Voyager: What a Choice Leads to 01: A Different Gift

[USS Fardell]

Voyager – A Different Gift
Part 1
3 January 2374
USS Voyager was still in Borg space. In her quarters, Kes was thinking. The transformation she was undergoing was beginning to become dangerous. Dangerous enough that permanent damage could be caused to Voyager. She was conflicted. She felt that she wanted to know what she could become, but also,she didn't want to leave Voyager. She had lived on the ship for most of her life. 'There has to be a way,' she thought. Maybe Tuvok could teach her a Vulcan meditation technique that could help her to keep the impulses under control.
But did she want to ask him about that?
Suddenly there was another attack. An EPS conduit serving her quarters blew out. “No!” she cried out. However, there was something, different. She had briefly interfaced with the computer. Or was she imagining something. “I have to try,” she said. She dashed out of her quarters.


She got into a turbolift. “Kes to Captain Janeway.”

“Kes?” Janeway asked.

“Meet me in Engineering.”

“Engineering? Are you sure?”

“Yes, Captain.”


Captain Kathryn Janeway entered the turbolift. She wasn't sure why Kes wanted to talk to her in Engineering. If she wanted to leave it would be better to meet in the shuttlebay. One thing was certain. If Kes was leaving, she was going to miss her. Most of her crew would.


“Kes?” B'Elanna Torres asked as her Ocampan friend entered Engineering.

“B'Elanna, the Captain will be here in a minute.”

“What is going on?” B'Elanna asked.

“I'll explain when the Captain arrives,” Kes answered.


Janeway soon arrived in Engineering. “What is it Kes?” she asked.

“I would like to remain on Voyager. If I left, where would I go?” Kes said, with some strain in her voice.

“But?” Janeway asked.

“I'm holding it at back. But that won't last long,” Kes said. She then fluctuated, but solidified.

“I'm not sure you've made the right decision,” Janeway said.

“There is a way...” Kes said. She fluctuated again. “No!” she shouted. She turned around and leant on the console next to the warp core. The then effect spread from her, to the core... The core powered up.

“Somehow, she has brought the core back online,” Torres said in surprise.

A shudder rang through Engineering. Then the intercom sounded. “Chakotay to Captain Janeway. We've just jumped to warp!”

“Understood, Commander,” Janeway said with a concerned and worried look in Kes' direction. “What's our speed.”

“Accelerating past warp 8,” Chakotay answered.

“Tell Tuvok to report to Engineering, Janeway out.” She then pressed her commbadge. “Janeway to the Doctor, report to Engineering.”

“On my way,” the EMH said.


“... Janeway out.”

“Warp 9.5!” Tom Paris called out.

“Tuvok, report to Engineering,” Chakotay ordered.

“Aye, Commander,” Tuvok said as he left the security station.

“We're exceeding maximum velocity!” Tom reported. The Bridge was shaking.

“I'm reading an energy surge in Engineering! We're starting to come apart!” Harry Kim reported.


20 seconds
Kes was focusing. It was indeed quite hard. But enhancing the warp drive wasn't enough. Thus she began to focus on other systems. The Structural Integrity Field and Deflector Dish for starters...

An outside observer would note that all of Voyager was now infused with the kind of energy that had previously been limited to her Ocampan crewmember...


Tuvok exited the Bridge. “Engineering,” he said. The turbolift started moving. He hoped that he would be able to help Kes to keep it together, as it were.


“Computer, transfer Emergency Medical Holgraphic Program to mobile emitter.”

“Transfer complete,” the computer said, as another shudder shook the sickbay. The Doctor grabbed his medical tools and ran. He hoped he would be able to help Kes with what she was going through. He considered her a very close friend (considering that she had advocated for him as a person, not just a tool).


“Ten times maximum velocity,” Tom reported.

“Commander, additional power is being transferred to the structural integrity field and the main deflector,” Harry reported.

“Understood,” Chakotay said. All they could do was to ride it out...



40 seconds
“100 times maximum velocity. But it's like we're flying blind...” Tom commented.


Kes 'heard' Tom's comment. “Flying blind,” she commented. “Long range sensors...”

