“Dr. Brooks, I wasn’t expecting you,” Commander Cora Lee smiled as the physicist stepped onto the bridge of the USS Ingenuity. “I figured you’d be aboard Serenity.”

“I signed up with a man who’s now in the brig,” Dr. Brooks frowned. “And I’d rather not catch an assault charge for giving the JAG a piece of my mind. This seemed a better place for me to be.” Although the old man said it in jest, Commander Lee knew there was truth behind his words. Captain Lewis might have been her colleague, but he was far more than that to Dr. Brooks.

“After 21-J, I’m not sure even I can keep you out of trouble,” Commander Lee warned in reference to the time they’d spent being hunted by weaponized synths and Borg worshipers aboard Salvage Facility 21-J. “But you’re more than welcome on my ship whenever you’d like… as long as you stay away from my warp core.” 

Lieutenant Commander Sherrod Allen, the steady hand who served as Executive Officer of the USS Ingenuity, glanced over: “Should I even ask?” Besides the frosty exchange they’d had during the hostage situation, he didn’t know much about the newest researcher attached to the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity. Not much except the rumors at least, and he hoped they were nothing more than rumors.

“Probably not,” chuckled Commander Lee. “But since you did, you should be aware that Dr. Brooks has only one play in his playbook: blow the core. Almost took us both out that way in the shadow of Beta Serpentis’ twin suns.” All she could do now was joke about it, but not even three days prior, as she stared into the transwarp aperture with four Borg ships bearing down on them, she’d had to confront her own mortality as her life flashed before her eyes. It was only on account of Captain Lewis and the crew of the USS Serenity that she’d not died aboard that shuttlepod with Dr. Brooks.

Lieutenant Commander Allen did not look amused.

“If it makes you feel any better, Commander,” Dr. Brooks added. “The dead have no memories.”

That did not make Lieutenant Commander Allen feel any better.

“Ma’am, I have incoming orders from Polaris,” interrupted Ensign Seltzer from the Operations station. “They’re the departure instructions we were told to expect.”

“Where’re we headed?” Commander Lee asked, relieved for the topic change.

“Gorion VII in the Meronia Cluster.”

“The Archanis Sector?”

“Affirmative.”

“Curious,” observed Dr. Brooks. “Did they say what we’ll be doing out that way?” The Archanis Sector was a backwater borderlands region the Federation had paid little attention to since long-standing peace had set in with the Klingon Empire. Sure, there’d been that whole kerfuffle with the Hunters of D’Ghor back in ’99, but those renegades were an unsophisticated lot, and that situation had been thoroughly handled.

“Negative,” shrugged Ensign Seltzer.

“Well, anywhere’s better than here,” Commander Lee remarked. “I’ll be glad to close the books on this whole Borg affair. This whole thing has given me the creeps.” It was an oddly frank omission from a Commanding Officer, but Cora Lee was still young in the chair. She had not yet learned that guarded style of leadership that Admiral Reyes and Captain Lewis practiced so naturally.

“On that, I can agree,” Lieutenant Commander Allen nodded as he approached the conn. While he was a command veteran, he’d made a career out of risk avoidance. The hostage situation and almost squaring off with the Borg was more than he’d bargained for. “Helm, bring us about and prepare to go to warp.”

Although the events of the last week had nearly killed him, Dr. Brooks didn’t agree. The case of the Borg vinculum and the conversion of the colony into Borg worshipers was intriguing, and he felt there was still so much they could learn about the Collective from what had transpired. Still, he knew better than to vocalize his opinion in the present company. For now, it was on to the next adventure.

“On your orders,” offered the ensign at the conn.

“Engage!”

The ship lept forth, and the stars became a blur around them. Commander Lee exhaled a breath of relief. True relief. Even after they’d destroyed the gate, purged the salvage facility, and retaken the colony, she’d still been holding her breath as if waiting for another shoe to drop. But now as they raced away from the shadows of Wolf 359, she could at last let her guard down. Somehow, against all odds, they’d survived.