"Counterforce"
By T. Cummins
2001
(Story based on characters and environments created and owned by Paramount and
Marvel)
Chapter Three – "Paper Victory"
"Oh, this is nice!" Anthony Stark, unlike most visitors to Borg ships, drew hostile
attention the moment he arrived. The energy scattering fields that surrounded his armor
dispersed a dozen different particle beams directed at his position. As a result he was then
able to roam freely without having to devote much attention to his defense. When it
became obvious that their weapons were ineffective against him, the Borg drones moved
to intercept him personally. "Alright. You guys aren't going to win any beauty contests,
but I'm betting all that hardware you're carrying might scratch my paint job." Stark knew
he had very little time to be effective. He instantly trained the repulsor beams located in
the palms of his gauntlets upon what he guessed were power distribution nodes scattered
as far as he could see. Each exploded on impact causing massive damage to the
surrounding equipment. When the ever-growing pile of drones clinging to his armor
began to impede his progress, Stark turned his weapons against them, blasting their
bodies away as though they presented only a minor nuisance. Once free, he engaged his
propulsion unit and flew up and through the decks above, blasting his way into the heart
of the ship.
After only a few moments the cube had suffered a crippling amount of damage and with
every new explosion the entire structure began to shudder and creak as though it was
about to tear itself apart. Tony could tell that his tactics were creating a fatal chain
reaction with the power conduits throughout the doomed vessel. It became increasing
apparent that he would soon be forced to find or create an exit, but he felt he had to make
certain that Voyager would no longer be threatened. "Stark to Voyager. Come in Captain
Janeway." He wasn't surprised when he received no response. The discharging
electromagnetic energy being released by the dying ship, made communications a near
impossibility. Tony had managed to drive nearly all the way across the axis of the cube
and in order to escape, he would be forced to blast his way through the nearest outer wall.
As he cleared the last layers of metal plating the cube exploded.
It had been over an hour since the Borg ship was destroyed and any hope of finding Stark
alive was starting to fade. Seven had taken Harry's place at his station giving him a
chance to get proper treatment for his burns in sickbay. She exhaustively scanned the
debris field for any sign of Tony or his armor without results.
A spark of intuition struck Captain Janeway. "Seven, we all witnessed at least some of
Mr. Stark's abilities. What if his armor protected him enough so that he may have
survived after being thrown clear of the explosion by its shockwave."
Seven grasped the concept instantly and proceeded to scan a ten thousand kilometer
radius around the ship. "I have him."
The lighting in sickbay made his head ache as Anthony Stark slowly pried open his eyes.
When a slight groan escaped from his lips due to his sore ribcage, the Doctor met him at
his bedside. "Well Mr. Stark. I see you've regained consciousness." He stood over his
patient with a wry grin and a medical tricorder. "I recommend you lay there for a while
longer before you resume single handedly destroying the entire Borg collective."
Stark raised his hand as a shield from the glare and squinted his left eye. "I'd know that
tone in any dimension. I assume you are the ship's doctor." He opened both eyes and
peered closer. "Correction, holographic doctor."
The Doctor's grin widened further. "Guilty as charged." He said in a playfully confident
tone. "Please don't concern yourself. I have a medical database that spans the knowledge
of mankind and several other races combined."
Stark finally returned a smile of his own. "I have been known to program a holographic
know-it-all or two in my time." The Doctor's face went blank. "Would you like a
girlfriend?"
A moment passed and then the Doctor released a hearty chuckle. "That won't be
necessary sir. I can't imagine what you'd concoct in your present condition."
Suddenly Stark realized he was lying in bed without his armor. A look of panic washed
across his face.
"Mr. Stark, what's wrong?"
Tony quickly sat up and scanned the room; it was nowhere to be seen. He jumped off the
table and grabbed the Doctor by the shoulders. "My armor! What happened to my
armor?"
The Doctor was clearly confused by Stark's emotional reaction. "I believe Seven has
taken it to engineering. She vowed to try and repair it for you."
Tony pushed himself away and spun around. "She can't do that. She doesn't know the
dangers. You've got to get me to engineering before its too late!"
