|
|
Don't Fear the Reaper
Chapters Five and Six
Chapter Five
"I need a cup of coffee." Admiral Kathryn Janeway stated. "You want anything?"
"No thank you. I'm fine." Replied Chakotay.
"I asked you here, because I need your help. I need all of my old crews' help."
Chakotay was curious. "What for?"
"I need to leave quickly and I need to get everyone together. It seems Species 8472 is back and they're back with a vengence in the Alpha quadrant. The Borg ran to this sector and the Titan is under heavy attack by 8472."
"And the Borg?"
"Apparently fleeing for their lives."
"How soon do you want to leave?"
"Within the hour."
"That's awfully short notice. Everyone has lives of their own too and getting here maybe a problem."
"Seven is at the academy teaching. I can contact her easily." Janeway stated. "Paris and Torres are living near the academy. He's also teaching or something like that. The doctor is now teaching at Starfleet Medical. Tuvok is at Starfleet medical, so he might not be able to come. "
"Is he alright?"
"He's getting treated early before it gets to late to treat his illness. Nothing life threatening, but still it can get awfully bad for him mentally if he doesn't get treatment early." Janeway informed him.
"And Harry Kim?"
"That's the hard one."
"Neelix?"
"Uncertain. It seems as though he is having one big party exploring Earth." Janeway laughed.
"Well, if we're going to leave within the hour, let's get moving."
Torres and Paris were very much in favour of going and were ready to board Voyager almost instantly. They welcomed the chance for getting together and going on one more mission.
Seven was somewhat reluctant, but conceded to going with Janeway. Tuvok surprisingly was able to come too and said he would join them as soon as he could. Kim was a little more difficult to find. Turned out he was right under their noses at Starfleet Headquarters. The Doctor was even glad to go and was ready almost immediately. Neelix was the only one they could not find.
"Well, let's see what this ship can still do." Janeway gave the order to leave dock. The ship made it out of space dock and they were on their way. "I'm so glad you could make it on such short notice. It's wonderful to have us all back together again. Now, we have to help the Titan and a few other ships with Species 8472. It seems 8472 has forgotten something and we have to remind them of it. Lieutenant Paris warp nine."
It seems odd to call them all by different ranks. Gone were the days Paris and Kim were ensigns. They all received a promotion when Voyager made it back to the Alpha quadrant. Readjusting to life under Starfleet rules was not too hard for the crew, not even for the Maquis crew. The Maquis did not all sign up with Starfleet when they returned, but they accepted the consequences of being Maquis. Which was ultimately dismissed. The reason was, the time they served on Voyager made up for their mistakes as Maquis.
"How long until we arrive even close to the Titan and Enterprise?" Janeway asked.
"At this speed, six hours, thirty minutes." Paris replied.
"May not be fast enough." Janeway mumbled to herself.
"What's that Admiral?" Chakotay asked.
"Nothing. I'm just worried we may not make it in time."
"Any new information since we talked?"
"They're still trying to punch their way away from 8472. The Enterprise and the Valiant arrived first, but the Valiant was distroyed. All hands, save Captain LaForge were lost."
"What? Isn't the captain suppose to go down with the ship?" Chakotay asked.
"As a rule." Janeway replied. "Except Captain LaForge was visiting on the Titan. At the time he was helping in Engineering when his ship returned to help. There was no time for him to transfer to his ship, before it was distroyed."
"I see." Chakotay replied. "He must be taking that one hard."
"That is if he's gotten past his wife being abducted by 8472."
"Whoa! Heavy blow!" Paris exclaimed. He had been listening to Chakotay and Janeway's conversation.
"I agree, Lieutenant." Janeway replied. "What's worse is, Admiral Picard. I hear he is struggling with hearing the Borg. He has been in Sickbay for a while. The details are sketchy. Doctor-patient thing going on there. What little information I have on that is what little Captain Riker is able to get."
"Please tell me that's the end of it." Kim asked.
"There's more, but nothing you haven't seen from Species 8472 before." Janeway replied. "The biggest worry is getting there in time to find out what is going on and why. Which reminds me. Janeway to Doctor."
*It's Hippocraties. Doctor Hippocraties, now.*
"Still experimenting with names, Doctor?" Janeway asked as she tried to hold back a laugh.
*Yes.*
"Someone should tell him to keep trying." Paris stated.
*I heard that.*
"Never mind them, Doctor." Janeway continued. "I need you to send some information to the Titan's Sickbay. Doctor Crusher is currently senior officer in Sickbay."
*I thought Solar was.*
"No, since Doctor Crusher is head of Medical at Starfleet she now out ranks him, because she is currently on the Titan."
