The USS Jaxartes had once more picked up the trail of the two transport ships the Adriatic’s crew had sacrificed themselves to protect.  They’d left the Maranda class star ship and a retrieve crew was on route to pick her up sometime the following day.

The maximum speed of the Sandvik and Komatsu; according to their official specifications was warp 5.37 but that would have been hard to maintain for and length of time, closer to 4.8 would be the best they’d do for any sustained period.  Though with speeds like that the chances of having evaded the Borg, even in an apparently badly damaged Cube still seemed slim. But even a slim chance was worth checking on.

Lieutenant Stuart occupied the captain’s seat for the moment with Ensign Harris at Helm, Tholakath at Tactical and Cho to the back of the bridge monitoring communications.  The young Korean had tried several times to reach either of the two vessels they were tracking down, without any response. “This is the USS Jaxartes to CAT-04 Sandvik and Cat-05 Komatsu, if you can hear me, please respond.” She called out on all frequencies for about the two dozenth time. “Still no response from them.” She informed the First Officer.

“Try again in another ten minutes.” Stuart replied. Then more to herself “Come on where are you, we can’t be that far behind?”  She was about to turn and ask C’Rren the Caitian science officer something, when she remembered he was with the captain and doctor examining the Borg who had attacked and attempted to assimilate the ships engineer.  The radical way in which Crewman Lightwood had saved the Betazoid’s life had by now become common knowledge amongst everyone aboard ship.  Devron had clearly been impressed by the quick thinking involved.

Lyanna settled back into the chair and gazed briefly at the stars streaking across the view screen, before grabbing her PADD and checking through the reports they’d received from other ships in the fleet during the last 24 hours.

**********

Sickbay aboard the USS Jaxartes was slightly crowded right now.  To one side lay Albert Torf; currently in an induced coma and being watched over by the monitoring equipment connected to Bio-bed 1 and the annoyed looking ships EMH. The fact that the first thing from the holograms lips when Andrianakis had re-activated him, had been, “Oh you want me now do you?” rather than the more appropriate and expected ‘Please state the nature of the emergency’ hadn’t really helped matters.  She did wonder how a computer program could be disgruntled in the first place; having a chat and asking the thing what the matter was, wasn’t currently something on her mind though.

Dressed in protective medical gear; Andrianakis, Devron and C’Rren all stood around Bio-bed 2 where the body of one of the Adriatic’s crew now lay.  He’d been stripped of the coveralls he’d been wearing and the bar pulled from his neck.

Whatever the Borg had done to this poor man, they had clearly being trying something different.  On first look he appeared pretty normal.  It was upon closer inspection that the alterations and enhancements became more apparent.  To start with the left eye had been replaced, but in his case the entire implant had been mounted within the eye socket and skull, even reattaching the lens in a bid to disguise the fact.  The left ear also had implants hidden under the skin.  It had only been with the removing of the top of his head, with the aid of a laser saw that these and the numerous Borg devices connected to his brain became evident.

The only other major alteration to his otherwise still human body would have impressed many of the finest surgeons.  The first thing the doctor and her two interested observers noted was the two metal spikes protruding from near the man’s left knuckles, a small amount of dried blood indicated that these had pierced through the skin from the inside.  It was by using these that Torf had been injected with nanoprobes.   The other less obvious thing was a thin scare which ran from the wrist to under the armpit.  The man’s entire arm had in fact been replaced by a mechanical one before skilfully being covered by skin and soft tissue.

This was something unlike anything the Borg had been known to do in the past, this was a whole new level of cunning; and if they perfected the method of hidden argumentation, it could prove to be extremely deadly.  There was also one question amongst many; did the collective have this knowledge or was it something currently unique to this one Cube until such time it could re-establish contact.

Devron thanked the doctor for her work and his science officer who had checked over and studied each of the Borg adaptations as they were removed.  None of them appeared to be functioning, but then apparently that had been the case for other Borg technology that had recently started sending out signals; basically shouting out ‘come fetch me’ to any passing Borg Vessel.  So the Lieutenant insisted all the parts and the body be sealed in a casket from which hopeful no signal would escape.

Jason had removed his protective gear and tossed them in the recycler when he received a message from Ensign Cho on the bridge. “Sir we’re receiving a hail from Tartarus II.”

“Ok Ensign I’ll be right up.” He replied, quickly washing and drying his hands.

Once on the Bridge, Stuart vacated the captain’s seat but remained standing next to it as Devron asked for Cho to put the incoming communication up on the main screen.  The slim clean shaven slight pockmarked and ruddy face of a man in his mid-fifties appeared. “My name is Robert Jefferson, Head of Operations here on Tatarus II.”  The man announced.

“Lieutenant Devron, Captain of the USS Jaxartes, how can we help Mr Jefferson?”

“I think I can help you captain.” The other man responded.

“In what way would that be?” Jason was interested.

“The Sandvik and Komatsu have both made contact with us.  They’ll be arriving in about 16 hours’ time.”  Jefferson boasted proudly. “So you can call off your search.”

Devron looked up to his First Officer; who met his gaze, clearly thinking the same thing he was. Looking back at the screen again.  “Sir those ships had a Borg Cube right on their tail. Have they said anything about it?”

“Are you lot chasing ghosts and shadows again?” The Head of Operations smirked. “There are no Borg around here captain, their escort merely ran into technical difficulties and was unable to stay with the transporters.”

“Mister Jefferson, the crew of the Adriatic are either dead or assimilated!” The Lieutenant raised his voice probably a bit higher than he’d intended. “Are you saying those ships claim to know nothing about it?”

“I’m very sorry for your lose; but that has nothing to do with the Company or our ships.” The man on the screen sounded rather annoyed.

“Sir I insist you don’t allow those transporters to land until we’ve had chance to check them over.”

“Mister Devron, we are already behind schedule as it is!” Barked Jefferson. “I’m not losing any more time hanging around whilst you conduct a time consuming and pointless search of those ships.” The view screen went blank and despite her efforts, Ensign Cho couldn’t get anyone on Tatarus II.

Something was very wrong, and Lieutenant Devron was determined to get to the bottom of it.  The lives of over 3 thousand people living and working on that planet; could be at stake.

“Harris, how long will it take us to reach Tatarus II?” Devron asked his Helm Officer.

“Twenty-one hours at maximum warp captain.”  Was the answer he gave a moment later.

“Bridge to engineer, Mister Tyson.  We are about to push the engines as hard as we dare.  Think you can handle things?”

“I’ll give it my best shot.” Came the Irishman’s reply over comms. “All systems are ready when you are, Sir.”

“Course laid in for Tatarus II.” Confirmed Ensign Harris.

“Hit it.”