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Resistance really is futile	By : goofball Category: Star Trek > Voyager Views: 7729 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Don't own anything about Star Trek Voyager nor make I money with my story

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“Harry, we passed a Borg debris-field two or three days ago, just outside the Yontasa Expanse. See if you can find it on long-range-sensors,” Janeway commanded as soon as she was out of the Turbolift and moved over to his workstation.
“Yes, ma'am.”
Chakotay got up from his chair and looked up. “It's not every day we go looking for the Borg. What's up?”
“To make it short and simple: Seven needs a new cortical node,” Janeway replied, telling him and the rest of the bridge-crew only the fact, while reminding herself to stop grinding her teeth.
“Captain, need I remind you the Borg often return to salvage damaged cubes,” Tuvok said.
“It's a risk I'm willing to take,” Janeway replied.
“I want to help Seven as much as anyone, but if we're not careful we'll all end up with cortical nodes,” Chakotay stated.
Janeway just looked at him for a moment, trying not to think back to the argument that had happened not that long ago right here on the Bridge. “That's why I'm taking the Flyer, alone.”
“I've located the debris field,” Harry reported.
“Transmit the coordinates to the Flyer. You have the Bridge, Commander.” Janeway was only halfway back on her way to the Turbolift when Tom left his post.
“With all due respect. The last time you took the Delta Flyer to confront the Borg, it ended up in a couple of thousand pieces.”
Janeway braced herself on the railing. “I intend to bring it back in one piece this time,” she assured him with a half-smile, then continued on her way.
“A good pilot might be able to help you do that,” Tom suggested to Janeway’s back, then Tuvok stepped in front of her. Janeway lowered her head and rubbed her temple.
“Particularly if he's accompanied by an experienced Tactical Officer,” Tuvok stated.
“You shouldn't do this by yourself, Captain,” Chakotay said.
With a sigh Janeway turned around and since she was actually grateful for their support and for not having to spend only gods knew how many hours on her own with some very dark thoughts in her head, said: “Well then, gentlemen, I guess you're with me.”
The three of them left together, went to their quarters to gather some things before they were to meet again in the weapons-locker to get some phaser riffles. From there they made their way to the Shuttle Bay, where Icheb called out to Janeway in one of the corridors.
“I'll meet you in the Shuttle Bay,” Janeway said to the two officers and turned to face Icheb.
“Have you talked to Seven?” Icheb wanted to know.
“Just a few minutes ago.”
He looked at Janeway expectantly then said: “And you don't approve?”
She gave him a puzzled look. “Of what?”
“My request,” he replied.
“Request?” Janeway had no idea what he was talking about.
“I'm sure Seven will discuss it with you when she has the chance. I'm sorry I bothered you.”
Damn it. Janeway looked away for a moment “Obviously, no one's told you.” She put a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him forward. Time was of the essence here.
“Told me what?” Icheb asked as he started walking.
“Seven isn't… well.”
“What's wrong with her?”
How to best tell him? Plain and simple. “Her cortical node is failing.”
“Her cortical node? She's going to die,” Icheb stated.
Janeway inhaled deeply, suppressing the emotions that tried to well up inside of her. “Not if we find a new node. We're on our way to search a Borg debris field.”
“I have experience in Borg technology. Let me come with you.”
Janeway stopped and faced him. “I appreciate the offer, but it's too dangerous.”
“I'm willing to take the risk,” he said.
“I'm not willing to let you. I'll let you know how we did as soon as we're back. Don't worry,” Janeway said and in her mind added: I’ll worry enough for the two of us.
*
Voyager had been traveling approximately at Warp 6 since passing the Yontasa Expanse two and a half days ago. Tom announced that even going as fast as Warp 8.5 they would need twenty six godforsaken long hours. But there was nothing to be done about that.
They took shifts at the helm and Janeway used one of the breaks with Tom to ask him how he was faring.
He took a sip of his drink before he looked at Janeway. “Would you believe me if I said I was fine?”
“You do know that this reply equals saying you feel rotten?”
Tom nodded slowly. “Then it’s an understatement.”
Janeway sighed. “I’m sorry, Tom.”
“So am I,” he replied, then to her utter surprise added: “And in about ten years I may be able to tell B’Elanna that she might have a point.”
“Oh?” Janeway leaned back in her seat, drinking from her coffee.
“Yeah, surprised myself as well with that one,” Tom said. “But after I got over the urge to trash my place, my brain started to function again.”
Given the circumstances, Janeway could relate very well to his feelings, but kept silent.
Tom took another sip and then stared off into space. “There were a couple of things that came together, that made suddenly sense. But just as B’Elanna wasn’t able to, I can’t pinpoint anything specific.” He looked back at Janeway. “Have you ever seen her after one of her bouts with Seven?”
