The Power of the Q- Ch. 14- Assimilation
I could feel the nanoprobes go through the veins in my neck. They worked their way down my neck and going throughout my body. I looked around and saw Chakotay and Tuvok, both to my right. They both started sprouting Borg implants on their cheeks.
It should've been soon after that I felt an implant sprout up, but I didn't feel anything. All but mine and one other drone transported to the sphere. They took Chakotay and Tuvok with them.
The Borg drone that was holding me was somewhat distracted. I used that to my advantage. I grabbed its arm, pulled it out and kicked the drone in the stomach. The other I just pushed out of the way.
Run was the only thing on my mind. So, naturally, I ran as fast as I could in the direction of the shuttle. The Borg drones were hot on my tail, but they weren't running. I started getting dizzy, but I needed to continue running just to stay alive.
I got to the shuttle and started pre-flight. The shuttle door in the back was pulled up, don't want to risk those Borg drones coming aboard. In just a few seconds, the shuttle was ready to go and the shuttle went up.
As soon as I was above the atmosphere, the Borg sphere started to fire on me. Evasive maneuvers were no use and it knocked out the shuttle's warp drive.
"Dammit!" I yelled aloud. Then the sphere got a tractor beam on the ship.
"We are the Borg, you will be assimilated." That damn Borg voice said. "Your technology and you will be added to our collective."
A beam of white light engulfed me soon after. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I expected to see a bunch of Borg drones around me. But what I saw was completely different.
"Tom!" Sam screamed in happiness. She ran up to me and hugged me. "I was so worried. We saw the Borg sphere and thought you were already on board." I hugged her back and we let go.
"We?" I looked around. The ship I was on wasn't Voyager, nor was it Borg, it was Asgard.
"Yes, that short alien over there came and rescued me from Voyager." She said pointing to an Asgard sitting at a console.
"That's an Asgard, Sam." I smiled. "Thor?" I asked the Asgard.
"You are correct in assuming that, Lieutenant Paris." Thor said back. "I am from your timeline. I have been sent to retrieve you and Samantha Wildman from this universe. I will bring you back to your timeline and universe."
"Thor, you have the BEST timing in every alternate universe and galaxy." I smiled. Then I started thinking about something..."Why did you allow Q to bring us here?"
"We are not in control of the continuum at all times, Lieutenant Paris." Thor replied. "Sometimes, the Q are rather…difficult to contain at some points. Does that answer your question?"
"Yeah, I get it." I answered. "So, when do we leave?"
"Now." Thor said. He pushed some buttons and moved a stone.
The ship started to go beyond warp and appeared within meters of Voyager. Which one I had no clue of.
"I suggest you try to hail them, Lieutenant Paris." Thor said to me. He motioned towards the view screen.
"Ours, right?" I asked Thor. He nodded and I turned to Sam. "Sam, I think you standing next to me would help." She nodded and stood to my right. "Asgard ship to Voyager, please respond." Sam looked at me oddly. "No need to ruin the surprise of our remarkable return."
Captain Janeway's face appeared on the view screen. She looked at us in surprise. "Who are you?" she asked in somewhat anger.
"Can't you tell it's us, Captain?" I asked. What the hell was wrong with her? "Me, Tom Paris and her" I motioned to Sam. "Samantha Wildman."
"Lieutenant Paris and Ensign Wildman are both dead." The Captain replied.
I looked at Sam. Crap. I turned back to the view screen. "Uh, actually, Captain, the people that you think are dead, aren't. We're them." I said. That was confusing just to me. "See, the Paris and Wildman that died in your universe, are actually from a different one. A very very different one. We're from you're universe."
"Why should we believe you?" Chakotay asked.
"We have Thor on our side,Chakotay." I answered. Chakotaylooked at me oddly then saw in the background Thor. "Please, Captain," I said looking at her. "let us come on board and we'll tell you everything." I pleaded. She looked reluctant. "You can have heavily armed people around us 24/7; just let us tell you what the hell is going on."
"Alright, I'll let you come on board." Janeway said. "I will meet you in Transporter Room 1 in a few minutes."
