Some Fates Are Worse Than Death

Posted on Sun Feb 12th, 2017 @ 9:40pm by

Mission: Another Day in Paradise
Location: Borg Ship
Timeline: Several Hours After the Attack on Star Base 900

Meredith woke with a start. She blinked several time but could see nothing but blackness. Her initial reaction was fear that she was blind. She felt a cold, hard surface under her prone body and probed with her fingers to discover she lay on some sort of slab. She slowly rose and swung her feet out into the blackness. Feeling solid ground beneath her, she stood up.

Lights began coming on as soon as Meredith was off the slab. Though dim in their illumination, the lights were near blinding for her. She started blinking again as the irises of her eyes began to adjust. She heard movement off to her left and turned only to see an indistinct humanoid shape approaching her. "Who...who's there?"

The figure took on more definition as it approached, Meredith's eyes finally adjusting to the light. She stepped back in sheer terror when it became apparent she was in the presence of a Borg drone. The drone stepped over by the slab and placed a black body suit down before turning to her and speaking. "Knight, Meredith. Species 5618. Charge Nurse of Day Shift. Medical Department, Star Base 900. Dress and accompany me."

Meredith stood there, frozen in fear. Her body was trembling in terror.

The drone simply studied Meredith for a moment. It's head moving up and down as the ocular implant dialed in and out as if scanning her. It again gestured at the body suit on the slab. "Dress and accompany me...please."

Meredith's dropped open in surprise. A Borg drone saying please, she thought. She looked at the body suit, realizing then she stood before this drone fully nude. She quickly snatched up the suit and held it in front of her. "Um...would you mind turning around?"

"Dress and accompany me. Turning around is irrelevant." The Drone paused, it's head cocking to one side as if it was listening to a command Meredith could not hear. It then made a 180 degree turn. "Dress and accompany me. Attempting to escape is futile. It will only result in your recapture and possible injury."

Meredith began to dress herself in the black body suit, looking about the chamber she was in. It resembled a hospital exam room. She should be thankful she had not already been assimilated, but she was terrified of what else that could mean. This whole thing just didn't add up. The Borg did not take prisoners, they either killed you or assimilated you on the spot. She finished dressing and cleared her throat. "You can turn around now. I'm done."

The Drone started for the door. "Turning around is irrelevant. Follow me." The wall simply opened when the Drone was just a few steps away. Meredith scurried after it in an effort to keep up. Meredith found herself flanked by two more Drones, these ones looking even more menacing with what were obviously weapons bristling from the cybernetic parts of their bodies. She stopped cold for a moment.

The Drone that had been in the chamber with her spoke as it continued down the corridor. "Accompany me or you will be carried to our destination." One of the combat drones used a cybernetic appendage to shove Meredith forward. She stumbled, regained her footing, and followed the first Drone down the corridor.

Meredith and her escorts arrived at a door five minutes later. The first Borg drone inserted a device attached to its right arm and the door opened. The two combat drones shoved Meredith from behind. She stumbled into the chamber and the doors closed behind her. She found herself alone with a single figure overlooking holographic displays. They looked like replays of the Battle of Star Base 900.

Meredith recognized both the USS Hopper and USS Zumwalt withdrawing from the battle as additional Starfleet vessels took up the fight. Ships on both sides were destroyed or severely damaged. Finally, the starbase itself exploded and the hologram winked out. Moments later the hologram reset and the images began again. The figure turned to face Meredith.

The figure had a serious lack of cybernetic attachments. Several tubes that looked like conduits extended from the figures skull and connected with a bulging protrusion from the back of the body suit. "Meredith Knight. Welcome." The figure made a half turn back to the holographic images. "Perhaps you can tell me where these two vessels escaped to. I can not track them for some reason."

Meredith's eyes opened wide at the use of first person pronouns. "I? Aren't the Borg a Collective we?"

"I am the Borg." The figure actually smiled at Meredith. It was actually more unnerving than an overt threat. "You would probably see me as...their Queen."

"The Borg have a Queen?" Meredith blinked at the sudden realization she may be dealing with an individual personality within the Collective. She then looked at the holographic images playing and replaying in the air. She gave a shake of her head. "I'm just a civilian nurse that worked in Star Base 900's medical center. I have no idea where those ship are."

"Hmmm. Perhaps you don't know." The Borg Queen glanced idly at the holographic images before returning her gaze to Meredith. "No matter. I will find them soon enough." She moved fluidly over to where Meredith stood and gave the nurse a once over.

Meredith wanted to retreat, but realized that it would be pointless. She stood tall and proud before the Borg Queen, even though she wanted to do nothing but run from the figure with necrotic flesh before her. "Well, since I don't know anything. I gather you will have one of your drones assimilate me now."

The Borg Queen cocked her head to one side before shaking it in the negative. "Oh, you will not become a drone Meredith."

Meredith's expression displayed confusion, even acute puzzlement. She had absolutely no idea what the Borg Queen could possibly want with her. "What then?"

The Borg Queen sighed, actually sighed as she stepped forward even closer. "As you can see, my biological form has deteriorated quite a bit since my encounter with your people. I find myself in need of new biological material." She smiled, a smile devoid of humor, one that could only be construed as purely evil as the tubes detached from her back and wavered over her head in the direction of Meredith. "You will have the honor of providing the host body for my biological form."

Meredith froze for an instant, terror striking deep into her heart. That moment was all it took for the tubes to implant themselves in her skull. She discovered in the last moments of her hold on her own identity...that Some Fates Are Worse Than Death.