An Unexpected Turn Of Events

"We are on course for a transwarp portal" said Icheb. "Speed is Warp 9.95 and sensors continue to gather data in upcoming systems"

"Okay" said Naomi. "Do you think that we can really defeat the Borg?" she asked.

"The odds are quite high, but they are not impossible to beat" Icheb replied gently. "The Borg will assume that this vessel is controlled by a fully trained crew of Starfleet personnel, so it is likely that we will stand a better chance in combat. However, that chance is only as high as 2%"

"With figures like that, Icheb, we can not fail to win!" Naomi smiled as she worked the Science console on the Bridge – the one used so often by her mother. "I was thinking about something that we could do. The Borg will, no doubt, have ships patrolling in case anyone tries to escape them or attack them"

"Indeed" Icheb said. "If our plan is to succeed, we will have to launch the two Tri-Cobalt devices and then get out of the area at high warp speed"

"But if we arrive at Unimatrix Zero One, the Borg will pick our arrival up. Is it possible that we can travel there but wait just inside transwarp space for a ship to arrive or disappear?"

"I do not know" Icheb looked up from the Engineering console and looked over the Bridge at his friend. "It will take immense piloting skill to hold us in position. If we engaged the cloaking device and maintained an otherwise low power emission system, we might be able to pass undetected. We could then get through without the Borg spotting us on sensors"

"Like firing a gun when a train is going by"

"Excuse me?"

"To hide the sound" Naomi explained, dumping a lot of new information to the main computer core.

"I understand" Icheb said. "However, the two devices we will be firing will be picked up before they reach their targets"

"I didn't say I had the whole plan totally worked out…" Naomi rolled her eyes and moved over to the Tactical console. "The thing I fear is having the Borg find us and turning us all into drones" Naomi looked at Icheb like the scared and frightened girl she was.

"I will ensure that does not happen" Icheb promised her. "I will blow the ship up if it appears we will be boarded"

"Thanks…" she whispered. "I lost so many people that I couldn't bear to lose my friends"

"Of course" Icheb continued dryly, "The chances are that we would serve on the same Borg vessel"

"Thank you, Icheb" Naomi managed a weak smile before continuing her work.

"Astrometrics to Bridge" Mezoti's voice filtered through on the comm system.

"Bridge, Naomi here"

"Naomi, I am detecting a subspace shockwave bearing 187 mark 3"

"What sort of shockwave?" asked Naomi, bringing up sensor information at the tactical station.

"I am unable to get a clear reading on the wave, but I would guess that it is an O-" Mezoti was cut off as Voyager suddenly slammed on the brakes and came to a dead stop. The lights on the Bridge dimmed and all the consoles all displayed the same symbol. On a black background, all consoles plus the viewscreen displayed a Ω.

"What the hell…?" Naomi said, tasting what was, for her, an obscenity.

"I am unable to explain this event" said Icheb.

"Computer, report"

"This vessel is now operating under Omega Protocols. Computer lockout until released by Commanding Officer's authorisation" the computer replied.

"Define Omega Protocols"

"Unable to comply"

"Explain" Naomi frowned at Icheb. "See if you can get the others up here" she said.

"I will comply"

"Information is classified. It is only to be viewed by the Captain's Eyes Only. It is not to be discussed with any members of the crew unless deemed absolutely necessary."

"Computer, release Bridge console lockouts. Authorisation code Flotter T Water III" Naomi said. "Display Omega information on the main viewscreen and verbalise it" she added.

"Unable to comply. Members of the ship's company on the Bridge. Captain required to enter Ready Room for security briefing. " and Naomi wondered who made computers to be so bloody minded. That was another phrase used by the late Tom Paris.

"Give me a minute to take care of this" Naomi sighed. "You have the Bridge"

"Aye, Captain" and Naomi entered the Ready Room to unlock the Bridge consoles and restore engine control.

"Computer, authorisation code Flotter T Water III" Naomi sat in Captain Janeway's old chair.

"That clearance level is not sufficient. Please enter your Level 10 security code"

"Level 10?" Naomi frowned at the screen which still was showing the Ω. "I don't have a Level 10 clearance code. Can you not just show me the information anyway?"

"Negative"

"Icheb!" Naomi called.

"Icheb here"

"Do you have any access to the computer?"

"No"

"I need a Level 10 clearance code, but I don't think that I have one. How would I find out what it is?"

"I do not know. You would have to find out from the computer"

"I'll ask it, but it doesn't seem to be wanting to play nice" Naomi sighed, closing the link. "Computer, release lockout of this terminal"

"Unable to comply. Omega Directive lockouts remain in effect" came the tart reply.

