Spock's daughter

11

[In the Maturation area]

"You have no future with the Borg. But you do with Voyager. A chance to reclaim your real lives", Seven said.

"What do you know about real lives?" the leader asked.

I looked to the teen boys and saw my favorite one glancing at me.

"Does he speak for all of you? You should make your decisions yourself, as individuals." (Seven)

The Cube shook like an earthquake.

"They are sending a feedback pulse through our tractor beam. It's overloading our shield matrix." (Icheb)

"Adapt!" the leader commanded.

[On the Bridge]

"Their tractor beam is fluctuating. Their shields are dropping." (Tuvok)

"I've got a partial lock on the away team. Boosting the confinement beam. I've got three of them." (B'elanna)

"Confirmed. Chakotay, Paris and Neelix are in Transporter room two", Tuvok reported.

What about Seven, Lil and Harry?" Janeway asked.

"They must be in a section that's still shielded", B'elanna guessed.

"Amplify the feedback pulse." (Janeway)

[In the Maturation area]

"The other captives are gone." (Mezoti)

"The shields around this chamber are failing. Instructions." (Icheb)

The leader looked at him and the teen looked at Seven. I slowly stood up.

"Lower your shields. Lower the shields!" Seven ordered.

She then went to do it herself. The leader walked to her furiously. I jumped in between them and he grabbed me by my throat. Then I felt something pierce through the skin of my neck.

"Lil! Don't assimilate her!"

'Assimilate? Is he doing that right now? Assimilating me?'

The leader pushed me back when my sight got blurry again. I felt that I landed in a pair of arms. It couldn't be Seven's, she was next to the computer and it couldn't be the leader because he was a few meters in front of me. I looked up and saw the face of the other teen. I smiled weakly and he slightly smiled back, before looking up.

"No!" the leader yelled and pulled Seven away from the control panel and put the shields back up.

Then he got furious and he grabbed an object and went to hit Seven over the head with it. The teen had laid me down to the ground gently and went to stop him.

"Leave her alone." (Icheb)

"Get back to your station. Do what I say", the Leader commanded.

"What you say? I thought we were a Collective." (Icheb)

"One mind, one voice", the little girl said.

"I protected you. Gave you order", the leader said.

"Your order. Your rules." (Icheb)

The Cube was still shaking. Sparks were flying everywhere.

"Their feedback pulse is overloading the induction grids." (Leader)

"This vessel will be destroyed. We must evacuate", Seven said.

"No!"

I crawled away as best as I could. I was scared now of this guy.

"Assist me."

Suddenly an explosion send an electric charge through the Leader and unfortunately through me. I screamed like hell. Seven went up to the leader and the teen came up to me. Black spots were slowly making their way into my vision.

"You're damaged. Lie still", Seven ordered.

"We have to resist. The Collective will come for us." (Leader)

Seven scanned him.

"His cortical implants are depolarising. I can't help him." (Seven)

The little girl knelt by her Leader.

"We'll find a new home. You'll see", she said, laying her left hand on his forehead.

"We are Borg", the leader said with difficulties, grabbing Seven's left arm.

"Yes. We are Borg."

Then the Leader took his last breath and deactivated, permanently.

"Lower the shields", Seven ordered after another shake. The teen stood up and did what Seven ordered.

I smiled.

"Hey", I mumbled.

Seven looked to me.

"Does that mean we're getting out of here? And back to the Voyager?"

She came up to me and knelt down.

"Yes. We are."

I smiled and coughed into my hand. It smelt like iron.

"Lil?"

My sight was getting worse and worse. My muscles started to go limp. Seven grabbed my arm and moved it to the side. It revealed a hand full of blood.

"Seven to captain Janeway."

"I hear you." (Janeway)

"Medical emergency." (Seven)

"We will beam you to the sickbay." (Janeway)

Seven turned to the other four drones.

"Take Harry while I take her." (Seven)

The teen walked up.

"Can I take her?" he asked.

"But be careful with her, okay?"

He nodded and scooped me up in his arms carefully. After that, I don't remember a thing.