The Borg drones went to work after that, stripping the artificial skin from his wrist to his elbow, and carefully, precisely, replacing it with organic flesh from an unidentified donor, likely one or more of the assimilated Enterprise crewmembers. He watched them with fascination, his curiosity over-powering his emotions for the time being. They had righted the table into an upright position, and Naseema stood a few meters away, quietly watching her android protector with an unwavering gaze. The queen slowly circled the area, observing the drones, occasionally glancing at the Feeonix.

They have control of her somehow, he'd decided. He knew Naseema was vulnerable to certain types of mind-control and sedative compounds, and he deduced that the queen must be using one or more to keep her complacent. He had still not been able to find any indication that she had some trick hidden up her sleeve, or that she was somehow bluffing the queen until she could free him. He would have to get them out of here without her help, and possibly as she resisted him as well. He would carry her if he had to, either way, he had no intention of leaving her behind. He knew he would be taking an enormous risk if he had to force her to go with him, but the captain's order had been with regard to assimilated crew members. Naseema had not been assimilated, and he knew the queen was using her to get to him. If he left her behind, he feared the Borg would kill her, or worse, and he couldn't bring himself to let that happen, he couldn't...wouldn't...let her go. He didn't care how the captain might react, that his future in Starfleet would be severely crippled, or simply over...she meant to much to him, and he didn't think he would be able to forgive himself if he left her here to some unknown fate. The drones were repeatedly releasing the bond at his wrist, and he was sure his opportunity was nearing. He just needed to keep the queen distracted a little while longer.

"Tell me, are you using a polymer-based, neural relay to transmit the organic nerve impulses to the central processor of my positronic net?" he asked in a ridiculously casual manner. "If that is the case, how have you solved the problem of increased signal degredation inherent to organo-synthetic transmission-" he continued, barely pausing to breathe, until the queen cut him off.

"Do you always talk this much?" she asked, slightly irritated. She was behind him, and he was unable to see her face, but he watched as Naseema's gaze broke from his briefly to look at the queen.

She seemed nervous. Perhaps the plan is not going as well as expected. That could work in his favour. He decided to continue with his interrogation. If he could irritate the queen with his continuous chatter, maybe she would reveal something unintentionally.

"Not always," he shrugged, "but often."

Naseema smiled again. It is true. He does talk a great deal. I find it to be rather endearing. He is very intelligent, and you will come to appreciate it.

It is not his intelligence that annoys me, but the continuous whine of his voice. Can you not teach him to communicate as we do? Effectively, efficiently, without expending so much excess energy? the queen asked.

I like the sound of his voice, Naseema replied, somewhat disappointed by the queen's reaction to Data's inquisitiveness. She'd always found his curiosity attractive, and he had such a lovely voice, smooth and gentle. I suppose I could teach him, but it will take some time, time I do not believe we have to spare right now.

She wasn't sure why she was continuing to co-operate with this being. The queen was malevolent, and manipulative. She knew she was being used to control Data, and she loathed what she was helping the queen do to him, but it was as if the rational, conscious part of her mind was trapped inside her, unable to move...or even scream. The coolant tank was just on the other side of the room. She could get there if she tried. The Borg drones were strong, but so was she, and she was quick and agile. She could maneouver around them, she was sure of it, but it was as if her feet were glued to the floor. The predator part of her was dominating the calmer, gentler part, and it was enjoying the freedom. It liked the way Data was reacting to her. She could hear nearly every thought that raced through his mind. He knew something was wrong with her. He didn't blame her for what was happening, and he was determined to save them both. He was horrified at being the subject of the queen's experiment, but he was curious as well, and he'd most definitely liked the sensation she'd given him by stimulating the grafted flesh on his arm. His response had been better than she'd hoped. The glorious expression on his face, his whole body tensing underneath her, his uncontrolled gasp of excitement. It was the closest thing to a sexual acclimation she'd ever witnessed from him. She wanted to feel him react like that again, and she knew he wanted it just as fiercely.

The queen snorted with derision, and turned her gaze to Data as she came into his view. "Why do you insist on utilizing this primitive linguistic communication?" she asked him. "Your android brain is capable of so much more."

"Have you forgotten?" he replied coolly. "I am endeavouring to become more human." He glanced at Naseema to gage her reaction, but she remained stoic, watching the queen for instructions.

