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DARK FRONTIER Episodes 109 & 110 Part L

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

 

Magnus, making log entry: "Field notes, USS Raven, stardate 32634.9. The Raven was hit by a subspace particle storm. We took heavy damage and our multi-adaptive shielding went offline for 13.2 seconds. Unfortunately, it was long enough for the Borg to perceive us as a threat."

LCARS interface on the bridge of the USS Raven.

Erin: "I've found something - a nebula." Magnus: "Class?" Erin: "Mutara. Distance, three light years. I'm setting a course." Magnus: "The particle density's too high. Our hull would breach." Erin: "We can reinforce structural integrity." Magnus: "We'll find somewhere else to hide." Erin: "There's no time."

Annika, in bed, can hear them and knows they are in peril.

Magnus: "It's been three hours and the cube hasn't found us yet. As long as we can keep masking our warp trail-"
Erin: "The entire Collective knows about us by now. They'll send more ships."
Magnus: "The nebula's too dangerous. We've had close calls before. This is no different. Remember when the transporters failed?"
Erin: "And you had to spend the night in a maturation chamber, with 52 neo-natal drones." Her instruments update. "A transwarp conduit, 2.3 light years starboard. It's a cube heading right for us."
Magnus: "Time to intercept?"
Erin: "One hour, maybe less."

Annika calls out: "Papa?" Magnus calls back: "Be right there, Annika." As he heads for her room, to Erin: "Start looking for an M-class planet. We'll abandon ship if we have to."

Magnus enters his daughter's room.
Magnus: "Hey."
Annika: "Are we going to be," doing her best to pronounce the difficult word, "'assimulated'?"
Magnus: "Not if I can help it. Go back to sleep. Your mother and I have work to do."
Annika: "Are the Borg mad at us?"
Magnus: "No."
Annika: "Then why are they chasing our ship?"
Magnus: "They're curious about us, like we are about them, but don't worry, we won't let them get too close."
Annika: "Can't we go home?"
Magnus: "Soon."

Annika: "Papa," and he turns in the doorway, "will it hurt to be a drone?"
Magnus: "Sleep."
She settles down to sleep.

Delta Flyer. Janeway is reading the Hansens' logs on a PADD. She knows that the Borg did eventually catch up with the Hansens, amid the wreckage of their ship crashed on a planet.

The Doctor goes to talk to Janeway. "Captain." Janeway: "Hmm?" Doctor: "I'd like to suggest a few modifications to the comm. array." Janeway: "Yes?" Doctor: "I've studied Seven's cranial schematics and I've isolated the frequency of her interplexing beacon. When we catch up with the sphere we might be able to send her a brief message."

Janeway: "What if she's already been linked to the Hive mind?"
Doctor: "Every drone has its own translink signature.   Only Seven will be able to hear our message."
Janeway gets up eagerly. "I'll give you a hand."

Doctor, noting her reading matter: "The Hansen diaries. Not exactly light reading." Janeway: "I've been poring over their last log entries for any details we might've missed. I want to make sure history doesn't repeat itself."

Doctor: "They should've quit while they were ahead. Ten million teraquads of data, three years in the wild." Janeway: "They could've studied the Borg for another three decades and still have barely scratched the surface. I agree their methods were unorthodox, but that's been true of most great explorers." Doctor: "Most explorers don't take their four year old daughter along for the ride." Janeway: "We'll get her back Doctor, with her parents' help."

Paris: "Captain, I've got a fix on the sphere's location. It's in a region about two hundred light years from here." Janeway: "Red alert. Bring the multi-adaptive shielding online. Set a course for those co-ordinates and prepare to disengage transwarp drive."

The Delta Flyer exits the transwarp conduit.....

....and arrives at the Borg Unicomplex.

Janeway, looking out across the vast Unicomplex: "Report."

Tuvok: "I'm detecting thousands of integrated substructures, trillions of lifeforms, all Borg."

Paris: "There's a cube, coming up fast off our port bow." The cube passes them. Janeway: "Did they detect us?" Tuvok: "I don't believe so."

Janeway: "Any sign of our sphere?" Paris: "Yes, ma'am. Its ion signature leads directly to that.....whatever it is." Janeway: "Take us in, Mr Paris, minimum thrusters. Begin scanning for Seven, Tuvok." Tuvok: "Aye, Captain."

