Disclaimer: I still do not own Treasure Island. Or Star Trek. Or the Borg.

Chapter Seven

"Borg?" Archer asked suspiciously.

"Yes. If I'm right, you'll see them for yourself soon enough. They're part-machine, part-life-form beings."

"Morgan, who is your brother?" Peter asked. "Where did he get the power to do all this? Can you change it back?"

"My brother is one of the Q. He probably finds this all very entertaining. He's been itching to do this ever since I left."

"Why hasn't he?"

"He was waiting for me to grow close enough to you people, and, blast it all, I let it happen! I let myself get close enough, and bang! and everything's gone."

Peter put an arm around his friend. "It's all right, Morgan; we'll set this right together. Why did you leave the Q?"

"I didn't agree with them; humans and other species should be allowed to progress on their own, in their own way. But more than that, I wanted to know what it was like to be human, to see the world through the eyes of a child. That was a long time ago. I've lived many lives, seen many things, but it's a great rarity to meet people like this crew. So I let my guard down."

"Can you change things back?"

"No, I'm afraid I can't. When I left the Q, I lost the power to alter time, which was always fine with me . . . until now."

"What does your brother want?" Archer asked.

"Total honesty, I'm not quite sure. It's hard to read him sometimes. Part of him wants me to rejoin the Q; part of him wants to know how hard he has to push to get me to use my powers; part of him just wants to have fun."

"Captain!" Avanwe shouted. "The Enterprise 0! And another ship! It's completely . . . square."

"The Borg," Morgan nodded. "Anything else?"

"Several longboats."

"Good," Archer said. "Bring them on board."

"A pleasure," Avanwe nodded, summoning a gust of wind and raising the longboats on deck.

"Well done," Archer smiled.

"Spock, how many are here?" Peter asked as soon as he caught sight of the Vulcan.

"All but five."

"What happened to them?"

"They insisted on staying."

"Blast it, Q!" Morgan called. "It's me you want!"

Q appeared. "Ready to bargain, Morgan?"

Morgan held out her hand. A white flag appeared in it out of nowhere. "Yes, brother. I propose a contest, a game of your choosing. If you win, I do what you say; if I win, you do what I say."

"You always did enjoy simplicity. But how can I say no -- a game of my choice, my rules. Very well, Morgan. I accept."

"And what would you like to do?"

"I propose a duel between two opposing teams -- mine and yours." He waved his hand and Athos, Silver, Eric, and Noka appeared, with a man Morgan guessed was Malcom.

"What happened?" Silver asked. "Those . . . things . . . they . . ."

"They had begun to assimilate you," Morgan nodded, trying to keep her head on. She hadn't counted on her brother wanting teams. Risking her own life one-on-one with him wasn't a problem for her. But this . . . "That must be why I couldn't reach you with my telepathy."

"And they will return to the state they were in if you and your team lose, Morgan. They are only here for the battle. And you, Mr. Spock." Kirk and Doctor McCoy appeared.

"Spock, what is--" McCoy started.

"We thought you were dead!" Kirk interrupted. "If we had known--"

"Irrelevant, Captain, since you did not."

"But what is all this?" McCoy asked, looking at the longboats on deck, the extra people, and the debris and strange-looking ship in the distance.

"It's what's left of the Enterprise 0," Captain Archer replied, stepping forward. "This is my crew."

Q smiled. "Now, Morgan, your team will consist of nine people, including yourself. If only a third of your people are ever left, they may use their powers, whatever they may be."

"Does that rule apply to your team, as well."

"Yes. You may now choose your team. When you're done, you know where to take them."

Morgan nodded. Q disappeared. "Take them?" Malcom asked. "You mean . . . you can do that, too?"

"Yes."

"You seemed a little cocky, Morgan," Athos said worriedly. "I assume you have a plan."

"I can't until I know who his team is. But with my brother, you have to be confident almost to the point of cockiness, or he knows he's got you. I've just got five words for whoever comes with me: Do not underestimate his powers."

"So who's coming with you?" Balo asked.

"I know all of you are willing to come, so I won't bother asking for volunteers; I'll get too many. But since I don't know who his team is, I'll need people who can handle all kinds of weapons. Noka, Avanwe, you're the best archers we have. Captain, I've seen what you can do with a sword and with a gun. Peter, Athos, you're two of the best swordfighters I've ever seen, and that says something; I've seen a lot. Spock, with your captain's permission, I'd like you along. We may need some logical advice, and staying calm will give us a much-needed advantage over my brother."

Spock looked at Kirk. Even without a ship, he was in command.

"Spock, we cannot risk both of us. I was going to ask to go along."

"I would advise against that. You are still the captain."

Kirk nodded slowly. "Permission granted."

"Thank you," Morgan said kindly. "I'd like someone from the Enterprise 0."

"Captain, I'd like to go," Malcom volunteered. "If we don't win, I'm worse off than dead."

