Chapter 10 – Previously on Star Trek Voyager – Part II
As Janeway made her way towards the mess hall, she felt like a little girl again; a little girl who is excited beyond belief at the prospect of special treats. It was her Birthday and she had ordered the entire crew to arrange a big party in her honour.
Just before entering the mess hall, she checked her make-up in a mirror, noting that one of her implants was a bit rusty. The imperfection threatened to ruin her high spirits but then she realised that Seven was bound to have made new ones for her as a present. Her good mood restored, Janeway skipped into the mess hall. Sure enough, the whole crew was there and the mess hall was littered with banners, decorations and Hirogen trophies. Janeway was especially happy that the dead members of her crew had made the effort to be there as well but noted that there were no cheers, no music and most notably, nobody seemed happy. Maybe she had kept them waiting too long?
"I'm here now, the party can begin!" she announced happily but quickly became annoyed when nobody responded or even wished her a happy birthday.
"That's an order!" she added sharply.
Instead of obeying, the crew started to turn their backs on her.
"I didn't mean it!" she said hastily, trying to force a smile. "Please!"
But despite her pleading, more and more of her crew silently turned around. She ran over to Chakotay and grabbed his shoulder, trying to turn him to face her, but he was too strong.
"What is it Chakotay, what have I done to upset you all?"
Without turning, Chakotay replied sadly, "You said you would get us all home. You lied."
Janeway gasped and took a step back. Those who still stood facing her, starred accusingly.
"I will get you all home," she pleaded. "I promise, I promise!"
Despite how many times she promised, the rest of the crew slowly turned away from her, even when she burst into tears. Sobbing, she sat down on the floor and cried into her arms for what seemed an eternity until finally, someone spoke.
"Kathryn, why are you crying?"
The voice was familiar, but Janeway couldn't quite place it. Maybe it was one of the dead crew members? She did not want this to be true and was sorry that she had insisted they turn up for her party.
Without raising her head, she replied, "I said I'd get them all home, and I can't. No-one likes me anymore."
"I still like you," replied the familiar voice.
Janeway looked up and could see through blurry eyes the face of a Bajoran, or was it a Cardassian?
"You do?" asked Janeway, as she wiped her eyes. Her vision cleared. She could see the face much clearer now.
"I thought you had left?" she said with a touch of awe, amazed that, out of all the people who had betrayed her at her own party, she was the only one left, the only one to offer comfort to Janeway.
Janeway flew into her open arms, felling like a child seeking comfort from her mother.
"No, I didn't leave," answered Seska as she brushed her hands through Janeway's hair soothingly.
"In fact, I have always been here."
Janeway awoke with a cold sweat. She was lying in Engineering next to the still unconscious forms of Tuvok, Seven, Kim and Torres.
Janeway briefly wondered if the sudden attack by an assimilated Species 8472 had all been part of the strange dream . However, one glance around Engineering confirmed her worst fears; Species 8472 had somehow been assimilated by the Borg. They had attacked her on the Caretaker array and her ship was being assimilated.
Sections of Engineering had been converted into larger versions of the Borg regeneration chambers. All but two were all currently empty while the rest contained the massive Hydra-like forms of the assimilated Species 8472. The rest of the Borg in engineering where busy working on the Warp engines. Janeway counted six in total, including a 'normal' humanoid Borg. The lighting systems were on a minimal setting and the room felt hot and humid; the preferred environmental setting for Borg drones.
She quickly woke up the others, motioning for them to be quiet, even though this generation of Borg seemed to be ignoring them just as much as the original ones had.
"How is this possible?" asked Kim, after monitoring the new Borg in action for a few moments.
That has been Janeway's first thought when she was assaulted on the Caretaker Array. In their original encounter with Species 8472 it had been established that the Borg could not assimilate this species due to their highly advanced organic cell structure which rejected Borg Nanites. She had not had much time to speculate on the possibilities however, as she had quickly been rendered unconscious. Impossible or not, they existed and they had her ship.
One of the Borg Species 8472 turned its head briefly in their direction as it walked by.
"At present I am more concerned with what they are doing with the warp drive," replied Janeway
"They're doing something to the Warp Plasma flow, I think," answered Torres. "Yes, look, the plasma has started to fluctuate!"
