DISCLAIMER: You all know the drill - Paramount is God. All hail Paramount. They own everything in the Star Trek Universe - I'm just using my overactive imagination to take their characters where they refuse to go. All in the name of fun, not profit (I wish).
ORDER AND CHAOS
CHAPTER FIVE: THE SIEGE OF TROY
The Borg Queen's eyes roamed the monitors in front of her and she smiled with satisfaction. Two more of the "liberated" vessels had been identified and eliminated the previous day. All was as it should be in the Collective.
Her attention was drawn to the image on one of the monitors, a view of one of the transwarp corridors in the Unicomplex.
She cocked her head to the side. "Magnify."
The view zoomed in, but there didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary. Her suspicions, though, once aroused, were not easily removed, and she was sure there had been something out of place a few seconds ago. She pulled up more views and sensor readings of the complex on the surrounding monitors.
Each time she thought she saw something, it disappeared. Then it would reappear nearby. Then disappear again. It was frustrating.
It took her almost five minutes to find the renegade. Unacceptable.
She zoomed in on a cube moving about in the Unicomplex. Her eyes narrowed and she moved closer to the monitor.
"Why can't I hear your thoughts?" she asked the empty room.
She observed the cube's movements for a few moments.
"Eliminate them," she ordered the millions of voices under her command.
*
Axum to Commander Chakotay.
"Go ahead."
There are almost a dozen cubes on an intercept course. We can't afford to wait any longer.
"Understood. Red alert." He took his seat as the lights on the bridge darkened. "Bridge to all hands…battle stations."
"Bringing the shield modifications online," reported Seven from behind him.
Chakotay stared ahead at the eerie green glow given off by the interior of the Borg cube. The large doors in front of them slowly opened, revealing the Unicomplex.
"Take us out, Tom," he ordered.
Tom maneuvered Voyager out the doors of Axum's cube and into the Unicomplex.
Chakotay rose from his chair and stood behind the helm, placing his hand on Tom's shoulder. "Harry, start scanning for the Captain."
"There are over thirty cubes within a radius of two million kilometers," reported Tom as he navigated.
"Any sign they've detected us?"
"No. They all seem to be converging on Axum's vessel. I don't think they can see us."
"Keep on your toes, Lieutenant."
"Aye, sir."
*
The Borg Queen snapped her head around and glared at one of the monitors. "Enhance grid 185. "
It had been there…just for a fraction of a second, it had been there.
She continued watching that area, and her vigilance paid off when it reappeared again momentarily. Her eyes narrowed and her face filled with rage as she hissed a single word.
"Voyager."
*
Tom stiffened at the helm. "There are three cubes closing in on our position."
Chakotay moved over to the helm. "Have they seen us?"
"I'm not sure. Adjusting our heading." He waited a few seconds, then his frown deepened. "They've adjusted course to follow."
Chakotay made his way over towards Seven and Harry. "Anything?"
"Not yet," reported Harry.
"They're closing!"
"The ships are powering weapons," reported Tuvok.
"Hang on!" yelled Tom.
Two of the Borg cubes fired torpedoes, and they hit in quick succession, throwing most of the bridge crew off their feet. One of the EPS conduits at the back of the bridge exploded and smoke was pouring from a vent in the ceiling.
"Report!" shouted Chakotay over the noise.
"Shields down to 79 percent," Tuvok told him. "Hull breaches on decks 5 and 6. Forcefields are holding."
The bridge shuddered again as another torpedo hit.
"Shields at 63 percent."
"Tom, evasive maneuvers. Pattern beta three."
"Beta three," repeated Tom, and Voyager rolled to the left, avoiding the next volley of torpedoes.
"Return fire!"
Tuvok launched a spread of photon torpedoes and fired phasers. "No effect."
"Harry, now would be a good time!"
"I can't locate the frequency," said Harry in frustration.
"The Queen knows we're here," said Seven. "She is no doubt remodulating the dampening field around the Captain's cortical implant."
Harry's face lit up and he slapped his console with the palm of his hand. "That's it! She would expect us to scan for the cortical implant frequency."
"Ensign?" said Seven.
"I'm scanning for human biosigns," he explained, turning back to his station.
Seven frowned and turned around from her station. "There are trillions of drones in the Unicomplex. There could be hundreds or even thousands of humans among them."
"But we should be able to identify the cortical frequency on every human drone except one," said Harry as he worked furiously.
"Axum's cube has taken heavy damage," reported Tuvok. "Their primary shields are failing."
"The cubes are closing in on us again," said Tom.
