Author's Note: After being shown mathematic formula explaining why the receiver engine wouldn't work, I went back and changed it to electric batteries. Hopefully, with my new beta reader, I won't have to keep going back and editing chapters after I post them.
If At First You Don't Succeed...
Borg Collective Headquarters March 19, 2060 AD
It had been almost a week, and Jeff was still laughing whenever he had time to think about Humanity Front. They were upset that the government was allowing the assimilation of unwilling felons into the Collective, so what did they do? Attempted to overthrow the government, which made them all felons, and thus they all received life sentences to receive neural transceivers. Watching people this stupid fail was pure nirvana. Granted, a lot of people who were captured claimed they weren't trying to overthrow the government, that they were just caught up in the mob. The police didn't seem to accept that argument; the Collective had been called in to quickly assimilate everyone arrested. Hospitals around Washington were overcrowded from all the people getting neural transceivers implanted. Martial law had been enacted in DC since the rally-turned-riot.
Overall, the Human Front rally was turning out quite well for the Collective. In addition to all the new inductees the Collective was gaining, they were getting contacted from police precincts all over the country curious if the Collective's weaponry was available for purchase. When the psychohistory analysis predicted "religious extremism activity against Borg reaching potentially hostile levels along eastern American coast" the Collective was able to extrapolate that the Humanity Front rally would probably be the starting point. The Borg had contacted the DC authorities and explained that a mole of the Collective had informed them of Ned's plans. They had lent the police several Pulsed Energy Projectile weapons, completely non-lethal and very effective at taking out swaths of people. Having plasma explode on your head would make even the most stubborn person stop and roll on the ground in pain. Suddenly, riots no longer seemed like that much of a issue for authorities, and they wanted those guns.
The federal government was quite grateful for the Collective warning them about the rally, none of their informants had found out about Ned's plans. Seems the man was quite secretive and had only told the Collective's spy. This, combined with the amount of time being taken up implanting everyone that had been arrested, had convinced the government to declassify the nanomachines that had been developed so many years ago. Jeff was excited about this. The Collective had informed him that they were actually going to hold off on assimilating people by the nanites (at least publicly) for a while. They were instead going to focus on getting the public used to the idea of nanomachines being part of their lives. Unlike the neural transceivers, the nanites were not going to be limited to the Collective, any company could make use of them. Luckily, seeing as how it was the Collective that was contracted to do the nanite government research, the company had a huge head start when it came to understanding the nanites and knowing ways they could be used. Heck, they didn't even have to be creative. At the moment the Collective was just planning on releasing a bunch of products they had already developed for the military: self repairing paint, miniature water purifies that could clean out just about anything, even virus/bacteria hunting nanites. Humans were about to get a lot more healthy.
Currently, Jeff was wandering around the the gardens outside the Collective's headquarters. He was supposed to think of a way to keep people from getting upset when the Collective went to Africa. The Collective saw the huge population of all those third world countries had potential waiting to be tapped. There were so many people there, if the Collective promised to provide food for a family for five years for every member that joined, they were sure to get a lot of recruits. The only problem was worrying about the political blowback. People would claim the Collective was taking advantage of the Africans' situation. Of course, those same people were content to sit on their hindquarters and not help the Africans if it required any actual commitment on their part. But get angry when someone else helped the Africans while also helping themselves? Now that was something they could do. Better that the Africans remain in poverty than get access to food while being asked to join a worldwide corporation apparently. Jeff had already gone through half of his cigarettes, trying to think of some kind of spin he could put on this story. He was currently leaning towards a very simple solution: lie. Tell the public that they were willingly joining the Collective out of thanks for providing families with food and healthcare. Jeff had actually suggested that the recruitment should be voluntary instead of a requirement since then he wouldn't have to think up a way to control the story, but the Collective wanted a formula with hard numbers, so that they would know exactly what it would cost. They didn't want to have to rely on the hope that thankful people would want to join. Jeff found that fact rather ironic. He could recall a time when they were giving him social advice; now he was the one advocating having faith in humanity (OK, it was just because he was feeling lazy) while the Collective didn't trust other people. It was an interesting situation to ponder, far more so than coming up with a good plan to handle the Africa situation.
