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DARK FRONTIER Episodes 109 & 110 Part J

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

 

Unimatrix Zero One - Borg Queen's Chamber. Seven wakes to discover a drone in front of her who has just fitted some piece of technology to her. Her vision seems sharper.

Borg Queen: "Good morning." Seven: "My visual cortex, it's been altered."

Borg Queen: "We've enhanced it with Borg technology. You've seen through human eyes long enough. It's a neural processing adjunct, designed to increase your synaptic efficiency." Seven: "Remove it." Borg Queen: "You prefer to remain small." Seven: "I prefer to remain unique."

Borg Queen: "Don't be afraid. We won't turn you into a drone. You're much too valuable to us with your individuality intact. But you've left Humanity behind. Try to abandon their petty emotions as well. Fear, anger, vanity - they've corrupted you, but the damage can be repaired." Seven: "You've expended significant resources to capture me. Why?"

Borg Queen: "Isn't it obvious? You're going to help us assimilate Humanity. We failed in our first attempt to assimilate Earth, and we won't succeed the next time unless we understand the nature of their resistance. We want you to be our eyes. Let us see Humanity."
Seven: "While I was regenerating, you assimilated my memories."
Borg Queen confirms this: "Our thoughts are one."
Seven: "Then you already possess all of my knowledge. What more do you want?"
Borg Queen: "You are the only Borg that has ever returned to a state of individuality. We want to keep you exactly the way you are. Otherwise you would lose your human perspective. We don't want another drone. We want you."
Seven: "I will resist."
Borg Queen: "I know."
There is a loud sound.
Seven: "What's happening?"
Borg Queen: "Our vessel is disengaging from the Unicomplex. We're setting a course for grid 532."

Seven: "State our purpose." Borg Queen: "Assimilation. Our presence is not required but I thought the experience would be a rewarding one for you." The display monitor activates. "Species 10026." Seven: "How many lifeforms?" Borg Queen: "392,000. You're experiencing compassion - a human impulse. You've forgotten what it means to be Borg. Those lives will be added to our own."

The Borg Queen's vessel, a diamond shape, leaves. The Borg Queen's ship launches, 236Kb (approx. download for 56K modem 45 seconds) (opens in a new window) [Dark Frontier]

Magnus Hansen, making a log entry: "Field notes, USS Raven, supplemental. It's been a busy week. The cube linked with another Borg vessel and received over fifty thousand new drones. We now begin the dangerous task of identifying the newcomers."

Erin: "Species 6961, Ktarian. Tritanium infrastructure. He's a tactical drone." Magnus: "Take a look at his proximity transceiver. Let's check his previous designation." Erin: "Three of Five, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix One." Magnus: "I want to keep an eye on this one. Let's tag him." To Annika: "Bring me the subdermal probe, will you?"

Annika, handing it to him: "Is he special?" Magnus: "Very special. We think he used to work near the Borg Queen. If he ever goes back there we'll be able to track him now." Annika: "Does the Queen have a throne?" Magnus: "Nobody knows." Erin: "We think she's more like the queen of an insect colony. She helps co-ordinate all the other drones."

Erin at work with the drone. Magnus: "His regeneration cycle's almost complete. We'd better get him back."

Erin activates the transporter control. On the monitor behind her is a star chart of the region they are in.

The drone is beamed out back to the cube. Annika: "Bye."

Erin: "He's in his alcove. Nobody missed him. Enough drones for one day. Anybody hungry?" Annika: "Me!"

Magnus: "You two go ahead. I want to read through his cranial transceiver logs, see if he was ever in direct contact with the Queen." Erin kisses him: "Don't be long." and she leaves with Annika.

Janeway's private quarters. Her computer displays the same star chart that the Hansens had on their computer monitor when they were tagging the new drone that was previously Three of Five, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix One. The star chart has been downloaded from the Hansen logs. The chart is labelled "grid search pattern".

Chakotay: "It turns out his hunch was right. The drone had been receiving direct commands from this Borg Queen. I analysed the comm. signals. Look at the transpectral frequencies." Janeway: "They match the ones that were sent to Seven. What did the Hansens learn about this Queen?"

Chakotay: "I'm afraid they never got a chance to find out." Janeway: "One thing is certain. She contacted Seven of Nine, and the next day Seven rejoined the Borg. Obviously, she exerts some influence."

Chakotay: "You think Seven was instructed to leave Voyager?"
Janeway: "Instructed, coerced. She insisted she join the away team. She was adamant that if she didn't board that sphere our mission would fail. Sounds to me like she was being threatened. My instincts told me she was holding something back, but I, I didn't pursue it. I let her go."
Chakotay: "If you hadn't, we might all be drones by now."

