Prologue
Awake.
The Borg stepped from his alcove as he heard the command spoken by millions of voices. He stepped over two dead Borg bodies, their grease and sweat gathering on his shoes. This did not bother him. He had a task. The Queen had given it directly to him. That was how it worked. He was given a task and he followed it.
The deck bucked liked a startled horse, nearly throwing him off his feet. But he was lightning quick, as always. Unharmed, he continued. He had heard a thousand voices cry out in pain in that instant. He had felt millions of Borg die, as their bodies were thrown into the dark, cold emptiness of space, as empty as the Borg mind. He felt their deaths as they were either frozen by the temperatures in space, or were blown apart from the explosion caused by the enemy ships.
Still it didn't bother him. He had no emotions, no feelings. He had only the Hives orders.
Six Borg jostled past him, rushing to repair damage done by the enemy. Their organic components sweated behind their uniforms. The Borg had improved their shape over many years of assimilating, to blend in more and to work more efficiently. The improved shape was less bulky and easier to work in. He saw the shape put into practice as he walked past two Borg crouched next to a dying Borg, repairing him and also taking away some of his skin, to be used later to create another Borg.
A message was sent to the ship, millions of voices with his along with them, speaking as one:
"We are the Borg. Prepare to be assimilated. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile."
Another voice, on its own, was transmitted over another channel.
" We want no bloodshed. This is Captain Robert Louis of the USS Freedom. Surrender your ship for processing and evaluation and we will not have to destroy you."
The Starfleet Captain, human and weak, had another Borg with him. The weak Federation had other allies, the weaker version of Borg. The captain's suit was torn in two places, where the Borg ships blasts had tossed and thrown him. He was like the others of his ship, stubborn but strong, and the answer vibrated in the whole of the cube.
Never.
He continued on his way. Another blast rocked the ship.
He reached his destination. More Borg died.
He stepped into the shuttle, prepared to save his race, which were all dying. His cube was the last of the ships that were left, attacking in this great battle against the Federation.
He connected to the ship, and closed his eyes.
The shuttle came to life as his consciousness filled it. The new Borg designs of ship allowed the Borg to control the ship with their minds, not their bodies. He blasted off into the emptiness of space.
As he left the shields, he saw the Federation Starship with his ship's sensors. There were minor fractures in the ship's hull, and a major hull breach on deck 17.
He also saw the other Borg ship, the weak Borg who had agreed to the Treaty of Alliance. They said it helped their technology and helped them to become one of the two most powerful species in the Galaxy, and making them more perfect. Now they were using that technology to attack his ship, causing severe damage.
He fired at the other cube. A direct hit. Hundreds of their Borg flew into space, to join the Borg from his ship. It was a sweet revenge. He activated his time warp, to finish his revenge and become powerful again, and to complete his mission.
Disrupt the conference leading to the Treaty of Alliance. Only a measly 100 years, in the 30^th century. That was his mission, and it would not take much power, unless he de-stabilized in the time hole. He had seen it happen on tests of the technology. It would be a very powerful explosion if he de-stabilized. It had wiped out 30% of the Borg ships nearby.
The time hole appeared, its blue outlines crackling with energy. The Federation starship had noticed his attempt at the escape into time, and seeing his cube about to be destroyed by the weak Borg, started to pursue him. Damn. It would be more difficult and inefficient to complete his mission with them attempting to stop him. With their streamlined and powerful ships, they could follow and damage, but, to his advantage, he was more maneuverable, and could cause greater damage.
He flew into the hole, with the ship on behind him. The hole in time re-sealed it self, cutting off the future, but not before a huge blast of light entered. It was a worthless future anyway, as he heard the cries of the now dead and defeated Borg fade in his mind.
He set the co-ordinates, changing his course to intercept the other ship. He fired a torpedo, hitting the ship on its port nacelle. He rolled, and saw that there were fluctuations in their shields. It was being forced out the time stream, but it was still stable enough to pursue him. One more hit on their other engine would stop them.
He fired again. Direct hit on the starboard nacelle.
The ship shimmered, then shot a torpedo at him before it lost stability. Then the ship was gone. But not the torpedo.
It hit with a force that seemed as strong as a supernova exploding. The co-ordinates were scrambled, randomly selecting a destination.
Stardate 9.63288. Delta Quadrant, sector 74.
He had time to vaguely remember that it was the date and the area that the Federation starship Voyager found fluctuations of a time hole.
He vanished out of the time vortex, but not before he lost consciousness.
