Part 19 (1/2)
But the Wise Ones would protect her, she told herself. She had served them well. She knew they would not abandon her.
Then the woman was doing something else, pressing another object against her chest and someone else was fastening a small metallic object to her forehead. Behind them, she could still see the one called Picard, watching intently as he directed the efforts to kill her.
Her heart faltered again, skipping a beat and another, and the edges of her vision began to draw in, and she couldn't tell if her heart was still beating or not, if she was breathing or not. Suddenly she realized the Wise Ones could not-or would not-protect her after all, not from these creatures from another universe. But at the same time a voice spoke in her mind, a voice she recognized though she hadn't heard it in years.
You have done me honor, my daughter, it said. I would give anything to serve as you have served.
The pain was gone, banished by her mother's presence, by the words she had feared she would never hear.
Her last thought as both vision and consciousness faded was one of gratefulness for the fact that her mother had been allowed to know of the service she had been privileged to give.
She had failed!
The Picard creature still lived, its terrifying features looming over her almost the way they had in the nightmarish pseudo-memories of her own death. For a moment it seemed to be looking through the Balitor creature's eyes, through the Link directly to the Queen herself, warning her of what was still to come.
Spasmodically, before the Picard creature's mind could reach through and take her own in its mental grip, she terminated the Link.
And triggered the command she had long ago provided for, the mental command she had believed, until that moment, would never need to be given.
She waited as it was wordlessly transmitted, as it touched countless minds all over the quadrant, bringing briefly to life the message that had lain buried there for much of their lives.
One by one, she felt those minds lapse into unconsciousness and then death. Like Balitor, they had all done the jobs they had been conditioned to do, but now, suddenly, each one had become a potential danger, the magnitude of which she was no longer able to rationally estimate. Pure rationality, which she had until now adhered to in her every decision, was no longer possible, not as long as the Picard creature continued to exist.
When the process was complete, when all the creatures that had served her were dead, she did what she now knew she should have done when she first became aware of the Picard creature's presence in this era.
She took direct control of the Borg vessel nearest to the Picard creature's s.h.i.+p. With far less effort than had been required to take over Balitor, she insinuated herself into every aspect of the vessel until it literally became a part of her, much the way the cybernetic bodies that she routinely donned became a part of her.
Dr. Beverly Crusher stepped back from the biobed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. ”She's gone, Captain. I don't understand why, but she's gone.”
”The phasers- ”
The doctor shook her head. ”They don't cause lasting physical damage even at heavy stun. In any event, all readings indicate virtually no physical damage at any level. I'm not familiar with Narisian physiology, of course, but everything in her body appears fully functional. It just isn't functioning. It's as if something in her mind simply overrode the body's autonomic system and shut down her entire nervous system. Even neural stimulators had no effect.”
”Could there be a symbiosis of some kind?” Picard asked. ”Narisian and Borg?”
Crusher shook her head. ”I doubt it. She was obviously not a drone.”
”Not the kind of drone we're used to, but perhaps in this universe...” He turned to Troi and Riker, who had just entered sickbay. ”You heard?”
”A poison pill, Borg variety,” Riker said as Troi nodded her silent agreement. ”Something in her mind. She was found out, so she had to die. The b.a.s.t.a.r.ds couldn't allow her to survive and spill their secrets.”
Picard was silent a moment, looking down at the body, knowing that his first officer was right. One more victim of the Borg, one among the billions.
Straightening, he nodded tersely to Riker and Troi as he tapped his combadge and headed for the nearest turbolift. ”Mr. Data, we're on our way to the bridge. Locate Guinan and- ”
”I'm here, Captain,” Guinan's voice a.s.sured him. ”At least I think I am.”
”I'd appreciate it if you could decide for certain, Guinan. Data,” he continued as the turbolift doors slid open, ”reestablish contact with the Wisdom and Arbiter Sarek.”
The Vulcan's unreadable face greeted them on the main viewscreen as they emerged onto the bridge. Picard ignored the questioning looks directed at him by Scott and Kirk, who had reluctantly remained on the bridge throughout the incident.
”What is it, Picard?” Sarek asked. ”Your android did not- ”
”The Narisian Balitor is dead,” Picard said as he strode to the captain's chair, flanked by his first officer and counselor. Briskly and concisely, he summarized the events that had led up to the death. As he did so, Worf entered the bridge, having left the security of the transporter to Porfirio and Houarner.
”The other Narisian is dead as well,” Sarek said when Picard finished. ”I have also just now received word that the same is happening to the Narisians attached to Alliance Prime.”
A sick feeling clutched at Picard's stomach at the thought that his actions were what had somehow triggered not only Balitor's death but that of these others-and who knew how many more throughout the Alliance-as well. Spies or not, the Narisians were victims of the Borg as much as any of the members of the thousands of fully a.s.similated races across the galaxy.
”Only Narisians?” Picard asked.
”Those are the only ones reported so far.” Sarek spoke emotionlessly.
”Can someone familiar with Narisian physiology determine precisely what caused the deaths? We have so far been unable to find any cause for Balitor's death.”
”I have already ordered a thorough examination of the other Narisian. Transport Balitor's body to the Wisdom and we will examine it as well.”
”I don't want to stick my nose in your business, Picard,” Kirk said, ”but isn't it more important to find out why she tried to kill you than how she died?”
”Obviously the Borg were controlling her,” Picard said.
”As you say, that's obvious. The real question is, what set them off? Why did they suddenly decide to kill you, particularly in such an inefficient way? And what can you do if they try again, maybe with a little more efficiency?”
”He's right, Captain,” Riker said quietly. ”And unless- ”
”Captain,” Data broke in, ”the chronometric radiation is decreasing rapidly. It has dropped fifty percent in the past thirty seconds.”
Automatically, Picard darted a look at Guinan as the level of chronometric radiation continued to drop. ”It isn't me this time, Captain,” she said, all traces of her usual cryptic smile gone.
”Sarek?”
”To the best of my knowledge, Picard, we have done nothing that could logically result in such a decrease.”
”Hail the D'Zidran, Mr. Worf,” Picard snapped. ”Perhaps Guinan's local counterpart has some ideas.”
”No response, sir,” Worf announced moments later.
”Chronometric radiation has leveled off at twenty-two-point-seven percent of the previous level, Captain,” Data said.
A sinking feeling gripped Picard. ”The timeline is stabilizing?”
”That is what theory suggests, Captain,” Data responded, his fingers continuing to dart across the control panel as he spoke. ”However, I would point out that, even after this decrease, the radiation level is still more than five times what one would expect to find in a stable timeline.”
”Keep trying to reach the D'Zidran, Mr. Worf. Meanwhile, I'm open to any and all ideas.” He glanced briefly at Kirk before going on. ”Captain Kirk was right when he said our immediate concern should be why the Borg have decided to come after me, and what measures we can take if they do try again. Sarek, you're more familiar than any of us with these particular Borg. Do you- ”
”Captain,” Data broke in, ”one of the Borg cubes following the Vortex has broken away. It is now on an intercept course with the Enterprise. And we are being scanned.”