Janeway, talking as if to the Borg Collective: "What's running through that Collective mind of yours? You've got thousands of species to choose from, billions of individuals. Why Seven of Nine? You should've assimilated us while you had the chance." Chakotay: "Captain?" Janeway: "I want you to keep analysing the Hansens' database. Compile a list of every technology they created to track the Borg. Assemble a team of engineers to assist you."

Chakotay: "If you're planning a rescue mission that research will only take us so far." Janeway: "Oh?" Chakotay: "I've studied their log entries long enough to realise that as brilliant as the Hansens were, they made a fatal mistake." Pointedly: "They became overconfident." Janeway, grabbing her jacket and heading for the door: "We won't make the same mistake."

Preparations for the rescue mission are made. The Delta Flyer is fitted with the stolen transwarp coil.

Janeway and Chakotay fine-tune the detail of the mission.

In the Astrometrics Lab, Kim takes relevant data from the Borg probe ship for use on the mission. The screen display is labelled "Borg evasion technology".

Lieutenant Ayala can be seen in the background.

On Voyager's Bridge, Janeway briefs the senior staff. Janeway: "This will be a long-range tactical rescue. It could take days, even weeks, before we find our missing crewman. Lieutenant Torres is equipping the Delta Flyer with the transwarp coil. It'll allow us to cover more territory. An away team will take it into transwarp space where Tuvok believes we can track the sphere that abducted Seven of Nine. Thanks to the Hansens, we'll be well prepared for an encounter with the Borg. Their multi-adaptive shielding will make the Flyer virtually invisible to Borg sensors, and narrow beam transporters will allow us to penetrate the sphere. Mr Paris, you'll man the helm. Commander Tuvok, tactical. Doctor, there's no telling what condition Seven will be in when we find her. You'll come along." Doctor: "Yes, Captain." Janeway: "I'll be leading the away team. The rest of you will remain on Voyager and maintain position at the threshold of our transwarp conduit. We may need tactical support when we return. You'll be taking your orders from Commander Chakotay. We'll be searching for one individual among thousands of drones, but she's one of us, and I'm not about to let her go. Let's get started."

The Delta Flyer launches from Voyager's shuttlebay, which is located at the very aft end of the starship.

On board the Delta Flyer. Paris: "All systems go. We're ready for the jump."

Janeway: "Bring the coil online. Prepare for transwarp." Tuvok: "Power output fluctuating." Janeway: "Compensating."

Paris: "We're at critical velocity." Janeway: "Engage, Mr Paris." Paris: "Transwarp in 4....3....2............"

The Delta Flyer enters the transwarp conduit. "We've crossed the threshold."
Janeway: "Steady as she goes. Doctor, are you alright?"
Doctor: "Just a little motion sickness. I'll need to adjust my matrix to accommodate for extreme velocity."

Tuvok: "I'm detecting residual transwarp signatures. They match the Borg sphere."

Janeway: "Adjust our course and follow it, Mr Paris."

Paris does so, and the Delta Flyer veers away at speed.

Doctor, suffering motion sickness, to Paris: "I believe the Captain's order was 'STEADY as she goes'." Janeway: "Full speed ahead."

The Borg Queen's vessel arrives at a planet, home to over 390,000 members of Species 10026. Several Borg cubes are already in position.

Borg Queen's command chamber. Borg Queen: "We've arrived. Are you ready?" Seven: "I have familiarised myself with the species."

Borg Queen: "Tactical weakness?" Seven: "Their vessels lack maneuverability." Borg Queen: "Tactical strength?" Seven: "They've developed a modulating phaser pulse that can penetrate our shields." Borg Queen: "How do you propose we adapt?"

Seven: "You are the Borg. You tell me." Borg Queen: "Thirty-nine of their vessels are converging on our position. They're firing weapons. Our shields are failing. We will be destroyed. How do you propose we adapt?" The ship is rocked by explosions as Species 10026 resists. Seven: "Triaxillate our shield geometry to absorb their phaser pulses."

Borg Queen: "I was thinking the same thing." She gives orders through the Hive mind. "Adaptation complete. They're no longer a threat."

Borg Queen: "Go to the primary assimilation chamber. You'll monitor the bio-extraction process. You look reluctant. Maybe I've been pushing you too quickly. You can assist with the repairs to our shield matrix instead. Seven of Nine, be efficient."