Act Seven: "The Cure"
Seven of Nine stepped across the catwalk in Cargo Bay Two. She made a few notes on PADD before heading down to the Harmonic Resonance Chamber. They had just gathered the last of their resources and were heading towards Sector 1784.
Sector 1784 was two days away and in those two days, these scientists and engineers must complete the greatest power source ever conceived. Not a problem.
"Seven," said Janeway, "is the bonding processing ready?"
"Almost, Admiral. The energy strands are still being selected."
"We need to hurry that along, Seven," said the Admiral. "We're at the most critical part of this agenda."
"Perhaps. But this is a process that can not be rushed. None of this can. We will be ready on schedule."
Admiral Janeway walked over to Torres. "The Boromite Ore?"
"It's ready. We're definitely getting a reaction."
"What about the stabilization runs? How successful have we been?"
"Out of a hundred times, Omega has only destabilized once. If this runs anything like the simulations, we will be just fine."
"Make double sure."
Seven was just completing some calculations, when she heard a familiar voice resound through the Cargo Bay.
"Sickbay to Seven of Nine."
"Seven here, Doctor," Seven replied, tapping her comm-badge.
"Seven, can you come to Sickbay? I need to run a test or two to make sure you're still in good health."
"There is no need, Doctor. I am fine."
"We need to make sure, Seven."
"Doctor - "
"Seven," Janeway interrupted. "Go on down. Just make it fast. I don't want you passing out again while you're in the middle of something important."
Seven nodded. "Yes Admiral. I'm on my way, Doctor."
"Excellent."
***
Seven arrived in Sickbay, which was pretty much empty. This didn't surprise her at all, seeing as how they were in the middle of a classified project.
"Right here, Seven," said the Doctor.
He did a routine examination of her, not once making her think he was his duplicate from earlier. From the information he harvested from his 'previous,' the theory of mind control had been confirmed. He was even the one that did the work. And that was enough to make his holographic blood boil.
After all the scans were complete, Seven of Nine was getting anxious and ready to go back to the Cargo Bay. The Doctor grabbed her arm.
"Just one minute, Seven. I need give this inoculation to make sure you don't seizure again."
She rolled her eyes in annoyance. He smiled.
"You may proceed, Doctor."
He pushed the hypospray against her neck – right where it met the base of her skull. Her mouth slacked, her eyes rolled back, and Seven of Nine collapsed into the Doctor's arms.
Almost immediately, Dr. Crusher and Will Riker appeared on the scene. "Is she okay?" asked Dr. Crusher as they lifted her on a bio-bed.
"She should be in about ten minutes," the Doctor answered, scanning her with his tricorder. "Yes. She'll be all right. Doctor to Janeway."
"Janeway here, Doctor."
"Admiral, Seven seems to be having a bad reaction to an inoculation I gave her. I'm afraid she won't be fit for duty for another half-an-hour to an hour to be safe."
There was a disgruntled pause before Janeway answered again. "Alright Doctor. Send her down here as soon as you can."
"Yes, Admiral."
Only about two minutes later, Seven snapped up from a burning sleep. "NO!" she screamed.
"Seven!" the Doctor exclaimed.
"I thought you said it would be about ten minutes!" Riker snapped.
"The nanites must have worked with the Anti-Virus!" Dr. Crusher answered.
"Seven! Seven – calm down!"
Seven was lurching. She turned to the side and puked onto the floor. When she turned back, she was panting and her eyes were filled with tears.
"What have I done?" she asked mournfully. "What have I done?!"
"Calm down, Seven of Nine!" the Doctor shouted. "It's okay. Your brain has been purged of the Virus."
"No, Doctor," she sniffled, "the Omega Particle will be delivered into the hands of Kelvans for their colony ships."
Riker flinched. "Kelvans?"
"But we're not the only ones creating Omega. The Borg Collective was damaged. The Kelvans can fix it, but they demand Omega. They'll take Omega back to their galaxy for fuel for their colony ships. In the meantime, their invasion fleet will crush us all."
Seven began to break down. "Crush . . . crush us all . . ."
She fell into the Doctor's arms. He held her while she sobbed.
"Riker to Picard."
"Picard here."
"This thing may have just gotten worse, Captain."
***
About an hour later, a frustrated Admiral Janeway found herself working at Seven's station, doing the best she could. But it wasn't easy. With Seven of Nine out of commission, it meant that Janeway would have to do all of this work until she came back.