As Jeff passed by one of the drones who was watering some lilacs, he decided to ask about it. "Drone, I have a question."
The drone turned around to face Jeff and he noticed that there was no flesh visible. The drone was clad only in a pair of brown overalls. Every exposed part of its body was metal. Its feet, arms, torso, head, everything was covered in cybernetics. Jeff wasn't even sure what the drone's gender was.
"What question can we answer for you, Dr. Borg?" The drone's voice kept changing pitch, almost like someone was using a faulty version of Autotune on it. Guess the question of the drone's gender was going to remain a mystery then.
"Why is it that the Collective does not trust that Africans will join up once we assist their families by providing food and healthcare?"
"Because there is no guarantee that they will."
Jeff wasn't sure what answer he had been expecting, but that wasn't it. "You don't think they will join because of...free will?"
"If the Collective makes a decision, it is the most logical decision that can be made based on all the facts currently available. We do not change our minds because of emotional states, only when new facts are presented. Not only do humans make decisions based on emotions instead of logic; but two humans in the same emotional state, in the same situation, could still make two different decisions. Individuals are random, unpredictable."
"I see...thank you for answering my question."
"You are welcome Dr. Borg," the drone said as it turned around to resume watering the flowers.
Jeff resumed his walk. The drone had answered his question, but now he was just left even more confused then before. Back in...Jeff couldn't quite remember, '48? Whenever it was the Collective went through their last personality change, Jeff had assumed it was purely because of the addition of so many new voices on the network that it simply drowned out almost all emotion. Now he was beginning to think it was something else. Being part of a large group of people, all of which perfectly understood who you were, able to hear every thought, for a long period of time, would eventually make you used the situation. Drones would come to see their existence as normal. Once that occurred, their ability to relate to others would diminish as they have more and more trouble seeing things from the perspective of individuals. The Collective cannot relate to individuals, they simply lack the ability to think like that anymore. There was probably a paper just waiting to be written here. Then again, psychology was just neural biology for people that couldn't pass science in high school, so Jeff didn't really feel like wasting his time writing about it.
Jeff was struck by a quote he heard back when he was still in college, "The AI does not hate you, nor does it love you, but you are made out of atoms which it can use for something else." Given the Collective's current viewpoint compared to how they used to interact with humans, that quote seemed eerily foreboding. Would the Collective eventually regard humans as just another resource to harness? OK, this was just a depressing train of thought and not something Jeff had to worry about anyway. After all, he was the genius that created the Collective, so what if they decided to get rid of a most of the humans on the planet? People are stupid, but he was smart. The Collective wouldn't eliminate the potential his brobdingnagian brain represented.
It was then Jeff noticed Thurgood kneeling before a...was that a maul on a pedestal? Thurgood was kneeling with his hands clasped before him while muttering under his breath. As Jeff approached, Thurgood finished whatever he was doing and stood up, dusting himself off.
"J-dawg! How's it hanging? Hey, did you check out the mighty morphin flower arranger working the gardens? Hot huh?"
Jeff thought back to the androgynous drone he had talked to, and decided he didn't want to think about Thurgood's sexual opinions. "What in the world were you just doing Thurgood?"
"I recently converted to Norse, and the Collective said I could have this little shrine of Mjolnir built, so I come out here to pray to Thor when I'm stuck on a project."
"Norse refers to a Scandinavian people and their culture, the religion is called Germanic neopaganism. How is it that I know more about your religion then you do? Did you research it at all before converting? Furthermore, why would you convert to that religion!"
"Oh that's easy. Jesus promised the end of all wicked people, Thor promised the end of all ice giants. I don't see any ice giants around. Praise be to Thor."
"I really don't know what I'm supposed to say to that."
"What about you Dr. B? As a born-again Norseman, I feel I'm obligated to ask about your spirituality. Would you like to convert to the worship of Odin?"
