—- Zaretti 573 —-

For the second day away teams from the USS Seattle pawed through the remainder of what Lieutenant Junior Grade William Hume thought of as like an old style ‘chop shop’ for old Borg parts. Drones had been taken here either dead, or soon to be, and dismantled. No matter that the Borg were flesh and blood like anyone else, their technogical parts had proven valuable. Probably even to Starfleet. What was left was mainly junk. Next to him a science officer that had joined the ship at Deep Space 17 was hunting through piles of metal with a tricorder.

“You the new Assistant Chief Science Officer?” Hume asked, they’d been looking for one and Lieutenant Washburne had been unwilling to select one from the current crew.

”No, I don’t think so,” Lieutenant Cortez replied, “but you’re the Assistant Security Chief right?”

”Yeah,” he said.

”That’s umm, good,“ she said digging through the piles of metal. Across the facility teams had been going since they had arrived with engineers selecting a few things of interest but most anything of value had been taken and likely sold years ago. This was a dead facility.

”Do you remember being a Borg,” she asked. 

Hume who had been avoiding that conversation with anyone tried to look busy but failed and eventually answered, “No, not really. Just voices and then it all goes black. You do?’

”No I wasn’t a Borg, I was on Starbase Bravo it was shielded, the signal didn’t get through,” Cortez said, “I’m just interested, they’re very… flawless. That interests me I guess.”

”Didn’t stop them from ending up in a body party warehouse,” Hume said picking up and arm which had fallen off its body. The entire place smelled of death, rotting flesh that had already rotted years ago.

”We’re weak and foolish, humans. I’d be assimilated, just for the feel of not being able to make a mistake or let emotions fool me,” she said.

”Spoken like someone who was just in a break up. Look being dumb and making mistakes is what separates us from the Vulcans. Us humans learn, and improve,” Hume argued.

Cortez smiled, “Maybe I was in a break up. But that doesn’t change the fact that it would be nice to be perfect. Like an Android.”

”Perfect sounds like a lot of work,” Hume said, “Hold up I got something, these piles here and here. That’s where the signals are coming from.”

The Science Officer scanned them, “Borg transponders. We’ve seen them take them off fallen Borg, they’re important to the Borg.”

Hume tapped his comm badge, “Captain we found the source of the signal. Transponders, dozens of them, possible hundreds.”

The Captain’s voice came from the tiny badge, “Debub will be down with a science team to look at it. I’ve got a call with Deep Space 17 coming in. Good job Mister Hume.”

”Keep this up and you’ll make Assistant Chief Science Officer in no time Borg girl,” Hume grinned.

”I’m just a human, who wants to be Borg, in a way,” Cortez said, “Though the collective part isn’t my cup of tea. I like my privacy.”

There was shimmering of light as another science team beamed down under the command of the Chief Science Officer Debub who quickly descended on the Borg implants with scanners and all manner of science gear that Hume did not understand. He stepped back and let them have at it as Debub spoke with Cortez about science stuff and then dismissed her to take over the scene. Hume understood what had happened, and had seen it before in his own field. You found something and then that draws a senior officer who takes over and takes the credit.

Nudging Cortez he said, “Hey you want a drink back on the ship? You can tell me more about your theories of being a Borg.”

—- Conference Room, USS Seattle —-

Hawthorne looked around nervously half expecting the conference room to vanish from the face of the Earth again, but there were no playful trickster gods around this time. Just the dull, never ending threat from the Borg. While he certainly did not love having party of his ship stolen from him by seemingly all powerful beings, the outcome had been more pleasant than anything he’d seen in relation to the Borg.

The senior staff filed in.

Taking seats, surely curious about this unexpected meeting. He’d only spoken with Commander Cruz his First Officer and the Strategic Operations team of Lieutenants Jara and Dorian. For the rest this was new information. 

Hawthorne held up a hand to quiet the chatter, “Around two hours ago a Borg Cub appeared on the sensors of Deep Space 17. We can’t see it yet but it’s steaming full speed ahead right for us. Also right for Federation space, and several populated worlds both Federation and not.”