She focused again...


“Commander, I don't know how, but the range of the long range sensors is being extended...” Harry commented.

“Keep monitoring it, Harry.”


The information from the long range sensors flooded through Voyager's ODN relays to the console in Engineering where Kes was interfaced. She tried to make sense of the information, but it was too much data. She focused the sensors to a narrow cone, directly in the ship's path. That reduced the sensory overload. Nothing in Voyager's way. She directed more energy into the warp engines...


1 minute
“A thousand times maximum speed!” Tom said.

“If she keeps it up might just get home,” Harry said.

“We're still in Borg space, a lot can still happen,” Chakotay said,


“Borg...” Kes murmured. While the sensor information was good, it still wasn't good enough. While space was vast, there were still subspace instabilities, that Voyager might not detect until she was right of top of them. But the Borg had to have accurate navigational data of their space. Surely the Collective wouldn't consider such a need 'irrelevant'? Of course, interfacing with the Collective would be frought with danger, but then was the current situation.


In Cargo Bay 2, Seven of Nine was regenerating. The other alcoves powered up, as Kes directed the nanoprobes within them to create an interplexing beacon.


The Doctor approached a turbolift entrance, and pressed the call button. Almost inmediately, the doors opened, showing Tuvok, also on the way to Engineering. “Doctor.”

“Tuvok.”


1 minute 20 seconds
B'Elanna was running a diagnostic on one of the side stations. “I don't know how long this can last, Captain.”

“Oh?”

“It may not appear that Kes is destabilising like before, but the entire ship and everything in it is being subjected to the same field.”

“But it's a lot more spread out,” Janeway considered.”


In Cargo Bay 2, the interplexing beacon activated and powered up.


“The point is, the subatomic structure of the entire ship is in flux,” B'Elanna said.


1 minute 40 seconds
“Three thousand times maximum velocity,” Tom reported.

“How far?” Chakotay asked.

“Nearly 20 light years,” Tom answered.


“So, the ship is liable to come apart the longer this goes on,” Kathryn considered.

“Yes,” B'Elanna answered.


Interplexing beacon detected. Initiating interface. Vessel Identified. Designation: USS Voyager. Alert!.Unit is not Seven of Nine Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01.


Kes gave a small smile and began to search for the navigational data...


2 minutes
Unauthorised interface detected. Terminate your interface. You must comply! Resistance is Futile!


“We're now travelling at half a light year per second! Thirty six light years!” Tom reported.


Tuvok and the Doctor entered Engineering.


Kes was making progress in her attempt to gain the Collective's navigational data,


However.... The Queen had come out of her regeneration cycle, and was on the case. “Species identified. Species 7310, Ocampan. According to Voyager's crew manifest. her designation is Kes. We'll deal with her personally.”


Both Tuvok and the Doctor walked up to Kes.


Suddenly, the Queen made herself known to Kes. “Kes, you will not succeed at getting our navigational data.”

Kes was surprised but she hid it. The experience with Teiran had stuck with her, changed her. She would defeat the Borg Queen the same way. “I will obtain it, Voyager will be beyond your space, much closer to the Federation.”


2 minutes 20 seconds
“Five light years in a second! 100 light years,” Tom reported.


“Kes is doing something to the ship,” B'Elanna said to Tuvok and the Doctor.

“That is obvious, Lieutenant,” Tuvok stated.


“Resistance is Futile,” the Queen said.

“I have already obtained some of the navigational data for the region of space ahead of Voyager,” Kes said.


Vessel detected. USS Voyager. Alter course to intercept.
Cube 93423 entered a transwarp conduit, planning to emerge ahead of Voyager on her course...

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 2
The Doctor took out his tricorder and began scanning Kes. “These readings are similar to the earlier readings. They also indicate that she is under a great deal of stress. Not surprising given the circumstances.”

“You will not succeed,” the Queen said. The mental space changed, the Collective's circuitry pattern spread out from the Queen towards Kes (in the middle of what looked like her quarters).

Kes concentrated, fighting back the Collective...

2 minutes 40 seconds
“Twenty lightyears in a second. 400 lightyears,” Tom reported.