Which would be pretty much useless because that meant that Seven of Nine would want to go over and over it when she came back.
Sighing, Janeway paused in her work and took a good look around her. Everyone was hard at work on his or her station. Omega would be operational in thirty-six hours. And then, it was off to the Andromeda Galaxy with it.
"Picard to Janeway," a voice piped in.
Tapping her communicator, Janeway replied curtly. "Janeway here."
"Admiral, will you join me in my quarters please."
"I'm a bit busy at the moment, Captain."
"Oh, it is of the utmost importance. Please."
Janeway scowled. "Alright, Captain. I'm on my way."
As Janeway made her way to his quarters, she couldn't have helped but noticed that there was something a bit different with Picard when he contacted her just now. In all of their previous conversations – especially recently – he seemed depressed and low. But just now, it was as if he recovered his confidence.
Whatever could he want, she wondered.
She stopped at his door and rang the chimes. "Enter," spoke Picard. She did so.
The lights were low and Jean-Luc was looking out a window.
"Captain," she greeted.
"Please, Admiral, have a seat."
She sat down in front of his desk. Janeway could hear him sigh heavily and then walk back to his desk. He sat down.
"I've been doing some thinking."
"Oh?"
"Yes. And I've decided I will no longer stand in your way."
Janeway perked her head. "Oh? How so?"
"Well, Admiral, you see . . . I've been thinking about how important this mission and this project must be to the Federation and whatever it is we're dealing with. It must be rather important to risk the lives on this ship and her crew."
"I suppose."
"Yes. Well, then I got to thinking again."
"What do you mean?"
"Something you said the other day when we entered the X-Class Nebula. That you were a concerned woman. Someone that was concerned for her ship and her crew more than her own life. I believed that. And you wouldn't normally risk something like that."
"Captain, is there a point here?"
Picard sat up.
"I know what you're making."
Janeway shot out her seat.
"How did you - "
"You're being mind-controlled, Admiral! You're being moved across the board like a chess piece. The Kelvans are about to come crashing down on all us and it's all your fault. Tell me, Admiral, who else is being mind controlled?"
She eyed him. Partially shocked, partially angry. "Stand down, Captain!"
"No, Admiral. Not this time."
Swiftly, he produced a hypospray and brought it to the base of her skull. With the release of compressed Anti-Viral air and liquid, Janeway passed completely out onto the floor.
"Picard to Sickbay. Admiral Janeway has been inoculated."
***
The Borg Queen stood and watched next to Jas'Don as the Borg Cube headed towards sector 1784. She then turned to the large Kelvan ambassador.
"We have fulfilled out part of the bargain. Now it is your turn," she stated flatly.
"Of course.'"
He nodded to five Kelvans in humanoid form. They stepped over. The Borg Queen had five drones walk over. In less than ten seconds, nanites were flooding the bodies of the Kelvans.
"Hmmmm," she cooed. "I can feel the nanites racing through their blood systems. They've reached your precious, complex little brains. They're building a neural interface. All your dirty, wonderful little secrets are mine. Ah yes! The secret to repairing the collective is – AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
She screamed in pain.
"Oh, it seems you've found us out, eh?" asked Jas'Don, gloating as the Borg Queen felt the collective fizzling out of her mind.
"What are you doing?!" she shrieked. "Voices . . . fading voices . . ."
"We've taken over the Borg Collective. A simple telepathic virus. You've become infected. You're gone. And as soon as Omega is delivered to our contact vessel, we're going to collapse your network."
"NO!" she demanded. "I will stop you!"
She pushed her mind against theirs, but only struck a wall of Kelvan mental power. The Queen was launched backwards.
"Say good bye!" the Kelvan said, reaching for his weapon.
"No," she mumbled. "It's not too late! I've . . . I'm securing three vessels! I still have a chance!"
With that, she beamed off the planet. Jas'Don turned to the five Kelvans.
"What is it like?"
"Interesting. But it doesn't matter. In five hours, we will leave the Collective mind and allow it to collapse upon itself."
"And the so-called 'Borg Queen?'"
"She has no place here."
***
Janeway sat in Captain Picard's Ready Room, rubbing her temples and feeling very, very guilty. The worst of it now, was that they had no choice but to give up Omega. If they refused, the Enterprise (along with the cure) would be destroyed. If that were to happen, Omega would rip sub- space apart. The Kelvans don't use sub-space, so they wouldn't be affected. Even so, the Kelvans would get Omega anyways from the Borg.
