Episode 94 : HOPE AND FEAR : Part H

As the "Dauntless" is thrown off course, Arturis is thrown from his seat. He struggles to his feet. The ship levels out and Arturis sits at the controls again.

Then Janeway enters. "Sorry about the bumpy ride." Arturis: "You can slow this ship down but you can't stop it. In four minutes, Captain Janeway will be gone, and a new drone will be born."

Janeway: "Don't count on it. Seven of Nine has accessed your navigational systems. You taught us how to use this ship a little too well. I can't begin to imagine your loss, but try to see beyond your desire for revenge-" Arturis: "Revenge is all I have left!" Janeway: "No, as long as you're alive, there's hope. Your people's knowledge, their accomplishments, their dignity, can survive, in you. End this."

Arturis might be about to be persuaded by her words, but then he taps a control. Arturis: "I've just destroyed the navigational controls. No one can stop this ship now, not even me. Two minutes to Borg space."

Arturis' computer command from the Bridge blows out the control panel Seven is working at in Engineering.

At that moment Voyager arrives and fires at the Dauntless.

Torpedoes strike the "Dauntless".

Tuvok reports: "Direct hit. The vessel's shields are down. Transporters standing by."

Chakotay says to Kim: "Get a lock on our people."

The torpedo impacts blow out controls on the Bridge and the attack hurls Janeway and Arturis about.

Arturis checks a console read-out. "Voyager!"

Janeway tells Arturis, "Come with us. It's not too late." The transporter beam starts to take her. Arturis seizes a gun and turns on her.

"It is for you!" cries Arturis.

But he is too late. Janeway has been beamed to Voyager.

Kim: "I've got them, Commander - Transporter Room 2." Chakotay orders Paris: "Alter our slipstream, hard starboard. Take us back the way we came." Voyager veers off just in time to avoid entering Borg space.

Arturis' ship leaves the quantum slipstream and arrives in normal space - Arturis and his ship have arrived in Borg space.

Arturis braces himself for the inevitable. The Borg tell him: "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

Janeway: "Captain's log, supplemental. We remained in the quantum slipstream for an hour before it finally collapsed. Our diagnostics have concluded that we can't risk using this technology again, but we did manage to get three hundred light years closer to home."

Janeway and Seven are playing Velocity on the Holodeck.

Seven fires at the disk but misses and the disk glances off her arm and vanishes. Computer: "Full impact. Final round to Janeway. Winner: Janeway."

Janeway: "Nice play. You almost had me." Seven: "Almost."

Janeway: "Go again?" Seven: "I must report to the Astrometrics Lab. There is work to be done." Janeway: "Work? I gave the crew strict orders to take some R & R over the next few days. That includes you."

Seven: "There are more pressing needs. I'm attempting to design another method of travelling at slipstream velocities, without damaging Voyager." Janeway: "I thought that was impossible." Seven: "'Impossible' is a word that humans use far too often. I wish to continue my efforts."

Janeway is surprised. "A few days ago you were ready to abandon ship, and here you are practically laying in a course to Earth." Seven admits: "As we approached Borg space, I began to re-evaluate my future. I found the prospect of becoming a drone," she searches for the word: "unappealing."

Janeway replies, "Sometimes you've got to look back in order to look forward. Sounds to me like you're starting to embrace your humanity." Seven: "No. But as I said: nothing is impossible."

Janeway smiles. "Computer, one more game." They take their places to begin another game. A Velocity disk appears....