Evolutions I: An Act of Betrayal
Part Eight
"We have a lot to do today," Carkonas said. "We will start with the Borg hybrid. Take her to the examination room."
"Don't even think about it," B'Elanna snarled, struggling to free herself from the two Socadan holding her.
The remaining Socadan immediately aimed their phasers at her as Carkonas spoke. "We will do whatever we wish to all of you, and if you cooperate this will go much more quickly."
"Please B'Elanna, they are correct, I will be fine," Seven said as she was pulled out of the cell.
"What are you going to do to me?" Seven asked when the door to the cell closed.
"We have developed a way to augment the genetic structure of carbon based life forms. The only problem is that our species does not have the correct genetic trait to make the augmentation stable. Hybrids on the other hand do have the correct genetic trait. However they are exceptionally rare in our culture. Very few species in this area are genetically compatible, and the few that are produce offspring that live for only a few hours, if at all."
"Why would you do this, what possible knowledge could you gain?" Seven asked as her eyes widened, showing her fear.
"If we are successful in augmenting your bodies we can synthesize the genetic trait necessary to perform the same changes on our own species."
"What do you hope to accomplish with these experiments?"
"We plan on developing a way to create a super soldier, an enhanced being that we can use to finally defeat the Borg. If everything goes according to plan, in two years we will have a soldier that is impossible to assimilate both physically and mentally," Carkonas said proudly.
"There is no need to defend yourselves against the Borg, they have agreed not to attack you." Seven said, confused.
"My people no longer find the terms of our agreement satisfactory, and we believe that as soon as they find a way to assimilate us, they will be back," Carkonas said.
At this point the only thing Seven could think about was Naomi and B'Elanna. She could not allow the Socadan to mutate them. "B'Elanna and Naomi Wildman are not needed. Perform all of your experiments on me," Seven said desperately.
"Do not worry, we plan to. The other two will only be used if you die during the process," Carkonas said smirking. "All you have to do is survive five days, after that we will have no more use for you, and then you can do whatever you wish."
With that, Carkonas pulled out a hypo spray and injected it into Seven's neck.
"What did you inject me with?" Seven demanded as her eyes began to lose focus.
"I would think it would be obvious to a former Borg. You have just been injected with the Omega molecule."
"How... the Omega molecule... not stable," Seven said as her eyes began to droop.
"We developed a way to stabilize the molecule two years ago. We naturally immediately began testing the molecule, and discovered what it does to other living organisms. At first we believed that Omega was a symbiote, but after further observation we realized that it merged with the other organism. By the time the changes were complete the organism was smarter, faster, and showed a much higher level of intelligence. However, without the genetic trait of a hybrid, Omega became unstable and the organism died three days after the change."
"When the Borg assimilated me I was not a hybrid," Seven said as her breathing became labored.
"That is precisely why we wanted you. We believe that when you were assimilated by the Borg they gave you the hybrid trait. After the procedure is complete we will harvest the trait and use it to create a safer transformation for our people.
"Take her back to her cell," Carkonas said pointing to Seven, "make sure she is comfortable, we would not want anything to happen to our prized specimen."
Two of the Socadan grabbed Seven's arms and half dragged, half carried Seven back to her cell.
In the cell B'Elanna was pacing back and forth. "What the hell are they doing to you Seven?" B'Elanna thought, looking at the door every few seconds.
"B'Elanna, is Seven going to be okay?" Naomi asked looking just as worried as B'Elanna.
"Seven is going to be okay, Naomi. Before you know it we're all going to be out of here," B'Elanna said trying to reassure the child.
As B'Elanna moved towards the child to gather her into her arms, the door their cell opened and two guards appeared, carrying the limp form of Seven of Nine between them. Two other guards pulled out their phasers and aimed them at Naomi and B'Elanna.
"Put your hands above your heads and move to the far wall," the guard holding Seven stated.
Naomi and B'Elanna did as ordered, watching as Seven was brought into the cell and laid down on the floor. When the guards retreated, they immediately rushed over to Seven and began to check her over. They were not reassured by what they discovered; Seven's skin was even paler than before, she was unconscious, shaking and running a high fever.
"What the hell did you do to her?" B'Elanna demanded.
"That is none of your concern, mongrel," one of the guards sneered. "Just be thankful that it is still alive."
B'Elanna pulled Seven into her arms and cradled her until the shaking stopped, "Don't worry Seven, we're going to be okay," B'Elanna whispered.
Eventually B'Elanna and Naomi both fell asleep as well, each of them holding tightly onto Seven. The Socadan would have much more trouble separating the three women the next time.
Seven's dream
Seven was standing in a white room that seemed to stretch out for miles, it didn't matter in which direction she moved the landscape remained static, leaving her with the feeling that she hadn't moved at all. Eventually she became frustrated and sat down.