"Human," the queen derided. "We used to be exactly like them, flawed, weak...organic, but we evolved to include the synthetic. Now we use both to attain perfection." She moved behind Naseema, and brushed the Feeonix's hair with her fingers, but didn't break her stare. "Your goal should be the same as ours."

Data frowned, and smirked skeptically. "Believing oneself to be perfect, is often the sign of a delusional mind," he sneered. His ploy was working. The queen was becoming more annoyed every time he opened his mouth.

"Small words, from a small being trying to attack what he doesn't understand!" she hissed.

Naseema turned her eyes to the queen. Remain calm, your highness. He is pushing you on purpose.

Data maintained his bold stance. "I understand that you have no real interest in me," he snapped. "That your goal is to obtain the encryption codes to the Enterprise computer." He glared defiantly at the queen while Naseema looked between them both.

Your highness...

The queen relaxed her aggressive posture, and smiled at the android. "That is one of our goals," she said, suddenly calm again. "One of many, but in order to reach it, I am willing to help you reach yours."

Data didn't respond, but instead turned to watch the drone working on his arm. It fastened the last loose end of the organic skin, and started to close the restraint, but before it snapped into place, Data threw his arm forward against the metal clasp, flinging it open. He slammed his fist backwards into the drone's face, and then his slender fingers moved like lightning on the table's control panel, releasing the rest of his bonds. He nimbly dropped to the floor, and ran at the closest drone. He ducked under it's swing, and forced it over the nearby railing.

Naseema was frozen in place, both sides of her mind at a loss to react.

She wanted to help him, make a run for the coolant tank...or the door, but her feet wouldn't move. The predator told her to stay where she was, to resist him if he tried to take her with him. His attempt to escape is hopeless, it said. Stay here, it said. If you help her, she will give him to you. That is what you really want...there were too many instructions, too many voices telling her what to do. She couldn't keep this up, it was turning her brain to jelly...Data...please...help me...

She watched with a fascinated expression as her android protector turned, and plowed over the second drone coming at his back. Not bothering to ascertain the queen's position, he bolted forward, and grabbed the Feeonix's hand in his own as he ran for the exit, dragging her behind him.

Something incredible happened then. As his hand touched hers, Data felt a powerful surge rocket up his arm to his brain. He didn't see the flame in her eyes flash at that moment, and almost instantly recede back into blackness, but he heard her gasp.

Just like that, his whole life flooded into her mind. She gasped because the sensation was like water rushing into her lungs, overwhelming, suffocating, like being suddenly plunged into a deep, black ocean without the chance to take a breath first. The startling, total awareness of everything in his mind was awe-inspiring, and as the torrent of images, and sensations washed over her, she realized she was well beyond his conscious thoughts. She had made it all the way to his unconscious mind. He must be largely unaware of everything he held there. His conscious thoughts moved assuredly through the powerful tide of all his mind contained, and only they were audible. He knew he should have left her behind. She was under the Borg's control, as good as assimilated, but he wouldn't do it, he couldn't bring himself to leave her. It was with these thoughts that consciousness and unconsiousness collided. She couldn't separate each of his individual emotions, they all bled into each other, but she was overcome by feelings of love and devotion, and they were for her. They weren't memories or reflections of another's experience. They were genuine, raw, and astoundingly real. Data was in love with her. That was why he wouldn't leave her behind. He knew she was important to him, but he didn't understand why. All he knew was that something inside him was telling him he needed her. Now she knew why, and she knew why better than he did. They were feelings she knew all too well. She was in love with him just as powerfully.

He tore for the exit, pulling Naseema close to him while the queen stood firm, and seemed to simply watch as her quarry made their escape. Then she nodded, and activated the forcefield blocking the door. Data slammed into it, and staggered backwards a step, his grip on Naseema's hand lost. She fell out of his mind, and the abrupt severing of their connection disoriented them both. She blinked several times, trying to adjust, and Data spun around desperately searching for another escape route. He jerked back, startled, and as a drone swung down at him, he thrust his arm up to block the blow. The arm with the delicate, new flesh. The Borg's sharp implement slashed through it, and the acute pain was blinding. He cried out, and Naseema looked at him precipitously, blinking several times, her features completely void of expression.

The queen raised her hand, and the drones dissipated as quickly as they had swarmed, leaving the Feeonix and the android to stand alone in the middle of the floor. Data brought his eyes up to Naseema's as the queen approached, and they were overflowing with terrified agony, just like the rest of his face.

