Chapter 10

Things on Klingon had started out ok but soon everything changed from good to bad. And usually when things go bad they get worse. Well that was certainly no exception for Be'lana. Whenever she tried to do something one of her relatives always seemed to stop by for a visit and rattle off some story about his or her experiances in battle. And Be'lana quite frankly was sick of it. When she first got here she thaught everything would be alright. Well apparently she had been wrong. "I wish I'd been left on Romulas." she mumbled quietly to herself...but she didn't say it as quietly as she had thaught. Her uncle Bo'Thuk suddenly perked up after she made the comment and made her wish she'd never said it.

"And just what do you mean by THAT?" he demanded angrily. "C'mon woman, SPEAK."

"Alright, fine." she said and moved over to where her uncle was sitting. "Ever since I got here you people have been making my life a living nightmare. Whenever I try to go out on a walk with my daughter or try do anything else one of you always calls my attention away from whatever I want to do so you can just tell me another one of your boring tales about battle and honor. Oh and don't tell me about how I don't have to listen to you because believe me I know. It's just that you always MAKE me listen. And I'm TIRED of it!!"

Bo'Thuk blinked a couple times and snorted. He worked his jaw a few times and spoke. "We were just trying to help you." Boy that was the wrong thing to say, and he realized it the second he saw the look on her face. "Your trying to help me? Is that so? Well I'll tell you how you can help me and that is to ship me and my daughter of this forsaken rock and free us from all of you honor hungry idiots!" She got up and hurried out the door. He sat there a moment and thaught about what she'd said. What she'd said made sense. They were taking up a lot of her free time. But on the other hand they were also trying to bring her family honor. And they couldn't do that unless she co-operated. She also didn't lke her klingon heiritage so that didn't help either. But being part Klingon wasn't something tobe ashamed about. But apparentely to her it was. Whatever the reason she had for not wanting to be part Klingon he didn't know. But he would make sure he found out.

It was cold inside the conference room aboard Voyager. Very cold. And the fact that the Borg could listen to whatever they said no matter where they were on the ship just seemed to make it colder. Which made Tom wonder why in the galaxy they were in here to begin with. Tom looked at the Janeway and noted that she seemed to be a bit jumpy today. Of course with a Borg Exterminater out there who wouldn't? Janeway was about to speak when suddenly an awfull noise erupted from the comm system. Not quite like the last one they had heard about two days ago which sounded like someone banging their head against a microphone. This sounded more like thousands of voices talking at the same time.

"Whats that noise?!" Janeway yelled over the sound. But no one could make out what she was saying because the volume of the noise increased. Everyone coverd their ears. Soon it was so loud that the transparent alluminum window threatened to shatter. and then as abruptly as it had started the sound's speed increased and shut off. Everyone just stared at each other for a while, and then a sinister voice came over the comm system. "I hope you enjoyed the music Janeway."

"If you call that music then I'm a Talaxian frankfurter."

The voice cackled "That was the voices of the collective. Remarkable isn't it?"

"Remarkable is one way to put it." Janeway said blandly "another way to desrcibe it is annoying."

The voice continued "Well then maybe I should help you get used to it. Because after all you will be joining the collective very soon.

"I wouldn't count on it your Highness. I was assimilated once before if you remember correctely."

"Yes I remember. How could I forget what you did to the Borg. Which is why I am going to assimilate your crew...and then have you executed."

Janeway thaught back to her dream. The part where the Queen destroyed her command node and then tried to kill her...it HAD been a vision...which meant. She looked over at Tom and remembered the drone from her dream...slumped over at his alcove with the face of Tom Paris...dead.

Tom saw her staring at him. He cocked his head to the side "Captain?"

Janeway turned away from him towards the viewport. NO she thaught. This can't be. It just CAN'T. Or could it? It seemed like everything she had worked for, and believed in was coming crashing down on her. The noise of the Borg abruptly started again this time it didn't end. It just kept going. The sinister voice returned "I will let you and your crew listen to this for the next week to prepare them for their assimilation."

And then the voice was heard no more.