"First officer's log, stardate 43999.4. Our pursuit of the Borg continues on a course that will take us to the very core of the Federation. The devastation they could bring is beyond imagination."

As the Enterprise continued it's pursuit of the Borg ship, Worf was in the armoury preparing the phaser rifles for the away mission. Although he had many well-trained security officers under his command who were more than capable of doing this, Worf had decided to do it himself. He felt personally responsible for the Captain's abduction and cursed himself for not posting security officers on the bridge. He made a personal vow that if they recovered the Captain and defeated the Borg, he would not make the same mistake again. After he'd finished preparing the phasers, Worf headed to the transporter room where Shelby, Data and Dr Crusher were waiting. "These phasers have been retuned." Worf said as he issued the rifles out, "Each has a different frequency spanning the upper EM band."

"Alright, a reminder, we only get to use each of these once, maybe twice before the Borg learn to adapt." Shelby warned everyone, "Don't fire until you have to."

"What kind of resistance can we expect?" Dr Crusher asked. She hadn't been aboard the ship during the encounter with the Borg at J-25 as she'd been at Starfleet Medical for the entirety of that year.

"At our last encounter, the Borg virtually ignored us when we beamed aboard their vessel, Doctor." Data replied, "They clearly did not consider our being there a threat."

"That could very well change, however, if we start interfering with their plans." Shelby cautioned as they took up positions on the transporter pads. "Shelby to bridge. Away team ready." she said into her combadge.

"We've got 58 minutes before we have to power down and disengage." Riker answered

"Understood." Shelby acknowledged

"Proceed." Riker ordered, "Commander, no unnecessary risks. If it becomes clear you can't succeed, I want you back here, alive... I don't want any dead heroes. Clear?"

"Very clear, sir." Shelby replied, "Shelby out."

"We've matched warp velocity for transport, Commander. " O'Brien reported

"Energise." Shelby ordered and O'Brien beamed the away team aboard the Borg ship.

The first thing that struck the away team when they materialised in their new surroundings was the humid atmosphere. Worf and Data remembered this from their previous encounter. Worf checked his tricorder. "Tricorder functions minimal." he reported.

"Any sign of Human life?" Shelby asked him

"Inconclusive." Worf replied, making adjustments to his tricorder.

Dr Crusher meanwhile took a look around, getting her first look at the Borg up close and personal. As Data had said, the Borg were ignoring the away team, with most of them regenerating in their alcoves. Occasionally, a drone would walk by, completely ignoring the intruders. Dr Crusher took a moment to study the gridwork structures lining the ceiling, connecting each alcove. "Look at this." she called to the others, "This is extraordinary."

"These appear to be some kind of power waveguide conduits which allow them to work collectively as they perform ship functions." Data surmised

"There's no way to take out enough of these to slow them down." Shelby said gloomily

"The decentralised power system makes it virtually impossible." Data concurred

Dr Crusher studied the configuration of the conduits for a moment and considered the problem. "What about looking at it from the mosquito's point of view?" she said

"An interesting metaphor, Dr." Data remarked, "What is your idea?"

"If we sting them in a tender spot... they might stop for a minute to scratch." Dr Crusher replied

Shelby and Data shared looks, agreeing that the Dr's idea was a good one. As the away team moved to an intersection, they saw a large conduit box on the ceiling. "Distribution nodes." Data observed

"If we take out a few of these, it just might make them scratch." Shelby remarked

Worf's tricorder bleeped suddenly. "The Captain's communicator, it is still active." he reported

Dr Crusher promptly tapped her own communicator. "Crusher to Picard, can you hear me, Captain?"

There was no response. "Can you locate it, Worf?" Shelby asked

Worf checked his tricorder. "This way." he said and led them down a corridor.

~8~

Aboard the Enterprise, Riker was in the ready room informing Admiral Hanson of the situation. "I strongly recommend redeploying all available defences to protect sector 001, Admiral." Riker advised

"We're moving to intercept at Wolf 359." Hanson replied, "We'll make our stand there. How much longer can you maintain pursuit?"

"22 minutes if they stay at current speed." Riker replied, "If we can't bring them out of warp, we'll do as much damage as we can before we have to disengage."

"Picard?"

"Nothing yet, sir." Riker sighed.

~8~

Aboard the Borg ship, Worf led the others through the corridors. The air on the ship was stifling, but it didn't stop any of the away team. They were determined to get their Captain back and nothing was going to stop them if they could help it. As they reached a series of large drawers lining one wall, Worf's tricorder readings changed. "In here." he said, indicating a drawer.

Data moved forward and pulled out the drawer in question. Inside was a discarded Starfleet command division uniform, four gold rank pips on the collar and a combadge on the left hand side of the chest. Shelby promptly tapped her own combadge. "Shelby to Enterprise. We've found the Captain's uniform and his communicator. We're resuming our search."

~8~

Riker was sitting in the captain's chair listening to this news. He and Troi exchanged worried looks, then their attention was caught by La Forge and Wesley exiting the turbolift. "Stand by, Commander." Riker said into the comm then stood up to listen to what La Forge and Wesley had to say.

"We're in business." Wesley said

"It'll burn out the main deflector... but it'll be one hell of a bang." La Forge added

"Radiation danger?" Riker asked

"We'll need to evacuate the entire forward half of the secondary hull and the lower three decks of the saucer section." Wesley replied

"I'll see to that." Troi nodded and she then left the bridge to do so.

Riker contacted the away team. "Commander Shelby, we have only 17 minutes of warp power left. Do what you can to get them out of warp."

"Acknowledged." Shelby replied.