Borg Queen's command chamber.
Borg Queen: "I have a task for you. We're planning to deploy a new mode of assimilation designed for highly resistant species. I want you to program the nanoprobes."
Seven: "Your technology has changed since I left the Collective. My knowledge is insufficient."
Borg Queen: "Your knowledge for the target species is invaluable."

A holographic display activates. "Species 5618, Human, warp capable, origin grid 325, physiology inefficient, below average cranial capacity, minimal redundant systems, limited regenerative abilities. Our previous attempts to assimilate them were all direct assaults. They failed, so we've created a more surreptitious strategy."

Seven: "You intend to detonate a biogenic charge in Earth's atmosphere." Borg Queen: "It would infect all lifeforms with nanoprobe viruses. Assimilation would be gradual. By the time they realised what was happening, half their population would be drones." Seven: "Inefficient. The virus would take years to proliferate." Borg Queen: "We've waited this long." She deactivates the holo-image.

"Interface with the central alcove. Begin programming the nanoprobes. Be sure to enhance the viral sequencers. You've been involved in hundreds of assimilations. This is no different."
Seven: "To you, perhaps. Part of me is still human. I will not assist in their destruction."
Borg Queen: "We all originated from lesser species. I myself came from Species 125, but that's irrelevant now. We are Borg."
Seven: "I am an individual."
Borg Queen: "You're only repeating their words. You sound like a mindless automaton. Comply, or we will turn you into a drone."
Seven: "Proceed, if you wish."
Borg Queen: "You're torn between your desire to be one with us and your loyalty to them. It's time for you to complete your task. All of your emotions - grief, guilt, remorse, compassion - will be irrelevant once Humanity is assimilated. Forget Voyager. They were never your Collective."
Seven: "I am Annika Hansen, human."

Borg Queen: "I remember Annika. Does she remember us? She wasn't afraid, why are you?" Seven surmises from her memories and the Hansen logs: "You attacked us. You murdered my family!"

Borg Queen: "We did no such thing. We gave them perfection." She signals a nearby drone forward.

Seven gasps.

"Papa?" It is her father! Borg Queen: "Your family's here. You're here. Be one with us again."

Janeway, via translink: "Seven of Nine, we're searching for you. Try to hang on." Seven: "Captain." Borg Queen: "What did you say?" Seven: "Nothing." The Borg Queen surmises: "Janeway."

Delta Flyer. Janeway: "Our transmission's being deflected." Doctor: "By whom?" Janeway: "I'm not certain." Tuvok: "I have isolated Seven's position. She's inside a large infrastructure approximately 600 kilometres away." Janeway: "Set a course, Mr Paris."

Borg Queen: "She's close. Her comm. signal originated within this spatial grid but we can't detect her vessel."

Borg Queen: "He knows why. Your father designed the technology Captain Janeway's using - multi-adaptive shielding, your perfect defence against the Borg."

Borg Queen: "But we assimilated that knowledge, didn't we. We will adapt easily."

Delta Flyer. Paris: "The cube has altered course. It's heading straight for us." Janeway: "They've detected us. Remodulate the shields. Evasive maneuvers!"

Paris: "It flew right past us." Janeway: "We won't fool their sensors much longer. Tuvok?"

Tuvok: "Seven is inside a large chamber." Janeway: "Can you get a lock on her?" Tuvok: "Not at this distance." Janeway to Paris: "Take us to within transporter range."

Borg Queen: "We have their ship. A Federation shuttlecraft. Three lifeforms, one hologram." Seven: "If you've captured their vessel, you've assimilated them by now. I would sense their presence in the Collective. Captain Janeway is eluding you."

The Borg Queen looks askance at her. Seven is right.

Delta Flyer. Paris: "The chamber is too heavily shielded. I can't get a lock on her." Janeway: "Can we beam into one of these adjoining corridors?" Tuvok: "I believe so."

Janeway: "Time for the bio-dampeners." The Doctor puts one on Janeway's arm. "Tom, hold our position. Target that chamber with full weapons. Stand by to fire on my command."

Paris: "Ma'am, won't you be down there?"

Janeway: "Do it."

Inside the Borg Unicomplex, in one of the corridors outside the Borg Queen's command chamber.

Janeway, following tricorder readings: "This way."

They encounter a forcefield.

Tuvok: "Try to locate the shield matrix."

She uses her tricorder to scan for it and find it. She calls him over: "Tuvok." Tuvok: "I can disable the forcefield, but it will take several minutes." Janeway: "Do it."

She watches as drones walk through the forcefield.

Janeway: "Tuvok, give me the subdermal probe."