”Lieutenant Commander Th’kaotross, how long could we hold out against a Borg Cube?” he asked his Chief Security Officer.

The Andorian thought for a moment, “Maybe three minutes, if we were lucky. If they were trying to keep us alive for assimilation.”

”The planets would last less than that. Lieutenant Debub and his science team has discovered a load of Borg transponders, taken from drones. That’s what brought us here, and we’re pretty sure that’s what’s drawing the Cube,” Hawthorne said.

”So destroy them?” Lieutenant Yuhiro Kolem asked or suggested.

”We can’t be sure that will stop the Cube. We need to take the transponders away from populated space and draw the Cube and the Borg’s attention away,” Hawthorne said, “Lieutenant Dorian.”

The Strategic Operations Chief brought a sector map up on the screen, “We have less than two hundred officers aboard the USS Seattle. The first planet the Borg will pass has two billion civilians. Starfleet and feels that the Borg pose a threat to all worlds they are near, hence our orders are to take the transponders onboard and into unexplored space away from the Borg.”

”We have one of the fastest ships available,“ Hawthorne said, “But ultimately two hundred lives is deemed an acceptable risk in this scenario. Young I’ll need full speed, for as long as you can give me.”

The Chief Engineer nodded but having been doing some of his own math pointed out, “I can give you eighteen hours at warp nine-point-nine. That would put us about here on your trajectory, after that though I’d need to take the engines offline for about three hours, then we’d get warp eight after that. That puts us in spitting distance of the Cube at its current speed.”

Hawthorne had not counted on that, “Do what you can to stretch that. Unless there’s any questions we’ll start loading the transponders into cargo bay one. Tashai you oversee that, dismissed.”

—- Nine Forward, Lounge USS Seattle —-

Pr’Nor settled in the booth next to Tashai her girlfriend. Hume had already had a few drinks though he knew better than to get drunk. Not when he had duty in the morning and everyone was already on edge with the Borg on their way and with the USS Seattle rushing towards the Borg with the intention of becoming bait. Since Fleet Day most of the crew had had experience with the Borg, and most of them being young had been Borg at one point.

Tashai was extra annoyed because Lieutenant Cruz’s stated claim to admire the Borg, even if it was not backed by a unified theory, was insulting to the El-Aurian who had lost most of her friends and family to the Borg when her world had been decimated, and she had been one of the few to escape. 

 Cruz who had come with Hume was trying to explain to the superior officer, but not making any points that would convince the woman, “I’m just saying their efficiency and rigor is impressive. They also can ignore physical or emotional needs in the way we can’t.”

Pr’Nor raised an eyebrow, “For a human you seem to understand little of emotion. Even I know what for all the Borg’s assets, to suggest that assimilation is preferable to freedom to an El-Aurian, is only going to sadden or anger them.“

”Why don’t Cruz and I go get this next round,” Hume said getting up and pulling the Lieutenant with him. When they were out of earshot he said, “Look I get what you’re saying, sort of. I don’t agree with you but maybe stop saying it right now when we’re in a race with a Borg Cube.”

Maria Cruz let out an audible sigh, she had expected the Vulcan Chief Flight Control Officer to side with her though that did not seem to be happening. Nodding she glanced at Hume, “Okay I’ll calm it down. I just find our physical limitations, well limiting.“

”Yeah I get you, but it’s not the hill to die on right now,” he said, ordering drinks for the four of them from the Bajoran behind the bar.

“Okay, look after this drink, did you want to come to my room. Watch space fly by at warp nine-point-nine,” Cruz asked.

Hume shook his head, “Sorry to give you the wrong impression. I have a girlfriend.”

Cruz frowned slightly but nodded, “Ah, too good to be true then. I should have guess, those two?”

”No, I’m not that exciting. Lieutenant Kolem, she’s the ship’s Chief Councelor, you probably haven’t met her yet because you just transferred on,” he said, “Sorry.”

”No, it’s just my luck, all the good ones are taken,” she said.

”Well maybe stop opening with how you want to be assimilated and you’ll find someone,” Hume said.

”Good advice,” Cruz smiled picking up two of the drinks as they returned to the table.