*******
Nyota pointedly ignored them as Spock and his elder self strode in, their faces once more impassive and unreadable.
Starfleet officers from different sectors of the quadrant had already been assembled about the great table, their faces filled with tension and fear.
Captain Pike was standing next to a holographic projection and was talking animatedly, his voice stern but steady.
"They've taken nearly half the Gamma quadrant, we don't know where they come from or how," he continued, "The Q'uarians will probably be next. We're evacuating their planet as we speak, but this is simply prolonging the inevitable."
Admiral Clark, an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair and craggy features spoke up, "Captain Uhura, you are the only one to have had contact with them and managed to escape, do you have any ideas?"
"In fact, we do," she said and nodded in Spock Prime's direction, "Elder Saavrik and I have developed a plan, but it is dangerous and will require some of the best people Starfleet can offer."
"If there is a chance we can defeat them, I am all for it," a Telarian Lieutenant expressed, his antennae whipping 'round wildly in frustration.
"Well, Elder Saavrik and I," Spock Prime nodded at the mention of his alias, "Discussed uploading a virus to the queen's mainframe."
"The collective are a bio-mechanical species, they function similarly to onboard computing systems, disrupting their mind link with a coded virus will have to be done from within," the Elder Spock added.
"That's insane," another admiral remarked, "You all will have to get in undetected. We have no idea what their ships are like, or what you'll be up against. It's a suicide mission."
"Actually sirs," a smooth honeyed voice coolly interrupted, "I've obtained detailed information about their ship,"
Spock's heart rate elevated by 2.5%, and his breathing increased by nearly .03%. Spock studied what he was feeling quite clinically, deciding quickly that this new feeling was—dislike. He watched the Talexian hybrid stand up and upload the image, his movements graceful and cat-like.
"Dr. E'Lon," Pike said, "Please give us any information you may have."
"Certainly," he tapped a series of keys until a holographic image of a cube emerged.
"My team and I were able to obtain these images from a drone that Captain Uhura and her crew captured during the attack. The drone's nanite implants contained a series of dipolymythic relays, each pertaining to certain grids of the ship. These grids indicate activities carried out by specified drones, each bearing a signature of the perceptual interface of each variant, or rather, a visual image of each section."
He tapped in a sequence and several pathways were displayed each marked with distinctive markers, all leading to a central point within the ship.
"We believe that the central processing area, is located here," he pointed to an area of the screen and it enlarged. A series of tangled pathways were illuminated, with certain sectors glowing brighter than others.
"What is that?," Commander Regus inquired, her voice thick with wonder.
"That," E'Lon told her, his face marked with fascination, "Is the neuronal and synaptual map of the queen."
Nyota's brow wrinkled in confusion, "We're looking at her mind?"
"Not quite," E' Lon gently corrected, "But a trace, a signature, a homing beacon for drones to find her. Possibly connect directly to her with pertinent information or to be reabsorbed."
"Reabsorbed?" Pike questioned.
"Yes," E' Lon nodded sadly, "It is a sort of death for the collective. Once a drone is deemed defective, their neuronal pathways are downloaded to her mainframe, essentially their memories, ideas, skills and abilities are transferred to her, absorbed and added to her directory."
The room grew quiet as each person contemplated this new threat with growing horror.
"Well, that settles it," Pike said, "Uhura, I think you should lead the team on this one, unless anyone else has any ideas,"
No one spoke up and he continued, "So Elder, the virus, will it work?"
"Nothing is certain Captain," he responded, "Yet, I have created a copy of a virus that I am 99.93% sure will optimally disrupt connectivity. Once this is done, the collective will be unable to coalesce their workers into a defensive attack and we can disengage any and all weapons."
"But," Lieutenant Commander Gaines interrupted, her dark brown eyes wide with worry, "What happens afterwards? The disconnected drones, will they be—salvageable?"
E'Lon sighed, "Once we removed all the nanites from his bloodstream, the drone began displaying individualistic mannerisms, having likes and dislikes and now even refers to himself by his old name. I cannot be sure, but if this can be achieved in a matter of just three days, we can hope to save many of the individuals that have been captured."
"My biggest worry," Pike commented, "Is that there are more of these cubes floating around in space."
"Well," Nyota added, "Then there's little room for failure. If this mission is a success, we have a blueprint for any future encounters."
Pike then led the room in discussions of minutiae and other questions about final plans. It was decided that Uhura would be able to choose her team and once this had been completed, they would attempt contact and board the collective ship and initiate their plan.
The meeting was then dismissed. Everyone was talking animatedly and worriedly as they filed from the room.
Spock tried to speak to Nyota but was disappointed when a several admirals marched by, blocking his access. When they finally strode away he saw that she had slipped in step beside the Talexian scientist. With a smile, she let him lead her down the corridor. Spock felt his dislike grow.
********