the job. For instance, we have certain drones that make micro-repairs using nanoprobes as a tool; your species would not be suited for that job."
"Limit us this would," F'loR noted.
"Every single person in the Collective is limited in certain ways," Seven said, agreeing, but immediately explaining why. "Even I myself as Queen of the Borg am still limited. There are certain jobs in the collective that I can never do because my body is not suited for it, like working in a cyanide gas environment to name just one. So in that regard you would be no different than any other species in the Collective; there are some jobs you cannot do."
Seeing that F'loR accepted that explanation, Seven continued with what she had been explaining before. "There are some implants we do insist on for every drone, which would then include your species, but those implants are very limited in number. For the rest we insist on certain things for certain drones that do certain jobs. It would be up to your people as individuals to see for themselves if they want to do that job and undergo the modifications needed. For all drones we insist that they get a communication device implanted, even telepaths like your species. If for nothing more than that this device has a far greater range than telepathy does and that it is needed to address the computer units we use on our ships. We also insist that the individuals regenerate at certain intervals and join the Hive at those times. At those times the mind of the individual will also be scanned to see if there are dangerous thoughts that we cannot allow in our Individuals drones, for instance, you planning to infiltrate the Borg and destroy us from within. Only if something like that were to be found would your people stay under the control of the Borg until we can safely take care of the problem."
"Take care of problem by killing person," F'loR stated.
"No, we would take care of the problem by removing that person from the Collective, and Borg space, at a convenient point. And even then we are only talking about this one individual. We do not kill people for plans or actions they are thinking of but did not yet commit. We do however act and remove those individuals before they can put their thoughts into practice."
"The Zamonan, their territory yours became. Fluidic space is ours and will stay ours."
"We don't want fluidic space as our territory," Seven assured. "The Zamonan opted to join the Borg Collective with their territory as well because of the simple reason that we protect our space. By adding their territory to ours it became a part of space that we would protect, if need be with just as big a force as the one we brought here today. You are however not the Zamonan, you do not just live in an area of space so small that it is passed by within minutes while traveling at warp. You have weapons to defend yourself; you can take care of your own protection. Sending Borg cubes here to protect your territory would be a useless waste of resources since you are already protecting that area. Having said that, we, the Borg new style as you called it before, do not turn our backs on our allies if they are in need of help. As long as we are allies, I promise you that when you ever need it, we will offer our full support. Be it technological help, or help in the form of ships to fight an enemy... as long as you did not start the war for no reason."
"Ah, stipulations you have."
"Yes I do," Seven agreed. "Again, the previous encounter between us is a good indication. You attacked first and without giving the Borg the chance to peacefully move out of your territory, in such a situation we would not help you fight that war. But as I stated before, the Borg, then, would have attacked you regardless. Had you offered the Borg to leave your territory again and they had attacked you, in such a case we would offer all the help we can."
"I think that this joining the Hive mind is not enough of an assurance. We would want to monitor as individuals. Hearing what the others think, how sincere you are in your actions, good it is. But more is needed. We would have to monitor and think at that time as well."
"Well," B'Elanna spoke up, "We opened up representative buildings on Zamona and the other planets they control. You're a much bigger party, in number of individuals and certainly in regards to power. Power wise we're evenly matched. This time around the Borg were lucky and had new shielding, you already hinted that you think that you can neutralize that. If there was going to be a next battle we might be the losing side then. I for one think that such an important partner should have the privilege of having a representative right here on Unimatrix 01. You could have an ambassador of sorts here. Someone that does nothing more than monitor and observe. Someone that joins the Collective and hears their thoughts, and when not connected looks and monitors if our actions still meet the approval of your species."
"A good suggestion," Seven agreed. Then she looked at the golden skinned woman besides F'loR for a moment before asking, "Tell me, your maintainer, you said that she does not prefer to give orders, but that she could if need be. Could she, or someone like her, be in control of a department that maintains? A department that does scheduled maintenance cycles. For instance, to test a console once every month to see if it is still working as it should?"
