|
Released July 20th 2008 Abyss of Oblivion by Missbevcrusher Rated [R] Chapter 3 When Picard materialized on the Borg vessel, he relived every nightmare he�d ever had of them. The heat, the humidity, the ghostly echoes of the immense cube, he�d never forgotten. The nightmares wouldn�t let him. With pent up rage and anger, the captain started walking toward the chamber he knew was just ahead. I will make them pay� Each of his steps echoed through the vast expanse. With every subsequent one, he could feel his determination growing. No, this would not be a good day for the Borg. Without so much as a glance, Picard walked past the countless standing in silent slumber against the wall. Although he had a phaser rifle strapped to his back, the small device concealed in his pocket was what he was leaning on to get rid of these heartless creatures once and for all. Heartless creatures� a part of him still couldn�t quite believe that the thousands of mindless drones that filled this one single cube were once living, breathing men, women, and children. They who had laughed and loved, who had lived life as they had been meant to� until the Borg came and took everything away. Killing them would have been a much better alternative. But no, they were fulfilling the rest of their existence as part of the collective. Forever doing as the Queen wanted. Not for much longer� not if I can help it. There it was, just a little farther up, the chamber where the life-blood of the collective flowed. Picard slowed and couldn�t help to glancing over his shoulder as though he was looking one last time at what he was leaving behind. Beverly. � The way her lips had lightly touched his� The way she�d begged, �Come back to me�� The heartbreak in her eyes as he let go of her and walked away. � Before once again focusing his attention on the task that lay ahead, Picard had one last thought. I�m so sorry, Beverly� I had no choice� * * * * �Do we still have a lock on the captain?� asked Riker from his seat in the command chair. �Affirmative,� replied Data. �He is approaching the area where you saw the chamber.� The atmosphere on the bridge grew uneasy. In her seat, Deanna could sense much more than the emotions of the bridge crew. Everyone on board was on edge. And in the lower decks, no doubt in sickbay, there was one person in particular who felt the weight of what was now unfolding perhaps more than anyone. The empath understood those emotions fully. If her Imzadi were on the captain�s mission, she�d feel just as helpless as Beverly did now. And from across the cold depth that separated the Enterprise from the Borg cube, Deanna could sense the captain the strongest of all. Good luck, Captain� She knew he was going to need it, because she could partially sense the Queen as well. And as subdued as the Queen�s emotions were, they were still overwhelmingly destructive. * * * * Picard entered the chamber and looked around. At first he could see nothing but the greenish haze. �You came after all�� the Queen�s voice echoed softly. �Just as I knew you would� Locutus.� �I am not Locutus! That monster is gone.� �Locutus will always exist within you� the Borg cannot be destroyed�� Slowly, the Queen emerged from the depths. �If you hadn�t discarded the supreme gift I had given you, you would know that.� �What you�re planning to do here will not work.� �You seem so certain of that.� �I would die before I let you destroy one more life.� The Queen laughed, but then became serious again. �That, you might.� The captain was somewhat baffled that her statement. �What, no �death is irrelevant,� no �Resistance is futile�?� �Resistance is futile. We will assimilate your precious Enterprise as well as your dying Federation. But since your feeble mind fails to see the glory in what I�m offering and you keep wanting to pursue this suicidal vendetta�� She let the sentence hang there and took a few steps. �I�ll admit, at first my intentions were to restore you to your rightful place as Locutus� but I�ve now found an even better alternative.� �What alternative?� The Queen glanced at one of the drones who stood guard in the distance and nodded. And the drone disappeared in the green shimmer of the Borg�s transporter beam. �What are you doing?� Picard asked. �You�ll just have to wait and see.� * * * * On the bridge of the Enterprise, Riker still sat anxiously awaiting news. Suddenly, the green shimmer of a transporter beam appeared right before him. His gut reaction had been that these were Borg, but what he saw stunned him. For standing there, were all four members of the away team, all safe and sound. �What the hell?� Before anyone had the time to say anything else, the comm. unit sounded. �Sickbay to bridge.� * * * * For a few agonizing seconds, the captain stood there, unsure of what was happening. The sight that came next left him horrified. The green transport shimmer reappeared and by the drone�s side now stood the last person he wanted to see there� the woman he loved. Beverly, clearly petrified, dropped the tricorder she�d been holding. It clanged on the metal deck under her feet. Picard�s rage blinded his reasoning and he lunged at the Queen. �You leave her out of this!� �Don�t.� The Queen�s voice was tinged with anger. When she glanced sideways at the doctor, the drone that held on to her brought his arm up close to her neck, a spiraling saw spinning a few inches from her skin. The captain froze. Beverly had always had nerves of steal, but in that one terrible moment, all the color seemed to drain from her face and she couldn�t quite conceal a small whimper. Back to the Queen, Picard implored, �If you wanted me to come back to you willingly� you win� I will become Locutus again� Just let her go.� �It�s too late now.� It became all too clear. The Queen who was used to leading a legion of mindless drones did not take well to rejection. She�d never been rejected before. When Picard had broken through the barriers created by the collective, he�d given his crew the one instruction that could save their lives. �Sleep.