PART I

Voyager was flying through a harmless but dense nebula. Everybody tried
to work as efficiently as possible so that this obstacle could soon be left
behind. None of the crewmen wanted Voyager to suffer any severe damages.

~*~

The crew gathered in the briefing room. Captain Janeway got up from her
chair and explained their current situation to the crewmembers. Everybody in
the briefing room could notice that Captain Janeway was not well, and they
all were pretty sure that the reason for this was why she wanted to talk to
them.

"If we work at peek efficiency, we should be out of the nebula in three
days at the latest. But then there is another obstacle waiting for us."

She took a deep breath. She didn't really want to open the bad news to
her crew, but she knew that now was the time when she had to tell them. "A
bunch of Borg cubes," she finally said and looked into each of her crewmen's
eyes. They all had a slightly surprised look on their faces, as nobody would
have expected the Voyager to have to cross the Borg ever again.

"Our sensors just didn't recognise the cubes as the nebula was too
dense, but now that we are getting closer to them, the signal could be
read," Janeway said to break the silence. She felt quite uneasy as no one
was responding.

"Is there no way to get around this area?" Harry finally asked.

"Unfortunately not. Of course, we could get around it, but that would
mean going all the way back through the nebula and then trying to find some
other way around the nebula and the Borg area."

"That would be a pity. We have been going through this nebula for three
weeks now!" Tom said, and Ensign Kim added the question whether one could
try to find a way around the Borg cubes after having crossed the nebula.

"No, that's not possible as the Borg area begins right were the nebula
ends. So we have two options: Number One: Go back all the way through the
nebula and number two: The direct way."

Everybody stared at the Captain. Nobody was really sure which decision
would be the right one, but they surely didn't want their
three-weeks-journey through the nebula to be in vain.

"I suggest we don't alter our course," Paris said. "We've had our
encounters with the Borg, and they have always ended in our favor."

"Yes, but on what conditions?" Seven asked. She got up from her chair
and started walking around the briefing room. "Our encounters with the Borg
have always put the lives of members of our crew at extreme risk."

"You're right, Seven," Janeway agreed. "But consider the alternative.
It would mean at least 15,000 light years longer till we could reach the
Alpha quadrant, and we all know how dangerous nebulas can be. Are we really
willing to take this? We've defeated the Borg many times, and I am sure we
can do so another time."

"Very well," Seven said coldly and left the briefing room.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," the Doctor said
when the EMH was activated due to Seven's entering sickbay.

"The Captain told me you wanted to see me," Seven said.

"Yes, it's time for your weekly check-up," the doctor said joyfully.
"Sit down on the bio bed, please." He started scanning Seven, paying special
attention to her implants.

"Any complaints?" he asked her.

"None," Seven replied in her harsh voice.

"So, what do you think about our designate encounter with the Borg?" he
asked her. After thinking his question over one more time, he realized how
silly it was to ask a former drone a question like this.

"I think of it as a threat," Seven replied, sighing deeply.

The Doctor suddenly felt the urge to put his right hand on Seven's left
hand. He touched it softly, but when he noticed Seven's look of absolute
surprise at him, he pretended just to be checking the implants on her hand,
although he knew that Seven was aware of what was going on.

"I think there is no need for further observation," Seven said and got
up from the bio bed. She walked toward the door, but when she got there, she
turned around one more time. She seemed to be willing to say something, but
then she just turned around again and left.

Three days had passed. Voyager was getting closer and closer to the end
of the nebula. Soon the crew would be reaching Borg space. Not a very
pleasant thought, but making this journey through this area might cut 15,000
light years off of their trip home.

The Captain entered the briefing room. The rest of the senior officers
were already assembled there. They were sitting at the table, and the looks
on their faces expressed that they were not really willing to go on Borg
ground again.

"We will be in Borg space in approximately one hour. I want you all to
do your best and be as efficient as you can," Janeway announced. Then
everybody went to his or her position.

~*~

"Delta Flyer ready to launch," Harry said.

"Send it out," Janeway replied. The Delta Flyer was part of their plan
to get past the Borg area without being assimilated. If the Borg accepted
the Delta Flyer as a threat, it might not even come to an encounter between
the crew of Voyager and the Borg.

The Delta Flyer was launched into the green world of the Borg. Every
crewman aboard Voyager stared at the screen, hoping that the Borg would take
the bait and engage the Flyer into a tractor beam.

Suddenly Chakotay announced, "Captain, there is a transmission coming
in."

"Put it through," Janeway replied, already expecting the worst.

"Captain Janeway," a well-known voice said. Looking at the screen,
Janeway, Harry, Tom, Tuvok, Seven and Chakotay felt anger. It was the Borg
Queen.

"What do you want?" the Captain asked her.

"I should be the one asking this question. What do you want, Captain?
Or rather. what do you want here?"

"What we want here is none of your business." Janeway sounded very
angry.

"I know what you are here for," the Borg Queen said. "You are trying to
cut some years off your journey and you tried to get past us with a bait as
lousy as a Delta Flyer. You are misguided, Captain Janeway. But if it really
is that important for you to get through our area, I might have a deal for
you."

"What would that deal be?"

"Seven of Nine. Bring her to me." The Borg Queen looked provokingly at
Seven.

"You can't be serious," Janeway replied.

"I am. Bring her to me, or your ship will be assimilated."

The transmission stopped.

"We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

The crewmen on the Voyager heard the Borg's announcement. They were
nervous as they didn't really know what to do.

"Let me go," Seven of Nine told the Captain in her ready room. "If you
let me go, you can continue your journey. I am willing to pay the price."

"No, Seven, don't talk that way," Janeway said, almost having tears in
her eyes. "I can't let you go. You're a part of my crew, and I won't let any
of my crewmen put their lives at risk to save the rest of the crew. You stay
here."

"Consider the alternative, Captain."

An awful silence filled the room. Seven was actually waiting for
Janeway to reply, but she realized that there was no answer to come out of
her Captain's mouth. There was just a desperate look in her eyes.

"I'll be in astrometrics," Seven said and left the Captain's ready room.

"We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

The Borg posed their threat one more time. Janeway was walking up and
down the bridge nervously, holding a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Captain, they're engaging us in a tractor beam," Harry suddenly said.
"We're being pulled in!"

The starship began shaking. Janeway and Chakotay had to sit down on
their chairs as the shaking got rougher and rougher. Panic started to break
out among the crewmen.

But suddenly. the tractor beam let go of its target. Voyager was
released. But why was that?

"Open a channel," Janeway commanded. "Why don't you complete your
mission?" she asked the Borg Queen who was now appearing on the screen.

"Because you have had a change of hearts, Captain Janeway."

"What do you mean?"

"Seven of Nine. She has just arrived in the Delta Flyer." She had a
devilish grin upon her face.

"End transmission!" Janeway shouted. Everyone aboard Voyager was now
silent. Nobody dared saying anything. They all thought about Seven.

Suddenly Tom's words broke the silence.

"They went to warp, Captain. The cube is gone."

~*~ To be continued. ~*~