Captain Janeway turned quickly, tapping the internal comms. "Red Alert, all hands, battle stations, Borg drones have infiltrated deck 10 through the shuttlebay! Security, seal off deck ten immediately!"

"Captain Janeway, wait, please," said Fran, making the Captain pause as she turned to regard the Replicator.

"There are only 4 of them, right, so maybe I can neutralize them. I've proven that I am just as strong as the Borg, maybe even slightly stronger. I've done enough harm to this ship, to this crew so please allow me to fight these Borg…" Fran pleaded earnestly.

Janeway sighed, turning to Ensign Kim and Seven of Nine for their opinions.

"I believe Fran has a chance against the drones, Captain." Seven's response was concise and to the point, as always.

"It's better we do something quickly, before they get out of the shuttlebay and try to assimilate the ship." Harry said after Seven's words, keeping an eye on the shuttlebay feed.

Janeway nodded, turning to Fran. "Do it," she said sternly, using her catchphrase. She knew Tuvok would remain guarding the Hyperdrive, as were his standing orders. "Harry, give her your phaser," she instructed the Ensign.

Fran wasted no time, running out of the room, "I won't need it!" she called over her shoulder as she ran out of the Astrometrics Lab.

The three of them blinked in surprised, Seven remarking how fast Fran was, which was impressive. Considering all of her knowledge of the thousands of species she must have took part in assimilating who no doubt possessed physical and technological prowess superior to that of humanity and the Federation, that was indeed saying something.

The Captain turned and ordered Harry to return with her to the bridge, also ordering Seven to try to slow the Borg down with rotating modulation forcefields. Seven nodded curtly as she did in her own way, tapping at her master console. Times like these, Janeway was glad for Seven's disposition towards efficiency.

Meanwhile, B'Elanna Torres and Tuvok stood guard with a small security detail in front of the Hyperdrive, armed with phaser rifles. "Damn Borg, just when we catch a break and stave off an attack, somehow a few of them manage to survive their ship getting blown to hell and come aboard!" The half-Klingon raged, in stark contrast to Tuvok's ever-calm visage.

"Indeed, Lieutenant, however, we must have faith in our crew and in Fran. The Replicator has proven remarkably resourceful in the short time we have had our interactions with her."

Lt. Torres nodded, adjusting her stance a bit, glad that these rifles were relatively light, despite her greater Klingon strength and stamina.

In sickbay, the Doctor was pacing listlessly. Oh how he wished he could do more than just remain at his post! He was still not totally used to the idea that he was made of Replicator nanites now and no longer just a projection of energy and light.

He stopped, staring at the still shattered window of his office, turning to his primary sickbay system console.

"Computer, display data on all forms of martial arts and self-defense techniques in the Starfleet database." The computer's crisp female voice replied, following it's acknowledging chirp. Working.

As the various paragraphs and imagery flashed on the display, the Doctor raised his hand and thought to himself, well, here goes nothing.

He phased his fingers into the sickbay console, his head tilting slightly as the knowledge flowed into him. Gigaquads of data regarding hundreds of years of historical practices of various Federation and allied worlds were assimilated in seconds. He pulled his fingers from the console and smiled. "Oh wow," he muttered to himself. It would have taken longer for the computer to download the files into his previous form's holomatrix, not to mention the fact that it may have seriously conflicted with his medical database.

The Doctor smiled to himself, crossing his arms as he stood there, smug as he always tended to present himself.

Neelix, meanwhile, had procured a hand phaser, ready to defend his home, his crewmates. He stood guard with Naomi Wildman while her mom was still working with Lt. Torres and Tuvok in engineering.

He regaled the young girl with stories about his early security training under Tuvok. "…and so Mr. Vulcan told me that I was…" and she laughed as he imitated Tuvok, "…not completely inept!" Neelix smiled as he told her more stories, trying to distract her from the awful Borg. Inside he was just as nervous as the rest of the crew, but as Moral Officer it was his job to set an example. Naomi for her part was old enough to understand how Neelix was being protective, and for that she was thankful.