Awake.
The Borg stepped from his alcove as he heard the command spoken by millions of voices. He stepped over two dead Borg bodies, their grease and sweat gathering on his shoes. This did not bother him. He had a task. The Queen had given it directly to him. That was how it worked. He was given a task and he followed it.
The deck bucked liked a startled horse, nearly throwing him off his feet. But he was lightning quick, as always. Unharmed, he continued. He had heard a thousand voices cry out in pain in that instant. He had felt millions of Borg die, as their bodies were thrown into the dark, cold emptiness of space, as empty as the Borg mind. He felt their deaths as they were either frozen by the temperatures in space, or were blown apart from the explosion caused by the enemy ships.
Still it didn't bother him. He had no emotions, no feelings. He had only the Hives orders.
Six Borg jostled past him, rushing to repair damage done by the enemy. Their organic components sweated behind their uniforms. The Borg had improved their shape over many years of assimilating, to blend in more and to work more efficiently. The improved shape was less bulky and easier to work in. He saw the shape put into practice as he walked past two Borg crouched next to a dying Borg, repairing him and also taking away some of his skin, to be used later to create another Borg.
A message was sent to the ship, millions of voices with his along with them, speaking as one:
"We are the Borg. Prepare to be assimilated. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile."
Another voice, on its own, was transmitted over another channel.
" We want no bloodshed. This is Captain Robert Louis of the USS Freedom. Surrender your ship for processing and evaluation and we will not have to destroy you."
The Starfleet Captain, human and weak, had another Borg with him. The weak Federation had other allies, the weaker version of Borg. The captain's suit was torn in two places, where the Borg ships blasts had tossed and thrown him. He was like the others of his ship, stubborn but strong, and the answer vibrated in the whole of the cube.
Never.
He continued on his way. Another blast rocked the ship.
He reached his destination. More Borg died.
He stepped into the shuttle, prepared to save his race, which were all dying. His cube was the last of the ships that were left, attacking in this great battle against the Federation.
He connected to the ship, and closed his eyes.
The shuttle came to life as his consciousness filled it. The new Borg designs of ship allowed the Borg to control the ship with their minds, not their bodies. He blasted off into the emptiness of space.
As he left the shields, he saw the Federation Starship with his ship's sensors. There were minor fractures in the ship's hull, and a major hull breach on deck 17.
He also saw the other Borg ship, the weak Borg who had agreed to the Treaty of Alliance. They said it helped their technology and helped them to become one of the two most powerful species in the Galaxy, and making them more perfect. Now they were using that technology to attack his ship, causing severe damage.
He fired at the other cube. A direct hit. Hundreds of their Borg flew into space, to join the Borg from his ship. It was a sweet revenge. He activated his time warp, to finish his revenge and become powerful again, and to complete his mission.
Disrupt the conference leading to the Treaty of Alliance. Only a measly 100 years, in the 30^th century. That was his mission, and it would not take much power, unless he de-stabilized in the time hole. He had seen it happen on tests of the technology. It would be a very powerful explosion if he de-stabilized. It had wiped out 30% of the Borg ships nearby.
The time hole appeared, its blue outlines crackling with energy. The Federation starship had noticed his attempt at the escape into time, and seeing his cube about to be destroyed by the weak Borg, started to pursue him. Damn. It would be more difficult and inefficient to complete his mission with them attempting to stop him. With their streamlined and powerful ships, they could follow and damage, but, to his advantage, he was more maneuverable, and could cause greater damage.
He flew into the hole, with the ship on behind him. The hole in time re-sealed it self, cutting off the future, but not before a huge blast of light entered. It was a worthless future anyway, as he heard the cries of the now dead and defeated Borg fade in his mind.
He set the co-ordinates, changing his course to intercept the other ship. He fired a torpedo, hitting the ship on its port nacelle. He rolled, and saw that there were fluctuations in their shields. It was being forced out the time stream, but it was still stable enough to pursue him. One more hit on their other engine would stop them.
He fired again. Direct hit on the starboard nacelle.
The ship shimmered, then shot a torpedo at him before it lost stability. Then the ship was gone. But not the torpedo.
It hit with a force that seemed as strong as a supernova exploding. The co-ordinates were scrambled, randomly selecting a destination.
Stardate 9.63288. Delta Quadrant, sector 74.
He had time to vaguely remember that it was the date and the area that the Federation starship Voyager found fluctuations of a time hole.
He vanished out of the time vortex, but not before he lost consciousness.