Shadows of the Night, Part XXXIII

Main Unity Shadows of the Night

The Republic fleet struggled over Alion, trapped by the interdiction field and surrounded by Borg Cubes on all sides. More of their ion weapons were deployed to shut down the Republic ships and leave them helpless in the face of assimilation. Before anyone could think blue bolts of energy cascaded through the systems of Home One. "Haash'n!" Ackbar called. "Can you get the power back?"

"I'm trying sir," came the report from his chief engineer, "But I don't think it's going to work."

"Do it, or we're all finished!" Ackbar turned his attention back. No instruments, no communications, nothing to do but look out the viewport and watch the battle. The Borg had allowed them to penetrate their perimeter, he saw, so they could surround them more effectively on all sides. The flashes of turbolaser fire were diminishing as their ships were overwhelmed or escaped. Ten, twelve maybe, he thought as he watched them slip through the Borg ships and vanish to hyperspace. Some of the fighters too, of course. After a while, the firing stopped.

"Hassh'n," he called, "How's the power coming?"

"I'm sorry, sir," the mon calamari replied, "There's too much damage. There's nothing I can do."

"I understand, major," Ackbar replied. He stepped to the center of the bridge, looking out at the helpless remains of his fleet. He saw a frigate, the Refuge, he thought, drifting past the window. Two Borg cubes swooped at it, their tractor beams slowing it to a relative stop. A cutting beam sliced through the shaft that connected the front of the ship to the powerful engines, cutting the ship into two pieces, the cubes pulling their respective pieces closer to its ship to be devoured. "Anyone who wishes to take your chances in a shuttle," Ackbar said, "is dismissed, with the thanks of the Republic." He turned and looked at the downhearted faces of his crew. "May the Force be with you."

The crew filed out the back of the bridge for a last ditch effort at escape. "Sir," Thaneespi said, "Are you coming?"

Ackbar sighed. "If you manage to make it," he said with exhaustion, "Tell my family, I hope I didn't disappoint them; and that I can only hope the Republic does not die with me."

Thaneespi nodded and followed the rest of the crew. Ackbar watched for some time as the frigate was cut to pieces, drawn into the Cubes section by section. It was fascinating in a detached sort of way. "How did they know who I was?" he asked quietly. Suddenly there was a great shudder, almost knocking him off his feet. He turned and saw the back of the bridge slowly moving away, a force field distorting the view. The image of the ships consuming the frigate drifted to the right, and he saw another cube, a much larger cube, filling the view beyond the window. It seemed to grow endlessly as the seconds ticked on. After a time he saw an open port with hundreds of drones moving about. He watched the ship slowly begin its pull into the opening. He knew what was to come, and yet there was no fear, only regret. He sat down in his chair; he knew what he'd have to do for the good of the Republic. Even when the sound of the Borg tools on the outer portions of the ship began, he had no fear. As they walked across the remains of his bridge, there was still no fear. Senator, Admiral, leader of his people, he would meet the end with the dignity of a servant of the Republic. It was all he had left to cling to, and strangely, it was enough. He shot down four Borg drones before they got too close, then put it to the side of his head... and did one last thing to protect the Republic.

Riker listened to the familiar gliding sound as the doors to Holodeck 2 opened, revealing a pleasant looking park. He didn't even notice the doors close as he stepped across the grass towards the bench, just under a conveniently placed tree. The sky was as blue as anything he'd ever seen, and the air had the smell of a fresh morning rain. He watched Seven of Nine run up the path, her loose gray shirt soaked with sweat, her breath visibly labored. "Captain," she said as she slowed to a stop and took some heavy breaths. "Can I help you?"

"You seem a little exhausted," he commented as she stepped over and sat on a tree stump.

"Four kilometers," she said with self-loathing. "And I feel as if I just ran twenty."

"Dr. Crusher told you to take it easy," Riker pointed out. "Your body needs time to get its strength back."

"So you spoke to Dr. Crusher," she commented, wiping her forehead and the side of her face with a towel.

He nodded. "And Borui. Seems you've changed in more ways than we thought."

"Yes," she commented. "And let me be the first to say I prefer the new me to the old, thank you all very much."

"No one's saying anything to the contrary," Riker said. "Let's talk about the Chief Science Officer, shall we?"

"I hope that means me," Seven said. "And not just because I'm my favorite topic of conversation." She flashed a smile, then got serious. "I looked things over during my aerobics workout. Cabot did a good job; his background in many of the sciences shows. He'd make a good CSO." She grinned. "But not while I'm here."

"So you still want to stay where you are?" Riker asked.

"Of course, why wouldn't I? Captain, I haven't changed, I've just grown. I still want to solve problems, I still want to understand the universe, all that's changed is that I realize that it's because it's something I love. And I love being the Chief Science Officer of the flagship of the Federation. So, if I may be so bold captain, the only way I'm leaving my post is feet first."

