XXIV.
Heva and Yeuls appeared in sick bay and Doctor Crusher helped Heva bring the injured Frugian to a medical bed.
"What happened?" Beverly asked.
"Hruj attacked her. She found out something he didn't want anyone to know."
"Explain later, I have to operate on her. You report this to the captain, she will live. But she will need therapy for her leg, he obviously didn't want her to walk again either."
Heva nodded and rushed out of sick bay and toward the captain's ready room. She turned a corner and ran head first into Hruj. He looked down at her, his eyebrow cocked with curiosity.
Heva glared back up at him and stood. "I know everything."
Hruj's expression turned to rage and he gripped a hand tight around Heva's throat and lifted her. Heva struggled to get his hand off of her, gasping for air.
"Then you are a threat." She heard him in her mind, and then another voice joined in.
"Do not kill her, she could prove useful. Bring her to me." It was the queen. Then many voices, thousands of them filled Heva's mind and she screamed. "NO! GET THEM OUT! GET THEM OUT!"
She looked down at Hruj and he seemed to be smiling at her. "Resistance is futile."
Jean-Luc had stood so quickly that he hit his head on the cupboard above him. He rubbed the back of his head rapidly and listened again. "The Borg…" there were thousands of voices in his head, all of them speaking at once.
"Captain to bridge! Go to red alert!"
"Aye, sir!" Worf replied.
"Commander Brookes, report to the bridge!....Commander?"
He ran to the bridge and looked around, Heva wasn't there. Data looked over at him and spoke. "Where is she?" he asked.
"Computer, locate Commander Brookes." Picard shouted.
"Commander Brookes is no longer aboard."
Data and Picard exchanged looks of fear.
The scanners beeped and Worf examined the readings. "Sir," he said. "There is a Borg Cube approaching us on our starboard side. I am reading one human life sign aboard."
"Dear God…" Jean-Luc whispered. He rushed to his chair and sat down. "Hail them-"
"They have already hailed us, sir." Worf interrupted.
"Open a channel."
"Locutus…what a pleasant surprise." The Borg Queen's voice resonated around the bridge and everyone glanced at Picard.
"I would say the same thing. Only your surprise is far from pleasant." Picard said back, his voice cold.
"Shame…" the queen replied. "I have greatly missed your presence."
"Why have you taken my crewman from this ship?"
"She got wind of information that we do not wish anyone else to know about."
"And just what information is that?"
"Now captain, I can't very well reveal that to you…yet. It would spoil my next surprise."
"What do you want?"
"What do we always want? We wish to assimilate more to our own. What more could we ask for?"
"You haven't-?"
"No, Locutus. We have not assimilated your crew member. We…wish to use her to our advantage."
The channel was cut off and the Borg Cube went into warp before them.
"After them, warp 5! Engage!"
The Enterprise followed into warp, hot in pursuit of the cube. Data looked back at the Captain, worry curving into the lines of his face. Picard felt it too, all of them did.
"Captain to sick bay, I have someone here who wishes to speak with you." Beverly's voice requested.
"I'm on my way." He replied. "Data, accompany me." Data followed him off the bridge and they made their way to sick bay.
Heva stood in the Borg queen's chamber strapped into an alcove, guarded by two drones. She looked around her and saw things that had only invaded her nightmares for the past 12 years. The cold, mechanical interior of the cube emanated a green glow around her, making her feel sick. The constant sound of beeps and whirs made her head spin, but not nearly as much as the sound of many voices in her head, speaking as one. Heva looked up to see the queen's torso being lowered onto her body, her spine wiggling in the air below her.
"Ah, One of Four. I am pleased to see you again.
Heva glared back at her as her body connected and she walked over to stand in front of her. "Are you not pleased to see me?"
"Why would I be at all happy to see you again?" Heva spit back.
"I suppose it was wishful thinking, hoping that you would want to rejoin the Collective." The queen said back. Her voice was morbidly smooth and calm as she spoke.
"What do you want with me? To assimilate me? Go ahead. I will only be rescued by the Enterprise." Heva laughed.
The queen turned from her and took a few steps. "I know that you are wondering why we did not assimilate the Frugian race." She continued. "When we assimilated a few of their own on their passage to Earth, we obtained the knowledge of their technology. We became…intrigued. We also knew that our vessels could not infiltrate their system's shielding. We used the information obtained by the Federation scientists to create an ally, the Bots.
"We created a holographic vision of the Frugian, Hruj, to take the Bots into their system; only a Frugian can bring in and take out a threat. However, in the past they have never done so. We sent them in with our hologram and attempted to use the Bots to bring their race into our own. They resisted well, but were destroyed.
"Our hologram led us to the location of their precious technology, and we assimilated it. We were going to terminate his program when your ship discovered him among a small group of survivors. That is when we decided to use the Bots one last time to destroy you. When you eliminated them, we decided to let you live for one purpose; to aide us in the destruction of the Federation and assimilation of Earth."