After what seemed an age, when Seven felt she had lost all hope, a voice sounded in the sterile space.
"Welcome child, we have been waiting for you for a very long time."
Another voice sounded, "We have never given up hope."
Then another: "You will do great things."
And finally the last, which had a leadership quality to its tone, "Your suffering is almost at an end child, soon you will be ready."
"What do you mean? What is happening to me?" Seven asked desperately.
"You once said that you wished for redemption, a chance to help people instead of destroying them. This is your chance."
"How, after everything that I have done?" Seven asked.
"You will know when the time is right child, but now you must wake up."
"No, please wait, there is still so much I need to know," Seven said desperately as the room she was standing in slowly dissolved into darkness.
B'Elanna was the first of the trio to wake up. As she looked around the cell she noticed that she lay on Seven's right and Naomi on Seven's left. Nothing seemed out of place but something about Seven just didn't seem right. In an odd way, she looked shorter. At first B'Elanna put it down to her imagination, but when she wrapped her arm around Seven's waist she knew something was definitely wrong. She couldn't feel Seven's abdominal implant, but Seven appeared to be functioning just fine.
"Seven, wake up!" B'Elanna said as she began to gently shake her.
Seven slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to face the person that was shaking her. As her eyes began to focus she noticed the shocked expression on B'Elanna's face and quickly grew alarmed.
"What is it B'Elanna?" Seven asked.
B'Elanna didn't answer at first, just stared at her in shock. "Seven, what happened to you?" she said as she put her hand on Seven's cheek. "You look so young, about nineteen if I had to guess."
B'Elanna frowned for a second before she took Seven's hands and helped her to stand up. "You're shorter than you were last night too."
Seven noticed that as well. Yesterday her chin had reached the top of B'Elanna's head but today she was an inch shorter than B'Elanna.
"It must be part of the changes the voices spoke of," Seven said.
"Seven, is that you? What happened?" Naomi asked clearly shocked at the changes in Seven. Seven's normally skin tight bio-suit was hanging limply around her, clearly too big for the much altered former drone.
"The Socadan injected me with the Omega molecule," Seven said quietly
"THE OMEGA MOLECULE!" B'Elanna shouted. "It isn't even stable. What the hell were they thinking putting that inside you?"
"It is not as bad as it sounds," Seven stated. "They have found a way to stabilize Omega. The organisms they have previously tested it on were enhanced considerably."
B'Elanna had spent too much time with Seven not to be able to instantly tell when Seven was lying or trying to hide something. "Seven, there is something you're not telling us." she said with certainty.
"There is." Seven said with a sigh. "It explains why they wanted only hybrids. We possess the genetic trait necessary to survive the transformation. If they perform it on anyone else, Omega becomes unstable and the test subject is destroyed."
"Wait a minute Seven, you're technically not a hybrid, you were assimilated. That means you don't have the genetic trait," B'Elanna said, getting worried.
"That is not completely accurate B'Elanna. For full assimilation to be successful, the potential drone must be implanted with the genetic trait. If it is not present the implants will eventually be rejected and the drone will die."
"So you're going to be okay?" Naomi asked, "You're not going to die?"
"No, the hardest part of the change is completed. We will be able to leave in four days. They only want to know if the transformation can be completed safely. After they receive a stable blood sample from me, they will have no use for us."
"How much of you will change?" B'Elanna asked. "When I woke up this morning I didn't feel your abdominal implant."
Seven's hand immediately went to her stomach. There was nothing there, no metal reminder of her years as a Borg. "Omega must have removed it, this also explains why I don't feel weak anymore," Seven said happily.
"How come the implants on your face and arm are still there?" Naomi asked curiously.
"It might be because the Borg completely removed your arm, and your eye. Omega must not be able to completely regenerate body parts or it might just take longer for it to merge with technology rather than organic compounds," B'Elanna speculated.
"It is still too early to tell B'Elanna. It will take another four days before the transformation is complete. I am unsure of what the next change will be, or how long before it happens."
"Seven, when you woke up this morning you were talking about voices. What did you mean?" B'Elanna asked curiously.
"It was a dream, the first dream I have had since I was assimilated. The voices told me that this transformation was my chance for redemption. They said that I will do something that is supposed to make up for all the atrocities I committed as a Borg."
"Seven, none of that was your fault, you had no control over what you did," B'Elanna said, trying to soothe the younger woman's guilt.
"It does not matter if I wanted to do it or not. It was still my body, my hands, that did those horrible things," Seven said quietly.
B'Elanna pulled the now shorter woman into a hug. She didn't know what she could say to make Seven feel better so she just held onto her, hoping that that would be enough.
To be continued...(wow, no cliff hanger this time)