The bridge of the Adriatic was dimly lit by the emergency lighting and the constant flashing of the ‘Red Alert’ signs, the accompanying alarm having long since ceased.  Presently three figures slowly materialised as the glow of a transporter beam briefly illuminated the interior, casing shadows across the control surfaces, walls and deck.

Lieutenant Jason Devron at the centre of the group held his phaser at waist height carefully scanning his surroundings the moment his body took solid form.  Ensign Tholakath who now stood to his right held his weapon a little higher; had been puzzled as to the reason why his captain had chosen to carry an older model type one phaser, not knowing the significance that this particular weapon carried for the young man.  The final member of the team a fresh faced beanpole of a crewman barely seven weeks out of training stood almost motionless, save for the slight shaking of his outstretched arm, in the hand of which he held his own phaser.

Whether it was the nervousness of his very first away mission or the lifeless eyes of the female Deltan staring back at him from the helm seat she occupied wasn’t clear.  Either way the young man wouldn’t be much use if he remained this agitated.  Jason calmly placed his hand just past the crewman’s elbow and gentle pushed. “Easy Appleby, everything’s fine.” He reassured the man as much as he tried to reassure himself of the situation.

The Cardassian stepped forward gently closing the dead woman’s eyes. “May your soul know peace and the answers to the questions the living still seek.” He whispered softly, before backing way slightly.  Of the bridge crew only one other body remained.  Face down, one leg half bent and resting across the other, arms spread wide.  Wearing command red the Bolian; Commander Rohdat, lay were he’d feel defending his ship.

Devron tapped his comm-badge; first to reassure Lieutenant Stuart they had arrived safely, then to check on Torf and his group who’d just been beamed directly to engineering.  The Betazoid engineer gave him a rough appraisal of situation and how long he felt it would take to restore power to the ships systems.

It took roughly seven minutes to route power through to the bridge and at least bring some on the controls back online.  Science Station Two appeared to be functioning the best so it was from there that Jason began calling up the ships log and whatever other information might be to hand.

Status reports gave him the general gist of the USS Adriatic’s current condition, though it would take the keener more astute eyes of his engineer to inform him as to how much was fixable and what was now a pile of scrap.  He didn’t need a computer or engineer to tell him, that with the damage to the strut above the port nacelle; this ship wouldn’t be going to warp anytime soon.

A few minutes later he’d located the latest Log entries.  Calling up one of them, he was presented with the image of the Bolian Commander looking concerned.

< “This is an emergency distress call to any vessel in this sector, if you can hear this, we are engaging the Borg, I repeat we are engaging the Borg.” >

Devron knew that no one had ever received that message or any other which may have been sent from the Adriatic.  He could only assume the Borg or some natural phenomenon had blocked communications. The next entry Jason called up was in fact the previous one.

< “This is the USS Adriatic.  What we previously believed to be a sensor echo from a passing comet has turned out to be something far more sinister.  I can’t believe we hadn’t figured it out.  But the whole thing just seemed so stupid and unimaginable!” Rohdat paused a moment looking across to an unseen member of the crew.  What the other person had said was unclear, but the Commander had simple shouted back. “Do it!” The recording continued. “I’ve ordered the Sandvik and Komatsu to get out of here at their best possible speed.  We will turn and face the Borg Cube.  I don’t fancy our chances, but every second we buy those transports is worth it.  We will engage in eight minutes, I know my crew will do me proud.” The Bolian paused again looking at each of those around him. Then leaned closer to the screen, he said softly. “To anyone that hears this recording.  Tell my wife she’s the most annoying female I have ever known, but I love her with all my heart.” >

The screen went blank as that recording ended.  Devron looked back across to the fallen commander and then back to the controls as he set about transferring as much data as he could to the Jaxartes.  Tholakath and Appleby had taken a look around the corridors and rooms adjoining the bridge but had found no more bodies, just the signs of a struggle here and there.  Once the Lieutenant was satisfied the information was being whisked away, he made contact with the Betazoid in engineering to see if he could get the turbo lift working.

**********

When Acting Chief Engineer Albert Torf beamed into engineering with crewmen Tyson and N’Quith; the room was in almost total darkness.  The emergency lighting did little to illuminate anything other than the central control island and a few key pieces of equipment dotted around.  The Red Alert signs flashed away until Torf cancelled the alarm.  He and Tyson began running through the system, slowly discovering what was functioning and what would need repairing first. Where things could be bypassed and power re-routed. Whilst N’Quith kept a watchful guard over the door.

It was towards the being of this task that the Betazoid received the first communication from his captain.  His analysis of the situation was simple.  The warp core would take 3 to 4 hours to restart, though with the damage to the strut it would be impossible to use the warp engines any way.  Impulse engines and manoeuvring thrusters appeared fine.  Shields were down and would require at least an hour to recharge, though two emitters on a section of the port side appeared to have been totally destroyed.  Life support could be restored to 80% of the ship but parts of deck 4 would be a no go area for at least a day or two.

After a few minutes the pair of them had restored lighting, got life support running normally on most of the ship and sealed off the damaged second on deck 4.  Torf couldn’t help notice how efficiently Tyson when about the task in hand; as if he knew almost as much as the Betazoid did himself.  Yes the young Irishman asked question, but that was more to confirm he was about to do something the right way, rather than seeking guidance outright.

As they continued their work, the captain made contact again, this time asking if power could be restored to the turbo lift. He also asked for conformation regarding the sections the scans had not been able to penetrate.  One was those sections was on deck 4 now sealed the other a lab room on deck 3.  It was to this location Devron therefore wished to head.

**********

The lift came about five minutes later, it moved sluggishly compared with what would have been expected, but it still delivered the three men to their destination safely.  The Cardassian poked his head out looking along the corridor in both directions, before stepping out fully, keeping his weapon ready to respond to any threat at a moment’s notice.  Devron and Appleby followed him out and the three walking along the corridor taking a left at the next junction.

The lieutenant stopped, by one of the doors.  “Room 322, Lab C.” He announced in a half whisper.  The door itself didn’t open automatically upon sensing someone outside, nor did it move when Jason tried the door release.  Assistance came via crewman Tyson back in engineering who was able to override the security measures locking the door.  As it swished open the three Starfleet crew where confronted by a tall dark skinned man in his mid-thirty’s wearing teal and a Borg Drone.

Wearing the rank of Petty Officer, the man held a phaser directly at the Borg who was in the far corner of the room, looking in a far more distressed state than anyone would expect to see a member of the collective.  It began speaking before anyone else did, not in the normal controlled emotionless way expected, but a crazed babel.  “The voices they are gone, all I hear is silence, maddening silence.” He looked right at Devron. “But you know that to, it’s in your eyes.  You suffer from the silence to.  It’s always in the eyes.  Look at the eyes!”  Those last four words were given emphasis almost shouted out like a warning of some sort.

Jason turned fired and struck the Petty Officer in the chest.  Tholakath and Appleby watched in stunning silence unable to believe what they had just witness, then followed the shocking realisation that the man in teal was still standing despite the high energy blast that should have killed him outright. “Resistance is futile.” Came the harsh cry from his lips.  This time all three men fired and the figure before them was vaporised in an instant.

The Borg Drone had dropped to his knees and was sobbing. “What have I become, they took it all away!”

“Are there any more like you or him on this ship?” Shouted Devron.

“One, Engineering.” Was the answer he received.

Tapping his comm-badge, the Lieutenant made contact with the other group. But rather than the reassuring reply he expected, the first thing he heard was a blood curdling scream.