Chapter 51


USS Enterprise

Deck 10, The Captain's Cabin

The lights in the room dimmed, and a blue burst of electricity swept outward from the wall as Picard slumped forward unconscious.

Warning...life support protocols are non-functional...systems failure is imminent on decks 10 through 16. Warning.

"What is he doing?" Wesley shouted, jumping to his feet and rushing at the Captain. Yar thrust out her leg, sweeping the teen off of his feet. He landed with a thud on his back. Yar stood over him with the disruptor leveled at his chest.

"He's taking over this ship, kid. The Enterprise in any universe is his for the taking. Now leave the captain alone, or I won't hesitate to shoot you."

Wesley stood up defiantly, unable to look beyond the image of the woman who he had been friends with so long ago, and see that he was facing an enemy. "Tasha, you can't do this! I know you don't want to do thi-"

He didn't have time to finish his words, because she fired the sidearm on stun, dropping him instantly. "I warned you," she murmured before turning back to the captain.

She crouched down and swept her bangs out of her eyes, trying to assess her options. Rivulets of blue energy seemed to course beneath the skin of his face. "He's really made the connection," she whispered to herself. Is this what the Borg intended this implant to do? Tasha knew if she waited too long he might die. His decision to try and use the Borg implant in his neck to interface with the ship had been extremely risky. However, if she removed the connection too soon he would be furious with her. He'd brought her along to be useful to him, and she intended to fulfill that purpose at any cost.

Life support systems for Decks 10 through 16 have stabilized. All control has been centralized. Awaiting further instruction from Captain Picard.

"He did it!" She blurted out, though no one could hear her.

Excitedly, Yar leaped forward to remove the connection, careful not to damage the tender skin around the metallic port on the back of his neck. Once he was free, he fell forward, but she caught him before he hit the deck and gently lowered him down. He immediately curled into a fetal position, twitching as though in a seizure. This went on for a few long minutes until his breathing slowed, and he stretched out his legs and rolled onto his back. He opened one eye slowly to look up at Yar, and gave her the thumbs up sign. "Success," he whispered, breaking into a grin. She grasped his hand in hers and shouted up at the ceiling in triumph.


Meanwhile on the Bridge...

Geordi LaForge came bursting out of the turbo lift at a sprint. Commander Riker had called him up to the bridge because it appeared the Terrans were attempting to sabotage the Enterprise computer, which was already compromised by an unknown virus, possibly contracted by contact with the Borg cube. The ship's computer was currently operating as though it wasn't receiving commands when it did receive them, it was jumping to conclusions, and not always the correct ones.

"What just happened, Geordi?" Riker shouted over the piercing wail of a perimeter alarm which had inexplicably been sounding for the last few minutes.

Geordi's hands flew over the controls at the back science station. "Let me shut that alarm off," he said, and after another moment of coaxing the computer, he managed to bring silence back to the bridge. "Damn it," he muttered to himself in frustration. He continued to try and assess the situation, when it suddenly became clear. "How the hell..." he turned to look over his shoulder at Riker, who had moved to stand behind him. "Commander...we've lost decks 10 through 16."

"Lost them?" Riker moved forward, leaning his hand on the wall next to the console. "Explain."

"Well our ship's computer is not recognizing the positronic systems throughout those levels as part of the ship's matrix."

"Do we have life support on those levels?"

"Yes...but, all controls for those decks have now been re-routed to...to the Captain's quarters, sir," he finished, looking with alarm at Riker.

"It's the Terrans," said Will darkly. "They've been on board less than an hour and they've already found a way to get control of a third of our ship. Geordi, we need to figure out how to shut these people down before it's too late."


IMS Contagion

The floor of the prison cell was covered in blood. And yet the man who she had condemned to death was still alive. For now. The man remaining inside looked just like Jack, her old lover and ally turned sworn enemy. Now, as far as she could tell he had colluded with Jean-Luc to stage an escape to the Lesser Enterprise.

Jack's twin shifted his position standing against the far wall, cradling the superficial injuries Jean-Luc had left him with. It was all show, and no substance. Beverly had given Jean-Luc a chance for revenge and redemption, and he had thrown that opportunity back in her face. And now, what were his plans on the Lesser Enterprise? Why speculate? Not important. What was important now was to carry through with her plans to overthrow the Emperor, and she certainly did not need Picard for that. The problem remained that as long as Jean-Luc was not under her watch, he was more vulnerable to capture by the Borg. And with his overblown ego he wasn't exactly given to keeping a low profile. She would consider whether he was worth trusting in the future, but for now, she would do her best to put him out of her mind.