*I see. What information does she need?*
"She needs to know how to treat injuries inflected by Species 8472, specifically the infection they inflect when they attack."
*That's easy. Release modified Borg nanoprobes into the victims blood stream.*
"Send that information to them immediately."
*Yes, Admiral. Consider it done.*
"Janeway out."
"He's still the same Doctor." Chakotay said with a smile.
"Some things never change." Janeway agreed with a smile. "Now the question is, why are 8472 attacking our ships? What brought the Borg here? Or rather why?"
"Being attacked and chased would be enough." Chakotay stated. "No, they were all headed to the Titan. Why?"
Seven was feeling strange. She could not put her finger on it, but she was sensing something. A twinge of an unknown source nagging at her.
She decided to not complain. She thought it was a logical choice to wait and see if it passed.
"Well, maybe we'll find that missing piece of the puzzle when we get there."
"Let's hope we do, Chakotay." Janeway replied.
Will walked into Sickbay, but before he could say a word, Deanna was already on him.
"Oh, Will!" She cried as she buried her face into his chest. "I can't do this anymore. I can't listen."
"Deanna, it's alright. You have to. Whatever they tell you could be a big help in getting Mriana and the rest back."
"I know, but I can't take it anymore. It's non-stop and the same message over and over until now."
"OK, calm down. What is it?"
"They want Lacutus of Borg or our people will die." Deanna started to cry again. "It's the same over and over again. Please Will. I have to keep trying to put up mental blocks. I can't do this anymore. I can sense them on the ship."
"Sh. It's alright." He reassured her. "Lacutus of Borg?"
"Yes."
"I'm not sure I understand." Will stated. "If they wanted the Admiral, why did they kidnap the others."
"They believe he's Borg." Deanna replied. "They believe we are harbouring Borg."
Now Will was really confused.
"Will, there's one in here. It's right here in this room."
"I don't see anything." Will replied looking around. "Maybe you should lie down and get some rest."
"No, you don't understand." She pushed herself away from him. "They can, I mean, they have the ability to be invisible."
"Deanna, I know this has been an emotional strain on you."
"YERK!" It shrieked as it finally showed itself.
Before Will could do a thing he was struck on the back of his head. Deanna screamed and tried to run, but it grabbed her and was gone.
Will was still unconscious on the deck of Sickbay when Beverly and a few other crew members of Sickbay arrived. "There's no broken bones." Beverly stated. "Help me get him onto the table."
"Deanna." He mumble as he started to come around from his blow.
"Lie still, Will." Beverly ordered. "You have a contusion, which needs suturing. Other than that you'll be fine."
"With a hell of a headache." Will replied trying to place his hand where it hurt. "Where's Deanna?"
Beverly had no idea. "We heard the familiar sound of an 8472 and came running. When we got here, you were injuried and she was gone. We can only assume they have her too now."
"They must really want the Admiral."
"What?" Asked Beverly.
"Actually, they want Lacutus of Borg, but we have no Borg." Will replied. "Lacutus doesn't exist anymore."
"Um, Will." Beverly began. "There's something I need to explain to you."
*Lacutus!*
More screams of Borg. Screams of terror, pain, and death.
*Lacutus of Borg!*
They were calling for him. Needing him to rejoin the hive. To help them. Help them live. Help them survive.
*Come home, Lacutus.*
Picard was resting fitfully. He kept hearing the Borg even in his sleep. He felt a great desire to help them, but harboured mixed emotions at the same time. Anger at what they did to him, to other people, to everyone he ever knew. Fear that it would happen again. Yet, he struggled with the fact that some were innocent drones being slaughtered and massacred. He could see them dying in his sleep.
Voyager was getting closer to the Titan and Enterprise. Both had sustained heavy damage from 8472, but were still running towards Voyager, which made the gap between them smaller.
*We are Borg. We are dying. Return to the hive. Assist us.*
It was becoming more clear to Seven what the strange feeling was. It was the Borg calling her. She too could hear their pleas for help and their cries of death. She was not sure if she should say anything. She was hoping it would pass, but her lack of concentration was getting more noticable.
"Seven, are you alright?" Janeway asked.
"I am functional."
"You don't sound like you are fine." Janeway stated with suspicion. She was getting very concerned about Seven's odd behaviour. She had in recent years stopped talking like she were Borg and begun speaking more human like. Now, Seven's reply gave Janeway great concern.
"I can perform efficiently."
"I think you should go to Sickbay, Seven." Something was very wrong with Seven. Something very unusual.
"I assure you, I can perform my duties efficiently."