"I don't need to be born again, Thurgood. I got it right the first time." And with that, Jeff turned around and walked off. That had to have been one of the most surreal conversations he had ever had with Thurgood. Jeff would have blamed Thurgood's religious experience on the man being so gambrinous except he didn't reek of alcohol. Jeff didn't even know what part he should ponder first to try to follow Thurgood's thought processes. Was it even worth thinking about? The alternative was to actually do his job and figure out a solution to the African situation. Damn...tough choice.
Hidden Humanity Front Meeting March 19, 2060 AD
Edward "Ned" Ludlam was not in a good mood. God gave him a mission and he had failed; failed to properly incite his followers, failed to overthrow the government, failed to put an end to the Borg Collective. He did not know the police would have laser guns or that they would be so properly coordinated to repel the attack. How he managed to escape DC once things went sour, Ned didn't know. After the police opened fire on the crowd, Ned and some of his lieutenants had crammed into a car and just drove. Now they were felons on the run, hiding in some underground bunker in the woods. It had been built by a member of Humanity Front as a way to hide from the government. The man had been arrested several years ago for attacking a Collective transport truck that happened to drive through town. Now his wife and two sons kept the bunker functional.
"So then it's true? John won't ever come back to us? He's going to be turned into...into one of those...things?" John's wife, Kate, asked Ned.
"I am afraid so Mrs. Brewster. Not only are those the government deems "criminals" being assimilated to become Borg, but the Collective is now arming not just the military, but the police as well. They truly are conspiring together to take over this country."
Kate's older son looked up from the gun he was cleaning. "Let them try, they can take our land when we lie dead on it."
"Unfortunately," Ned responded, "It may come to that."
"Hold on now, Ned. We don't know what the government is planning to do. We don't know how many people have been arrested. We lack too much information to do anything drastic." Ned's lieutenant Joseph interrupted.
Joseph was always urging caution. Whereas Ned used to rely on him to provide an alternate option when they were contemplating plans, now he was simply a burden. It was Joseph who had said they should wait before moving against the government. Ned had listened, and waited. For two years, he had waited. When the government had allowed the Collective to begin assimilating criminals, Ned could not wait anymore. Looking back, Ned realized he shouldn't have waited. Those two years had given the Collective time to develop their laser weaponry and distribute it amongst the government thugs. Now, with the government aware of Humanity Front's plans, he had to move fast.
"No Joseph, now is the perfect time for drastic action. The government expects us to be on the run. Instead of being defensive, we must be go on the attack."
Borg Collective Asclepius Hospital March 29, 2060 AD
There were two types of stupid people in the world, as far as Jeff was concerned. There were the people that were stupid and were fun to laugh at. Then there were the people that were so stupid, it was amazing that they remembered to breath. Laughing at them felt like laughing at a paramecium. They were simply so far back on the evolutionary scale it didn't make sense to judge them based on one's own knowledge. Case in point, the conversation Jeff was forced to endure with Thurgood.
"I was thinking, was there a dominate species before humans? Like, who ruled the animal kingdom? And it hit me: trees. Like humans, trees are everywhere. We are the only species that's bested trees. No other animal has massively destroyed trees like we have."
Jeff sighed and said, "Thurgood...what does that have to do with why you felt the need to jump in the gorilla pen at the zoo?"
"I'm getting there. So I was at the zoo, thinking about trees and how we were took over the planet from them. I wanted to apologize to the tree people on behalf of my species, when I saw one of the monkeys was using the tree to scratch its butt."
"Putting aside the fact that gorillas are apes, not monkeys, that still doesn't answer my question."
"Well, how would you feel if a gorilla used you to scratch its butt? Offended right? So I felt sorry for the tree. Humans have already wiped out so many of its brethren, and now it was getting butt marks on its trunk."
"So you jumped into an enclosed area, of which it is very hard to get out of, with one four hundred pound silverback and seven two-hundred pound gorillas. Two of which had their children with them and were therefor even more territorial then usual. All to defend the honor of a tree. Did I get all the correct?"
