Borg at the front door.

Posted on 20 Jun 2023 @ 8:39pm by Lieutenant JG Christina Hartley

1,598 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: Earth Orbit, USS Archer

Christina smiled as she stood on the bridge of the USS Archer, a Ross Class Starship, which was recently fully refitted, and she had been working on it, so the Captain had invited Christina to the Frontier Day celebrations on his ship.

"Looks like everything's ready, Captain," Christina said, smiling. "The new protocol's are fully installed, and we're synced with the fleet. The Enterprise will be starting the celebrations soon," Christina said. "I just wish Kin'Fuji and our daughter K'tress were here, but they're watching from Cait," she added.

Captain Tel Ch'echirral, a rather young and dashing Andorian, nodded, his antenna vibrating slightly showing how pleased he was with the young ensign. "Excellent work. Lieutenant Commander Krake, how is the power distribution network holding up?"

"Everything's green, Captain," Krake replied. "We're getting word that Spacedock is opening the doors. It's showtime, Captain."

"Very good. Activate the protocol, sit back and watch the fireworks," the Andorian Captain said. He was as excited as anyone about the new capabilities all of the ships in the fleet could achieve together, operating as a cohesive force.

"Fleet Protocol activated," Krake said. Christina smiled as she stood next to the centre seat, watching the screen as the USS Enterprise F emerged from Spacedock, with Admiral Shelby giving her speech.

"Not gonna lie, I wish I'd had a chance to work on the Enterprise," Christina said softly to Tal. "But your ship is a beauty as well."

Tel's antenna swiveled towards Christina, but the Captain's head did not move. "Yes, the Enterprise is an impressive ship. Anyone worth the carbon their bodies are made up of applied for the postings on that vessel. Still, I am happy to be here, and happy you are here as well, Ensign. The Enterprise as well as the Archer will undoubtedly make history today, and in the future."

"Oh, you're not wrong, sir," Christina smiled. "Besides, who knows, maybe I'll get to work on the next Enterprise. Building ships is definitely fun. I really appreciate you inviting me here, Captain," Christina smiled as she spoke.

This time, the Captain did turn his head. "Ensign, the Enterprise is an old name. With any luck, there will not be another one in your human lifespan. Plus..."

A chirrup sounded at the Tactical station. Lieutenant Caldoun interrupted the conversation. "Captain, I am reading a starship coming out of warp. This is most unusual."

"I thought all the ships assigned to the celebrations had checked in," Christina said, feeling confused.

The Captain nodded. "So did I. Lieutenant, please put that ship onscreen. The Captain waited a moment and nothing happened. He turned his head to look at his Tactical Officer. "Lieutenant," he said, before his eyes registered what they were seeing.

Christina stood there, her eyes facing forward as she began to hear voices within her head. What was happening? She tried to move, but couldn't. She couldn't speak, but she felt sick.

She thought of Kin'Fuji, and of K'tress, and her last thought was gratitude that the two of them weren't there.

And then her thoughts were gone. Her eyes became jet black as her veins also became black, her face betraying no feelings or thoughts.

A voice overrode everything. She heard the command, and her body began to move, turning as one of the bridge officers approached her.

Christina, without hesitation, grabbed the man by the throat, and snapped his neck, without thinking, without knowing why. The why didn't matter. Only the voice mattered.

She faced the Captain. "We are the Borg," she said tonelessly. "Eliminate the Unassimilated."

She watched as the senior crewmembers, anyone over the age of 25, immediately followed the Captain, running from the bridge.

Hearing the voice commanding her, Christina turned and sat in the captain's chair, and faced the viewscreen. "Collective, we have USS Archer," she spoke, with the background voice of the collective also speaking through the bridge speakers.

*****

As the viewscreen showed Starbase 1, a part of Christina's mind was screaming, trying to break free of the collective. She struggled to move even a finger, to take back control of her body. She couldn't let this happen! She had to do something.

Until she found herself alone in a large, white room. She looked around, frowning, trying to understand what was going on.

"Hello?" she called out, confused, trying to make sense of everything. Had she died? Was this heaven? Hell? Or something else?

"Hello Christina," a female voice spoke warmly behind her. Christina turned around, and saw a woman standing there. She was beautiful, in every way possible, and yet, something felt wrong for Christina.