Now she was sounding a little more like herself. "Is there something you would like to tell me, Seven?"
She looked around the room at the other crew members. Her movements almost robotic. "Not here."
"Let's go to my Ready Room then." Janeway lead the way to her office. Seven followed close behind. Once inside Janeway turned to her to speak. "Alright, Seven. What's going on?"
"I can hear them."
Janeway was thrown off gaurd for a moment. Then it dawned on her what Seven was referring to and she dreaded the possibility that Seven was once again being called back to the hive.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I don't know."
"Alright, we'll deal with this like we have in the past. If I have to, I'll confine you to Sickbay."
"That will not be necessary."
"I'll decide what is necessary." Janeway said firmly. She was always protecting Seven. Doing what she felt was necessary to keep her from becoming Borg again. Trying to keep her safe at every turn.
"I will comply with your orders."
"Very well. Now that we have that taken care of, I want you to keep me posted. Any more change than there is now, I want to know about it immediately."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Dismissed."
Seven left Janeway's office. Janeway sat in her Ready Room pondering the situation. Jean-Luc is hearing the Borg. Seven is hearing the Borg. Both were Borg. The Borg are fighting 8472. She continued to ponder the situation.
"Damn! What is the missing piece of the puzzle? Why are they attacking the Titan?" She asked in frustration to no one in particular. "There has to be an answer. Just what is that answer?"
Chapter Six
"What is the missing piece of the puzzle?" Janeway thought aloud. Then it dawned on her what the possibility might be.
She rushed out of her Ready Room and hurried off the Bridge. In her rush she said, "Chakotay, you still have the Bridge. I'll be in Sickbay if you need me."
Before Chakotay could reply Janeway was gone.
Seven was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on her duties. She tried hard, but all she could hear was the Borg. Their fears, their pleas for help, and their deaths. One hive after another screamed in fear and in their wake was their eventual deaths.
She could hear them call for Locutus of Borg. A Borg she had knowledge of, but she also knew that like her, he was not Borg anymore.
As she continued to hear the Borg's cries, the desire to assist them became stronger. Like Picard, apart of her did not want to help them, but another part did. She questioned if this was her humanity wanting to help them or the Borg calling her back to the hive. She did not wish to be reassimulated, but yet she did not want to hear their pleas and cries.
How can a Borg be crying for help? She asked herself. Borg are strong. It did not seem logical for them to be so fearful, but yet it was Species 8472 attacking them and the Titan.
Species 8472. Her stomach churned at the memory of how they massacred the Borg several years ago. The species over powered them because they could survive in fluidic space and their immune systems could destroy any chemical or biological attack on them. The one race that could not be assimulated.
They retaliated in force. Declaring war on the Borg and destorying one Borg ship after another. Killing millions of Borg. Killing her people.
Seven suddenly hit the console before her. "They are not my people!"
Chakotay turned around to see what was wrong. "Seven?"
"I'm fine!" She snapped.
This time it was Chakotay studying her. He could tell she was under a great deal of stress.
"We need to help them." She stated without giving it a second thought.
Chakotay was puzzled by her statement. "We are heading to assist the Titan and the Enterprise as fast as we can."
"Not them."
Chakotay was really curious now. "Who are you refering to, if it's not the Titan and Enterprise?"
Seven suddenly looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. I'm suddenly not feeling well. May I be excused."
Chakotay's curiousity was now turning to concern. He had a feeling that to question Seven right now would be pointless. He knew when Seven was like this she would not talk to anyone, at least not in front of the whole crew.
"Alright, but I want you to go to Sickbay."
"I'd rather go to my alcove and get some rest."
"Seven, that's an order."
"I will." She paused for a moment. The Borg voices were very distracting to her. "Comply."
"Dismissed then." Chakotay replied. After she enter the turbolift and the doors closed behind her, he informed Sickbay about Seven and his order for her to go to Sickbay. The doctor agreed to keep an eye out for her.
"That's what I wanted to discuss with you." Janeway told the doctor. "Seven is hearing the Borg and so is Admiral Picard. Seven has Borg implants that you could not remove without killing her, right?"
"This is correct." The doctor replied.
"Is it possible that Picard also has some Borg implants still?"
"I can not say for sure."
"What does his medical record say?"
"I'm sorry, Admiral." He replied as he tried to pull Picard's record up on the computer. "I do not have access to his medical record beyond his general health. Those records are sealed."
"Damn!" Janeway cursed. "If I could just find out that information, maybe I could figure out why the Borg and Species 8472 want him so badly."
