Disclaimer: This author does not own Star Trek or any of its names or characters. He only owns his own ideas and story line.

Chapter 6

Seven of Twelve

Under normal circumstances Seven of Twelve, Tertiary Adjunct Unimatrix Five Two Five would wake up in her regeneration alcove refreshed hearing the voices of the thousands of drones aboard her cube. However, for some reason, all she heard was quietness. It was a quietness that she had not heard since she had been assimilated from the USS Tombaugh (NCC-3853), in 2362. Biologically she was a hybrid of the Katarin Species, Species Number 6961 and the Human Species, Species Number 5618, but none of that mattered now because now she was Borg. But she was confused…"why are we silent?" she wondered. "Why are there no voices?" "What has happened to stop all processes?" There were only two possibilities: (A) she had been captured and had been disconnected from the Hive Mind and this was some sort of hologram program that she was in, or (B) the cube had been destroyed to the point that there wasn't much of it left. If "B" was the correct answer then there was no telling what she was going to find if she opened the sliding door in front of her. Would she be floating in space? If so, how long would she be there? The only thing that she knew to do was to start making as many repairs as she could to the ship and try to contact Unimatrix Five Two Five.

It wasn't easy to concentrate with no other voices in her head, but she made a choice to go to work. She decided to open the door and when she did she found that she had opened the door to a very large and well lit room. She could see humans off in a corner arguing about something. She snuck off the derelict and hid in the shadows in the corner. It wasn't long until the group of humans left leaving only one female there by herself. Seven of Twelve slowly walked up behind the female and when she got close enough the assimilation tubes extracted from her left hand, went around the female's neck and caught her in the throat. The female suddenly turned around and tried to scream, but she couldn't. She tried to fight, but she couldn't. Seven of Twelve pushed her against the wall and held her there until the assimilation process was complete. When the female had received all of the nanites that she needed to be assimilated Borg implants began to appear on her skin.

Seven of Twelve told her, "You are designated as 'Eight of Twelve' do you understand?" Petty Officer Franklin coughed and gagged and finally said, "I understand, what do you want?" Seven of Twelve responded with "We have to get to a communication station and send a message to Unimatrix Five Two Five to let the others know that the Cube has been destroyed. Take us to a communication station." Eight of Twelve said "It isn't that easy, only people with security clearance are allowed in the CIC." Seven of Twelve asked "What is CIC?" Eight of Twelve responded with "CIC stands for Combat Information Center, and the only people allowed there are people that the Captain knows and people who have security clearance." Seven of Twelve asked "How can we get security clearance? Eight of Twelve responded "We can't, that is just the point. I am simply a petty officer 3rd class working on the flight deck."

Seven of Twelve thought for a few minutes and then asked "Do you have a berthing quarters?" Franklin admitted that she did and Seven of Twelve ordered her to take her to it. With that the two drones went off towards the passage way leading to Petty Officer Franklin's berthing quarters. As they entered the passage way two armed Marines came around the corner and came to attention aiming their weapons at the two drones. One of them knew Franklin, and he said "Franklin, what has happened to you? Why are you with this thing?" Franklin started towards him extending her hand and as she did her assimilation tubes extracted. Franklin had not been fully assimilated and was still in partial control of her emotions and she screamed: "Agathon, don't let us touch you, we are dangerous, run, run." This is when both marines began to run. They locked the next hatch and Cpl Agathon picked up the sound powered phone and notified the Bridge of their situation. Lt. Halsey was on duty on the Bridge. When he received the message he notified the Marine detachment to get to Agathon's location immediately.

Capt. McDaniel and Cmd. Williams were deep into watching the log buoy for the Saratoga when they heard the shrill sound of the boatswain's whistle followed by "Now Hear This! General Quarters! General Quarters! All Hands Man Your Battle Stations! General Quarters! General Quarters! All Hands Man Your Battle Stations!" Starboard side up and forward, port side down and aft. Avoid frames 145-150 of deck 15. This is not a drill. Set condition Zebra throughout the ship! All departments check in with DC Central!" Logan and Marsha looked at each other with fear in their eyes wondering what was coming next. They immediately got up and headed for the door. When they opened it they found the two guards ready to escort them to the bridge.