Some alarms rang on the Doctor's tricorder. “Uh oh!”


“Resistance is futile,” the Queen said. “You will adapt to service us!” The Collective renewed its attack on Kes...


“What's wrong?” Kathryn asked the Doctor.

“These readings...”

The console, which Kes was leaning on, began changing from it's Starfleet configuration to a Borg one...


“Borg cube has emerged from transwarp...” Harry began.


Cube 93423 powered some of it's tractor emitters as it emerged from the transwarp conduit.


“...Are similar to the Borg!” the Doctor continued.

Tuvok noticed what was happening to the console. He acted quickly, placing his hand on the side of Kes' face. “My mind to your mind...”


As Voyager closed in on the position of the Cube (which was at it's maximum warp), that Cube projected some tractor beams in her direction.


Kes was holding the Queen off. However, the addition of Tuvok to the fight allowed her to gather strength quicker than otherwise.

“Tuvok! Resistance is futile!” The Queen objected.

“Your Cube will not succeed!” Kes said. She focused.


Right after Tuvok had begun to meld with Kes, the console changed back to it's Starfleet configuration.


“...Tractor beam's!” Harry continued.

“Try to evade, Tom!” Chakotay ordered.


Kes visualised the Cube ahead, alongside the Queen in her mental space. She directed energy towards it.


“Faster than light...” Tom began.

He was interrupted by Ayala, who had replaced Tuvok at Tactical. “Phasers have come online! Torpedoes armed!”


3 minutes
Chakotay knew what Kes might be doing. “Understood,” he said.

Kes fluctuated again, briefly, before a wave of energy flowed through Voyager's systems. One destination was the interplexing beacon in Cargo Bay 2. Another was the phaser arrays...

“Resistance is not futile,” Kes said to the Queen. A blast emanated from Kes, blasting the Collective's network off the floor of the mental quarters.


Two photon torpedoes fired from both of Voyager's forward torpedo launchers, towards the Cube.


The wave of energy reached the interplexing beacon. The energy then emanated through the subspace bands from Voyager... first to the Cube, and then through the Collective's relays towards the Unicomplex...

The torpedoes exploded in proximity to the Cube. Normally the Cube wouldn't be affected by Starfleet photons (given that they had adapted many years before). Therefore the aspect of the Collective in the Cube wasn't concerned. But the torpedoes were no longer the usual Starfleet torpedoes. While the Collective had encountered Ocampa before, they certainly hadn't encountered one who was in a state of near ascension. And they certainly hadn't encountered one aboard a Starfleet ship who was augmenting the technology.
What the Collective didn't know (and the Queen hadn't guessed) was that Kes had pushed some of her destabilising energy into the torpedoes. As such the explosions did affect the Cube, causing damage to 25% of the Cube. The tractor beams that had been preparing to snare Voyager ceased. The aspect of the Collective in the Cube immediately moved to adapt, but it was too late, as Voyager then fired her phasers.
The phasers too had been enhanced, Kes pushed a lot of energy through them, destabilising the Cube at the subatomic level, beyond where the beams punched through. A lot more of the cube was damaged.


The signal from Voyager reached the unicomplex, then Kes' energy exploded in the Queen's chamber, temporarily disrupting her link to the Collective.

“Resistance is futile!” she said as she reconnected to the hive mind.


Voyager passed the Cube, which was still straining itself at maximum warp, and fired another two torpedoes from the rear launchers.


The Queen assessed the damage that Kes had done, and found that several of the relays near the unicomplex had gone offline. It was a simple matter for the Collective to adapt, until the damage had been repaired. But then the information flow from the Cube intercepting Voyager ceased... “Impossible!”


It was possible, for the second pair of torpedoes had finished off the cube, as Voyager continued onwards. The whole encounter had taken less than 10 seconds.


“Thanks Tuvok,” Kes said.

“Are you sure you want to continue with this current course of action?” Tuvok asked.

“I have no choice, trying to leave Voyager now would be more difficult than continuing this course of action.”

“Need I remind you, that the risk to Voyager is high.”


3 minutes 30 seconds
“50 light years in a second, 1800 light years,” Tom reported.