But if they gave them Omega, it would allow the Federation time to learn the truth about what was happening. And what was happening, exactly? Keep reading!
"The entire Federation Council has been infected. And by now, so has the Ferengi Back of Representation, the Romulan Senate and the Klingon High Council," Janeway stated to Picard. "The Kelvans have already struck the Dominion eight-teen months ago. The Borg has been lured into this – in the hopes of repairing the damage done by my future counter-part."
"There must be some way we can stop them," Picard said.
"No way. In three days, the Federation, the Romulans, the Klingons and the Ferengi surrender to the Kelvans. The Borg collapses upon itself. The Cardassians will have no choice, considering their own problems. Other powers will align and while their will be rebellions and coups – the entire galaxy will fall into under twenty years."
"And we will go in history as the ones that damned the Federation and saved the Kelvan Empire."
"Who can blame them? In ten millenia, all civilization will be burned away in their galaxy. They don't have much of a choice."
"And neither do we."
"So, Captain, we're in agreement. We must give them Omega."
"For a fighting chance – yes."
With the rest of the staff cured, the Starfleet vessel filled with ever-present tension. Finally, after hours of looming and glomming, the Enterprise NCC-1701-E arrived at Sector 1784. Down in Cargo Bay Two, the Omega Particle was waiting, completely stabilized.
In the shadow of a small, bright star, the Enterprise waited for the Kelvans. Then, suddenly, in a flash – a large Kelvan vessel appeared. It had been the same one Sela and Worf had encountered earlier.
It hailed the Enterprise.
"This is the Kelvans. Is the Omega Particle ready?"
"Yes," said Janeway, faking the control façade.
"Excellent. We are teleporting it now."
In less than a second, the Omega Particle was gone from the Cargo Bay. The Kelvan on screen spoke to an aide, then turned back.
"A job well done."
"Thank you."
"We shall see on Earth, Admiral."
"You too. Enterprise out."
Janeway turned back to Picard and frowned. They punched in a course and headed out of the sector.
As soon as they did, the Borg ship holding their Omega dropped out of transwarp. Almost immediately, a communiqué was sent, informing the Kelvans of where their Omega was. A moment later, Omega was on board the Kelvan vessel.
The Kelvan vessel then destroyed the Borg cube and then headed back to Andromeda.
Seven of Nine stepped across the catwalk in Cargo Bay Two. She made a few notes on PADD before heading down to the Harmonic Resonance Chamber. They had just gathered the last of their resources and were heading towards Sector 1784.
Sector 1784 was two days away and in those two days, these scientists and engineers must complete the greatest power source ever conceived. Not a problem.
"Seven," said Janeway, "is the bonding processing ready?"
"Almost, Admiral. The energy strands are still being selected."
"We need to hurry that along, Seven," said the Admiral. "We're at the most critical part of this agenda."
"Perhaps. But this is a process that can not be rushed. None of this can. We will be ready on schedule."
Admiral Janeway walked over to Torres. "The Boromite Ore?"
"It's ready. We're definitely getting a reaction."
"What about the stabilization runs? How successful have we been?"
"Out of a hundred times, Omega has only destabilized once. If this runs anything like the simulations, we will be just fine."
"Make double sure."
Seven was just completing some calculations, when she heard a familiar voice resound through the Cargo Bay.
"Sickbay to Seven of Nine."
"Seven here, Doctor," Seven replied, tapping her comm-badge.
"Seven, can you come to Sickbay? I need to run a test or two to make sure you're still in good health."
"There is no need, Doctor. I am fine."
"We need to make sure, Seven."
"Doctor - "
"Seven," Janeway interrupted. "Go on down. Just make it fast. I don't want you passing out again while you're in the middle of something important."
Seven nodded. "Yes Admiral. I'm on my way, Doctor."
"Excellent."
***
Seven arrived in Sickbay, which was pretty much empty. This didn't surprise her at all, seeing as how they were in the middle of a classified project.
"Right here, Seven," said the Doctor.
He did a routine examination of her, not once making her think he was his duplicate from earlier. From the information he harvested from his 'previous,' the theory of mind control had been confirmed. He was even the one that did the work. And that was enough to make his holographic blood boil.
After all the scans were complete, Seven of Nine was getting anxious and ready to go back to the Cargo Bay. The Doctor grabbed her arm.
"Just one minute, Seven. I need give this inoculation to make sure you don't seizure again."
She rolled her eyes in annoyance. He smiled.
"You may proceed, Doctor."