"Yes. That is part of what they are. You not have to be a ruler class for that. Ruler class has to make choices on whether or not something has to be done. Once that choice is made, maintainer class then sees to it that it is done right. Choices about when something has to be fixed is part of the job, maintainer class don't mind. It's part of the job and they like it. But choices on if something should be fixed or leave and focus on something else, if new technology should be used, how many maintainers are needed on a ship. Those are choices they don't like, those are ruler class choices."
"In that case, you saw the Senior Staff we have. They are individuals, they work close to me. They are the Senior Staff on this ship, but they are also often the people that I turn to for input on matters that affect the entire Borg Collective. Just like changing the Borg is a work in process, so is the Senior Staff. Only moments before we met face to face the first time a new member was added to the Senior Staff. A telepath because this situation showed us that we needed someone in the Senior Staff with telepathic abilities. It just so happens that I could also use someone with a maintainer mentality in my Senior Staff. If you find someone that meets the demands I have for such a person then you could have the ambassador my Mate just suggested, and also have eyes and ears in the senior staff of Unimatrix 01; home of the Borg. Someone that speaks up when the Queen of Borg asks her Senior Staff for advice, someone that actually has an indirect say in things that affect the entire Borg Collective. The choice is yours, of course, but since you four were deemed expendable, maybe you could find a home here on Unimatrix 01. You as ambassador for your people, your warriors as your guards if you think you need them, or as part of the security detail we are creating. And your sister here could then stay as part of the Senior Staff of Unimatrix 01. If she is suited for the job of course, and if your people do not insist on other people for those positions."
"My people find your proposition interesting. My... sister, you call, she is suited if the job you are thinking of consist out of maintaining existing things here on the ship. Learn those things first she must of course."
"Of course," Seven agreed. "But this will not be a problem. As soon as she joined the Hive fully for the first time, she will know all what the others know, including how the things we have operate."
"My warriors, you talk about security? Yours?"
"Also," Seven said. "These four guards here are the Royal Guard. They are responsible for the security of me, my Mate, and our daughter. But four people are not always enough. In unsecured situations more people are needed. Until recently random drones were selected for that. But two months ago we set up a new department; security. Now we have, and are training, drones that are specifically designed and trained for guard duty. Now we call on security if more than our four guards are needed. If your warriors have the right mentality and can be trusted to also work for us when they are not connected to the Hive mind, they could be considered for guards. There is something to be said for having guards that are immune to beam weapons, that can walk through force fields, and can rip through metal with their bare hands."
"You would let our warriors help in protecting the Queen of Borg," F'loR asked, surprised that Seven would trust so much the same beings that had once said they wanted to destroy the Borg.
"Certainly," Seven assured, before adding, "After they regenerated for the first time and their mind was scanned. If they made it into security after that, I know that I can trust them with my life and the life of my Mate and daughter."
"As I said, interesting proposition you have."
"And how does that interesting proposition translate into action from your side?" Pagsha asked.
"Not yet known that is," F'loR said after a moment of silence. Then he suggested, "Since the four of us are here, can we try this regenerating without being part of Borg yet? I believe that the joining of our minds, to see without restriction, is what we need to make the final choice."
"That is possible," Seven assured. "I do find that I have to point out one thing though. If you regenerate, the Borg will know all that is in your mind. We would know about your technological distinctiveness. We would know the weak points of those technological systems."
"I appreciate that you point out this. It is risk worth taking. Right now, as you said, you can also take with force, or kill enough of us until we give. Might as well join the Hive and you know that way. Besides, does it not go both ways? You just said my sister would know how to fix your technology once she joined the minds. You know about our technology, and we will know about yours. As soon as we end regenerating we will know how to bypass or deactivate your new shields."
"That is correct," Seven had to agree.
"Well then, the results will be easy to see by my people. If we come out of regenerating, you and the rest of Borg can be trusted. If we are not let out of regenerating you have things to hide from my people."
"That is one way of looking at it," Seven said, agreeing. "Very well, if you want to join the Hive mind, would you follow me to a place where you four can do this?"
Continued...