AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story features the Christopher Eccleston Doctor and is set after after the events in "Star Trek: Nemesis"

"Why does this happen every time I wind up on a Federation Starship?"

The Doctor spun on his heel and strode up to the invisible energy barrier separating him from the rest of the USS Enterprise. He snorted and shook his head.

"Humanity's supposed to be enlightened by the Twenty-Fourth Century."

"Doctor," Rose Tyler muttered as she sat on the bunk fastened to the wall of the brig.

"It's never, 'hello, Doctor. Welcome aboard.' No, it's always, 'there's the Doctor. Let's throw him in the brig.'"

"Doctor." Rose sounded more insistent.

"Don't even offer me something to eat. A beverage at least. We Time Lords may be powerful, but we do need nourishment."

"Doctor."

He groaned and rubbed the back of his head. "Sulu offered me tea when I wound up on Excelsior. Kirk didn't even give me a glass of water. Just bellowed, 'what are you doing on my ship?' Then he chucked me in the brig."

"Doctor." Rose's hands slammed down on the bunk.

"It's not like I'm asking for much. Little something to drink. Tea. Mineral water. Starbucks. You know Starbucks is still around in the Twenty-Fourth Century? Sometimes I think the whole universe could suddenly implode and still in some nether region there'd be a Starbucks."

"DOCTOR!!" Rose shot to her feet, scowling, arms akimbo.

"Yes? Something bothering you?"

"Yeah something's bothering me. How about the fact the human race and a couple hundred other races could be wiped out, and you're going on about Starbucks!"

"Ah, yes. Good point." The Doctor pulled out an old pocket watch from his black leather jacket, checked it for a few moments, and nodded. "Someone should be here to fetch us soon."

"How can you be so sure?"

He gave Rose a crocked smile. "I've been through this plenty of times before with the Federation. Ship's security checks my bio-scan, sees that I'm a Time Lord, sees the big blue police box, checks Starfleet historical records, and suddenly realizes I'm . . ."

"Doctor," a flat voice from outside the brig stated.

The Doctor swung around and saw a tall, blue-skinned Andorian with an eternal frown pasted on his face.

"Well, it took you long enough. Yes, I'm the Doctor. This is my friend Rose. Changed appearances and companions since the last time I was involved with you lot. Let's see, it's 2380, so, chronologically the last time you would have dealt with me would be . . ."

"I'm not interested in the history lesson. I've already read your file."

The Doctor's grin broadened. "If you read it, then you shouldn't look so depressed. It's a very exciting read. At least that's what Jadzia Dax said when . . ."

"Quiet," muttered the bored-looking Andorian. "Given the fact every time you have shown up on a Federation ship over the past two hundred years, it's always in the midst of some crisis, Captain Picard wants you on the bridge immediately."

"Ah good." The Doctor nodded to the energy barrier. "So are you going to lower that thing so we can go see him?"

The Andorian grunted and turned to a human with African features manning the horseshoe-shaped console in the center of the room. A blink of blue static flashed around the doorway.

"Thank you, Mister . . ."

"Lieutenant Commander Borzt. Chief of Security. Now come." The Andorian made for the exit. "I assume you're here because of the Borg."

"Yes, the Borg. About that . . ."

"Tell it to the Captain." Borzt didn't even bother turning around to speak to him.

The Doctor followed him into the corridor. He turned to Rose and cocked his head. "See. I told you we'd see the captain soon enough."

Rose rolled her eyes.

The Doctor rocked on his heels as he rode the turbo lift. Rose pressed her back against the wall, arms folded. Borzt looked to be asleep standing up.

When they arrived on the bridge, the Doctor took a quick glance around. Intense looks marked the faces of every being here . . . and there was quite a mix of beings. He spotted a hairy Arboreal-Xindi in the First Officer's chair, a slender raven-haired Betazed to the left of the captain's seat, a Klingon – probably the famous Worf – near tactical and a couple feline Cactians at other consoles.

Even more fascinating was what he saw on the view screen. Between the greenish-yellow planet Amarione Seven and its twin moons hung dozens of spaceships. Federation starships, Klingon cruisers, Romulan warbirds, even a few Cardassian vessels.

Nice to see all those races banded together.

He wondered, though, if such an impressive alliance would be enough to stop what was coming.

"So. You're the famous Doctor."

The Doctor grinned as a tall bald man approached him.

"Ah. Captain Jean-Luc Picard. An honor to finally meet you." He extended his hand. Picard hesitated, then shook it.

"You'll forgive me if I'm not overjoyed to see you, but in the past whenever you've shown up on starships, trouble soon follows."

"No." The Doctor clasped his hands behind his back. "Usually trouble is already there. I just sort of pop up to lend a hand."

"Well, whatever the case, I don't have time for socializing. We've detected a Borg cube entering this system . . ."

"Yes, the Borg. About that . . ."

"Captain." A tan-skinned woman with smooth features called out from the helm. "Borg cube three hundred thousand kilometers and closing."

"On screen."

The sight of the combined fleet vanished, replaced by the dark cube hurtling through space.

"Red alert. Shields up. All weapons standby."

"Time to intercept twenty seconds," announced a stocky man with olive skin and almond-shaped eyes at the tactical console.

Picard took a breath. "Doctor. I don't believe your arrival on the Enterprise and this incursion by the Borg is a coincidence. Is there something we should know?"

The Doctor nodded. "Indeed. These Borg, you see, are . . ."

"We're being hailed," stated the helmswoman. "It's the Borg."

The Xindi first officer grunted. "I imagine this is where they tell us resistance is futile and we're all about to be assimilated."

"I'm afraid it's not . . ."

"Oh my God," gasped the tactical officer.

All eyes turned to the view screen. A couple more gasps sounded through the bridge, accompanied by some, "Oh my Gods." Others just looked at the image in stunned silence. Rose began rubbing her upper arms. The Doctor bit his lower lip, terror drilling into the depths of his soul.

The grating, mechanical voice echoed through the bridge.

"WE ARE THE DALEKS!! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!! YOU WILL SURRENDER YOURSELVES AND BE ASSIMILATED!!"

TO BE CONTINUED