Part 10 (1/2)
”We are th... Borg. You will be a.s.sim... Your bio log nilogical distinctiveness will be... to our own. Resistance is futile.”
Seven strode from the turbolift and marched straight to Janeway. ”Something is wrong. I am unable to sense the collective.”
”That's a good thing, I'd think,” Paris said.
”Good or not,” Seven said, with some amount of fear in her tone, ”I should be able to. I cannot.”
”Then it's not our problem receiving them... it's their ability to send?” Chakotay asked.
”I do not know,” Seven replied, and Janeway sensed that was what frightened the former drone the most.
”Captain, the cube is accelerating toward us,” Tuvok reported.
”Tom, Z plus seven light days, warp nine on my mark.”
Paris steadied himself and readied the s.h.i.+p at his fingertips.
Motioning for Seven to take a seat, Janeway lowered herself into her own chair. ”Now!”
Voyager groaned as she twisted against physics, leaping up quickly as the Borg cube vessel hurtled past. Janeway heard Torres over the comm, complaining about a plasma leak or inertia! dampers, or both.
”Forward course now, Mr. Paris. Warp two,” Janeway called, and with that order the bridge crew, and Voyager herself, seemed to sigh.
”Tactical on the Borg?”
”They are...” Tuvok paused, and that alone made Janeway twist toward him. Anything that would stagger the Vulcan's comments ... ”They are,” he continued, ”dead in s.p.a.ce.”
The bridge fell silent, and all eyes turned toward Seven, including Janeway's.
Seven looked stunned. But then again, so did Harry, and had she not been a more experienced captain, perhaps so might have Janeway.
”Mr. Paris,” Janeway said.
”Captain?”
”Take us within scanning range of the cube. I want to know what happened to it.”
Paris pulled in a deep breath and let out a sigh. ”Aye, Captain.”
Janeway checked and rechecked Ensign Kim's station scanners for the third time. That wasn't making their situation better.
”Captain, holographic emitters don't seem to be working. The doctor has transferred himself to the mobile emitter. That's working for now.”
Janeway nodded and walked over to Tuvok's station. ”Thank you, Chakotay.” She tapped an intercom b.u.t.ton on the tactical station. ”Janeway to Engineering.”
”Torres here, Captain. Still can't get warp power online. Nothing's wrong with the equipment, we just can't generate a matter antimatter subs.p.a.ce reaction. I'd say we were in the same boat as the Borg.”
”I don't suppose this is more of that chaotic s.p.a.ce we've come into contact with.”
Seven shook her head once, firmly. ”This is not chaotic s.p.a.ce. It has none of the characteristics that we, or the Borg, have encountered as such.”
”I'm forced to agree, Captain,” Tuvok said.
Janeway sighed. ”Desperate hope. Before too long we're going to run out of battery power. Mr. Paris, use thrusters. Full reverse course.”
”That'll be pretty slow going, Captain.”
”I'm open to other options.” Janeway turned, looking from Tuvok, to Harry Kim, to Chakotay, to Seven, then to Paris again. ”Anyone?” In her mind's eye she thought of Torres as well, who also remained silent over the comm.
”Thrusters,” Paris said. ”Aye.”
The captain chuckled tightly. ”Tuvok,” she prodded, shaking her head. ”Tell me something.”
”I have nothing more, Captain. Warp and impulse power circuits are intact, but energy is simply not there.”
”Seven?”
”This is nothing I am familiar with, Captain. Obviously, even the Borg cube is trapped.”
”We can't just sit here,” Janeway said, stomping down to the command chair. ”We have thirty hours of battery power. Thrusters won't last that long, and even that course is a.s.suming there's some dampening field in this area of s.p.a.ce. We could be wrong about that. In the meantime, I suggest we find out what else could be happening.”
”Yes, Captain.” Torres said, and Seven said the same a second later.
Chakotay stood. ”I'll give Seven a hand in astrometrics.” ”Good.” Janeway nodded up to him, then rose herself. ”I'll go to engineering. Like I said: we can't just sit here.”
”No, ma'am.” Chakotay smiled and let her step toward the turbolift first ”Thirty hours. Should be enough time to find an answer.”
”If...” Janeway whispered as the lift doors opened, ”if there is an answer.”
Chapter Thirteen.
U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC 1701E Romulan s.p.a.ce Sector 87 ”auxiliary power. Reinforce those starboard s.h.i.+elds. Status of the brig?” Picard grappled with the slice of inner bulkhead that had collapsed in his way. Just how the Romulan warbird had been able to catch up so quickly, he wasn't sure. But again, he wondered if all of this was some Romulan ruse.
”Damage to that deck and the two surrounding decks, sir. No hull breaches, but internal structural collapse in some areas.”
The captain grunted as he moved a large ceiling plate from his path. ”I can see that, Number One. Where is the warbird now?”
”They fell behind again, but we're leaking a trail of coolant that won't dissipate soon.”
”Understood. Picard out” Suddenly the debris was much lighter in Picard's hands, and he turned to find Spock helping heft it out of the way. ”Amba.s.sador.”
”Spock will suffice, Captain.”
”I appreciate the help, Spock, but-”
”Neither of us should logically be here, Captain. Most certainly we should let damage control crews clear the debris between here and your brig. With your permission, I will not wait.”