Shadows of the Night, Part XXIV

Kalib brought them to an unknown planet in the delta quadrant, the only rocky planet in this system as a matter of fact. The planet was barren and lifeless, although it would be considered a class-M to the generous.

Speaking of generous, it seemed that that was something Kalib was not. He'd identified himself as an information broker and his requests were a little, odd. "You want the entire Federation database?" Geordi said with disbelief.

"I want to see what information you have on yourselves, so that I can compare it with my own observations."

"That's going to take a little time," Riker had said.

"What a coincidence," Kalib replied, "it's going to take a little time to get where we're going."

"Which is?"

Kalib had only smiled. "You'll see when we get there."

Which was now. And it certainly wasn't much to see, Riker thought as he, Luke, Kalib and the pilot flew over the planet in a shuttlecraft. There was some water, but a great deal of the surface was exposed rock, heavily cracked along most of its surface.

"You should be able to detect a large deposit of neutronium," Kalib told the pilot. "Take us there." He tried slipping into the back with Luke and Riker and succeeded in hitting his head, causing him to utter something Riker couldn't understand but could probably figure out without a universal translator. He parked his wide frame down on one of the seats.

"Where are we?" Riker asked.

"Where it all began," Kalib said. "Thousands of centuries ago. They began here."

"The Borg," Riker replied with a shiver.

"Yup. Back when your ancestors were huddled up in caves trying to figure out which part of a potato wasn't poisonous, these guys were already hard at work combining the biological with the technological." The shuttle shook a little during their descent, the wind shear incredibly strong. "We're not sure how it all started exactly, but from what we were able to piece together, it started as a group of pacifist dissidents of all things. You see, their planet was in the grip of war, kind of like the way yours was a few centuries back, anyway they wanted to try and find a way to end it all." He leaned forward with a wicked smile that made Riker uncomfortable. "They figured the problem was all the differences of opinion. No one could tolerate a different point of view and so there was this constant 'might makes right' attitude, so they formed the collective, right here. All those minds thinking as one, they knew if they could get everyone to be like that the wars would end. Peace, understanding, the end of poverty and hate and everything terrible. Too bad they tossed out everything good with the bad."

"You mean," Luke said with disbelief, "the Borg started out trying to stop war?"

"You got it," Kalib answered. "And you see, with no need to pursue any of those other, less important things, they focused instead on technology, to improve their link between their flesh and the mechanical components that had made it all possible. They also made several scientific advances, developed faster-than-light technology, and met us."

"Your people?" Riker asked.

Kalib nodded. "Species 01. The first extraterrestrial species the Borg encountered. It was a confusing situation for them to say the least. You see, they had devoted everything to improving their technology and it had brought them so far. And when they saw our ships, they concluded that they should try and learn from them to improve themselves. We agreed to exchange information, and we did. Unfortunately, that was when the problem began."

"Which was?"

"You see, the Borg hadn't expected to run into a race like us. We were bigger, stronger, faster, and we could take a lot more punishment than them. We were, biologically, superior to them. And the Borg realized that they were limited, in the end, by their biology, and that their technology wasn't going to be enough to break that limitation."

"They decided to assimilate you," Riker said.

"We laughed at them, of course," Kalib replied. "They tried to force us so we blew them out of the sky and that was the end of it, for about sixty years. Then they came back, with warships this time, based on the technology we'd given them. And the war occurred one hundred thousand years ago, in this very area of space."

"How do you know all this?" Luke asked.

Kalib's grin widened. "Because I was here when it happened." The shuttle jerked as they completed the landing. "And here we are."

They stepped out of the shuttle carefully, the wind whistling past as they stepped out. Fortunately there wasn't any sand or they'd be flayed alive. There was oxygen, but overall the place was dry and uncomfortable. Kalib indicated a direction and they began walking while he spoke.

"The war lasted several centuries," he shouted over the shrill wind. "Both sides were devastated by the conflict. Finally we broke through their fleet and came here, to their homeworld. We parked ourselves in orbit and nuked it right down to the mantel, killed 'em all." He stopped walking. "Everything but this."

Jutting out of the rock was the tip of some structure. Its smooth surface and fine edges sat in perfect contrast to the twisted landscape that surrounded it. It rose out of the ground at least five meters, and how far down it went was anyone's guess. "Solid neutronium alloy," Kalib announced as they walked up to it. "Indestructible. Bombed it for a week before we decided we were only wasting our shots." He rapped on the slanting surface with his fist. "This is what we came for."

"What is it?" Riker asked.

"The entrance to the central mind of the Collective," Kalib said. "You see, the Borg were all coordinated through the equipment in here. Everything that makes them what they are started here."

"I'm not sure I understand," Luke said.