Archer nodded. "You got it, Malcom, but try to stay alive."

"I'd rather be dead than be one of those creatures, sir."

"Very wise," Morgan said. "Eric?"

"Morgan, even though I would like to go, I wouldn't be of much help. Our . . . battle today. I was hurt worse than I told you, and I don't recover as fast as the others."

"Yes, I know that," Morgan said, and Archer realized for the first time what was different about the girl. He'd been trying to place it, and now he knew. Even when she was giving orders, she spoke not as a leader but as a friend. Archer admired that. "That took courage," she added, smiling at Eric. "It always takes courage to admit your weakness. It's something I still need to work on."

"I've noticed," Eric laughed. "Take care of yourself, le Fay."

"I'll do my best."

"That's eight," Noka said.

"Yes," Morgan nodded. "For the last place, we shall trust to friendship rather than to great wisdom." She turned once more to Kirk. "Captain, with your permission, and his, of course, I would like Doctor McCoy to join us."

"Bones?" Kirk asked. "Do you want to go?"

"I'm not a warrior, Jim."

"That wasn't the question."

"I've seen what this man, or whoever, can do. Someone might need medical attention, immediately."

"That's a nice excuse, Bones."

"Jim, I'm probably the last person I'd recommend. But she asked me, not the other way around, and she knows the person we're fighting. I trust her choice."

"And you want to go."

McCoy nodded. "And I want to go."

"Then permission is granted, Bones."

"May the Lord bless you," Eric said as his friends disappeared in a blinding flash of light. "May the Lord keep you. May the Lord let his face shine upon you and give you peace."

Doctor McCoy looked around. They were on a flat grassland. To their right was a forest; in front was an ocean; to their right were mountains; behind them was a wall, at least a hundred feet high.

Morgan knew she couldn't have picked better. Noka she had chosen not only for his skill, but for his determination. He wouldn't give up even if he was the only one left. Avanwe, she knew, could maneuver this terrain maybe even as well as Q should the time come to use her powers. Silver she had chosen for his leadership as well as his skills. If she were killed or knocked unconscious, she needed someone who would be comfortable giving commands in her place. She knew Peter would always fight no matter how badly he was hurt. As for Athos, Q's rule regarding powers referred only to those that were optional. Athos couldn't turn his on and off, nor could he ignore it. She'd seen Spock fight and admired his technique, his calmness, his ability to work things out logically even under great pressure. Malcom had said, and she had sensed before, that he would rather die than lose this battle. Courage like that couldn't be ignored lightly. And McCoy? In even a short time, she'd figured out that he and Spock made the perfect team. Spock had the logic, the calmness; McCoy had the emotion, the intuition, the attitude. If she could keep them together, they'd look after each other, to the death.

Q appeared. With him were eight robots at least three times even Avanwe's height. "What the--" McCoy started, but fell silent.

"They would appear to be robots, approximately six meters tall, very curiously made,--"

"Close enough, Spock," Morgan smiled, "but, simply speaking, that is my brother's team."

"Quite right," Q agreed. "You've told me of your shipmates' reluctance to kill. They won't have to. I won't turn this into a moral battle."

"Let me guess; they're heavily armored, highly bullet-resistant, and hard to climb."

"Of course. I couldn't make the game too fair. Both of us can use our powers to communicate, in case we split up, to see how many teammates are left, but for nothing else."

"And who does that apply to?"

"You and Avanwe."

"Drat."

"You were hoping I'd forget about Avanwe."

"Just clarifying. It was worth a shot." Inwardly, though, she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd never told him about Athos. "What about cheating?"

"If any team is caught cheating, the other team wins automatically."

"Caught?"

"Subtlety, le Fay. Subtlety."

"Very well. Shall we begin?"

"Yes. Just let me say that I'm not impressed with your choice of teams. Of all the wide range of--"

"I wanted people I know, not monsters or robots I'd just created."

"You can't claim to know your whole team."

"Neither can you."

"I created them."

"Exactly. So they'll all work the same. They'll act just like you."

"Is that so bad a strategy?"

"I know you, brother. I can anticipate what you'll do."

"That won't help you."

"Is it possible to surrender?"

"Yes, but the leader has to do it, if possible. If not, you should appoint a second-in-command."

"We won't be the ones to surrender."

"Cocky. Always cocky."

"Some of us would rather die than live with the fate you have planned should we surrender. Who's your second-in-command? They all look alike."

"We will not be the ones to surrender, either. Ready?"

"Question."

"Shoot."

"Can time-outs be called."

"Yes. All time will stop, but we will not. Those who are unconscious will remain unconscious, and the same with conscious people."

"May I ask what your robots are armed with?"

"Their weapons are set to stun, but after getting shot several times, the effects may become worse."

"I'm not about to believe that's it."

"They have other weapons that are a part of them."

"Of course."

"Are we ready."

"Ready."

"Ready, get set, go!"

"So it begins."

Just had to. Had to quote Theoden. :)