“We should be home very soon,” Harry said.

“Don't get your hopes up, a lot can still go wrong,” Chakotay said.

An alarm then sounded, at the same time as the Captain calling from Engineering...


“I'm aware of that, but it's more risky to remain in Borg space,” Kes said.

“I see you have gained what you were looking for,” Tuvok said.

“Yes, I have the navigational data for the rest of the path through the Collective's territory.”

“But not any further...”

Two Cubes emerged from transwarp ahead of Voyager, to either side of her path.


The Queen reviewed the sensor data of Voyager from the two cubes. Kes was accelerating the ship faster. The Collective had to act quickly...


“Janeway to the bridge, report.”

“The Borg are attacking,” Chakotay replied. “First with one Cube, which Kes destroyed. Now with two.”


Voyager closed in on the two cubes.


In the mental space, a console appeared next to Tuvok. Crosshairs appeared on the images of the two cubes. “I can control the weapons, but the Borg will have adapted to your energy,” Tuvok said.

“More energy is available than earlier,” Kes said. “And I can vary it.”

“Understood. Targeting cubes.”


“Understood, Janeway out.” She then looked at Kes and Tuvok, still in the mind meld. Kes was again glowing slightly.

The two cubes fired at Voyager as the ship approached, prior to activating their tractor beams.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 3

The ship shook as the she slammed into the Borg torpedoes, but there was limited damage. Kes hadn't neglected to enhance the sheilds. Tuvok chose that moment to fire all weapons at the cubes.


Immediately upon firing, one of the Cubes had moved in front of the other one... But that still wasn't enough. One of the torpedoes fired by Voyager veered around the front Cube. The first Cube was then hit, 14% of it was damaged. Then 13% of the second Cube. The phasers then immediately fired afterwards. The beams had a similar effect to the earlier attack. The Collective had adapted, but the adaptations were ineffective.

Cube 82839 and Cube 82391 heavily damaged, require additional vessels.


Too late... Voyager continued firing her phasers as she passed the Cubes.


Cube 82391 destroyed. Cube 82839 withdraw.

The remaining cube opened a transwarp conduit and escaped.


4 minutes
“The Cube's gone,” Harry reported.

“Understood,” Chakotay said. “Report, Tom.”

“120 light years per second. 4500 light years,” Tom reported.


“Half way through Borg space,” Kes said to Tuvok.

“We're still in danger, and I sense that you are uncertain that you'll be able to get us all the way to the Federation.”

“I was becoming something, but the energy required to get Voyager the whole way may be more than what could have been available.”

“There is something else...” Tuvok said.

Before Kes could respond, there was an interruption.
A Borg armada emerged from transwarp in Voyager's path. The Queen was taking no chances.


However, Voyager's speed was such that they had a very limited window. Therefore the Queen re-established the connection that Kes had made previously...


As the cubes emerged from transwarp they fired in Voyager's direction. Most of the cubes missed, but many of the torpodoes and energy beams hit Voyager.


“Sheilds at 192%!” Ayala reported.


Immediately, Tuvok fired, although the concern about what Kes was most worried about was on his mind (illogical as that might seem).

Then Kes responded to what he had said just before the armada had dropped out of transwarp. “You remember a few months ago, when I had gained information from the future?”

Tuvok remembered, and Kes' memories were leaking into the mindspace. “The Krenim?” he asked as he directed more weapons fire towards the armada.


Voyager began to continually fire towards the Armada (with Kes' near ascending mindpower augmenting Tuvok's already fast Vulcan response time...).


The Queen made her self known again. “Krenim. Species 2108. Known to have advanced warp capability, and significant temporal capabilities.”

“And they're on Voyager's path to the Federation,” Kes said.


USS Voyager, shield weakness detected. Focus weapons fire. The cubes then triangulated their fire.


Voyager shook, harder than before, and the lights flickered in Engineering. “Janeway to bridge, report.”


Kes knew what was happening. “You'll not destroy Voyager or assimilate her crew!” She concentrated again.


Despite the Borg firing upon the weakness in the shields (which Kes was trying to fix) Voyager continued to fire at the armada. One cube exploded as five torpedoes hit it.