Fran ran fast, or as fast as she could as she passed a few crewmembers rushing through the corridors themselves, taking care not to run into them. A few near misses and one turbolift ride later, she arrived on deck 10, where she met Alex Munro and the other members of what was to become the Hazard Team. Lt. Foster, the leader of the unit, as well as Chang, Murphy, Biessman and Chell. The remaining members were ahead, standing guard at the shuttlebay doors.

"Thanks for being here you guys, but listen, your Captain gave me permission to engage the Borg in the shuttlebay alone, I'll need to go in by myself."

"Isn't that a little crazy? Sorry ma'am," came Chell's voice in the back of the assembled personnel. Fran nodded as they hurried along, meeting up with the others outside the bay.

"Maybe it is, but I'm confident I can handle 4 Borg." Biessman spoke up as he tightened his grip on his phaser rifle. "Well not that I'm one to shy away from a fight, but I think we should just go in there and open fire all at the same time, and if we can hit the Borg all at once they won't be able to adapt."

Lt. Foster turned to his team mate and tilted his head. "That's actually a sound tactic, Biessman," he said and Alex nodded, brushing some of her blond bands out of her eyes. "This can still go wrong, but maybe that is the best chance we have…"

Fran gave an exasperated sigh as she wrung her hands into the hem of her unique long top. "We're wasting time, but fine, let's get in there!"

Lt. Foster tapped his comm badge, contacting the bridge. "Lt. Foster to bridge, has life support been re-established in the shuttlebay?"

Janeway's voice issued from his comm badge, although it was surprisingly full of distortion, possibly due to Borg interference.

Yes, Lieutenant, Fran should be with you, proceed at your discretion and use all necessary force, I repeat, all necessary force.

Lt. Foster acknowledged, closing the channel with another tap and he instructed his team to ready their weapons.

Seven of Nine was still trying her best, her lithe slender fingers tapping away as she used Borg algorithms to thwart the Borg's attempts to leave the shuttlebay. She had encompassed the bay in a forcefield on all surrounding sections. The floor, every conceivable hatch, jeffery's tube access and bulkhead. The Borg drones had somehow managed to disrupt her internal sensor link to the shuttlebay, but she knew her efforts were still keeping them contained. Hurry, Fran, she thought to herself.

"Move in!" ordered Foster as the loud hydraulics of the shuttlebay doors activated at the door opened.

Biessman and Odell, along with Chang and Chell rushed in, rifles at the ready. They took aim at the Borg drones who were still standing there. That's odd, thought Fran.

Why would they not have made a move to leave the shuttlebay? Wouldn't Seven have alerted us to any change, unless…

"Look out!" she turned fast, rushing, her form a blur as two drones grabbed Biessman and Odell from the sides, having remained in the shadows, still like the other 4. It had been a trap! They must have come in sometime after Seven had started her forcefield operation during which they disconnected the internal sensors.

Fran managed to knock the Borg off his feet, horrified at his grey veiny complexion. So that's what they really looked like up close. "Oh no!" she turned and saw Odell grasping his arm where the drone managed to grab him.

"I feel it, shoot me! Shoot me!" he pleaded, and Foster turned and fired, blasting a smoldering hole in Odell's chest, knocking him off his feet.

Meanwhile, Munro and the others opened fire, but not all at the same time. The four drones who had been standing still had advanced on them. Two of the foremost Borg dropped to the deck, sparking holes in their thoracic nodes, but the other two kept advancing, having adapted as the phaser beams hit the sickly green glow of their adaptive Borg shielding.

Fran turned, momentarily distracted by the shields, too late as she saw Kendrick Biessman, standing ridged as a spidery Borg implant erupted from his cheek. "Fall back!" shouted Foster, turning too late as the assimilated crewman grabbed him and injected his neck with tubules. "Go!" he managed to shout at the others as he grappled Biessman to the deck in his final act as a free thinking individual.