Kalib sighed. "Look, all those minds, there's too much random crap floating in there. Too many distracting thoughts that make the whole thing ineffective. You need something to force organization on it all, to bring order to chaos. That's what this does, or did rather. We did manage to destroy its array but the place sealed itself up and everything is still in there."

"Wait a second," Riker said. "You said it brings order to chaos? Like the queen?"

"Queen? What're you talking about?" Riker explained the limited information Data had learned about the "queen" during the second Borg invasion. "Oh, her. Yeah, she's a substitute; not as good, but what the Borg needed. Took 'em fifty thousand years to find her though. Funny; for a while we figured they were all but extinct."

"Why didn't they just come back here?" Luke asked. "When the war was over, I mean."

"I told you, the place is sealed up. Nobody can open it."

"Well that's great," Riker said. "Why'd you bring us here then?"

Kalib leaned against the structure as the wind picked up. When it finally settled down a little he spoke. "We tried to open it several times. There's no way we're aware of, but what we did do was bring in Ralin."

"Ralin?" Riker said.

"Yes, Ralin was touched. He did what he could, but couldn't open the door to get inside, not even him, and he was quite powerful. But he could see the future, and he told us that the Borg were going to go into hiding, that for millennia to come they would work slowly to rebuild themselves, until finally they would be strong enough to try and complete what they had started, to achieve perfection by absorbing others into themselves, their technology and their anatomy. That's been going on now for the past several centuries, just like he'd said."

"Really," Riker said, wondering how much of this stuff he should even believe.

"Yup, but the most important thing he said was that someone who was touched like him would return and open the door; and when that was done they would enter the complex and take over the central device and use it to destroy the Borg forever." He looked over at Luke with a smile. "When it seems the Borg have become too powerful for anyone to stop, a single mortal would come forward and bring them down. So," he said nonchalantly, "Wanna open this door for us?"

"Wait a minute," Luke said, "I've no idea where to start with this. Open the door; how? If this Ralin couldn't do it what makes you think I can?"

"Look, just do whatever it is you touched people do and open it," Kalib replied impatiently.

Luke concentrated on the door. With a bit of probing he was able to figure out that there was a complicated locking mechanism in place, but in the end what kept the door shut was solid objects, metal beams. Maybe he could make it move in just the right way.... He tugged at one of the beams, and it slowly began to move but it was difficult work, there was a strong weight holding it back. He pulled it clear and tried moving to the next one, but it slipped back into place with a blow that shook the ground like an earthquake. Kalib grinned and stared at the door, waiting for it too open. Finally he turned to Luke with disgust. "Well?" he demanded.

"There's four beams in there," Luke said as he panted a little. "Really heavy. I don't think I can move more than one, let alone all of them."

"Well you better find a way before they haul their pyramid over here and blow this planet up."

"Pyramid? How are they going to blow up the planet?" Riker asked.

Kalib looked at him in disbelief. "Are you that out of touch? The Borg have a planet-killer."

"Oh no," Luke said, thinking back to what Han had told him about the Yarval Outpost.

"Yeah. Mean one. Saw them blow up a planet covered with cities; tore through a shield that'd stop pretty much anything."

Riker and Luke stared at each other in shock, the implications of what he was saying truly sinking in. It seemed that, at that moment, the war had gotten that much worse for their side, and this door would stand firmly in the way of any chance they might have for survival.

Eventually they returned to the Enterprise. After much negotiating, Kalib agreed to help them search for evidence about the Pyramid, but it wouldn't be easy. Even if they managed to find it, Luke wasn't sure what they hoped to accomplish. It wasn't long after that he was summoned to the ready room. "You wanted to see me, captain?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you for coming," Riker said, indicating the chair while taking a seat himself. "Mr. Skywalker, first, thank you for your assistance in all of this. You've helped in ways we'd never imagined."

"Against the Borg, I'm only to happy to lend a hand," Luke said.

Riker nodded, then folded his hands and leaned forward on the desk. "I've been thinking about this Borg pyramid business. Now if Kalib's right, and frankly I hope to God this is just some practical joke, but if he is, then this thing is as dangerous as the Death Star was, with the amorality of the Borg behind it."

"I'm as frightened as you are, captain," Luke said.

Riker took a deep breath. "Seven was assigned to investigate the anomaly that occurred at the Battle Of Wormhole Station," Riker said. "Specifically what force managed to destroy a Borg Cube with no visible means of attack. I received her final report on the matter before her departure."

Luke looked away for a second, then turned back. "I see," he said, a little ice in his voice.

"It's not what you think," Riker said. "Her report mentions that you discussed details with her in confidence that she couldn't share with me. If you told her anything private, I assure you it's just between the two of you." He smirked a little. "Seven's a pain in the neck, rude, and holds people to impossible standards, but manipulative isn't among her failings."