~8~

Shelby led the away team back to an intersection with a distribution node. "Let's take out some of these distribution nodes and see what happens." she said, "Get ready. This may rile up our friends."

Data fired his rifle at the node. Nothing happened so Data and Worf fired together. This time the node shorted out and exploded in a shower of sparks. The whole ship shuddered and a groan of power loss sounded all over. Some of the Borg in the alcoves began to stir. The away team moved to another intersection and Data and Worf shot out another node. As it blew out, more Borg awoke.

"Ready phasers." Shelby warned as she saw Borg beginning to advance on them and they all aimed their rifles at them. "Fire." And she and Data fired in one direction while Worf and Dr Crusher fired in the other.

One set of drones went down as did another, but more kept coming, climbing over their dead comrades without a second glance.

"Enterprise, encountering resistance." Shelby said into her combadge as they backed up down a clear corridor, "Prepare to beam us back on my signal."

The away team backed into another intersection and Data and Worf destroyed a third node.

~8~

The Borg ship lost power and slowed out of warp.

~8~

"Sir, they've done it. The Borg ship is dropping out of warp." Lt. Mandalone reported

"Go to impulse." Riker ordered Wesley, who complied.

"Diverting warp power to main deflector." La Forge announced once the Enterprise had slowed to impulse.

"Move us to within 40km, match velocity." Riker ordered Wesley. "Commence arming sequence." he told Mandalone, "Increase deflector modulation to upper frequency band."

~8~

On the Borg ship, more and more drones advanced on the away team. They shot them with their rifles but more just kept coming from all sides. Then, the away team found that their shots were simply repelled by the Borg's personal shields. "They're adapting to the frequencies." Shelby realised

Suddenly, Dr Crusher saw a familiar silhouette behind the Borg coming towards her. It was Captain Picard. "Jean-Luc?" she called out. Upon hearing her voice, Picard slowly turned to face her. As he did so, Dr Crusher let out a gasp of horror. One side of Picard's face was covered by machinery. The Borg had turned him into one of them,

Worf turned around at that moment and saw Picard too. "Captain!" he exclaimed. Shelby and Data turned around too and Shelby let out a horrified gasp at the sight of the transformed captain. Worf immediately darted forward towards Picard. Dr Crusher made to follow but Data wisely held her back. As Worf reached Picard, he was suddenly repelled violently by a Borg forcefield and fell flat on his back.

Shelby could see that they were outnumbered. "Enterprise, get us out of here." she said into her combadge and the away team were beamed away from the Borg ship.

~8~

Everyone on the bridge of the Enterprise waited anxiously for the away team to get back. When they stepped out of the turbolift, Riker could see that Dr Crusher was on the verge of tears, Worf was seething and Shelby looked defeated and downcast. Only Data wasn't showing any emotion. "The Captain?" Riker asked them

"We were unable to retrieve him, sir." Data replied, "The Captain has been altered by the Borg."

"Altered?" Riker stared

"He is a Borg!" Worf snarled. He was furious. Jean-Luc Picard, one of the most honourable men he had ever know had been adducted and horrifically butchered into a Borg. Worf's skin crawled in fury as he thought about it.

Riker was stunned at this news. "We'll go back." Shelby said determinedly, "I need more people... we need to retune the phasers again... we'll get him out of there."

But before Riker could reply, the engineering console beeped. "Commander, I'm reading subspace field fluctuations within the Borg ship." La Forge reported, "Looks like they're regenerating, restoring power. They could be capable of warp any minute.

"Is the deflector ready?" Riker asked, his mind going at warp speed covering the options.

"It's ready." La Forge replied, registering the importance of Riker's impending decision.

"Will, he's alive." Dr Crusher said to Riker in an almost pleading tone, "If we can get him back to the ship I might be able to restore..."

"This is our only chance to destroy them." Riker countered, "If they get back into warp, our weapon is useless."

"We'll sabotage them again if we have to." Shelby said

"We can't maintain power. We don't have the time." Riker told her. "Prepare to fire." he instructed Worf.

"At least consult with Starfleet Command." Shelby protested. "Get me Admiral Hanson on subspace." she ordered Worf.

"Belay that order, Lt." Riker countered. "There's no time." he told Shelby. Every fibre of his being wished this wasn't so. He wanted desperately for them to be able to go back and rescue Picard from the clutches of these cybernetics zombies and undo whatever horrifying things they'd done to him but alas, the universe wasn't that kind. He knew that the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few no matter how hard it hurt.

Just then, the tactical console beeped. "Sir, we are being hailed by the Borg." Worf reported

"On screen." Riker acknowledged and moved close to the viewscreen.

The viewer showed the interior of the Borg ship. The Borgified Picard emerged from the shadows, causing several bridge officers to gasp in horror at the sight of the horrific transformation of their captain. The Picard Borg spoke up, his voice monotone and without a single trace of any emotion or Humanity; "I am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward, you will service... us."

A horrified silence fell among the bridge and all eyes turned on Riker who continued to look at the Borgified form of his Captain and friend on the viewscreen. He knew that they were out of time and there was only one option. 'God forgive me.' he thought then he took a breath and gave the order; "Mr Worf... fire."

Author's notes: And so we've reached the legendary cliff-hanger. That bit was fun to write. Note that I gave the away team phaser rifles. I feel that they should've been using them instead of the dinky hand phasers in that scene. The real reason for no rifles is because the rifle prop wasn't made until season 4 but in fanfiction we're not so constrained so the away team have rifles here. As several people have requested, I've attempted to depict the thought and feelings of characters in this scene. I know it's not the best but I hope it's ok. So, please enjoy.