“No, I haven’t”
“She’s bruised and scratched, hardly able to move without wincing, but she’s almost bursting with energy.”
A smile stole into Janeway’s face. “That sounds a lot like Seven after a match with B’Elanna.”
Tom gave her a half-smile. “I’d never be able to give her that without losing a limb or two.”
With a frown Janeway asked: “Why do you believe you have to be the one to give her exactly that?”
He shook his head. “I know what you’re getting at, and it’s not that. I’m not saying this is the reason,” he said and rubbed his forehead.
“Tom, you don’t have to talk with me about this if you don’t want to.”
“Seriously, Captain?” He looked at Janeway. “Who else would I talk to? Harry? He’s a great guy, but no, not about this,” he said. “Neelix? He would just try to get us back together. He’s such a romantic.” He laughed softly. “We on the other hand have a history together – and offspring.”
That made Janeway laugh as well. The incident had happened so long ago that they were way past the awkward stage.
“If you don’t mind, I’d pick you to talk about B’Elanna.”
Janeway reached out and squeezed his arm. “I don’t mind at all.”
“Thank you,” Tom said and took another sip. “There’s something else I noticed,” he stated. “You know, there are times when B’Elanna is in such a bad mood that even I get out of her way.”
Janeway nodded, not even trying to hide her smile.
“I saw her storming into Main Engineering the other day, right up to the work station beside Seven,” Tom told Janeway. “At first I honestly thought B’Elanna was out for a fight, and I even thought about interfering. But…” He shook his head. “Did you know that Seven is able to dissolve this hot temper in mere moments?”
“Seven told me about it,” Janeway replied. “But it also works the other way around. I’ve seen B’Elanna calm Seven down in seconds.”
Tom leaned back in his chair. “Who would have thought?”
“Not I, to be honest,” Janeway admitted with a smile.
“Me neither.” Suddenly he leaned forward again, bracing his arms on the table. “Have you ever heard them when they have this – as B’Elanna calls it – battle of wits?”
“I’ve had the privilege for a couple of minutes”, Janeway said dryly.
This time it was Tom who grinned. “I stayed and listen instead of getting the hell out of there.” He shook his head. “They’re funny as hell, but what’s even more interesting is that they are actually bouncing ideas back and forth.”
Janeway looked at him in surprise. “They do?”
“Yes, and they feed off of each other,” Tom said. “You do that with B’Elanna too, well without the insults of course.”
Janeway was even more surprised. “I do?”
Tom gave her a “come on”-look. “Yes, you do. It goes like science here, science there, idea here, idea there – et voilà, we have a solution.” His face took on a distasteful expression. “And you do that with Seven, in short-hand. Now that’s really disgusting. Like it isn’t hard enough to keep up with you guys.”
“Excuse me?” Janeway asked with a laugh.
“B’Elanna and Seven use whole sentences, if you can count the insults as a part of the sentences,” Tom explained. “B’Elanna and you use whole sentences, but you and Seven seem to require only two words, which nobody understands, except maybe for Tuvok. That’s disturbing,” he said. “I’m afraid what’s going to happen, when the two of you know each other even better, and you do the whole idea-bouncing simply with looks and expect everyone else to know exactly with which brilliant plan you came up with.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for the future,” Janeway said with a laugh and for the moment forgot about the possibility of not having a future with Seven.
“You better,” he said, smiling as well. But then his face grew serious again. “So there are things I have noticed about her, about myself and about our relationship. To cut a long story short: she’s right. We were good for each other, but she needs someone to have a true rapport with. And that isn’t me. And I’m beginning to suspect, it’s also the other way around.”
Janeway sighed. “You know that she’s devastated about having to hurt your feelings.”
Tom nodded. “Yeah, that’s why I won’t wait for ten years to tell her the truth.”
“You are a really good guy, just as she kept saying.”
Tom looked away. “I think the lunch-break is over.”
Taking the hint, Janeway stood. “We should be arriving in a couple of hours. We better get ready.”
“I have isolated a section that contains the bodies of approximately thirty seven drones,” Tuvok announced.
“Thirty seven doesn't sound approximate to me,” Tom said over his shoulder from his place at the helm.
“These drones were killed in an explosion. There are only a few left intact.”
Janeway studied the readout on her display. “Looks like there's still a breathable atmosphere inside. Any sign of active Borg ships in the vicinity?”
“Nothing on sensors,” Tom replied.