“The Borg have sent an armada to engage us,” Chakotay responded.


“What are you attempting?” Tuvok asked.

Kes didn't answer, she was busy.


B'Elanna noticed something. “Strange...” she said. The Captain was busy considering what Chakotay had just said, so she didn't notice what her Chief Engineer was saying. 'What is she doing...' The main deflector was reconfiguring...


On the Bridge, Tom also noticed. “Acceleration slowing?” he murmured. Probably due to the Borg weapons fire, he considered.


“You're going to attempt to enter transwarp?” Tuvok asked.

“Yes,” Kes answered.

“Riskier than pushing the warp drive faster and faster.”

“It's the best way to get across Borg space.”


4 minutes 30 seconds
“Two cubes destroyed,” Ayala reported.

“How many more?” Chakotay asked.

“Thirteen,” Ayala answered.

“That's a lot!” Harry said, “wait...”


The field put out by Voyager's deflector dish changed...


“You will not succeed!” the Queen said to Kes.

“Too late,” Kes said with a smile on her mental avatar's face.


“...We're entering a transwarp conduit!” Harry continued.

“Understood,” Chakotay said. The situation was out of control, but the Captain was in Engineering keeping an eye on Kes.


Voyager entered the transwarp conduit, but three of the Cubes in the armada immediately followed her.


“Uh oh!” Harry said.


“Three Cubes have followed us,” Tuvok reported.

“I know,” Kes said. The stress was beginning to show, both in the mindspace, and in the mental image of her persona.

“Resistance is futile!” the Queen said.

“Is that all you're going to say?” Kes asked.


Voyager continued through the transwarp conduit. Despite the fact that they were accelerating, the three Cubes were gaining.


“The cubes are firing!” Ayala reported.

“Tom? Can you do evasive?”

Tom tapped a command on the Conn console. He found that he could “Yes, evading now.”


“Tom has control,” Kes said, waiting for the Queen to respond to her question.

“Targeting Cubes,” Tuvok reported.


Some of the Borg weapons fire missed Voyager, due to Tom's evasive manoeuvres working. Voyager then fired. One of the cubes was heavily damaged and dropped out of the conduit.


“Two left,” Kes said.

“But still quite dangerous,” Tuvok observed.

“Yes,” Kes said. Her tone changed. “They're firing again.”

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 4
This time the two cubes kept up continuous fire, but Voyager's rear shields held.

“I'm not sure how long Voyager can stand this, Captain,” B'Elanna said.

“You've already said that,” Kathryn said.

“But diagnostics are showing more strain throughout the ship. Voyager has held up fine so far, but she was simply not designed for such extreme energies to be coursing through her systems!”


5 minutes
“I understand, B'Elanna, but it's not likely Kes is going to stop what she's doing.”

The ship shook as the Borg adapted to Tom's evasions. “Rear shields holding, but some of the generators are close to redlining.”
“Understood.”


“You will not succeed,” the Queen said to Kes.

“You said that before,” Kes shot back.

“There are more Cubes on their way to intercept Voyager. How many can you deal with before you're overwhelmed and assimilated, including Seven of Nine, tertiary adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One?”

“We have freed her from the Collective. She is free from your control,” Tuvok said.

“We'll see,” the Queen said.


There was another hit, there was another shake in Engineering. “Lieutenant, Captain, the aft sheilds are close to failure,” Ensign Vorik noted.

“Lead a team to examine the generators,” the Captain ordered.

“Aye, Captain,” Vorik said.

“And then, what?” B'Elanna said.

“They attempt repairs,” Kathryn said. “Whatever Kes is doing, she needs to get us past Borg space.”


“The Borg have adapted to the evasive patterns,” Tom reported. He paused. “At least those I can execute in this environment.”

“Sheilds down to 100%,” Ayala added.

“Maybe Kes can pull another rabbit out of her hat,” Harry joked.

“You never know, Harry,” Tom responded.


Weapons fire continued to be exchanged between Voyager and the two Cubes pursuing her through the conduit. While the Starfleet ship's shields were weakening, the Cubes were sustaining damage that was proving difficult to regenerate from.