"Well sure it sounds silly when you say it like that." Thurgood admitted, "But I assure you, I did the right thing. Generations from now, people will tell the story of Thurgood Jenkins, who bravely stood up to the gorilla menace in defense of the poor tree. Sometimes Jeff, you just have to stand up for your principles. And I did that today."
Jeff decided to try to steer the conversation back to his original reason for coming into Thurgood's room in the first place. "Right. Well, the doctors say that most of your broken bones will be easily fixable once they inject you with nanites. The various damaged organs are going to need to be more closely examined to see if they are heal-able or if you're going to need cybernetic replacements."
"Ooooo, I hope I need replacements. That way they can take out my organs and put them in jars. I just moved into a new house and I haven't been able to think of what I should keep on the mantle over the fireplace."
"You know Thurgood, you really are a Flibbertigibbet sometimes. You don't have to speak whenever someone says something. You could just accept the news, say thank you, and shut up."
"That wouldn't be very fun. In fact, I bet it would be quite boring. Did you know that ninety nine percent of people are boring? I am the one percent."
"I...eh...just forget it. I delivered the news since I was passing by here anyway. The Collective wants to show me their new MRI machines. Medical equipment construction is a multi-billion dollar a year industry and they want in on it."
"What do Mexican Radio-wave Intensifier machines have to do with medicine?" Thurgood asked.
"What!"
"What?"
"...I'm leaving now."
"OK, have fun Jeff-fa-fa."
Jeff decided to get out of the room and not spend time thinking about Thurgood's latest nickname for him. As Jeff began walking down the hallway, he was joined by his guide who had waited outside Thurgood's room. Last time he was here, Jeff was a patient so hadn't really memorized where everything was so he had been assigned a guide to take him around the hospital. This drone was still quite normal looking. She had her left hand replaced with...well a box. Jeff assumed it functioned like a Swiss Army Knife and various implements could pop out of it. She also had her eyes replaced, though that wasn't noticeable at a glance. Other than that, she looked like an average human. She still dressed normally, still wore her hair in what Jeff assumed was the latest fashion. Sure there was also the emotionless tone to her voice, but he had gotten used to that on people years ago, didn't even notice it anymore.
"You know, Drone, talking with Thurgood is really just an exercise in learning new ways to kill brain cells."
"There is no need for floccinaucinihilipilification Dr. Borg," the drone responded.
"Possibly, but I don't see why I had to be the one to tell him about his condition. Any of you could have managed it. Why did you let me go in there knowing the way his brain jumps to total non-sequiturs?
"Dr. Borg, you were the one that asked how he ended up with such life-threatening injuries, knowing his reasoning would not remotely qualify as logical."
"Well, yes but that's not the point!" Jeff sputtered.
"Dr. Borg, despite all of your complaints, you still seek Mr. Jenkins out on a regular basis to converse. On days when one of you is not working, you still contact him in some way. Usually by email but sometimes you use a phone. While the only reason you needed to come to the hospital was to see the new MRI machines, you still asked what Mr. Jenkin's medical condition was. When you were told that he had not yet been notified you volunteered to inform him on the basis that he wouldn't pay attention to a drone."
Jeff didn't have a response to that, so he didn't even bother opening his mouth. He simply sulked as they walked down the hall. How was it the drones could have so much trouble understanding the principle of helping people to earn goodwill and yet they could explain Jeff and Thurgood's relationship with such annoying accuracy? He wanted to defenestrate his guide for being right.
"By the way, Dr. Borg, we thought you would like to know that with the United States government declassifying nanomachine technology, we will begin construction on a space elevator next month."
Jeff stopped walking to stare at the drone. "Really? A space elevator? That's...incredible."
"Technically, we could have begun construction on the elevator years ago but it would have bankrupted the Collective. Nanites aren't required to create graphene, but they do allow for much more rapid and cost efficient construction. With nanomachines, the entire project should only take about seven years."
"So once the elevator is finished, we won't need to pay those exorbitant rates to launch the from Spaceport America? Then again we do make a fair amount of money renting out the use of the Scaled Composites White Knight Four. I haven't looked at the balance sheets for the space program but I imagine we are barely breaking even, if that."