Upon arriving on the Bridge, Marsha went to her GQ station at CIC and Logan relieved Lt. Halsey. All departments checked in sir, Halsey said. "Fine, now why are we at General Quarters? And what is going on on deck 15?" "Sir Cpl Agathon called in and said that one of those things that SSgt Mathers killed this afternoon was loose on the ship and it had Petty Officer Franklin with it." He continued "They have them locked on deck 15 between frames 145 and 150." "Alright," McDaniel said, "has it hurt Petty Officer Franklin?"

Halsey replied with "I don't know, all I know is what I have been told." McDaniel quickly retorted "How did it get that close to one of my people? Why didn't the marine detachment take it out on the hanger deck?"

Halsey didn't know what to say, and he began to stutter "I..I..I d..d..don't know sir, I just know what I…I have been told. McDaniel picked up the receiver to the 1MC and pushed the button for the section where the call came from.

Marine Captain John Wilson replied "Wilson here." McDaniel asked "Captain what is your situation and how is my petty officer?" Wilson replied: Sir, your petty officer is well on her way to becoming one of those things. They can some how assimilate you and make you become one of them. We have them trapped between frames 145 and 150 and there are no sensitive systems there so I believe we have the situation contained for now.

With anger in his voice McDaniel sharply asked "How did they get that far? Why didn't your detachment take that thing out before it got to Franklin?" Wilson began: "According to SSgt Mathers, Chief Fallon came in and told him that during the staff meeting you had agreed that there was no more danger and so he ordered them to take off, and they did."

McDaniel: Well, Capt. I guess we know that there is still a danger, and as far as Chief Fallon goes, I will take care of him later, but suffice it to say I said no such thing. Do what you can to save Franklin, but save this ship. Wilson replied "Understood, Wilson out."

A hatch opened and something came through carrying a hand weapon. As Seven of Twelve began to defend herself it raised the hand weapon and fired. Seven of Twelve felt a sharp sting in her neck, and then felt drowsy and finally blacked out.

When she opened her eyes she was strapped down to a table like bed, her arms were outstretched and she had straps around her wrists, elbows, biceps, head, throat, abdomen, thighs, knees, calves and ankles.

She knew that there was something terribly wrong. People were standing over her and…could it be? No…Yes…they were taking mechanical parts off of her. She started to say something, but found that her mouth had been propped open. All she could do was to lay there and wait for her captors to finish extracting what they wanted to extract. A shot was given her and she blacked out again.

She awoke and found herself in a soft bed that was slightly tilted upward in the back. However, she was still strapped down around her wrists, elbows abdomen legs and feet. She could speak however.

Seven of Twelve screamed "What have you done?" The marine guard that was assigned to watch her didn't budge. He didn't look at her, he didn't move a muscle.

Again Seven of Twelve screamed "What have you done?" At that moment Capt. McDaniel and the doctor came around the curtain. McDaniel said "Good you're awake, now maybe you can answer some questions for me, and if you give me satisfactory answers I will tell you what we have done to you."

Seven of Twelve said "Fair enough, what do you want to know?" McDaniel said "I want to know why your ship attacked the Saratoga yesterday?"

Seven of Twelve replied: The Saratoga was destroyed at Wolf 359, in 2362 it was a fair fight. You had 40 star ships and we only had one. "What are babbling about? The Saratoga was destroyed yesterday and it was the only ship present other than your ship. I viewed the ship's log and they did nothing to provoke you into firing upon them" McDaniel said in a loud and stern voice.

Seven of Twelve looked at the two men then she quietly retorted "You humans lie! You think we don't remember your battles?" "What battles?" McDaniel asked "We have never seen you people before yesterday, and first contact was the destruction of the USS Saratoga SCVAN 18."

SCVAN 18? That was a new one, one that Seven of Twelve knew nothing of. The only Saratoga she knew of was the USS Saratoga (NCC-31911) that was destroyed at Wolf 359 on the day that she had been assimilated with the rest of the Tombaugh in 2362

The captain stormed out of the room and all was quiet.