"My guess is, if he can hear the Borg, then he still has at least one implant left in his body." The doctor stated. "Probably in his brain."
They heard the doors to Sickbay swish open and shut. They turn to see Seven arriving.
"Thank you, Doctor." Janeway finally said. "I think you have given me the information I need to help solve this."
"Your welcome." The doctor then turned towards Seven. "Can I help you?"
She glanced around the the room. "I am not sure."
"What is the problem?" The doctor asked.
Seven was now focused on the Borg. Their thoughts had become stronger the closer they got to them. Her silence concerned Janeway.
"Seven, are you still hearing the Borg?"
"Yes."
"Seven, we can't help you unless you tell us what is going on." The admiral tried to encourage her to talk to them. "Focus on us."
"They need our help. They need Locutus's help."
"Why do they need our help, much less why do they want Locutus?" Janeway asked.
She knew who Locutus was, but she thought it best to go along with Seven in this situation and call him Locutus for now.
"Species 8472 is destorying them. Locutus has the ability to protect the Borg that are left." Seven stated. "We must assist them."
"I'm not sure why we should assist them." Janeway stated.
While Janeway and Seven talked, the doctor was scanning Seven. He was getting some disturbing readings.
"Admiral." The doctor began. "I'm detecting increase activity in her cortical implant. Her transceiver has been activated and she also has an elevated amount of neural transmitters."
"Can you deactivate it?"
The doctor frowned. "I wish I could."
"Well, it explains her behaviour at least." Janeway thought for a moment. "Can you sedate her so that she is more calm and keep her in Sickbay?"
"It's not my first choice, but I'll see what I can do."
"That's all I ask." Janeway replied. "Keep me posted on her. I'll be on the Bridge."
Meanwhile, Deanna was dealing with her own demons.
"Why have you brought me here?" She demanded.
The creatures appeared to be ignoring her as they walked out of the chamber. They left her alone without any further words.
"I wonder if Mriana is near by?" She thought to herself.
She considered sending out to her, but then changed her mind. The thought of 8472 sensing her thoughts made her cautious. She did not want them to hear any communication between her and her cousin due to the possibility that it could jeopardize their safety. She was not sure what these creatures could do.
She waited in the room for a short time, until she heard the door slide open again. It was another three legged creature. It used one of its oddly shaped hands to guide her where it wanted her to go.
"Come!" It said telepathically.
Deanna got a good look at the creature's eyes. They looked reptilian. Like the ones on pictures of Earth's ancient dinosaurs. Its features close up and calmer were rather grotesque to Deanna. Three strans, of what looked like skin, formed its neck and the facial features were so alien to her that she could not find words to discribe it. Its height was nearly twice her own, which made it seem intimidating in itself.
It lead her to another room with a window that looked into another room. Someone who looked like Janeway was sitting in the room.
"You look like Janeway, but your emotions betray you." Deanna informed the woman.
"Very perseptive of you." Stated the woman.
"Who are you?"
"I'm what you call Species 8472."
"You don't look like the others." Deanna informed.
"We have gotten access to human DNA to look similar to you and inject it in ourselves to create this form. The problem is, thanks to Voyager, we can not hold this form for very long."
Too bad, Deanna thought. Then she asked, "Then why don't you all look humanoid, even for a short period of time?"
"We don't have enough to go around." The woman stated flatly.
"So you brought me here to take my DNA?" Deanna asked.
"Are you offering?"
"Hardly." Deanna was repulsed by the thought.
"Actually, we want to show you we have your people, but we can not do it in fluidic space. It would kill your people and we are not ready to do that."
"Why don't you use a subspace message?" Deanna asked.
"Your technology is primative to ours." Stated the woman. "It would not work to communicate to your people."
"Why don't I believe that?"
"Believe what you want." The woman replied. "Send in the other telepath."
Deanna gasped. They have my cousin, she thought. She looked tired and Deanna could sense her cousin had been tortured mentally as she was forced into the room.
"Is that what she is to you?" The woman asked.
Deanna looked at the woman with a shocked expression.
"Yes, even in this form we can sense your thoughts. I assume she is of the same or similar DNA as you?"
Deanna was not sure if she should respond to the question. Then because Mriana was obviously reluctant, she was shoved further into the room on the other side of the window.
"Let her go. I see little purpose in holding her hostage, unless you want to go to war with the Federation." Deanna insisted.
"Oh, she has a lot of use to us right now." The woman insisted. "We have the other missing ones also."
"Why are you telling me this and not the captain of the Titan?"
"We captured you and not him."
"The captain nor the Federation will yield to your demands." Deanna firmly informed the woman.
"Oh, I think they will, considering."