Damage to grid 30-32-12 at 45%, 90% of drones are in their alcoves.

Armada 321 approaching.

The Queen gave the order for the two cubes to withdraw.


“The cubes are withdrawing,” Ayala reported.

“But more may come,” Chakotay noted.

“And we would be sitting ducks!” Tom noted.


Vorik and a few others left Engineering to check on the shield generators.

Janeway looked at Kes and Tuvok. “Hold on!” she said.


“Hold on!” Janeway's concerned order filtered through into the mindspace.

Kes glared at the Queen. “You want me to do what I did earlier?”

“It won't work. The unicomplex has adapted, as has the Collective's infrastructure.”

“Overconfident, just as when you provoked Species 8472.”

“We were loosing against Species 8472 because of their unique biology. You are just one Ocampa. We have assimilated others of your race.”

“Don't listen to her, Kes,” Tuvok interjected.


“Sensors are reading something,” Harry said.

“What is it?” Chakotay asked.

“A fluctuation in the transwarp environment. It could be another armada of Cubes.”

“That isn't good.”

“B'Elanna is reporting that systems are showing signs of strain and possible failure.”


5 minutes 30 seconds
“Understood,” Chakotay said.

“She's uncertain how long they could last.”


Voyager continued through the transwarp conduit. But suddenly, Cubes appeared ahead.


In the mindspace, Kes could see the armada approaching. “I still have tricks up my sleeve,” she said to the Queen.

“'Tricks' are irrelevant. You will be assimilated. Resistance is Futile.”


“Another armada!” Harry reported.

“They aren't going to give up!” Chakotay said. He turned to Ayala. “Prepare for boarders.”


Forcefields went up in all corridors.


Tuvok knew Kes was determined, but determination would only get one so far.


The Armada approached Voyager, which fired more torpedoes.


“One problem,” Kes said. The torpedo inventory came up in front of Tuvok.

“We're almost out,” Tuvok stated.

“Every shot will have to count.”

“Need I remind you, that is very difficult.”

“I know. But as I told the Queen, I have tricks up my sleeve.”


The Queen knew Voyager was almost out of torpedoes. Phasers alone wouldn't destroy that Armada. The Collective pressed it's attack.


Tuvok fired most of the remaining torpedoes, which along with additional phaser fire, destroyed two cubes and knocked an additional one out of the conduit.


“Only one torpedo left!” Ayala reported.

That wasn't good news. “Noted,” Chakotay said, with some exhasperation. 'How are we going to escape?' he wondered.


Kes concentrated more. “There is a chance to shake the Collective and get further than the Krenim. We are crossing their space now.”

“Sounds like it is more risky than what you've been doing,” Tuvok said.

“Incredibly, risky, but the alternative is most likely assimilation.”

“I'm ready.”


“We're accelerating,” Tom noted.

“The armada is keeping up,” Harry noted.


“Now!” Kes said. Several things then happened. She gave off more energy...


Energy buildup detected in Voyager's engineering section.


“You can't escape us!” the Queen said.

 

[USS Fardell]

Conclusion
Voyager continued to accelerate through the conduit.


“We're past Krenim space,” Kes announced.

“But the Borg...” Tuvok started, before Kes gave off a burst, and the Queen vanished from the mindspace.

“Resistance is not Futile!” Kes cried out.


Voyager fired it's last torpedo, containing more of Kes' energy. At the same time, more of said near ascending Ocampan energy was being transmitted from the interplexing beacon in Cargo Bay 2.

Said beacon almost immediately burned out, but it's job was done.


The torpedo hit the leading cube. That combined with the additional energy, effectively destroyed it,. That explosion, combined with the debris, blinded the sensors of the other cubes. But that wouldn't have been sufficient for Kes' plan.

Voyager then dropped out of the conduit herself.

Similarly to before, the energy transmitted by Voyager moved through the Collective's infrastructure towards the unicomplex.

The Collective's adaptations to the previous wave were ineffective. Most of the relays also burnt out. The Queen had a few moments of perception of something before the energy hit the unicomplex and severed her connection to the hive mind a second time.