"Computer, how do I find out if I have a Level 10 clearance code?"

"That information is not to be divulged without a Level 10 clearance code"

"So the reason why I don't know my code is classified?"

"Affirmative"

"Computer, do you work for Starfleet or the Borg?"

"Input error. Please restate question"

"What would make up a Level 10 code?" Naomi was beginning to get a headache.

"A series of numbers and words"

"Oh, thanks…"

"You are welcome" and Naomi made a mental note to make a formal complaint to Starfleet Command about Voyager's computer.

"This is almost as hard as the time that I played Kodis Kot with Seven… Kodis Kot…" a thought occurred to Naomi. "Computer, release lockout of Bridge consoles and restore control to all stations. Authorisation code Kadis Kot Red Green Green Red"

"Incorrect clearance code" the computer said flatly. If she didn't know better, the girl would have sworn that the computer was mocking her. As she wondered what it was, her thoughts drifted to her mother and Naomi's bright mind hit upon the answer. "Computer, release lockout of Bridge consoles and restore control to all systems. Authorisation code 'I love you sweetie'" and there was a tiny pause before the Ω vanished from the screen and was replaced by scrolling panels of text, maps, diagrams and all other manner of pictures.

"What is this?"

"Sensors have detected the Omega phenomenon within one-point-two light years of this vessel. Implement the Omega Directive immediately. All other priorities have been rescinded"

"Define – Explanation of Omega Directive and cause" Naomi gasped as she tried to read the charts that came up – vying for space with long panels of text that scrolled upwards

"An Omega Particle was detected at bearing 187 mark 3. Per Starfleet directives, you are hereby ordered to trace the source of the sensor readings and destroy the Omega particle at all costs upto and including the lives of all crew members and the destruction of the ship. For the duration of this mission, all other Starfleet protocols and directives, including the Prime Directive, are rescinded and suspended. You are required to contact Starfleet Command and inform them of the situation and await further orders" and Naomi could only sit and let her eyes gloss over at the information that was being displayed on the screen.

"Icheb, taking into account our delay here, estimate time to the daily message to Starfleet"

"At Warp 9.99, we will reach the point in thirty seven minutes and 12 seconds"

"Good" Naomi replied. "Set that course into the computer and engage. Warm up the deflector dish as normal and then call the others up here"

"I will comply. Icheb, out"

#

"So… Any suggestions people?" Naomi asked.

"I suggest that we wait until we contact Starfleet Command" the Doctor said. "They will be able to give us some much needed help in dealing with this matter"

"But we also have the Borg threat to deal with" Mezoti said. "To use a human expression, we are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea"

"Descriptive, perhaps" said Icheb, "But the metaphor is fitting. We must defeat the Borg, but we simply can not ignore the Omega Directive"

"Maybe Starfleet will tell us to ignore it and go for the Borg first before coming back to sort out the Omega Particle" Mezoti said.

"Unlikely" Icheb replied.

"Perhaps" the Doctor said, "We can kill two birds with one stone"

"What do you mean, Doctor?" asked Naomi.

"When you was still a young child, and well before we took these four on, we encountered the Omega particle once before. After some discussion about it, we took the thing aboard in an harmonic resonance chamber which Seven built from modified Borg designs. We could capture the particles inside it before coming up with a way to destroy them"

"How were the particles destroyed the last time, Doctor?" asked Icheb.

"As I understand it, they were destroyed by jettisoning them out of the cargo bay and firing a gravimetric torpedo at the device. Seven claimed that it was her first religious experience when she saw the particles stabilise" the Hologram said.

"And how does this help us?" asked Azan.

"The chamber had a flaw in the design that allowed the Omega particles to threaten the safety of the ship. However, Seven reviewed and changed the designs should we ever encounter them again. If we built another chamber to those improved specifications, it is likely that we could capture the particles and hold them. We could then go to Unimatrix Zero One and use them there" and Naomi smiled at the thought.

"The Borg want the particle" she said, "So why don't we be nice and give it to them? We could destroy the Cubes and other ships before beaming the chamber over. If we place charges on it before we attack, we can simply blow them up while we're at Warp"

"That may well work" said Icheb. "The Borg will be unaware of our arrival at Unimatrix Zero One as we will be under cloak. Our only problem will be to arm and fire the Tri-Cobalt devices. Their arming signature will reduce our operational time significantly"

"In Icheb-speak" Mezoti grinned, "He means the Borg will find and destroy us"

"Perhaps we do not need to fire them" said Rebi. He was normal quieter then his twin, preferring to concentrate on the work at hand – though he was just as friendly as his brother when relaxing.

