DRONE
Episode 96
Part C

 

The proto-nebula continues to expand.

In the Astrometrics Lab, Seven, Tuvok and Torres are analysing the Borg drone. The Doctor is also part of the analysis team, working from Sickbay and in communication with the others via a monitor screen. Seven: "I've adapted the astrometric sensors to penetrate the Borg forcefield." Torres: "I thought you said this thing was a foetus." Seven: "An hour ago it was. The drone has entered the fourth phase of gestation. In human terms it is a child of six years."

Doctor: "You mean a boy of six years. From what I can tell the drone is male. Seven, route your sensor data to Sickbay. I want to run a few medical scans." Seven: "Stand by." She operates the necessary controls to do this. The Doctor runs his scans and reports: "Well, he appears to be human for the most part. Borg implants comprise approximately 27 per cent of his body." Tuvok: "Curious: his body-plating is composed of polydeutonic alloy." Doctor: "Just like my mobile emitter." Seven: "The nanoprobes must've extrapolated that technology. It could explain his unique design." Torres: "Wait a second. The Doctor's emitter came from the 29th century. It's 500 years more advanced than anything we've got." Tuvok: "It is logical to assume this drone will be equally advanced." Torres: "A 29th century Borg." Tuvok: "In essence." Doctor: "I've located my mobile emitter. It's embedded in his cerebral cortex." Seven: "The emitter's been adapted to function as part of his central nervous system. It controls all autonomic functions." Doctor: "That means we can't remove it, not without killing the drone." Tuvok: "Has it contacted the Borg Collective?" Seven: "No. I have dampened its proximity transceiver." Torres: "For now. What about when it grows up?"

In the Captain's Ready Room Seven hands Janeway a PADD containing the analysis summary of the Borg drone.

Janeway reads from the PADD: "Reactive body armour, multi-dimensional adaptability, internal transporter nodes?" Seven: "The drone possesses superior technology. It will fully mature in less than two hours, however its Borg shielding is not yet active. We can still terminate it but we must act quickly." Janeway: "Hold on a minute, Seven. I want some answers first. What normally happens when a drone disengages from the maturation chamber?" Seven: "It awaits instructions from the Collective." Janeway: "So without those instructions it has no designation, right, no purpose?" Seven: "Correct." Janeway: "If we can keep him from interfacing with the Collective, maybe we can give him a purpose." Seven: "Captain?" Janeway: "This is the most advanced drone ever to exist. We could teach him our values, Seven. Oh, we could show him what it means to be an individual." Seven: "If we fail, if the drone were to be assimilated, the Collective would become far more powerful." Janeway: "What I'm proposing is the only defence we have against that possibility, short of murder, and that's an order I prefer not to give. As I recall, Seven, there were a few crewmembers who had similar doubts about you." Seven: "This situation is different." Janeway: "Is it. A Borg, disconnected from the Collective, unsure of its identity, a potential threat. But we succeeded. We're going to pull the same trick again, only this time you're going to be the teacher." Seven: "I am to instruct the drone in the ways of humanity?" Janeway hands back the PADD. "Think of it as first contact and you are our ambassador."

In the Science Lab, Borg assimilation has taken place so that the full-size special Borg alcove seen in the Astrometrics Lab is seen when Seven and Tuvok enter the heavily guarded room.

Seven and Tuvok look at the mysterious drone.

The fully mature drone.

Seven examines the diagnostic read-outs and reports: "Maturation cycle is complete."

The wires disengage from the drone

The drone steps forward and stands in front of them.