Jack slid his feet on the dirty floor, and she raised her piercing gaze to his sheepish one. Beverly had heard the man speak, and she didn't care to hear anything more from him at this time. So she turned to leave the cell.

"Wait!"

She wordlessly watched him, wondering if it would just be better if she put him out of his misery and eliminate him now. Why allow him to plot with Picard right under her nose. He had maintained his original story-that he was not the real Jack, and she tended to believe him now. At least, he was not the Jack she had known for years before banishing him to suffer and die in the Ferengi territories. Perhaps he was the Lesser version of Jack. According to this man, the real Jack was still alive and plotting against her. If Jack was truly back, nothing good come come from that. She raised her chin to look at him with open disdain. "Do you have a request?"

"I know what you're thinking," M said quickly. "You're considering killing me. Well, I want you to know that's not a good idea."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Picard told me about your daughter. And I can help you avenge her. All we have to do is track down Jack. And you can't do that without me."

Her expression impassive, she turned and walked briskly out of the detention area.


USS Enterprise

When Riker entered the main cargo bay, he was again struck by the silence. It was only the second time he'd been here since the survivors from the five ships had been beamed aboard, rescued during the Borg incident. Data and T'Pel had been monitoring the group of survivors who were oddly grouped in the middle of the cargo bay. Now only the Vulcan scientist remained. She stood silently monitoring the life signs of the assimilated crew members, and didn't look up when he approached. He walked closer and stood next to her staring at the data panel she was reviewing.

He crossed his arms, trying to focus on the important work there was to do, keeping these people alive. Captain Picard was for the time being, gone. But it wasn't the first time he'd had to operate without the Captain. Certainly, facing off with Locutus had changed him, challenged everything he knew about tactical strategy, and especially his own inner workings. Now just months after facing down a Borg cube on the brink of an Earth invasion, he was facing the Borg yet again...or at least their counterparts in this universe. He was faced with a dilemma; track down the missing ships with the officers who were assimilated, but very likely alive, or chase down the Contagion and rescue the captain.

Will finally turned to regard the stoic woman. "Captain Picard has been captured by the Terrans. And Data is with him..."

T'Pel paused her calculations. "That is unfortunate."

"Yes. I thought, given your history serving with the Captain you would want to know." He decided to leave out the part about the two Terrans currently at-large on the ship, and the problems with the computer. One damn problem at a time. The survivors of Borg assimilation were important and needed the best care and attention. Right now, that came in the form of T'Pel.

"Thank you, commander."

An awkward silence followed, and so Riker turned his attention to the assimilated crew.

"How are they?" He stared into the energy field, where over one hundred of the assimilated officers stood silently, or milled around in an aimless manner.

"They are in a kind of stasis," she said. "With Data's collaboration we programmed a subspace communication on a loop to the assimilated survivors. They are being instructed to await orders from the Collective. Captain Picard was very wise to flood the area with tetryons, as it replicates very well the inner atmosphere of a Borg cube. Meanwhile the energy field is providing them with sustenance."

"So they don't need to eat?"

"Not in the same way we do. Remember they are no longer fully organic lifeforms."

"So they're mostly safe for the moment?"

"Yes. However, some have...expired."

Riker glanced at her sharply. "What?"

"Five individuals were reduced to ash during the first few hours on board."

He exhaled and closed his eyes for a moment. "Theories about why?"

"Our program was created during an emergency. It is likely those individuals sensed immediately the destruction of the cube before we could block their awareness."

"So we're lying to them..."

"Yes."

"If Data were here we could figure this out." He smiled tightly at the scientist. "I know this is asking a lot of you...and you're certainly not obligated to continue helping us-"

"Commander," she interrupted him mildly. "I am for the moment trapped in an alternate universe along with every other member of this crew. It is only logical that I should assist with our escape."

"Which brings me to the subject of the ion stations...we need to locate another one so we can travel back home. The one we accessed was destroyed during the Borg attack."

"I will assist where possible, Commander," agreed T'Pel.

Riker nodded. "Thank you. At this point I can use all the help I can get."

"That is clear."


Hey! Thanks for your readership...have a nice weekend, friends. -PP