EPISODES 146 & 147 : PART F

Suddenly the Borg Queen realises, "I'm losing voices, five in spatial grid 96, twelve in grid 182, hundreds now, thousands."

The Borg Queen goes up to a drone working in her lair. "I can't hear you. Why can't I hear you? You've disconnected from the hive mind. Explain. Comply." The disconnected drone shouts "No!" and tries to attack the Borg Queen, but her personal forcefield hurls the drone backwards and he is dragged away by other drones. As he is hauled away he tells her, "I'm not alone. You can't stop us all."

Janeway is marched through a corridor on the tactical cube...

....and placed into a holo-transporter. Her form is downloaded to the Borg Queen's lair.

Janeway is actually on the tactical cube.... ....and Tuvok and another drone stand either side of her.

Borg Queen: "I altered the transmission to restore your original appearance. I know how vain humans can be." Janeway: "Why am I here?" Borg Queen: "You've caused a great deal of suffering. I wanted you to see for yourself. You are the cause of his death, Captain. You disconnected him from the hive mind." Janeway: "You didn't have to kill him." Borg Queen: "He was confused, irrational. I had no choice. Many more will die unless you tell me how to counteract the virus." Janeway: "Sorry, we didn't think to develop an antidote." Borg Queen: "I'll assimilate Voyager then. Your Doctor created the pathogen. He can find a cure." Janeway: "My First Officer has orders to delete the Doctor's program if you go anywhere near Voyager. The Resistance is already under way. It won't be long before thousands of drones begin to fight back." Borg Queen: "They will fail." Janeway: "Maybe, probably. But a lot of damage will be done before they do." Borg Queen: "Yes, a lot of damage." She brings up the picture of a Borg cube on the monitor. "Spatial grid 94, cube 630, complement 64,000 drones. But I can no longer hear 3 of them. No doubt they've joined your Resistance. Are they trying to sabotage the vessel and liberate others? I don't know, because I can no longer hear them. Initiate self-destruct." Janeway and the Borg Queen watch as the Borg cube explodes. "An effective solution, don't you agree?" A Borg sphere appears on the monitor. "Spatial grid 091, sphere 878, complement 11,000 drones. Only one is silent but I have no choice. I must silence all of them." They watch the sphere self-destruct. "I know how this must upset you, Captain. As a Starfleet officer you value all life, even drones. How many more are you willing to sacrifice? Thousands? Millions? You can put an end to this. I want you to go on a diplomatic mission. It's one of your primary functions, isn't it, negotiations?" Janeway: "Go on." Borg Queen: "Tell them to rejoin the Collective and I'll stop the destruction." Janeway: "They will never agree to that." Borg Queen: "They're individuals now, they have a choice. What are you afraid of, Captain, that they may co-operate? You've been waiting for a chance to damage the Borg. Now you've found one. You're only using them." Janeway: "If you really wanted to negotiate you'd visit Unimatrix Zero. You found a way to send drones, surely you could go yourself, or are you afraid that a taste of individuality might make you realise it is something worth fighting for?" The Borg Queen brings up another cube on the monitor. "Comply, or you will be responsible for many more deaths." Janeway: "You'll have to destroy the entire Collective to find them all."

Aboard Voyager Seven reports that the virus is taking effect. Paris asks her to see if there are any from the Resistance movement aboard the tactical cube where the away team are. The Doctor goes with Seven to Cargo Bay 2 so that he can make adjustments to her alcove.
Doctor: "You're in a unique position. Not many of us get to lead a double life."
Seven: "When this crisis ends, I intend to sever my link to Unimatrix Zero."
Doctor: "May I ask why?"
Seven: "I'm having difficulties with one of the people there."
Doctor: "Mr Axum? Whenever you mention his name your pupils dilate by nearly a millimetre, blood flow increases to your facial capillaries. Both are consistent with an emotional response."
Seven: "Axum and I apparently had a relationship."
Doctor: "Oh. Romantic? There go those pupils again."
Seven: "Your diagnosis is accurate."