The plasma flickered briefly before changing to a dark Red colour. Before anyone could speculate further, the doors to Engineering opened. Chakotay and Paris entered, followed by another assimilated Species 8472 who had to crouch down to get through the doorway. With its escort duty apparently over, the Borg joined its brethren at the Warp drive while Chakotay and Paris approached Janeway.
"Captain!" said Chakotay, hardly disguising the relief in his voice. "I thought you'd been assimilated."
Paris seemed equally happy to see Torres, but decided to express his relief in a more personal manner. Seven and Tuvok raised an eyebrow, Kim looked slightly embarrassed, but Janeway smiled at the kissing couple, glad that something positive was happening for a change.
"I think if they wanted to, I would be," said Janeway, taking Chakotay to one side so that they could discuss matters further. "What happened to you?" she asked.
Chakotay made a quick report on what had transpired on the Bridge. He was angry with himself for allowing the Borg to take over Voyager so easily but Janeway intervened during his apology.
"Chakotay, we didn't stand a chance. On the array, they came out of no-where and the next minute, I'm waking up on the deck. At least you put up a fight."
"A lot of good it did me, at least one dead that we know of and I've lost the ship."
"We have to look past that for now. You managed to injure one of them, proving they are not indestructible plus they've left us alive and unassimilated. Now, let's work out what they are up to and come up with a plan to take back the ship!"
Chakotay could see the anger and determination in Janeway's eyes. Looking back he could not think of anyway he could have done anything differently and Kathryn was right, he should be concentrating on fixing the situation.
"Never give in, never surrender Captain?" he said with a smile.
Janeway smiled back, "Consider it an order!"
A jet of steam blew out from the regeneration chambers, interrupting Janeway and Chakotay's discussion. The previously dormant Borg detached from the chambers and leapt down, landing with such force that Janeway felt a slight tremor run through the deck. Instead of joining the other Borg, they quickly constructed a harness; one which Janeway and Seven had seen before. This cage like harness had been the one used to hold the Queen Borg's black exoskeleton suit in place. Sure enough, once the harness was complete, a black, leather suit materialised in the centre and the Borg hooked it into position.
Overhead, in the dark depths of the ceiling, tendril like cables swirled around as if they had a life of their own, reaching for something that, for now, remained out of view. From out of this darkness came a voice from the past.
"Janeway. Always the optimist, always the one with a plan for any situation. That is something I almost miss."
This can't be! thought Janeway. The voice had the distinct cold, echoing tone of the Borg queen but it was mixed with a very familiar aspect seemingly straight out of her dream. The cables were drawing a shape out of the darkness. At first she could only see a vague outline with two pinpricks of light but soon Janeway glimpsed the writhing, shiny Cyborg spinal cord, and finally the new Borg Queen became visible.
"Seska!" gasped Chakotay.
"You remember me? How touching. " said Seska sarcastically.
The cables lowered her chest into the suit while small, sharp looking hooks attached to her flesh, joining the organic to the cybernetic.
"But you're dead!" commented Paris.
Seska stepped out of the harness and approached Paris, escorted by two Borg. She caressed Tom's face as if feeling flesh for the first time.
"Death is but a disease," her voice was light and soothing, speaking to Tom as if he were a child.
"I am whole again, more whole then I have ever been."
Seska switched her attention from Paris and focused on Janeway and Chakotay. Her mood visibly darkened as she did so, her Borg escort moved in closer reacting protectively in response to this new surge in negative emotion. She glanced at them briefly and they backed off.
"I am cured," she stated flatly, her eyes switching from Janeway to Chakotay and back again. Finally they rested on Janeway.
"Once I was simply me. Now I am more than that. I am now also them,"
The escort Borg rose up on their hind legs and roared. Chakotay and the others backed off but Janeway stood her ground.
"I am now vengeance," continued Seska, "and I will have my vengeance on you, your crew, your precious Starfleet and your almighty Federation!"
Seska stepped closer. She was now barely an inch away from Janeway as she whispered quietly into her ear.
"I am going to destroy everything you hold dear. All you will be able to do….is watch."