Paint and Powder

A Star Trek anthology by Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fan based work of prose. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager et al are the property of CBS Television, and creation of Gene Roddenberry. Please support the official release.

Set during "Scorpion, Part 2"

This alliance with the Borg was absolutely nauseating to Voyager. She was glad Chakotay felt the same way.

Yes, she understood the captain's logic. Dealing with Species 8472 was a good idea given they could kick the crap out of the Borg and they weren't going to be too picky about who they exterminated next. This was logical. She understood it.

But the Borg... Just having a few of them aboard her after their cube was destroyed was horrifying. She could feel their attempts to probe at her systems, to analyze and get in through her defenses.

She had to stand in the Ready Room with one of those things talking to Chakotay. She glared at the Borg throughout the meeting, the drone spouting off about them having to head back towards their space. After their bullshit war got her captain injured, and Borg on her.

"You must comply, the weapon requires more work with the rest of the Collective," the Borg said. Chakotay shook his head.

"This isn't negotiable. We're not going deeper into your space."

"Perhaps we should assimilate Voyager instead," the Borg stated coldly. In an instant, Voyager had her holo chainsaw out and against the throat of the drone. The security team behind them had drawn their weapons, pointing them at the hateful abomination.

"Try it. See what happens," Voyager snarled. The Borg glanced over at her, cold and indifferent but she sensed the drone disliked her.

Good.

"Your artificial servant should be better programmed," the drone stated. Chakotay held up a hand, and Voyager removed her chainsaw. The security team lowered their weapons. Chakotay stepped up close to the drone, eyes narrowed.

"My ship and I currently share the same opinion of you," Chakotay replied, calm and deadly, "so if any of you so much as take one step out of that cargo bay, I'll depressurize it and vent you all into space. You won't pose much of a threat floating in hard vacuum, will you?"

The drone stared at Chakotay.

"We did not think it was a good idea to work with humans. You are divided, with uncertain loyalties and meaningless internal conflicts. Every opinion is constantly debated, wasting time and energy. It will be your undoing."

Chakotay stared back intensely.

"Take her back to the cargo bay," he ordered.

The drone turned and headed out, followed by the security detail. Voyager made to follow, but Chakotay looked intently at her and she paused. The doors slid shut.

"I understand your anger, Voyager," Chakotay began, "but you can't lash out like that."

"Did you think it would have gone any better without me?" Voyager snorted. She shook her head. "You can't trust them. You can never trust them."

Chakotay sighed.

"I'm trying to do what's best for this ship and crew-"

"The best decision," Voyager growled, "would be to let them all die."

Chakotay stared intently at her. Voyager kept going.

"Like you said: Let them fight it out! Species 8472 is the best thing that ever happened: A species that can fight the Borg! That can destroy them!" Voyager shook her head. "Isn't ending their threat worth it?! We can use the nanotechnology to protect ourselves and others! We don't need the Borg! No one needs the Borg! Let them be destroyed! Let them all die-!"

"Voyager!" Chakotay barked. The ship paused in her rant. Chakotay took a deep breath.

"I know how you feel, Voyager," Chakotay stated, "don't you think I want to just toss them all out into space?! Carry on our way?!" He shook his head, and turned to look out the windows at the starfield. He got himself back under control before he looked back at the avatar. "The Borg are monsters... But I can't just defy the captain's orders."

"Nor can you follow them," Voyager pointed out, "or didn't she say to keep the alliance going as long as possible?"

Chakotay stared at the ship. She stared back at him. He slowly turned and looked back out at the stars, sighing softly.

"... Keep an eye on them at all times," he ordered. "They try anything? Vent them into space... And kick any of them left out after."

"Yes sir," Voyager gritted out. She vanished.

It had taken a while, but they had found a class L planet to dump the Borg on. Voyager still felt uneasy, but tossing them onto some asteroid felt a lot better than having them inside her. She also monitored Sickbay: The Captain's surgery was going well. Even more good news.

Despite their different roles, Voyager was very fond of the Doctor, and he of her. In a strange way, he was like her son: Growing and developing more than a normal hologram should have been capable of. Even she herself was only sapient because of her advanced computers, yet thanks to a bit of 29th century Starfleet technology, one of her holograms was becoming his own man.

Sometimes insufferable, yes, but all sapient lifeforms had flaws.

She was closing in on transporter range... When she felt it. An invasive program in her system, accessing her deflector controls. And she knew where it was from, and who was doing it.

"Commander," Kim reported, "the Borg are overriding our deflector controls!"

"Voyager!" Chakotay shouted to the bridge ceiling.

"I'm working on it," Voyager replied, fighting the Borg algorithms with her own anti virus and firewalls, "I'm working... Damnit! She's in!"

Her deflectors began to power on, and emit strange radiation. She seethed as she struggled to regain control, spacetime bending and warping in front of her!

"Chakotay to Cargo Bay 2! Stop what you're doing or I'll space you all! This is your only warning!" Chakotay shouted. The Borg, naturally, didn't respond. He shook his head. "Space them!"

"Aye sir!" Voyager said cheerfully. She opened her airlock and increased the air feed into the Cargo Bay. Instantly, several drones were sucked out into space. Others activated magnetic boots or locks to stay attached to the deck.

Well... That would just make her job more enjoyable.

She manifested her hologram in the cargo bay, and revved up her chainsaw.

"HERRRRRREEE'S VOYAGERRRRR!" She bellowed over radio, as she sliced through a drone's legs. Voyager delivered a savage kick to the drone's chest, and sent him flying out into hard vacuum. Another drone tried to walk towards her, but she easily dodged and slashed his arms off. His head and torso came off next, and she reversed the polarity of the local deck to send the rest of him tumbling into the black.

She kept going, savagely tearing each and every drone that she could find apart. Her hologram was covered in blood and gore but it didn't seem to be enough.

"Voyager! VOYAGER!" Chakotay shouted over the comm, "close the hatch! We're being sucked through a portal, we need-!"

Voyager looked out and saw that space was becoming very bright and hazardous. She shook herself free of her rage, and completed the airlock cycle-The outer doors slammed shut, just in time. Her external sensors were discombobulated as they hit... What?

She focused outwards. She extended her sensors. One lightyear... Two... Four... Six...

In all directions, as far as she should sense, in every spectrum and with every sensor array she had...

The data brought her to only one conclusion.

"We're surrounded by goo!" She cried on the bridge.

Torres managed a nod.

"Sure looks that way-"

"EWWWWWWW! EW EW EW EW EW EW EWWWW!" Voyager screamed.

By the Maker, fuck the Borg. FUCK THEM!

Voyager would be very unhappy this entire two-parter.