Chapter 16
Captain Riker and his men eased down the main hall of deck twenty- four, with phaser rifles in their hands. There were still no signs of Ensign Lombardo or anyone else for that matter. Lieutenant Commander Knight scanned the area through the scope of his rifle. Whatever had attacked Lombardo is going down, he thought. Suddenly, a figure flashed across the hall with lightning speed. The Security Team looked at one another in disbelief. They saw something but it moved so fast, they could not get a good look. The team kept their phaser rifles up as they trudged down the hall. Riker and Paris remained in the middle of the team and Knight remained in the back. Knight scanned the area with is rifle scope. If that son-of-a-bitch pops his head out again, it's mine, he thought. Suddenly a dart whizzed through the air and nailed Knight in the throat. He stumbled back and instinctively dropped his weapon. Knights brought his hands to his neck and quickly removed the projectile. Riker and the team stared at Knight in horror. Knight shook his head in confusion.
"Why are ya'll looking at me like that?" he asked in fear.
Suddenly a painful twitch surged in Knight's neck. He could feel something crawling through his skin. Knight clasp the side of his throat and tried to squeeze the pain away. What's going on, he thought to himself? Lieutenant Paris' mouth opened in shock. He could not believe his eyes. Borg nano- probes had been injected into Knight by a dart. He was turning into a Borg.
"Oh God, help me!" cried Knight as the probes surged through his body.
Knight fell to his knees and wrenched in pain. The Borg technology was beginning to take over his mind and body. Riker quickly lifted his phaser and aimed it at Knight. Jerald Knight was one of Riker's closest friends. He had been an excellent officer on the Enterprise and a great friend. Riker could barely look at Jerald, as he jerked and jolted on the floor. Will closed his eyes, swallowed hard, and pressed the trigger on his rifle. The orange ray crackled through the rifle barrel and hit Knight in the chest. Knight convulsed once more and then closed his eyes for the final time. Lieutenant Commander Jerald Knight was dead. Riker bit his lip in sorrow.
"Everyone has taken Borg Awareness Training. If you see one of your comrades infected by the Borg nano-virus, you are to kill them immediately. You're only putting them out of their misery." informed Riker.
"Everyone stay alert!" shouted Paris as he surveyed the area with is phaser.
Suddenly another dart shot through the air and nailed one of the security team members in the back of the neck. The security officer fell face first to the floor and jerked violently. The Security team scattered and searched frantically for their assailant. Paris aim his phaser and shot the fallen security officer, killing his instantly. We keep this up, there won't be any of us left, he thought, but then again, that may be the point. Suddenly a large creature bounced from around the hallway corner, to the ceiling. It clamped the wall like a spider. Captain Riker got his first real look at the Borg device. It looked like a Borg Drone but with sharp claws on it's hands and feet. It pulled itself across the ceiling shooting darts out of it's mouth. The Drone had bright red eyes which seemed to be used for perfect targeting. A dart glazed past Riker's face and hit a security officer standing behind him. The officer quickly covered his wound with his hands and fell to the floor. Riker lifted his rifle and fired at the "Super Drone". The blast connected with the drone's chest, causing it to crash to the ground. Sparks fizzled out of it's machine body. Tom and Will stared at the evil device. Neither one of the men had ever seen anything like it. It must be a new form of Borg Technology, thought Riker.
"There has to be more of them." informed Paris.
"Yeah, but how many?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. If only the main computer wasn't down, we would know."
Suddenly, one of the Security Officers sat up straight. Nano-probes crawled through the officer's veins and his eyes were filled with an evil mission. He had been contaminated by the nano-probes and was now a Borg drone. Riker lifted his rifle and shot the officer, but the blast was consumed by green shield. Both Tom and Will's eyes opened in horror.
"Christ, they've adapted already! But they've just turned?!" Riker shouted in shock.
"Who cares? We've got to get off this deck!" replied Tom as he headed back for the turbolift.
Riker and the rest of the security officers were right behind Tom. They pumped their arms and legs as fast as they could, trying to get to the lift. Suddenly, a group of Borg Drones came around the corner, blocking Riker and his crew's way. The drones were Starfleet Officers who had been turned into Borg. They closed in on Riker and his men. This is the same thing that happened to the Enterprise but that took hours for the Borg to reproduce. This only took minutes. The Borg outnumbered the Starfleet officers, four to one.
===/// We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. ///===
Riker sneered at the Drones' repetitive remark. He hated it when they said that. Riker quickly scanned the hall for an escape root. Suddenly, a Jeffries Tube came into Will's sight.
"The Hell it is! Everyone follow me!" shouted Riker as he rushed to the tube.
Paris and the others raced after their Captain and followed him into the Jeffries Tube. The Starfleet Officers could hear the Borg following close behind them. When everyone had made it into the tube, Riker burned the sides shut with his phaser.
"That aught to hold them for at least a couple of minutes. Everyone head down to deck twenty-three." ordered Riker.
The officers climbed down the ladder toward deck twenty-three. When the final man reached the lower floor, Riker tapped his Comm badge.
"Riker to O'Brien."
"O'Brien here. What can I do for you Captain?"
"Miles, I want the Ship's computers to be first priority! Forget the engines. We have to seal off deck twenty-four!"
"Acknowledged Captain, but we're looking at least seven hours of repairs, just to get the damn thing running."
"I don't want to hear that Miles. Get to work! Riker out."
"So now what do we do?" asked Paris.
Riker sighed to himself and tapped his communicator again. He addressed the crew and ordered them to abandon ship, but all security officers were ordered to deck twenty- three.
"Now, we hold off the Borg." replied Riker to Paris' question.