"What makes you think that Captain Picard will comply?" Heva asked, scowling.
The queen turned to look at her, a devilish smile on her face. "That is why you are here. Your knack for gaining knowledge with speed and efficiency is also intriguing. We are going to force you to assimilate the knowledge of the Frugian technology, and you are going to aide us in using it once we enter your star system. As for your captain and his crew, using the Enterprise to help us in the destruction of their headquarters would be a sufficient plan.
She tilted her head at one of her drones and he turned to face Heva. He held his arm out and two tubules injected into Heva's head, making her scream.
"This information pertains to the technology from the Frugian system. It is in this vessel's core. You will go to there and control it while we use it as our weapon of persuasion."
Heva's restraints disappeared and she fell to the ground, holding her head and crying out in agony. "I won't do it." She growled, looking up at the queen. "I would rather DIE!"
"You will do it," the queen said, kneeling beside her to whisper in Heva's ear. "Or we will assimilate the crew of the Enterprise. Or we can destroy the vessel. Or…" she paused, putting two fingers under Heva's chin and tilting her head to look directly into her eyes. "Or we will only assimilate them, destroy those who resist…and take apart the android known as Data."
Heva's heart stopped and her eyes grew wide with fear.
"We could rebuild him with our technology and make him into a drone. His programming would make a significant addition to our own."
"No!" Heva cried. "I'll do it…I'll help you…I'll do whatever you want me to, just leave them alone. Leave Data out of this." She sobbed.
The queen smiled and stood. "We will send a holographic version of you into the captain's office to discuss terms. Follow these drones to the transmission room. There you will relay our message to your crew."
Heva stood, trembling, and followed the guard drones out of the room. As she passed the queen, she sneered at her, wishing every horrible death to take her precious life away.
"Captain," Commander Riker said, the captain facing him. "The Borg Cube has halted."
"All stop." The captain ordered. "I want you to hail them now!"
"Sir," Worf cut in. "We are receiving a transmission. It is centered in your quarters, sir."
"Transfer it to the bridge."
"I cannot. You will need to report there to hear it."
Picard nodded and left the bridge, closely followed by Data.
When they entered, Heva stood there facing them. Data rushed forward but Heva held up her hand. "Don't bother trying, I'm only a holo-image sent to relay a message from the Borg Queen. I'm here to discuss her terms."
Jean- Luc and Data stood still and listened.
"Hruj was only a holographic image of the real Frugian with that name. He and a small crew were assimilated on their way to form an alliance with Earth a few months ago. The scientists who created the Bots were also assimilated; the Bots we encountered were built by the Borg and sent with the holographic Hruj into the Frugian system to attempt to assimilate the Frugians."
"Why could the Borg not just enter the system in one of their vessels?" Data asked.
"The shields around the system can only be penetrated by something with a Frugian signature. They created a fake Hruj to enter with the Bots, which were programmed to assimilate as well as destroy. A Borg vessel was not only resisted, but nearly destroyed. They didn't want to risk it. They have the technology owned by the Frugians and intend to use it in accordance with their next plan. The Borg are heading to our solar system to assimilate Earth and destroy the Federation to rid themselves of any walls that could prevent them from doing so.
"I am here because I found this out, but also to be used as a weapons master. The information on the technology has been uploaded into my mind and I am to report to the weapons chamber to keep it in control while they use it to cloak their vessels, and use it against Star Fleet. The queen has requested that you assist them."
"How are we to do that?" Picard asked.
"She wishes you to send a transmission to headquarters stating that you are done with your research and are returning with your findings. You will tell them that the Frugian race has been restored and are bringing back two ambassadors to form an alliance. This will keep them from suspecting anything. When we reach our space, you will help them enter headquarters with the codes you possess and help them destroy the Federation from the inside out."
"And if we don't agree to help?" Picard asked, stepping forward.
"If you don't help…" Heva said, her voice trembling. "The crew will be assimilated, so will I."
Jean-Luc and Data stood, transfixed and in shock. Heva bowed her head and they heard her give a small sob. When she looked back up at them, tears were racing down her cheeks and she was shaking. Data wanted badly to take her in his arms, to keep her safe, and to save her.
"Captain…" she said, her voice shaking uncontrollably. "I am so sorry I have failed you. I didn't want to help them…but if I didn't agree they were going to assimilate you and…and…" she looked at Data. "If I didn't agree, they were going to take you apart and rebuild you as a drone."
Data stared back at her tearing eyes. "I am so sorry captain…Data I'm so sorry." She began to sob and then disappeared from sight. Picard and Data turned to one another. "We must save her, captain." Data said. "We must get her out of there and alert Star Fleet of the Borg's plans."
"I know, Data. I know." Picard replied. "For now, we need to come up with a plan. Report to the bridge and alert Commander Riker. Tell him to keep along side the Borg Cube and I'm going to alert them myself. We will think of something."