The Final Frontier 8

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Text File | 1994-08-07 | 13.2 KB | 288 lines

TF01 3,I Locutus - Part 6 4,by Ryan Nicol Here is part six, after a slight delay. As for Parts seven and eight, they WILL be finished and posted by Tuesday evening at the latest, as I will be leaving for a week or two (Yes, vacation!), and I am determined to finish this story by then. So, no matter what happens, "I, Locutus" will have been posted in full by that time. But enough talk and more.... I, LOCUTUS ------------ by Ryan Nicol --------------- PART SIX "The Enterprise is heading out of the solar system, Captain." The officer who sat before her said, not taking his eyes from the view- screen. "Plot a course in the same direction, Lieutenant. But give us enough distance from her so she can't pick us up on her sensors." Shelby ordered, then swung around in her chair to face her communications officer. "Is Commander Riker and his team aboard the Borg ship?" The communications officer turned from her station and nodded. "He says he's not sure how much power he can get Data to coax from whatever engines the Borg ship has, but they will follow at whatever speed they can muster." Shelby nodded, then said: "Proceed, Mr Hanson." The image of the desecrated Earth and lone Borg ship, now looking not so ominous, sped away from them on the viewscreen, soon becoming a point among the stars, then disappearing as the USS Garrett left the solar system, after the Enterprise. Shelby thought of William Riker, who had stubbornly refused to remain in Sickbay, where it was obvious where he belonged. But it had been useless arguing with him; after all, he had given her countless good reasons for him to return to the Borg ship, the main one being that he was the only person they had who could communicate with Data, now stuck within the circuitry of the Borg ship. Reluctantly, she agreed that he was the right person for the job of leading the Away Team, but sent Worf along with him to keep an eye on him, and take over if he deemed it necessary. With the two of him, she sent her best engineers to help repair the Borg ship, enough so it could be of some use to them in a fight. The Borg collective might be able to repair the ship automatically, but Data sure as hell could not. The most he could do was pinpoint the areas needing repairs most urgently, and the tell them the best way to go about it. Meanwhile, the USS Garrett's Sickbay was overflowing, with as many of the colonists of Beta Ariquae V, and humans of Earth, that the Borg had taken. The ship's doctors had their hands full, using the sophisticated equipment which the counter-Borg ship they were on carried. The Federation had amassed much knowledge of the Borg since the Wolf 359 massacre - ways not only how to defend themselves from the Borg but also ways of how to bring those victims who had fallen into the Borg's control back out without causing them to self- destruct. Naturally, they had to use complex machinery to get access into the individual's circuitry and cut the link. As for the other individuals who they had not space to fit on the USS Garrett, they had been beamed back to Earth, with the hope that some form of medical help would arrive for them. After all, whether they remained on Earth, on the Borg ship, or even on the USS Garrett, the chances of them all returning to Borg control was the same - very high. * * * * * * * * Ard'rian continued to stare up at the pale-grey ceiling above her. She hadn't moved a muscle since she had been placed there; she hadn't been aware of her surroundings until a few minutes ago. Now she saw everything, knew everything - and remembered everything. And it chilled her. She had always been fascinated by androids, electronics; they were far superior, not full of the flaws that humans had - she had said these very things to Data when she had first met him. It were these qualities that drew her to him, resulted in her falling in love with him, and now making her shudder at the coldness and robotic callousness that she herself had become when she had been transformed into the very thing she had looked up to. Though hardly perceptible, her eyes shifted to the right, and she caught sight of a large arm with an odd-looking structure attached to its end. For an instant, it reminded her of that large mechanical construct that she had carried with her as an added appendage when she had been a Borg. The panic lasted only a few seconds, as she recalled it was that very thing that had brought her out of that disgusting state that she remembered so clearly. "We're getting a response from this one!" She heard a voice call out, a male voice. Two people came into her field of view, looking over her, examining her clearly. The male said to the female: "I'm sure I saw her eyes move, shift to the right." The woman was quite for a moment, still staring down at her, watching her intently. After a moment she shook her head. "No, I don't see any reaction. She still seems completely out of it." The two faces disappeared, to be replaced once more by the bland greyness of the ceiling. * * * * * * * * All was clear. There were no Borg in the vicinity. Though he couldn't see this to be true, his visor took in all this information for him, translating it into a kaleidoscope of colours which he managed to decode. Slowly, he made his way out from the vast machinery behind which he hid in and moved out into the Engineering section. It had been the first place where the Borg had arrived when the began descending on the Enterprise, taking it apart, analysing those things they found worthy of their interest, modifying those things they felt they could improve, and destroying that which they found inferior. Now modified, Geordi realized that the Enterprise's engines were capable of greater power than they should have any rights to give out, especially considering the fact that they had been severely damaged while confronting the Borg at Beta Ariquae V. Even with the engines working perfectly, such power levels were unheard of. Where the Borg were getting the extra power, Geordi had no idea. What he did know, was that they had to be stopped. As he made his way towards the reactor, he noticed a body slumped over a nearby console. He looked around once more, making sure no Borg had entered the immediate area, then moved towards