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DARK FRONTIER Episodes 109 & 110 Part C

Excerpt(s) from the Hansen logs are narrated in this style.

 

The USS Raven heads into deep space. Mission: Borg research. The ship is crewed by Erin and Magnus Hansen, with little Annika also on board.

Magnus, making a log entry: "Field notes, U.S.S. Raven, Stardate 32623.5: we've been tracking stray readings for nearly eight months now, but there's still no sign of a vessel. I'm beginning to wonder if the Borg are nothing more than rumour and sensor echoes."

Bridge of USS Raven. Erin: "Magnus." Magnus: "We have to keep moving. If we take the replicators offline and run environmental systems at half power, we can go another twenty light years before refuelling." Erin: "We should refuel now. The nearest dilithium is in an asteroid field just ten days from here." Magnus: "That's ten days we can't afford to lose. We're getting close! If we stop now, we might as well just turn around and go home."

Erin: "Home, to what? We have deviated from our flight plan, crossed the Neutral Zone, disobeyed a direct order to return. Our colleagues obviously think we are insane. We have burned our bridges, Magnus."

The door opens. Annika: "I can't sleep."

Magnus: "Come here." Annika sits on his lap. "Why can't Annika sleep? The greatest scientific mystery of our time."

Erin: "I have a hypothesis. Her noisy parents are keeping her up." Magnus: "Mmm. Sounds plausible."

There is a computer audio alert. Erin goes to the console and checks.
Erin: "Tri-quantum waves, 600,000 kilometres off the port bow."
Magnus lets Annika slide quickly off his lap. He goes to an instrument panel and cross-references: "Subspace disruptions, field magnitude 2.9 teracochranes and rising." This is it - the Borg! "Annika, bed."

Annika heads for her room, but stops and, interested, watches them.

Erin, reading the instrument updates: "Power utilisation curve is highly symmetric." Magnus, checking readings: "Artificial source probability .98." To Annika, who has paused to watch: "Now."

Annika goes to her room, but turns in the doorway to watch. Her parents are too busy and excited to notice her. Magnus tells Erin: "It's got to be a transwarp conduit. Nothing else could generate these readings. I'm taking us closer." Erin: "It's a Borg cube, 2,000 kilometres starboard." Magnus: "I've got a visual."

Erin: "It's massive. 28 cubic kilometres. 129,000 lifeforms on board. We're being scanned. They haven't altered course." Magnus: "This could prove our theory. They ignore any lifeform until they consider it a threat, or a target. They're moving off."

Erin: "Let's match their course and speed. Keep a distance of five million kilometres."

on television, to emphasise that Seven is reading about her parents and herself as a child, a fade-in is shown between the two ages

The comm. signal sounds. Chakotay, via comms: "Seven of Nine to the Bridge. Seven taps her combadge. Via comms: "On my way."

Bridge. Janeway: "Have we been detected?" Kim: "No, ma'am."

Tuvok: "I have a visual."

Janeway: "On screen. Magnify." They see their target up close. Chakotay: "Looks like they took a real beating." Janeway: "They could still pose a threat. Let's not get too close. Match their course and speed. Keep a distance of ten million kilometres." Paris: "Aye, Captain."

Seven enters the Bridge from the turbolift. She is a bit disconcerted to see a Borg vessel up close.

>Janeway: "Seven, scan the vessel. I want to know their current status."

After a short moment of hesitation, Seven goes to the secondary tactical station and carries out the scan. Seven: "Their weapons array is regenerating, but shields and transwarp drive are still offline." Janeway: "How long until they have transwarp?" Seven: "Approximately 72 hours."

Janeway: "We may not get this opportunity again and I don't intend to miss it. Whatever it takes, double shifts, round-the-clock simulations, I want to be ready."

Seven and Janeway make their way through the sphere. Seven is carrying a transporter enhancer.

A drone turns a corner. Tuvok and Kim squeeze back to let him pass. They come to the junction.

Kim's tricorder readings indicate the direction they should take. Tuvok follows him.

On Voyager, Chakotay keeps track of the time.

Chakotay, via comms: "Bridge to away teams. You're six seconds behind schedule."