Doctor: "Well, how ironic. All this time we've been trying to develop that aspect of your humanity and it's been there all along." Seven: "Not any more." Doctor: "My readings say otherwise. You're very particular about who you choose to spend time with, Seven. No doubt that's why you and I have become friends. If you were involved with Axum once, doesn't that suggest he's a worthwhile individual?" Seven: "He does possess commendable qualities." Doctor: "Coming from you, that's high praise. There's nothing wrong with feeling ambivalent, Seven. After all, you're in the middle of a civil war, but eventually you may want to give this romance a second chance. Who knows, you may even get to meet him in person some day. I'll say this for your Mr Axum: he's a very lucky man."

The people in Unimatrix Zero are gathered to discuss the situation.
Axum: "The Collective has found a new way to attack us. 11 ships have self-destructed in the last 3 hours."
Korok: "We need to co-ordinate a battle plan, a way to strike at the heart of the Collective."
Axum: "Our target should be the primary unicomplex. If we can disrupt the Queen's control of the hive mind it will give us a chance to organise, build up a fighting force."
Seven: "There is one more objective - the Voyager away team."
Korok: "They fought like warriors. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten."
Seven: "We can stil rescue them."
Axum: "She's right. They risked their lives for us. Now it's our turn."
Korok: "There's no time."
Axum: "It's a matter of honour, Korok. I thought you of all people would understand that."
Korok: "I'll see if any of our people are on a vessel near theirs."

Seven: "Thank you." Axum: "It's the least we can do." Seven: "What's wrong?" Axum: "Turns out I'm on a scout ship patrolling the border of fluidic space, on the other side of the galaxy." Seven: "I- I was hoping we'd be able to meet one day in the real world." Axum: "Me too. There are things I can do, where I am. I'll try to contact Species 8472, see if I can persuade them to join the fight." Seven: "Given their history with the Borg, I'm sure they'll be eager." Seven reminisces that they had a list of things to see if they were met in the real world and were free of the Collective. Axum: "We still have Unimatrix Zero." Seven: "It was sufficient before." Axum: "And now?"

The Borg Queen visits Unimatrix Zero. She gains the trust of the boy that Axum and Seven met earlier and he shows her the view of Unimatrix Zero.

The Borg Queen returns to her lair.
Borg Queen: "I took your advice, Captain. I paid a visit to Unimatrix Zero. It's far more primitive than I expected. I don't understand how anyone could prefer a crude environment to Borg perfection."
Janeway: "Spend a little more time there. You might find out."
Borg Queen: "I've seen enough. It's an illusion."
Janeway: "Even so, the people who go there are real, and they won't give it up without a fight."

Borg Queen: "They'll fail. I thought you'd like to see our latest accomplishment. Recognise it?" Janeway: "No." Borg Queen: "I think you do. It's your nanovirus with a few modifications. We reprogrammed it to target mutated drones. Once it's released it will erode their autonomic functions."

Janeway: "You have no way to deliver it. Those drones have been separated from the hive mind. They aren't linked to the central plexus any more."
Borg Queen: "No, but there's another way I can reach them. I'm prepared to go back to Unimatrix Zero and release it myself, but I'm willing to reconsider. It all depends on you."
Janeway: "Me?"
Borg Queen: "If they rejoin the Collective I'll spare their lives. They'll listen to you. Tell them it's time to come home. You were responsible for many deaths. Now you can save thousands. Decide."

On Voyager the crew are trying to repair the ship's damaged systems: the warp-core is online, navigational array, shields are at 20 per cent, they have sensors but short-range only. Suddenly someone taps into their holographic systems, and Chakotay and Seven are summoned to the Sickbay by the Doctor. It is a holographic projection of Janeway: "The Borg have established this link so that I can propose a compromise." Chakotay: "We're listening." Janeway: "They've developed a nanovirus that can kill every Borg with the mutation. They're prepared to release it inside Unimatrix Zero unless all the drones there return to the Collective for re-assimilation immediately." Seven: "It's not compromise. That's surrender." Janeway: "I won't be responsible for any more deaths. At least they'll survive as drones. Tell them Unimatrix Zero can no longer exist. That's an order. Have I made myself clear, Commander?" Chakotay: "Yes, Captain." The holographic transmission ends. Doctor: "We did our best." Chakotay: "It's not over yet. Can you interrupt the interlink frequency for Unimatrix Zero?" Doctor: "Commander, the Captain gave us a direct order." Chakotay: "Yes, she did. But not the one you think." Seven: "I believe I can, but why?" Chakotay: "Didn't you hear, Unimatrix Zero can no longer exist."