"They are firing!" warned Tuvok.
Chakotay fell to his knees when the torpedo connected. He pulled himself back up. "Damage?"
"Shields down to 59 percent," said Tuvok. "Another hull breach on deck five. No casualties reported."
Another torpedo hit.
"I'm trying to evade them," said Tom. "They're right on top of us."
"Harry!"
"I've located seventy-three humans, all of them with cortical implant frequencies. I'll try extending the sensor range…" He broke off as his console beeped. "I've got her!" he exclaimed. "Human biosign, but I can't get a fix on the cortical implant. Set course…heading 104 mark 39."
"Heading 104 mark 39," repeated Tom.
"Bridge to the Doctor."
Go ahead, Commander.
"We've located the Captain. When we get a transporter lock we'll beam her directly to Sickbay. There's no telling what kind of condition she'll be in…you might want to erect a forcefield."
Understood.
"We'll need to get within fifty thousand kilometers for transport," said Seven.
"Closing in now," said Tom. "One hundred fifty thousand…one hundred thousand…seventy five..."
"I've got a lock," said Harry.
"Fifty thousand kilometers."
"Energizing."
The tension mounted on the bridge.
"Got her!" he announced triumphantly.
"Bridge to Doctor, report," snapped Chakotay.
Captain Janeway is in Sickbay.
The entire bridge crew sighed with relief.
"Tom," said Chakotay, striding over to the helm. "Get us out of here."
"With pleasure," he said, turning Voyager around.
"Voyager to Axum. We've got the Captain. We're on an intercept course."
We'll be waiting.
"Five hundred thousand kilometers to the cube," Tom reported.
"What about the cubes following us?"
"Looks like they've lost us again, Commander," Harry told him.
"Good. Let's keep it that way."
"Three hundred thousand kilometers….two hundred thousand…"
Axum's cube grew larger on the viewscreen. They were under attack by a number of other cubes, who would fire as they passed by, then let another ship come near and attack the lone cube. As they drew nearer, they could see the large doors in the side of the cube opening for them. Tom deftly weaved Voyager in between the attacking cubes and flew into the waiting doors.
We're opening the transwarp corridor, reported Axum.
"Acknowledged."
They felt the ship accelerate to transwarp, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"I don't believe it," said Tom, breaking the heavy silence. "We actually did it."
Seven raised an eyebrow. "We are not yet 'out of the woods,' Lieutenant."
Her words proved to be prophetic as a few seconds later Voyager jolted.
"Chakotay to Axum. What's going on?"
One of the cubes followed us into the conduit. They could hear an explosion in the background. Our shields are failing.
"Commander." Chakotay turned to Seven. "We could transport one of our photon torpedoes into the other cube and detonate it when we exit the conduit."
He nodded. "Do it."
She moved over to join Harry at Ops, and they began working to modify a torpedo. The ship jolted again as the cube fell under attack.
"Any damage?"
Tuvok shook his head. "Axum's ship appears to be taking the brunt of the attack."
Voyager, we're nearing the exit of the conduit, reported Kor over the comm.
Chakotay turned to Ops. "Harry?"
He nodded. "We're ready."
Chakotay took his seat. "Energize and detonate on my command."
Harry transported the torpedo onto the pursuing cube. "It's over there."
The ship rocked lightly as the cube dropped out of transwarp.
"Now, Harry!"
Harry detonated the torpedo, but they were unable to determine the result from inside the belly of Axum's cube.
Kor to Voyager.
"Go ahead."
The cube has been destroyed. We're not reading any others in pursuit.
"Well done."
To you and your crew as well, Commander. We're opening the main doors.
"Tom, take us out."
"Yes, sir," said Tom, more eager than usual to obey an order.
He turned towards the Tactical station. "Tuvok, you have the bridge. I'll be in Sickbay."
Silence fell on the bridge as he moved towards the turbolift. Seven followed him, and he stopped before entering the lift.
"Commander…may I come with you?"
He nodded and motioned for her to enter the lift. He followed her in.
"The Captain will most likely be disoriented and agitated when she is disconnected from the Collective. I may be able to assist her."
"I appreciate the sentiment." He thought for a moment. "Do you really think she'll be…completely assimilated?"
"Yes," said Seven candidly. "However…I was a part of the Collective for eighteen years. I believe the…transition…will therefore be easier for the Captain than it was for me."
The turbolift stopped and they moved down the corridor. "I hope you're right."
The Sickbay doors slid open in front of them, and as soon as he had taken three steps inside Chakotay froze in horror.
"My God."