"Considering what?" Deanna asked.
"You realise we are telepathic."
"Yes." It sounded like a rather odd question to Deanna since they had been communicating with her telepathically.
"You know all the possibilities one can possess with telepathy, do you not?"
Deanna was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. "I believe I do."
"I don't have to lay a hand on her to inflict pain or even death."
Deanna was getting a cold chill down her spine.
The woman stared at Mriana. Suddenly, Mriana grabbed her head with her hands and fell to her knees with pain. She screamed in agony. Then in a distorted voice she cried, "Please, stop! I know nothing!"
Deanna could see tears forming in her cousin's eyes and could feel her torturous agony. "Please, stop! You're hurting her!" Deanna demanded.
The woman discontinued her torture on Mriana. "That is just a sample of what we can do to your people. Bring in the human male."
Lieutenant Carlos was dragged into the room next. His red uniform was tattered and torn. The alien had his hand wrapped around Carlos's arm tightly. Even though he also looked like he had suffered lack of sleep and had been tortured, he was struggling against the creature.
"Do it." The woman commanded of the person who brought Carlos into the room.
The creature dug his claws into Carlos and Carlos screamed in pain. Deanna sensed the pain he was feeling and tried to block it from her mind. She turned her face away so she could not see how his face twisted in agony.
"In a few minutes the infection will spread through out his body." Stated the woman. "If he is not treated soon, he will slowly die from the inside out."
Deanna looked at the woman with hatred. "What is it you want?"
"We want Locutus and any other Borg the Federation harbours."
"Why?"
"We are at war with them and we wish to destroy them all so that they will not attempt to assimulate anyone else."
Deanna's eyes widen. "So, your intent is genocide? To wipe out all Borg?"
"Isn't that what you want also?"
Deanna did not know how to answer that. They had saved some people from the Borg. Granted, the doctors could not remove all the implants, but they were no longer Borg. Even Hugh, a Borg drone, was reprogrammed to be an individual within the hive and caused a domino effect within his hive.
Deanna finally answered. "No, I do not."
The woman appeared to become extremely angry. "That is why your people are impure! It's a shame some of us had tried to form peace with Voyager."
Deanna gave no response to the woman words.
"Take this back to your captain. Keep Locutus away from the other Borg. Hand him over to us and we will return your people."
"Is that all?" Deanna asked.
"No." The woman replied. "If he doesn't, your people will also be purged from the galaxy, including your ship."
"If he does?"
"Your people will be spared." She said. "For now."
"What you are doing is wrong?"
"Just take the message to your captain!" The woman ordered. Deanna could sense the hate in the woman. Cold blooded hate.
"Um, there's something I need to tell you." Those words echoed in Will's ears. Somehow he had a feeling that what she had to say was not what he wanted hear. At least not right now.
"What is it, Doctor?" Will asked Beverly with dread.
"I think I know the reason the Admiral can hear the Borg." Beverly replied. "One I probably should have told you long ago."
Will looked very uncomfortable. "Go on."
"It is one of the reasons why part of his medical records are sealed."
"Why do I get the feeling I don't want to know this?" Will asked.
"Maybe I shouldn't tell you this."
"If it's going to help us figure out why Species 8472 want him so badly then tell me."
"OK, I'll start with this then." She began. "There's increased activity in his central cortex and hypothalmus. There's also increased levels of neural transmitters, just as the last time he sensed the Borg."
"I'm listening." Will replied.
"This suggests to me that the Borg are able to activate the one implant I could not remove." Beverly stated. "It's located in his cerebral cortex. I was afraid to remove it because of the possibility of brain damage or worse yet, death. I couldn't risk either one, so I left it."
"And you never thought to tell anyone about this before?" Will sounded like he was angry.
"I made note of it in the sealed records."
"Thus, only those with top clearance could assess this information." Will asserted. "And it explains why Starfleet Command has had concerns about Picard concerning the Borg."
"Yes." Beverly answered with regret. "I'm sorry, Will. I just couldn't risk letting just anyone know about this nor could I risk loosing him."
"Does Picard know?"
"Yes."
"And he managed to also keep it a secret all this time." Will said in a disgruntled tone.
"This doesn't make him Borg." Beverly insisted.
A heavy sigh came from Will. He looked at Beverly with sympathy. He knew she loved him long ago. He could see it in how they related to each other. He could not see how he could blame her when she was only trying to protect the one she loved. "No, you're right. It doesn't. The question now is, what do I do with this information?"
"Doctor." One of the nurses interrupted.
"Yes?"
"You're not going to believe this, but one of your patients has been returned."