Riker chuckled. "If it's what you want, then I'm glad to have you under my command. Frankly, I'm relieved; with Anansi helping the Borg and the existence of this Pyramid, things look very dire for the Federation."

"I'll do everything I possibly can, captain," Seven assured him. "Anything that can be used against them, I'll have it ready."

"I have every faith, commander," Riker said, then he smirked. "After all, the knowledge and experience of the drone -Seven of Nine- is part of us now. It has prepared us for all possible courses of action. Their resistance is hopeless."

Seven laughed and shook her head. "I never realized how funny you are." She looked around the park. "Then again, it seems like I'm seeing so many things for the first time, really seeing them, you know." She shook her head again. "So much has passed by..."

"You'll make them pay for what they've taken," Riker assured her.

"That's just it," Seven said. "The paradox of emotion. The more I loved Luke, the more I pushed him away. I hate the Collective... and yet... I do love many of the things they've given me. You read my report on the nanoprobes?"

"Yes," Riker said. "That could be a phenomenal asset. When you're stronger I'd like you and Dr. Crusher to work together on that, see just what you can do with those things. Against an enemy that adapts, we need to adapt too."

"Yes sir," Seven said.

"Question," Riker said. "Based on this, and what happened before we lost the Enterprise-E, does this mean you're immune to assimilation?"

"I doubt it," Seven said. "Maybe I'll get away with that trick again once or twice, but the Borg will recognize it and find ways to form nanoprobes that I can't control. If anything, it's made me a target."

"Well, let's make sure we don't let that happen," Riker said. "In the meantime, don't push yourself too hard. Let yourself heal; the human part of you at least needs to recover."

"The human part has recovered," Seven said. "It's the biological lifeform that needs healing."

Riker smiled and nodded as he got up. "So it is," he said, and walked out.

"Ow!" Seven exclaimed the following morning as Luke squeezed the back of her right calf.

"Dr. Crusher told you to take it easy," Luke reminded her as he went back to rubbing the sore muscle.

"Yes, yes, I know what she said," Seven said as she bit her lip and closed her eyes. "I have never been so sore in my life. I can't believe I'm this out of shape."

"You were unconscious for half a year," Luke said. "You can't push yourself too hard. An hour of aerobics and a four kilometer run is not a good way to start your recovery."

"Thanks for the advice," she said sarcastically as he worked his way up to her thigh, causing her to groan slightly from the pain. This was a little more challenging; a series of metal strips, about a quarter centimeter across, extended from an implant down the back of her leg and into the flesh just above the back of her knee. He did his best, but it felt strange as the metal pieces dug slightly into his hands. He looked at the point where they entered the skin, running his finger along the spot where flesh and metal met. "Don't do that!" Seven almost screamed.

"I'm so sorry," Luke said, feeling like an ass for poking around with her body.

"No, it's okay, sweetie, I'm not hurt." Seven looked very embarrassed. "Look, I'm just really ticklish, okay?"

Luke got back to work. "And I thought you told us all the Borg weaknesses," he commented.

"Ow-a ow-a ow-a ow-a..."

"Seven, maybe you should just take the day and rest."

"Oh no," Seven said. "You're not getting out of this that easily. You said you'd show me your home today and we're going to see it." She sighed as Luke started on the muscles of her lower back. "I had Barclay work up the program; he was only too happy to try to make up for what happened with the array, even though I told him it wasn't his fault."

"It's up to you," Luke said with a shrug, "But it's not going to be very pleasant."

"Oh, you just don't want to go." She let out another gasp of pain, then got up and grabbed her uniform. "Thanks for trying Luke, but this isn't working. I'm going to regenerate for an hour; that should give me a chance to repair any tissue damage and work the lactic acid out of my system." She turned and gave him a kiss. "I'll expect you in Holodeck 2 then or I send out the bounty hunters."

"Yes ma'am," Luke replied, heading for the shower. She was already gone when he got back, leaving him with time to reflect. So much to take in; the last few days felt like a lifetime. So many things he'd never given much thought too were now being asked. What would he do with his life now? He'd gone from farmhand to hero to Jedi to hermit... but all that was over now. There's no longer me, there's us to consider. What should I do? Before he knew it, the computer told him it was time, and he headed down to check and see what Seven had in mind for their little date.

The door to Holodeck 2 opened, and Luke stepped inside. Seven was already waiting. "All right," he said. "Ready to go see the dustbowl that is Tatooine?"

"Later," she said. Her mood seemed a bit darker, and he was worried. Had he screwed up? "I've been thinking about your vision." Yes, he'd screwed up. "There's something we need to settle, Luke."

"Sure, sure," he said. "Just talk to me, Seven."

"Computer," Seven said, "seal the holodeck, disable all command overrides, Authorization Seven of Nine Four Alpha Theta Two."