� With Data�s help, he�d been able to implant a command in the hive that had sent the entire Borg ship into regeneration. It was a move that had saved not only the Enterprise, but Earth and the entire Federation as well. The Queen circled the doctor as though she was prey, but addressed the captain. �When you were one with us, we not only identified weaknesses in you Federation�s defenses, but we also identified weaknesses of a more human nature� Beverly Crusher� your chief medical officer� But she�s so much more to you, isn�t she?� If it was even possible, a subtle flash of jealousy seemed to cross the Borg Queen�s eyes. If Jean-Luc could have been able to reach out and strangle her, he would have. But two drones stood guard on either side of him. The Queen looked the doctor up and down as though she was sizing her up. Slowly, she made her way closer. �I cannot comprehend how you could have chosen such a flawed individual over the Supreme Being that I am.� Beverly felt hate like she�d never experienced before. That thing had taken so much from Jean-Luc already. She pushed her fears aside. �You bitch.� Amused, the Queen retreated and with her thoughts gave instructions to the drones. Both Beverly and Jean-Luc were seized from either side and taken further into the chamber. Picard tried to resist, but couldn�t. Like he was nothing but a mere rag-doll, he was dragged toward a post and was promptly secured to it via metal straps that wrapped around him. As for Beverly, she too tried to fight back, but the awesome power of the Borg was just too much for her. She was placed on a leaning table, her hands and feet securely restrained to it. Behind her head was the familiar black circle with the shimmering green energy pulses that adorned every Borg regeneration unit. The captain had never felt as helpless as he did at that exact moment. It was obvious what the Queen was planning to do. She would assimilate Beverly instead of him� �No�� Picard�s choked voice could barely be heard over the strange alien sounds of the Queen�s chamber. * * * * �Commander, the Borg have erected some sort of force-field around their vessel. It is impossible for us to beam anything through.� Data had been forced to deactivate his emotion chip a little while earlier for the worry he�d felt had started to hinder him in his task. �Try to find any weaknesses in it. We need to get them the hell out of there.� �Aye, Sir.� �Will,� Deanna spoke from her place beside him. �They�re in trouble. We don�t have much time.� * * * * At first, Beverly could only watch as the Borg started to slowly get everything ready around her. When she saw the cybernetic implants and limb coverings, the doctor thought she was going to be sick to her stomach. But from somewhere amid her terror emerged another emotion. It was then that she looked toward the captain. The look in his eyes tore at her heart. And at that moment, any concerns she had for her own fate vanished. Instead, her heart went out to him. With everything she could muster, Beverly forced the fear out of her eyes. He�s going to blame himself� As a show of pure defiance against the Borg, and out of her concern for the man restrained before her, Beverly managed the impossible. A barely visible smile filled with as much love as she could express. Softly, she said, �It�s alright� I love you, Jean-Luc.� Picard wanted so badly to respond to her, but his mind felt as though it was going to shut down. �Never forget that.� The blue of her eyes shimmered against the horrific surroundings. With all his might, he tried to focus on the love that shown through them. He never wanted to forget. Finally, he managed to call out her name, a desperate attempt at voicing his regret. The Queen approached. �What a touching scene.� But Crusher and Picard did not hear her. They were too focused on one another and on this last moment together. Suddenly, without warning, the Queen brought her wrist toward the doctor�s neck. And that�s when it happened. Two small tubes suddenly sprang up and dug themselves in the soft flesh. With a gasp, Beverly�s body began the agonizingly slow process of assimilation. She twitched slightly as dark slithering veins started to spread from the puncture site. While the color of life started to drain from her face, Crusher�s gaze remained entwined with Picard�s. ��Jean-Luc�� her voice, as it reached out to him, was already different. �No!� The agonizing cry of despair that came from the captain echoed loudly throughout the chamber and beyond. He felt like he couldn�t breathe anymore. And after a few more seconds, the blue of her eyes faded to a dull grey and that�s when he knew� She was lost. Any last vestige of emotion drained away from her face until all that remained was the cold, sterile stare of a Borg. �She is one of us now� Her flaws are gone� she�s finally reached perfection�� The Queen touched the side of Beverly�s face. �Welcome home.� The being formerly known as Beverly Crusher remained still. �But we�re still not done here.� The Queen retreated as the drones started to prepare the implants. When she turned her malevolent gaze back toward the sorry sight of the captain, she continued, �I could assimilate you right now, but somehow, I think I�d rather save you for last.� �Damn you.� Barely contained fury laced Picard�s voice. �You can stand back and watch as your beloved Beverly helps us to crush your future.� Before he could say anything else, the captain felt the Borg�s transporter beam take hold of him. The next thing he knew, he was back on his bridge, a stunned crew looking at him. �Captain!� Riker bounced up from his chair. �Are you alright? Where�s Doctor Crusher?� Jean-Luc couldn�t find the strength to answer. Instead, he looked straight at Deanna who now sat with despair all over her features. Before everyone else, she knew. She�d felt the life essence drain from Beverly as the Borg took over her humanity. �Don�t tell me�� Riker�s shoulders seemed to slump ever so slightly in defeat. When the captain still wouldn�t answer, he turned to the counselor. Deanna nodded slowly in confirmation. �Sir,� Data interjected, �the Borg ship is powering up. They are now on the move.� It took a few seconds for the Captain to react. �Follow in pursuit, Mister Data.� Picard spoke and looked like someone who felt dead inside. continue to chapter 4 Library |