COLLECTIVE : Episode 136 : Part C

In Astrometrics, Tuvok guides Kim towards the Borg shield generator. Kim distributes playing cards along his route: 3 of hearts on a transwarp conduit, king of clubs on a power coupling, 9 of diamonds on a datanode. Kim: "I'm marking my route with playing cards in case I have to come back the same way. I need a little distraction. This little hike is bringing up some bad memories. ... haunted house my parents took me to when I was six." Tuvok: "Borg vessels may be forbidding, but they are not haunted."

Seven: "The resonance field collapsed. It'll take an hour to re-initialise." First: "These delays are intentional." Seven: "I'm working as efficiently as I can. Examine my work for yourself if you have doubts." First: "This data's flawed." Seven: "More likely it's your understanding of quadric field theory that's flawed." Mezoti looks up. First to Mezoti: "Ignore her! She's trying to divide us." Seven: "They rely on you yet you lack the skills necessary to ensure their survival." First: "We've managed so far. We're Borg. You've forgotten what that means." Seven: "The unity of the collective, common goals, the quest for perfection. I have not forgotten. But you don't need to remain drones to experience those things. Come back with me to Voyager." First: "38 minutes. You're wasting time."

Icheb: "Another maturation chamber is malfunctioning."
First cannot correct it.
Seven: "Its autonomic nervous system is failing."
First: "It's Borg. It will adapt."
Mezoti: "It's not adapting. Let Seven help."
Seven: "We can modulate the stasis field to stabilise its functions, at least temporarily. Assist me! The field is degrading. We need to transport it into an incubation pod. Quickly!"
The Borg twins activate the necessary controls. The Borg baby materialises inside the incubation pod, Seven picks her up and holds her.
Mezoti: "Why's it doing that?"
Seven: "Its respiratory system is impaired and this incubation pod is malfunctioning. We must transport this infant to Voyager."
First: "No! The drone is part of our collective."
Icheb: "Not if it dies."

Mezoti touches the baby's head.

Kim reaches the Borg shield generator and sets the first plasma charge in place, but he is confronted by Mezoti. She has found his playing cards. She holds up the queen of hearts and says, "I like her. She reminds me of Seven of Nine." As Kim's hand moves towards his phaser, she tells him, "Your weapon won't work here. Dampening field."

Aboard Voyager, after contact with Kim has been lost for four or five minutes, Janeway tells Tuvok to keep looking for him. She is summoned to Sickbay where the Doctor shows her the Borg baby.

Doctor: "Somebody left a bundle on our doorstep. I turned around and there she was, lying on a biobed." Janeway: "Seven must have beamed her here." Doctor: "A good thing too. A few more minutes and I wouldn't have been able to do anything for her. It's hard to believe she could grow up to be a drone." The baby cries. "Hold her for a moment while I take some readings. Oh, guess she just wanted to be held. Oh, the pathogen." He holds up a vial. "I've finished synthesising it." Janeway: "Start working with Tuvok on a way to deploy the virus." Doctor: "Captain, you don't seriously plan to use it." Janeway: "If I have to." She speaks to the baby: "Let's just hope your brothers and sisters don't force my hand."

First: "Nanoprobes were injected into his bloodstream. He won't survive without medical attention. Call your captain. Tell her to give us the deflector." Seven: "That won't be necessary. I only need a few more minutes to repair-" First: "No more delays. No more deceptions. The deflector. Resistance is futile."

First and Janeway talk. First: "Comply." Janeway: "Return Harry Kim. Then we'll talk." First: "We have talked enough. Your requests are irrelevant. Comply or we'll assimilate the others." Janeway: "It'll take us at least an hour to dismantle the deflector and transfer the components-" First: "Now!" Janeway: "I can't give it to you now. It's complex technology that's part of our ship. We can't simply remove it and no amount of threats from you is going to change that." First closes the channel. Tuvok: "They've locked a tractor beam onto the deflector." Torres: They're trying to tear it off. Hull stress is increasing. Hull breaches on decks 10 and 11." Janeway: "Increase shield strength and randomise the harmonics." Tuvok: "They're adapting."

In the episode as shown on tv, this screenshot is shown later but it is shown here to show the effect of the Borg's tractor pulse. You need animated images enabled to see this animated screenshot.

Seven: "Even with Voyager's deflector your efforts to return to the Hive will fail." First: "They'll come for us." Seven: "No, they won't. The Borg received your message but chose to ignore it. They consider you irrelevant." Mezoti: "Irrelevant?" Icheb: "We are damaged. They don't want us." First: "Ignore her. It's another lie." Seven: "Their reply is in datagrid 426. Use decryption protocol theta-three." Icheb moves to the communications control panel. First: "Return to your station. It's another deception. She's manipulating us."

But Icheb ignores First and checks the Borg's message. He reports: "The transmission is authentic." First: "It's a mistake." Seven: "The Collective does not tolerate imperfection." First: "Then we'll assimilate more species, prove we're worthy."

Torres: "Hull stress is reaching critical levels!" Janeway: "Re-route all emergency power to structural integrity." Torres: "That'll buy us another minute at most."