"You're struggling, my sweet, beautiful girl," the woman said, sauntering over to Christina and cupping her cheek. "You don't need to fight anymore."

"What... what's going on?" Christina asked, her voice breaking.

"The end of all pain, of all struggling, and of all heartache," the woman replied kindly. "The end of everything bad."

*****

On the bridge of the Archer, six officers had emerged from the conference room, phasers firing, but as one of the beams shot at Christina, a shield came up, protecting her.

"Eliminate all the unassimilated," Christina commanded, her voice just louder than the collective's voice coming from the bridge speakers. She reached one of the officers, grabbed him, and threw him into the wall.

She then walked calmly over to him, brought her foot up, and slammed it down on his face, hard. She heard a moan, but the officer's pain ended as one of the assimilated crew fired a phaser, killing him.

Christina turned her attention to another of the attackers, approaching him, ready to kill.

*****

"No... no, this can't be happening. I... I was on the bridge of the Archer," Christina said, stepping back from the woman.

"Christina, what have you wanted all your life?" the woman asked kindly.

"To live peacefully with my wife, and my kids. To never be afraid of anything happening to them," Christina said.

"And I can give you that," the woman told her, taking her hand. "I can give you everything."

*****

Christina lifted the last officer, and slammed her face into the console, hard, shattering the console and piercing the woman's face with large shards of glass, killing her immediately. Letting the body fall, she went back to the command chair, and sat down.

“Target Starbase One, and Fire,” she ordered.

*****

“How? How do you plan to do that?” Christina demanded, looking around. “Let me out of here.”

“Christina, I know everything about you,” the woman said, still holding Christina’s hand, and kissing it. “You can be a part of something better. No pain, no sorrow, no emptiness. No crime, just pure perfection.”

“Perfection?” Christina repeated, looking at her. She gasped as she realised who the woman was. “No…this isn’t real! You… you’re her!” she exclaimed, pushing away from the woman. No, the Borg Queen.

The Queen simply smiled. “Christina, you’re one of my drones, and I love you,” the Queen said. “The King loves you as well. He is guiding us all to be at peace.”

“You mean to be a part of your collective as a mindless drone?” Christina scoffed.

“Does this look mindless to you?” the Queen asked. “I’m here with every one of you, helping you, bringing you peace. I will bring you Kin’Fuji, and K’tress.”

“YOU STAY AWAY FROM THEM!” Christina shouted angrily. “I WON’T LET YOU WIN!”

“What am I winning?” the Queen asked.

“You want to assimilate us all, to conquer us!” Christina exclaimed.

“To guide you to perfection, and to peace. Look,” the Queen said, the white room changing and becoming a park. Nearby, Christina saw herself sitting with Kin’Fuji, and K’tress, smiling and enjoying the weather. “Isn’t this perfect?”

“This? This isn’t… it isn’t…” Christina started, as K’tress ran over to her.

“Mommy, Mommy, come play with the butterflies with me!” K’tress pleaded.

“Yes, come my love,” Kin’Fuji said. Christina looked for the Queen, who was simply smiling.

“See? Perfection,” the Queen said. Christina held K’tress’s hand, and nodded, her eyes almost glazing over.

“Perfection,” she agreed. She went to walk with K’tress, smiling, but stopped as the park began to disappear, and she was seeing flashes of what was happening on the Archer.

*****

Christina gasped as she fell to her knees, remembering everything that had happened. The attacks, the assimilation…all of it. Even the moment in the park where she had been ready to surrender to perfection.

In front of her was the Captain, who was looking at her, several cuts on his face, but he looked… relieved. Christina fell to her knees, and began to cry, just as the Captain held onto her, holding her to comfort her.

But Christina knew that she had been ready to surrender to the Borg, and she had been with her family… no, with the Borg, but she had been ready to give up.

She had murdered her fellow officers, killed people with her own two hands. The Captain was repeating to her that it wasn’t her fault, that it hadn’t been her. But Christina could only cry over and over.

Because no matter what anyone said, she would never be able to forgive herself.


A Post written by

Christina Hartley
Senior Engineer
Utopia Planetia

&

Captain Tel Ch'echirral
Commanding Officer
USS Archer

 

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