Captain Riker and his men eased down the main hall of deck twenty- four, with phaser rifles in their hands. There were still no signs of Ensign Lombardo or anyone else for that matter. Lieutenant Commander Knight scanned the area through the scope of his rifle. Whatever had attacked Lombardo is going down, he thought. Suddenly, a figure flashed across the hall with lightning speed. The Security Team looked at one another in disbelief. They saw something but it moved so fast, they could not get a good look. The team kept their phaser rifles up as they trudged down the hall. Riker and Paris remained in the middle of the team and Knight remained in the back. Knight scanned the area with is rifle scope. If that son-of-a-bitch pops his head out again, it's mine, he thought. Suddenly a dart whizzed through the air and nailed Knight in the throat. He stumbled back and instinctively dropped his weapon. Knights brought his hands to his neck and quickly removed the projectile. Riker and the team stared at Knight in horror. Knight shook his head in confusion.
"Why are ya'll looking at me like that?" he asked in fear.
Suddenly a painful twitch surged in Knight's neck. He could feel something crawling through his skin. Knight clasp the side of his throat and tried to squeeze the pain away. What's going on, he thought to himself? Lieutenant Paris' mouth opened in shock. He could not believe his eyes. Borg nano- probes had been injected into Knight by a dart. He was turning into a Borg.
"Oh God, help me!" cried Knight as the probes surged through his body.
Knight fell to his knees and wrenched in pain. The Borg technology was beginning to take over his mind and body. Riker quickly lifted his phaser and aimed it at Knight. Jerald Knight was one of Riker's closest friends. He had been an excellent officer on the Enterprise and a great friend. Riker could barely look at Jerald, as he jerked and jolted on the floor. Will closed his eyes, swallowed hard, and pressed the trigger on his rifle. The orange ray crackled through the rifle barrel and hit Knight in the chest. Knight convulsed once more and then closed his eyes for the final time. Lieutenant Commander Jerald Knight was dead. Riker bit his lip in sorrow.
"Everyone has taken Borg Awareness Training. If you see one of your comrades infected by the Borg nano-virus, you are to kill them immediately. You're only putting them out of their misery." informed Riker.
"Everyone stay alert!" shouted Paris as he surveyed the area with is phaser.
Suddenly another dart shot through the air and nailed one of the security team members in the back of the neck. The security officer fell face first to the floor and jerked violently. The Security team scattered and searched frantically for their assailant. Paris aim his phaser and shot the fallen security officer, killing his instantly. We keep this up, there won't be any of us left, he thought, but then again, that may be the point. Suddenly a large creature bounced from around the hallway corner, to the ceiling. It clamped the wall like a spider. Captain Riker got his first real look at the Borg device. It looked like a Borg Drone but with sharp claws on it's hands and feet. It pulled itself across the ceiling shooting darts out of it's mouth. The Drone had bright red eyes which seemed to be used for perfect targeting. A dart glazed past Riker's face and hit a security officer standing behind him. The officer quickly covered his wound with his hands and fell to the floor. Riker lifted his rifle and fired at the "Super Drone". The blast connected with the drone's chest, causing it to crash to the ground. Sparks fizzled out of it's machine body. Tom and Will stared at the evil device. Neither one of the men had ever seen anything like it. It must be a new form of Borg Technology, thought Riker.
"There has to be more of them." informed Paris.
"Yeah, but how many?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. If only the main computer wasn't down, we would know."
Suddenly, one of the Security Officers sat up straight. Nano-probes crawled through the officer's veins and his eyes were filled with an evil mission. He had been contaminated by the nano-probes and was now a Borg drone. Riker lifted his rifle and shot the officer, but the blast was consumed by green shield. Both Tom and Will's eyes opened in horror.
"Christ, they've adapted already! But they've just turned?!" Riker shouted in shock.
"Who cares? We've got to get off this deck!" replied Tom as he headed back for the turbolift.
Riker and the rest of the security officers were right behind Tom. They pumped their arms and legs as fast as they could, trying to get to the lift. Suddenly, a group of Borg Drones came around the corner, blocking Riker and his crew's way. The drones were Starfleet Officers who had been turned into Borg. They closed in on Riker and his men. This is the same thing that happened to the Enterprise but that took hours for the Borg to reproduce. This only took minutes. The Borg outnumbered the Starfleet officers, four to one.
===/// We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. ///===
Riker sneered at the Drones' repetitive remark. He hated it when they said that. Riker quickly scanned the hall for an escape root. Suddenly, a Jeffries Tube came into Will's sight.
"The Hell it is! Everyone follow me!" shouted Riker as he rushed to the tube.
Paris and the others raced after their Captain and followed him into the Jeffries Tube. The Starfleet Officers could hear the Borg following close behind them. When everyone had made it into the tube, Riker burned the sides shut with his phaser.
"That aught to hold them for at least a couple of minutes. Everyone head down to deck twenty-three." ordered Riker.
The officers climbed down the ladder toward deck twenty-three. When the final man reached the lower floor, Riker tapped his Comm badge.
"Riker to O'Brien."
"O'Brien here. What can I do for you Captain?"
"Miles, I want the Ship's computers to be first priority! Forget the engines. We have to seal off deck twenty-four!"
"Acknowledged Captain, but we're looking at least seven hours of repairs, just to get the damn thing running."
"I don't want to hear that Miles. Get to work! Riker out."
"So now what do we do?" asked Paris.
Riker sighed to himself and tapped his communicator again. He addressed the crew and ordered them to abandon ship, but all security officers were ordered to deck twenty- three.
"Now, we hold off the Borg." replied Riker to Paris' question.