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SCORPION Episodes 68 & 69 Part M

After a long moment the drones remove the neuro-transceivers. Tuvok and Janeway stand up. There is a hissing sound from somewhere nearby.

They turn to see a female Borg drone standing in an alcove.

Cables which are attached to her body fall away, crackling with energy. She is disconnected from the alcove with a blast of vapour.

Janeway and Tuvok watch.

The female Borg drone steps out of the alcove, through the vapour, toward Janeway and Tuvok.

On her arrival, on closer inspection, she used to be human and, if she were not Borg, would be an attractive young woman. But she is a Borg drone. Her demeanour is cold, arrogant - even though she speaks in an individual voice she is of course still connected to the Hive mind. She eyes Janeway and Tuvok with an impassive stare and states: "I speak for the Borg."

Janeway: "I'm Captain Janeway. This is Lieutenant Tuvok." The Borg drone circles them. "We are aware of your designations." Janeway: "What's your designation?" The Borg drone replies: "Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. But you may call me Seven of Nine. You are proposing a large-scale weapon. We concur." Janeway: "I thought you might." Tuvok: "We could encase the nanoprobes in some of our photon torpedoes: in essence, turn them into bio-molecular warheads." Seven of Nine: "Your torpedoes are inadequate. They lack the necessary range and dispersive force." Janeway: "Do you have a better idea?" Seven of Nine: "We are Borg." Tuvok to Janeway: "I take that as a 'yes'." Janeway and Tuvok join Seven of Nine at the console. Seven of Nine quickly works the controls and the monitor shows an image. She states, about the graphic: "A multikinetic neutronic mine, five million isoton yield." Tuvok: "An explosion that size could affect an entire star system." Seven of Nine: "Correct. The shockwave will disperse the nanoprobes over a radius of five light years." Janeway: "That's somewhat larger than I had in mind. You're proposing a weapon of mass destruction." Seven of Nine: "We are." Janeway: "Well, I'm not. You'd be endangering innocent worlds." Seven of Nine: "It would be efficient." There is clearly a difference in philosophy. Tuvok and Janeway try to persuade the Borg to their way of thinking. Tuvok: "We would need approximately fifty trillion nanoprobes to arm this mine. It would take several weeks for the Doctor to replicate that amount. You are losing this conflict. Are you willing to risk further delay?" Janeway: "Right now, your enemy believes it is invulnerable. If we create smaller weapons using our torpedoes and destroy a few of their bio-ships, it may be enough to deter them, convince them to give up this war." Seven of Nine: "You are individuals. You are small, and you think in small terms." But she communes with the Hive mind. "But the present situation requires that we consider your plan." Seven of Nine moves to the console, taps a few controls. The monitor changes to show Voyager's weapons inventory: schematics and detailed technical data. Seven of Nine: "Voyager's weapons inventory. Photon torpedo complement: thirty-two. Class Six warhead. Explosive yield: two hundred isotons." Tuvok: "How did you obtain this information?" Seven of Nine: "We are Borg." Tuvok: "Naturally."

USS Voyager, flying alongside the Borg cube.

In Sickbay, the Doctor is examining Kes.

Chakotay enters. standard doors The Doctor informs him: "Commander, we have some disturbing news." Chakotay: "At this point, I'm getting used to it." Doctor: "Her telepathic visions are increasing, both in frequency and intensity." Kes: "It feels different this time, it's almost like they're right here, in the room."

At that moment she experiences another mental flash. The Doctor tells Chakotay: "There it is again." She sees the eye of a member of Species 8472.

Kes: "I'm trying to block them out. I can't."

Doctor to Chakotay: "Every time she has a vision, specific regions of her cerebral cortex go into a state of hyper-stimulation: memory engrams, perceptual centres. I can't be sure, but I think there's more going on here than just a simple 'hello'."