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SCORPION Episodes 68 & 69 Part C

In Sickbay the Doctor and Kes are working at the primary bio-bed where several Borg body parts are laid out. These are the remains of the Borg corpse which was brought aboard recently (in [Unity]), and which the Doctor has dissected as part of his ongoing medical analysis.

The Doctor is studying a Borg hand, examining its assimilation tubules which protrude from the knuckles when assimilation is initiated. The Doctor explains to Kes: "These injection tubules are the first step in the Borg assimilation process. Once inside the skin, they release a series of nanoprobes into the bloodstream."

Kes: "Maybe we can develop some type of protective shielding against them." Doctor: "Unlikely. The tubules are capable of penetrating any known alloy or energy field, which means our battle must be waged inside the body itself."

They move to the console and the Doctor activates the monitor screen. There appears on the display a microscopic view of healthy human blood cells. The Doctor explains: "The first tissue to be attacked by the nanoprobes is the victim's blood." On the animated graphic on the monitor a cell-sized Borg nanoprobe appears and attaches itself to a blood cell.

Quickly, in a frightening chain reaction, all of the blood cells are Borgified, turning grey and dark and more elongated. "Assimilation is almost instantaneous."

Kes: "They take over the blood-cell functions, like a virus." Doctor: "Which suggests to me that we should try to enhance the immune system - create an "assimilation antibody" as it were. I doubt we can actually destroy the nanoprobes, but we might be able to slow them down."

As Kes stares down at the Borg body parts, she is suddenly transfixed by them. Doctor: "Let's try a submicron dissection on the probes we've collected so far, see if we can discover the assimilation mechanism."

Suddenly Kes is hit by a mental flash, a nightmarish image of numerous dead Borg bodies piled high and fused together.

The limbs of the Borg drones are mangled and askew, their faces are twisted, eyes open in shock. It is a horrific, surreal sculpture of death.

As Kes tries to recover from the vision the Doctor's concerned voice reaches her: "Kes, is something wrong? Kes?" Kes, startled and in shock: "I saw Borg." Doctor: "You've had a telepathic experience?" Kes nods: "There were bodies, dozens of them, dead."

Tuvok enters the Bridge. Janeway: "How's Kes?" Tuvok: "Unsettled and uncertain. Over the past two hours, she has experienced several telepathic 'visions' about the death of Borg and the destruction of Voyager."

Chakotay: "Some sort of premonitions?" Tuvok: "Possibly." Janeway considers then makes a decision. "We can't just ignore her 'intuition' but I see no reason to alter our plan. Tuvok, I want you to keep an eye on-"

They are interrupted by an audible alert. Kim: "Captain, long-range sensors are picking up transwarp signatures, 5.8 light years distant, closing from behind." Chakotay: "Red alert." Accordingly the crew goes to red alert. Klaxons sound, the red alert lights flash and the lights dim. Janeway: "Evasive maneuvers." Paris, at the helm, carries out the order. Suddenly the ship judders. Chakotay: "What's happening?" Paris: "We've dropped out of warp." Janeway, via comms: "Bridge to Engineering. What's going on down there?" Torres, via comms: "I'm not sure, Captain. Some kind of subspace turbulence is preventing us from creating a stable warp field." Tuvok: "Turbulence is increasing." Kim reports: "I'm reading two Borg vessels...make that three...four...no, five...fifteen Borg vessels. Distance: 2.1 light years and closing!" Janeway: "Shields to maximum! Stand by all weapons!" Tuvok: "They're in visual range." Janeway: "On screen." On the viewscreen they can see an armada of fifteen Borg cubes rapidly approaching the ship! They bear down on Voyager's stern. Chakotay: "My God." But the Borg cubes dash straight past, tossing Voyager in their wake. The lights flicker madly. Everyone hangs on to prevent themselves from being tossed around. The lights return to normal. Voyager tries to flee an armada of Borg cubes. (pop-up window)