"Confirmed," the computer said.

"Seven, what's going on?" Luke asked.

Seven looked into his face. "If any member of the crew discovered what's about to happen, I would be unable to face them," she said. "This is private."

"They're your friends," Luke said. "They'll understand."

"No," Seven said. "They won't." She hesitated. "Luke, I'm going to do something that... Luke, do you trust me?"

Luke looked into her eyes. "Of course I trust you," he said.

"Then close your eyes, and no matter what happens, don't open them." He complied. There was the sound of a boot being tossed aside, then another, then the sound of Seven's clothes. Seven took a deep breath. "Computer," she said, "initiate program Hansen 1." Luke heard the sound of the holodeck begin; something was odd about it, but he did what she'd asked. "Open your eyes," she said, though there was a clear sense of nervousness.

Luke opened his eyes, and the sight froze the air in his lungs. They were on a Borg ship, and Seven stood before him in full Borg appearance: her hair gone, the implant replacing one of her eyes, the various tubules and devices over her form, the gray skin. "Seven?"

"Luke," she said. "I thought about the vision you told me about, and I've figured out what it was that was bothering me about it." She stopped, as if she didn't want to say it. "You seem to look at my Borg side as being dark and evil." She wet her lips. "You're not the only one. Do you know what it is to be a former drone?" Her voice trembled. "First, when you're assimilated, you are violated in every possible way, physically, mentally, until you are destroyed. And then you escape..." She choked. "Only to find a galaxy that loathes you for it, that wants to punish you for being a victim!" She was trying not to cry. "And no one, not one person, looks at you and feels sorrow for what you've been through... all they feel is hate! They despise the Borg... but they can't hurt the Borg." A sob slipped out. "So they'll hurt you. Because you are small, because you can't fight back... and you feel just like you did when you were assimilated, except this time it's worse. Because say what you will about the Collective, when they harm people, they never laugh. They don't tell jokes while you are in pain. And at least they have a purpose... they don't hurt you just to watch you bleed."

Luke tried to embrace her but she stepped back. "The Borg will pay, Seven," he said, trying to sound comforting.

"This isn't about the Collective!" Seven shouted. "This is about me! This is about what it is to live every day knowing that I will be held accountable for the sins of the Borg! To- To have Janeway blame me for a warp core accident simply for being in the room! For B'Elanna to despise me for not feeling guilty over being violated! 'Enlightened' humans who looked at a frightened girl removed from everything she ever knew and heaped scorn and mistrust on her! Can you possibly understand how that feels?!"

Luke looked into her grief-stricken face; he still wanted to hold her close. "No," he admitted. "But I don't blame you, Seven-"

"You don't," Seven said bitterly. "Because you deny it. You acknowledge it in words, but you don't really admit it to yourself, because you're like all of them. Borg are evil, every last one, in the Collective or out, they're all the same down deep. You deny what I am in your heart because I look so human." She started crying a little. "I want you to love me so much," she pleaded. "But if you don't really love who I am, then it's nothing!" She stepped up to him, desperation in her eyes. "Luke, this is part of who Annika Hansen is. If you love me, truly love me, I need you to accept that."

"I do," he insisted.

"Not just words," she said sharply. "Look at me, there's a reason I went to these lengths, Luke." There was clear emotion in her voice. "Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One, loves you, wants to be with you, wants to make love to you. Look at her, and tell me if you feel the same."

Luke looked her up and down, and something surprised him. Those horrible things on his bitter enemy came together in such a way to make his heart pound. The way the armor hugged her feminine curves, the way the hue of her skin emphasized the fullness of her lips and the depth of her eye, the way the black material made her look so exotic... she was a drone, and yet, she seemed so incredibly sexual. And he knew what it was; it was because it was impossible for Seven not to be beautiful to him. Not some sappy "beauty is skin deep" thing, but being Seven made her truly look physically attractive to him. He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her deeply. "You're a Borg," he whispered when it ended. "I accept that." He looked into her gray face, and touched the implant on the side of her head, as if it were some wonderful part of her he'd only just noticed. "And I want to make love to you. Right now, like this." He smiled. "Because you have no idea how sexy you look."

Seven looked up into his face, lip trembling, her voice low and edged with tears. "You've made me so happy." And her feelings moved things within him. That his just accepting this could fill her with such love and joy drew him to her in every possible way.

Afterwards, he cradled her in his arms, kissed the top of her head, and put her head on his chest as best he could with the various implants. "Was that... uncomfortable for you?" he asked.

Seven turned and looked at him. "No. Was it for you?"

"No," he said. "I was just wondering, because... because if you don't mind, I'd like to do this again some time."

Seven's breath trembled. "Oh Luke... You mean that?"

Luke cradled her close. "Of course I do... you're my Seven." He patted her back. "No matter how you change your body, that will never change."

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