^{search engine keywords: borg, borg collective, scorpion, Star Trek Voyager, Voyager, Kathryn Janeway, USS Voyager, U.S.S. Voyager, the borg, species 8472}

SCORPION Episodes 68 & 69 Part I

Next morning the senior staff meet in the Briefing Room. Janeway has just explained her decision to them. Paris: "An alliance with the Borg?!" Janeway: "More like an exchange. We offer them a way to defeat their new enemy and in return, we get safe passage through their space." She turns to the Doctor. "In developing a treatment for Harry, the Doctor has found a way to attack the aliens at a microscopic level." Doctor: "It's still in the experimental stages, Captain. I've only made a few prototypes." Janeway: "Nevertheless, if we teach the Borg how to modify their own nanoprobes, they'd have a blueprint to create a weapon to fight the aliens." Doctor: "In theory, yes." Janeway: "B'Elanna, it's clear from the Borg database that they know practically nothing about Species 8472." Torres: "That's right. The Borg gain knowledge through assimilation. What they can't assimilate, they can't understand." Janeway: "But we don't assimilate. We investigate. And in this case, that's given us an edge. We've discovered something they need." Neelix: "But the Borg aren't exactly known for their diplomacy. How can we expect them to co-operate with us?" Kes: "Normally, the answer would be no. But if what I've learned from the aliens is true, the Borg are losing this conflict." Janeway: "In one regard, the Borg are no different than we are. They're trying to survive. I don't believe they're going to refuse an offer that will help them do that." Tuvok: "What makes you think the Borg won't attempt to take the information by assimilating Voyager and its crew?" Janeway: "Because that won't get them anywhere. Doctor, you're the only one on board with full knowledge of the nanoprobe modifications. I want you to transfer all of that research into your holo-matrix." Doctor: "Certainly." Janeway: "You're my guarantee. If the Borg threaten us in any way, we'll simply erase your program." The Doctor looks startled and dismayed. She goes on, reassuringly: "But it won't come to that, Doctor. It's in the Collective's own interestd to co-operate. Voyager's only one ship. our safe passage is a small price to pay for what we're offering in exchange." She is confident she has won them over. "B'Elanna, assist the Doctor with his transfer." Torres: "Aye, Captain." Janeway: "Mr Paris, locate the nearest Borg vessel, and lay in a course. They shouldn't be difficult to find." Paris: "Yes, Ma'am." Janeway: "Dismissed."

The staff rise and leave, but Chakotay hangs back, troubled by what he has heard. Janeway can sense his discomfort. She waits until everyone else is out of the room before speaking.

Janeway: "You were awfully quiet." Chakotay: "I didn't want the others to hear this. But I think what you're proposing is too great a risk." Janeway: "How so?" Chakotay chooses his words carefully, taking a very tactful approach. "There's a story I heard as a child, a parable. And I never forgot it. A scorpion was walking along the bank of a river, wondering how to get to the other side. Suddenly he saw a fox. He asked the fox to take him on his back across the river. The fox said: 'No. If I do that you'll sting me and I'll drown.' But the scorpion assured him: 'If I did that, we'd both drown.' So the fox thought about it, finally agreed. So the scorpion climbed up on his back, and the fox began to swim. But halfway across the river, the scorpion stung him. As the poison filled his veins, the fox turned to the scorpion and said: 'Why did you do that? Now you'll drown too.' 'I couldn't help it,' said the scorpion: 'It's my nature.'" Janeway takes in the message. "I understand the risk and I'm not proposing that we try to change the nature of the beast. But this is a unique situation. To our knowledge, the Borg have never been so threatened. They're vulnerable. I think we can take advantage of that." Chakotay: "Even if we do somehow negotiate an exchange, how long will they keep up their end of the bargain? It could take months to get across Borg territory. We'd be facing thousands of systems, millions of vessels." Janeway: "But only one Collective! And we've got them over a barrel. We don't need to give them a single bit of information, not until we're safe. We just need the courage to see this through to the end." Chakotay: "There are other kinds of courage: like the courage to accept that there are some situations beyond your control. Not every problem has an immediate solution." Janeway: "You're suggesting we turn around." Chakotay: "Yes. We should get out of harm's way, let them fight it out! In the meantime, there's still a lot of the Delta Quadrant left to explore. We may find another way home." Janeway: "Or we may find something else. Six months, a year down the road, after Species 8472 gets through with the Borg we could find ourselves back in the line of fire. And we'll have missed the window of opportunity that exists right here right now!" Chakotay: "How much is our safety worth?" Janeway: "What do you mean?" Chakotay: "We'd be giving an advantage to a race guilty of murdering billions. We'd be helping the Borg assimilate another species, just to get ourselves back to Earth. It's wrong!" Janeway: "Tell that to Harry Kim. He's barely alive thanks to that species. Maybe helping to assimilate them isn't such a bad idea. We could be doing the Delta Quadrant a favour." Chakotay: "I don't think you really believe that. I think you're struggling to justify your plan, because your desire to get this crew home is blinding you to other options. I know you, Kathryn! Sometimes you don't know when to step back." The tension rises. They do not agree, cannot compromise, have reached an impasse, and it is getting more emotional. Janeway: "Do you trust me, Chakotay?" Chakotay: "That isn't the issue." Janeway: "But it is. Only yesterday, you were saying that we'd face this together, that you'd be at my side." Chakotay: "I still have to tell you what I believe. I'm no good to you if I didn't." Janeway: "I appreciate your insights, but the time for debate is over. I've made my decision. Now do I have your support?" Chakotay: "You're the Captain. I'm the First Officer. I'll follow your orders. But that doesn't change my belief that we're making a fatal mistake." Janeway, sadly: "Then I guess I'm alone, after all." She ends the conversation with a formal: "Dismissed." Chakotay turns and leaves.