Luke looked down. "Yes... yes, of course." He should have known Seven was trustworthy.

"Your involvement in that matter is known only to the four of us," Riker said. "Seven's report essentially says that you performed that act, but you would almost certainly never do it again. I realize this may be personal, but under the circumstances I need to understand what-"

"I can't do it," Luke said.

"Can't or won't?" Riker asked.

Luke shifted about as he tried to find the words. "What happened was a mistake," he said.

"Hundreds of people are alive because of that mistake," Riker said. "You could be saving billions of times that number if you destroyed the Pyramid."

"You don't know what you're asking," Luke said uncomfortably.

Riker held up his hands in a placating manner. "Okay, I admit, this power that you have is beyond my understanding. But here is what I do know. As a captain in Starfleet it is my duty to follow the established principles of the Federation under all circumstances. Despite that, I have been forced into situations where I had no choice but to violate them, because of just what was at stake."

"It's not a matter of ideals," Luke said. "If I go there, you have no idea what will emerge. You may be left with something even more dangerous than the Borg."

"I can't imagine anything like that," Riker said.

Luke shook his head in fear. "You don't know the power of the Dark side." They stared at one another in silence for a time. "Even if I did want to do it," Luke said eventually, "I wouldn't know where to begin. What happened was instinctive, it was- I've become close to your crew, captain. Their fear compelled me to act. I can't just flick this on and off." He wrung his hands. "Captain, I know what's on the line here, and I promise you I would die to destroy that thing, but that's not what you're asking me to do. You're asking for something I can't give you."

Riker nodded. "I see. As I said, I don't understand, but if you're telling me you can't then I'll have to take your word for it."

"I truly wish I could do something," Luke said.

"We all do," Riker said. "Mr. Skywalker... not to pressure you, but, you said what happened did happen as an accident. Would you say there's any chance it would happen again?"

"No," Luke said firmly. "Now that it happened, my guard is up. There's no way it will happen on accident, and there is absolutely nothing that can compel me to ever do that again."

Seven laid motionless as the Doctor stood over her, checking her readings. He pulled out a hypospray and took a blood sample, brought it over to the particle filter, and started the analysis. Dr. Bashir and Borui came in soon after. "Morning," he said. Bashir grunted in reply, heading to the replicator and making some coffee.

"Anything?" Borui asked.

"At this point I'm looking at possible environmental causes," the Doctor said. "I figure you'd started from the most likely cause, so instead of re-treading old ground I'd begin elsewhere."

"I can't imagine anything else being a significant factor," Bashir said. "She was medically fine when I examined her before the procedure."

"True, but since we have little to go on I thought I'd cover all the bases," the Doctor said. There was a chime from the particle filter and the Doctor ejected the capsule and transferred it into a microscope. He put the view up on the screen and examined it.

Bashir shook his head. "I'll never get used to those," he said, looking at the Borg nanoprobes floating by the screen."

"Come, doctor, you must admire their simplicity," the Doctor said. "These little fellows are the backbone of a force that's been developing for a hundred millennia. Imagine what we can do with those."

"I'm only too afraid," Bashir said. "You've seen what the Borg can do with them."

"But in the field of medicine-"

"What if someone turned them into a weapon?" Bashir asked.

The Doctor stopped dead in his mental tracks. "What indeed," he said finally. His brow furrowed. "Wait a moment," he stepped closer to the monitor. "What is that doing there?"

Bashir looked at the screen. "What do you mean?"

"That nanoprobe," the Doctor said, touching the controls. It blew up on the screen.

"You're right," Bashir said. "It's a little different. Nanoprobe equivalent of a mutation?"

"No, it doesn't work that way." The Doctor tapped some controls. "This nanoprobe is new," he said.

"She made a new nanoprobe?" Bashir asked with confusion.

"No, I mean this is a newer model nanoprobe," the Doctor said. "Seven's been out of the Collective for five years now, she's using outdated technology by comparison."

"The drone," Borui said, so suddenly that the other two doctors turned and looked at her. "The one she ran into on the Enterprise. He injected her, but no assimilation took place."

The Doctor quickly turned back to the instruments. "That would be consistent... except for this." Some figures appeared on the side of the display. "That code indicates it's from Seven's unique sub-junction."

Bashir rubbed his chin and stared. "My God... it couldn't be that, could it?"

"I don't see any other explanation."

"What?" Borui asked. "What are you two talking about?"

"That you were wrong," Bashir said. "Assimilation did take place." He looked at Seven's unconscious form. "But instead of the nanoprobes assimilating her, she assimilated them."

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