"Thank you, Captain." I smiled relieved. "Would you like Thor to join us?"
"Captain," Thor interrupted the Captain and mine's conversation. "I am hopeful that Lieutenant Paris and Ensign Wildman will tell you the truth and I give my full collaboration in the truth of their story. I have to get back to my people at this moment."
"Okay, Thor, but what if they don't tell the truth?" The Captain asked.
"I think Lieutenant Paris knows that if he doesn't tell the truth he -as O'Neill used to say-" Thor paused. "'will have hell to pay'." I looked over at Thor and smiled. Jack seems to have left a really big impression on Thor…
"Alright, Thor, we'll beam these two to our ship soon. Will you put your shields down?" She asked.
"Of course, Captain Janeway." Thor replied. "Asgard ship out." He cut the link. "Lieutenant Paris, I suggest you take caution."
"They're Starfleet, Thor, we're part of them, what could they do to us?" I asked.
"Not them, the Borg." He replied. "You were assimilated, but you show no signs." Sam looked at me oddly and backed off a bit. "As we know of, no Tok'ra before has ever been assimilated, so no one knows the after affects of the nanoprobes on the Tok'ra. Also, we have been given information on the Borg becoming more powerful than ever. Just a caution to think of, Lieutenant Paris."
Sam looked at Thor. "So, you're saying he could become some mutant Borg/Tok'ra?" She asked.
"I do not know what will happen." Thor answered. He took the Asgard vessel's shields down.
"Don't worry, Sam, me not showing any sign of assimilation is a good sign." I smiled. "Besides, once we get onboard Voyager, I'm sure the Captain will want the Doctor to look me over. We'll know then what the hell is going to happen to me."
Sam faced me again. "If you didn't notice, Tom, we didn't even know you had that thing in you until roughly four months ago!" She replied.
"Calm down, I know I'll be fine." I gave her a thousand watt smile. "Sam, it's me. I've come close to death and never died. Then when I did die, I came back alive! I've been through worse, Sam; this Borg thing is no sweat."
"Alright, but if you're wrong..." Sam said.
"I won't be." I replied back.
And with that, we were beamed onto Voyager into Transporter Room 1. Janeway took my word seriously when I said to have armed guards there. Tuvok and two other security guys had weapons.
"Geez, you know I was just kidding about the armed guard's part." I muttered.
"If you two don't mind, I would like both of you to join us in Sickbay." Janeway said.
"I was betting you were going to do that." I smiled. Sam and I stepped down from the Transporter pad. "Shall we lead or will you?"
Janeway looked at me angrily. "If you are who you say you are, then you should know the way." Janeway replied.
I smiled at the Captain and we all left for Sickbay. The entire way there, Janeway seemed uneasy around me. Awkward more like it. Once we got to Sickbay, the Doc was beyond surprised.
"And who do we have here?" He asked walking over towards Sam and me.
"That's why we're here, Doc." I answered. "You're supposed to prove to the Captain here that she is Sam and I am Tom."
"Alright, please take a seat on a biobed." He said. I sat on the one in the middle and Sam sat on the one nearest the door.
The Doc walked over to Sam and took some blood from her. He then walked back over to the main terminal.
"Would you like us to tell you our story, Captain?" Sam asked. Janeway walked over to the terminal next to the Doctor. The two guards and Tuvok stood at the door, weapons still in hand.
"Not yet, let's see what the blood has to say about you two." Janeway answered.
After a few minutes, the Doctor looked up at the Captain. "She's Samantha Wildman. And the baby is half-Ktarian. Your turn."
The Doc walked over to me and took some blood. He then walked back over to the terminal. Janeway was staring at me the whole time. Then, after another couple of minutes, hell broke loose. The Doc motioned for the Captain to look at the terminal screen. Janeway looked back at him in disbelief.
"Computer, erect a level ten force field around biobed two." Janeway called.
"Wait!" I screamed. "What the hell are you doing?" I asked.
"Computer, red alert." She said. Then looked me straight in the eyes. "You didn't think we wouldn't find out that you have Borg nanoprobes in your blood?" she asked.
Crap.