=/\=
"Where have you been?" Axum yelled as Annika appeared in Unimatrix Zero. "Didn't you regenerate at all for the past few time periods? I looked for you everywhere. I couldn't find you anywhere in Unimatrix Zero."
"I . . . I wasn't anywhere else. I didn't regenerate because I was . . . lost. There was an accident. Our scout vessel crashed. My Unimatrix was severed from the Collective."
"Are you all right? Did the medical drones have to piece you back together?"
"No, I was . . . I was physically whole. But five of the others died. And three of them were . . . it was very difficult for us." Annika looked away from him. She didn't know what to say to Axum. What happened was so . . . upsetting.
Axum examined her closely, like he was trying to read her mind, even though they were here in Unimatrix Zero, where there was no subvocal communication. Finally he said, "I can see it was difficult. If you tell me what happened, maybe I can help."
She allowed him to pull her over to one of the benches along the path, but out of the way of the others visiting their clearing that day.
"Axum, how long was I away?"
"We missed you for four regeneration periods."
She sighed. "I didn't know how long I was parted from the Collective. I was an individual again, and I didn't like it. I watched Six of Nine die when I found him. I was frightened. And the others didn't understand. "
"If you were an individual, you weren't of the Collective anymore. How is it you're here now? Not that I'm unhappy about it. I would have been upset if you had disappeared forever."
"Like Pennia did."
"Yes," he said soberly. "Like Pennia."
"The Collective found us again. We'd set up a beacon. They must have triangulated our position before Two of Nine smashed it." She paused, disquieted, before saying. "Lansor smashed it. That was his designation . . . what he was called before he was assimilated." She looked at Axum then, beseeching him to understand. "He didn't want to be of the Collective anymore. None of them did."
Axum pulled her into his arms and held her close as she sobbed out her pain. These memories were painful. She didn't want to remember them, but here, in Unimatrix Zero, the entire incident was clear, as if burned into her memory. It seemed that any attempt to remove it would scar her forever.
Finally, he said very gently, "Did they get away? Are you the only one who was retrieved? Is that why you're so upset?"
"No. I . . . I found them after they left me. I reassimilated them into the Collective. We waited there until another Borg vessel came for us." She pulled her head away from his chest and looked into his face as she said, "Did I do wrong?"
Axum could not respond to her question right away. To be severed from the Collective and live only in his own head, the way he could in Unimatrix Zero, was a dream he'd always cherished when he was here and could think for himself. But if that dream ever did come true, he'd never find Annika again. How much would he even remember about their time together?
He sighed, but before he could say anything, Annika said sadly, "You do think I did wrong."
"Oh, Annika, I don't, really. You said you were frightened. Is that why you decided to reassimilate them?"
"I couldn't bear to be alone. They could remember what their life was like before. Lansor, and P'Chan, and Marika Willkara were grownups when the Borg took them. They could have survived on their own. But without my parents to take care of me, I didn't know if I knew enough to be on my own. I need to be Borg when I'm awake. The Collective lets me know what I need to do and how I should act. I'm happy with my individuality when I'm here with you in Unimatrix Zero. It's . . . it's not like my body is really here. It was different on that planet. What if the Borg hadn't found us again? How could we live?"
"I understand now. You were so very young when you were assimilated. You never had a chance to learn how to rely on yourself, to make choices, or how to take care of yourself. Annika, I'm glad you came back to me. I wouldn't want to lose you now."
"But you do think I should have let them go."
"It's too late now to do anything about it, Annika."
She wasn't fooled by his prevarication, even though it was certainly true. What had been done could not be undone now. Annika began to cry. Axum hugged her even closer, to comfort her in her distress.
Annika did feel better when he held her like this, enfolded within his arms. She liked whatever they did together. She looked up at him. His face . . . he was looking at her like . . . a memory of Mama and Papa came to her. They had looked like that at each other sometimes. A lot of the time. Even when they argued, they looked like that when they made up.
She remembered what her parents would do when they were close in each other's arms like this. She gently touched her lips to his.
His response was immediate. He returned her kiss, and then it deepened until she thought that if she had been in the real world with him like this, she might have fainted. Her feelings of guilt remained, but now, it seemed she could bear it. What was she feeling? It was like she felt when she was with Mama and Papa . . . but different. Hesitantly, she said, "This is very nice, Axum. I never thought about kissing you before, but now it feels . . . right. Like we're meant to be together like this."
"Oh, Annika, I've felt that whenever I've been with you for the past year. Maybe longer. I wanted to tell you, but I could only be patient and hope you might feel the same way about me someday. I love you."
A sense of wonder came over her, so strong, that all she could say was, "I think I love you, too."
=/\=