He pushed the hypospray against her neck – right where it met the base of her skull. Her mouth slacked, her eyes rolled back, and Seven of Nine collapsed into the Doctor's arms.
Almost immediately, Dr. Crusher and Will Riker appeared on the scene. "Is she okay?" asked Dr. Crusher as they lifted her on a bio-bed.
"She should be in about ten minutes," the Doctor answered, scanning her with his tricorder. "Yes. She'll be all right. Doctor to Janeway."
"Janeway here, Doctor."
"Admiral, Seven seems to be having a bad reaction to an inoculation I gave her. I'm afraid she won't be fit for duty for another half-an-hour to an hour to be safe."
There was a disgruntled pause before Janeway answered again. "Alright Doctor. Send her down here as soon as you can."
"Yes, Admiral."
Only about two minutes later, Seven snapped up from a burning sleep. "NO!" she screamed.
"Seven!" the Doctor exclaimed.
"I thought you said it would be about ten minutes!" Riker snapped.
"The nanites must have worked with the Anti-Virus!" Dr. Crusher answered.
"Seven! Seven – calm down!"
Seven was lurching. She turned to the side and puked onto the floor. When she turned back, she was panting and her eyes were filled with tears.
"What have I done?" she asked mournfully. "What have I done?!"
"Calm down, Seven of Nine!" the Doctor shouted. "It's okay. Your brain has been purged of the Virus."
"No, Doctor," she sniffled, "the Omega Particle will be delivered into the hands of Kelvans for their colony ships."
Riker flinched. "Kelvans?"
"But we're not the only ones creating Omega. The Borg Collective was damaged. The Kelvans can fix it, but they demand Omega. They'll take Omega back to their galaxy for fuel for their colony ships. In the meantime, their invasion fleet will crush us all."
Seven began to break down. "Crush . . . crush us all . . ."
She fell into the Doctor's arms. He held her while she sobbed.
"Riker to Picard."
"Picard here."
"This thing may have just gotten worse, Captain."
***
About an hour later, a frustrated Admiral Janeway found herself working at Seven's station, doing the best she could. But it wasn't easy. With Seven of Nine out of commission, it meant that Janeway would have to do all of this work until she came back.
Which would be pretty much useless because that meant that Seven of Nine would want to go over and over it when she came back.
Sighing, Janeway paused in her work and took a good look around her. Everyone was hard at work on his or her station. Omega would be operational in thirty-six hours. And then, it was off to the Andromeda Galaxy with it.
"Picard to Janeway," a voice piped in.
Tapping her communicator, Janeway replied curtly. "Janeway here."
"Admiral, will you join me in my quarters please."
"I'm a bit busy at the moment, Captain."
"Oh, it is of the utmost importance. Please."
Janeway scowled. "Alright, Captain. I'm on my way."
As Janeway made her way to his quarters, she couldn't have helped but noticed that there was something a bit different with Picard when he contacted her just now. In all of their previous conversations – especially recently – he seemed depressed and low. But just now, it was as if he recovered his confidence.
Whatever could he want, she wondered.
She stopped at his door and rang the chimes. "Enter," spoke Picard. She did so.
The lights were low and Jean-Luc was looking out a window.
"Captain," she greeted.
"Please, Admiral, have a seat."
She sat down in front of his desk. Janeway could hear him sigh heavily and then walk back to his desk. He sat down.
"I've been doing some thinking."
"Oh?"
"Yes. And I've decided I will no longer stand in your way."
Janeway perked her head. "Oh? How so?"
"Well, Admiral, you see . . . I've been thinking about how important this mission and this project must be to the Federation and whatever it is we're dealing with. It must be rather important to risk the lives on this ship and her crew."
"I suppose."
"Yes. Well, then I got to thinking again."
"What do you mean?"
"Something you said the other day when we entered the X-Class Nebula. That you were a concerned woman. Someone that was concerned for her ship and her crew more than her own life. I believed that. And you wouldn't normally risk something like that."
"Captain, is there a point here?"
Picard sat up.
"I know what you're making."
Janeway shot out her seat.
"How did you - "
"You're being mind-controlled, Admiral! You're being moved across the board like a chess piece. The Kelvans are about to come crashing down on all us and it's all your fault. Tell me, Admiral, who else is being mind controlled?"
She eyed him. Partially shocked, partially angry. "Stand down, Captain!"
"No, Admiral. Not this time."
Swiftly, he produced a hypospray and brought it to the base of her skull. With the release of compressed Anti-Viral air and liquid, Janeway passed completely out onto the floor.
