AN: The next three chapters are very long and I don't want to overwhelm anyone with word count. So I may be separating these chapters into two parts.
Chapter 9
Part II
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"Hugh. Are you still in contact with the Enterprise?"
"No. I left them maybe a few weeks ago. They are gone, more than likely."
Lore gritted his teeth. It was just like the Federation to start something they would never finish.
"Well, you and I will have to make do without them. The first thing we will need to get into order is living quarters for your people. We can probably set up few power distribution conduits on every level. One other thing we should probably get in order is constructing a new ship. You'll need a vessel that operates under a crew rather than the consciousness of one. You have most of the raw materials you would need to construct of functional vessel with an acting crew, but it would mean disassembling your previous ship."
Lore began helping to coordinate the beam downs from the Borg ship. Panic was running rampant and it sounded as though they were rioting over who would be the first to get off the ship. The Borg drone standing next to Hugh flipped open a make-shift communications device from his arm.
"Attention, everyone. All individuals will be leaving the ship and none are in any immediate danger. Please attempt to organize yourselves in a method to expedite this process. The sooner we get everyone off of the ship, the sooner we can begin repairs." He flipped the device closed.
Lore raised his eyebrows, a smirk plastered to his face. "What is your name?"
The Borg drone paused. "My designation was 17 of 25 but… I do not have a name."
"You don't have name? Hugh has a name." Lore crossed his arms.
"He seems to be the only one." He paused. "Do you think that I could have a name?" He asked without shame.
Lore thought for a moment. "Crosis."
The Borg nodded, repeating "Crosis. Why?"
"Crosis was a peacekeeper in earth mythology," Lore sighed slightly. "But you need to understand that names have power. They give others power over you but they can also be used as a weapon of influence over others."
"I believe I understand. Hugh's name gave him the power to take down our entire ship." Lore nodded. Indeed, it had.
They brought in several crews from the Borg ship whose initial jobs had been maintenance. As the sun set over the alien landscape, the complex transformed into a construction site. They ripped out old walls in the lower levels where rot had begun to take hold and reinforced them with titanium plating, embedding energy nodes where they were needed. They could have kept an army in this fortress, if necessary.
They began pulling the Borg vessel apart after grounding it, which had rather devastating effects to the exterior. The ship was caved in on one side and half buried in the fresh black dirt of a valley about a kilometer off from the sanctuary. The ship's design was completely modified, giving no hints as to the ship's origins. Much of the material was used to reform the inside of the building but most was used in the construction of their new vessel.
They used the design of his scout ship to draw up a dual warp engine. One that was capable of at least warp 10 and vortex speed as well. The design of the ship war far from pretty; it had combined elements of the Borg ship, built to carry a large number of passengers, but was more compact. The weapons system was extensive. The ship could match any Federation flagship. Lore knew that if these Borg were to come into contact with any of the Federation they would be facing serious issues.
As the construction and development of the complex trudged on, Lore received no word from any of the Lemnan people, neither from Dakkar or Idham. Ilyn had told Lore that she would remain in contact with him, if possible. Subspace carriers were slow, but weeks had passed without event and he was beginning to worry.
Lore had Hugh standing next to him as he lay on his back, underneath a communications panel which he was attempting to repair.
"Hugh… there's," there was a loud clank of metal from under the panel, "something I need to go and take care of shortly. It is very important, do you understand?"
"You… are leaving?"
"I will return." Lore slid out from underneath the panel, wiping his hands on a towel, pausing thoughtfully. "We've almost accomplished our goal here, Hugh, and when we have, I will need your help. The help of your people."
Lore tried several times to send out the same general message to area of the Raan star system, using the native language in all dialects. Doubts nagged in the back of his mind. He received no communications from Ilyn, or anyone, since her last message before they had fled.
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Lore had returned, only to find abandoned streets. The sand hissed in the wind as he stepped hesitantly over scattered rubble. He shouted, calling out for anyone, but there was no one. They were simply gone, every single person. There were no bodies, there was nothing. The city had been home to at least seven million, including the outskirts but it looked as though the place had been deserted for centuries.
He gazed up at the high ledge allowing the sun to throw spots into his eyes, temporarily rendering him blind. Through the glare, he could almost make out the temple where Jamaal used to worship, its glittering gold panels shining in the sun. Lore felt a distinct sense of abandonment, sinking to his knees. They had left him behind in the dust.
For the first time in his life, Lore contorted around his torso, taking fistfuls of his hair in his hands and he wept. Dakkar was empty and there was a massive sandstorm was moving quickly over the area. He felt a deep sense of longing, that if they were dead, he could be allowed to lye alongside them and never get back up again.
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Lore gazed into the placid mirror and, for a moment, his brother's condemning, emotionless eyes stared back at him. How was it possible that Data could be so empty while Lore stood by with emotions that twisted in upon themselves? A pale, clenched fist shattered the mirror in a flash, raining silver shards onto the floor. He took in a deep breath, steadying himself.
His brother would join them soon, and he would open Data's eyes to the true nothingness of the universe. The endless cycle of life in vain and death for a resolve. A cycle which would evade the two androids for eternity. Lore smiled. If anyone would understand, it would be Data. Gentle thoughts of hope replaced his anguish. Together they were immortal.
Lore allowed himself the hope that together they might build something meaningful, something that could withstand the abuse of time. He would never forget the times he spent with humans who were so frail and temporary. If only their impact on his memories were as gossamer.
He found that Data did not leave his thoughts, even as he left the star system. He and his brother were both constructed under the same concept. The idea that you could love someone who would never die, and that it would never be forgotten. Lore could not forget. Not his home, not his father, and never his brother.
Lore imagined that he could be the first in a generation of humanoids whose every miniscule memory of every tiny detail in their lives would travel the depths of time. He would create a world of people who would never endure hardships such as sickness or the pain of death.
Lore could seek his brother out and together they would accomplish so much more than they ever could being apart. Lore pulled the glass case from his pack, gazing at its sparkle once more.
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"We're being contacted from a neighboring planet in the system."
"Really?" Lore did not sound particularly amused.
"Yes sir. They are demanding to that we evacuate this planet. Apparently they consider it their terrain. They have minimal defensive capabilities."
"Do not respond. They don't need to know we are here. Perhaps a dampening field of a sort will deter them."
"And then what?"
"If they persist, we will destroy them." Lore replied plainly.
"That does not seem right." The Borg watched him with uncertainty. Lore searched momentarily for the Borg's name. Goval...
"Doesn't seem right? Is it right that they would drive out of your only chance of continued existence simply because it did not comply with their interests?" Lore stepped down from the ledge he was standing on. "If you want to survive in this quadrant of space you will need to be more passionate about what you believe in, more persuasive. They would have you all slaughtered simply because you are Borg. You are an enemy of the Federation through no fault of your own. They would exterminate you, like insects. You will have to fight them eventually."
"You should all be angry, livid. You were left to drift in empty space. I would be furious if I were you." Inside the link, Lore knew how angry they were. Their anger fueled his and vice-versa. They were attacked, many killed. The lives they lead as automatons, misguided and wasteful. They had purpose, now, a direction. And Lore wanted to be the ones to help them find that purpose.
"My friends, my people… the time has come for us to take action. Today marks the beginning of a new era for our kind. It marks the end of death and desolation. Today we find out what it truly means to be alive." Lore discreetly pulled the tiny glass case from his pocket again, still smirking. It was empty.
Zzzzzzzzzz. Goodnight, eastern seaboard.