"You are correct Dr. Borg. The purchasing of Virgin Galactic from Virgin Group saved us numerous start-up costs, but ultimately we are losing money on this venture."
"So then why are you doing it? What made you all decide to invest in space travel? Will the space really be that much of a tourist draw that you ever expect to make back the investment?" Jeff asked, genuinely curious. This was the first time he had ever bothered to ask the Collective why they wanted to expand into space.
"We may eventually recoup the losses, but that is not why we seek to explore space."
"Alright, I'll bite. Why do you want to explore space?"
"To achieve ultimate knowledge. We are limited in what we can learn while we remain on Earth. We must find the other lifeforms in the galaxy and assimilate them into the Collective."
"Wait, aliens! You want to assimilate aliens? Are there even any out there?"
"Current estimates place the number of planets in the galaxy around one hundred billion. Statistically speaking, there will be life on some of those planets. Any action the Collective takes in some way contributes towards our ultimate goal: attaining all knowledge. The assimilation of individuals is the most effective way to reach that goal, be they human or alien."
Jeff was about to respond when he heard what sounded like an explosion and the whole building shook. He quickly grabbed onto his guide to keep from falling over. She seemed completely nonplussed by the situation. "Drone! What the hell was that?"
"Ten people in Humanity Front outfits are on the premise with military grade weapons. The explosion you just felt was when they denoted the semi-truck they crashed into the lobby."
"WHAT!"
"Do not worry Dr. Borg. While the explosion killed everyone in the lobby as well as several on the floor above them, there are still sufficient drones on the premises to deal with them. They are heavily armed but we have outnumber them three hundred eighty seven, wait eighty six now, to eleven." She took Jeff by the arm and lead him into the nearest room and locked the door. There was a man laying in the bed, hooked up to numerous machines, dead asleep. Jeff was suddenly envious, the man could die and he wouldn't even know it. He had slept straight through an explosion, he wasn't gonna wake up for anything.
"So we're not in any danger?" Jeff asked his drone.
"This drone has a pulsed energy projectile implant and more drones are approaching your location, we will protect you."
"Why are they attacking now though? The attack in DC failed, Humanity Front has been declared a terrorist organization. They've lost a lot of their support. Is the local chapter just pissed and decided to go out with a bang?"
"You are partially correct Dr. Borg. This is not a local event, Collective owned properties around the country are under attack from Humanity Front members. Most are not as well armed or well planned as the group attacking the hospital."
"What can they hope to accomplish?"
"As you said Dr. Borg, they seek to 'go out with a bang' though given the knowledge of anti-Collective sentiments among the populace we can gain from assimilating them, they will not be killed. Suicide by cop, or drone, will not occur today."
A thought suddenly occurred to Jeff. "Dammit, I just realized I'm going to have to hold a press conference tomorrow to give the Collective's opinion on this aren't I?"
"Of course, Dr. Borg. It is your job after all."
"But this time, my opinion is very different from your opinion!"
"You do not see this incident as yet another inevitable outcome of free will and another reason why all humans should join the Collective?" the drone asked.
"NO!" Jeff shouted. "I see this as a excuse to kill all these nutjobs! These psychopaths should not be allowed into the Collective. They don't deserve it! They almost killed me!"
"All humans deserve a chance to join the Collective Dr. Borg."
"Just because then can walk upright doesn't mean they're human. They might as well be australopithecus's for all we know since they clearly don't understand how life in a civilized society works!" Jeff ranted, he wasn't thinking now. Simply shouting whatever words entered his head.
"You are angry because your life might be in danger Dr. Borg. Do not worry, your thought processes will be much more logical tomorrow after you have had time to calm down."
"Stop being so damn calm! We could die and you don't care because you're just a drone! I'm not in the neural network! When I die, I really die!"
"Are you requesting that we implant you with a neural transceiver?" the drone asked.
"No, I like being me. I don't want to be a drone, I just don't want to die! Think up something so that I don't have to worry about this sort of thing happening again!"
"Very well Dr. Borg. We shall commit several drones to completing that task."
Thanks to yog for being my beta reader.