Drone: "We are Borg. State our designation." Seven: "Designation is irrelevant. You are not part of the Collective. You are an individual. You'll receive your instructions from me." Drone: "Insufficient." Seven: "You must comply." Drone: "Insufficient. We are Borg." Seven: "My designation is Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. You may call me Seven of Nine." Drone: "Seven of Nine." Seven: "You will comply with my commands." Drone: "Seven of Nine." Seven: "Yes. We are not Borg. We are individuals. Do you understand?" Drone: "State our designation." Tuvok: "Apparently not." Seven turns to Tuvok. "The drone's responses are programmed. It doesn't understand what I am saying. I must initiate a direct neural interface." Tuvok: "Are you sure that's wise?" Seven: "There is no other way for me to communicate with it." Tuvok: "Proceed." Seven steps up to the drone which tries to avoid her as she puts her left hand near his neck. "You will not be harmed. Resistance is futile."

Two transmission tubules extend from knuckles into his neck. "I am providing it with instructions. It understands. The drone is probing my neural pathways."

But the link becomes painful when the drone puts his left hand on her left wrist. "It is trying to assimilate all of my knowledge! I cannot disengage the link!"

Tuvok fires his phaser at the drone but it has no effect. The phaser beam bounces harmlessly off the drone's superior reactive body armour. Urgently Seven orders the drone: "Terminate interface! You must comply. You're hurting me."

At "You're hurting me." the drone ends the link. Drone: "I will comply."

Seven: "Daily log, Seven of Nine. I've activated the drone's linguistic database. It is now capable of assimilating information. A direct neural link is too dangerous so I've decided to use Borg datanodes."

In engineering Torres is supervising the download of information into Borg datanodes, a job she does not enjoy as she does not approve of the action being taken as regards the drone. Neelix enters carrying two Borg datanodes. He informs her: "Special delivery: two Borg datanodes." Torres: "More?" She indicates a place with her right hand. "Link them to the dataport."

Irritated, she says as she begins work at a console to download information into the datanodes: "How many Borg hitch-hikers are we going to pick up on this trip? Maybe this is the Collective's new strategy: we don't assimilate any more, they just show up and look helpless!"

Neelix: "Now, B'Elanna-" Torres: "We don't know what this drone will turn into! It's gone from infant to adult in one day!" Neelix: "It will become what we help it to become."

Torres imitates Neelix's gesture and tone. "How Starfleet of you." Seven, via comms: "Seven of Nine to Neelix." Neelix, via comms: "Neelix here." Seven, via comms: "Report to the Science Lab immediately. Bring the first datanode." Neelix, via comms: "On my way."

In the Science Lab Seven prepares the datanode that Neelix brings so that it is ready to transmit information to the drone.

Drone: "We are Borg. State our designation." Seven: "We've compiled information into this datanode for you to assimilate." Drone: "We do not understand." Seven: "You will, but first you must assimilate this data. Come here." The drone hesitates. "Comply." The drone approaches. "Give me your arm." The drone does not understand. She takes his arm and places it by the datanode. "Inject the datanode with an assimilation tubule, this access port." Drone: "We do not understand."

She activates the assimilation tubule herself. The information is transferred and understanding can be seen in the drone's face.

Drone: "Your designation is Seven of Nine." Seven: "Yes." Drone: "Your designation is Neelix, Talaxian." Neelix: "That's me."

Drone: "This is a laboratory, on a vessel." Neelix: "The starship Voyager." Drone: "I am travelling through interstellar space." Seven: "Yes." Drone: "Why?" Seven: "This is a ship of exploration."

Drone: "I am an explorer?" Neelix: "We all are." Drone: "We are Borg?" Neelix: "Well, no." Seven: "You are a unique individual, one of many on Voyager. This is not a Borg Collective. Do you understand?" Drone: "Individual? My thoughts are my own." Seven: "Precisely." The drone holds out his arm. "I wish to assimilate more information."

Seven: "Not yet. Your neural pathways require time to process the information. You need to regenerate soon. I will adapt one of the alcoves in our cargo bay to your technology." To Neelix: "Take the drone to the Doctor for medical analysis." To the drone: "Go with him." But the drone follows Seven and ignores Neelix. She tells the drone: "All members of this crew must report to Sickbay for evaluation." The drone hesitates. She reassures him: "When I am finished here I will join you." At this the drone allows Neelix to lead him from the Science Lab.