Afterthoughts: A Deep Space Nine/Voyager Crossover

Part 3:

Back in the Delta Quadrant, on Voyager…

Chakotay concluded in his quarters, "personal log, supplemental. The crew is holding up well, all things considered. After all, we're teaming up with the Borg to take down the Matrix. I honestly don't know what's worse: Having to face the Borg like this, or the vision from Captain Janeway that points out that we should. Least we had the sense to send the former Borg drone Seven to a Borg cube to make things easier…but I still have a bad feeling about all of this. Then of course there's Kellin…who was eager for a security mission. Her Borg nanoprobes and her experience with authoritarianistic governments made her ideal for accompanying Seven. It was a reasonable precaution. At this point though, I'm not sure whether to be happy for her or worried for her."

Meanwhile, on a Borg cube…

Seven and Kellin were escorted to a subjunction inside the enormous Borg Cube. Kellin looked like herself, except with her old clothes back on and a fake Borg eyepiece quickly assembled. It was really made out of some hollow metal from the replicator. One of the Borg drones asked, "we are Borg. Are you Borg?"

Kellin suggested, "irrelevant. Of course we are Borg."

Another Borg pointed out, "we don't recognize that Federation ship you come from as Borg."

Seven added, "it is a experimental cloaking device…obtained from the Sakari. It is easier to assimilate without initial fear of us."

The first Borg concluded, "very sufficient indeed. Any problems with it?"

Kellin concluded, "unfortunately, it is not sufficient enough. Whenever we get close to a star, the solar radiation interferes with the cloak. We are working on improving it."

The second Borg figured, "so it will be ready to be produced and distributed within a week."

Seven insisted, "that would be sufficient. The present situation though requires that we have an exchange."

The first Borg figured, "elaborate."

Kellin suggested, "we get your latest neuro-modules for telepathic protection from the Matrix, and we give you our studies on the Matrix."

The second Borg reasoned, "we will look at your studies, but you should have enough neuro-modules by now."

Seven went on, "our regeneration matrix was damaged in our previous encounter with the Matrix. We tried to bring back information from our deactivated drones, but the Matrix almost destroyed us in the process. It took us a few weeks to get everything back up…and we are still insufficiently vulnerable to telepathy."

The first Borg figured, "we are Borg. You and the rest of your drones shall have our latest neuro-modules as soon as your vessel returns."

Kellin reasoned, "that would be sufficient."

A half hour later…

Chakotay, Janeway, Kim, Tuvok, and Tom were on the bridge of Voyager, with little dark blue implants placed carefully in their ears. The rest of the crew had these dark blue implants in their ears also…except for the EMH doctor, who was immune to telepathy anyway. Seven and Kellin were beamed back to Voyager, with help from the Borg lowering their regenerative shields to let them go back. Chakotay asked, "permission to check on Kellin?"

Janeway added, "granted. Just don't stay too long." Chakotay left the bridge to head to a certain transporter room.

A short while later, near a transporter room…

Seven made her way to the bridge, past Chakotay. Chakotay then saw Kellin coming out of the transporter room. She said, "Chakotay."

Chakotay added, "Kellin. What was it like…being on your first mission?"

Kellin concluded, "a refreshing change of pace…except it was kind of unnerving."

Chakotay urged, "but at least you put up with the Borg. The last time I dealt with the Borg, they threatened to assimilate us if I didn't give in to their demands."

Kellin wondered, "and then?"

Chakotay concluded, "when they were trying to help us, I…decompressed a shuttle bay on them."

Kellin concluded, "those must have been some demands."

Chakotay sighed, "actually, I was the one at fault. It was just a course correction…and I let my feelings for the Borg cloud my judgment. I realize that now, but I thought they were going to bring us to the Borg to be assimilated."

Kellin figured, "least you had good intentions. Before I met you, all I knew was being a Tracer."

Chakotay assured her, "you were just looking out for your people. You had good intentions too." He put a hand on Kellin's hand as he said this.

Kellin softly said, "thank you. Now you have to look out for your family." She kissed Chakotay's hand between sentences, before he moved it away.

Chakotay assured her, "I will. You'll be all right?"

Kellin assured him, "yeah. See you later." Chakotay and Kellin went their separate ways. Chakotay went up to the bridge, and Kellin went back to his quarters to relax.

Soon after…

Chakotay was back on the bridge. Janeway asked, "how's Seven and Kellin?"

Chakotay assured her, "the Borg ruse was a success. No new Borg implants were found...and no Borg threats were reported."

Janeway urged, "how's Voyager?"

Kim reported, "all primary systems are online."

Tuvok reported, "all security and tactical systems are online."

Janeway added, "then let's cheat death one more time."

Tom concluded, "aye, captain." Voyager was taken into the Matrix, with three Borg cubes in front of the ship like a moving wall. The other seven Borg cubes went ahead, into the dark red gaseous extra-dimensional realm.

Meanwhile, in white nothingness…

A prophet revealed, "the Joining…continues."

Sisko concluded, "I understand."

In the Matrix…

Shockwaves of dark red energy waves hit the seven Borg ships up ahead. Their regenerative shields went offline. Then, a swarm of blackish red ghost like beings bombarded them with dark red energy blasts. Some Borg cubes exploded. Some were barely active…and in the process of being regenerated at a slow rate. The remaining Borg cubes aimed their bright yellow missiles at the blackish red ghost like beings, but with no effect.

On the bridge of Voyager…

Janeway figured, "red alert. Ensign Kim, what's happening?" Red lights beeped across Voyager.

Kim revealed, "plasmatic energy readings are off the scale. With a few hits from those shockwaves, we won't survive."

Janeway asked, "B'Elanna, can you get the shields back up?"

B'Elanna reported over her combadge, "captain…even if I were to divert more power from impulse engines to the shields, it would only protect us by a second."

Chakotay turned to Janeway, "sounds like that's as good as it's going to get. Captain?"

Janeway suddenly awoke. She said, "sorry. I just had another telepathic experience. What was…?"

Chakotay pointed out, "we would only have shields for a second."

Janeway responded with a sigh, "then we'll have to cut it close. B'Elanna, prepare to put the shields back up on my mark."

B'Elanna responded, "aye, captain." On the viewscreen, the three Borg cubes in front of Voyager were seen. Seconds later, they were hit by another shockwave and another bombardment of dark red energy. All their shields went down, and they were knocked away from Voyager.

The blackish red ghost like beings called out, "our nourishment has come to us!"

Another blackish red ghost like being said, "time to give them a proper welcome."

Janeway ordered, "Tuvok…fire." Tuvok fired phasers and photon torpedoes at the blackish red ghost like beings, but with no effect. The swarm of blackish red ghost like beings spread out to Voyager and the remaining six Borg cubes, firing dark red energy blasts at all of them. Janeway added, "B'Elanna…shields up." The bridge rocked. Explosions and sparks sounded off across the bridge. Some of the crewmembers were knocked off their feet, unconscious.

Tuvok reported, "shields and weapons are…offline."

Kim reported, "decks nine through fourteen have been seriously hit! Emergency force fields are holding." Suddenly, across the ship, there was almost deafening feedback coming from the neuro-modules. The crew cried out in mental pain as they reactively clutched their heads. And then, all hell broke loose.