the dead crewman. As he reached the body, he realised it was that of Lieutenant DeMont, a security guard. Gingerly, he pulled the body back, so that it slumped back in the chair in which it was sitting. A careful study of the console indicated that the security officer had tried to gain entry to the controls over the anti-matter seal via the ship's computer. Evidently, the Borg hadn't allowed him to get that far. Nor could he get at the reactor. Though normal eyes wouldn't have been able to register it, his visor could pick up the slight traces of a force-field that surrounded the nucleus of the ship's engines. No way to destroy the ship, he thought grimly. Well, then, how about the people on board it? After a slight pause, he moved towards the elevator. There was one chance, but only one. And if he were lucky, they would all be dead in a few minutes.... * * * * * * * * "Commander?" Riker looked up, to see the concerned look on Worf's face. He felt drained, yes, and the last thing he felt like was going into a fight, especially with the knowledge that he was still partially under the Borg's domain. But talking about it was not something he felt like doing either. "Just a little tired, Mr Worf." He said, trying to force a smile. "I don't think I'm cut out for speaking at the moment, for the Borg, Data, or anyone." Surely Worf would get that hint, he thought. Evidently not. "Does this have anything to do with your recent... transformation?" Riker sighed. "To a degree, yes. To be honest, I don't feel comfortable still being linked like this to the Borg." He stared down to his newly repaired arm, and to the new Starfleet uniform he was wearing, instead of the metallic-coloured clothing he had worn into the Borg. Except for a few attached pieces of circuitry, he seemed back to normal. He still had chills when he touched the left side of his face, though, as he felt the pieces of circuitry attached to his body. The majority of it had been removed, but there were still areas where the circuits were still evident. "Are you receiving anything from... Captain Picard?" Riker was silent for a moment, then answered: "No; the Borg are remaining unusually silent. They aren't transmitting to Data, either. They must realize we've been "subverted" and don't want to give anything away." Worf continued to study him for a moment, then nodded. Riker set himself about to be ready to relay more incoming information from Data. * * * * * * * * Geordi La Forge crawled up the narrow shaft that stretched up from the engineering section, phaser in hand. Rung after rung, he pulled himself up, deeper into the heart of his ship, and hated himself for what he was about to do. Finally he came to the control panel he was searching for. He had realised there would be little hope of accessing it from the ship's computer, or try getting at it from Engineering - the Borg were too clever for that; he just hoped they weren't clever enough to consider changing the manual override, or the code for that matter. "O794DATA-3562LAFORGE-2001HUGH." He whispered in the darkness of the access tunnel. The green light on the front of the control panel turned red, and with a sigh, Geordi slid it aside, to reveal the complex circuitry beneath it. Okay, he thought to himself with a wry smile, they may be half- machines, but let's see how the Borg do without life-support..... No sooner had he touched the necessary wiring, had a surge of electric current run through his body, scorching his flesh. His muscles in his hand contracted involuntarily around the wiring, and his other hand released his hold on the metal rung.... The contact with the current broke as he fell down, nothing but darkness flashing past. In semi-consciousness, he reached out for the ladder. No sooner had his hands grabbed hold of a rung, than his shoulder felt as if it were being ripped from its socket. But he held on for dear life, knowing if he let go, he would plummet to his death. So, the Borg had considered the possibility of someone trying to override the life support commands manually, he thought, on the edge of consciousness. And then he was aware of that there was something more to the darkness that surrounded him. If at all possible, it suddenly seemed darker than before. And then he realized what had happened - the powerful electric current had burnt out the connections to his visor. The darkness was not only because of the lack of light, it was also because he was blind. * * * * * * * * "That's the plan, then." Riker nodded, as he spoke to Shelby, her image on the Borg screen staring back at him, intently. "And if you don't get off the Borg ship in time?" "Then we don't." He answered. "Either way, we'll destroy the Enterprise, then maneuver this ship to collide with one of the Borg ships. That will leave you with only one to worry about." He paused for a moment, then gave a slight smile. "Think you can handle that, Captain, or is it too big a decision to make?" "I can handle it." Shelby replied, though not looking pleased at all. "I suppose you'll want all non-essential personnel beamed back to the Garrett?" The fewer that are on this ship when it rams the Borg, the better, Riker thought as he nodded in agreement. Data would have to "steer" this thing and would therefore have to remain on board. And if the rest of them couldn't get off the ship in time, Data would have plenty of company when he smashes into the Borg ship, leaving in a baptism of fire. "We'll rendezvous in fifteen minutes." He replied, finally. "I'll get those non-essentials together to beam up then." The image of Shelby disappeared from the screen, and Riker turned to return to the others, knowing that, either way, he would have to destroy the Enterprise, with all hands on board. * * * * * * * * Locutus continued to stare out into space, at the distant specks of light. He couldn't see them, to be sure; but he had knowledge beyond the boundaries of sight. He had been in contact with them for quite some time now; he had knowledge of their approach. There was no doubt he would soon be united with those from whom he had been apart for so long, an unconscious part that formed the then conscious mind of Picard. But now, all was different, for he was soon meet them again, once more becoming a part of them, not only mentally, but also physically. He knew it. They were coming.... END OF PART SIX