"What do you mean?" asked the Doctor.

"The torpedoes for the Tri-Cobalt devices are, essentially, the same as normal torpedoes. They have a primitive guidance system and a small set of thrusters for use in station keeping. If we were to place both devices at set points here and here, for instance" Rebi touched the controls of the Ops station to manipulate the image of the Unimatrix complex so it had two spinning gold circles, "Then we could creep along, so to speak, and place the chamber where we want it, slip back to the Transwarp portals and get out – detonating all three at the same time"

"But would not the shockwave from the destruction of the Omega particle prevent us from warping out?" asked Naomi.

"Not if we entered the portal quick enough" Icheb replied. "We could lighten the ship by the simple method of venting the oxygen in unused areas of the ship. That may gain us valuable seconds in escaping"

"Let us hope that Starfleet agrees with you" the Doctor said, and as he spoke the sensors bleeped a warning of a build up of energy particles.

"Starfleet is on time" Naomi said. "Computer, rig deflector dish for Project Watson communications"

"Modified" it reported smartly.

"Open Starfleet emergency channel 628"

"Channel open"

"Starfleet Command, this is Naomi Wildman. Do you read me?" and the reply was instantaneous.

"We read you, Voyager" the reply of Reg Barclay came. "Switching to visual…" and the viewscreen changed from the star field it was showing to the excitable officer with several other officers and technicians around. Admiral Paris stood next to Barclay and smiled warmly at the children and the hologram – Naomi mock saluting him as she always did.

"Admiral, knowing that time is short, could you clear the room before we speak? I have something to say that is classified" Naomi said.

"Clear the lab" Paris ordered, and everybody but Barclay and himself left the Pathfinder project's main lab. "Mr Barclay, you will not reveal anything that Miss Wildman is about to say. You are hereby sworn to silence and secrecy"

"Aye, Sir" the officer gulped visibly.

"Now, Miss Wildman, what is it?"

"Admiral, Voyager's sensors discovered Omega particles close by to us. It took some doing to get the computers to unlock, but I am sending you all of the information you require" and Naomi pressed a button on the command chair's arm.

"Barclay, you breathe a word of this and I will have you serving as deckhand on a garbage scowl"

"Aye, Aye, S- Sir"

"Miss Wildman, the Borg threat will have to go to one side for now" Paris said. "This takes top priority. I assume that you have discussed it with your friends and your EMH?" and Naomi nodded.

"I know the directive said to not discuss it with anybody else if it could be helped, but I am on my own here Admiral and I do not keep secrets from my friends"

"I understand" Paris's scowl softened into a smile. "We shall skip the court martial on this occasion, Miss Wildman. As requested, we are sending you updates for you to implement to your computer filing and storage abilities. In addition, we are sending you some children's tapes and other files you will enjoy."

"Admiral, may I enquire about the Academy examinations?" Icheb asked.

"I had a feeling you would ask about that, young man. I have included the suggested texts you should read for the next round of exams" and then Paris returned to his business like manner. "Miss Wildman, I do not doubt that you will have read some of the orders regarding the Omega directive and know that it requires you to do everything you can to eliminate it. However, given your ages and the fact that you have little in the way of training, I would not take it amiss if you were to be unable to carry the directives out"

"Actually, Admiral, we've come up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone" Naomi said. "We plan to construct a chamber to control the particles and then give them to the Borg"

"Give them to the Borg?" Paris frowned.

"Yes, Sir" Naomi decided to be the respectful little Captain. "But we'll also be giving them a taste of the two remaining Tri-Cobalt devices we have aboard. It will take six months for the Borg to finish constructing their ships – easily enough time for us to build this harmonic resonance chamber thingie so we can use it to kill the Borg forever"

"Is that possible?" asked both Barclay and Paris at the same time.

"Whilst the Borg are many and are scatter throughout the universe, they can not exist without a Queen, Admiral" the Doctor said. "By destroying Unimatrix Zero One, we will make them a threat no longer"

"Strange words coming from one of the medical profession" Paris said.

"It is, Admiral" the hologram admitted, "But I do also have a duty to the Federation"

"I see" the Admiral replied. They talked for the remaining time before Barclay said that the time was almost up. "If you can come up with a plan I can review, I shall give it the fullest backing to the rest of the Admiralty" he said. "I shall see you at the appointed time and the designated location tomorrow. Starfleet out" and as he finished speaking, the signal was lost.

"So now what do we do?" asked Azan.

"The Admiral ordered us to make up a plan that he could present to the Admiralty" Icheb said. "We should start work at once"

"After we have had dinner" said Naomi.

"After dinner" Icheb allowed, a smile gracing his face.