"Get out," Ensign Munro shouted, pulling Telsia along by her arm as she struggled, wanting to help her commanding officer. "Let me go Alex, no, Foster! Sir!" Fran slid low on the desk, her hand jutting up as she struck the drone that had assimilated Biessman in his chin, sending him sprawling to the floor, his neck sparking as she managed to break something vital, she hoped. The other members of the team were attempting to lay down suppressing fire. Although their phaser fire was doing little more than making the remaining advancing drones stop for a moment in their tracks. "Retreat, now!" she yelled, knowing she needed to safeguard the remaining Hazard team members. Chell was the first to break formation, heading out fast and the others followed, but Chang was caught by his ankle by the assimilated Foster who injected his calf. "Sorry sir…." He turned and fired, blowing a smoking hole in Foster's spine before he turned and rushed the Borg, using his body to slow them, trying to trip them as he went for their legs.

Fran ushered Alex, Chell, Telsia and crewman Nelson, the only surviving unassimilated members, out the doors, using her greater strength to shove them out. "Seal the door!" she managed to yell before it shut completely. Munro, trembling from adrenaline and the loss of over half her team, managed to raise her phaser and melt the tritanium composing the door, knowing it wouldn't stop them for long but also knowing Fran would try her best. "Munro to bridge…." She sounded so worn down, but she had to prepare the Captain for bad news.

Fran charged, now knowing how the drones operated, she was careful not to let any of them touch her. Although she was inexperienced in hand-to-hand combat, she had after all read Earth's files…and it was also a military expedition. She struck the assimilated Biessman in his shoulder, tipping him off balance before she swung her legs high, gripping his torso and pulling him to the deck in a takedown maneuver.

Rolling away, she saw one of the drones trying to force open the shuttlebay doors. "Oh, I don't think so!" she sprang to her feet, but before she could rush him, she felt two sets of hands grabbing her arms. She dropped her legs out from under her, hoping her surprise move and her weight would make the Borg release her. They didn't, but they knew she was strong, and in their small collective, they communicated a strategy in their consciousness. Biessman, Chang and the other two Borg near Fran each took hold of her limbs. Struggle as she might, she was no match for them. "Let me go!" she raged. Her emotions boiled, as she had before, but despite that she still couldn't shake them off. "Resistance is futile…" deadpanned the Biessman drone as the four Borg swung her in a single fluid motion, letting her go just as they deactivated the forcefield Seven had erected. She screamed as she was sucked out through the gaping bay door into space, not even able to grasp the edges of the door as she vanished into the void.

The Chang drone and the Biessman drone were forced to chain link to the two drones next to them to avoid being sucked into space since they were still mostly human and did not yet possess their fellow Borg's magnetic adherence capabilities.

With that, the 5 Borg turned their attention to the door, working in tandem to force it open. The one who had been working to break through having utilized his left arm's plasma cutting tool to strip away the central seal of the door. The other drones attacked the visible magnetic locks on either side, using their Borg strength to rip them away.

They breached the door moments later, greeted by their former team mates. "Fire!" shouted Munro, but even as the door drone and one of the other full Borg fell, yet again they adapted quickly to the phaser modulation. Biessman and Chang having undergone enough assimilation to now have shields.

The 3 remaining Borg advanced quickly, stepping over the ones who had fallen. "Damn it, we can't stop them, fall back, now that's an order! Chell!" Alex shouted at Chell who was frozen on the spot with fear as he dropped his useless phaser. Biessman's icy grey hand closed around the blue Bolian's throat and, through a twist of cruelty, a sliver of his former humanity slipped through as he brought Chell close, staring him in his eyes as he said "Hey Chell….boo!" before Chell felt the icy cold stab of tubules in his neck.

"Chell! Goddamn it no!" Alex raged as she shoved her two surviving squad mates into the turbolift at the end of the corridor, the three of them collapsing from the heat of battle and the horror of watching their team be killed or assimilated. "Fuck…." Alex said as her eyes spilled over with tears, Telsia hugging her and Nelson.

Fran spun end over end, watching the ship getting further and further away. She raged, even though she could do nothing. Quite suddenly, she felt human hands take hold of her, steadying her tumble and she turned to see a tall man without a spacesuit smiling at her, and he could somehow talk, as if they were surrounded by a bubble of air yet they weren't.

"Hello, Fran….I'm Q!"