Subject: NEW: Annika's Gift [VOY, PG, 1/1] Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 16:51:46 -0500 From: Lorelei Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Title: Annika's Gift Author: Lorelei (bint@iname.com) Series: VOY Part: 1/1 Rating: [PG] Disclaimer: Paramount owns all, I just take them for short walks. Summary: Annika gives her father what he wanted: a chance to talk with the Borg. *** Annika's Gift Magnus Hansen scrutinized the readings on his tricorder. "Height, 1.83 meters. Weight, 79.4 kilograms. 3,000 nanoprobes per milliliter of fluid volume. Approximate time since assimilation, five years. Original race, Romulan." Erin yawned broadly over her notes. Her husband glanced over at her, annoyed. "Am I boring you?" he asked. She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "It's not that I'm bored," she began, making an effort to phrase her thoughts without hurting his feelings. "It's just so..." "Tedious? Repetitive? Unproductive?" he finished angrily. *Don't forget useless and stupid,* she thought to herself, then quickly berated herself for being so unsupportive. They'd had this same fight many times before; she knew that bitter words would only prolong it. Magnus closed his tricorder with a snap and walked to the replicator for an id marker. The markers were his own invention, and allowed them to track the movements of each drone within the cube. It had taken over a year to find a design which Borg immune systems would not reject as a foreign body. He had already placed over twenty of them in this cube alone, and hoped to place twenty more. Eventually, he would embed a neural transceiver in each marker, capable of interpreting the collective mind's thoughts and relaying them to the Raven. So far, his attempts to create that technology had failed. Unfazed, he would keep trying. Erin watched him wordlessly, cursing her own lack of patience. Magnus was a great researcher, underappreciated by the Federation. One day, their work could lead to open sharing of knowledge between the Borg and the Federation, or, at the very least, a non-aggression pact which would put Earth and other Federation planets out of immediate danger of assimilation. When they had begun their mission, they had both believed passionately in their work. But, as time in the cold, empty reaches just outside Federation space dragged on, the excitement wore off and left her feeling listless and depressed. Magnus, however, was perhaps even more driven than ever. But worst of all, she thought, they had forced their little girl into a lonely and friendless childhood no child should have to endure. The tension on the bridge was high, and Erin didn't feel like fighting again right now. She wordlessly got up and went to the door which led to the living quarters. Magnus, busily affixing the tag to the back of the unconscious drone's neck, kept his mouth set in a grim line and let her go. *** Annika scurried from her listening post behind the door to the bridge and ducked into her own room just before the bridge door opened. She had spent much of her time behind the door lately, listening to her parents snap, complain, and shout at one another. She didn't know why they were angry, but she often heard her own name being spoken loudly. It seemed very likely that whatever was wrong, it was because of something she had done. She often went back to her room to play with her dolls after hearing her parents argue. Children imitate the world they know in their play, and Annika's fantasy games were perhaps different from those of any other human child. She had colored one of her good dolls with black and silver crayons and cut its hair off, and named it "Two of Two." Her mother had seen it and was horrified. "What did you do to your pretty doll?" she asked. "It's a Borg drone," she had replied simply. She wiggled the drone threateningly in front of one of her undamaged dolls and said in a deep growl, "Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated!" Her mother got a funny look on her face and gave her a lecture about how assimilation isn't fun, isn't a game. Annika hadn't understood; if assimilation was so bad, why were they following the Borg cube? Now, she jumped onto her bed and pretended to be engrossed in flying her model shuttlecraft in figure eights over her head. Her mother entered to a scene of childhood tranquility, but she couldn't help shuddering at the site of the blackened doll staring from a nearby shelf. "Hi, mama," said Annika soberly, putting down her shuttle. Her mother joined her on the bed and impulsively hugged her tightly. They were both silent for a long moment. "Mama?" said Annika, looking up at her mother's sad face. "Yes, baby?" "Is Daddy mad at me?" Her mother looked pained; she hadn't realized that Annika could hear their fights. "No, baby, he's not mad at you. You're the most important thing in the galaxy to him, and to me." Her mother kissed the top of her head gently. "Daddy is unhappy because he can't talk to the Borg, that's all. He is trying so hard, but he just can't hear them." Annika nodded, somewhat reassured that she hadn't done anything wrong. "Mama?" she began again. "Yes?" "After Daddy talks to the Borg, can we all go home?" Erin's eyes filled with tears as she hugged her daughter close again. "I hope so, honey. I hope so." *** Annika had learned a lot during her time on the Raven, just from watching her parents operate the consoles and equipment. Like most five-year-olds, she was quick and curious, and could always be depended on to know things her parents didn't want her to know. Such as how to send a subspace distress call, for instance. She had watched her parents grow more and more unhappy and angry, and she wanted it to end. She wanted them all to go back to their homeworld and play in the sunshine and laugh and be a family again. She wanted them to buy her a kitten. She wanted to see other children her age, and see adults other than the sleeping grey Borg drones her parents were always bringing aboard. And she wanted her daddy to have what he wanted more than anything else: a chance to talk to the Borg. Clearly, if the Borg were going to talk, they had to be awake when they came to visit. Tiptoeing so as not to wake her parents, she went to the console where the communications system was accessed. Her chubby fingers worked busily over the keys, and within minutes she had figured out how to send the distress call on all subspace frequencies. Mission accomplished, she hurried back to her room to wait. *** The Borg cube picked up the distress call instantly. It altered course and headed for the disabled Federation ship. Usually, the Raven was a familiar and non-threatening presence in the sector. However, a disabled ship filled with humans was too desirable to pass up. It would be inefficient not to take advantage of the opportunity. *** A nearby Federation ship also picked up the distress call, but it was out of communications range. It wouldn't get there in time. *** The cube arrived so quickly the proximity alarm barely had time to go off before drones started beaming aboard the tiny vessel. Magnus and Erin were out of their room immediately, phasers drawn. They entered the bridge to find a half dozen drones walking around in the dim light, inspecting the equipment. Six red laser eyes swung towards them simultaneously, and they felt their first real fear since the research project had begun years ago. The drone closest to them took a step forward. "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." The voice was everywhere, filling their heads with its threatening overture. Magnus raised his phaser and fired. The burst of energy disabled the approaching drone, but five others were also advancing. He fired again, but they'd already adapted to the frequency. "Go!" he shouted to Erin, pushing her back into the corridor. She stumbled and turned to run for Annika's room, but it was too late. As the two adults were assimilated, they experienced a jolt of blinding fear and pain, and then a quiet peace and reassurance as the voices entered their heads, welcoming them with the bliss of anonymity and the comfort of routine. For a fraction of a second, Magnus knew exactly how to design the neural transceiver to communicate with the Federation. The method was simple and elegant and could be carried out easily. He would become the greatest researcher of all time and would save the Federation from any threat of the Borg. His little girl would grow up safe and comfortable. He loved her. He would do anything for her. In the next fraction of a second, his individual thoughts were forgotten as they became part of the collective mind. His desire to communicate, his love for his daughter, his research, all filtered into the collective and became part of the Borg. He briefly noted the presence of his wife's mind, no longer lonely and finally at peace, and then turned to his work. *** Annika huddled on her bed in fear as heavy footsteps sounded outside her door. The door slid open to reveal a Borg drone, and another, and another. She whimpered and tried to crawl out of reach, but grasping hands pulled her back. "Daddy, where are you?" she sobbed as tears streamed down her face. But by the time she joined the collective, he was already gone. -- feedback is welcome! Lorelei - bint@iname.com