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SCORPION Episodes 68 & 69 Part U

Seven of Nine, intent on the assimilation of Voyager, suddenly hears Chakotay's voice in her mind. "Seven of Nine, stop what you're doing."

Chakotay is standing in a Borg alcove in Cargo Bay 2. The Doctor has just placed a Borg neuro-transceiver on his neck - this is how he is communicating telepathically with Seven of Nine. Chakotay to Seven, telepathically: "You're a human, a human individual. Our minds are linked - we are one."

The Doctor is monitoring Chakotay with a medical tricorder. Doctor to Torres: "His link is stable, but it won't be for long. You must hurry!" Torres is nearby, working busily at an open Borg panel. "Just a few more seconds."

Chakotay to Seven of Nine, telepathically: "I can see your memories. You remember being human."

On the Bridge, Seven of Nine speaks aloud: "We are Borg."

The memories of Seven of Nine which Chakotay can see are of her as a little girl running joyously to her parents.
Chakotay to Seven of Nine, telepathically: "I see a young girl, a family...."
Seven of Nine: "Irrelevant. Your appeal to my humanity is pointless."

In the cargo bay, Torres calls: "Almost there, Chakotay. You've got to keep her distracted if we're going to make this work."
Chakotay to Seven of Nine, telepathically: "Listen to your human side, to yourself, the little girl, Seven of Nine, Annika!"
Chakotay is sweating, tense, barely hanging on inside the alcove. The Doctor is worried and calls to Torres: "He's losing the link!"

Torres: "Initiating power surge - now!"

The power surge.

Chakotay screams, as he is also affected by the power surge - he feels whatever Seven of Nine feels as the power surge reaches her. Suddenly Seven of Nine's body goes rigid.

A surge of energy hits her through an implant on the side of her head. She cries out in pain. She slumps to the deck, unconscious.

Tuvok scans her. "Her connection to the Collective is severed."

Janeway: "Get her to Sickbay."

Janeway, via comms: "Bridge to Doctor. Report."
In the cargo bay, Chakotay is lying on the floor, unconscious. The Doctor is scanning him. He reports, via comms. combadge "Commander Chakotay's going to be alright, although he may wake up with a bit of a headache."

Janeway to Paris: "Tom, plot a course out of Borg space, maximum warp." Paris: "Yes, Ma'am." The war is over.

In the holographic simulation of Leonardo da Vinci's workshop, Janeway is writing her log on parchment, using a quill: "Captain's Log, stardate 51003.7. Three days, and no sign of Borg or bio-ships. We appear to be out of danger, but the entire crew is on edge, and so am I. Not even the calm of Master da Vinci's workshop is enough to ease my mind."

Chakotay enters. holodeck doors "Am I interrupting?" Janeway looks up to see Chakotay. He is holding a PADD. There is an awkwardness between them: they have worked through their differences enough to get ship and crew out of danger, but their personal relationship is still rather strained. Janeway: "Not at all. Just finishing up my Log." He eyes the paper and quill and comments: "The old-fashioned way." Janeway: "I wanted to get as far away from bio-implants and fluidic space and this," indicating the quill and parchment, "this feels more human somehow." Chakotay hands her the PADD. "I hate to spoil the mood, but you might want to look at this engineering report." She takes the PADD and reads it. Chakotay: "It'll take at least two weeks to remove the Borg technology from our systems. B'Elanna did note that the power couplings on deck 8 work better with the Borg improvements." Janeway: "Leave them. How is our passenger?" Chakotay: "The Doctor says she's stabilising. Her human cells are starting to regenerate." Janeway: "I wonder what's left under that Borg technology, if she can ever become human again." Chakotay surmises: "You plan to keep her on board." Janeway: "We pulled the plug. We're responsible for what happens to her now." Chakotay: "She was assimilated at a very young age. The Collective's all she knows. She might not want to stay." Janeway: "I think she might. We have one thing the Borg could never offer - friendship." The word hangs in the air. Their own friendship has been strained by this adventure, and it is not clear exactly where they stand. Chakotay: "I want you to know that disobeying your orders was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do." Janeway: "I understand. And I respect the decision you made, even though I disagree with it. What's important is that in the end we got through this - together. I don't ever want that to change." Chakotay nods. "Agreed." Janeway: "Good." She stands. "Well, I think it's time we get back to our bridge." Chakotay: "No argument there." They head for the exit, side by side, together. As they leave, she picks up the parchment with her log on it.

In stark contrast to the warm candlelit glow in the Holodeck, Seven of Nine is lying on Sickbay's surgical bed. She is unconscious. Her human cells are starting to regenerate and we are left wondering what might happen when she eventually wakes up. Seven of Nine lies unconscious on a biobed in Sickbay. (pop-up window)

The  End