“That could change in a hurry,” Janeway said and got up. “Run continuous scans.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Tuvok and Janeway went aft and prepared themselves. They each took a rifle which Janeway carried on a strap around her shoulder, a flashlight and of course they each had a tricorder. Additionally, Janeway took the med kit as well. While they got into position and waited for the transport, Janeway recalled the quick instructions she had received from the EMH via a transmission.
Then Janeway found herself once more aboard a Borg-cube, even though this one wasn’t in the pristine order like the others had been. But it was even more sinister with green lights blinking here and there, steam hissing out through ruptured pipes and tubes, and debris was littering the floor.
Janeway and Tuvok went along a corridor and halfway down, she detected a foot underneath some rubble. Despite the fact that her especially calibrated tricorder had given off no proximity-warning, Janeway bent down to look for the rest of the drone. There was none and she straightened up, rolling her eyes about herself.
Moving forward again, Janeway swept the tricorder from side to side, scanning the vicinity.
Finally the instrument found a target and Janeway went over to a large piece of wall-covering that had fallen down and apparently buried a drone underneath it.
“Tuvok,” Janeway called softly over a shoulder. “Help me get this off him.”
Janeway waited for him and together they moved the metal off to the side.
Kneeling down beside the Borg, Janeway took another set of readings. “No apparent damage to the cortical node,” she said, took the med kit from her shoulder and opened it.
Janeway was focusing so much on getting the node for Seven, that there was no hesitation as she grabbed the laser-scalpel and used it to cut through the skin above the right eye to uncover the socket with the node in it. After swapping tools, Janeway pressed a tiny button, which made the node slide up halfway. She took the tweezers and carefully removed the cortical node to place it in the med kit.
“Captain, you’ve got company. There's a ship-“ Tom’s voice cut out.
Tuvok hit his Com-Badge. “Two to beam out.”
Janeway repeated the gesture. “Delta Flyer, respond!”
Then Tuvok, who had taken out his tricorder announced unpleasant news: “Three humanoids have just transported aboard this vessel.”
“Drones?”
Three figures emerged around a corner.
“The only drones here are dead, and they belong to us. Who are you?” The alien in front of the threesome wanted to know.
“Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager,” Janeway replied, slowly moving her fingers over the laser-scalpel.
“This is my debris field, Captain.”
“We weren't aware of that.”
“What have you taken?” The leader of the group asked and moved towards Janeway.
Janeway closed her fingers around the scalpel and stood up. “A cortical node. We need it to save one of my crew.”
“Everything here belongs to us.” He bent down, grasping for the med kit.
Oh, no you won’t! Janeway reached around his neck, pressing the scalpel to his throat. “Put down your weapons and I'll consider not activating this laser scalpel.”
Apparently he didn’t feel threatened by Janeway at all, because he threw his head back and as she moved her own head in reflex, he pushed her backwards with more strength than she had anticipated.
Tuvok got him and a second alien with the rifle, then Janeway lost sight of him as she dove for her own gear. Just as she closed her fingers around the rifle, a heavy boot pressed her hand down.
Janeway looked up, straight into the barrel of a phaser. That can’t be it, she thought, I need to get this node to Voyager. I need to get back to Seven. Then Janeway was beamed out, just as the alien pulled the trigger.
Janeway inhaled with relief as she found herself laying on the floor in the Delta Flyer, the rifle and med-kit underneath her hand. But her relief turned to concern as she noticed the phaser-burns on Tuvok’s uniform.
“How bad is it?” Janeway asked, as she got up and went to him.
“Not too bad,” Tuvok replied. “It can wait. Lieutenant Paris will need our assistance first.”
As if to underline his words, the Delta Flyer shook, presumably under enemy-fire.
Tuvok took a staggering step towards the door.
“Right,” Janeway said, dove underneath his arm to help him to the cockpit.
“Sorry about the delay. They knocked our transporters offline,” Tom greeted the two over his shoulder.
The shuttle shuddered again and Tuvok rather fell than sat into the next best seat.
“I need you at tactical,” Tom said, ducking as sparks shot out from a relay beside him. “When I bring us around, target their engine core.”
Janeway looked up in surprise, then moved to the station. “Aye, sir,” she replied dryly, sat down and charged the weapons.
Tom threw the Delta Flyer into a loop, positioning the shuttle behind the alien’s ship.
Janeway did not blink as she waited until they were aligned, then fired. The third and fourth shot hit the mark.
“Nice shot,” Tom commented and glanced over his shoulder.
Janeway just raised an eyebrow, then went back to Tuvok.
“They're breaking pursuit,” Tom announced.
“Then let’s get back to Voyager.”
tbc
AN: Since I have no idea on how to calculate the distances and time they need to travel (and that was something I had no desire to research as many other things), I just took something that seemed like godforsaken long.
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Resistance really is futile