6 minutes


Voyager was back at warp, slightly faster than just before she entered the transwarp conduit.

The drop back to warp was well timed. The aft sensors picked up a nebula full of radiation. Kes was thankful that she didn't have to divert around it. Ahead was a void between two of the Galaxy's spiral arms. It wouldn't take long to get through that.

Voyager continued into the void, accelerating faster, although Kes knew that her ascending energy wouldn't last much longer. She also knew that the Borg could figure out where they ended up if they kept going in a straight line.
“We're out of the conduit,” Harry reported.

“And back at warp,” Tom added.

“Report on our location,” Chakotay ordered.

“11 thousand light years closer to the Federation, entering a void over two thousand light years across,” Tom reported.


Kes knew the energy was almost out, that she wouldn't get Voyager all the way to the Federation. She also knew that the Borg were certain to follow. So, she varied the ship's course.


“Our course is changing,” Tom reported. “Ten degrees to the anti-spinward.”

“I suppose that will throw the Borg off,” Harry said.

“That is likely,” Chakotay said.


“We're back at warp,” B'Elanna reported. “And still accelerating. But the warp coils are showing signs of stress. We will have to find somewhere to repair.”

“Janeway to Bridge, report.”

“We're halfway through a void between the galactic arms and slightly off course. We suspect that is to throw the Collective off our trail,” Chakotay reported.

“Acknowledged,” Janeway responded. She turned back to Kes and Tuvok. “How long can she keep this up?”


6 minutes 30 seconds.


“We're nearly through the void,” Kes said. “I won't be able to get us much further.”

“You don't need to take us further once we're out of it,” Tuvok said.


The Queen came to and reconnected to the hive mind. The Collective was already recovering and adapting to the damage. Voyager was still out there! “Extrapolate Voyager's course,” she said. The projected course from the last known position to Earth was projected on a screen in front of her.


“We're out of the void,” Harry reported.

“And changing course back to the Federation,” Tom added. “But we're now decelerating.”


6 minutes 45 seconds.
Tuvok disengaged from the mind meld and found the Doctor scanning him. “I'm alright, Doctor. The Borg didn't affect me. Focus on Kes.”

“You were still under some stress,” the Doctor said. “But for now you're fine.”

The glow around Kes was beginning to fade.


It was fading from Voyager too as the ship continued to declerate.


“What was happening?” Kathryn asked.

“She obtained navigational data from the Collective, which drew the Queen's attention,” Tuvok explained.

“Queen?” the Captain asked.


7 minutes
“13000 light years,” Tom reported. “Now at one light year per second.” He checked the console again. “No, we're back down to normal speeds.”


“Probably a representation of the Collective,” Tuvok answered. Voyager then shuddered, sending most of them to the floor, as the ship dropped out of warp.

The Doctor went up to Kes as she fell from the console.

“How is she?” the Captain asked.

“Exhausted, but it seems she's no longer changing. What that means... I'm not sure.”

The Captain nodded.

“Chakotay to the Captain. We're out of warp and have travelled 13000 light years.”

“I'll be up in a minute, Commander.”


“Captain's Log; Supplementary. Kes has propelled Voyager 13000 light years closer to home rather than becoming, what she was becoming. We are now under repair on an uninhabited M-Class planet located in a system where that journey ended. Kes is still sleeping in Sickbay and Seven of Nine is yet to finish her regeneration. One thing is clear. The Borg are continuing to look for us, so we have to be vigilant.”

Janeway sighed as she got up and looked out at the savannah her shjp had landed on. As soon as the repairs were complete, the ship would be under way again and a new stage of their journey home would begin.


The Queen brooded as the Collective scoured the direct route along which Voyager could have gone. The ship wasn't there! She knew they were still out there, somewhere off that direct route. She made a decision, there was something else the Collective could do in the meantime.


Captain Tanarex looked at the ships on the viewscreen with increasing concern. He knew what was going to happen, but Protocol demanded that he say what he would say next. “You've entered Krenim space. State your identity.”

“We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is Futile.”

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Loved the banter where Kes kept calling out the queen for being boring.

Very fast-paced, fun entry - thanks!! rbs