He'd never experienced pain before, and he never wanted to again. The frightening, excruciating sensation had nearly brought him to his knees, and he was ready to bend to the queen's will, and give her anything she wanted to make this stop. He felt tears flooding up in his eyes as he stared at Naseema, but he forced them back. He didn't know what had just happened, but something had. Something of great enormity. He saw a brief glimmer of her real self behind the black holes that sat where the beautiful blue had been this morning, but in a flash, it was gone. His thoughts were a racing wreck as he tried to collect himself. He desperately wanted her to come to him. He wanted her to tell him he was okay, that he could handle this, and that he was still her hero, despite this terrible mess they were in. He wished for a million different scenarios then. He wished they were on the bridge, keeping night watch, and he was chattering away about warp core reconfigurations or cat food supplements while she pretended to be interested. He wished they were in Ten Forward with Geordi and Guinan, him trying to understand why Commander Riker's joke was so hilarious, while the other three tried to explain it. He wished they were in her quarters, listening to Mozart as she whipped him at Klingon scrabble. None of those instances were happening now, and his escape attempt had failed. His brain screamed at him to pull it together, and formulate another plan. There was still the warp coolant tank, and if he could get to it, he could stop this, but he had to stay calm, and he had to convince the queen that he would not make anymore trouble or she would have her drones strap him back down to that dreadful table.

He glanced at the queen, moving towards them, and back to Naseema, who hadn't moved, hadn't broken her gaze from him. He ached for her to touch him, and give him some small sign she was still in there.

"Is it becoming clear to you yet?" the queen finally spoke as she neared them. Both her voice and expression were mocking. "Look at yourself, standing there cradling the new flesh that I have given you. If it means nothing to you, why protect it?"

He turned to face her, his features still twisted in a portrait of pain and fear. "I-I am simply imitating the behavior of humans," he said. His voice was shaking almost uncontrollably as he employed all his inner strength to maintain what little calm he had left.

The queen moved to stand beside Naseema, and threw her a skeptical glance before turning her penetrating, silver eyes back on the terrified android. "You're becoming more human all the time, Data," she sneered. "Now you're learning how to lie."

His lashes fluttered as he tried to avoid the queen's icy stare, and he took a hard, exaggerated breath to steady himself. "My programming was not designed to process these sensations," he stammered, pathetically reaching for any answer he could find. He looked at Naseema again, anxiously begging her with his eyes to help him, but she stayed frozen in position, still watching the queen.

Naseema, this is not working. He is not convinced, she said, holding her gaze on Data.

It is working, highness. He is terrified now, and he will do nearly anything to end this, but he will not be able to bring himself to do the one thing he has to do to make that happen, Naseema replied. Tell him to remove the graft. He loathes it, but he wants what it can give him more.

A wicked grin spread across the queen's lips as she took Naseema's suggestion. "Then tear the skin from your limb as you would a defective circuit," she told him. He brought his hand up, and gripped the edge of the grafted skin. More shoots of pain raced up to his brain. "Go ahead, Data, we won't stop you," she dared, staring him down. Naseema watched him from her spot beside the queen, visibly unmoved by the hurt written across his face. He winced, and his resolve wavered as the queen continued to taunt him.

He wanted to do it. He wanted to be rid of this cursed skin. True, he wanted to experience humanity, desperately, but not like this. This was twisted, and wrong, but at the same time, he knew if he did tear it from his arm, the queen would know he couldn't be swayed, and he was more afraid of what would happen to him...and to Naseema, if he couldn't keep the queen convinced that he was weak.

"Do it!" she snapped, grinning nastily. "Don't be tempted by flesh."

Flesh. The word snapped her out of her slight daze. Being inside Data's mind was discombobulating, and now she was struggling to stay focused on what was happening. Her rational half was still vainly continuing it's struggle against the predator, and the internal battle was exhausting her.

She finally focused her eyes, and looked at the android whose own eyes were pleading with her to help him.

She wanted to help him, but that part of her was still trapped by whatever it was the queen was using to control her. The calm, gentle ambassador was becoming weaker, more faint, and fading into her mind's recesses. The predator was winning, howling up from her core like an enraged animal, bringing the lust with it. It took over quickly. It was going to get what it wanted from this android. He wasn't going to fight. His will was nearly broken. All he needed was one little push...