Prologue
"I know things, Deanna. Things I wish I did not know."
"Like what?" Deanna Troi asked.
When Captain Jean-Luc Picard had first contacted her, she didn't know what to think. Picard had always been a little reserved and, more often than not, he kept to himself. He had never reached out to her before, in all their years of service together on the Enterprise. Even in the therapy following his numerous abductions, he had been reserved and allowed them to know only what they needed to know to help him. He had, for the most part, given himself therapy.
What Deanna Troi did know was that he had always struggled with his Locutus experience. In many ways, the experience had made Picard stronger. Following the ordeal, he had a surge of confidence that was evident in his forceful command of the ship. To everyone else on board, he seemed as vigorous and energetic (in his own way) as the day he first began his service- but to Deanna Troi he appeared to have gotten more reclusive and prone to contemplation.
"It weighs on my mind, Deanna," Picard said as he looked out a window at the starry expanse beyond it. "I think about it every day."
"What does?" Deanna leaned forward, eager to learn what it was that plagued the Captain so.
"My experience as Locutus and being part of the Borg," he began. "I can't pretend it didn't leave an indelible mark upon my character. I am now confronted with the scope and enormity of my knowledge, and its potential."
"What do you know, Jean-Luc? Is it something that will help us defeat the Borg?"
"Yes, but, being something of an archaeologist, I-"
"What could archaeology have to do with the Borg?" Deanna's curiosity had grown.
"When I was connected to their collective, I had all of their thoughts, all of their knowledge," Picard looked at Troi. "I knew their strengths and their weaknesses, just where to hit them hardest and with such ferocity as to neutralize them as a threat forever."
"And how does this knowledge weigh on you?" It didn't make any sense to Deanna; this knowledge was a veritable strategic goldmine. "Unless, there's something more?"
"There is, Deanna," Picard became very grave. "I know their origin, and in that origin is rooted something that could cost us everything if we destroyed the Borg."
"I know things, Deanna. Things I wish I did not know."
"Like what?" Deanna Troi asked.
When Captain Jean-Luc Picard had first contacted her, she didn't know what to think. Picard had always been a little reserved and, more often than not, he kept to himself. He had never reached out to her before, in all their years of service together on the Enterprise. Even in the therapy following his numerous abductions, he had been reserved and allowed them to know only what they needed to know to help him. He had, for the most part, given himself therapy.
What Deanna Troi did know was that he had always struggled with his Locutus experience. In many ways, the experience had made Picard stronger. Following the ordeal, he had a surge of confidence that was evident in his forceful command of the ship. To everyone else on board, he seemed as vigorous and energetic (in his own way) as the day he first began his service- but to Deanna Troi he appeared to have gotten more reclusive and prone to contemplation.
"It weighs on my mind, Deanna," Picard said as he looked out a window at the starry expanse beyond it. "I think about it every day."
"What does?" Deanna leaned forward, eager to learn what it was that plagued the Captain so.
"My experience as Locutus and being part of the Borg," he began. "I can't pretend it didn't leave an indelible mark upon my character. I am now confronted with the scope and enormity of my knowledge, and its potential."
"What do you know, Jean-Luc? Is it something that will help us defeat the Borg?"
"Yes, but, being something of an archaeologist, I-"
"What could archaeology have to do with the Borg?" Deanna's curiosity had grown.
"When I was connected to their collective, I had all of their thoughts, all of their knowledge," Picard looked at Troi. "I knew their strengths and their weaknesses, just where to hit them hardest and with such ferocity as to neutralize them as a threat forever."
"And how does this knowledge weigh on you?" It didn't make any sense to Deanna; this knowledge was a veritable strategic goldmine. "Unless, there's something more?"
"There is, Deanna," Picard became very grave. "I know their origin, and in that origin is rooted something that could cost us everything if we destroyed the Borg."