By T. Cummins
2001
(Story based on characters and environments created and owned by Paramount and
Marvel)
Chapter Three – "Paper Victory"
"Oh, this is nice!" Anthony Stark, unlike most visitors to Borg ships, drew hostile
attention the moment he arrived. The energy scattering fields that surrounded his armor
dispersed a dozen different particle beams directed at his position. As a result he was then
able to roam freely without having to devote much attention to his defense. When it
became obvious that their weapons were ineffective against him, the Borg drones moved
to intercept him personally. "Alright. You guys aren't going to win any beauty contests,
but I'm betting all that hardware you're carrying might scratch my paint job." Stark knew
he had very little time to be effective. He instantly trained the repulsor beams located in
the palms of his gauntlets upon what he guessed were power distribution nodes scattered
as far as he could see. Each exploded on impact causing massive damage to the
surrounding equipment. When the ever-growing pile of drones clinging to his armor
began to impede his progress, Stark turned his weapons against them, blasting their
bodies away as though they presented only a minor nuisance. Once free, he engaged his
propulsion unit and flew up and through the decks above, blasting his way into the heart
of the ship.
After only a few moments the cube had suffered a crippling amount of damage and with
every new explosion the entire structure began to shudder and creak as though it was
about to tear itself apart. Tony could tell that his tactics were creating a fatal chain
reaction with the power conduits throughout the doomed vessel. It became increasing
apparent that he would soon be forced to find or create an exit, but he felt he had to make
certain that Voyager would no longer be threatened. "Stark to Voyager. Come in Captain
Janeway." He wasn't surprised when he received no response. The discharging
electromagnetic energy being released by the dying ship, made communications a near
impossibility. Tony had managed to drive nearly all the way across the axis of the cube
and in order to escape, he would be forced to blast his way through the nearest outer wall.
As he cleared the last layers of metal plating the cube exploded.
It had been over an hour since the Borg ship was destroyed and any hope of finding Stark
alive was starting to fade. Seven had taken Harry's place at his station giving him a
chance to get proper treatment for his burns in sickbay. She exhaustively scanned the
debris field for any sign of Tony or his armor without results.
A spark of intuition struck Captain Janeway. "Seven, we all witnessed at least some of
Mr. Stark's abilities. What if his armor protected him enough so that he may have
survived after being thrown clear of the explosion by its shockwave."
Seven grasped the concept instantly and proceeded to scan a ten thousand kilometer
radius around the ship. "I have him."
The lighting in sickbay made his head ache as Anthony Stark slowly pried open his eyes.
When a slight groan escaped from his lips due to his sore ribcage, the Doctor met him at
his bedside. "Well Mr. Stark. I see you've regained consciousness." He stood over his
patient with a wry grin and a medical tricorder. "I recommend you lay there for a while
longer before you resume single handedly destroying the entire Borg collective."
Stark raised his hand as a shield from the glare and squinted his left eye. "I'd know that
tone in any dimension. I assume you are the ship's doctor." He opened both eyes and
peered closer. "Correction, holographic doctor."
The Doctor's grin widened further. "Guilty as charged." He said in a playfully confident
tone. "Please don't concern yourself. I have a medical database that spans the knowledge
of mankind and several other races combined."
Stark finally returned a smile of his own. "I have been known to program a holographic
know-it-all or two in my time." The Doctor's face went blank. "Would you like a
girlfriend?"
A moment passed and then the Doctor released a hearty chuckle. "That won't be
necessary sir. I can't imagine what you'd concoct in your present condition."
Suddenly Stark realized he was lying in bed without his armor. A look of panic washed
across his face.
"Mr. Stark, what's wrong?"
Tony quickly sat up and scanned the room; it was nowhere to be seen. He jumped off the
table and grabbed the Doctor by the shoulders. "My armor! What happened to my
armor?"
The Doctor was clearly confused by Stark's emotional reaction. "I believe Seven has
taken it to engineering. She vowed to try and repair it for you."
Tony pushed himself away and spun around. "She can't do that. She doesn't know the
dangers. You've got to get me to engineering before its too late!"