"Picard to Sickbay. Admiral Janeway has been inoculated."
***
The Borg Queen stood and watched next to Jas'Don as the Borg Cube headed towards sector 1784. She then turned to the large Kelvan ambassador.
"We have fulfilled out part of the bargain. Now it is your turn," she stated flatly.
"Of course.'"
He nodded to five Kelvans in humanoid form. They stepped over. The Borg Queen had five drones walk over. In less than ten seconds, nanites were flooding the bodies of the Kelvans.
"Hmmmm," she cooed. "I can feel the nanites racing through their blood systems. They've reached your precious, complex little brains. They're building a neural interface. All your dirty, wonderful little secrets are mine. Ah yes! The secret to repairing the collective is – AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
She screamed in pain.
"Oh, it seems you've found us out, eh?" asked Jas'Don, gloating as the Borg Queen felt the collective fizzling out of her mind.
"What are you doing?!" she shrieked. "Voices . . . fading voices . . ."
"We've taken over the Borg Collective. A simple telepathic virus. You've become infected. You're gone. And as soon as Omega is delivered to our contact vessel, we're going to collapse your network."
"NO!" she demanded. "I will stop you!"
She pushed her mind against theirs, but only struck a wall of Kelvan mental power. The Queen was launched backwards.
"Say good bye!" the Kelvan said, reaching for his weapon.
"No," she mumbled. "It's not too late! I've . . . I'm securing three vessels! I still have a chance!"
With that, she beamed off the planet. Jas'Don turned to the five Kelvans.
"What is it like?"
"Interesting. But it doesn't matter. In five hours, we will leave the Collective mind and allow it to collapse upon itself."
"And the so-called 'Borg Queen?'"
"She has no place here."
***
Janeway sat in Captain Picard's Ready Room, rubbing her temples and feeling very, very guilty. The worst of it now, was that they had no choice but to give up Omega. If they refused, the Enterprise (along with the cure) would be destroyed. If that were to happen, Omega would rip sub- space apart. The Kelvans don't use sub-space, so they wouldn't be affected. Even so, the Kelvans would get Omega anyways from the Borg.
But if they gave them Omega, it would allow the Federation time to learn the truth about what was happening. And what was happening, exactly? Keep reading!
"The entire Federation Council has been infected. And by now, so has the Ferengi Back of Representation, the Romulan Senate and the Klingon High Council," Janeway stated to Picard. "The Kelvans have already struck the Dominion eight-teen months ago. The Borg has been lured into this – in the hopes of repairing the damage done by my future counter-part."
"There must be some way we can stop them," Picard said.
"No way. In three days, the Federation, the Romulans, the Klingons and the Ferengi surrender to the Kelvans. The Borg collapses upon itself. The Cardassians will have no choice, considering their own problems. Other powers will align and while their will be rebellions and coups – the entire galaxy will fall into under twenty years."
"And we will go in history as the ones that damned the Federation and saved the Kelvan Empire."
"Who can blame them? In ten millenia, all civilization will be burned away in their galaxy. They don't have much of a choice."
"And neither do we."
"So, Captain, we're in agreement. We must give them Omega."
"For a fighting chance – yes."
With the rest of the staff cured, the Starfleet vessel filled with ever-present tension. Finally, after hours of looming and glomming, the Enterprise NCC-1701-E arrived at Sector 1784. Down in Cargo Bay Two, the Omega Particle was waiting, completely stabilized.
In the shadow of a small, bright star, the Enterprise waited for the Kelvans. Then, suddenly, in a flash – a large Kelvan vessel appeared. It had been the same one Sela and Worf had encountered earlier.
It hailed the Enterprise.
"This is the Kelvans. Is the Omega Particle ready?"
"Yes," said Janeway, faking the control façade.
"Excellent. We are teleporting it now."
In less than a second, the Omega Particle was gone from the Cargo Bay. The Kelvan on screen spoke to an aide, then turned back.
"A job well done."
"Thank you."
"We shall see on Earth, Admiral."
"You too. Enterprise out."
Janeway turned back to Picard and frowned. They punched in a course and headed out of the sector.
As soon as they did, the Borg ship holding their Omega dropped out of transwarp. Almost immediately, a communiqué was sent, informing the Kelvans of where their Omega was. A moment later, Omega was on board the Kelvan vessel.
The Kelvan vessel then destroyed the Borg cube and then headed back to Andromeda.