The Farther Shore - Christie Golden [87]
[260] “We don’t kill her and everyone on Earth gets infected,” he replied, but lowered his phaser.
“It would have been futile regardless,” Seven said, looking at her tricorder. “She has erected a force field between herself, her drone, and us.”
“Data, well done,” Janeway said. “There’s a force field about two meters in front of me. Can you get it down?”
“Negative, Admiral,” came Data’s voice. “Seven of Nine will have to proceed with the force field still in place. The queen is concentrating all her efforts on it.”
“I can attempt ... our plan,” said Seven, careful not to reveal anything in words. “It will not be as easy.”
“Do it,” said Janeway. Seven moved to the same console as the young man. He ignored her until she touched the controls, and then he sprang into action. He whirled on her, and Janeway saw that his assimilation tubes were fully extended. Seven turned to evade him, but the drone was quicker. He seized her and was about to jab his tubes into her throat when Montgomery fired. The young man dropped like a stone. Seven took a step back, settled herself, and then continued to access the computer.
“Poor Blake,” Montgomery said. “I never should have let her have him.”
“You knew him, then?” Janeway asked.
“Yes. He was one of the top Borg specialists in the Federation. No wonder she was able to get as far as she did.”
Seven listened to their conversation with half an ear. She was more interested in finding out how this Blake had initially engaged the link. Her long, slim fingers flew over the controls, but at each turn, no matter what [261] she tried, the queen intervened to block her. It was as if they were two consummate professionals engaged in a tennis match, except this was a very deadly game. She tried everything she could think of. Nothing succeeded. The queen was aware, and able to protect herself.
Seven turned and caught Janeway’s eye. Janeway read her look and, with a pained expression, nodded. Seven swallowed hard. This was the last resort, the one she had hoped she would never need. But if her sacrifice could ensure the safety of the Earth, she was prepared to make it.
She opened the panel, turned and faced the queen, extended her tubes, and let herself connect.
It was a sensation that was at once familiar and comforting and alien and terrifying. A part of Seven was appalled at the ease with which she settled into the collective. Suddenly she could hear the minds. They were far fewer than she remembered. Of course. This queen had a small collective, fewer than a hundred, perhaps. The true queen had had billions.
It would be so easy to take her place, be once again only a part of a whole. Being an individual was so much more difficult ...
“What’s she doing?” Montgomery demanded.
“She’s linking with the collective,” Janeway answered.
“What?”
“Infiltration from the inside,” Janeway said.
“Do you really think she can do it? Disconnect the queen and not lose herself?”
“It’s our only hope.”
* * *
[262]You are attempting to disconnect me, Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One.
There could be no lies, no deception, in this most intimate of sharing. All of Seven’s memories and thoughts were laid bare before the queen.
You will fail.
Trevor Blake lies unconscious and separated from the collective, Seven thought. Your hologram has been deleted. You cannot progress further. You know Starfleet will destroy the building and all the lives within it if it has to in order to stop you.
Starfleet is weak. It will have no stomach for what it perceives as deliberate murder.
Then believe this. If it must, Voyager will act alone and do this thing. Resistance is futile. You are more human than Borg. If you surrender, you may be spared, despite what you have done.
The queen, her eyes blank and unseeing, opened her mouth and laughed aloud, startling those who watched the struggle between Covington and Seven of Nine. Janeway suppressed a shudder. Anything the Borg queen would